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
Pow Wow in Suquamish
Photograph by Larry Bacon
Chief Seattle Days
from Kitsap Peninsula Visitor's Bureau
"This historical celebration, held the third week of August every year, features Traditional Native Dance Performances & Competitions, Indian Salmon Dinners, Traditional Canoe Races, Indian Arts & Crafts Vendors, and a Gravesite Ceremony in honor of Chief Seattle. Tribes from throughout the Northwest and beyond are represented. EVERYONE, Native
and Non-Native, is welcome to join in the celebration. "
"The first Chief Seattle Days was held in 1911 in downtown Suquamish and continues to be held on the orginal Celebration Grounds overlooking
Port Madison, Agate Passage and the City of Seattle, the namesake of Chief Seattle. The celebration honors Chief Seattle, the famous Suquamish chief who signed the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855 that established the Port Madison Indian Reservation and delivered the famous speech used to support the cultural and spiritual values of indigenous people throughout
the world."
"Suquamish is on the Port Madison Indian Reservation, home of the Suquamish tribe. One of the most influential leaders of the Northwest, Chief Seattle, lived much of his life in Suquamish and is buried at Suquamish Memorial Cemetery.
Located along Agate Pass and on Madison Bay, Suquamish enjoys some of Kitsap Peninsula's most spectacular views, looking across Puget Sound at Seattle, the Cascade Mountains and Mt. Rainier. "
Chief Seattle Days
from Kitsap Peninsula Visitor's Bureau
"This historical celebration, held the third week of August every year, features Traditional Native Dance Performances & Competitions, Indian Salmon Dinners, Traditional Canoe Races, Indian Arts & Crafts Vendors, and a Gravesite Ceremony in honor of Chief Seattle. Tribes from throughout the Northwest and beyond are represented. EVERYONE, Native
and Non-Native, is welcome to join in the celebration. "
"The first Chief Seattle Days was held in 1911 in downtown Suquamish and continues to be held on the orginal Celebration Grounds overlooking
Port Madison, Agate Passage and the City of Seattle, the namesake of Chief Seattle. The celebration honors Chief Seattle, the famous Suquamish chief who signed the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855 that established the Port Madison Indian Reservation and delivered the famous speech used to support the cultural and spiritual values of indigenous people throughout
the world."
"Suquamish is on the Port Madison Indian Reservation, home of the Suquamish tribe. One of the most influential leaders of the Northwest, Chief Seattle, lived much of his life in Suquamish and is buried at Suquamish Memorial Cemetery.
Located along Agate Pass and on Madison Bay, Suquamish enjoys some of Kitsap Peninsula's most spectacular views, looking across Puget Sound at Seattle, the Cascade Mountains and Mt. Rainier. "
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Summer In Suquamish
It is a lovely summer day in Suquamish. Just a few short months ago we wondered where we would be this summer of 2006 and then Karen came into our lives. Karen had an ad on housecarers. We responded and it was a real match for all of us. Karen is a lovely young woman. She is a merchant marine captain and she needed a housesitter for the summer. We are in a lovely spot surrounded by trees and just a 1/2 mile walk to the water where we look across to the skyline of Seattle. We are blessed indeed.
Charlotte
Charlotte
Monday, April 24, 2006
Where to go?
Thinking much today about what the next few weeks will hold. We are planning to move once again. It is a lovely warm day on the Hood Canal. We have been sitting by the water watching the ducks fly about. The seagulls seem to be content to just sit around by the inlet to the river. Larry says he isn't worried about "where" because he knows no matter where we are we will be together. We are looking for another housesit, hopefully in the northwest somewhere.
Charlotte
Charlotte
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Mousetrap
What can we learn from a mousetrap?
A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning. "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."
The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose." So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.
The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them. The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness. So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.
SEND THIS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER HELPED YOU OUT AND LET THEM KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE. REMEMBER: EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY; OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.
A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning. "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."
The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose." So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.
The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them. The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness. So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.
