Musings from Amherst

A Good Day Indeed

2008-03-19T00:40:00.003-04:00

In case you didn't know, most of my blogging these days is over at "Terra Nova Design.
I am delighted with my new newly designed Terra Nova blog. Check it out. The banner photo is of my pond late last summer. The creative spirit behind it is my daughter "Jet" who is an artist and an 8th grade science teacher. Two fields that require a tremendous amount of stamina in addition to creativity. She teaches over 100 middle schoolers every day and also hand silk screens and embellishes women's t-shirts and also makes furniture from recycled objects. Sound interesting? You can see what I mean at b and j greene".

Thanks Jet!

I am also delighted tonight by Obama's speech today. No matter who you plan to support for President, this speech today is one that is long overdue. The conversation, hard as they may be, needs to be started and our nation needs to find ways to move forward on the issues of race and class. I teach college students who need to understand these complex issues and who need to see my generation leading the way to making progress on these issues. We discuss these matters in my classes. My students mentor children of immigrants right here in our town and partner with highly impoverished people 25 minutes away from bucolic Amherst, in the poorest city in our state and one of the poorest neighborhoods in our country! We must talk and act. Our nation will not be a "white majority" nation for much longer; race and class issues abound. If we do not find a way to walk forward together....then.... divided we will fall.
* Disclaimer: I am fully supportive of Obama's campaign and have been since before he announced he was running. However, I think this matter transcends my support of Obama .

I am also delighted that Spring is almost here. My Terra Nova blog will tell you more about that as the season unfolds!

Dormered

2008-03-11T22:34:00.003-04:00

Recently spent some time helping J and B paint their new room under their awesome dormer. One room of the two is almost done. Here is a sneak peek of the peaks, lol! Sorry, I couldn't resist!!

All of the angles made this job a real bear but at the same time, the angles totally make the room; it's awesome. The roof used to cut down into the room where you see the pitch in the picture. The room was teeny. Now it is much larger and feels really spacious with the peaked ceiling and 6' wide window with a great view.

The wall paint is a layered effect with a Ralph Lauren paint and glaze...modified of course. J and I can't do anything just "normal."

I think the floors are sanded now and ready to be stained and poly'ed.

Spring Fever

2008-02-16T20:39:00.003-05:00

I'm in trouble! It is only mid-February in New England and already I have Spring fever! Today I surfed garden blogs and looked at concepts for tea houses and garden sheds. I want Spring, but the high today was only about 18 degrees! I am afraid there is a long way to go. I am hoping that in 8 more weeks I can begin some outdoor work. That seems like forever right now.

This picture is from an awesome site called My Japanese Tea House with step by step details and photos of a great tea house and garden in the UK.

I think what has me itching to get out into my garden and begin the 2008 projects (which are unfortunately NOT likely to include a tea house) is that it is now official that my garden will be on the Amherst Garden Tour in June. Yikes! That is only 5 months away :-)

btw: I am still posting more often on my Terra Nova Design blog if you are interested in checking it out.

Baggins is Back

2008-01-09T20:52:00.000-05:00

Baggins (aka Gary) is back home from Afghanistan for awhile. Great to see him! On New Year's Day he joined us and a bunch of others for a 2 hour walk around town, over through UMass and back to Sweetside through deep, newly fallen snow. Sitting in front of our roaring fireplace, chatting about this and that, eating Antonio's and drinking awesome hot cocoa afterwards was the best!

Had a Wonderful Day....

2007-12-27T21:57:00.000-05:00

..... hope you did too!

Getting Ready For Christmas!

2007-12-15T23:20:00.000-05:00

'tis the Season!
Come visit me at my Terra Nova Design blog (see link on sidebar) for more frequent updates!

George's Baptism

2007-10-28T21:21:00.000-04:00

Today was little George's baptism. We are honored to be his Godparents. Trying to decide on a gift for such a momentous occasion is not easy. The idea of a vessel came to me, along with a vague idea of a Scripture verse. I began a hunt and at the first shop, right near my house, found an amazing, aged, 20" diameter, hand carved, well used, wooden bowl. I loved it but was not immediately convinced that this was "it." B. and I shopped around near and far and the more we shopped the clearer it became that the first vessel had indeed been "the one." The next day I returned to the little shop near my house and brought home the giant old bowl. It felt totally right. Last night I poured out some verse and today the large vessel was accompanied by this poem, read by his mom to the gathered friends and family.

Your Vessel

I am a humble vessel
aged and well used,
here from a distant land,
by the name of India.
I was of service to a man
for rice and such necessities.
Journeyed now to Amherst
George’s vessel I shall be.
Sticky grain may not fill me up,
a vessel of toys I may be or
some other precious commodity.
Though one day perhaps
you may knead bread with me
or toss within my handsome walls
some garden greens so sweet.
However I might serve you,
it need not trouble me
I only ask to journey on
and your useful vessel be.

2 Timothy 2:21
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from evil things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

What's my excuse?

2007-10-02T15:24:00.000-04:00

Wow..my last post on this blog was July 4th. That's bad! I do post more regularly on Terra Nova Design if you want to click over there but still.... I should have posted on here a few times over the summer. What's my excuse? Well, around mid-July I began helping Jess & Ben pack and get set for their move to their first house! Once they officially bought it and over the month of August we began daily work (in between our jobs) on their house. We did a lot of cleaning and demo and tons of painting. Then there was the clearing of over grown land and the beginnings of new gardens. Yeah...that is where the summer went. They are still building a dormer and doing many different projects but they are living there now and we are all busy with work and teaching so the progress is slow but sure. It will be a great little place with a wonderful view (!) when they are done. Here's a shot of them and their place. They are standing in what will soon be the study/art room, sticking their heads above the old roof line. In this location now there is a big dormer which will have a 6' wide west facing window. Also is a picture of my own stream and garden here at Sweetside. Yes, the stream is "done." There's always more that can be done but it looks just the way I dreamed it.

4th of July BBQ

2007-07-05T22:53:00.000-04:00

Despite the rain, a bunch of our friends gathered at our house for the 4th. At one point, the guys took to the kitchen -- Aaron chopping peppers and onions and Ben & Pete having a mini Iron Chef competition -- concocting creative burgers and handling the grilling. We also had a chance to hang with the Martins who were in town from San Jose. Jess used to baby-sit for their girls... many moons ago.

I'm over at Terra Nova!

2007-06-14T22:26:00.000-04:00

Hi there! So, if you are checking in on me at this blog and thinking I lead a very boring life b/c I seldom have anything new to say.... well... check me out over at my other blog. It was mostly created for design (house/art) stuff but that seems to embrace a lot of my life these days so most of my posting is over there. You can either click on the link in the right sidebar that says Carol's Art or go to ~

http://terranovadesign.blogspot.com/

Book mark it... and... click on the RSS feed so you know when I've got a new post up :-)

and by all means..... comment don't just lurk... lol

Ben's Gradiated

2007-05-25T20:16:00.000-04:00

CONGRATS
BEN!!

Yesterday was the grad reception at the UMass Amherst Mullins Center. Ben's done with his Masters in Educational Technology. Yeah!!!

Here are Ben and Jess waiting for events to begin, Ben holding his nifty pen that he received and Ben & Ian (who also graduated, same program) with Florence, the head of their program.

All Jacked Up

2007-05-25T20:14:00.001-04:00

No, not me, the house...at UMass! Don't know why I am finding this so fascinating but I am. The house at UMass that is being moved was all jacked up yesterday morning and will be moved 2.2 miles to a new lot next week. I hope to catch some pics of the move but here it is all jacked up!

Changes Are Afoot

2007-05-22T23:25:00.000-04:00

Yes indeed, only a few weeks ago I heard that there will soon be a "round-about" installed on the North side of campus, where a traffic light now snarls traffic, especially every afternoon when people leave their offices. Behold, the evidence appeared this week as "they" began excavating around the large grey house, prepping it for a relocation. Haven't heard where the house is moving to but the big beams and jacks are underneath it as of today. I trudged around the dirt piles this evening to get some shots before all is changed beyond recognition. I think we'll have to do one of 1 hour "ambient" films, setting his camera up to catch some real time images of a round-about here in Amherst. I have yet to see people really know how to navigate them in this part of the US. Should be very interesting indeed.

