Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to me!
That's the extent of my musical talent!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
....later, still Saturday 26 December 09
I've been wondering why I've emphasized the dates of this blog so often. Well, the only thing I can target is that my own personal time line is moving more quickly toward its latter period. (I dare not say that I'm moving toward the "end", lest someone think I'm trying to give off some strange kind of message about the "end". I'm not going any where any time soon, at least not in MY version for how my own time line is supposed to unfold....)
Tomorrow is my 60th birthday, a momentous occasion, and I suppose that I might receive some calls from family or friends. And that would be nice.
As individuals in a social world, we do not exis as singular entities--we co-exist in environments with other people, therefore, what I do, often has some kind of intersubjectively defined meaning for those other persons with whom I share space.
What then happens when the "other" persons don't want to behave in ways that the rest of us in that space seem to understand as having "meaning", or the same kinds of meaning?
Can a prson reasonably reject the "norms" of one's environment without becoming alienated from it--OR--can that person reject what others accept as the "norm" and remain a part of the social environment as a participating normal member?
Moving on....
Lila
Tomorrow is my 60th birthday, a momentous occasion, and I suppose that I might receive some calls from family or friends. And that would be nice.
As individuals in a social world, we do not exis as singular entities--we co-exist in environments with other people, therefore, what I do, often has some kind of intersubjectively defined meaning for those other persons with whom I share space.
What then happens when the "other" persons don't want to behave in ways that the rest of us in that space seem to understand as having "meaning", or the same kinds of meaning?
Can a prson reasonably reject the "norms" of one's environment without becoming alienated from it--OR--can that person reject what others accept as the "norm" and remain a part of the social environment as a participating normal member?
Moving on....
Lila
PCT: Post Christmas Trauma--2009
Greetings Everyone!
I hope you've had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a very Happy New Year.
Now that Christmas is over, it's only 364 days or so until next Christmas. More important, for me at least, is that tomorrow is my 60th Birthday. So, Happy Birthday to me.
Next subject: Yesterday I saw a wonderful sight--There were dozens and dozens and dozens of robins perching in the trees in my back yard and in the trees next door belong ing to my neighbor.
I've seen Robins late in the year before, yet, I've never seen so many, nor have I seen so many of them in one place. Normally I see the in the trees in my front yard eating the seeds from the Dogwood tree, and the seeds/fruit from the ornamental pear. And never before in such numbers.
Now what? What to write about? Don't know yet.
Certainly in the spirit of PCT, I should be downstairs working on cleaning up the mess left over from yesterday. I think I'm going to take the tree down early this year. It's just in the way.
Last night we watched the movie Julia and Julie
. It was pretty good, even if it was a bit long. It made me hungry to watch all of the dishes that both characters made. Maybe next year I'll try making some things too. I couldn't possibly use all the butter that they used, even though I too love butter. It's just too much--the fat, and therefore the threat to my arteries.
Not that I've sworn off butter permanently, just that I'd like to live a bit longer and m willing to make a concession to health matters so will gladly search for better things to use than butter, if/when possible. I personally like olive oil, so it's no hardship for me to use olive oil based fats for cooking and other stuff.
Olive oil for a cake? Well, I tried it once or twice. And even though it wasn't too horrible, I missed the butter that I would otherwise have used.
I'm still attempting to write somethings. I want to start on the ideas that I have for some children's books, although I have no idea about how to market them.
My small ideas are for small books, for small children. I actually have a few good memories that serve as suitable starting points for stories. I want my daughter to illustrate. I can NOT draw. Wish I could, but it's not likely to happen in my lifetime.
Back to work!
I hope you've had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a very Happy New Year.
Now that Christmas is over, it's only 364 days or so until next Christmas. More important, for me at least, is that tomorrow is my 60th Birthday. So, Happy Birthday to me.
Next subject: Yesterday I saw a wonderful sight--There were dozens and dozens and dozens of robins perching in the trees in my back yard and in the trees next door belong ing to my neighbor.
I've seen Robins late in the year before, yet, I've never seen so many, nor have I seen so many of them in one place. Normally I see the in the trees in my front yard eating the seeds from the Dogwood tree, and the seeds/fruit from the ornamental pear. And never before in such numbers.
Now what? What to write about? Don't know yet.
Certainly in the spirit of PCT, I should be downstairs working on cleaning up the mess left over from yesterday. I think I'm going to take the tree down early this year. It's just in the way.
Last night we watched the movie Julia and Julie
. It was pretty good, even if it was a bit long. It made me hungry to watch all of the dishes that both characters made. Maybe next year I'll try making some things too. I couldn't possibly use all the butter that they used, even though I too love butter. It's just too much--the fat, and therefore the threat to my arteries.
Not that I've sworn off butter permanently, just that I'd like to live a bit longer and m willing to make a concession to health matters so will gladly search for better things to use than butter, if/when possible. I personally like olive oil, so it's no hardship for me to use olive oil based fats for cooking and other stuff.
Olive oil for a cake? Well, I tried it once or twice. And even though it wasn't too horrible, I missed the butter that I would otherwise have used.
I'm still attempting to write somethings. I want to start on the ideas that I have for some children's books, although I have no idea about how to market them.
My small ideas are for small books, for small children. I actually have a few good memories that serve as suitable starting points for stories. I want my daughter to illustrate. I can NOT draw. Wish I could, but it's not likely to happen in my lifetime.
Back to work!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Sunday 23 August 09--Peter Paul and Mary
For those of us who grew up hearing songs like "Blowing in the Wind", and others that marked the era of folk music, protest music, and other things, you will certainly be familiar with the music of Peter Paul and Mary.
Last night, I was fortunate enough to see a concert given by Peter, and Paul, without Mary, who is/was very ill, and unable to perform. She was at her home in Connecticut--I believe that she has Leukemia, and Peter said that she was suffering from the effects of (something to do with a recent bone marrow transplant).
While the concert was a lot of fun, it was easy to see that the primary performers, Peter, Paul, and their back up bass fiddle, and guitar players, were all getting old too. The Bass Fiddle player was nearly unable to walk onto the stage, and Peter, and Paul, helped to support him to his place on stage where he played the large bass, all the while hooked up to his oxygen tank. The other guitar/mandolin/banjo player, sat through the show performing without expression on his face.
It's possible that I missed some of the finer nuances of expression and feeling shown by all of the performers--I was, after all, in what a friend of my has described as the "nose-bleed section", and even with my binoculars, I couldn't see everything as clearly as I would have liked.
Yet, Peter's voice, was clear, Paul's was clearer, and it sounded wonderful to hear them singing some songs I hadn't known, and others that were very familiar. Tom Paxton joined them on stage toward the end, it was also nice to see him, and he too has advanced into his older years while retaining his clear voice.
I'm glad I went. I wish I'd taken advantage of the proximity of the summer schedule of performances at Wolftrap in earlier years, still, no regrets. Next year I'll try to go.
Lila
Last night, I was fortunate enough to see a concert given by Peter, and Paul, without Mary, who is/was very ill, and unable to perform. She was at her home in Connecticut--I believe that she has Leukemia, and Peter said that she was suffering from the effects of (something to do with a recent bone marrow transplant).
While the concert was a lot of fun, it was easy to see that the primary performers, Peter, Paul, and their back up bass fiddle, and guitar players, were all getting old too. The Bass Fiddle player was nearly unable to walk onto the stage, and Peter, and Paul, helped to support him to his place on stage where he played the large bass, all the while hooked up to his oxygen tank. The other guitar/mandolin/banjo player, sat through the show performing without expression on his face.
It's possible that I missed some of the finer nuances of expression and feeling shown by all of the performers--I was, after all, in what a friend of my has described as the "nose-bleed section", and even with my binoculars, I couldn't see everything as clearly as I would have liked.
Yet, Peter's voice, was clear, Paul's was clearer, and it sounded wonderful to hear them singing some songs I hadn't known, and others that were very familiar. Tom Paxton joined them on stage toward the end, it was also nice to see him, and he too has advanced into his older years while retaining his clear voice.
I'm glad I went. I wish I'd taken advantage of the proximity of the summer schedule of performances at Wolftrap in earlier years, still, no regrets. Next year I'll try to go.
Lila
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Woodstock: Again....Sunday 16 August 09
...with all of the media about Woodstock of 40 years ago, I started to think about the "40 years ago" part of it--what was it 40 years ago that made Woodstock so unique, at that time, and in the memory of those whose lives were touched by it?
Today I think I figured out part of the answer--JOY--Woodstock was a moment of JOY in the timeline of the era--a major blip in the timeline that expressed a moment of pure Joy that permeated throughout the crowd, the world, and stayed with them--and had an impact on everything else that came later in their lives. And the JOY spread beyond the immediate environment of the concert into the world, and endured through time....
Self-standing JOY. JOY--just because.
The JOY of the moment was joy that had nothing to do with the politics of the era, the struggles of the peoples of the world, the differences among people, the similarities that they hoped to achieve, the unity of the moment among the thousands of people who were there....It was JOY....shared JOY that remains in the memories of those who were touched by the events of one set of unique few days at a concert that is forever known as Woodstock.
Today I think I figured out part of the answer--JOY--Woodstock was a moment of JOY in the timeline of the era--a major blip in the timeline that expressed a moment of pure Joy that permeated throughout the crowd, the world, and stayed with them--and had an impact on everything else that came later in their lives. And the JOY spread beyond the immediate environment of the concert into the world, and endured through time....
