The Universe Smiles

Discordance

2012-05-20T10:50:00.000-06:00

I consider myself to be middle class. My husband and I are "senior citizens" (although he more than I). Politically, we are miles apart, he an "Independent" with totally Republican values and I, a "Democrat", who is working to re-elect President Obama. We've been married to each other for 6 years. We both helped raise families and owned homes and worked hard all our lives. We live in a home with a mortgage we'll never pay off in our lifetime. We have some modest savings and some modest debt. We look at many people our age and see anxiety, even desperation in their financial lives, and think we're pretty fortunate. Still, we know a major illness or disaster could destroy all that we've worked hard to secure.

I'm clipping coupons this morning, cutting out a coupon for 75 cents off mayonnaise. Recently I paid the $300 for my daughter to have a suspect mole removed and checked for cancer because she didn't have health insurance. We pass on the plumber to come "roto-root" the slow drains, until we have the money -- we had to have a repairman fix the oven first. The leaking kitchen sink needs replacing, but it will wait (we just won't fill that basin with water). I again pay my daughter's student loan payment of $146 for the 36th month in a row because I am the co-signer and her wages at work can't cover that bill. I wonder if I should take Social Security early when I turn 62 this year. I make a calulation on that, wondering if $1400 a month next year is worth losing $400 a month more when I turn 66. My husband will be 73 next year and he really wants to quit working so the extra $1400 a month might be the difference in maintaining our life style. Even if I take Social Security early, I will continue to work my part-time job because my medical insurance premiums and co-pays now exceed $800 a month. I hope the Affordable Care Act will be upheld by the Supreme Court because in 2014 (when I will be 63), the insurance companies can no longer discriminate against me for "pre-existing conditions" and I can shop around for an affordable plan because I cannot leave my current plan. I am grateful for a good union contract that I received a pension after 27 years of work at my company. Although I got laid off when I was 54 years old, I was able to receive my pension (reduced a bit) at 55 years old. I'm luckier than most people I know because I have a pension. I willingly paid union dues for many years for that benefit and good working conditions.

Contrary to the conservative politicians' assertion that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was ineffective, my husband and I benefited tremendously.We not only saved thousands of dollars, but for 2009 and 2010, my husband's small business that sells high tech products had it's highest sales revenues since 1997. In 2009, I traded in my gas guzzler under "cash for clunkers" and received $4500 off my new Toyota and I got a $600 credit for my state sales taxes and I've almost paid that car off now. The reduction in taxes for working people helped us to have more cash on hand to pay our bills and buy some things we needed or take a vacation. In 2010, we bought a wood stove and received a $800 tax rebate, plus we lowered our electric bills. Because of the housing bust, it took us from 2007 to 2009 to sell our house and, although we didn't get a lot of money for it, we weren't underwater. Still, because of the depreciation of our home's value, we lost more than $38,000 of what we expected to be a retirement nest egg. Refinancing our new house's "interest only" loan, we were able to get a 100% loan-to-value government-backed loan and not pay PMI, another money saver since the $78,000 we put down on the new house in 2007 had all but disappeared when the 2009 appraisal came in $62,000 less than what we paid for it. Like most middle-class people, most of our wealth comes from our house, Social Security and Medicare. These three things constitute the basis of our financial security. For those who have lost a home in this housing crisis or do not own a home, they will depend on Social Security and Medicare even more for financial security as they get older.

Why am I sharing with you so many details of my personal life? Because there is discordance today between facts and rhetoric. And there is a discordance between the presumptive Republican nominee for President and the actual lives of the vast majority of the American people. Mitt and Ann Romney, I'm sure, never clipped a grocery coupon for 75 cents, although I'm sure they regularly "clip coupons" for bonds they own. I think that a man who earned $21 million in 2011 from investments doesn't understand how the rest of us try to balance a monthly budget where we don't have enough money leftover to pay for a drain cleaning or to replace a broken appliance. I'm certain that a man who established a $100 million trust fund for his children doesn't understand how hard it is for an underemployed college graduate to pay $146 a month for student loans. A man that owns four mansions doesn't worry about mortgage rates and PMI and whether he'll qualify for a home mortgage for a roof over his head. His homes are part of an investment portfolio, not his major source of wealth in his golden years. A man who owns four cars that don't fit in his garage so that he needs to spend $12 million in innovations to his California house to include an elevator for his cars doesn't care that some of us need to save $4500 on a new car that is our primary source of transportation.

I feel a discordance with this man, Romney. Our values and our lives seem so different. I've never insulted a host who generously placed food in front of me.

I've never beat-up a person who looks or acts differently from me. I've never treated an animal inhumanely because I didn't want him in my car. I've never advocated the destruction of unions whose very existence provided me with a good living, justice on the job, and a retirement pension. But then I never derived an income from destroying companies, workers' jobs, and pension plans.

Discordance is what I see when I hear other middle class people like me say they think they might vote for Mitt Romney for President.

Choosing a Political Party When You Register to Vote

2012-05-14T05:35:00.000-06:00

I'm a Voter Registration Agent in my state. These days, most new voters choose "No Party" because they like to think they are independent thinkers. I think a lot of times new voters just don't know what the difference is between the Democratic and Republican Parties, so I've devised a little test to help them decide on what Party best represents their social views and cultural preferences. Take the test - and see if you're a Democrat or Republican.

Starting with the first line, choose a word from column 1 or column 2. Don't think about it, just select the word that first appeals to you. Go down the entire list until you're done.

OK, there are a few ringers in there.

Now add up the total number of your selections that are 1's and the total number of your selections that are 2's.

If you have 10 or more 1's, you are a Democrat.

If you have 10 or more 2's, you are a Republican.

Hope this helps you select a political party so you'll stop thinking that you are an "independent".

Democratic Party

Republican Party

Happy Mother's Day

2012-05-12T11:39:00.000-06:00

I got to spend the day with family,
a delicious brunch and flowers!

My daughter, Mary, and I

My daughters, Mary and Amanda

Matt (Mary's fiancee) and Finnegan

Finnegan and Jack got to run and play

To all the mothers I know, may you be honored on this day and respected always!

Here are just a few of those wonderful mothers:

Maria Susana, Santo Domingo, New Mexico

Linda, Sandia Park, New Mexico

Anne with daughter, Milla, Chaska, Minnesota

Diana, Sandia Park, New Mexico

Margaret, with son Max, Davenport, Iowa

Cathy, Sandia Park, New Mexico

Emma, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Cha Cha, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Takako, San Diego, California

Chizuko, San Diego, California

Renata (with daughter, Trinty), La Mesa, California

Hermalinda and granddaughters (and me), San Diego, California

Socorro (with husband, Ernie), San Diego, California

Janet (with children Andrea and Neal), Waynesboro, Virginia

Bonnie, Raytown, Missouri

Laurie (with husband Page), Poway, California

Anna, Albuquerque, NM and Valrico, FL

Sharon (with husband, Bob), Berwick, Maine

Susan (with husband Ed), Edgewood, NM and Paula, Sandia Park, NM

Masha (with husband Fred, and son, Mark), Newton, Massachusetts

Barbara, Denver, Colorado

Jeanne (with daughter, Tracy), Jackson, TN and Salem, Oregon

Chris, San Diego, California

Debbie (with Chris), Poway, California

Judy and Enid, El Cajon, California

Deborah (with daughter), Grand Terrace, California

Flowers for you!

Cane Cholla

Blue Flag

Skyrocket

Wild Hollyhock

Striped Coralroot

Red Columbine

Rose

Protect women's security by protecting Social Security.

Super Moon Shot

2012-05-07T10:23:00.001-06:00

On May 5th, there was to be a "Super Moon" rise with the full moon to be at it's closest point to the Earth for 2012. Always up for an excuse for a party, we called neighbors and my daughters to invite them to a "Howl at the Moon Party" for Saturday night. We cooked hamburgers, hotdogs and chicken. Neighbors brought tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa, deviled eggs, cheesy potato casserole, and dessert. I put up my "sun and moon" patio lights and made sure the hot tub was ready for soaking. Presto! Party time in no time!

When the moon began to rise about 8:30 or 9PM, I got my camera out but could not find my tripod! After two margaritas, I think my hands were not too steady, either. Anyway, here are the photos from Sandia Park, New Mexico -just east of the Sandia Mountains and the bright city lights of Albuquerque .

Moonrise from my deck

If you want much better photos from other locations in the world, here they are.

Quickly losing interest in photography, my daughter and I got out our djembes and began beating our drums to the consternation of our neighbors.

Cathy and Amanda hit the hot tub and the landlubbers relaxed on the deck or inside.

Kathy after a relaxing soak in the hot tub

Linda texting her thoughts

Diana and Matt and Jack (the pug)

My neighbor Diana and future son-in-law, Matt.

Hooray for spring and the coming summer!

In Memoriam - Junior Seau - 1969-2012

2012-05-03T08:45:00.003-06:00

We loved you, Junior. May you rest in peace.

San Diego misses you, Junior.

#55 always in our hearts

Oceanside High School alums miss you, Junior.

A Lovely New Medium for New Directions in My Painting

2012-04-30T21:31:00.004-06:00

Last weekend, I attended a 2 day workshop on Beginning Encaustic Painting taught by Sherry Ikeda at the Encaustic Art Institute just north of the Village of Cerrillos, NM, on the Turquoise Highway (NM North 14). Here is the workshop description:

Encaustic is a Greek word meaning "to heat or burn in" (enkaustikos). Heat is used throughout the process, from melting the beeswax and varnish to fusing the layers of wax. Encaustic consists of natural bees wax and dammar resin (crystallized tree sap). The medium can be used alone for its transparency or adhesive qualities or used pigmented. Pigments may be added to the medium, or purchased colored with traditional artist pigments. The medium is melted and applied with a brush or any tool the artist wishes to create from. Each layer is then reheated to fuse it to the previous layer.

