Halloween Forecast

Today it is raining; tomorrow it is supposed to be clear. That bodes well for all the carefully, and not so carefully, constructed Halloween costumes.

With the economy in bad shape, creative types have thought of cheap and easy ways to join the fun without a big expenditure of scarce money. Hand-me-down clothes, sized to fit, might do the trick and be a treat for Mom and Dad's pocketbooks.

Kids are funny about such things, however. They want to wear WHAT THEY WANT TO WEAR. Storm clouds will brew if parents stray too far from the kids' fantasies or the current fashion among peers. And adults can be just as picky. Often there is a lot at stake at the Halloween party, or parties. The little kid part inside of us still wants to be the coolest one there.

I say all this with very little actual knowledge. What I have is the history of the holiday from past years. I am sure that the couple of bags of wrapped candy bars will mostly go away as the bunches of kids who know this neighborhood parade through. Big and little, they are all adorable, polite and happy to be out and about. That does not change. And I can't wait to see what this year brings to our front porch. I hope it is not rain.

Yes, we'll have the light on for you.

See "Behind the Links." for further info on this subject.
Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.
Technorati tags: halloween holiday

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Having a handy husband

When the fence fell down, my very talented husband was able to fix it with what he called "stand-offs." He set another post near the failed one, hooked them together and encased the two in new palings. It works like a charm and adds interest to the walk leading to our postage-stamp back yard.

It is handy to have a "handy" husband. Recently we collaborated. He, the worker-bee and I, the designer, decorated the stand-offs with antique iron barrel rings flanking each post. They were re-purposed after our half-whiskey barrels (for "annual color" posies) fell apart.

This is how we do things after fifty-plus years of marriage. He's always been handy and I have always had a flair for decorating with re-purposed items.

Today he is breaking out, however. He's going to Walmart to buy the bed linen set on sale for a ridiculously low price. We just had a class on choosing colors and style to match the master bedroom's existing theme. He's so excited to have been promoted from "handy" to decorator.

He will do just fine. It is never too late to move up in the world.
He survived my joining the women's movement in the 60s and 70s. And we are both surviving retirement together.
Y'all have a good day, too.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

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Visual musings: a fresh start

One of the categories into which I sort the Making Good Mondays posts is called Visual Musings. Only 7 posts made it there in 2009. I have gotten away from that format, and my creative writing has suffered as a result. Today's post is an experiment in going back to my old format:

1. Pick a picture to which you have an emotional connection or reaction
2. Figure out what that is about in your mind.
3. Write down those thoughts, either directly or obliquely as a post.
4. Edit the post so that head and heart match, making authenticity your goal.

For today my visual musing is about this image:

Point Lobos, south of San Francisco, California.
I started as a landlubber, born and raised on the sagebrush western prairies, with mountains at my horizon. The water-ific abundance of the Pacific ocean could not be more different than scarce-water Wyoming. However, some things are the same.
The blue Pacific mimics the brilliant blue of Wyoming skies. Also there are mountains at the horizon in this image. The rocky coast is very akin to the Rocky Mountains, my original horizon markers.
It is also about the rocks. I grew up with a rocky outcrop not far from our place in the country. Though we had to watch out for rattle snakes, many of my fondest memories are about going to play "at the rocks." They represented a castle, a fortress, a house, an adventure. And today I take pictures of rocks, collect rocks - both tumbled and rough, and decorate my landscape with rocks. Here is a 2007 picture taken in Wyoming. It is called "Granite Fragments."

It is a picture that gathered several comments when I posted it on Red Gage. In fact shared photographs play a big part in the fun of social networking on the Internet. I have collections on Flikr, FaceBook, Picassa and several slide shows on most of my web pages.
Keeping these sites maintained takes a bit of work, but the results are worth the effort. It is a great way to share photos with the public and with friends and family. . .
. . . and to go back and enjoy them yourself.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites. See "Behind the Links." for further info.
Technorati tags: internet images creativity

An homage to the dirt men --

People who move dirt for us are to be thanked for making the path before us smoother and more direct. We take their work for granted as we speed along superhighways or turn into our own driveways. We forget how much we depend on their work to make our lives easier and better.

The two dirt men in my life are my brother and my youngest son. My brother builds roads and my son finishes building lots. My brother works in the country and my son works in the city. They both played in the dirt as boys, building roads or mountains or forts. Now they can run all the machines in the yard.

From both come invaluable contributions to the greater good. They are careful and exacting workers, who move and smooth the earth so we can build something or go somewhere. Both are hard workers, finishing their deadlined projects in overtime or on the weekends. They rise early and stay late if necessary.

Dirt men face danger at times. They drive their big growling machines close to the edge. They dodge traffic, they avoid buried cables, and they tolerate irritated foremen or demanding inspectors. Their work on heavy equipment puts bones and joints and lungs at risk. One has good health insurance and the other has none.

