Sunset views

This is a photo of the view from our Lolo house, at sunset. Actual colors.
We are going there on our way to visit the Park City and Utah families over the holidays.

Gorgeous Texas

During the last week we decamped to Texas for a pleasant vacation visit and Thanksgiving celebration just outside San Antonio at the squire-home of the Smith's. Unfortunately I had a cold coming on, possibly inherited from some child at school or such, so I was suffering from that challenge. Even so I managed to enjoy the activities which included a day-long visit to Sea World (with me going to each boy's room to blow my nose and take a decongestant, etc.)I didn't do the raft ride down the swift water feature (there was one too few seats so I volunteered to stay dry on shore) but everyone else enjoyed the heck out of it. A couple of the big boys went on the super high roller-coasters (the Steel Eel or some such name, or was it the blue sky surprise?) The Smith's used their season tickets (courtesy of the Park City bunch) and we subsidized the San Antonio economy to the tune of $100.00, and that was after my military discount. Thursday morning some of us played sandlot football with some of the church folk, and I managed to handicap Dave right away with a knee to the knee cap. I mostly played "getting in the way" which is a new position in touch football reserved for old farts.
I did some shopping at the Aeropostale shop, and now I am decked out in a completely cool outfit; what do you call this kind of clothing nowadays? Hip? or Rad? or Funky? possibly they don't quite suit me since I don't really know the language, but I'm trying to be contemporary. Since I teach second grade today, possibly I can wear my new togs and get some respect at least from that age group. I think in today's culture, acceptance is just some kind of gang-wanna-be hand sign, three fingers out for the third street gang? or the "w" for the west end barrio.
And, not be forgotten, the traditional turkey and all the stuffing's dinner was great, so I highly recommend a visit to these folks by any other family members in the future. I made a turkey soup with the left over carcass which was acceptable "...better than I expected" was Austin's review.
Thanks again for all the big Texas-style hospitality.

New Moon

Each day the new moon
grows wider in its passage across the delicate blue sky
a symbol of contentment and growing harmony
not a religious symbol for me
yet an icon
acting as intermediary between me and Universe
connecting in this way expands my Soul
illustrating the Oneness referred to by the prophets
otherwise, I am at a loss to understand that.
Thinking of this essential unity, however,
does not inform my sensibilities.
It begs the question of the purpose for life
and sends the discussion scurrying off
in a different direction
like the silver tailed squirrel
that just happened across my path.
To my way of thinking, we learn more about love
and kindness by understanding all the
differences between ourselves and our
essential others –
and this is informative and beneficial
as long as we understand the similarities,
the message of waxing Moon and our essential unity.

I.J. Hall

Life Continues

The top most part of the elegant fir
that borders and decorates the northeast corner of Beaver Pond
is bare and damaged by the Eagle’s perching
but there are three branches leaning upward to replace it
to regenerate its pinnacle
and this is how my life continues.

I.J. Hall, April 30, 2005



Thriving

I keep spraying the blackberries
And poison oak
But the native wild raspberries
Growing and thriving are now blooming
And I will encourage their presence
By leaving them alone.

~~
The bedstraw is so juvenile
But threatens to entangle all around
And distribute its burrs to all passersby
Teaching us, I suppose
How to survive and thrive
In a difficult, adverse world.

I.J. Hall, April 30, 2005

We have been experiencing the leftovers of the rain that has flooded especially Western Washington. Another of life's great ironies, that the Pacific NW is flooding and the dry, hot windy weather in California is burning the place up.

I was teaching the last two days, and Friday I was even a crossing guard on the street with a flag and all. I haven't done that since I was in the third grade. I really felt "retired" doing that. Next, I will be applying at Wallmart to be a door greeter!! Its neat how grandparents show up at school, some spend time with their children pushing swings, etc. I thought how proud I was when I went to school with Kat, my granddaughter, and how much fun I had going to another montesori school around the world in Park City... just like going to school with Ken and Ben when they were shorter.
So this is a busy weekend, with ticket taking, and a couple of parties, things to do just for us.

