No Cares.....

A happy woman is one who has no cares at all; a cheerful woman is one who has cares but doesn't let them get her down.

Beverly Sills

The last few weeks have been a challenge (aging parents, relationships, work etc), but I've been facing them with a surprising level of insight, hope and some laughter at life's absurdities. It's admitting that there are cares, but not letting them pull you into a sea of despair and drown you that make all the difference. Life is full of possibilities and if you see the challenges as a way of teaching about these possibilities, then you'll make it through. My harp playing and photography are growing by leaps and bounds as I use them to help work through the cares. Not to mention I've been doing comfort food recipes out of magazines. Roasted root veggies, fall stews, spiced cider anyone?

I'm going to see Great Big Sea this Sunday. Cannot believe it's been 12 years since I encountered their music when I was doing a charity bike ride in Nova Scotia (one of the most gorgeous spots on the earth). I was able to change my ticket as the first venue decided to do primarily "stand up" seating. Don't mind getting out of my seat to dance, but I like to have a seat. Besides that because everyone wants to see the band up close and personal, I've ended up being close and personal with peoples body parts that I'd rather not have been. At least not without having an introduction and drink first . Anyway, I opted to see them in Santa Cruz instead. In all my time in California I've never made it to there, so will be poking around for the day before the concert. The following Friday I'm off to the Eastern Sierra Nevada's again with an added trip to Death Valley National Park for 5 days.

Great Big Sea, "Sea of No Cares":

Endings

In my end is my beginning.

T. S. Eliot

It's sometimes hard to admit a need for an ending. This trip to Michigan has been about ending a long time pattern of behavior in relation to one of my family members. I've done what I can and can only do what the individual will accept. It is time to admit this and move on with the beginnings of some new things in my life.....

Time to go back to California, rock on and celebrate saying yes to life...

Samba Squad, "Rock Me in the Cradle":

L. Pine Tanka

Languidly awaking

Hand searches across the crumpled sheets

Cold empty pillow

Were you a night's elusive dream

Created by this opened heart?

Enigma, "Gravity of Love":

Reflections Morro Bay

Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.

Peter F. Drucker

I picked up the harp earlier this week. My teacher went with me and we stayed overnight in Morro Bay. Beautiful area. The morning was misty and the bird calls rang out over the water as we walked in the early light. Our time there was very brief so it's a location I hope to return to in a few months.

Michigan is next on the travel agenda. I'll leave for there in a couple of days. Will post more from there if I have time. Still groovin on Jesse Cook, so here is some more from him.

Jesse Cook, "Europa":

October Road Trip 4...Manzanar Part 2

There are stars who's light only reaches the earth long after they have fallen apart. There are people who's remembrance gives light in this world, long after they have passed away. This light shines in our darkest nights on the road we must follow.

The stark beauty and remembrance of Manzanar remains two weeks later. I will be going back and learning more. I encourage anyone who is in that area to visit and remain unchanged....

I will be going on another road trip this weekend. I hope you have a good one and enjoy the richness of life....

Nickelback, "If Today Was Your Last Day":

October Road Trip 3...Manzanar Part 1

Papa’s life ended at Manzanar... Until this trip I had not been able to admit that my own life really began there

Farewell to Manzanar

Something about Manzanar compels me. I have been drawn to it twice and plan to return yet again. It's not that there are enormous ruins, or that they have significant beauty....perhaps it is a spiritual resonance about the place. Perhaps it is the lessons that it has to teach that aren't immediately visible, but only come from spending some time there, perhaps in hope you can reach across the generations and only by touching on some aspect of their life there one began to understand something of the aforementioned lessons...

Perhaps it doesn't matter and it's simply bearing witness to what was.....

Alison Krauss, "It Doesn't Matter":

October Road Trip 2...Bodie and Fragments

When you have come to the edge Of all light that you know And are about to drop off into the darkness Of the unknown, Faith is knowing One of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or You will be taught to fly

Patrick Overton

Finally I found myself in Bodie again. As always the question becomes what to photograph as there is so much. What intrigued me was the fragments that were everywhere and so although I did some panoramic shots, I set out to take some photos of the fragments. As I looked at them, I considered what lead people to Bodie, to settle in an area so desolate. Yes, gold was the obvious motivator, but there were also more subtle reasons. And then what kept them there, what were their life's like? Bodie was known as a den of iniquity, but significant relationships developed and were part of life there...the fragments of these life's exposed themselves when you looked...Who knew that my mind set around relationship would lead to the unexpected factor of the weekend that happened.

I have to backtrack here. I've talked of many things in this blog, but my personal relationship status hasn't been one of them. Too put it simply I was heart sore when I started this blog and hadn't been considering that option. My creativity seemed to soothe me. Don't get me wrong, I went out, but nothing serious had happened. In recent months some of my meditation lead me to think, maybe just maybe, it was time to take my heart out of the ice I had encased it in and say yes to the possibility of significant relationship as much as I've said yes to creativity. Well.....

I met someone this weekend. As they would say in England, I was gobsmacked by him and what developed. There was a incredible meeting of our body minds. The ironic thing is our life's seem to be leading away on different tracks. Both of us are not sure what to do what's been handed to us. So it's not certain where this is going...it may not lead very far or it may lead to something unexpected. But what I've realized is that by stepping out with passion and faith, that my heart has unthawed and if this isn't it, then maybe the next yes will be....

I'll share more photos of what I found at Manzanar next post. As for the rest, we'll see.

Here's some more flamenco to share some of the passion of the past week including the concert I went to the other night. In fact I'm hoping for a Jesse Cook and Deborah Henson-Conant collaboration. But for now here is her version of flamenco...

Deborah Henson-Conant and the Grand Rapids Symphony, "Baroque Flamenco":