Beloved Son~ Hard to fathom but today you are 22.…
Memories dance around me and change is the one constant. You actualized love in my life as no other ever has. Thank You.

When Leo first brought us this song~ it was perfect, the sound of our life together. It still is perfect~ living in the mystery.

        & nbsp;     Till soon Son ~ Kelsey’s Mom

http://www.youtube.com/watc...
The Lyrics: Wonder by Natalie Merchant

Doctors have come from distant cities
Just to see me
Stand over my bed they're disbelieving
What they're seeing

They say, I must be one of the wonders
Of God's own creation
And as far as they see they can offer
No explanation

Newspapers ask such intimate questions
They want confessions
They turn to my head, they try to steal the glory
Of my story

They say, I must be one of the wonders
Of God's own creation
And as far as they see they can offer
No explanation

I believe
Fate, fate smiled and and destiny
Laughed as she came to my cradle
"Know this child will be able"

And laughed as my body she lifted
"Know this child will be gifted
With love, with patience and with faith
She'll make her way, make her way"

People see me, I'm a challenge
To your balance, I'm over your heads
How I confound you
And astound you

To know and I must be one of the wonders
Of God's own creation
And as far as you see you can offer
No explanation

I believe
Fate, fate smiled and and destiny
And as she came to my cradle
"Know this child will be able"
And laughed as my body she lifted
"Know this child will be gifted"

And laughed as she came to my mother
"Know this child will not suffer
With love, with patience and with faith
She'll make her way, make her way
Make her way, make her way"

 

Anybody hear about this? I hate to start a whole blog about this...but another post reminded me about this. Is he comming to town?

