02-02-2020

Yesterday I joined several friends from qigong class at the Riner Fire Department's oyster and turkey dinner. We had wine and appetizers at Jill B's first, in her wonderful newly renovated open kitchen. But as good as the fried oysters were (not nearly as tasty as Gulf oysters), Ezra's photo posts from Vietnam of the delicious meals he is enjoying, unintentionally mock my taste of seafood here in the winter mountains! Do wish there was a good Vietnamese restaurant here, I would love some Pho. I think I need to try to make some (buy some pasture raised beef and/or buffalo bones). 

Had to post an ocean photograph, tide out. The shadow of the palms striking; the clouds handsome - and my grands making a perfect scene. Miss them! True has survived the first week of the cast on his left arm; he fell at school from a jungle gym. Doctor said no soccer - and, of course, no swimming/ surfing. 

Had a very delicious dinner at Ann's, her Christmas gift to Web+. We began with a gin and grapefruit/lime juice cocktail (probably another ingredient i am forgetting) and cheese, seated in front of a fire in her great room. Diane and Susan had picked up Pat (they had given her a message first!). What energetic conversations at the table, recounting tales of our children, eating an appetizer of stuffed portobello. A main course of deliciously tender roast beef with a spinach sauce, roasted potatoes and Kathy's brussels sprouts. Ann even made a flourless chocolate cake and we shared gifts. Although Pat is using a walker, she is driving and looks very good. She does have to have surgery soon to remove the metal rod in her leg - she is not looking forward to that. Oh a dear wonderful evening. 

In the mineral spring

from Susan

Home from Warm Springs

Trip to Bath county and a float in the pool of warm mineral waters

with best of friends. An hiatus from the routine of my life and from news of the big world. Warm springs felt like a travel back in time when my great grandmother would have visited to nurse her tuberculosis. The mountains in long triple spines, the enclaves of civilization around hot springs or warm springs with homes of the very wealthy. Dinner Thursday night at the Grist Mill was delicious - though I was fairly filled up with goodies we had brought from home to have with wine in the bar at the Warm Springs hotel. what a surprise that small hotel with the high ceilinged waiting room dressed in furniture of early 1900’s - large dining area  and a sun room added latter. the bar with the old safe. slipping into another time.

I realize how good it is to be away - even for just an overnight. A refreshing. A perspective. and the warm mineral springs were salubrious and still rocking my body. 

We spent an hour at the Homestead until the Warm Springs opened.

Resistance is Fertile

More on the Women's March: 750,000 marched in LA, a score in Antartica, thousands thronged the Ann Richardson bridge in Austin (who must be so proud of her daughter Cecil who heads Planned Parenthood), 100's in Gulfport MS and thousands in New Orleans (or course, Mardi Gras opportunity). More and More, sends chills down my arms as I type, and by the tweet of it, Trump is pissed. Oh, petty little hands man. I liked a slogan which I saw in English and in Spanish: Respect Existence or Expect Resistance! 
Here we are again, with our safety rope which was a great hit with the crowd. It did keep us together until a slew of people separated Valen from us, sending Pat after her daughter through the throng. We didn't meet up again until the bus - 1,800 buses all parked at RFK stadium. We had wine waiting for us and cheese and crackers, nuts and apples. We were jubilant. Now to not lose this energy of compassionate awareness. Now to keep a finger on our legislators both state and federal. Now to keep all accountable. Now to register our discontent. Now to  not despair but to act. 

I Have a Vagenda

I am riding the High of the Women's March in DC (over 1/2 a million - 3 million world wide), a recharge to the activist bones, a dispelling of the angst of the day before inauguration, and hilarious fun with good good friends. "I have a Vagenda" was on a sign i missed but was fortunately captured in a blog someone referenced on FB. Some of the signs I did delight in were taking back the "Don't Tread on Me" slogan that the t-party has usurped on bright yellow license plates and flags with the twinning snakes; some women turned the snakes upside down and it looked like a uterus with fallopian tubes. The humor was contagious in all seriousness; we were squashed like sardines, especially intense in the Metro, underground and moving at a snail pace - yet a helpful caring friendly atmosphere. Oh, glorious, magnificent folks!

Preparing for the March on Jan 21st!

We will be marching for Elizabeth as her knees will keep her at home; the rest of us will be in DC on Saturday via a Rally bus.  Kathy Pink and Susan and I spent Monday painting aprons with appropriate messages to wear ( "Pussy grabs back," "Bad Trump," "Grope Protest," "Women Rights = Human Rights," "WTF"). Some of us may even don pink pussy hats! Hope we will help swell the numbers into the 100 thousands. The buses leave at 3:12 AM - maybe we will be able to sleep on the bus, though I wouldn't bet on it and we won't be home until after midnight. But, we have to do it!

