muse of the moment

Grandkids & Wallaby Walkabouts

2010-06-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

"Someone told me it's all happening at the zoo" - Paul Simon

What do you do on a lazy Saturday afternoon when you are babysitting two rambunctious
grandchildren? You go to the zoo!

Kate, upon hearing that we were going to the Zoo:
"Let's Walk and Woll!"

Zoo Boise has come a long way in the past 30 years, and now sports an African exhibit! The giraffes are adorable, and you can tell that they are gentle animals. I think that taking a few moments and watching these charming creatures could bring peace to the soul.
Joseph and Julius are pretty much joined at the hip!

The King of the Zoo Boise jungle was catching some ZZZ's. I just wanted one roar! Just one, but all I got was a snore and a couple of twitches. Oh well.

The mama, however, was awake and watching...

Another new exhibit is the Wallaby Walkabout.
You actually walk inside a large cage with these little guys. They don't seem to notice the humans gawking, walking just a few feet from them.

"Watch me wallabies feed, mate
watch me wallabies feed..."

Kate, Chicky and Samuel on the Carousel. I think it's the one and only carousel in the whole city of Boise. They really need to do something about that.

Giraffes also make great slides!

Sam's first trip down the slide by himself was not appreciated.

The second time down was with me, and although he is looking a little apprehensive, he was laughing by the time we got to the bottom.

"I love acting, but it's much more fun taking kids to the zoo."
-Nicole Kidman

Gardening and Mother's Day. In That Order.

2010-05-09T20:15:00.001-07:00

Wow! Finally we had a nice weekend. With clear skies and the temperature in the 60's, how could we stay inside?

We bought our house from two gentlemen who were perfectionists, and when we first saw the yard I said "We don't deserve this". We have since set out to prove me wrong, so John trimmed the hedges to OCD perfection in the front. John:"Nature makes these beautiful bushes growing wild, and man looks at them and says "Hmmm...how can I turn that into a cube?" LOL, I guess that's civilization in a nutshell!

Pictures speak louder than words!

We live one block from Winstead Park, and after the Joy of Gardening, we went for a walk. Four times around the park is a mile, and we made it around a whole two times. I don't think I'll be joining the soccer team any time soon.
MOTHER'S DAY

I woke up on Sunday morning, and I was being honored ! Who knew? Okay, it was Mother's Day, but I like to think my kids thought of it. They took us to Bardenay for brunch, and while we were waiting for it to open, I decided to show the passers-by what a cool mom Nick and Ashley have, by doing the "washing machine". Lucky them!!! We were the first ones in, but it filled up fast. There were mom's with kids everywhere. I guess we fertile ladies have such an effect on our children that they want to take us out once a year, and buy us Bloody Marys. This is my first Bloody Mary ever, and probably my last. What is the good of drinking alcohol if it looks and tastes healthy? It kinds beats the purpose if you ask me. Give me a Mimosa any time.

I could have done a lot of things with my life early on, but I chose to create the humans you see with me in the picture above. (They have a sister in Denver, but I didn't have a wide angle lense so you'll have to imagine her.) They have turned out to be such amazing people and have given me so much joy, that I can't imagine
having chosen anything else.

"I want my children to have all the things I couldn't afford. Then I want to move in with them."
Phyllis Diller

2010-05-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

I woke up Friday morning full of energy and ready to start my day. I told Dana I would make pies and brownies for Jon's retirement party that evening, so I fired up the stove, cranked the music, channeled Betty Crocker and the fun began!

I make pretty good pies, and the added bonus is that I enjoy the process! My Grandmother Moore told me the secret of a good, flaky crust "More shortening, less flour." I also put 1/2 Tbsp. of vinegar in every batch of pastry, which makes it flaky, and I think it adds to the flavor. I've had so many pie crusts that just taste bland to me, so I appreciated this little tip from my niece, Lori. The brownies are courtesy of a Giradelli mix, I can't lie, but I noticed that they disappeared first!
Dr. Jon Dayley is Dana's husband and he is retiring from the B.S.U. English Department after teaching Linguistics for 28 years. That's a lot of words! He's written 8 books and speaks, oh about 4 languages give or take a few. He says it might be more accurate to ask him how many he's forgotten than how many he remembers!

Imagine Dana's delight and surprise when she learned that not only had Jon told his colleagues and students that she was an excellent cook and they would be having the party at their house, but that her band would be supplying the entertainment!

The weather was nice enough that we performed on the deck. The original plan was to perform in the house, which meant being completely unplugged would have been fine. However, performing outside when the wind was blowing away into the West, meant that not only were we unplugged, we were unheard! As you can see from the photo, it didn't phase us much.

Here we are trying to figure out what we're doing, which happens a lot with us. You would think after 16 years we would know!John and Jon talking trash while Krista while Krista stands by, providing eye candy.

The really cool thing about being in a band with an acupuncturist, is that she can put you into complete and exquisite pain anytime you like!

"The Ladies".

Photo op with Krista's husband, Jason. She shares.

Martin entertaining on his Hang drum.

As Jon rides into the retirement sunset and the guests go home and get on with their lives, I have only one thing to say. Next time, we're bringing the P.A.!

Potpurri: A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

2010-04-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

The irony is that even though my garden looks amazing, the weather isn't much better than it was in March when I took this picture! It seems like winter keeps nipping at the heels of spring, delaying her natural warmth and charm. I honestly can't remember a more miserable April since I've been in Boise, but even so, life goes on and I've been living it!

THE GARDEN:

Remember this? I blogged a little over a month ago when my garden was just waking up from a long winters nap.

Now it looks like this! It's really beautiful thanks to the gentlemen we bought the house from. They lovingly nurtured and took care of this beautiful space. If I blur my eyes just right, I think I'm in the gardens at Versailles. (smile). I'm going to plant a petunia border and some lavender in the front, and some hostas and coleus in the back. Other than that, we're good to go!

This picture doesn't even come close to doing this plant justice. I think it's a Pink Flowering Almond, and it's looked like this for several weeks. It's just now starting to fade and trade it's pink finery for green. What a nice surprise!

THE MUSIC

I'm a lazy musician. I think I'm a fairly competent one, but I'm not married to it like some of the the more dedicated types. I can go days without picking up my guitar, recorder, or singing a complete song. However, the more time that goes by without practicing, the crabbier I get, so I am really trying to have a DAILY music practice, which includes several things. First and foremost there is Beltane, my band which performs my original music.
We get together once a week for practice, and usually perform once a month. The big focus right now is getting the CD finished, and Steve Fulton at Audiolab is working on it. Look for it this fall.

