Golden Bough

Friday evening I had the pleasure of attending a concert of traditional Celtic music at the Amador Theater in Pleasanton. While my Celtic heritage is sparse - a little Welsh, a little Scots, a little Irish - I truly enjoy the sounds of Celtic folk music, the harp, the penny whistle, the fiddle and the Bohdran, as if I grew up on the Old Sod.

Golden Bough, the group I had the pleasure of hearing last Friday, performed both traditional and newly written folk songs. In addition to being excellent musicians they were fine entertainers as well. They challenged the audience to join in at the chorus and so we did. One of my favorite pieces was a Cornish carol titled Sans Day Carol. So we, the audience, sang the last two lines of the chorus: Holly! Holly! And the first tree in the greenwood, it was the holly! At one point the performers surprised the audience by going mute leaving only the audience to finish the chorus. At first our voices were weak without the support of the trio, but instead of fading away to nothing the audience pick up the challenge and by the end of the chorus, we could actually be heard.

I was reminded of my visit to a true Irish pub near Dublin some years ago. Craic (Irish fun) was alive and well. In that Irish pub and in Friday's performance as well, we also enjoyed the vigorous movement of Irish stepdance. How those young women can move their feet so fleetingly and not trip themselves I will never know.

I must say that we were a good audience. I am sure you have attended events where the spectators were more interested in listening to themselves talk than to listen to the performers. Or they felt it necessary to exit a row in the middle of the show disturbing all around them. We had none of that on Friday. I was proud that, as an audience, we showed proper respect and attention to the performance and each other.

I was truly impressed by this group and if they come this way again, I will make a point to see another performance. If you enjoy Celtic music and wish to learn more about Golden Bough or to purchase a CD visit their website at http://www.goldenboughmusic.com/

Live long and prosper!

Go Ducks!

I am sitting next to a large window in Panera’s enjoying my Sunday coffee and reading my Kindle. The weather outside is chilly but very sunny and I enjoy looking up and seeing the bright unoccupied patio area.

As I glance up this November morning, I see a very large charter bus pull into the parking lot. This is not a regular sight; in fact I have never seen this before at this location. As passengers begin to leave the bus, I notice that many of them are wearing bright yellow and dark green jackets, shirts, and caps. They are Ducks fans!

The University of Oregon played Stanford yesterday, and these lovely people, obviously diehard fans, had chartered a bus and come down for the game. They were cheerful and smiling, patiently waiting in line for bathroom visits and coffee and chattering away. I inquired of one lady, who passed close enough to speak to, who had won. She smiled ruefully and replied that Stanford had won the game. But she continued in a brighter vein as she said they all had a wonderful time and enjoyed the bright sunny weather immensely.

In the days of Joey Harrington and Justin Peelle the Ducks would have been victorious.

It is really pleasing to see such camaraderie. The passengers varied in age from late thirties early forties to at least one gentleman I judged to be in his eighties. They proudly wore Oregon’s colors and big smiles. Even the bus driver had a smile on his face when he came into the restaurant.

In less than half an hour they were on their way again, up I-680 to Highway 80 to I-505 to Highway 5 and home. While Panera’s is not far off the interstate, tucked away in a small shopping center this watering place was not something the driver found by accident.

While these people touched me in the most fleeting way, their pleasure gave me pleasure and brightened my day. I hope they have a lovely trip home. GO DUCKS!

Live long and prosper!

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

When all seems wrong with my little slice of the world and I am frustrated by my inability to make it right, I realize that I can’t change the world, I can only change myself or my attitude.

For example, one of my favorite interludes is a Sunday morning visit to Panera for hazelnut coffee and a bear claw. I settle in with my book, either the one I am reading or the one I am writing. I enjoy the low classical music playing in the background and the gentle hum of soft voices engaged in conversation. I find peace and contentment for a brief span of time.

Occasionally, however, my peace is disturbed and I become a grouch. To my mind there is nothing worse than a rude, loud month patron who feels entitled to talk at a volume loud enough to be heard throughout the entire restaurant. (Isn’t it amazing how we dislike most the failings of which we ourselves are guilty? I must work very hard to modify my own voice when dining with others, which may be why it is best for me to dine alone.)

