To Which I Am Reminded*

My Confucius quote for today states: "To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it."

The aspect of being "wronged" & teaching ourselves not to hold on to it, is one of the most challenging of what human beings have been required to do, since the beginning of time. It happens of course in those intimate vignettes with families, which are known to come forth at the times of these gathering together holidays, & can later on, in the course of; neighborhoods, towns, & countries, have been know to provide a less than pretty view.

When it comes to families we can try to make an improvement in the situation, & if that doesn't help, we can meditate on the non remembering of it, & remind ourselves, that the other person who may be displaying anger from decades back, that it has nothing to do with ones self, as it is just that individuals reaction & their take on the world at large, & we just happen to be a by passing character on their stage of life. When recycled, it does make good theatre, & Eugene O'Neil, my favorite of all in American theatre, inspires to this very day.

Sometimes I take a small jaunt down to where he spent a good deal of his childhood. Those lovely grounds as they meet the sea, continue to have the power to heal most any wrong, & with it, oceans of possibilities are always at the shore.

*Amen*

All Creatures Great & Small, On The Wing Of A Prayer *

My sweet puppy Dolly now 7 months old, sitting in the driveway on Thanksgiving Eve. I had just returned home late that evening with some last minute essentials such as whipped cream for the pumpkin pies, & I needed eggs too, as they were all used up from baking.
The sign you see above was given to us by a dear friend, I was told it was provided by the American Friends Service Committee. The AFSC are the original Quakers, who are known to be hundreds of years old, they have been know to oppose-- war, slavery & all forms of oppression since their inception, practicing the true teachings of their faith, "The Golden Rule".

Prayers, Music & Let There Be Light

From Generation to Generation--

A peace pie, with a little help from my friends--
& at the end of the day, a new Thanksgiving chapter--

Here it is the Friday evening after Thanksgiving & time to reflect. It's always a busy time for us in these here hills. We began this year's season by attending the Greater Putnam Interfaith Council's Thanksgiving Eve Service, of which my husband & I are members. This is the third year we have attended such a service, which has been ongoing for decades now, but is fairly new to us. Attending this service has become an important event now for family & friends alike as it sets a special tone.

In the holiday tradition with the food gathering, preparing, cleaning & cooking; it is all, & coming from this non Betty Crocker, domestically challenged type, all I can say is, that with our helping one another, it all becomes worth it.

The interfaith service was a good way to gather together & share of our spiritually inspired lives, as being with kind hearted, peaceful people is always a good beginning to any season. The photos of tonight's postings, are just snippets through the lens, the heart of the matter.

In hopes that your holiday season is blessed with good health, love & peace, & wishing you all*, all that is good. From our neck of the woods to yours-- Peace be with you*.

*{To have peace, we must continue to teach peace, to know peace & beyond..., even if it means that some may have come from less than peaceful families, we must put it in perspective, know that it is only in the past, & continue to move forward, into the light of kindness & understanding, to ourselves & others, no matter the challenge. *Amen* }

A *Blessed Thanksgiving To All

A Norman Rockwell tapestry, inspired from his famous painting that was on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post from decades ago, respecting all religious faiths, with prayers of peace for the world.

The words woven into this tapestry state, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This statement has been known as "The Golden Rule", from a time as far back as Aristotle.

Gift of this tapestry was given to the UN by Nancy Reagan.

***********************************************************

* Speaking of gifts: At this special time of thanks, I would like to say a special thank you to my husband of these ongoing, 39+ years, he has always, most patiently helped me to access my dreams, supporting me during my ole radio days of "Mother Lightning's Oracle", which was a regularly featured program on WHUS 91.7 FM, in the mid '70's. My other program was, "Bed Time Stories" featuring, nonviolent & nonsexist stories for children of all ages. My husband continues to support & encourage, this ongoing dream of mine, to have a collection of children's literature published, as this has been in my heart of all dreams since the age of 7, & goes back to my early childhood's love of poetry & storytelling. Robert Lovis Stevenson of , "A Child's Garden of Verses" fame, being my first exposure ever to rhythm, rhyme & time, along with my father's mother Anna, my grandmother, who was a delightful, fun loving storyteller too, who cast the dye. It's all in the family, dreams living on...