John and I are in band at the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and we play once a month during the program year, and it also involves a weekly practice. We love performing for these wonderful people, and I have to admit both John and I are better performers now because of the diversity of the music. We've been challenged!
A few weeks ago, I joined the Boise Hospice Singers. It's a choral group and we meet once a week for rehearsal, with performances usually every other week. The first time we performed, we sang for a group at a nursing home in Meridian. The first song we did, was "You Are My Sunshine", and I completely lost it. That was the song my mom and I used to sing together when she was in the nursing home. The second time we sang I was more in control, although I have to admit to being a bit rattled (more than usual, ha), just being around situations that have strong emotions for me, but I do it in memory of my lovely mom.

I love all the things I'm doing, (I'll blog more about them later), but I have to say that despite all the neat things happening, my favorite time of the day is when John and I settle down for the evening, snuggled on the sofa together. I love being with him, and I love being settled and feeling content and happy.

A Little Gardening Music, Please!

2010-03-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm unemployed and loving it! Now that the weather has warmed up a little, I'm able to get my sedentary self off the red sofa, shake off the last of the winter blues, and venture out into the yard. Lest you think I'm revealing some secret love and longing for tilling the earth, let me tell you that I really don't love gardening. I've had yards and gardens in the past, mostly because I feel compelled to beautify any space I occupy. Luckily, this yard is so perfectly planted and maintained, that most of the work will involve the fall and spring clean-up. My daughter will be mowing and trimming for us, so we won't even buy a lawnmower.

John and I spent several hours chopping down old growth and raking fall leaves out of the beds. I trimmed, (well more like hacked,) my roses and pulled errant grass from where it doesn't belong. I walked around, reveling in the new buds and pondering the names of plants and bushes only beginning to reveal their true nature.

The very large flower garden in the back has been cleared of last years finery, and is trimmed and ready to grow. I wonder what treasures we will find there?

My daffodils are blooming heartily in the front, and my Magnolia tree has only one, shy pink blossom, but I hear whispers all around her, so I expect more soon.

This is the guardian for my stately Norwegian Maple. I don't have a name for him, nor have I decided what to plant for his "hair", but he seems to be doing a nice job already.

"Unemployment is capitalism's way of getting you to plant a garden." Orson Scott Card

OUR NIGHT ON A SLEIGH RIDE

2009-08-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

I HATE BEING COLD ONLY A LITTLE LESS THAN I HATE BEING COLD AND WET, SO WE WENT ON THIS SLEIGH RIDE. - Susan Nelson-Sangiorgi

Our friends, Dana Marsh and Greg Arndt gave us two tickets to Bogus Creek Outfitters Sleigh Ride as a wedding present, and we finally booked an evening on Feb. 21st 2009.

The evening started out great, as our friend Nette was in the
lodge and we got to visit with her while we waited for our sleigh to
show up. She and I were happily visiting, when all of a sudden I
hear John yelling: "Susan, they're here and they're about to leave!" My arms full of
fleece blankets, I ran lickety split down the the stairs, out the front
door, jumped off a small snow drift and fell down. Yes, I fell... right
in front of two sleighs full of revelers. I picked myself up, dusted
off my pride and proceeded onward.

We climbed up into the sleigh and I bundled up for the long, 15 minute
trek across the mountains to the tenderfoot cabin. I was wearing my
wool pea coat, a wool scarf, long pants, boots and a fleece blanket.
But even so, the gentleman behind us heard my intense suffering and
offered me his blanket. I took it.

OUR VIEW

When we arrived, the cabin was warm, and the music was good. Doug Cameron was the hot young cowboy serenading us. Perfect!

The meal was prepared and ready to go as soon as we sat down. It
consisted of cream of broccoli soup in a bread bowl , and a very thick
steak and prawns for the maincourse. Hot chocolate and blackberrycobbler finished off a perfect meal.

We had a wonderful time that night, horses behinds and all!

2009-02-08T14:07:00.000-08:00

"No spring, no summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one Autumnal face."- John Donne

I HEART fall. Seriously. It's my favorite time of year with it's brilliant leaves, warm afternoons and cool evenings. I feel truly inspired and energized.

But even the splendor of autumnal grace cannot stop fate. Fall began on a sad note. John's dear friend of many years, Erich Korte passed away suddenly. He was a funny, kind, brilliant and completely unique individual, so it was appropriate that we sent him off with red balloons. John still can't bring himself to delete Erich's name from his address book.

Hope springs eternal, and on September 19, John and I were married in Camel's Back park under a tree. How very hippie of us!

We took some new whacked-out pictures of "Beltane." I know it looks like we were in a mysterious, otherworldly dimension, but we were actually in my bathroom. Sorry mortals! (wink)

We welcomed a new member into our family. This is Nick's dog, Aussie. He is part Australian Kelpie and part Border Collie. He is well-behaved little love!

Halloween brought with it gusty winds, rustling leaves, bite sized snickers bars and...VAMPIRES! Ashley and Wendie were a lovely foil to Father Nick, the long suffering vampire hunter from the Cole-Ustick area.

In November, we did our first gig at the Shangri-La Tea House and Vegetarian Cafe. What a fabulous place!

Fall finally gave way to winter and the winter holidays!

On Thanksgiving, we went over to Wendie's.

Ashley, Nick and I imbibe.Wendie and Elizabeth. Thanksgiving Turkeys, all!

Soon, Xmas was upon us, and I cooked the usual fare.

Bing and Danny are always guests for dinner.

John's granddaughers, Ella and Kate came to town. Yummmm! Pizza!!

And far away in California, my grandson Dagan was coloring away.

Sigh....another year has come and gone and I am a little older, and I hope a bit wiser!!

2008-09-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

Summer was a beautiful whirlwind of music, journeys and love, and I can't remember a more rewarding summer season.

So as I settle into the rich warm colors and blessings of Autumn, I would like to offer a summer retrospective.

We jump started summer early, with a Mother's Day trip to the zoo.

Elizabeth, me, Ashley and Nette

Nice kitty, kitty....

We bid a premature and unjust goodbye to a member of our family Rest in Peace "Chef"...we hardly knew ye.

Then there was the first barbecue of summer at Nettes.

Nette, Wendie, Elizabeth, Moi and Ashley

Then there was the SECOND barbecue at Nette's. Mother and daughter living the good life.

We drove to Idaho City to visit my friend Kimmy. Kimmy and me.

I danced to Reggae music at the Eagle Island Experience.

We experienced the quiet beauty of the Idaho City Cemetery.

Misti and Dagan came to visit. Me, Ashley, Dagan, Wendi and Misti.

