I just completed my traditional blueberry muffin making aspect for our day. The house is still, as I am the only one awake. I woke up and did my practice as usual, and then made the muffins. I've fed the new kitty, Jack, who was sitting on my arms while I sang mantras to him.
In some regards, this is just another day. I long ago gave up any pretentions of observing anything Christian about it. After all, it wasn't originally a Christian holiday. They hijacked it centuries ago, just like they did Easter. And like any other day, today we will need to build a fire, take out trash, make food, and clean dishes. And show love to one another.
Just like any other day. Love and compassion shouldn't be seasonal. One of the things I like about Buddhism, is that developing compassion and love are a primary practice. In fact, in my own practice, before I move onto some of the deeper stuff that involves levels of consciousness and all that esoteric stuff I pursued for years, I will spend the next 11 months meditating on love and compassion. My practice involves looking at those areas where I don't. And then applying the remedy. I'm working with myself, and what is inherently in me. Not for the season, but to become a lifelong primary motivation for all I do.
On this day I wish the same for you. That will make for some seriously Happy Holidays in years to come.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
A New Kitty!
His name is Jack. He spent a few weeks at the nursery, getting up to snuff with shots and being fed and human contact. We were concerned that Taylor's cat Panda, might not take to Jack, who at the time was named Lil C. So we first put C in Taylor's room to acclimate to the smells and so on. Then after a few days we sat in the romm and let him run around. He finally got around to climbing on us, and then he was playing with panda under the door, and despite the initail hissings of feeling dispalced, Panda realized she had a playmate.
Panda seems to put up with it, and we all know that eventually Jack will grow up and not play as much. Panda has the weight, but Jack has relentless energy. He cuddles, likes to climb on a face at 0300 hours, and drop his wet cold nose on the face. It's too cute to get annoyed at. Well, for the most part anyway. Jack has been climbing in the Christmas tree, skootches all over the place, and will cuddle on his terms and time. Future posts with weird spacings and spellings are indicationsd Jack has made it to the keyboard.
He is quite cute, and we are glad to have him.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Twas A Happy T-Day.
Yes indeed. Jody's niece Erin, and her traveling companion Vincent, arrived from their around the country tour, and we all descended on Miles' place for our meal. Jode cooked the turkey here, and I moved the table and chair over to the Decker place. Miles had prepared the Cranberry Hazelnut stuffing, and Brussel Sprouts with Potatoes and Sauerkraut (homemade by Claire). Taylor made a Lemon Cheesecake. Jode made a Pumpkin Pound Cake that was raved about, and I think the difference was the Cinnamon blend she used which was made by Cindy Wilbert, a client I built for a couple years back. Cindy and her hubbie have been gracious in providing me trees for fire wood, and are all around great people. Anyway, Cindy's Cinnamon blend made a difference!
After the meal, Claire arrived with more food and desserts, including Tirramisu, Pecan Pie (yummy!), a berry pie, and Green Bean Casserole. We ate more. We quaffed much wine, Liberte was a fave, and there were some delicious Pinot Blancs, and folk drank beer. We all departed for a walk, apparently much later than I thought it was, and we laughed a lot, and played a poem game, and then I set about to cleaning and everyone helped out, and lo and behold it was 11:30. Time to go home.
After the meal, Claire arrived with more food and desserts, including Tirramisu, Pecan Pie (yummy!), a berry pie, and Green Bean Casserole. We ate more. We quaffed much wine, Liberte was a fave, and there were some delicious Pinot Blancs, and folk drank beer. We all departed for a walk, apparently much later than I thought it was, and we laughed a lot, and played a poem game, and then I set about to cleaning and everyone helped out, and lo and behold it was 11:30. Time to go home.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Aching
My muscles ache this morning.
They ache from a day spent
lifting 40 foot beams for catwalks
into place,
the hoisting them using the manual lifts
into their respective places
hanging from the ceiling.