This coming 2010 is the date slated for our first in a series of children's books to be released, we will be sure to keep everyone posted on this upcoming event. To start off there is a new blog in the wings about our books characters, of which we will be launching before the end of this year & we will keep you posted. We thank you all for your interest & support on this, as my coauthor & I are very excited to finally have the opportunity to share with the world a message of love, peace & acceptance to children of all ages, with characters we are certain will win your hearts.

*Amen*

In The General Assembly Of The UN On a Day We Learned So Much

Standing in support of the work of the UN not only for ourselves, but for our children, grandchildren, & their children & future grandchildren, all of us-- we're in this together!

At The United Nations & Thankful That We Are Reminded Of Our Ongoing Responsibilities For The Greater Good

Our guide is explaining how this statue was found buried in the ground & how it was effected by the Hiroshima nuclear blast, note the front of this statue--

Now note the pitted erosion on the back of this statue--

The clothing shown below was due to the effect of the Hiroshima nuclear blast, people were documented as being vaporized away, in Hiroshima & Nagasaki from the effects of nuclear war.
A modern day tapestry given to the UN from an empathic country. It is dedicated to the victims of the Chernobyl nuclear accident of the then, Soviet Union.

Below is a tent of basic provisions given to victims of the various disasters & war torn events, such as Dufar.
Areas of the world are still plagued with malaria, this inexpensive mosquito netting saves lives.
The original mural, by a French artist, on the right side of the wall in the General Assembly of the UN.

After our initial arrival to the UN we immediately signed up for our tour which was to begin at 3:45pm on the date of our visit 11/17/09. Our guide was most knowledgeable as she had been out on two missions in the past couple of years, recently returning from Palestine. The information she introduced was packed with details of the various missions the UN has undertaken, including UNICEF, Doctors Without Boarders & the ongoing Project to Prevent & Eliminate Land Mines world wide, with a UN sponsored treaty, of which our very own country has refused to sign. There were many beautiful & invaluable gifts on display, given to the United Nations from individuals & various governments, all in the name of peace, from all corners of the globe. I will try my best to include a representation of some photos from that day's visit, but they are only images of course, for the work that this organization does in the name of all humanity, can only be hinted at on this small blog. From generation to generation the dream shall forever live on as world peace is the only answer.

{This is the first time ever, when I did my photo journal posting that the tears were far too prevalent to overcome. These pictures were not intended to upset anyone, but it would be a gross dishonesty on my part to attempt to convey that all is right with the world, & that the UN is just a balm for the bleeding hearts of the world. The United Nations, though often not listened to by the various nations of the world, is that constant small distant voice & is nonetheless our main hope, with unrelenting reminders, challenging us all, to do the right thing, now, so there will never be a never.}

*Amen*

To The Headquarters Of World Peace & Back, November 17th, 2009, United Nations

Well we made it, & were welcomed to the United Nations of the world, as we know it. It doesn't get any better than this, a dream full filled. The only thing that of course would actually make it the very, very best is-- World Peace. We all, of course know that!

City Scape Adventures Continued*

Getting back to where I left off--

So there we were my husband & I in the lobby of the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. My favorite museum was a no go for us, due to it's being closed to the general public on Tuesdays. There were of course people mulling about in the lobby, some of whom I suspected were in our category, a nice mix of folks, from all over. As my husband & I were sitting, chatting & gently complaining to one another with an annoyance of how we checked out everything, except the MOMA's schedule of operation on the web. "We could go the the UN." he said. "Oh I don't know about that." was my kvetchy reply, it was by that time about 3pm. "What if by the time we get there, there's a hugh line, & we can't get in for the tour, then we've gone all the way across the city & we're right outside & too late to go in like last time." We had by chance ended up in front of the UN this past June when we had gone into the city to revisit, the Lower East Side & had gone to The Tenement Museum on that trip in. The fact that we were too late to visit the UN on that date was ok, as we had all ready accomplished our goal for coming into the city that day, but there was no way, I could bear, once again, being on the outside, & looking in to what was, at one time, an ancient childhood dream.

