amazing life...

I've been away on business for about a week...it's been rich and full - I don't have time to expound but I DO have a bunch of pictures - hope you all enjoy!!!

first and foremost, Gary is GROWING!

Princess Phat and Pauleewaug sent us on our way...Princess was a bit worried and Paulee was sulking...

The river welcomes us as we head west

you can almost hear them, right? the frog chorus?

Rustic buildings in Canyonville Oregon where we went for our bigger meeting later

A cute little bridge...you can't see them but there were a few wild turkeys in the field above and wouldn't you know it? They were DANCING

We did do some actual work, above are some of the board members and directly above is my best friend forever Elaine...she wasn't happy that I took her picture though...

stopped to see the grandbabies on the way home - above are the youngest and the oldest of them

a spot of color...I interrupted a bee taking this picture, he backed out and said "ahem, Miss, in case you didn't notice I was BZZZY in there"

It was a busy, full, amazing trip - I was tired when I got home and ate some frozen lemonade nicknamed by my oldest grand-daughter - "Lemolaides for Grandma"

Gary is GROWING!!!!!

I don't have a lot to share other than that. I think it's indicative of how we live...get some sunshine and good water, we grow happily...

I'm headed out on travel this weekend and the early part of next week. I hope you all have rich and full weekends of delightful treats and moments of splendid peace!

glorious moments crashing...

ugliness i will not partake


from glorious moments of the past

to hear shattered visions by lurdane rhetoric?

no, not i...

first but to scoff and toss the hair

and then to ponder

is this my heart unaware?

i soared through the

new blossoms of wisdom - wispy tendrils of growth

songs sprang from the deep

i heard them, the quiet whispers of callous vacuity

oh please is this my truth of identity?

breaking through the insignificance...this is my hope

what i believe to be true is the songs that i sing

and from my heart these songs

will fill with fire

burning away the selfish chaff and numbing fear

i will stand and i will not wallow

in ugliness...

Now the tears????

Here's my conundrum for the day: For the past few years my son has served in Iraq...Operation Freedom I believe it's called. When sending him off I had the same sadness and fear any mother would have. When I heard about his sorrows over there, the loss of his best friend, the troubles with a neighboring battalion, my mother-hen wanted to go charging over to Iraq and make things right.

For the past years I've been smiling and nodding when asked about him "oh yes, he's in Iraq..."

Today I got the news that he's on a flight back home...he's in a plane on his way and will soon arrive in Washington State where he will "demobilize" for an unstipulated amount of time...

I can't stop crying.

I don't know why - it's the silliest thing, really - because now, he's safe and I will soon be able to hug him...and NOW the tears?

WHO WROTE THESE RULES?????

PauleeWaug and Princess Phat

So I was watching the dogs on Sunday afternoon and here's what I think their day looks like:

Sleep for awhile - maybe a week - then wake up and make rounds. During rounds, it's pretty important to swing by and check on the Huge Cannister of Delightful Aromatics (garbage can) and perhaps pick up little ends and pieces which may have fallen from it. They look at each other triumphantly and smile just KNOWING how thankful The Humans will be for their thoughtfulness.

While on rounds it's also very important to bark very loudly at that bossy bird because this too, makes the humans happy - they often will be so pleased they may open the Gate to Splendid Moments of Luxurious Softness (inside the house where one might get to sleep on the carpet) and shout affirmative and affectionate euphemisms at you "would you SHUT the *()&* UP before I come out there and SMACK the $#@$# out of you!!!!" and other such amusing shoutings.

After having made the morning round it's very important to throw yourself dramatically down by the open screen door next to your dog dish. This is a polite way of telling your Human that you not only are exhausted from the Awesomeness of Dogdom but that you too are in need of sustenance.

While awaiting the delectable meal you no doubt deserve, it's now a good time to catch a quick power nap...one must never confuse the power nap with the utterly horrific and incorrectly entitled "catnap" for that is another story altogether!

Pop! CRACK!!! WHIZZZZ!!!! Somebody has rudely awakened them. They leap to their feet, Paulee looks at Princess, he just KNOWS she's up to no good. They look around and to their utter astonishment, somewhere out of NOWHERE has arrived a 'Nother Go (our nephew Hobert drove his big truck onto the field - and vehicles as we all know are called GO by dogs).  Oh for pete's sake, there goes THAT nap! FINE! They sigh and jump up looking all ready to rumble. Oh, hey, FOOD!!!

Commence the happy dance and before you know it? The sun is setting! Time go go carousing and rustle up some good times with the coyotes and maybe play catch with that garter snake up the road!

...well at least that's how I see their day going...
:-)

weekend dinner at moms...

it was amazing and fun and full of laughter today. I'm full and SLEEPY:-)

kids and grownups alike had a good time

Happy Friday!!!

I love this little seedling - it's a grapefruit plant raised from one of my many evenings snacking on luscious juicy citrusy grapefruits. His name is Gary, and we both hope you have an amazing weekend full of relaxation and rest as well as zesty fun and fellowship!

a story...

I read a story the other day and it's been stuck in my head so I'm going to share it, this story is not mine, I take NO credit for it, it's a historical depiction of the naming of a creek in my neighborhood:

"Many long years ago, well before we American Indians were fighting for our little plots of land from foreigners, there were other battles being waged between tribes. These battles were not only for plots of land, but for resources and dignity.

One particular battle had been going on many years between two tribes and during the siege, these two elder women were working together in one of their homes - they were preparing roots for storage and this was quite an undertaking, these roots had to be ground and dried and prepared for storage - during the winter, they would be prepared as mush, delicious hot mush wafting through the home bringing warmth from the bitter cold outside.

As they were working together, chatting about the latest style of moccasins (chuckle) or perhaps the newest weaving pattern one of them noticed one of the enemy tribe's men through the wall of her home. Her eyes were sharp for he was well hidden and it was only the glint of firelight from his eyes that drew her attention to him. She continued working and began to tell the other woman - without changing her tone of voice or even glancing in his direction - "keep on working and then begin to act angry like we're fighting, there's an enemy behind that wall, take some of these roots we're drying and let's cook them as if for dinner."

They continued working and the first woman said "sister, we'll make an angry sign at each other until we almost attack and finally he'll come in and we'll feign attacking each other with this mush, and you also will threaten me with your pestle; You be careful little sister!"

They quarreled and almost jumped at each other, and the enemy crept in through the wall, almost his whole head was in the room now. "Sister, he's coming in now, don't look at him, only look at me, I'm about to pour this mush on him Be careful! I'll pour it on him when I attack him and then you club him with your pestle!" Then then old woman stood up and they acted like they were going to strike at each other; they both turned at once and she poured the mush all over him. He lurched back and they killed him.

They escaped from their home to a nearby village and told the story to the villagers giving our a war cry. The White men now call that place "Squaw Creek" but it's true name is Iskuulpa Yuuwewi."

One of our teachings in my tribal longhouse is that if you know a story you should repeat it, thus, it becomes a part of you and lives on through having been told...these were brave women and their story SHOULD live on.