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Wednesday, July 30, 2008
CSNY Deja Vu
From rocking out to sniffling back tears, I felt the gamut as I experienced the CSNY Deja Vu movie Monday night. Wow! It was a great trip with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young as the Freedom of Speech Tour wound it's way through the U.S. The crowds showed much love and some, well, definite anger. The concert tour featured not only CSNY's earlier works, but also much from Young's Living With War album.
The film captures the touching effects of the music on fans, including some veterans who are now against the war, while also giving airtime to the anger of those who seemed to love CSNY's protest songs from the '60s and '70s, but now hate their protest songs of the '00s. I haven't quite been able to get my head around all of that yet.
One critic during the tour said, "I don't want to be told how to think by four aging hippies." I find it all very strange. What is the difference between these "four aging hippies", who sing their message, and any other artist or journalist who puts his/her thoughts out into the airwaves or print? Can we not decide how to think for ourselves, no matter what someone else says?
I was at the Freedom of Speech concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater two years ago (and I just realized that I never blogged about it. What was up with that???). I remember how wonderful it felt to be able to not only hear and see CSNY perform, but to also be in an amphitheater full of (mostly) like-minded people who could sing under the stars together "Lets Impeach the President for Lying". THAT was freedom of speech for me.
The film captures the touching effects of the music on fans, including some veterans who are now against the war, while also giving airtime to the anger of those who seemed to love CSNY's protest songs from the '60s and '70s, but now hate their protest songs of the '00s. I haven't quite been able to get my head around all of that yet.
One critic during the tour said, "I don't want to be told how to think by four aging hippies." I find it all very strange. What is the difference between these "four aging hippies", who sing their message, and any other artist or journalist who puts his/her thoughts out into the airwaves or print? Can we not decide how to think for ourselves, no matter what someone else says?
I was at the Freedom of Speech concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater two years ago (and I just realized that I never blogged about it. What was up with that???). I remember how wonderful it felt to be able to not only hear and see CSNY perform, but to also be in an amphitheater full of (mostly) like-minded people who could sing under the stars together "Lets Impeach the President for Lying". THAT was freedom of speech for me.
Labels: CSNY Deja Vu, I love Neil Young
posted by Carol at 9:52 PM
7 comments
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Gifts
A couple of days ago, San of A Life With a View honored me with the award you see above. San's site is the definition of a fun to read blog. She may not post daily or even every second day. But when San posts.... well, it's A POST! No, it's a work of art - literary AND visual.
Gracias, mi amiga!
And the gifts keep coming...
Tonight, the skies did the unimaginable. They quit teasing us. They opened up and RAINED on us! I honestly can't remember the last time it rained. It's been months. Our normal amount of precipitation by July is 10 inches. Before tonight's cooling, refreshing rainfall, we had received a little over 3 inches of moisture for the whole year.
And now I remember...
THIS is how rain looks and smells and feels!
I can't share the rain with you, but I offer the award to all of the millions of readers of this blog. Take it and have yourself some FUN with it!
Labels: Award, photography
posted by Carol at 8:16 PM
7 comments
Friday, July 25, 2008
Against All Odds
The BBC has several stories on their site under the title "Against All Odds". These articles are about athletes from around the world who have beaten extreme adversity to gain the ability to compete in the upcoming Olympics.
I was particularly struck by the tale of Samiya Yuusf Omar, from Somalia. Somalia has been undergoing civil war and unrest for longer than this 16 year old has been alive. The track she trains on is potmarked with mortar craters. Militiamen intimidate and insult her as she runs. Even family and friends ask her not to compete. There, women are considered corrupted if they particpate in sports.
And still Samiya runs. She probably doesn't stand a chance at a medal in Beijing this year, but this opportunity to represent her country opens a door of hope for her.
And her story makes my life a little lighter. I wish that I could meet Samiya.
I was particularly struck by the tale of Samiya Yuusf Omar, from Somalia. Somalia has been undergoing civil war and unrest for longer than this 16 year old has been alive. The track she trains on is potmarked with mortar craters. Militiamen intimidate and insult her as she runs. Even family and friends ask her not to compete. There, women are considered corrupted if they particpate in sports.
And still Samiya runs. She probably doesn't stand a chance at a medal in Beijing this year, but this opportunity to represent her country opens a door of hope for her.