Uncle Nick

John gets a new grandson, baby Sam.

Ella, Natalie and Samual Benjiman Svaty

We enjoyed his granddaughters. They call him Chickie.

Ella and Kate

"Beltane" put on our annual concert/party.

Our many wonderful friends and fans.

We rocked Hyde Park on the 13th on 13th fund raiser for TRICA

We rocked the Goddess at Goddess Fest.Krista, Dana and me.

We frolicked with the fae at Faeriworlds.

We rocked out listening to David Macneill at Hyde Park Street Fair.

A perfect ending to a glorious summer!

We got married!!

I hope you have enjoyed sharing a bit of summer with me and my wonderful friends and family.

I pray that the life of this spring and summer may ever lie fair in my memory. ~ Henry David Thoreau

THE WEDDING

2008-09-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

We did it! On Friday September 19 we got married in Camel's Back Park. It was a kind of impromptu, hippie wedding. Attending were our children and grandchildren, (except for Misti, Mike and Dagan), and close friends, Dana and Jon, Jeff and Greg and Dana Marsh. In fact, Dana Marsh is a Buddhist Llama, and she married us in a beautiful ceremony.

For some reason known only to them, everyone showed up with a six-pack! This was not an Arkansas wedding, it only looks like one.

Nick, Dana, Ashley, Jeff and Jon.

My new family, Baby Sam, Christina, John, Natalie, Kate and Ella striking the model pose. Natalie is the mom. Aren't they gorgeous?

If I look happy, it's because I am!
John, Dana Marsh, Greg and Moi.

Look honey, it's the Mother Ship!

Later that night at Yen Ching...

The usual suspects, plus Ashleys' partner Wendie sitting on the end.

Friends for half a lifetime. Really, I'm amazed we are still standing!

Thanks for joining us! Even though you weren't all here, you were in our thoughts and we send you all of the love and happiness we feel. And that's a lot!!

What I Did On My Summer Vacation Part Two

2008-08-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new post entitled: "Faerieworlds, or Why Can't I Live in Eugene?"

After John dragged me screaming and kicking away from the ocean, we pointed the Echo toward Eugene and the enigmatic Faerieworlds.

Faerieworlds is three day mythical music festival in gorgeous Eugene, Oregon. They invite you to suspend disbelief for a moment, and wander into the lush world of Faerie. Whatever one believes, or doesn’t believe about faerie doesn’t really matter, for Faerieworlds is a three day feast for the eyes, ears and soul. It is so successful, that 12,500 people attended; a 65% increase over last year!! Apparently faeries don’t care about silly, mundane things like recession, and we're lucky for it.

There were some really great bands performing, such as Woodland, Priscilla Hernandez, Tricky Pixie, Gaia Consort, Trillian Green, Qntal and of course, Beltane and many others. The evening shows also included light shows by Brian Froud, (he of the books Faeries, Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairie Book, and movies "The Dark Crystal" and "Labrinth"), fame. He and his wife Wendy are producers of the show, along with Kelly Miller-Lopez, Emilio Lopez and Robert Gould of Imaginosis.

Our show was Saturday night on the Village Stage, and I must say, it was fabulous. It was well received and we had a great time performing. Even though the Village Stage was "stage two", they treated us like they cared, with a green room (tent), full of drinks and food, and even a changing tent. All you had to do was say was that you were a performer and the red carpet rolled out! The head-fearies in charge know that the performers really set the stage (no pun intended), for a successful event.

I could say more, like the vendors, the performers, and the costumes were beyond expectation, but I think that pictures might tell the story much better than I ever could!! Each one is worth a thousand words, right?

On Monday morning bright and early, John and dragged our faerie -stolen selves out of bed and drove home. I miss the green hills, the misty mornings and light rainfalls of Western Oregon,and as I carry on in my own reality in Idaho, I know that we will once again venture down the road of enchantment, to the ocean and Faerieworlds!

I think that people who can't believe in fairies aren't worth knowing. ~Tori Amos

I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?

~John Lennon

The Realm of Fairy is a strange shadow land, lying just beyond the fields we know. ~Author Unknown

We call them faerie. We don't believe in them. Our loss. ~Charles de

Lint

Come away, O human child!To the waters and the wild With a faery hand in hand,For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.~William Butler Yeats, "The Stolen Child"

Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,For I would ride with you upon the wind,Run on the top of the dishevelled tide, And dance upon the mountains like a flame.~William Butler Yeats, "The Land of Heart's Desire," 1894

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What I Did On My Summer Vacation Part One.

2008-08-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

Although John and I both hold the gold medal for back seat driving, our summer vacation was a smashing success!!! It played out in two parts: "The Oregon Coast or Why Is It So Freakin' Hot in Boise?" and "Faerieworlds or Why Can't I Live in Eugene?"

This is Part One.

We left at noon on July 29th. Since John doesn't like freeway driving, we took the scenic route through the middle of the state, making a lunch stop in Burns. Have you ever been to Burns? Yikes! We "burned" through there as fast as we could, and settled in for the evening in Bend.

When John and I were planning our trip and pricing hotels, we quickly realized that if you got a room under $100 you were lucky, so we decided that we would save money on the stop-over in Bend since it would be a quick overnight stay. The result? Why, the Tom Tom Motel of course!! It was built in 1958, and I imagine that was when they came up with the name. It's The Tom Tom, I'm not kidding. Any way, the rooms were clean, and each one has a theme. We stayed in the "Apple Blossom Room". I think the decorator watched a little too much of the DIY Network, but the owners were nice, the rooms immaculate and the price, at $55 was a deal!! If you are in a hurry and want a decent place to stay on a budget, I highly recommend it!!

The next day we got up, had a leisurely breakfast in some restaurant decorated with bears, and continued on with a beautiful drive to the coast.

I love the ocean, but I rarely get there. I have enjoyed its mystery in different places, but there is a special beauty in a place where heavily wooded mountains meet the sea!! We stayed in Yachats in the Adobe Resort , a hotel built right on the beach. The weather was sunny but cool, and I was in heaven!!

Krista, Jason and kids stayed in Yachats as well, and we spent some quality, if not dorky, time on the beach! If you see Krista, ask her about the "sneaker waves".

Thursday morning brought "breakfast with an ocean view", and a trip to Newport and the Portland Aquarium.

Friday morning it was time to leave for Eugene and Faerieworlds. I was happy to be leaving for our next adventure, but for a cup of tea and a bagel, I would have stayed!

The cure for anything is salt water...sweat, tears or the sea."
-Isak Dinesen

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It's Friday the 4th of July. Am I patriotic?

