wow lori, you and wendy are funsters. i did not go in the dark room where you feel interesting things and i am kicking myself for missing it. i also have not been to the winchester house. i have checked it out on-line and will make it a priority on my next visit. there is also a really nice japanese area in san francisco. there are some shops with furnishings that are especially nice. i met a friend of mine from LA, yesterday. He has just moved and is now living in far western north carolina. he says that he misses LA.

Wow, that's a long time to wait on line. I hope I won't have to wait that long. And that's supposed to be shorter than the line on election day?

By the way, Richard, I took one of your recommendations. Wendy and I went to the Exploratorium in San Francisco. It's a neat place. Did you go through the Tactile Dome? It was fun, but kind of scary to be in total darkness for 10 minutes--walking through narrow places, sliding, climbing. I felt a little claustrophic in there, but it was definitely worth experiencing! We didn't have time to go to the other places you mentioned, but we did go to the Winchester mystery house in San Jose. Have you been there? A really strange house with doors that lead to nowhere and tiny steps, really curvy, narrow hallways, etc. I wasn't expecting San Jose to be a pretty city, but Santana Row was really colorful and artistic-looking. Color wasn't what I was expecting to see in the hi-tech world. Anyway, it was really fun going on trains, seeing new things, walking all over, etc. etc. Wish I had more fun friends in L.A.

Patti, at least you have time to say good bye slowly to your friends and life in P.I., so you can get used to the idea of leaving.

Snow squalls here today too and incredible winds. Dave will be home in a couple of days and then the countdown really starts. Our paperwork has all be signed and sent off to the relocation company and we're ready for Monday a.m to close on the Hampden house.

We're going to avoid Halloween by meeting at a restaurant and then hiding out at home.

I've been knitting like crazy. Not having to go into work has meant I've been able to meet some friends downtown to knit while they're on their lunch hours. It's been fun catching up on some projects I haven't been able to finish. Plus our evening group has gotten so large that we can't even all speak with one another. So the smaller group is nice.

Hi Everybody,
I hope your week is going better. It has become cold here in Vermont. Snowshowers today...nothing on the ground in Springfield...but the kids at school were excited.
I wasn't...It is much to early for me...We don't even have all the leaves raked off the lawn! Richard, you might have some on the ground...keep it up North!

hi. thanks for your comments and thoughts about my stinky week behind me. this morning will be the first time people at work will be looking each other in the eye about our co-worker's death. i am sure that means many interuptions for me. of course, i don't mind. i just don't know anything, including knowing what to say. i agree with the view of suicide as a selfish act that has far reaching impact. i also know that some people are in lives that have become so painful that it leads to that place. it is all just so sad. anyway, i will put on my game face and try to get past it.

To answer something I think you asked about Lori. Hampden is approximately 5 miles south of Bangor. Close enough that Dave will will riding his bike to work when the weather allows. We were aiming for south of the city so that we'd get to camp and the boys more quickly. Dave's dad too. We have company coming for Thanksgiving, the boys, Jack, (dad) and Taylor, Dave's niece who is a freshman at Harvard.

Dave will be back this coming Friday night. Then he'll stay with me for our last week here. He's taking a full truck load and pulling a trailer down with him this trip. So all the gardening equipment and heavier house things, like gym equipment are gone as well as a lot of boxes we had packed up ourselves in preparation to show the house.

Richard, I'm sorry about the loss of your friend. There can't be understanding for those left behind.

I hadn't read about the burton situation but went to the web tonight and read about it. The cutting issue is a huge one for me. I've worked hard with a student who is only 11 and spends much of his time cutting. For him and for many county kids the "new cutting" is to use an eraser until you have broken through the skin for the bleed. It's horrible and I've caught him at it, it makes my stomach turn and my heart break. Too many 11 year olds have parole officers and court dates for the way they live.

I have a problem with suicide, too. We had it happen in our family and it is very very difficult to deal with. They have no idea of the aftermath to the ones left behind to pick up all the pieces.
One selfish (in my opinion) act leaves many unanswered questions..making one wonder if they missed the "signs" and what could have, should have been done to prevent such an event. I've never come up with the "answers". We just have to remember the good things.....