And her story makes my life a little lighter. I wish that I could meet Samiya.
Labels: inspiration
posted by Carol at 9:26 PM
4 comments
One Life
Oh if a man triedThese are the words on the tombstone of Harry Chapin, the musician who is maybe best known for his song Cats in the Cradle (one of the saddest songs I've ever heard). The quote above was taken from his song, I Wonder What Would Happen to the World.
To take his time on Earth
And prove before he died
What one man's life could be worth
I wonder what would happen
to this world
Harry, in his 38 years, demonstrated what he, as one man, could do. His daughter says that "He saw hunger and poverty as an insult to America." As a result of that understanding, he founded the World Hunger Year - an organization that addresses the root causes of poverty and hunger. According to his wife, "he always said, 'Money is for people,' so he gave it away", donating an estimated one-third of his paid concerts to charitable causes.
What WOULD happen to this world if we each tried to prove what one person's life could be worth? Today, that's what I ponder...
Labels: Harry Chapin, inspiration
posted by Carol at 9:37 AM
5 comments
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
How To Save A Sagging Economy
It appears the answer is: expand our military bases!
Source: Colorado Springs Gazette
Meanwhile, haggling is still going on nearby where the army has been wanting to expand their Pinon Canyon Maneuver site by 418,000 acres (now they're saying they might settle for acquiring only 100,000 new acres). The site currently has about 234,000 acres. Conservatives and liberals alike are fighting this expansion. The acquisition of the land, through pressuring owners to sell or by just taking the land (as governments seem to think they can do), will kill many family ranches (thus the livelihood of many people), destroy the fragile ecosystem, taint the beauty of this amazing land, and much more. I have been reading the Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition website and I'm impressed (not in a good way) with how the expansion would have a very far-reaching effect in so many areas.
In 2003, Robert Kennedy, Jr. said,
This isn't just a southern Colorado issue. The destruction of our planet affects us all. Besides, Pinon Canyon is only one of the "21,000 potentially contaminated sites" our proud military has used and abused. YOU may live close to one!
A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. - Martin Luther King, Jr.
The biggest military building program to hit the Pikes Peak region since World War II is being credited with keeping the local economy afloat amid a housing downturn and sagging high-tech employment.Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs had less than 15,000 soldiers when we went to destroy Iraq in 2003. Thousands of additional soldiers will arrive next year as part of a build up to 30,000 by 2013.
Source: Colorado Springs Gazette
Meanwhile, haggling is still going on nearby where the army has been wanting to expand their Pinon Canyon Maneuver site by 418,000 acres (now they're saying they might settle for acquiring only 100,000 new acres). The site currently has about 234,000 acres. Conservatives and liberals alike are fighting this expansion. The acquisition of the land, through pressuring owners to sell or by just taking the land (as governments seem to think they can do), will kill many family ranches (thus the livelihood of many people), destroy the fragile ecosystem, taint the beauty of this amazing land, and much more. I have been reading the Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition website and I'm impressed (not in a good way) with how the expansion would have a very far-reaching effect in so many areas.
In 2003, Robert Kennedy, Jr. said,
"The federal government is America's biggest polluter and the Department of Defense is the government's worst offender. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, unexploded ordnance waste can be found on 16,000 military ranges across the U.S. and more than half may contain biological or chemical weapons. In total, the Pentagon is responsible for more than 21,000 potentially contaminated sites and, according to the EPA, the military may have poisoned as much as 40 million acres, a little larger than Florida. That result might be considered an act of war if committed by a foreign power."Source: PinonCanyon.com (It seems this site doesn't work well in Firefox, but it does in Internet Explorer)
This isn't just a southern Colorado issue. The destruction of our planet affects us all. Besides, Pinon Canyon is only one of the "21,000 potentially contaminated sites" our proud military has used and abused. YOU may live close to one!
A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Labels: Pinon Canyon, War
posted by Carol at 9:12 PM
3 comments
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Nick
If you're a reader of Nick's Bytes, you may just be missin' him about now - or about a few days ago.
When going to his site, we are rewarded with a pesky error message that no one knows anything about.
The more that report this rude and atrocious Blogger error, the better. Please click here and enter in this information:
When going to his site, we are rewarded with a pesky error message that no one knows anything about.