My Sibs & Me

2007-05-19T21:46:00.000-04:00

Went to see my brother and sister-in-law, Hank and Lynn and their 3 kids and 4 grandkids, today. My sister Linda and her husband Jim and my mom were also there. It was really great to have the whole family together.... even more than usual since my brother had a heart attack and surgery 2 weeks ago. That was a real shock because he is the type of person who would be on one's "least likely to ever have a heart attack" list. He's recovering well, thankfully.

Happy Mothers' Day

2007-05-13T21:56:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day was a beautiful Spring Day here in Amherst and we had a wonderful time with the combined families - ours and that of son-in-law, Ben, here at Sweetside. It was our first time using the picnic table this season. The kids did a great cookout with Ben BBQ'ing trout that he caught this AM, as well as wild salmon, while Jess made potato salad and fresh Hadley aspargus. Desert was mini chocolate cakes (also by Jess) with strawberries and whipped cram. Yum, yum! Pictured here are Jess and Ben with our family and his. Just in case you don't know which is which - Ben's is the family of girls.

Yesterday I went to the Berkshires to see my mom, for an early Mothers' Day, and we went over to Pontoosic Lake and had lobster rolls at O'Reilly's. That was really yummy too! We also looked at all the old family photos I have scanned into my iBook. It was fun showing her what this little machine can do!

A's Floor is Going In!

2007-05-02T19:59:00.000-04:00

This is the week, at long last, that A's birch floor is going in. Aaron, Ben and Sam have been working on it. It is a few board away form being done, as I type this. YaHoo! Then A. will sand and poly it before moving himself in.

Shameful Military Discharges

2007-05-01T12:20:00.000-04:00

I'm mad.......

I don't have time to make a link right now but check out this article in The Nation (link below) about wounded soldiers being given a 5-13 discharge status:"Previous Personality Disorder." Why is this happening? Because if they get discharged in this way, they receive NO BENEFITS! So they are being sent home, seriously disabled with no help. Somehow, it was supposedly a "pre-exisiting" mental issue that got them wounded??? Yup, you got it. The story is about a Sergeant serving in Iraq, decorated 7 times and then hit by a rocket. After initial medical treatment he was discharged (and demoted!) under the 5-13 status. Now he is left high and dry. He did NOT have a previous psychiatric condition at all. I heard about this from a local colleague who has a woman client whose son had this happen to him too. It is not an isolated incident..... as the article explains.

SHAMEFUL !!

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070409/kors

Altered Books with Bernie Berlin

2007-04-23T08:44:00.000-04:00

Jess and I went out to Topsfield yesterday to take an all day class with Bernie Berlin on Altered books, painting and layering. It was lots of fun, an amazing time and a wonderful way to learn a lot about techniques and product use. I got a big start on my first altered book. More pictures to come. If you are wondering: YES, this is the same Bernie Berlin who runs the dog rescue and NO, I did not bring home another dog :-) Much to our beagle Chloe's dismay it is still 1 dog to 4 cats here at Sweetside (actually she loves her kitties, tho!)

Churnings...

2007-04-19T02:30:00.000-04:00

Not sleeping much tonight. Not sure why. Too much Coke & Koala (see next post) ? Anyway, the issue churning in my mind tonight is the concept of "Paucity of Spirit."

I feel I keep crashing into this paucity in various ways: with clients, students, peers, sometimes even in friends and family. The idea of being in community, in any real sense - large or even small, seems to be evaporating. The instinctive inclination towards real benevolence, to help, even at a cost to oneself, when one sees or hears of a need, seems to have lost a lot of ground, except perhaps in "institutionalized" and sterile ways; "Send $20 and feel better." Maybe that instinct to care for and help others got gobbled up by our twin "needs" for more "money" and for "leisure."

It seems odd that when I see or experience the opposite -- open handed generosity such as I experienced this past weekend from someone I barely know -- it catches me off-gaurd and pretty much overwhelms me. Then, the realization of my shock, saddens me. Why am I so surprised? It shouldn't be so unusual. But yet, it is...... at least in my world.

More often I feel like the rules of the game changed and no one told me. Worse still, I keep trying to play by the rules that I know and cherish and then I feel suckered. I've played my chips once again to benefit someone or other, only to find a turned back once their need is met. In my shock and hurt I may even think I hear others snicker at my naiveté. It's a maze I want to escape but as I look around, I fear it is bigger than my own small world. Perhaps it is endemic, or worse yet, epidemic.

The concept of mutuality is important. Mutuality is key. Who wants to play in a game of "Give & Give"? Which equals "Take & Take" and adds up to " loss." Who wants to "give 'til it hurts" and then share a request for help only to be met with silence? Or have your needs held against you or used later in a game of one-upsmanship? At times I have withdrawn into my own cocoon of self-sufficiency. It really stinks in there. Oh sure, I'm technically OK there. I can even be really good at it. But I am not happy or satisfied there. I want to scream, "This is so not me!"

But I am observant enough to know it is not just my experience, my small world where this is happening. Most of the time I have a big enough view to see beyond my personal experience of paucity. Then I think more broadly about people whose lives are almost exclusively lived in this way. People who are truly reliant on the generosity of others. This shift away from generosity and community care has got to be exponentially more damaging to them. I look to others for a sense of emotional and spiritual well-being. Others depend upon it for their survival. Yikes!!

Earlier in scanning the web for info for class prep I read this quote in some report somewhere:
"The blame also lies with the rich countries which, despite their rhetoric, refuse to look beyond their own short-term interest. Rich countries have the capacity to promote and champion the eradication of poverty across the globe. Their failure to do so reflects a paucity of spirit that offends the legacy of the founders of the United Nations."

The phrase "paucity of spirit" struck a chord in me. I felt my heart say, "I know this sickness! "

I don't know anything much about the founding of the UN but I do know about the foundations of my faith, where family and community and care for others (near and far) is central. If we can't get it right in small ways, day in and day out, how will we ever get it right on any larger scale? I've tried to live my life this way. Tried to model it for those in my world, tired to inspire it in others. Yet, I often feel like I'm slipping backwards in the climb. It's a feeling I keep fighting, but a battle I sometimes fear I may yet loose.

On a more hopeful and somewhat broader note: Can this tide of paucity be turned around? Call me naive; despite my above stated fears, I still have hope. I think that is why I am drawn to the work of Community Service Learning. I have a hope, a belief, maybe it is a dream, that deeply involving college students in community work might uproot this weed of paucity. Far fetched? I hope not. I must keep climbing - with or without the others. Something has to give.

From Mom to Kid Koala

2007-04-19T00:35:00.000-04:00

Today I went over to the Berkshires to visit my mom as she had cataract surgery this AM. It seems to have gone very well.

Afterwards, I met Baird & Jess in NoHo to hear Kid Koala. I only knew a little bit of his DJ work but man, I was amazed by the live performance. He is really incredible. The most effective piece for me, because I knew the music so well, was when he used 3 turntables and 3 separate copies of the 33 rpm album version of Moon River. He had different things going on with all three turntables could switch between them and use his mixer to vary them and mix between them. He could also use his amazing fast fingers to go from one album to another without missing a beat or a word of the lyrics. Hard to explain but trust me, it was astounding. He said he did it for his mom, "so she could better understand what he does. Now she thinks I am weird and that it is 'just a phase'." He was joking. I bet she thinks it is amazing, too. It was also cool that he was there with his wife, who was taking photos. This is their "honeymoon tour." She is a set designer and after this tour he said they are going to do a graphic novel and video (3D, poor man's claymation style) about a mosquito who goes to the city to be a clarinet player. He played some of his mosquito clarinet music for us :-) For real! You heard it hear!

Other trivia: Baird got his signature on a BeDe card. His real name is Eric. He was born in Vancouver but lives in Montreal. He was quite interested in B's Electronica student's rotary phone project.

We missed Shnitzle who was home sick... BooHoo!
Get better soon!

( pic above from- http://www.discorder.ca/oldsite/features/03octkidkoala.html)

Carnival - Out of Season

2007-04-01T15:00:00.000-04:00

Went to the "Out of Season" Carnival at UMass last night. Met some nice folks and heard some great drumming; missed the yummy food of previous yeras, tho. Really fun table decorations incuded two of these masks on dowels, stuck in styrofoam and covered with brightly colored tissue paper. Didn't have a camera to take a picture there but brought one of the hand painted masks home with me to show you all.

