As I sit here, early on this quiet Christmas morning, staring at my new Nook, stumped, until I have had a few more lessons, I'm already enjoying the memories of a soft, giggly evening spent with my family. Bo was missed, but we texted her a few missives, songs, quotes and hellos. Bo is visiting her family in California for the Christmas Holidays.
I think Connor's two favorite things were preparing, mixing, presenting and serving Kool-aid fruit punch to one and all whether you wanted it or not. (He ate a terrific dinner and was then let loose on the candy, cookies and Kool-aid.) And handing out packages. He tried reading the names on the packages but Ian's tags were all in a code only Ian could read. He would stop and open a present for himself if pressed, but delivering was better.
Thanks Roger, Stephanie and Connor for the Nook. Stephanie went round one, at least now I know how to turn it on. She got me connected to Facebook, Netflix and email. What more does a body need? But she has passed me off to various sons for further instructions.
Such a multitude of tiny moments, and every one perfect. They all liked the shoes they picked out for themselves.
Ian is generous to a fault with jewelry (of course) black onyx, perfume, candy, clothes and movies. Lots of movies. He has perfect taste.
Bo painted me a picture of a ferry; fantastic, beautiful, precious, with small figures of her, Christian and Tikki standing on a beach watching. Alki Beach in West Seattle. Perfect.
Speaking of perfect, Bo also drew a picture on a name tag for one of my gifts of a Christmas Turtle. A tiny two inch painting of a turtle decked out in lights. Like I said -- perfect.
I was feeling a mite guilty that Connor would be disappointed and his Christmas experience at Granny's marred if I didn't have a Christmas tree, which I haven't had since I moved to Mukilteo. It was easier to go to a thrift shop and buy something then it was to dig through my storage. So, home I came with a delightful, perfect, two foot snowman to make a proper festive display. Did Connor so much as glance at it? No, he did not. He was busy mixing, stirring, pouring and serving red Kool-aid. Sometimes when you are four years old life is good.
Connor understood the book 500 Hats by Dr Suess, but was confused by the hat collection. "Granny, they are too big. They are for daddy." Oh well, you win some and lose some. However, I scored with the paper monster book. Clever Granny.
Christmas comes to us all once a year. It touched my life in a gentle, giggly, soft explosion of perfection.
Family Christmas was last night. Roger and Steph will go to the Fortener's today. Christian will not be back. Ian plans on doing laundry and napping, he had an incredibly busy retail and social week with many parties and functions. Claire will come over for a quiet, festive, leftover Christmas dinner, and I will be thinking of you and checking Facebook for pictures and greetings on my new Nook.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Friday, December 20, 2013
Shortest Day of the Year
I'm watching, and feeling, friends and family experience some chaos in their life and reflecting back to some chaos in my life, the hurt, angst, tears and despair. All past. Somehow. The days you couldn't stand or breath.
It is truly amazing and humbling what humans are capable of surviving. The world turns, we stand, we continue to breath. We smile, laugh, have babies and continue to live. This is a lesson.
An important lesson on the impermanence of situations, experiences, of life. We get another job, another home, another husband or divorce. We move on. All the shades of darkness pass, again and again and again. What I'm trying to say as the past dims and disappears is all of life is now. As I stir the pot, bake another cookie, talk to friends, gather the mail, think about Christmas and breath is all of life is ahead, not behind. And wonderful things lie ahead whether you are having a bad hair day or not.
So, how are you going to spend the shortest day of the year. I have a dusting of snow and am imagining a view of the mountains, a magnificent full moon, and a day of work.
All in a days work: I had calls from a Josephine, a Jean and a Norma. Names I get pretty frequently, but seldom all in the same day. Then I followed an Oklahoma license plate all the way down Mukilteo Speedway as I drove home. Little things like that pleases me, makes me smile, connects me to ones I love.
As a call center agent I divide the world into two types of people -- those who think call center agents are stupid and those who don't. How many people in the world do not know that 85% of communication is visual not verbal? The cast of an eye or a small shoulder shrug aids the verbal. The customer who if you make a mistake thinks it is just this side of the greatest sin on Earth, and if they make a mistake it's "ha ha, how silly of me." I really really want to tell them it isn't the end of the world as we know it. That this too will pass, that this isn't the worst chaos, they will survive this, they will continue to stand, and breath and live the rest of their life in a fairly benevolent world.
And now a word about Connor:
I had so much fun with Connor on our play date. I took him to the bicycle shop to let him buy daddy a present. He was adorable. It took him about two seconds to spy something red and he was done. He had no idea what it was but something clicked. Then the clerk started chatting with him, asked him what kind of bike daddy rode. Does he really need a red water bottle holder. Does he ride road or mountain. Does he ride often. He was directing him to some other products that included lights and bells and Connor abandoned the red item and was off on a negotiating session with granny. "This one for daddy and this one for me." No, I said we are shopping for daddy. So he switched the items and said "Okay this one for daddy and this one for me." He finally settled on two items for daddy, but he still has lust in his heart.
I had fun with Connor at the bicycle shop then we went home and I had to play Legos for the next two hours, now that was exhausting.
Shortest day of the year or the longest day of the year life pulsates.
Hey, Jeff, what are you bringing to Greenleaf next year? I hope Nora brings mimosas.
It is truly amazing and humbling what humans are capable of surviving. The world turns, we stand, we continue to breath. We smile, laugh, have babies and continue to live. This is a lesson.
An important lesson on the impermanence of situations, experiences, of life. We get another job, another home, another husband or divorce. We move on. All the shades of darkness pass, again and again and again. What I'm trying to say as the past dims and disappears is all of life is now. As I stir the pot, bake another cookie, talk to friends, gather the mail, think about Christmas and breath is all of life is ahead, not behind. And wonderful things lie ahead whether you are having a bad hair day or not.
So, how are you going to spend the shortest day of the year. I have a dusting of snow and am imagining a view of the mountains, a magnificent full moon, and a day of work.
All in a days work: I had calls from a Josephine, a Jean and a Norma. Names I get pretty frequently, but seldom all in the same day. Then I followed an Oklahoma license plate all the way down Mukilteo Speedway as I drove home. Little things like that pleases me, makes me smile, connects me to ones I love.
As a call center agent I divide the world into two types of people -- those who think call center agents are stupid and those who don't. How many people in the world do not know that 85% of communication is visual not verbal? The cast of an eye or a small shoulder shrug aids the verbal. The customer who if you make a mistake thinks it is just this side of the greatest sin on Earth, and if they make a mistake it's "ha ha, how silly of me." I really really want to tell them it isn't the end of the world as we know it. That this too will pass, that this isn't the worst chaos, they will survive this, they will continue to stand, and breath and live the rest of their life in a fairly benevolent world.
And now a word about Connor:
I had so much fun with Connor on our play date. I took him to the bicycle shop to let him buy daddy a present. He was adorable. It took him about two seconds to spy something red and he was done. He had no idea what it was but something clicked. Then the clerk started chatting with him, asked him what kind of bike daddy rode. Does he really need a red water bottle holder. Does he ride road or mountain. Does he ride often. He was directing him to some other products that included lights and bells and Connor abandoned the red item and was off on a negotiating session with granny. "This one for daddy and this one for me." No, I said we are shopping for daddy. So he switched the items and said "Okay this one for daddy and this one for me." He finally settled on two items for daddy, but he still has lust in his heart.
I had fun with Connor at the bicycle shop then we went home and I had to play Legos for the next two hours, now that was exhausting.
Shortest day of the year or the longest day of the year life pulsates.
Hey, Jeff, what are you bringing to Greenleaf next year? I hope Nora brings mimosas.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Life Happens
Life happens at book club:
Sandy is tilling the garden at her new home.
Dreaming of Spring.
Mary is unpacking at her new home.
And expecting a new grandchild.
Kathleen is mourning her brother.
And hosting the annual book club Christmas potluck.
Eleanor is busy, as always.
Busy, elegant, gracious.
Lynn's energies are otherwise engaged -- park walking.
And looking for a new home.
She received a letter to vacate due to renovations.
Lynn and Carol both usually work on Wednesdays
Lynn was able to come to book club Christmas potluck.
Carol wasn't.
Carol was busy making her granddaughter, Stella's, birthday party favors, making Christmas gifts, making her Christmas cards, traveling to said granddaughter birthday bash, back and forth on the ferry, working, sharing time with her boyfriend, and in general puttering.
Claire is still cancer free in spite of recent worries and tests.
I made Pumpkin Butter, got fatter, and watched a few fabulous movies.
Life happens when you watch movies:
I watched two of my favorite "Christmas" movies, Millions and Love, Actually. Wonderful, feel good, make you smile, lovely little gems.
And
Barbara; A more gritty movie, set during East/West tensions in Germany. A medical setting. This movie is for Jane I think. Beautiful, thoughtful, makes you appreciate, again, our political freedoms, but a powerful reminder that life can be good anywhere.
And
The Angel's Share; about a young man who needs to grow up, man up and steal a bottle of whiskey.
A chain of events;
I watched the Scottish movie The Angel's Share and fell in love with one of the songs. For some reason it made me think of everyone in my family, all the people I love. Check it out on You Tube, I really don't know if the name is 500 Miles or something else. \\http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84CPo4bVkMk I know, I know, I am always way behind on current music. Current? this song came out in 80's. I think. But it was new to me, being more of a movie buff than a musical buff.
And
One of the words in the song was "haver", also new to me, so I went to the trusty dictionary to find out what "haver" meant. It means to dither, to hem and haw. Lovely new words make me smile. I went from movie to song to word. Yep, life happens when you watch movies -- emotional, mental, and creative enrichment. It doesn't get much better than that.
Life happens when you have children:
I remember a friend telling me that after WWII when there were so many food shortages in England once a week the government would provide a single piece of fresh fruit to the children. She was very young, six or seven years old, and her mother would make her go outside to eat her banana so she, the mother, wouldn't take it from her, her desire and hunger was so great.
Or Art's cousin who while traveling in India handed some grapes to a beggar child and the mother stole them, took them.
Or Bobby Jones mother who would lock herself in the bathroom so she wouldn't hurt Bobby when he was in the throes of hyper-activity. Remember that?
Children? Taking care of children, loving children, playing with children, we have done our share. Like the time I took Christian and some of his buddies to the deserted state fair grounds so they could experience the thrill of hanging onto a car while they rode their skateboards. Or taking a gang of boys to see the second largest truck in the North American hemisphere.
Julia making cakes, taking her nieces and nephews on special one on one adventures. Tootling all the kids around in her "little red MG." Photographing, zooing, standing on her head.
Jean sewing costumes, uniforms, wedding dresses, hemming, altering something for every child young and old in the family. And Cookies lots and lots of cookies.
Jane giving "towel hanging up lessons" to her two errant children. Cleaning, bandaging, icing, heating every wound bump and cut.
Janice opening her home and cupboard to not one, but two, Disneyland excursions. Bedding down fifteen at a time. Telling them at work that she wouldn't be back until the last family member drove away.
With Christmas comes Christmas memories. The memories creep in like snowflakes, soft and persistent. Thinking of all these children made me think of my childhood and my Christmas memories. Aunt Josephine and Uncle Beaty arriving in all their glory. The gianormous Christmas tree, or so it seemed to my young eyes, like the growing Christmas tree from The Nutcracker, all decked out at Grandpa and Granny Gilbert's farm. The tea set I received one year comes to mind.
I saw a tea set like it once at an antique store (ouch, that hurt) and it cost $150.00. I lusted after it, a physical representation of a magical moment, until I realized it was all lost to time and space. Owning a replica wouldn't make me five again. Did Uncle Foster and Aunt Hollis ever know the magic they gave me?
Will I ever know if the magic I tried to give children succeeded?
Life happens and some is lost in mystery.
The Angel's Share.
Sandy is tilling the garden at her new home.
Dreaming of Spring.
Mary is unpacking at her new home.
And expecting a new grandchild.
Kathleen is mourning her brother.
And hosting the annual book club Christmas potluck.
Eleanor is busy, as always.
Busy, elegant, gracious.
Lynn's energies are otherwise engaged -- park walking.
And looking for a new home.
She received a letter to vacate due to renovations.
Lynn and Carol both usually work on Wednesdays
Lynn was able to come to book club Christmas potluck.
Carol wasn't.
Carol was busy making her granddaughter, Stella's, birthday party favors, making Christmas gifts, making her Christmas cards, traveling to said granddaughter birthday bash, back and forth on the ferry, working, sharing time with her boyfriend, and in general puttering.
Claire is still cancer free in spite of recent worries and tests.
I made Pumpkin Butter, got fatter, and watched a few fabulous movies.
Life happens when you watch movies:
I watched two of my favorite "Christmas" movies, Millions and Love, Actually. Wonderful, feel good, make you smile, lovely little gems.
And
Barbara; A more gritty movie, set during East/West tensions in Germany. A medical setting. This movie is for Jane I think. Beautiful, thoughtful, makes you appreciate, again, our political freedoms, but a powerful reminder that life can be good anywhere.
And
The Angel's Share; about a young man who needs to grow up, man up and steal a bottle of whiskey.
A chain of events;
I watched the Scottish movie The Angel's Share and fell in love with one of the songs. For some reason it made me think of everyone in my family, all the people I love. Check it out on You Tube, I really don't know if the name is 500 Miles or something else. \\http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84CPo4bVkMk I know, I know, I am always way behind on current music. Current? this song came out in 80's. I think. But it was new to me, being more of a movie buff than a musical buff.
And
One of the words in the song was "haver", also new to me, so I went to the trusty dictionary to find out what "haver" meant. It means to dither, to hem and haw. Lovely new words make me smile. I went from movie to song to word. Yep, life happens when you watch movies -- emotional, mental, and creative enrichment. It doesn't get much better than that.
Life happens when you have children:
I remember a friend telling me that after WWII when there were so many food shortages in England once a week the government would provide a single piece of fresh fruit to the children. She was very young, six or seven years old, and her mother would make her go outside to eat her banana so she, the mother, wouldn't take it from her, her desire and hunger was so great.
Or Art's cousin who while traveling in India handed some grapes to a beggar child and the mother stole them, took them.
Or Bobby Jones mother who would lock herself in the bathroom so she wouldn't hurt Bobby when he was in the throes of hyper-activity. Remember that?
Children? Taking care of children, loving children, playing with children, we have done our share. Like the time I took Christian and some of his buddies to the deserted state fair grounds so they could experience the thrill of hanging onto a car while they rode their skateboards. Or taking a gang of boys to see the second largest truck in the North American hemisphere.
Julia making cakes, taking her nieces and nephews on special one on one adventures. Tootling all the kids around in her "little red MG." Photographing, zooing, standing on her head.
Jean sewing costumes, uniforms, wedding dresses, hemming, altering something for every child young and old in the family. And Cookies lots and lots of cookies.
Jane giving "towel hanging up lessons" to her two errant children. Cleaning, bandaging, icing, heating every wound bump and cut.
Janice opening her home and cupboard to not one, but two, Disneyland excursions. Bedding down fifteen at a time. Telling them at work that she wouldn't be back until the last family member drove away.
With Christmas comes Christmas memories. The memories creep in like snowflakes, soft and persistent. Thinking of all these children made me think of my childhood and my Christmas memories. Aunt Josephine and Uncle Beaty arriving in all their glory. The gianormous Christmas tree, or so it seemed to my young eyes, like the growing Christmas tree from The Nutcracker, all decked out at Grandpa and Granny Gilbert's farm. The tea set I received one year comes to mind.
I saw a tea set like it once at an antique store (ouch, that hurt) and it cost $150.00. I lusted after it, a physical representation of a magical moment, until I realized it was all lost to time and space. Owning a replica wouldn't make me five again. Did Uncle Foster and Aunt Hollis ever know the magic they gave me?
Will I ever know if the magic I tried to give children succeeded?
Life happens and some is lost in mystery.
The Angel's Share.
Friday, December 6, 2013
AWESOME News Flash
Awesome, awesome, awesome...
Mahalia Jackson's Christmas comes to us all once a year is now on YouTube.
Posted 10/23/13
To quote Jerry: life is good.
Now go listen to it.
Mahalia Jackson's Christmas comes to us all once a year is now on YouTube.
Posted 10/23/13
To quote Jerry: life is good.
Now go listen to it.
Awesome
Connor Jensen Carrillo has a favorite word; awesome. Sorry, I spelled that wrong the correct spelling is AWESOME. So in honor of Connor's favorite word, awesome, here are some observations.
I made some awesome chili that can never be duplicated. I started with some very delicious tender stew meat and added some turkey sweet Italian sausage just because it was hanging in the refrigerator and needed used or I would lose it. To this I added some organic salt free vegetable juice, a can of salt free diced tomatoes, the good kind, the Muir Glenn kind. I had cooked some sweet potatoes and green beans so I added the water I semi steamed/boiled those vegetables in because of all the nutrients left in the water. A trick I learned a long time ago was never throw away water from cooked vegetables, save it in the freezer and add to soups and stews. I do. I ended with a flourish of spices; cumin, oregano, red pepper, pepper, and chili powder -- lots of chili powder and viola awesome chili, especially when loaded with cheese and gluten free chips -- not salt free.
I saw a truck in slow crawling I-5 traffic the other day as I was traveling down the road to Ballard to have breakfast with Claire, before my mandatory meeting downtown on my day off. It passed me, I passed it, it passed me and so on until I veered off at Northgate.