September out the window

I stood in the New River last evening, up to my chest, watching Diane, Pink and Kathy (with her dog in an inflatable doggie vest) swimming; yet, I hesitated to submerge.  Too cool. We walked up Ann and Rick's new serpentine path from river to house to enjoy Ann's latest libation (a concoction of raspberries, mint, ginger liquor, Italian soda and vodka - i think) and goat milk cheese. Dinner at Palisades with most delicious conversation. Diane and Pink and I driving out in blue taxi, decided our feeling of gloom was due to the tropical depression heading up from Florida.
Here's picture of Fia on first day of school in uniform. Ez says that she likes school, after some morning tears.  I miss her!

And here my two girls on a swing!

thanksgiving meal with friends

I remember my grandmother, Mary, used to say, "we should treat our family members as we do our friends!" And what fun for me to have dinner with friends. 15 at Susan and Andy's table with Stefan and Alden, Katy and Mike, Molly, Jason and Elliott and Bodhi, Richard, Diane and Richard's sister, Lynn and me! Organic turkey from Weathertop Farm, stuffing with cranberries, mashed potatoes, Katy's beets, my creamed spinach, kale salad, Lynn's green beans, Diane's gravy, corn bread and rolls, cranberries. Pecan pie, Molly's pumpkin pies, chocolate pie and brownies for dessert. I am satisfied. The great full moon bringing me home with treats for the doggies. I am blessed. (I will pull the tide in you to me, sang the moon - i thought)

Elizabeth's hexagram

For awhile in the performance, Elizabeth unfurled the last hexagram in the I-Ching: BEFORE COMPLETION.  This image comes to mind this morning as I try to shrug the gray mood of performance done, over, fini! So I go with the I-Ching and figure today is just the day before the end (and so forth into infinity!). I read in The Book of Changes, "Things cannot exhaust themselves. Hence there follows, at the end, the hexagram of BEFORE COMPLETION. BEFORE COMPLETION is the exhaustion of the masculine."

Aunt Estelle is still strapped into the passenger seat of the Prius from the trip home last night; it was late and I had to let the dogs out of the house to accompany me on the trek to the blue house to close the chicken house. I am glad that we will see each other this afternoon at Ann's to gather together chairs and other items we brought for the play. Cool morning and a forecast low tonight of 38.

As I walked with the dogs to the river this late morning, I dwelt on the grounded/metaphysical mix in each of our works. From Elizabeth's wise and passionate earthiness to Diane's two feet into the other world albeit tugged earthward by family. How I seem as Joni so well painted, a poet with one foot in the world of living and one foot in the dead world. Pat who is so grounded building her house, by Tyree's Ashes is "jump started to the stars". Susan  breathing stars into her mother's spirit, then caretaker of her dad. Ann is keeper of memories and of the preciousness of life. I love the way our works touch each other, images mingle and transform - I want to dance more with this performance.

Loose Threads

Diane just sent a picture of us in the space at Ann and Rick's house!

 

The Play's the Thing

It is fun; oh, it's work - at this age, memory work that taxes brain and body - but the pure delight in doing something well is an unexpected gift. Our work for LOOSE THREADS cuts deep, asks of player and of audience - a crack into the heart of loss. We have all glimpsed the black hole within (perhaps not so unlike Bob Dylan's "the evil twin!"). Or just death. This is Pat's space, where she stays until the near end of the performance. She moves from one arm rest to the other as she reads excerpts from her journal, scribbling notes, changing head rags.  I love to watch her! Susan has a space of chair and desk and standing lamp - she too must stay within the confines of her space until I come to get her when Pat walks the room reading "Tyree's Ashes" and handing out cards with images written upon them. Susan is serene, beautiful in her spot. The rest of us have blocking to remember - and poems to memorize - and in the case of Elizabeth and Ann, stories to tell! Elizabeth's two songs are wonderful; we all wish that we could persuade her to sing another! I am inspired by Diane's saying, gifting, of her poems - she is real. And I love watching Elizabeth and Diane re-enact Diane's piece about her mother. Thank goodness for Ann, whose stories are delightful - and her poems, so finely written. I am hoping that I can become as smooth with my llama poem while doing qigong as I am with some of my other pieces so that I can lessen the worry! Oh, as Elizabeth says in "July,July;" just someone please tell us "well done!"