Self-standing JOY. JOY--just because.
The JOY of the moment was joy that had nothing to do with the politics of the era, the struggles of the peoples of the world, the differences among people, the similarities that they hoped to achieve, the unity of the moment among the thousands of people who were there....It was JOY....shared JOY that remains in the memories of those who were touched by the events of one set of unique few days at a concert that is forever known as Woodstock.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Woodstock memories: Saturday 15 August 09
...like I said, I wasn't there, would like to have gone, yet the fact remains, I didn't get there, but, I did see the traffic jams that it generated south of it. And the rain...
I saw more pictures of the crowd on the news last night; pictures on the news showing the field, today, green, and beautiful.....
So, "Woodstock" has become a cultural item--something of great significance--an icon--one of those things that everybody seems to know about--a major event in the history of our country. Efforts to re-create the spirit of the concert never quite succeeded--in that way, Woodstock was unique--nothing else even compared.
There's been a lot of talk about the fact that the crowds were largely peaceful, that there was almost no violence, despite shortages of water, food, shelter.
As a social scientist, I analyze such images as the scenes from Woodstock, and sometimes I see some interesting things that are beyond the "obvious". I'm going to look at the new documentary soon, at least I believe it's an update, improvement, of the original movie made from the time of the concert. It should be interesting to find out what I see, or think I see....
Lila
I saw more pictures of the crowd on the news last night; pictures on the news showing the field, today, green, and beautiful.....
So, "Woodstock" has become a cultural item--something of great significance--an icon--one of those things that everybody seems to know about--a major event in the history of our country. Efforts to re-create the spirit of the concert never quite succeeded--in that way, Woodstock was unique--nothing else even compared.
There's been a lot of talk about the fact that the crowds were largely peaceful, that there was almost no violence, despite shortages of water, food, shelter.
As a social scientist, I analyze such images as the scenes from Woodstock, and sometimes I see some interesting things that are beyond the "obvious". I'm going to look at the new documentary soon, at least I believe it's an update, improvement, of the original movie made from the time of the concert. It should be interesting to find out what I see, or think I see....
Lila
Friday, August 14, 2009
Woodstock: 40 years later. Today is 14 August 2009
No, I wasn't there. I'm not sure how that got started, I wasn't there.
Not that I wasn't there in spirit; I had to go to work on Monday morning--I was between sophomore and junior year of college, and I had to work during the summer.
So, let me back up a bit. I WAS in northern New Jersey; I didn't have a car, also had no money. I did have a (boy)friend who said he wanted to go, and I wound up going to our family's summer house in northern NJ for the weekend.
Traffic was horrible. I'd never, then, or since, seen such traffic in northern NJ. The roads were packed. It was gridlock--everywhere--and also on the way back on Sunday evening.
And everyone was "watching", "listening" for news about the concert at Woodstock. You could feel the tension in the air....At least from my perspective, and also among my lake friends, that weekend.
I took the train/bus to work on Monday morning. I bought a copy of the New York Times, which was ten cents at the time, and read the Times article about the concert, and all that was happening.
I remember doing that. I wished I'd been able to get there, but it wasn't going to happen, being that I was also being monitored/supervised by my parents who took extra note about my whereabouts that weekend, maybe to insure that I didn't slip away and try to get a ride to the concert. That wasn't going to happen either, so I just endured the weekend, and went to work on Monday morning.
The news: I seem to remember a rush for the TV talk shows and news shows during those few days of the concert, and the days afterward (probably the Late Show with Johnny Carson, since I was at work during the day), getting people to talk about "what had happened" at the concert that was now being referred to as "Woodstock". I remember seeing Crosby, Stills, and Nash on one of these shows, as they excitedly talked about their experiences--every other performer who I saw here and there, was also equally animated--"something" had happened, something that made "it" different from what had gone before.
Time would now be reckoned as being BEFORE, and AFTER Woodstock. Sure, the DURING Woodstock time had happened, and it had been filmed, and would become analyzed, and pondered over, yet "that", was a part of the AFTER time, and would happen later.
I wonder sometimes what would life be like, for ME, had I gone to Woodstock.
Probably not much different, then again, if I take a turn in my imagination, I can see some other possibilities that might have been reasonable. I'm still the same person I was back then, albeit a whole lot more knowledgeable about many other things that I had no knowledge of then, that didn't exist "then", and I wonder if those things would have happened too....I'll never know. Then too, I don't believe in spending too much time mourning things past--the future is so much more promising, and interesting.....and that's the direction I'm going.
Lila
Not that I wasn't there in spirit; I had to go to work on Monday morning--I was between sophomore and junior year of college, and I had to work during the summer.
So, let me back up a bit. I WAS in northern New Jersey; I didn't have a car, also had no money. I did have a (boy)friend who said he wanted to go, and I wound up going to our family's summer house in northern NJ for the weekend.
Traffic was horrible. I'd never, then, or since, seen such traffic in northern NJ. The roads were packed. It was gridlock--everywhere--and also on the way back on Sunday evening.
And everyone was "watching", "listening" for news about the concert at Woodstock. You could feel the tension in the air....At least from my perspective, and also among my lake friends, that weekend.
I took the train/bus to work on Monday morning. I bought a copy of the New York Times, which was ten cents at the time, and read the Times article about the concert, and all that was happening.
I remember doing that. I wished I'd been able to get there, but it wasn't going to happen, being that I was also being monitored/supervised by my parents who took extra note about my whereabouts that weekend, maybe to insure that I didn't slip away and try to get a ride to the concert. That wasn't going to happen either, so I just endured the weekend, and went to work on Monday morning.
The news: I seem to remember a rush for the TV talk shows and news shows during those few days of the concert, and the days afterward (probably the Late Show with Johnny Carson, since I was at work during the day), getting people to talk about "what had happened" at the concert that was now being referred to as "Woodstock". I remember seeing Crosby, Stills, and Nash on one of these shows, as they excitedly talked about their experiences--every other performer who I saw here and there, was also equally animated--"something" had happened, something that made "it" different from what had gone before.
Time would now be reckoned as being BEFORE, and AFTER Woodstock. Sure, the DURING Woodstock time had happened, and it had been filmed, and would become analyzed, and pondered over, yet "that", was a part of the AFTER time, and would happen later.
I wonder sometimes what would life be like, for ME, had I gone to Woodstock.
Probably not much different, then again, if I take a turn in my imagination, I can see some other possibilities that might have been reasonable. I'm still the same person I was back then, albeit a whole lot more knowledgeable about many other things that I had no knowledge of then, that didn't exist "then", and I wonder if those things would have happened too....I'll never know. Then too, I don't believe in spending too much time mourning things past--the future is so much more promising, and interesting.....and that's the direction I'm going.
Lila
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Quiet time....on Sunday 26 July 09
Quiet time is a bit of an oxymoron.
I like sound. I like a bit of noise in the background. I listen to the sounds that surround me, and know when these sounds are a part of the way the day is supposed to unfold.
And the background isn't always quiet--at least not in the sense of no sound--more so the sound is "normal", "routine", and lacking in abberations.
(to be continued....)
I like sound. I like a bit of noise in the background. I listen to the sounds that surround me, and know when these sounds are a part of the way the day is supposed to unfold.
And the background isn't always quiet--at least not in the sense of no sound--more so the sound is "normal", "routine", and lacking in abberations.
(to be continued....)
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The Angels are moving furniture this evening, Saturday 25 July 2009
My Grandma used to tell me that when there was thunder, it was just the Angels in heaven moving furniture. I don't remember if the thunder scared me, or if she just told me that as a way to assure me that everything was all right as she tucked me in to sleep.
I remember that I was also told that the sound of thunder was from Angels bowling in heaven.
Some times the flashes of lightening, and the profound sound of the thunder that followed, and the downpour of rain, and all of them together, frightened me when I was a child. I'm not sure why I was frightened, yet I remember being tense when the lightening, thunder, rain, wind, happened all at once and continued for what I thought were long periods of time.
Nowadays, I love to watch the clouds tumble through the sky and to watch thunderheads grow. I like to watch the storm fronts advance through the sky, I follow the paths of the storms through the area, and when we're elsewhere, sometimes I'll be able to watch the movement of storms, and rain, or snow, in the distance across the mountains, or the plains, or as the storms move out to sea.
Where we live, we get a lot of "weather"; the "weather" often causes the power to go out, often for hours at a time.
Over the years, I've learned to anticipate the effects of stormy weather--I have candles, battery lanterns, a propane Coleman stove, a crankable radio, and more recently, a supply of bottled water.
When the power goes out, it's a nice break in the routine of life in a world where everything seems to depend on electricity. Sure, if it's sticky hot and humid outside, and there's no air-conditioning, everyone gets super hot, and wishes for a breeze. Even so, things are quiet. when it gets dark, there's very little light, except for the glow of candles, or lanterns in our home, and the homes of our neighbors. There's no whine of heat-pumps or generators, or other sounds of the electric age we live in.
Traffic slows down too--without traffic lights, people stay home. Traffic without traffic lights is chaotic, dangerous.
So, when we're at home, we slow down too--it's amazing to consider how dependent we are on the technology of our times--without electricity, almost everything comes to a stop. So, what do we do?