TAL truck lines, what are the odds? Made me think of my awesome brother in law.
What is awesome about traveling to a mandatory meeting downtown on your day off?
I will tell you. First is was a stunningly beautiful day; blue skies, towering evergreens, mountain views in every direction, polite drivers, no one trying to take me out, breakfast with Claire at one of my favorite breakfast places that I seldom go to, a Christian drive-by at his Ballard shop where he handed me a Fair Trade, Devine, 70 % Dark Chocolate with Raspberries, 3.5 oz candy bar that some customer had bestowed on him. He passed it through the car window with a cavalier "Here Mom." Also I was able to drive into downtown in daylight and park in daylight, plus all of the afore mentioned.
The downside was I will be paid my pittance for attending the 1 1/2 hour meeting, but I had to buy gas for the 52 mile round trip and pay for NOT early bird parking. I might have made four dollars on the excursion which didn't pay for my breakfast -- but breakfast was delicious, I was yanked out of my rut, time with my friend, and it turned into a three son day.
Three son days are awesome, always.
Cathy has started her awesome trip to Hawaii. And isn't Nora about ready for her awesome trip to Harry Potter with a special guy? Awesome.
Thanksgiving photo's from Bo and Roger that I was able to post on Facebook.
Looking through some old family reunion photos that made me smile, laugh and wince. The year Dan, Jacquie and Benjamin came. My, my Blaine looks so different now. He has "growed" into a man. A beautiful man.
Big family Christmas breakfast, or small, depending on the weather. What is it looking like? It's been so cold here I almost shut my bedroom window. It's down to four inches.
Shopping online. "Shopping online is delightful. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."
Lots of "online" is awesome. I am continually amazed at online everything. You would think I would be over it by now, but I'm not. It is still magic to me, it might as well of been created by pixie dust. Did anyone ever go watch the TED about what exactly the physical mechanics of the internet is? Andrew Blum. Awesome.
Andrew Bowman sent me an email, awesome in and of itself, about movies and such. Werner Herzog, oldies but goodies, and other stuff.
Bo's football team won some big game. She is an awesome fan.
Mahalia Jackson singing "Christmas comes to us all once a year." I still can't find it on YouTube. As Ian said, "Out of the millions and millions of songs on YouTube only Mom would want a song not there." I guess I need to go to Amazon and just buy it.
And now a word about Connor: We were coloring with four crayons and my job was to color the big fat lettered word, little. I said what color do you want me to use? He said rainbow is awesome. So I colored the L red, the I blue, the first T green, and the second T yellow and asked what color do you want me to use now? He said, rather exasperated I might add, "Red granny -- we are making a pattern." Now, how in the world does a wee boy know how and when to use the word "pattern?" Awesome.
Then we came to the new PEZ candy dispenser, the Santa head instead of the Halloween Squishy head. When the candy ceased to come out Connor shouted, "Granny, I discovered the problem -- it's out of candy!"
My friend posted a poem on "avoiding the holes in the sidewalk" on her blog. A lovely poem.
My prescription for avoiding holes in sidewalks, metaphorically speaking of course, two quotes I have posted before. I sort of apologize for repeating myself. The Alpha and Omega of "avoiding holes in the sidewalk." The Alpha and Omega of existence. Everything else in-between, is, well, everything else.
Sir Issac Newton:
"I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier seashell than ordinary whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
And a line from Nonno's poem from Night of the Iguana, by Tennessee Williams on death:
"Oh courage, could you not as well, select a second place to dwell, not only in that golden tree, but in the frightened heart of me."
I was clearing out some stuff and ran across a stash of awesome cards I was saving. One was perfect for Tal.
I've made my soup, purchased yogurt, completed all of my little life maintenance tasks, and Ian will manage the laundry on Saturday. So for now I can relax, read a book, watch a movie, shop online, listen to music, think awesome thoughts and send a card to Tal.
I made some awesome chili that can never be duplicated. I started with some very delicious tender stew meat and added some turkey sweet Italian sausage just because it was hanging in the refrigerator and needed used or I would lose it. To this I added some organic salt free vegetable juice, a can of salt free diced tomatoes, the good kind, the Muir Glenn kind. I had cooked some sweet potatoes and green beans so I added the water I semi steamed/boiled those vegetables in because of all the nutrients left in the water. A trick I learned a long time ago was never throw away water from cooked vegetables, save it in the freezer and add to soups and stews. I do. I ended with a flourish of spices; cumin, oregano, red pepper, pepper, and chili powder -- lots of chili powder and viola awesome chili, especially when loaded with cheese and gluten free chips -- not salt free.
I saw a truck in slow crawling I-5 traffic the other day as I was traveling down the road to Ballard to have breakfast with Claire, before my mandatory meeting downtown on my day off. It passed me, I passed it, it passed me and so on until I veered off at Northgate.
TAL truck lines, what are the odds? Made me think of my awesome brother in law.
What is awesome about traveling to a mandatory meeting downtown on your day off?
I will tell you. First is was a stunningly beautiful day; blue skies, towering evergreens, mountain views in every direction, polite drivers, no one trying to take me out, breakfast with Claire at one of my favorite breakfast places that I seldom go to, a Christian drive-by at his Ballard shop where he handed me a Fair Trade, Devine, 70 % Dark Chocolate with Raspberries, 3.5 oz candy bar that some customer had bestowed on him. He passed it through the car window with a cavalier "Here Mom." Also I was able to drive into downtown in daylight and park in daylight, plus all of the afore mentioned.
The downside was I will be paid my pittance for attending the 1 1/2 hour meeting, but I had to buy gas for the 52 mile round trip and pay for NOT early bird parking. I might have made four dollars on the excursion which didn't pay for my breakfast -- but breakfast was delicious, I was yanked out of my rut, time with my friend, and it turned into a three son day.
Three son days are awesome, always.
Cathy has started her awesome trip to Hawaii. And isn't Nora about ready for her awesome trip to Harry Potter with a special guy? Awesome.
Thanksgiving photo's from Bo and Roger that I was able to post on Facebook.
Looking through some old family reunion photos that made me smile, laugh and wince. The year Dan, Jacquie and Benjamin came. My, my Blaine looks so different now. He has "growed" into a man. A beautiful man.
Big family Christmas breakfast, or small, depending on the weather. What is it looking like? It's been so cold here I almost shut my bedroom window. It's down to four inches.
Shopping online. "Shopping online is delightful. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."
Lots of "online" is awesome. I am continually amazed at online everything. You would think I would be over it by now, but I'm not. It is still magic to me, it might as well of been created by pixie dust. Did anyone ever go watch the TED about what exactly the physical mechanics of the internet is? Andrew Blum. Awesome.
Andrew Bowman sent me an email, awesome in and of itself, about movies and such. Werner Herzog, oldies but goodies, and other stuff.
Bo's football team won some big game. She is an awesome fan.
Mahalia Jackson singing "Christmas comes to us all once a year." I still can't find it on YouTube. As Ian said, "Out of the millions and millions of songs on YouTube only Mom would want a song not there." I guess I need to go to Amazon and just buy it.
And now a word about Connor: We were coloring with four crayons and my job was to color the big fat lettered word, little. I said what color do you want me to use? He said rainbow is awesome. So I colored the L red, the I blue, the first T green, and the second T yellow and asked what color do you want me to use now? He said, rather exasperated I might add, "Red granny -- we are making a pattern." Now, how in the world does a wee boy know how and when to use the word "pattern?" Awesome.
Then we came to the new PEZ candy dispenser, the Santa head instead of the Halloween Squishy head. When the candy ceased to come out Connor shouted, "Granny, I discovered the problem -- it's out of candy!"
My friend posted a poem on "avoiding the holes in the sidewalk" on her blog. A lovely poem.
My prescription for avoiding holes in sidewalks, metaphorically speaking of course, two quotes I have posted before. I sort of apologize for repeating myself. The Alpha and Omega of "avoiding holes in the sidewalk." The Alpha and Omega of existence. Everything else in-between, is, well, everything else.
Sir Issac Newton:
"I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier seashell than ordinary whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
And a line from Nonno's poem from Night of the Iguana, by Tennessee Williams on death:
"Oh courage, could you not as well, select a second place to dwell, not only in that golden tree, but in the frightened heart of me."
I was clearing out some stuff and ran across a stash of awesome cards I was saving. One was perfect for Tal.
I've made my soup, purchased yogurt, completed all of my little life maintenance tasks, and Ian will manage the laundry on Saturday. So for now I can relax, read a book, watch a movie, shop online, listen to music, think awesome thoughts and send a card to Tal.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Thanksgiving Musings
Thanksgiving musings:
Thinking about people gathering and those who don't have family. And a country of abundance and those without enough food or water, and traveling, and paid holidays, and highway fatalities, and over eating, and Jean and Janice, whom I haven't chatted with lately, and Jane's skinny ankles, and books and movies. We are thankful for our children, our families, and when we stop and think about it, our jobs.
I'm thankful I work with eighteen different nationalities and races. Black, white, Asian, Filipino, Muslim, Mexican, Korean, and Okie. All these people, born in and out of the USA, working together, drinking coffee together, laughing together, griping together.
Sometimes we are thankful for our problems. What is the old homily about if everyone put their troubles on a big football field and then we could go and handpick the problems we would want to be burdened with, we would go pick up the exact problems we just laid down. They don't seem so bad by comparison. I don't know if that is true, but it is interesting to think about at a time of gratefulness.
Thanksgiving from the heart, sharing a meal, cooking for family. Uncle's favorite, so and so doesn't like oysters so leave them out of the stuffing, just come on over we have plenty of food. Trying new foods, roads, experiences, traditions, or appreciating old food, roads, experiences and traditions, or jump ahead three spaces to a new job, romance or home. We are thankful.
I'm thinking of me in my cozy wee condo and Mary in her new home. Thankful, thankful. Thankful for religious freedom and a car that runs in just about equal measure. I'm always thankful for that hot shower I mention so often. One of America's most taken for granted luxuries.
I saw the presidential motorcade blaze out of downtown the other morning, yes I was smoking in back of the building where it overlooks the I-5 corridor, but what I appreciated, what made me smile, was the 200 or so motorcycle policeman getting to ride escort. It was a precision parade of blinking light splendor, and I wondered, assumed, there had to be some pride for these local folk.
I'm thankful for my computer and book markers, and reading, and authors who write books for reading, and people who make books, and libraries, and book stores, and Mrs. Horton who taught me to read, and the Puritans who believed in teaching children to read at about the same Thanksgiving time we are now celebrating, and how that informed this country and endures.
I'm thankful for friends lending books, and breakfast with Claire and coffee with Jo-Anne, and all the raging radicals in my family, and men who read and fish and cook. I'm thankful for Michael riding his bike, and Nora and Amber bossing people around, and Judy smiling, and little princess warriors, and dancing Connor.
I'm thankful for people with pets, and people with red hair or no hair, for getting up in the morning. I'm thankful for a world that spins, and wild ponies, and wheat, and jumping frogs and that America endures.
Thanksgiving is complicated for Americans. Always abundance, usually wanting more even if it is a faster car lane or a better mall parking spot. We want to share what we have and protect what we have. The biblical "widow's mite" comes to mind. Every country, race, tribe, group has some kind of tradition for appreciation, gratefulness, Thanksgiving.
And so this is ours. We are all, everyone, thankful Thanksgiving endures. So does plastic, but that is another story.
Bo says she is bringing an apple pie to our Thanksgiving dinner and that the apple pie has a story.
I'm thankful for stories.
Thinking about people gathering and those who don't have family. And a country of abundance and those without enough food or water, and traveling, and paid holidays, and highway fatalities, and over eating, and Jean and Janice, whom I haven't chatted with lately, and Jane's skinny ankles, and books and movies. We are thankful for our children, our families, and when we stop and think about it, our jobs.
I'm thankful I work with eighteen different nationalities and races. Black, white, Asian, Filipino, Muslim, Mexican, Korean, and Okie. All these people, born in and out of the USA, working together, drinking coffee together, laughing together, griping together.
Sometimes we are thankful for our problems. What is the old homily about if everyone put their troubles on a big football field and then we could go and handpick the problems we would want to be burdened with, we would go pick up the exact problems we just laid down. They don't seem so bad by comparison. I don't know if that is true, but it is interesting to think about at a time of gratefulness.
Thanksgiving from the heart, sharing a meal, cooking for family. Uncle's favorite, so and so doesn't like oysters so leave them out of the stuffing, just come on over we have plenty of food. Trying new foods, roads, experiences, traditions, or appreciating old food, roads, experiences and traditions, or jump ahead three spaces to a new job, romance or home. We are thankful.
I'm thinking of me in my cozy wee condo and Mary in her new home. Thankful, thankful. Thankful for religious freedom and a car that runs in just about equal measure. I'm always thankful for that hot shower I mention so often. One of America's most taken for granted luxuries.
I saw the presidential motorcade blaze out of downtown the other morning, yes I was smoking in back of the building where it overlooks the I-5 corridor, but what I appreciated, what made me smile, was the 200 or so motorcycle policeman getting to ride escort. It was a precision parade of blinking light splendor, and I wondered, assumed, there had to be some pride for these local folk.
I'm thankful for my computer and book markers, and reading, and authors who write books for reading, and people who make books, and libraries, and book stores, and Mrs. Horton who taught me to read, and the Puritans who believed in teaching children to read at about the same Thanksgiving time we are now celebrating, and how that informed this country and endures.
I'm thankful for friends lending books, and breakfast with Claire and coffee with Jo-Anne, and all the raging radicals in my family, and men who read and fish and cook. I'm thankful for Michael riding his bike, and Nora and Amber bossing people around, and Judy smiling, and little princess warriors, and dancing Connor.
I'm thankful for people with pets, and people with red hair or no hair, for getting up in the morning. I'm thankful for a world that spins, and wild ponies, and wheat, and jumping frogs and that America endures.
Thanksgiving is complicated for Americans. Always abundance, usually wanting more even if it is a faster car lane or a better mall parking spot. We want to share what we have and protect what we have. The biblical "widow's mite" comes to mind. Every country, race, tribe, group has some kind of tradition for appreciation, gratefulness, Thanksgiving.
And so this is ours. We are all, everyone, thankful Thanksgiving endures. So does plastic, but that is another story.
Bo says she is bringing an apple pie to our Thanksgiving dinner and that the apple pie has a story.
I'm thankful for stories.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Fifty Shades of Family part II
...and finally does anyone know anything about Tal?
Has he ever danced naked, ridden a bull, jumped off a cliff, played horseshoes, played a guitar, played dress-up, played musical chairs, played nice?
...and Jason answered my blog query on Facebook. In case you missed it: Jason Taylor I have never sky dived, but Claire and I saw Richard E. Grant in London once. Judy has fed an elephant and a giraffe. Hope this helps. We love you.
...and finally I remembered my third Starbucks story; whew that hurt the old brain cells, they are still black and blue and bruised.
#3. Usually I don't chit-chat when I ride the elevator down to go outside and smoke, but for some unknown reason I say to the dude standing inside, "I looked out the window and it is really raining." He answers in his reasonable elevator voice. "Starbucks." I look at him with a reasonable blank elevator look wondering what Starbucks has to do with my weather report.
...and he continued; "I was trying to decide whether to go to Subway or Starbucks." Mind you, Starbucks is in the building and Subway is across the plaza, down the steps, down the block, through the busy intersection, and across the street. "Now I think I will just go to Starbucks."
...he might have noticed when he emerged from the building that it was pouring down rain, but for me, I think I saved his bald head from getting wet that day.
...and Jean, I am now the proud owner of not one, but three Dream Product's bras. Thank you for the info.
...and I have cleaned out another two square feet of condo space.
...and book club list for those interested, thank you Sandy:
Has he ever danced naked, ridden a bull, jumped off a cliff, played horseshoes, played a guitar, played dress-up, played musical chairs, played nice?
...and Jason answered my blog query on Facebook. In case you missed it: Jason Taylor I have never sky dived, but Claire and I saw Richard E. Grant in London once. Judy has fed an elephant and a giraffe. Hope this helps. We love you.
...and finally I remembered my third Starbucks story; whew that hurt the old brain cells, they are still black and blue and bruised.
#3. Usually I don't chit-chat when I ride the elevator down to go outside and smoke, but for some unknown reason I say to the dude standing inside, "I looked out the window and it is really raining." He answers in his reasonable elevator voice. "Starbucks." I look at him with a reasonable blank elevator look wondering what Starbucks has to do with my weather report.
...and he continued; "I was trying to decide whether to go to Subway or Starbucks." Mind you, Starbucks is in the building and Subway is across the plaza, down the steps, down the block, through the busy intersection, and across the street. "Now I think I will just go to Starbucks."
...he might have noticed when he emerged from the building that it was pouring down rain, but for me, I think I saved his bald head from getting wet that day.
...and Jean, I am now the proud owner of not one, but three Dream Product's bras. Thank you for the info.
...and I have cleaned out another two square feet of condo space.
...and book club list for those interested, thank you Sandy:
Dec - A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy. A tribute to the author who passed away very shortly after writing this book
Jan - Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. A story of live love and survival in the Mumbai slums. Very beautifully written.
After that, maybe an Alice Munro book? Or Mary Coin by Marisa Silver which was loaned to me by Claire via Jan.
