Saturday, August 29, 2009
Tofte Ranch - Sunny & Hot
Charlotte: Day 6 ~ What a wonderful night! No misquitos or bears to think about or contend with. A bed to sleep in, a pillow for our heads and a fan to keep us cool. We sure take our creature comforts for granted.
Just spent about an hour on the phone with Steve comparing notes about our adventures and hearing about their gold below the Mineral Bar Bridge. They are pretty banged up and bruised, too. We are both excited about another trip - maybe even Monday.
Larry: Day 6 ~Finally, a restful night of sleep. We harvested for Arlene yesterday in the PM and then sat on the front porch with a glass of wine to await her surprise at seeing sitting on the porch when she drove up. Felt good that we could get out tonight and harvest the garden for market even with our aches and pains. A little rest really helped. We've seen the pics of Steve's gold that they pulled out of staircase rapids. Wow! We are jazzed up to hike up there - maybe Monday. It's hard to slow down after our trip. It seems like we should still be moving somewhere. Residual adrenalin?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Sutherlin, Oregon
Sunny, McD's
Well, here we are at our new house sitting assignment. We are going to be here until next June.... unbelievable! This is another house sitting assignment that we found at housecarers. Spent last evening with the homeowners. Had a wonderful roast beef dinner! We will feel lost for a few days. We must remember that and cut ourselves some slack - let ourselves settle in. We hare having coffee and giving the homeowners time to pack up. This seems like a much better location that Seattle and the house is very comfortable. The bed is great! That is a very important criteria for us AND the bedroom is very dark.... another nice plus. Guess we will spend time unpacking today. It always helps me to nest.
Sutherlin, Oregon
Sunny, McD's
Well, here we are at our new house sitting assignment. We are going to be here until next June.... unbelievable! This is another house sitting assignment that we found at housecarers. Spent last evening with the homeowners. Had a wonderful roast beef dinner! We will feel lost for a few days. We must remember that and cut ourselves some slack - let ourselves settle in. We hare having coffee and giving the homeowners time to pack up. This seems like a much better location that Seattle and the house is very comfortable. The bed is great! That is a very important criteria for us AND the bedroom is very dark.... another nice plus. Guess we will spend time unpacking today. It always helps me to nest.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Regarding TUT - aka The Universe
I am wanting to share our message from TUT (thoughts become things) today.
Before you read it, I have to tell you a couple of short stories.
First, we are at Tuckaway Farm once again and for the last couple of days we have been watching a white-tailed kite hunting for food in the pastures across the road. We look out across a huge expanse of pastureland reaching to the far hills. He hovers and then moves on, hovers and then moves on, but then if he spots something, he dives to the ground. When he or she is successful, they fly back to the south and way up the ridge and into a grove of oak trees (yep, I just went to check with the binoculars - a grove of oak trees!). It has been fascinating to watch the hunt and the bird's long flight home and then disappearance into the trees. We've actually had conversations over the past few days about the whole process of the kite's flight.
Second: this morning we got up really early, thanks to Luna the pup, who just wants us to get up early and be with her. After we wrote in our journals, we shared some of our thoughts. Before I go there, I must tell you that we drove up to northeastern Washington, an hour north and west of Spokane on July 3rd to check out an 8 month housesit assignment. It was not as advertised; no cell phone service, only dial-up internet available in the area, a water bed, a 30+ year old mobile home (nice but..... full of ruffles, pink and turquoise and absolutely full of stuff and no place for our things), a white sofa and carpet which was really strange since it was so far out. And, there would be times we would be snowed in by feet of snow. The lady is a retired school teacher who was married to a Native American. He has died and she can keep her home as long as she lives and then it will revert back to a family member in the tribe. She practically begged us to come stay while she goes to Mexico for 8 months. She even had the place staged for the showing. We went there really excited, based on the description of the place and we didn't really believe there could be only dial-up anywhere. When we got there, we were crushed, after driving that far; but like I said, thank goodness we went because we might have accepted the assignment based on the description and photos. Sooooo, after getting that excited, we started talking about our ideal situation as we drove back to Portland. We each described what it would be! 8 - 9 months, possibly year to year, starting in October so we would have our summers free and in a nice place with cell phone service and high speed internet. We even said in our ideal housesit there would be no animals so we wouldn't be totally tied down and there would be a place for me to paint.
Please keep in mind that in all of the years that we have been signed up with this housesitting service there is rarely an 8 month housesit anywhere. So, on Saturday morning I get up and check email, where I get notices about housesits in the areas I have listed. There is a notice for an 8 month housesit starting in October in Sutherlin, Oregon which is 10 miles north of our storage unit. (We didn't include being near our storage unit but guess someone was looking out for us). I wrote to the people immediately and then we talked on the phone. We'll meet with them at 5 PM tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday. It sounds like a really nice house, 2 years old, 4 bedroom, 3 baths built by the husband, who is a contractor, up on a hill overlooking the valley and only 2 miles out of the little town of Sutherlin and there are no animals to take care of. We hate to get our hopes up but we are very hopeful and excited about this. These folks go to Mexico for the winter each year, leaving in October and returning by June.
We were blown away by this housesit assignment assignment in Sutherlin since it is exactly what we asked for. We spoke our wishes on July 3rd and never thought about it again. This is an 8 month housesit that starts in October each year until these folks move to Mexico permanently in a few years, cell phone, high speed Internet, no animals, the house is grand, the deck is grand and the view is spectacular and there is a place for me to paint. They have kept their piece of property mostly natural - a very small yard below, small flowerbed out back and 2 houseplants to take care of and they told us that we could leave for as long as a week from time to time if we just let their friends in Roseburg know. Did we play a part in manifesting this housesit? How did this show up right now?
L was really blown away by the whole thing. So, we talked about our Mannatech business and how maybe we work too hard at trying to MAKE things happen. Remember, the "how" is none of our business? If we manifested this housesit, how do we tap into that? We both agreed we needed to get back to reading the books about how we create our lives with our thoughts and the law of attraction. We even spoke specifically this morning about needing more "faith" and less "how" in our lives.....that faith comes from the spiritual side and "how" come from the ego and we can see how this applies to all of life and not just our Mannatech business. And, is Mannatech our true calling? What is for our highest good? Where is our heart in all of this? These last few days have been such a rich contemplative time for us..... slow and easy. It is just what we needed. We were so beat when we got here and then we had a lovely day of rain Sunday so we were forced indoors to stillness and quiet.
