"Grow Till Tall"

I've been looking for a way to incorporate music & song into my creative endeavors, so this is my first go! (Seeing Jónsi LIVE TOMORROW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !! !)

A simple performance of one of my favorite songs "Grow Till Tall" by Jónsi ***

Because music has the power to connect us with each other and with the whole universe . . . I hope this video will be a small demonstration of that power!!

Filmed by Patrick John Steiner :)

"covered in stars"

I've been pretty consistently painting myself with stars and walking around the streets "covered in stars." I don't think most people notice, but sometimes people give funny looks or ask "COSA?" The most interesting part is when I interact with people I know. Sometimes people say that it's absolutely BEAUTIFUL, and that makes me smile and feel like on some level, they just understand, because this isn't the most common reaction. It usually takes a few moments and suddenly I get the "WAIT WHAT?? Is something wrong with your skin?" And I smile all the same because I know the part where I get to explain is coming up & I love explaining what I'm doing. Each time, I could say something different, because there are hours and hours of conversation attached to the ideas that are swirling in my head. The grand theme being that I just start out tracing over freckles & moles! And already, we have these beautiful patterns that look JUST LIKE STARS !!! To me, I can't ignore this. Is it pure chance that we are freckled in the same way as the night sky? Or is there something there...something greater...some obvious thing which has been hidden beneath our noses............. the way I see it, we are all so connected to each other and nature and this thing we call the universe . . . and our true selves, what we just are as individual human beings is beautiful beyond measure !!! . . .

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL BEYOND MEASURE *^.^*

& I mean that!!! This includes EVERYONE. Not a single soul excluded. Think about that one, for me, please ............... :)

I think that if I flood you with my ideas and thoughts all at once, it might be overwhelming **** so! slowly slowly, pole pole, piano piano . . !

Jónsi !!!

Life can be so magical ... !!*
Let me tell you a story.
For the past 4 months, I've been obsessed with Jónsi. He's the lead singer of Sigur Rós, an Icelandic band that I absolutely ADORE. Possibly my favorite band of all time, if I had to choose. What I loved about Sigur Rós is that I could never understand the actual words (I've heard that half of it is a make-believe language anyway) but I felt like I could . . . I've always felt like I could FEEL it, like it was a language more eloquent than any *real* ones with concrete sentence structure and complex vocabulary. Recently, Jónsi released a solo album called "Go" *** it's a little more upbeat and incorporates actual English. At first, I wasn't so sure I would like it at all, but eventually I got hooked. I've listened to this album at least 40 times & one of the special things is that I've played it almost every single time I've painted anybody. It's like a sudden flood of positive energy, which I embrace so much!!!
In any case, the news is that I am going to see Jónsi LIVE!!!!!!! I found out he was coming to play two shows in Italy, one in Rome & one in Ferrara. I was in shock. I had to get tickets... I had to see him! Walked to the box office with Patrick and within 60 seconds, they were in my hands. It was that easy. . . Now this might not seem like a HUGE deal, but for me, at this moment in my life, loving music, having been singing Jónsi in my head and out loud at any given hour, feeling these waves of positive energy through just recording........it's just going to be so magical live and I am excited beyond belief. . . . Wouldn't that be amazing if he let me paint stars onto him? ? ? (*Giggles*)

This is one of my favorite songs by him. (I'm not allowed to embed it here, but please click the link to listen!!) It's called "GO DO" and it is alive with sounds and colors and bird noises and eeeee! It is so contagious!!! And now I have a new reason to love him, because I can understand some of the words and for the most part, I embrace them whole-heartedly... one of my favorites being :
"WE SHOULD ALWAYS KNOW THAT WE CAN DO ANYTHING"



And it's true. ANYTHING. We can do anything !!!!!!!!!!!! Put your mind to it, summon up positive energy, find the means to do it . . . it's not as hard as it seems. There are a million things we could be thinking about, half of them negative and depressing and upsetting. . . . it's all about what you choose to put your mind to. :)


* * *

In other news, I found this little guy on a shelf in my apartment here. A little piece of home!! Abandoned... "orphaned!" I immediately put him next to my bed, so he could have a little attention and some love. Coincidentally, I just read that my friend Esther Jeohn (whom I spent last summer in Tanzania with!) has a new cactus friend too!! Mine has no name (yet?), right now he's just a pleasant little addition to my bedside table * making my room an even more happy place to live! :)

because i'm from the U.S.A.

I know this is a little late in bein' posted, but I just wanted to show you the (DELICIOUS) brownies I made from scratch(!) for the 4th of July, celebrated at my new apartment. It's kind of a family tradition ** My mom makes 'em every year, but with cool whip instead of icing... mine were good but hers are better... just kind of a fun thing to do as an "ex-pat" ... ^.^

Yum!
:^)

SUKI IS ALIVE !!!!

Remember her?!?!?!? Patrick kept her for safe for me at his B&B (Le Tre Stanze!) and she stayed alive!!! She was fading pretty quickly by the time I left in December... Her flowers were all dying and things didn't look too good. I told him that if she didn't survive, she should be taken to the sea and released into the ocean. (So maybe that's a tiny bit dramatic, but it is what I said! ^.^) But I had faith in her & she survived !!! Look at all her new little buds * * she is very much alive & I was SO happy to see her !!



Believe it or not, I have never really been a "plant" person. Suki is the first one I bought for myself... And now I proudly "own" three (you can't really own any piece of the earth!) ** Suki in Italy, "Ishima" (a miniature rose plant), and "Rafiki Tzatziki" (A BONSAI MAPLE TREE!) ... I LOVE MINIATURE THINGGGGGS.



Do you know that I found out that Suki means "I LIKE" in Japanese.... What a perfect name :)
Sono contenta!!!

morning light ** la luce della mattina :)

Mornings.
One of my favorite things about traveling and having lots o' jetlag. I love the waking up early part where the morning light is saying "hey! let me in!" ... or maybe it's just whisperin'. Those moments where you still feel asleep, like reality mingles with dreaming and soft slumber . . . like something magical is happening . . . like anything could happen.


There are so many beautiful shots of the morning light (la luce della mattina*) ~ I couldn't choose so if you like 'em, there are more on flickr.

All is well so far. The city is as beautiful and alive as ever... It's amazing being able to return to a foreign city and feel so well acquainted. I walked through the open air market yesterday and one of the old men remembered me and shouted out "Ciao!" ... I think I was beaming... it was just a nice experience. Eccolo! My favorite window is still here!!



Italy really is a magical place. . . I think these photos are pure evidence!! I didn't even have to do anything .. just look, breathe, capture.
**

A prestissimo,
Marissa*Katarina