It was then that Ruth kindly introduced herself to me, & I followed suit. "I couldn't help but over hear your conversation." she said.

"Oh that's fine", I continued, as we were sitting next to one another on one of the MOMA'S upholstered benches. "Where do you travel in from?" I asked. "I'm from North Western Canada, Saskatchewan, but live in Manhattan now, I have an apartment on the East Side, near the river." "Oh, how exciting my father grew up on the Lower East side, also near the river." I asked her how she got around as we all know how vast NYC is, the buses, the subway, the cabs, & on foot, the choices are varied. She said it took a few months & she's got it down now, & in another month or so she'd be subletting a different apartment, which is a bit further out of Manhattan. She indicated that she lived alone, & was here until her visa ran out, & found it all interesting, & exciting.

"So you can go to the UN" she continued. I expressed to her how, it would be so frustrating to once again trapes across the city & not be able to go in. "They have a phone number, & you can call." Ruth was charming with her pretty blue eyes & blond hair of mid length, a lovely portrait; soft spoken, outwardly friendly & warm. She sat graciously poised during our conversation of which when one of the Tour Guides from the museum came over to her, to say she would be with the next group to tour.

Ruth explained to me during our initial conversation that she was legally blind, so when she was describing how she got herself around such a massive city with such enthusiasm & skill I was truly in awe, & most inspired by her tenacity of calm steady determination of her life's true compass.

Meanwhile as we comfortably sat visiting, my husband was on the phone with the UN, as the MOMA staff got the number for him, but we were unsuccessful he explained, as the call took him all over the, call relay map, so to speak. When he rejoined us, I was finally able to introduce him to Ruth, as I had tried minutes before as she had extended her hand, but he was no longer sitting next to me, those moments ago, but in a flash at the MOMA's desk, determined to make that call on our behalf. Ruth & I said our goodbyes & she wished us both good luck on what ever we were going to do with ourselves, for that day in the city.

"Well, it's the UN Ruth, we've decided, & we're going to take our chances. I think you've inspired us, as this is such an International destination, & here, we've met you all the way from Saskatchewan, that doesn't happen every day, it's only fitting that we go there today, as it's meant to be." It was a most heartfelt meeting & parting, ever so brief, yet deep with human connectedness & how we on this small, small planet, do reach out in friendship & in peace, no matter how brief. Yes, the kindness of strangers, not so strange.

A Tuesday Afternoon In New York, With The Sky Being The Limit*

I only began this blog New Year's Eve two years ago. One of my earliest post's included a song my son was able to install for me, in one of those earliest enteries-- "I Have A Dream", by ABBA. When I was appromaxtely 9 years old I had a small neighborhood Puppet Show at our house. All my friends attended, I can't say I really recall what the script might have been which I wrote out, but I do know the acting included singing & dancing of the puppets for the performance. It was my one gal show. I only charged probably a dime or so for the ticket admission [& yes I hand made the tickets] which I sold to the neighborhood kids. My first ever event for the public grossed probably a dollar. I was so very, very proud, as this was an event I was sponcering for the UN. All of us kids were most familiar with the work of the United Nations due to the many years we participated in "Trick or Treat for UNICEF", we would all say-- "Pennies for UNICEF", when people would open their door. It was the best Trick or Treating that we could have ever done, & that was the way Halloween was celebrated for many years. One of the most thrilling moments of my life was when I received a "Thank you Letter", from the UN, a most memorable moment for this 9 year old & my dream had begun, to some day work for the UN when I was all grown up.