Before we decided to put everything into storage, we had reached a point where we had to generate more income, and it wasn't coming from Mannatech, or go into more debt and we simply weren't willing to do that. Douglas County has a huge unemployment rate and poverty so our recruiting efforts here have been challenged. We were talking about all of this when friends contacted us, out of the blue, about doing some work for them up in Oregon City, and then when we shared about that with our friend down in Grass Valley, she asked if we would come do some work for her. We had scheduled this farm sit back in May. Our friends in Oregon City insisted on paying us way more that we billed them for, the lady in Grass Valley has done the same and we are going back to paint her big barn and house, these folks on the farm paid us more than we agreed on and our management company returned our entire deposit on our apartment, which we understand never happens. It just feels wrapped up like a present by some divine plan that we are in the center of.
We don't want to go back to that place of judgement and failure around our business that we left behind when we left our apartment and "went back to work". We have signed up new people and renewed people and even had 85 points counting toward the incentive trip to Costa Rica before we left the apartment but it seemed like we never could get the train out of the station. We are totally resisting going back down the rabbit hole. We feel a positive, fun, easy energy at play in our lives right now and we want to stay in that place. And in the past 6 weeks we have had 2 All Star sign ups, 2 members and a retail customer - through no effort on our part. Are we making up the story that we have to be "working at it" for this business to grow? Apparently, we aren't an essential part. We have been telling that story and trying to make it true - work hard, make money.
With regard to our businesses, we do feel that our income will grow. How? We don't know. We ask, Are we in the wrong place? Are we talking to the wrong people? Do we say the wrong things???? Who knows. We are trusting in a knowing, that will show up at some point. We can almost feel it, if we stop trying so hard to come up with the right answers. If we stop trying to make something happen. It seems to be coming in pieces. It's like a dance. We take a step and the Universe moves, too.
So, here we are still in the conversation about all of that and we opened TUT. (We try to read TUT together each day) I am wondering about things, like what happened with TUT this morning? James Redfield would say it is a sign that we are in the flow. We really felt like this was a special message, just for us, especially, after watching the bird and our conversations of these past few days. The whole thing seems amazing.
I am reading a wonderful book by Marsha Sinetar. A few words from that - "Each day requires a bit of transendental dreaming, as John Muir put it. The workplace of assembly lines and pat answers is evaporating. Success now depends on thinking with a "whole brain", a full awareness. As suggested this is developed gradually - verbally and nonverbally - often through classic meditative disciplines, nature experiences or "peak" moments.
Author Anthony J. Wilhem touches on this issue in theological terms saying that our labors, (i.e., work, or struggle to find answers, etc.) become burdensome because we're divorced from our inner kingdom. Having lost ourselves, we lose our way.
Now our message from "TUT... A Note from the Universe
Yesterday I watched a small bird, flying very fast, disappear into the canopy of an oak tree. So dense were its leaves that it was impossible to see what happened next, though I can tell you it remained inside. I wondered how the little bird found its opening through the leaves at such a speed, and then managed to gently align its fragile body on the branch it chose to land upon, all within a fraction of a second. Not to mention the impossible to imagine flying maneuvers required: the banking, the curling, the vertical and horizontal stabilizations, the deceleration and landing.
Memory? Calculation? Not in that tiny brain. Instinct? Maybe, but how does instinct know which way the branches of a tree have grown when no two are the same?
Larry & Charlotte, that little bird just knew. It had faith, in spite of not being able to see how things would work out, that if (and only if) it stayed the course, the details would be taken care of; that an opening would appear and a twig would be found. In fact, had she slowed down enough to carefully and logically inspect the tree first, the prudent thing to do, she would have lost her lift and fallen to the ground.
Kind of like reaching for your dreams. Neither memory, nor calculating, nor instincts are the deciding factors, but faith coupled with action.
Tallyho, The Universe
WARNING: Larry & Charlotte, staying the course is NOT the same as clinging to a HOW.
Thoughts become things... choose the good ones! ® TUT
We wish you many blessings and miracles.
With love from Tuckaway,
Larry & Charlotte
Before you read it, I have to tell you a couple of short stories.
First, we are at Tuckaway Farm once again and for the last couple of days we have been watching a white-tailed kite hunting for food in the pastures across the road. We look out across a huge expanse of pastureland reaching to the far hills. He hovers and then moves on, hovers and then moves on, but then if he spots something, he dives to the ground. When he or she is successful, they fly back to the south and way up the ridge and into a grove of oak trees (yep, I just went to check with the binoculars - a grove of oak trees!). It has been fascinating to watch the hunt and the bird's long flight home and then disappearance into the trees. We've actually had conversations over the past few days about the whole process of the kite's flight.
Second: this morning we got up really early, thanks to Luna the pup, who just wants us to get up early and be with her. After we wrote in our journals, we shared some of our thoughts. Before I go there, I must tell you that we drove up to northeastern Washington, an hour north and west of Spokane on July 3rd to check out an 8 month housesit assignment. It was not as advertised; no cell phone service, only dial-up internet available in the area, a water bed, a 30+ year old mobile home (nice but..... full of ruffles, pink and turquoise and absolutely full of stuff and no place for our things), a white sofa and carpet which was really strange since it was so far out. And, there would be times we would be snowed in by feet of snow. The lady is a retired school teacher who was married to a Native American. He has died and she can keep her home as long as she lives and then it will revert back to a family member in the tribe. She practically begged us to come stay while she goes to Mexico for 8 months. She even had the place staged for the showing. We went there really excited, based on the description of the place and we didn't really believe there could be only dial-up anywhere. When we got there, we were crushed, after driving that far; but like I said, thank goodness we went because we might have accepted the assignment based on the description and photos. Sooooo, after getting that excited, we started talking about our ideal situation as we drove back to Portland. We each described what it would be! 8 - 9 months, possibly year to year, starting in October so we would have our summers free and in a nice place with cell phone service and high speed internet. We even said in our ideal housesit there would be no animals so we wouldn't be totally tied down and there would be a place for me to paint.
Please keep in mind that in all of the years that we have been signed up with this housesitting service there is rarely an 8 month housesit anywhere. So, on Saturday morning I get up and check email, where I get notices about housesits in the areas I have listed. There is a notice for an 8 month housesit starting in October in Sutherlin, Oregon which is 10 miles north of our storage unit. (We didn't include being near our storage unit but guess someone was looking out for us). I wrote to the people immediately and then we talked on the phone. We'll meet with them at 5 PM tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday. It sounds like a really nice house, 2 years old, 4 bedroom, 3 baths built by the husband, who is a contractor, up on a hill overlooking the valley and only 2 miles out of the little town of Sutherlin and there are no animals to take care of. We hate to get our hopes up but we are very hopeful and excited about this. These folks go to Mexico for the winter each year, leaving in October and returning by June.