SEND THIS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER HELPED YOU OUT AND LET THEM KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE. REMEMBER: EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY; OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
A Foggy Morning In Belfair
Larry: Our home has found us at last. We have rented a small condo on the Hood Canal in Belfair, WA. A succession of synchronous events led us to this place. Our front yard is literally the "toe end" of the Hood Canal, a long, odd arm of the Puget Sound. Our upstairs office widow overlooks a tidal pond that is always bustling with the activities of ducks. I've spotted at least three species so far. Then there are the shore birds - sea gulls and I think Sanderlings. The Sanderlings are funny little birds. They fly in tight formations that form a cloud of alternating white or tan, depending upon which way they turn. How they communicate their decision to turn at exactly the same instant is a mystery. We have a pair of resident bald eagles that we see daily.
Charlotte: This morning the fog is rolling in. I have already seen one of our bald eagles this morning. He likes to sit on the top of an old snag that has washed ashore. There are flocks of robins that have moved in this morning. They are sitting in the tree outside our office window. There are so many Larry said they look like fruit hanging in the tree. We have had many days of rain. The clouds, water, light.....the mood of this place is ever changing. The little salt water inlet to the east is a flurry of activity this morning and ducks of every description scurry here and there. A little songbird stopped by this morning to sit on our back fence and serrenade us. This has happened several times now so I can't help but think that it sees us by the window and comes by intentionally.
Charlotte: This morning the fog is rolling in. I have already seen one of our bald eagles this morning. He likes to sit on the top of an old snag that has washed ashore. There are flocks of robins that have moved in this morning. They are sitting in the tree outside our office window. There are so many Larry said they look like fruit hanging in the tree. We have had many days of rain. The clouds, water, light.....the mood of this place is ever changing. The little salt water inlet to the east is a flurry of activity this morning and ducks of every description scurry here and there. A little songbird stopped by this morning to sit on our back fence and serrenade us. This has happened several times now so I can't help but think that it sees us by the window and comes by intentionally.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Missing In Action
By Charlotte
Wow! Here it is July 28th, 2005. Where does time go? We have been missing in action since the first of the year. We didn't feel like there was anything going on in our lives worth writing about. Hmmmmm? Is that really the truth? In retrospect there was alot going on. These may have actually been some of the most important months of our lives. The truth is that we were afraid to write about our searching and struggles where others could see. Maybe we didn't want to see. We have been on a journey of discovery. Where are we going? And why? "Why" has become the question of the day. It is like peeling away the skin of an onion. Just keep asking the question "why" and tell the truth.......not the truth that sounds good but the real down and dirty, get out of your head and into your heart truth. The "whys?" lead to the first response and then once examined, it is cast away and the search goes on. What is the real motive behind the action...... the real reason for the choices we make.
The other big question is "Why Are We Here"? Day by day we keep writing down the answers and getting closer and closer to the truth. We are living a life dedicated to a deepening of the spiritual journey. The choices we make ultimately serve that purpose.
Today finds us in Ballard, Washington which is really the northern area of Seattle. Our actual mailing address says Seattle, Washington. We are loving our time in the city. The last 4 weeks have been an unexpectedly delightful and rewarding experience.
Much has happened in the last few months to write about but...... maybe the timing wasn't right. We started off the year in Port Townsend, WA and then moved over to Indianola, which is on the Kitsap Peninsula. At waters edge we looked across at Seattle. For three months we lived in a small house in the woods. Our most important discovery there was that we don't want to live in the woods. It is fine for camping and long hikes but we want to live where we have distant vistas and big sky. That is what feeds our spirit.
We left there and headed east. I made a pilgrimage back to Texas to see relatives and revisit my childhood memories. The difference on this trip is that I chose to leave the rose colored glasses at home.
Today, here we are in Ballard. When we go to the water's edge on the west side of town we now find ourselves looking across at the Indianola pier. This is a quiet neighborhood of old homes and beautiful gardens. We are very thankful to be in Seattle this summer. They have been having a heatwave in Sacramento, where we spent last summer. We definately don't miss the long hot days of summer. We are house/pet sitting for Carolyn and her young son Scotland. They are in Europe for the summer. They were at the Tour de France when Lance won last week. This is a lovely old home, complete with Snitch, the golden retriever. Snitch is 2 years old and has more energy than we do. There is a lovely lake nearby, where we walk. Greenlake has a 2.8 mile path around the lake and lots of trees and shady lawn areas. We go there several days a week.