The more that report this rude and atrocious Blogger error, the better. Please click here and enter in this information:
BX code = bX-ui5l62And, while the Blogger staff work diligently to fix the problem, you can still find Nick at Alex's site: Alexicon
Nick's Bytes URL = http://saintnicksbytes.blogspot.com/
Labels: Blogger, Sometimes Saintly Nick
posted by Carol at 5:53 PM
7 comments
You CAN Teach An Old Dog, er, Woman...
I forgot to bring along a book to read in case I had to wait for my appointment at my acupuncturist's office the other day, so I picked up the closest magazine that looked interesting out of the sparse choices on the little table next to my chair. (Heaven forbid I would have to just sit and BE until my appointment!) I usually read a magazine from back to front, sometimes from middle to whatever way I go, but NEVER from front to back. So, I opened up the Stanford alumni magazine to some random page and found a FASCINATING article on the effort effect.
The article was based on the book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. "Success" and "effort" are not very interesting words to me, so I don't know why I began to read the article. Just because "it was there"?
For over 30 years, Dweck has been trying to understand why some people reach their potential while others who display an equal amount of talent don't. She believes that it doesn't have to do with ability, but instead it depends on "whether you look at ability as something inherent that needs to be demonstrated or as something that can be developed."
Dweck says that we either have a Fixed Mind-set or a Growth Mind-set. Reading the list of qualities for each of these, my eyes were opened to the fact that I have a Fixed Mind-set (not something I'm proud of, but just to realize this was liberating).
People with Fixed Mind-sets believe that intelligence is static. They have a tendency to want to look smart, which leads them to avoid challenges. They give up easily and see effort as fruitless or worse. They ignore useful negative feedback and feel threatened by the success of others. As a result, they may plateau early (a very common theme in my life) and achieve less than their full potential.
Someone with a Growth Mind-set has a desire to learn and therefore a tendency to embrace challenges. They persist in the face of setbacks and see effort as the path to mastery. They learn from criticism and find lessons and inspiration in the success of others (I find inspiration in the success of others - does that mean that I'm REALLY not "Fixed"?). As a result, they reach ever-higher levels of achievement.
I can remember so many times where I was one of the best in some class, only to, at some point, plateau and be passed by others. I'd still get the "A", but I just wouldn't have the skill and mastery that those who passed by me had. Or I'd take a class in a new body work modality but then stop at some point before attaining the certification. I have been tempted to quit taking Spanish recently, because I don't believe that I'll ever be able to speak it.
Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
BUT, a mind-set can be changed. It's only based on beliefs, and those beliefs are just beliefs, not truths. Just reading this article and gaining awareness of my process, I have realized that I can have a choice about how I view challenges.
And I'm going to begin carving new pathways in my brain by embracing the challenges of learning espanol. Onward and upward!
Amo un desafio!
The article was based on the book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. "Success" and "effort" are not very interesting words to me, so I don't know why I began to read the article. Just because "it was there"?
For over 30 years, Dweck has been trying to understand why some people reach their potential while others who display an equal amount of talent don't. She believes that it doesn't have to do with ability, but instead it depends on "whether you look at ability as something inherent that needs to be demonstrated or as something that can be developed."
Dweck says that we either have a Fixed Mind-set or a Growth Mind-set. Reading the list of qualities for each of these, my eyes were opened to the fact that I have a Fixed Mind-set (not something I'm proud of, but just to realize this was liberating).
People with Fixed Mind-sets believe that intelligence is static. They have a tendency to want to look smart, which leads them to avoid challenges. They give up easily and see effort as fruitless or worse. They ignore useful negative feedback and feel threatened by the success of others. As a result, they may plateau early (a very common theme in my life) and achieve less than their full potential.
Someone with a Growth Mind-set has a desire to learn and therefore a tendency to embrace challenges. They persist in the face of setbacks and see effort as the path to mastery. They learn from criticism and find lessons and inspiration in the success of others (I find inspiration in the success of others - does that mean that I'm REALLY not "Fixed"?). As a result, they reach ever-higher levels of achievement.
I can remember so many times where I was one of the best in some class, only to, at some point, plateau and be passed by others. I'd still get the "A", but I just wouldn't have the skill and mastery that those who passed by me had. Or I'd take a class in a new body work modality but then stop at some point before attaining the certification. I have been tempted to quit taking Spanish recently, because I don't believe that I'll ever be able to speak it.
Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
BUT, a mind-set can be changed. It's only based on beliefs, and those beliefs are just beliefs, not truths. Just reading this article and gaining awareness of my process, I have realized that I can have a choice about how I view challenges.
And I'm going to begin carving new pathways in my brain by embracing the challenges of learning espanol. Onward and upward!
Amo un desafio!
Labels: Carol Dweck, espanol, Growth
posted by Carol at 8:00 AM
7 comments
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Everything
Everything in the universe is a pitcher brimming with wisdom and beauty. - Rumi
(Photo taken at Denver's Botanic Gardens)
Labels: photography, Rumi
posted by Carol at 4:16 PM
2 comments
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Spiffy, Spooky Spider Spinning Sprawling Web
It appears that spiders make bigger and much more interesting webs in Maine than they do in Colorado. We walked on one pier that had a giant web on almost every support pole. Our second day in Maine began with a lot of fog, so the webs had nice diamondy droplets on them..
I was looking up wikipedia information on spiders and found this photo of fried spiders in Cambodia:
Maybe I don't know what I'm missin', but....
Anyway, I hope you're having fun and staying cool this summer Saturday!
I was looking up wikipedia information on spiders and found this photo of fried spiders in Cambodia:
Maybe I don't know what I'm missin', but....
Anyway, I hope you're having fun and staying cool this summer Saturday!
Labels: Maine, photography
posted by Carol at 3:00 PM
4 comments
Friday, July 18, 2008
Rolihlahla Mandela
On this day, in 1918, Rolihlahla Mandela was born. A teacher gave him the name "Nelson" because Rolihlahla was too difficult to pronounce.
A BBC article chronicles the life of Nelson Mandela for this, his 90th birthday. If you have a moment, watch the video at the end of the article. It's touching to see the masses of people gathered to see Mandela as he was released from prison in 1990 after serving 27 years.
Happy 90th Birthday, Nelson! May you live a very long life!
Asimbonanga (Mandela) (we have not seen him) by Johnny Clegg:
There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children. - Nelson Mandela
A BBC article chronicles the life of Nelson Mandela for this, his 90th birthday. If you have a moment, watch the video at the end of the article. It's touching to see the masses of people gathered to see Mandela as he was released from prison in 1990 after serving 27 years.
Happy 90th Birthday, Nelson! May you live a very long life!
Asimbonanga (Mandela) (we have not seen him) by Johnny Clegg:
There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children. - Nelson Mandela
For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. - Nelson Mandela
If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. - Nelson Mandela
Labels: Johnny Clegg, Nelson Mandela
posted by Carol at 12:01 AM
2 comments
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Sometimes it's a form of love
just to talk to somebody
that you have nothing in common with
and still be fascinated by their presence.
- David Byrne
posted by Carol at 9:50 AM
5 comments
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
A Role Model
In 1992, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, age 12, asked the delegates at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro a question that I have pondered numerous times.
Well now, how do we answer such a direct and straight-forward question like that?
When I grow up, I want to be like Severn. I guess I'd better start practicing now.
You can read the transcript of her talk here.
At school, even in kindergarten, you teach us to behave in the world. You teach us:* not to fight with others,
* to work things out,
* to respect others,
* to clean up our mess,
* not to hurt other creatures
* to share - not be greedy.
Then why do you go out and do the things you tell us not to do?
Well now, how do we answer such a direct and straight-forward question like that?
When I grow up, I want to be like Severn. I guess I'd better start practicing now.
You can read the transcript of her talk here.
Labels: Severn Cullis-Suzuki
posted by Carol at 8:00 AM
4 comments
Monday, July 14, 2008
Losing and Finding Freedom
I can't believe that she gave my book away.
I don't buy too many books anymore, but instead frequent the library down the street. If they don't have a book, CD, or DVD there, another library in Colorado will deliver it to the one near me, so there are very few limits to what I have access to. Still, I couldn't get Jarvis Jay Masters' Finding Freedom through the system, so I ended up buying it. I was glad to buy it, because Masters is a wonderful man and I'm happy to support him.
I previously wrote a post about Masters' book Finding Freedom. You can read it by clicking here. But this post isn't about the writer or the book. This is about what I learned when one of my best friends gave my prized book away.
When I bought the book, I read it like I read many books that I enjoy. I inhaled it. I dived into it and didn't come up for air until I closed the back cover. Once done, my plan was - as it is with many other books that I have loved - to go back to it and to slowly let the words and concepts sink into me. To savor it and let it infuse my soul.
