THE 2012 Christmas Blog from Alexandria on the Potomac

Where I want to be now.....then and at the end..which will not be on December 21, 2012

 Beauty, art, peace and joy has been my focus in 2012 and I want to redouble my efforts in 2013.

 

Angie and Gary at the Del Ray Artisans Holiday debacle. lol.. Ok we won't do that again, but it was a learning experience.

 I won't say it hasn't been a busy year, and I don't want to do a year review since it has been since August since I posted on the Uptown L.A Blog, mostly life's little distractions like the Presidential election, daily meditation time, spending time with my friends and family, TOO much time on Facebook and playing farmville. LMAO.

RIP to Bobby Winkler, dear friend and musician who came over and played "Somewhere over the rainbow, especially for me right before he died of cancer. I continue to miss him.
Here he is on UTube if you feel like listening to him sing the last time I heard him.
http://youtu.be/edtvPuqX-nI
http://youtu.be/cX4H49--bRA and I just found this on UTube when he was playing in concert 2009.

RIP to Robert Winkler, good friend of Angie's who died of Cancer this summer, and I will post on his minor pieces of art work, he was a landscape artist, long time friend and he shalle be missed by all of us still stuck on the "rock" in the middle of the roaring waters mistakenly called Earth. Obviously he smoked Marlboros.

So that is enough what is called MAJOR EVENTS in my life for this year. I personally have not done much in the way of writing, just touched up and reworked some of the prose and stories I have worked on for the past couple years, no samples here.
The rest will be photographs: and read between the lines on everything else.. the photos will be in chronological order, and I may throw in something borrowed or something blue, because frankly, I am having a Blue Christmas, and no photos of Elvis this year either: So starting with August in LaHoya, September, October, November, and December
Musto Arts LLC: a special note, the website is STILL under construction; I have had a difficult time
with it, if you want anything in particular email me at mustomusto@yahoo.com, I found out
that even if anyone orders I have to go to Paypal to find out. sigh.

Jennifer Duffer at the National History Museum,, DC, Jenn and Gregg from Texas visited me for three fun filled DC touring days. lol resting and adjusting Gregg's fancy camera.. he takes great photos

 

Felix and Isabella at the MVRW meeting after his gall bladder surgery, ONE MORE procedure to go. yep before Christmas

NEWS from Uptown Girl in Alexandria

Guess who? Cecil (Poppy) and Isabella in Coranado, California for a light repaste. He is doing very well

This is one of my favorite photos; considering using it in a show. That is purely amazing isn't it? Right time at the right place. THAT IS HOW IT REALLY WAS! no photoshop.. look at that! God is showing off again.. lol

These are from the second night right before the sun dropped into the Pacific ocean; I can't tell which one I like more.

I had a great time and finally recovered. I haven't body surfed like that in years. The water was literally 75 degrees. More to come.

http://mustoart.com/

Springing around Alexandira

Leviathan of the Deep Ocean Waters #Leviathan

Psalms 135:6 Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

Jeremiah 5:22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

Inhabited by innumerable creatures great and small.
Psalms 104:25-26 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
The wonders of God seen in.
Psalms 107:24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.

Loving the Leviathan--one my favorite verses because the Bible mentions the leviathan or whales and dolphins "playing" in the ocean. The good side of God's Leviathans.
 

overlooking LaHoya Cove 2011

iz near Virginia Beach, Hampton, VA

Dock filled with birds, Hampton VA

Chincoteague Island, VA, 2011

Iz, Jamaica, 2000

and just for the wonder of it all: a couple of my favorite photos of beaches, people, family and friends

Pope Warns US Bishops of Radical Secularism, Threats to Religious Freedom - U.s. - Catholic Online

Pope Warns US Bishops of Radical Secularism, Threats to Religious Freedom - U.s. - Catholic Online

That is a good one! As a former Catholic but grateful for all my theology learned there.. among those the practice of worship
and the meaning of freedom of worship,, if Obama and the HHS minions actually think they can challenge over two thousands years
of Catholic teachings and the latest Pope's warning,, "serendipitiously" issued just prior to the latest "line in the sand" drawn to Catholic Institutions who employ people in 13 months---HA HA HA.. seriously; I guess Obama has never attended a Catholic Mass.