This two-day workshop is open to those who are brand new to the medium, as well as to artists who already have some familiarity and experience working in wax but are looking to refine their technique. Topics covered during this workshop will include: safety, grounds, priming the board, transfers, creating texture and collage and much more.

Sherry taught 6 students over two days and we all had a great experience. Doug Mehrens, who founded the EAI, provided our class with first class support and facilities.

I learned the basic techniques and produced a number of encaustic paintings, some incorporating collage elements.

I applied wax and heat to some of my pastel paintings applied to wood backings

Linda and Erle came from Phoenix, AZ and already had experience with encaustic

Lynne and Paula are artists in Santa Fe and were new to encaustic art

Applying and heating the hot beeswax and resin mixture on the second day

Glenn (an Albuquerque architect) and I working on our encaustic paintings on the first day

This medium has allowed me to approach my painting in a more liberated way. I don't do abstract painting generally, but this medium has allowed me to expand my painting into the world of fantasy and design. Check out the Encaustic Art Institute's Blog for more paintings and events by encaustic artists.

The Encaustic Art Institute will have an Opening for Member Artists Show May 5th from 1PM - 6PM at the EAI in Cerrillos. The EAI permanent collection is in the gallery, open to the public Saturday and Sunday, 1-6 PM until September.

Now you know what that pyramid is to the east of the Turquoise Hwy between Madrid and Santa Fe.

Spring Wildflowers in the Monte Largo Mountains

2012-04-27T09:02:00.001-06:00

Dakota Vervain Verbena bipinnatifida

Wednesday afternoon, before all the fierce wind hit Thursday, I took a hike to check on what's blooming in the Monte Largo mountains. I took the trail off Gaddis Rd. in Sandia Knolls. It was about 78 degrees F, partly cloudy, a nice day to walk in the juniper-pinon forest about 6700-7000 ft. elevation.

The trail off Gaddis Road is not marked except by some large boulders on the north side of the road. It starts across the street and NE from 12 Gaddis Rd. This trail follows an arroyo through forest and meadowlands up to a saddle in the Monte Largo Mountains where trails go off into different directions.

Bernalillo County has established a small area north of Sandia Knolls neighborhood as Open Space. In addition, land owners in adjoining areas NE of the Open Space have allowed access and trails to this natural area for hikers, horseback riders and bicyclists. No motor-driven traffic is allowed.

This trail features rocky outcroppings with
Hedgehog Cacti and Banana Yucca

Red-stemmed Filaree or Heronbill Erodium circutarium, is a member of the Geranium family and is always one of the earliest spring flowers to bloom

The spring weather has been delightfully warm. Our last freeze was about 2 weeks ago. I saw a lot of wildflowers that were blooming, some are 3-4 weeks earlier than normal.

Wide-winged Spring Parsley Cymopterus purpurascens or this might be Wafer Parsnip Cymopterius constancei

This early spring flower of the Parsley family had already bloomed and gone to seed.

I returned May 1st and found Chimajá Cymopterus acaulis var. fendleri

Chimajá has a long taproot with petiole leaves borne on a false stem

This Chimajá is about to bloom

The flowers will be umbrels of tiny, individual yellow flowers springing up from their bracts

A Milkvetch Astragalus var., not sure of the species

Perky Sue Tetraneuris argentea

This cut in the arroyo shows the thick root system of Blue Grama grass, the extremely xeric native grass that survives on as little as 6 inches of rain a year. Blue Grama is New Mexico's State Grass. I use Blue Grama grass and Buffalo Grass for my yard. It goes brown when dormant in winter, but it is now nice and green.

Baby Asters

Scarlet Globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea

Northern Rock Jasmine Androsace septentrionalis

Pale Wolfberry Lycium pallidum

Scarlet Hedgehog Cactus Echincereus coccineus, one of many along this trail, are found profusely growing on the east-facing slopes

Datil or Banana Yucca Yucca baccata is New Mexico's State Flower

Foothills Paintbrush Castilleja integra

Slim Vetch Vicia ludoviciana Nutt.

New Mexico Locust Robinia neomexicana - not blooming yet

Gambel Oak Quercus gambelii is a common tree in these hills.
This scrub oak is just beginning to green up.

Wax Current Ribes cereum

Santa Fe Phlox Phlox Nana

Cutflower Puccoon or Fringed Gromwell
Lithospermum incisum

Dwarf Lousewort Pedicularis centranthera

Golden Smoke Corydalis aurea

Scarlet Hedgehog Cactus Echincereus coccineus

Perky Sue is one of the earliest Asters in the spring

Stickseed Lappula redowskii with tiny white flowers is blooming everywhere

Landowners have done a lot of clearing of dead trees that were killed off during the last Bark Beetle infestation in 2002-2004. Today, there are nice meadows with grasses and wildflowers returning.

Looking southwest toward the Sandia Mountains

Small-flowered Milk Vetch or Nuttall Loco Astragalus nuttallianus

Hedgehog cactus and Santa Fe Phlox

Fendler's Penstemon or Purple Foxglove Penstemon fendleri

Spreading Fleabane Erigeron divergens

Horned Lizard or Horny Toad

My home is at 6900 ft. elevation. Here are some pictures of the Monte Largo mountains looking northeast from my home.

Monte Largo in summer

Monte Largo in winter

The Beautiful Face of Democracy in Myanmar

2012-04-02T15:02:00.003-06:00

Aung San Suu Kyi

After more than two decades of dictatorial rule by the Myanmar military, the world heralds the success of Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy in Myanmar (Burma) in winning at least 40 of the 45 open seats in parliment in yesterday's election.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Myanmar in December, 2011 as the US began talks to restore diplomatic relations with Myanmar. President Obama has advocated the use of peaceful and diplomatic measures over the use of military actions to move authoritarian regimes toward democracy .
The Obama administration is cautiously endorsing the recent elections as a positive step toward the restoration of democracy in Burma. It has been the ordinary people of Burma that have kept the hope of democracy alive for more than 20 years even as the people and their leaders were imprisoned, tortured and murdered for taking a brave stand for feedom.

Transforming Suffering

2012-03-25T11:28:00.000-06:00

Thich Nhat Hanh

In Buddhist thought, we recognize the existence of suffering as a human condition and that we can arise from suffering. Essential teachings of the Buddha are the concepts of impermanence, non-self, and nirvana, called the Three Dharma Seals. Here is an excerpt from Thich Nhat Hanh's teaching on the Three Dharma Seals:

Nothing remains the same for two consecutive moments. Heraclitus said we can never bathe twice in the same river. Confucius, while looking at a stream, said, "It is always flowing, day and night." The Buddha implored us not just to talk about impermanence, but to use it as an instrument to help us penetrate deeply into reality and obtain liberating insight. We may be tempted to say that because things are impermanent, there is suffering. But the Buddha encouraged us to look again. Without impermanence, life is not possible. How can we transform our suffering if things are not impermanent? How can our daughter grow up into a beautiful young lady? How can the situation in the world improve? We need impermanence for social justice and for hope.

If you suffer, it is not because things are impermanent. It is because you believe things are permanent. when a flower dies, you don't suffer much, because you understand that flowers are impermanent. But you cannot accept the impermanence of your beloved one, and you suffer deeply when she passes away.

If you look deeply into impermanence, you will do your best to make her happy right now. Aware of impermanence, you become positive, loving and wise. Impermanence is good news. Without impermanence, nothing would be possible. With impermanence, every door is open for change. Instead of complaining, we should say, "Long live impermanence!" Impermanence is an instrument for our liberation.

The second Dharma Seal is non-self. If you believe in a permanent self, a self that exists forever, a separate, independent self, your belief cannot be described as Buddhist. Impermanence is from the point of view of space. When we look more and more deeply at the notions of self, person, living being and life span, we discover that there are no boundaries between self and non-self, person and non-person, living being and non-living being, life span and non-life span. When we take a step on the green earth, we are aware that we are made of air, sunshine, minerals and water, that we are a child of earth and sky, linked to all other beings, both animate and inanimate. This is the practice of non-self. The Buddha invites us to dwell in mindfulness in the concentrations (samadhi) of interbeing, non-self and impermanence.

The third Dharma Seal is nirvana, which means "extinction," the extinction of afflictions and notions. Human beings' three basic afflictions are craving, hatred and ignorance. Ignorance (avidya), the inability to understand reality, is the most fundamental of these. Because we are ignorant, we crave for things that destroy us, and we get angry at many things. We try to grasp the world of our projections, and we suffer.

Nirvana, the extinction of all afflictions, represent the birth of freedom. The extinction of one thing always bring about the birth of something else. When darkness is extinguished, light comes forth. When suffering is removed, peace and happiness are always there.

