God Morning, God!

What a Wonderfull World You have made! Thank You! Yesterday we drove through the Green Mountains of Vermont on our way to Hanover, New Hampshire. So many trees! Each one wearing the radiant green of fresh Spring Leaves — every leaf delighting in the Sunlight!

This tree was beside a river rushing through Brattleboro, Vermont — right next to the Brattleboro Food Co-op where we stopped to buy and eat lunch. Earlier, we had stopped in Bennington where I bought for Kit a new trombone stand — partially to atone for having deprived him of his “Victory Lap” drive around New England after being second in his age group in the Boston Marathon this April. Usually, God, Kit makes all the travel plans. But, on that ocassion I preempted him and we went to visit Sandy, Dave and the boys.

It was Suzy who explained to me that after his win he needed to take a Victory Lap! It was So Clear, God, after it was pointed out to me! I am so fortunate to have her “explain” her Dad to me! Hmm. She was a Communication Assistant!

Good Heavens, God! We ALL need help from “Communication Assistants” —
People to provide a “here is what you heard him say — but here is what he meant” kind of help. People to explain to men that a dozen roses given — one rose at a time — are “worth” far more than a dozen roses given once. Maybe even people to ask, “Did you really intend for your tone of voice to be so unkind when you said that?”

Ah, my. I fear, God, that most “Communication Assistants” would be fired after the first few “assists!” Still, I like the Idea. . . . Did You just say that You would be happy to help Me that way? . . . Yes, I’m afraid You Did!

Humph. OK! OK! It is Time – Time to get up and get ready for Kit’s plans for the day.

Good Morning, God!

There are so many images flowing through my mind! The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute was FULL of arresting images. We live In an age when images flow around us at an ever increasing pace, God. So it was relaxing to have the images stand still — and slowly move myself around them.

Once again, God, it was a walk through Time as well as Space. There were paintings from the 1300’s. Afterwards, at dinner, Kit and I talked about the changes we’ve lived through. I shared my thrill of seeing a $400 “hand-held” calculator — and actually holding it! Then buying my first Mac II in 1988 and now writing on my iPad 2. There have been a lot of changes, God!

Perhaps that’s why I was so surprised by this 1875 painting by Winslow Homer. Because, God, as I stood there looking at The Two Guides and saw the Heart embroidered on the young guide’s shirt, I thought, This Shirt could have been bought yesterday!

That sense of THINGS NOT CHANGING made me happy, God! We humans have not changed much — maybe not at all? Our technology has changed! But our Basic Design has not changed. We are Social Beings. We NEED one another. We need meaningful activities and relationships.

Ah, God, we need a healthy economy, too! Being here in western Massachusetts — where the textile mills used to be — is a reminder that hard economic changes are happening as a result of technological changes. It is a Ripple Effect that I try NOT to see.

We humans could use some help, God, in dealing with Change in a way that is both Personally and Socially Responsible! Please, help me take this to Heart!

Good Morning,God!

Yesterday was full of sights which were lovely — the sunset especially so. But, this photo of flowers hanging outside a nursery, is my favorite. We were driving around in Williamstown looking for a motel — had made a wrong turn — and were just in front of these flowers long enough to turn arond. But, that was long enough for me to SEE and Photograph them.

When I showed the photo to Kit — for him to admire — he wondered how I had picked the flowers out of all the junk out in front. Junk? I hadn’t seen any junk.
But, now that I go back and look, I can sort of see what he means.

My seeing JUST the flowers is a lovely illustration of seeing what we want to see. I like to think of that as a positive skill! But, now that I think about it, I can see that sometimes it causes me to miss stuff I need to see.

Hmm. Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats comes to mind. De Bono used the mental image of putting on Different Colored Hats to represent different ways of looking at something — such as a problem to be solved. I think, God, that much as I enjoy focusing on Beauty and The Positive — I need to remember that there often is “junk” in the foreground for me to both See and to Cleanup!

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday Kit and I and our dear friends Nick and Pam — who are in the East visiting their son and family — walked across this former railroad bridge. Judging from the Informational Signs, it was renovated in 2009 — after serving for over 100 years as a railroad bridge.

So, in a sense, God, it was a walk Back in Time, as well as a mile walk across a Major American River. The Indians called it “The River That Flows Both Ways,” referring to the tidal flow up from the Atlantic. If I remember right, it takes the tidal flow 4.5 hours to reach the bridge here at Poughkeepsie.

Then in 1609 Henry Hudson sailed up the River — and it was a key part of our transportation system from then on. Hmm. From then until now. Actually, God, I woke up this morning thinking — this renovated bridge was probably a stimulus program to bring tourists to the area, an area that badly needs the economic help.