Since I am a struggling writer, I am always looking for ideas. This phenomenon has brought about an attitude change on my part. Now, when this type of disturbance takes place, instead of getting angry I unabashedly eavesdrop on the speaker. It is amazing the things you can learn about a stranger you have never met. I take notes with the intention of perhaps using some of the dialog or the characteristics of the speaker. Indeed the speaker may well become an irritating character in a future novel. I have found this speech behavior occurring on BART trains, Muni buses, waiting rooms at doctor’s offices or any number of other places where people find themselves with too little to occupy their time. On many occasions this loud speech is into the mouth piece of cell phones. Apparently the users believe that the person on the other end of the conversation is hearing impaired.

So now that I recognize I may become an irritating character in someone else’s novel, I work hard at keeping my mouth shut and my ears open.

Live long and prosper!

Well, here I am, back again.

I have been pondering why I am so disorganized. I didn't use to be this way. I have concluded that my failings are due to others' expectations or lack there of.

Throughout my career, others have always expected me to lead the way... to voice my opinions, right or wrong... to do things my way. While my husband was living, he had many of the same expectations. I was the one who filled the car with gas, who made the doctors' appointments, who planned our family vacations.

Now that I am only three months from retirement, the expectations at work have eased, I am allowed to slow down and do things at a pace with no urgency. And, since I now have no one left to care for at home, I have slacked off there as well.

It is time for me to discipline myself to stay focused even if no one else expects me to. So how do I plan to do this? One step at a time.

There is a website, http://flylady.net, that is designed to help people like me put one foot in front of the other, develop routines, and have time to pursue things of interest, time that has previously been wasted by living a disorganized lifestyle. So, if there are others of you who feel harried by disorganization, visit this website and learn for yourself to make little changes that can make a big improvement in your life.

Live long and prosper!

Greetings,

I have been among the missing, but I am back now. I must say the reason I have not been blogging is because I have been reading.

I made the error of purchasing a Kindle a while ago. Now the reason purchasing a Kindle was a mistake is because it is much too easy to get new books to read. For whatever reason, I find reading even easier on a Kindle, perhaps because I can enlarge the type face. When I finish a book – I just finished reading Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, great book by the way – I order the next thing I want to read. I have started reading the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. So when I finished reading The Lost Symbol I downloaded and read High Five. Much as I enjoy reading, I must rein myself in, or I will never get any writing done. My Kindle has become an addiction.

The Tri-Valley Writers Branch, California Writers Club, began the new 2009-2010 season today with luncheon at The Oasis in Pleasanton. Good food, good company, and an excellent presentation on utilizing social media to expand your horizons. The presenters were Lynn Hazen and Susan Taylor Brown. Should you ever have the opportunity to hear either of them speak, don’t pass it up. They both are entertaining, articulate, and excellent sources of information. Visit their websites at www.lynnhazen.com and www.susantaylorbrown.com to learn more about what they have to offer.

When I spend time with other writers, as I did today, I am motivated to get back to the keyboard and work. I am still working on Letters to Ethan. I know I will not be able to finish writing the first draft until after I retire. But I can’t afford to put it on the back burner until December. So I will keep plugging away and perhaps be able to finish the draft early in January 2010.

I am setting a goal for myself to post on this blog at least once a week. Let’s see how well I do.

Live long and prosper.

Yesterday, I had a monumental day. I saw the Tut Exhibition at the de Young. So much better than the last time the exhibition was in San Francisco. Instead of being herded along in groups, allowed to stop at each artifact for only seconds, we were allowed to view the Tut at our own pace. We could stop as long as we wished to admire individual items of interest.

At over $30 a ticket, you would think cost might discourage attendance. Not a bit. In spite of limited numbers of visitors at any one time, the exhibit was crowded. We had tickets for the first showing at 9:00 am. Because one of our party was using a walker and a second was using a cane, we were allowed to descend to the viewing area by elevator, effectively putting us at the head of the line. But because we were moving slowly we were quickly enveloped. We had audio devices that let us listen to information about the exhibits as we moved through.

It is incredible to think that the creation and decoration of these items was done with human hands more than 3,000 years ago without the benefit of modern equipment. How many hours it must have taken an artisan to polish a stone sculpture to a mirror finish. The gold work and the colors and gems made the items seem other worldly. My favorite items were a set of four ungent vessels. They were of white alabaster, carved with exquisit detail. The lids of all four protrayed a different animal head, and one of the vessels actually had a carved goat's head extending from the front of the vessel.

If you are in the Bay Area it is worth the time and money to visit the Tut Exhibition. If not, and it comes to a city near you, make an effort to view this extraordinary showing.