For pictures of & info on my Palm Sunday art piece at First Church go to my other blog: Terra Nova.

KitchenAid Comes Home

2007-03-25T21:40:00.000-04:00

At long last, the fridge moved into it's rightful place in the kitchen today. This built in fridge with the compressor on the top weighs a ton so, it was very hard work for the 2 guys we hired and in our small kitchen it was a very tight squeeze but, it is DONE!

Coastal Spring

2007-03-24T22:38:00.000-04:00

Just spent the past 30 hours winging our way around the North Shore and Boston/Cambridge. Beautiful early Spring!
Here are a couple of pics to wet your appetite. For more check Terra Nova.

Then and Now

2007-03-22T13:20:00.000-04:00

Here's a look at "Then" Summer 2006 to compare with the "Now" Below. Yes, it IS the same space.

Painting Down in A's World

2007-03-22T13:14:00.000-04:00

So we are back to painting down in A's space; this time ceilings and brick walls. Starting to shape up. Waiting now on delivery of some flooring material mostly. Doing odds and ends in the meantime. When the snow is gone A. will remove and renovate the old metal cabinets in the mini-kitchen. Here's a peak at the bedroom area and close ups of the brick and some of the craggy exposed granite.

Kitchen March '06 & March '07

2007-03-12T09:35:00.000-04:00

As of this morning, the kitchen project has been "signed off" on by the building inspector (the electrical inspector having signed off last Friday). Also,how fitting, since it was a year ago today that Baird and I saw the house and put in our offer! Imagine --- a whole year has flown by! Well, it looks quite different. Here's some Then & Now kitchen pics just for haha's.

New Video

2007-03-10T22:28:00.000-05:00

Check out Christine Sine's new worship and meditation video based on Isaiah 58. She says many of the pictures are hers, from the years she worked at refuge camps in Thailand. It is a brief but very moving piece.

$2 per Day Challenge

2007-03-06T14:54:00.000-05:00

Over at Mustard Seed Associates, again, there is something worth checking out. They have posted a $2 Mutunga Challenge, to eat on $2 per day per person for one week. There is a shopping list and sample recipes. Very thought provoking.

I'd like to try integrate some of these ideas, and the principles behind this, into life in some way - more than just a one week challege. Whether or not any of you, my blog readers, try the actual one week challenge or not, the idea is well worth seriously considering and even implementing in some way. We, as Americans that is, consume so much of the world's food supply and resources in general that it is rather nauseating. Even little steps of change on the individual level could make a huge difference when multiplied by tens of thousands. The power of the web, to get something like this moving in a bigger way is immense.

Lent at Mustard Seed

2007-02-23T09:38:00.000-05:00

Reading the blog of the folks over at Mustard Seed Associates has helped me to tune into the journey of this season -- a time that commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness before this journey began. As they shared: "In the early church this was a time of preparation for those about to be baptized. Today it is more often regarded as a season of soul searching and repentance for all Christians as a preparation for the joy and celebration of Easter. Unfortunately for many of us our soul searching is as perfunctory as our sacrifices. We spend a little more time reading the bible and in prayer."

This Nouwen quote from their blog really also struck me as important:
According to Henri Nouwen, “Discipline is the creation of boundaries that keep time and space open for God – a time and place where God’s gracious presence can be acknowledged and responded to.” This is the kind of discipline we all need in order to mature into the people God wants us to be.

The short videos they are posting by Christine Sine are also wonderful.

Check it out when you have a few minutes.

Presidents' Day Weekend: French Connection - Breach - Borneo - and Mom

2007-02-18T22:45:00.000-05:00

Friday eve we stayed warm at home with a fire and watched The French Connection. B hadn't seen it before and I had many years ago but remembered none of it. Great classic.
Then, Saturday, Breach: worth seeing...yes! Disturbing but not in an overwhelming sort of way. Utterly fascinating too. I really "enjoyed" seeing this flick with P, P & P.

and tonight.....
Expedition Borneo on Discovery Channel. Saw places no human has been known to traverse -- in modern times, anyway. Unbelievable footage of the rare, the previoulys unknown, the beautiful and the weird. Shocking, breathtaking and totally amazing. I have decided I want to spend one day (not a night - just a day - thank you very much) of my life as a gibbon, swinging thru the huge trees in this tropical rain-forest.

Exploring the amazing cathedral like caves...well.. I'll leave those for the dreams of the "Jet."
It's awesome to know that the work of this scientific / photographic team in documenting this rain-forest helped to result in the creation of the Heart of Borneo signed into being just last week (2/12/07)! One third of Borneo will now be preserved, as it well deserves to be.
Curious?? This 2 hour presentation will be repeated once more: Thursday night, 2/22 at 9PM on The Science Channel.

Today also included a visit to Mom and Connie over in the Berkshires. It was great to see them. Connie says he doesn't have as much get up and go as he did. Well, at 93, after all he's been thru in the past 2 years, and after pneumonia in the Fall, that's not surprising. We hope the Spring will provide him with some of his 'ole spunk.
Tomorrow: it's off to collect a few FreeCycle treasures and then B and I will walk up to the Amherst Cinema with Pete and Pam to see a new 35 mm print of the 1939 French film: The Rules of the Game (Renoir)

Then it's back to the "real world" on Tuesday.
Hope you've had a good weekend.

Jeremiah Wright's Speech at Amherst College

2007-02-14T22:26:00.000-05:00

The content of Wright's speech has been made available on the web if you are interested, check it out here.

Wright was Rad and Obama's Fired Up!

2007-02-12T00:46:00.000-05:00

Jeremiah Wright was at Amherst College Friday night... as was I (along with a bunch of others) and it was rad. Awesome guy. And..the very next AM he was back in Springfied, IL with Obama when he announced he is running. WooHoo!

Where Have I Been ?????

2007-02-08T15:40:00.000-05:00

Wondering where I have been? Well, painting in A's new space for one thing and doing art stuff for another. Also starting to teach my 2 classes for the semester, based on the book Persepolis, about Iran this time around. I have actually created a blog for my CSL class! It is a closed blog (open only to the class) so I can't post a link but I am very excited about it. It will be used by my class as well as the other CSL class so that is about 37 people. Could be really fun. Time will tell.

It is coooooold!

2007-01-26T22:26:00.000-05:00

Winter finally arrived in Amherst. It is freezing! I think the high today was 10 degrees. I was picking up lumber at Cowls and I almost got frostbitten fingers. Handling that frozen wood was brutal. Some employee with thick gloves came to my rescue. Aaron's new space is nearing completion. It's going to be really nice.

Went to see Catch & Release with Pete and Pam this eve (Baird was at a work meeting/dinner). Film was quite good. Did a decent job depicting how complicated life can be. The characters were very real, believable. Had some depth to it... some humor too... not trite at all. The scenery was great. Takes place in Boulder. Lots of beauty to behold there.

No new art today.. no time. Boo - Hoo.
I have posted a few new things recently over at http://terranovadesign.blogspot.com/
Tomorrow: Breakfast at Stables with Pam & Polly. Yahoo!

Not so fast Garcia!

2007-01-23T14:59:00.000-05:00

Not so fast Garcia!.... that's a line from an old Soules family joke...but used here to refer to the Feb. 4 Super Bowl Night. Guess I won't be free to boogie after all. Looks like Sweetside will be having a fete that evening even tho the Pats won't be on the screen. Oh well, people, food, fun... who cares whose playing :-)

Free Night Feb 4

2007-01-21T22:17:00.000-05:00

Sadness...for the Pats. The large 18 pt. lead was lost by the half and in the end, the game was lost by 4 pts.

Well, guess that leaves me free to boogie on Feb 4. Don't imagine I will be watching the Bears play the Colts.

