Spatter

Going Strong

The other day I made reference to "The Wizard Of Oz" theme that we, not someone else, are the wizards of our lives.  We often lose sight of this...if we ever realize it at all.  If we're lucky, a parent, a teacher, or a friend can help re-mind us. There are times, though, when we just have to get to it on our own.

Sometimes, we get to it through pain.

Years ago, I was in a relationship turned bad.  As it deteriorated, I did too.  I slipped  into someone who felt invisible, dependent, and worthless.  It wasn't until I sank to the bottom of my emotional pit...emptying completely out...that I found my way back.  When you get to that point, there isn't much to get in the way.

I can't recall my eureka moment, but I evidently had one because the poem below was written to mark it.  The power within me had been awakened and I wanted to declare it:

 

sometimes I feel you think of me
as three day old bread
or a bottle of soda left open;
but I'm not -
I'm alive and I'm kicking
and soft to the touch still.
I know I am,
and that's what feels the best.

For more Sunday Scribblings, click here.

Misty-Eyed

I just checked out my latest read: Misty of Chincoteague from the library. Yes, it's the children's book...and no, I've never read it.

I'm reading it now in preparation of my upcoming trip to Chincoteague Island in October. It'll be my first time there, and I'll be there as part of an Elder Hostel service program.  The group of us will be tending to handicapped paths, building boxes for birds & fox squirrels, and mending pony fences. Of course, there'll be time for photo taking and seeing the town too. 

I'm excited at the thought of spending the week contributing - giving something to the ponies and the place - and having the experience become a part of my history.

 

There's No Place Like Home

Some 72 hours after my feet hit the soil of Blackberry Ridge, I'm finally feeling like I've caught up with myself.  Laundry, mowing, bills, email, photos, and of course, my blog have been tended to.  It's a good feeling to have it done...and it's a good feeling to be back in my own place. I wouldn't have missed my trip, but there really is no place like home.

This affirmation brings to mind "The Wizard of Oz". 

It's one of my favorite movies.  I enjoy it for its fun, its music, and the abundance of the movie stuff I pay attention to like costumes, sets, & what extras are doing when they're in the background of a scene.  But it's more than the sum of these parts.  It's a favorite of mine - of so many people - because it has spiritual themes that we all inherently understand and relate to. It is 20th century mythology.

Here are a few of those themes that I carry with me:

• each of us is a hero on a hero's journey of transformation - it doesn't matter who we are or where we come from...we're all on it
• there's no place like home -  home...whatever its form...is the sacred place where we feel secure.
  
• pay no attention to the man behind the curtain - he's human
• you have the power within you - no person or institution needs to give it to you
• wisdom, benevolence, and courage are virtues
• scary and/or nasty people...like witches...are not invincible - good does triumph over evil
• it's good to have friends to share your journey

I wouldn't be surprised if there are more than these.  If any come to mind, please feel free to post it in a comment.

How I Eat Oreos

 

for the record...

when I eat Oreos
I eat them whole. 
no twisting, no licking, no deciding what to eat first.
I want it all and I want it all at the same time...
chocolate and creme
hard and soft.

and...for the record...
when I eat them, I dunk them.
oh, not sopping wet...
but just enough to let the milk caress  its form
without destroying its texture. 
It's an art form to do it properly. 

but...for the record...
I don't eat them much at all.

A Beautiful Voice

Don't let anyone tell you that you haven't much of a voice.  Oh, your singing might be another matter, but voice you have..and it's got a beautiful sound to it. 

The sound I'm talking about is the sound we all make when we involve ourselves in our governmental processes.  It may be a small voice, but it's beautiful.  And when enough voices are speaking together, their volume swells to reach a crescendo that can find the tipping point...even in the face of greed, prejudice, or power.  Think about the civil rights movement. 

I mention this now because it's never too early to start paying attention to the upcoming election.  Get involved as you can...but at the least...do these things:  be sure your voter's registration is current, be sure to learn about the candidates and issues, and then, be sure to vote!

