Eagles and Beagles

The girls and I were sitting on the back porch rocking in the log rockers when we spotted a huge eagle soaring overhead in the southern sky. What a glorious sight! He soared, turned, made a loop and flew over the giant silver maples up to the northern sky. We watched him glide on the air currents with his wide wings carrying him to some tall old Douglas firs where he landed.

Such a graceful creature! It's not a common occurrence to see such large hawks or eagles when here in town. We see littler ones now and then. I think they go after the (shudder) squirrels. We see majestic birds of prey in the Cascades when we go up there, but here, from our porch, well, it was one of those special moments.

Sammy, our beagle, was in the back yard, too. He had been snooping out squirrels as they scampered along the fence pickets chattering and taunting him on their way to the trees or the feeder. When the eagle flew overhead Sammy froze and gazed up at it in seeming wonder. He followed it along with us until he could see it no more. He was very very alert and interested in that big bird. It was almost as if he experienced awe.

I know WE did.

I always think of John Denver when I see eagles and hawks and his song goes through my head.

"Come dance with the west wind
And touch on the mountaintops,
Sail o'er the canyons and up to the stars!
And reach for the heavens
And hope for the future,
And all that we can be
Not just what we are."

How much I appreciate words which can express thoughts in times of inspiration!

The girls and I had one of those 'stop time,' 'freeze the moment' sort of encounters. Refreshing. All because God directed a mighty bird to fly overhead just when we were out there to see him.

Thanks, God!

(In case you are wondering, this picture of the eagle is one I took in Sitka, Alaska. I didn't have my camera with me yesterday and didn't want to miss the 'show' to run into the house to fetch it.)

Squirrels and Sentiments

Taken from our living room, with a bit of glare from the window, this photo shows part of the five member squirrel family that is nesting in our front yard Thunder Cloud Plum tree. There are three little babies, though only two are in this photo with their watchful mommy. The babies are so cute, and vulnerable. That mother squirrel diligently keeps them in line, though they are full of energy and push the envelope of safety often. Sammy, our beagle, has allowed them the freedom to inhabit 'his' yard. In fact, we've seen him vigorously chase off any hostiles that threaten the little family, mostly cats.

We have a squirrel feeder which also attracts all sorts of pretty birds. With bird flu 'out there' we are grateful for the times when it's safe to feed the birds. We suppose one day prudence may cause us to stop filling the feeder. For now, we have blue birds who snatch up the pieces of corn and, in order to bust them open, whack them repeatedly on the fence, which sounds like someone rapping knuckles on the wood. It wakes us up in the morning, at just the right time. (Well, Swing Shift Tom may not agree......:-)

The wildlife in our yard keep us entertained, for free!

This weekend our family experienced one of those blessings in disguise where the disguise drops suddenly. From it we have become reassured of the joyfulness of being part of a healthy community. The freely offered support of local friends, in the face of great pain, has made the pain favorable, for without it the knowledge of just how deep and true the friendships are would not have been known. Some of the people who sympathized were people whose kindness we expected, for the friendships are noticeably close. But there was also an outpouring of love and energetic true support from people whose care and concern were not so apparent before. It was our trauma that brought out the communication of that connection.

The love these people have for us, and we for them, goes way deep. Way way deep. And when the expression of it was needed, it flowed out of folks without thought. The kindness worked its magic, soothing like a balm.

Without the sorrow, the connection would probably have remained under the surface.

We humans can be daft sometimes, assuming people can read our minds. Maybe we're just too shy or busy to express the love and admiration we have for one another. We keep things under the surface. We keep to ourselves. We comment our good will to others, but seldom directly to the person who needs to hear it.

Enter pain. Enter sorrow. Enter vulnerability.

Outpourings of unrestrained care follow.

