This week has been raft with discussion on DOMA and Prop 8. I have a few friends that did legalize their long term union and I celebrate with them. I find it interesting that so many are feeling it ok to criticize things without thinking about how that may apply to them, when you are discussing sin. I cannot speak to the teachings of the Koran, I can speak to the teachings of the Bible, the Torah and the Talmud. "Judge not...." ......" Cast the first stone".....
For instance, when you marry, you are committing yourself for life. How many people do you know who have divorced their spouse after a few years because....well...whatever....the effort got to hard, their spouse was going through a bad time, they got bored....Or, how many times have you broken one of the commandments? What does it matter if you go to confession every Sunday, yet keep doing the same things over and over? Or "fall out, speak in tongue" on Sunday but go back to the same behavior on Monday?
I keep coming back to the same thing....God is LOVE! Just take a look at the world! The number of races, colors, beliefs, living situations. He/she said were created in their image and if that image is perfection, then we are perfection. Each of us is a work of God's manifested beauty on Earth!!!
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
MOM!!!!!!!
This past week has been a series of hours on end of calls about what services are available to navigate the road of aging parents! It has been frustrating, confusing, time consuming...and not my normal..."here's my question, I want a direct answer." Plus, mom has been extremely uncooperative. My sister and I have both been on the phone, I'm exhausted. I've gone through the conversations about moving her out to live with us in CA but do not think it is a viable option. I worry about hiring in home help in terms of not being able to supervise them from CA. Mom, of course, is pissed about me trying to help...oh,except when she needs money transferred to her accounts...then...we're "best buds". Where is God and nature when the jig is up? If it were me....let me fall asleep on a bench in my backyard, with the sun shining....all things taken care of...no worries, just good memories!
Monday, June 17, 2013
Road Trip 2013
Nine days, 2000 miles! Coastal fog, mist, wind and cold. Lush green forests to wild river rapids to rocky beaches. Volcanic sulphur "hot pots" at 5500 feet, glacier lakes at 8500 feet, false summits at 8000 feet (true summit was 14,200 feet). Beautiful drives on winding roads surrounded by tall, ancient trees on one side, ocean on the other. Arctic meadows to Central Valley heat. Serendipity moments. That's how I would describe our road trip! There was something different everyday!
I will freely admit that I was apprehensive about this trip. I had never, as an adult and I don't think as a child, taken an extensive road trip. I was concerned about spending hours on end in the car with a stop here and there for bathroom and fuel. I was concerned about agreeing where to eat and changing hotels every day. Crazy, I know, because I did that for years when I was working! And by the time you spot a "photo op" you've already driven by, so do you want to turn around and go back just to get a picture? YES!!!
A few things I learned along the way:
1. The great thing about taking the car is you can throw in a bunch of stuff that you "might" need/want. Who cares, you're not checking luggage.
2. The packing list differs from a flying trip packing list. We packed a flat of water, wine, snacks, fruit, clean up stuff, small cooler, things that make it comfortable. See #1.
3. It really helps if you get along with your traveling companion. Afterall, you will be in the car with them for several hours, trying to agree on places to stop, places to eat, and in a hotel room with them for the night and sharing a bathroom. I can't imagine how bad it would be to be locked in a car for hours and then a hotel room with someone if you were in a disagreement.
4. Fortunately, Dave and I have always traveled well together. We have our system worked out. However, I would say that you should agree upon important things (and the little things are important because one can get cranky with a bit less provocation), either overtly by discussion or you both just get it. For instance, usually Dave goes first in the shower because I need a few more minutes to wake up. Sometimes that changes, depending upon our schedule. I get my clothes for the next day out the night before and stage bathroom stuff to pack as I go in the morning and I always ask my driver (Dave) about departure time and back my morning "to do's" into the time so I'm ready to go. Also at bedtime .... noise, TV, what happens when one likes to stay up later - with the TV on? We got into a relaxed vibe ....after day 2, I was sleeping the whole night, waking up rested and ready to go. (At home, I rarely sleep more than 4 hours straight!)
5. Flexibility and a sense of adventure are key!
6. If you are the passenger, try and stay awake! Not only can you help the driver avoid a near crisis situation but you can also relieve the driver of road boredom with entertaining conversation.
7. If you are the passenger, you get to really take in all of the scenery! Try not to yell, "look at that!", only seconds later to be followed up by, "Jesus Christ! You almost got us killed!" Afterall, you asked the driver to look! Just take pics out the car window and share later!
8. No bitching or complaining. Who wants to be traveling with a kill joy!
9. If one of you is having "traveler's distress", the other should understand, be empathetic..afterall, it could be, and probably has been you.