The Pond is Filling Up

2007-01-21T16:04:00.000-05:00

The Democratic Party Pond is filling up. While I reveled in Barack's announcement last week, I fairly cringed with Hilary's this weekend. I have never bee n a Hilary fan and I fear that if both she and Barack seek the nomination they will be splitting votes and will make a clear choice much less likely. Could even open the door for some dark horse Dem and that in turn could leave the door open more widely for a Republican president in '08. But, what do I know? A political expert I am definitely not. Bottom line -- I just plain don't want to see her run; don't want to listen to her or to reports about her (or Bill) and don't want any distractions from Obama, a candidate that (so far as I can see to date) is one amazing guy. Someone the world MIGHT actually listen to! Well, we'll wait to see what Barack has to say "officially" on Feb 10. In the meantime, I'll follow the politics from my "arm chair" and keep surfing the real estate listings in Costa Rica, just incase :-)

In other areas:

Will the Patriots win tonight? I seldom watch football but the Pats are in the playoffs... so... like any good Massachusian, I tuned in last week, will tonight.. and we'll see about the Super Bowl.

As for the house, A. is closing in on the cellar project and Ben is installing cement board in our main bathroom so it can be tiled (floors and 43" high on the walls). I have been doing a lot of experimentation with art stuff but you'll have to click on the Terra Nova Design blog if you want to see pics of that part of my life.

New Blog: TND

2007-01-17T14:32:00.000-05:00

I have begun a new blog: Terra Nova Design where I will now funnel my art and design related posts: garden, house and art. Check it out when you have a few minutes.

Barack's "Announcement"

2007-01-16T13:55:00.000-05:00

This is an excerpt of a longer email I received today from Barack Obama. I subscribed to his email months ago b/c I wanted to follow his goings on. Here is what he announced to his email list regarding the upcoming campaign:

Years ago, as a community organizer in Chicago, I learned that meaningful change always begins at the grassroots, and that engaged citizens working together can accomplish extraordinary things.

So even in the midst of the enormous challenges we face today, I have great faith and hope about the future - because I believe in you.

And that's why I wanted to tell you first that I'll be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee. For the next several weeks, I am going to talk with people from around the country, listening and learning more about the challenges we face as a nation, the opportunities that lie before us, and the role that a presidential campaign might play in bringing our country together. And on February 10th, at the end of these decisions and in my home state of Illinois, I'll share my plans with my friends, neighbors and fellow Americans.

>> If you have not read his book, The Audacity of Hope, you night want to check it out.

A Webby Evening

2007-01-16T00:22:00.000-05:00

After 2 days of playing with collage techniques I spent this evening on the web reading artists' web pages and blog, viewing their amazing works and reading wonderfully detailed entries about techniques used. One artist, Karen, has re-inspired me to try altered books. Another woman, Bernie Berlin, runs a dog rescue and much of her art helps to support it. All very inspirational. I could spend many hours more but alas I must sleep. Tomorrow is a work day.

Soon I will scan some of the 4X6 cards I made this weekend and post them. For now, good-night!

Might Want to Check This Out

2007-01-14T10:54:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine recently blogged about this guy and an article he wrote in Catalyst called "Movies as Ministry."

Sounds worth checking out:
Brandon McCormick is a 22 year old filmmaker from Lawrenceville, Georgia. He creates short films weekly for Crossroads Community Church. Brandon has launched a production company called Whitestone Motion Pictures and is currently working on a short film for Sundance. He is also planning his first feature film.)

Listing on Etsy Now

2007-01-10T20:20:00.000-05:00

So, I am attempting a new art venture. Today I listed some of my magnets on Etsy
(an art sale site). We'll see what transpires.
Check it out if you so desire. You can even make my Etsy store one of your favs and draw some attention to it :-)

PaperMania

2007-01-07T15:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Baird and I went to Hartford to PaperMania, an exhibit / sale where hundreds of vendors and collectors converge to buy and sell antique paper goods -- old trading / business cards, stamps, ads, posters, pictures, books and more. It is a collectors' event but some of the vendors have castoff boxes ($1-3 or so) for items that have been too long in their inventory or that are not up to the collectors' standards and those booths are where we spent most of our time. I was able to find several old advertising cards, holiday cards a couple of pictures and some old postcards to add to my ephemera. Baird got a lot of old stamps, including some from Iran for me (the Dean's Book Course I am teaching this semester is on Iran). Many of the items I will scan and use the printed versions in my collage and magnet making. They may be castaways to collectors but I think they are awesome and cutting them up is too hard to do. One is on old Christmas card to Little Robert from Aunt Kate, dated 1883. The picture is a bouquet of summer flowers! Baird says 1883 was at the very beginning of the use of Christmas cards.

Twelfth Day of Christmas

2007-01-06T19:50:00.000-05:00

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas I got my new stereo speaker base for my Nano! On Dec. 25th Baird had one all wrapped up for me but we decided the sound was not quite what we hoped for. So, today, on the way home from PaperMania in Hartford (a separate post is needed for that) we stopped and got a JBL donut (that is what I call it) and man-o-man is the sound awesome! It is sooo tiny but it fills the kitchen, LR and DR without any effort at all. The teenie weenie remote is RF so it works in most of the house. WooHoo... my Nano (received last Christmas) is gonna get some mega use now...as will Baird's new iPod. Listening to Imogen as I type.

January 4, 2007

2007-01-04T22:29:00.000-05:00

A's space is coming along nicely.

Merci likes to sleep in the living room warmed by the fireplace... ooooo...... but those lights are just toooo bright!

Happy New Year 2007

2007-01-01T22:24:00.000-05:00

2006 has passed and 2007 is here. May it bring good things. We celebrated the Eve in NoHo at First Night from 2-10 PM, seeing Brooks play, as well as Japanese drummers, A2Z Yo Yo Team, our former NoHo neighbor Tom McCabe doing story telling, and more.... returning home to watch the final count down in Times Square with Dick Clark and all. We didn't see Jess and Ben and friends in the Times Square TV crowd but they were there somewhere! They sent cell phone pics to prove it :-)

Here are a few of Baird's pics from NoHo First Night, including the #3 in the World Yo Yo 'er, me with old friends the Finn's (owners of A2Z Science store), and Tom McCabe the story teller as well as fire works (& moon) over Main Street.

Christmas 2006

2006-12-27T00:07:00.000-05:00

A few shots of our Christmas this year.

Giving Thanks

2006-12-26T11:17:00.000-05:00

It is the day after Christmas. I am reminded again this morning about giving thanks. Oh yeah, giving thanks isn't just for Thanksgiving and before meals. A friend posted this G.K. Chesterton quote in her blog 2 weeks ago, but I happened to read it this AM. It hit me as timely as I realized once again, after yesterday, that there is juts so much to give thanks for.

You say grace before meals.
All right.
But I say grace before the play and the opera,
And grace before the concert and the pantomime,
And grace before I open a book,
And grace before sketching, painting,
Swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing;
And grace before I dip the pen in the ink.

G.K. Chesterton as cited in Frederick Buechner's Speak What We Feel (Not What We Ought To Say),

Merry Christmas to All!

2006-12-18T09:40:00.000-05:00

Here is our family Christmas photo, taken this Fall at Dunrobin Castle in Scotland, where we did not travel this year. Have a wonderful Christmas all! Click on image to enlarge.

Demonic Peacekeepers????????

2006-12-17T13:23:00.000-05:00

Sorry to disturb you readers again. I confess -- I've been perusing the pages of the Eternal Forces again (link in previous blog). I know it was bad of me -- I promise I will stop. Yes, I know, it is too vile, especially for this Blessed Season. Allow me one last observation, I promise this will be the last (at least for today?)... it is straight from the pages of Left Behind Games. These are the game's battle lines: The Tribulation Force verses the AntiChrist's Global Community Peacekeepers. Yup, you read that right..The Peacekeepers are the demonic AntiChrist's team. My heart is racing... my mind is spinning. Ok..I gotta check out here... before I go off the deep end....

Breath, Calm, Peace.....

Are These People Mentally Ill or What?

2006-12-14T12:51:00.000-05:00

I am really disturbed. Nelley just raised my awareness of a new video game for the season..a "Christian" game where the bad guys are the Anti-Christ and non-believers, who are targets of "conversion" by the good guys -- the "Christians." It is called "Eternal Forces" and is inspired by the wonderfully theologically sound (ha!) book series Left Behind through "Left Behind Games", which is owned by Tyndale House Publishing. This btw is considered a family friendly game by Focus on the Family's Plugged In which raised some concerns but they concluded:

........ Eternal Forces is the kind of game that Mom and Dad can actually play with Junior—and use to raise some interesting questions along the way. Production company Left Behind Games is pushing it as an evangelism tool for teens, and I can see that, too. You certainly don't have to be an eschatologically minded seminarian to appreciate it.