My Life and Times

I have been very remiss in that I have not posted to my blog in almost three weeks. My only excuse is that I have been busy! But aren’t we all.

My Windows OS automatically installed the new IE8. What a headache. Three quarters of the time Explorer would open with a word document tool bar and no internet tool bar. This meant I couldn’t go back to a prior page. I couldn’t select a web site from my favorites and a number of other things we are all accustomed to doing on-line. Since I was having so much trouble with Windows Internet Explorer I decided to try out the new Google Chrome which has been getting some good press lately.

I have no real experience with it yet, so I can’t say good or bad, but I will let you all know how my experience turns out. At least when it opens I have access to normal on-line features.

Today I have spent critiquing writings from my fellow members of the Tri-Valley Branch of the California Writers Club. I must tell you this is not work. These people are so talented and reading what they have written is so pleasurable, it is more like recreation than work. And since each of these people return the favor by critiquing my work, we all learn from this experience.

I must mention Michael Jackson since his death was the main topic of discussion everywhere I went. I am sorry he died – I am sorry when anyone dies – but get a life! There are so many things of much greater importance; it is hard to believe that the only thing to found in the newspapers was Michael Jackson.

I am much more concerned about our soldiers and innocent civilians who are dying in Afghanistan.

I am also more concerned about the budget bickering going on in Sacramento and Arnie’s avowed intention to close California State Parks. Heaven forbid that any Californian has to pay one more penny in taxes. He has nothing to lose. He can‘t run for reelection. God help his successor who will be required to deal with this mess he has created. He was elected in a recall election to replace Grey Davis. Governor Davis could have done no worse.

And the other item of concern continues to be Sarah Palin. What is this woman doing? Does she think that quitting her post as Governor of Alaska is going to redeem her existing reputation for being a quitter? She quit four different colleges. Why does she never complete whatever she starts? It scares the hell out of me that people are talking of her running for president!

Maybe I will stop reading newspapers (which are a dying breed), reading internet news which has no substance, and listening to the radio which just repeats the same news over and over again. I will be like an ostrich with my head in the ground. If I can’t see it, maybe it is not there.

150 Years Doesn’t Put a Penny in Anyone’s Pocket

Bernard Madoff was sentenced today to 150 years in prison. In reality, the 71 year old Madoff will probably serve less than 15 years given the life expectancy in prison for persons his age. He has no hope of parole. Nor should he have. Many of his victims will serve much longer sentences of poverty, or just scraping by.

For the 14,000 investors who lost money, many of them their life savings and retirement nest eggs, it is a Pyrrhic victory. They will see very little if any recovery. One man in his 80’s has been forced to return to work as a meat cutter at a chain grocery. There are thousands of other horror stories. But one of the saddest outcomes of this man’s greed is the bitterness it has engendered.

His victims have every right to be bitter. But their bitterness doesn’t impact Madoff at all. Instead it makes their pain and suffering worse. Having lost a portion of my retirement savings to the fiscal meltdown (not Madoff), I know how agonizing and distressing monetary loss is when it affects your anticipated standard of living during retirement. But to wallow in bitterness is not going to improve anyone’s retirement years.

It is unknown if the trustee, Irving H. Picard, will be able to compensate victims for anything close to their losses. And the very process of receiving, reviewing, researching and paying out even a partial settlement is incredibly difficult and slow. And the perception that all of Madoff’s victims were wealthy and can weather their losses is not true. His victims include public school teachers, farmers, mechanics and other middle class folk. Many had been enjoying a comfortable retirement but now with their nest eggs gone, they are struggling to pay the bills, to stave off foreclosure, to put food on the table.

The victims hurting most are not those who invested directly with Madoff. It is likely the direct investors will receive some of their investments back. But people whose 401k or their IRA’s where invested by fund managers will probably never see a penny of the investment returned. This inequity is due to a legal technicality.

Not only has Madoff destroyed the today and the future of thousands of innocent people, he has also severely damaged their emotional well being. That is really the greater crime.

Made My First Sale

This is a landmark day in my life. I have been published for remuneration. It's not much, and I won't be buying a yacht with the proceeds, BUT IT IS MY FIRST SALE!

I have other articles under consideration, and hopefully a few of those will make the grade. But what I need most is for everyone I know and everyone you know to view my content. I get paid (pennies) each time someone views my content. So encourage everyone family, friends, strangers... to click
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1856479/dying_at_home.html?cat=5

I know, it is shameless self-promotion. But I am saving for my retirement and if I don't blow my own horn, who will.