2008-07-06T19:46:00.001-07:00

The word "Friday" comes from the old English, Frige, an Anglo Saxon goddess. It is also connected with the Goddess Venus, she of love and peace. It's certainly everyone's favorite day as it begins the weekend!

Friday was a mellow day for us. We started the day with a bike ride, and ended up in Julia Davis Park, where the Kiwanis were having their annual Fourth of July Picnic. I would say there was a good sampling of middle-American, family oriented people having a very nice, old-school patriotic good time. The food smelled luscious, but we biked on home.

Dana came over for another rehearsal, and afterward we spent the rest of the day playing couch potatoes. Camel’s Back Hill was packed with people who wanted to watch the fireworks but didn’t want to brave the crowds at Ann Morrison. We watched the fireworks on T.V.

If you look up boring in the dictionary, there is a picture of a couple sitting on their sofa watching the fireworks on T.V. That was us. We went to bed at 11:00, and our neighbors treated us to a very loud fireworks show until about 12:30. Am I a scrooge, or was that just a tad inconsiderate?

The 4th of July brings out the patriot in many people. But what is patriotism? Patriotism means loyalty to the Patria, or Fatherland, but does that loyalty include blind obedience to the current government, or does it include obedience to a constitution which allows us to overthrow the government if we believe they are not leading us in the right direction? Is it patriotic to burn the flag because the constitution allows it, or is it an act of sedition? It just depends on who you ask.
It seems like the term "patriotism" is being coopted by the war machine to justify all of their wars and bloodshed. If you don’t fall lock step into line behind all of the government decisons, then you are a traitor? I thought America was all about being able to protest. It’s places like Nazi Germany that don’t give you that option, and there are many people who would love to take that option away from us.

Does supporting the troops mean supporting the mission? Do the people who want to keep those kids in Iraq REALLY support them, or do they support the war? I get really tired, and am frankly a little puzzled when people say anti-war protestors don’t support the troops. I do support the troops; I support their right to live be old, and if they must fight, to fight in a war that is justified and worthy of their sacrifice. I support their right to come home from war, and get the respect and care that they need. The way this "patriotic" government treats their Vets is shameful...they are the ones who don’t support the troops.

Well, there you have it, my Old Fashioned Fourth of July ramblings. We live in a great country, but face it, we’ve got huge problems. To me, being a good American is not about flag-waving and beating war drums , but in making sure that America once again becomes the greatest force for good in the world.

Red, White and Blue,
Susan

Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.
-Hermann Goering

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Thursday Blog

2008-07-04T16:39:00.000-07:00

Thursday is named for the Germanic god of Thunder, Thor. It is also the first of my weekly four days off, so here is a little blog to remind myself of how I spend my days. Could be better, could be worse! (smile)

Thursday morning, John and I got up and went for an early bike ride while it was still cool. Tenth Street is the best way to get from our house to downtown because there is virtually no traffic.

From there we crossed over to 8th street,
to BoDo , and on to the Anne Frank Memorial and the greenbelt. The memorial has neat new audio displays in the different sections. There are boxes with cranks that you turn which powers the voice and gives you the history and story of the exhibit you are looking at. You are your own power source!

Here is one of my favorite quotes from the Memorial:

Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, they send forth a tiny ripple of hope...These ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance- Robert F. Kennedy.

I love it because I have this theory that the most good comes from many people doing little things; acts that may seem simple and inconsequential, but done by many can move mountains. It truly is the little things that count. It's the Butterfly Effect!

From there we headed east and onward to Julia Davis Park. There wasn’t too much happening there, so we rode to Municipal Park, crossed Warmsprings and drove home through the Northeast neighborhoods. I like that area of town; it’s kind of like the North End with wide streets, and it's very quiet! It's no wonder one can never find a house for sale there.

It was time for breakfast, so we stopped off at the Java on 13th. I had an ice tea and avocado toast while John had the humus plate and coffee. I would recommend Java for a light lunch or breakfast, and they make really good ice tea and a coffee drink called "Bowel of Soul" will keep you jittery for hours!

John and I try to rehearse every day. We are finally adding keyboards to our sound, and I am lucky enough to be able to play them. John got me a nice little synthesizer for my birthday last year, and I am putting it to good use.

In the evening, we went to Nette’s for a barbecue. So with margaritas in hand, we ate burgers, dogs and s’mores! Love s’mores!

Who says a swimming pool has to be large? When the temp is 103, it just doesn't matter! So now I can say I was "Hanging out by the pool with my daughter, sipping margaritas". Ha!

Ashley and Nette spent time thrilling over Nette's antique fishing lures. It's actually more exciting than you might think, but I don't know why the word "nerd"comes to mind.

John and I love hanging out at barbeque's with food and drink, although I don't think he likes this photo too much, as it appears I am trying to smash his head into his chest. Sorry honey. I just don't know what got into me! Is it my eternal quest to always be on top? I just don't know!

My son Nick came, and as usual he, was the Grillmaster! Handsome, isn't he?
Ashley's partner Wendie was there, but without her beautiful daughter, Elizabeth. Hope to see her next time!

So, there you have another day in the life of me. I once read a quote that changed how I look at my daily life.

"How you spend your days is how you spend your life."

I hope we can all seek our ideal life by living it doing the things we love with the people we love!! What else is there?

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Wednesday Blog

2008-07-03T14:39:00.001-07:00

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday comes from an old English word meaning the day of the Norse god of war, Woden. It means different things to different people, but to me it is my FRIDAY, and here is my rambling blog in it's honor! Ahem....

I have started to ride my bike to work again. I used to do so all the time, but foot and knee surgery two years ago put me out of bike-commission for awhile. Now I’m back at it, and I love it. When I’m on a bike, I feel like I’m 12 years old again, riding my blue Schwinn Hollywood cruiser with my Chihuahua Alfreda safely in the basket. I’m sure I was quite an amusing sight, but in Aberdeen, Idaho in the 1960's, who wasn’t? I mean, I should write a book!

I am completely, totally and painfully burned out at my job. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am grateful to have it and the great schedule and health insurance it affords, but how many years can one work in one place before stagnating? Did I spend 5 years in college and student teaching to do this? I feel that I have reached the point of not being a viable employee. Some days I feel as though I am just nodding and smiling and taking up space. I will try over the summer to change my attitude, but sometimes things are just over no matter what head games you play with yourself. Stay tuned.

