apple cider...

Growing alongside a river, wild apples, in all their sugary tartness, are gathered. Small, round, two-toned packages of nature. Gifts.

Crushed in human powered technology, smashed to extract the juice, gathered. Fall color drips and is lovingly bottled with nothing other than human sweat as a preservative. To some, sugar is added before it is set behind the wood stove to ferment so that in the dark depths of winter, the warmth of the sun is preserved.

This is the way it was. This may be the future. Gathering together to share in the labor of harvest. To share in the labor of gathering and preserving, hoping and laughing. It's something we've lost, but something we desperately need to recover.
























Click picture above to see all our Cider Making pictures.

the most brilliant person alive...

The term gibberish doesn't even come close to describing the following:

That's why I say I, like every American I'm speaking with, we're ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health-care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy, helping the -- it's got to be all about job creation, too, shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health-care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans. And trade, we've got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, scary thing. But one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today, we've got to look at that as more opportunity. All those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is a part of that.

This statement is flawless in it's double-mis-speak, adequate in it's ability to fill moments with sounds, creative in it's use of grammar, and irreplaceable as a measure of a listener's ability to parse total b.s.

ego laid bare

anotherbody, originally uploaded by the inhabitant.

i cannot, in truth, be truthful
with the people in my life
id and ego, in disunion.

i cannot, lay bare all my fears
my wants
my desires
my hate and my love

i cannot open the doors
exposing myself
an ideological exhibitionist
is not what I am

but here, on these pages
is where I lay
exposed
vulnerable
naked.

...intermezzo...

Goodbye, for now...
...meanwhile, listen to some music, over there --->

sunbeams...

Saturday sunbeams,
...through the haze of bacon frying
...lazy start
...eyes blurred
...legs stumbling
...coffee smells
...sleepy cuddles
...don't let it end.

culture war...

The war is full tilt now, off the rails. Just who are the right kind of people, and who are the wrong kind of people. This quiet civil war is burning this nation in two. This silent seething anger will destroy this country like a cancer from within.

Why do we do this to ourselves? We are divided over our beliefs, it's true, but do we have to be bitter and unkind about our differences? Apparently we do. We undercut and demean and demonize our adversaries, even those who are our neighbors. This war, this quiet seething hatred, this division of cultures, will divide us and make us weaker.

I yearn for peace. I call for kindness. I cry out for tolerance. I do all these things, but slip into my own divisive and emotion driven thoughts. I don't want them to rule. I don't think they are going to lead us right. But what do I know? I only know what I feel, what I've experienced. I can only make decisions like this based on the past experiences that shape my beliefs. I stand often at odds with my upbringing or my extended family. But I can only do what seems right to me at this moment, for this time.

This war will divide families, brother against brother, child against parent. This war will make us weak, this war will destroy the very fabric of our nation. This war is burning America from within.

This war needs to end.

eyes wide open...

It seemed innocent at first, but the memory has stuck with me for so long, that it's slowly changed the way I am, the way I look at life.

It was a misty cold November day in East Texas, I had a .22 rifle and was walking through the woods with my brother-in-law. A 12 year old with a rifle. I felt cool, powerful, and unstoppable as we quietly made our way down the path. There said my brother-in-law in his breathy quiet voice. It just ran up the tree. I looked ahead, up the tree, to where the tree Y'd off into two directions. Right in the crux of the Y was a tiny head, looking at us. I took aim. The sight placed right where my brother-in-law instructed, I fired the gun.

The sound raped the peace and quiet of the mist, and echoed through the tall East Texas pines. I heard a thump, I had killed. A pat on my shoulder told me I had passed into semi-adult-hood that day. We walked over to the base of the tree, and there it was. A tiny squirrel, eyes wide open, with a bullet hole squarely between it's eyes. A lucky shot. A mortal shot. Something in me shuddered. It's eyes, still open, staring at me...empty.

I carried my kill by the tail, back to my sister's house. I didn't take part in skinning it, lying that I'd rather go do something else for a bit. I thought about that kill for a long time. Then, it was dinner time.

My sister made dumplings that evening. Squirrel and dumplings. The dumplings were good, the meat was tough, stringy, and terrible. I didn't eat it, or much of anything that evening.

I understand people need to hunt for food. I understand that, truly. I still eat meat as well. This was just a personal experience that has since slowly shaped how I view hunting. We didn't need the meat that squirrel provided that evening. We already had meat from other sources. It's kill didn't benefit us, and wasn't even worth eating, really. It was for sport. It was a rite of passage that changed me forever, but not in the way I think was expected. I believe hunting should be a sober endeavor. Not celebrated unless the kill provides meat for those in need, and with no other means.

Bob is my hero...

Bob, using parody, highlights how gullible the American people can be...see this:



I can't wait to have a drink with Bob soon, and laugh about his sudden international notoriety.

Go Bob!!!

Visit http://unbearablebobness.typepad.com/ for even more fun with gullible Americans.

the last post?

Today may be my last post here. Ever. For all eternity. In fact, it may very well be, that by tomorrow, no trace of this journal, or indeed, this planet, will remain.