So please, come visit, and leave me your comments if you like. I have thick skin, I can take it.
And if you have problems viewing let me know so I can find out what I've done wrong.

Michelle Obama Stole my Thunder

Dear Readers:

I did write the following before I learn that Michelle Obama had been here to kick off the Administration's "United We Serve" project. I am not jumping on her bandwagon; I think we arrived there at the same time. But here is what I had to say.

I was musing yesterday that we are exceptionally blessed to live in this country. Even if we have lost a job, suffered foreclosure, and must eat at the local soup kitchen, we are still better off than 98% of the world. Why? You might ask. Because we live where we can "pick our self up, dust our self off, and start all over again."

We have the freedom to complain that our government isn't doing enough - or for some - that it is doing too much. We need not worry that some Gestapo type is going to drag us out of our beds at night and confine us in a cell somewhere.

We can have virtually anything we want if we are willing to work for it. Yes, our economy is sick. But it is as if we have the flu and the person in the next room has terminal cancer. Yes, we moan and groan. Some say that Americans are whiners. But kick us in the butt and get our attention, we will pick up our tools and go to work.

Volunteerism is on the rise. Best of all, we can put it to work in our own neighborhood. Is there a widow in the neighborhood who needs help maintaining her property? Or perhaps there is an older gentleman who has no family near by and would appreciate a visit? Is there a literacy program at a local library that could use your skills to help others learn to read, or the opportunity to help immigrants learn English? Is there an animal rescue facility where you get pleasurable exercise by walking dogs who have been orphaned because the family lost their home and can't take this family pet to live with them in an apartment? Whatever one's interest, there is an opportunity nearby to make someone’s life a little easier or a lot better.

This is a tough recession, but we will come out of it. We are Americans. We are resilient. So as we celebrate our country's independence this 4th of July let us give thanks for the freedoms we enjoy and give back to our community.

But of everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required. - Luke 12:48

This is a very short blog to announce to the world that my son John has passed his California CPA exams. This is the result of a lot of hard work and determination. I am so proud of him I could pop! Way to go, John!

Contact Your Legislator

The more I investigate the pending closure of the State Parks the more concerned I become. A proposal to levy a $15 fee on Vehicle Licenses has been floated in the Legislature. That fee would be dedicated to State Parks. It could not be diverted or used for any other purpose. Fifteen dollars a year amounts to 4 cents a day. Rumor has it that a block of legislators are opposed to this measure because of their "no new taxes" position. Well we've all seen what that has done for our State's economy. And once again it is cutting off the nose to spite the face.

Our State Parks are a valuable capital asset. But we propose to abandon them - allow squatters, pot growers, vandals free access because there will be no one to deter them! That is irresponsible management of our property - yours and mine! And if we attempt to reclaim them in two years, four years or whenever California recovers from its mismanagement, how much will it cost us? Would you be inclined to walk away from your home or business, turn out the lights but leave the doors open, and expect to find you property untouched when you returned in months or years? Unlikely!

The only way we can do anything to change this dismal picture, is to convince all our legislators that we, the people of the State of California, DO NOT WANT OUR PARKS CLOSED. See the attached link to the State Legislature. Identify your State Senator and Assembly Person and let them know how you feel!

http://www.legislature.ca.gov/legislators_and_districts/legislators/your_legislator.html

The Govenator Wants to Close California State Parks

I learned today that 220 of the 297 State Parks in California are to be closed following Labor Day 2009. To me this is not acceptable. The State Parks' budget is less than 1% of the budget gap - .62% precisely.

Additionally it is not good fiscal policy. For every $1 spent by the State in maintaining and operating the parks, $2.35 in taxes and revenues are returned to General Fund. By saving $143 million the State stands to loss $350 million in revenue. It is this type of fiscal thinking that has brought us to this situation.

80 million people visited a California State Park last year. In addition to the fees they spent in a park, they bought gasoline, meals, souvenirs, and perhaps lodging in a nearby community.

Even if you never visit a State Park, you should fight these proposed closures because they will only creat a greater budgt gap, and the closures will increase unemployment in our State.

Please visit the California State Parks Foundation at http://www.calparks.org/ to learn what you can do . Act today, because Labor Day is only ten weeks away!