i wish i had pictures of saturday night for you guys but i will just have to paint a quick picture with words:
darin had a "premiere night" for his movie "the mountain's dream." it was held at zack and rebecca's house and us girls (mostly carolann and rebecca) cooked up a bunch of fabulous indian food: curry, dal, spiced sweet potatoes, and coconut rice. rebecca made thai tea and we had beers of course. it was a lovely evening and after a while tons of people starting showing up. somehow, many more than darin had invited, which was rad, as it was especially interesting to see complete strangers' reactions to his movie.
anyway to put it lightly, the movie was a great success! i wish you could have all been there to see our friends' reactions and our proud director/writer/producer mister darin coelho spring!
we also showed stan's short six-minute movie "all told we get old" which absolutely delighted the crowd. that was shown first, and elicited tons of laughter. darin was kinda worried that now everyone was in the mood for a comedy. but no, this large audience sat so respectfully and enrapturedly all through darin's hour long film. there were some laughter-parts too, mind you, including both mikie and addie's unforgettable performances. joey's song played hauntingly during a key dreamy scene, and overall the movie was truly enjoyed by all.
even shane, who darin knew and kinda hoped would provide the harshest criticism, was really pretty complimentary and also very delightful to talk to on a variety of subjects. it is really fun for me personally when i start getting into a very social mood, like right now for spring break. there were a few pictures taken with zack's camera so if i can get a hold of them i will post some.
with his newfound success, darin has many big plans. next up: documentary on vegetarianism. any ideas or thoughts, let us know. it is going to be a probing look, trying to be somewhat unbiased, and will include footage of a hunting trip carolann is going to be making. crazy, exciting stuff!
Hey folks, did you see a video clip from Mikie that has disappeared ?? I woke up this morning to comment on it and ITS GONE--Mikie that was a good job video-- you did a particularly good job coordinating the music with the activities of the video. that had to have taken much time. I too liked the music, it had a neat beat. Can we get it back so it can be seen by all. Please!
We all stayed home from church today. If you have read our family blog you would know that Bell and I are sick and O has the FLU ugh! So lucky Jarom and Matty- if mom doesn't go, no one does. Anyways we were feeling too sick to eat this morning, after watching Oey barf his oatmeal and all. But by lunch we had a roaring hunger. So Matt decided to make donut holes- mmmmmmmmm. We tried to make it with wheat flour at first but they would kind of just explode so we had to add a little white flour. You live and learn. We rolled our donuts in powdered sugar (the kids' favorite) and sugar and cinnamon. Now we are dying from donuts. I'm begging Matt to go home teaching just to give them away. They are so sickeningly sweet, Matt just had to come over here again while I'm typing to help him eat some more. And he had a complaint that I put too much coating on the donuts. He did the frying and I did the rolling. As soon as they were out of the oil I doused them in sugar and because they were still hot it melted and caked up all nicely (this is what he is complaining about). By the way it's still snowing.
(Now it's Matt narrating.) I just wanted to pitch in a little, to talk about our yesterday. We got up early and Amy went running, then she and I both went on solo bike rides. It was a beautiful morning, grey to the east and patchy blue sky to the west. After I got back from mine, I took Jarom up snowboarding. The sun had come out and it was perfect spring mountain weather (unlike today--though it's perfect in a different way). Anyway, Jarom's improving. See for yourself.
getting a good stance bike riding on provo canyon road view a church tower
I'm am so happy to tell you all that we now have a place for you to stay. My good friend gave us a GIANT sized bed that takes up the WHOLE back room. I think there is room for all of you- so come now. We will treat you like the princess and princes you all are. We just miss you all so much. I thought maybe you would be more inclined to stay if you knew you didn't have to fight over the couch. And guess what Joey? we got guitar hero 3! Wireless! We haven't even opened yet. I think we are waiting for you. So hurry and come.
At Heather's request, here's the blog I wrote at her computer:
Prologue.
At my sister's computer again, writing..again. I kinda like this spot, it is of the Great Corners of Creativity movies and photos, blogs and behemoths. And so, two days later. but days can be months 'r seconds. This time, they were days. maybe upwards of a week. First of all, and I think we all know about this one of the first great pleasures about visiting home - is nothing less than the sheer luxurious plenty of FOOD.
Oh glory be the days! Sprouted wheat tortillas, beans beans hummus salsa chips and mushrooms, cheese cheese diet coke spraying from the garden hoses, mountains of delicious healthy vegetarian foods!
If I were to make a list of the pleasures that ensue a visit home it might be very boring. but we all know this list it's about recooperation, recalibrating, rediscovering our plainest pleasiest sources for love and happiness. And so two days have passed. except more like a week at least in terms of the quantity of delicious foods that have entered and been burnt into my body.
Beginning.
