Pay Attention

Well, the 4-Runner cured itself.  The service manager says that happens often.  So,  no tape needed.  The lights went off by themselves………..Thanksgiving was wonderful with all ten of us and Frank and Todd all sitting around one long table - actually two pushed together end to end.  Turkey (2 of them Luke fried), ham, dressing and gravy, sweet potato pie, cranberry salad (which only two of us ate), macaroni and cheese (which everyone ate), collards, and so forth.  Now everyone is at home.  Clemson beat Carolina so my whole family is elated!  Well, Susan may be a bit disappointed - she and I both went to Carolina so there's a bit of empathy there………And finally this morning I'm back to my morning reading.  Now, Frederick Buechner's Whistling in the Dark.  This is fast becoming one of my favorite books.  This morning's read included a haiku that really fits my situation:  An old silent pond.  Into the pond a frog jumps.  Splash! Silence again.  He writes that this is perhaps the best known of all Japanese haiku.  This is my first time reading it.  I am sitting now overlooking the pond, as I do so many times during my days.  Hundreds of times I have heard the frog jump and silence returning.  Buechner is writing about paying attention: literature, painting, music all are asking us to pay attention.  Pay attention to the world and all that dwells therein and thereby learn at last to pay attention to yourself and all that dwells therein……learn to listen to the music of your own lengths of time, your own silences.

Family and Friends and Sensors

Back home after a lovely weekend at Luke and Susan's home with Jack and Sam.  Here's Frank introducing himself to Gus.
 We had a fun time eating out at Chick Filet, shopping at Hobby Lobby, and just being together for a bit.  Quick trip over to Wendy and Tate's home, so now Frank has met my family except for Sydney and Kelsey.  They will meet Thanksgiving when everyone gathers here.  And, Todd will be back from Albuquerque so the gang will all be here.  How blessed I am to have such  beautiful family and friends to share this upcoming holiday.  It is my favorite time of the year - especially if the weather is nice.  Most often, it has been, so we'll count on it again this year.  …..My car is talking to me about something called VSC - Toyota visit this morning and then - probably put another piece of black tape over the little signal light on the dash, but we'll see.  After all, the vehicle is a 2005 so it's understandable some of her sensors may be oversensitive by now?  144 thousand miles must take some kind of toll.  It seems the sensors are the first to go.  Who needs them anyway?

Thanksgiving and Family

Up this morning at 6 to get Jack off to school by 6:50, then up again at 7:30 to get Sam off by 8:15.  Then, a quiet morning playing with computer trying to get my desktop cleared.  How is it that my virtual desktop gets as cluttered as my actual desk?  And finally a nap of two hours to overcome the early arisal.  What a joy to be somewhere where there are no waiting chores.  At home it always seems hard to ignore "things" that need to be done.  Here at Luke and Susan's home it is so easy! …...  One of the great joys is seeing the dining room oak table I bought for $10 in Eugene, Oregon, in 1957.  At that time, Bob cut the pedestal down so that it was coffee table level.  Now, Luke has had it built back up and uses it for basic family kitchen table - same old table!   Then there are the two huge upholstered chairs owned by my father's mother and father a hundred years ago.   And so it goes.  Thank God for family!  Here's ours from a last year's Thanksgiving photo taken as all were preparing to go to the Auto Drive-in movie where they pile into the back of Luke's pickup and attempt to stay warm by snuggling together while they watch the movie.  There's  Wendy, Walker, Jack, Kelsey, Sydney, and Susan with Sam in front. 

Schedule Changes and Grandsons

Schedule Changes - November 13, 2014

1)  No class Saturday, Nov. 15.  Chris and I will both be out of town.
2)  Following week, classes as usual except NO CLASS THURSDAY, the 20th.
3)  Thanksgiving Week: No classes Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.  SATURDAY class will meet.
I hope you all have a delightful Thanksgiving celebration, as I will - all ten of my family will be here at the Pond for that time period - grandkids sleeping in The Yogatorium!  A family tradition for the past 7 years.
Happy Holidays to all of you.
Namaste,
Jaquie
P.S.  Feel free to call and double-check on times and other questions any time - 864-506-4063 cell.

My out-of-town right now is being spent with my two grandsons, Jack and Sam, Luke and Susan's sons, who are both capable of caring for themselves but I am so glad I'm still invited to be with them when the parents are going out of town!  Won't get many more chances like this.  What a joy!  The days go by so fast - it's hard to believe these two beautiful guys have been around fourteen and eleven years already!

Me and the Vets Administration

Some of you may be aware of the difficulties veterans are facing with health issues and the VA.  Here's a personal success story.  My friend, Frank, has been trying to get replacement hearing aids for more than 6 months.  Finally, yesterday, his hearing was re-tested and he is scheduled to have aids selected on December 9 with expected fitting date about 4 weeks later.  What is so interesting about all of this is:  His appointment was yesterday, SATURDAY.  His doctor is a woman in private practice from Charlotte who is now working weekends in Asheville at the VA facility in an effort to provide services since they are so backed up.  The huge facility was absolutely empty except for the audiology department.  This department alone served over 10,000 vets last year.  The problem Frank faced was in part due to the necessity of navigating telephone menus.  He can't hear well enough to do that.  After several attempts at helping by his personal physicians (one with the VA and the other in private practice) he finally had an appointment but was told he couldn't be fitted because his ears were not clean enough - even though his personal physician had cleaned them just prior to the appointment.  Was this a stalling mechanism?  Yesterday, when I asked if the cleanliness was an issue, we were told "They are fine."  ……..This is my first personal exposure to problems faced by vets and it has been an eye-opener.  It is truly amazing how we blindly go through our lives unaware of the problems faced by others.  What a joy it has been to play a small part in this escapade! (All I really did was make a few phone calls.)  In the new year of 2015, Frank will hear birds sing again!

Cleaning and Clearing the Carport Shed

Today has been one of cleaning and clearing out the carport shed.  It is truly amazing how totally disarrayed things can get in an out-of-the-way spot when I find it so easy to keep my tiny cottage pretty well in order.  At any rate, now the pressure washer has its spot, the paint is all in one spot on a shelf along with the paint equipment.  The recycling materials are all in one container.  The beach sand is in one container instead of three or four plastic bags all in different corners of the room.  The beach sand is used to fill sandbags for yoga and/or luminarias in brown paper bags with candles.  Or at least, for the last ten years or so I've "planned" to set some up at Christmas time.  Maybe this will be the year?  The empty gallon water plastic bottles from the beach trips are waiting for those who like to get well water occasionally.  The odd pillows of all descriptions that seemed to be perfect in their spot at one time are all now hiding in one big box - still can't quite part with those even though I've removed all the pillows except sleeping ones from all the beds.  Why do we do that?  Then we end up throwing them on the floor in order to get to bed!  So now all mine are sleeping in the shed in their own box.   Enough.  You get the idea of what my day was like.  What a joy to see a CLEAN floor!

Snow Day at The Yogatorium

Here's the view from my meditation spot in The Yogatorium.  Wonderful walking in the snow as it fell early this morning to get the heat turned on and ready for class at 10.  BUT, no one showed up so now I'm enjoying a "snow day."  What fun!