When confronted with pain and loss we rejoice for what we have found!

~~~Ripples~~~

Words.....reaction......response......behavior......attitude...









..........like droplets into the waters of life...............













.......which create ripples circling outward and outward and outward freely interacting with all in their path,





sharing uncontrollably our positive or negative influence on the world and the people around us.








Don't kid yourself, we don't live unto ourselves only, but we are part of the whole creation, and we DO contribute whether consciously or not.

A kind word sent rippling outward will eventually have a good effect.

A negative word sent rippling outward will eventually have a damaging effect.


Our words, reactions, responses, behaviors, and attitudes must be chosen carefully, thoughtfully as much as possible, with the realization that they will hurt, discourage, or destroy, or they will heal, soothe, or comfort.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Once an old woman was visited by a lovely young maiden seeking the wisdom of her elder.

"Wise Mother, I fear I have done a harmful thing. I have told many people a terrible lie about my friend because of my jealousy and pride. Now I am sorry for the rash words, sorry that I have lied, sorry that my friend is miserable and weeping because of me. What shall I do?"

"Oh, my child, first, remember the grief you have seen on your friend's face, remember her pain, and your pain for causing such anguish. Second, young maiden, take these downy feathers." As she spoke the old woman handed the young woman a cotton sack full of white goose feathers. "Lay one feather on the doorstep of each home in the village, then return to me."

The young woman carefully placed a light feather on the doorstep of each and every home, a task which took hours. After the last feather was faithfully set upon the last doorstep the woman slowly walked back to the home of her mentor.

"I've done as you have asked. I am very tired. It is nearly evening and the breezes are beginning to blow. Now, please, explain to me why I have been instructed to lay the feathers? What has it to do with my wrong?"

"Ah, but you are not finished with your task." At this the young woman's shoulders drooped. The old woman continued, "Return to each and every home, pick up the feathers, and bring them back to me."

The young woman's jaw sagged and her eyes opened wide. "I cannot begin to do that, Mother, for the feathers have blown away! I can never retrieve them all!"

"And you can never retrieve the words you have spoken."

The young maiden began to weep.

Pulling the young maiden close in an embrace, the old woman whispered gently, "Consider the quality of your words and deeds every moment, that they offer the world help and hope rather than discouragement and destruction."

____________________________________________

Forgiving ourselves and others for what has occured in the past, we can strive to learn from the pain we've received and given, we can look to today and tomorrow, determining in our hearts and minds, that we will be agents of comfort, wisdom, and hope rippling across the waters of life!


May the ripples coming your way today be pleasant to receive and share!

She's Wooing Me.....

Two years have passed since Tom, the girls, and I traveled to Alaska and had the adventure of our lives! The locals told us that she would woo us back, and it's happening. It's happening. We hear the sounds of the waters, the swish of the fish in the streams, feel the spongy moss under our feet, smell the fresh evergreen scented air, picturing in our minds the frozen giants - the glaciers - and turn our hearts north, to the Land of the Midnight Sun.

How grateful we are to have memories of such a wild and pristine land!

Grateful, too, for photographs, to nudge the memories into full color and accuracy.



We'll go back again, of that I am sure.

Other places await our arrival between now and then. To look forward, to explore new and for us uncharted areas, that is a wooing stronger than Alaska's call right now.




Imagination is fertile ground!


"A secret to radiant health and well-being is neither envying anyone nor blaming anyone. Be at rest in your self. Bless all as you proceed serenely on your way through life." ~~ J.D. Walters

The Birthday Girl

Caroline turned 11 today! What a happy little girl. She knows how to have fun, and today she did!



















This cake was made by Cassie, to order for Miss Caroline! It tasted GREAT!


And blowing the candles out.........11 year old style!








May we have the joy of a kid.........at all ages!

Happy Birthday to you, whoever you are, and whenever it is!

England Excursion, Part Two: Tower of London

Here is the Tower of London Edition of Joe’s England Excursion!

First, a little history.

Following the Battle of Hastings, in which William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold of England, William had himself crowned King of England on Christmas Day, in London, in 1066. Ever since then he has been known as William the Conqueror, and the event is called the Norman Conquest. William was descended from Rollo the pirate.