At a Sangha meeting, I was listening to a DVD talk from my teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. I especially was struck by the perception of "discrimination" that the human mind engages in to see ourselves apart from the earth, other beings, and other conditions. I realize that I (I as Ego) frequently see the other person or thing as not like me, or may even see the "other" as my opponent, competition, or enemy. I may then use my power to subdue, subvert, or control the other. However, the mental formations I act upon may be a wrong view. My "ego" is really a collection of mental formations that do not reflect what is reality, but rather is a reflection of both positive and negative formations that are in my mind consciousness that I am often unaware of. Thich Nhat Hanh teaches "Engaged Buddhism" to help us to see the essence of interconnection of all things through the use of mindfulness practices, especially meditation, using the breath to focus our minds on what is. Here is an excerpt from Thich Nhat Hanh's dharma talk in Vietnam in 2008 on mental formations (the thoughts, beliefs, and feelings within our mind) and how they manifest and affect our well-being:

There is a technical term, formation (Skt. Samskara), Buddha said that all formations are impermanent, always changing, you can distinguish between physical formation, biological formations and mental formations, a flower is a formation because many elements has come together in order to help flower to manifest. you see the cloud, sunshine, the seed, soil, farmer, the gardener and many elements that had come together in order to help the flower to manifest, that is why a flower is called a formation.

That formation called flower is impermanent, it is always changing. When I looked at my hand, I know this is also a formation, many elements has come together in order to help my hand to manifest; ancestor, mother, father, food, water, experience, and so on; many elements come together to help my hand to manifest as a biological formation, my body is a formation (Skt. Kayasamskara).

When I have anger, joy, forgiveness, irritation, depression, peace, they all are mental formations. Mental formation are also impermanent, our emotion, feeling perception, are all mental formation, all mental formations are impermanent, not only physical formation are impermanent but physiological and biological are also impermanent, all formations are impermanent, statement made by The Buddha. When we observe one formation we can see the nature of impermanent in each formation.

We want to talk about the mental formation this morning....there are positive or wholesome mental formation like compassion, loving kindness, joy, forgiveness, mindfulness, concentration, insight, there are many wholesome wonderful mental formation in us. The practice is to recognize our positive mental formation in us and help them to manifest.

We also have negative mental formation, like craving, anger, hate, violence, jealousy; and the practice is consist of refraining from touching them or refraining from watering these seeds of unwholesomeness so they don't have a chance to manifest.

* * * *

Our consciousness consist of at least two layers, down here we have store consciousness, and up here we have mind consciousness, all the seed are here, wholesome and unwholesome.... When the seed of anger is watered, it manifest itself up here in the realm of mind consciousness as a mental formation, down here [in store consciousness] is only a seed.

The mindfulness is invited up in the mental formation as a kind of energy to recognize the other mental formation, we called it a practice of mindfulness of anger, mindfulness is always a mindfulness of something, when you breath mindfully this is called mindfulness of breathing, when you walk mindfully that is a mindfulness of walking, when you are angry aware that you are angry, that is a mindfulness of anger.

Those who doesn't has a practice they only has anger mental formation, they allow the energy anger to cause a lot of damages, for those of us who has a practice, we will not let the anger alone, we are always invite the mindfulness to come up to take care of anger, anger is still there but mindfulness is already there in order to take care of anger, this is the practice of mindfulness of the anger.

If the seed of depression is coming up, we suffer, the landscape of mind consciousness is not peaceful, is not happy, when depression is manifested, we should know how to invite the seed of mindfulness to manifest, the energy of mindfulness will recognize the energy of depression, there is no fighting between the two kinds of energy, because the job of mindfulness is to recognize things as they are, then to embrace whatever is there in a very tender way, like a mother embraces a child, when the child is suffered, the mother is working in the kitchen but she hears the baby cry, she know that the baby is suffering, so she goes into the baby room and she pick the baby up, she hold the baby tenderly in her arm, and the energy of tenderness from the mother begin to penetrate into the body of the child, and after a few moment the child feels better, this also happened in the practice of mindfulness.

With the practice of mindfulness breathing and walking, we generate the energy of mindfulness, the seed of mindfulness become the mental formation of mindfulness, with this energy we recognize the other energy and we can embrace other energy with tenderness, there are no fighting, there are only supporting, helping, buddhist meditation based on non-duality and non-violence.

Non-duality means, not only mindfulness is you but anger also is you; not only mindfulness is you but depression is also you, so you are taking care of yourself, you are not fighting against yourself, that is why we said that buddhist meditation is based on the principle of non-duality, you are both anger and mindfulness, no fighting is needed, you only need to recognize, you only need to embrace tenderly.

There is no attempt to suppress, to fight, and therefor the practice is non-violence. Non-duality lead to non-violence.

When we have a feeling, pleasant or unpleasant, or neutral; as a practitioner be become aware of that feeling, you recognize the feeling, you accept the feeling as it is, you don't have the intention to fight, whether the feeling is pleasant or unpleasant, or mix; to become aware of the mental formation is the practice, there is a river of feeling flowing day and night in us, a practitioner is there in order to recognize every feeling when it manifest, as it stay for sometime and die down, that is the practice of contemplation of the feeling.

[In] the four foundations of mindfulness sutra, Buddha advised us to focus on our body first, the in breath and out breath belong to our body, so mindfulness of breathing belong to the first realm of the practice.

When I practice breathing in I'm aware of my body, breathing out I release the tension, I'm dealing with my body as a object of mindfulness, when I practice total deep relaxation, I become aware every part of my body, I bring relaxation to every part of the body that belong to the realm of the realm of practice contemplation the body inside the body.

I aware the feeling and emotion, feeling and emotion maybe pleasant or unpleasant, but we should be there as a practitioner in order to recognize and to take good care, like a mother take good care to her baby, If that is a pleasant feeling, you say to yourself breathing in I'm aware the pleasant feeling is in me, we should not identify ourself with the pleasant feeling and allow it to carry us away.

If it is a painful feeling, you say to yourself, breathing in I'm aware of the unpleasant painful feeling, just become aware of that feeling, this is very important, non violence, non duality. In the case of mother embracing holding the baby tenderly, few minutes later, the painful will be lessen, you get a relief after having hold tenderly the painful feeling with energy of mindfulness (the mother), the painful feeling (baby).

Just be there for your child, recognize the suffering, hold your child tenderly and after few minutes you get a relief, so mindfulness has the function to recognize then to hold and to bring relief.

The energy of mindfulness carry the energy of concentration, when you mindful of the flower, if you maintain you mindfulness alive for a long time, concentration begin to be powerful, so mindfulness lead to concentration, with concentration you can take deep look into the nature what is there, that is deeper level of meditation, first you recognize than you can look deeper, if you look deeply with concentration, you discover the root (very nature) of what it is, with that kind of insight, that kind of understanding you can liberated from that kind of sorrow, pain, anger, and despair.

Mindfulness is a kind of energy that contain within itself, the energy of concentration, and the energy of concentration contain within yourself, the energy of insight, insight is the factor of liberation, in Buddhism we do not speak salvation by grace, but salvation by insight, insight comes only when you have strong a concentration, in order to nourish and cultivate concentration we should practice mindfulness; mindfulness, concentration, and insight are the heart of Buddhist meditation, this is the 3 kind of energy that we can cultivate in every moment of our daily life, while breathing, walking, washing, driving, cooking, this energy can cultivate at anytime and anywhere, even when you drive your car, it is still possible for you to practice mindfulness driving, and concentration, you don't need to go into a monastery in order to practice mindfulness, concentration and insight. Although the atmosphere of the monastery is very supportive to that kind of practice.

It is very important to learn how to use the energy of mindfulness in order to recognize the painful feeling, painful emotion in us, not only we can bring about a relief but we can also practice looking deeply into the nature of feeling of the emotion in order to get the insight, once we get the insight we are liberated from that painful emotion, fear, despair, and anger.

When we speak about engaged buddhism, we speak a kind of buddhism that is present in our daily life and moment. firstly when they heard about engaged buddhism, they think of fighting for social justice, fighting for human right, organizing demonstration and so on, that is not true, that is part of the practice, but not the basic part, the basic part is to have the practice alive in very moment of your daily life, you should be there in order to attend to what is happening in here and now, in the realm of the body, realm of mind, the realm of environment.

So, engaged Buddhism is to response to what is happening in body, mind, and environment, this is a simple definition, to response to physiological formation, mental formation, and physical formation.

You can watch the entire Dharma talk here. The talk begins at 11.30 minutes, after the chanting.

On Becoming the President of the United States of America

2012-03-18T13:46:00.000-06:00

We Americans are in the midst of selecting our President for the next four years. There is a contentious battle for the Republican choice to run for President in November, 2012. Democrats already have a candidate: Barack Hussein Obama, the incumbent President. There will be hundreds of millions of dollars spent by candidates and their supporters on both sides. Why is there so much at stake for a job that pays an annual salary of $400,000 per year and may last only four years? How many of a candidate's promises will be kept? Do the men (or women) we elect to the Presidency change as a matter of choice or necessity when they become the President of the United States of America?

My friend, Price, who helped to elect Barack Obama in 2008, sent me an email to check out the March issue of The Atlantic to read an analysis of President Obama (and the institution of the Presidency including why past Presidents fail or succeed). I thought it was worth sharing. Here's one excerpt from the article by James Fallows:

We judge presidents by the specific expectations they ask to be measured against: inspiration (Kennedy, Reagan, Obama), competence and experience (Eisenhower, the first George Bush), strategic cunning (Johnson, Nixon), integrity and personal probity (Carter), inclusiveness and empathy (Clinton), unshakable resolve (the second Bush). But eventually each is judged against his predecessors, a process that properly starts with a reminder that all begin their terms ill-equipped, in ways that hindsight tends to obscure.

The sobering realities of the modern White House are: All presidents are unsuited to office, and therefore all presidents fail in certain crucial aspects of the job. All betray their supporters and provoke bitter criticism from their own side at some point in their term. And all are mis-assessed while in office, for reasons that typically depend more on luck and historical accident than on factors within their control. These realities do not excuse Obama’s failings, but they do put his evolution in perspective.