We have found another awesome spiritual community at the Seattle Unity Church with Richard Levy. We're taking a class based on Julia Cameron's book, "Vein of Gold". Given our "Golden" history, it's quite ironic. The class is requiring us to dig into our life for the "nuggets" that we all have hidden away - another big stretch for us.
Wow! Here it is July 28th, 2005. Where does time go? We have been missing in action since the first of the year. We didn't feel like there was anything going on in our lives worth writing about. Hmmmmm? Is that really the truth? In retrospect there was alot going on. These may have actually been some of the most important months of our lives. The truth is that we were afraid to write about our searching and struggles where others could see. Maybe we didn't want to see. We have been on a journey of discovery. Where are we going? And why? "Why" has become the question of the day. It is like peeling away the skin of an onion. Just keep asking the question "why" and tell the truth.......not the truth that sounds good but the real down and dirty, get out of your head and into your heart truth. The "whys?" lead to the first response and then once examined, it is cast away and the search goes on. What is the real motive behind the action...... the real reason for the choices we make.
The other big question is "Why Are We Here"? Day by day we keep writing down the answers and getting closer and closer to the truth. We are living a life dedicated to a deepening of the spiritual journey. The choices we make ultimately serve that purpose.
Today finds us in Ballard, Washington which is really the northern area of Seattle. Our actual mailing address says Seattle, Washington. We are loving our time in the city. The last 4 weeks have been an unexpectedly delightful and rewarding experience.
Much has happened in the last few months to write about but...... maybe the timing wasn't right. We started off the year in Port Townsend, WA and then moved over to Indianola, which is on the Kitsap Peninsula. At waters edge we looked across at Seattle. For three months we lived in a small house in the woods. Our most important discovery there was that we don't want to live in the woods. It is fine for camping and long hikes but we want to live where we have distant vistas and big sky. That is what feeds our spirit.
We left there and headed east. I made a pilgrimage back to Texas to see relatives and revisit my childhood memories. The difference on this trip is that I chose to leave the rose colored glasses at home.
Today, here we are in Ballard. When we go to the water's edge on the west side of town we now find ourselves looking across at the Indianola pier. This is a quiet neighborhood of old homes and beautiful gardens. We are very thankful to be in Seattle this summer. They have been having a heatwave in Sacramento, where we spent last summer. We definately don't miss the long hot days of summer. We are house/pet sitting for Carolyn and her young son Scotland. They are in Europe for the summer. They were at the Tour de France when Lance won last week. This is a lovely old home, complete with Snitch, the golden retriever. Snitch is 2 years old and has more energy than we do. There is a lovely lake nearby, where we walk. Greenlake has a 2.8 mile path around the lake and lots of trees and shady lawn areas. We go there several days a week.
We have found another awesome spiritual community at the Seattle Unity Church with Richard Levy. We're taking a class based on Julia Cameron's book, "Vein of Gold". Given our "Golden" history, it's quite ironic. The class is requiring us to dig into our life for the "nuggets" that we all have hidden away - another big stretch for us.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Bremerton Memories
January 11, 2005
By Larry
We drove over to Poulsbo yesterday for lunch at a neat little Italian bistro overlooking the waters of Liberty Bay. This morning, while writing in my journal, I realized how close we were to Bremerton. In order to make some sense of this, I must bring you up to date. I joined the Navy in 1958 and was subsequently assigned to the USS Bon Homme Richard, an Essex class aircraft carrier. In the winter of 1959, our ship was drydocked in Bremerton, Washington for three or four months. During my free time, I explored the area, often taking the ferry across to Seattle. Now here, 45 years later, I'm exploring the area just north of Bremerton. The question arose - what forces, decisions, whims, nudges, etc. place us where we are at any given time?
I really enjoyed my Navy experience. In retrospect, I might have stayed in, making a career out of it except for the fact that I was married with two children by the time my first enlistment was up. I felt the family obligation of settling down and so it was. What process directs our lives like that or is it simply organized chaos that tosses us to and fro? In the fall of 1959, my buddies and I somehow wound up in an out-of-the-way, rundown honkytonk where I met my first wife. I don't know what the circumstances were that brought her and her girlfriend there that particular night. And what was there about a wet-behind-the-ears sailor, all of 19 years old and a single mother, already divorced and jaded by life that compelled us to make a life together? Was that marriage meant to only last until I met Charlotte or was Charlotte sent to pick me up when I fell? Meeting her has it's own set of circumstances that seem implausible.