William built a castle in London by the Thames River. On the same spot Julius Caesar had built a fort, but it had disappeared; and Alfred the Great had built a castle there, but it, too, had disappeared. But the castle William built is still standing today. It is known as the Tower of London.


This is the moat around the entire Tower of London, outside the walls. Inside the walls are many separate castle-like buildings which comprise the entire Tower of London. The various portions were added on throughout the ages and the moat encircles all of it.





This is White Tower, the original Tower of London, the first part built by Willliam the Conqueror. The entire armory displays are housed in this part of the fortress.

Joe found out after he'd taken all the photos that he took inside the buildings, that indoor photography is strictly prohibited (due to copyright)! But he got away with it because of his Lucky Quarter, worn on a chain around his neck while in England, long story! So, relish these pictures, they were taken unlawfully, though innocently.















In the Royals' Apartments, right above Traitors Gate, are these steps which Joe went up and as he recalls, led to one of many chapels. They were steep! Most of the steps in the Tower of London, as in all castles, ascend clockwise. (These in the picture, are the exception.) The reason for the clockwise orientation of most staircases is so that if the castle were stormed, the defenders of the castle who would be higher on the stairs, could properly swing their swords in the air against the intruders, whose sword arms would bang into the wall.















This is one of many firearms displays which are in the lower levels of the White Tower. In case you didn't know, these are muzzle loading flintlock pistols.























More arms! Left to right: cutlasses and daggers, spears, muskets, more spears, and swords behind the circle of pistols which are like the ones in the above photo.

















The higher in the tower you go, the older the stuff! This is a full suit of Gothic Plate Armor. Gothic Armor differs from older forms of armor because of its wrinkled look on the skirt, added for stiffness during the Gothic period. "Stiffness is goodness when it comes to getting hit by swords!" Joe tells me.










And that, my family and friends, is my Part Two! I hope you enjoyed it. I had fun getting this information from Joe. I have one more Edition for you, the York Edition. Then, I'm done. Summer is about here already, and things are beginnng to hop! We are already having to water our yard! It's only mid-May. Wowie!

Thanks for being so patient! Enjoy the changing seasons!

"The secret of overcoming mental dullness is to train yourself to say, "YES!!" instantly, whenever your impulse is to grumble, or to cry, "NO!" Welcome life in all its variety and challenges. Like the petals of a daisy, keep your heart open to life's experiences. Overcome within you the tendency to rejection and withdrawal." ~~~~~~ J. Donald Walters

England Excursion Part 1

Joe made it home from England with a slight accent, a new vocabulary, and a new fondness for tea the English way, with a little milk! (The photo above was taken in the York Train Station, by Joe. It's one of my favorites.) He decided to remain in England to avoid the high travel costs, plus he found there was so much to see that he was satisfied with a one country adventure. He has a gazillion great photos, more than I can post up here, so I am beginning a revolving display. Check back every week or so for a different display on a different topic.

Today's entry contains photos of a few of London's familiar landmarks. Enjoy!

Joe took this self-portrait of himself in front of St. Paul's Cathedral.
















Big Ben, which is the name of the bell, not the clock or the tower.
























Trafalgar Square
















Tower Bridge

Buckingham Palace












This guard at the Palace was in the process of turning while on his back and forth patrol. He had just come into position, and was stamping his foot quite loudly as he proceeded in his turn. Joe was impressed with how high he raised his knee, and the level of noise his stamping made. No, Joe didn't try to make the chap laugh!








This next photo is taken one rotation after he'd stomped, turned and continued patrolling. The gun he's holding is a loaded SA80/L85A1 with bayonet, which is the standard British assault rifle. You'll notice the foregrip is shrouded with a dust cover.



The British Museum (below) is full of GREAT THINGS! Joe says he saw mummies, an old Roman 20 sided die (as in dice), sculptures from all over the world, those long Tibetan horns used in ceremonies, innumerable busts of Romans and Greeks, crocodile hide parade armor, old swords, arrows, shields, and gladiatorial armor (he went through the Roman stuff a lot, he says), hieroglyphics, cunieform, sarcophagi (which are mummy coffins, think King Tut), jewelry from around the world ("It looks just like the stuff you buy downtown that the hippies would make. It does! It looks just like that!"), ancient money, and the equipment they used to make the money including stamps and presses all the way up to the 1950's era lathes etc., plus that famous statue from Egypt of the cat with the ring in its nose, and more. Too much to list here!













