Rattlesnake Wrestling

Yesterday, Denice and I were walking through Rancho San Antonio and were lucky enough to witness two rattlesnakes wrestling and falling down the hill. We paused because it was really cool and we wanted to not cross the path at the same time they did. Other people came by. The snakes froze. They were apparently waiting for all us hikers to go by. After several minutes, everyone had passed and the snakes resumed their fight or mating, whichever it was. I didn't have my camera with me. I'm ok with that.

Disclaimer

For the next little bit, I'm going to be processing (and posting) my thoughts and feelings from the Tikkun Spiritual Activism conference I attended last week. I didn't really want to go to the conference. But I was drawn there by the possibility that I might learn to better talk about my politics in terms of values (think Lakoff), which, I have to admit, some religious and spiritual types do better at than us secular progressives.

I was also drawn to the conference because I'm at a place in my inner journey where I could grow from being around others on a similar journey. Religion and spiritual stuff, especially in groups, has long gotten great resistance from me. It's easier for me to talk about sex and vaginas, than it is to talk about a higher power (see? i can't even say god!) and spirit. (This is because I've done A LOT more work around sex, my body and femininity.)

Many of you have expressed curiosity about the conference. Many more of you also recognize the need to talk about politics in terms of our highest values. That's where this is, hopefully, going.

So, in the mean time, bear with me as this gets pieced together. AND!!! let me know your thoughts, feelings and experiences with this stuff. At the bottom of each post is "comment," which when clicked will take you to a place to leave some words to share.

THANK YOU!!!

What is Spirit?

This was a big question that many people addressed the first day of the Tikkun Spiritual Actvism Conference, which I attended last week.

Because spirit/spirituality can mean many different things to different people, I'm beginning the discussion here so that we can have a common understanding when talking about this in the future.

For me, spirit is caring. That's the simplest, least new agey way I can put it.

At the conference...
- Berkeley Prof. Michael Nagler said, "Spirituality is an attempt to grow in sensitivity to ourselves, other humans, non-human creatures, and to God beyond totality."

- Einstein said (quoted by Nagler), "A human being is a part of a whole, called by us 'universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

- Thandeka, Unitarian-Universalist minister, theologian and author, said, "Spirit is not I, it is between I and thou."

But, I feel the Dalai Lama (not at the conference) says it best so far, in the book Ethics for a New Millinneum.

"Spirituality I take to be concerned with those qualities of the human spirit -- such as love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, a sense of responsibility, a sense of harmony -- which bring happiness to both self and others."

I like that he connects the "qualities of spirit" with the reason we care - happiness. What happiness is is a whole other can of worms. My working definition is a feeling of satisfaction. Different things may satisfy different people, but the basics we all mostly agree on - shelter, food, a feeling of being loved and loving, and generally not suffering.

It's also important, I feel, that he brings in "and others," which is what ties this to activism and politics. A desire to bring increase the likelihood of happiness for others (thereby improving our happiness, if we're particulariy empathetic to the woes of the world) is the often underlying reason for why activists are activists. I most often hear it communicated as wanting to "make the world a better place" or "save the world" (which is what I've always said). But what's "better" and "saved" can be as diverse as the people doing the "bettering" and "saving." So, I'm going to start talking in terms of happiness (if I can handle the new-agey quotient;-)

That's about all of this I can handle right now...

Next up, Religion!

Mission Mural

I took a walk this morning (as I did yesterday morning) with no particular destination in mind, just a direction I wanted to go. (Much like my life right now!) On my way, I found several groovy things - this mural being one. It's on a wall bordering a PG&E compound at Harrison and 20th. Other things - a BlowFish Sushi, two old brick buildings (rare in SF), a Peruvian restaurant that trains people for the workforce, and the SF Hospital, which is beautiful and unique in its architecture.

Yummy Hippie Food

I'm definitely back in California! I had brown rice with mushrooms, chard and fresh tofu from the corner market tonight for dinner. This is one of my favorite meals (ala Magic). Does that make me a Yummy Hippie? (No need to answer that!)

Lessons from the Mid-west

So, I've been back in CA a week. The first drive into SF was a little shocking - so fast, loud and bright (at night). But then I headed to Berkeley for a Spiritual Politics conference (more on that later) and now SF seems normal...

- People are good at justifying any decision.
- Each person's perspective is absolutely true to that person.
- There are some awesome people in Missouri and surrounds.
- If you knew a person early enough in your life, enjoying their company later comes with ease.
- I don't quite understand the family bond. We don't all agree or understand, but we all love and tolerate (for the most part) each other.
- Some Missouri wines are good, but most are uber-sweet. I especially liked the Norton, a dry red, from St. James Winery.
- It matters less where you are, and more who you are - at least in raising a family. I've seen progressive people from the country and conservatives from the city.
- There's a lot of work, especially for women, to be done in MO. It's the only state where it is a felony to have a home-birth under the supervision of a mid-wife.
- Sprawl is a problem everywhere. It's even reaching my little Sandy Hook.
- It takes four Buds (as opposed to my usual three beers) to get drunk, but with practice, one can drink up to a dozen in an evening. It helps to be in construction.
- Central Dairy's Butter Brickle ice cream is still the best.
- Tofu is even available in Jefferson City.
- I'm beginning to understand "Never put off until tomorrow, what you can put off until the day after tomorrow." (Mark Twain)
- I could live in Missouri again. It was harder leaving this time, than any time before. I deeply miss the company of my family and friends on a daily and weekly basis.

At any rate, I'm back in California. What is next for me, I don't know. I'm going to see how long I can do this non-employment thing. Today, though, I'm going to finish unpacking and finally get around to reading a book, maybe even in the park.

Did you see me?

(From Monday, July 18)

I'm on the plane sitting next to a very quiet nun. Thirty minutes into the flight, the pilot mentions that Columbia, MO could be seen out of the left-side windows. From there I could see Sarah's house and where Grandma and Grandpa live, several bends down the river. I waved.

It made me think of a story from when I was little. We lived in Sandy Hook and it flooded, like it is wont to do. I was probably four or five and the waters came up to our front porch. Mom had just taught me to make paper boats (which also make great hats). So, we folded an envoy out of newspaper and set them afloat. A little while later, I called Grandma to ask her if she'd seen the boats that we set sail. She said, "Yes, they just passed a little bit ago." Now, Grandma and Grandpa live up on the top of the river bluff, so she was surely bluffing, but I didn't figure that out for a few more years.

During that same flood, we went fishing off the front porch. There wasn't much else to do, and since I was still at the gullible age, I thought it was a great idea. We didn't catch anything, but there's a great picture of me in a snowsuit thing (it was cold), with my feet dangling off of the porch and my line in the water.

Another flood story... It flooded in the summer of 1986. I remember the year because it was the year we moved to Jefferson City. The water was going to come up into the house about a foot. I'm not sure why, but there was a boat anchored at the bottom of Grandma and pa's bluff. So, Dad, Mom and I (I'm 8) scramble down the bluff and take the boat to our house. My job was to carry bricks to Mom and Dad while they stacked them under our furniture. For a week or so, we stayed at Grandma's and then, after the water had receded, went back to the house and scraped out the mud.

It really wasn't so bad. Not nearly as bad as 1993. I was in Italy (with my Latin class) during the peak of the flood, but in the old house I grew up in (same one as above), the water had gotten up to nearly the top of the windows. When I got back from Italy, I volunteered with the Red Cross helping people clean out their homes. In some, the mud was a foot thick.

No floods this year though. It hasn't rained for a month. For Missouri, this counts as a drought and grass that is supposed to be green is pretending it's in California.

Getting on a jet plane

I'm packed. Barely. I'm bringing back so much yarn, it fills an entire second suitcase. I haven't traveled with this much luggage in ages!

I fly back to CA tomorrow. There are still a million things I could do. I don't really want to leave. I will greatly miss my friends here (mostly my SK). Not to mention Dad, and even Terri! ;-)

But it is time to go. There are people and things for me to attend to. And more travel and adventures to be had...

The Natural Fact

This is a sweet potato chip from The Natural Fact. It was a little more picturesque than the delicious homemade veggie burger I had. This place is in downtown Webster, just a few minutes from where I lived during college. I can't believe I never went there! Sooooo Yummy! I'd been looking for years for a homemade veggie burger. I had no idea it was right around the corner.

If you're ever in St. Louis, this is definitely a good place to eat.

Wash. U.

Yesterday, I tooled around town - Good Will, Trader Joe's, the Shoelace Factory in the City Museum, Borders, Kolache Factory and WashU.

I graduated from Washington University in 2000. It's a really pretty campus. In this picture, you can see one of the main walkways. In the fall, the trees turn a bright yellow and blanket the ground in leaves.

I went by to see my college advisor, Ray Arvidson, and Margo, who keeps everything organized for him. Arvy is the chair of the Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPSc) department, one of the lead scientists on the Mars Rover missions, and a great guy. When I was in school, I worked in his lab, doing nerdy stuff like putting Lat/Long coordinates on satelitte images of Hawaii. I also built and maintained the website for our class using raw html. It was terribly basic, but I had fun.

He started an interdisciplinary environmental studies program. I was in the second class to participate in the program, which because of us, now lasts four years. The first years consists of studying the Ozarks and the Mojave Desert. The second year is the study of Hawaii. The third and fourth years consist of putting together a senior capstone experience. My class took it back to Hawaii. The current class has found something in Spain to study. The coolest part of the program is that everywhere you study, you get to visit. And you're with some of your best friends, because the students (10-20) in the program take about half of the same classes. My best friends from college were people in the program, and we've all gone off to do cool stuff.

The EPSc department has a new beautiful building, with planetary murals, rock and paleontology exhibits and a life-size replica of the Mars Spirit Rover. Margo gave me the tour of the building, including the room where they control the rover when JPL isn't. Cool, huh? (BMS, you'd love this stuff!)

Lambert's

This is Lambert's. It was actually Jim's idea to stop there. Jim is Sarah's dad, who was driving back to Memphis from a family reunion in mid-Missouri. So, instead of passing each other on the interstate, we decided to meet for dinner.

I'd heard about it for years, but had never been. It's famous in these parts for throwing food. Rolls, specifically. Every 15 minutes or so, a waiter comes out of the kitchen with a cart full of HOT rolls. If you want one, you have to put up your hands and they'll throw it to you, no matter where you are in the room. Waiters also come around offering various other southern dishes, including fried okra and black-eyed peas. The food was good, service was quick and everyone seemed in a good mood. I had country fried steak, so I was in a good mood too!

Wyatt

This is Wyatt Levi Vance, the four month old son of Sarah and Clay and a damn cute baby. The action packed weekend consisted of knitting, teaching Sarah to knit, playing with Wyatt, napping with Wyatt on the outdoor swing, swimming with Wyatt and generally catching up with his mother and family. Even though it was a short trip (I had to leave early to beat the rain back to St. Louis), it was totally worth it. I do wish it could have been longer, but I'm running out of Missouri time. I just checked my flight back this morning and discovered it was on next Monday instead of next Tuesday!

Missouri State Parks

This is Johnson's Shut-Ins. It's the Perfect Summer Park. Gravel river bed, clear, cold water, ample shade and sunning rocks make this one of my favorite spots. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten my swimsuit, so I could only get wet up to my knees.



This is the view from the top of Elephant Rocks. Due to the magic of geology, there are huge granite boulders on top of a hill.

Both of the areas are a mere hour southeast of St. Louis and deserve way more time than I could devote to them on my drive down to Memphis.

Friendly

This is an angora goat at Aveline and Jim's farm, where Dad gets his mohair for the yarns. Their farm is a picturesque place outside Potosi, MO. It has hills, a natural spring and creek and a log cabin house.

This goat is Friendly. He proceeded to come up and nibble on my hand, my pants, my shirt...

Tennessee

So, I'm in Germantown, Tennessee. It's a suburb of Memphis and a decent sized town in its own right. It's an eight hour drive from Jefferson City.

Thursday, I drove two hours and stayed with Jim and Aveline who have a beautiful farm outside Potosi, MO. This is where Dad gets the mohair and some wool for his yarns. I took pictures, but I'll have to post them later.

Friday, I drove on and stopped at Elephant Rocks State Park and Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park - two very beautiful places. (Again, pictures later.) I got into Germantown about 5:00. I'm visiting my friend Sarah and her family.

Sarah and I have been friends since we were 7 years old. I was her Maid of Honor two years ago. She now has a 4 month old little boy. Wyatt is a darling!

I head to St. Louis on Monday, hopefully before Hurricane Dennis travels up I-55!

News and Politics

are very dangerous.

Especially Fox News. Especially with Grandma and Grandpa. That's all I'm going to say bout that.

Except that iTunes has something cool for lazy people like me. They've collected webcasts and put them in one place in the music store and are calling them PodCasts. With podcasts, one can subscribe to shows that one likes from food to travel to public radio to politics (for free). And when you're subscribed, iTunes will download any new shows for your listening pleasure.

So, I've subscribed to On the Media and am looking for a few more.

Specifically, I would like recommendations for both right and left news and politics. I know some of you out there are regular junkies for this stuff (BMS, SMS, MJB, JCO). So give me your opinions! Please comment!

Dead Headin'

Contrary to initial belief, Dead Heading has nothing to do with a certain musical group, or in fact any music at all.

My Grandma has over 300 different varieties of day lilies. Day lilies are a variety of lily where the blooms last only one day. Each plant has several stems (scapes) and each scape has about 20 blooms. So you get quite a few flowers to admire over the course of June and July.

Today is the local garden show. Last night, after our fourth of July bbq on the third, several of us went up to Grandma's to pick all of the blooms and past blooms off of the day lily plants. This is so that Grandma's garden is as pretty as possible for all of the visitors that are coming by today. Grandpa helped too. He even moved his tractor to the back of the yard (instead of its place of prominence in front of the garage.)

The picture is some of the hundreds of blooms we picked off of the plants.

Thank Heaven for Little Girls

These were the flower girls in the wedding I did the photos for today. This is one of my favorite pictures ever!

This is the fifth wedding where I've taken photos. This is only the second wedding where I was the only photographer. And this is the first wedding I've done with my digital camera. I'm happy to say it went quite well. My camera and I got along fine. (We've only been together six months, but we've made great efforts to get to know each other.)

It was Mark and Julie's wedding. Mark is one of Terri's brother. Julie is a sweetheart.

Terri has a huge (Catholic) family. The sheer number is a bit intimidating.
Having the camera makes it all easier to face. Because
1 - I can get in any one's face and it's ok; and
2 - I can hide in a corner and call it art.

All in all, I had a really good time and even got in some dancing at the reception, with the bonus of having filled my church quota for the year!

Blackberry Pickin'

Yes. It's pickin'.

Yesterday morning I picked two gallons of blackberries off of Grandma's patch. It had cooled down some (to around 85*) and was pretty nice outside. I was alone with the birds, clouds, and occasional mosquito. I got philosophical and noticed how blackberries are a lot like opportunities.

The ripest ones fall easily into your hands. They're sweet, big and juicy.

The less ripe ones you have to work a little bit harder to get, and are better with a little bit of sweetner.

There are a lot of little ones easy to get to around the edges, but if you're willing there's a lot of juicy ones in the middle of the patch. Your hand may get a little scratched up getting to it, but you heal quickly and the sweetness is often worth it.

Some get overripe and are best left on the vine.

Sometimes weeds, thorns or other vines get in the way.

From each different angle, there's a whole different crop.

When you get greedy and have a lot in your hand at one time, some will often fall to the ground.

There's more than enough for everyone, if they're willing to get out there and pick them.

I picked two gallon. There's at least that much more that were ready to be picked.