Seminarians???? I would say most seminarians would be (or should be) appalled!

And oh yeah.... the Antichrist is a Romanian named Nicolae Carpathia, secretary-general of the United Nations and a People magazine "Sexiest Man Alive." And GET THIS BIGOTRY...... those with Muslims names cannot be on the good side ??!!

"Players can choose to join the Antichrist's team, but of course they can never win on Carpathia's side. The enemy team includes fictional rock stars and folks with Muslim-sounding names, while the righteous include gospel singers, missionaries, healers and medics. Every character comes with a life story.

When asked about the Arab and Muslim-sounding names, Frichner said the game does not endorse prejudice. But "Muslims are not believers in Jesus Christ" -- and thus can't be on Christ's side in the game.
"That is so obvious," he said."

WHAT ????????????????

If my description hasn't been enough to freak you out, you can see the complete article by the SF Chronicle

or find a more "balanced" perspective in the lovely review by FOF's "Plugged In."

Or if you are really ready for high blood pressure you can go directly to the horse's mouth at Left Behind Games. While you are there, leave them some constructive feedback by clicking on their Contact Us link... I did.

... if that's not enough for you, then you can rush out and buy it at many Walmarts.... what a surprise.

Personally, I think the game designers likely qualify for a mental illness diagnosis. I think I'll go now and read my DSM IV to see which ones apply.

and oh....I almost forgot...... May the Peace of the season fill your hearts.

It's an Unusual Christmas at Sweetside

2006-12-10T14:28:00.000-05:00

Unusual I know, but true. The color theme at Sweetside this Christmas is... drum roll please........ orange. As some of you know (or have seen in pics) the Sweetside dining room is done in 2 shades of... well... yes... orange -- terra cotta and creamy pumpkin to be exact. While the tree is in the bay window in the living room, which is light green, the 2 rooms are open to each other, so my burgundy and pink theme of the past just didn't seem like it was going to jive. Then, while visiting a local Christmas shop this week with Pam, I saw a tree in done orange tones and knew I had hit upon an unusual solution. So, using some things from the past and adding some new, this year's tree is orange and light green with birds and butterflies, ribbons, silk flowers in colors ranging from parchment to amber/orange, glass balls in light green, white and orange and more. The top is a floral arrangement of silk poinsettas. Waa-La! Sweetside - a new house, a new style tree. Now it's official --- the Christmas season has arrived at Sweetside.

Bethlehem Star - Advent is Here

2006-12-06T12:42:00.000-05:00

Somehow it always springs upon me and catches me a bit off guard, the Advent season that is. I am usually recovering from Thanksgiving and beginning to think about Christmas and impending Winter when I realize that a few days of Advent have already passed me by. It also seems that each year I think, too late, that I wish I had done more to really enter into the season, to embrace the mystery of it, to experience the fullness and the peacefulness of it, in the midst of all the other, not so peaceful, aspects of the season. So, when friend of mine jotted down an Advent related URL for me, as we passed in Collective Copies, I decided to follow up on it. I have checked it out and hope to utilize the daily readings that have been so thoughtfully and creatively put together. I know others of you will enjoy it too. So, as you surf the web each day, I encourage you to take a few minutes each day to surf on over to the Bethlehem Star, click on the week, and as you read, may you enter into the experience of first century Bethlehem, hearing the very real challenges presented that first Advent and which remain very real to us still.

Jess's Furniture in Vermont Gallery!

2006-12-03T00:10:00.000-05:00

Today Baird and I went to Brattleboro to see something cool with our own eyes. Yes, we ate great food and went to cool shops but we went ot see Jess's art work in a gallery! As of yesterday, Dec 1, 2006 three pieces of Jess's recycled art furniture are now in an awesome gallery in the very artsy town of Brattleboro VT.

To get an idea of her work check out the web page, BandJGreene, that she designed for her and Ben's work. The little table pictured here is similar to 2 of the pieces in the gallery. The third piece there is a recycled, painted and decorated stereo speaker tuned into a cabinet.

The gallery is called Gallery in the Words. It has 3 floors of awesome work and was featured in the Boston Globe. Woohoo! Congrats to Jess!

Shnitzle

2006-11-28T19:20:00.000-05:00

Here is Shnitzle at semester's end (with a surrogate professor enactment).
Disclaimer: You must read Overspray to fully understand this post.

Some Good News in the World

2006-11-27T09:22:00.000-05:00

It is a bit hard on this Monday morning to find a bit of good news on the vast web news sources but having been to the famed Trevi Fountain in Rome and thrown the requisite coin over my left shoulder, I found this BBC piece interesting. In summary, coins thrown into Rome's Trevi Fountain by tourists are to be used to finance a free food project for the city's poor. The money collected, which amounts to $4,000 a day, will be used to provide basic food, through a special free super market, for the poor of Rome.

Mi Momma

2006-11-25T20:17:00.000-05:00

Mi Momma came today, as did my sister and brother, and sister-in-law. We, all eight of us, had lunch. That would be Mom, Linda, Hank, Lynn, Jess, Aaron, Baird and myself. Ben came later on. What did we eat? Home made clam chowder, zucchini pie, and Jess made apple crisp which we devoured with ice cream. mmmm......

Sweetside Thanksgiving 2006

2006-11-24T18:28:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful day. Warm house with fire (rain outside), delicious food prepared by many hands and many friends who joined the family. All combined to make it fabulous day.

Thanksgiving Prep

2006-11-22T19:31:00.000-05:00

Today:
We're getting ready for Thanksgiving Day 2006. Our first holiday celebration at Sweetside; we're expecting 12 for dinner. WooHoo!
I've been playing with flowers, cooking and baking - along with some cleaning, of course. Baird's finishing up the range hood. I finished the slate back splash yesterday. Check it out!

Happy Birthday Bairdissimo

2006-11-21T22:02:00.000-05:00

Today is Baird's day....

What A Weekend

2006-11-19T23:59:00.000-05:00

The past few days have seemed like a big weekend. Shelley & Dieter arrived Weds eve and stayed until Fri AM. Baird and I worked on house stuff Saturday and Sunday getting the dishwasher and disposal hooked back up (yipee!) and getting more tile work done on the stove back splash. It should be done for Thanksgiving. Then, Sunday eve Shelley, Dieter returned and joined Jess, Ben, Aaron, Baird and me to celebrate Baird's BD (2 days early). We grilled steaks and had other yummy food, topped off with a very special gingerbread cake called Aunt Lizzy's Dark Cake. Now the gang's gone and it is time to nestle into that warm bed.

The Winter Watch

2006-11-13T19:09:00.000-05:00

From The Farmers Almanac

November 2006
1st-3rd. Clearing, colder. 4th-7th. Unsettled. 8th-11th. Pleasant. 12th-15th. Major East Coast storm! Heavy showers, with a few thunderstorms. Gale-force winds Mid-Atlantic Coast. Snow possible New England. 16th-19th. Windy, cold. 20th-23rd. Unsettled, with some wet snow or rain. Bundle up and bring an umbrella if you’re attending the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. 24th-27th. Fair, then very unsettled, with squalls. 28th-30th. Clearing, colder.

December 2006
1st-3rd. Fair for New England. Showers for Mid-Atlantic States. 4th-7th. Turning colder. 8th-11th. Big storm moves to New England. North of the storm track, heavy snow, with 6 to 12" possible. South of the storm track, heavy rains. 12th-15th. Cold, with a few showers, flurries. 16th-19th. Unsettled in New England. Showers in Mid-Atlantic States, followed by clearing. 20th-23rd. Increasing clouds. 24th-27th. Stormy, then fair and colder. 28th-31st. Fair and cold, becoming milder.

Escape to Sanity?

2006-11-13T19:01:00.000-05:00

In response to Shnitzle's blog, Overspray and my comment there. Mmmmm.....

sniffling & snuffling

2006-11-13T17:52:00.000-05:00

that's me... thank goodness for a low key day.

Too Many Changes to Count

2006-11-10T17:40:00.000-05:00

WOW! So many changes in the state and country this week. Deval Patrick won! Lots of us are going to be counting on him!