Presidents fail because not to fail would require, in the age of modern communications and global responsibilities, a range of native talents and learned skills no real person has ever possessed. These include “smarts” in the normal sense—the analytical ability to cope with the stream of short- and long-term decisions that come at a president nonstop. (How serious is the latest provocation out of North Korea? What are the “out year” budget implications of a change in Medicaid repayment formulas?) A president needs rhetorical clarity and eloquence, so that he can explain to publics at home and around the world the intent behind his actions and—at least as important—so that everyone inside the administration understands his priorities clearly enough that he does not have to wade into every little policy fight to enforce his preferences.

A president needs empathy and emotional intelligence, so that he can prevail in political dealings with his own party and the opposition in Washington, and in face-to-face negotiations with foreign leaders, who otherwise will go away saying that this president is “weak” and that the country’s leadership role is suspect. He needs to be confident but not arrogant; open-minded but not a weather vane; resolute but still adaptable; historically minded but highly alert to the present; visionary but practical; personally disciplined but not a prig or martinet. He should be physically fit, disease-resistant, and capable of being fully alert at a moment’s notice when the phone rings at 3 a.m.—yet also able to sleep each night, despite unremitting tension and without chemical aids.

-from The Atlantic, March, 2012

Here is another excerpt from The Atlantic article on President Obama and the current political situation he faces in Congress and the Senate:

If Obama really thought that America had moved past partisan division, then he was too innocent for the job. But part of political leadership is being able to project a positive idealism that you know is at odds with the real world. I am ready to believe that Obama adopted this faux-harmonious tone, apart from its being his natural register, as a way to win the election, and as a marker for what he hoped America could become, and—crucially—that once in office, he maintained it as a sound position for himself as he moved toward reelection. Late last year, he also applied it with chess-master skill against the congressional Republicans, in daring them to let the widely popular payroll-tax cut expire at the start of an election year. They backed off, and when the dust settled, the Republicans found themselves at an unaccustomed political disadvantage. Having secured an agreement on government funding for the rest of the year, Obama had taken one of their favorite tools, the threat of a government shutdown, out of their hands through the campaign season. And after three years of seeming to shy from “partisan” rhetoric, he began linking the slate of GOP presidential contenders to the Tea Party–dominated Republican Congress, whose approval ratings were far worse than his own.

The payoff for Obama in a strategy of remaining Mr. Reasonable is the prospect of occupying the acceptable center, as the Tea Party spins the Republican Party off to the extreme. The risk is that even if the Republicans make themselves unpopular through filibuster and obstruction, they make Obama look weak—and that’s worse.

Obama’s future, and his effectiveness, depend on that balance, whose results we will see this year. My impression from recent evidence is that he has found his footing, and has come to understand how to use the constrained but still real powers of a president facing congressional opposition—just in time. The most enlightening document I found for assessing Obama’s recent moves turns out to be 66 years old.

This is a memorandum that James H. Rowe Jr., a Harvard-trained lawyer who had been Oliver Wendell Holmes’s last law clerk on the Supreme Court and after World War II was a young official at the Bureau of the Budget, wrote to President Harry Truman soon after the midterm elections of 1946. In that election, the Republicans gained 55 seats in the House and 12 in the Senate, to take control of both houses for the first time since before the New Deal. Truman was if anything less prepared, for more overwhelming responsibilities, than Obama was. Three months after he unexpectedly became president upon Franklin Roosevelt’s death, he had to decide on the use of atomic weapons whose very existence FDR had never let him know about. After that came management of post-war Europe and Asia. But the fundamentals of Truman’s political situation, as described in Rowe’s memo, are amazingly similar to those Obama now faces.

Rowe tells Truman that, with the Republican victory, he should be prepared for obstruction and nonstop partisan stalemate, not because of strategic mistakes on his side but because this is the basic nature of the American system. Anyone who thinks that American politics is more embattled “than ever,” as I am often tempted to, should read this memo (and Samuel Popkin’s exegesis of it, in The Candidate).

Rowe points out that when an opposing party holds Congress, it will always view weakening the president as its paramount goal. It will launch as many congressional investigations as possible, in hopes of finding scandal in an administration or at least distracting its appointees. It will block nominations and try to frustrate a president’s attempts to keep the executive branch operational. Its leaders will define “compromise” as the president’s accepting all of their demands and abandoning his own. If the leaders of Congress do finally strike a deal with the administration, a president should be wary. The “simple fact” about most deals with a congressional opposition, he writes, is that “they just won’t work under the American two-party system”:

For “cooperation” is a one-way street. The President can discipline the Executive Branch sufficiently by exercising his right to hire and fire; he can force it to cooperate. The Republican leaders may agree to have co-equal responsibility for executing the agreements reached on policy but they do not have co-equal power “to deliver” … [Congress] has no parliamentary discipline … for a very simple reason—Congressmen are not representatives of all the people; they represent only their own districts or sections and the particular pressure groups within those sections which are vital to them. No Congressional leader can commit his party because no commitments are binding upon the Members except those they may personally make to their own sections.

Negative discipline, of the kind that Mitch McConnell has exercised to keep Senate Republicans voting as a bloc against Obama’s proposals, is easier to maintain than positive discipline, of the kind Newt Gingrich wielded temporarily over his Republican majority. That is the exception. A president “should first of all accept the inevitability that formal cooperation is unworkable,” Rowe concludes. “Despite his sincere desire to cooperate, he should accept the verdict of the politicians, of history, and of the disinterested students of government.” - The Atlantic, March, 2012

So how does the leader of the free world translate his campaign promises into successfully implemented policy and legislation? What do you think about James Fallows' observations and conclusions?

Film Review: A Separation - Best Foreign Language Film (2012)

2012-03-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

My husband and I go to the movies frequently. We usually try to see the majority of films up for an Oscar. We pick films to see based on reviews, interesting story lines, favorite directors and actors. We also see a number of previews for films but trailers for two of the films we saw this year (The Artist and A Separation), didn't motivate us at all to see the films. We went due to the buzz, film reviews, and film awards. We checked out The Artist the day before the Oscars and found it to be a "snooze fest" and certainly would not have selected it for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, etc. It did not live up to the hype for the Top Oscars, but then that is our opinion. Generally, we do like to be entertained but The Artist was gimicky, down to the blurred quality of the black and white film to enhance a "dated" look. This film would not have been a stand-out even in the 1920's or 1930's, it's story and ending predictable. The "hook" was of course the use of an archaic genre (silent film) to create something "new and different" in cinema. I apparently was not the only one disappointed.

My husband and I saw A Separation at the cinema last night. I was intrigued to see the Oscar's Best Foreign Language Film after watching the genuine and heartfelt acceptance speech of it's director, Asghar Farhadi. We both enjoyed the film very much, and consider it to be one of the best we've seen in the past year. We also very much enjoyed Midnight In Paris and were pleased that it's director and writer, Woody Allen, received Best Original Screenplay although in competition with Asghar Farhadi who was also nominated for his original screenplay for A Separation.

A Separation is not a happy film to watch, with it's sadness of a family broken apart by uncontrollable circumstances and competing life choices, but it is highly engaging and thought-provoking. The direction, the acting, the story, and the camera-work are all top notch. It is sub-titled and following the rapidly spoken dialogue for non-Farsi speakers is sometimes difficult, but should not be an impediment for anyone familiar with sub-titled films. The film's approach to making the viewer be the judge of events and an eventual ultimate decision may be disconcerting to someone who wants the film to "finish the story". Overall, the film provides a compelling portrayal of middle-class Iranian life and the culture of an Islamic-centered society that overlays the social interaction, the relations between men and women, the courts, education and economy of present-day Iran. The humanity of the central characters come through perfectly and the American viewer can well relate to the weight of the problems faced by the two families portrayed. One family faces the care of an aging parent with dementia while trying to improve their lives, while another family that is facing difficult economic and mental health issues intersects with the first family with spiralling out-of control results. I could not help being sympathetic to their lives and wishing them well. There is no cultural disconnect here except perhaps for the theocratic domination of people's lives. Americans may feel uncomfortable with the religious overlay of life in modern-day Iran, especially how it governs the day-to-day lives of women. I found it to be revealing of how individual freedom is constricted when religion and the State are no longer separated. In Iran, one must call a "religious" counselor to determine one's proper behavior in order to avoid "commiting a sin" even when a female care-taker must change the soiled pants of a male Alzheimer's patient. And the desire to protect one's family members or one's own soul from misfortune and damnation prevent one from swearing on the Koran to the veracity of events even though it destroys your own family economically and socially. Ultimately, the conflict between making the best personal choice and the preservation of one's personal integrity is what this story is about.

After leaving the theater, my husband and I were eager to talk about the film. He compared the inhabitants of Iran to his experience with Russia and the former Soviet Union, in their living a life confined to the "four corners" of a highly-defined political culture and reality. I was struck by the limitation on personal freedom of a theocracy and immediately brought up my fears of a Rick Santorum-led theocractic movement in our own country. Needless to say, that stopped all further discussion between my conservative husband and liberal me. It's a pity that the extreme factionalism of our current national politics prevent us from calmly and openly discussing such issues. I suspect that is how Iran's society came to be the way it is.

Death Valley - Hidden Jewel of American National Parks

2012-03-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

Zabriskie Point in October

Now is the time to visit Death Valley, a largely unknown treasure of US National Parks, having less than 1 million visitors a year. In the late winter and early Spring, Death Valley has moderate temperatures (not too cold, not too hot), but it can be very windy. In mid-March and April, wildflowers usually cover the desert for a few short weeks. Unfortunately, lack of rainful this past winter makes for a poor wildflower forecast for Spring, 2012. I have never visited Death Valley in the summer when temperatures soar above 120 degrees F. and do not recommend it to anyone.

