Volpane In Love

Decade Archive of my personal blog from 1999 to 2009.

Friday, May 26, 2006

Napoleon Dynamite and garden pictures

Last night Bruce and I viewed Napoleon Dynamite from our DVD rental last night. I was wondering what all the hype was about when it came out a few years ago and as a film it pretty much delivers little more. But the characterizations are frighteningly similar to my own high school experience in Idaho, if a bit lacking the sort of cynical edge that might make the story more interesting. Hey, I actually identified with the main character, which perhaps shows how lacking the story really is, and how much in common I have with the filmmakers who also grew up Mormon in a small Idaho town.



The garden, by the way, has been exploding in green growth and blooms after the week or so of dry, warm weather and now a warm front of moist air is bringing out the Iris so much more than the past two years. It helps that I've moved them to sunnier spots, but even the native yellow flag I was given two years ago is blooming in the same shady spot I planted it two years ago.



Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting



More pictures here...

Monday, May 08, 2006

Personal Memories

I've been meaning to post this story on my web pages since 2004 when I first wrote it. It is a paper I wrote for a college English class, and while I feel funny about posting school work, I'm rather proud of this particular story.

Childhood Phenomenon

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Tulips and Daffodils

I've posted more photos to my photobucket than I'm posting here so go there if this isn't enough to satify your desire for spring color:













Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Happiness is turning forty.

It seems the past forty years happened very quickly, in the blink of an eye. Am I really "over the hill"? I don't feel it although I can tell I've gotten older. I'm just happy to be alive and to have time for myself on a fairly regular basis. I am happy to have a great man in my life who takes as much care for me as I do for him. I am happy that I didn't choose to pursue a career that would leave me drained of compassion and hope for my fellow man.

I'm happy I live on an island that has better weather than anywhere else I've ever lived. I'm happy that I've discovered gardening. I'm happy that although I'm not terribly wealthy or even well off and I still have to go to the food bank regularly, I can still live comfortably.

I'm happy I have the time to focus on my writing. I'm happy when I do write. I'm happy when I just take the time I need to read.

I'm happy I know myself well and I'm comfortable in my own skin, even though I know I can exercise more and eat healthier than I do. I'm happy that gardening has filled the gaps in my exercise routine. I'm happy that I have both my parents alive and that they still talk to me. What can I say, I love them despite my criticism of their methods and inexperience in raising me. Knowing we forgive each other of our faults makes me very happy.

I'm happy that my complaints do not out-shadow my happiness. I'm happy I have the presence of mind to love myself despite my complaints. I'm happy to imagine my complaints as lessons I need to learn about myself so that I can grow and become a better person for it. I'm happy I haven't figured out everything there is to know about life.

I'm happy my friends give me the space I need to be who I am today. Thank you all.