How does all of this work in my life today? Is the end result already written somewhere? If so, what part do I get to play - the protagonist or the victim? We chose to come north this winter. The Merrils' housesit and now this one in Indianola came in handy but I think we were headed here anyway. Why? Are we supposed to meet certain people up here? Is each day up for grabs or are we on a set path? Is there a way to test this process? What if I purposely jumped outside the box on any given day? Suddenly veer off the freeway to check if anyone is following me? To simply see what will happen as a result? This whole idea of feeling out the complexities of this process, of becoming aware of the subtle nudges, whims, inspirations that life sends my way intrigues me. What about actually utilizing this process to fit my intentions. Is that how it all works? Simply set clear intentions for your life, for your years, for your weeks, for today and then joyfully - playfully tap into the Universal Potential that is our's for the asking in order to make those intentions a reality.
I may be onto something here! In order for God to help us, we must make our intentions crystal clear. How can we get "there" if we don't have a clear idea of where we are going? Okay, here are my intentions, God: I want to be of service to the world, to people who are less fortunate than I am. I realize that my life will not count for anything without reaching out to help others. My clear intention is to earn enough money to fund a "comfortable" lifestyle. I don't need a fancy, "display" home - just something large enough to accomodate two of us and our guests. I want to grow things - veggies and flowers. I see a green house up here, about 10 X 20 feet should do nicely. That would grow most of our fresh food needs year round. I intend to have a boat large enough to sleep four people. I would share my boat generously. I intend for our Mannatech business to fund my other intentions so I'd better make this intention clearest of all.
If the "hows" are none of my business, then all I have to do is be clear about the "whys". I see our lifestyle as being one of cycles. A period of service, perhaps in a foreign land or here at home. A period of restorative rest and recuperation would follow. We will have our home and our boat between service assignments where we can garden, fish, cruise and catch up with our writing and reading. Good food, good wine, wonderful get-togethers with good friends, a few weeks up in the inland fiords of BC and we'll be raring to go again!
By Larry
We drove over to Poulsbo yesterday for lunch at a neat little Italian bistro overlooking the waters of Liberty Bay. This morning, while writing in my journal, I realized how close we were to Bremerton. In order to make some sense of this, I must bring you up to date. I joined the Navy in 1958 and was subsequently assigned to the USS Bon Homme Richard, an Essex class aircraft carrier. In the winter of 1959, our ship was drydocked in Bremerton, Washington for three or four months. During my free time, I explored the area, often taking the ferry across to Seattle. Now here, 45 years later, I'm exploring the area just north of Bremerton. The question arose - what forces, decisions, whims, nudges, etc. place us where we are at any given time?
I really enjoyed my Navy experience. In retrospect, I might have stayed in, making a career out of it except for the fact that I was married with two children by the time my first enlistment was up. I felt the family obligation of settling down and so it was. What process directs our lives like that or is it simply organized chaos that tosses us to and fro? In the fall of 1959, my buddies and I somehow wound up in an out-of-the-way, rundown honkytonk where I met my first wife. I don't know what the circumstances were that brought her and her girlfriend there that particular night. And what was there about a wet-behind-the-ears sailor, all of 19 years old and a single mother, already divorced and jaded by life that compelled us to make a life together? Was that marriage meant to only last until I met Charlotte or was Charlotte sent to pick me up when I fell? Meeting her has it's own set of circumstances that seem implausible.
How does all of this work in my life today? Is the end result already written somewhere? If so, what part do I get to play - the protagonist or the victim? We chose to come north this winter. The Merrils' housesit and now this one in Indianola came in handy but I think we were headed here anyway. Why? Are we supposed to meet certain people up here? Is each day up for grabs or are we on a set path? Is there a way to test this process? What if I purposely jumped outside the box on any given day? Suddenly veer off the freeway to check if anyone is following me? To simply see what will happen as a result? This whole idea of feeling out the complexities of this process, of becoming aware of the subtle nudges, whims, inspirations that life sends my way intrigues me. What about actually utilizing this process to fit my intentions. Is that how it all works? Simply set clear intentions for your life, for your years, for your weeks, for today and then joyfully - playfully tap into the Universal Potential that is our's for the asking in order to make those intentions a reality.