FOREWORD: The concern some of you felt in regards to my absence was appreciated. I fretted over not being able to communicate with you ~ a microcosm of Haiti if you will. I can not imagine being in real danger and not being able to connect with those I love and care about.
  The tragedy in Haiti is on my mind and in my heart. The loss of so much life is to be lamented. So many  that did survive the initial quake are forever scared, both emotionally and with physical injuries. Generations will be coping with the loss of limbs~ and all the challenges that surround that condition. The people are survivors~  at times mistreated by their own~ but their spirit goes on. My heart goes out to the families of the American students, losing a child so cruelly would be hard to bear. Blessing to  all and to those with generous souls that are helping any way they can.. We can only do what we can do .
  With that in mind my silly little problems are just that, silly.  We also take ease where we can find it.

 ~~~~ Well it is Winter Storm Watch time again; with out fail my phone/internet goes all akimbo. The neighborhood is old and the infrastructure ( i.e. the pole and the box that the last repairman wrapped in plastic as a winterization method) needs an upgrade.
  First no dial tone and no internet, then static, then a connection good enough to call my provider…The 10 minutes it takes to get the right department  frustrates me no end.  With repeating information, routing the call to the department, naturally is at that moment the line goes dead before a time is set. Waiting a day until finally somebody comes by with a cell phone, repeating those 10 minutes with “the help menu“. Deciding to not argue with the computer generated voice even though I have the wire repair insurance, complete with a order date, a confirmation code and a record of paying the extra for that assurance…the “voice” over the wire informs me I did not buy that insurance, it may cost me big bucks and maybe my landlord will pay~ I think I am the landlord. For some 30 plus years now …my “appointment” is 4 days away from 8 am to 8 pm.
  Later that evening the blinking red light on the 2wire goes green ~ and sure enough I have both a phone and a connection to the worldwide internet web thing. For about an hours~ then it wanders off again, reappearing and disappearing at will. Hopefully it will come back while I am awake, after it is a bit drier, and lasts long enough for me to log on and post this. (That never happened)

 Sure enough my fever surged off and on over the weekend and  my body demanded sleep~ fever dreams are the most interesting dreams. Exactly why Gandalf, Aragorn, De Angelo ,Wallace and I had to protect that ring ,composed entirely of heroin, I will never know ,but protect it we must (I had been rereading The Return of The King and watching The Wire so that explains the cast at least)~ lol  On the appointed day for repair,  propped up with coffee, aspirin, and really boring daytime TV I wait.  Until 2:00 when I napped waking startled at 3:00.…sure enough I missed the repair person. Eventually it all sorted itself out~ yesterday I was connected again.  
 
  I must be officially an old geezer~ but what happened to customer service? Even a real person that can quickly look at your records?  And you kids get off my lawn!

 

The Californian may not want to take all the credit for this~ prayer,and a calm clear thinker also had a hand in this story.

A hearty job well done to Anthony Salas Matthew Hernandez and Tony Castro! It is stories like this and people like you who make this city a wonderful place,a better world.

Get well soon Elinor Grant.

For those of you who do not subscribe~ here is the great write up by Steve Swenson.

Also of note is Valerie Schultz's excellent piece about being human as a source of light.

I'd like to add that if words can inflict pain they can also bring healing.They can reflect and send out our best selves.

Two great articles by the staff at TBC. Thanks!

larger view

2-1988~ 12/04

One day I will be clear

One day

I miss things both

small~ your voice at 3a.m.

and large~ your loving heart

Your smell ~ your laugh

Your demands ~ your gifts

Both kept me in the spirit

In the here and now

Un-anchored I wander alone

Certain

One day we will find Home

Till Soon Son ~ Kelsey's Mom

 I am going to be gone from here for a while~ I am telling you all so no one worries,not for drama. I'll be back. May the new year find us all well.

        & nbsp;       &n bsp;       &nb sp;       &nbs p;         ;                 & nbsp; 
        & nbsp;       &n bsp;       &nb sp;       &nbs p;         ;                 & nbsp;

        & nbsp;       &n bsp;       &nb sp;       &nbs p;         ;                 & nbsp;  

 I ran across a comment recently  using the old starving artists line.

 I love education and find I learn new things everyday. So with that in mind,coupled with a the following definition of Artist:

Artists generally fall into one of four categories. Art directors formulate design concepts and presentation approaches for visual communications. Craft artists create or reproduce handmade objects for sale or exhibition. Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators, create original artwork, using a variety of media and techniques. Multi-media artists and animators create special effects, animation, or other visual images on film, on video, or with computers or other electronic media.There are also graphic designers  a whole other set of artists.

"Nationally, the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity every year—$63.1 billion in spending by organizations and an additional $103.1 billion in event-related spending by their audiences. The study is the most comprehensive study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry ever conducted. It documents the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry in 156 communities and regions (116 cities and counties, 35 multicounty regions, and five states), and represents all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The $166.2 billion in total economic activity has a significant national impact, generating the following:

• 5.7 million full-time equivalent jobs
• $104.2 billion in household income
• $7.9 billion in local government tax revenues
• $9.1 billion in state government tax revenues
• $12.6 billion in federal income tax revenues

Our Arts & Economic Prosperity studies continue to be among the most frequently cited statistics used to demonstrate the impact of the nation’s nonprofit arts industry on the local, state, and national economy." From this source.

Then there is this from the BLS:

"Artists held about 218,000 jobs in 2006. About 62 percent were self-employed. Employment was distributed as follows:

Of the artists who were not self-employed, many worked for advertising and related services; newspaper, periodical, book, and software publishers; motion picture and video industries; specialized design services; and computer systems design and related services. Some self-employed artists offered their services to advertising agencies, design firms, publishing houses, and other businesses."

From the BLS site.

There are many related fields that require an artistic bent. Industrial  designers come to mind~ envision a thing,engineer it, manufacture it and you have created~ the very definition of artist.

Sometimes old saws are just that~ the prospects for continued growth in the field are good.

Go create,follow your heart ~ you may not become wealthy ( but you just might!).  I hear paying your income taxes is like being punished for success anyway.

 Hoping to reach those of you who do not subscribe to the paper~ Here is a great idea from Ricky R. Keel's Opinion page letter to the editor.There are unpicked trees all over this town and hungry people.

 I want to stress~ you have to pick your own tree(s) but he will help deliver if you can not.

 Read his letter here.

 Great letter Mr. Keel! Kudos to you and I hope lots of unwanted fruit makes its way to those in need.

 What are your favorite Christmas Carols,Holiday tunes or Seasonal Songs?

 As a child I loved "Oh Tannenbaum" ~ it brought a smile to my paternal grandparents faces , who left Germany and came to America a few years before WW2. They  didn't  smile often,so I went with it! LOL

 Later I liked the one about figgy pudding..."I won't go until I get some,so bring it right here.." always was the antidote for too much goodness and light. :-P

 But my inner vocalist loves to this day "Fall on Your Knees"~ it still gives me chills.

 These days I have a few traditional CD's I play~two from the Musical Heritage Society: 'A Christmas Pastorale" and "Christmas & Winter Songs From Ireland".

 "A Celtic Christmas IV" rounds out the day,assorted artists.

So what are your favorites?

 Caught this on one of the morning shows~ actually pretty amazing. Lights,camera and sheep! And some very cool dogs.... Check out the Mona Lisa.

Just saw this over at Huffington~ great little piece by Joe on John Lennon's passing.

 I grew up with the Beatles,they are entwined with many great memories. The day he was murdered is clear in my mind. Music and our loss.

R.I.P.