The last time the power was out for a long time--it may have been ten hours or so, my daughter and I were home alone, and we brought out the crankable radio, and found the local NPR station, and along with a little news about the power outages, we listened to classical music, that she explained to me, and we read, played board games, and spent time with each other.
All of the things that we might have been doing, that required the use of electric power to accomplish, were put aside--they were no longer important, and we didn't really miss the electricity.
Now, I won't try to say that I'd prefer to go without electricity for extended periods of time, yet, these small interludes in which we do without the power, aren't times that we fear--we do look forward to those times, and we make good use of the time as these opportunities arise.
The lesson? we should communicate more with our family members, and enjoy our time together while eliminating external distractions.
That's not all, just all that I have time for today. I was kind of hoping that we'd lose power for a while--losing power imposes the constraints upon me that I seem to enjoy--meaning, the slowing down, the quiet time with my husband and children, the focus on family, and the loss of many of the distractions that I encourage through the various uses of the technology that surrounds me.
I'm responsible for my captivity in the technology I live with. Likewise I am responsible to taking myself away from it too--I suppose that taking myself away from is easier said than done--I think that it's like an addiction--an addiction to the technology, and the benefits it brings along with everything else.
Lila
I remember that I was also told that the sound of thunder was from Angels bowling in heaven.
Some times the flashes of lightening, and the profound sound of the thunder that followed, and the downpour of rain, and all of them together, frightened me when I was a child. I'm not sure why I was frightened, yet I remember being tense when the lightening, thunder, rain, wind, happened all at once and continued for what I thought were long periods of time.
Nowadays, I love to watch the clouds tumble through the sky and to watch thunderheads grow. I like to watch the storm fronts advance through the sky, I follow the paths of the storms through the area, and when we're elsewhere, sometimes I'll be able to watch the movement of storms, and rain, or snow, in the distance across the mountains, or the plains, or as the storms move out to sea.
Where we live, we get a lot of "weather"; the "weather" often causes the power to go out, often for hours at a time.
Over the years, I've learned to anticipate the effects of stormy weather--I have candles, battery lanterns, a propane Coleman stove, a crankable radio, and more recently, a supply of bottled water.
When the power goes out, it's a nice break in the routine of life in a world where everything seems to depend on electricity. Sure, if it's sticky hot and humid outside, and there's no air-conditioning, everyone gets super hot, and wishes for a breeze. Even so, things are quiet. when it gets dark, there's very little light, except for the glow of candles, or lanterns in our home, and the homes of our neighbors. There's no whine of heat-pumps or generators, or other sounds of the electric age we live in.
Traffic slows down too--without traffic lights, people stay home. Traffic without traffic lights is chaotic, dangerous.
So, when we're at home, we slow down too--it's amazing to consider how dependent we are on the technology of our times--without electricity, almost everything comes to a stop. So, what do we do?
The last time the power was out for a long time--it may have been ten hours or so, my daughter and I were home alone, and we brought out the crankable radio, and found the local NPR station, and along with a little news about the power outages, we listened to classical music, that she explained to me, and we read, played board games, and spent time with each other.
All of the things that we might have been doing, that required the use of electric power to accomplish, were put aside--they were no longer important, and we didn't really miss the electricity.
Now, I won't try to say that I'd prefer to go without electricity for extended periods of time, yet, these small interludes in which we do without the power, aren't times that we fear--we do look forward to those times, and we make good use of the time as these opportunities arise.
The lesson? we should communicate more with our family members, and enjoy our time together while eliminating external distractions.
That's not all, just all that I have time for today. I was kind of hoping that we'd lose power for a while--losing power imposes the constraints upon me that I seem to enjoy--meaning, the slowing down, the quiet time with my husband and children, the focus on family, and the loss of many of the distractions that I encourage through the various uses of the technology that surrounds me.
I'm responsible for my captivity in the technology I live with. Likewise I am responsible to taking myself away from it too--I suppose that taking myself away from is easier said than done--I think that it's like an addiction--an addiction to the technology, and the benefits it brings along with everything else.
Lila
Friday, July 24, 2009
24 July 09 Friday 40 years ago....
40 years ago, we are reminded, in the news, that it was the summer of the moon landing, and the summer of Love, the summer of Woodstock
Was I at Woodstock? No. People I've known for many years always seem to think that I had been there. No. Not that it wouldn't have been a neat thing to do, I would like to have gone. Traffic on the east coast was packed that weekend, the weather was kind of nasty, and I had no way to get there. And I went to work at my routine, boring, summer job, on Monday morning after the Woodstock weekend.....
There's going to be a new release of the movie documentary. I wonder if I'll try to see it. Probably.
Why would I want to see the rain, the mud, the people who made up the crowds of rained on and muddy hordes who came to see the performances at Woodstock....
I suppose that many of us who lived through that time have some kinds of unfinished thoughts about what the "era" meant, or what it was like.
Sure, I lived through the 60s, at the same time, I missed the things that made the image of what the 60s was the 60s. Who had time. Who had the money? who had the means to do those things. So, some of us were "there", in the sense of having lived through the time, yet, we weren't--many people lived fairly normal, fairly conservative lives.....And not everyone was out protesting "the War".
Which brings me to another point--not all of those protesters were out there because they were protesting "the War". Lots of people were out for an afternoon of socializing, good times, cameraderie, and oh-by-the-way, there's a protest demonstration going on. Grab a sign...
While there were true believers in the protests, that's not true for all who were a part of the "crowd". I was never a part of any of those crowds.
There were hypocrites among the peaceniks...
Lila
Was I at Woodstock? No. People I've known for many years always seem to think that I had been there. No. Not that it wouldn't have been a neat thing to do, I would like to have gone. Traffic on the east coast was packed that weekend, the weather was kind of nasty, and I had no way to get there. And I went to work at my routine, boring, summer job, on Monday morning after the Woodstock weekend.....
There's going to be a new release of the movie documentary. I wonder if I'll try to see it. Probably.
Why would I want to see the rain, the mud, the people who made up the crowds of rained on and muddy hordes who came to see the performances at Woodstock....
I suppose that many of us who lived through that time have some kinds of unfinished thoughts about what the "era" meant, or what it was like.
Sure, I lived through the 60s, at the same time, I missed the things that made the image of what the 60s was the 60s. Who had time. Who had the money? who had the means to do those things. So, some of us were "there", in the sense of having lived through the time, yet, we weren't--many people lived fairly normal, fairly conservative lives.....And not everyone was out protesting "the War".
Which brings me to another point--not all of those protesters were out there because they were protesting "the War". Lots of people were out for an afternoon of socializing, good times, cameraderie, and oh-by-the-way, there's a protest demonstration going on. Grab a sign...
While there were true believers in the protests, that's not true for all who were a part of the "crowd". I was never a part of any of those crowds.
There were hypocrites among the peaceniks...
Lila
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Thursday 23 July 09 Locusts singing outside my window
The sound of locusts singing during the summertime is probably one of my most favorite of all summer sounds.
I remember hearing locusts during summers when I was just a very little girl--I wasn't sure what the sound came from, and I never saw a locust until just a few years ago. What I saw was the shell of a greenish black bug--very different from the Cicadas that I'd seen from time to time during my life.
I've seen Cicadas as a child--I remember going to a wooded area not too far from home, and listening to the non-stop drone of thousands of Cicadas on the trees, flying through the air, flying into me, catching them, and more. They disappeared after a few weeks--and didn't return until nearly two decades later--depending on where I was--because I've seen them at least four times, in different places.
Where I live now, I've seen the coming and going of the Cicada twice--the last time being just a few years ago, and earlier, after we'd been here for just a couple of years.
The Cicadas were everywhere--they flew into our faces, into windshields, into doors, everywhere! And the drone of the Cicada was so loud that one could only hear someone else, when outside, if you shouted.
And then they were gone.
Now, we have the summer locusts, to keep us mindful of the summertime passing by.....
Lila
I remember hearing locusts during summers when I was just a very little girl--I wasn't sure what the sound came from, and I never saw a locust until just a few years ago. What I saw was the shell of a greenish black bug--very different from the Cicadas that I'd seen from time to time during my life.
I've seen Cicadas as a child--I remember going to a wooded area not too far from home, and listening to the non-stop drone of thousands of Cicadas on the trees, flying through the air, flying into me, catching them, and more. They disappeared after a few weeks--and didn't return until nearly two decades later--depending on where I was--because I've seen them at least four times, in different places.
Where I live now, I've seen the coming and going of the Cicada twice--the last time being just a few years ago, and earlier, after we'd been here for just a couple of years.
The Cicadas were everywhere--they flew into our faces, into windshields, into doors, everywhere! And the drone of the Cicada was so loud that one could only hear someone else, when outside, if you shouted.
And then they were gone.
Now, we have the summer locusts, to keep us mindful of the summertime passing by.....
Lila
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The Moon: 40 years later. 21 July 09
Even thought it's been forty years since the first man walked on the moon, it seems almost like yesterday that I saw it happen--on a black and white TV screen, late in the evening, while I was trying to stay awake...to see this important moment in the history of humanity.
I remember that the images were clear yet fuzzy, black and white--we didn't have a color TV, so I don't know if the original pictures were broadcasted in color because we didn't have a color TV.
It was miraculous! An image from the Moon! Human persons on the Moon!
I sat on the floor in our TV room--my father was there, and my boyfriend was visiting, I can't remember if my brother was there, he may have been, but I'm not sure.