There are some good things about my job, however. Take the Fourth of July BBQ we had today. In the alley behind the store. By the dumpsters. I know this sounds creepy, but it really isn’t. First of all, I think corporate must have kicked in some money because it was a really good culinary haul. Burgers, dogs, chips, salads, desserts, drinks and candy, candy, candy! I have enough of an appreciation of the absurd to find the whole experience very endearing, and there really isn’t any place else for us to have a bbq!! Also, the chance to chat with my friends off the floor is a treat. So I went home last night with a smile on my face and the feeling I had participated in something ummmm.....unique!

After I got home, John and I headed downtown for dinner. We ended up at the Boise City Grill and had Idaho Mojitos. They are delicious and pack a (hic) punch! I had their clam chowder, (not good), and John had their curry chicken salad which he salutes! There was an oldies band playing on the patio at Cazba, so we listened to them for awhile before retired to our humble abode in the North End.

Speaking of the North End, have any of you driven down 13th lately? Good grief, you would think it was the only place in the valley to eat and drink. Although I enjoy the dining and the prosperous feeling of the place, sometimes I miss the old days of peace and quiet when Parilla Grill was a Laundromat!

I know this sounds a little (a lot) dramatic, but sometimes when I am riding home I think of an old song by the Eagles, called the Last Resort. I think they are singing about Hawaii or some other unspoiled place that is "discovered", and irrevocably changed. The line that sticks with me is this: "You call someplace paradise, kiss it goodbye." Not that the North End was ever paradise, but it used to be quiet and very affordable. I only hope that in ten years I still recognize it.

Well, there you have it, my Wednesday Blog! Praise Woden! (kidding)

More later.
Cheerios,
Susan

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WHAT’S WITH THE BUNNIES AND EGGS, ANYWAY???

2008-03-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

I grew up in the Christian tradition, so on Easter Eve my mom and I would color Easter eggs in anticipation of Easter morning, when I would run through the house and yard rediscovering the eggs the Easter bunny had sneakily hidden. There also was the prerequisite Easter basket filled with chocolate bunnies, jelly beans and other sugary delights.

After the early morning fun and accompanying sugar coma, I would put on my new Easter dress with matching hat, gloves and shoes and we would motor to church to worship the newly-risen Jesus.

Even then I wondered how it all connected. The relationship between Easter bunnies and Jesus didn't seem...cohesive somehow. As it turns out it is, but not in the way one might imagine. Once the connection between Paganism and most modern holidays has been made, and their themes and symbols understood, the historical implications become clear.

Have you ever wondered why Easter falls on a different day each year? After generations of disagreement, the Alexandrian (Coptic) church finally decided that Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.

The themes of Easter and the Spring Equinox (Ostara) are related. Easter is celebrated by all traditional Christians as the day Jesus was resurrected from the dead. After being crucified and laying in the tomb for three days, he was reborn and renewed.

The Spring Equinox is the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, when the days and nights are of exact equal proportion, and the weather finally begins to warm. Nature is slowly coming back from the dead cold of winter. The earth is reborn and renewed.

This blog only scratches the surface of how the themes of paganism and the natural world were co-opted and adopted to create the Christian myth. "Gods dying and being reborn" is a theme woven throughout many cultures. They bear different names and forms, but if you look closely, you will find they are all tied to nature and the people who worshipped it.

Where does the word Easter come from? It is believed (not absolutely proven), that it comes from the name of a Teutonic Goddess named Eostre. It could also be a derivative of Ishtar, Astarte or Isis, who were consorts of gods who died and were reborn. Eostre mated with a god and gave birth to a son (read sun), at the Winter Solstice around December the 21st. The Winter Solstice (Yule), is the time when the sun begins to have dominance once again, and the days become longer. From the name Eostre comes the Christian Easter and the Pagan Ostara.

So what about the egg and the bunny? It is believed, that the symbols of the Goddess Eostre are the hare and the egg, both representative of new life, rebirth and fertility. Again, these symbols were incorporated into the Christian holiday of Easter.

Most people know what Christians do at Easter, but what do pagans do at Ostara? Most pagans see the deities as symbols of the natural world, not as anthropomorphic beings sitting on their thrones, dealing out rewards and punishments at their whim. Rituals honoring the gods and goddesses of the season are performed, seeds blessed and planted, eggs decorated with symbols representing desires for the year , and we party!!! The following is a rather tongue-in cheek list of Ostara activities I wrote for a ritual some years ago.

Ways To Celebrate Ostara (Spring Equinox)

1.Have a big party with lots of food!

2.Color eggs

3.Do rituals to bring balance into your life

4.Dance around a fire.

5.Plan and prepare a meditation garden, and plant in it herbs and plants that represent the things you want to accomplish this year.

6.Do magick by planting a seed to grow with your desires.

7.Take a walk in nature, and pick up any garbage that you see.

8.Feed your garden fae some chocolate, because after a long winter, they are hungry!

9.Stop taking life so seriously. Laugh more.

10.Have a big party with lots of food!

So there you have it. A very brief and basic explanation of the roots of the Easter holiday. The path through history, myth and spirituality is a non-linear one. Rather, it is like a tapestry woven with brilliant, changing threads that create a diverse and colorful panorama that defines and renews us all.

Blessings of the Spring,

Susan

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Adventures of the Crone, or Granny Susan Rides Again

2008-02-24T16:11:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful journey this week. On Wednesday February 20, I boarded the 8:45 for Sacramento, and thus began four (mostly) blissful days with Misti and Dagan.

He has grown so much!! He is five and a half months old now, and weighs 20 pounds! He sits up completely on his own, loves to watch Baby Genius, and is very dexterous with his little paws.

He has a fetching little smile and giggle, and when he is annoyed or avoiding sleep, he will blow raspberries. On Thursday night, I saw him do this off and on for at least a half an hour. He takes a deep breath, says "ahhh", and proceeds to blow great amounts of baby spit all over the place. It's so adorable...right?

When he is happy, he is just delightful, but since he tends to swing a little to the fussy side, he can also be a challenge, albeit a fetching one. On Friday, he had a very fussy day, and we just couldn't get him settled down. So Misti put him in a cradle-sling and walked with him. It got instantly silent, and when I peeked in at him, he was grinning from ear to ear!

Smart kid.

On Wednesday, we gave him his first taste of solid food. It was a mushy, grey mixture of rice cereal and breast milk. (shudder). It looked a little like work-house porridge, and I think you can see what he thought of it. Poor babies, they do suffer!

He LOVES to be sung to, so Misti and I took turns rocking and singing. She sang all of the tunes from her babyhood, The Pony Man,

Swingin' On A Star and

An Irish Lullaby. I sang some Goddess Songs, such as

The River She is Flowing, The Earth the Air the Fire the Water, and an original, entitled Lady Luna's Lullaby Since Misti and I both sing, he had the experience of hearing the songs in two part harmony. I don't have monetary riches to hand down, but I do have lots of songs!