...and Tikki is terrific, the second best behaved dog I have ever been around. The boys will be home this evening.
...and Julia, Roger has a fractured/strained toe and can't run for two months. Does misery love company?
...and now I'm going to go clean out another two square feet of space.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Fifty Shades of Family
On staying the same:
My favorite lecture, either number one or number two, is you don't change. You are always you.
I've been young/old, fat/thin, rich/poor, east coast/west coast, healthy/unhealthy, long hair/short hair, happy/sad, working/not working, no children/multiple children, yours/mine/ours, single/married/divorced/widowed. What and who you are, how God made you, or genes or DNA or whatever, is what and who you are. You are always you.
My other favorite lecture, either number one or number two, involves child rearing. Listen to every word your child shares -- and -- bribery. Bribery is the most undervalued parenting skill of all. Bribery works.
And that is all the lectures I own, but I do have three Starbucks stories.
#1. I drove past a Starbucks at 8AM on a Sunday morning and there were NO cars.
"I passed a Starbucks and there were no cars, can you spell that without any 'r's'?"
#2. A young smoking acquaintance downtown who works at Starbucks commented the other day, "Why are people coming to Starbucks to buy coffee? Don't their offices have coffee machines? They mostly just buy drip. I wouldn't spend my money on coffee." It reminded me of my tobacco man once telling me I smoked too much.
#3.
If you scanned your eyes around your environment right now could you spy a penguin? China? Paper? Knick-knack? Cup holder? Blanket pattern? Slippers? Newspaper or magazine cover? Zoo calendar?
The weather man lied. It's not raining and 40 degrees this morning, it's brilliant and 30 degrees. The mountains are spectacular, the clouds are calm, the sound smooth, and the children at play.
Connor went with me to book club and I discovered he knows "out of the ordinary." Every squeak, groan, hiss, ping, rattle, every noise my car made, Connor heard, raised his head, cocked his ears and asked, "What's that?" Not only my car, but all the surrounding noises also, loud pops, screeching brakes, construction noise. Each and every whirring, whizzing, whispering, windy, clanging noise.
As for Connor's take on magic, interesting is all I can say. I took 438 Christmas stickers, and some old greeting cards and envelopes for him to mess with on our playdate yesterday. He was going to make me a card but I lost out to Santa. After he laboriously decorated a card, signed his name, addressed it to Santa and it was clutched in his hands he asked me where to put it so Santa would find it.
I answered, in my reasonable granny voice, oh just put it under the Christmas tree or by the fireplace. Yes, granny, but how will Santa know it's for him? Well, Connor, because you wrote his name on it. Yes, granny, but how will he know it's for him?
I answered, in my reasonable granny voice, well Santa's magic, he will know it's for him. GRANNY, magic doesn't have any eyes and Santa doesn't have a wand. Final solution; he hid it in the couch cushions. I'm telling you, the boy knows magic, and whose to say he isn't right.
While Christian and Ian are visiting Bob in Texas, I'm caring for my grand-dog Tikki. Tikki went with me on my Connor playday, of course, and Tikki and Brandy got along fine until Roger came home and they heard the garage door open. Brandy knew to rush to the back door while Tikki charged the front door. Tikki realized the error of her ways, Brandy being more knowledgeable of the two, so she corrected her trajectory and went to the back door also. Brandy let her know with the sweetest little barkish growl that greeting Roger was her prerogative and to back off. Tikki did, about one half of a dog length, and they both yipped Roger into the house.
A lot of people have been participating in the "things you don't know about me" on Facebook? I can't play that game because everyone knows everything about me, but it did get me thinking about the things I might not know about family.
Has Jennifer made a dress?
Has Nora been to the top of the Sears tower?
Has Jason skydived?
Summer driven a motorcycle?
Michael eaten an artichoke?
Judy touched an elephant?
Claire spotted a celebrity?
Cathy climbed a mountain?
Chris made a wedding cake?
Brittany flunked a test?
Marc been to Turkey?
Amber jumped off a cliff?
Andrew got drunk?
Jacquie braided her hair?
Benjamin driven a truck?
Dan stepped on a rattlesnake?
Hannah dyed her hair?
Blaine flown alone?
Taylor bounced a drunk?
Clark skied?
Jordon been to Disneyland?
Jackson won a swimming race?
Roger played horseshoes?
Stephanie played a guitar?
Connor played with a Barbie?
Christian played musical chairs?
Bo played checkers?
Ian danced naked?
Julie seen a dog she didn't like?
Brandon bitten Tal?
Mark swallowed a fly?
Jake been lost in the desert?
Does Kenny like gum?
And anything about Janelle, Scott, spouses, and kiddos?
...and I can't remember my third Starbucks story. Oh the woes of ageing.
Love to one and all.
My kids are getting shoes for Christmas.
My favorite lecture, either number one or number two, is you don't change. You are always you.
I've been young/old, fat/thin, rich/poor, east coast/west coast, healthy/unhealthy, long hair/short hair, happy/sad, working/not working, no children/multiple children, yours/mine/ours, single/married/divorced/widowed. What and who you are, how God made you, or genes or DNA or whatever, is what and who you are. You are always you.
My other favorite lecture, either number one or number two, involves child rearing. Listen to every word your child shares -- and -- bribery. Bribery is the most undervalued parenting skill of all. Bribery works.
And that is all the lectures I own, but I do have three Starbucks stories.
#1. I drove past a Starbucks at 8AM on a Sunday morning and there were NO cars.
"I passed a Starbucks and there were no cars, can you spell that without any 'r's'?"
#2. A young smoking acquaintance downtown who works at Starbucks commented the other day, "Why are people coming to Starbucks to buy coffee? Don't their offices have coffee machines? They mostly just buy drip. I wouldn't spend my money on coffee." It reminded me of my tobacco man once telling me I smoked too much.
#3.
If you scanned your eyes around your environment right now could you spy a penguin? China? Paper? Knick-knack? Cup holder? Blanket pattern? Slippers? Newspaper or magazine cover? Zoo calendar?
The weather man lied. It's not raining and 40 degrees this morning, it's brilliant and 30 degrees. The mountains are spectacular, the clouds are calm, the sound smooth, and the children at play.
Connor went with me to book club and I discovered he knows "out of the ordinary." Every squeak, groan, hiss, ping, rattle, every noise my car made, Connor heard, raised his head, cocked his ears and asked, "What's that?" Not only my car, but all the surrounding noises also, loud pops, screeching brakes, construction noise. Each and every whirring, whizzing, whispering, windy, clanging noise.
As for Connor's take on magic, interesting is all I can say. I took 438 Christmas stickers, and some old greeting cards and envelopes for him to mess with on our playdate yesterday. He was going to make me a card but I lost out to Santa. After he laboriously decorated a card, signed his name, addressed it to Santa and it was clutched in his hands he asked me where to put it so Santa would find it.
I answered, in my reasonable granny voice, oh just put it under the Christmas tree or by the fireplace. Yes, granny, but how will Santa know it's for him? Well, Connor, because you wrote his name on it. Yes, granny, but how will he know it's for him?
I answered, in my reasonable granny voice, well Santa's magic, he will know it's for him. GRANNY, magic doesn't have any eyes and Santa doesn't have a wand. Final solution; he hid it in the couch cushions. I'm telling you, the boy knows magic, and whose to say he isn't right.
While Christian and Ian are visiting Bob in Texas, I'm caring for my grand-dog Tikki. Tikki went with me on my Connor playday, of course, and Tikki and Brandy got along fine until Roger came home and they heard the garage door open. Brandy knew to rush to the back door while Tikki charged the front door. Tikki realized the error of her ways, Brandy being more knowledgeable of the two, so she corrected her trajectory and went to the back door also. Brandy let her know with the sweetest little barkish growl that greeting Roger was her prerogative and to back off. Tikki did, about one half of a dog length, and they both yipped Roger into the house.
A lot of people have been participating in the "things you don't know about me" on Facebook? I can't play that game because everyone knows everything about me, but it did get me thinking about the things I might not know about family.
Has Jennifer made a dress?
Has Nora been to the top of the Sears tower?
Has Jason skydived?
Summer driven a motorcycle?
Michael eaten an artichoke?
Judy touched an elephant?
Claire spotted a celebrity?
Cathy climbed a mountain?
Chris made a wedding cake?
Brittany flunked a test?
Marc been to Turkey?
Amber jumped off a cliff?
Andrew got drunk?
Jacquie braided her hair?
Benjamin driven a truck?
Dan stepped on a rattlesnake?
Hannah dyed her hair?
Blaine flown alone?
Taylor bounced a drunk?
Clark skied?
Jordon been to Disneyland?
Jackson won a swimming race?
Roger played horseshoes?
Stephanie played a guitar?
Connor played with a Barbie?
Christian played musical chairs?
Bo played checkers?
Ian danced naked?
Julie seen a dog she didn't like?
Brandon bitten Tal?
Mark swallowed a fly?
Jake been lost in the desert?
Does Kenny like gum?
And anything about Janelle, Scott, spouses, and kiddos?
...and I can't remember my third Starbucks story. Oh the woes of ageing.
Love to one and all.
My kids are getting shoes for Christmas.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Oh Crap!
I went to the doctor today and I have to tell you I have a crap body. Crap diabetes, crap blood pressure, crap heart, lungs, ears, eyes, bladder. I'm like that old truck I used to drive, nothing on it worked but it just wouldn't die, it just kept on going. Not like the Energizer bunny going, but more like a crap old truck still going.
My sweet doctor told me what a good job I'm doing and to keep up the good work and THEN said stop smoking, lose weight and exercise. She's been my doctor for a good number of years now, doesn't she know by now I am not going to stop smoking, lose weight and exercise. She always calls me "my dear" and hugs me hello and goodbye, maybe she had a lesson in physical contact for the elderly. I don't know. But I will tell you this, crap I am and crap I will stay.
And speaking of weird movies:
here is my list of weird, watchable, confusing, strange, wondrous films;
Silent Souls
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
A Shadow We Soon Will Be
Le Quattro Volte
The Mill and The Cross
Le Quattro Volte is about the four essences of man: mineral, vegetable, animal, human according to one theory or Pythagoras' theory of four successive lives we each much live. Wonderful film without dialogue.
The Mill and The Cross is about entering Bruegel's painting The Procession to Calvary. I can't even describe it. Again practically no dialogue.
Quote: Intelligence is terrible. It makes us do stupid things. Jean Renoir -- from another film altogether; French Cancan.
Bo made the Korean feast she promised. I think she made one of everything. Everything was beautiful and then more beautiful. Sushi, kimchi. Kimchi made with spices her grandmother hand grinds in Korea. She made these little radish wrapped salads that looked like miniature Asian tacos overflowing with vegetables all kind of pickled and delicious. Miso soup, until you have had Bo's miso soup you haven't had miso soup. It had little octopus type mushrooms floating in it along with about eighteen other vegetables. A beef stir-fry thingy, a cold noodle pork thingy. She kept bringing in food and unpacking food and serving up food. My wee kitchen and no dining area hampered her artist expression a little bit, but the beauty of the food shone anyway. Bo did the cooking, but Christian said he chopped every vegetable -- and -- sliced the sushi.
Bo was busy unpacking and arranging food when Christian mentioned that the Seattle Seahawks were behind in their game. Bo continued with the dinner until Christian told her the Seahawks were two touchdowns behind, that is when Bo discovered I don't have a TV. When Christian informed her it was 21 to nothing Bo lost it and said. "Where's a bar?" and left. Not to return until the Seahawks had tied the game and she could continue with dinner. Gotta love Bo.
I believe in reality. It is a strange world living in the bounds of reality. We are like ancient mariners or Greek pottery from 3,000 years ago. Reality wraps around us, there and not there. Then and not now. Is reality any more real or less real because we are living through it? Alive now and not there or then. Where does reality cease to be reality? When does it drift so complete and transparent that it is gone?
Reality is the rhythm of days, of life. No purpose, no grand plan or scheme, just living, just being. That is what the Mill and Cross film was about, that is what the Bruegel painting was about. In the midst of, and all around great and momentous happenings, life goes on, with bread baking, playing with pets, birthing, sky gazing, cloud watching, going to the doctor.
Crap body in a beautiful world -- gotta love life.
My sweet doctor told me what a good job I'm doing and to keep up the good work and THEN said stop smoking, lose weight and exercise. She's been my doctor for a good number of years now, doesn't she know by now I am not going to stop smoking, lose weight and exercise. She always calls me "my dear" and hugs me hello and goodbye, maybe she had a lesson in physical contact for the elderly. I don't know. But I will tell you this, crap I am and crap I will stay.
And speaking of weird movies:
here is my list of weird, watchable, confusing, strange, wondrous films;
Silent Souls
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
A Shadow We Soon Will Be
Le Quattro Volte
The Mill and The Cross
Le Quattro Volte is about the four essences of man: mineral, vegetable, animal, human according to one theory or Pythagoras' theory of four successive lives we each much live. Wonderful film without dialogue.
The Mill and The Cross is about entering Bruegel's painting The Procession to Calvary. I can't even describe it. Again practically no dialogue.
Quote: Intelligence is terrible. It makes us do stupid things. Jean Renoir -- from another film altogether; French Cancan.
Bo made the Korean feast she promised. I think she made one of everything. Everything was beautiful and then more beautiful. Sushi, kimchi. Kimchi made with spices her grandmother hand grinds in Korea. She made these little radish wrapped salads that looked like miniature Asian tacos overflowing with vegetables all kind of pickled and delicious. Miso soup, until you have had Bo's miso soup you haven't had miso soup. It had little octopus type mushrooms floating in it along with about eighteen other vegetables. A beef stir-fry thingy, a cold noodle pork thingy. She kept bringing in food and unpacking food and serving up food. My wee kitchen and no dining area hampered her artist expression a little bit, but the beauty of the food shone anyway. Bo did the cooking, but Christian said he chopped every vegetable -- and -- sliced the sushi.
Bo was busy unpacking and arranging food when Christian mentioned that the Seattle Seahawks were behind in their game. Bo continued with the dinner until Christian told her the Seahawks were two touchdowns behind, that is when Bo discovered I don't have a TV. When Christian informed her it was 21 to nothing Bo lost it and said. "Where's a bar?" and left. Not to return until the Seahawks had tied the game and she could continue with dinner. Gotta love Bo.
I believe in reality. It is a strange world living in the bounds of reality. We are like ancient mariners or Greek pottery from 3,000 years ago. Reality wraps around us, there and not there. Then and not now. Is reality any more real or less real because we are living through it? Alive now and not there or then. Where does reality cease to be reality? When does it drift so complete and transparent that it is gone?
Reality is the rhythm of days, of life. No purpose, no grand plan or scheme, just living, just being. That is what the Mill and Cross film was about, that is what the Bruegel painting was about. In the midst of, and all around great and momentous happenings, life goes on, with bread baking, playing with pets, birthing, sky gazing, cloud watching, going to the doctor.
Crap body in a beautiful world -- gotta love life.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Seminal Moments
After talking to Ray McLain of Texas at the reunion about how he felt I had touched his life, I began wondering about my own seminal moments. The moments in my life that touched, changed, or helped me on my path of evolution. Not the small stuff that has occupied me lately, but the BIG stuff.
Seminal moments. A kiss, a touch, a love, a conversation. Quoting Taylor Harris' blog; "That is a good thing to remember."
Then I had my last summer tomato.
Jeff posted what he took to the reunion on the family blog.
Taylor's blog.
Pictures of Judy and growing family on Facebook.
Things around me; flowers, creativity, intelligence, coffee, bed, Hawaii, photos of Hawaii, Olga Bay, photos of Olga Bay, sons, photos of sons, ferries, kindness, scented candles, scented soap, books.
Quote: "I began collecting snatches of songs, names, words. Some words I needed to look for, and some were always right next to me. " Film Silent Souls
Quote: " It ain't what you know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Mark Twain
Shadows intrigue me. Shadows made by Sun or Moon or man made lights. Shadows cast on the wall, the walkway, the floor, the sky. Shadows downtown or in the country. Fleeting shadows that will never be seen again.
Looking at the winter moon through the bare branches of trees, all of those limbs, sticks, and twigs creating circles of design. The tree shadowed against the sky. Marveling at how all those straight lines created circles of unity. Surely man with all of his straight edges can also form circles of unity -- somehow.
How my friend Lynn's park walks have evolved. Starting with curiosity, curiosity turned into a quest which has evolved into something else again. Passion? What ever it is it is moments and beautiful.
Animals. Why am I surrounded by such a menagerie of animals? I have no particular animal passion. My turtles I understand, but why dragonflies and elephants, roosters and fish, loons and elk, bears and water buffaloes?
I had a customer profusely compliment me and thank me at the end of a call. "You are the nicest customer service agent I've ever had. I hope I get you the next time I call." I gave him my standard answer, " Awe, you are making me blush." As he was hanging up the phone I heard him say to someone in the room with him, "That was the nicest old lady. I could tell she was old by her voice."
Driving home from the airport in some of the most pervasive fog I have ever been in in Seattle, not the thickest fog, but dense and sticky, I felt caught between two worlds. I felt caught in some middle place, almost like some mystery, mystical world, but not quite because there loomed a McDonalds. I was not in Oklahoma and felt I hadn't arrived in Seattle yet.