After that I spent a night hauling around 70 pounds
on my back, sometimes more
when you add tools
that we use when we
execute our drills.
Moving filled water hoses,
and fans, and hustling here and there,
crawling around inside the house
we set on fire
to locate patients,
and then haul them out.
Then reloading the hoses,
and putting away the tools
and boarding up the windows
before we leave.
It's an ache of satisfaction.
I got the jobs done.
A catwalk frame hangs in the theater.
Drills were executed with even
better results than before,
and more learning accumulated.
It's also an ache of lonliness,
being away from home,
and those I love to do those things.
The community won't hug me,
or run me a bath.
They even cop an attitude,
and some are woefully ignorant
of our mission here as volunteers.
So I spent a night in the rain,
instead of a warm chair,
and this morning I ache.
And I get up and do it
all over again.
I ache, yet I smile.
They ache from a day spent
lifting 40 foot beams for catwalks
into place,
the hoisting them using the manual lifts
into their respective places
hanging from the ceiling.
After that I spent a night hauling around 70 pounds
on my back, sometimes more
when you add tools
that we use when we
execute our drills.
Moving filled water hoses,
and fans, and hustling here and there,
crawling around inside the house
we set on fire
to locate patients,
and then haul them out.
Then reloading the hoses,
and putting away the tools
and boarding up the windows
before we leave.
It's an ache of satisfaction.
I got the jobs done.
A catwalk frame hangs in the theater.
Drills were executed with even
better results than before,
and more learning accumulated.
It's also an ache of lonliness,
being away from home,
and those I love to do those things.
The community won't hug me,
or run me a bath.
They even cop an attitude,
and some are woefully ignorant
of our mission here as volunteers.
So I spent a night in the rain,
instead of a warm chair,
and this morning I ache.
And I get up and do it
all over again.
I ache, yet I smile.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Most Healing Place I've Been
THE HEALING SPA
down on Highway 2,Bob's Discount Christian Counseling Center and Bait Shop,
just out of Kiwaukee,
along the Prescott River,
a place that was old,
hadn't been remodeled
in thirty years,
but kept up,
all the plastic inside,
the blinds, the plexi-glass
widows and skylights
were faded yellow by the sun.
The attempt to stock the shelves
with a little bit of everything
looked abandoned,
and as old as the blinds.
The gas pumps outside long
ago gave way to lack of use:
Premium: 47 cents a gallon
I stopped mostly
out of curiosity,
and to stretch my legs.
The sun was warm,
I realized I had to pee,
and I was the only one on the road
it seemed.
There on the door
was a sign, the ink slowly fading away
like everything else,
begging the momentary question
as to who owned the place now,
but I read that sign:
OUT OF BUSINES
NO ONE WANTS TO FISH WITH
THEIR THERAPICT
I laughed.
I laughed until I cried.
I cried until I laughed again,
the sadness of a place neglected,
so juxtaposed against
a sense of humor to the very end,
a quirky idea that didn't work out,
from a human just as quirky
it seemed,
who maybe died all alone,
his kids off in urban areas wanted
nothing to do with their
dad's remote retirement dream.
So the place sat empty and ignored,
until I came along.
I lifted an imaginary coke,
one of the bottled ones from inside,
a mere 6 ouncer,
and toasted Bob, introduced myself,
and asked,
"What's bitin' on the river?"
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A Pile Of Parts
If I divide myself, can I stand?
Work here, hobby there,
family first,
spirituality on Sunday,
or the occasional weekday sit.
Schedules and organizing
teach us to compartmentalize
our lives
as if we were distinct
spirit, soul, and body.
We aren't.
The borders of our neatly defined lives,
those lines we create
to contain what otherwise might be messy
business we don't like to deal with,
up at 4:30, make coffee,
eat breakfast,
go to work,
lunch at Dahlia at noon,
hit the gym after work in matching outfit,
return home,
perfuntory family displays of affection,
check the e-mail, check the news,
read a story about spirituality
and decide once again we need to pray more
and vow to do so tomorrow
when we repeat the cycle.