It felt so good to be there with them, and to help however I could. Misti and Mike are such devoted parents, and they really needed a break. On Thursday night, I watched him so they could go out for the first time since he was born!! They came back all happy, having endulged in some margarita therapy! I am lucky that he responds well to me. I think it is because I look and sound a lot like his mom, so we had a fine time, singing and rocking.

In the Goddess tradition, women have three faces: maiden, mother and crone. I raised hell and had a blast as "maiden", I gave birth to and raised three children as "mother", and I am now reaping the rewards of all those years in the venerated position of "crone", as I hold my little grandson next to me. Maybe I have gained some wisdom through all these decades that I can pass down? Maybe in twenty years you can ask him!

Life is a miracle, and love is amazing.

Peace,
Susan

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Full Circle

2007-09-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

The old adage of "coming full circle" had meaning to me in only the smallest way until I experienced it in its' purest sense:becoming a grandmother.

I just returned from Sacramento, where I spent a week helping my daughter with her newborn son. When she told me she was pregnant, I had many concerns and misgivings, not knowing if she was really ready for the next 18 year thrill ride. When Dagan was born, the misgivings turned to excitement, but still I felt some trepidation about venturing into Grandma-land; the wild unknown, that sacred place reserved only for the uber-great, like my grandparents!! Did I have any right to dwell in the "inner-sanctum" of that most revered role?

Let me tell you, I fell immediately in love the first time I held him, and I knew I was "in"! The connection and love I feel for him is comparable only to the "fierce" love I feel for my own children. It's that inexplicable, non-judgemental and unconditional love that doesn't have to be earned, and seems to be reserved for parents and grandparents. I felt the need to create a cocoon around him that would protect him for the rest of his life. If not a cocoon of the strongest walls and locks, then one of wisdom and love passed down.

Many times during the week, I found myself flashing back to Misti's infancy, and my mother who came to help me learn how to take care of a small,very demanding infant, and to her mother who was a always model of calm dignity. She showed me grace under pressure! How I looked up to them, and depended on their love and wisdom to help me!! Now I am in my mothers' place, and I hope that I can wear her mantle with as much grace and strength as she did. Misti and I sit where my mother and I sat all those years ago, and I know that although time has passed, not much in the human condition has changed! The things she taught me are the things I teach my daughter, and the things Misti will one day teach her son.

So, this wasn't only a physical journey of travel, diapers, feedings, etc. It was a journey of the spirit. One of connections: to my daughter, her son and to all of my "own ones" who have passed on.

Life has come full circle for me. The young, naive mother is now the older and hopefully wiser, grandmother. I can only hope that the strong, undiluted love that has come from my mother, through me and to my daughter, will infuse in my grandson the strength and gentleness he needs to be a man.

So here I sit, in awe of the new dimension that has opened up for me. I now have a new facet...I am a grandmother!

I came across some of my writings I did for the Ninth Wave Goddess study I did several years ago. One of my assignments was to write daily devotionals for myself. Part of one devotion was to call on a daily guardian. I chose my Grandma Nelson, and this is what I wrote:

"I call upon the spirit of my grandmother, Eleanor Phillips Nelson, to bless me with her gifts of unconditional love. May I always remember her love for me. Grandma, thank you. I miss you and I love you."

With an example like that, how could I be any less?

The Desiderata

2007-09-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,and remember what peace there may be in silence.As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.Speak your truth quietly and clearly;and listen to others,even the dull and the ignorant;they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,they are vexations to the spirit.If you compare yourself with others,you may become vain and bitter;for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.Exercise caution in your business affairs;for the world is full of trickery.But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;many persons strive for high ideals;and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.Especially, do not feign affection.Neither be cynical about love;for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,gracefully surrendering the things of youth.Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.Beyond a wholesome discipline,be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,no less than the trees and the stars;you have a right to be here.And whether or not it is clear to you,no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,whatever you conceive Him to be,and whatever your labors and aspirations,in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,it is still a beautiful world.Be cheerful.Strive to be happy.

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John and Susan's Excellent Adventures

2007-08-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

John and I believe that ever since we met, we've been on a honeymoon. We don't own a home (yet), so we have no yard work, and if something breaks, we call our land lady. Our kids are grown, I work part-time and he is self-employed, so we enjoy a relaxing life which offers us much freedom. We haven't taken a "real' vacation yet, but since we are on a continuous honeymoon,(smile) we take lots of day trips punctuated with dining out, going to the movies and playing and listening to music. We have good friends, and we love spending time with our children.

Last Saturday we started the day with a bike ride. Nothing strenuous, just a quick trip to the Reserve area. We came home, had a two hour rehearsal with Dana, then kicked back for the rest of the day, and in the evening walked across the street for a walk through Hulls Gulch. It's pretty there, and in certain areas you can hear only the crickets and not cars!! If I were a kid, I would have spent my whole summer playing in the water and exploring all of the "nooks and rills". How lucky we are to have this natural wonder right across the street from our house! Thank the gods the developers weren't able to get their paws on it,(they tried),or we would be walking along the paved sidewalks of Hulls Gulch Landing.

Sunday morning we popped The Youngbloods into the stereo and drove off into the mountains toward the small Idaho hamlet of Crouch.

Crouch is in Garden Valley and used to be a place nobody knew of, and if you did you didn't talk about it because it was...well... Crouch and not cool. Now, like everything else in this state, it has suddenly become chic, and when we drove into town were surprised that the "Longhorn" was standing room only, and since it was Sunday,the other restaurants were closed. So we took a few photos, then headed up the road toward Terrance Lakes and food!

We stopped at the Terrace Lakes Resort and had lunch. The resort was built in 1965, and still contains the kitschy elements of Mid-Century Modern. The scenery is fantastic and the lodge is surrounded by the mountains and a small golf course. The high point of the whole journey was the cool weather and... the rain!!!! It poured for about a half an hour, and we and the other guests were like a bunch of kids when the circus comes to town. Isn't that something? It rains, which should be perfectly normal for the mountains, but this drought is so bad, that we were jumping about like the UFOs had landed! (That's another blog, heh heh).

On Thursday night John and I and took our friend Jeff to the Gardens to hear a band called the Soul Cats. What fun!!! We ate and danced and ate and danced. Well okay, we danced for only one dance, but it was a long one!(smile)

Life is good and I am grateful for every second I'm alive, and for the wonderful times I spend with my life partner, John. I have always believed that it is the little things that we will remember when we are old. Everything we do is sacred, and the people we love are the real treasures.