We were blown away by this housesit assignment assignment in Sutherlin since it is exactly what we asked for. We spoke our wishes on July 3rd and never thought about it again. This is an 8 month housesit that starts in October each year until these folks move to Mexico permanently in a few years, cell phone, high speed Internet, no animals, the house is grand, the deck is grand and the view is spectacular and there is a place for me to paint. They have kept their piece of property mostly natural - a very small yard below, small flowerbed out back and 2 houseplants to take care of and they told us that we could leave for as long as a week from time to time if we just let their friends in Roseburg know. Did we play a part in manifesting this housesit? How did this show up right now?
L was really blown away by the whole thing. So, we talked about our Mannatech business and how maybe we work too hard at trying to MAKE things happen. Remember, the "how" is none of our business? If we manifested this housesit, how do we tap into that? We both agreed we needed to get back to reading the books about how we create our lives with our thoughts and the law of attraction. We even spoke specifically this morning about needing more "faith" and less "how" in our lives.....that faith comes from the spiritual side and "how" come from the ego and we can see how this applies to all of life and not just our Mannatech business. And, is Mannatech our true calling? What is for our highest good? Where is our heart in all of this? These last few days have been such a rich contemplative time for us..... slow and easy. It is just what we needed. We were so beat when we got here and then we had a lovely day of rain Sunday so we were forced indoors to stillness and quiet.
Before we decided to put everything into storage, we had reached a point where we had to generate more income, and it wasn't coming from Mannatech, or go into more debt and we simply weren't willing to do that. Douglas County has a huge unemployment rate and poverty so our recruiting efforts here have been challenged. We were talking about all of this when friends contacted us, out of the blue, about doing some work for them up in Oregon City, and then when we shared about that with our friend down in Grass Valley, she asked if we would come do some work for her. We had scheduled this farm sit back in May. Our friends in Oregon City insisted on paying us way more that we billed them for, the lady in Grass Valley has done the same and we are going back to paint her big barn and house, these folks on the farm paid us more than we agreed on and our management company returned our entire deposit on our apartment, which we understand never happens. It just feels wrapped up like a present by some divine plan that we are in the center of.
We don't want to go back to that place of judgement and failure around our business that we left behind when we left our apartment and "went back to work". We have signed up new people and renewed people and even had 85 points counting toward the incentive trip to Costa Rica before we left the apartment but it seemed like we never could get the train out of the station. We are totally resisting going back down the rabbit hole. We feel a positive, fun, easy energy at play in our lives right now and we want to stay in that place. And in the past 6 weeks we have had 2 All Star sign ups, 2 members and a retail customer - through no effort on our part. Are we making up the story that we have to be "working at it" for this business to grow? Apparently, we aren't an essential part. We have been telling that story and trying to make it true - work hard, make money.
With regard to our businesses, we do feel that our income will grow. How? We don't know. We ask, Are we in the wrong place? Are we talking to the wrong people? Do we say the wrong things???? Who knows. We are trusting in a knowing, that will show up at some point. We can almost feel it, if we stop trying so hard to come up with the right answers. If we stop trying to make something happen. It seems to be coming in pieces. It's like a dance. We take a step and the Universe moves, too.
So, here we are still in the conversation about all of that and we opened TUT. (We try to read TUT together each day) I am wondering about things, like what happened with TUT this morning? James Redfield would say it is a sign that we are in the flow. We really felt like this was a special message, just for us, especially, after watching the bird and our conversations of these past few days. The whole thing seems amazing.
I am reading a wonderful book by Marsha Sinetar. A few words from that - "Each day requires a bit of transendental dreaming, as John Muir put it. The workplace of assembly lines and pat answers is evaporating. Success now depends on thinking with a "whole brain", a full awareness. As suggested this is developed gradually - verbally and nonverbally - often through classic meditative disciplines, nature experiences or "peak" moments.
Author Anthony J. Wilhem touches on this issue in theological terms saying that our labors, (i.e., work, or struggle to find answers, etc.) become burdensome because we're divorced from our inner kingdom. Having lost ourselves, we lose our way.
Now our message from "TUT... A Note from the Universe
Yesterday I watched a small bird, flying very fast, disappear into the canopy of an oak tree. So dense were its leaves that it was impossible to see what happened next, though I can tell you it remained inside. I wondered how the little bird found its opening through the leaves at such a speed, and then managed to gently align its fragile body on the branch it chose to land upon, all within a fraction of a second. Not to mention the impossible to imagine flying maneuvers required: the banking, the curling, the vertical and horizontal stabilizations, the deceleration and landing.
Memory? Calculation? Not in that tiny brain. Instinct? Maybe, but how does instinct know which way the branches of a tree have grown when no two are the same?
Larry & Charlotte, that little bird just knew. It had faith, in spite of not being able to see how things would work out, that if (and only if) it stayed the course, the details would be taken care of; that an opening would appear and a twig would be found. In fact, had she slowed down enough to carefully and logically inspect the tree first, the prudent thing to do, she would have lost her lift and fallen to the ground.
Kind of like reaching for your dreams. Neither memory, nor calculating, nor instincts are the deciding factors, but faith coupled with action.
Tallyho, The Universe
WARNING: Larry & Charlotte, staying the course is NOT the same as clinging to a HOW.
Thoughts become things... choose the good ones! ® TUT
We wish you many blessings and miracles.
With love from Tuckaway,
Larry & Charlotte
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Returning to Tuckaway
June 4, 2009
Tuckaway Farm
Yoncalla, Oregon
Here we are back at Tuckaway Farm. We had a great thunderstorm right after we arrived. There are great dark clouds moving through. It is sooooo quiet here. Luna, the black lab seemed to remember us and Barney the cat always seems to be glad to see us. It looks like we'll have on and off showers all weekend. Hopefully, we can get some ponding in. What a great place to spend a few days of contemplation.
Tuckaway Farm
Yoncalla, Oregon
Here we are back at Tuckaway Farm. We had a great thunderstorm right after we arrived. There are great dark clouds moving through. It is sooooo quiet here. Luna, the black lab seemed to remember us and Barney the cat always seems to be glad to see us. It looks like we'll have on and off showers all weekend. Hopefully, we can get some ponding in. What a great place to spend a few days of contemplation.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
A New Beginning
Where will the road take us next? Each day is a new beginning. This moment is all there really is. My journey begins from right here.... where I sit in this chair. Boy, it has taken me a long time to get to that knowing place. I thought I had to haul my past......my history around with me. I suppose at some cellular level it has played a part in defining me but my past does not have to be my identity.