We know that stree affects the body,
worry can make us sick,
working out can lift our moods,
it makes our bodies tick.
We just need to control it,
get it under our thumb.
It becomes a sign of "healthy"
if it doesn't come undone....
We happen to miss the lesson
that our body and ghost are one.
All of those activities
where we sweat and move,
and smile with our kids,
enjoy the color of the sky,
and fret about getting the hoses
rolled up and stored away before they freeze,
making love with our lover,
and bringing information in to think about
and maybe act on;
are not all these activities
the continuous stream of our being?
The integrated expression of life?
It's as spiritual to dig in the garden
as to pray
if I am present in the moment.
Work here, hobby there,
family first,
spirituality on Sunday,
or the occasional weekday sit.
Schedules and organizing
teach us to compartmentalize
our lives
as if we were distinct
spirit, soul, and body.
We aren't.
The borders of our neatly defined lives,
those lines we create
to contain what otherwise might be messy
business we don't like to deal with,
up at 4:30, make coffee,
eat breakfast,
go to work,
lunch at Dahlia at noon,
hit the gym after work in matching outfit,
return home,
perfuntory family displays of affection,
check the e-mail, check the news,
read a story about spirituality
and decide once again we need to pray more
and vow to do so tomorrow
when we repeat the cycle.
We know that stree affects the body,
worry can make us sick,
working out can lift our moods,
it makes our bodies tick.
We just need to control it,
get it under our thumb.
It becomes a sign of "healthy"
if it doesn't come undone....
We happen to miss the lesson
that our body and ghost are one.
All of those activities
where we sweat and move,
and smile with our kids,
enjoy the color of the sky,
and fret about getting the hoses
rolled up and stored away before they freeze,
making love with our lover,
and bringing information in to think about
and maybe act on;
are not all these activities
the continuous stream of our being?
The integrated expression of life?
It's as spiritual to dig in the garden
as to pray
if I am present in the moment.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Diking a Leak and Moving a Mountain.
Started back to work recently, and got shuffled to a new remodel job on Mutiny Bay Road. One of our tasks was to remove the appliances. The refrigerator in this house was a Sub-Zero. A big one. Really big.
In retrospect, we could have removed the island first. But we didn't. So we pulled the fridge out, and did the requisite wiggle behind to disconnect the power and water.
Any one who's done this knows that water shut offs are conveniently tucked into an inconveniently small box. So it's not like you can grab the faucet handle and turn it with your fingers around it. The back of the box is about a quarter of an inch from the handle. So I did the righty-tighty thing until it snugged down, and began to loosen the nut holding the copper tube to the spigot.
Gusher!
Well, thinking that the valve was shut, I sent the co-worker off to shut off the water. That meant around the corner to the left, then the right, immediate right, down some stairs, and three feet off the edge of the concrete in the crawl space dirt was the shut off. I was yelling the directions as he was looking, he got it done, and then we had to bleed the system. All the while I have my thumb over the spigot opening. My shirt was soaked, my pants, gloves, and we didn't necessarily lose that much water.
It seemed like this system had a lot of water in it. Perhaps the feeder to this fride ran all over the house before it came to the fridge. Sure seemed that way. So we finally scrounged one of my tool buckets and collected the rest of the water from the spigot. It was then that I decided to see if the spigot was broken. It was in fact, despite it's pristine appearance, rather stuck half open. I finally got it closed.
Then had to skooch it around the island so we could lay it over on it's aback to tip it over to clear the header between the kitchen and media room for it's trip out the front door. This fridge had the compressor on top, and so wasn't going to fit out any door to make it's way to the drive way. So over onto it's back to get out of the kitchen because the low ceiling even prevented a sideways tip. Oof. This thing was heavy. At the front door,we stood it up again, and then tipped it on it's side to clear the front door, but the side ways tip presented an issue: with the compressor on top, we couldn't maintain a hold on the dolly. So we laid it down, and I grabbed the top of the fridge and lifted as much as possible while my co-worker pushed from the bottom to get it down the three front steps.