Lots of company at my house this weekend. Suzanne and John came up on Friday. Finally got the rest of all the wedding stuff out of my house! I made lots of food...including 2 apple pies, which were pretty tasty! Andrew and Amy came up last night. We played the game Apples to Apples for a couple of hours, and then they played Taboo...it was fun. Today was spent doing leaves...making cheese blintzes...cornbeef dinner..watching the Patroits win...and waving goodbye. Very quiet here now...need to work on those Halloween cards for my little kids...hope things are going better for everyone! Happy Thoughts............

I didn't know about the Burton thing (guess we don't get the news out here in L.A.!), but I agree with both of you.

Sorry to hear about your friend at work, Richard. I have a hard time understanding suicide. It seems like there are enough obstacles in life already, and no matter how desperate or depressed we feel, there's always the choice of doing something else, isn't there? Last night I went to a condolence evening at the house of a woman who is in my poetry group. Her husband died last Monday, after battling leukemia for a year. It was an evening of prayer and spiritual poetry--really emotional. I've never been to a "shiva" like that. People also told stories about Norm, the husband. I didn't know him, but his wife, Jean, is an amazingly strong and special person. People said Norm was a good listener, very empathic, and gave really good hugs. I was on the edge (and beyond the edge) of tears most of the evening just listening to how much love people had for Jean and Norm. And I was impressed that Norm cared enough to vote before he died.

hi, the playboy chicks were something that i also complained about, but here are the words of another that may say it better:

I fear many folks are missing the point of the protest against Burton over its choice of graphics for some of its boards. This is not about freedom of speech or artistic expression. I agree they have the right. And this is not about me or anyone else being "offended". My objection is not moral or artistic. My objection has to do with the influence cultural icons, such as Burton, have among our youth with regard to what is or is not healthy behavior.

I am an avid snowboarder. I am also a professional snowboard instructor, Level II certified by the American Association of Snowboard Instructors. I have ridden Burton products since I switched from skiing to riding and feel strong loyalty to them. Yet their marketing decision relative to showing self-mutilation and playboy graphics caused me to participate in today's protest march.

In addition to being a snowboard instructor, I am also Vice President of the Board of Directors of Spectrum Youth and Family Services. Every day our staff work with youths and families who are struggling with wide ranging issues so common in our society today, including self-mutilation and domestic violence. Spectrum and other mental health and social service agencies work incredibly hard to attempt to undo some of the damage being done among our youths and families by violence, whether inflicted by others or self-inflicted. With regard to self-mutilation, many folks don't know how wide-spread the problem is in America today. It's a big hidden problem.

It's clear that Burton doesn't "get it" that using such images as marketing tools promotes the idea that these things are normal and healthy.

Giving Burton the benefit of the doubt, I am willing to presume they see these graphics as "edgy" and "artistic". I'm willing to presume that they are not experts in mental health or domestic violence issues. I am willing to presume they intend no harm.

But rather I ask the "powers that be" at Burton to open their minds and hearts to those who deal with mental health issues among our youth and families and who deal with domestic violence. Listen to the folks who are experts in these areas. You know not what you do. This is wrong. Burton please listen: you may have the right to show such images, but this is not responsible use of such rights. You are an icon among youths. I ask that you reconsider what messages this passes to them. Please cease production of these boards.

It's the right thing to do.
-David

Richard...sorry.

truth is that it has been a shitty week for me. i have been emailing and posting message after message to and about burton snowboard's choice to glorify self-mutilation on one of their new snowboards. yesterday, one of my close friends at work was reported as unexpectedly dead. i know he did it to himself. his brother did just a couple years ago. i can hope that it is different but i know. come on. let's make this better than all of this. god, this sucks.

Yes, I think Wendy and I are good for each other. She's the one whose son committed suicide in the Israeli army 3 years ago, but she's still amazingly positive and fun-loving, but obviously very sad inside.