10. Wine at the end of the day's trip makes it all better!
We saw some really beautiful sites! We found some places that we would have only found traveling by car. One morning we stopped for breakfast in Point Reyes. Cute little town, started talking with the waitress about the lighthouse and decided to back track and go for it. It was foggy, windy and cold. It was 20 miles down a winding road so the drive took most of an hour and when we got there, walked half a mile, mostly uphill, we saw the sign at the entrance to the lighthouse that indicated the walk up and back was was equivalent to climbing the steps of a 30 story building! We went for it! Despite thick fog and my fear of heights! Another great find, a place for breakfast outside of Jenner, CA. Timber Cove Inn! The setting was stunning! Finally, not only sea and rugged cliffs, but sun!!! We just happened along on the road and decided to stop in. Actually Dave pulled in. The sign indicated "lunch" but Dave thought we might just ask about breakfast! He was right! And my mimosa was fabulous! And the walk after breakfast was peaceful, beautiful...perfect.
A thing I found most amazing...the number of towns in Northern CA that are just spots, really dots, in the road. Populations from under 50 to just under 200. I marvel at how people decided to live here, what they do, where they shop for just basics...obviously everyone knows everyone...or maybe not, the stunning beauty of the landscape.
More to come when I get the pictures downloaded...meanwhile, as Hwell Houser would say, "Keep Traveling!".
I will freely admit that I was apprehensive about this trip. I had never, as an adult and I don't think as a child, taken an extensive road trip. I was concerned about spending hours on end in the car with a stop here and there for bathroom and fuel. I was concerned about agreeing where to eat and changing hotels every day. Crazy, I know, because I did that for years when I was working! And by the time you spot a "photo op" you've already driven by, so do you want to turn around and go back just to get a picture? YES!!!
A few things I learned along the way:
1. The great thing about taking the car is you can throw in a bunch of stuff that you "might" need/want. Who cares, you're not checking luggage.
2. The packing list differs from a flying trip packing list. We packed a flat of water, wine, snacks, fruit, clean up stuff, small cooler, things that make it comfortable. See #1.
3. It really helps if you get along with your traveling companion. Afterall, you will be in the car with them for several hours, trying to agree on places to stop, places to eat, and in a hotel room with them for the night and sharing a bathroom. I can't imagine how bad it would be to be locked in a car for hours and then a hotel room with someone if you were in a disagreement.
4. Fortunately, Dave and I have always traveled well together. We have our system worked out. However, I would say that you should agree upon important things (and the little things are important because one can get cranky with a bit less provocation), either overtly by discussion or you both just get it. For instance, usually Dave goes first in the shower because I need a few more minutes to wake up. Sometimes that changes, depending upon our schedule. I get my clothes for the next day out the night before and stage bathroom stuff to pack as I go in the morning and I always ask my driver (Dave) about departure time and back my morning "to do's" into the time so I'm ready to go. Also at bedtime .... noise, TV, what happens when one likes to stay up later - with the TV on? We got into a relaxed vibe ....after day 2, I was sleeping the whole night, waking up rested and ready to go. (At home, I rarely sleep more than 4 hours straight!)
5. Flexibility and a sense of adventure are key!
6. If you are the passenger, try and stay awake! Not only can you help the driver avoid a near crisis situation but you can also relieve the driver of road boredom with entertaining conversation.
7. If you are the passenger, you get to really take in all of the scenery! Try not to yell, "look at that!", only seconds later to be followed up by, "Jesus Christ! You almost got us killed!" Afterall, you asked the driver to look! Just take pics out the car window and share later!
8. No bitching or complaining. Who wants to be traveling with a kill joy!
9. If one of you is having "traveler's distress", the other should understand, be empathetic..afterall, it could be, and probably has been you.
10. Wine at the end of the day's trip makes it all better!
We saw some really beautiful sites! We found some places that we would have only found traveling by car. One morning we stopped for breakfast in Point Reyes. Cute little town, started talking with the waitress about the lighthouse and decided to back track and go for it. It was foggy, windy and cold. It was 20 miles down a winding road so the drive took most of an hour and when we got there, walked half a mile, mostly uphill, we saw the sign at the entrance to the lighthouse that indicated the walk up and back was was equivalent to climbing the steps of a 30 story building! We went for it! Despite thick fog and my fear of heights! Another great find, a place for breakfast outside of Jenner, CA. Timber Cove Inn! The setting was stunning! Finally, not only sea and rugged cliffs, but sun!!! We just happened along on the road and decided to stop in. Actually Dave pulled in. The sign indicated "lunch" but Dave thought we might just ask about breakfast! He was right! And my mimosa was fabulous! And the walk after breakfast was peaceful, beautiful...perfect.
A thing I found most amazing...the number of towns in Northern CA that are just spots, really dots, in the road. Populations from under 50 to just under 200. I marvel at how people decided to live here, what they do, where they shop for just basics...obviously everyone knows everyone...or maybe not, the stunning beauty of the landscape.
More to come when I get the pictures downloaded...meanwhile, as Hwell Houser would say, "Keep Traveling!".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)