Two cups of water for every one cup of coffee

I was standing in the kitchen hovering a bit* the other day over a cutting board showcasing some uncooked broccoli and sliced carrots - Crunching along like one might , with something close to a veracity comparable to that one exiting the Appalachian Trail (maybe) after walking for months.

Only it wasn’t a walk out of the woods but more a lapse in overall consistency in caring for self , I realized half way though the vegetables.

. Starting another food journal is probably the way to go to stay aware of not dipping below required calories and B vitamins. Not in the habit of regularly disclosing personal details though comfortable in saying have though been having a bit of difficulty in taking care of some of the more basic tasks. Change ya clothes , drink water , don’t forget to eat a food before 3 at the latest , brush ya teeth ! Etc notes.

The above painting is the background for a potato plant that was growing without sunlight in a cellar , and now that’s spring ( HAPPY SPRING !) It has moved back out into the sunlight full time. I spent a few days in a row with about four or fives outside working on a few paintings , because feeling absolutely bamboozled by current events and the flooding of the zone in the crooked administration’s priorities was one that while wanting to remain aware of , felt a bit necessary to take a sep back from slightly.

It’s tricky to look at a painting, a drawing, a scribble or a sketch and feel as though it being “done” is this well defined - certain stage - There has been a good amount of progress in changing some of the layers of paint , and I think with a few more days in the sunlight with a brush and a few paints will be helpful in trying to process this all in real time. That and continuing to write and record music , It is starting to feel like I’m building bits and pieces of what could be an album of sorts , mostly acoustic with a bit of piano.

What about you ? What are you working on that reminds you that we are not evolved to be starring into screens in the palms of our hands for the majority of the day .

Do you feel as though you’re seeing anything differently , recently , as we find ourselves making sense of this current slate of events as of recent - How do you feel about getting recordings of short music pieces in this newsletter and through the audio notes ? Are there specific things you would like to see more of , read more about , sift through here more often than other things - curiosity inspires the question, no pressure , though ponder it it feels worthwhile.

This “Along the lines of” newsletter was something that I started because I wanted to prioritize sharing art and music (that I’ve been pouring energy and time into while trying to maintain sanity) And to more readily be reading the thoughts and ideas of others who are also living through this very unique time on Earth. Not that everything that is created needs to be done so for an audience, or to be some sort of sparkly finished product, not everything has to be “content”. For me sometimes it’s almost more of a meditation, allowing myself to get lost in the acoustic guitar or piano for extended amount of time, to feel that my physical and mental states are actually functioning on the same plane.

With the onslaught of as many constant updates as each individual is capable of processing in real time, it feels even more important to spend time creating tangible things - Be it a mountain of smashed potatoes or some wiggly paintings.

What do you think I should name this Rat?

All that being said , Thanks for being a part of the dedication in humanity that refuses to normalize the denial/ invalidation/ sublimation of our actual lived experiences, ethics principles, civil rights - thank you for rejecting historical amnesia and sharing who you are with the world. You don’t have to be defined by your lived experiences, though I hope you know how much you bring to the table when you are capable of sharing your presence with the world.

Thank you you for following and welcome to all new subscribers,

I’ve enabled paid subscriptions, though don’t want to make all that many paid only posts at this point - I think I might pu t more of the music recordings behind partial , with the intention of seeing where that goes - If you want to help keep the telephone connected , that’d be awesome - though if that’s not something you’re capable of at this current moment - believe me when I say I hear that noise. Speaking of noise,

What are you listening to , if anything that is helping you remain inspired and resilient to all that we are witnessing and reading about ? As we’re witnessing the attempted theft of due process and other constitutionally protected right ?

Speaking of reading about ,

And listening to , here are few that are standing out the last few days,

Maybe you’re already familiar with these, maybe some of them are new to you

Emotional responses may in fact occur, and if you’d rather skip for ow to just look at some paintings, you don’t have to explain that - If you’d like to read a little more about some of what can easily get pushed away from the prime time legacy showcase, I encourage you to explore some of what is referenced , as follows.

Lace and Spectres, 1855-56. Photograph: Maisons de Victor Hugo/Roger-Viollet

Victor Hugo

“The records appear to confirm that Paez Terán fired a gun at police from inside a tent, as Georgia authorities have stated since the 18 January 2023 incident – and that six officers fired back, filling the activist’s body with 57 bullet wounds, instantly causing death.”

“The movement against the center dates to 2021 and has included the destruction of construction equipment and the arson of Atlanta police motorcycles and a car. It has also included efforts to mount a referendum on the training center that gathered the signatures of more than 100,000 voters, historic levels of public participation in city council meetings, lawsuits, numerous protests, and national environmental and civil rights groups.”

“It has come as a shock everywhere, poll after poll reveals that trust in the US has collapsed and leaders are frantically trying to recalibrate.”

“The Call to Return the Statue of Liberty to France, Explained”

“The disgraced art advisor has now admitted to defrauding clients of approximately $6.5 million in total based on the purchase and sale of 55 artworks”