BUT before the second phase of reading happened for this particular book, my good friend from out of state visited. She was passing through on her way to a retreat. I lent her the book with the understanding that she would send it back to me when she got home. But she didn't. On her retreat, she loaned it to a mutual friend - one that doesn't live near me and that I don't often see. It's been months since this happened and I still have not heard about Finding Freedom.
When I heard about the fate of the book, I first felt disappointment. Over time, I worked with letting go. Yesterday, I realized that if I would have taken my time the first time I read it, if I would've savored each moment instead of dancing on top of the words, I would've been fully done with the book as the last page was turned and its loss wouldn't have mattered so much.
Then I wondered... is this how I go through life? Quickly and on the surface, counting on the opportunity to come back and let the experience go deeper later? In a land of no guarantees of a "later", this isn't a wise philosophy.
After all of the studying that I've done about slowing down and staying present to the moment, am I still surfing the channels of life and thinking that I'll have another chance to stop and smell the roses or wildflowers or dog shit?
Funny thing is that the essays in Master's book are supreme examples of his ability to stay present to the moment even while sitting on death row.
And I had to lose the book in order to get it.
I don't buy too many books anymore, but instead frequent the library down the street. If they don't have a book, CD, or DVD there, another library in Colorado will deliver it to the one near me, so there are very few limits to what I have access to. Still, I couldn't get Jarvis Jay Masters' Finding Freedom through the system, so I ended up buying it. I was glad to buy it, because Masters is a wonderful man and I'm happy to support him.
I previously wrote a post about Masters' book Finding Freedom. You can read it by clicking here. But this post isn't about the writer or the book. This is about what I learned when one of my best friends gave my prized book away.
When I bought the book, I read it like I read many books that I enjoy. I inhaled it. I dived into it and didn't come up for air until I closed the back cover. Once done, my plan was - as it is with many other books that I have loved - to go back to it and to slowly let the words and concepts sink into me. To savor it and let it infuse my soul.
BUT before the second phase of reading happened for this particular book, my good friend from out of state visited. She was passing through on her way to a retreat. I lent her the book with the understanding that she would send it back to me when she got home. But she didn't. On her retreat, she loaned it to a mutual friend - one that doesn't live near me and that I don't often see. It's been months since this happened and I still have not heard about Finding Freedom.
When I heard about the fate of the book, I first felt disappointment. Over time, I worked with letting go. Yesterday, I realized that if I would have taken my time the first time I read it, if I would've savored each moment instead of dancing on top of the words, I would've been fully done with the book as the last page was turned and its loss wouldn't have mattered so much.
Then I wondered... is this how I go through life? Quickly and on the surface, counting on the opportunity to come back and let the experience go deeper later? In a land of no guarantees of a "later", this isn't a wise philosophy.
After all of the studying that I've done about slowing down and staying present to the moment, am I still surfing the channels of life and thinking that I'll have another chance to stop and smell the roses or wildflowers or dog shit?
Funny thing is that the essays in Master's book are supreme examples of his ability to stay present to the moment even while sitting on death row.
And I had to lose the book in order to get it.
Labels: freedom, Jarvis Jay Masters
posted by Carol at 9:03 AM
9 comments
Sunday, July 13, 2008
What We Did On Our Summer Vacation
We're back! There's no place like home, Toto! Buddha (the dog) was squealy happy to see us when we walked in the door last night. We took him on a hike this morning - ahhhhhh, back to hiking in our favorite spots, breathing in the dry Colorado air.
Our trip was perfect. We were totally spoiled by the in-laws and got to see the in-law clan, food everywhere was excellent, and the sights were stunning.
Here is where we stayed for two nights in Maine:
This was one of the views from our room:
It doesn't get much prettier than that!
Serene architecture at Popham Beach:
Fort Popham (You can read about its history if you click on its name. I'm not much of one for caring too much about fort stories):
The water in the area was full of buoys marking the location of lobster traps. Here is a man setting his traps (she writes as the B52s' song, Rock Lobster, tramples through her head):
I took the two photos above as we toured the harbor on a little harbor cruise. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see much wildlife -just some cormorants and a nest with some ospreys in it. The captain asked for two of the strongest passengers to help with things, so here is a photo of me and my mother-in-law as we helped fight the mighty seas:
Our trip was perfect. We were totally spoiled by the in-laws and got to see the in-law clan, food everywhere was excellent, and the sights were stunning.