I awaken as a new person each day.......just a little different from the person who was here yesterday. I know that at times, in the past, I have been stuck.......one foot in the quicksand and one foot wanting to move forward. That deep abiding spirit that lives within us calls us forward. Who holds us in the quicksand of history and past mistakes......the "only ifs and what ifs" of yesterday?
I have felt this deep longing to write for weeks now. I don't really have a specific subject. It is more like following a thread to see where it will take me. There is a voice deep inside telling me...... reassuring me that I will find my way. This will be a vision quest for me. I have been sitting on the bank watching the river flow by for some time now. It calls to me and this morning I have decided to slip into the water and see where it will take me.
Maturity has brought with it more fear and less daring. With life more than half over it feels like there is more to lose by putting things off. The magical time of youth has passed. When we are young we think we have all the time in the world to do and be all that we dream of. As the clock ticks on there is a sense that we are running out of time. It has forced me to start thinking about WHAT is really important. The list is getting shorter.
Time feels more precious with each passing day. We have put our dreams away like toys in a toy box. Is it time to find them again? Is it time to play in the world of our dreams?
Charlotte
Monday, December 08, 2008
Home Is Where The Heart Is
Home is where the heart is? Where are our hearts this morning?
It is a cold and foggy morning in Winchester, Oregon. We came here in August to work for Hickory Farms over the holidays. We are over half way through that assignment and glad of it. It has had it's ups and downs. We have become friends with the store manager after a rocky start. We are already questioning our choice of location. We feel drawn to an area farther to the north ~ up Yoncalla way.
We went to an open house at the Applegate house yesterday and had a delightful time. Since we have both just read "Skookum", written by Shannon Applegate, and so much took place in that house, it was almost a spiritual experience to be there. The old house was decorated for Christmas and we stood around the table in the "men's side" singing Christmas carols. They laid out quite a spread of food for snacking and had warm cider and mulled wine. It was great spending time with Bob and Sue and we even met Shannon Applegate and Susan Applegate from the book.
Where do we want to settle down? Do we want to settle down? We seem to have the wunderlust, much like the Applegate men of old. We are in love with the history of this place. As we stood in front of the house looking off at the twinkling lights of Yoncalla, we talked of the spirit of the old home place. We have spent time in so many houses that we seem to be very sensitive to the spirit of a place and this one certainly has that in spades. We were privileged to be able to go upstairs with Bob. I would have loved to just sit awhile up there with the spirits that wander the hallways. If a house could talk, this one certainly would. Is our new home up in the valley around Yoncalla? Or perhaps up on one of the hills?
We are seekers. We spend a great deal of time pondering the where and why of our lives. We seem to be filled with questions. When I look back at years of journals, I find pages and pages of questions ~ many of the same questions repeated year after year. Are other people asking the same questions that we ask ourselves, especially now that so many are going through challenging times?
I am reminded of the quotes from our wedding vows. Vow ~ that is a powerful word when one looks back. We took a vow to "take the road less traveled by" and to "go to the woods and live deliberately". Perhaps we should listen to those vows once again. We have traveled the highways and bi-ways for many years now. We have slept in more beds that most folks every dream of sleeping in during a lifetime, except maybe a traveling salesman ~ are there still traveling salemen around? I think even most long haul truckers sleep in their trucks these days. The question of the day .....what is really important ~ today and every day? It is definately something worth thinking about and writing about. What is important to us .......where is our sense of belonging? What defines that in our lives?
I came across a wonderful article by Ardath Rodale yesterday. It appeared in Prevention in October of '05. It gave me pause to think about my life.... our lives and where we are right now. What road lies ahead?
Come, Little Leaves
As the seasons change, rejuvenate your spirit.
Come, little leaves, said the wind one day,
Come over the meadows with me and play;
Put on your dresses of red and gold;
Summer is gone, and the days grow cold. --George Cooper
Imagine a perfect autumn day! It is truly a magical time of year with trees dressed in their finest array of colors--gold, green, orange, red. There are so many things to be thankful for. The changing seasons help us to evaluate where we have been, what we want to remember, and how we plan to grow.
As I watch the dance of the falling leaves, I think of how short their lives are--perhaps 6 months. The sun is playing hide-and-seek with them, peeping in and out of billowing clouds in a bright blue sky. It's like life--sun and shadow, happiness and sadness, strength and weakness.
But right now as I walk around the farm, I throw back my head with happiness in my heart and, as I do every fall, I repeat the "Come, Little Leaves" poem that I had to memorize in second grade. I have many thoughts as I watch the leaves. To me, they are so much more interesting than when everything is just green. I like to think that all the spectacular colors represent the people of the world. We all have different wants and needs, opinions and cultures; but we all come from the same root of humanity: the trunk of the tree of life.
Then I ask myself, Do the leaves know how it feels to bid farewell to the warmth of the sun? Do they realize that as they fall, they mingle with the earth to nourish the tree that has been their mother? Their lives have a purpose, just as our lives do. Leo Buscaglia wrote a touching book for all ages about this subject called The Fall of Freddie the Leaf.
Autumn also is a time to prepare for an inward journey and give time to personal reflection. I like to think that, just as the leaves fall, our own regrets and sadness can fall away from our inner trees, which are really ourselves, and be swept away by the invigorating breeze of renewed hope. We can feel lighthearted and happy again as we move forward toward the new year to come.
Remember the dance of the beautiful falling leaves and the lessons they teach of uplifting the spirit so that you can paint a picture of their glory to hold in the center of your heart all year long.
Charlotte
It is a cold and foggy morning in Winchester, Oregon. We came here in August to work for Hickory Farms over the holidays. We are over half way through that assignment and glad of it. It has had it's ups and downs. We have become friends with the store manager after a rocky start. We are already questioning our choice of location. We feel drawn to an area farther to the north ~ up Yoncalla way.
We went to an open house at the Applegate house yesterday and had a delightful time. Since we have both just read "Skookum", written by Shannon Applegate, and so much took place in that house, it was almost a spiritual experience to be there. The old house was decorated for Christmas and we stood around the table in the "men's side" singing Christmas carols. They laid out quite a spread of food for snacking and had warm cider and mulled wine. It was great spending time with Bob and Sue and we even met Shannon Applegate and Susan Applegate from the book.