Badwater at dawn (Oct, 2009)

Zabriskie Point

Badwater at dawn - Lowest point in the USA 282 Ft. below sea level

Zabriskie Point - One of the first landmarks on the eastern side of Death Valley coming from Las Vegas via car or tour bus

Ron viewing Zabriskie Point

I first went to Death Valley as child in the 1950's when it was still only designated as a National Monument. In 1994, it was expanded to more than 3.3 million acres and upgraded to a National Park. Here are some photos from my visit in 1967 after it was designated a National Park:

My grandmother, I and my mother - Dante's View in 1967

Me in 1967 at Ubehebe Crater

Scotty's Castle in my 1967 visit

I've been to many National Parks in the USA. Death Valley is one of my favorites, ranking behind Yellowstone NP and equal to the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Parks. I tend to like parks with interesting geology. Death Valley offers a vast and panoramic landscape with surreal images of colorful canyons and unusal geologic formations.

Salt deposits from ancient dry lake on valley floor

Zabriskie Point's sedimentary and volcanic ash layers bent and folded by earthquakes

Take your camera or your paintbrush and record the beautiful scenes you will not see all in one place like Death Valley. From Badwater at 282 ft. below Sea Level and the Devil's Golf Course and Zabriskie Point in the mid-section of Death Valley to the eccentrically elegant Scotty's Castle and deep Ubehebe Crater in the north end of Death Valley, you should plan on driving many hours a day for your visit. Only 2 hours from Las Vegas, Nevada, Death Valley still needs at least an overnight stay to enjoy what it has to offer. Make sure you have reservations for lodging or a campground in advance of a March or April visit as this is Death Valley's busiest season along with October-November.

Death Valley has lodging, gas stations, stores, restaurants, RV parking and campgrounds. The Furnace Creek Ranch has resort facilities including an RV Park, horseback riding, swimming pool, tennis, golf, and family and fine dining restaurants. If you do not own a 4WD and wish to go exploring on jeep trails, you can rent a jeep at Furnace Creek Resort.

The wonderful website Desert USA has a Death Valley Introductory Package for purchase in advance of an exploratory adventure of more than one day. This Park needs a minimum of three days to see the highlights, and a minimum of 5-7 days to enjoy all the Park has to offer, especially if you plan to hike, bike, or 4WD the more remote canyons and mountains.

Next weekend (March 9-11), NASA is partnering with Death Valley to have its first ever Mars and the Mojave Festival :

"Death Valley NP is a lot like Mars. That's why scientists are partnering with the park to celebrate a three-day, free public festival titled Mars and the Mojave: Exploring extremes on Earth and beyond, scheduled for March 9-11, 2012....Visitors to Death Valley National Park during the festival will enjoy scientist-hosted field trips to analog sites like Mars Hill, Badwater salt flats, and the Ubehebe crater field.An expo on the lawn of the park's newly renovated Visitor Center will feature booths from various NASA centers, universities, and non-profit organizations, as well as mini-Curiosity Rover demonstrations, scientist talks, and free souvenirs.After-lunch lectures and an evening panel will provide the public with more in-depth perspectives on planetary research in National Parks and around the globe, as well as a discussion about the relevance of space science. The festival concludes on Sunday afternoon featuring a talk on the future of planetary exploration, on earth and beyond." - Excerpted from Death Valley NP website.

Looking at Death Valley north from Dante's View

Be sure to take the tour of Scotty's Castle

The Devil's Golf Course - salt formations on valley floor

Mandy Celebrates Her 30th Birthday

2012-03-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

Amanda (Mandy) turned 30 last week. She is my first child, born in 1982. I am twice her age. She organized a big party in Albuquerque with a 1982 Prom Theme to celebrate her milestone.

Amanda at 30.

Matt, Mary, Pam and Brian

Amanda and DJ Kossi

Blowing out the birthday candles

Amanda's sister Mary at birthday 80's Prom Night Party

I threw a big party to celebrate my milestone (60th Birthday). I guess we mark these milestones because we don't know how long we'll be here. Every photograph we take captures a moment in our lives that is meaningful. Below are pictures from Amanda's life.

Amanda in 1982 with her father, Mark, at our home in San Diego

Here Amanda is on her father's back at a union picket in front of General Dynamics in San Diego. She began attending union meetings at 3 months old.

Amanda at 1 year old in San Diego, California

Summer of 1984, San Simeon Beach, California

Amanda "reading" in 1983 in San Diego

Sister Mary at Amanda's 4th Birthday (1986)

Mandy and her Dad (1983)

Mandy swimming with the Copley YMCA Swim Team (1989)

In Fishersville, Virginia, visiting Grandparents (1984)

Hiking in the Cuyamaca Mountains (1985)

Mandy at Disneyland with sister Mary (1991)

Showing off her Swim Pentathalon Trophy (San Diego, ca. 1992)

Middle School in San Diego (1995)

Running Cross Country for Mission Bay High School (1997)

Amanda in backyard of Clairemont home (2004)

Senior Prom Night (1999)

Mary and Amanda, Girl's Water Polo Team, Mission Bay High School (1998)

Amanda visiting old family home in Virginia (1997)

Amanda and Mary drifting on Merced River, Yosemite National Park (1996)

Amanda in Toulumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park (1996)

Mary and Amanda in Portola State Park, Santa Cruz Mountains (ca. 1992) - that's a Banana Slug in Mary's hand.

Senior Year, Mission Bay High School, 1998-99

Amanda at Grand Canyon (1986) with Mary and father, Mark

Amanda at High School CIF Swimming Championships (1999)

1999 Graduate of Mission Bay High School

La Jolla Cove (1998)

Amanda and mom at Grand Canyon, May, 2000
on our way home from Drury University in Springfield, Missouri

Ashley and Amanda, Sonoma State University Graduation (2007)

Amanda and Step-father, Ron, at college Graduation Dinner, 2007

Aunt Jeanne, Cousin Tracy, and Amanda at graduation luncheon in Sonoma (May, 2007)

Amanda moved to New Mexico in 2007

Amanda at Santa Fe International Folk Market (2011)

Mary and Amanda at Amanda's 29th Birthday Breakfast at Barelas Coffee Shop in Albuquerque (February, 2011)

Amanda striking a meditative pose at my home
in Sandia Park, New Mexico

Amanda at adobe ruin at La Madera, New Mexico (2009)

Amanda in Manitoba Springs, Colorado in January, 2012

There's so much more waiting for you. Enjoy the next 30 years! And always be in the moment, experiencing life as it is with each breath you take. Love, Mom

Facts About Firewood for Woodstoves and Fireplaces In New Mexico

2012-02-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

These cool mornings I get up and light a fire in the woodstove first thing, turning off the central heating by 6:30AM when my "on-peak" electricity rates of 15 cents/Kwh kick in. My kindling is usually small branches of Pinyon. The smell of Pinyon burning is sweet and aromatic. There's nothing quite like the intoxicating smell of Pinyon Pine burning in the air of New Mexico.

I then add cut lengths of well-seasoned Juniper, both One Seed Juniper and Alligator Juniper. They burn hot, quickly warming the main rooms of house. The smell of Juniper is also very aromatic, similar to cedar smoke. Sometimes New Mexicans call our local juniper Cedar and the interior of the gray-barked wood is sometimes red like cedar.

Pinyon trees in Manzanita Mountains just east of Albuquerque

Pinyon trees in my front yard

One-Seed Juniper (more than 100 years old) in my front yard

One-seed Junipers in Bear Canyon in northeast side of Albuquerque

Alligator Juniper with it's distinctive alligator skin bark

The wood of the One Seed Juniper burns the hottest of our native woods with a value of 21,958 BTU's per cord of dry wood. The Gamble Oak is the next hottest with a value of 21,163 BTU's per cord. Utah Juniper and Pinon Pine (Pinus edulis) follow with 20,149 and 18,737 BTU's per cord respectively and Alligator Juniper has a heat value of 17,288 BTU's per cord. The softer firewood available in New Mexico with lower heat values include Douglas Fir (15,330 BTU's), White Fir (14,212 BTU's), Ponderosa Pine (14,085 BTU's), Aspen (12,576 BTU's), and Englemann Spruce (10,880 BTU's) per cord.

Purchasing Firewood: If you don't cut your own wood, you can always get it from a firewood dealer. A full cord is 128 cubic feet and is usually measured stacked 4x4x8 feet. Sometimes an advertised cord of wood may only be a face cord which is only 1/3 of a full cord. Some wood sellers with a pick-up truck of wood for sale along the roadside only have a face cord which measures 4 feet tall by eight feet long, but is only one length of cut wood deep, usually 16-18 inches, once you stack it. When you have it dumped in a pile at your home, you may not know that it is not a full cord until you stack it. Ponderosa pine is usually about $160-180 a cord, but as I said, often it is not a full cord. Mixed pine and juniper is about $170-185. Juniper is about $185-200. Oak runs about $220-240. This should include delivery but not stacking. Expect to pay about $20-40 for stacking. Make sure the wood is well split and the proper length for your stove. It's such a pain to find you must cut and split the wood once you get it delivered. You can order wood from a reliable wood seller, pick it up yourself or have it delivered. Each season, beginning in late summer, wood sellers park their trucks in parking areas or along roads to sell their wood. Make sure the wood is well seasoned (at least one year from being cut). A few unsrupulous wood sellers along the highways may have a cheap price for their truckload, but they may have cut the wood recently and illegally. Unseasoned wood will yield 18% less heat and quickly build up creosote within your chimney or stove pipe that may start a dangerous chimney fire. Through "trial and error, I have found reliable wood sellers with a good product along the roads in the East Mountains where I live and I take their card or name and number to reorder. My last two deliveries were a full cord of well-seasoned juniper, delivered and stacked for $220. More firewood facts for residents of New Mexico who burn wood for heat are here.