While balancing it so it wouldn't tip over.
Are we having fun yet!? Well, I was laughing.....
In the end, we did it. And the good news is that a local thrift store took all the appliances. My employer, Gemkow Construction, is greenin' out. We recycled all the trim as well as the appliances. The built in cabinet is at my house. The pool table went to some one's house. The garage cabinets, a bathroom for the local rodents, were chipped up for ground cover. It's very cool. Toilet's and sink and carpet fragments found new homes.
All that by break time. Soakin wet, yet laughing. What a way to start the day!
In retrospect, we could have removed the island first. But we didn't. So we pulled the fridge out, and did the requisite wiggle behind to disconnect the power and water.
Any one who's done this knows that water shut offs are conveniently tucked into an inconveniently small box. So it's not like you can grab the faucet handle and turn it with your fingers around it. The back of the box is about a quarter of an inch from the handle. So I did the righty-tighty thing until it snugged down, and began to loosen the nut holding the copper tube to the spigot.
Gusher!
Well, thinking that the valve was shut, I sent the co-worker off to shut off the water. That meant around the corner to the left, then the right, immediate right, down some stairs, and three feet off the edge of the concrete in the crawl space dirt was the shut off. I was yelling the directions as he was looking, he got it done, and then we had to bleed the system. All the while I have my thumb over the spigot opening. My shirt was soaked, my pants, gloves, and we didn't necessarily lose that much water.
It seemed like this system had a lot of water in it. Perhaps the feeder to this fride ran all over the house before it came to the fridge. Sure seemed that way. So we finally scrounged one of my tool buckets and collected the rest of the water from the spigot. It was then that I decided to see if the spigot was broken. It was in fact, despite it's pristine appearance, rather stuck half open. I finally got it closed.
Then had to skooch it around the island so we could lay it over on it's aback to tip it over to clear the header between the kitchen and media room for it's trip out the front door. This fridge had the compressor on top, and so wasn't going to fit out any door to make it's way to the drive way. So over onto it's back to get out of the kitchen because the low ceiling even prevented a sideways tip. Oof. This thing was heavy. At the front door,we stood it up again, and then tipped it on it's side to clear the front door, but the side ways tip presented an issue: with the compressor on top, we couldn't maintain a hold on the dolly. So we laid it down, and I grabbed the top of the fridge and lifted as much as possible while my co-worker pushed from the bottom to get it down the three front steps.
While balancing it so it wouldn't tip over.
Are we having fun yet!? Well, I was laughing.....
In the end, we did it. And the good news is that a local thrift store took all the appliances. My employer, Gemkow Construction, is greenin' out. We recycled all the trim as well as the appliances. The built in cabinet is at my house. The pool table went to some one's house. The garage cabinets, a bathroom for the local rodents, were chipped up for ground cover. It's very cool. Toilet's and sink and carpet fragments found new homes.
All that by break time. Soakin wet, yet laughing. What a way to start the day!
Friday, October 16, 2009
I'm Off To See The Wiza...Well, I'm Off, Anyway!
And in all actuality, not even going that far.
I suppose I could say metaphorically that I'm going to see the wizard, the "real" person behind the curtain of the huge ego. I'm not going on vacation in a true sense, I'm going on a retreat, and I will essentially be incommunicado.
A working retreat if it is one at all. You see, it's a Buddhist retreat, which fits me because I am one. It's an 8 day event, which features 9.5 hours of practice/teaching a day. Part of the list of things to bring is a tent. So I surmised from this, since it isn't sleep over retreat, that I'll be getting some instructions on a practice, then sent off to practice it. Dare I say this will be enjoyable? I'll leave more info at Jangchub's Journal.