I was sleepy--it was a long wait to see the Moonwalk!
And after it happened--I went to bed! I was so tired!
It was a wonder to see! We, the United States of America, had landed on the moon, and had seen a citizen of the United States, an astronaut, walk on the moon! What could be better!!!!
Now, fast forward to 2009--here we are--and it's been a while since anyone has been to the moon and back. Sure we have astronauts in space, yes, there's the Space Shuttle, and the Space Station--still what new ground have we conquered???
We have lots more to do! It's time to get back on track! The future is here, and we still dream of where the future will take us!
Star Trek is now!
Lila
I remember that the images were clear yet fuzzy, black and white--we didn't have a color TV, so I don't know if the original pictures were broadcasted in color because we didn't have a color TV.
It was miraculous! An image from the Moon! Human persons on the Moon!
I sat on the floor in our TV room--my father was there, and my boyfriend was visiting, I can't remember if my brother was there, he may have been, but I'm not sure.
I was sleepy--it was a long wait to see the Moonwalk!
And after it happened--I went to bed! I was so tired!
It was a wonder to see! We, the United States of America, had landed on the moon, and had seen a citizen of the United States, an astronaut, walk on the moon! What could be better!!!!
Now, fast forward to 2009--here we are--and it's been a while since anyone has been to the moon and back. Sure we have astronauts in space, yes, there's the Space Shuttle, and the Space Station--still what new ground have we conquered???
We have lots more to do! It's time to get back on track! The future is here, and we still dream of where the future will take us!
Star Trek is now!
Lila
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Later on Saturday 18 July 09
So, I'm back again. During the last few days I've been thinking about some things, mostly about time, and the passing of time.
And the amount of time that's passed for me, and what's happened in that time. And how much time I have left....
Since I was a little kid, for some reason I always thought about how time is a one time thing--we only get to do things once--once in the time we have. And we only go around once--time lost is totally lost. If we spend our time in stupid ways, or if we really screw up, or do exceptionally well, we don't get to repeat those things. If we miss our opportunities to do things, it's gone. You can't go back and repeat it, or go back to get it, whatever "it" is.
I wonder if I've missed much, failed much, excelled much, or what--what have I done that might or might not have been meaningful.
Go back to the lightening bugs that we see at night--what would life be like if the lightening bugs weren't there, or, if in my life, I'd been oblivious to the lightening bugs--missed seeing them, or if I hadn't spent time running around trying to catch them. And does that time I spent trying to catch the lightening bugs make a difference in our total life, world, and the impact I personally have had on "everything"....
Perhaps these are small potatoes compared to the problems of the world, still, I think that how we regard life in the micro-sphere extends to how we treat events in our macro-world.
Silly musings...
Lila
And the amount of time that's passed for me, and what's happened in that time. And how much time I have left....
Since I was a little kid, for some reason I always thought about how time is a one time thing--we only get to do things once--once in the time we have. And we only go around once--time lost is totally lost. If we spend our time in stupid ways, or if we really screw up, or do exceptionally well, we don't get to repeat those things. If we miss our opportunities to do things, it's gone. You can't go back and repeat it, or go back to get it, whatever "it" is.
I wonder if I've missed much, failed much, excelled much, or what--what have I done that might or might not have been meaningful.
Go back to the lightening bugs that we see at night--what would life be like if the lightening bugs weren't there, or, if in my life, I'd been oblivious to the lightening bugs--missed seeing them, or if I hadn't spent time running around trying to catch them. And does that time I spent trying to catch the lightening bugs make a difference in our total life, world, and the impact I personally have had on "everything"....
Perhaps these are small potatoes compared to the problems of the world, still, I think that how we regard life in the micro-sphere extends to how we treat events in our macro-world.
Silly musings...
Lila
18 July 2009 Saturday The end of an era...
Walter Cronkite died last night. It truly IS the end of an era--of faith in the news, and in a particular newscaster. Cronkite was the face and sound of news during my entire lifetime, and before. It was he who told the world what was happening at some of the most critical times of our history. And now, he too, has passed into the Ages. He was only 92. Impossible to believe that he didn't live forever.....
Lila
Lila
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Small Things That Matter: Wednesday 15 July 09
The more I think about it, The more convinced I am that many people in "society" tend to overlook some of the more routine things that happen every day, and that mark the day and the season.
Many things are constant--we see them, we hear them, we expect them, and without consciously realizing that these same things, events, are part of the ongoing experience for the moment. These same small things, also bring up a series of memories, recollections, feelings, that transport us to other times and places.
Yet, the absence of these small things may go un-noted, un-noticed, until someone points out the absence of (whatever it is...), because these small things are not absolutely essential to the total experience of what a person sees, thinks, feels, remembers--rather, the events that occur in that setting could happen anyway. Or would they (still happen)?
The "small things" that happen in any environment contribute to the total experience of the moment (series of moments), in qualitative ways that enhance the experience of the moment to differentiate that moment, or series of moments, from other times, or experiences, even though all of these situations may be very similar.
The qualitative evaluation of a "moment", and the "small things" that make up the subjective experience of the moment, are critical pieces of the individual context for the person who experiences that moment, creating "difference" in one's perspective, from that of another person's percpective on the same thing.
Each person sees things in a slightly different manner than someone else who shares the moment.
This idea is NOT anything new. Perspective is, and has been, a relative relationship between and among people, objective and subjective things/environments, and the individual perspectives of those who inhabit the moment.
Again--I'm not saying anything especially new, yet, my application of this concept will be, perhaps, unique to the small moment(s) that I apply them to.
As will the applications that others make be unique to theirr small moments.
So how would we know that something is a small thing that matters, makes a difference, something that differentiates a moment from another?
An example: lightening bugs. Consider a summer evening, with and without the lightening bugs in the scene outside your front door....Consider the sounds of summer--what are the sounds of summer for you? How about the singing of locusts during the heat of the day?
How do we know how these things matter? How do they make a difference?
Many things are constant--we see them, we hear them, we expect them, and without consciously realizing that these same things, events, are part of the ongoing experience for the moment. These same small things, also bring up a series of memories, recollections, feelings, that transport us to other times and places.
Yet, the absence of these small things may go un-noted, un-noticed, until someone points out the absence of (whatever it is...), because these small things are not absolutely essential to the total experience of what a person sees, thinks, feels, remembers--rather, the events that occur in that setting could happen anyway. Or would they (still happen)?
The "small things" that happen in any environment contribute to the total experience of the moment (series of moments), in qualitative ways that enhance the experience of the moment to differentiate that moment, or series of moments, from other times, or experiences, even though all of these situations may be very similar.
The qualitative evaluation of a "moment", and the "small things" that make up the subjective experience of the moment, are critical pieces of the individual context for the person who experiences that moment, creating "difference" in one's perspective, from that of another person's percpective on the same thing.
Each person sees things in a slightly different manner than someone else who shares the moment.
This idea is NOT anything new. Perspective is, and has been, a relative relationship between and among people, objective and subjective things/environments, and the individual perspectives of those who inhabit the moment.
Again--I'm not saying anything especially new, yet, my application of this concept will be, perhaps, unique to the small moment(s) that I apply them to.
As will the applications that others make be unique to theirr small moments.
So how would we know that something is a small thing that matters, makes a difference, something that differentiates a moment from another?
An example: lightening bugs. Consider a summer evening, with and without the lightening bugs in the scene outside your front door....Consider the sounds of summer--what are the sounds of summer for you? How about the singing of locusts during the heat of the day?
How do we know how these things matter? How do they make a difference?
Friday, June 19, 2009
Friday 19 June 2009 a pensive moment....
....a pensive moment....seems that the root is from a latin verb, pensar? to think?or something similar that I've long forgotten....
yet, what triggers such a moment?
For each of us there are triggers, psychological or social cues that create a feeling of thought, or action, and we think about these things, somewhat reflexively.
As a cognitive behaviorist, I would say that we think while knowing, and while we "know", we "think".
easy stuff. we all do it...
So what do I think about?
Lila
yet, what triggers such a moment?
For each of us there are triggers, psychological or social cues that create a feeling of thought, or action, and we think about these things, somewhat reflexively.
As a cognitive behaviorist, I would say that we think while knowing, and while we "know", we "think".
easy stuff. we all do it...
So what do I think about?
Lila
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Sunday 14 June 09 A successful Cherry Cobbler!
My daughter and I baked a Cherry Cobbler today, and took it with us to a cookout/picnic. It was pretty good! A surprise, because I really had no idea what it would turn out like.
We made it with Splenda, and a brown sugar mix with Splenda. It came out well...
I still have several bags with several quarts apiece with pitted cherries in them--not sure whether to freeze them or not. I might still take a stab at canning them.
It was a good day.
Lila
We made it with Splenda, and a brown sugar mix with Splenda. It came out well...
I still have several bags with several quarts apiece with pitted cherries in them--not sure whether to freeze them or not. I might still take a stab at canning them.
It was a good day.
Lila
Sunday 14 June: After picking the Cherries!
Well, we beat the birds, and we did get several gallons of cherries, although not quite as much as I'd hoped for. No matter, what we have is fine, and will make up into good things.
I estimate a little over five gallons--figure that the five gallon measure is one of those huge white plastic buckets that originally held laundry detergent, or paint, and that's my five gallon measure.
