My brother called me last night.
I do enjoy hearing from him - he's my only brother, and both of our parents have passed away.
But after an hour and a half of musical narratives and then thirty minutes with a monologue on the creation of his latest composition...
I must admit to being more than a little relieved when I can politely end the oration ("Oh, yeah, the spacecraft just landed, gotten get thru customs at Mars, I'll catch you later, okay?").
A huge part of it is my brother's incapacity to allow the normal give-and-take of a conversation.
But it's also almost impossible to hurt his feelings. In any way, shape, or form.
And that is incredibly refreshing.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
TANGIBLE THOUGHTS
I have created my own little display of the observation "Any time spent being unhappy is wasted."
It is impossible for me to ignore - mainly because it has my granddaughter's face as the background (Colin's face is on "You don't need to see the entire staircase to take the first step").
But today too much time was wasted.
I found myself at home, alone, with no one around to bother, interfere and/or irritate me - well, other than the greyhound, who considers that her livlihood.
And letting myself get bothered and irritated.
By what, you may ask?
Thoughts. Stupid, preventable, changeable thoughts. Which I have complete and absolute control over.
When am I going to finally learn (and REMEMBER) that 99% of our reality is simply between our ears?
It is impossible for me to ignore - mainly because it has my granddaughter's face as the background (Colin's face is on "You don't need to see the entire staircase to take the first step").
But today too much time was wasted.
I found myself at home, alone, with no one around to bother, interfere and/or irritate me - well, other than the greyhound, who considers that her livlihood.
And letting myself get bothered and irritated.
By what, you may ask?
Thoughts. Stupid, preventable, changeable thoughts. Which I have complete and absolute control over.
When am I going to finally learn (and REMEMBER) that 99% of our reality is simply between our ears?
Sunday, July 5, 2009
ABOLISH ATVs!
We all have our personal albeit unreasonable prejudices.
I hate peanuts - but I adore peanut butter (creamy - Jiff - particulary on toast).
I am certain that television is leading the downfall of western civilization - but I am also addicted to The Office, NCIS, Eli Stone, Castle and am embarrassed to but will admit I will watch ANY movie which I already have on DVD and/or VHS.
And I absolutely DETEST all-terrain vehicles.
However, I am fully aware of how much fun they are - I used to ride my brother's motorcycle on what in L.A. passed for dirt-bike paths (i.e. Arroyo Seco canyon and the still-in-development section of the Monterey Hills housing area).
Living out on dirt roads far enough off pavement to be are considered prime dirt-bike/ATV has cemented (no pun intended there) my abhorrence of all recreational vehicles because:
1) They raise the dust. Which is Southern Arizona is already totally unreasonable without any additional help - dusting twice a day would be required by any demanding homemaker (which, thankfully, I am not).
2) They frighten the animals - the 3,022,467 rabbits which inhabit my back yard alone, native birds (such as the Glided Flicker, the Black-Headed Grosbeck, and the Thrasher - which honestly are the correct names), and tarantulas, rattlesnakes...
AND (most importantly) HORSES.
Well, most horses.
Actually, some horses.
But not mine.
Sally has is utterly fearless ... except of being seperated from Najale.
And Najale has no trepidation about anything at all... except the crinkling of feed bags, which throw him into an entire panic.
So tonight, as I was letting the horses graze on the neighbor's mowed lawns (keeps their mowing efforts down) right at twilight, when an ATV came thundering down the road right next to us, I felt completely and entirely justified in feeling the utmost rage.
Until the couple riding the ATV, upon spotting the horses and myself, politely, courteously and immediately SLOWED down, crawled past taking special care not to startle the horses, and even called out, "What beautiful horses you have!"
Rats.
Now I have to remove the bumper sticker, don't I?
I hate peanuts - but I adore peanut butter (creamy - Jiff - particulary on toast).
I am certain that television is leading the downfall of western civilization - but I am also addicted to The Office, NCIS, Eli Stone, Castle and am embarrassed to but will admit I will watch ANY movie which I already have on DVD and/or VHS.
And I absolutely DETEST all-terrain vehicles.
However, I am fully aware of how much fun they are - I used to ride my brother's motorcycle on what in L.A. passed for dirt-bike paths (i.e. Arroyo Seco canyon and the still-in-development section of the Monterey Hills housing area).
Living out on dirt roads far enough off pavement to be are considered prime dirt-bike/ATV has cemented (no pun intended there) my abhorrence of all recreational vehicles because:
1) They raise the dust. Which is Southern Arizona is already totally unreasonable without any additional help - dusting twice a day would be required by any demanding homemaker (which, thankfully, I am not).
2) They frighten the animals - the 3,022,467 rabbits which inhabit my back yard alone, native birds (such as the Glided Flicker, the Black-Headed Grosbeck, and the Thrasher - which honestly are the correct names), and tarantulas, rattlesnakes...
AND (most importantly) HORSES.
Well, most horses.
Actually, some horses.
But not mine.