How Times have changed, God! And they are changing even more rapidly! Sigh. The Economic Path seems to have moved on a Westward Path. Europe to our East Coast to Chicago to California and now to China and India.

Couple this with an email this morning about the closing of many of our Public Libraries. I feel unhappily uncertain whether We Americans have the Will or the Wisdom to take Positive Action. Please, God, bless all our leaders, large and official, and small like the rest of us.

Good Morning God!

I am having technical difficulties — I have reached my storage quota with Picasa and although I Have just raised my limit — for $ 5.00 a year — they say it takes 24 hours for it to go into effect. I feel a bit like this bird! Harnessed!

Mind You, God, here I am blogging in bed with my iPad — and, if I wished — I could get my laptop and blog the old AT HOME way and not need Picasa. Actually, now that I stop to think about it — I could do that on my iPad! It is just that I would have to stop and think — about HOW to do it.

What I am using now, Blogsy, was a fun kind of “work-around” I needed BEFORE I learned from WordPress how to do it on my blog. And, it was easier to keep the work-around. So easy that I forgot I could be doing it with fewer limitations. Ah, yes, the “work-around” became an Assumption Harness! I LOVE THAT PHRASE, GOD! I shall go shower and ponder how many unseen or forgotten Assumption Harnesses I have — keeping me from “flying.” It is so Lowering to consider how I limit myself!

Back from my shower, God! And, thanks, I guess, for showing me how much I am inclined to blame Others for my problems and situations. I can ASK for what I want! When I FEEL that it is PERMISSIBLE to ask — then I can ask pleasantly — and not have it spew forth at a scalding temperature.

Dang! I can see how Kit will “limit” himself by saying — “I’m like my Dad.” But, it is much harder for me to see how I LIMIT MYSELF. Did You just say, God, that I could start by listing all the people and organizations I BLAME for something or other?

Aargh! How humbling! How Totally PAINFUL — but, useful. Now, please, God, help me be strong enough to DO IT!

Good Morning, God!

Free Range Chickens — being raised for their eggs — right here at Matthew and Jen’s home! It is exciting, God, for me to see real chickens! I understand about chickens and foxes — the memory of seeing a fox carrying off a free range hen that was bigger than he was — is still in my memory. So, I wasn’t too surprised that they have a dog to guard the hens from foxes. But hawks? I hadn’t thought about hawks! Hawks love hens as much as foxes do.

Matthew explained to us that because they have this small pond on their property, they don’t have to worry about hawks. Why? Because red-wing blackbirds love the pond and live there — and red-wing blackbirds will MOB hawks and other birds of prey. MOBBING a HAWK? I found that I could picture it, God, and even understand how the blackbirds would band together to protect their nestlings and themselves.

Still, the idea of red-wing blackbirds acting as guards for the free range hens delighted me! Talk about complex ecosystems! Wonderful!

It makes me marvel, God, at at how effective Your Natural System is! Especially, God, when I compare it to our culture’s prevailing WAR MODEL! Blackbirds on patrol vs attempting to KILL ALL HAWKS! Ah, God, I am shaking my head. Will we ever shift from Our WAR Model to Your More Complex “GARDENING” model? Sigh.

Good Morning, God!

Yesterday was one of those FULL days that I may never digest properly. There are just too many images and feelings and thoughts. The morning was filled with two more Forums — one on the “future” of print media and another on 9/11 ten years later. That was where I finally realized that we failed to see it coming — not just because of a “Failure of Imagination” but because before we could imagine, we had to UNLEARN.

Unlearning is close to impossible unless you go and get help from someone OUTSIDE your culture/mindset. Now, that requires humility, God! And, I am thinking of America — but, of course, I ought to be applying that to my own life. Hmmm.

Five years ago I marched with Kit in the P-rade and experienced it in a very special way. Joan had blown up the Sports Illustrated cover of her husband and Kit playing their trombones in the Princeton Band. We carried those posters next to our husbands as they played their trombones in their class’s “Born Again Band.” it was an amazing experience! They sounded great!

This reunion, Joan is undergoing medical treatment. And so I chose to “watch” and not to march. I suspect watching is an activity that tips us toward becoming outsiders. At least, that is what happened to me, God. And this morning I talked with Kit about WHY didn’t his band PLAY more often? It turns out that the professional musician and conductor had NOT played in a marching band! He didn’t know that marching bands are started by “rolloffs” — a drum roll that lets the musicians start without the conductor. What a hash! They — the players — ought to have explained it to him. But, he was The Leader and as such he was separated by specialness.

Perhaps, God, it is the Horrible Awareness that this happens OVER and OVER AGAIN in our various worlds that makes yesterday so difficult to digest. Then, of course, there is the fact we will HAVE to change if we are to survive — let alone, thrive! Can we change as a culture. Can we unlearn something so basic — and for so long, so useful?