I was baptised today. Because I had a breakthrough and immersed myself in the frozen currents of the American River off Lotus Park shores. In the three days that I have been gone from LA I knew I needed to explore. the countryside and the depths of my riddle-ridden recent psyche. and wow, it hasn't been that difficult of a pursuit first, arriving in Santa Cruz! Nothing is more refreshing than having all your beliefs and judgments shattered by a truth: Santa Cruz is a very magical place a land of miracles and love, TONS of colors! and people. Slow, dwelling, strange and happy people. So I surfaced in Santa Cruz after my 9 hours of Greyhound. Candice as my copilot, we headed off into the midnight East to gods knew where since I was at the mercies of every element filling my senses except the one most powerful monster, myself. By the wee hours of night we arrived in Sacramento, where a gracious Dad waited (snoozed) patiently at my 96 year old grandmother's house. Candice left back to cowtown, and we drove home. up the hill, into the hills, deeper and taller the trees become, finally curving the steep driveway, finally nestled at Pops's place. So began my journey, when I found my Red Book.
But it wasn't the Red Book that really did it. It was a shift in myself that shook and clunked. It was weird. but I went with it. As I always try to do. impulses are our most important enemies. fight them, read them, then let them win. the battles will only get more interesting. Anyway Last night we gathered up in the freezing lofts of Pollock Pines to celebrate a birthday and ring in the new Easter. Doniella's birthday. And it sang into the night! Heavens and mojitos kept us warm and red and fiery, not to mention the flaming cake I drunkenly carried to Doniella's feet. It was magic. Like Santa Cruz is magic. you see the change yet? night glimmered at my eyes and ears, and finally weighed its blankets on my chest for sleep. and sleep we did - joey was dead and heather checked his pulse but he grunted and Stan wanted to "get the fuck outta here" in the purple dawn. but we slept again, and 11 finally rolled around to get us up. Conversations between beatty's don't really happen. at least not in the conventional conversational way. it's more like skirmishes, many of them little battles, small wins, many losses, few casualties and the occasional "can't we all just TALK LESS?!!?" (Joey) and so the car ride back from Pollock Pines was more or less a feat in human communication. Back at the homestead, Mom, Heather, Myself, Adie, Art, Joey and Dad gathered foods, baskets and goodies for a picnic at Henningsen (Lotus) Park. Matt you were missed. Somewhere in there, I decided to publicly take off all my clothing and jump alone into the freezing river. It was cleansing. i was alive! pictures were taken, and my dong was exposed. so we hung the boxers on mom's antenna piled into her curvy blue Honda and zoomed away at a snail's pace! to the rusty old sights of Coloma, Ca. Where am I going with this. I could spend another page or two recounting to you the rock-skipping episodes, where joey nailed a 10-skip throw and Adie almost nailed joey with one terrible throw and dad asked a stranger where he got his hat I could toil over how to describe Adie and Arts's cynical happy wondrosity she clings to habits but loves the new Art's nonchalance betraying either sheer hatred or incredulous Joy for the Beatty nutgang I could write about Dad and me talking away about picture and people and living or mom and me like true mother and son just two happy people who love living way more than we ought to. Or Joey, man and how rad his newest situation has become how his adventures never cease. how he realizes it, and how he sticks to himself like a fortified army of creativity. It rocks. But this wasn't meant to be a big fat poem or something about sap. it's about discovery - and Traveling. I decided a long time ago that I was going to Travel but then never actually left. Because we never leave only live and love closer and closer to truths that surround us. To travel is to meet, every moment a new impulse takes us from the outside. you cannot plan a day of incredible things. you cannot plan anything you can hardly even plan your own ideas, let alone to include others. all you can do is go and pursue thoughts and freedom, we must live carelessly because the discovery will happen as nature goes you cannot force something you don't know how to follow it must follow you skipping rocks painting pictures, eating food, making friends driving smelling smiling singing flinging bringing joy to your own heart - the changes will find you. but in order to allow them in, you must travel. take a risk. indescribable indefinitely accept no occupation will so immediately mold you a heart of gold than to be a traveling vagabond out the door. we are never alone, we are free to roam, we hone our skills. mountains oceans, peoples cities kings songs galore I love every speck of it all and more so fill up my cup of aluring delight with the footgrass of millions who sing in the night look at the stars. they're at peace. so are we. with freedom to live and to learn, love and see.
mikie i am stealing your term for easter because i really really really like it.
and here's what i want to say: please post your blog from your "mikie" spot here because it describes our placerville easter weekend so well.
and matt and amy, please write about your easter! i am dying to see pictures of the kids in their springy clothes and hunting for eggs and all that; you must have gotten tons of photos and we miss all your five precious faces.
it has been a wonderful start to spring, and now we will welcome the rain with its renewal and enrichment.
i have a blog. i am almost hesitant to share it because i am not trying to make ANYONE feel obliged to visit my blog or read my ramblings. seriously, it is mostly just for me and i am almost embarrassed to let the world know about it. but just in case you are ever bored and want some heatherland, well, my new blogspot is:
i will be posting story ideas, bits and pieces of thoughts, dreams, and enchantments floating through my head, sometimes school papers or ideas, and sometimes notes to myself for future creative inspiration. almost like a journal but just so i work on typing out my words instead of always just privately scribbling away in my journal.
little reminders to myself about what i love on this earth as a wee individual bit of mixed up starcarbon.
