Category Archives: Daily Life

Day to day happenings, the usual stuff, about me and life

Happy Winter Solstice

I have been lax in keeping my blog up to date, perhaps this winter I will play catch up..but in the meantime I wanted to share this song with you. It does not speak directly to Solstice or Christmas, but does speak to the Light. It was written in 1980, but didn’t get recorded till 2002, and again just this year.
I won’t keep the sound file up very long.. as it is not mine, but wanted to share it now with all my loved ones.

The Light Goes On Forever — Bruce Cockburn
Ottawa, 25 March, 1980

Shaman clambers up the world dream tree
Looking for clues about what is to be
Chants and trances give his spirit wings for flight
Wings still shackled to history
The chain of events is broken so easily
Oh, let me rest in the place of light

Skull-drum skin stretched tight
Sends out ripples in the gathering night
The deepest darkness breeds the brightest light
Music rising from the bones of saints
From the pungent smell of sad sweet poems and paintings
Oh, let me rest in the place of light

God waves a thought like you’d wave your hand
And the light goes on forever
Through the seasons and through the seas
The light goes on forever
Through the burning and the seeding
Through the joining and the parting
The light goes on forever

Gypsy searches through the cards for clues
Alchemist searches for eternal youth
Human reaching almost makes it but not quite
The soul strikes out at what the wind blows by
You live and it hurts you, you give up you die
Oh, let me rest in the place of light

Fugitives in the time before the dawn
Backed up to the wall with weapons drawn
Like mounted nomads always ready for a fight
This creature that thinks and so can fake its own being
Lightless mind’s eye not much good for seeing
Oh, let me rest in the place of light

God waves a thought like you’d wave your hand
And the light goes on forever
Through the people and through the walls
The light goes on forever
Through who obeys and who does not
Through who gets rich and who gets caught
The light goes on forever

Uptight lawyer on Damascus road
Becomes a nexus where the light explodes
Concentrated, overpowering sight
Two way whirlpool churning up all time
Infinity stoops to touch the human mind
Oh, let me rest in the place of light

God waves a thought like you’d wave your hand
And the light goes on forever
Through the buildings and through the hills
The light goes on forever
Through the struggles and the games
Through the night’s empty doorframes
The light goes on forever

Found on:
Inner City Front (2002)
Rumours of Glory – box set Disc 7 (2014) [compilation album]
by Bruce Cockburn

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The Journey to and with T

What a long strange trip this has been so far. On June 14 I learned my old friend T was facing cancer surgery to remove his prostate & another surgery  to repair or replace a Stent in his right kidney.  He is alone in Florida, & intended to do this whole thing by him self.

 

That just seemed wrong to me,  I wouldn’t want to do it by myself,  & I knew he wouldn’t heal as well being alone at home. So the next day I booked a flight (you all know how much I love to fly)..so I could be there.

We haven’t seen each other in close to 30 years!

I started the trip from home to Santa Rosa with Russel driving on June 25, then shuttles to SFO forDelta flight to Atlanta. All went good so far & I even had a good seat mate…a graphic designer & coder.

By now I had ‘been on the road’ for a day & a half. Atlanta flight to Fort Myers was delayed 3 times, gates changed 3 times, and was a 4 hour wait. Got me finally into Fort Myers at 3am. Called for my shuttle to the Hampton…but was told to get a taxi, and they were all gone. But was rescued by Hampton manager who lock ed up and came to pick me up.  By the time I got to my room it was 4:30am and fried beyond belief.

 

This is a rough draft part 1 being written in hospital waiting room on my new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4.

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Helen Stowe

Helen Stowe with cactus 1998

Helen Stowe with cactus 1998

Helen would of turned 86 tomorrow, December 19. I miss her more than words can express. I mentioned here how she had just returned from spinal surgery.

