Looking out my window...

"...From The Eye To The Heart..."

 
 
President Barack Obama greets 14-year old Payton Wall at the site of the National September 11th Memorial and Museum at Ground Zero in New York, N.Y., May 5, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the intellect.  -  Keith Chesterton

I was fortunate yesterday to be able to watch most of the ceremony at ground zero in New York City.

Our President is so thoughtful and full of grace. He did NOT run laps to celebrate the recent success of the Navy SEALs. Instead, he spoke to family members of those lost on September 11, 2001.

He spoke to many away from the crowd and press, in a room with only his voice and theirs to be heard. They spoke to each other as if no one else was near.

Outside, after the laying of the wreath, he met other families. Again speaking to each, listening to each. And again no one but them were there.

I could see it in their faces. When the President came to a young girl I was awestruck. I took a deep breath and held it. I could see tears in her young eyes. She had lost her father. They stood together for what seemed to be forever. As I looked into her eyes I knew this: she was looking into his heart. She saw nothing but truth, sadness with courage, and love. She did not see color, race or anything physical. She went past that because he let her into his heart.

Talking and listening. Thanking each other for their shared sacrifices and deeds. He, at the end, held her to him. A hug of strength giving.

I wish all Americans could have seen that moment and understand the depth of what was happening. When we can see "from the eye to the heart" there is no difference between us. 

“Injustice Anywhere is a Threat..."

 
I Have a Dream Button 2010.
Photo by Sharon.

 
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. -Letter from Birmingham Jail.

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. worked hard for civil rights. In fact, when you look at what he did, what he said, he worked hard for human rights and justice for all. He followed in the path of Mahatma Gandhi. The path of nonviolence.

For showing us the way to nonviolent expression and thought, I thank him.

"Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Nine Mourning Doves, Two Red Finch, And A Grackle In Crab Apple Tree

 
Winter: Nine Mourning Doves on Patio Fence 2010.
Photo by Sharon.

  
Winter: Two House Finch Sitting On Patio Fence 2010.
Photo by Sharon.

 
Winter: Grackle In Crab Apple Tree 2010.
Photo by Sharon.

"I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn."
-  Henry David Thoreau.

It was a beautiful beginning to our winter, that snow storm. But, never-the-less, it was the tidings of a cold and lonely season til spring. And, then we filled the bird feeders in the late afternoon on a sunless day.

The next day was like Christmas. Coming into the office, sipping my morning coffee...looking at my empty patio: no flowers, no birds, no activity to my eye.

I turned my eyes to my computer, thinking of spring. And I looked up again. What was this? A Mourning Dove? Two Mourning Doves? Grackles out the other window eating the crab apples. Sitting on the patio fence two House Finches with their reddish tummies.

I was awestruck! The final count on the Mourning Doves was nine. They are always in twos. I couldn't find the tenth but it had to be there somewhere.

There was not the usual scuffling for places at the feeders. Taking turns at the feeder, the waiting line was puffed out to several unrecognizable balls of feathers. 

I must have taken 30 photos. Some didn't make the cut. The birds stayed longer than they normally do in the summer. It must feel good to have food nearby while sitting on the fence in the sun, with feathers puffed.

And, they came back later in the day. All of them. And, the next day and the next.

They must know how much they are welcomed here and how much joy they bring... all for a few seeds.

George Carlin Interview: He Spoke And I Heard

Everyone has favorites.

I have them, too. Here are a few of my favorite people quotes:

George Carlin: "Think off-center."

Roger Ebert: "The Muse visits while you are writing, not before."

Ernest Hemingway via Roger Ebert: "Isn't it pretty to think so."

That's sufficient for the moment. The video clip below is delightful. Not only is George Carlin being interviewed, he is being interviewed by a recent new favorite of mine Jon Stewart.

The clip is over 10 years old and they both look younger. But, I was amazed at how cute Jon looked. I'm going to write him and suggest he dye his hair and re-create that wonderful curl dangling down on his forehead... just as soon as I finish this.

I hope you enjoy the video. If not, oh well then, I have led you astray.

   

...Waiting For This Moment To Arise

   
I heard this sound first thing in the morning.

 

And lo and behold, it was a Blue Jay. First one I've seen here. What a wonderful way to start the day.

I was able to take the following photos:

 
Blue Jay In Tree                        Photo by Sharon

 

 
Blue Jay Under Linden Tree One       Photo by Sharon

 

 
Blue Jay Under Linden Tree Two        Photo by Sharon

 

 
Blue Jay Under Linden Tree Three        Photo by Sharon

 

I found this bit of interesting information about Blue Jays:

Blue Jays are noisey birds and have many different calls that carry for a long way. Most calls are made when the Jay is perched in a tree. Blue Jays usually fly silently, especially during migration. The migration pattern of the Blue Jay is really unknown even today.

