Anna Lilly Pavlou
Personally
Think of the ego, the self that suffers a personal history bound to time, as the grid. The deeper and true Self is the flow between cathode and plate. The constant, pure flow. Signals — sense-data, feelings, memories relocating — are put onto the grid, and modulate the flow. We live lives that are waveforms constantly changing with time, now positive, now negative. Only at moments of great serenity is it possible to find the pure, informationless state of signal zero.
In the name of the cathode, the anode, and the holy grid.
Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow
Why Me?
Did you come here wondering why?
I often find myself walking down a block I didn’t mean to, or eating that piece of chocolate I swore I had already put up…
But once you realize it, isn’t it more fun to enjoy the moment? Why not read a bit below about the things I enjoy? Maybe you enjoy them too. Maybe you find a new passion to avoid. All I’m offering are options.
Photography
While I will pull my phone out and take a quick picture of something to ensure I don’t miss the memory, taking out my Holga and hoping my square of light will turn into something beautiful is far more meaningful.
I do not edit or Photoshop my pictures. I find impetus in letting the camera, the film, the lighting, the composition, and my ability to capture the moment be the art. If it is, I hope you enjoy it. If it isn’t, I hope we both learn from it.
(All the square pictures on this site were taken by me with a Holga 120GCFN.)
Reading
While reading is somewhat of a passive activity, what I read, and where I take the knowledge and stories gained both internally and externally is of importance. What that importance is depends on the book, so I won’t give you an all-encompassing life philosophy based on turning pages.
Music
While I am still working up the courage to make my own music, I am a voracious consumer of others’.
I love music everywhere, from live with thousands to alone within the confines of only my eardrums.
See what I listen to when no one is listening.
Growing Plants
My best friend brought me a cutting of a Chinese Money Plant back in 2015 as a housewarming gift. No thanks to her, it started a hobby that has expanded from a couple indoor plants to plants hiding all over the house, and a garden that threatens to win the land war against turf.
My plants aren’t something I post on socials or track via an app. They grow freely, and I do my best to keep them happy while being horrible at aggressively trimming them like I should. I find unruly plants not just visually interesting but an honest way to bring the outside in.
If you are truly interested in finding out about what I’m growing or what cuttings I have lying around that I need to give away, reach out via the contact form on the
House Improvements/Woodworking
These are more of my hobbies I keep analog.
I bought my first house in 2015, built in 1940. I knew nothing about home improvement, let alone home repair. I learned very quickly how expensive repairs are, and learned almost as quickly how to DIY everything I could.
Since then, I’ve done cosmetic, functional, and extremely necessary work to six homes I or my partner have owned. I can do anything from replace a door jam to refinish wood floors, add water lines, replace garage doors, update electrical, drywall, and test the foundation of a relationship while learning how to build a closet from scratch.
For many reasons, mostly involving time, I don’t bother with a blog about my exploits here. If you are interested, I am more than happy to bore you over a cup of coffee or a beer about what I’m currently working on. Don’t worry, I will carry the conversation for hours on this.
Are you interested in more?
There are a lot of little things that make a person. I’ve expanded above on the ones that I find the most value in, not just ones that I spend a lot of time on. However, there are others things I just love to do for the fun of it. Here are a few.
Travel. I try to visit at least one new country a year. A week is never long enough to take in a city, let alone a country, but it’s a taste; something I will keep up as long as possible.
Board games. From simple (Catan) to complex (Twilight Imperium). Strategy and puzzles feed my pattern-starving mind.
Exercise. Mostly yoga and simple cardio like walking, playing with my dogs, the elliptical at the gym, and road biking.
Speaking of Dogs, is it obvious I’m a millennial if I call them my fur babies?
Camping and Hiking. Usually I tent camp, although I’ve a 1969 Serro Scotty 14′ camper being rebuilt from scratch, so possibly more of that to come. Hiking may fall under the exercise category, but it is also much more than that. I particularly love hiking the State and National Park System locations. Someday I hope to visit all 429 locations (or however many there are by the time I check them all off.)
Snowboarding. Unfortunately, with living in Texas this isn’t a hobby that gets a lot of time, but I started late in life and I’m playing catch up in skill as best I can. The goal is always staying upright and facing downhill.
Cooking. I love experimenting with unique techniques and ingredients to make something special, best shared with friends and family. It’s like a science experience with almost instant gratification. Fast-fail methodology in real life.