I feel a very unusual sensation - if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude. ~Benjamin Disraeli

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Into The Past

2007-08-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, August 12, John and I went to prison. Well, okay, we went to the Old Idaho State Penitentiary ,which is now a historical sight. It’s strangely beautiful on the outside...reminiscent of an English castle, turrets and all. It is made from sandstone quarried and fashioned by the prisoners themselves. Contained within the complex are different museums ie. the Transportation Museum,(love the hearse), the Electricity Museum, and a new and fantastic collection of a man named J. Curtis Earl . He spent 60 years collecting all manner of weapons including stone age blades and swashbuckling swords. ("D’Artagnan is that you?"). The Geology Museum looks like they raided Boise State Universities' Geology Department circa 1950. I loved it!

The best and worst of it all, are the cell blocks. Some date from the 1920's, and some from the 1950's. I understand that the Old Pen is on the list of haunted places, and if it isn't, it should be. I even found an old article about it from The Boise Weekly. It seems Bingo Barnes had a "brush" with the other side in 3 House.

Here is the weird part:It was 3 house that gave us the creepy feeling as well. We walked up to the second floor. I could feel the heavy feeling in my chest halfway up the steps. When we got to the top, we turned left and proceeded down the corridor. Even as I write this I can feel my heart beating fast as I remember. There is a cell about half of the way down the row. It has pink walls, and I approached it, the heaviness in my chest got worse. It felt dark and hopeless. I don't consider myself to be a psychic, but I know that what I felt was way out of the ordinary, and I honestly didn't feel it anywhere else. Who knows what it was. Maybe it was my sheer horror of the decor! (smile)

Be sure to visit the prison laundry if you're ever out there! You will never complain about

your washer and dryer again!

Ghosties and ghoulies aside, the most astounding fact is that this barely habitable institution was in use until 1973!!! The prisoners finally revolted for the last time, burned down the cafeteria and the state decided that a new prison was needed. All that's left of the cafeteria is the facade and rubble that looks like an archaeological dig. Who can blame the inmates?? Despite what they did to get themselves in there, they needed to be given humane living conditions and they were barely offered that.

If one were to compare the reasons for incarceration in say, 1920 compared with 2007, I think we would see a few stark contrasts. In the Women's Ward, although there were some who clearly deserved to be there, many were there only because times were tough, and sometimes "receiving a truck load of stolen goods", was the only way a mother could save her family from starving. I know all things are relative, but I doubt there are too many prisoners in Idaho today doing time for stealing a cart of food for their starving children.

Fodors' (travel) has a website with four US prison historical sites to visit. They are Philadelphia, Uma, Alcatraz and the Idaho State Penitentiary.

If you have an extra five bucks and a few hours, drive down Warm Springs, turn left at the sign and spend a few hours wandering through the past. You never know who you might meet!!!

Boo!!!

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Beltane Lives!!!

2007-07-13T17:36:00.001-07:00

"Beltane"

Susan, Dana, Krista and Failla

Beltane had a marvelous and magical party and concert at Camel's Back Park on Sunday, July 8th. We are gearing up for our summer performances, and thought that it would be fun to perform for the first time for our friends and family. Well, we were right...it was blast!!

Pulling if off was fairly painless thanks to Krista's husband Jason, John, friend Greg and his son Alex.They shopped, hauled and set up equipment. My son Nick showed his expertise at the grill, and Justin Logan contributed his homemade "alcoholic delights". I believe the party favorite was the hard cider!

The weather was oppressive, but the trees and the grass (and all the love), made it bearable. It was gratifying and encouraging to see so many of our friends there. About 100 in all!

The food was great, grilled burgers and dogs, complimented with a delicious potluck (loves potlucks), provided by our guests. I can never eat before or after a performance, but I understand that a good culinary time was had by all.

We are lucky to have John to sing and play guitar with us. He has a sexy baritone voice and plays a mean lead. He used to front a band when he was in college, and to loosen up he had to down a half pint of Jack Daniels. Now that he has "aged" sufficently, one glass of hard cider did the trick.!

We had a wonderful time sharing our music with you, and we hope that you will join us again soon.

"So light the fire for me.

I'll pour the wine for thee,

And we'll sing Her ancient song.

We'll dance the harvest home.

Good times will never roam,

Bright Blessings on your home."

Please join us at Goddess Fest in Julia Davis Park. We will be playing on Saturday July 28 from 7 to 8 PM, and on Sunday July 29, from 4-5 PM.

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Once Again Into the Breach, Dear Friend

2007-06-07T14:46:00.001-07:00

Aunt Martha died on Sunday. She was my dad’s youngest sister, and the second-to-the-last link to him, my grandparents and a generation almost gone. My dad’s brother, my Uncle Tommy is still with us, but has Altzheimers and will leave us sooner than we would like.
So on Wednesday morning Ashley, Nick and I piled into the Toyota Echo armed with good music and good intentions, and drove off into a wind storm.

Driving into Aberdeen on a good day is traumatic, but going to a funeral when the wind is gusting, the dust is blowing and the rain is falling, is like stepping into a bad Stephen King story. "Aberdeen: Children of the Corn 2007."

Crumbling and impoverished,(most of the farms are gone), Aberdeen is like the town in the movie, all but deserted except for the church around the corner!

The building is an edifice: a monument to the beliefs and priorities of a people still madly dedicated to the faith of their fathers. When I was growing up, I attended the Aberdeen Second Ward building, with the 1935 Aberdeen First Ward building just yards away. The First Ward building was the only one until 1950, when they built the core of the present one. In 1973, (with typical destructive urban-renewal mindset), they ripped down the original historic building, and added on to and updated the current one. Now there are several different wards meeting in the new and improved building. I barely recognize it, but it shore does shine!!

Every time I go to Aberdeen, I have the feeling that I have stepped back in time, circa 1955. The people are well-groomed and well-dressed, but it’s like they are in a time warp :girls become their mothers and mothers become their grandmothers well before their time! Where in the hell do they get those clothes!!!

I noticed that the men walk around trying very, very hard to be benevolent patriarchs, but what they really want is to bust free ( I grew up with these guys!) and do whatever it is their hearts desire. How frustrated they all must be, because to live their lives as they are taught, is to give up the integrity of their own thought and will. This is the "double-bind" of Mormonism: if what you believe is against the church teachings, then you are "bad". If you ignore what you really believe and follow the church’s teachings, then you are "good", but deep down you know that you are "bad" because you are not being true to yourself. Make sense? Of course not! Welcome to life in the time-warp behind the Zion Curtain.