Decades upon decades later, my husband & I have been fortunate enough to be able to pass on such a simple dream of so very long ago, as two of our three sons, participated in "Model UN", in both high school & then college. So in this way the dream lives on.....

Yesterday my husband & I were all set to see an important exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, the MOMA in NYC. We checked everything of what we considered to be of importance before leaving: car- check, money-check, train schedule/which station to leave from- check, now we are what I would consider to be experienced museum goers, so we deliberately planned this trip for a Tuesday, as museums are known to be closed on Mondays, well not the MOMA! The MOMA is closed to the general public at large on Tuesdays, & specifically open on Tuesdays for guided tours for people with handicaps & disabilities. So there we were, in the lobby of one of our favorite museums, in a gigantically hugh city, feeling like the line-- "All dressed up, & nowhere to go."

Until we met Ruth, from Western Canada sitting next to me in the lobby........

{*To be continued, as the story that is to follow, is way too intricate & the words are still formulating--

{Also-- I guess today was a hard day at the blog, regarding spelling & the like. Thank goodness my husband brings this to my attention so I can make the corrections. Please excuse my occasional cryptic spellings, & what it does to the English language, oye*, now that's some kind of word.}

Don't You Just Love A Train Station--

The gal you see in front of the ticket window had really great hair. I left mine to be down & rather out there. I asked my husband earlier before leaving if I should go ahead & pin it up. "Na", he said, "keep it down, that, with the sunglasses, you look very urban, I like it." So there I was as, el natural as I could be, for a hair do that is.
Open ended, round trip tickets for two, we took the 11:05 Am, out of New Haven, a very sweet, & just all that you need kind of station.

My most favorite train station, [though the one in L.A. is quite nice], it is the one, the only, "Grand Central Station"!

Monday's A Good Day To Plan A Mini Jaunt--

Monday, Monday, thus a new week. I worked over the weekend as it was my rotation, we take turns working every third weekend in our office. For the most part it was a fine weekend to be on, I had just one out of town student that need care, as she was suffering from an upper respiratory infection, not quite the flu, but only time will tell on that. All the other students had meetings, or sporting events schedule. On Saturday the weather was a bit messy, but everything went on as scheduled, including an out of town, cross country event.

Last week I began one of Cesar Millan's books-- "Be The Pack Leader". I want to give this process with Dolly my very best as she is a very strong pup, both in will & physical strength. She pulls a great deal on the collar when we go for walks & tends to need a lot of correction, but she has a sweet nature & I can tell when she gets it right & I approve, she is most pleased with herself, which is a good sign, but as Cesar says-- it is mostly instinct, & the dog will revert to her instinct always, so establishing control, pack leader-dom, is of the up most [pup most], importance. This certainly keeps me on my [dogie] toes, several walks a day, up & down the driveway, & out by my garden [no matter the weather], I just plain enjoy the challenge & the discipline. No report cards yet for her or me, it's a bit too early in the process.

Having a new puppy, with all that they require is almost like being on a new born's schedule, but of course quite a bit easier. Between all that I'm already involved with, our family & home, job, conservation work, interfaith & faith based group work, & upcoming book publishing project. Due to all of this, my original Peace Garden had become less than pleasing, so today, after puppy care I went down there to sort out, & remove some of the less than desirable objects, which have become way too shabby & weather worn. I am now pleased to report that just by doing some very minor things, symmetry has been restored.

Tomorrow my husband & I plan on leaving this tree house early, as the MOMA [the Museum of Modern Art] in NYC, is our destination, for the Bauhaus exhibit. The great outdoors of our natural world & the museums of the world are our most favorite places to go, & theatre too, but tomorrow it will have to be theatre in the raw, limited to-- "people watching". Gotta go, as trains leave early.

