Comforting

St. James

Los Angeles

The hushed atmosphere magnified the hustling of feet towards polished pews and the smell of incense and the soft, lilting sound of a children’s choir soothe the senses. The House of God. It comforts me.

=============================================================================
100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100
=============================================================================

Behold The Monkey

Borja

Northern Spain

Behold The Man is the original title for this 20^th century fresco (wall painting) of Christ in an obscure church in an obscure town in Spain. Over the years the image deteriorated and was restored by the original artist from man – to monkey! Because of these viral images this northern Spanish town of Borja is obscure no more. Now, Behold The Monkey becomes the 21^st century fiasco! This isn’t blasphemy, but an apt title for a painting restoration running askew. Plans to undo the redo is underway but ironically, many petitioned online to keep the post-restoration image. Huh?
=============================================================================
100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100
=============================================================================

Sniff Sniff

Home Depot

La Crescenta

I was buying a broken sprinkler for the lawn and was already in line to pay for it when the clerk behind the counter said, “Brandon (customer assistant) please go to the plants section. There is a dead rat for you.” It sounded really funny but the clerk wasn’t joking nor was Brandon taking it in jest. “How can I find it?” He asked annoyed. She replied, “Use your nose.”

=============================================================================
100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100
=============================================================================

Ant Wisdom

Molave

I was already sitting for hours by the shade of a tree in front of the house watching passersby in their Sunday best, then looked down and gazed again at long lines of orange ants that come and go, meet and greet and ant-kiss with their antennae (sometimes with their tiny legs). Some are errant but most stayed in long lines that all lead to a mound, but each one - without exception, carried sundry morsels of food for the rainy day…. I have sought instruction from the ants and tried to appropriate to myself their industry.
=============================================================================
100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100
=============================================================================

It's A Boy!

Burbank

Los Angeles

Her husband said over the phone “Don’t come home if it’s another girl!” It’s a joke of course but I felt uneasy coming in for the ultrasound after hearing this. When we came out with a huge smile on my face, all dads in the waiting room cheered knowing I had a boy! I will name him after my grandpa Juan - who was a skilled horseman, a prolific storyteller, a farmer, a carpenter, a great chef and above all else, an esteemed elder statesman. Such big shoes to feel in. I hope my son lives up to his name....

=============================================================================
100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100
=============================================================================

Caught In The Eye

Jimenez

Misamis Occidental

Fishing with a net does not only bring in fish, people too. The kind of fish caught largely depends on the size of the eye (net opening). Usually a net (at least three meters wide and up 200 meters long) is dragged by two boats on to a reef to slowly sweep fish back in a semicircle to the shallows. Just before reaching shore, the boats meet up to close the gap. What’s inside the net are for the fishermen, but fish sticking to the eyes belong to the people who will fight elbow to elbow for it….
=============================================================================
100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100
=============================================================================

Aurora Borealis in LA?

Glendale
Los Angeles

Once again the Northern lights are showing up lately in the Arctic. The Aurora Borealis is in my bucket list and I’ve been itching for so long to go visit then have it checked off my list. Antonio has been posting photos taken in Reykjavik and each photo I’m tagged in only added to the agony! I think nature’s been on his side of the joke because yesterday, when I looked, (shown in picture) I had this sort of Aurora in the LA sky!
=============================================================================
100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100
=============================================================================

Getting There

Mojave Desert

Nevada

The low clouds cast patches of shadow on blue-ridged mountains but the intense sunlight highlighted the terrain like creases you see after stretching out a balled-up paper. Beyond the desert is a shimmering hotness many travelers mistake for water – a mirage, which is our brains’ way of coping with the ordeal, a symbol of hope, a reminder that perhaps in the distance if we push a little farther we’ll get there, fulfilled, triumphant, alive….
=============================================================================
100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100

=============================================================================

Boxes & Lights

Foothill Blvd

La Crescenta

I raced for the Chevy truck when the lights turned red. Luckily at the time, there weren’t many cars to let me ease beside it on the right lane. “You dropped a box!” the window misted as my voice echoed inside the car. They felt my stare so they rolled down a window. I did too. They were obviously on the way to a storage facility nearby. I told them a box fell a couple of intersections behind. After the thank yous and pleasantries and where are you from, yadda yadda yadda the cars behind us honked! Green light’s on!


=============================================================================
100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100 anecdotes 100

=============================================================================