Storage of Your Wood: Cover your wood to keep it dry and off the ground. If you are in a rural area and there is a danger of wildfire, keep the main wood pile at least 30 feet from buildings as part of your defensible space plan.

Building and Maintaining a Fire: When I first got my wood stove (a Pacific Energy high efficiency wood stove), I wasn't certain about its operation and how to start and maintain a fire. I found excellent information on the internet and particularly from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

The Cost Advantage of Wood for Energy: Through the use of our woodstove during winter, along with a "Time of Use" meter installed by our electric co-op to take advantage of lower demand of electricity (2/3 of our electrical use is "non-peak" at 5 cents per Kwh), we have lowered our overall energy bill by 25-30%. The heat is warmer than that from our heater, the dancing flames are delightful, and the smell of pinyon and juniper is sensual!

Skiing and Snowboarding in Breckenridge for President's Day Weekend

2012-02-22T13:37:00.002-07:00

Over the past long weekend, my daughters and their friends, Marissa and Chris, gathered in Breckenridge, Colorado for a reunion and some winter sports. Marissa and Mary have been best friends for 20 years since they lived on the same street in Clairemont (a neighborhood in San Diego, CA).

Amanda, Mary, and Marissa with me in Clairemont (c. 1992)

After meeting each other in college, Marissa and Chris got married in Jamaica three years ago. Mary was there for Marissa as her maid of honor. These days Chris and Marissa live in Ft. Collins, CO and Mary lives in Albuquerque, NM -- so this was a great chance to get everyone together again.

Marissa and Chris

I had exchanged my September timeshare week for this February ski week with another owner at French Ridge. Weather was mixed - windy, sunny, cold, and snowy. My girls snowboarded. Marissa and Chris skied. Everyone relaxed in the hot tub.

Mary, Chris, Marissa and Amanda - Ready to go!

Marissa and Amanda were the last to come off the mountain.

Mary done ... "Give me a lift home!"

Marissa and Amanda calling it a day

Check out the awesome snowboarding at Breck on this You Tube video (no, this is not us):

Or skiing at Breck (OK, this is definitely not us):

Marissa cooked some awesome meals with wholesome and natural ingredients she brought with her.

We cooked all our meals in the condo and saved a lot of money. Plus, the food was the best! French toast, breakfast burritos, eggs and bacon, oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. Baked macaroni and cheese, chicken and rice, tacos, broccoli, carrots, tossed green salad and sandwiches....yummy!

Amanda's college friend, Brett from Colorado Springs, was in Frisco for the weekend. She came to visit for the afternoon on Sunday.

We returned Tuesday crossing paths halfway in Moffat, CO with my friend Cathy and her son who were on their way to Breckenridge to spend the rest of the week in the condo.

My friend and neighbor, Cathy (in Breckenridge last September), is on the ski patrol at Sandia Ski Resort.

Tuesday was Fat Tuesday and so Breckenridge did have a Mardi Gras Parade that we missed by leaving early. Thanks to You Tube, here it is:

No, I didn't go on the slopes. Since breaking my leg skiing in Angel Fire, NM in 2000, I've only gone skiing one time since. So, not only am I not in shape, I also had my eye surgery a little more than three weeks ago so I have to be careful to not dislodge the corneal graft. The lift passes were also very expensive: $111 for one day (ouch!).

I hope you're having fun this winter, where ever you are.

Who Is Behind All the Propaganda Against President Obama?

2012-02-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

I got another one of those anonymous viral emails "warning us of the Enemy Within" and great disaster awaiting America if we don't get rid of President Obama, this one from my Aunt in North Carolina. The narrative is how the anonymous writer was hosting a BBQ for a Cuban refugee who compares President Obama to Fidel Castro. It goes on to argue that Obama has "nationalized our auto industry" and "stripped GM bondholders of their assets", let "Black Panthers go free because their crimes are against Whites...etc." Here is an excerpt and the ending from the anonymous email where the reader is urged to forward the email or face death under "fascist rule":

We began with a simple discussion about our country, and the direction it has taken since Barack Obama came to power. We shared the usual complaints about the sour economy and liberal social engineering emanating from the rulers in Washington. But then he said it. The sentence came naturally. I assume it was unplanned. But it carried the weight of a freight train. "You know when Castro took power, none of us knew he was a Communist". We sat stunned. He continued, "Yes, we all thought he was a patriot, a nationalist. Before the revolution he didn't sound like a radical." The comparison at this point was easy, and I interjected, "You mean just like Barack Obama?" He responded; "Yes, just like Barack Obama."
****
PLEASE SEND THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!! And...may God save the United States of America ! ...the least you can do is forward this email. 6 million plus Jews didn't believe it would happen in Germany either!!! If you're a Christian in these United States of America, you're next on the list. The real problem here is, the boy from Cuba did manage to make it to the U.S.We will not have any place to escape to...except death! [Anonymous email with subject: "What others often see, we often ignore"]

Where does such an email come from? Are these viral emails the work of a private citizen who honestly wants to alert his friends and family members of a secret plot he has uncovered and the dire consequences to our country if we fail to act? Is this a letter from an earnest patriot who is rallying his fellow citizens to take up arms against a dictatorship? Is this a message to Christians to rise up against Herod, or even worse, the "Anti-Christ"? Or are there other hidden forces at work who want to subvertly influence our selection for the President of the USA?

The Tea Party Movement arose in 2009 just one month after President Obama took office after a democratic election of the people. The election in 2008 was another example of how America resolves its differences through an exercise at the ballot box with majority rule rather than through violent conflict and civil war. Tea Party members like to present themselves as patriots who are seriously concerned about the direction our country is taking as a result of President Obama taking office. A campaign arose questioning his citizenship, his religion, and his values via viral anonymous emails, rallies, legal challenges, and right wing talk shows. Were all these actions the spontaneous out-pouring of the grass roots of America? During the summer of 2009, Town Halls conducted by Congressmen and Senators back in their home districts were subject to angry mobs (some toting guns) who shouted down their elected representatives as they tried to answer questions about pending health care reform legislation. What is the truth behind the headlines? Where is the money coming from to support the anti-government movement that arose as soon as President Obama took office? An Austrailian film maker came to the US to make a documentary about the Tea Party Movement. Here is his film produced in 2011. Take a look at it and tell me what you think.

After you watch this film, if you think the Koch Brothers and their Americans for Prosperity organization threaten American democracy, please send them a message by boycotting their companies' products:

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Old Family Photo Albums and Fading Memories

2012-02-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

Inspired by fellow blogger Troutbirder who posted his fond memories of growing up near Lake Phalen in Minnesota, I decided to post some of the old family photos here. I've been recovering from my eye surgery so have had a couple of weeks off from my job. With the time on my hands, I have begun to scan old family photos to preserve them digitally. I also started to organize my photos into new photo albums. I've found it a challenge to remember the dates, places and faces associated with each photo. Thankfully, some of the photos taken before I was born, had information on them regarding dates and places.

My father in 1940, a young Marine Corps recruit only 18 years old, visiting Tijuana, Mexico

My father did his Marine Corps Basic Training at old Camp Elliot in San Diego County, California.

My father in 1941 at Mission Beach (San Diego)

My father in the Territory of Hawaii in 1943

At Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in 1944, only 21 years old and a veteran of the bloody WW II Battle of Tarawa

My father left the Marine Corps in 1945, only 22 years old and a survivor of WWII that took his oldest brother Richard at the Battle of Tarawa and totally disabled his other brother, Edwin.

My father n Wellington, New Zealand in 1943 (probably before the Battle of Tarawa that he fought in the islands of the South Pacific in November, 1943)

My father after the war, in Los Angeles, 1945

My father and mother just before they married in Yuma, Arizona in February, 1946. This is in Los Angeles with his Uncle Tom and Uncle Bernard

My mother and her girl friends in Los Angeles (1942) where she had moved from Kansas in 1939. She worked as a printer at Moore Business Forms until she joined the Women Marines in 1943.

My father after his discharge from the Marine Corps in 1945 at his Uncle Tom's home in North Hollywood, California. He became an apprentice carpenter and worked for his Uncle Tom building homes in the Los Angles area from 1945-1948.

My mother (c. 1945)

My father (c. 1947) in costume for his photography studio classes

My father and mother's first Christmas card (December, 1946)

My mother as photographed by my father when they both went to photography school in 1947

My father with my sister, Jeanne, in 1949 in Los Angeles.

My mother and father purchased their first home in Baldwin Park, California in 1949 - Cost: $7150.

My sister, Jeanne, and I in 1951.

With two children to take care of, my father had re-enlisted into the Marine Corps for economic security. His sign-up bonus enabled him to buy a home. I'm in my mothers arms while my sister stands at my father's feet in this 1951 photo in Baldwin Park.

My mother and I on the beach in San Diego in 1951 .

My father was transferred to San Diego in 1951. We sold our home in Baldwin Park on a real estate contract and moved into Naval Housing in San Diego.

My father was transferred to the Territory of Hawaii in 1952 .
Here we are on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu in August 1952.

I'll stop here and try to post more family history in a future posting.