My thoughts turned to being caught between two worlds. Not Okie not Pacific Northwester. Not a real world not an ethereal world. Not young not old. Not right not wrong. Not bad not good. Not intelligent not stupid. I think I was in some learning place, but maybe not.
We had over a week of dense fog, then the rain, now the wind. I discovered driving home from my Connorman playdate last night that leaves scurrying across the road and fluttering up and around made me jump. They all looked like opossoms.
I spent the evening with Connor and we played with his winnings from his Halloween party at school. PEZ candy and dispenser. Connor loved filling the dispenser up, he loved shooting the candy out, but didn't like eating it very well, so he kept feeding the dog -- and me. Good granny that I am, I had to eat four to every one of his.
He also liked showing me, in detail, how the dispenser worked. "No, granny, look here, see this little pusher? When you press down on the squishy head it turns and pushes out the candy. No, granny, that's not the pusher that's the thing to put your thumb on to open the squishy head. No, granny, you have to open it all the way to put the candy in. No, granny, I'll just do it."
Now I have had boys, more than one, and I have been around lots of kids eating their PEZ candy out of a PEZ candy dispenser, but not one of them, not a single one, ever, showed me how it worked in detail.
After I had eaten all the candy. After I was fully educated on the mechanics of a PEZ dispenser, Connor wanted to put a tattoo on me. He put one on my arm and I said let me put one on your head. NO, GRANNY, so I put one on his arm. He put one on my foot and I said let me put one on your head. NO, GRANNY, so I put one on his leg. This continued until both of my arms and feet were fully tattooed and finally he agreed to let me tattoo his head. Top level negotiations with a four year old is hard work.
I saw his obsessive/logical mind at work when he was designing sticker faces on the pumpkin card I mailed him. The card had several pumpkins in various shapes and Connor was busy putting on eyes, ears, noses and mouths. One ear he put more on the chin then the side of the head. His dad asked him about this, and Connor said, because there wasn't a proper equal distance for the second ear to be the exact, appropriate distance as the first, so he put it on the chin. Problem solved.
I know of many seminal moments I have had in my life. Moments that have inspired, directed, helped, educated. Are these the events that count?
Naw, it's the small stuff.
Finally Taylor's complete quote: " Life is funny. It tries to remind how good it is and I try to forget. Sometimes that is a good thing to remember."
Seminal moments. A kiss, a touch, a love, a conversation. Quoting Taylor Harris' blog; "That is a good thing to remember."
Then I had my last summer tomato.
Jeff posted what he took to the reunion on the family blog.
Taylor's blog.
Pictures of Judy and growing family on Facebook.
Things around me; flowers, creativity, intelligence, coffee, bed, Hawaii, photos of Hawaii, Olga Bay, photos of Olga Bay, sons, photos of sons, ferries, kindness, scented candles, scented soap, books.
Quote: "I began collecting snatches of songs, names, words. Some words I needed to look for, and some were always right next to me. " Film Silent Souls
Quote: " It ain't what you know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Mark Twain
Shadows intrigue me. Shadows made by Sun or Moon or man made lights. Shadows cast on the wall, the walkway, the floor, the sky. Shadows downtown or in the country. Fleeting shadows that will never be seen again.
Looking at the winter moon through the bare branches of trees, all of those limbs, sticks, and twigs creating circles of design. The tree shadowed against the sky. Marveling at how all those straight lines created circles of unity. Surely man with all of his straight edges can also form circles of unity -- somehow.
How my friend Lynn's park walks have evolved. Starting with curiosity, curiosity turned into a quest which has evolved into something else again. Passion? What ever it is it is moments and beautiful.
Animals. Why am I surrounded by such a menagerie of animals? I have no particular animal passion. My turtles I understand, but why dragonflies and elephants, roosters and fish, loons and elk, bears and water buffaloes?
I had a customer profusely compliment me and thank me at the end of a call. "You are the nicest customer service agent I've ever had. I hope I get you the next time I call." I gave him my standard answer, " Awe, you are making me blush." As he was hanging up the phone I heard him say to someone in the room with him, "That was the nicest old lady. I could tell she was old by her voice."
Driving home from the airport in some of the most pervasive fog I have ever been in in Seattle, not the thickest fog, but dense and sticky, I felt caught between two worlds. I felt caught in some middle place, almost like some mystery, mystical world, but not quite because there loomed a McDonalds. I was not in Oklahoma and felt I hadn't arrived in Seattle yet.
My thoughts turned to being caught between two worlds. Not Okie not Pacific Northwester. Not a real world not an ethereal world. Not young not old. Not right not wrong. Not bad not good. Not intelligent not stupid. I think I was in some learning place, but maybe not.
We had over a week of dense fog, then the rain, now the wind. I discovered driving home from my Connorman playdate last night that leaves scurrying across the road and fluttering up and around made me jump. They all looked like opossoms.
I spent the evening with Connor and we played with his winnings from his Halloween party at school. PEZ candy and dispenser. Connor loved filling the dispenser up, he loved shooting the candy out, but didn't like eating it very well, so he kept feeding the dog -- and me. Good granny that I am, I had to eat four to every one of his.
He also liked showing me, in detail, how the dispenser worked. "No, granny, look here, see this little pusher? When you press down on the squishy head it turns and pushes out the candy. No, granny, that's not the pusher that's the thing to put your thumb on to open the squishy head. No, granny, you have to open it all the way to put the candy in. No, granny, I'll just do it."
Now I have had boys, more than one, and I have been around lots of kids eating their PEZ candy out of a PEZ candy dispenser, but not one of them, not a single one, ever, showed me how it worked in detail.
After I had eaten all the candy. After I was fully educated on the mechanics of a PEZ dispenser, Connor wanted to put a tattoo on me. He put one on my arm and I said let me put one on your head. NO, GRANNY, so I put one on his arm. He put one on my foot and I said let me put one on your head. NO, GRANNY, so I put one on his leg. This continued until both of my arms and feet were fully tattooed and finally he agreed to let me tattoo his head. Top level negotiations with a four year old is hard work.
I saw his obsessive/logical mind at work when he was designing sticker faces on the pumpkin card I mailed him. The card had several pumpkins in various shapes and Connor was busy putting on eyes, ears, noses and mouths. One ear he put more on the chin then the side of the head. His dad asked him about this, and Connor said, because there wasn't a proper equal distance for the second ear to be the exact, appropriate distance as the first, so he put it on the chin. Problem solved.
I know of many seminal moments I have had in my life. Moments that have inspired, directed, helped, educated. Are these the events that count?
Naw, it's the small stuff.
Finally Taylor's complete quote: " Life is funny. It tries to remind how good it is and I try to forget. Sometimes that is a good thing to remember."
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
What a Time, What a Time
Reunion has come and gone. The skies filled with rain and fog and sunshine. Dogs barked, kids played, coffee drunk, fires burned, fish fried.
It was a sickly bunch; surgery, limping, arthritis, COPD, water on the hip, bad hips, recuperating post surgeries, crutches, canes, walking sticks for balance, and Jancie wasn't even there with her fractured back. The old folks had their "organ recital" once or twice a day. Amber isn't old, but she won anyway coming to reunion without a navel and able to brag about her 320 staples from her surgery.
The breadth of conversation was staggering even for us Taylor's. I'm afraid we ran away with "fecal transplant" well, Jeff ran away with that one. I don't think there could be another witticism that includes "fecal" humor because Jeff thought of them all. Amber said it is a very effective procedure but not something the hospital brags about on their marquee.
The conversation included talk about the fact that Taylor just thought ballet class was, well, challenging, but now he is taking a silks class, aerial work for his theatre arts degree. Taylor, and all 250 plus pounds gracefully dangling from silks. I'm afraid Jeff ran away with that one also.
We talked about the definition of harbinger, cabin decisions, to tent or to cabin and the blessings of both. Summer volunteered for fire duties next year. She has been an excellent camp fire host in the past so I know what a good job she will do, even with a two year old.
We all learned something new every day. A wooden spoon laying across a boiling pot will keep it from boiling over. The new texting shorthand is amazingly similar to Morse Code, SOS and LOL with many other likenesses.
Jean didn't bring cookies, she bought her Kurig instead and plenty was drunk during the rainy morning coffees on her porch during the gathering of the sibling-nation with sundry other spouses, progeny, cousins, neighbors.
Two-fires failed, three boyfriends succeeded, as did the emergency bacon fest. A bacon fest at 11 AM on Fridays is now cast in stone.
Nora kept mixing and matching fruity concoctions with the contents of the adult Goodie Box, she did a fantastic job taking over the responsibilities of the adult goodie box. Wait a minute, I actually think boyfriend #2 did the work on that, Nora just general managed it.
Boyfriend #2 presented a bit of a conundrum because his name is Chris also. No satisfactory nickname burbled to the surface during the course of the reunion. MChris didn't seem to work, nor did Millerman, New Chris almost stuck but not quite. Well, we will see next year. Chris Miller did bring a well used Dutch oven and made several delicious delicacies. I don't know about Nora but we will keep him. He's cute and he cooks.
I finally was able to bring home some of Marc's salsa. I'm rationing it out of my refrigerator as we speak. Two Dutch ovens were fired up more that once: Jeff made his world famous Tub O'Stuff and I didn't get a single bite. New Chris made a Bacon Bourbon Maple Apple cobble of some kind that I did get a taste of, as did I help myself generously to his 8 hour chili. His 8 hour chili that he rushed and cooked in 7 hours. Damp wood I think was the culprit causing the late start.
I forgot to get New Chris' shoe size, but he was born and raised in Tulsa, likes to travel, lives in downtown Tulsa, and can't explain his job, a Profitability something Analyst. Jake wears cowboy boots, works all night, and doesn't like Miley Cyrus. Kenny came late and left early but he enjoys winning and dinning Cathy. Nuff said.
Jane passed off gravy duties to Amber. Original Chris made Irish Stew with Guinness Beer. Jean made chicken and noodles that I didn't get a bite of either. There were stir fries, fish fries, and cookie salad.
Grandberry Garland Boyd the Third, or Tripp as he is affectionately called, was properly cuddled by all the women with free hands. What a delightful baby. I was asking Avery and Maddie about the wee babe; Does he cry? Yes. Does he wet his diaper? Yes. Well Maddie became exasperated with my mundane questions and finally declared, "HE IS A REAL BABY."
Favorite quote of the week was Jeff's, of course; "A baby is the world's most perfect product produced by semi-skilled labor."
It was a reunion of moments -- a history of moments -- a life time of moments. It's not the big stuff it's the small stuff. Night walks, scavenger hunts, bike riding, trail walking, porch setting. Children growing, pumpkin carving, Michael learning the difference between Aunt and Uncle. I'm not his favorite Uncle Jan anymore. To quote Jeff, again, Greenleaf isn't the most beautiful, or desirable, or fantastic, but it is where our memories are. It's where we had our moments.
"Every moment and every event in a man's life on earth plants something in his soul, the germ of spiritual vitality." Thomas Merton.
Yes, reunion is over. I've unpacked, paid bills, done laundry, bought groceries, napped, yes reunion is over until next year.
Hey Jeff, I took a suitcase. What did you bring?
Ian came back from his road trip with a package of the best coffee I have every had. The vendor for the amber he buys had a Russian feast and this coffee was part of it. I asked Ian if it was Russian coffee and he said he thought it was German. Well a quick Google search identified it as Bavarian Coffee from Dallmayr. Amazon sells it, now try it, you will not be sorry.
Love to one and all and Happy Birthday to Julia.
It was a sickly bunch; surgery, limping, arthritis, COPD, water on the hip, bad hips, recuperating post surgeries, crutches, canes, walking sticks for balance, and Jancie wasn't even there with her fractured back. The old folks had their "organ recital" once or twice a day. Amber isn't old, but she won anyway coming to reunion without a navel and able to brag about her 320 staples from her surgery.
The breadth of conversation was staggering even for us Taylor's. I'm afraid we ran away with "fecal transplant" well, Jeff ran away with that one. I don't think there could be another witticism that includes "fecal" humor because Jeff thought of them all. Amber said it is a very effective procedure but not something the hospital brags about on their marquee.
The conversation included talk about the fact that Taylor just thought ballet class was, well, challenging, but now he is taking a silks class, aerial work for his theatre arts degree. Taylor, and all 250 plus pounds gracefully dangling from silks. I'm afraid Jeff ran away with that one also.
We talked about the definition of harbinger, cabin decisions, to tent or to cabin and the blessings of both. Summer volunteered for fire duties next year. She has been an excellent camp fire host in the past so I know what a good job she will do, even with a two year old.
We all learned something new every day. A wooden spoon laying across a boiling pot will keep it from boiling over. The new texting shorthand is amazingly similar to Morse Code, SOS and LOL with many other likenesses.
Jean didn't bring cookies, she bought her Kurig instead and plenty was drunk during the rainy morning coffees on her porch during the gathering of the sibling-nation with sundry other spouses, progeny, cousins, neighbors.
Two-fires failed, three boyfriends succeeded, as did the emergency bacon fest. A bacon fest at 11 AM on Fridays is now cast in stone.
Nora kept mixing and matching fruity concoctions with the contents of the adult Goodie Box, she did a fantastic job taking over the responsibilities of the adult goodie box. Wait a minute, I actually think boyfriend #2 did the work on that, Nora just general managed it.
Boyfriend #2 presented a bit of a conundrum because his name is Chris also. No satisfactory nickname burbled to the surface during the course of the reunion. MChris didn't seem to work, nor did Millerman, New Chris almost stuck but not quite. Well, we will see next year. Chris Miller did bring a well used Dutch oven and made several delicious delicacies. I don't know about Nora but we will keep him. He's cute and he cooks.
I finally was able to bring home some of Marc's salsa. I'm rationing it out of my refrigerator as we speak. Two Dutch ovens were fired up more that once: Jeff made his world famous Tub O'Stuff and I didn't get a single bite. New Chris made a Bacon Bourbon Maple Apple cobble of some kind that I did get a taste of, as did I help myself generously to his 8 hour chili. His 8 hour chili that he rushed and cooked in 7 hours. Damp wood I think was the culprit causing the late start.
I forgot to get New Chris' shoe size, but he was born and raised in Tulsa, likes to travel, lives in downtown Tulsa, and can't explain his job, a Profitability something Analyst. Jake wears cowboy boots, works all night, and doesn't like Miley Cyrus. Kenny came late and left early but he enjoys winning and dinning Cathy. Nuff said.
Jane passed off gravy duties to Amber. Original Chris made Irish Stew with Guinness Beer. Jean made chicken and noodles that I didn't get a bite of either. There were stir fries, fish fries, and cookie salad.
Grandberry Garland Boyd the Third, or Tripp as he is affectionately called, was properly cuddled by all the women with free hands. What a delightful baby. I was asking Avery and Maddie about the wee babe; Does he cry? Yes. Does he wet his diaper? Yes. Well Maddie became exasperated with my mundane questions and finally declared, "HE IS A REAL BABY."
Favorite quote of the week was Jeff's, of course; "A baby is the world's most perfect product produced by semi-skilled labor."
It was a reunion of moments -- a history of moments -- a life time of moments. It's not the big stuff it's the small stuff. Night walks, scavenger hunts, bike riding, trail walking, porch setting. Children growing, pumpkin carving, Michael learning the difference between Aunt and Uncle. I'm not his favorite Uncle Jan anymore. To quote Jeff, again, Greenleaf isn't the most beautiful, or desirable, or fantastic, but it is where our memories are. It's where we had our moments.
"Every moment and every event in a man's life on earth plants something in his soul, the germ of spiritual vitality." Thomas Merton.
Yes, reunion is over. I've unpacked, paid bills, done laundry, bought groceries, napped, yes reunion is over until next year.
Hey Jeff, I took a suitcase. What did you bring?
Ian came back from his road trip with a package of the best coffee I have every had. The vendor for the amber he buys had a Russian feast and this coffee was part of it. I asked Ian if it was Russian coffee and he said he thought it was German. Well a quick Google search identified it as Bavarian Coffee from Dallmayr. Amazon sells it, now try it, you will not be sorry.
Love to one and all and Happy Birthday to Julia.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
It's a Family Thing
Curled up, pulled in like the turtle I am, feeling different, odd, outsider, strange. Sometimes I yield and curl up with those outsider feelings -- and -- sometimes I push back the dark closing in. Sometimes I push back with hope, gratefulness and family.
It's a family thing.
Reaching out on the cusp of reunion, one whole week of meals, babies, grandparents, gratefulness, letting love shine. You shine.
Place, memory, thought.
We grew up together, sitting at the same table, playing with the same toys, sitting in the same church. Big momma, big meals, big work. Acres of gardens. 140 acres of canyons, rose rock beds, sandstone ledges, vines, scrubbing floors, hideouts, horned toads, fireworks, bonfires, Halloween, cemetery, blackberries, bar ditches, crawdads, crab apples, peaches, cherries, Mom's pickled peaches, Mom's bread and butter pickles, gathering eggs, milking cows, cow tanks, dirt road, neighbors, dogs. No bears, moose or antelope. Being poor.
Houses going by. At least once a year we had a house being pulled down the road, sometimes three stories tall. Where from and where too I hadn't a clue, but climbing up into the cedar tree to watch the crew move over-head wires and cables as the house slowly trudged on its way was entertainment.
Walking the mile and a quarter to school. Walking home.
Heat, dust, snakes. Cold, snow, wild winter dogs.