And remember--all those cherries have to pitted--a tedious process with a cherry pitter, one at a time! Sure I've thought about one that claims to do more, and quickly, yet, I can't bring myself to buy one, because I know that when I do it by hand we get nearly 100% of the pits out.
Today, I'm going to bake cherry cobbler--we're going to a cook-out at a friend's home, and we're bringing cherry cobbler. It's going to be great!
Lila
PS: I just thought about a book that I haven't thought about in years, and I can't remember the title. It claimed to be a version of a cookbook/diary that someone found in her attic, that was allegedly written by the wife of a sea captain who was away. Anyway, I always doubted the authenticity of the book as being from the time/place etc. that the woman under whose name the book was published, said it was. It just didn't "feel" right. I'll have to look for it, and see what I think now, after having had more experience with such writings.
I estimate a little over five gallons--figure that the five gallon measure is one of those huge white plastic buckets that originally held laundry detergent, or paint, and that's my five gallon measure.
And remember--all those cherries have to pitted--a tedious process with a cherry pitter, one at a time! Sure I've thought about one that claims to do more, and quickly, yet, I can't bring myself to buy one, because I know that when I do it by hand we get nearly 100% of the pits out.
Today, I'm going to bake cherry cobbler--we're going to a cook-out at a friend's home, and we're bringing cherry cobbler. It's going to be great!
Lila
PS: I just thought about a book that I haven't thought about in years, and I can't remember the title. It claimed to be a version of a cookbook/diary that someone found in her attic, that was allegedly written by the wife of a sea captain who was away. Anyway, I always doubted the authenticity of the book as being from the time/place etc. that the woman under whose name the book was published, said it was. It just didn't "feel" right. I'll have to look for it, and see what I think now, after having had more experience with such writings.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Cherry Time! 9 June 09 Tuesday
My cherry tree is just about ready for being picked. I'm eager to get started--when the cherries are finally ready, and even a bit before, there's a race between "us", and the birds to get the most cherries from the tree.
We can't get to many of the highest branches, and the birds do get quite a lot of cherries, and that's okay. Under the tree there's a carpet of seeds from the cherries that the birds have eaten.
As for us, we get about five to ten gallons each year, depending on the weather, and how fast we are. I pit the cherries by hand--one at a time--and then either freeze the cherries, or make preserves. This year I'm going to can some of the cherries--without sugar.
I bought a new Ball Blue Book so that I can look up the best way to proceed--also some new kind of Sure-Jell that I can use with Splenda or some other thing. And a couple of new jars, and some new lids and bands.
I think that I'm looking forward to the canning part of the cherries more than any other thing. I haven't done any canning for a few years, and it'll be fun to go through the process of producing something useful in the kitchen again. I might try to get some other fruit to can--I think it's too late to try to get enough peaches to can.
Lila
We can't get to many of the highest branches, and the birds do get quite a lot of cherries, and that's okay. Under the tree there's a carpet of seeds from the cherries that the birds have eaten.
As for us, we get about five to ten gallons each year, depending on the weather, and how fast we are. I pit the cherries by hand--one at a time--and then either freeze the cherries, or make preserves. This year I'm going to can some of the cherries--without sugar.
I bought a new Ball Blue Book so that I can look up the best way to proceed--also some new kind of Sure-Jell that I can use with Splenda or some other thing. And a couple of new jars, and some new lids and bands.
I think that I'm looking forward to the canning part of the cherries more than any other thing. I haven't done any canning for a few years, and it'll be fun to go through the process of producing something useful in the kitchen again. I might try to get some other fruit to can--I think it's too late to try to get enough peaches to can.
Lila
Monday, May 25, 2009
Monday Memorial Day 2009, May 25
How many of us are of the elite--the elite persons who have served their country--in war, or in peace.
The fact of one's service in the Armed Forces is an honorable action that deserves the recognition that is finally being given to some of those whose service was given, and yet not really recognized.
Service to the nation allows the rest of its citizens to enjoy the freedoms that are so often taken for granted.
We enjoy the rights and obligations of a free people, in a free nation--and some people enjoy those privileges without having personally "paid" for the privilege.
That's what we have done--we've served, so that all of us could enjoy the privileges of the rights guaranteed to us as citizens of our country.
So, while many people critize our nation--please remember that our service allows you to make that criticism, without the fear of being jailed for it. We serve so that you can be free to enjoy the privilege, and the right, to free speech, and the many other things that we enjoy as citizens of the greatest nation on the planet--the USA.
Lila
The fact of one's service in the Armed Forces is an honorable action that deserves the recognition that is finally being given to some of those whose service was given, and yet not really recognized.
Service to the nation allows the rest of its citizens to enjoy the freedoms that are so often taken for granted.
We enjoy the rights and obligations of a free people, in a free nation--and some people enjoy those privileges without having personally "paid" for the privilege.
That's what we have done--we've served, so that all of us could enjoy the privileges of the rights guaranteed to us as citizens of our country.
So, while many people critize our nation--please remember that our service allows you to make that criticism, without the fear of being jailed for it. We serve so that you can be free to enjoy the privilege, and the right, to free speech, and the many other things that we enjoy as citizens of the greatest nation on the planet--the USA.
Lila
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Memorial Day Weekend 23 May 09
Outside my window there's a slight breeze--and the breeze brings closer to me the branches of my cherry tree, with its not yet ready cherries. the cherries are still green and turning slightly yellow--those farther from the shade, in the sun, have pink tinges on the sides that are in the full sun.
We usually pick cherries early in June. Last year was an abberation--the spring was so cold that the tree bloomed late, and the cherries didn't ripen until mid-June. The scratching of the branches against the windows reminds me that I need to cut the branches back after the cherries are picked.
We'll pick most of the cherries, and the birds will feast on the rest.
Lila
We usually pick cherries early in June. Last year was an abberation--the spring was so cold that the tree bloomed late, and the cherries didn't ripen until mid-June. The scratching of the branches against the windows reminds me that I need to cut the branches back after the cherries are picked.
We'll pick most of the cherries, and the birds will feast on the rest.
Lila
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday 13 May 09 Petunias
Today I bought Petunias to plant out front.
Purple Petunias. Purple Petunias, Pink Petunias, Red Petunias, any Petunias remind me of being a child at the Beach. We stayed at a place where Petunias were planted around the small cottage. In the heat of summer, the small of the Petunias wafted up whenever someone walked past them.
I always loved the Petunias because they were pretty--and didn't really think much about Petunias and summers at the Jersey Shore until I was an adult.
So, today I bought Purple Petunias to plant in pots outside the front door of my house. And maybe if I close my eyes as I pass by them in the summer breeze, I'll be taken back to some summer days when I was smaller, and at the Jersey Shore; days on the beach; days playing cards, days knitting, crocheting, and days spent near the boardwalk....
Lila
Purple Petunias. Purple Petunias, Pink Petunias, Red Petunias, any Petunias remind me of being a child at the Beach. We stayed at a place where Petunias were planted around the small cottage. In the heat of summer, the small of the Petunias wafted up whenever someone walked past them.
I always loved the Petunias because they were pretty--and didn't really think much about Petunias and summers at the Jersey Shore until I was an adult.
So, today I bought Purple Petunias to plant in pots outside the front door of my house. And maybe if I close my eyes as I pass by them in the summer breeze, I'll be taken back to some summer days when I was smaller, and at the Jersey Shore; days on the beach; days playing cards, days knitting, crocheting, and days spent near the boardwalk....
Lila
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Stardate 62820.2 ?
62820.2 is the date of a StarDate calculator for today.....
I wonder how many methods there have been for calculating time, and segments of time, throughout the ages. The Egyptians calculated time, as did the Mayans, Aztecs, the Chinese, and every civilization known and probably those unknown to us.
Stonehenge? We can speculate....
Saturday 9 May 2009.
How do these things measure in an infinity.
Lila
I wonder how many methods there have been for calculating time, and segments of time, throughout the ages. The Egyptians calculated time, as did the Mayans, Aztecs, the Chinese, and every civilization known and probably those unknown to us.
Stonehenge? We can speculate....
Saturday 9 May 2009.
How do these things measure in an infinity.
Lila
Friday, May 8, 2009
Friday 8 May 09 Star Trek Movie
The Star Trek movie is out today!
I've been hearing about the new movie for the last few weeks, and truthfully, I can't wait to get out to see it.
It's unlikely that I'll get out any time soon to see it, but I will hear about it from those who are going to see it today.
The original Spock, Leonard Nimoy, is in the movie too.
Live Long and Prosper!
Lila
I've been hearing about the new movie for the last few weeks, and truthfully, I can't wait to get out to see it.
It's unlikely that I'll get out any time soon to see it, but I will hear about it from those who are going to see it today.
The original Spock, Leonard Nimoy, is in the movie too.
Live Long and Prosper!
Lila
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Lily of the Valley Saturday 2 May 09
Greetings!
I have Lily of the Valley growing in my front yard! For the past several years I've watched as they've multiplied each year, and this year, they're all over the front side garden next to my front stoop. I love the scent!
When I walk past the Lily of the Valley plants, the scent swirls around my feet as I walk by to the front stoop.
I look forward to the Lily of the Valley blooming every year...it's too short a season--they bloom and fade away too quickly, until next year, and next year, there will be more of them.
Besides the Lily of the Valley flowers, there's been a lot of pollen. The pollen is like a green powder that covers every surface. It's rained; the pollen has been washed away; it's come back again.