Richard, thanks for all those helpful tips!

lori, nice to hear of your joy for hiking. i can tell you about two easy, but really special spots in the san jose- san fran area. the one that is really magic for me is big basin. it is southwest of san jose toward santa cruz. it has a virgin stand of redwoods- over 300 feet tall and 16 feet in diameter. i always look up and check for giants coming down those beanstalks. the other spot is on the north side of the golden gate bridge. it is the headlands on the left as you travel off the north end of the bridge. you may have to approach it by going past and then coming back south toward the bridge cuz it is on the west side and i think they want northbound traffic to keep cruising. there are great places to sit and look back over san francisco. one of my favorite things to do when i am not hiking and still have my clothes on is the exploratorium. it is in the presidio at the greek gardens, near the south end of the golden gate bridge. it is hands-on science/art based exhibits that are fun and weird. they have a great burrito in their cafe. the contemporary art museum in san fran is also very good. the building was done by a swiss guy i think. the ferry from the embarcadero to sausalito for lunch and shopping in boutiques is fun, too.

Is Hampden near Bangor? That's great that things are finally working out!

I've been busy entertaining this week. Darren's parents were visiting from Colorado for 5 days. They ate here twice, we went out to eat with them twice, and we were all invited over to Avi's sister's house one night. She made a ton of food. We've been eating way too much and have gained weight. Avi said he just wants to eat cereal tonight! My friend Wendy (from Jerusalem) was also here this week. She came on Monday and flew to San Francisco today. I'm going to fly up there--to San Jose-- on Monday for 2 nights. Wendy and I will do things in the San Jose/San Francisco area while her boyfriend is at his hi-tech conference. I took her hiking here one day in Temescal canyon. It was sort of a disaster. It was REALLY hot, we didn't bring enough water, and the trees and shrubs were pretty dry. The waterfall was also more like a trickle. Wendy kept wanting to turn around and go back, but I was obsessed with getting to the top to see the view from there, which, to me, WAS worth it--a panoramic view of the whole area with the Pacific Ocean in the background. It was good exercise, but Wendy was ready to kill me! On the other hand, she said she felt good afterwards cuz she saw she was capable of doing more than she thought she could. I don't know why I get so obsessed, but I can't stop in the middle of a trail. I have to get to the end. My sister Amy is like that, too. Anyway, besides the hiking, we went to the LACMA museums and to a really good play, "Gem of the Ocean." She dragged me there, but I liked it. Haven't seen too many plays.

Karen, I am so glad that you liked the show!!! I thought you would...lol.
Pat, things seem to be working out, which is great. I want to throw all my stuff out and start over....wishful thinking. Enjoy this new adventure! I think you should make some mittens for your cold handed friends!!! I have to go and find all the winter stuff.....sigh....I am just not ready.

We're freezing up here too. I woke up to snow on the ground! It went away over the day but still.........................

So the house in Hampden will be closed on sometime the 3rd of Nov. We will move in officially the 7th. Nothing seems to be able to stop us now. Let the furniture shopping begin.

I'll still be here for my friend Allison's baby shower and that's made me feel better. I finished knitting a blanket for her a couple of days ago. My group meets again tomorrow night and I'll start some felted mittens.

It is freezing here! You could see it snowing up on Ascutney Mountain.....anyways, we had today off from school and I was going to go shopping with a friend to Holyoke...but she called this morning early and said that she couldn't go because someone had broken into her house last night. Her husband is away this week and she had a business dinner and didn't go home after school. She got home after 9 and her front door was open. Someone had broken into the basement window, ransacked her cupboards..and only took her jewelery box. The police can and searched around finding noone on the property but talk about spooky! Obviously looking for $ and easily passed off things. Luckily, she wasn't home at the time....but it makes you wonder who, where and why your house....
So instead of shopping, I had to do something like clean the carpet....guess what I would have rather have done~ thanks crook.

you are so right that the art is on the outside where you can just look at the getty museum. sitting in the garden and gazing up at it is certainly worth the ticket. jp clearly had a bug for collecting and i mean for more than art. i am not one to judge beauty, but i hope he had better taste in mistresses than he did in art. then again, i suppose he had little chance cuz nudes are much more confusing when they move.

