Monday, March 21, 2016

It's Here! It's Here!


Cocooned in metal and plastic,
I ride to work in a vaguely somnambulistic haze.
The sounds of cars hum and beep around me.
The engines don't roar anymore;
they purr and whirr, almost silent.
It's their tires I hear, sticking and 
unsticking on the pavement.
In the gray haze, I see the colors of the lights 
denoting the corners on shapes,
others signaling the red, green, and yellow
of the intersections.
And yet -- and yet, I hear spring,
sneaking through the industrialized 
sound barrier -- robins chirping and singing
their own joy at the coming of another day.


P.S. A few days ago, I posted
some pictures from my visit to Nada,
a new restaurant in downtown Indy.
They liked the pictures and comments,
so treated me to dessert the other
night. Ahhh. I felt so spoiled.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

It's Always Something


I try to always have my little camera with me. 
When it's been left at home on the counter, 
I've always regretted it. There's usually something
that crosses my line of sight I wished
I'd had it in my pocket.
Yesterday was no different.
I was on my way to the store when I saw
these cherry-like berries against
the light gray background of the 
churchyard where they live.
They seemed like drawings to me,
scraggly thick and thin lines
defining the space in which they exist.
And triangles.
Lots of triangles. 


In a way, they reminded me of drawings 
and prints by John Dowell, one of my college professors.
I remember the time he showed his portfolio
to a batch of interested students.
It was a suite of lithographs he'd produced
for his MFA thesis. Based on the theme
of the gradual opening of a triangle, his words
and work has stuck with me for nearly
fifty years. I thought of him when 
I took these little snaps.
One of his drawings, Just A Sign of Soul,
is shown below. I love it. Of course.


Friday, March 11, 2016

Loose Ends


Returning home from swim practice 
at Butler University, the bus 
passes this neighborhood variety store 
on North Illinois Street.
For whatever reason, I really 
enjoy the artwork painted on the
storefront windows.
In an era when the days of 
homemade, hand-drawn signage
is long-gone, it's a pleasure
to see that someone has gone to
the effort to create such a personal array
of images to showcase their wares.



Monday, March 7, 2016

NADA, As in No Worries


A new restaurant opened last week 
in downtown Indy. Called Nada, it bills itself 
as Modern Mexican.
The color and design of the place is wonderful, 
a contemporary balance of coral, yellow, and aqua 
with bright blue to balance it all. 
I was thoroughly taken in by the contemporary 
interior accented with more rustic touches
of texture and tiles. The seating is arranged in groups:
benches and tables along the sides, with banquettes
in the center and curtained booths along
one wall. It looks casual, but it definitely is not.


I loved my meal.
I had an appetizer of chips with salsa
and guacamole, dinner of grilled salmon, and
dessert of butterscotch flan. Yum.
I don't drink much, so only had a glass
of red wine. The food, while spicy, was not 
overwhelmed with heat nor drowned
in cilantro; I was able to enjoy
all the flavors and textures.


The service was excellent, 
almost embarrassingly so. I suppose that
was due to the place just having opened and/or
to my being by myself. I liked it.


I left Nada looking forward to my next visit,
wondering what I would choose for my next meal.
I saw people of all ages enjoying their first
visit to the dining room and a happy crowd 
as I walked through the bar.
I'm not much of a "foodie" but I know
what I like and I liked this place.



Sunday, March 6, 2016

Monochrome: On the Way to Spring


I took similar pictures just about 
a month ago of these trees and shrubs.
Yep, they were standing in front of the same 
brownish wall, too. Then, it was the way the light 
reflected off the branches that caught my eye.
Yesterday, it was the subtle variations in color. 
There were bits of red added to the mix,
the buds that told me spring was indeed, in spite of 
the leaden gray skies, in our future.


Tuesday, March 1, 2016

March Theme Day: Where I Belong



I love the smell of chlorine in the morning.
Practices at the IUPUI Natatorium were cancelled 
because the Indiana High Shool Athletic Association 
was holding the Boys' State Championships 
this past weekend. Instead of swimming 
I volunteered to be an usher.


 Just like last week at the girls' championships, 
I was happy to be in the building, sharing 
familiar smells and sounds with thousands 
of participants and observers.
The boys passed time in the company 
of their team-mates, warming up in
the pool, chatting, and playing card games,


The sounds of cheering echoed from the roof 
of the Nat, as rhythmic sounds 
of the swimmers' kicking added a subtle
background line to the competition.
I wish that sound could be miked and
played during telecasts. Added to the way the 
water feels as the swimmer's arms pull
against it, and the way it looks as it rushes by
one's goggles, people might get
some understanding of the pleasure
one feels as one gets stronger
and more confident.
And feeling this is where I belong.