Another event is happening in the background--the Swine Flu is hanging over the population of the earth as a potential pandemic. Will it happen? Or not?
"We", the population, don't know what's going to happen. We have to wait to see how things evolve. I think that we'll see another mass vaccination of the population in the US--just as soon as the vaccine can be manufactured.
And that's a good thing--we have a reasonable expectation that we won't succumb to a flu pandemic--because we have science to provide us with a solution. Scientists all around the globe are working on vaccines that anticipate how the flu viruses will mutate. The vaccines will protect us, and all the while that we are protected, there's ongoing research to anticipate the next version of the flu.
We live in an age of wonders.
Lila
I have Lily of the Valley growing in my front yard! For the past several years I've watched as they've multiplied each year, and this year, they're all over the front side garden next to my front stoop. I love the scent!
When I walk past the Lily of the Valley plants, the scent swirls around my feet as I walk by to the front stoop.
I look forward to the Lily of the Valley blooming every year...it's too short a season--they bloom and fade away too quickly, until next year, and next year, there will be more of them.
Besides the Lily of the Valley flowers, there's been a lot of pollen. The pollen is like a green powder that covers every surface. It's rained; the pollen has been washed away; it's come back again.
Another event is happening in the background--the Swine Flu is hanging over the population of the earth as a potential pandemic. Will it happen? Or not?
"We", the population, don't know what's going to happen. We have to wait to see how things evolve. I think that we'll see another mass vaccination of the population in the US--just as soon as the vaccine can be manufactured.
And that's a good thing--we have a reasonable expectation that we won't succumb to a flu pandemic--because we have science to provide us with a solution. Scientists all around the globe are working on vaccines that anticipate how the flu viruses will mutate. The vaccines will protect us, and all the while that we are protected, there's ongoing research to anticipate the next version of the flu.
We live in an age of wonders.
Lila
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Economy still hasn't hit bottom yet...
Today is Sunday 19 April--and no, the Economy still hasn't hit bottom yet....
If you look around, you'll see that things have changed--slightly in some cases, more so in others.
Last year the cost of homes was a bit higher perhaps than it is today--however, those homes that were on sale last year, might still be on the market, or may have sold for far less than the owners would have wanted.
The nuances of what "change" means, is getting difficult to sort out.
I know that some changes that often come to mind are for job security, being able to pay one's mortgage, being able to pay one's bills, being able to afford "extra" things, not necessarily luxury things.
Change can also mean an adjustment to a different standard of living, spending, doing things.
The other day I went to the US Post office to mail a large envelope, and the postal clerks were talking to each other and to some of us who were customers at that time.
A woman sleeps in the lobby of the post office each night--after the building closes for business for the day. She comes in, goes toward a corner that can't be seen from the door (in the part of the building where P.O. key boxes are located, sort of hides herself and her stuff behind/in a huge garbage can, and then goes to sleep.
The Postal employees describe her as being in her mid fifties, clean, polite, and a victim of circumstances.
I wonder what her circumstances have been that she is alone, and sleeping in the Post Office lobby?
Some of the postal employees took up a collection of some cash for her around Christmas time.
Again, I wonder--how does one wind up in such a circumstance--how does a person become homeless. Alone. Without property, without possessions.
Several weeks ago, I visited my daughter at her university in a City several hours away from home. We did a few things during the day, one of those things being a trip to a nearby Starbucks for some coffee.
This Starbucks was a bit different than others I've been in, yet, I imagine that it's not all that different after all, just that the homeless people who occupied a couple of tables, plus a chair or two, were there, meaning that they were there and not somewhere else, while we who are not homeless, were there too, during the day time.
At least one difference too--these homeless were not clean, they were scruffy and dirty looking. They were wearing numerous layers of clothing; their hands and faces were dirty with sooty looking black stuff, their clothes were dirty too. And, they used the restroom at the Starbucks which made at least one very clean looking woman decide to find another restroom to use--somewhere else.
Over the years, I recall seeing Bag-Ladies in restrooms in train stations, in supermarkets, in department stores, attempting to take care of their personal needs and grooming. I remember too that "other" people using the facilities gave them lots of room.
Then too, some years ago, I also remember seeing a woman lower her pants in a corner of NYC's Penn Station to urinate and defecate in plain view of the hordes of people who were passing through to their trains.
While I have been very fortunate to never have gone without the basics that I assumed were necessary for my standard of living, I can't help but wonder about how the homeless "manage" their lives. The people in the Starbucks seemed to have some connection with each other, possibly some kind of helping arrangement. Maybe I just want them to be helping each other.
I know that I can't fix the world, I can't even help the few random people who approach me to beg when I go to these places where the homeless inhabit open spaces, and public spaces.
Always though I wonder, how close am I to this kind of life. Could it happen to me someday--to my family, to my children. What would I do?
Lila
If you look around, you'll see that things have changed--slightly in some cases, more so in others.
Last year the cost of homes was a bit higher perhaps than it is today--however, those homes that were on sale last year, might still be on the market, or may have sold for far less than the owners would have wanted.
The nuances of what "change" means, is getting difficult to sort out.
I know that some changes that often come to mind are for job security, being able to pay one's mortgage, being able to pay one's bills, being able to afford "extra" things, not necessarily luxury things.
Change can also mean an adjustment to a different standard of living, spending, doing things.
The other day I went to the US Post office to mail a large envelope, and the postal clerks were talking to each other and to some of us who were customers at that time.
A woman sleeps in the lobby of the post office each night--after the building closes for business for the day. She comes in, goes toward a corner that can't be seen from the door (in the part of the building where P.O. key boxes are located, sort of hides herself and her stuff behind/in a huge garbage can, and then goes to sleep.
The Postal employees describe her as being in her mid fifties, clean, polite, and a victim of circumstances.
I wonder what her circumstances have been that she is alone, and sleeping in the Post Office lobby?
Some of the postal employees took up a collection of some cash for her around Christmas time.
Again, I wonder--how does one wind up in such a circumstance--how does a person become homeless. Alone. Without property, without possessions.
Several weeks ago, I visited my daughter at her university in a City several hours away from home. We did a few things during the day, one of those things being a trip to a nearby Starbucks for some coffee.
This Starbucks was a bit different than others I've been in, yet, I imagine that it's not all that different after all, just that the homeless people who occupied a couple of tables, plus a chair or two, were there, meaning that they were there and not somewhere else, while we who are not homeless, were there too, during the day time.
At least one difference too--these homeless were not clean, they were scruffy and dirty looking. They were wearing numerous layers of clothing; their hands and faces were dirty with sooty looking black stuff, their clothes were dirty too. And, they used the restroom at the Starbucks which made at least one very clean looking woman decide to find another restroom to use--somewhere else.
Over the years, I recall seeing Bag-Ladies in restrooms in train stations, in supermarkets, in department stores, attempting to take care of their personal needs and grooming. I remember too that "other" people using the facilities gave them lots of room.
Then too, some years ago, I also remember seeing a woman lower her pants in a corner of NYC's Penn Station to urinate and defecate in plain view of the hordes of people who were passing through to their trains.
While I have been very fortunate to never have gone without the basics that I assumed were necessary for my standard of living, I can't help but wonder about how the homeless "manage" their lives. The people in the Starbucks seemed to have some connection with each other, possibly some kind of helping arrangement. Maybe I just want them to be helping each other.
I know that I can't fix the world, I can't even help the few random people who approach me to beg when I go to these places where the homeless inhabit open spaces, and public spaces.
Always though I wonder, how close am I to this kind of life. Could it happen to me someday--to my family, to my children. What would I do?
Lila
Friday, April 17, 2009
Friday: 17 April 09
I'm intimidated by the blank space. I'm drawing a blank--can't seem to break through it.
Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day to write.
Lila
Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day to write.
Lila
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
April Showers Tax Day 2009 April 15
I went to CNN.com today to look around, and clicked on a You Tube link to a British show, a talent show, that featured one contestant named Susan Boyle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnmbJzH93NU
I hope that the link works--this woman has an incredible voice.
Well worth taking some time to look at.
Lila
PS The post office was crowded today with people sending their tax forms off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnmbJzH93NU
I hope that the link works--this woman has an incredible voice.
Well worth taking some time to look at.
Lila
PS The post office was crowded today with people sending their tax forms off.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Monday 13 April 09
...continuing....have you ever wondered about how you personally take up space in the world?
I suppose I'm wondering about space as a matter of cubic centimeters, cubic yards, cubic anything. what is the volume of the air, the practical space that I live in, work in, use up, throw away...
It's not just the "green" movement, I've always thought about these things. So why is it relevant? Why now? Truthfully, I'm not sure except that I'm sitting in a room that's full of my "things", and these "things" aren't even a lot of my "things".
Got to go--I'll be back...
Lila
I suppose I'm wondering about space as a matter of cubic centimeters, cubic yards, cubic anything. what is the volume of the air, the practical space that I live in, work in, use up, throw away...
It's not just the "green" movement, I've always thought about these things. So why is it relevant? Why now? Truthfully, I'm not sure except that I'm sitting in a room that's full of my "things", and these "things" aren't even a lot of my "things".
Got to go--I'll be back...
Lila
Sunday, April 12, 2009
On The Beach....Easter Sunday 12 April 2009
I went to a Spring Festival at a coastal town over the weekend.