I may be onto something here! In order for God to help us, we must make our intentions crystal clear. How can we get "there" if we don't have a clear idea of where we are going? Okay, here are my intentions, God: I want to be of service to the world, to people who are less fortunate than I am. I realize that my life will not count for anything without reaching out to help others. My clear intention is to earn enough money to fund a "comfortable" lifestyle. I don't need a fancy, "display" home - just something large enough to accomodate two of us and our guests. I want to grow things - veggies and flowers. I see a green house up here, about 10 X 20 feet should do nicely. That would grow most of our fresh food needs year round. I intend to have a boat large enough to sleep four people. I would share my boat generously. I intend for our Mannatech business to fund my other intentions so I'd better make this intention clearest of all.
If the "hows" are none of my business, then all I have to do is be clear about the "whys". I see our lifestyle as being one of cycles. A period of service, perhaps in a foreign land or here at home. A period of restorative rest and recuperation would follow. We will have our home and our boat between service assignments where we can garden, fish, cruise and catch up with our writing and reading. Good food, good wine, wonderful get-togethers with good friends, a few weeks up in the inland fiords of BC and we'll be raring to go again!
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Searching for Gibsons
December 21, 2004
In January, 2003, we moved to British Columbia with the idea that we could live there permanently. We had visited the little town of Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast several times on holiday and had fallen in love with it. The first time was in the fall of 1996. We had committed to an Alaskan cruise that departed Vancouver, BC on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. We left Seattle with the plan to find a place to stay Saturday night in Vancouver but guess what? - There was no room at the inn! We couldn't find a vacancy anywhere. We happened to belong to Days Inn club so we called their help line. The nice young man in Tennessee told us there were vacancies in Gibsons, just a short drive north of Vancouver. We happily made reservations and headed out of town. The four lane freeway abruptly ended at the water. Thinking that we had missed the turn off, we retraced our path only to return to the water! After calling our Tennessee friend back, he rechecked and announced that there was a ferry crossing necessary to get there. After a magical late afternoon crossing, we drove into lower Gibsons and found our motel. Gibsons is a fishing village that time forgot. People walk the streets for entertainment, going down to the pier to watch boating traffic, looking at the towering, snow-covered mountains, spying the ferry on its hourly crossing. We were enchanted. Since we were very nervous about our cruise having never been on one before, we wished that we could have canceled it and spent the week in Gibsons. It was a good thing we didn't because our Alaskan cruise was magical - but that's another story.
Our home in Gibsons overlooked the harbor and we awakened each morning with eagerness. We went exploring by car and by foot. Almost every evening, we walked down to the harbor after dinner to look at the boats and daydream about where they had been or were going. We made friends at the coffee shops and spent hours conversing with them over a pastry and a cup. The accents were captivating, the customs just different enough to be interesting and the exchange rate fluctuated daily. We were in love with a new country, a new home, a new beginning.
Then in May or so, we met some ex-pat Americans who informed us that we could only stay for six months out of each calendar year. We resisted at first, determined to become illegal aliens, hiding from the vaunted Royal Canadian Mounties of lore. But eventually, sanity prevailed and we planned our departure, saddened but fulfilled by our time there. The only problem since then is that we tend to measure each place we visit by Gibsons standards and all fall woefully short. Just this morning, we realized that as much as we like the Port Townsend, Washington area, it's just not our Gibsons. Will we ever find a replacement?
In January, 2003, we moved to British Columbia with the idea that we could live there permanently. We had visited the little town of Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast several times on holiday and had fallen in love with it. The first time was in the fall of 1996. We had committed to an Alaskan cruise that departed Vancouver, BC on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. We left Seattle with the plan to find a place to stay Saturday night in Vancouver but guess what? - There was no room at the inn! We couldn't find a vacancy anywhere. We happened to belong to Days Inn club so we called their help line. The nice young man in Tennessee told us there were vacancies in Gibsons, just a short drive north of Vancouver. We happily made reservations and headed out of town. The four lane freeway abruptly ended at the water. Thinking that we had missed the turn off, we retraced our path only to return to the water! After calling our Tennessee friend back, he rechecked and announced that there was a ferry crossing necessary to get there. After a magical late afternoon crossing, we drove into lower Gibsons and found our motel. Gibsons is a fishing village that time forgot. People walk the streets for entertainment, going down to the pier to watch boating traffic, looking at the towering, snow-covered mountains, spying the ferry on its hourly crossing. We were enchanted. Since we were very nervous about our cruise having never been on one before, we wished that we could have canceled it and spent the week in Gibsons. It was a good thing we didn't because our Alaskan cruise was magical - but that's another story.