There were a lot of people I could have knocked down yesterday. We were at the Getty Museum, and it was really crowded. We went with Danit and Darren and Darren's parents, who are visiting from Colorado. We didn't end up going inside the museum to see the art, which probably sounds weird, but the real art is outside--just looking at the building itself and the gardens and the view from up there on the hill. They have some kind of grass there that looks like a carpet, and people were sprawled all over it. We were tempted to just go to sleep on it, too.

Mea Culpa Richard, why don't you like the runners? At least they're probably fairly quiet as they travel through. When I am out in the woods enjoying birdsong and wind in the trees, it's the 4-wheelers and snowmobiles that make me crazy. They're too fast for me to knock down though. One winter I put chunks of wood in my yard to block the snowmobiles from coming through. They were cutting through from the woods out back to the street.

ouch, pat. but important for me to think about, none the less. i was in torrey pines state park in california yesterday. the torrey pines have cones the size of grapefruits, needles ten inches long pointing in all directions, they only grow twenty or thirty feet tall and they only grow right there and on a nearby island. that was magical to see them. i love them and know enough to realize how special they are. odd spot, with sooooooo many people being sooooooooooo california. i had to stop for many runners to go by me on the trails. i wanted to push them down and beat them. it is a good thing that i am a rational person who is in control of my emotions :-)

Poems or fleas, Richard?

I might have to steal some of your metaphors.

i am no poet, but like fleas escaping the flailing toenails of a dog, i have been around a couple that excite me.

Where do you come up with these things, Richard?! I like your combinations--putting snow conditions and colonoscopy in the same sentence and then seedless grapes and boneless chicken with believing in yourself. You're a poet.

lori, it is not as if i am saying you should go for a colonoscopy everytime the snow conditions are good where you live, although that does seem to be what you are waiting for. ya' know like when hell freezes over :-)

keep the faith, pat. seedless grapes and boneless chickens are just a marketing fad. real value starts with faith and believing in yourself.

karen, please tell me i am being clear in my own lost and confused way.

We are all here to lend an ear when our friends need it...so, good or bad, that's what we do.
I am sorry that things are not working out the way you wish it would Pat. I am sure you are frustrated about everything. Good Luck in getting everything together. Remember, to
take care of yourself, too.

Well, I won't be able to chicken out much longer with all of you behind me cheering me on. Can't say I see any resemblance to snowboarding, though!

Patti, it's good to have you back! Sorry you've been going through so much trouble, though. With the economy in such a mess, I guess this is a bad time to make a move. And not having a job must make the stress much worse. I wish I could say something more helpful. I hope something works out for you.

colonoscopies are like snowboarding. you can't think about it. you just have to do it and you are so glad that you did, after the fact. the prep? well, that really isn't anything like snowboarding.

Many apologies and Hello and thank you to Lori, Karen, Karen, Kathi, Richard for the notes of concern I've received. You all know that I'm not a big fan of being a voyeur here but for the last several weeks that's how it's been. Having said that though I have to tell you just being able to take a quick peek every evening and know that you all are well has been a lifeline for me. I didn't want to come here and whine and complain. But unfortunately so much has gone wrong that I couldn't find something to say that wasn't a downer.

I won't bore you with the details so "In a nutshell", We lost the house we were buying, I lost my job, we're trying to buy another house but things with that are dicey as well. Our house has not sold and isn't even being shown because the market is so horrible up here. Dave is staying at an unheated camp and those of you in New England know that the temps are way down at night now.

Moving on - we closed up the camper in NH this past weekend. It was a spectacular weekend weather wise and great to get away and enjoy being with friends. We went to the Sandwich Fair and enjoyed fried bread dough and farm animals.

Lori, I've had a couple of colonoscopies, the worst part is the prep and the best part is the long nap and the good news that you're healthy! The first time was kind of scary though because of being so unsure of what might be. It's an unfortunate right of passage though.

I was heartbroken to hear that Brian Helberg died. I had heard that he was living in the Spfld. area taking care of his dad.

