New Cards

New Cards, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

We finally got 'em! I picked them up yesterday at Ajalon Printing. I have to admit I was a little nervous (the last printing we did three years ago was a minor disaster). When you're getting twelve thousand cards made up you want them to be good.

The cards were beautiful! I'm really happy with them. The colors are perfect, the images crisp and clear. All six new designs are wonderful and I think they'll sell really well. Once we get around to selling them.

Santa Cruz Sojourn

Jay, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Monday morning Krista and I jumped in the car and headed down to Santa Cruz for a long delayed anniversary getaway. Krista's folks watched the girls and treated us to a dinner out (an even longer delayed birthday gift for me).

We stayed with our dear friends Jay and Eileen at their combination lovely home and thriving Sufi community center. A home away from home.

We alternated visiting, eating out and shopping.
Neither Krista or I are recreational shoppers. But there is something about Santa Cruz....especially their old main street downtown. There are fantastic shops loaded down with stuff we really like. So we got a huge bag full of Xmas gifts. It was really fun!

We had some really great conversations with Jay and Eileen. The kind that fill you up with food for thought, but don't leave you with indigestion.

I love 'getting away'. I came home feeling much richer.

Temples of Damanhur

Have you ever heard of the Temples of Damanhur? Here's a link to a great article on them. Lots of good photos. A once secret wonder of the world.

Cajun Party

Cajun spread, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

The day after Thanksgiving we were invited to our friend Lee's 40th. He has roots in New Orleans, so it was a Cajun - Mardi Gras theme.
Frankly, I had no idea what that meant. Turns out it meant lots and lots of wonderful food and a ton of those beaded necklaces they throw off of floats down that way.
The kids went wild with the beads. And I went wild with the food. It was such a nice contrast to the stuffing and cranberry relish the day before. The kids mostly just ate white rice and corn. Until the cake got served up. The cake was very chocolate and astonishingly good.
The best part was getting to see our friends and laughing a great deal.
More photos over on Flickr.

Cajun Bling

Rowan, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

The Bench - First Coat

The Bench - First Coat, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

This morning I headed back over to Dave and Annelies's to get the first coat of plaster on the bench. We were joined by Donna and Karen and had it done by 3pm.
Dave had screened quite a bit of their clay soil with a 1/8" screen--it was lovely, like coffee grounds! We were able to mix the dry ingredients by hand, the soil was so fluffy.
I think it took four wheelbarrow batches. It went on much like cake frosting and I think we all had a lot of fun doing it.
I've worked with cement stucco before, and I have to say, this earthen plaster is a joy to work with. It's very forgiving, easy to apply and to clean up.
Even this first rough coat sort of pulled the bench together as an entity. Especially since the cob had different colored layers and was pocked with a million holes. At the end, I think we were all surprised by how lovely it looks.
I can't wait for it to dry, so we can do the finish coat. Donna asked "So, is this bench a living thing?" It really feels like it is.

The Bad Old Days

I swiped this link from Krista's blog. Someone found a 1977 JC Penney's catalog in their attic and was kind enough to post some of the photos. It's a trip back to the bad old days for sure. That was the year I graduated high school (though I ducked out in February). I think you'll enjoy the commentary. Click here to begin your time travel.

The Strangest Secret in the World - Earl Nightingale

Stumbled across this tonight. Not very entertaining visually, but I found it quite motivational. Thought you might enjoy a listen. The album was made in 1956!! It's amazing how much this sort of message is zooming around these days.

Well. We finally dropped off our files at the printer this morning. These are the new card designs we're having printed--thanks to all who voted in the Deva Luna Focus Group!

We should have our cards in about 10 days, if all goes well. Boxes and boxes of the things. Its been over three years since we added to our line. Time for some new life blood.

We should have a party at Krista's open studio when they finally show up. I'll keep you posted.

The Sun God and Christianity