Rock house, well house, hen house, barn, shop, rabbit hutch, I barely remember the outhouse, stanchions, feed, fences, fires, baling wire, saw grinding away at something.
It's a family thing: quilting, books, road trips and maps.
It's a family thing: food, fellowship.
It's a family thing: loving, accepting, not fighting.
Sibling-nation: One mother, one father, one place. A common web of experience -- turtle, horse, goat, bull we came from one place and belong to one another. A collective memory shaded our own. Rooted to the same ground and each other.
No kingdom, just a family, youngest, oldest, smartest, funniest, weirdest, richest. Comfortably conversant with each other whether teasing and mocking or laughing and crying.
It's a family thing. Strength in sibling-nation.
Remember dad's thick lumpy cream in his coffee.
Remember getting to spend a quarter at the dime store or the Good Will store.
Ian and I had lunch at the local Chinese restaurant and both of us had fortune cookies mentioning family. Of course now I can't remember the wee quotes, the ones I swore I would add to the blog.
Wasn't it Cathy who put on Facebook "I don't have alzheimers, I have sometimers. Sometimes I remember and sometimes I don't."
Jeff sent me a "congratulation" card on the arrival of my new car. Only Jeff. Only family.
Brittany and Jerry rolled into a new year.
Connor will stay cuddled up if I bring a movie to watch. Epic kept him entranced and on my lap for two hours, bless those little pixels of action.
I wanted a Son's Dinner and Stephanie volunteered to host. OMG she is a good. A pumpkin sauce penne -- fantastic, oven roasted fall vegetables -- fantastic, even Christian ate those, plus salad, wine, bread, sushi. Bo found, bought and brought okra chips. I think because she knew I loved okra. Has anyone else had these? I'm so bringing some to reunion. Christian said even dried and crispy they still felt slimy in his mouth. Only Christian. Roger didn't even limp after his 50K. Everyone was there including the two grand dogs.
The dark is gone and all continues to shine.
It's continues to be a family thing.
I wonder what Jeff will bring to reunion.
It's a family thing.
Reaching out on the cusp of reunion, one whole week of meals, babies, grandparents, gratefulness, letting love shine. You shine.
Place, memory, thought.
We grew up together, sitting at the same table, playing with the same toys, sitting in the same church. Big momma, big meals, big work. Acres of gardens. 140 acres of canyons, rose rock beds, sandstone ledges, vines, scrubbing floors, hideouts, horned toads, fireworks, bonfires, Halloween, cemetery, blackberries, bar ditches, crawdads, crab apples, peaches, cherries, Mom's pickled peaches, Mom's bread and butter pickles, gathering eggs, milking cows, cow tanks, dirt road, neighbors, dogs. No bears, moose or antelope. Being poor.
Houses going by. At least once a year we had a house being pulled down the road, sometimes three stories tall. Where from and where too I hadn't a clue, but climbing up into the cedar tree to watch the crew move over-head wires and cables as the house slowly trudged on its way was entertainment.
Walking the mile and a quarter to school. Walking home.
Heat, dust, snakes. Cold, snow, wild winter dogs.
Rock house, well house, hen house, barn, shop, rabbit hutch, I barely remember the outhouse, stanchions, feed, fences, fires, baling wire, saw grinding away at something.
It's a family thing: quilting, books, road trips and maps.
It's a family thing: food, fellowship.
It's a family thing: loving, accepting, not fighting.
Sibling-nation: One mother, one father, one place. A common web of experience -- turtle, horse, goat, bull we came from one place and belong to one another. A collective memory shaded our own. Rooted to the same ground and each other.
No kingdom, just a family, youngest, oldest, smartest, funniest, weirdest, richest. Comfortably conversant with each other whether teasing and mocking or laughing and crying.
It's a family thing. Strength in sibling-nation.
Remember dad's thick lumpy cream in his coffee.
Remember getting to spend a quarter at the dime store or the Good Will store.
Ian and I had lunch at the local Chinese restaurant and both of us had fortune cookies mentioning family. Of course now I can't remember the wee quotes, the ones I swore I would add to the blog.
Wasn't it Cathy who put on Facebook "I don't have alzheimers, I have sometimers. Sometimes I remember and sometimes I don't."
Jeff sent me a "congratulation" card on the arrival of my new car. Only Jeff. Only family.
Brittany and Jerry rolled into a new year.
Connor will stay cuddled up if I bring a movie to watch. Epic kept him entranced and on my lap for two hours, bless those little pixels of action.
I wanted a Son's Dinner and Stephanie volunteered to host. OMG she is a good. A pumpkin sauce penne -- fantastic, oven roasted fall vegetables -- fantastic, even Christian ate those, plus salad, wine, bread, sushi. Bo found, bought and brought okra chips. I think because she knew I loved okra. Has anyone else had these? I'm so bringing some to reunion. Christian said even dried and crispy they still felt slimy in his mouth. Only Christian. Roger didn't even limp after his 50K. Everyone was there including the two grand dogs.
The dark is gone and all continues to shine.
It's continues to be a family thing.
I wonder what Jeff will bring to reunion.
Friday, September 27, 2013
My Old Mantra, My New Vow
There will come soft rains and
the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with
their shimmering sound,
And frogs in the pools singing
at night,
And wild plum trees in
tremulous white,
Robins will wear their feathery
fire,
Whistling their whims on a
low fence-wire;
And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.
Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,
If mankind perished utterly;
And Spring herself, when she
woke at dawn
Would scarcely know that
we were gone.
Ray Bradbury, The Marian Chronicles
All is right with the world, that's my mantra.
All is right with the world whether living or dying and with all its prayers, plagues and politics. Whether creation or evolution. Whether Muslim or Jewish. Whether for Ben Afflect or against, whether you smoke weed or don't, whether you like green or red peppers, spicy food or not, pumpkin lattes or beer.
We are in the midst of it, whatever it is. We are all bound up in this living world rolling along on its hobbled axis with its melting glaciers and its car pool lanes. We aren't in a position to love it or leave it. We can't make it back to where we came from.
All is right with the world. It is pumping oxygen and water for now. It grows, blooms, dies like it should. It procreates like it should. It makes music and skyscrapers in just about equal measure. Clouds roil by, storms rage in, a stillness can descend with grace.
All is right with the world during its eons to becoming now. All is right with the world whether I agree or not or like it or not. My agreement has nothing to do with its rightness.
"We cannot weigh, measure or judge."
A friend made a vow to accept every chance to eat with a friend. I liked that a lot. It seems so ancient and biblical. The concept of sharing, of breaking bread together. It feels like something our caveman ancestors would have done also. Yes, I like that vow a lot.
Connor is back in dancing, hip-hop this time. Roger said he liked dancing better than baseball.
Ian's job today included art directing his first photo shoot. I always get more excited than him over these little milestones.
I had my heater on going to Target at about 1:30 pm and my air conditioner on coming home. I swear I wasn't there that long. Now, I have used my heater going to work at 4 am and air conditioner coming home at 4 pm, but an hour later? That was a surprise.
Yep, all is right with the world -- my mantra as I triangulate my life between the kitchen, the couch and the night life with a little social media thrown in.
I miss looking words up in a dictionary. Looking them up online just isn't the same. One word doesn't lead to seventeen. It isn't the adventure it used to be. I miss looking words up in a dictionary as I ponder the difference between vow and oath -- but I use the Internet.
All is right with the world, my world included.
the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with
their shimmering sound,
And frogs in the pools singing
at night,
And wild plum trees in
tremulous white,
Robins will wear their feathery
fire,
Whistling their whims on a
low fence-wire;
And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.
Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,
If mankind perished utterly;
And Spring herself, when she
woke at dawn
Would scarcely know that
we were gone.
Ray Bradbury, The Marian Chronicles
All is right with the world, that's my mantra.
All is right with the world whether living or dying and with all its prayers, plagues and politics. Whether creation or evolution. Whether Muslim or Jewish. Whether for Ben Afflect or against, whether you smoke weed or don't, whether you like green or red peppers, spicy food or not, pumpkin lattes or beer.
We are in the midst of it, whatever it is. We are all bound up in this living world rolling along on its hobbled axis with its melting glaciers and its car pool lanes. We aren't in a position to love it or leave it. We can't make it back to where we came from.
All is right with the world. It is pumping oxygen and water for now. It grows, blooms, dies like it should. It procreates like it should. It makes music and skyscrapers in just about equal measure. Clouds roil by, storms rage in, a stillness can descend with grace.
All is right with the world during its eons to becoming now. All is right with the world whether I agree or not or like it or not. My agreement has nothing to do with its rightness.
"We cannot weigh, measure or judge."
A friend made a vow to accept every chance to eat with a friend. I liked that a lot. It seems so ancient and biblical. The concept of sharing, of breaking bread together. It feels like something our caveman ancestors would have done also. Yes, I like that vow a lot.
Connor is back in dancing, hip-hop this time. Roger said he liked dancing better than baseball.
Ian's job today included art directing his first photo shoot. I always get more excited than him over these little milestones.
I had my heater on going to Target at about 1:30 pm and my air conditioner on coming home. I swear I wasn't there that long. Now, I have used my heater going to work at 4 am and air conditioner coming home at 4 pm, but an hour later? That was a surprise.
Yep, all is right with the world -- my mantra as I triangulate my life between the kitchen, the couch and the night life with a little social media thrown in.
I miss looking words up in a dictionary. Looking them up online just isn't the same. One word doesn't lead to seventeen. It isn't the adventure it used to be. I miss looking words up in a dictionary as I ponder the difference between vow and oath -- but I use the Internet.
All is right with the world, my world included.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Feeling Alive
Sometimes negativity reigns. I know people who feel alive only when they are complaining. Traffic is either too fast or too slow, the food is either too hot or too cold, work is either too busy or too boring, friends are either in-their-face or ignoring them. Nothing is ever just right. It's a hard way to live.
Speaking of a hard way to live, in one day downtown, besides the homeless, the busy, the pert, the fast, the ambling, and all the Starbuck's customers, I saw a woman with a walker, a blind person, and a lady in a breath activated wheel chair . There are several paths to a hard-way-to-live. Some chosen, some not.
"In the middle of the journey of life, I was in a dark wood because I had lost the true path, and so we came forth and once again beheld stars." Quote from the Irish movie Parked.
Being alive: Wandering into old age is a little like lost-in-the-dark-wood. At breakfast the other morning Claire said she heard a Linda Ronstadt interview and Linda mentioned belonging to the "senior class," yep that's us. And Mary had read about children with disabilities whose parents called them diff-abilities. Different not disconnected.
Jane and Amber just had surgery, Julia had a MRI to try to determine the root of her hip pain. Jean, Art and Jerry have already had joint replacement, and Tal and Janice have had their medical woes. Holy Moly my turn is coming. I can hear the drum beat getting louder. Any news on Josephine? How are you feeling Jeff? We seem to be collecting diff-abilities.
Hey Jeff what are you bringing to Greenleaf? Suitcase, chairs, the goodie box, hot dog skewers, Vienna Sausages, booze, the cast iron Dutch oven, an axe and the charcoal fire starter. What about t-shirts, are you going to bring those?
Nora has offered me a ride to Greenleaf and I suppose she will take me back also. Do I have a bed? Instead of alms for the poor. Bed anyone bed?
Do you know how many people don't believe a opossum can total a car?
Roger had prepared Connor for my new and different car so he was unaffected by the change, with one exception. He spied the crank windows and said, "What's this?" Then proceeded to crank about seventeen times. Oh, two exceptions, he cried when he couldn't push a key fob to open the doors. Yes, I let him use the key. He might have bent the key, but, oh well.
I got a big fat DUH from Connor when I didn't know about the Bigfeet characters and the dinosaur catching truck.
"Where did you get this?"
"DUH! Santa." Oh grannies.
I earned his respect back when I built a Lego-fireman-exercising-Santa with flames and an axe.
Feeling alive.
I get to go to a new TV show watch party on Wednesday Sept 25th @ 8:30, Back in the Game. My friend Sandy's, of Dragon Boat rowing fame, brother is the producer, and the director of the first episode. This should be fun. And I think I will have enough home grown ripe tomatoes to make a salad to go with the pizza and soda provided by our hostess.
"A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while -- he knows something."
Feeling alive feels good.
Speaking of a hard way to live, in one day downtown, besides the homeless, the busy, the pert, the fast, the ambling, and all the Starbuck's customers, I saw a woman with a walker, a blind person, and a lady in a breath activated wheel chair . There are several paths to a hard-way-to-live. Some chosen, some not.
"In the middle of the journey of life, I was in a dark wood because I had lost the true path, and so we came forth and once again beheld stars." Quote from the Irish movie Parked.
Being alive: Wandering into old age is a little like lost-in-the-dark-wood. At breakfast the other morning Claire said she heard a Linda Ronstadt interview and Linda mentioned belonging to the "senior class," yep that's us. And Mary had read about children with disabilities whose parents called them diff-abilities. Different not disconnected.
Jane and Amber just had surgery, Julia had a MRI to try to determine the root of her hip pain. Jean, Art and Jerry have already had joint replacement, and Tal and Janice have had their medical woes. Holy Moly my turn is coming. I can hear the drum beat getting louder. Any news on Josephine? How are you feeling Jeff? We seem to be collecting diff-abilities.
Hey Jeff what are you bringing to Greenleaf? Suitcase, chairs, the goodie box, hot dog skewers, Vienna Sausages, booze, the cast iron Dutch oven, an axe and the charcoal fire starter. What about t-shirts, are you going to bring those?
Nora has offered me a ride to Greenleaf and I suppose she will take me back also. Do I have a bed? Instead of alms for the poor. Bed anyone bed?
Do you know how many people don't believe a opossum can total a car?
Roger had prepared Connor for my new and different car so he was unaffected by the change, with one exception. He spied the crank windows and said, "What's this?" Then proceeded to crank about seventeen times. Oh, two exceptions, he cried when he couldn't push a key fob to open the doors. Yes, I let him use the key. He might have bent the key, but, oh well.
I got a big fat DUH from Connor when I didn't know about the Bigfeet characters and the dinosaur catching truck.
"Where did you get this?"
"DUH! Santa." Oh grannies.
I earned his respect back when I built a Lego-fireman-exercising-Santa with flames and an axe.
Feeling alive.
I get to go to a new TV show watch party on Wednesday Sept 25th @ 8:30, Back in the Game. My friend Sandy's, of Dragon Boat rowing fame, brother is the producer, and the director of the first episode. This should be fun. And I think I will have enough home grown ripe tomatoes to make a salad to go with the pizza and soda provided by our hostess.
"A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while -- he knows something."
Feeling alive feels good.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Contemplating Good Stuff. Good Times, Gratefulness
Eating, napping, contemplating the future. Gratefulness for joy, Connor, pictures of Connor, knowing Stephanie and Bo are a part of my life, new bambinos coming into the world, cell phones.
Gratefulness is such a deep deep emotion. I think it sources deeper than love. Love oozes and spills out of us like wildflowers. Those we love so deeply, gratefulness is a huge portion of that. I love and am grateful for my family. I love and am grateful for life.
Love goes out from us whereas gratefulness has to be received. Gifts come so undeserved. We can earn love, respect, companionship. Gratefulness is the by product of something we are not in control of. It's born outside of ourselves like supernovas or apples, fishing rods or ocean waves.
Somehow this issue of being in control of so much of our life and not being in control when an event occurs that makes us grateful humbles us. To be grateful exposes our weaknesses and strengthens us.
Gratefulness connects us to humanity.
Gratefulness is such a deep deep emotion. I think it sources deeper than love. Love oozes and spills out of us like wildflowers. Those we love so deeply, gratefulness is a huge portion of that. I love and am grateful for my family. I love and am grateful for life.
Love goes out from us whereas gratefulness has to be received. Gifts come so undeserved. We can earn love, respect, companionship. Gratefulness is the by product of something we are not in control of. It's born outside of ourselves like supernovas or apples, fishing rods or ocean waves.
Somehow this issue of being in control of so much of our life and not being in control when an event occurs that makes us grateful humbles us. To be grateful exposes our weaknesses and strengthens us.
Gratefulness connects us to humanity.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Opossum = 1 -- Jan = 0
Hit a opossum on I-405 at 65 miles an hour and pay the price.
Blessings:
Ian has Triple A roadside service for me.
Stalled on the big ole scary I-5 bridge going into downtown Seattle.
No one killed me or pushed me off the bridge.
I asked the two tuck driver where was the scariest place he ever picked up a car. Here, he said.
From his sweet bed in Kenmore to me took the tow truck driver less than 30 minutes.
Big new shiny tow truck.
Brave driver hooking me up off that narrow shoulder with cars whizzing past at supersonic speeds. It was Labor Day so traffic was lite, relatively.
Insurance.
Only 1 hour late for work.
Christian is a mechanic.
Ian volunteered to pick me up and met me Walt's at 5 AM, with Starbucks.
Drove me to work.
Car totaled.
I was crying so hard I hit an animal I never realized my bumper, grill, and radiator were gone until I sputter to a stop amid all the smoke and flashing dashboard lights.
Opossum = 1 -- Jan = 0
That opossum got to go to opossum heaven
Jan got the mess
Anybody have a good used car they want to sell?
Blessings:
Ian has Triple A roadside service for me.
Stalled on the big ole scary I-5 bridge going into downtown Seattle.