On Sunday Mom and I went to this event called a "International Folk Dance Festival" at my school, Sac State. It was a gorgeous sunny but windy day and it was fun to show mom where I park, where I walk, the Student Union (where the festival was held) and all around campus. After watching the dancers, we walked down to the English Department (a very humble little building surrounded by drooping blooms of camellias bushes) and then we spent quite some time roaming around the library. We ended up walking out of there with about ten books on Hawthorne for my project and one Ardyth Kennelly book for mom.
Anyway the dancers were so awesome. There were Irish and Scottish folk dancers who kicked and twirled, Bedouin bellydancers swirling silk scarves, traditional Mexican dancers in elaborate costumes, guys in suits and sombreros and boots, girls in gorgeous colorful long layered skirts, and best of all, this Serbian group with beetle-shaped bustles and a robust fellow hitting a big drum with a wooden stick and calling out whoops of excitement to frenzy the group of dancers.
Part of the dance was modeled after a Serbian wedding ceremony: getting the bride ready and then she sings for everyone. Here is a little video clip:
All night long on Wednesday Amy strung up green and blue streamers and hung blue and white balloons. She did it at night so that it would be a surprise for Orion. When he woke up Thursday morning, Amy brought him out to the kitchen and living room and he just looked around at everything, smiling and pointing. He loved it.
That night we had a party. There were 23 people here (including all kids and our family too). so it was pretty packed. It was a dinner party so we started with a really good salad, all laid out on the table like a spread, and two pans of Amy's now-famous homemade macaroni and cheese.
The kids had a dance-off to the Walk the Line soundtrack. They showed off some pretty sweet moves; Oey was the best head-bobber of the bunch. Sierra and Art's son Eli won. Then we had a huge Easter egg hunt in the front yard. Amy had filled probably hundreds of eggs with jelly beans and chocolates. The big kids had to be held back so the little ones could grab a few. I think Orion got two. But he was happy just sitting in the yard, watching all the kids running around and gathering eggs. It had been raining all day but the sky broke through in time for sunset.
The reason we had the ice cream frogs was because Bella wanted a princess party. Amy told her it wasn't her birthday, it was Orion's, and to that she said that Orion wanted a prince party. So they were frog princes. Also, Orion's big cake and the little cupcakes were all blue frosting with little Swedish fish on them--fish in ponds. Oey's a water baby so Amy thought of the cleverest things.
Happy first birthday! Oey kept trying to grab the flame so Amy had to keep the plate away. A little apprehensive at first . . . Taking the cake Licking hands clean The aftermath Opening presents with everyone gathered round Oey loves his ball Reading Nana's card Playing with his toys and wearing his new dapper tie Amy showing off the ice cream frogs she made everyone, while a sly little hand comes from nextdoor and grabs the cupcake. The frogs were made of lime sherbet, halved gummy apple rings and Junior Mint eyes. With Sierra and Art as they were leaving
Okay everyone, listen up. We've got a Beatty family Flickr account now. I sent everyone the username and password via email. So go to Flickr.com and get ready. What follows is a step-by-step to get you set up. You follow my every direction and we'll all be Flickr pros.
Step 1: Get the Uploader
Now you need to download the Flickr Uploader. This is the program you use to upload a bunch of photos at one time to Flickr. Click on the following link to access it: Flickr Uploader
You will see some text and a link that says "Windows Vista & XP: Download (12MB)". Click Download, and once the little popup comes, select Run. When the installer opens, click Next, Next again, then Install. This will install the program.
Step 2: Using the Uploader
Now go to your Start menu button, then All Programs. Find the recently installed Flickr Uploader and select it. The program will open, and you should see a link that says Sign In. Now this might seem tricky, but it's easy (note: you will only have to do the following the first time you use Flickr Uploader--never again).
(1) Click Sign In. (2) "Flickr Needs Your Permission . . ." pops up. (3) Click OK. (4) It will open a Flickr page in your web browser (Internet Explorer or Firefox). (5a) If you're not already signed-in as beattyphotos, then enter in the username (beattyphotos) and the password I sent you in the email. Sign in. (5b) If you're already signed in as beattyphotos, it may ask you if you want to authorize this program--say yes if it asks. It also might say that the program is already authorized. That's fine; move on to step 6. (6) When you're done, you should see a webpage that says "Hi beattyphotos. You have successfully authorized the application Flickr Uploadr." (7) Go back to the Uploader program (which is still open, waiting for you) and click the big fat Ready! button.