Can I change? Can I SIT in Centering Prayer and give You opportunities to change me? Aargh! Please, God, help me — help us all!

Good Morning God!

Such a full day yesterday! Perhaps my favorite forum was the one on the future of health care in America. Four men and a woman — but the woman had the best line! When there was a question from the audience about WHY it was so hard to move on health care — she responded “When we separated from England we made a point of setting up checks and balances — to make it HARD to make changes easily.”

Another panelist said, “there is a lot of money in the status quo.”. And, if 10 people want change — for every one who warns x changed — there are 9 who prefer the status quo.”. I must say, God, it sounded very discouraging! We need help!

The SYSTEM needs help! But, God, so do all of us individuals! For example, at the Alzheimer’s forum the most articulate and exciting speaker was a doctor who was morbidly obese. How is it, Kit asked that such a brilliant individual — and doctor, too — could be so overweight?

I had an answer, God! She is a Helper and a Woman. My take is that 99% of her energy is going to help others. And when her body says NAP NAP NAP – she keeps going by eating. She is also a doctor and doctors are trained to disregard their physical needs — think 36 hour shift in Residency. Some doctors may use drugs instead of food to keep going. So, here she is — a Woman, a Helper, and trained as a doctor. She can’t go slow enough to give herself the gift of losing weight.

Hmm. that is kind of a new thought for me, God. I’m pretty sure it came out of the book The Slow Down Diet which is a book that talks about how our Bodies NEED to be in a relaxed mode to digest properly — and that eating slowly is part of “telling” our Body — all is well — we can relax.

Yes, God, I hear You. I hear Kit, too. And it isn’t just about eating slower! I must Stop Overvaluing Speed! I must Stop Stuffing into my Life every last appealing activity. Please, God, when I get home, help me take the eight weeks to read and digest
The Slow Down Diet: Eating for Pleasure, Energy, and Weight Loss.

Good Morning, God!
I’m here at Princeton and mostly awake and happy to be here! I have sent Kit off to have breakfast while I snack on nuts and cheese left over from my flight provisions. Soon, I will shower — and start the days activities — talks to attend, people to chat with, and so forth.

Princeton does a good job with reunions, God. And, I very much enjoyed my conversations with the women I met at dinner last night — under our reunion tent. These are smart women. Although, the man who “joked” and cut in front of me in line made me wonder at the fine line between senility and inebriation! Ah well!

So now, God, I shall ask for Your Help in being READY before Kit returns — so as to reduce his stress — and mine!

I AM READY! Now just a few thoughts on elite colleges and what might have happened if I hadn’t gone to Stanford. Life can take some funny turns, God. I was going to apply to UC at Riverside — but, I only applied to Stanford — and that, only because my friends were. My dad and his family were all CAL people. Looking back, I was singularly unaware. Hmm. Yes, in many ways I am still unaware.

Still, that time was a fork in the road — UC Riverside or Stanford? How different would I be? How different would my life be if I had gone to another school? And, then comes the question, God, of is there another Me living Life as if it were a Duplicate Bridge Game? That question comes from my just beginning a book on quantum physics and parallel worlds.

I hope not, God! I think One life is challenging enough! Thank You for this GIFT — or is it an assigned responsibility — of Life!

5:50 p.m.
Good Day, God!

Who KNOW what time it is inside me. But it is around 6 p.m back here in New Jersey. We left home yesterday at 5:15 for the airport and flew over-night directly to Newark — got our rental car and got lost! But, we discovered we were lost right near the Short Hills Mall. So we just nipped in for me to get sandals and a cell phone charger — and Kit to get khaki pants.

I will not go into how stressful it is to be a Navigator without a map. I will just thank You for Your help! You provided a gas station with an attendant who didn’t know, but, who asked a lady at the next pump who knew EXACTLY how to get to Princeton. Then, less we miss Your Hand, the attendant pointed heavenward and said, “God provided!”

So, now here I am in our dorm room — well, actually MY dorm room as Kit’s room is adjoining with a common bathroom — staring out the window — waiting for dinner at 6:30 and wondering if I can stay awake. ZZZZZZZ. How I am looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

I’m afraid, God, that it wouldn’t take much in the way of sleep deprivation to have me spilling secrets. I mean, I would do my BEST — but, sleep deprivation is such an effective torture! And then the whole question of torture brings up Rodney King’s plaintive plea of WHY CAN’T WE JUST GET ALONG?

But, then I think back to my yelling at Kit:left, LEFT, LEFT!!!!!!! etc. So, I suppose You are helping us to do as well as we are. A daunting thought! Now, God, I think a shower will help me get through dinner — and to dinner!