The visit to the Phoenix Art Museum touched places of an old memory. As Julia and I looked at the tiny, but exquisitely detailed, Thorne minature rooms, I remembered the time Laura took me to see these rooms twenty years ago. A different 'me' saw those rooms, for this time I was more attentive to all the details, AND I had a camera, which is good for perserving just some of the more well lighted effects, as well as some unusual mirrored effects:

If I hadn't told you, you would think this was an actual life size room.

This looks like a 'breakdown of the holodeck illusion' on Star Trek.

This, however, looks rather dreamlike, two worlds meeting in an appealing way.

Andrea Della Robbia made this in 1490, called 'The Aged Apostle'

This re-inforces something I read earlier this week about the inability to know all the results of our magical intentions. 'Intent', I think it all begins with the INTENT. I can bog down, for instance, in analysis of all my communication, when what I really need to be looking at is my intentions. For I must be aware, what is my intention, and this takes a fully involved consciousness. This is operating from what Gurdjieff called the fourth level of consciousness. Otherwise, I will sleepily let some routine and rote aspect of self (note small 's') run the show, with less than favorable results.

But when I'm fully engaged, Self (note large 'S', indicating the Essence (aka "Higher Self") is in control, then I will be aware of all the interlocking influences.

The intent will inform every aspect of my being which is relating to myself and the world around me. The water studies! (Paraphrasing)"If a drop of water can be so influenced (to make 'pretty patterns') by the power of a word-thought, when then can our thoughts have upon ourselves, whose bodies are mostly water?" The main character in the show stops her self hating accusative words and begins to embrace herself with love.

Truly, as Don Webb said in his "Essential Guide...", "Emotions follow thoughts," and this movie shows just how, the mechanics of it. It really is in our power to change our lives by changing our thoughts. Both Julia and I emerged from this film happy and hopeful for the future.

Sunday, April 2, 2006

"Back Home Again"
7:18pm

We got back to Yuma around four o'clock today. Julia did all of the driving, while I navigated. After taking the Mensa test, my head was splitting severely, so we cut our stay short. We did not get in a visit to Laura's mother, as I'd hoped. The headache was just too intense. But I took the test anyway. I think I did okay on the verbal aspects, but murdered utterly the mathematical ones. I really just took it for the challenge of it, anyway, so I'm not attached to the outcome.

That's not why the sinuses were so bad. Maybe it was just TOO much stimulation and food types I shouldn't eat. (Cheese was unavoidable.) Also, we saw so many thought provoking movies, and discussions that the mind boggles after a while. It was certainly worth it, though. I had no energy and crashed after Saturday night's comedy show, while Julia went on to participate in 'Sangrias of the world'. She crawled into bed after one o'clock. She, too, had some headache aftereffects, for, no, she didn't want her usual 'Kingfisher' beer at dinner back at our local 'India House'. She settled for a hot chai tea.

This delicious tea was at the Art Museum restaurant...

It was so cold, so brisk, so refreshing. And now I am glad to be home again.

Thursday, April 6, 2006

"Pouring Tea"
10:28pm

This was quickly sketched from a photo of Julia pouring tea at the Phoenix Art Museum café.