Immigration Debate Descending Into Xenophobic Rants

2012-02-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

I am getting pretty sick of listening to these Republican candidates for President using tactics that descend to the lowest common denominator of their overwhelmingly native and caucasian base to win votes in the primaries and caucuses. Very little is offered by these guys on how to fix our immigration policy that is both humane and workable. What is offered is rhetoric that appeals to xenophobic and frightened voters who strongly believe that we are "being over-run by law-breaking illegal immigrants who care little for our values." Fellow citizens, please remember the power of rhetoric and propaganda used by the National Socialist Workers' Party of Germany in the 1930's and how it led to the execution of millions of Jews and immigrants by people who were overwhemingly white and Christian. We Americans went to war in 1941 to protect liberty and equality for all, regardless of one's origins. I'm not saying that we have millions of people who want to kill immigrants, but there have been many documented incidents of terrible acts of violence by vigilante-style gangs or individuals who target particularly Mexican immigrants. Words have consequences. The Southern Poverty Law Center has documented Hate Groups that actively recruit new members on the basis of hate for Mexicans, Blacks, Gays, etc. Many of these hate groups use appeals to white Christians just as did the Nazi Party of Germany when it was first organizing for political power.

Jim Baca, former Mayor of Albuquerque, reposted the commentary titled "It's Mitt's Assertion That He Is Not Anti-Immigrant That Is Repulsive" from his old friend and classmate, Dennis Jett, in his Blog Only In New Mexico . It's interesting that no one called him out when Mitt asserted during the Florida debate that he was not anti-immigrant because his father was born in Mexico. To clarify, his father was not an immigrant as he was born of American citizens living in Mexico. The roots of the "birther movement" that is still alive and well in America today among many conservative voters is based on xenophobia and racism of a Black President born of a Kenyan-born father.

Another product of the anti-immigrant movement is the denial of civil rights of an American citizen whose first language is not English, who, although born in America, has been denied the right to run for the City Council of San Luis, Arizona because of a law passed in the state of Arizona that requires all government officials have proficiency in reading and writing English. She is currently appealing a legal decision to keep her off the ballot. San Luis, Az is a border town of 25,000 people of whom 90% speak Spanish and are bi-lingual. This is typical of all US-Mexican border towns. The issue is bound to have an impact on the current Presidential political contest because all the Republican candidates demand that the USA have an Official language of English which is currently not the case in our nation of immigrants. The ramifications for English as an official language of the USA are that government will not print anything in the non-official languages. This means ballots, highway signs, safety instructions, legal documents....etc.

Our country is a country of immigrants. May I point out the irony of today's "Nativists" who want to bar the door to other immigrants: The original native population was killed, moved off their lands, round up into reservations, and had their language and culture systematically destroyed by the immigrants who moved illegally into this country and dominated it through violence and moral certainty of their cultural and religious superiority. Today, our immigration policy, which is archaic and failing, is held hostage by politicians who dare not do anything that would cause them to be defeated for political office. My Sandia Park neighbor, Francisco Figueroa, a successful CPA and the son of Mexican immigrants, has suggested reforms to US Immigration Policy. He likes to cite an old Mexican saying: "You should not build a million dollar fence to protect a hundred dollar cow." His aproach is compassionate and pragmatic. I think the current Republican candidates for President should drop their intemperate language and put forward a workable and humane proposal to deal with the millions of immigrants who live in America and contribute daily to it's prosperity but who are in the shadows of our society because of their undocumented status. The reform of our immigration policy needs to be forward thinking and recognize that the future of a prosperous and long-standing nation is in it's attitude toward immigrant access.

My Eye Surgery and Post Script Comments

2012-01-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

Next week, I am going to have eye surgery to my left eye at an ambulatory surgical center in Albuquerque. I have Fuchs' Dystrophy and will be having a partial corneal transplant to improve my eyesight. The procedure is called Descemetís Stripping and Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK) and is a replacement of the innermost layer (endothelium) of my cornea which has been damaged as a result of a genetic disorder that results in a hazy view of the world and eventually total blindness.

The cells that make up the endothelium of the cornea "pump out" water in the eye so your vision is clear. With Fuchs' Dystrophy, the cells are destroyed and your vision gets blurry and cannot be corrected by glasses.

Diagnosis and staging require a cell count of your endothelial cells and examination of irregularities called "guttae"

Currently my left eye's vision is 20/40 with corrective lenses and my right eye is 20/25 with corrective lenses. As my right eye gets worse, I will probably have the same procedure done for it in the future.

I was diagnosed with this disorder in 2010 after several years of problems with my vision and the primary diagnosis was "dry eye syndrome". Because the symptoms of Fuchs' Dystrophy mimic the symptoms of many other eye disorders, it usually is not diagnosed for several years. It is a genetic disorder affecting about 4% of the population over 40 years of age.

I found the following video thoroughly (and graphically) illustrates the procedure I will undergo. The doctor says there is a 10% chance of complications up to and including the loss of my eye. My doctor successfully completed cataract surgery on my left eye last May and I am feeling positive about this procedure and hoping to recover within a few weeks. There are no stitches and the tissue is held in place with a gas bubble for a couple of days. The main complications are infection and rejection or the dislodging of bubble and the transplant. I'll be taking a couple of weeks off work while I recover. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Postscript: 1/25/12. Day One after the transplant. Post Op meeting with doctor went really well, my air bubble and graft is still in tact. No real pain, vision returning although still somewhat blurry, I could read letters with pinhole cover at 20/50 uncorrected! The colors, now I see what I've been missing! Color had been fading the past few years and now it's bright and beautiful! No more patch during the day, no more lying flat on my back (yeah!). Just watching out for pain or redness and taking it easy for the next week and come back in one week. I feel great!!!

1/25/12. 12:30 PM. I panic. Some fluid has come from my eye and a gray disc appears above my pupil. The graft has been dislodged. I show Ron. We call the doctor and are routed to a message machine with the triage nurse. We don't wait for a call back as we are nearly an hour away from the doctor's office. We go to the office and he sees me. "The graft is fine. It is still in place. That gray dot is the gas bubble (used to hold the graft in place). I told you it would move around the eye for a few days.[No, he didn't.]" We go home feeling better, but now I have an irritating feeling there like something in the eye. There's more blood in the white area. I lay down for the rest of the day.

Day 3, 1/26/12. 7:30AM. Here's what my eye looks like two days after the surgery:

The gas bubble that caused my panic is situated just above my pupil

Day 4 after the surgery. 1/27/12. 8:15AM. The swelling and redness are beginning to subside, The vision is less blurry, I think the bubble is shrinking. There's a slight irritation like something in the eye (perhaps the stiches?). Here's a picture of the eye this morning:

Day 5 after the surgery. 1/28/12. 8:15AM. The bubble is gone. There is no more scratchy feeling. My vision is getting better although still blurry. Here's a picture from today:

Day 5. 1/28/12 7:00PM. My eyesight is clear and I can see better with the left eye than with the right (without glasses). My left eye which was over 20/400 uncorrected, is now quite good without glasses and I can read signs and print that are clear but that are blurry with my right eye that is about 20/200 uncorrected. This is better than I ever expected!

Come Celebrate the New Mexico State Centennial This Year

2012-01-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

This month marks New Mexico's 100th birthday as a state of the United States of America. Although it is new as a State, New Mexico is a land long populated by many cultures with the first evidence of human settlement in 25000 BC. Our state Capital, Santa Fe, was founded in 1610 by Spain and is the oldest capital city in the United States.

I discovered New Mexico in an overnight stay in Taos in August, 1999 and fell under the spell of New Mexico immediately (as so many do who actually stay a day or more in the state). The luminous light, the incredible skies, the colors of the earth, the wonderful warm and diverse culture, the smells like sage and green chile roasting and sweet pinon smoke, the deep powder of the mountain snows....kept bringing me back until I moved here from California in 2005.

If you have not planned a vacation this year, why not come to New Mexico? All your preconceptions about our state will be blown away if you come. Please check out this wonderful slideshow made by a couple of residents about what you will see in New Mexico.

Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2012-01-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday. Had he not been cut down by an assassin's bullet on April 4, 1968, he would be 83 years old. On Sunday, I walked in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade in downtown Albuquerque. It was a happy, joyful event of several thousand New Mexicans representing all ages, classes, and races.

Marching with the Rio Rancho NAACP

ABQ takes part in MLK parade & ceremony: kasa.com

A Pueblo girl helped the Emcee introduce the state and local dignitaries. Two of our three Congressmen were there - Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan, Jr. - as were several other elected representatives and judges. I was happy to see my Republican State Senator, Sue Wilson Beffort (District 19) there. I don't know where the Mayor was or the Governor. I wish they had been there. In these highly partisan times, I see more and more Republicans withdrawing their support from MLK events because of angry right-wing rhetoric that demands conservatives not recognize the impact of Martin Luther King, Jr. on American history. The event was a celebration of the freedom, equality, and diversity of our great land. Laguna Pueblo dancers celebrated the life of Dr. King and the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem were presented in English and Spanish. The performances and speeches were inspiring.

My friend, Roy Cook, is of mixed heritage: Mexican, Anglo and Native American. Born in Tucson, Arizona, and now living in San Diego, California, Roy sent photos of the Native Americans of San Diego County who marched in San Diego's MLK Parade. He wrote eloquently why Dr. King is honored by Native America.

MLK Parade in San Diego

The principles of Dr. King embodied our national principles that all God's children are created equal and entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Dr. King taught "inclusiveness" against the tide of narrow and hateful nationalism and racism. He taught that the strong and able must look after and stand up the weak and less able. In a society with great material wealth and opportunity, where great poverty and injustice still exist, we must all do what we can to eliminate the causes underlying poverty and injustice.