Here is where we stayed for two nights in Maine:
This was one of the views from our room:
It doesn't get much prettier than that!Serene architecture at Popham Beach:
Fort Popham (You can read about its history if you click on its name. I'm not much of one for caring too much about fort stories):
The water in the area was full of buoys marking the location of lobster traps. Here is a man setting his traps (she writes as the B52s' song, Rock Lobster, tramples through her head):
I took the two photos above as we toured the harbor on a little harbor cruise. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see much wildlife -just some cormorants and a nest with some ospreys in it. The captain asked for two of the strongest passengers to help with things, so here is a photo of me and my mother-in-law as we helped fight the mighty seas:
Labels: Maine, Massachusetts
posted by Carol at 11:22 AM
4 comments
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
If I Lived Here...
...I'd shave my head every summer.
And buy warm, wooly hats for the winter.
We're in the Boston area. Land of humidity and hair that curls and clings.
Tomorrow we go to Maine for yet ANOTHER family celebration - my mother-in-law's 70th birthday (Happy Birthday, Helen!). I've never been to Maine before. It sounds very beautiful and romantical.
Maine has over 60 lighthouses along its coast and we'll be staying two nights in a faux lighthouse - photos to come soon.
Meanwhile, here's me and my MIL on Duxbury Beach (MA) this morning:
(Photo courtesy of Mr. CarolForPeace.)
And buy warm, wooly hats for the winter.
We're in the Boston area. Land of humidity and hair that curls and clings.
Tomorrow we go to Maine for yet ANOTHER family celebration - my mother-in-law's 70th birthday (Happy Birthday, Helen!). I've never been to Maine before. It sounds very beautiful and romantical.
Maine has over 60 lighthouses along its coast and we'll be staying two nights in a faux lighthouse - photos to come soon.
Meanwhile, here's me and my MIL on Duxbury Beach (MA) this morning:
(Photo courtesy of Mr. CarolForPeace.)
Labels: Boston, Celebration
posted by Carol at 10:09 AM
5 comments
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Bird Philosophy
Is education possibly a process of trading awareness for things of lesser worth? The goose who trades his is soon a pile of feathers. - Aldo Leopold
On a planet that increasingly resembles one huge Maximum Security prison, the only intelligent choice is to plan a jail break. - Robert Anton Wilson
Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart - Kahlil Gibran
Labels: Kansas, photography
posted by Carol at 1:58 PM
5 comments
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Chocolate
I have started thinking about chocolate again.
Just thinking about it.
I even gave myself permission to eat one square of luscious, fair-trade, organic, dark chocolate with almonds today.
But I never did it.
I think the idea is better than the real thing.
And the real thing is pretty darn good.
That chocolate has been sitting on the pantry shelf for all of the 25 days that I have been living on vegetables, chicken, and fish. I have gone a long time without sugar before, but I always made sure there was none in the house to tempt me.
You can now call me Ms. Will-of-Steel for never, during these 600 hours and 25 minutes of eating so purely that even mosquitoes aren't interested in me, succumbing to the voice of chocolate pleading from the pantry to just take one little bitty bite.
But I PROMISE you that I have not yet had my last bite of chocolate. Heh heh heh. That little tasty bar will not last the summer...
posted by Carol at 8:04 PM
4 comments
My Young'uns
I have avoided introducing you to my young'uns, because... well, I guess to protect their privacy. But it's about time you met them, so today is their big coming out party. Sort of.
This is Paul, the artist. He's taking a photo of the water dripping from this bamboo fountain. When we go photographing, Paul is always in some strange place in a weird position, grabbing a photo that no one else would think of getting. He took this shot that I posted awhile back. He and a friend broke up an old television and then Paul took photos of the results.
Paul and I see life in much the same way - except I don't find the unique photo opportunities that draw him instinctively. He knows a lot about the bigger picture for being such a young twerp.
One of the things I most admire about him: I have never heard him say a negative thing about anyone in his life (but I know he doesn't think too highly of W).
Here is Jamie (with me). She lives in California with her hubby. Five years ago, they moved there with the intentions of coming back in three years. Right. Now they're building a home, nesting, never coming back. I knew it would happen! I am bound by a pinky swear to not tell you her profession, but I'll tell you one thing: I'm very proud of the great work she does.