There wasn't much there besides the usual touristy local crafts stuff, none of it really worth bothering over, at least not for me, except the one table, where two women were collecting money for a raffle for a framed painting of some sort, the proceeds to go toward care bundles for women going through treatment for Breast Cancer surgery, and Chemo.
I gave a donation, and asked them to please remember that there are other kinds of "woman" cancers out there--other reproductive cancers that strike women, and that perhaps those women too would appreciate such support.
A couple of years ago I presented a short paper at a roundtable session at a conference that I went to about how there was no t-shirt for my cancer. And there really isn't, not that there "should" be, rather, I think sometimes that with the incredible emphasis on Breast Cancer, as a "cause", that other kinds of diseases, and other kinds of cancers, sometimes become forgotten.
Today there was a short CNN news item about Farah Fawcett, and her struggle with Anal Cancer. About the "stigma" for such cancers of the anal, rectal, colon, and how she is hospitalized right now.
While I can't empathize with her pain, I can empathize with the sense of fear, and uncertainty that she is likely to experience.
I wish her the very best, and would also like to understand this idea of a so-called stigma for a cancer--certainly there's no stigma for "cancer", and to potentially imply that there should be any stigma, is cruel, and totally unkind.
The CNN article cited that some of the risk factors for that kind of cancer make it an uncomfortable topic for patient and doctor alike.
Think about how unreasonable that whole idea is--a person's life is at stake, and the Doctor is uncomfortable with the exam, the cancer? How is a patient supposed to feel?
Also that the idea of HPV is somehow connected, therefore, the Gardasil vaccine might be useful? as a preventive vaccine?
THAT's worth looking into!
Lila
There wasn't much there besides the usual touristy local crafts stuff, none of it really worth bothering over, at least not for me, except the one table, where two women were collecting money for a raffle for a framed painting of some sort, the proceeds to go toward care bundles for women going through treatment for Breast Cancer surgery, and Chemo.
I gave a donation, and asked them to please remember that there are other kinds of "woman" cancers out there--other reproductive cancers that strike women, and that perhaps those women too would appreciate such support.
A couple of years ago I presented a short paper at a roundtable session at a conference that I went to about how there was no t-shirt for my cancer. And there really isn't, not that there "should" be, rather, I think sometimes that with the incredible emphasis on Breast Cancer, as a "cause", that other kinds of diseases, and other kinds of cancers, sometimes become forgotten.
Today there was a short CNN news item about Farah Fawcett, and her struggle with Anal Cancer. About the "stigma" for such cancers of the anal, rectal, colon, and how she is hospitalized right now.
While I can't empathize with her pain, I can empathize with the sense of fear, and uncertainty that she is likely to experience.
I wish her the very best, and would also like to understand this idea of a so-called stigma for a cancer--certainly there's no stigma for "cancer", and to potentially imply that there should be any stigma, is cruel, and totally unkind.
The CNN article cited that some of the risk factors for that kind of cancer make it an uncomfortable topic for patient and doctor alike.
Think about how unreasonable that whole idea is--a person's life is at stake, and the Doctor is uncomfortable with the exam, the cancer? How is a patient supposed to feel?
Also that the idea of HPV is somehow connected, therefore, the Gardasil vaccine might be useful? as a preventive vaccine?
THAT's worth looking into!
Lila
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thursday 9 April 09 Thursday
Thursday. that means that we have only Friday and Saturday before going home again.
It's been a very nice few days to be away from it all, and "all" includes being away from the internet.
While I love being able to go all sorts of virtual places via my computer, I also enjoy the time that i haven't done anything with the computer. Also fine. No withdrawal, no hard times thinking about the computer and what I could be doing there.
I will admit to thinking that I have more time in my day to do things when I don't have the computer to distract me.
Today I went with my husband to find a spot where we both could work for a short while. He needs to do it for his job. I'm "here" because I wanted to be.
The beach is not the shore. Two different things. Two different mentalities that do not cross paths.
The beach is less active than the shore is. The shore is a place where the "young" often go, and do things that are sort of rites of passage; the beach is a bit more passive--you sit on the beach, you watch the surf, you read, you knit, you listen to the wind. At the shore you also watch the surf, you read, knit, and listen to the wind, but you also listen to the radio, the people, you seek to connect with others who are likely also looking for people to meet. it's a more active social environment than the beach....one relaxes in two different ways, either shore, or beach....
The weather here has been cold. Cold yet wonderfully sunny at times; not too cold to walk along the edge of the surf to find seashells, sharks' teeth, and other things cast up by the waves.
Lila
It's been a very nice few days to be away from it all, and "all" includes being away from the internet.
While I love being able to go all sorts of virtual places via my computer, I also enjoy the time that i haven't done anything with the computer. Also fine. No withdrawal, no hard times thinking about the computer and what I could be doing there.
I will admit to thinking that I have more time in my day to do things when I don't have the computer to distract me.
Today I went with my husband to find a spot where we both could work for a short while. He needs to do it for his job. I'm "here" because I wanted to be.
The beach is not the shore. Two different things. Two different mentalities that do not cross paths.
The beach is less active than the shore is. The shore is a place where the "young" often go, and do things that are sort of rites of passage; the beach is a bit more passive--you sit on the beach, you watch the surf, you read, you knit, you listen to the wind. At the shore you also watch the surf, you read, knit, and listen to the wind, but you also listen to the radio, the people, you seek to connect with others who are likely also looking for people to meet. it's a more active social environment than the beach....one relaxes in two different ways, either shore, or beach....
The weather here has been cold. Cold yet wonderfully sunny at times; not too cold to walk along the edge of the surf to find seashells, sharks' teeth, and other things cast up by the waves.
Lila
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Saturday 4 April 09
We're off to the beach tomorrow! I can hardly wait!
The first thing that anyone who's going to the beach ought to do before going, is to figure out what kinds of things are necessary to occupy time. Not the usual things--other things--the kinds of things that you get to do that could be mistaken for leisure activities.
So what's your leisure? what do you desire to do? what would you like to do? when will you get to do it?
What do people do when they go to the beach? what's different about beach time than one's ordinary time?
I knit. I read. I crochet. I read. I take pictures. I used to bring things to study while sitting on the beach. That was a fairly long time ago, almost 18 years ago...still, I could do it again--study that is...and I do. So what should I study? Knitting is as good a topic as any, so why not. I suppose that there could be other things too, and so I'll still have to find those things too, and that's also a good thing to still be searching for the next thing that I want to do, need to do, am going to do...
If we stop doing things, or imagining the future for the kinds of possibilities that might exist, then we lose initiative. Initiative is always important, although I'm not sure it's the same as motivation.
One of my students in an earlier term wanted to know why he was different than his siblings. Why did he have the drive, the motivation, the desire to be different. What made him relatively successful in his life compared to his siblings, and relatives.
I've heard similar things from others.
I have some thoughts about their particular plights, still, am not yet willing to say my piece. At least not for the moment.
The first thing that anyone who's going to the beach ought to do before going, is to figure out what kinds of things are necessary to occupy time. Not the usual things--other things--the kinds of things that you get to do that could be mistaken for leisure activities.
So what's your leisure? what do you desire to do? what would you like to do? when will you get to do it?
What do people do when they go to the beach? what's different about beach time than one's ordinary time?
I knit. I read. I crochet. I read. I take pictures. I used to bring things to study while sitting on the beach. That was a fairly long time ago, almost 18 years ago...still, I could do it again--study that is...and I do. So what should I study? Knitting is as good a topic as any, so why not. I suppose that there could be other things too, and so I'll still have to find those things too, and that's also a good thing to still be searching for the next thing that I want to do, need to do, am going to do...
If we stop doing things, or imagining the future for the kinds of possibilities that might exist, then we lose initiative. Initiative is always important, although I'm not sure it's the same as motivation.
One of my students in an earlier term wanted to know why he was different than his siblings. Why did he have the drive, the motivation, the desire to be different. What made him relatively successful in his life compared to his siblings, and relatives.
I've heard similar things from others.
I have some thoughts about their particular plights, still, am not yet willing to say my piece. At least not for the moment.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Back again! Friday 3 April 09
I stumbled across an old, bad, science fiction movie. It takes place in a beatnik coffee house, and shows beatnik poets reciting (stuff that was supposed to pass for poetry?) in a rather disaffected odd way. "Art" was supposed to be happening.
I wonder if the beatnik coffee houses and poetry sessions were the predecessors for the blogs of today.
Lila
I wonder if the beatnik coffee houses and poetry sessions were the predecessors for the blogs of today.
Lila
Friday afternoon: 3 April 09
I suppose that I might consider posting some pictures here--maybe.
I like pictures--pictures and words both serve descriptive purposes--yet, to use pictures sometimes means that the words might not follow. Or, perhaps the words aren't necessary?
Or perhaps the words are insufficient? Or superfluous?
The movie Fargo is spare in its use of words--instead, it paints images in stark backgrounds, and
spares the observer from all but the most necessary of words, and sounds.
One of the more interesting uses of sound is in one of the most grisly scenes--when the blonde killer is putting his partner in crime through the wood chipper--we hear the sound, and even though we don't really see the body, we hear the wood chipper struggle to grind up the leg of the victim--all of this against the background of silence, and white snow as the killer tries to run away from Marge, the pregnant sheriff, who fires at him with a small pistol.
The sound, and the noise, and the background, are all very specifically intended--and each contributes to the complete part of the picture in the scenes that we see. To remove any one of these features would diminish the story, and the impression that is intended.