No one killed me or pushed me off the bridge.
I asked the two tuck driver where was the scariest place he ever picked up a car. Here, he said.
From his sweet bed in Kenmore to me took the tow truck driver less than 30 minutes.
Big new shiny tow truck.
Brave driver hooking me up off that narrow shoulder with cars whizzing past at supersonic speeds. It was Labor Day so traffic was lite, relatively.
Insurance.
Only 1 hour late for work.
Christian is a mechanic.
Ian volunteered to pick me up and met me Walt's at 5 AM, with Starbucks.
Drove me to work.
Car totaled.
I was crying so hard I hit an animal I never realized my bumper, grill, and radiator were gone until I sputter to a stop amid all the smoke and flashing dashboard lights.
Opossum = 1 -- Jan = 0
That opossum got to go to opossum heaven
Jan got the mess
Anybody have a good used car they want to sell?
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Fantastic
Fantastic Taylor -- thank you so much for sharing.
Seems like the good times roll in Dallas.
In a spaghettish sort of way.
Oops, I mean -- Thank you Mark for sharing.
Fantastic.
Seems like the good times roll in Dallas.
In a spaghettish sort of way.
Oops, I mean -- Thank you Mark for sharing.
Fantastic.
Dallas
From Taylor
Dallas
The city of big shoulders...well not exactly, but we're closer now that I'm here.
The big apple? Eh, I'm more of an orange guy myself.
Show me state? No misery here.
Land O'lakes? Only if you count the man made ones.
Hollywood? More like Holly won't...too many ten gallon hats in these parts.
Driving from point A to point B?
As my good friend Andy says "It looks like they took a bowl of spaghetti, made up street names for every noodle, and built a city."
I ain't from around here.
School started Monday, let me tell you, there are some talented people here. (Don't worry, I'm one of them, my mom tells me so.)
I'm sitting at a sports bar right now, "my" football team is playing on ESPN right now...it's pretty cool...I don't own anything red or anything that says SMU on it...I guess you could say I need to work on my team spirit a little bit.
My friend Sarah and I were able to find the "secret" parking near campus, a secret I have been very quiet about, but apparently Sarah has some loose lips.
My acting classes have a lot to do with "using how you feel in the moment" for me everything's the same, every day- I miss Blaine and Hannah, that's how I feel.
Remember when Grandpa told me they'd be my best friend some day and I laughed? He was right. Josephine, Jean, Janice, Jerry, Julia, Jan, and Jeff- I get it now. Pretty soon you don't like anyone as much as you like your siblings.
Living alone is a good time- until I get home and wonder why Dad didn't get the dishes done so I could make dinner.
Remember that time I was 6'4" and was able to do a hand stand at the family reunion this year. Well you will. Ballet ain't got nothing on watching my big ass tumble across the floor like a 16 year old Russian gymnast--except for the fact that I assume I'm much more sore afterwards.
Is Dallas good? It's great. I can get used to three more years of this. Then, who knows? Ain't youth fun?!
The older I get, I realize not every family is as good as mine. A girl told me the other day "My family doesn't hug. We barely even touch." Call me jaded, but I thought "What a sad life-to never hug the people you love the most."
So give yourself a hug from me, and the person next to them. Let them know I love them. And if you see Blaine and Hannah-tell them I miss them and love them and can't wait to hug them myself. Oh! And that they will always be able to tell people about their weird actor brother.
Taylor
Dallas
The city of big shoulders...well not exactly, but we're closer now that I'm here.
The big apple? Eh, I'm more of an orange guy myself.
Show me state? No misery here.
Land O'lakes? Only if you count the man made ones.
Hollywood? More like Holly won't...too many ten gallon hats in these parts.
Driving from point A to point B?
As my good friend Andy says "It looks like they took a bowl of spaghetti, made up street names for every noodle, and built a city."
I ain't from around here.
School started Monday, let me tell you, there are some talented people here. (Don't worry, I'm one of them, my mom tells me so.)
I'm sitting at a sports bar right now, "my" football team is playing on ESPN right now...it's pretty cool...I don't own anything red or anything that says SMU on it...I guess you could say I need to work on my team spirit a little bit.
My friend Sarah and I were able to find the "secret" parking near campus, a secret I have been very quiet about, but apparently Sarah has some loose lips.
My acting classes have a lot to do with "using how you feel in the moment" for me everything's the same, every day- I miss Blaine and Hannah, that's how I feel.
Remember when Grandpa told me they'd be my best friend some day and I laughed? He was right. Josephine, Jean, Janice, Jerry, Julia, Jan, and Jeff- I get it now. Pretty soon you don't like anyone as much as you like your siblings.
Living alone is a good time- until I get home and wonder why Dad didn't get the dishes done so I could make dinner.
Remember that time I was 6'4" and was able to do a hand stand at the family reunion this year. Well you will. Ballet ain't got nothing on watching my big ass tumble across the floor like a 16 year old Russian gymnast--except for the fact that I assume I'm much more sore afterwards.
Is Dallas good? It's great. I can get used to three more years of this. Then, who knows? Ain't youth fun?!
The older I get, I realize not every family is as good as mine. A girl told me the other day "My family doesn't hug. We barely even touch." Call me jaded, but I thought "What a sad life-to never hug the people you love the most."
So give yourself a hug from me, and the person next to them. Let them know I love them. And if you see Blaine and Hannah-tell them I miss them and love them and can't wait to hug them myself. Oh! And that they will always be able to tell people about their weird actor brother.
Taylor
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Conversations With Connor
Granny, you are fat. Fat ladies are going to have babies.
No, Connor, I'm not going to have a baby.
Granny are you just fat?
Granny, you lost a baby tooth.
No, Connor, I just lost a tooth.
Well brush them.
At day care I didn't park where daddy parks.
I didn't tighten his seat belt enough.
I didn't know the furry character from Star Wars.
He told me it absolutely wasn't Chewbacca or Ewok.
I didn't know the green guy from Star Wars either.
Or the guy with the white face.
I actually sucked at Star Wars.
Took the wrong snack in the snack tin.
The fruit gel pack was okay.
The high protein nut and fruit package was not okay.
Why didn't you bring Gummy Bears?
I'm going to the park.
No, we aren't going to the park.
I know the way.
I watched all exits for a while.
I didn't kill the spider.
Every Lego piece I selected to build my snowmobile was just exactly the one he needed to build his surfboard. I need that, he said, and it disappeared out of my fingers. Somehow his surfboard became a motorcycle carrier and I was too dumb to know the difference.
I mistook the Lego policeman for a bad guy.
I didn't now how to play the "Ninja Turtle 'What do you want to eat game.'" I forgot they always eat pizza and say "cowabunga".
Did you remember that?
I finally convinced him the Ninja Turtles had names and we spent the rest of the evening with him telling me their names -- over and over and over and over until I finally had it right.
The elephant shaped water pouch Ian sent over for Connor, Roger turned into a water squirting device. Not my fault Stephanie.
I've always figured I had turtle animal energy as my personal spirit animal. Now, I'm trying to figure out Connor's animal. Whew, not easy. Roger has always been a fox in my mind. Christian a jaguar. Ian a dolphin. Stephanie an antelope. Bo I think is a dragonfly. Now, Connor? What would Connor be? Surely some kind of monkey. Or octopus.
While I was drifting around thinking about animals I tagged a few of my other family members. Brittany an Owl. Jordan a Golden Marmoset. Jason a Wolverine. Josephine a porcupine. Now Jerry, would he be a bull elephant, a walrus or a buffalo? Janice definitely a panda bear. Jean a wolf. Julia a hummingbird. Jeff a coyote. This is fun, I might continue to play.
I've noticed since marijuana is now legal in Washington it can be smoked in public. Cigarette smokers, however, need to hide in corners or behind buildings. I guess I will continue to lurk in alleyways.
I was reading an interview with Joss Whedon and he talked about how he divides people into two groups. He has noticed how people will either connect or distance themselves to others. Now that is a profound thought. Do we connect or distance ourselves to others.
I think we need to reach out and connect, connect, connect. Connect via email, calls, letters, Facebook, invites, parties, cards, texts, get togethers, reunions -- it isn't always easy to stay connected, to keep reaching out. Yet we have so many more ways and means now a days than days of yore -- I hate to use the over used word channels, but the truth is the truth whether I like the word or not.
I guess I will have my spirit animal contact your spirit animal and connect.
Jeff says he is only bringing a suitcase, chairs, the goodie box, hot dog skewers, Vienna Sausages, booze, his cast iron dutch oven, an axe and his charcol fire starter to the family reunion next year.
No, Connor, I'm not going to have a baby.
Granny are you just fat?
Granny, you lost a baby tooth.
No, Connor, I just lost a tooth.
Well brush them.
At day care I didn't park where daddy parks.
I didn't tighten his seat belt enough.
I put the wrong weapons with the wrong super hero's.
I didn't know the super powers of said super hero's.I didn't know the furry character from Star Wars.
He told me it absolutely wasn't Chewbacca or Ewok.
I didn't know the green guy from Star Wars either.
Or the guy with the white face.
I actually sucked at Star Wars.
Took the wrong snack in the snack tin.
The fruit gel pack was okay.
The high protein nut and fruit package was not okay.
Why didn't you bring Gummy Bears?
I'm going to the park.
No, we aren't going to the park.
I know the way.
I watched all exits for a while.
I didn't kill the spider.
Every Lego piece I selected to build my snowmobile was just exactly the one he needed to build his surfboard. I need that, he said, and it disappeared out of my fingers. Somehow his surfboard became a motorcycle carrier and I was too dumb to know the difference.
I mistook the Lego policeman for a bad guy.
I didn't now how to play the "Ninja Turtle 'What do you want to eat game.'" I forgot they always eat pizza and say "cowabunga".
Did you remember that?
I finally convinced him the Ninja Turtles had names and we spent the rest of the evening with him telling me their names -- over and over and over and over until I finally had it right.
The elephant shaped water pouch Ian sent over for Connor, Roger turned into a water squirting device. Not my fault Stephanie.
I've always figured I had turtle animal energy as my personal spirit animal. Now, I'm trying to figure out Connor's animal. Whew, not easy. Roger has always been a fox in my mind. Christian a jaguar. Ian a dolphin. Stephanie an antelope. Bo I think is a dragonfly. Now, Connor? What would Connor be? Surely some kind of monkey. Or octopus.
While I was drifting around thinking about animals I tagged a few of my other family members. Brittany an Owl. Jordan a Golden Marmoset. Jason a Wolverine. Josephine a porcupine. Now Jerry, would he be a bull elephant, a walrus or a buffalo? Janice definitely a panda bear. Jean a wolf. Julia a hummingbird. Jeff a coyote. This is fun, I might continue to play.
I've noticed since marijuana is now legal in Washington it can be smoked in public. Cigarette smokers, however, need to hide in corners or behind buildings. I guess I will continue to lurk in alleyways.
I was reading an interview with Joss Whedon and he talked about how he divides people into two groups. He has noticed how people will either connect or distance themselves to others. Now that is a profound thought. Do we connect or distance ourselves to others.
I think we need to reach out and connect, connect, connect. Connect via email, calls, letters, Facebook, invites, parties, cards, texts, get togethers, reunions -- it isn't always easy to stay connected, to keep reaching out. Yet we have so many more ways and means now a days than days of yore -- I hate to use the over used word channels, but the truth is the truth whether I like the word or not.
I guess I will have my spirit animal contact your spirit animal and connect.
Jeff says he is only bringing a suitcase, chairs, the goodie box, hot dog skewers, Vienna Sausages, booze, his cast iron dutch oven, an axe and his charcol fire starter to the family reunion next year.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
What Some People Do
In case you ever wondered what Habu Dragon Boat racing is all about, check out my friend Sandy's blog and video. She is amazing!
http://sandy-lifeisbeautifullifeiscrazy.blogspot.com/
What a fun week-end. Wonderful people, beautiful city and silver medal. Even the 10 hour trip up by car, shuttle, ferry, and taxi was fun with teammates Luise and Mike.
Lak had the bagpiper escort us to the boats during marshaling of heat 3. Last year, he had the bagpiper serenade Cyndi on her birthday.
Captain Bill's boat Sick Day was in it's normal spot in Victoria Harbor right at the finish line. As usual it was party central and race watching central.
Here's a link to a video of heat 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y03QpjQjZkY
I read where an Australian color run used 6,000 pounds of colored cornstarch. What fun.
And then there is the feared Hawaiian Shirt Bicycling Gang going strong in Arkansas. What fun.
Who has biked more miles Tal or Michael?
Me? I've watched the wind blow the trash around Seattle.
Some folks did the Bark For Life 5k -- not me.
For Julia, Roger, Stephanie and all you runners out there.
Or walk, or cycle, or visit parks, or Dragon Boat row, or dance, or hike, or swim, or climb, or...
http://sandy-lifeisbeautifullifeiscrazy.blogspot.com/
Victoria
What a fun week-end. Wonderful people, beautiful city and silver medal. Even the 10 hour trip up by car, shuttle, ferry, and taxi was fun with teammates Luise and Mike.
Lak had the bagpiper escort us to the boats during marshaling of heat 3. Last year, he had the bagpiper serenade Cyndi on her birthday.
Captain Bill's boat Sick Day was in it's normal spot in Victoria Harbor right at the finish line. As usual it was party central and race watching central.
Here's a link to a video of heat 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y03QpjQjZkY
I read where an Australian color run used 6,000 pounds of colored cornstarch. What fun.
And then there is the feared Hawaiian Shirt Bicycling Gang going strong in Arkansas. What fun.
Who has biked more miles Tal or Michael?
Me? I've watched the wind blow the trash around Seattle.
Some folks did the Bark For Life 5k -- not me.
For Julia, Roger, Stephanie and all you runners out there.
Or walk, or cycle, or visit parks, or Dragon Boat row, or dance, or hike, or swim, or climb, or...
Sunday, August 25, 2013
I Harvested My Tomato Crop
I harvested my tomato crop and that tomato was delicious. I see another one ripening so I should have another crop soon. Crop harvesting isn't as hard as I remember. One tomato at a time.
Quotes:
Quotes:
Here is a quote from a famous lady, Mary Kay Ash: “Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around their neck that says ‘make me feel important.’ You will succeed in life.”
“The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!” Marvin Phillips
Enjoy your tomatoes...
Friday, August 23, 2013
Little Things, Little Life
Quotes:
Wish big, the Universe is Generous -- greeting card.
"When your eyes are softly focused on the horizon for sustained periods your brain releases endorphins. It's the same as a runners high. These days we all spend our lives staring at screens twelve inches in front of us. It's a nice change." Dad to Bee from the book, Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Thought:
My religious friend was going to Africa on a mission and wanted earplugs to close out the sound of Muslim prayers. Hmmm
No matter what I give to the homeless folks downtown; money, matches, cigarettes, food they always "God Bless" me in return. Hmmm
Love:
That full moon.
Delightful lazy day. Spectacular weather. Glorious sunsets.
Life in the slow lane.
Friends:
Carol camping. Mary Montana and drumming. Lynn park walking. Sandy Dragon Boat rowing. Eleanor visiting cousins in Canada. Claire breakfasting. Kathleen sleuthing genealogy. Jan growing tomatoes -- almost there -- I think it can, I think it can, I think it can.
Enjoying life in the little things.
Pictures of Mother Teresa. Facebook chatter. Pictures of babies. Branson eating Cheerios. Marinated meat cooked perfectly. Starbucks black sweet tea. Healthy snacks from Bo. My red tomato. Jason's liberal views. Brittany's romance. Foreign movies; Nora's Will was good. Map of Tulsa. New maps. Anticipating a trip to Canada. Breakfast or coffee with friends two or three times a week. Christian fixing my car in three minutes. My glorious new birthday mattress and pillow from Roger and Stephanie. Packing Connor a treat tin every playdate. Connor showing me the correct way to record music on his music machine gizmo. Errands with Ian; post office, library, bank, Starbucks, grocery store, Target, Triple A, Half Price Book store, Taco Time for lunch, Ballard for Christian to take three minutes to fix my car, a fast stop at Bellevue Mall for Ian to exchange a birthday gift. Going home. Naps -- always.
Excitement:
Christian asked me to watch Tiki while he and Bo went out of town for the weekend. So I walked Tiki into the condo, put down food and water at about the time Ian came home and did everything else. He walked Tiki, made her bed, let her sleep with him, cuddled and loved her. When Christian came to pick Tiki up he asked, "Was she any trouble?" "No, no trouble at all."
Nostalgia:
Brown beans -- no cornbread. Creole Okra. Molasses cookies. Janice walking. Family. Sons. Friends children getting married and having babies. Home grown tomatoes. Hunting for crawdads. Climbing trees.
I don't miss doing laundry in the rock house. Plucking chickens. Going to school. Picking blackberries. Walking dusty 50th Street. Washing truckers underwear.
Grateful I never had to pick cotton.
Make someone happy today.
Wish big, the Universe is Generous -- greeting card.
"When your eyes are softly focused on the horizon for sustained periods your brain releases endorphins. It's the same as a runners high. These days we all spend our lives staring at screens twelve inches in front of us. It's a nice change." Dad to Bee from the book, Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Thought:
My religious friend was going to Africa on a mission and wanted earplugs to close out the sound of Muslim prayers. Hmmm
No matter what I give to the homeless folks downtown; money, matches, cigarettes, food they always "God Bless" me in return. Hmmm
Love:
That full moon.