I challenge HHS and Obama to figure out the Pope's latest "Ad Limina" visit addressing his Brothers (Bishops) in Christ and wade through a catholic child's simple Catechism in Latin in 13 months and perhaps--after a decade or so of negotiation with the Pope and the Catholic Church who has more lawyers and more money than God ...LOL.. since He gave it to them.:)

Let's see U.S government under Obama : 3.2 Years in office; Roman Catholic Church 2ooo.+ years and counting.

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2012/january/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20120119_bishops-usa_en.html --the Ad limina address
Good Luck Obama.. you just lost your support base. I am a Libertarian Republican.. so you would not have EVER gotten my support even if you personally deposited a million bucks in my account, because people of faith do not sell out for money.

http://usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/index.cfm

Barach, you really blew it now.. LOL!!

Route 66 Revisited and Winslow Arizona 2008

After reading that article about Route 66 in Smithsonian I was amazed to see they actually took the trip
that I designed, personally and planned with the homebase being in Winslow Arizona on Route 66 because I wanted to see Meteor Crater, near Winslow, so we ended up driving the full Route 66 tour, and also a full day trip! to Monument Valley, Utah. (I did the driving)!We actually took that route and the trip the four corners was added in when we were out there--we had an extra day and one half for general touring in April of 2008. For personal fun and amusement,,  I want to post some of my favorites and new ones that I have never shared about the La Posada.  We were at the La Posada Hotel for lunch and toured its mini Navaho museum which is located IN Winslow Arizona---which was hard to tell when reading the article the Smithsonian.

 La Posada was truly an amazing hotel with a guest book that included SUPER stars of the world!  So I will post some of those pages and a couple favorites for my amusement and a reminder that life does get better after January--even though we are having a mild winter. January is still a "short light" month. Sigh

La Posada, Winslow, Arizona

Isabella with Metal Art in front of La Posada

Peter Fonda stayed at La Posada:) easy riding!

Albert Einstein! stayed there too!

Taking it easy (Eagles song .. remember?) in Winslow, Arizona

Indian artwork which was near marking an Indian Housing Project just outside of  Winslow, it was illegal to take that but I didn't know that until I got back into town and ask at the Post Office. It was EERIE out there too.

Painted Desert

National Park outside of Flaggstaff, Arizona on the way to Monument Valley which contained an ancient volanic Lava Flow, I walked in it and it was crunchy and strange. Sunset Crater is the result of the Volcano which exploded in 1180.

Sunset Crater Lava Flow. It is black because that is its real color and it is crunchy lava.

Deformed Tree in the basalt Lava Flow in the Sunset Crater Park in Arizona.

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Sign in front of Monument Valley

Iz in front of East Mitten Butte, Monument Valley, Navaho Country

This Merrick Butte, Monument Valley, Utah, and I added it for perspective. if you look REAL closely that little dot in the foreground is a car coming down the road; the Buttes are so large it is hard to realize how big they care until you see the "dot" of the car or see a person in the photo and of course all  you can see is the "base of the Butte" .. working on my bucket list.. :)

Side of a HUGE Butte in Monument Valley, The Hub; Utah

Iz standing at the bottom of the side of the Huge Butte, it was called The Hub, MV, Utah

January Solitude

MLK weekend now offers "free access" to the public beach. What I wonder under what National Law and when the National Park Service now charges U.S Citizens for access to Assateague Beach?

Yes, you have to pay the National Park Service get on Assateague Beach; Shenandoah Mountains;

so much for Sea to Sea shining Sea.. only if you have the money to pay. it was quiet anyway