There is a pall of quiet desperation and dishonesty lurking around these people. They are all trying to fit into the cookie-cutter shape they believe they need to be, but it just doesn’t work and they know it. Don’t look any of them in the eye for too long. It makes them very nervous.

Once the initial trauma of town and church was over, I was able to meet and greet my family. Uncle Tommy and Aunt Sylvia were there, my first cousins, first cousins once removed, second cousins and on and on. Really, I lose track of who’s who. Criticism ,shock and awe aside, I have to reflect on my family.

Where else outside of an Osmond concert can one hear a whole family singing in perfect harmony? And where else outside of a Norman Rockwell painting, can you find a family so deeply devoted to their mother and grandmother? It’s only in this place that I fully reflect on the people who raised me, and on my roots that keep me so deeply attached to Idaho.

When I can weed out the sheer craziness, I can smile and remember the small child running through the fields, the smell of my Grandma’s Welsh cookies, and Melanie and I sleeping outside under the stars. I can give my cousin a hug, say "I love you", and mean it. Even though I know that they look on me as a "black sheep", as someone who has lost her way, and as someone who should be prayed for (barf), I know also that if I needed anything, all I would have to do is call. That simple. Sometimes time warps can help preserve what the amazing and crazy present time has filtered out and watered down. How do I synthesize the two worlds? The enlightened world I live in today, and the conservative backward place I came from? I still don't know how. When I go down there, I am always pulled by my history and love for my family, while knowing that the whole atmosphere is unhealthy and slightly creepy...Rod Serling couldn’t write this stuff!!!

My little Aunt Martha believed that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon looking into a damn hat, and that God lives next to a planet called Kolob, but she also is the woman I refer to as my "second mother"and she had a huge heart. Despite all the chaos and decay of my hometown, I will think of the church filled with roses, her favorite flower, and the fields where the seeds for my life were planted.

"We can never go back,

So why do we try?

And why does the past loom closer

Each night when I close my eyes?

We can never return

We should keep moving on

I wish these memories would burn down to ashes

And be gone...

'Never Go Back' by Christine Lavin

It's all done now, and I hope I don't have to venture down that way for a long time. Right now, I think I will luxuriate in the knowledge that I am perfect in my imperfection, and take a very long, warm cosmic shower.

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music and nature

2007-05-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

LOVELY WALKING PATH IN THE RESERVE AREA.

Last Friday, April 27, was a beautiful day. Truely spectacular. In the morning, my new bass player, Krista came over and we played through some of our songs for Goddess Fest. I have some recordings done in years past, so I was able to give her some copies, as well as word sheets with the chord symbols. She's great, and I know that she will work out well. John bought a cajon (which is a Peruvian drum box.) The percussionist sits on the box, and plays the sides. I am amazed at the sounds you can get from this simple instrument!! I wanted to buy a bodhran for the Celtic numbers, but the cajon is so versitile, it probably won't be necessary. I crave simplicity, and I want to keep my summer perfomances as simple as possible. I've had drum set drummers in the past, but find that they don't fit my style of music as well as tribal drums, and they really add to the chaos of set up and take down. We are booked this summer at Goddess Fest, The New Old Time Chautauqua, The Hyde Park Street Fair and probably Nino's party!! Last year I was really embarrased because we didn't have any recordings to sell. I want to change that this year, and make a CD with maybe just five songs. We should be able to pull that off. If push comes to shove, we can always digitize some of our old recordings, but...

Later in the day we decided to take the advice of Zimo in the Statesman, and check out the best areas to see wildflowers. Since we didn't have much time, we just drove over to the Reserve area. It's the most beautiful and peaceful place, and only a stones' throw from St. Lukes. Take Reserve from Fort, turn left on Mountain Cove and procceed to the trail head. You can continue up the road toward the military cemetary and the hills, or get out and walk the trails. There is a creek and several different trails you can walk or ride. Unfortunately for the wildflowers,(and me), they haven't bloomed yet, but maybe next weekend they will be out in their full glory.

I'm so lucky to live in a place with such beauty just a few minutes from where I live. I'm always amazed at how much religions spend on building edifices, when right out their back door is sacred creation. When I was little, my jack-mormon, nature -loving father used to say that he felt closer to god in the mountains or sitting by the river with a fishing pole in his hands than he ever felt in church. I know it's a commen sentiment, but it holds special meaning coming from him.

So, onward I go, trying to enjoy the little things, and "keep it simple".

"Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify."
Henry David Thoreau

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Dance!!

2007-04-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

I felt a little like the Goddess Pele tonight as I swirled with my orange veil and beaded hip scarf. Surely the Hawaiian Goddess of fire and dance smiled a bit from her place in my collective unconcious? Or maybe she has better things to do, like spew smoke and fire on anyone foolish enough to get too close! Folk legend has it that if a visitor to the islands should take a piece of rock from the volcano when they leave, they will be visited with disaster. Quite often, people ship rocks back to Hawaii, believing that their misfortune was brought on by the rath of Pele, in revenge for their "grave robbing." So if you see me in my orange scarf, beware!!

Seriously, we had a great class tonight. Sidonia is such an experienced, patient and talented teacher. We are learning some new dance steps and fine tuning some old ones, putting them all together in beautiful, middle eastern dances. We worked also with our finger symbols, putting simple rhythms together with steps. Coordination!!

I hope to be ready to perform by Goddess Fest at the end of July!! That will be a fun weekend, because my band "Beltane" is performing as well. I love this Goddess stuff!!

On that elegant note, I shall bid thee adieu. If any of you are interested in dance, Mearah has an excellent website with all the information you might need, and Sidonia's number is 385-0781.

Blessings!

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musings

2007-04-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

The weather is finally warming up outside.Dealing with the cold weather is kind of an ordeal for me,( and I do not suffer quietly), so I am very happy to feel the spring sun on my shoulders this afternoon. I am enjoying the first of four days off this week. Last night, my niece, Lori and her husband Lige stopped by on their way to the the temple wedding of yet another of my relatives. My great-niece, Whitney is marrying some farmer from the hinterlands where they will stay, living happily ever after. I can't imagine living happily in the middle of nowhere, but I wish them the best. I just remember her as a two year old running around the hall at one of my wedding receptions. We have a famous two minutes of her licking the floor!! If I were going down to her reception, I would offer to do the same for her. (wink)

So I am sitting at my computer, trying to figure out how to do a "real" blog! I can't imagine why anyone would find my day to day life interesting, but it is meaningful to me as I continue "connecting the dots" of my life. I must say that it has been a fabulous life, warts and all. I honestly can't complain about much, although complaining is somewhat of an art form with me.

I will try and post this.