Where do we want to settle down? Do we want to settle down? We seem to have the wunderlust, much like the Applegate men of old. We are in love with the history of this place. As we stood in front of the house looking off at the twinkling lights of Yoncalla, we talked of the spirit of the old home place. We have spent time in so many houses that we seem to be very sensitive to the spirit of a place and this one certainly has that in spades. We were privileged to be able to go upstairs with Bob. I would have loved to just sit awhile up there with the spirits that wander the hallways. If a house could talk, this one certainly would. Is our new home up in the valley around Yoncalla? Or perhaps up on one of the hills?
We are seekers. We spend a great deal of time pondering the where and why of our lives. We seem to be filled with questions. When I look back at years of journals, I find pages and pages of questions ~ many of the same questions repeated year after year. Are other people asking the same questions that we ask ourselves, especially now that so many are going through challenging times?
I am reminded of the quotes from our wedding vows. Vow ~ that is a powerful word when one looks back. We took a vow to "take the road less traveled by" and to "go to the woods and live deliberately". Perhaps we should listen to those vows once again. We have traveled the highways and bi-ways for many years now. We have slept in more beds that most folks every dream of sleeping in during a lifetime, except maybe a traveling salesman ~ are there still traveling salemen around? I think even most long haul truckers sleep in their trucks these days. The question of the day .....what is really important ~ today and every day? It is definately something worth thinking about and writing about. What is important to us .......where is our sense of belonging? What defines that in our lives?
I came across a wonderful article by Ardath Rodale yesterday. It appeared in Prevention in October of '05. It gave me pause to think about my life.... our lives and where we are right now. What road lies ahead?
Come, Little Leaves
As the seasons change, rejuvenate your spirit.
Come, little leaves, said the wind one day,
Come over the meadows with me and play;
Put on your dresses of red and gold;
Summer is gone, and the days grow cold. --George Cooper
Imagine a perfect autumn day! It is truly a magical time of year with trees dressed in their finest array of colors--gold, green, orange, red. There are so many things to be thankful for. The changing seasons help us to evaluate where we have been, what we want to remember, and how we plan to grow.
As I watch the dance of the falling leaves, I think of how short their lives are--perhaps 6 months. The sun is playing hide-and-seek with them, peeping in and out of billowing clouds in a bright blue sky. It's like life--sun and shadow, happiness and sadness, strength and weakness.
But right now as I walk around the farm, I throw back my head with happiness in my heart and, as I do every fall, I repeat the "Come, Little Leaves" poem that I had to memorize in second grade. I have many thoughts as I watch the leaves. To me, they are so much more interesting than when everything is just green. I like to think that all the spectacular colors represent the people of the world. We all have different wants and needs, opinions and cultures; but we all come from the same root of humanity: the trunk of the tree of life.
Then I ask myself, Do the leaves know how it feels to bid farewell to the warmth of the sun? Do they realize that as they fall, they mingle with the earth to nourish the tree that has been their mother? Their lives have a purpose, just as our lives do. Leo Buscaglia wrote a touching book for all ages about this subject called The Fall of Freddie the Leaf.
Autumn also is a time to prepare for an inward journey and give time to personal reflection. I like to think that, just as the leaves fall, our own regrets and sadness can fall away from our inner trees, which are really ourselves, and be swept away by the invigorating breeze of renewed hope. We can feel lighthearted and happy again as we move forward toward the new year to come.
Remember the dance of the beautiful falling leaves and the lessons they teach of uplifting the spirit so that you can paint a picture of their glory to hold in the center of your heart all year long.
Charlotte
Monday, October 13, 2008
A Beautiful Autumn Week At Tuckaway Farm
October 13, 2008
Our apartment is feeling a bit claustrophobic after spending 10 days in the big farmhouse at Tuckaway Farm. It was glorious! It is our favorite place to stay. It was simply wonderful to be at this special place again. We are truly country folk at heart. The ripe plums hung from the tree, along with apples and pears and the most delicious grapes. There were tomatoes, peppers, squash, lettuces and melons to harvest from the garden each day.
The autumn sunned warmed our backs as we practiced ponding once again. We added "porching" to our activities. We were able to share this place with good friends, Dan'l, Val, Jay and MaryAnn for a couple of days.
Barney the loving cat, who was here in 2003 greeted us along with Luna, the new black lab. Luna loves to chase balls. Barney loves lap time, especially on the porch.
Our apartment is feeling a bit claustrophobic after spending 10 days in the big farmhouse at Tuckaway Farm. It was glorious! It is our favorite place to stay. It was simply wonderful to be at this special place again. We are truly country folk at heart. The ripe plums hung from the tree, along with apples and pears and the most delicious grapes. There were tomatoes, peppers, squash, lettuces and melons to harvest from the garden each day.
The autumn sunned warmed our backs as we practiced ponding once again. We added "porching" to our activities. We were able to share this place with good friends, Dan'l, Val, Jay and MaryAnn for a couple of days.
Barney the loving cat, who was here in 2003 greeted us along with Luna, the new black lab. Luna loves to chase balls. Barney loves lap time, especially on the porch.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Going To The Woods
June 11, 2008
So much has happened in the last few weeks. We have been to Oregon to unload and now we are in Port Townsend, Washington. I had all of my upper teeth removed. I don't recommend this unless it is absolutely necessary. Larry has had dental work.
We have enjoyed this past week alone. Well, except for the very large dog, Marcus, and 3 indoor cats that we are caring for. We have spent time on our favorite bluff overlooking the Puget Sound contemplating our next venture.....our next move....the path to take. We are wanting to do something besides just move to our next house - pet - ranch sit.
We are in a waiting mode. We are trusting in the direction showing up from a place wiser than what we would come up with inside our heads at this point. It is very tempting to grasp at straws and make something happen but since we "let go and let God" before Larry's surgery (and that experience still feels like a miracle) we are trusting in a roadmap from our Source.
We are planning to leave here next week headed to Oregon for a few days with a stop in Roseburg to look around and work in our storage unit. Then we think we'll take a little camping trip. Most likely down the coast. The ocean is always a good place for us to be quiet and still and open. We have long dreamed of spending more time on the Oregon Coast. We may even go to Ocean Cove, where we went on our honeymoon in 1981.
After that we are headed to Grass Valley, the gold country. We are actually considering mining for the summer. I can't believe we are considering this at our age but hey, we met our dear friend Hubert while he was mining at the bridge when he is 67. Larry only just had hip replacement surgery 4 months ago. It has been years since we mined and we aren't really sure where to begin but we trust that if it's meant to be it will feel easy and we'll find our way in a very relaxed, healthy and positive way. We would certainly both be in better shape after a summer of mining.