{The above photos are of original locomotions taken at the Henry Ford Museum, outside of Detroit, Michigan-- Labor Day 2009, with admission to the museum free, in honor of the American Worker, each & every Labor Day.}

Puppy Chomping Good

Well we did it, Dolly went with me to work this morning, [what an overly protective Mom I am]. She & I did a mini walk in the yard at 7:35am before leaving & in 5 minutes or less, we were heading down the drive. Luckily I wasn't behind a stream of yellow buses, which tends to happen when I run a bit late, but even when that occurs, I still manage to be in our office by 7:55 or 7:00AM , right on the nose.

My boss arrived around 8:20 or so, she knew the pup was going to be in the car as she had called me before coming in to update me on a matter of importance, it was then that we both had a good laugh regarding my present situation of my recovering dog in the car, my first patient of the day. She knew that my plan was to go outside at about 10:00 or so for another "walk the pup session", but I was told, "You might want to go out there about now." she said. "Looks to me like Dolly's a bit excited, & looks like she got herself some foam which is shredded all over your car." "Oh that's probably her foam bed. I put it in there with her for comfort, I didn't think she'd chew on that.", I replied.

So I finished up temporally & went out to the parking lot to check on her. Well I do work at a school, & wouldn't mind saying, "The dog ate my homework.", as much as that's a great line. What I can say is-- well let me put it this way, do they make beige duck tape to match this seat?

*{The above photo of Dolly was taken today in the parking lot of the local Dunkin' Donuts, during our lunchtime. We shared a multigrain bagel, non toasted, with low fat cream cheese. I had vanilla coffee, extra light with one sugar, Dolly had water, extra clear, cold & fresh. It was all, "just right."}

You're Looking Swell Dolly

Dolly my pup has returned after a 24 hour stay with the Vet. She is 7 months old now, & in order to be a true responsible pet owner it was necessary for me to have her spayed. Definitely a big deal on any body, & she the sweet, strong gal of a pup that she is, did very well! Dolly makes fast friends where ever she goes, & the Veterinarian & her Assistant, couldn't stop raving about her excellent behavior. Mutts, there's something about a mutt, such mystery & puzzlement regarding the legend of their lineage. I have been told repeatedly by my wonderful Vet, that any of the minor bad habits she may exhibit can definitely be worked through & corrected. I was told she's a herding dog, & herding dogs she said want to nip to get the stock herded to where they want them. Interesting, because I wondered why she insists on wanting to gently nibble, yet she stops immediately when I correct her. So it's just a matter of discipline on my part, which is no surprise, how else do we get anything worthwhile done. I'll say his-- Dolly's been a great teacher, she & I are both pretty new students on all of this. The spirit & love of the nature of a sweet dog is a great motivating factor. "Dolly it's so nice to have you back where you belong."

{I think Dolly will be traveling with me to work in the morning, as her dog-pen area where she stays when we're not home, equipted with one of those cute insulated igloo dog houses, probably won't do. The area that's set up for her is really on a man made sand lot, nice for all other times, but won't do for the next week or so as we have this fresh abdominal incision to keep clean, so until she's healed up a bit more, she'll be under the watchful eye of moi'. Wishing you good healing Dolly, can't help it, you've got that cuteness thing going, she sure can look goofy, our newest comedian. Last call for our mini dog walk, as day is done.}

Veterans Day 2009*

The American Friends Service Committee, the Quakers, have produced a beautiful poster which reads--

"War Is Not The Answer", which is of course a quote from a Marvin Gay song titled, "What's Going On?" Another line from the song is, "Only love can conquer hate."

These thoughts & words remain in my heart & soul. I know if my father were alive today, a WWII Veteran, he would agree. We must take good care & honor our Service men & woman, for ultimately we want them safe. If we were to approach the situations in the world in a preventive medical mode, the savings would be in measurable, "so help me God".

Wishing all of our Veterans, their Families & Loved Ones, Good Health & Safety, in all times, with prayers of peace.