I think the reason Dr. King's legacy rings true today with so many is because we are a divided nation that struggles to unite its people around common goals. There is hostility, not civility, among even our elected representatives. Anger bubbles up easily and violence is too often used to intimidate others or even shut down their speech. Bullying is common, even on the internet. Dr. King's message of love and non-violence is a powerful one. Violence against ideas is never a solution. The fact that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a victim of violence by someone who disagreed with him reminds us all that, although hate can stop a man's speech, it cannot stop his ideas.

Road Trip to Colorado and Other Things to Do This Winter

2012-01-11T08:22:00.005-07:00

I drove to Colorado Springs and Denver over the weekend with my daughter

Amanda wanted to visit her old college friend, Brett, who recently moved to Colorado Springs

Amanda in Manitou Springs at the foot of Pike's Peak

Amanda and Brett enjoyed the old time amusement arcade in Manitou Springs

Followed by great hot chocolate, cappuccino...

...and delicious desserts!

It snowed Saturday night and the temperature went down to 10 degrees F.

We returned on Sunday trying to make Raton Pass (between Colorado and New Mexico) before the snow got heavier

We made it!

(Thanks to my daughter, Amanda, for providing all the above photos)

During these cold winter days, I'm enjoying some good books and tea I got for Christmas.

I finished the book Matt gave me, Joan Didion's Blue Nights. This was a memorial to her daughter, Quintana. So sad. My step daughter, Margaret, sent me Amy Waldman's first novel The Submission that I'm presently reading with great interest.

Amanda gave me some new pastels for Christmas but the cold weather prevents me from painting in my unheated studio.

I gave my latest finished pastel painting to my daughter Mary for Christmas.

I also like to bake cookies on cold winter days. Mary made a gluten-free sugar cookie mix and gave it to me for Christmas. Yummy!

Cooking Green Chile Stew is always welcome on these cold days. I break out the frozen roasted chiles from September and make a pot of green chile stew that pleases everyone in my home.

Snowshoeing is always a great adventure and excellent exercise. The nearby Sandia Mountains have many snow shoe and cross-country skiing trails to enjoy. The quiet of the forest as you trudge through the snow is stunning!

Amanda snowshoeing on the Deer Spring Trail

Making snow angels in the snow is always fun!

The Friends of the Sandia Mountains hold an annual Sandia Snow Shoe Race in January, and although registration is full for the January 21, 2012 race, you can come watch the event that begins at 10AM. This is how we raise money to fund all our volunteer work in the Sandia Mountains.

The Sandia Snow Shoe Race course

Another thing I like to do on these cold winter days is to watch the wild birds when they come to my feeders.

Mary's fiancee, Matt, gave me some premium bird feed for them. With all the snow on the ground covering their sources of food, they really love the extra nourishment.

My new black cat, Beeto, loves to watch the birds, too.

I'll Vote for the Incumbent in 2012

2012-01-06T11:30:00.001-07:00

I hope you cast your vote for the next US President in my little unscientific poll on the right. I'll take the incumbent, thank you very much. The challengers are so lacking in the qualitities we need for President. I can't win over you Republicans or Libertarians, but I sure do lack respect for a lot of you left wing liberals who think Barack Obama doesn't deserve your support because you are "disappointed in him." I think Jake Lamar made the point in his video below why you must help get out the vote for President Obama in November, 2012, and elect a House and Senate that will support him. This 2012 Election is one of the most important elections we will experience in our life.

Road Trip to California

2012-01-01T10:51:00.010-07:00

On Christmas Eve, my husband was feeling pretty good (he'd just enjoyed a Southern Comfort Manhattan that is his traditional winter drink) so he suggested we should drive to California the day after Christmas to see our friends Page and Laurie who live in Poway just north of San Diego. After getting my approval (and Page and Laurie), we headed for California a little after 9 o'clock in the morning on December 26th. We now have a "new" car, having surrendered our Toyota 4Runner to a salvage company as a result of an insurance settlement that gave us a check for damages from the truck that hit us December 1st on our road trip back from Las Vegas. This was a chance to see how our newly acquired 2010 GMC Terrain AWD would perform (albeit in perfectly good weather this time on I-40).

We passed through a New Mexico totally covered in white to Gallup. Northern Arizona Navajo Country was chilly but generally without the white stuff. We decided to use our timeshare owner's "bonus time" and scored a nice one bedroom condo on Oak Creek in Sedona, Arizona for the night ($69 - cheaper than a motel). Having not eaten lunch, we were starved, so a good meal at Ken's Creekside Restaurant was very welcome.

Next morning found me photographing the red cliffs at sunrise in chilly 22 degree weather. The heated leather seats in the GMC Terrain were a pleasure. There were hundreds of tourists (mostly Asian) doing the same thing. I couldn't catch the full effect of the sun on all the cliffs as Ron wanted to get on the road, but here are a few photos of a beautiful Sedona morning on December 27, 2011:

We took I-17 south to Phoenix and then connected with I-8 to San Diego via Yuma, a route Ron had never seen. He found it rather boring because it is largely desolate and arid desert. We arrived at Page and Laurie's Poway home at 3PM on December 27th. We were married at their lovely home in their backyard in January, 2006 and held our reception outside next to their pool. Here are some pictures of that wonderful day:

They've lost a few trees due to the 2007 fire in San Diego County , but the grounds and home are as beautiful as we remembered them. For those who read my blog, you know I am a native Californian who lived in San Diego County from 1961-2005 so it's a sentimental journey for me to return to my old haunts.

After a wonderful lasagna dinner Tuesday night and lox and bagels the next morning, Page and Laurie took us on a pleasant tour of San Diego County. We stopped at Orfila Vineyard and Winery in Escondido, where we enjoyed wine tasting and great weather in the temperate 70's.

Laurie and Page at Orfila Vineyard

Ron and I having a lot of fun

Laurie and Page enjoying the "vine"

Most of the wines were a bit too tannic for me but I did buy a small bottle of sweet non-vintage California Tawny Port. Next, Page drove us to Hernandez Hideaway just west of Lake Hodges in Escondido. I'd not been here for many years, but I must admit I love this old roadhouse with its delicious Mexican foods and margaritas. We enjoyed a shared platter of nachos and a round or two of margaritas.

Next, Page drove us to the USS Midway, an historic aircraft carrier now sitting in San Diego Harbor as a museum of WW II and Vietnam War era aircraft and memorabilia.

Ron is a Vietnam Veteran and so he remembered many of the aircraft and helicopters on display.

The deck under the main flight deck is like a huge factory.

The view of downtown San Diego is great from the Midway's flight deck.

There's a sculpture in the Embarcadero Park below the Midway depicting that lovely iconic photo of "The Kiss" from VJ-Day in NYC's Times Square.

The Midway's bridge

After our tour of the Midway, we headed for Cardiff-by-the-Sea to catch the sunset and dinner at the Beach House Restaurant (Laurie and Page's favorite).

Our two days in San Diego were perfect and we really enjoyed Page and Laurie's hospitality. Laurie cooked a wonderful Swedish Pancake with powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice for our breakfast the next morning. We were on the road about 9:15AM. We decided to take a different route home through Temecula and Palm Springs via the scenic and tortuous Pine-to-Palms Highway. Stopping in Palm Springs for a Sushi lunch, we enjoyed the warm desert winter temperatures. We decided to spend the night in Laughlin, NV where we did a little gambling and went to bed early. We left by 6AM and traveled about 9 hours to our home in Sandia Park, New Mexico safe and sound, arriving December 30 at about 3PM. The huge volume of snow has begun to melt around our home and the sun is beautiful. We enjoyed a quiet evening at home New Year's Eve.

Happy New Year, 2012!

A Family Gathering and...a Proposal of Marriage

2011-12-26T09:08:00.006-07:00

Christmas Day brought family together in our home in the mountains of New Mexico. My daughters, Amanda and Mary, who moved to Albuquerque after college and live (gratefully) near me, arrived along with Matt, Mary's boyfriend, Matt's sister, Pam, and her boyfriend, Brian. The day was sunny and bright with leftover snow. We enjoyed lox and bagels and exchanged gifts. I especially appreciated the handmade gifts I received like bath salts (from Amanda) , flavored olive oil and Gluten-free Sugar Cookie Mix (from Mary) , and Cranberry Chutney (from Marissa and Chris Werland).

Ron loves Christmas!

Mary loves bagels!

Amanda looked pleased with her felt hat from Kyrgystan

Kids think it's time for help for my eyesight

Amanda gave me David with a bindi (he seems to be resisting my affections)

Mary gave her sister diamond stud earrings

Matt and Mary enjoyed their gifts

Brian and Pam look happy!

Everyone was having a great time

Then Matt began to tell a story about a long journey where he was climbing the mountain and it was sometimes tough and sometimes wonderfull when it happened....Matt proposed to Mary in front of us all!

Mary accepted!

Matt gave her an engagement ring to seal the deal

The very happy couple

Mary was delighted....

...and showed off her diamond ring to everyone.

The day shone bright with joy!

We gathered together for Christmas Dinner

Ron carved the turkey

We gathered at the table...

Mary and Pam toasted their new family ties-to-be

Ron had a wonderful day although I know he missed his own daughters and their families in Minnesota for Christmas

Ornaments on the tree celebrate the milestones of our family
Here is Amanda as a swimmer and her first Christmas ornament

Mary's First Christmas and her water-polo days

Potraits of my mother and father also adorn the tree