There are so many important issues at hand:  Iraq and Iran, climate change, and health care, just to name a few. There's also another issue that I think very important.  It's the coal industry's practice of Mountain Top Removal.

 

I've written about this before, but now there's a new and simple way to express your objection to it, so I wanted to pass it on.  Just click here and you'll be taken to a web page that  not only explains the impact this practice has on our landscape and our environment, but too, has a letter ready that you can send to your representatives. All you need to do is complete the form and click "send email".  That's it.  It's painless and quick and it will help.  Your beautiful voice will be heard.

San Francisco Travelogue

After months of anticipation, my trip to San Francisco is over in what seems to be a minute.  It was great seeing and being with my friend Meg.

As you might have expected, this first post since returning is devoted to my time there. Be prepared...this is a long one.  Get a cup of tea and nestle in before going further!

Day 1
After breakfast in a wonderful little cafe, we got in the car, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, and headed south down the coastal highway for an hour and a half's drive to Ano Nuevo Reserve and the elephant seals that are found there.

Beautiful scenery along the way...

Once at the park, it was off on foot for two miles through the dunes to see the seals.  Meg's scientific expertise (she's the Director of Education at the California Academy of Science) was a real plus during our hike.  All sorts of flora and fauna pointed out to me.

We were at the point when I took this picture...still pretty far away. Just to give you an idea, this picture was taken with a 12x zoom! Even after our trek, this was as close as we could get.

These guys are lying around as they go through the molting process...there were others playing in the water, and lots of gulls and pelicans flying around too.  It was definitely worth the effort, but next time, I think I'll plan my trip in the spring when the seals are mating. They come in off the coast some then and, as a result, you get close up shots and...you don't have to walk as far!

By the time we hiked the two miles back, lunch had long passed.  We decided to head to a nearby town - Pescadero  - to have dinner at the historic Duarte's Tavern.   The locals pronounce it "Doo-arts" for some reason. 

I had told my friend that while there I wanted to eat ethnic or regional food at places that would stand out in my memory, so this was a great pick.  Dinner consisted of mix of dungeness crab, calamari, clams, and shrimp with a side of artichoke soup.  This area IS artichoke country, by the way.  For dessert, their famous olallieberry pie.   Olallieberries look and taste a lot like blackberries, however, they're actually a cross between a loganberry and a youngberry, which I have since found out is a cross between a blackberry and a dewberry. Gee whiz, what nuances!  Suffice it to say it was delicious. 

After dinner, some last photos of the town's beach and then, home.

Day 2
My only rainy day, but still not a wash-out.  This time we're back in the car (the hybrid really paid off), heading north through Sonoma and up to the Russian River area.  Our first stop was Armstrong State Park to see  redwoods.                                                                                                                      

After our walk in the woods, we moved onto our afternoon activity - wine tasting.  Sonoma Valley alone has over two hundred wineries.  We stopped at four of them.

Home again for dinner.  Tonight's fare: Asian.

Day 3
After being in the area for two days, we finally made it into the city itself. There happened to be a festival going on in Chinatown, so we made our way to it and spent most of the day walking around there.

In addition to Chinatown, I got a drive-by tour that included Coit Tower/Telegraph Hill , Golden Gate Park, and  the Presidio .  Needless to say, I would've needed a few more days to really see all there is to see.

As we headed home, we took one last side trip for the day. Once over the bay we turned and headed up to the Marin Headlands where you can get vista views of the Golden Gate Bridge with the city in the background.

There's also an old WWII army base turned into Marine Mammal Center , and abandoned missile bunkers peeking out of the hills.  For this history buff, it was very interesting to see.   

We got to see a little something extra too...  a coyote walking along the side of the road.  After walking back and forth near our car some, he just plopped down and took a break.

Tonight's dinner: Mexican including some mighty fine margaritas and talk of old times.