*Amen*

{This beautiful rock solid, moving monument is of course our Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C.}

Thoughts Like A River, Flowing & Rocking, Rocking & Rolling--

Zooming back in time-- Last Saturday November 7th, was a mini Luncheon Reunion Day for three former high school gals, in Hartford, our old stomping grounds. Hartford has certainly changed, some buildings are now replaced with pedestrian walkways, & or one way directional streets, but to us it will always be a special place, a point of destination during our youth, for socializing, Saturday shopping trips, theatre, concerts, the museum & sporting events.

Time seems not to be going "by so slowly", as in that Righteous Brothers song, "but time can do so much", still remains true to heart. So we had a toast, wishing one another continued good health & from our friend's beautiful skyscraper apartment set off to the Wadsworth Antheneum for lunch.

We ended our mini reunion visit with a special tour of a historic building of the 1800's, the Elks Club, of which my friend & her husband are active members. We were introduced all around to their friends, & it was easy to tell just how valued & loved she & her husband are by these very hospitable people. The tour of this large unassuming building had aspects of a visionary delight, with it's original antique wooded columns, stained glass windows, & stained glass vaulted ceiling. It was a real pleasure to know that she & her husband have such a supportive community of friends that work together doing good works for the children of the city, along with having an interesting & extended social life of all it has to offer. The entire visit was quite the tapestry to take in.

During my high school years I lacked the confidence & courage to step outside a multi layered peer group & basically allowed many of my God given talents to be squandered, for I was of course from the 60's generation & having a war rage in the background, eventually proved impossible to ignore, no matter how irresponsible some of us chose to be, which many of us were. When my husband & I became parents in the early 70's we therefore chose to be "fully present", & to not allow our children to squander away their potential for future opportunities, their birthright. I have been most blessed, as my present life allows me to now pursue topics & fields of study that are of interest me, on my own terms, to continue to be a seeker--

Meanwhile, returning back to our neck of the woods, far from the buzz & hub of city life, a Stonewall Preservation Workshop that was in the works to take place, had been on my mind for such a long time & was soon approaching. My recent visit with my friends, all these different locals, different cultures, memories of the past, coming together, & standing apart, all, everyone, each with their own, unique, foundation of stone.

I just love the sense of rocks, seeing them, touching them, arranging them in my garden, growing up with them & growing older too, they never change. The experiences of a time wrought life certainly chisels us, chisels us down to the bare essential-- bones of the earth, our rocks.

Thank you-- Robert Thorson, for explaining, & bringing more fully to life, visually & with prose, why it is we love these things, that we love. Like a rock.

It Was An Educational Event With A Fun Factor*

The Stonewall Preservation workshop went off really well. Our guest speaker Robert Thorson of stonewall fame, "Stone By Stone" did an excellent job of educating & enlightening us on the intrinsic value of our New England stonewalls. Now it is up to us, to put something together on paper, that will help to protect these rambling beauties. We'll get there.

{Post Scripted Thoughts: The turnout for this extremely well put together event/presentation was a bit lower in numbers than I anticipated, as I thought the room would be packed, truly. We certainly got the word out, but really what do I know about the interests & desires of the public at large? Even back to my days of working at a medical clinic, it would be impossible to anticipate how busy we were going to be on any given day. The same I guess could be said regarding putting forth a workshop. I've been to many a workshop/lecture, & this one was outstanding, but I happen to have a passion for rocks, where they come from & what we do with them as individuals & as a civilization. It's been an interest of mine since age 7, & at age 9 I had my first rock garden under our family's blue spruce. When we lived in New Britain there was an interesting rock formation in one of our neighbors yard's, definitely a boulder from the ice age. I may someday take a course to further my limited bit of knowledge, as for the most part there were no natural science courses for many gals of my generation when we were growing up, but times have changed, & delving in deeper is the way to go, if one wants to learn new things & who doesn't.