Finishing up this post the day after I started it, there are no Blue Jays to see or hear.

They must be migrating, silently in the distance... away from my eyes and ears.

Fly safely, your path remains your secret.

"Accepting Invitation Cardinal Comes To Visit - Shies From Paparazzi" And "I Don't Have A Supervisor!"

 
Cardinal Returns To Patio  Bad Photo by Sharon

 

 
Goldfinch In Sunshine  Photo By Sharon

I apologize for the cardinal picture above. I was so excited to see him in our patio. I took several pictures which looked good and clear on the viewing screen, but afterward saw that the camera setting had been changed. And that little boo-boo spoiled all the photos. This was the best of the worst and I did with it what I could. Result? Ugh.

The Goldfinch, on the other hand, willingly posed and provided me with, now, one of my favorite photos.

I Have No Supervisor!

A few years ago, in an effort to economize, I switched our cell phone service to Fonecrap (not real name to protect self from being sued). It was cheap and worked somewhat.

The program was based on prepaid service. Poor service, but service non-the-less. And then, it came time to also order a new phone. So on-line I ordered a new one plus about 2,000 minutes worth of usage. If I remember correctly, you could use those minutes however you wanted, but once they were gone, you had to order more.

The phone arrived. And, as most of you will know, I had to set it up, or as they called it "initialize" it for service. And, I had some difficulty with that small task I hadn't anticipated. The next day I tried the phone and it indicated that I had zero minutes. What? No minutes? Why just yesterday I had some 2,000 minutes and I hadn't called anyone yet.

There was nothing else for me to do but call customer service to fix it.

I called and the woman who answered said: "THanK YOU for cAlliNG PHonecrAP. HOw May i HELp yOU TODay?"

An aside: Okay, I'm not much good at vocally immitating accents, much less when using the printed word. So I'm typing what would sound rather melodic (or sing-song, take your pick).

My response: Hi, yes. I received my new phone and 2000 minutes yesterday and today it says I don't have ANY minutes.

"OnE mOMenT plEaSE...whILe LOok uP yOur aCcOunT."
Pause.
"yeS I sEe. yOU CUrREntly sHOw zERo MinUtES."

"I just purchased and received yesterday 2,000 minutes!"

"YEs i SEe tHAt. aND NOw yOU hAVe zERo mINUtes."

"I understand that it shows zero minutes, but it should show 2,000 minutes. I just got them yesterday. How could I have used them all up?"

"I SEe zERo mINuteS." 

This back and forth continued. Until I couldn't take it anymore, damn it to hell and whose job did you take anyway Miss India lady reading from a damn it to hell script!!!!!!!!!!!!! And then....

"I want to speak with your supervisor."

"I sEE yOU hAVe zERo mINUtes.l"

"I WANT to SPEAK with your supervisor!"

"I DON't haVe a sUPerVIsoR."

"WHAT? EVERYONE HAS A FU**kING SUPERVISOR AND I WANT TO SPEAK WITH YOURS!!!"

"ONe MOmeNT plEaSE."
Pause.

"HelLO. How may I HelP yOU?"

"Hello, I just...............rest of my story."

"CerTAInLy. I CAn heLP yoU With thAt. ONe moMEnt pLEasE........Okay, doES It sHOw aNY mINUteS nOW?"

"Yes, it shows I have 2,000 minutes. Thank you."

"PLeaSe cALl uS If yOU HaVE aNY MoRE DIFficultIEs."

At the time we were recently living where we are now and apparently it is known for poor cell phone reception. Once, sitting in a town restaurant I tried to call the Chief. I couldn't get him. He was looking at me through the restaurant window and couldn't get my signal, nor me, his.

 When we used our 2,000 minutes I switched to Verizon. Expensive? Yep. Do we get each other's calls? Yep.

'nough said.

 

Quote of the day:

"Now that I'm retired I don't have a supervisor. Except for God. And he's about to be out sourced."...S L Wheeler 

The Grass Is Greener...

Our Green Grass with Geraniums by Sharon

Bunny in The Grass by The Chief

I love green grass, and I mean the kind that is our lawn. This year the grass is greener. For about the last month we've had rain almost every day and some of it was coming down in buckets.

Yep, some of it came down in very heavy, like weather alert heavy, thunderstorms. While the automatic sprinklers were sprinkling.