The Dems took control of the House and the Senate, Rumsfeld resigned and Gates will take over.

Hard to imagine what things will be like on Capitol Hill come February 07. I do hope that somehow they will be able to work put a productive and sane solution to the quagmire in iraq and will deal with iran and No Korea in more promising ways in the yea rot come. It did bother me today tho to hear that El Qaeda released a tape gloating and boasting that Rumsfeld has been chased out of Iraq. Our democracy and the logic behind changes here, the voice of the "people" etc is hard to grasp for people who have never known a system where changes can happen thru things like votes, I guess. It juts bugs me that the working of our system seem to empower them in disturbing ways.

Then & Now

2006-11-06T16:01:00.000-05:00

I suppose once a few more things are wrapped up here at Sweetside I will have many house related posts of Then & Now... but today I am thinking about Merci the kitty. Back in late July I brought her home with me from Chattanooga. She had been abandoned at the home of Baird's sister and family, was living under their deck and being incessantly dive bombed by a mocking bird. She was was pretty helpless but was NOT to be taken in per order of their landlady. So, my niece Hannah and I got her into a tiny little kennel and she flew home with me :-)

She was absolutely adorable even as a lost kitty: very cuddly with huge green eyes outlined in yellow. I was sure one of a few of my cat loving friends would want her but for a variety of reasons none could take her, so she is (of course) now a part of our family. Back then I posted a picture of her on her first day here. Thought I would post a few now, 3 months later. She and the other cats (as well as out beagle) all get along well. As you can see, she has about doubled in size. She was pretty well starving when she arrived here. Though used to scavenging, she adjusted very well to "Dave's All natural cat food, it's simply the best." Yes, she eats well. She actually looks like she is the offspring of Arthur and Surely (our Maine Coons). She has the big, big Maine Coon ears with the long hairs sticking out of them, long whiskers, outlined eyes and the people oriented chatty personality. She looks a lot like Surely, as you'll see in the pictures, but has a bit more of Arthur's gray, than Surely's red and Art's green eyes (Surely's are golden).
Here are a variety of shots of them:

Merci and Surely. Isn't it amazing how much they look alike?

Arthur's cute face :-)

Baby Merci, July 2006

and now, Merci stretched across the same chair, November 2006

Roof, Cats and Old Friends

2006-11-04T22:54:00.000-05:00

That about sums up today. It started with Ben and Brett working some more on the roof while Baird and I loaded refuse from a few different house projects into his van for 3 dump runs.

Later, as the sun poured through the living-room bay window, the cats sunbathed and had a friendly sibling spat over who was going to get the biggest sunny spot. King Arthur won, over the young upstart, Merci while Surely looked on, too cool for such silliness.

Mid-afternoon, Baird and I headed over to Stephentown, NY to visit my childhood friend Nancy and her husband Tim at their get-away cabin in the woods. Back home at 10:30...ahhhh...what a good day it was. Now for a warm bed........

Arrival of the Hood

2006-11-01T21:34:00.000-05:00

It's here and is in process of being installed -- our Sirius professional stainless steel range hood, as required by the inspector for our awesome Craig's List deal professional grade 5 burner Miele gas range. That's one "interesting" thing about some of the great deals on Craig's List... something like the required hood costs 2X the item you originally got the deal on. Oh well... I love it... it's superbly awesome.

Anyway, Ben and Brett have been working on installing it and will complete their part of the install tomorrow. Once they are done I will install slate on the cement board/walls, under and around hood like the rest of the back splash and counters. Yipee!!
Only the built-in refrigerator installation is left to go on the kitchen project.

October 31 Revelation

2006-10-31T21:45:00.000-05:00

The revelation of the evening is that no kids trick-or-treat on Lessey Street. I find that sad.....

Deval Was at UMass Today

2006-10-31T20:59:00.000-05:00

Deval Patrick is about to become our new governor. The election is one week away but I am calling the race today :-) I am not out on a limb in this declaration; he has not been considered the underdog, ever since he swept the state in the primary, shocking almost everyone. However, it is very unusual for Mass to have a Democrat as governor. We tend to have a Republican Governor and a Democratic controlled House and nothing much gets done. So, this will be a big victory in that sense.

I was able to go hear Deval today. I think he represents the hope we all need and the determination we need to make some major headway in this state. Many other state officials were there and many students or course. It was great to see so many interested and responsive students. That alone makes me hopeful.

Deval came to Massachusetts from inner city Chicago as part of the ABC (A Better Chance) program. The Amherst ABC kids were there today...sitting on the stage with the officials!

One part of Deval's web page says:

I can still remember when I first came to Massachusetts. I wasn’t a lawyer then. I wasn’t a business leader or a senior government official. I wasn’t a father or a husband and goodness knows I wasn’t a candidate for governor. I was a 14-year-old boy, starting a new life that was as different from anything I'd experienced in Chicago as I could possibly imagine. And I was scared.

But my grandmother had a saying that fortified me: “Hope for the best – and work for it.”

Hope for the best – and work for it.

That’s what I did. I hoped for the best – I learned how not to accept what is right in front of me, what someone else said were my limits. I learned how to imagine a better life and a better way. And I worked for it.

I learned to listen to common sense and wisdom, to be true to my core values, and to ignore those who called me naïve or told me to accept something less.Standing on the brink of an uncertain future, with all the challenges our state faces today, I hope for the best and am prepared to work for it.

And that is why I am running and why I'm asking you to help me become your next governor. I want you to see what’s possible in Massachusetts – and to help me work for it.

Nacho Libre and All

2006-10-29T16:42:00.000-05:00

Last night was the opening night at the Sweetside Viewing Room (aka our place). Nacho Libre (just released on DVD) was the feature flick, accompanied by nahcos of course. Having not seen it before, I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Even those who has seen it enjoyed it, as well as the DVD version extras, out-takes and all.

Fall at Sweetside

2006-10-24T21:44:00.000-04:00

Amherst College dorm and property, atop the knoll, across the street from our house, shown at sunset. Not a bad view, eh? And our Sweetside Garden (my south side, main garden) here seen as it stands, 5 months since inception and mostly put to bed for Winter. More progress, such as steps and water feature, to be made come Spring '07.

Hot Ticket: Obama & Lamott

2006-10-23T16:23:00.000-04:00

Now wouldn't that be quite the Democratic ticket?? Ha Ha Ha Ha!

Just finished reading Anne Lamott's: Plan B. Great read: refreshing and challenging and funny...OMG sooo funny. I am also more than half way thru Obama's new book; The Audacity of Hope. The first half is a framework, his explanation of government, what he sees, etc. Interesting and necessary to really understanding where and why he says what he does in the rest of the book. I am now into the second half where he talks more about his actual ideas. It is interesting to have so much of an inside glimpse into the mind and thinking of a potential presidential candidate. Memoirs afterwards are common, but a person laying their cards on the table before even announcing a run, now that is refreshing. I think in part this book is his fleece. How it is received by, the Party and by the America public may very well influence his decision. It will be interesting to watch this unfold.

A couple of enticing glimpses for you:
Obama in his chapter called "Values" is talking about authenticity and empathy. Regarding empathy he says:
That is what empathy does. It calls us all to task... the oppressed and the oppressor, the conservative and the liberal. No one is exempt from the call to find common ground. Of course , in the end, mutual understanding isn't enough. After all, talk is cheap; like any value, empathy must be acted upon. (p.68)

and,
from Lamott:

In the chapter "Loving Your President" she wrestles with the idea of loving one's enemies as related to Bush, whose policies deeply disturb her, leading her to obsess about the war and the condition of the world. She writes: But Jesus kept harping on forgiveness and loving one's enemies, so I decided to try. Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess about everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breath at all or to pay attention, stomp away to brood when people annoy us, and then eat a big bag of Hershey's Kisses in bed? (p224)
later she writes.....
When you give up on hope, when it is not pinned wriggling onto a shiny image or expectation, it may float forth and open like those fluted Japanese blossoms, flimsy and spastic, bright and warm. This almost always seems to happen in community with family, related by blood, or chosen; at church, for me; at peace marches. (p238)

October 21, 2006 in Pictures

2006-10-22T15:33:00.000-04:00

Another busy weekend with some fun tossed in.