Instinct of Love

Comeback to me sweet “dove of Peace.”
Come with the wind, be there in the rain
That washes clean both my Soul and Earth.
Stay with me and sing - our truth —
So when the new day dawns I am whole
To greet that one who wants my love--
Who I want.
Coax me with your cooing to be true
To my own desire and interests
To feel deeply, emotions of life
That live in my center.
These rest there to be shared in intimacy
To create bonding.
This instinct of love is as whole and strong
As my desire for integrity and health.~

We can all share this kind of open love with each other, and what a nice world we would each have!!!

Ticket taking

I went to the football game on Saturday to see Arizona trounce Washington State U,;-(
I am a ticket taker at the game, and saw some of the action, although there was probably more action at my gate with people trying to get in without a ticket, particularly in the second half. What's that about?
We had guests this last week, my step-daughter and her three daughters. We read stories and took walks, and did some puzzles, and baked a punkin pie, and colored in books, and all sorts of fun things.
nothing else could be that exciting so enough for now.

Promises to keep

What an exciting turn of the page for our Western culture, to finally come into the 21st century with less bigotry, but of course not clean. I am myself accused of being a sexist frequently, (which is not as bad as the epithet "racist") but the habits of my speech that give rise to this complaint are inadvertent I assure you, since I have been so thoroughly educated to avoid this kind of thinking... and I believe in equality of individuals based on recognition as individuals, so I never identified with B. Obama because of his gender, nor did I think we should have a President based on Affirmative Action, and I even object to his call for change (which always seemed like the vacuous Russian Leninist-Communist call for "Revolution" at any cost!) but of course we are always changing, impermanent, and since change is inevitable why not just make it a useful slogan? And in the meantime try to make the change healthy and beneficial. Why not?
So can B. Obama deliver on his campaign promises, to invest in Green technology, to make what health care is possible available to all, (remember since we don't have cures for all diseases, we can never make health care a Right, it is always a privilege because of the limited technology involved)? Will he make a quick fix by expanding medicare and medicaid? to take care of those who cannot afford insurance? thus spreading the privilege around a bit better? and by the way, J. McCain's tax credit plan is totally superfluous and a ridiculous idea? Poor people who do not pay taxes do not receive benefits from a tax credit any more than they do by not having a job that gives them medical insurance which is an income benefit to us privileged who do not pay income tax on that benefit!@! Thus from an economist's point of view, (mine) Tax exempt medical benefits is a government subsidy for the well to do, leaving the poor completely without any kind of benefit except from welfare, which is degrading and demoralizing unless it is available to all and not to just a few select indigent people.
I hope that this along with a phased withdrawal from Iraq (AND AFGHANISTAN) are his first priorities. (How did we somehow get the idea that fighting in Afghanistan is more virtuous than fighting in Iraq?)I am thinking about applying to be Secretary of Agriculture, but I will need the support and encouragement of anyone who happens to read this blog. Please stop now and write a letter to B. Obama and recommend me for the position, since I am otherwise underemployed and available. My first priority would be to go to Afghanistan and Iraq and help them develop sustainable farming that did not involve producing heroin.
That is another subject, revolving around the question: Are drug addicts self-selected? in much the same way that political prominence and leadership is self-selected? They may be self-eliminating at a huge social cost, but they seem to be replaced by new generations each year. Is it our society that produces these helpless people who create the demand for illegal (and prescription) drugs. Therefore am I partially to blame because I have never been active in stomping out drug overuse (indeed I enjoy my occassional wine). What will B. Obama do to keep his promise to develop the economy and improve education as a partial solution?
I predict he will very quickly move to fund an expanded social/Domestic Corps of young volunteers to work in every community to improve the effectiveness of our social institutions. Too many people are disinfranchised by our very complicated social arrangements. (The public library should be a place to hang out, instead of the Mall.) Now is the time to act!! Irv for Sec. of Agriculture.