The sprinkling system here in our little development has been a thorn in the Chief's and my sides. It was bad from the very beginning, having been installed incorrectly. Then it started to break down more and more. The condo association has spent thousands and thousands of dollars trying to keep it going. Well it's going alright... it's going while it's raining.

A few years ago there was a little drought here. Even with the sprinkler the grass got a little yellow. Big deal.

I guess that some people don't realize that grass can turn into a golden hue (like in California) when there is no water. But, it isn't dead and will revive after some rain.

What a waste to keep our lawns looking like golf courses. It's one of those things I usually keep in my peripheral sight line so I don't have to dwell on it.

    
 

What's the Morton Salt old slogan..."When It Rains It Pours?" 

 
Well, that's good for salt, but not for sprinklers.

 

I want a green lawn, truly I do.

But green in the environmental sense... not the color of money.

Prissy: Lawzy, we got to have a doctor. I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies.

  Baby Robin on Fence

After losing my managerial position at the hospital, I finally found a place to work downtown. The Office Manager interviewed me. I liked her immediately. A kinship was formed. A few months after being hired I told her that I thought we had to be sisters separated at birth. She agreed. We laughed.

I'm caucasian and she is african-american. So what. We were both women of a certain age and working.  We had a wonderful time working with each other, her being my "boss" wasn't a problem for us. We laughed at the same things, remembered the same things. We could finish each other's sentences. It was one of my most delightful working experiences. No, it was one of my most delightful experiences, period. Someone could say something in front of us and we'd just look at each other and "knew." We were, however, professionals, so most of the time we wouldn't laugh, out loud.

Then I got laid off. This was the second time within a few years. And I know why (I was older. made more money than others and the zinger was I had been diagnosed with cancer a few months earlier.) I could have sued. I didn't. My family isn't of that nature.

It took me six months before I found another job. Which, by the way, turned into my favorite two years of working my whole life. While in training by my predecessor, who was perhaps 20 years old, I became so confused I could hardly stand it. She was talking a mile a minute, and my "old but wise" brain was having difficulty following her. I could take all the blame, but sadly her communication skills were nil, so it was like trying to translate what she was saying into something I could understand.

Any how, forgetting where I was, all of a sudden I said quite animatedly "Lawdy, Lawdy Miss Scarlet! I don't know nothing about birthing no babies!" Please note the title of this blog is the actual and correct quote, but oh well, close enough.

She stopped and looked at me as if I had lost my mind. Oh, dear, I thought. The pause was pregnant. The pause was pregnant for what seemed like 9 months. So, I said: Oh, I was quoting from a movie. Have you heard it before? She said: no. I said: You know, "Gone With The Wind?" She said: no.

Where or where was my sister separated at birth when I needed her most?

A day later we were having lunch with two other gals when I asked her: So, what was it that made him decide to hire me? She said: Well, he asked me who did I think should he hire, and I said I think the older woman was interesting. And he said: Oh, the one who wrote about the forest and trees!

So, that's how I got the job. From one description of my abilities that said; I am able to see the forest and the trees.

I asked her, do you know what the phrase "Can't see the forest for the trees" means? I'll let you guess what her answer was.

Any way, what brought the Gone With The Wind quote to mind is the excerpt of article below, which I found on Roger Ebert's twitter.

Beep-beep-m beep-beep, yeah
By Jim Emerson on June 2, 2010 9:27 PM

Over Memorial Day weekend I attended a high school graduation in Albuquerque. One of the graduating senior boys gave a speech using car parts as a metaphor for the components of a personality or identity. It was a clever speech he'd co-written with a friend, delivered with wry humor. Afterwards, the head of the school -- a man I'd estimate was in his 60s -- took the stage and thanked the student, quipping: "Baby, you can drive my car anytime."

Thud. Thunderous silence mixed with scattered, bewildered titters.

The next night at a graduation party, the kid who'd given the speech was standing around with a few friends and the uncomfortable subject came up.

"What was that?" he said. "'Baby, you can drive my car?!?'"

"It was creepy," said one of the girls.

I piped in: "It was creepy -- because it was totally inappropriate and made no sense. Unless he was trying to seduce you. He was just making a Beatles reference."

"Oh!" exclaimed a couple of students.

"I didn't even think of that," said the boy. "But still, it was creepy."

It was probably even creepier for those of us who did recognize what the old guy was lamely attempting to invoke. These kids were 16 and 17, so naturally I felt a little... old having to mention what I'd thought was obvious, if still undeniably awkward. Then again, one of them had earlier quoted Taylor Swift (sarcastically) and I didn't get that, either.