Here I am with her, shortly after she came home from the Garberville hospital.
me_helen_2013

Sadly, it was a short lived reprieve, and her pain came back with a vengeance. She was in and out of hospitals and had full on 24/7 care by local angels of mercy, with Ascha maintaining what ever kind of balance could be found.

Helen Stowe

Helen Stowe

Helen died on August 18, 2013 at 9:49am, surrounded by loved ones.
I know she wanted to leave her tired worn out and painful body, and the last few weeks had been especially hard. I hope now she is resting in peace and laughing till tears run down her face.

I will always love you Helen, thanks for being my friend.

Helen Stowe's  Obituary

Helen Stowe’s Obituary

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Cast Iron

This fall I had all my cast iron re-seasoned, and I am starting to use again for most cooking.

cast_iron

Some pieces I need to re-do as they still stick, but I am waiting for the time when the seasoning is robust enough to handle most things.

I also treated myself to an enameled dutch oven, which I had wanted forever. This Moroccan Stew was the christening dish:

dutch_oven_stew

The dutch oven is great, but it wasn’t a Le Cruset.. and I may have to go that route as this one seems to be failing on the interior rather quickly. But at least I know I will use it and therefore can spend the money on something that should last a lifetime.

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June into July – Life is Flying By

The past 2 months have been filled with taking care of lots of little things, like after 2 years of not detailing my 4 Runner, getting it done. Looks almost like it did when I bought it, and ‘Partners in Grime’ saved the paint job!

Russel got a canopy and a rack installed on his Tundra and now can haul his Aikido mats without wrapping in a tarp, keep things secure in the back and haul lumber or his canoe.. maybe we will actually get to Ruth Lake this year for some fishing for him and swimming for me.

I have been going into town way more often than is normal, mainly to sit with and help out my friend Helen, who is in constant pain and confused much of the time. At this point she is getting almost 24/7 paid support and volunteers to help with taking care of her, but the time to move her into assisted living is drawing close. It pains me to see this happen to her. She is / was such an independent person and really wanted to be able to spend her last years in her sweet home.

The garden is doing great, although the last few days we had rain, yes you heard me, RAIN at the end of June! The area is close to drought so this is good, but the lettuce is having a hard time standing up!

We are still having a good crop of sugar snap peas, lettuce and beets (so so sweet), summer squash is coming on strong.
I have been making Pesto from my basil and freezing it up as I always do.

We bought organic raspberries that ended up in a new tart recipe with a cream fraiche filling.

raspberry_tart

And I did 8oz jars of organic blueberry jam, 22 jars in fact.

I am contemplating buying a pressure canner, Russel has wanted one for awhile, but I am a bit ‘afraid’ of them. And we don’t grow enough of the crops to pressure can, and buying them at our Farmers Market is cost prohibited … so?? We will see.

I would love to put up fresh beets (no pickling) and garnet yams (in the fall when you can get them for good price).
I am sure once the pressure canner is here, I will find all kinds of things to can up.. like maybe batches of my great chili and pototo leek soup. Our freezer is tiny, so can’t stock up that way.

We just had a heatwave week, very hot here and hotter in town. Fried up a lot of the flowers in the garden, time to start pulling them and find something for color that needs little to no water. Water may be an issue here and is an issue for the community at large.

I am feeling great! So glad that the gall bladder removal was the ticket to being able to eat without fear! Potlucks — no problem.

I am also anxiously awaiting a Bruce Cockburn show in July in Santa Cruz.. it has been 25 years since I been to Santa Cruz, and way too long since I had a Bruce fix.

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Helen Stowe is back to Garberville

helen_stowe2013

My friend Helen Stowe is finally back in Garberville, at Jerold Phelps Hospital, after spending 3 weeks in San Fransisco at St Mary’s. She has had back surgery and is now recovering.

Many people will remember Helen and her late husband Murray from the days when they ran the Country Store in Ruby Valley.

Many others will remember Helen through her late daughter Dawn Champie or her son Scott Grant.

Update: Helen is now at home. She can be reached at 707-923-4508.

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