We have spent the week writing and talking about our next move. "Two roads diverged in the wood" and we have certainly taken the road less traveled, more often than not over the last 29 years. We have always dreamed of writing a book about our mining adventures. This would give us an opportunity to be in the places where we used to mine and to do some filming and take photos. It would be an opportunity to have the real experience instead of just remembering.
Right now we are practicing being present in the moment; with ourselves, our surroundings and each other.
Charlotte
So much has happened in the last few weeks. We have been to Oregon to unload and now we are in Port Townsend, Washington. I had all of my upper teeth removed. I don't recommend this unless it is absolutely necessary. Larry has had dental work.
We have enjoyed this past week alone. Well, except for the very large dog, Marcus, and 3 indoor cats that we are caring for. We have spent time on our favorite bluff overlooking the Puget Sound contemplating our next venture.....our next move....the path to take. We are wanting to do something besides just move to our next house - pet - ranch sit.
We are in a waiting mode. We are trusting in the direction showing up from a place wiser than what we would come up with inside our heads at this point. It is very tempting to grasp at straws and make something happen but since we "let go and let God" before Larry's surgery (and that experience still feels like a miracle) we are trusting in a roadmap from our Source.
We are planning to leave here next week headed to Oregon for a few days with a stop in Roseburg to look around and work in our storage unit. Then we think we'll take a little camping trip. Most likely down the coast. The ocean is always a good place for us to be quiet and still and open. We have long dreamed of spending more time on the Oregon Coast. We may even go to Ocean Cove, where we went on our honeymoon in 1981.
After that we are headed to Grass Valley, the gold country. We are actually considering mining for the summer. I can't believe we are considering this at our age but hey, we met our dear friend Hubert while he was mining at the bridge when he is 67. Larry only just had hip replacement surgery 4 months ago. It has been years since we mined and we aren't really sure where to begin but we trust that if it's meant to be it will feel easy and we'll find our way in a very relaxed, healthy and positive way. We would certainly both be in better shape after a summer of mining.
We have spent the week writing and talking about our next move. "Two roads diverged in the wood" and we have certainly taken the road less traveled, more often than not over the last 29 years. We have always dreamed of writing a book about our mining adventures. This would give us an opportunity to be in the places where we used to mine and to do some filming and take photos. It would be an opportunity to have the real experience instead of just remembering.
Right now we are practicing being present in the moment; with ourselves, our surroundings and each other.
Charlotte
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Oregon Territory
May 18, 2008
Well, tomorrow is the day we load our wagon and head to the Oregon Territory. Actually, 2 wagons if you count the 26 ft. U-Haul that Larry will drive, with me following in the MPV. It has been a good time in Seattle but we are ready to move on. This feels like a very significant move......more than the rest, except, for when we both left Lawrence Livermore Labs back in 1981 and then when we were first "homeless" after leaving the apartment in 1997.
We roll off into the unknown this summer. I tend to always want my ducks in a row. I try to make things happen and control our living situation but not this time. I have read the housesit ads but I haven't even been tempted to answer one. I remember how miraculous and wonderful this assignement in Seattle came to us. It has met our needs in such a powerful way and we didn't have to make this happen. Besides I can't seem to find my ducks so I can line them up. The old ducks flew away.
We are both open to the unknown possibilites and the excitement of discovery with regard to what the our future holds.
Charlotte
Well, tomorrow is the day we load our wagon and head to the Oregon Territory. Actually, 2 wagons if you count the 26 ft. U-Haul that Larry will drive, with me following in the MPV. It has been a good time in Seattle but we are ready to move on. This feels like a very significant move......more than the rest, except, for when we both left Lawrence Livermore Labs back in 1981 and then when we were first "homeless" after leaving the apartment in 1997.
We roll off into the unknown this summer. I tend to always want my ducks in a row. I try to make things happen and control our living situation but not this time. I have read the housesit ads but I haven't even been tempted to answer one. I remember how miraculous and wonderful this assignement in Seattle came to us. It has met our needs in such a powerful way and we didn't have to make this happen. Besides I can't seem to find my ducks so I can line them up. The old ducks flew away.
We are both open to the unknown possibilites and the excitement of discovery with regard to what the our future holds.
Charlotte
Monday, May 05, 2008
So Long Seattle
Well, our time in Seattle is coming to a rather abrupt end. After signing on for what we thought was a 1 to 2 year assignment, the homeowner is separating from her husband and moving back to Seattle. So much for E-Harmony.
We have had a good time here. Larry was able to have a total hip replacement in February. We were close enough that I could go to the hospital each day and it's been convenient for our trips back and forth in order for Larry to see doctors and physical therapists. It has been a huge blessing to have this housesit during this time.
We finally got our chance to live in the city. Seattle is divided into small communities within the city with names like Green Lake, Fremont, Crown Hill, Queen Anne Hill and Ballard, which is where we are. We can catch a bus right out front and be downtown in 20 minutes. That part has been an adventure. We found a wonderful spiritual community in Seattle at the downtown Unity Church.
We will not miss all of the traffic rolling by right out front and all of the buses. We won't miss the 8 months of rain, cold and cloudy days, one right after the other that we have just experienced. We are leaving just as we can finally expect some sun. We will miss all of the doggies that go by here by the droves each day. Everyone in this part of town walks their dogs to Sunset Park and they go by this house. Dogs of every size and description parade by during the morning and evening. The sight of happy dogs going by brings joy to our hearts.
What's next for us? Another housesit? We don't really know.
Charlotte
We have had a good time here. Larry was able to have a total hip replacement in February. We were close enough that I could go to the hospital each day and it's been convenient for our trips back and forth in order for Larry to see doctors and physical therapists. It has been a huge blessing to have this housesit during this time.
We finally got our chance to live in the city. Seattle is divided into small communities within the city with names like Green Lake, Fremont, Crown Hill, Queen Anne Hill and Ballard, which is where we are. We can catch a bus right out front and be downtown in 20 minutes. That part has been an adventure. We found a wonderful spiritual community in Seattle at the downtown Unity Church.
We will not miss all of the traffic rolling by right out front and all of the buses. We won't miss the 8 months of rain, cold and cloudy days, one right after the other that we have just experienced. We are leaving just as we can finally expect some sun. We will miss all of the doggies that go by here by the droves each day. Everyone in this part of town walks their dogs to Sunset Park and they go by this house. Dogs of every size and description parade by during the morning and evening. The sight of happy dogs going by brings joy to our hearts.