Our home in Gibsons overlooked the harbor and we awakened each morning with eagerness. We went exploring by car and by foot. Almost every evening, we walked down to the harbor after dinner to look at the boats and daydream about where they had been or were going. We made friends at the coffee shops and spent hours conversing with them over a pastry and a cup. The accents were captivating, the customs just different enough to be interesting and the exchange rate fluctuated daily. We were in love with a new country, a new home, a new beginning.
Then in May or so, we met some ex-pat Americans who informed us that we could only stay for six months out of each calendar year. We resisted at first, determined to become illegal aliens, hiding from the vaunted Royal Canadian Mounties of lore. But eventually, sanity prevailed and we planned our departure, saddened but fulfilled by our time there. The only problem since then is that we tend to measure each place we visit by Gibsons standards and all fall woefully short. Just this morning, we realized that as much as we like the Port Townsend, Washington area, it's just not our Gibsons. Will we ever find a replacement?
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Northwest Report
Almost two weeks in Port Townsend, Washington! My, how time has flown. What a glorious place this is with it's snow covered peaks, waterways and forests. We can see the Olympic range draped in it's winter coat of white from our chairs in the front room. On clear days we can see Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainer and the Cascades. This feels like home to us. We feel good in this environment.
We will be house/pet sitting here into the New Year. Our charges are one very large black dog (lab mix) - Markus and 2 cats, Suzie and Mimi. The cats are feral. Their owner, MaryAnn, has tamed them enough to be indoors. They are locked away in a bedroom while the bathroom remodel construction goes on here. They seem content enough in their room. Suzie has her leg in a cast from an injury she suffered when she escaped into the crawl space below the house. She spends most of her time securely nestled into the corner of a carpet lined box. She goes back to the vet in two weeks and has her cast removed. I am sure she'll be glad and so will we. She can't lift her bum leg into the litter box and often misses. Jay and MaryAnn have 2 horses who are boarded out in the country. We go by there once a week for a visit and to deliver a large bag of carrots.
We are camped out here but quite comfortable. The owner's have not moved their household furnishings up from California yet. We have a nice bed, camp chairs, a folding table, fridge, stove, washer and dryer. They recently installed a lovely gas fireplace, the nicest we have ever seen. The fire very much resembles the many campfires we have warmed ourselves by. We sit around the fire in the morning and evening.
This area requires exploring. No matter which road you take, it eventually reaches the water. The other day we were driving along the banks of the Dungeness Wildlife area near Sequim when we spied a bald eagle, high atop a scraggly pine. My photo doesn't do it justice. When I mention bald eagles to the locals, I get a "ho-hum" response. I hope I never get there since it is so exciting everytime we see one. The weather is grey with lots of sun breaks. The sky is constantly changing. Yesterday, as I was driving to the post office, the Cascade Mountains were awash in brilliant sunlight even though we were in the grey. The contrast was surrealistic but alas, when I grabbed for the camera, I realized that I had left it at home.
We have tried two Unity churches now, one here in Port Townsend and one in Kingston. Our plan is to go over to Sequim next Sunday, then make a decision about which one feeds our spirits best. Until the next time.
Charlotte
We will be house/pet sitting here into the New Year. Our charges are one very large black dog (lab mix) - Markus and 2 cats, Suzie and Mimi. The cats are feral. Their owner, MaryAnn, has tamed them enough to be indoors. They are locked away in a bedroom while the bathroom remodel construction goes on here. They seem content enough in their room. Suzie has her leg in a cast from an injury she suffered when she escaped into the crawl space below the house. She spends most of her time securely nestled into the corner of a carpet lined box. She goes back to the vet in two weeks and has her cast removed. I am sure she'll be glad and so will we. She can't lift her bum leg into the litter box and often misses. Jay and MaryAnn have 2 horses who are boarded out in the country. We go by there once a week for a visit and to deliver a large bag of carrots.