Miles has moved out! He and a room mate scored a nice place, not far from home, and I haven't seen him once. Not surprising. I had the usual twinge that I experience when he leaves. I get that paradoxical feeling of "yea! less of this and more of that," and the fear and anxiety of whether or not he'll be able to stand on his own two feet, and never seeing him an...wait a minute. Didn't I, yes...yes I did. He lives a quarter mile away and I haven't seen him once. However, and this is big, I can always drop in where he works, or lives, and he'll likely be there. So different from when he was living in Seattle. The empty nest thing is a weird experience. Miles is still working, now as the sous chef, the sous chef, at Prima, right here in Langley. He just returned from a trip to London to visit a high school friend, and moved up at work and out into his own place. It's a little disconnecting to hear about things Miles is doing, like a work retreat in the Cascade foothills, from his brother, who happens to also work at the Prima. Having to be working that many hours AND settle in will mean that the settling in part will take longer. Add to that his yoga class and girl friend, and us parents come farther down the priority ladder. I guess that's the way it's supposed to be. Think I'll go boo hoo in my oatmeal.
Taylor and I worked together the other day on one of his projects. It was raining all day, which wasn't the issue. Except for the fact Taylor doesn't own rain gear. But we got a lot done and made it look better in the 3.5 hours we were there. I trimmed a hedge, and cleaned debris, took down a straggler cedar, and pulled up a lot of berry vines of different species. Had to finally put on gloves that had full fingers. By the time the client came home, it looked so good that she came out of the car with an, "Oh my!" We also discovered the shape of the walk path, which was hidden and overgrown to a large degree. Taylor did the pruning. It was a good time even though I crawled under rhodies most of the time, and it rained on us, and I discovered that it's demanding work, yet rather enjoyable. Now a weeder with a long handle will be in order to snag the weeds that will return.
Being unemployed as I am, it occurred to me that maybe Taylor and I should join forces. He can help if I score some side jobs, and I can help him with his gardening. It'll keep us both working, and making better money than unemployment can offer. Hmm.
Jody is off house sitting, actually, dog sitting. Pet sitting. Four cats and two dogs. One big powerful dog. With a helicopter tail. They got a wonderful sitter, that's for sure. Jody tends to love almost every being that crosses her path. It was her late sisters birthday just the other day, so she's in a funk. But as time moves on, I can see her shifting. The other night we went to Barb Nichols CD release event, and an old friend of the family was there, and it has been the plan to go scatter some of her sister's ashes at the location where Northern Exposure was filmed, as it was her sister's favorite show. They talked about it, and I could feel the emotional energy change, as it has been too raw a pain yet, but it seems like perhaps this spring that time will come.
I suppose I could say metaphorically that I'm going to see the wizard, the "real" person behind the curtain of the huge ego. I'm not going on vacation in a true sense, I'm going on a retreat, and I will essentially be incommunicado.
A working retreat if it is one at all. You see, it's a Buddhist retreat, which fits me because I am one. It's an 8 day event, which features 9.5 hours of practice/teaching a day. Part of the list of things to bring is a tent. So I surmised from this, since it isn't sleep over retreat, that I'll be getting some instructions on a practice, then sent off to practice it. Dare I say this will be enjoyable? I'll leave more info at Jangchub's Journal.
Miles has moved out! He and a room mate scored a nice place, not far from home, and I haven't seen him once. Not surprising. I had the usual twinge that I experience when he leaves. I get that paradoxical feeling of "yea! less of this and more of that," and the fear and anxiety of whether or not he'll be able to stand on his own two feet, and never seeing him an...wait a minute. Didn't I, yes...yes I did. He lives a quarter mile away and I haven't seen him once. However, and this is big, I can always drop in where he works, or lives, and he'll likely be there. So different from when he was living in Seattle. The empty nest thing is a weird experience. Miles is still working, now as the sous chef, the sous chef, at Prima, right here in Langley. He just returned from a trip to London to visit a high school friend, and moved up at work and out into his own place. It's a little disconnecting to hear about things Miles is doing, like a work retreat in the Cascade foothills, from his brother, who happens to also work at the Prima. Having to be working that many hours AND settle in will mean that the settling in part will take longer. Add to that his yoga class and girl friend, and us parents come farther down the priority ladder. I guess that's the way it's supposed to be. Think I'll go boo hoo in my oatmeal.