One of the things that I most admire about her: She has made a big difference in the lives of numerous children during her almost 30 years on this earth.
Young people like these - and many others that I've met - give me hope.
This is Paul, the artist. He's taking a photo of the water dripping from this bamboo fountain. When we go photographing, Paul is always in some strange place in a weird position, grabbing a photo that no one else would think of getting. He took this shot that I posted awhile back. He and a friend broke up an old television and then Paul took photos of the results.Paul and I see life in much the same way - except I don't find the unique photo opportunities that draw him instinctively. He knows a lot about the bigger picture for being such a young twerp.
One of the things I most admire about him: I have never heard him say a negative thing about anyone in his life (but I know he doesn't think too highly of W).
Here is Jamie (with me). She lives in California with her hubby. Five years ago, they moved there with the intentions of coming back in three years. Right. Now they're building a home, nesting, never coming back. I knew it would happen! I am bound by a pinky swear to not tell you her profession, but I'll tell you one thing: I'm very proud of the great work she does.One of the things that I most admire about her: She has made a big difference in the lives of numerous children during her almost 30 years on this earth.
Young people like these - and many others that I've met - give me hope.
posted by Carol at 10:00 AM
6 comments
Friday, July 04, 2008
July 4, 2008
Chimes of Freedom by Bob Dylan
Far between sundowns finish an midnights broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An for each an evry underdog soldier in the night
An we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
In the citys melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched
With faces hidden while the walls were tightening
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin rain
Dissolved into the bells of the lightning
Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake
Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an forsaked
Tolling for the outcast, burnin constantly at stake
An we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder
That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze
Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder
Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind
Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind
An the unpawned painter behind beyond his rightful time
An we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Through the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
All down in taken-for-granted situations
Tolling for the deaf an blind, tolling for the mute
Tolling for the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an cheated by pursuit
An we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Even though a clouds white curtain in a far-off corner flashed
An the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting
Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
An for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
An we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Starry-eyed an laughing as I recall when we were caught
Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
As we listened one last time an we watched with one last look
Spellbound an swallowed til the tolling ended
Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an worse
An for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
An we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Labels: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, freedom
posted by Carol at 1:00 AM
3 comments
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Right In Front Of Us
There is a small lake nearby that I've walked around probably hundreds of times over the last 20+ years. One day last year, my friend pointed out some wild asparagus along a trail by the lake. It never entered my mind that asparagus could grow there, so I never saw it before. I hadn't slowed down to see what was right in front of me.
My friend also pointed out a "weed" that is really a medicinal herb and is prolific in this area. Now I see it everywhere I go and realize that the earth is a giant medicine cabinet.
I wonder if there are many things that we don't see because our mass consciousness doesn't have a concept for them; because we think that we know what we know so what we don't know can't make itself apparent to us. We don't slow down to see and hear what we haven't seen and heard before.
When we look at a snake, we may instantaneously give it all kinds of characteristics like evil, poisonous, and deadly. We may be so afraid that we don't take the time to really see the beauty of it. Sometimes we also do that with people.
Maybe the answers to our questions of how to stop war and how to take care of each other and our planet are right in front of us but we don't slow down and allow ourselves to see what is already here.
Maybe.
My friend also pointed out a "weed" that is really a medicinal herb and is prolific in this area. Now I see it everywhere I go and realize that the earth is a giant medicine cabinet.
I wonder if there are many things that we don't see because our mass consciousness doesn't have a concept for them; because we think that we know what we know so what we don't know can't make itself apparent to us. We don't slow down to see and hear what we haven't seen and heard before.
When we look at a snake, we may instantaneously give it all kinds of characteristics like evil, poisonous, and deadly. We may be so afraid that we don't take the time to really see the beauty of it. Sometimes we also do that with people.
Maybe the answers to our questions of how to stop war and how to take care of each other and our planet are right in front of us but we don't slow down and allow ourselves to see what is already here.
Maybe.
"We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize."
- Thich Nhat Hanh
- Thich Nhat Hanh
Labels: Kansas, photography
posted by Carol at 12:21 PM
8 comments
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Reflections on a Feather
Life at the Sedgwick County Zoo:
Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all. - Emily Dickinson
Labels: Kansas, photography
posted by Carol at 5:56 PM
7 comments