Life is also a series of scenes--and scenes in life are also constructed in ways similar to how they are put together in movies in that they too are intentional, and convey specific meaning.
We remember these scenes, and what we remember influences what we do "next". "Next" need not be immediate--it can be years down the life-line. Nonetheless, the scenes have had their profound impact upon our consciousness, and therefore they help direct the actions that we take in our future.
Lila
I like pictures--pictures and words both serve descriptive purposes--yet, to use pictures sometimes means that the words might not follow. Or, perhaps the words aren't necessary?
Or perhaps the words are insufficient? Or superfluous?
The movie Fargo is spare in its use of words--instead, it paints images in stark backgrounds, and
spares the observer from all but the most necessary of words, and sounds.
One of the more interesting uses of sound is in one of the most grisly scenes--when the blonde killer is putting his partner in crime through the wood chipper--we hear the sound, and even though we don't really see the body, we hear the wood chipper struggle to grind up the leg of the victim--all of this against the background of silence, and white snow as the killer tries to run away from Marge, the pregnant sheriff, who fires at him with a small pistol.
The sound, and the noise, and the background, are all very specifically intended--and each contributes to the complete part of the picture in the scenes that we see. To remove any one of these features would diminish the story, and the impression that is intended.
Life is also a series of scenes--and scenes in life are also constructed in ways similar to how they are put together in movies in that they too are intentional, and convey specific meaning.
We remember these scenes, and what we remember influences what we do "next". "Next" need not be immediate--it can be years down the life-line. Nonetheless, the scenes have had their profound impact upon our consciousness, and therefore they help direct the actions that we take in our future.
Lila
Friday 3 April 2009
Yesterday's gray has turned into more gray today except that today's gray has some spots of sun!
And thunder! How wonderful to have a wonderful thunderstorm!
Not that I'm forever going to keep talking about the weather, yet, I find that the weather has something about it that intrigues me....
I'm gone for now--will be back later!
Lila
And thunder! How wonderful to have a wonderful thunderstorm!
Not that I'm forever going to keep talking about the weather, yet, I find that the weather has something about it that intrigues me....
I'm gone for now--will be back later!
Lila
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The end of today, 2 April 2009, a Tuesday
Today has been a long day--even though it's been totally gray, all day, it's been a wonderful day full of the kind of beautiful things that happen only in spring time.
All over the area there are trees in bloom. All of the flowering trees, in whites, pinks, and just a few starting to show their leaves. The Forsythia are in bloom, and I suspect that it's going to be just a short time before the tulips start to flower.
There are daffodils in bloom everywhere, the hyacinth are coming out too. I expect that before very long, the trees will have their leaves.
Farther south, the azelea are already in bloom. I expect to see the azelea next week when we go to the ocean in North Carolina. I'm looking forward to it.
I've been reading quite a bit lately, some of it on my Kindle, and some in the "old fashioned" way, in books. I'm thrilled with the Kindle because it allows me the flexibility of owning some books without the burden of taking up square footage in my small office, or in the rest of the house.
I suppose that sometime soon I'll start doing some book critiques in this space--or perhaps a listing of the books that catch my attention. And the movies too--I love both books and movies, and have less time than I'd like for them. I also like to do some other things too, knitting for one thing, yet I'm not about to post a knitting blog! I love to see what others are knitting, I'm just not quite as speedy as those dedicated people may be, so why post things that go so slowly.
For the moment, I have several books going--and also several knitting projects. I need to work on all of them.
Today has been a good day, so now I'll come to a close.
Lila
All over the area there are trees in bloom. All of the flowering trees, in whites, pinks, and just a few starting to show their leaves. The Forsythia are in bloom, and I suspect that it's going to be just a short time before the tulips start to flower.
There are daffodils in bloom everywhere, the hyacinth are coming out too. I expect that before very long, the trees will have their leaves.
Farther south, the azelea are already in bloom. I expect to see the azelea next week when we go to the ocean in North Carolina. I'm looking forward to it.
I've been reading quite a bit lately, some of it on my Kindle, and some in the "old fashioned" way, in books. I'm thrilled with the Kindle because it allows me the flexibility of owning some books without the burden of taking up square footage in my small office, or in the rest of the house.
I suppose that sometime soon I'll start doing some book critiques in this space--or perhaps a listing of the books that catch my attention. And the movies too--I love both books and movies, and have less time than I'd like for them. I also like to do some other things too, knitting for one thing, yet I'm not about to post a knitting blog! I love to see what others are knitting, I'm just not quite as speedy as those dedicated people may be, so why post things that go so slowly.
For the moment, I have several books going--and also several knitting projects. I need to work on all of them.
Today has been a good day, so now I'll come to a close.
Lila
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
yet another day!
It's another day! Think about that!
In our lives, we only have a limited number of days, so every new day is a blessing!
Yesterday I watched an episode of the HBO special on John Adams. I hadn't realized that his daughter died from breast cancer.
Consider that in those times, Nabby, as she was called, underwent mastectomy surgery without anasthesia. The scene showed her being given a small flask of something to drink--probably laudanum--as her sole pain reliever. The scene also showed the doctor wielding a huge curved blade, undoubtedly the surgical instrument, that would have been used to cut away her breast, quickly one would hope. She was given also a padded stick of some sort to clench between her teeth--to help her endure the pain of the surgery which was accomplished while she was conscious.
Times have changed--we do have anesthesia--we do have pain medicines--yet, the fact remains--the disease is still with us too.
Nabby's initial cancer was removed; it returned. She died. A sad story that continues to happen to too many women in our own time.
In our lives, we only have a limited number of days, so every new day is a blessing!
Yesterday I watched an episode of the HBO special on John Adams. I hadn't realized that his daughter died from breast cancer.
Consider that in those times, Nabby, as she was called, underwent mastectomy surgery without anasthesia. The scene showed her being given a small flask of something to drink--probably laudanum--as her sole pain reliever. The scene also showed the doctor wielding a huge curved blade, undoubtedly the surgical instrument, that would have been used to cut away her breast, quickly one would hope. She was given also a padded stick of some sort to clench between her teeth--to help her endure the pain of the surgery which was accomplished while she was conscious.
Times have changed--we do have anesthesia--we do have pain medicines--yet, the fact remains--the disease is still with us too.
Nabby's initial cancer was removed; it returned. She died. A sad story that continues to happen to too many women in our own time.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
...continuing....
....One of the things I really enjoy is discussion with other people--the discussion can be about almost any topic--the only limitations might be that there should be some "sense", or "purpose" to the discussion. The "purpose", "sense", or "relevance", could serve to identify, and perhaps explain, some of the social issues of our times. And for me, that makes "sense"--to understand the issues, and the context in which these issues take place.
Now, given the idea that there should/could be a limitation, or constraint, called "purpose", "relevance", "sense", to discussions, I would propose that there can also be a great range of flexibility for topics, and perspectives on these topics.
So what starting point would one choose for a discussion?
Where can these issues or topics come from?
I say that all one needs do is look around you--take a careful look at what you see in your everyday life, read the paper, watch the news, watch TV, go to the internet, just look around--what do you see, what do you hear.
I just started looking into the "Twitter" phenomenon yesterday. Apparently one posts the minutia of daily life onto the internet or text messages. I admit that I'm not yet sure about what Twitter is. The short description that I read said something about posting about what one is doing "right now", and that it would provide these minute particles of daily life that everyone could look at and become ?inspired? by????
While I personally am a fan of the mundane, I'm not sure that I like this idea--yet, I'm not sure why. I feel like I'm doing the same thing, right now, without the benefit of an audience--at least not yet--so I don't know how it would be....
I think I might prefer to scan the news for items, and then talk about those things, for a while at least, and then work on other topics as my thoughts for this space evolve....
Now, given the idea that there should/could be a limitation, or constraint, called "purpose", "relevance", "sense", to discussions, I would propose that there can also be a great range of flexibility for topics, and perspectives on these topics.
So what starting point would one choose for a discussion?
Where can these issues or topics come from?
I say that all one needs do is look around you--take a careful look at what you see in your everyday life, read the paper, watch the news, watch TV, go to the internet, just look around--what do you see, what do you hear.
I just started looking into the "Twitter" phenomenon yesterday. Apparently one posts the minutia of daily life onto the internet or text messages. I admit that I'm not yet sure about what Twitter is. The short description that I read said something about posting about what one is doing "right now", and that it would provide these minute particles of daily life that everyone could look at and become ?inspired? by????
While I personally am a fan of the mundane, I'm not sure that I like this idea--yet, I'm not sure why. I feel like I'm doing the same thing, right now, without the benefit of an audience--at least not yet--so I don't know how it would be....
I think I might prefer to scan the news for items, and then talk about those things, for a while at least, and then work on other topics as my thoughts for this space evolve....
Day One! and moving onward!
Hello! And Welcome!
I'm not quite sure yet what to say--the prospect of filling in this blank space, my own space is finally somewhat intimidating to me!
I've thought about it--for a very long time, and yet, now that this time has finally arrived--I'm hesitant, reluctant, and even a bit shy, about posting.
I have had no concern about posting publicly in other spaces, I've done that before quite easily, yet, to take ownership of THIS space, invokes more thought, and definitely more responsibility than those other spaces that didn't belong to me.
So. Here we go! I shall return! Soon!
Lila
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