Sad news…

heidi08 Uncategorized November 22, 2009

I learned yesterday that long-time downtown fixture Ulla was found dead at the convenience store parking lot. There was no visible sign of trauma other than a cold night. Her thin jerky stride was recognizable to anyone who frequents down town. Sometimes she’d be in animated conversations with people who weren’t there, and sometimes she would stop by the beaver display and comment with startling toothless clarity on the kit that died “because of the coons”. There were always dramatic stories about her early life, that she had once been a dancer or a stripper. Clearly she had a colored past that brought her to an unsteady present. Many distant hearts will feel sorry at the news, and wish her peace.

anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn’t he danced his did

Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone’s any was all to her

someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then)they
said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain

ee cummings

Youthful Helpers!

heidi08 Tile Bridge November 20, 2009

Juventud, divino tesoro,
¡ya te vas para no volver!
Cuando quiero llorar, no lloro…
y a veces lloro sin querer

Rubén Dario

Ahhh nothing ages you more quickly than the young! Wednesday night Worth A Dam advanced by many years, when we were “bless-krieged” with the high-energy enthusiasm of the ESA students pictured here, who took notes, went through every tile, and ate an entire batch of chocolate chip cookies before approaching personally every member of the city council with their irresistible charms.

The tile project was the subject of a lovely article in the Pleasant Hill record portion of the Contra Costa times (page 1) (page 2) yesterday. I can’t remember an article that had more undilutedly kind things to say about Worth A Dam and the beavers. Usually there are at least a few cringe-worthy sentences included for “balance”, but we were clearly the heroes of this piece, and I for one spent the day in a “pinch me I’m dreaming” state of mind.

For those of you needing a translation, this is a famous stanza from the Nicaraguan poet and possibly the most famous spanish poem of all time. “Youth, divine treasure. You’ve gone already and will not won’t return. When I want to cry I can’t. And sometimes I cry without wanting to.”

(It is beginning to become clear to me that “cry” in this poem, is probably a euphemism.)

Down the Rabbit Hole

heidi08 Beavers or Social Ambasadors, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Tile Bridge November 20, 2009

Have you ever had one of those dreams where find yourself back at your locker in junior high only now you’re an adult and have a car and a job but still only a few minutes to get to English and you notice that everyone else seems really, really different than the last time you were there? Smaller and less intimidating?

Last night didn’t in any way resemble one of our familiar earth-nights. Everything had been transformed, mutated, or turned into something else. I gave the bridge art presentation to an enthusiastic council, (yes, you read that right) who loved the idea and couldn’t wait to support it. There was much oohing and aahing about the general cuteness of the children’s art work and I believe Ross actually thanked Worth A Dam for its continued hard work. I’ll have to see the video, because I was feeling too surreal to notice.

(Gazette page 1) (Gazette page 2) Our student helpers from Rona Zollinger’s ESA class came early to walk through their role in helping the project and were fantastically motivated and savvy. One had made a tile at the festival, another already had the Worth A Dam shirt, and a third was the son of a contractor who had helped lay tile and granite in the past and wanted to assist installation. The fourth was interested in writing about their role in the upcoming Worth A Dam newsletter. All were very smart about the visual impact their presence was going to have on the council, and volunteered to carry tiles and stand at the front during the presentation.

Two years ago after our dynamic November meeting, I left full of elevated hopes for the council’s role with the beavers. The sky was the limit. I dreamed big. 18 months ago, their refusal to vote on the subcommittee report turned me more wary and suspicious. I learned how to expect the worst but appear to hope for the best. One year ago their decision to put sheetpile through the lodge left me devastated and betrayed, and I honestly felt all bets were off. Last night, their reaction was again entirely unexpected. i would call it almost genuine enthusiasm with an element of quasi-amnesiac disconnect from their earlier cautions.

(If it hadn’t been for the fact that council woman Kennedy pointedly was the only member to say nothing whatsoever about the project, I would have thought I was in the wrong zip code. Thanks for making me feel at home.)