Delightful lazy day. Spectacular weather. Glorious sunsets.
Life in the slow lane.
Friends:
Carol camping. Mary Montana and drumming. Lynn park walking. Sandy Dragon Boat rowing. Eleanor visiting cousins in Canada. Claire breakfasting. Kathleen sleuthing genealogy. Jan growing tomatoes -- almost there -- I think it can, I think it can, I think it can.
Enjoying life in the little things.
Pictures of Mother Teresa. Facebook chatter. Pictures of babies. Branson eating Cheerios. Marinated meat cooked perfectly. Starbucks black sweet tea. Healthy snacks from Bo. My red tomato. Jason's liberal views. Brittany's romance. Foreign movies; Nora's Will was good. Map of Tulsa. New maps. Anticipating a trip to Canada. Breakfast or coffee with friends two or three times a week. Christian fixing my car in three minutes. My glorious new birthday mattress and pillow from Roger and Stephanie. Packing Connor a treat tin every playdate. Connor showing me the correct way to record music on his music machine gizmo. Errands with Ian; post office, library, bank, Starbucks, grocery store, Target, Triple A, Half Price Book store, Taco Time for lunch, Ballard for Christian to take three minutes to fix my car, a fast stop at Bellevue Mall for Ian to exchange a birthday gift. Going home. Naps -- always.
Excitement:
Christian asked me to watch Tiki while he and Bo went out of town for the weekend. So I walked Tiki into the condo, put down food and water at about the time Ian came home and did everything else. He walked Tiki, made her bed, let her sleep with him, cuddled and loved her. When Christian came to pick Tiki up he asked, "Was she any trouble?" "No, no trouble at all."
Nostalgia:
Brown beans -- no cornbread. Creole Okra. Molasses cookies. Janice walking. Family. Sons. Friends children getting married and having babies. Home grown tomatoes. Hunting for crawdads. Climbing trees.
I don't miss doing laundry in the rock house. Plucking chickens. Going to school. Picking blackberries. Walking dusty 50th Street. Washing truckers underwear.
Grateful I never had to pick cotton.
Make someone happy today.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Book-Ends
Connor can hurl himself into a full, face-down, tummy float, with gusto. All spread eagled and coming up smiles. He was so proud of himself that he showed me and his swim teacher this feat about 42 times before the thirty minute session was over. This is the little guy who 10 days ago would hardly put his chin in the water with Simon Says instructions. This two week intensive swim session is coming to an end, but Mommy does have him signed up to another two weeks so I will see more fascinating feats before summer ends.
Endings; I have been thinking about those lately. You know the ending that comes to us all. Stumbling towards the finish line we all complete our journey one way or another. We all start in the mystery of life and end in the know not what. Who ever said "the clock is ticking" never said a truer word. Regrets? Nearing the dark abyss of no return I'm feeling regrets, aches, pains, heartache, so I'm mustering my defenses, my argument, my rational.
Strange beginnings, beginning in the dark abyss of mystery. We birth from the same place as the Universe, who could ask for more? We all start, go someplace and end. With style and panache we all travel our own road.
No one has a road map, we muddle through one step at a time, one hic-up at a time, one mistake at a time. No one has a crystal ball. Looking back every decision was made as I came to that fork in the road, bump in the road, mountain in the road. I have never been accused of living a careful, correct, good life. I have made some colossal, spectacular, bad decisions. I can say in my entire life I have only done three truly worthy deeds, but somehow those colossal bad decisions add to the make up of me.
No one has beforehand knowledge. We go with what intelligence, experience and personality we are blessed with. Some people stop and smell the roses and some people mow them over. Some walk on the wild side. There are drivers, walkers, saunters, attackers, joggers. People who constantly scan right and left looking for pitfalls and danger. People who never look right or left but only stay focused with eyes in fixed positions. Eyes straight ahead. Some live a quiet life, or a busy life, an exciting life, a contemplative life, a chaotic life, a creative life. Do you travel in a circus or solitary?
Why would anyone care what my path is or how I walk it? No one has my style, my compunctions, my fears, my destination or lack there of. We come, we live, we go. Life's plan? You're born -- you die. The ownership of it. The randomness of it. The mystery of it. It's all too big and lovely for my feeble brain. I figure I'll understand it all in the big by and by. What song mentions the phrase "further along"?
During Janice's medical ordeal she spoke of the incredible will to survive. I'll buy that. And watching Connor hurl himself into the pool for a full, face-down, spread eagled, tummy float -- with gusto -- made me grateful for that will to survive and the opportunity to live.
Swim teaching is an incredible high energy job. Granny's, not so much.
Conner and I were playing robots and dinosaurs, so I asked him, what do you like better robots or dinosaurs? This turned into a game of what-do-you-like-better. Pizza or hamburgers? Batman or Superman? Green or blue? Right foot or left foot? Elbows or clavicles? Cars or planes? Then I made one of my colossal mistakes and asked my little obsessive/compulsive grandson what did he like better Buzz Lightyear or his day care teacher Miss Katie. "NO GRANNY, you can't ask that, you have to ask What do I like better Buzz Lightyear or WOODY, not Miss Katie.
That boy has a journey ahead. His journey.
On a side note, a kind of PS; When I was visiting Janice at the rehab center in California I noticed the paper wrapping on the straws said they were "Medical Straws." Again, too deep for my feeble brain, but isn't life always entertaining?
Endings; I have been thinking about those lately. You know the ending that comes to us all. Stumbling towards the finish line we all complete our journey one way or another. We all start in the mystery of life and end in the know not what. Who ever said "the clock is ticking" never said a truer word. Regrets? Nearing the dark abyss of no return I'm feeling regrets, aches, pains, heartache, so I'm mustering my defenses, my argument, my rational.
Strange beginnings, beginning in the dark abyss of mystery. We birth from the same place as the Universe, who could ask for more? We all start, go someplace and end. With style and panache we all travel our own road.
No one has a road map, we muddle through one step at a time, one hic-up at a time, one mistake at a time. No one has a crystal ball. Looking back every decision was made as I came to that fork in the road, bump in the road, mountain in the road. I have never been accused of living a careful, correct, good life. I have made some colossal, spectacular, bad decisions. I can say in my entire life I have only done three truly worthy deeds, but somehow those colossal bad decisions add to the make up of me.
No one has beforehand knowledge. We go with what intelligence, experience and personality we are blessed with. Some people stop and smell the roses and some people mow them over. Some walk on the wild side. There are drivers, walkers, saunters, attackers, joggers. People who constantly scan right and left looking for pitfalls and danger. People who never look right or left but only stay focused with eyes in fixed positions. Eyes straight ahead. Some live a quiet life, or a busy life, an exciting life, a contemplative life, a chaotic life, a creative life. Do you travel in a circus or solitary?
Why would anyone care what my path is or how I walk it? No one has my style, my compunctions, my fears, my destination or lack there of. We come, we live, we go. Life's plan? You're born -- you die. The ownership of it. The randomness of it. The mystery of it. It's all too big and lovely for my feeble brain. I figure I'll understand it all in the big by and by. What song mentions the phrase "further along"?
During Janice's medical ordeal she spoke of the incredible will to survive. I'll buy that. And watching Connor hurl himself into the pool for a full, face-down, spread eagled, tummy float -- with gusto -- made me grateful for that will to survive and the opportunity to live.
Swim teaching is an incredible high energy job. Granny's, not so much.
Conner and I were playing robots and dinosaurs, so I asked him, what do you like better robots or dinosaurs? This turned into a game of what-do-you-like-better. Pizza or hamburgers? Batman or Superman? Green or blue? Right foot or left foot? Elbows or clavicles? Cars or planes? Then I made one of my colossal mistakes and asked my little obsessive/compulsive grandson what did he like better Buzz Lightyear or his day care teacher Miss Katie. "NO GRANNY, you can't ask that, you have to ask What do I like better Buzz Lightyear or WOODY, not Miss Katie.
That boy has a journey ahead. His journey.
On a side note, a kind of PS; When I was visiting Janice at the rehab center in California I noticed the paper wrapping on the straws said they were "Medical Straws." Again, too deep for my feeble brain, but isn't life always entertaining?
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Another Thought
I think I figured out the HUGE tomato plant conundrum:
I think the tomato plant is afraid of me.
It has heard stories
or seen
what I can do to a plant.
I think it is self defense.
If it grows big enough and strong enough
I won't kill it.
An uneasy peace exists between us.
I think the tomato plant is afraid of me.
It has heard stories
or seen
what I can do to a plant.
I think it is self defense.
If it grows big enough and strong enough
I won't kill it.
An uneasy peace exists between us.
Success
Jean my passport card arrived, I am official, I can travel by land or sea to seven different locations including Canada. No air travel allowed on this card. Thank you! Your birth certificate is in my possession and will find its way to you as soon as possible. I could drive to Canada today if I wanted to.
My social calendar today, however, is full. Dentist in the early AM, drive to Ballard for the oil change I keep putting off, see the tall son, have breakfast with Claire and then play time with Connor. It has been a week since I have seen Connor.
I tried to see Christian on Monday when I got off early from work. I didn't call I just drove over with all the traffic, through all the road construction, at least the high school was closed so I didn't have to contend with teenagers. And it was in the heat of the day. Walt's in Ballard was slammed with customers and then I remember Christian doesn't even work on Monday. Hoo Boy! I drove on past.
I pulled into a Safeway parking lot and texted Christian to see if he wanted to do breakfast since I was in the neighborhood, but he wasn't home. So I started my long trek home with all the traffic, through all the road construction, around all the detours, hey it isn't easy to travel from Ballard to I-5.
In Mukilteo I contended with all the traffic but took advantage of not working and made a few errand stops then finally came dripping on home.
Speaking of getting off early, Onlineshoes.com is in the dog days of summer with not much Internet or telephone traffic. They are reducing hours. I volunteered to take a short work week. For the next 4-5-6 weeks I will be working Sat, Sun, Mon with Tue, Wed, Thr, Fri off. I guess that makes me kind of semi-retired. Now I have the time to go to Canada just not sure I'll have the money. I guess I will just have to read more and watch more movies. How did I get so cursed?
Janice thinks she will soon be released to go home.
How is Nora's move?
When does Taylor become a Texan?
Andrew, seen any good movies lately?
My tomato plant has fourteen tomatoes, everything from the size of a pencil eraser to two inches diameter or more and it is huge. It is taking over the deck. Silly me, I didn't get a tomato cage to plant it in, which I now regret, so I have it tied to my windmill, rather unattractively I might add. Yellow birthday package ribbon. I tie it up and it grows another foot, I tie that foot up and it grows another. I'm not entirely convinced it isn't a man eating plant and waiting for me to relax my guard. Is anyone else afraid of their tomato plant? How can you tell if it's planning to attack?
In Connor's treat tin last week I took him a nectarine and some Panda cookies, his day care teacher handed him peanut butter crackers and gummi fruit as we left. He didn't eat his dinner and his parents wondered why. I kept my mouth shut, my head down, and kept playing ping pong ball catch with the little angel.
The fog is up to my back window.
Facebook, now Facebook is a mystery. I put some pithy comment on FB and get seven likes. I put some goofy picture of my sons on FB and get twenty-seven likes. What gives?
Bo and Christian have invited me to join them for the Ailuran show by the Cabiri dance troupe. The Chaldean Oracles "Around thee darts the lightning flame, then all things will appear to thee in the form of a Lion" Christian isn't too thrilled with the Buto portion, but Bo assures him that is just part of the program. The show is based on some mythology, I forget which culture, and Christian likes mythology. Me? I'm just looking forward to a night out with ones I love, seeing the costumes Bo designed, and staying up past midnight -- maybe.
I haven't heard Roger or Stephanie mention any major runs they are preparing for. Maybe they will be settling in to the dog days of Summer and taking it easy for a while -- naw -- never happen.
So that sums up my days and nights and days and nights. I hope yours is more exciting or less, which ever you desire.
Book club - check.
Sandy rowing her Dragon boat - check.
Lynn walking parks - check.
Mary at Flathead lake - check.
Ian beloved - check.
Connor adorable - check.
Here is to the dog days of Summer, with love.
My social calendar today, however, is full. Dentist in the early AM, drive to Ballard for the oil change I keep putting off, see the tall son, have breakfast with Claire and then play time with Connor. It has been a week since I have seen Connor.
I tried to see Christian on Monday when I got off early from work. I didn't call I just drove over with all the traffic, through all the road construction, at least the high school was closed so I didn't have to contend with teenagers. And it was in the heat of the day. Walt's in Ballard was slammed with customers and then I remember Christian doesn't even work on Monday. Hoo Boy! I drove on past.
I pulled into a Safeway parking lot and texted Christian to see if he wanted to do breakfast since I was in the neighborhood, but he wasn't home. So I started my long trek home with all the traffic, through all the road construction, around all the detours, hey it isn't easy to travel from Ballard to I-5.
In Mukilteo I contended with all the traffic but took advantage of not working and made a few errand stops then finally came dripping on home.
Speaking of getting off early, Onlineshoes.com is in the dog days of summer with not much Internet or telephone traffic. They are reducing hours. I volunteered to take a short work week. For the next 4-5-6 weeks I will be working Sat, Sun, Mon with Tue, Wed, Thr, Fri off. I guess that makes me kind of semi-retired. Now I have the time to go to Canada just not sure I'll have the money. I guess I will just have to read more and watch more movies. How did I get so cursed?
Janice thinks she will soon be released to go home.
How is Nora's move?
When does Taylor become a Texan?
Andrew, seen any good movies lately?
My tomato plant has fourteen tomatoes, everything from the size of a pencil eraser to two inches diameter or more and it is huge. It is taking over the deck. Silly me, I didn't get a tomato cage to plant it in, which I now regret, so I have it tied to my windmill, rather unattractively I might add. Yellow birthday package ribbon. I tie it up and it grows another foot, I tie that foot up and it grows another. I'm not entirely convinced it isn't a man eating plant and waiting for me to relax my guard. Is anyone else afraid of their tomato plant? How can you tell if it's planning to attack?
In Connor's treat tin last week I took him a nectarine and some Panda cookies, his day care teacher handed him peanut butter crackers and gummi fruit as we left. He didn't eat his dinner and his parents wondered why. I kept my mouth shut, my head down, and kept playing ping pong ball catch with the little angel.
The fog is up to my back window.
Facebook, now Facebook is a mystery. I put some pithy comment on FB and get seven likes. I put some goofy picture of my sons on FB and get twenty-seven likes. What gives?
Bo and Christian have invited me to join them for the Ailuran show by the Cabiri dance troupe. The Chaldean Oracles "Around thee darts the lightning flame, then all things will appear to thee in the form of a Lion" Christian isn't too thrilled with the Buto portion, but Bo assures him that is just part of the program. The show is based on some mythology, I forget which culture, and Christian likes mythology. Me? I'm just looking forward to a night out with ones I love, seeing the costumes Bo designed, and staying up past midnight -- maybe.
I haven't heard Roger or Stephanie mention any major runs they are preparing for. Maybe they will be settling in to the dog days of Summer and taking it easy for a while -- naw -- never happen.
So that sums up my days and nights and days and nights. I hope yours is more exciting or less, which ever you desire.
Book club - check.
Sandy rowing her Dragon boat - check.
Lynn walking parks - check.
Mary at Flathead lake - check.
Ian beloved - check.
Connor adorable - check.
Here is to the dog days of Summer, with love.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Something Good Going On
Something good is going on:
Even though as I was trying to simmer the marinade for my chicken lunches for next week I kept turning down the wrong burner and my marinade kept boiling - jeez -- I hope it's something good.
I woke up to roses, cards and Aplets and Cotlets, compliments of Ian. Aplets and Cotlets for those of you who do not know is a Washington candy made with, yep, apples and apricots. My favorite, even though lots of folks think they suck as a candy. They are this gooey gelatin stuff with fruit and walnuts covered in powdered sugary stuff. What's not to love. Value Pack, the big size. Yes, I'm having them for breakfast.
It's my birthday and all is right in my world. My little world. My little world that nothing much ever happens in. Sons are alright. Daughter-in-law is alright. Girlfriend Bo is alright. Connor is spectacular. Work is alright, car running smoothly, books and movies at the ready, and keyboard is clacking away.
I talked to Janice and she said nothing much happens in her little world. Well, they are talking going home in as little as two weeks to no longer than 39 days. Something good is going on.
I talked to Jerry and he said nothing much happens in his little world. Everyone and everything is fantastic. Something good is going on.
I talked to Jean and she said she is just hanging around while the girls blow and go.
My friend Mary is off on an adventure and it's just been announced she has a new grandchild on the way. Her life is good.
My friend Amanda is able to join a mission trip to Ethiopia and is stunned, scary silly and excited beyond comprehension. She was lamenting that she was feeling anxious and I said, that's what you should be feeling before such a big big event.
I know the world has lots of unhappiness and loneliness, but not in my world and not today. We are always alone in our head, alone in our skin, but my world today is bursting with something good.
I'm going to the dance program that Bo designed some of the costumes for, talk about good. And on a work night, yeah, I'm excited. A real life artist doing real life artist stuff, yeah, I'm excited.
Something good going on and no crisis' and disasters is the best place to be. Life just easing along like a smooth running river.