What's this, you say? The Earth? Gone forever? Why yes. Science, always looking for a bigger bang for it's investors buck, is trying to create THE big bang, you see. I don't really have a problem with this, actually. You see, if it doesn't work out, then this sector of space is cleaned out by a giant space vacuum commonly called a Black Hole. Our very existence will be erased, probably much to the amusement of any possible onlookers. However, if we win, and DON'T get sucked into a quantum singularity, the payoff is the following questions possibly answered:

* What was the newborn universe made of?
* What causes things to have mass?
* Why is most of that mass hidden?
* Where did all the antimatter go?
* Is our entire universe a mere sliver of all that is?
* Does God like Cake or Pie better?
* Is the Moon really made of Cheese?

Is it worth the risk? I don't know. For some, I'm sure the risk, albeit minute, isn't worth it. For me? I don't know...I'm feeling a little "devil may care-ish" today, so I say go for it...

But seriously, you know why I want them to go ahead and try? Because taking a risk for the sake of knowledge is what makes us more human. Knowledge for knowledge's sake. Why climb that mountain? Because it's there. Why search for knowledge? Because we want to know and because we can. Yes, we can.

dryness...and updates...

I've been pretty creatively dry lately, and I apologize for that. It comes and goes, you know. For me it isn't a steady stream, like it is for so many other people I read.

This week I effectively took myself off commenting at a local political blog...at least for the duration of this election cycle. It was just getting to me, all the back and forth rhetoric. I can't keep up with it, and why do I need to? I've made my decision already, based on my personal beliefs, and my personal stance on issues. I don't need to talk about it anymore, or hear about it anymore.

This week I took our oldest son to take the TESSERA test. If you don't know what that is, visit the website, here: [www.spokaneschools.com - Tessera Program]. Simply put (from their website), "tessera is a one day per week program at Libby Center for highly capable students in grades 3 - 6 who represent the top 3% of their norm group." You'd think a kid would be all over this sort of thing, you know, getting out of class one day a week to go do interesting things like deductive and inductive reasoning exercises and stuff...but our oldest wasn't interested, really. Well, he wasn't interested until he saw in the paperwork that they might work with Lego Robots a little. THAT turned my eight year old son on, for sure. We'll know soon, I suppose, how he did on the test...but whatever the result, I'm still proud of him. He reads circles around his classmates, can outwit me in games of logic, and has his own website/blog/ and is already writing his own video games using editors found online. Yeah.. I can't keep up, really.

Also, this week, our middle son started kindergarten. He's a little quieter and lower maintenance than our oldest son, but not without his moments of "loud." They're like night and day, really, these two. Yet, they're both so smart in their own ways. Middle son just goes to class without complaint, and hardly any comment about his day, his ups or downs, whereas, oldest would have had his ups and downs listed, expressed, and told to my wife before leaving the parking lot of the school. It's really interesting to chart where they differ, and where they're the same.

Our youngest, of course, is still a slight enigma where all that is concerned. At one and a half years old, he's starting to use language, and indicating his needs. He's showing a budding personality and a very devious streak, which I seem to remember both older boys did as well at this same age.

So that's where we are right now. It's always pretty loud in the house when I get home at 5:45 or so every day. When I get home it's time to rush around, get dinner, get teeth flossed/brushed, stories read, and kids to bed. It's non-stop until about 9pm or so, until it starts again the next morning at 6am. My wife has the patience of Job, and the stamina of a work horse. I would crumble under the strain she works within every day. If anyone ever tells me that being a "stay at home" mom or dad is a breeze, I generally disregard them as greatly misinformed, or misogynistic sexists. My wife works hard, every day.

This weekend I'm going to try and get to the CD release party for a friend's band, Buffalo Jones, if I can get a little release time. I hope my friend won't be upset if I don't make it...rest assured, I'll try. Since I don't know if I'll make it, you all need to see if you can get there. Click --> Buffalo Jones <-- for location and time details. Get out and support local music.

Love to all, and cookies, and most of all, peace.

the long long weekend...

After the long, long weekend, I came back to the world of work. I came back to the normal daily routine of do this, talk about that, listen to them, fix that.

Ugh....oh well. It puts food on my family. [sic - "bushism"]

This weekend was really the last weekend of summer for us. The house is clean. The kids started school yesterday, and our daily routine is ramped up to a fever pitch during the week. Our middle son started kindergarten yesterday. Our oldest started third grade yesterday. Both will enjoy school, I think.

Over the weekend, Mr. McCain made an excellent choice for vice president. I'm sure she'll solidify his standing with the far right. My only problem with her is that I don't agree with her on issues. Last week, Mr. Obama made an excellent speech in acceptance of the nomination for his party. My only problem with Barack is that I'm beginning to think he won't win in November.

I expect the race to get more vicious...more ugly...and for more single issue voters to call me "baby killer" because I'm supporting a Democrat, even though I'm very pro-life. I expect that although the issues of our time are highly complex, that people will do what they always do, and simplify them into sound bites, missing the entire point. I expect that it'll come down to who the "right" or "wrong" kinds of people are to be running the show.

What I also expect is, that I'll stop paying attention to it all, because it'll get me down, upset me, and cause me discomfort. I run from conflict. I don't argue. I'm always agreeable on the outside, and fuming on the inside. What I'll do instead is turn it off, throw myself into my family (hopefully it won't hurt..heh) and my job. In November, I'll cast my vote for Obama, whether he has a ghost of a chance, or whether it makes me the "wrong" kind of person, or not.