We are camped out here but quite comfortable. The owner's have not moved their household furnishings up from California yet. We have a nice bed, camp chairs, a folding table, fridge, stove, washer and dryer. They recently installed a lovely gas fireplace, the nicest we have ever seen. The fire very much resembles the many campfires we have warmed ourselves by. We sit around the fire in the morning and evening.
This area requires exploring. No matter which road you take, it eventually reaches the water. The other day we were driving along the banks of the Dungeness Wildlife area near Sequim when we spied a bald eagle, high atop a scraggly pine. My photo doesn't do it justice. When I mention bald eagles to the locals, I get a "ho-hum" response. I hope I never get there since it is so exciting everytime we see one. The weather is grey with lots of sun breaks. The sky is constantly changing. Yesterday, as I was driving to the post office, the Cascade Mountains were awash in brilliant sunlight even though we were in the grey. The contrast was surrealistic but alas, when I grabbed for the camera, I realized that I had left it at home.
We have tried two Unity churches now, one here in Port Townsend and one in Kingston. Our plan is to go over to Sequim next Sunday, then make a decision about which one feeds our spirits best. Until the next time.
Charlotte
Saturday, November 13, 2004
Nesting and Passing Time
Charlotte: Since leaving Sacramento and moving up to the Grass Valley area we have been a little down all week. We feel lost. It occurs to us that even though we love to travel, experience new places and meet new people, perhaps we need a nest somewhere. Moving is supposedly a very stressful experience and I think we are feeling some of that this week. Without a nest, maybe this moving every few months is taking a toll on us. As we think back, it seems like we get down every time we move. We love the feeling we get when we hit the road, headed to a new place... but the week before we leave and about the first week after we arrive at our new destination we are down in the dumps. Is there a pattern here? Duh? It is especially hard this time because we have made so many friends in Sacramento. We are leaving "family" behind this time but we know that we will return for visits.
We are excited about heading back to our beloved northwest. It feels more like home that any other place we have been. We haven't been back in almost 2 years now. Maybe before we think about any more housesits we should find a place to call home. It would be fun to get all of our worldly goods out of storage. It would be like Christmas since we haven't seen any of our "stuff" in so long. We stored everything away in 1997 and hit the road. It would be nice to have a place to go back to once in awhile..... a place where we have "community" and a sense of family. We'll be at our next housesitting assignment in Pt. Townsend, Washington next week. Perhaps being there will help us in answering some of these questions.
Larry: I've been taking a break from my farm chores by sitting on the front porch watching a kingfisher hunt for his breakfast. What a simple life, eating what you catch when you're hungry. I was watching the leaves fall from a tree - talk about being present! One or two leaves would drift down, then a breeze would pluck a dozen or more so that a flurry of leaves fell. The ground beneath the tree was solid with yellow and orange color. I was struck by the metaphor of life and passing time . Our days float by like the leaves of autumn, some days faster than others, some weeks fly by without our noticing - all joining the past and accumulating around us. In order to appreciate our time here, we must stay present and watch each day as it drifts toward the past. Too quickly, our life will be represented by the stark bareness of the leafless branches.
We are excited about heading back to our beloved northwest. It feels more like home that any other place we have been. We haven't been back in almost 2 years now. Maybe before we think about any more housesits we should find a place to call home. It would be fun to get all of our worldly goods out of storage. It would be like Christmas since we haven't seen any of our "stuff" in so long. We stored everything away in 1997 and hit the road. It would be nice to have a place to go back to once in awhile..... a place where we have "community" and a sense of family. We'll be at our next housesitting assignment in Pt. Townsend, Washington next week. Perhaps being there will help us in answering some of these questions.
Larry: I've been taking a break from my farm chores by sitting on the front porch watching a kingfisher hunt for his breakfast. What a simple life, eating what you catch when you're hungry. I was watching the leaves fall from a tree - talk about being present! One or two leaves would drift down, then a breeze would pluck a dozen or more so that a flurry of leaves fell. The ground beneath the tree was solid with yellow and orange color. I was struck by the metaphor of life and passing time . Our days float by like the leaves of autumn, some days faster than others, some weeks fly by without our noticing - all joining the past and accumulating around us. In order to appreciate our time here, we must stay present and watch each day as it drifts toward the past. Too quickly, our life will be represented by the stark bareness of the leafless branches.
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