Barack's Got a New Book

2006-10-19T21:25:00.000-04:00

Shortly after the Democratic Convention 2years, ago I went out and bought Barack's first book. which is sort of an auto-biography. I couldn't believe his keynote address at the convention. "Who IS this guy?" I found myself asking along with thousands of other people. Now he is a possible presidential candidate and has a new book: The Audacity Of Hope. I love the title and I bet I'm gonna love the book too. I am listening to him now on Larry King Live. He said he got the title (and underlying thrust) of the book from a sermon delivered by his pastor, Jeremiah Wright Jr. 18 years ago. Rev Wright has been the pastor of Trinity UCC in Chicago for over 30 years and the church's motto since the 70's, is "Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian."

I am hoping and yes, praying too, that he runs for President (he is being heavily recruited but has not announced yet) and that he wins. One never knows exactly what will happen with any particular person once they are elected but from my lowly seat in this land, I think he is our last (best) hope ~ Barak : US as Obe Wan Kenobi : The Empire :-)

Live from North Korea

2006-10-18T22:50:00.000-04:00

Some of you know that the book we are teaching from in the Dean's Book Course this Fall is about North Korea. Well, in an all too timely way, things have definitely heated up in relation to North Korea and it is providing and unusually large volume of info and topics for presentations and discussion. Kim Jung Il, donning nuclear sunglasses, is even on the cover of Newsweek this week. This means I have been spending huge amounts of time reading updates and watching news so that I have half a clue about what is going on day to day.

One amazing thing is that this week, Diane Sawyer (ABC News) has been allowed into this isolated, closed country to report from there. So far she has posted two videos (and transcripts). They are available on line here. Take a look!

It is very unusual to get such an inside view -- even tho all her interactions are monitored and her government "translator" goes with her everywhere. Still, it is a pretty amazing peek.

So Much for "W" & the Religious Right??

2006-10-15T22:33:00.000-04:00

Heard this former senior presidential aide in the Bush administration was on 60 Minutes tonight talking about his new book. Sorry I missed it. Could it be that the blanket on their "king" sized bed the bed is unraveling???

Big Week

2006-10-15T17:13:00.000-04:00

It's been a busy week here at Sweetside. Significant progress is being made on Aaron's space and the tool room in our basement. Aaron, with the help of Ben, Julian, Steve & Sam has made some good headway.

With some help from Baird I have begun to get our tool room set up. We rebuilt the work table and work bench (both of which had been dismantled in Shutesbury and brought here). I also painted the floor bright yellow, just like it was in Shutesbury.

This past week we also cut down a dead tree of some sort in the Sweetside garden and I planted several shrubs. Gotta love the end of the season close out time at the local nurseries, like the Hadley Garden Center.

Then, Friday was Jess's 22 BD; they came here for desert after having dinner in NoHo.

Today we put away yard decorations and such and then I planted some daffodils. Afterwards Baird and I were installing storm windows when the huge red tail hawk paid us another visit. This time he (she?) flew across our driveway onto the lowest branch of a large maple tree, only a few feet from our front window where Baird was working.

I was on the inside of our window installation job, so I grabbed my camera and joined him outside. The hawk flitted between our 3 large trees out front, stalking 2 squirrels. See it hiding in the leaves on the left side of the tree in the picture? It just patiently hopped from branch to branch until one of the squirrels finally made a run for it. The hawk then swooped down and snagged it. It sat perched on top of it until it was sure it was dead and then flew off carrying it in it's talons, into the wooded area across the street. This whole time both of us were right there, only about 20' away, and I was snapping pictures. It kept looking at me, somewhat curiously, perhaps a bit menacingly, but it was not going to let me deter it from having it's mid afternoon meal.

I never let my cats outside but after this, I certainly never will!

My sista got married....

2006-10-09T22:41:00.000-04:00

Saturday was a wonderful day. The weather was just beautiful (this is true) but even more wonderful is the fact that my sister Linda and Jim Johnston were married in Weathersfield, Ct. I'm so happy for them! I was the matron-of-honor. A special privilege. The flower girls were Alison (Linda's grand-daughter; age 4) and Alexia (Jim's grand-daughter, age 2). Aren't they adorable?

North Korea Over The Brink

2006-10-08T23:30:00.000-04:00

News just released:
Looks like North Korean has gone over the brink. The official North Korean News agency has announced that North Korea has successfully tested a nuclear weapon. It has not yet been verified but the South Korean government is in an emergency meeting but has said that they did detect a 3.8 on the Richter scale this AM (it is Monday AM there). North Korea says this is for regime survival (defense) because they feel under siege by the Bush administration. Are we surprised?

Jess's School

2006-10-06T22:40:00.000-04:00

Baird and I went to Jess's school today. We went to their walk-a-thon, met several of her colleagues and visited her classroom "after hours." It looks fantastic!!

Two Outta Three Ain't Half Bad

2006-10-04T15:00:00.000-04:00

No fires set, I don't think, but..... two out of my three DBC classes seemed fairly appalled by the info on the new Military Commissions Act that our Congress passed last Friday. The first class had a fairly subdued, somewhat mixed reaction. A couple of comments from students who seemed to think the whole think is not so bad included, "The war on terror is unique and requires special tactics." and "I think our government should torture prisoners for information but I don't think we should make it legal." I grab the sides of my desk and try to be composed.... OK.... moving right along... what do others think???

It was clear that none of them have much of a clue about what is going on in the world or in our country. They have some very broad strokes as best. Got me to thinking that the Honors College should require a one credit current events class each semester. If our Honors students are entirely out of touch, how much hope is there for our country and be default for the world?

It's Got Me Thinking....

2006-10-03T21:35:00.000-04:00

Nelly turned me on to this Balkinization blog
Which in turn set me onto this book:
The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How to Get It Back
and has me itching to read the article When Not Seeing is Believing based on a chapter of the book, in the current addition of Time

One quote from the blog, about the book, that has me thinking is:

Sullivan offers a compelling case for the proposition that the dichotomy between secularism and fundamentalism is radically false. And he bases this case in principles of conservatism – citing Montaigne, Burke and Oakeshott in the process. The claim to full and absolute knowledge implicit in all forms of fundamentalism rests on arrogant assumptions about the capacity of man to know and to understand God. In a sense it forgets the essential role of humility in religious experience.

In turn, this reminded me of Andrew Dole's talk at the DSC last year regarding faith being more consistent with hope than belief (sorry for the ridiculous condensation of Dr. Dole's great talk but that was the nutshell I stored in my mental index).

Ah, the air smells good when the brain is fired up....

Fire Setting in My Dean's Book Classes

2006-10-02T22:28:00.000-04:00

In the DBC this Fall we are reading the memoir of a young man who was in a prison camp on North Korea for 10 years (ages 9-19) because his grandfather was deemed to have been against the government. It has been a bit difficult to get any greta discussions going because the students all agree the camp was horrible and that No Korea having such camps is appalling etc. Also, They have little knowledge of Korean history or much other "gap" history (post WWII for example) that it is difficult to have enough context to have a conversation of any depth.

So, I have decided. This week I am bringing in a couple of articles about Congress's recently passed Military Commission Act. This sanctions on torture of anyone deemed an enemy combatant (even US citizens on US soil can be so deemed) is has some disturbing parallels to the "atrocities" being committed in North Korea. So, when it is OUR government and OUR way of life that feels threatened to human rights and dignities go out the window?? Hmmmmm.. Let's see if this fires them up.

Three classes this week, 1 Tuesday and 2 on Weds. I'll let you know if I get egged.

The articles I am bringing in are:
Amnesty International's Response

and an article from the LA Times (that is suppose do be available on-line just for members but for some reason the link worked the first time I tired it :-)

Thx Nelly for the great leads!!

Laura and Jeremy Got Married :-)

2006-10-02T12:58:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday a bunch of us went to Laura DiMatteo and Jeremy Kaplan's wedding over in Sturbridge. Really great to witness it all. Fun time! Next Saturday my sister, Linda is getting married to Jim Johnston! Their wedding is in another historic town and historic church, in Weathersfield, CT

All The Kings Men, Power, Politics & Such

2006-09-29T22:40:00.000-04:00

Went to see All the Kings Men tonight. Never had read the award winning novel or seen the 1949 film. Very interesting, intriguing & also disturbing. Stark starts out as such a great guy - a man for the people - a populist running for governor of Louisiana and by the end he's a self serving cheater with too many enemies to survive.