I love you all, miss you, and I'm glad to be back. - Patti

I know, I know, you're right. I've been doing the stool test, hoping that was enough, and the doctor has let me get away with that so far---but I'll do it. My father also said I should do it, and he's the only doctor I listen to cuz I know he's never in favor of doing a bunch of UNnecessary tests, but this one IS necessary. He's also the one who told me about the Vit. D, so I figured if he thinks it's worth checking, I'll check it. Sometimes I wish I were more like my sister--she doesn't bother with a lot of these tests and doesn't get nervous about not doing them. I think too much.

Lori, Lori, Lori.....trust me, having colon cancer would be much worse then ever undergoing a colonoscopy. (I watched my Mother have it for 10 years)...anyways, you drink some crap, spend hours in the bathroom...go and get lots of drugs and know nothing until its over, so its really not bad at all. So just make the appointment!
Karen, the apple festival here wasn't much...some crafters, authors, some food....the weather was beautiful. My niece and I went to Chester and did some shopping at my favorite Simply Country store. It makes me want to throw away all my stuff in my house and start again! Dreaming.....
Another nice day! 70 for tomorrow....yeah!!!

I can't help with that technical stuff, but I don't understand why it's so complicated to get onto the blog. We're not some elite club that doesn't allow new members in, so why can't these people get in??? Guess that's the problem with new technology....

Karen, did you test your Vit. D level? Now they're saying it's important to have the right level cuz it (probably) protects against cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, and we don't always get enough from the sun anymore cuz we're so busy covering ourselves with sunscreen. I thought mine would be high enough living in a sunny place like L.A., but it wasn't--so now I'm taking Vit. D. I've also been doing the usual check-ups, but I can't get myself to go for a colonoscopy.

Glad things ran smoothly getting back home. I am sure you had a wonderful time in VT. This past weekend was just beautiful. Sunny, warm with beautiful colors surrounding us. If it could only stay like this for a few months! I would be happy. Have a great week everybody!
Happy Thoughts....

I'm back home in L.A. Our flights went smoothly this time, and we got home when we were supposed to. My son Rafi picked us up from Burbank airport, and Danit came over to see us. Haven't seen Omer (the youngest) yet, but he lives a little farther away, so I wasn't expecting to. Now I'm going through mail, bills, all that boring stuff....

hi. i just wanted you to know that i will soon be playing hockey with my cat in the kitchen and checking my raspberry plants for just a few more berries. i will be singing willie nelson songs in the shower like "blue skies smilin' at me- nothin' but blue skies do i see. bluebirds singin' a song- nothin' but bluebirds all day long." i hope all of your skies are blue, too. i was in one of napoleon III's (napolean's cousin) houses yesterday. some people had it all, but screwed it up just the same. his wife left him and required a bigger place further up on the hill. i could handle either location with enough hired help. wow.

It would be lots of fun to get more and more of our friends blogging! I found if you go to settings you can invite people. Come and join us!

Avi and I are flying back to L.A. on Sunday, Kathi. My sister and her husband will also be going home that day--back to Israel. This morning it's raining or at least rainy-looking, so I think I'll just stay in the house and read a little while my sister and her husband go out and do some more shopping. If it gets nicer later, we'll go for a walk somewhere with my brother and his wife. Avi is fasting today for Yom Kippur. We thought maybe he'd skip it this year, but he's too used to doing it and it's hard to break tradition. He's done it all his life. I actually fasted last year, but it's too hard for me not to eat all day. Can't see the point in suffering....

Yeah, Patti, where are you? Is the move going okay/

It was the most perfect fall day in Vermont. The weather was crisp but the sun was warm...the trees are beautiful. We (the Kindergarten classes) went to Wellwood Orchards today for a field
trip. We got to ride around the orchard in a wagon pulled by a diesel tractor...just smell....which stopped so the kids could pick a few apples...funny to see how many they could fit in their pockets....and how many they could eat and fit into their little stomachs. All and all it was a pretty good day....it is suppose to rain tonight and showers tomorrow morning. Hopefully, a good weekend. Glad you are enjoying yourselves Lori! How long are you staying? Pat, where are you???? All moved? Let us know!