Taylor and I worked together the other day on one of his projects. It was raining all day, which wasn't the issue. Except for the fact Taylor doesn't own rain gear. But we got a lot done and made it look better in the 3.5 hours we were there. I trimmed a hedge, and cleaned debris, took down a straggler cedar, and pulled up a lot of berry vines of different species. Had to finally put on gloves that had full fingers. By the time the client came home, it looked so good that she came out of the car with an, "Oh my!" We also discovered the shape of the walk path, which was hidden and overgrown to a large degree. Taylor did the pruning. It was a good time even though I crawled under rhodies most of the time, and it rained on us, and I discovered that it's demanding work, yet rather enjoyable. Now a weeder with a long handle will be in order to snag the weeds that will return.
Being unemployed as I am, it occurred to me that maybe Taylor and I should join forces. He can help if I score some side jobs, and I can help him with his gardening. It'll keep us both working, and making better money than unemployment can offer. Hmm.
Jody is off house sitting, actually, dog sitting. Pet sitting. Four cats and two dogs. One big powerful dog. With a helicopter tail. They got a wonderful sitter, that's for sure. Jody tends to love almost every being that crosses her path. It was her late sisters birthday just the other day, so she's in a funk. But as time moves on, I can see her shifting. The other night we went to Barb Nichols CD release event, and an old friend of the family was there, and it has been the plan to go scatter some of her sister's ashes at the location where Northern Exposure was filmed, as it was her sister's favorite show. They talked about it, and I could feel the emotional energy change, as it has been too raw a pain yet, but it seems like perhaps this spring that time will come.
Monday, September 07, 2009
Changes my friend...
I came home from a call just now and found both boys in the yoga Tree pose. Miles has been doing it for a couple weeks, for Taylor it's a first that I know of. So I joined them.
Update!
Brave New Words was a success, and a lot of other water has passed under the bridge.
My beloved, Jody, is still working, and house sitting as well. Seems like maybe this winter she won't get laid off, which is ironic because currently I am. Maybe more on that later. She's also house sitting. She'll come back from one job, and a week later head off for a two month stint up by Freeland, which is a paying job though. And she heads to New York to help finalize her late mom's belongings, then I will be in the house, taking care of the cats and dogs, with no TV or computer. Man, can you say devoted practice time? No, not my drums, my meditation practice. It's about a lot more than just being quiet.
Jode is still on the grief cycle. One of her friends recently had a son pass on, and there are plenty in Jody's family, the aunts and uncles, that are seeming to get ill and pass on almost en mass. But I've watched this woman over the years, and she isn't taking it sitting down. She processes things like nobody I know, and what with losing her mom and sister and other family members before Vasu passed on, it's just been her life for the last two years. She still gardens, visits with friends, laughs, and basically lives life, just with grief as a companion for now.
Taylor is working as close to full time doing dishes and food prep at Prima as he can get, and otherwise gardening. He just landed a job today, prepping a house for the winter. So he's going to use the winter work to prepare for the next summer's solo flight, as his co-worker has moved away. I've seen his handiwork, having done the gardens for a former client of my boss, and I've see him work. He has quite the ethic. He's teamed up with Jody and really done a number on the gardens here. It's been a joy to watch.
