Natural Abstract

I didn't take this picture today, but I spent a long time looking for a perfect treatment to take away all the distractions without changing the basic elegance of its structure. 

It was cold enough (38F/3.3C) last night that I turned the heat on when I got up and turned it off again an hour later when we went to see Kathy. Her studio was finally getting warm by the time we left, but the house had reverted by the time we got home. I debated for awhile about the best way to warm myself up. Turn on the heat again? Move to my studio with a space heater? Sit in the television room and turn on the fireplace? Take a hot bath?

Sometimes I feel paralyzed by the decisions that seem to be a part of almost every move. The space heater uses electricity which is generated by our solar panels but has to go through PG&E first...don't ask me why. The forced air heater uses gas and heats the whole house. The fireplace is gas (turned on by a remote control which always amuses me) but heats the room up very quickly and has the added advantage of being able to stand in front of it and warming the back of the legs. The hot bath most probably is the worst choice because it uses gas to heat the water in addition to using a lot of water which is in short supply. 

And that is just deciding how to warm up. There are also a multitude of decisions regarding making a simple meal...can I recycle the plastic the leftovers are contained in? Compost or green bin? If I put the leftovers in glass, what is the best way to wash it...dishwasher or in the sink? And what shall I eat? Meat? Grass fed or free range? Farmed or wild? What is the cholesterol count in a cheese sandwich? I went to the lab yesterday to have blood drawn to test things in my blood I never knew existed there much less what the amounts and ratios mean, so it's on my mind. I got the results today on my online 'health portal', but I'm none the wiser about what any of it means or what will happen  if I eat a cheese sandwich....

And then there are the clothes...are they responsibly made by well paid adults? Have the raw materials been shipped halfway around the globe only to be shipped back again as clothing? My vest was made from recycled plastic bottles. My jeans were probably made by a child in India, but they are at least ten years old and came by their rips and tears naturally and didn't have to be 'distressed'. Patagonia is very responsible and will recycle anything, even underwear if you send it back to them, but they are very expensive and not at all fashionable for anything but hard core sportswear. And don't get me started on the shoes....the latest 'story' making the news rounds is Kanye West (Ye) being dropped by Addidas because of deplorably shameful anti-semitic remarks. But why didn't they drop him months ago when he said appalling things about Black people?

Well, you get the picture. I think I'll just go take a nap....the dog will keep me warm and he won't care what I'm wearing, or even what I'm thinking about...as long as it's Kong....