Hi everyone. I'm having fun here in Vermont. We've been busy seeing the foliage--everywhere from the Northeast kingdom to Middlebury, Stowe, Woodstock, Quechee, Rutland, etc. etc. It's beautiful here. Yesterday I went kayaking on the Winooski River with my brother and sister. The spouses didn't come cuz they didn't think it was the right season for kayaking--didn't feel like falling into freezing water. We didn't fall in, but we did get soaking wet when our kayaks went over a sort of dip in the river. But it was a beautiful day, so we didn't care. It was part of the experience!

Heavy frost here this morning...brrrrrrr. Had to go find my mittens...and the scrapper!
Thanks for the travel logs everybody....so far my big travels are from South Street to
Union Street and back...so exhausting. Go safely, my friends! Remember, "there's no place
like home"!

i would love to go to a willie nelson concert. he is a fav of mine. i swear the top on his guitar only remains out of habit. the sights of sites here are special, but you should be able to guess that my best days are spent with friends. fortunate for me- i have been traveling with a few different friends of mine, most of the time. stone buildings are lovely to look at, but they ain't willie nelson. singing along with songs as we drive through the middle of nowhere has been nice and sharing tuna sandwiches bought from a street vendor as we climbed the hill through an old town was sweet as well. i have a couple more weeks to go and to tell you the truth i "just can't wait to get on the road again. the life i love is makin' music with my friends ... "

hi. i have been cruising around and i have been having a really great time. the house i was in at lake garda was so great. it is hung on a cliff and has great views. i walked into town on a couple of days and interacted with locals- none of whom spoke english. we managed. driving through little towns where the car had 3 inches on either side to get past the buildings on the main street was interesting. i went to some other great spots around northern italy, too. verona was super. big colliseum. no trace of romans, christians or lions. no real trace of romeo or juliet in the town either, but some fake stuff on them. venice and the cathedral at san marco are both still out of this world. the mosaic patterns on the floors at san marco are stellar. there is another cathedral in venice that i loved which is santa lucia (she is the northern italian version of santa claus). bergamo is an old town that had some good work done during the renaissance golden years and it is an aerie location for a great lunch and stroll. you take a funicular to get up into the old walled hilltop town there. all these places are drop dead gorgeous. then there were minor things like lunch in lugano, driving through snow in the san bernardino pass, and having just spent an awesome day in a special swiss town that have all been so nice. i am hiking in the alps later this week. there will certainly be snow there. i'm lovin it.

Karen glad that your computer is back!
Sounds like you are busy,busy, busy with cleaning and purging! I have been doing the same thing. Today, while my son was here to help, we started cleaning out the garage. What fun...At least I didn't have to lug things up the stairs!
I have all these candlelabras sitting in my diningroom. It took me two hours to take the decorations off them...I wanted to pack them away but the florist still has the boxes...I hope! She is suppose to get back to us tomorrow. I am kind of hoping that she wants to buy them because I really don't want to store them all.
We were lucky that the hurricane didn't really amount to much around here. It was very humid with temps around 72. A few rain showers but no downpours. Not sure how Maine made out.
I have been playing with my photoshop program, trying out new effects when printing. It is fun to do....
Have a great week Karen with your company and going to Nashville...again, I am living through my friends trips..so let me know all the excitement! Lori, enjoy your holiday...I am sure you do a great job entertaining. Pat, where are you??

You seem to be going to a lot of weddings lately, Karen. By the way, are you still having problems getting gas? They were talking about Georgia on the news the other day--about the gas shortages--and that made me think of you.

We're going to Avi's sister's house tomorrow night for the Rosh Hashana meal. She likes cooking and doing the holidays at her house. I always thank God there are different kinds of people in the world and that some of those people like doing the things I don't like doing! I've got the Friday night meals with Avi's family down to an art, but anything else? Forget it!

I don't think I want any bells or rain on tin roofs right now. I'll go for the peace and quiet.

