The Secret to Riches ~ Visualization Tool

Etsy

I spent much of yesterday setting up a storefront on the website Etsy. We have a bit of jewelry left from our old Honey Moon business. I came across it whilst cleaning out the storage locker. Etsy is a site for handmade stuff--sort of a mini-ebay with a focus. I also put our sarongs up, and added a link from this blog (over on the right there).
If it works out, I'm planning to set India up with a store too. She could sell her little felted gnomie dolls and finger puppets, and her silk screened shirts. Maybe even her poetry stickers. It only costs ten cents to list an item, and 3.5% if you sell it.

In other news, Krista is back in the studio painting away! I'm looking forward to a new series of paintings, maybe a few new series. I'd really like to set up a show for her in December, but can't even talk about it (she cant abide the pressure, or feeling that she has to paint what someone would 'like' and want to buy). Maybe I could rent a storefront for a weekend. We'll see.

And India is involved in three new activities. Photoshop class, hip hop class and art sessions over at the teen center. I'm really happy about all this new input for her (although it means me shlepping her around in the car like some wretched soccer mom). The best part is that she's teaching me lots of photoshop techniques and how the various tools work.

Frida Chair-O

Frida Chair-O
Originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Went to Artrails on Sunday, with Meredith and Steve and the girls. We went down to the A street area on our bikes. It was a beautiful day for biking!
We enjoyed seeing lots of art. This chair is by a high school student (I believe). It was my favorite art that day.

Hot Nip

Hot Nip
Originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Steve

Steve
Originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

On sunday we went to some open studios for Artrails. It was trippy!
Can you tell I'm just learning photoshop?

Ol' Blue, you good truck you.

I sold my old pickup truck on Saturday to a guy from El Salvador. He's taking it down there tomorrow, along with two other cars he's bought, on a carrier truck. He said his friend is paying him $500 to drive the truck down there, and he'll make about $300 per car he sells. It's an eight day road trip!
He said he's planning on keeping 'my' truck for himself.
He also told me that a ten hour work day in El Salvador earns a man $5.00! Fifty cents an hour!
He loves America-- he told me that a dozen times. He makes ten to twelve dollars an hour here, and has his legal papers to work thanks to an amnesty program for Salvadorians. I think we both knew that America funded the death squads and civil war in his tiny little country. But we were both too polite to mention it, though I would have liked to apologize somehow for my nation.
I have to admit I was a little sad to see ol' blue go. I used that truck to keep our farm going and never had a single problem with it. It was a beat up old piece of crap truck that just kept on going. Since it just failed smog, the smog guy told me California would likely pay me $1000 to crush it up. I was glad to send it off to El Salvador to keep on truckin'.

1week of art works

Lord of the Logistics

Lords of the logistics. Check it out to see some photos of astonishing resourcefulness!
One thing that makes me happy is that the little motorscooters these folks are employing can be rigged to run on homemade alchohol.
Warning: a few of these images may upset the more sensitive vegetarians out there.

Our Altar

day of the dead sepia
Originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Yesterday Krista set up our Day of the Dead altar. Maybe a little early, but it's great having it out.
That skull mug, with the black candle in it, I got in Disneyland when I was a little boy. The sugar skulls the girls made last year.

My Mom

My Mom
Originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

This framed shot is my favorite one of my mom. She died almost 11 years ago.

Melon

Melon
Originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Today is cold and gray. I've got clothes hanging out on the line, but I may have to bring them in for the dryer! We finally harvested our three little cantelopes, they were tiny but perfectly ripe.
We've had such fine weather for the last week or so. The gray is a challenge.

Life of Pie

Life of Pie
Originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Emerald Earth

Mendocino County
Originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

On Saturday I drove up to Emerald Earth, and intentional community and education center, outside of Booneville to join in a work party. We worked on a living roof and did some plastering, got a tour and had fantastic meals! And a sauna.
A really inspiring group of people, both the residents and my fellow work partiers.
I spent the night in a cozy little guest room over the sauna and left the next morning (I wasn't feeling well and was very sore and tired!).
I took this photo on the way back out. What beautiful land.
There are lots more photos over on my Flickr site.

Beautiful Hearth

Beautiful Hearth
Originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

We got a nice tour of the homes and power system during the afternoon.

Women Working

Women Working
Originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Greta and Emily are putting on the sticky red mud-straw clay plaster on this new home. They are visiting us tonight on their way down to Santa Cruz.

Emerald Earth

Emerald Earth
Originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

A view of the greenhouse/sauna/laundry room building and the artificial wetlands they've put in to manage the greywater. I slept in the upstairs guest room--you can see the windows.

Meka's Cob Cottage

Here's a little video I made of our trip to Meka's whimsical cottage up in Wolf Creek, Oregon.
This was such an inspiring place! And he built it with little experience and only a few thousand dollars.
Eden was ready to move right in!

Window Light

Window Light
Originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

At Pam's party. We were forced inside for a time by an icy wind. Fortunately they have a lovely home. Very cozy and full of nice things to look at. Amazingly it got warm again outside!

Chicken Heaven

Chicken Heaven
Originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

This hen was getting pecked, so she flew the coop and had a lovely time of it with us human party goers. Much nicer out on the grass and some of the kids were even feeding her corn, I think. Happy bird.
On the other hand, India didn't want her cake after a few bites (she's been laying off the sweets since camp). So I discreetly tossed it into the chicken pen for the other birds to feast on.
Right before we left I caught her (to her surprise and my own) and India threw her back in, as it was getting toward dusk.

Pam turns 40

Too Windy
Originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

We had a lovely afternoon today at Pam's birthday party. The sun even came out for a little while and we took our coats off and played on the grass.
It was nice to see old friends and meet some new folks too.
Mark was trying to keep the four candles lit long enough for Pam to blow them out. But Sebastopol in the afternoon...too windy.