What's next for us? Another housesit? We don't really know.
Charlotte
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Do What You Love: Time is Too Short to do Anything Else....
Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation Studios, delivered a truly inspirational commencement address to some 5,000 Stanford University graduates. Without further adieu, his message:
"I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The First Story is About Connecting the Dots.
I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?
It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife.
Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: 'We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?' They said: 'Of course.' My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.
And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition.
After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.
It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed.
Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them.
If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.
Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something--your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
My Second Story is About Love and Loss.
I was lucky--I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents' garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation--the Macintosh--a year earlier, and I had just turned 30.
And then I got fired.
How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down--that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me.
I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me--I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
Fired From Apple
I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.
During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the world's first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.
I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful-tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it.
Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers.
Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
My Third Story is About Death.
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: 'If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right.'
It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
Diagnosed With Cancer
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer.
I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months.
My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery.
I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it.
And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma--which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch.
This was in the late 1960s, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and Polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue.
It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: 'Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.' It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Thank you all very much."
The Stanford (University) Report June 14, 2005
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Coincidence or Something Else?
Coincidence or Something Else?
In 1975, a man riding a moped in Bermuda was accidentally struck and killed by a taxi. One year later, the man’s brother, riding the very same moped, was killed in the very same way by the very same taxi driven by the very same driver -- and carrying the very same passenger.
Twin brothers Jim Lewis and Jim Springer were separated at birth and adopted by different families. Unknown to each other, both were named James, both owned a dog named Toy, both married women named Linda, both had a son they names James Alan, and both eventually divorced and got remarried to a woman named Betty.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, and John Adams helped to edit and hone it. The Continental Congress approved the document on July 4, 1776. Both Jefferson and Adams died on July 4, 1826 -- exactly 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
A German mother who photographed her infant son in 1914 left the film to be developed at a store in Strasbourg, but was unable to collect the film picture when World War I broke out. Two years later she bought a film plate in Frankfurt, over 100 miles away, and took a picture of her newborn daughter -- only to find, when developed, the picture of her daughter superimposed on the earlier picture of her son. The original film, never developed, had been mistakenly labeled as unused and resold.
In 1858, Robert Fallon was shot dead by fellow poker players who accused him of cheating to win a $600 pot. None of the other players were willing to take the now unlucky $600, so they found a new player to take Fallon’s place, who turned the $600 into $2,200 in winnings. At that point, the police arrived and demanded that the original $600 be given to Fallon’s next of kin -- only to discover that the new player was Fallon’s son, who had not seen his father in seven years.
In the 19th century, the famous horror writer Egdar Allan Poe wrote a book called ‘The narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym.’ It was about four survivors of a shipwreck who were in an open boat for many days before they decided to kill and eat the cabin boy whose name was Richard Parker. Some years later, in 1884, the yawl, Mignonette, foundered, with only four survivors, who were in an open boat for many days. Eventually the three senior members of the crew killed and ate the cabin boy. The name of the cabin boy was Richard Parker.
In 1930s Detroit, a man named Joseph Figlock was to become an amazing figure in a young (and, apparently, incredibly careless) mother’s life. As Figlock was walking down the street, the mother’s baby fell from a high window onto Figlock. The baby’s fall was broken and Figlock and the baby were unharmed. A year later, the same baby fell from the same window, again falling onto Mr. Figlock as he was passing beneath. Once again, both of them survived the event.
In 1973, actor Anthony Hopkins agreed to appear in “The Girl From Petrovka”, based on a novel by George Feifer. Unable to find a copy of the book anywhere in London, Hopkins was surprised to discover one lying on a bench in a train station. It turned out to be George Feifer’s own annotated (personal) copy, which Feifer had lent to a friend, and which had been stolen from his friend’s car.
In Monza, Italy, King Umberto I went to a small restaurant for dinner, accompanied by his aide-de-camp, General Emilio Ponzia-Vaglia. When the owner took King Umberto’s order, the King noticed that he and the restaurant owner were virtual doubles, in face and in build. Both men began discussing the striking resemblance between each other and found many more similarities.
1. Both men were born on the same day, of the same year (March 14, 1844).2. Both men had been born in the same town.3. Both men married a woman with same name, Margherita.4. The restaurateur opened his restaurant on the same day that King Umberto was crowned King of Italy.5. On the 29th July 1900, King Umberto was informed that the restaurateur had died that day in a mysterious shooting accident, and as he expressed his regret, an anarchist in the crowd then assassinated him.
While American novelist Anne Parrish was browsing bookstores in Paris in the 1920s, she came upon a book that was one of her childhood favorites -- Jack Frost and Other Stories. She picked up the old book and showed it to her husband, telling him of the book she fondly remembered as a child. Her husband took the book, opened it, and on the flyleaf found the inscription: “Anne Parrish, 209 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs.” It was Anne’s very own book.
Are these instances merely coincidence, or are they something more? It all depends on how you look at it.
In 1975, a man riding a moped in Bermuda was accidentally struck and killed by a taxi. One year later, the man’s brother, riding the very same moped, was killed in the very same way by the very same taxi driven by the very same driver -- and carrying the very same passenger.
Twin brothers Jim Lewis and Jim Springer were separated at birth and adopted by different families. Unknown to each other, both were named James, both owned a dog named Toy, both married women named Linda, both had a son they names James Alan, and both eventually divorced and got remarried to a woman named Betty.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, and John Adams helped to edit and hone it. The Continental Congress approved the document on July 4, 1776. Both Jefferson and Adams died on July 4, 1826 -- exactly 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
A German mother who photographed her infant son in 1914 left the film to be developed at a store in Strasbourg, but was unable to collect the film picture when World War I broke out. Two years later she bought a film plate in Frankfurt, over 100 miles away, and took a picture of her newborn daughter -- only to find, when developed, the picture of her daughter superimposed on the earlier picture of her son. The original film, never developed, had been mistakenly labeled as unused and resold.
In 1858, Robert Fallon was shot dead by fellow poker players who accused him of cheating to win a $600 pot. None of the other players were willing to take the now unlucky $600, so they found a new player to take Fallon’s place, who turned the $600 into $2,200 in winnings. At that point, the police arrived and demanded that the original $600 be given to Fallon’s next of kin -- only to discover that the new player was Fallon’s son, who had not seen his father in seven years.