We were at the photography store a little while ago. I wanted to go back in time and get a regular automatic camera with film instead of a digital, but they didn't have any so I'm back to the modern age. I just want to have pictures to put in an album without having to go through a million stages of uploading, downloading, whatever it is that has to be done. Is that too much to ask?

Rainy, rainy day. Imagine being inside a trailer with 18 5 year olds...the noise level is amazing.
We had cherrios and milk for snack...and just the sound of pouring those cherrios into the hard plastic cups was loud. Everything echos...the rain sounds like ...well, like rain pouring on a tin roof...inside recess and playing...trying to get kids to their parents and cars at the end of the day...I was just so glad that its Friday. I don't know if its because I might be getting old..but I am exhausted at the end of the day....Richard, you know how those bells sounded to you...well...now I am home and it is quiet! I did have to turn on the heat it was so damp in here....Andrew will be 27 in February....hes my baby. I have been wondering about you too Patti...hope all is well in moving land. Have a great weekend everybody.

well i can hear something. the damn bells are ringing again- nonstop. of course, it is 7:30 at night and that would seem like plenty in itself to ring a bell nonstop. i remember my first hangover. my head was ringing for days. if that was good enough for this wonder that they call bells, then why should they ever stop. no shit, they are still ringing here in heidi land. oh wow, they just stopped. i guess heidi is going to bed now. by the way, the difference between getting called to prayer five times a day and being swiss is that being swiss means that you better pray that you never stick out too much- except if you like ringing bells and then there is a kind of infinite freedom.

Kathi, congratulations on your son's engagement! How old is he?

I'm back at the gym, too, but 3 times a week doesn't seem to be enough right now cuz I seem to be gaining instead of losing! Maybe cuz I stopped hiking (since my friend is still in Israel) and got out of the habit of walking with Avi at night. We've just gotten lazy....

Richard, I hear the church bells ringing all the way over here. I guess you can't hear any muezzins over there. I like the sound of the muezzin. We used to hear it in Jerusalem.

Patti, where are you? In the process of moving?

www.myphotoevents.com
user name: Suzanne
password: John

hi, i tried to connect for photos and did not make it happen. i will try later on. i always thought that location was something special. i think you get more spirits from across the ages when you are there and i happen to think that more is better, in this case. it is six am in switzerland and i am up writing a report (think midnight on the east coast and beer-thirty in hawaii). well wouldn't you know that the church next to my hotel room just started ringing its bell. it will go on for a while. as if having cows with bells isn't enough. so far, all is well on my trip. i leave for italy tomorrow and only have one more day of working my ass off. better start.

The wedding now seems like a dream....I really did have a great time and wanted the party to keep going...They are both really happy. The wedding fever is in the air here. My son and his girlfriend just became engaged last night. He called and said..hypothetically, how would you feel about a reception that was not held in the backyard...and I said, hypothetically, that would be great.....then he told me they were engaged. I told my girls after seeing the pictures taken at the wedding that they could use that picture as their engagement one...and that's what they will do.
They are acutally coming up on Sunday....so I will make something good for dinner and we'll celebrate.
The wiring the jaw thing would probably be the only way I'll loose weight ...I do like my class...and know its good for the bones!

I find it very interesting listening to Richards travel logs..as one who has not traveled much at all. I am saving lots by living my travels through others. Now if only he would post pictures....
speaking of, if anyone wants to look at the Wedding photos, you can go to www.myphotoevents.com....user name: Suzanne and password: John. There are some (in my opinion) nice ones...
Hope all is well with everyone...its actually very quiet here..the weather is nice, in the high 60s during the day, 40s at night. We have not had a major frost here in Springfield. The leaves are starting to really show color...though the headlines on Yahoo said something about the climate change dulling the Northeast folliage. School is hectic...they are still working on the building...there is still no playground or gym or lunchroom but we are all managing to survive.
Our exercise class (with weights) started again last night and because I really don't do weights except for class, my arms feel like they are going to fall off...but that is suppose to be good for me, so I will go again tomorrow...
Richard travel safely....enjoy your sheep/cow fairs.....