Miles is going to London tomorrow! He's going to visit an old friend, and when he returns, he assumes the position of sous chef at the Prima, a local restaurant. He will also likely be moving out soon thereafter, so Taylor will get his own room and Miles will get his own place. Being the sous, he's quite busy. It's a great opportunity though, because the Prima has great owners, good staff, and a good sense of what it means to serve a quality dining experience. A chance to prove himself is what awaits him.
As for me, well, just the usual insanity. Still doing the firefighter/emt thing. I took the test for officer last year, and unless the district floats the test again, the results will void out in two months, three tops and then it's a do over. Might not go down that path again. I like the activity, but as a career, I'm not so certain I'd head that way. Why, well, I'm experiencing a change in values I think. I'm more into plugging in locally, which is why I applied to the library board vacancy. I was approved, but it's somewhat of a better expression of a growing vision within me to see the community I live in grow towards the future. Maybe a city council seat sometime down the road. For now though, the library board suits me, and getting more involved with members of the city council because of that work. I'm also still organizing poetry readings, and currently I'm engaged in the play, Wind In The Willows, which is being produced by Whidbey Children's Theater. It's been a while since I did theater, and I remember why I stopped! However, I love the cast I am working with. I also started drum lessons, just before I got laid off. Levi Beurkle is my teacher, and I have plenty of time to learn the first set of rhythms he gave me. Add some fills, and set a pattern for three bars, add the fill, and come out into a different pattern for three bars, well, you get the idea. For all the playing I've done, it's proved to be difficult for me. Which is why I'm doing it. I knew I needed some better skills. Particularly if I want to make this a paying vocation. A local gig would be nice, and session work.
Being laid off is giving me time to re-examine what I want to do with my life from an occupation point of view. I heard recently that the level of income a person makes is a direct reflection of how many people consider them an expert. And relative to that is rethinking my own writing, and just what the possibilities are for marketing it successfully. So I am in the process of creating a business plan. It's time to quit counting on any one other than myself for my livelihood. And it seems like I could garner that from several sources!
I was talking with Robert Gilman the other day, and he used the analogy of being a midwife for change. It's going to happen whether we like it or not. How it happens depends on the skills of the midwife. I like that. As much as it's been easy to polarize politically, it isn't the most productive. Is it not better to help the change occur positively rather than harshly? So it was a challenge to me. Every being is trying to be happy, and not suffer. It is my calling to help facilitate that.
My beloved, Jody, is still working, and house sitting as well. Seems like maybe this winter she won't get laid off, which is ironic because currently I am. Maybe more on that later. She's also house sitting. She'll come back from one job, and a week later head off for a two month stint up by Freeland, which is a paying job though. And she heads to New York to help finalize her late mom's belongings, then I will be in the house, taking care of the cats and dogs, with no TV or computer. Man, can you say devoted practice time? No, not my drums, my meditation practice. It's about a lot more than just being quiet.
Jode is still on the grief cycle. One of her friends recently had a son pass on, and there are plenty in Jody's family, the aunts and uncles, that are seeming to get ill and pass on almost en mass. But I've watched this woman over the years, and she isn't taking it sitting down. She processes things like nobody I know, and what with losing her mom and sister and other family members before Vasu passed on, it's just been her life for the last two years. She still gardens, visits with friends, laughs, and basically lives life, just with grief as a companion for now.
Taylor is working as close to full time doing dishes and food prep at Prima as he can get, and otherwise gardening. He just landed a job today, prepping a house for the winter. So he's going to use the winter work to prepare for the next summer's solo flight, as his co-worker has moved away. I've seen his handiwork, having done the gardens for a former client of my boss, and I've see him work. He has quite the ethic. He's teamed up with Jody and really done a number on the gardens here. It's been a joy to watch.
Miles is going to London tomorrow! He's going to visit an old friend, and when he returns, he assumes the position of sous chef at the Prima, a local restaurant. He will also likely be moving out soon thereafter, so Taylor will get his own room and Miles will get his own place. Being the sous, he's quite busy. It's a great opportunity though, because the Prima has great owners, good staff, and a good sense of what it means to serve a quality dining experience. A chance to prove himself is what awaits him.