Sally has is utterly fearless ... except of being seperated from Najale.
And Najale has no trepidation about anything at all... except the crinkling of feed bags, which throw him into an entire panic.
So tonight, as I was letting the horses graze on the neighbor's mowed lawns (keeps their mowing efforts down) right at twilight, when an ATV came thundering down the road right next to us, I felt completely and entirely justified in feeling the utmost rage.
Until the couple riding the ATV, upon spotting the horses and myself, politely, courteously and immediately SLOWED down, crawled past taking special care not to startle the horses, and even called out, "What beautiful horses you have!"
Rats.
Now I have to remove the bumper sticker, don't I?
Saturday, July 4, 2009
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY, AMERICA!
But did you know....
This is also Liberation Day in Rwanda?
It's Independence Day in the North Mariana Islands (which, in case you didn't know, is the 22 islands north of Guam)?
And it is Republic Day in Ghana?
My son came home this evening, sat down on the couch, and said something kinda meaningful.
"Mom, I guess I understand the fireworks and beer drinking and all that - but shouldn't every one remember that this whole deal is about a group of guys who, two hundred years ago, said, we don't like it and we aren't going to take it any more?"
I like that.
We need every country, and every area, to be able to hold their Fourth of July. There are too many areas that aren't free from fear, from hunger, from pain, from casual death.
And while we can't (and shouldn't try to) stamp our brand of democracy on anyone else, we can help the people speak and act and be brave.
God bless our freedoms.
This is also Liberation Day in Rwanda?
It's Independence Day in the North Mariana Islands (which, in case you didn't know, is the 22 islands north of Guam)?
And it is Republic Day in Ghana?
My son came home this evening, sat down on the couch, and said something kinda meaningful.
"Mom, I guess I understand the fireworks and beer drinking and all that - but shouldn't every one remember that this whole deal is about a group of guys who, two hundred years ago, said, we don't like it and we aren't going to take it any more?"
I like that.
We need every country, and every area, to be able to hold their Fourth of July. There are too many areas that aren't free from fear, from hunger, from pain, from casual death.
And while we can't (and shouldn't try to) stamp our brand of democracy on anyone else, we can help the people speak and act and be brave.
God bless our freedoms.
Friday, July 3, 2009
JOKE FOR TODAY
When I was a young minister, a funeral director asked me to hold a grave side service for a homeless man with no family or friends.
The funeral was to be at a cemetery way out in the country. This was a new cemetery and this man was the first to be laid to rest there.
I was not familiar with the area and became lost. Being a typical man, of course, I did not ask for directions.
I finally found the cemetery about an hour late. The back hoe was there and the crew was eating their lunch. The hearse was nowhere to be seen.
I apologized to the workers for being late. As I looked into the open grave, I saw the vault lid already in place. I told the workers I would not keep them long, but that this was the proper thing to do. The workers, still eating their lunch, gathered around the opening.
I was young and enthusiastic and poured out my heart and soul as I preached. The workers joined in with, "Praise the Lord," "Amen," and "Glory!" I got so into the service that I preached and preached and preached, from Genesis to The Revelation.
When the service was over, I said a prayer and walked to my car. As I opened the door, I heard one of the workers say,
"I never saw anything like that before and I've been putting in septic systems for twenty years."
The funeral was to be at a cemetery way out in the country. This was a new cemetery and this man was the first to be laid to rest there.
I was not familiar with the area and became lost. Being a typical man, of course, I did not ask for directions.
I finally found the cemetery about an hour late. The back hoe was there and the crew was eating their lunch. The hearse was nowhere to be seen.
I apologized to the workers for being late. As I looked into the open grave, I saw the vault lid already in place. I told the workers I would not keep them long, but that this was the proper thing to do. The workers, still eating their lunch, gathered around the opening.
I was young and enthusiastic and poured out my heart and soul as I preached. The workers joined in with, "Praise the Lord," "Amen," and "Glory!" I got so into the service that I preached and preached and preached, from Genesis to The Revelation.
When the service was over, I said a prayer and walked to my car. As I opened the door, I heard one of the workers say,
"I never saw anything like that before and I've been putting in septic systems for twenty years."
Thursday, July 2, 2009
APOLOGIES TO PETER PAUL AND MARY
I'm in love with a black 'n white cat,
A black 'n white cat tolerates me.
A black 'n white cat tolerates me.
He's not as big as he appears
Although he does weigh in at twenty-three.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
WATCHING LIFE ON A 3" SCREEN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hk8IzdwYEAWhat is wrong with this picture?
This commercial displays a lovely young woman in a green green valley who is surrounded
by hundreds of orange-costumed dancers in a wonderfully exotic and beautifully choreographed display.And what is she looking at?
The aps on her new cell phone.
Does that bother anyone else?
It's like seeing people videotaping a beautiful sunset, but not watching it themselves. A couple walking down the street, holding hands, but each talking on a cell phone to someone else.
Are we missing life around us and watching the imitation on a screen?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)