Karen, I don't remember who hosted him. He was with the class of '71. I just remember him hanging out with Peter Vatne and playing chess.

Lake Garda sounds beautiful. The whole trip sounds beautiful!

lori, i had originally planned to be about 120 miles from ivrea, in ascona (former hang out for isadora duncan, carl jung and a bunch of vegetarians). that plan fell through when my travel partner left his girlfriend. i ask you, couldn't he have waited just a little longer? he left her and her friend's house in ascona went away cuz of that, too. ivrea looks like it could be pretty great. on a clear day, maybe guido can see the matterhorn (just about straight north). i will be in a place that is quite a bit east of ivrea. i will be on lake garda and that will be REALLY special for me. i know i am lucky for this chance. believe me when i say that every drop of wine will taste like nectar from the gods. i need a vacation. i have been a bit cranky, lately.

hi, holing up is pretty great. i love being home. i keep the place pretty nice, but have not been able to keep up with getting ready for winter, yet. my flowers are stellar and raspberries are hanging like a five o'clock cow. of course, ya' don't grab 'em quite the same way. oh, behave! so, i went to montreal today to see a prospect for solar cable, then i stopped at the atwater market for lunch- nice farmers market atmosphere. it is on the lachine canal- which was how boats founr their way across montreal before the st lawrence seaway. i walked the canal for about an hour. loved it.

i hit a new town (for me) near zurich on wednesday- just gonna crash and space out. then i go see my co's solar boys nearby. friday is heidi land in eastern switzerland and then guido land in italy for next week. i will be on vacation then, so i guess that is kind of like holing up for a while. when i go back to switz. i will get a couple days in the alps and then across the county i go to the olma festival which is like a state fair on steroids. i can't even imagine how many swiss cows will be ringing their bells. jamming a yummy bratwurst and drinking many liters of delicious beer- is that heaven (as women in dirndls clog nearby- liftin 'em up and settin 'em down)? i just sleep when i fall asleep and take it from there.

Richard, Guido lives near Ivrea in northwest Italy. He said that's near Torino and near the Alps. You can find him on Classmates. He'd probably like to see you. He said Peter Vatne has visited him a few times. I don't know how you manage with jet lag. Don't you go crazy from changing time zones so often?

Kathi, you're always making the best things. Apple pie! And we just have to hear about it without tasting it!

hi.

pat had a question for me and butch and how come i went to his place. well that was just where i ended up. lots of folks go through there and are none the wiser. as the affable sort, i try to find out what a place is about. so there i was and i discovered that i was on the very same dance floor where butch met women. his life was short and was not without some nasty impact. while i was in this town, i met two young men in there 30s who had just been in a flash flood with their parents. both their parents died in the incident. life is short, do what matters. i was happy to leave that town alive.

anyway -lori- i am wondering where guido rietti lives. i will be in northern italy starting next saturday and he seems like the northern type to me. note to self- get a pizza tonight. rustic northern italian can wait. i am now traveling for the next month with only one day at home between switzerland and san diego. i think it is funny, cuz i thought i was already traveling just about as much as a person reasonably could.

well, anyway, it really is true. life is short. the idea that people in marraige embrace each other with eternal vision and with open hearts that reach into the future is pretty awesome. there is some einstein e=mc2 light and vision becoming what matters in all of that. we are all just wicked amped up stardust. note to self- look for shooting stars tonight. they are just so crazy.

I had a message all typed and saved it but I have no idea where I find it...so I'll start again.
Crochety is relative....I think we all have those moments to which there is nothing wrong with that! I was crochety today after apple picking when everyone disappeared to watch the football/baseball games or be on their computers but wanted apple pie....I wanted to be like the Little Red Hen and say fine...I'll eat it myself....but I guess that wouldn't be a good thing.
Unfortuntely, the Patroits lost big time today.....so maybe the apple pie will make up for some of that. haha. We picked up the proofs from the photographer last night and some of them are amazing. I'll be able to share them when I find out what the website is....well, I guess I'll take my crochety self and go make the rest of dinner...I don't see the cook at work....