As for me, well, just the usual insanity. Still doing the firefighter/emt thing. I took the test for officer last year, and unless the district floats the test again, the results will void out in two months, three tops and then it's a do over. Might not go down that path again. I like the activity, but as a career, I'm not so certain I'd head that way. Why, well, I'm experiencing a change in values I think. I'm more into plugging in locally, which is why I applied to the library board vacancy. I was approved, but it's somewhat of a better expression of a growing vision within me to see the community I live in grow towards the future. Maybe a city council seat sometime down the road. For now though, the library board suits me, and getting more involved with members of the city council because of that work. I'm also still organizing poetry readings, and currently I'm engaged in the play, Wind In The Willows, which is being produced by Whidbey Children's Theater. It's been a while since I did theater, and I remember why I stopped! However, I love the cast I am working with. I also started drum lessons, just before I got laid off. Levi Beurkle is my teacher, and I have plenty of time to learn the first set of rhythms he gave me. Add some fills, and set a pattern for three bars, add the fill, and come out into a different pattern for three bars, well, you get the idea. For all the playing I've done, it's proved to be difficult for me. Which is why I'm doing it. I knew I needed some better skills. Particularly if I want to make this a paying vocation. A local gig would be nice, and session work.
Being laid off is giving me time to re-examine what I want to do with my life from an occupation point of view. I heard recently that the level of income a person makes is a direct reflection of how many people consider them an expert. And relative to that is rethinking my own writing, and just what the possibilities are for marketing it successfully. So I am in the process of creating a business plan. It's time to quit counting on any one other than myself for my livelihood. And it seems like I could garner that from several sources!
I was talking with Robert Gilman the other day, and he used the analogy of being a midwife for change. It's going to happen whether we like it or not. How it happens depends on the skills of the midwife. I like that. As much as it's been easy to polarize politically, it isn't the most productive. Is it not better to help the change occur positively rather than harshly? So it was a challenge to me. Every being is trying to be happy, and not suffer. It is my calling to help facilitate that.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Brave New Words
You read that right. Brave New Words is indded the new resurrection of the poetry festival that happens at Greenbank Farm every year. It was originally conceived by Victory Schouten and Stephen Roxborough, and is again! So keep April 18 open for a visit to Greenbank Farm, and a day of great artistic performance.
The sponsors and donors are getting aligned, the volunteer staff is coming into shape, and the date is set. This year includes a youth element that will have it's own happening on April 17 at Langley Town Hall, and the "winners" of that event will appear at the BNW main event. There are several excellent local poets who will be reading, and some headliners that are alumni of Hedgebrook, a local writers refuge for women. Moonraker Books of Langley will be our bookseller at this event, and authors will be available for book signings at times throughout the day on April 18. And the setting of course is a great venue. There will be food available, there is a lovely little pond, a great big field to walk in, and little shops to visit, including a wine shop where wine is available for tasting.
So an early thanks already to the staff of Brave New Words, for the vision and work involved in making this expression of the literary arts accessible to the people of Whidbey Island. Come on out and make a day of it!
The sponsors and donors are getting aligned, the volunteer staff is coming into shape, and the date is set. This year includes a youth element that will have it's own happening on April 17 at Langley Town Hall, and the "winners" of that event will appear at the BNW main event. There are several excellent local poets who will be reading, and some headliners that are alumni of Hedgebrook, a local writers refuge for women. Moonraker Books of Langley will be our bookseller at this event, and authors will be available for book signings at times throughout the day on April 18. And the setting of course is a great venue. There will be food available, there is a lovely little pond, a great big field to walk in, and little shops to visit, including a wine shop where wine is available for tasting.
So an early thanks already to the staff of Brave New Words, for the vision and work involved in making this expression of the literary arts accessible to the people of Whidbey Island. Come on out and make a day of it!
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