What Can I Do?

If you want to help the folks inundated by Harvey, may I suggest you donate through a fund of an organized religious organization.

I am a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Our mission is called Week of Compassion and can be found at www.weekofcompassion.org. One hundred percent of your designated gift goes to where you request. If you give an undesignated gift, only 7% is kept to keep the organization running and the rest is donated where most needed.

It is my assumption, although I have not researched this, is that most Christian, Jewish and Muslim organizations operate along the same lines. Donate through these organizations and your gift will reach the people who need it. Blessings to you and your generous gift ~

A Pig Roast

The invitation warned us: Rotisserie Suckling Pig and Pot Luck

Polynesian Theme

So there was no surprise when we walked in to discover an entire pig on the rotisserie on the deck. I had never seen this in person before, only pictures in magazines and travel articles. I was not the only one taking pictures.

Now I am not a vegetarian. I like my meat of all kinds, and I'd rather not see it "on the hoof" as it were. And of course this pig was already almost done by the time we got there. Nevertheless, I kept a reasonable distance. One woman refused her invitation because she couldn't face the pig.

Jeff, the man with the apple juice spray, had been up all night nursing the coals into perfection. The pig went on the spit about 5 am and we ate about 3 pm.

Here they go, pulling the meat off the bone as the rest of us laid out an amazing pot luck to accompany the pork. There was no luck about the pots that graced this table. Every dish was prepared with love and care. As is always the case with such meals, it was well balanced. Just the right number of appetizers, three green salads, potato salad,  two fruit salads and a bowl of sliced watermelon, baked beans, a savory bread pudding, bread, tiny sausages, rolls with a parmesan stuffing, and lots of deviled eggs. All of it absolutely yummy. 

All of this was followed by two pies, upside down cake, brownies, and cookies.

It was a feast worthy of the main dish. 

The Eclipse

Well, that was an interesting experience. We had perfect seats for our 83%. We sat on the front deck, our neighbor came over, we had coffee and tea and good conversation and for an hour or so we let the experience of the morning take over and blot out politics and the rest of the world. At one point Dianne said, I’m surprised people aren’t posting like crazy. I said, “maybe, just maybe, they are actually experiencing what is happening instead of observing and posting about it.” That was almost as amazing as the eclipse itself. 

A noted difference from other eclipses, it only cooled off but there was no sense of it getting anywhere near dark. More a sense of it was getting brighter as the moon moved on. The birds kept up their chirping and flitting around the trees. We could hear airplanes overhead and cars on the road. 

But mainly we shared some time with each other. We also shared time with people all over the country ~ some of whom are just now witnessing the event. There had been so much hoopla ahead of time that there was a bit of let down when the time went by so fast. Jack Canfield had it right: “after the ecstasy, the laundry.”

I'm Back!

I’m back. Woke with lots more energy for everything including the resistance than I had yesterday. I do appreciate all those on FB who “liked” what I wrote yesterday. Your clicking “like” or “love” was very affirming. I still may not read every article or click “like” myself and you know where I stand even though once in a while I need to take a day to breathe. 

I’m looking forward to a couple of days with two delightful grands who will affirm my faith that we are not born racist. ~ blessings on your journey!

Tired

I am tired. Tired of seeing all the posts on FB about Charlottesville. Tired of struggling with my own words to try to express my outrage and anger. Tired of the realization that the now blatant racism has just been lying dormant all these years waiting for permission to explode again. And if I am tired - oh my, how desperately tired must be the folks against whom all this racism and oppression has been focused for centuries.

As a privileged white woman, I cannot begin to imagine (although I do try) how tired people who have faced this all their lives must be. I may have thought it had gone away. They knew differently and watched it explode through police violence, ugly responses to Black Lives Matter marches and personal slurs and accusations. 

Again I am reminded of the orchestral analogy that when the note is to be held for measures beyond the breath’s capacity, take a breath for someone else will still be holding the note and once you breathe, they too can take a breath. And so today I take a breath. 

A former pastor of mine posts, day after day, articles and pictures and blogs of resistance. And at the same time he posts pictures of his delightful granddaughter and his pride in his family. He balances his resistance with his love and light in life.

Today I will take a breath. Then I will return to finding my way through my own life to resist, to stand tall, to say This is Not Normal. I will continue to believe in America as it can and should be. ~ blessings to you on your journey through this life

Cousin Joe

My cousin Joe lives in Colorado Springs so he drove to Breckenridge to spend the day. We have not seen each other in a long time - well, several years. We did, however, start our lives spending summers together in North Carolina. 

Joe and Susan, 1948

Joe and Susan, 2017

What a fun day! We talked family history, present reading, and all sorts of other topics. And sure enough, we found a pole to lean on and have another picture made. It was wonderful to spend time with him. Love my cousins so much!

Fun on the Mountain

The family spent the day at the adventure park in Breckenridge. To get there we rode a gondola to the  park. The older grands took off for the zip line and disappeared into a long wait for most of the morning. The younger ones headed to Kids' Base Camp for a delightful time.

Preparation for a ropes course.

Already a confident expert ~ 

~ who gets a little irritated when the person in front of her won't move. 

Determination.

And she too enjoys the spirit of adventure. 

Tubing down an alpine run.

There was a much longer tubing run that you took a ski lift to the top.

Some of the older grands and parents did that one.

Ready to fly on the zip line.

And she's off!! And loving it - over and over again. 

Heading home down the mountain. For the back story, 

you have to notice the dark clouds coming in. By the time we were down

and home, the folks left on the mountain were calling for a lift home.

All the rides and the gondolas were shut down because of lightning.

Thank goodness, Rob was able to drive to the upper hotel where they met

him after a short walk down. Folks not so lucky were being bussed down

the mountain in 15 passenger vans along the ski slopes - a 40 minute ride

after waiting and waiting for your turn in the van. Money was refunded so

for our crowd it turned out to be just another part of the day's adventure.