FLASH FORWARD: SEPTEMBER, 2008

It was supposed to be a leisurely stroll through the earlier months of this year to catch you up, but some things just can't wait---like bi-weekly hurricanes. And it's so like three years ago with Katrina and Rita. With the first we had the big influx of refugees, and with the second we got the weather and some refugees. With Gustav we certainly received a huge number of people and thankfully the damage was not so great as with Katrina, and they were able to return home much more quickly. With Ike we didn't have as much damage as with Rita, but there were still some hits locally. Lots of people have downed tree limbs and debris, but damage reported in the newspaper happened to be from my neighborhood and the southern part of the city.

This is a fallen tree/damaged house two blocks behind my house. Note the big green bandaid on the house.



My street is only one long block long, and I live on the southwest corner of the block. Here's what happened to the house on the northeast corner at the other end of the block which has a triangular shaped lot. Their house faces another street, but their driveway comes from my street.



Between that house and mine another tree went down in the street, and I really have to hand it to our city crews for prompt attention to getting it out of the way. They were out there Saturday afternoon shortly after it went down and before the worst of the storm came (which was probably 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.), that is to say the strongest winds, and had that tree out of the street. As you can see it still has to be cleared away; it stretches across three home lots, I think.


My heart goes out to those who actually live on the coasts. Somebody has to live there to take care of our coastal business, fishing, oil drilling, whatever. But those of us who live three to four hundred miles inland suffer also from these storms---while we try to harbor those who have fled in our direction. And here's my point: Can't we just keep trying to improve how we care for one another as we deal with the natural threats of life? Do we really have any business making life worse for others and ourselves through warfare, shunning those less fortunate than we, denying differences of opinion as unworthy or "unAmerican", political sniping? Who knows where the next house will be flooded or tree falls?

All of these pictures I took the day after (today), and this last one was this evening's sky. There is no rainbow, but I feel in it a promise. It seems that we must now make a covenant with each other to gain the fulfillment of that promise.

JANUARY --- 2008

In this process of catching everyone up on life in my lazy community there were only two events of note (my life). The first was my installation as president of our local orchid society along with the other officers. I have pictures of that event, but that would expose people whose permission I do not have to publicize. So, I won't. It wasn't a big deal anyway. It didn't make the papers, and that's probably a good thing. That was on the 12th of Jan.

10 days later:

The other event was at my church, and I'm not pushing religion, churches, on anybody, but sometimes they have really good things to offer. This event was Trinity Institute which occurs each year in New York at Trinity Church, Wall Street in January. Yeah, right there in the money market. It is really fine. I almost said last year, but it was really this year, in Jan. that the topic was
Religion & Violence
Untangling the roots of conflict
An Inferfaith Dialogue



Several people were interested in our being a partner, which means getting a live web cast presentation of the event, and having discussion groups in live time just as they do in NY, but no one else was willing to push for it---just willing to push me to do it. Well, I pushed, and we were signed up at the last moment in Dec. To make a long story which you don't want to hear short, I was left to do the publicity, get people signed up to come, provide food, do local logistics like space, covering windows for best reception, and do whatever I could to make the church's investment worthwhile within one month.


(How do you like my home made sign?)

The most tedious part was finding food that would meet the dietary requirements of orthodox Jews and Muslims because that is not what I'm accustomed to checking out. However, once you get the hang of it, it's not that big a problem. It's a good learning experience.

Because of the limited time to publicize, and the lack of cooperation of the local newspaper to print the article submitted, I wound up going to the two local mosques to deliver invitations to the event. On both occasions I had conversations with local Muslims, in one case the Iman, and both occasions were very pleasant. We actually had two Muslims on one of the two days, and one on the second day. As these were two full days of presentations and discussions during the work week, there were others who couldn't attend both days. But it was a successful time, and this year we're signed up in time to have a COMMITTEE to handle the various aspects. Thank you, God. Whoever thought I would be thankful for a committee?

Well, anyway, the speakers were outstanding, particularly James Carroll and James Cone, and they really shook people up a bit. Tarique Ramadan was particularly appealing in his soothing presentation of Islamic beliefs, and he's very good looking which did not go unnoticed. Susannah Heschel also upset people's thinking, but I think that was a locally cultural thing. Who knows? If you'd like to hear any of these speakers, e-mail me, and I'll get you the reference. You won't regret the time spent.