Day 4
Another day in the city.  We took the ferry across the bay and then made our way to Pier 39  at Fisherman's Wharf. It's not unlike other cities' waterfronts...shops and restaurants...but, unlike other waterfronts, this had a special feature: a massive herd of sea lions have taken up residence there.  It was so fun to watch them.

      

 

Meg had to go into work for a while after lunch, so while she was there, I used the time to wander the streets and get some more looks at the city. 

As the afternoon waned, I worked my way back to the Ferry Building, got a latte, and read while I waited for Meg. 

Final dinner: Fine dining Italian.  This was our splurge, and it was worth it! 

Day 5
The end had come. I had a great time, but as is often the case, I was ready to be back home...not only to my own bed, bath, and computer... but too, to reconnect with familiar surroundings.   

I'm happy to say that my flight back east was a lot shorter than my flight out. Once back in Charlotte, I gathered my bag and took off for sweet Floyd.

Wordless Wednesday

 

 

 

              From the "Blooms" gallery @  by damanti

 

Ponderables

After a six plus hour flight by way of Montana to avoid bad weather, I landed in San Francisco. It was 11:30 pm EST. The good news: my seat was at the bulkhead, I had a decent neighbor in the next seat; the flight was smooth all the way; and oh yes, we arrived safely.

I woke up this morning at 5 am. Of course, my body thought it was 8 am. We have our first full day ahead. I'll check back in when I can, but in the meantime can anyone tell me:

1. Why does anyone stand in those horrendously long lines at the airline ticket counters? Can that many people be needing special attention? I pass by these lines every time I fly. The people all look miserable and I wonder when my turn to have to do this will come.

2. Why is it that laptop computers are treated so special at the security checkpoint, but digital cameras aren't? I didn't bring my computer this trip, partly for this reason.

3. Why don't I ever see anyone I know in airports? I mean, the law of averages should have kicked in by now!

4. What part of "carry-ons must fit under your seat" don't people understand?

And, as a PS, I'd be interested in finding out if the text you see in my posts appears bold faced or not. On my computer at home, it isn't, but here on my friend's computer (Apple), it is. It's odd to me. Can it be her settings? If so, it occurs to me that each of you might have a different viewing experience despite my preferences. I also can't seem to adjust font size when accessing my blog from here. At home, if I use the preset size font, the published post is hard to read, but here, it looks OK.

Thanks ahead of time for helping me with this bit of housekeeping.

Give 'Em Hell Harry!

I was in a bank lobby where they had a nice display about honoring the constitution. You know the kind...you used to make them in elementary school.  There was a tri-fold board with a picture of the constitution on it and leaflets listing the amendments titled "Know Your Rights" were on the table for the taking. 

I think many who see the display will immediately be led to the 2nd amendment issue (I'll pass on that discussion here). What immediately came to my mind was the battering that our constitution has taken over the past several years in so many ways.  Thought turned to emotion: sadness.

Coincidentally, once back home I came across this quote:

Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear. 

Harry S Truman, August 8,1950 

Harry was referring to McCarthyism, but given our times, we'd be wise to remember it. 

Sadness has turned now to anger and determination to save this precious document from being made obsolete. I don't know about anyone else, but November 2008 is highlighted on my calendar. 

            

 

       

      

   

 

San Francisco

I leave today for San Francisco and a real visit with Meg, my friend from high school...can it be 37+ years?!  Lordy.  OK, I'm not going there. 

I'm excited. The two of us have seen each other a lot over the years, but mostly this happens when she comes back to south Florida to see her folks.  We make a point of getting together each time, but it's generally only for a few hours over lunch.  This trip will give us four full days and allow a more relaxed state to connect.  Sweet.

I leave a few hours from now...driving to Charlotte, NC.  I made this my departing city instead of Roanoke so that I could get a non-stop flight and avoid all of the recent horror stories of missed connections and lost baggage.

I'm packed and full of energy.  Anticipation of another adventure has reached its acme. 

Just to let you know, posting may be hit and miss while I'm away.  I'll be back next Wednesday.