I came home thinking how much it fit in with Shnitzle's blog (Overspray) yesterday about power and corruption and deceit and such. Regarding an incident he witnessed, he wrote, "lesson learned, don't be a kook. amazing how many people, especially people in power today are like that asshole, self absorbed, self serving, lying, idiots. and that line isn't too far from the rest of us: so let us live differently, flee temptation and live honorably. death to kooks.

I'll toast to that!

Testosterone Overload = Brain Dead

2006-09-27T21:36:00.000-04:00

While a little of the male hormone is good, too much of it causes cells to self-destruct in a process similar to that seen in brain illnesses such as Alzheimer's.

hmmmmmm........

read about it here:
Testosterone Kills Brain Cells

She Jus 'taint Herself

2006-09-27T17:23:00.000-04:00

This is what a sick kitty looks like, for those of you who couldn't quite picture it. She doesn't look happy does she? She did eat a little this AM and does not seem as sick as yesterday but she is certainly not herself still.

Just now I managed to get one pill down her throat. Aaron held her haunches and I pried her mouth open and shoved the little pill down. Yikes! Ya gotta be quick, before she catches on to what you are up to. This AM Baird and I tried it and she flipped out, jumped out of my arms, tearing a hole in my shirt! I think maybe she was still freaked out by going to the vet and getting re-hydrated, receiving a few shots yesterday. I've done dog and even goat meds before but neither of them have claws!

So, that is the update on Surely the Maine Coon cat.

Surely's Sick

2006-09-26T17:38:00.000-04:00

Yup, it is true. For some unknown reason she has not been eating and has a 105 temp. She got hydrated at the vet today and is on antibiotics now. Hopefully she will turn the corner soon. Sad, sad, sad.

Clinton Lashes Wallace on Fox

2006-09-24T20:19:00.000-04:00

Saw this hot little item on CNN this evening:

Clinton, was being interviewed by Fox News, supposedly about Clinton's initiative on climate change, when he became quite aggravated over being asked by Chris Wallace why he did not do more to get Osama...

Clinton became pretty testy... in part he said:

"I got closer to killing him than anybody has gotten since. And if I were still president, we'd have more than 20,000 troops there trying to kill him," Clinton said, referring to Afghanistan.

"So you did Fox's bidding on this show. You did your nice little conservative hit job on me," he said to Wallace, occasionally tapping on Wallace's notes for emphasis. "I want to know how many people in the Bush administration you asked this question of?

"And you've got that little smirk on your face and you think you're so clever. But I had responsibility for trying to protect this country. I tried and I failed to get bin Laden. I regret it," Clinton said.

More on CNN:
Clinton on Bin Laden

Man on a Crapper of a Mission

2006-09-20T19:22:00.000-04:00

He's a man on a mission... a mission to install a "crapper" in his new space. I came home this evening to a jack hammer operation. Hey, it is progress! Gotta love it :-0

Now There are Four

2006-09-20T15:28:00.000-04:00

Articles 3 and 4 were published today. One more is coming. Click on the orange AC box, on the upper right hand side of this page, to go to my AC home page. Please pass the word.

Beyond that:

1. Aaron is working on his space here at the house and still crashing in Baird's "studio." His piles dominate the living room for now :-) Lovely. Hopefully he will be able to settle into his new space soon. He's working full time at Antonio's, doing web page development for UMass and taking only one course this Fall: Portuguese.

2. The hillbilly's trash piles (see previous entry) for the dump are still in the driveway. Another dump run is scheduled for Thursday AM.

3. The first Dead Sea Cafe of the 2006-2007 academic year is this Saturday at the Ark.

4. Jess is busy teaching in West Springfield, putting in 12+ hour days. Here is the link to her classroom page, if you want to see what she is up to:
GreeneClassroom.com

5. Ben is back at his grad classes and TA' ing a grad course and doing carpentry besides.

4. I have begun teaching my 3 sections of Dean's Book Course. We are done with week 2 now. It is going well. This week I have 45 papers to grade. Yahoo!

Second Article Now Published!

2006-09-19T21:05:00.000-04:00

My second article is now on Associated Content. Below is the direct link to the article:

Depression and What You Think

Other articles will be up soon; two are gardening related, one on worm farms and another about rain barrels and then also one about trust and relationships. You can get to my AC home page which shows all my published articles, by clicking on the orange AC box in the upper right hand corner of this page.

You Can Be Published Too!

2006-09-18T21:36:00.000-04:00

If you like to write and want to see somethings of your published on the web, try out Associated Content. If you use this invite link, I will get credit for referring you. They only pay $3-$40 per article, depending on the traffic and ads your article generates but it is a low stakes way to try getting some of your writing out there.
AC Referal=2030

I've Been Published!

2006-09-18T19:41:00.000-04:00

I have begun submitting articles to Associated Content and my first article was published today. Whoohoo! At least three more are coming. This one is a short piece about home schooling but the others coming are on a variety of things from worm farming to depression.

Check out my first one at:
10 Reasons to Homeschool Your Kids

My payment for future articles depends on how much traffic my articles draw, so please read and then pass the word! :-)

Hillbillies Arrive in Town

2006-09-17T19:23:00.000-04:00

Today was the day that the last of the Shute-ho hillbilly's possessions arrived in Amherst Center. Pictured here is mister hillbilly himself with the final load of his landfill loot. Pictured below is me - Cabs, mister hillbilly's wife, hauling pea stone and making paths in my Sweetside Garden. Many dump runs will now flow from Sweetside to the landfill but every last drop is out of Shute-ho now.

El Closing Anticlamactica

2006-09-14T23:46:00.000-04:00

It is done. The closing on the Shutesbury house happened today. Our lawyer signed it away for us. We signed stuff on Monday. I had always thought the day would be a celebration but it wasn't. Nada. It all just feels quite anticlimactic. I am grateful and relieved that it is sold.... but... hmmm.... I don't know.... it just sort of feels..... very blah. Post-partum depression I guess. Better days ahead... one hopes.

Cats at Rest ~ Men at Work

2006-09-10T20:54:00.000-04:00

The weekend flew by.

Just wrapped up a 2 day Tag Sale at Lessey Street and then made one trip, getting yet one more van load of stuff from the garden shed in Shutesbury. The Tag Sale bought in a few bucks, got rid of a bunch of stuff, saved us some dump runs and we met several college students living around us and other neighbors in the process. The trip to Shutesbury was fruitful in that we were able to meet and talk to the buyers (they have already moved in).

Pics here from today: Arthur and Surely get snugly (I actually even saw him grooming her.... a first as far as I am aware) and Aaron and Ben poured concrete outside Aaron's (back) door to prevent water seepage ender the threshold. Tomorrow AM Baird and I sign some papers at our Att'y office. The closing is still set for Thursday.

Closing Moved Up

2006-09-08T23:07:00.000-04:00

So we got a call today that the Shutesbury closing has been moved up to next Thursday, Sept 14. Guess the bank has all the paper work ready early. That is super. We still need to get the wood stove out of the house and a few things that are outside in the sheds but the task is almost done.

I am having trouble posting my Amazon aStore link in the sidebar (still trying to figure out why it doesn't seem to work like the other links did) but here is the URL:
http://astore.amazon.com/terranovaamhe-20/
Check it out.

Tag Sale tomorrow. I am very disorganized about it but hopefully it will come off OK. Baird and I spent over 2 hours pulling stuff out of storage and bring it home to the driveway. Still have stuff to pull out of the cellar and then to set it all up. Whoa!

New Link - New Venue

2006-09-07T14:39:00.000-04:00

Been wanting a reason to write more and a place to publish. So I have joined and submitted a couple of articles to Associated Content for publication. It takes a couple of days to get articles approved and published so nothing is listed on my Home Page yet. Hopefully soon. I've added the link on the right sidebar so you can check it when the spirit so moves.

And.... I joined Amazon as an Associate so from the my articles and web page, I now will be able refer people to books and even get a little commission out of it.

Also am beginning to plan for a web page for my counseling practice and more......TerraNovaAmherst.com. Stay tuned. The web piece requires help from one of my family web gurus, all of whom are swamped with other projects at this moment... so it is on hold for a bit.