Friday, April 27, 2012

The new website

Just a short post today - it's going to be a full day.

It's no news to those of you who know me well that I've designed and built a number of websites over the past few years.  I'm pretty excited about this new one, though, because it's in many ways a culmination of all that's been bouncing around in my head, building steam and clarifying, since I met my wife, and probably before that. It's the Patchwork Veracity idea in a website, and I'll share it with you (but only when it's ready).  For now, the landing page should give you an idea of what's going on and how it's going to look:

www.patchworkveracity.com

Not much to browse just yet, but just wait!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Prelude

Words are powerful. Or, more accurately, words have an immense capability to be powerful. To convey in a single set of letters such a myriad of intertwining thoughts as:

Prelude:
1.        a preliminary to an action, event, condition, or work of broader scope and higher importance.
2.        any action, event, comment, etc. that precedes something else.
3.        Music .
a.        a relatively short, independent instrumental composition, free in form and resembling an improvisation.
b.        a piece that precedes a more important movement.
c.        the overture to an opera.
d.        an independent piece, of moderate length, sometimes used as an introduction to a fugue.
e.        music opening a church service; an introductory voluntary.

is my proof that “A picture is worth 1000 words” only if those words are used as a monkey may use a club. There’s so much more to language than that; it’s the beauty that drips from imaginary lips as you experience the words of some great (or personally valued) writer.

So, I think I’m settling on “Prelude” as the title of the first Patchwork Veracity album. I hope it will become the forerunner of great things as we take our ‘show’ on the road (the trials and tribulations of actually getting ‘on the road’ will surely be the topic of another blog). Equally important, however, is that ‘Prelude’ is going to be equal parts a celebration of where I’ve been and the winding path that led me to this place, an anticipation of what is to come, and a discussion of how our preludes shape our experience and our understanding. See, a prelude, though it can stand alone if needed, isn’t as much an entity in itself as a significant part of a greater whole. The prelude imbibes a depth of meaning to the ‘real’ piece so dramatically that the ‘real’ piece isn’t as ‘real’ without it, almost only a shadow.

If you have known a part of my story, or part of the story of part of my story (yes, that’s correct), or have something to say about your own prelude – anything that might provide a swatch in the patchwork, I want you as part of this album: visual art, spoken word, whatever. Facebook me (www.facebook.com/patchworkveracity), email me (if you know it), or just leave a comment below. I’m the editor and a major contributor here, but I’d be a fool to claim I have anywhere near all there is to say.

For none of us can ever express the exact measure of his needs or his thoughts or his sorrows; and human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars. – Gustav Flaubert

Monday, April 9, 2012

"It's going to be a beautiful day" and other wonders of the western world

This is my second blog in two days!  Don't get too excited :)  Besides, I'm sure I'll make up for it by not blogging for another few months after this little spurt is over.  Anyway, wanted to share with you all a little free verse poem I just did.  There's a song in there somewhere, but for now:

“It’s going to be a beautiful day”
the hope of something not yet seen
but with quiet confidence I hold it
calmly, irrationally
with little fear of its running
it’s capnip’d cat, yet here I sit
you see, butterflies might entice it to leap
from me
to the lap of some new love
or, sadder still, away

and as the chrysalis splits,
I claim my life again
not the unperturbed balance
unwavering serenity
claimed by many, held by few
but the tension between passion
and control, that god of man
where life is “Yes!”
against not “no” but “perhaps”
that sink of dreams
you won’t take me down
It’s going to be a beautiful day.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

The future

I'm sitting in the kitchen of my house.  Not really something special, except that today there's a for-sale sign in the front yard.  The funny thing is, I'm not quite sure why.  Sure, I know it was put there by a realtor, my realtor in fact.  And at my request.  But I'm still not sure why.  Let me explain:

My wife, Missy, and I have felt for about two years that we need to sell the house.  We were never sure exactly why, but somehow we felt like that was the thing to do.  We didn't try to sell it, of course, for various reasons, not the least of which was IT MADE NO SENSE!

Then,  year ago or so, I asked on a whim and was told I could work from the road.  As in, from a vehicle in which I would travel.  I then bought said vehicle.  Ok, it's a 15-year old school bus the state of Maryland no longer considers safe to transport school children, but it's ours.  We've ripped, gutted, and otherwise maimed this bus into, well, not much yet, but it's going to be a great little RV when we're done.

If we get done.  I've now the time to do the renovations, and enough cash put aside to make it happen (probably).  But I no longer have the obvious opportunity.  See, HR balked at my proposed working arrangements, and don't seem to be willing to budge.  I've looked into other jobs, but they're already pretty hard to find without the "oh, by the way, I want to work from an RV".  You should see the looks I get on that one.  And the whole music thing just isn't feeding my family yet.

But we're still selling the house.  Or renting it.  Maybe.  We've had one showing.  And we're under water.

And I'm not sure why it's on the market at all.  I've got no reason to sell it.  Except that we're supposed to.  And because Isaiah 30:21 keeps coming up.