Contemplating The Passage Of Time, With Yet So Much To Do--

The above photo was taken by a dear childhood friend this past Saturday. I am sitting on the window seat in her apartment, with our State Capitol in full view. It has been a most interesting past 7 days. The following description is but one, with several others to be included at a later time, when I can sit, & further contemplate, to it's fuller dimensions. The following is just one of these stories:

A week ago today I met with a friend of years of ole [2o years ago, actually]. We met through the mutual friendship of our sons, both preschoolers. We as many parents were enrolled in a Sunday School program at a Unitarian Universalist Church. Our family's involvement was a most heartfelt & meaningful one as it was my first introduction to Unitarian Universalism. I was on a search for the most part, delving into considerations of what would be suitable for our formative, interfaith family. After two school years of a positive experience I still decided that the 35 minute trek out on Sunday mornings wasn't the "full answer". It can get complicated in an interfaith family, but we evolved & shared over time with our children, the faith based traditions from where we've come, the overall theme being-- peace, love & understanding. That was, & is our best to this day.

Anyway getting back to this mini reunion of a week ago-- My son's friend's Dad from those years gone by, is a geologist who has written & lectured about the history of stonewalls here in New England. You may have read his first book on this topic-- "Stone By Stone" by, Robert Thorson. It's an excellent book, actually a well worn library favorite, explaining the different types of stonewalls in our region, & their history with construction methods detailed of how to identify the different types. Our Conservation Commission is hosting a Stonewall Protection Workshop this coming evening & we are so looking forward to one of our favorite book's author, as we New Englanders are very passionate about our stonewalls. Many of these walls remain an intrinsic part of our landscapes & are not only massive in size, but hundreds of years old. Not as old as the pyramids, but some are definitely as old, or older than the original colonies of this land, I think. We shall find out tonight.

It's interesting that as antique as a topic may be, & far away & long ago in time when people used to meet & greet frequently, & then time passes again of course, & then you meet again, reacquaint over the span of decades, again a shared interest of helping one another, to learn & grow. We are not as impermeable as those stonewalls, yet they too mark us in this, small/vast world.

My Father, of whom, who's nickname was "Rock", {an actual rocket scientist, never at a loss for words}, would probably say in the original Latin-- "Time Flies". I do agree.

November Has It's Perks*

November has it's perks, as you can see from a greenhouse outing, so quirky & colorful, just the place to be. This Nana & Grandaughter duo seemed to have many of the same favorites, quite the array I'd say--

A Note From This Ham Bone, As My Father Would Say--

Well I said my piece, the New Yorker in me certainly rose to the surface last night, & it was just fine. Many of us have lived here, there & every where, from childhood to adulthood. My travels & locals have not been extremely vast by any means, compared to some of my friends, but it is a small world, & ultimately we live & travel in our hearts & minds, no matter where we settle. New York for me is just one of those special locals, it's where a generation of my family's roots started out, from those wee formative years. We are scattered now, like the stars, the wind, the air-- here, there & every where, life is beautiful, living a life.

The World Series, A World Class Event*

Game # 6 of the World Series, tonight it's Phillies vs Yankees & for the present the Yankees are leading by just one point 2-1.

What can I say, the good ole Bronx, land of my birth. No matter where one travels or where one eventually lives, N.Y. , N.Y. the talk of the town. Extended *fam, where ever you are, out there in cyber land, "I Love you & we Love New York!"

11:50pm, the New York Yankees have won their 27th World Series, final score Yankees 7 Phillies 3 . Yes, this is quite the moment in this "New York minute". I just know, my cousins will be proud, I certainly am. Baseball, nothing like it, so all American, what style & grace, from the city that never sleeps, our Big Apple of a team-- "The New York Yankees", the pride of the Bronx, & the Nation.

Having Done Our Civic Duty, We Await The Results-- Election Day 2009

One Way To Enjoy An Autumn Day*