Step 3: Uploading photos
Once you've authorized the Uploader to use our account, you can upload photos. So click the Add button from the Uploader, and browse to the photos you want to upload. (You can also find the photos you want to upload through Windows Explorer or My Computer or My Documents, whatever, select a bunch and then drag and drop them onto the Uploader.) The photos will load and display as thumbnails right there in the Uploader.
This next part is important. This will ensure that we know who took which pictures. Once you've added all your photos to the Uploader, click the Edit menu (at the top), and select "Select All". All the photos will become highlighted with a little pink box around them. Now on the right you will see a textbox that says "Add to existing tags:". In that box you will type two phrases. These phrases will help us find and group our photos.
(1) Type beattyphotos. Yep, just the word beattyphotos. (2) Type taken-by-[name]. Fill in the [name] part with the name of the person who took the photos, basically whoever owns the camera from which they came. So if all the pictures are coming from my camera, I will type taken-by-matt. If they're from Heather's camera, she will type taken-by-heather. Dad's will be taken-by-dad. And so on.
Got it? Got it. To reiterate, every time you upload your photos, you will add two tags to every photo: beattyphotos, and taken-by-[name].
Last step: click the large "Upload Photos" button. Your photos will start to upload. It may take a while depending on how many are being uploaded.
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That's it! Once the pictures are done uploading, they're on the site, accessible to us all.
Does this make sense? Please please comment with any questions. Or email, or call--whatever.
Hey everybody, Mikie here. So, Adie just very quickly came and went, as do most good things in life. For a mere 36 hours or something, I got to spend some grand adventures with my influential older sis. I could go into great detail about the zany (and not-so-zany) things we did while she was here, but instead maybe I'll sum it up with a few pictures of our dear lovely hike we took up the high mountains of my nearby newest friendly summit, Dante's Point.
there were small people rustling around in trees
while adie poses stylishly against a Hollywood backdrop
we made some friends on our journey
adie wishing she were a critter
this critter wishing he were adie
these tree photos made me ponder about Darin Coelho's greatness...
see? Darin. 100%.
adie wasted no time heading back down. so I wasted time photographing adie.
LA, perfectly framed
a flower
a ladybug, apparently they're good luck. :)
adie was very tolerant of her brother
a very pretty sunset met us at home
that's about all I got folks. hope you liked our journey.... and his too
Well, been busy around the house today. So I put together a video of myself fixing the bedroom door. I made it in segments and was able to piece it together using windows movie maker. (didn’t even know I had the program until I discovered it by mistake) It’s fun. Haven’t seen Joey in a few days. If you read this Joey, check in if for no other reason than to see how Edward is fairing. Heto’s doing splendid. He is healthier than he’s been in some time. And here’s a significant thing to report. You know those hanging treats that are to hang in a Parakeets cage. You know, they have tasty seed of various types that Parakeets usually just love. But I have had one hanging in his cage for probably about 2 ½ years and he has ignored it until just the last 2 days, during which he has eaten more than half of it—and will probably finish it. The little stinker. Gee, maybe he will even take the initiative to whittle down his beak on his own now instead of letting it grow to a gross looking point and me having to trim it. Well, could things be any more exciting? Life is a cherry pie. So, there you have it. I love you all. Dad
over here in p-ville: here are our springish activities of late:
i met up with dad and grammy for lunch/dinner (lunner) the other day between classes. grandma georgie is 96 years old folks!!!! and she lives on her own and has a cat (that was boggling my mind, some little creature is totally dependent on grandma georgie - wow). anyway we had a nice meal at chico's tecate grill and now i know where dad gets his love for cheese enchiladas.
darin and i went to visit addie and artie over the weekend. we went out to this beautiful little spot called "bridgeport" which has a very informative visitor center with nature walks and bird spotting. it is the site of the longest covered bridge in california, a beautiful old structure crossing the lovely aquamarine yuba river. addie whipped out the tall boots and gold panning supplies and got about three particles about the size of a speck of dust. she is probably the cutest gold miner ever and those old clampers best look out! this river spot is absolutely beautiful and the drive out there goes through beautifully blossoming countryside complete with baby cows nuzzling their mommas, regal llamas grazing, and ponies dozing in the sun. that night coal beautiere played a show and it was good to see them back in action on their native soil!
meanwhile, mom and i have been feeling springy, making "leprechaun candy," taking country drives to look at houses for rent and sale, and hanging out with the cats in the yard with the sunshine and blossoms. we are lucky to have such a nice big backyard where i can sit and do homework every day for hours.
here's mom making leprechaun candy from a recipe we got from my first-grade teacher after i made these in a class st. patrick's day project: and our outside joys:
