Marina

Here's the view of our town from across the marina. We live a block back, nearly dead center. This, because I have nothing substantial to say after working the last two nights. I should wake my brain upsometime in the next few days.

rc

On Friendship

It's been a busy but relaxing week. SPM came over for dinner on Thursday, bringing most of the dinner with him. I tried a new recipe for beer bread, which was well appreciated by all who tried it.
.
On Friday, I hung out with Ki'il. We had lunch and went for a walk on the beach, then attended a lecture about Camille Claudel at the local community college. It was still early, so jc and the Scholar joined us for a trip to Coney Station where we shared a pitcher of Jubel Ale and smoked a few chocolate cigars. We had a fantastic time.
.
Good friends have been few and far between in my lifetime, so I'm deeply grateful for the ones I have now with whom I can enjoy all the everyday, simple pleasures of life. I've often felt like an outsider or fifth wheel in groups and had the distinct impression that I was invited along merely out of kindness.
.
Some of my readers are True Friends. You know who you are. I lift my glass to all of you.
.
Rose

PC

Is it appropriate to discuss personal religious beliefs socially? I was trained to actively proselytize for my faith, yet those who do so are perceived by many to be among the most offensive. Last night at work, I experienced the other side of the coin. An associate, who I'll call Blondie, seems to have taken me on as a project. I've been reading "A History of God" by Karen Armstrong. It is what it says, an academic approach to monotheism through the ages. It attracts a lot of attention. After glancing through it, another coworker asked, "Is it favorable to the lord?" Well, what do you say to that?

.

During a conversation about the origin of the details on Christmas, I mentioned that the pope superimposed the Jesus celebration on the existing pagan solstice celebration to promote observance. Later Blondie asked,

B "Are you an atheist?"

rc "No."

B "What are you then?"

rc "I'm an agnostic."

B "What does that mean?"

rc "It means I'm not sure of anything."

B "Do you know what faith is?"

rc "I don't want to get into a theological discussion with you."

B "Do you know what faith is?"

rc "Yes."

B "What is it?"

rc "It's believing in something that you can't prove."

B " 'Faith is the substance...' "

rc " 'Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, for by it the elders obtained a good report.' I've read the Bible five times. I used to be a Christian."

B "Oh, so you know what faith is, you're okay."

.

I'm not precisely sure what that means, but that's what happened.

.

rc

Raptor in the Wetland

Big M sent me this picture of a Pennsylvania Bald Eagle, which he took in the created wetland near his house, where I used to live. When I went to crop out the bird, I found that I couldn't stand to cut out all the background because of its nostalgic beauty.

~

I seem to be settling into a schedule of working Monday and Tuesdays now. The hospital where I've done nearly all my agency work so far is busy and short-staffed. They also like to have generous staffing ratios, which makes it a nice place to work. They've been asking for me nearly every day this week.

~

rc

Fire- dream journal

I began sitting in an auditorium discussing religious sects. Then I was going around cleaning apartments. Finally, I wound up at my childhood home, sitting outside with Father. I don't know what we were watching to start out with, but a fire swept across the hill behind the house. As the sun sunk behind the hill, the fire raged larger until the bright orange flames rose high over the silhouettes of the tall trees. Then a fireball exploded and a tall cedar fell down very near to us. I flinched to the left and pulled Father with me, but we were not close enough for the tree to hit us.
.
Sronnoc Esor

Dahlia Matriarchal Cheesecake

Dahlia Man entrusted me with the recipe for the traditional German cheesecake of his grandmother, his mother, and his wife. He tells me he wasn't disappointed by my attempt at its recreation today. Instead of cream cheese, this cheesecake is made with cottage cheese and other secret ingredients. It is deliciously unlike anything else I have ever tasted. Dahlia Man took one look at the cheesecake and pronounced that the dinner table tonight would be surrounded by the spirits of his maternal ancestors.
~
Rose

Hunting Color

When I set out this morning, I was worried that our day would be a disappointment because of the high winds and threatening clouds. A few miles inland the wind subsided and the sun even peeked through for a lovely day. As pleased as I was with our drive in search of color; I was that disappointed with the failure of my photographs to capture it. We had a lovely drive, punctuated by a stop at the Covered Bridge Winery, where I wasn't even allowed taste because I look younger than thirty and wasn't packing ID, and Ki'il came home with cranberry wine. After that we stopped at Sugartree Farms for some pears. As we drove home in the rain in the dark, dodging debris on the highway, my heart nearly stopped when blue lights appeared behind us out of nowhere. I was going well below the speed limit. I was relieved to see that the protector of the peace was headed the other direction.

~

Rose

Golden Falls

After the hike through fairyland forest to the foot of Golden Falls, we climbed the switchbacks to the top. The songbirds were active and we saw the usual kinglets, chickadees, and nuthatches. I think we only saw two other people on the trail, although there were more at the parking area by the time we got back.

.

rc

Silver Falls

Golden and Silver Falls is about 25 miles inland from town. There is a good stretch of pock-marked dirt road at the end. The walk to Silver Falls, shown above, is a short easy one. It peeks out at you through the trees as you approach in a truly awe-inspiring display. There was just starting to be a little fall color when we went last week. Reports are promising, so we're going to try again this week.

.

Rose

Environmental Action Day

I wanted to post pictures of leisure activities of varying impact on the environment today. I had a little change of plans, first involving rain, and second involving going to work. Our beautiful Oregon coast attracts a large number of people who engage in pasttimes that burn fossil fuel. Perhaps the biggest is ATVing on the dunes followed by boating and RVing. I am joined by others like SPM in envisioning a world where people go hiking, canoeing, bicycling, and tent camping instead.

.

In matters not directly related to the environment: I cut my own hair today for the first time. Well, I'm not counting that time in junior high that I cut my own bangs with hideous results. I'm pleased to report that I did such a good job that jc refused to believe that I did it myself. Cutting my own hair is not really about saving the thirteen dollars that I pay at the budget salon. It is a direct result of the fact that I hate making an appointment then waiting in the salon for a haircut that wasn't what I really wanted anyway.

.

r connors

Playacting- dream journal

I was in a play. I had to wait backstage a long time before I went on. When it was finally time, I couldn't find my costume, which was supposed to be some type of sari, and had to go on in a peasant blouse and skirt. When the curtain was pulled, I saw that there were only a few people in the audience. Most of the chairs in the auditorium had been folded up and stacked on the side. The director then told me that this wasn't the actual showing of the play, but a rehearsal. I said that was good since I didn't know my lines. I then summarized my lines and went backstage again. After that it became clear that a complicated conspiracy was underfoot to cover up for some crime.

Sronnoc Esor

A Delusion of Satan- book review

Frances Hill's well-thought book is a compelling read. She proposes that we take that which we fear and despise most in ourselves, attribute it to others, and destroy them for it. She goes into great detail describing the ways in which the Puritanism of Salem Village predisposed its young girls to clinical hysteria. The stifling, paranoid, Puritanical lifestyle also made the adults more than ready to accept accusations of witchcraft and prosecute those accused of it as fully as possible.

.

It is a case where blind faith and fear, for a time, triumphed tragically over reason. The best and worst in humankind is seen, and it is prudent to take warning from it.

.

r connors

Comfort Food

Tonight for dinner Dahlia Man and I had bratwurst from the Black Forest Kitchen with sauerkraut and dumplings and fresh beets. We washed it down with Alaska amber ale. It took us both back to the German-inspired foods of our childhoods.
.
Rose

Tied Up

As Ki'il and I drove back the dirt road from Golden and Silver Falls yesterday, we both noticed the same black and white, curly-horned cow standing by the same tree at the roadside where it had been hours earlier. I stopped the truck and we got out to investigate, thinking the cow must be stuck on somethig. It was standing at the top of a fairly steep bank and a muddy rope was tied around its neck. The rope led down the bank to where it was tied to a fallen log. I then noticed the open gate, which would necessitate the tether.
~
I'm sorry I couldn't help you, Cow. It doesn't seem like you could possibly have wanted to stand in the same spot for so long. You were a handsome cow.
~
Rose

Rainy Day

Rainy days call for a reading list. Here's what I'm attempting.

rc

Green

As the fall rains begin, it starts to get greener around here. Caught this little guy in the lawn this morning.

-

It was Spa Day for Shadow today. She got a manicure, pedicure, shampoo, and shower followed by hand dry with warm towels. She started squalling when she got wet, but when jc took her paw she stopped squalling and laid her head on his hand. The mommy is the mean one. Ailleanach's turn is up when I can catch her.

-

rc

_

postscript: Ailleanach got bathed and about eight front toenails cut. She cooperates quite well with the bath, but gets downright brutal when threatened with toenail clippers. She enjoys a cuddle in the warm towel after the bath, and this is the only way any nails get cut at all.

Over the Hump

My bad day is over the month. We visited Ki'il and the Scholar's new home last night for a nice dinner. I was pretty much stoned from sleep deprivation by the time we got there, having worked the night before; but I enjoyed their company. Ki'il shared the therapeutic heated tile she brought from Korea with me.

~

Today we stayed in bed with our laptops for the most part.

Knot

I received my bequest from Granny's estate today. It was a much larger amount of money than I expected. The executor made a reasonable request: think about how Granny would have wanted you to spend it. I've never received a gift of this size before, and I'm a little overwhelmed by. I sort of wish Granny would have spent it on something extravagant instead of being so frugal. Thinking about how frugal she was makes me ponder a wise use for it even harder. Here's where I come to the recurring theme. Granny's bequest would comprise a tidy fraction of the amount necessary for an adoption. Thinking about adoption so concretely scares me to death. Maybe the reason I'm not a mother already is that I'm not suited for it or nature didn't intend it for me. I suppose I'd be thinking more rationally if this hadn't happened on the first day of my period, when I'm already bound to be more than a little of kilter. I'm going to wait a while.

Rose

Visitors

I looked out the window this afternoon to see these half-grown twins happily munching my lush, un-mown grass. Mama was in the lot nextdoor watching carefully.

~

Dahlia Man paid me one of the nicest compliments I've ever had today:

"In many ways, you remind me of my first wife Dot."

~

Dot was the love of Dahlia Man's life, and she died young of cancer, so that means a lot.

~

Rose

Textures

moss on a fir

Sitting Under a Tree

I worked three nights over the weekend, which was just what I needed to get my butt out of the lazy mode I was in. After a good sleep in my own bed with the kitties today, I biked to the bay and sat under a mossy tree to read John Locke's rationalist theory on knowledge. The sun shone. A stiff breeze blew off the bay. Geese migrated overhead. Locke was a very welcome voice of reason after taking months to muddle through Descartes' god-centered theory of existence.

Tonight I'll be enjoying another voice of reason. My new hero is Temperance Brennan, the uber-rational star of Bones, along with all the uber-smart squints who work with her.

Rose