Monday Photos, Dear Abby, Volunteering

Yesterday was not the relaxed day I'd planned it to be. Somehow, cleaning crept into the picture, right before the PHC monologue. And by the time Stuart Mclean came one, well, I was in a tizzy. Fortunately, the day was redeemed halfway through by a walk on the Buck Lake trails, and pizza at Bella Luna: one large half & half Galactic Greek and Cosmic Combo. DH, the kids, and I. It was good.

Here are some pix from yesterday, after it got better:
Lower Hawk's Pond




Lately I've been thinking about volunteering again. I used to help with our church group, and others, to feed some 200 homeless people in Seattle, which I did for about 2-3 years. I miss it, and am thinking I might do something like it again soon. And because my thoughts often coincide with things I read, here's what Dear Abby had to say today:

By Abigail Van Buren Abigail Van Buren – Mon Jan 11, 2:16 am ET

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DEAR ABBY: Many people in the world appear indifferent to human suffering and the serious problems our planet is facing.

I am appalled when I see TV shows about food contests in which mounds of food are piled in front of each contender, who then wolfs down enough to feed five or six people.

Evidently the audience enjoys the spectacle. They cheer and applaud the winner as if he was a hero. Do they never think about the millions of people who are starving? I would appreciate your comments. -- PRAGMATIST IN N.Y.

DEAR PRAGMATIST: No, I doubt they consider that while they are stuffing themselves, others are literally starving, nor have I heard that the sponsors have donated a portion of the proceeds to feed the hungry.

This Thanksgiving my local paper featured a color photo on the front page of a family celebrating at the beach, pulling a large turkey out of a fryer. Below the fold was another one, this of a woman in Sudan, sitting by a roadside, obviously undernourished, trying to sell her only goat so she could provide for herself and her family.

Closer to home, food banks are struggling and American children depend on school nutrition programs for survival, while audiences view eating contests as entertainment. And that's more obscene than any X-rated movie will ever be, in my opinion.

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Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Food for though~

Artist's Way Journal - Week One, Day Seven

Yay!

I feel so much better this morning.  It is quiet here, due to the fact that DH and DS have gone fishing, and DD is asleep.  

Why this is good:  DH and DS are having a good bonding day, and I feel good about that.  The weather is beautiful.  DD didn't sleep all night because she was at a birthday party/sleepover, and had time to spend with the girls.  This will probably make the transition to the new High School a bit better.  (Remember, she transferred from one school, with a much smaller student base to the High School, as a junior.  Tough stuff!  Very brave, she is.)  Now she's catching up on sleep.  

And it is so quiet here!!!  What a treat!

My Artist Date yesterday was very successful.  I went to Buck Lake to check out the Greenway Trails, which are wonderful.  I took lots of photos--over 100--and will post some here.  I spent almost 3 hours there, and the quiet was lovely.  Any place that has water nearby is good.  Place names I visited include Bear Meadow Vista and The Quiet Place.  The trails are very navigable, and not totally flat, which adds both interest and some cardio, which was another thing I was after.  I think I got in about 3 miles, some writing time, and photo-taking time.  I felt a lot more energised when I was done.  

I've been writing in my leather journal, too.  I'm trying to decide whether to post some of that stuff now, or later when all is said and done.  Maybe resisting adding the journal work is best, so that I don't reread what I've written 

until much later.  Last night I posted photos to my Facebook profile.  I may include some of those here as well.  Glad the Blogger upload is working faster this morning!  I'm still having trouble with Flickr--but only with this site. Hmmm...  wonder why?

Today there is a breeze outside.  It is really sunny, and I'm thinking it would be a shame not to go out and take some more photos.  Maybe of the fall leaves that are starting their dramatic changes.  I could make a trip out toward Port Gamble, but I know that stopping and parking will be tough as there is a fair going on there.  I'm sure I can find colors somewhere that is parking-friendly.  

Today I might make some more yogurt, and if I'm disciplined enough I'll do some Pilates and yoga.  I teach tomorrow, and it always feels better if I do something kind for my spine, especially if I'm lifting weights.  

I have a full day ahead of me.  I want to be able to make the most of it.  

Tomorrow I go to my poetry workshop.  I have a poem I've been working on intermittently, and have all but forgotten about, since it's on my laptop.  I wonder if I can get it into shape to take tomorrow for sharing?  I'd really like to increase my list of "Usable Poems for Submitting."  There are some deadlines coming up and I'd like to get my mss. out some more.  I've been very slow with submissions this year, as compared to last year, when I went hog-wild.  I've come close a couple of times, and I hope this means that someday soon my collection will be selected.  

What I really need to do is take a look at the mss. as a whole, and reconsider what should and shouldn't be in it.  I've got some new pieces that might make it stronger and, by the same token, taking some others out might be beneficial, too.  Finding direction is good, and often, the more I write, the more apparent these directions I should be taking become.  

So, what are my priorities?  

* Generating new poems

* Getting my mss. out there

** This is in interesting topic as money is becoming a bit more of an issue.   Entry fees are a bit steep, considering the average is ~ $25.

* Regaining control of my submissions record-keeping

* Writing every day again

So, is this so hard?  It is with two teenagers in two new and different schools, new duties at work, and a strange economy!  Just need to find what gives, and pare down.

The trails yesterday were so nice.  Most of the time you knew the direction to go.  Once in awhile another trail would lead off to the side, in some direction you weren't originally planning to take.  What to do?  Well, in most cases I considered what my original destination was going to be, and stuck to it.  I'm drawn by bears, so I had to make it to Bear Meadow Vista. And The Quiet Place sounded necessary, so I made sure I got there, too.  The other trails can wait until next time.  

And there will be a next time.  I'll make sure to make time.

--R