The Best Gifts I Ever Gave

In the 30+ years I spent as a parent I rarely carried a picture of any of my children which I think was a curiosity to many people. Somewhere in the early years of my second child (Plug to you guys) I gave up on keeping "baby books." Although I had baby books for the other two about all I could muster was sticking some cards, pictures, etc. inside them and maybe filling out the parents' and grandparents' names. There were three years between my first two children, Chillax and Plug; then a gap of seven years until Goo came along and another three until Dagromm appeared. Two years later came the divorce. That's the quick summary.

What I did do early on was to keep a file for each one of them. Into those went report cards, especially interesting or funny school papers, programs from different events, cards they made me, not so great reports from school, special cards from godparents,etc., and I also have hundreds of pictures from the past. Somewhere through the years I began to develop this image of their finding these treasures in my files after my death. Then my sentimental side met my practical side because I needed to purge my filing cabinet, change my desk to fit my space, and I realized I wanted to witness to some degree their encounter with their pasts. So when I found the memory boxes at Bombay I knew that was what I wanted. (Besides, right after Christmas 2006 they had a really good deal on the boxes.) My gifts for my children at Christmas, 2007, were ready.

The boxes also came with little bronze plates that I had engraved with their initials and mounted on the top. Too classy! Then in the spring there appeared a Noel Coward piece in my Bible study curriculum that said everything I wanted to say with the gifts, so I typed it up and put it on the inside of the lid. Here it is:

From Collected Verse

Nothing Is Lost

Deep in our sub-concious, we are told
Lie all our memories, lie all the notes
Of all the music we have ever heard
And all the phrases those we loved have spoken,
Sorrows and losses time has since consoled,
Family jokes, out-moded anecdotes
Each sentimental souvenir and token
Everything seen, experienced, each word
Addressed to us in infancy, before
Before we could even know or understand
The implications of our wonderland.
There they all are, the legendary lies
The birthday treats, the sights, the sounds, the tears
Forgotten debris of forgotten years
Waiting to be recalled, waiting to rise
Before our world dissolves before our eyes
Waiting for some small, intimate reminder,
A word, a tune, a known familiar scent
An echo from the past when, innocent
We looked upon the present with delight
And doubted not the future would be kinder
And never knew the loneliness of night.

Noel Coward

I talked with Goo on Christmas morning by cell phone as we were many, many miles apart as she opened hers. I had Christmas lunch and gifts with Chillax , Oyster, and Jaz. Later I heard from Dagromm and Plug. The memory boxes were probably a bigger delight to the grandchildren than the parents, my children, but I hope not. We shared so many great times---great good times and great bad times. They were definitely all great! And those were the best gifts I'll ever have to give.

Chillax and Oyster check out his memory box.

HELLO OUT THERE . . . ?

Well, it's been so long since I have done this that I've completely forgotten how to do it. That is bad; or, maybe it's good. It's all in how you look at it. Anyway I've been far too wrapped up in the knit picking of holidays, family, house problems, yard work, national elections, weather threats, declining economy, ongoing war, orchid growing and orchid society politics (please, God, deliver me), old age malaise---you name it, it's on my list--- and my innate procrastination to blog.

Since we all realize that blogging is the most therapeutic mental health technique to come down in a long time I think it's high time to get back in the game. I was still attending sessions, you understand. I just wasn't participating, that is telling my own story, fascinating as it is.

So. . . I'm challenging myself to get it together and catch all of you up on what has been going on since the last post which was . . . oh well, who needs to know that? Besides, I don't want to be dropped from Heather's list (though she's now two atavars down the blog road, and who knows how many jobs). Also I think my family is probably embarrassed that I've not maintained my image as a "with it septuagenarian." However, I've spared them by not running for president.

Now that I've almost completed my Christmas shopping for 2008 I feel the circle is complete, and I can indulge myself if the "me-ness" of blogging. Of course, I still have to mow the lawn, feed and water the plants, take care of the pets, blah, blah, blah, but I can also let it all out. Watch out! It's primal scream time!