This is what Joe calls, "A Mossy Old Church" and they were everywhere. It's part of what we think of when we think of London, huh.














Next week's entry will showcase the Tower of London.

Toodle-oo!

"He Not Busy Being Born is Busy Dying"

Well, our trip to Reno to see Bob Dylan was a huge success! What a blast! Here's a picture of his two huge RV's. We saw the Dylan entourage pull up to the Reno Events Center and then we watched Bob exit the larger rig. Wow!



















Tom snagged this freebie newspaper and the girls snatched it from him so we could snap a picture of them with Bobby. Happy girls! The music at the concert was energetic and sensational! Bob sang for two hours straight, no break, and it was not long enough! As always, after allowing us to enjoy his world of music, Bobby left the building ever so promptly to drive away into the night, heading for his next concert town.

There was snow in the air and on the earth as we drove over Donner Pass. The roads, thankfully, were snow free, making for a peaceful, dreamy unwinding of a thrilling weekend.

Dream Come True!

Joe is on his way to England as I write! Here Tom and Joe are having some light breakfast foods at the airport while we await boarding time. He'll be flying all day and will arrive in England tomorrow!


I had to take the large picture of him waving good-bye while I was standing behind a security rope, so it's not a good photo, but he is smiling in earnest! He's so excited....and a little nervous. Two months abroad! He's as free as he'll ever be, I think.




Some of you have asked how Cassie's pie turned out! Well, here it is. She made it for Joe as a going away surprise. She and Caroline grew pumpkins last summer and this pie is a result of some of the pumpkin she cooked up. Joe was HAPPY to eat of piece of this delicious pie. In fact, I think he had TWO pieces!

Bon Voyage, Joe! You'll be in Merry Olde England soon, just as you always dreamed you would!

Spring, Sun, Showers

"Hold onto your curiosity all your life. Don't let yourself come to the end of it, ever."

How great is it that we valley dwellers can travel to the beach in an hour, or, heading in the opposite direction, make it to the snowy mountains in the same amount of time? Pretty cool. This is a good place to live for moody people who respond well to scenery. People like me.

All six of us, plus a friend and Sam, our pup, headed to the beach last weekend. What a great trip! Sun, breezes, kites flying, dogs fetching, relaxed people chatting, solitary dreamers reflecting, and couples snuggling. Little kids wanted to pet Sammy, and he loved it! Cassie and Caroline ran all around the dunes. Ben and his friend, David, dared go to the furthest edge of the jetty where they were rewarded with sea water splashing entirely over them. Joe and Sam explored the dunes with the girls and played in the water. We had some good conversation with the kids there in the sand and sun, with the music of the sea pressing the cares of the world right out of our minds.

Tom and I enjoyed the nutritious air, the sparkling sun, the hiss of the water, and the fact that we were surrounded by these energetic curious kids. We walked quite a way along the water's edge and into the dunes where we found a log straddling a little dune ditch. We stepped across it while balancing. Woo-hoo!

There's a feeling that parents get, a fullness, I don't know how to explain it, when surrounded by all their happy offspring, part of the cycle of life. It's like participating in a song, existing for a time in a poem of joyful intimacy. It's an awareness of the greater reality as well as the fragility of life. It won't always be so, the togetherness. Makes one appreciate the moment at hand, and all the similar occasions.

Joe leaves for Europe in less than a week. Today in the mail we received a t-shirt I ordered for him, as a little going away gift. It's black and says, "Sell your computer, buy a guitar!" It has a good picture of a guitar etc. He likes it! Says he'll wear it.

Yeah, my boy (boy? 21!) is heading off for Europe, to explore. Just him. Just for the adventure, the experience. I think it's entirely cool that he's doing this. Indeed, people do still backpack across Europe, free spirits, living on a dime, taking pictures, learning, experiencing first hand. We are all very excited for him! He will come home different, wiser, further educated! I always say that travel is a great teacher.

Cassie is in the kitchen now making her first pie crust. Very first! So far, so good. Such excitement!

Caroline gets her braces put on next week, well, the first appliance. She's so excited! You should hear her on the phone telling her friends. "Yeah, and it's going to be SO COOL!" We sure hope so, little kid. Of all our kids Cassie alone will not experience the ordeal of orthodontia. Caroline thinks that is so sad. The boys, not so much.