In the 19th century, the famous horror writer Egdar Allan Poe wrote a book called ‘The narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym.’ It was about four survivors of a shipwreck who were in an open boat for many days before they decided to kill and eat the cabin boy whose name was Richard Parker. Some years later, in 1884, the yawl, Mignonette, foundered, with only four survivors, who were in an open boat for many days. Eventually the three senior members of the crew killed and ate the cabin boy. The name of the cabin boy was Richard Parker.
In 1930s Detroit, a man named Joseph Figlock was to become an amazing figure in a young (and, apparently, incredibly careless) mother’s life. As Figlock was walking down the street, the mother’s baby fell from a high window onto Figlock. The baby’s fall was broken and Figlock and the baby were unharmed. A year later, the same baby fell from the same window, again falling onto Mr. Figlock as he was passing beneath. Once again, both of them survived the event.
In 1973, actor Anthony Hopkins agreed to appear in “The Girl From Petrovka”, based on a novel by George Feifer. Unable to find a copy of the book anywhere in London, Hopkins was surprised to discover one lying on a bench in a train station. It turned out to be George Feifer’s own annotated (personal) copy, which Feifer had lent to a friend, and which had been stolen from his friend’s car.
In Monza, Italy, King Umberto I went to a small restaurant for dinner, accompanied by his aide-de-camp, General Emilio Ponzia-Vaglia. When the owner took King Umberto’s order, the King noticed that he and the restaurant owner were virtual doubles, in face and in build. Both men began discussing the striking resemblance between each other and found many more similarities.
1. Both men were born on the same day, of the same year (March 14, 1844).2. Both men had been born in the same town.3. Both men married a woman with same name, Margherita.4. The restaurateur opened his restaurant on the same day that King Umberto was crowned King of Italy.5. On the 29th July 1900, King Umberto was informed that the restaurateur had died that day in a mysterious shooting accident, and as he expressed his regret, an anarchist in the crowd then assassinated him.
While American novelist Anne Parrish was browsing bookstores in Paris in the 1920s, she came upon a book that was one of her childhood favorites -- Jack Frost and Other Stories. She picked up the old book and showed it to her husband, telling him of the book she fondly remembered as a child. Her husband took the book, opened it, and on the flyleaf found the inscription: “Anne Parrish, 209 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs.” It was Anne’s very own book.
Are these instances merely coincidence, or are they something more? It all depends on how you look at it.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Dreamweaving in Suquamish
March 9, 2007 ~ Suquamish ~ There is a feeling of spring in the air........at last. It poured rain yesterday and today there has been no sun. Is it the angle of the light? Or perhaps the returning song of the robins? A couple of pileated woodpeckers have stopped by to nibble at the suet right outside of our dining room window.
We actually had two days of sun earlier in the week and got out in the yard and finished pruning. We sat in the yard on Monday in the sun and listened to a class from the program with Bob Doyle that we signed up for. We learned of Bob through The Secret. We are loving the program. If you want to learn more, contact us.
So much has been going on with us. We remind ourselves daily to remember that it is about the journey and not the destination. It's also about remaining in the NOW......otherwise you miss the whole process. So much has happened since we watched The Secret.....5 times now and counting and then the Oprah shows about The Secret. It feels quite amazing at times.
It was a long process to arrive at this place. We kept trying to make our move to Washington work but it continues to feel like an uphill climb. After 2 years we finally stopped long enough to think about other possibilities.
It has been a good thing that the winter has been long, wet and dark and kept us housebound. We needed that time with ourselves. One can be too busy to hear the messages from the heart. A person needs to be quiet and still and check in with themselves at a deep level once in a while.
We needed time to BE in the moment. Of course, we didn't realize that. It just happened that way. It feels like synchronicity......the way everything came together. Again, it is only in looking back that we can see the process. We needed time to journal and contemplate. Since I began my training toward becoming a coach, I am learning that people avoid looking deeper. They are afraid of the truth.....they are afraid to look back and afraid to look forward. They are afraid of the questions that may come up and the changes truth can bring. We humans don't do change well. We are too attached to an imaginary outcome. We don't like to walk the "tightropes" of life or "free fall off of moutains" or set off on journeys to the unknown. We grow comfortably uncomfortable in the ruts of our lives.
Charlotte
We actually had two days of sun earlier in the week and got out in the yard and finished pruning. We sat in the yard on Monday in the sun and listened to a class from the program with Bob Doyle that we signed up for. We learned of Bob through The Secret. We are loving the program. If you want to learn more, contact us.
So much has been going on with us. We remind ourselves daily to remember that it is about the journey and not the destination. It's also about remaining in the NOW......otherwise you miss the whole process. So much has happened since we watched The Secret.....5 times now and counting and then the Oprah shows about The Secret. It feels quite amazing at times.
It was a long process to arrive at this place. We kept trying to make our move to Washington work but it continues to feel like an uphill climb. After 2 years we finally stopped long enough to think about other possibilities.
It has been a good thing that the winter has been long, wet and dark and kept us housebound. We needed that time with ourselves. One can be too busy to hear the messages from the heart. A person needs to be quiet and still and check in with themselves at a deep level once in a while.
We needed time to BE in the moment. Of course, we didn't realize that. It just happened that way. It feels like synchronicity......the way everything came together. Again, it is only in looking back that we can see the process. We needed time to journal and contemplate. Since I began my training toward becoming a coach, I am learning that people avoid looking deeper. They are afraid of the truth.....they are afraid to look back and afraid to look forward. They are afraid of the questions that may come up and the changes truth can bring. We humans don't do change well. We are too attached to an imaginary outcome. We don't like to walk the "tightropes" of life or "free fall off of moutains" or set off on journeys to the unknown. We grow comfortably uncomfortable in the ruts of our lives.
Charlotte
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Happy Halloween
It is a cold day in Suquamish. The thermometer says 42 but with the wind it feels much colder. We walked down to the post office and the gale coming off of the water was icy. The world is awash in color. The maple trees glow in the sunlight. With each gust of wind a blizzard of leaves falls to earth. The kiddos will need to bundle up tonight to stay warm.
Charlotte
Charlotte
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Tribal Journey 2006
Photograph by Larry BaconTribal Journey 2006
A days rest in Suquamish on the way to Muckleshoot. "The Tribal Canoe Journey seeks to honor centuries-old traditions of transport and trade by the coastal tribes of the Northwest, many of which often traveled the waters to meet and gather for festivities. With every dip into the water their strokes bring back the memory of their ancestors. At every landing, custom teaches them the ways of their elders as they ask permission to come ashore." To learn more go here http://www.kingcountyjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060801/NEWS/608010321
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)