Connor explained to me how to play t-ball: you put both hands down and SCOOP up the ball, you stand at the plate and WHACK the ball. I said well what happens then? He looked and me kind of funny and said you RUN.
Sounds like a good formula for life. Scoop it up, whack it into it's proper sphere and then RUN with it.
Have a "something good going on" kind of day.
Even though as I was trying to simmer the marinade for my chicken lunches for next week I kept turning down the wrong burner and my marinade kept boiling - jeez -- I hope it's something good.
I woke up to roses, cards and Aplets and Cotlets, compliments of Ian. Aplets and Cotlets for those of you who do not know is a Washington candy made with, yep, apples and apricots. My favorite, even though lots of folks think they suck as a candy. They are this gooey gelatin stuff with fruit and walnuts covered in powdered sugary stuff. What's not to love. Value Pack, the big size. Yes, I'm having them for breakfast.
It's my birthday and all is right in my world. My little world. My little world that nothing much ever happens in. Sons are alright. Daughter-in-law is alright. Girlfriend Bo is alright. Connor is spectacular. Work is alright, car running smoothly, books and movies at the ready, and keyboard is clacking away.
I talked to Janice and she said nothing much happens in her little world. Well, they are talking going home in as little as two weeks to no longer than 39 days. Something good is going on.
I talked to Jerry and he said nothing much happens in his little world. Everyone and everything is fantastic. Something good is going on.
I talked to Jean and she said she is just hanging around while the girls blow and go.
My friend Mary is off on an adventure and it's just been announced she has a new grandchild on the way. Her life is good.
My friend Amanda is able to join a mission trip to Ethiopia and is stunned, scary silly and excited beyond comprehension. She was lamenting that she was feeling anxious and I said, that's what you should be feeling before such a big big event.
I know the world has lots of unhappiness and loneliness, but not in my world and not today. We are always alone in our head, alone in our skin, but my world today is bursting with something good.
I'm going to the dance program that Bo designed some of the costumes for, talk about good. And on a work night, yeah, I'm excited. A real life artist doing real life artist stuff, yeah, I'm excited.
Something good going on and no crisis' and disasters is the best place to be. Life just easing along like a smooth running river.
Connor explained to me how to play t-ball: you put both hands down and SCOOP up the ball, you stand at the plate and WHACK the ball. I said well what happens then? He looked and me kind of funny and said you RUN.
Sounds like a good formula for life. Scoop it up, whack it into it's proper sphere and then RUN with it.
Have a "something good going on" kind of day.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Connections: I'm Thinking of You
Driving home I passed a JB Hunt truck.
My cue to think of Julia, Tal, Jeff and all my Arkansas family.
At a stop light an Archie McPhee van sidled up.
My cue to think of Brittany.
Archie's was her favorite spot in Seattle.
I seem to remember bacon gum for Jeff.
What are the chances of two vehicles making me think of back home family in less than a block of traffic. By the way Archie McPhee was a real person. To quote their van "Less talk and more monkey."
Oh wait, there is Starbucks and for some reason I'm thinking of Jane.
Tow truck made me think of Chuck.
Arizona, Texas and California license plates made me think of you know who.
No Kansas plates sad to say, but by then I was looking.
Library stop made me think of Jerry.
Did you see Amber's FB post about being born with a reading list that never ends?
Cigarette store made me think of, well, my cigarettes.
Convertibles always make me think of Amber and Julia.
Cool comfortable weather makes me think of visitors.
Walks, trail head signs -- Jerry and Lynn.
A bumper sticker made me think of Christian.
"Man made beer, God made weed. Who do you trust."
The Post Office to pick up my overnighted letter from Jean made me think of Jean and how much I appreciate the work she did for me in spite of tornadoes and emergency room visits. It made me think of how much Jean does for everyone. She called me later and apologized for it being a timely failure. I said Jean it is only a failure because you always try to give 300 % and if you only give 219% you feel like a failure. You are NOT a failure. And the passport documents are winging their way to Arizona. Thank you very much. Especially to Cathy who helped her get it all done.
Bikes, flowers, tomatoes, fences, dogs, joggers;
all triggered a memory of someone special.
All of this "thinking" between the JB Hunt truck and home.
I guess I'm just thinking of you all.
A conversation at breakfast with Mary and Claire about a recumbent exercise bike and the wonders it has done for Mary's knees made me think of all my "bad knee" relatives. She can exercise longer, walk farther, and feels better. So if you aren't on a recumbent get on one.
A Korean business in the Korean portion of Seattle named Choi made me think of Christian's girlfriend Bo Choi. Like who wouldn't?
I came on home and was catching up on some old issues of Time when lo and behold there is an article about James Turrell and I'm thinking of all those Arkansas folks again. July 1, 2013, the article didn't mention Crystal Bridges, but by then it didn't have to, I was already there.
Connections with out any physical contact is a mystery. Connections? Where does that arise from? Memory? What magical part of our brain gives us this gift? It was such a pleasant little excursion down a path of thinking of family and friends, also gifts we don't necessarily deserve, that I am still in the afterglow.
If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies. Author Unknown
I can't remember when or where I grabbed this quote; Lynn? Amber?
But I do love it and I am feeling butterfly-ish today.
I think I will go to Ballard and have Christian fix me up with an oil change and see where else my wandering brain travels to.
My cue to think of Julia, Tal, Jeff and all my Arkansas family.
At a stop light an Archie McPhee van sidled up.
My cue to think of Brittany.
Archie's was her favorite spot in Seattle.
I seem to remember bacon gum for Jeff.
What are the chances of two vehicles making me think of back home family in less than a block of traffic. By the way Archie McPhee was a real person. To quote their van "Less talk and more monkey."
Oh wait, there is Starbucks and for some reason I'm thinking of Jane.
Tow truck made me think of Chuck.
Arizona, Texas and California license plates made me think of you know who.
No Kansas plates sad to say, but by then I was looking.
Library stop made me think of Jerry.
Did you see Amber's FB post about being born with a reading list that never ends?
Cigarette store made me think of, well, my cigarettes.
Convertibles always make me think of Amber and Julia.
Cool comfortable weather makes me think of visitors.
Walks, trail head signs -- Jerry and Lynn.
A bumper sticker made me think of Christian.
"Man made beer, God made weed. Who do you trust."
The Post Office to pick up my overnighted letter from Jean made me think of Jean and how much I appreciate the work she did for me in spite of tornadoes and emergency room visits. It made me think of how much Jean does for everyone. She called me later and apologized for it being a timely failure. I said Jean it is only a failure because you always try to give 300 % and if you only give 219% you feel like a failure. You are NOT a failure. And the passport documents are winging their way to Arizona. Thank you very much. Especially to Cathy who helped her get it all done.
Bikes, flowers, tomatoes, fences, dogs, joggers;
all triggered a memory of someone special.
All of this "thinking" between the JB Hunt truck and home.
I guess I'm just thinking of you all.
A conversation at breakfast with Mary and Claire about a recumbent exercise bike and the wonders it has done for Mary's knees made me think of all my "bad knee" relatives. She can exercise longer, walk farther, and feels better. So if you aren't on a recumbent get on one.
A Korean business in the Korean portion of Seattle named Choi made me think of Christian's girlfriend Bo Choi. Like who wouldn't?
I came on home and was catching up on some old issues of Time when lo and behold there is an article about James Turrell and I'm thinking of all those Arkansas folks again. July 1, 2013, the article didn't mention Crystal Bridges, but by then it didn't have to, I was already there.
Connections with out any physical contact is a mystery. Connections? Where does that arise from? Memory? What magical part of our brain gives us this gift? It was such a pleasant little excursion down a path of thinking of family and friends, also gifts we don't necessarily deserve, that I am still in the afterglow.
If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies. Author Unknown
I can't remember when or where I grabbed this quote; Lynn? Amber?
But I do love it and I am feeling butterfly-ish today.
I think I will go to Ballard and have Christian fix me up with an oil change and see where else my wandering brain travels to.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Machines, Machines, Machines
On my way to work I stopped to wash my car, no long lines at four AM, however the machine refused to recognize my payment card "system error, system error, system error."
When I got to work I parked in my regular downtown parking lot and went to pay for my parking and the machine said "resetting, resetting, resetting, resetting" until I thought I was going to be late for work so I left the machine "resetting" and scurried into the building.
When I went to scan onto the elevator so it would rise instead of just sitting there, you are right, nothing happened. We sat there, this elevator and I that wouldn't recognize, or mind, my ID card. The one that gives me express permission to use the elevators at off hours. You all know how happy I was to find the stairs, like I knew where those were, and climb all the way to the second floor. That's three flights for you non downtownies.
No, I wasn't late, but me and machines! What gives? I hate machines. I hate technology. The elevator I couldn't ride now has twenty-four hour digital advertisements glowing. You all know how much I love having a TV in my elevator -- that is when it's working.
I cursed technology every stair up and up and up. A lot of stairs. Jean remember when we climbed three flights of stairs at The Mukilteo Lighthouse? Wobbly. As I climbed I remembered every noisy, bad machine that had ever done me wrong.
Out of breath I arrived at the office break room and breathed in the aroma of fresh brewed coffee prepared especially for me by the night time crew. Well, there is a machine I love, not to mention the night time crew. I did spill the first cup of hot coffee all over the break room floor probably because I was wobbly after my climb, but that was me malfunctioning not any machine.
I flipped on my smooth humming computer and thought wow this machine makes my job easy.
I appreciate air conditioning during Seattle's blistering eighty-two degrees.
I grabbed cash from the cash machine -- nice.
Claire goes through a PET scan every six months as cancer prevention.
Bo is in love with her new bread making machine.
Love a ferry ride, a movie playing device,
my sonic toothbrush, fireworks shooting skyward.
Machines all.
So I reversed the foul ups. During break I paid for my parking, no "resetting." The elevator made the round trip, no problem, I ignored the digital information. The downtown pelicans had discovered my car during the day so the car wash going home did double duty.
And machines and I are back on.
My car! I love my car and car rides and going places and seeing things and riding instead of walking to the grocery store, the bank, the post office, the library. Last I heard a car is a machine.
Folks in Seattle start putting the tops down on their convertibles when it warms up to thirty-nine degrees, so you can imagine how many convertibles appear at eighty-two. They were everywhere, they were everywhere. A lot of smiling faces in a lot of pretty machines.
Three useless things I did this morning:
Looked for a movie that I couldn't remember the name of. I'm reading a book called The Lemon Tree and there is a movie I have seen based on this book. Unfortunately the movie called The Lemon Tree is not the movie based on the book. Confused? Well I spent hours trying to find the name of that movie, I keep a movie log for goodness sakes, but could I find it? No I could not.
I thought about what would be the perfect location for my birthday get together with my sons. Could I think of a place that was convenient, moderately priced, festive, easy, creative, good and different? No I could not.
I thought about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, that might or might not be useful in a cosmic sense, but did I solve it? No I did not.
I did two useful things:
I called Jean and wished her a happy birthday.
I had breakfast with Claire.
Well, semi useful.
I buy my car tabs (inspection stickers) and pay taxes online. I love that computer machine for work and Facebook if for nothing else
Ian is on his first official out of town buying trip. Off in California buying amber. Do you know how many people have no idea what amber is? Seven people I mentioned amber too looked at me blankly. Anyway, this amber buying reminded me of a book I have been wanting to read, so I very very usefully requested the book from the library on my handy dandy computer machine. Shell Games: Rogues, Smugglers and the hunt for Nature's Bounty, by Craig Welch.
Machines go, help, scan, fly, float, check my blood,
clean, cook, cool, communicate.
I'm happy to be living with machines, even when they misbehave.
So I also love mechanics and IT guys and mechanical engineers and all those folks who keep the things going.
My tomato plant is thriving with three wee tomatoes, but that's not mechanical that's the sun hard at work.
When I got to work I parked in my regular downtown parking lot and went to pay for my parking and the machine said "resetting, resetting, resetting, resetting" until I thought I was going to be late for work so I left the machine "resetting" and scurried into the building.
When I went to scan onto the elevator so it would rise instead of just sitting there, you are right, nothing happened. We sat there, this elevator and I that wouldn't recognize, or mind, my ID card. The one that gives me express permission to use the elevators at off hours. You all know how happy I was to find the stairs, like I knew where those were, and climb all the way to the second floor. That's three flights for you non downtownies.
No, I wasn't late, but me and machines! What gives? I hate machines. I hate technology. The elevator I couldn't ride now has twenty-four hour digital advertisements glowing. You all know how much I love having a TV in my elevator -- that is when it's working.
I cursed technology every stair up and up and up. A lot of stairs. Jean remember when we climbed three flights of stairs at The Mukilteo Lighthouse? Wobbly. As I climbed I remembered every noisy, bad machine that had ever done me wrong.
Out of breath I arrived at the office break room and breathed in the aroma of fresh brewed coffee prepared especially for me by the night time crew. Well, there is a machine I love, not to mention the night time crew. I did spill the first cup of hot coffee all over the break room floor probably because I was wobbly after my climb, but that was me malfunctioning not any machine.
I flipped on my smooth humming computer and thought wow this machine makes my job easy.
I appreciate air conditioning during Seattle's blistering eighty-two degrees.
I grabbed cash from the cash machine -- nice.
Claire goes through a PET scan every six months as cancer prevention.
Bo is in love with her new bread making machine.
Love a ferry ride, a movie playing device,
my sonic toothbrush, fireworks shooting skyward.
Machines all.
So I reversed the foul ups. During break I paid for my parking, no "resetting." The elevator made the round trip, no problem, I ignored the digital information. The downtown pelicans had discovered my car during the day so the car wash going home did double duty.
And machines and I are back on.
My car! I love my car and car rides and going places and seeing things and riding instead of walking to the grocery store, the bank, the post office, the library. Last I heard a car is a machine.
Folks in Seattle start putting the tops down on their convertibles when it warms up to thirty-nine degrees, so you can imagine how many convertibles appear at eighty-two. They were everywhere, they were everywhere. A lot of smiling faces in a lot of pretty machines.
Three useless things I did this morning:
Looked for a movie that I couldn't remember the name of. I'm reading a book called The Lemon Tree and there is a movie I have seen based on this book. Unfortunately the movie called The Lemon Tree is not the movie based on the book. Confused? Well I spent hours trying to find the name of that movie, I keep a movie log for goodness sakes, but could I find it? No I could not.
I thought about what would be the perfect location for my birthday get together with my sons. Could I think of a place that was convenient, moderately priced, festive, easy, creative, good and different? No I could not.
I thought about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, that might or might not be useful in a cosmic sense, but did I solve it? No I did not.
I did two useful things:
I called Jean and wished her a happy birthday.
I had breakfast with Claire.
Well, semi useful.
I buy my car tabs (inspection stickers) and pay taxes online. I love that computer machine for work and Facebook if for nothing else
Ian is on his first official out of town buying trip. Off in California buying amber. Do you know how many people have no idea what amber is? Seven people I mentioned amber too looked at me blankly. Anyway, this amber buying reminded me of a book I have been wanting to read, so I very very usefully requested the book from the library on my handy dandy computer machine. Shell Games: Rogues, Smugglers and the hunt for Nature's Bounty, by Craig Welch.
Machines go, help, scan, fly, float, check my blood,
clean, cook, cool, communicate.
I'm happy to be living with machines, even when they misbehave.
So I also love mechanics and IT guys and mechanical engineers and all those folks who keep the things going.
My tomato plant is thriving with three wee tomatoes, but that's not mechanical that's the sun hard at work.
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All I packed is
1 14" dutch over
1 15" skillet
1 12" skillet all castlron
2 dutch oven lid handles
2 bags of charcoal
1 shovel
1 ax
1 hatchet
1 grill
3 hotdog roasters
1 pair of campfire gloves
1 snack box (full)
1 overflow snack box (almost full)
1 food box (full)
3 ice chest ( 2 food 1 beer)
1 camp box consisting of :
4 person cook set
3 coffee pots 1 perk 1 pour-through 1 press
4 person silverware
2 knifes
2 large spoons
2 pancake turners
2 camp stoves
2 fuel types
5 coffee cups
2 bowls
2 hotdog roasters
matches
toothpicks
trash bags
zip lock gags
2 large cups
1 camp first aid kit
2 cots
2 pads
4 sleeping bags
4 chairs ( brought back 7)
1 chair pad
1 table
1 BIG dinning canopy
2 tarps
1 box of stakes
1 box of rope
2 hiking poles
2 canteens
1 hiking first aid kit
Michael's backpack:
3 pants
3 shorts
5 shirts
5 socks
5 pair of und well you know
2 jackets
2 hats
1 pair of gloves
Jeffery's backpack:
6 pants
3 shorts
10 shirts
10 pairs of socks
10 und well you know
3 hats
2 pairs of gloves
1 large sweatshirt
1 jacket
3 long sleeve shirts
1 self inflating pad
1 thermal pad
1 backpacking tent
1 candle lantern
1 pocket tool
1 large knife
1 mess kit
1 backpacking first aid kit
Toiletry bag:
well you know that list
+ drugs
2 kindles
2 smart phones
1 flip phone
1 pair of walkie talkies
2 bicycles
2 bicycles helmets
1 pair of bicycle shorts
1 bicycle tool kit
1 bicycle first aid kit
3 pair of glasses
1 Michael
and 1 happy very happy Jeffery
and that is all I brought