I think this blog gets not much reading, but you know what, it's helping me, and the kids seem to enjoy it. Tom, too.

Whoever you are, reading this, out there amongst the stars in cyberspace, I wish you well!

Meandering

"Gonna stand my ground, won't be turned around,
And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down.
Gonna stand my ground, and I won't back down.

Well I know what's right, I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin' me around
But I'll stand my ground and I won't back down." ~~ Tom Petty, "Won't Back Down"

"Look beneath the surface: never let a thing's intrinsic quality or worth escape you." ~~ Marcus Aurelius, "Meditations"

"To refrain from imitation is the best revenge." ~~ Marcus Aurelius, "Meditations"

"A perfect man would never act from sense of duty; he'd always want the right thing more than the wrong one. Duty is only a substitute for love (of God and of other people), like a crutch when our own legs (our own loves, tastes, habits, etc.) can do the journey on their own!" ~~ C. S. Lewis, "Letters to Children"

This is just me, thinking the way I do, all over the place. Lots to think about in this world. Lots to be distracted by, lots to be manipulated by, lots to be anesthesized by. How often I just let it happen. Ah, but there must be some element of hope if I at least notice now and again that this fog has crept into my thinking, my being.

I remember reading that Bobby Dylan said he didn't like to sit and watch T.V. because he felt that he was being manipulated. Perceptive, as always. Same could be said of a lot of our activities.

Have you seen that movie, "Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius"? It's a good one. Very good. It's out for rent. In it Bobby Jones is provoked about his decision to remain an amateur golfer, even though he was the 'best golfer in the world' at the time. His response was that the word amateur comes from the Latin 'amare', meaning 'to love.' He said he remained an amateur because he loved the game. To become a professional would have meant that he loved money. Again, perceptive.

Another remark made in that movie is, "Money is going to ruin sports." That movie is set in the 1940's. Yep, came true.

Money has ruined music, too.

Well, there ARE places where one can experience REAL sports, I guess, where people play for love. Same with music. But as a whole, in our culture, the foremost displays of sports and music are a far cry from love, and a near cry for help. And for money.

"MONEY! It's a gas. Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash!" ~~ Pink Floyd, "Money"

What else has been ruined by money? What hasn't been is a better question. I think of politics, formal education, churches,
people.

Money is a good servant but a lousy master.

Some people seem to handle money pretty well, most don't. My uncle once said that it's good to know how to make money, but better to know how to spend it. Hmm. Some people do tend to sit on their piles of gold, letting that glittering greed define them. I wonder, if those people, who take such stock in money for security and definition, were to lose it, would they lose themselves? I think they think so. I think they think that if their pile was reduced to just what they need, no surplus, that not only would they not be safe anymore, or powerful, but they wouldn't be liked anymore and they would no longer be relevant. They'd disappear. Sad, to think that your contribution to society is based on whether or not you choose to share a smidgen of your pile, and sad, that your perceived value as a human being is directly tied to materialism.

Storing up treasure on Earth. Storing up treasure in Heaven. On Earth you get a bank account number (and/or a bunch of 'stuff') that means a whole heckuva lot to YOU, but when you croak, well, a lot of good it does you. In Heaven, amazing, the things you learned, the Truths you came to believe, even understand, well, they do you an eternity of good.

Money. Truth. Can one buy the other? Can money buy Truth? No. Can Truth buy money? No. Nope. It's an eternal thing that can't be manipulated by money. Money is trash compared to Truth, it's sewage.

But, oh, how excited we get when some of that sewage comes our way, and how much of ourselves we are willing to exchange for a little more of that glittery vapor and the distractions it can buy.

We don't have to love it for it to have an evil affect on us. It can fool us into thinking we are virtuous and before we know it, we are compromising our beliefs, our morals, j u s t a l i t t l e , for a little handful of the sparkling quicksand.

Money ruins a lot of things. Even people. Even us. Even me.

Good servant. Poor master. It's all about perspective.

"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 'All this I will give you,' he said, 'if you will bow down and worship me.'

"Jesus said to him, 'Away from me, Satan!' For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" ~~ Matthew 4:8-10

WOW - What a Ride!

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a
pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside,
thoroughly used up,
totally worn out,
and loudly proclaiming --

"WOW-- What a Ride!"


I absolutely LOVE this quote that my friend Heidi sent me in an email last year! Off the top of my head I can think of a few people in my life who embody such a philosophy, my Aunt Joyce and Uncle Floyd, Carden and Millie who are cousins of mine in their 90’s, Aunt Irene, and my kids, among others.

I pull that quote up and think it over every now and again, just to remember that life isn’t a dress rehearsal, we only get one shot.

(Photo above: Caroline was expressing her joy this snowy day!)


“There are days to fall and days to rise, days of making haste. Days of seeking out yourself, but no days that you can waste.” ~~From a John Denver song

The changing weather has perked me up again. Time for some fresh adventure, some digging in the garden, some hiking in the hills and on beaches, some new/old books to read, some shaking it up a little, shaking off winter, discovering something new.

I do appreciate winter, the slowing down, the pulling inside of home and heart, the pondering, the huddling together, the Holidays. It’s great. And it’s lasted long enough for this year.

Time for some action!

Spring has Sprung and Fall has Fell and Summer is as Hot as......it was last summer. (My MOTHER always says that......my MOTHER! If you knew her, you’d laugh.)

The girls and I are going to put on some peppy music and dance around! Celebrate Life!

Enjoy the Day.




Tom was crossing this river in Skagway, AK, after walking into that cave above him (no big ol' bears in there, thank the Lord!) and was trying not to slip on the gray glacial silt that's in the cold waters of Alaska.



Me driving through the Valley of the Gods in Utah; a mind blowing experience both in the scenery and the driving. Fantastic!

SNOW!!!!

SNOW FINALLY ARRIVED!!!

We woke up to a very light dusting, which melted away with our expectations while we ate breakfast, and opened our Valentine's to each other.

Lo and Behold! It began to snow big fat flakes, which we promptly went out to catch with our tongues, in jammies and bare feet. The flakes were sticking, and soon, we had an even better dusting of snow and it kept coming. It was a great surprise for the Day of Love!

We leashed Sammy and headed out the door to walk around our neighborhood and to the nearby park to play and enjoy the cold, white stuff. (It's the home school advantage, you see - spontaneity!) Sammy was having a great time, prancing around, jumping up into the air catching flakes in his snapping jaws. Very cute.

It's a pathetic showing, I know, to you people who get serious snow, but here in the Banana Belt, we take what we can get. And we are happy.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Relax....

"If I worry, will the future change?" ~~~Caine, from the old 'Kung Fu' TV show

Tom discovered this little lizard basking in the sun in the Grand Canyon. Isn't he cute? Tom held him for a little while and during that time people gathered around us to take a peek at the tiny creature. There were many oooo's and ahhhh's as well as friendly comments in several languages. The smiles were universal. This little creature made a space for some curious humans to gather around and share a moment of wonder at one of God's little critters. Little Lizard was gently placed back in a friendly area to resume his sun bathing.

Some kind folks have asked where we get the photos for our blog, if we take them or borrow them from the internet. The pictures on this blog were all taken by our family. The one of Sam, our beagle, was taken by our daughters. Precious, isn't he!

Thanks for the cheerful feedback!

Words

Ah, the power of words......sometimes I think we forget the affect our words have on others. Words can hurt, and words can heal. I think there's even a campaign with a name something like that. It's a good idea, to teach kids to be immaculate with their words, thoughtful, realizing the power for good or harm. We can all put a little more thought into how we use our words, don't you suppose?

And then there's blame. You've heard the story about the man who was yelled at by his boss? Well, he went home and yelled at his wife, who yelled at her son, who yelled at his little sister, who kicked the dog, who chased the cat, who hunted the mouse. Blame. Seems to me it's best if we just handle what's dished out to us, you know, take responsibility when we goof up, instead of trying to pass it on to innocent people. Boy, it hurts when you are the one attacked for someone else's failing.

But it feels so good when someone uses words to make you feel better when you've been falsely accused. The comparison between the one who is hasty and hurtful, and the one who is kind and understanding is a good lesson to observe, feel, and learn from. And emulate.

Because someone spoke with harsh accusations to me today, my afternoon was dampened by upset.

Because someone kindly comforted me with words this evening, my sleep will be peaceful tonight.

Words. Sweet, kind, understanding, compassionate words.