My dirtmen are trustworthy. They can be left alone to do the job without supervision. After years and years of experience, however, neither wants to be a supervisor or foreman. "Been there; done that. No thanks." But each will give instructions, if asked or if necessary.

My dirtmen are self sufficient. Each knows how to cook and do laundry and repair their own vehicles. And my dirtmen are generous and thoughtful, often giving the best gifts under the Christmas tree.

Our families are lucky to have them in our lives. Today I honor them both. Thanks for everything.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.
Technorati tags: essays heavy equipment construction family

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day, a federal holiday for government offices and local schools. Locally, rain is expected. Lots of local cemeteries have planned formal ceremonies to honor those killed in the line of military duty. Nationally, fatal car crashes mar the memorial Day weekend, all according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
The Texas experience of Memorial Day focuses on honoring the military and reflects the norm of marking this holiday nationwide, and it has been my adult experience. As I was growing up in Wyoming, however, our experience of Memorial Day had an additional meaning. It was popularly known as "Decoration Day," the day everybody went to the cemeteries where relatives were buried. We cleaned and cleared the grave sites and decorated the graves of our loved ones with fresh homegrown plants or flowers. Since our family had driven to town from the country for the holiday, we brought along a picnic dinner to eat in the city park. My maternal grandparents were interred in one nearby town, my paternal grandparents another. It varied from year to year in which town we visited.
Last year I posted here at Making Good Mondays about Memorial Day, in the context of going home every summer. Today is very bittersweet for me because my 93 year old mother passed away in December. We will be again be traveling to Wyoming this summer, but we will not be visiting the cemetery where Mom's ashes will be buried until later.
So today I celebrate my mom's good life from afar, with this little tribute to "Decoration Day." She taught me about the importance of paying attention to heritage as we visited the graves of her parents and paid our respects. Now my mom and dad's grave site is just a few feet away from the graves of my maternal grandparents. I find that thought fitting and comforting, somehow, as I await our trip.

My brand new blog is called "Behind the Links."
Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.
Technorati tags: memorial day holidays family traditions texas wyoming cemetaries

Tools for Dreamers - Part IV

Image by Zerone Eric Ouano via Flickr

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The Five Dream W’s

Questions to ask myself . . . . .

Who

Who are the characters in my dream?

Are they people I know?

Are they strangers?

Are they alive today, or have they already passed on?

Am I a character in my dream, or an observer?

Who might these characters represent or stand for,

or do they represent themselves?

Where

Where is the dream setting?

Where is the dream taking place?

Is it a familiar place; or is it a place to which I’ve never been?

Have I dreamed of this place in the past?

Is it an interior scene or an exterior scene?

Do the scenes change, seemingly without reason, or does the action go “on and

on and on.”

When

When does the action of the dream take place?

Is it in the past, the present or the future?

How old are you in the dream? How old are the other characters?

Is this a recurring dream?

Does this dream represent one in a series of dreams with the same theme?

What

What is the action in my dream?

What is going on in my dream?

Does the scene have a beginning and an end?

How does the plot turn out?

What are my feelings as these things happen?

What is going on in my life these days, that might be a precipitator?

Why

Why did I dream this dream?

What was the function of this dream?

What did I need that might be fulfilled by this dream?

Why did I dream this dream at this particular time?

Why was I “ready” to have this dream?

By Carol Gee.

My brand new blog is called "Behind the Links."
Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.
Technorati tags: dreams

Tools for Dreamers - Part III

Image via Wikipedia

My Dream Language

How does my dream-maker write my dream story . . . The Five W’s

By Carol Gee

Who

Who are the regular characters in my dreams? Do they stand for themselves, for another, or for parts of myself?

Name the people or representational types that regularly inhabit my dreams, or the dream in question:

Who speaks and what is the dream dialogue like?

State some ideas about what characterizes the usual conversations in my dreams, or the dream in question:

What

What is the plot of my dream drama?

Write a synopsis of the story of what happened in this dream or in my typical dreams:

The language of objects or dream props –

For what do the “things” in my dreams stand, or what are the meanings of the main items that my dream-maker showed in this dream?

Where

What does the dream location say?

Describe the place in which the dream events happen. What are the most frequent locations of my dream dramas?

Inside or outside is a question

Do most of my dreams take place inside or outside? Where does the dream action occur in this dream?

When

Orientation to Past, Present or Future?

Is this dream set in the past, present or the future? What is my normal internal consciousness orientation to time?

Time’s message from the dream

Do the time orientations of conscious and unconscious match? How long does it take for the dream to unfold?

Why

Translating from conscious to unconscious

What “day material” routinely influences my dreams or influenced the dream in question?

Remembering my (habitual) internal dialogue’s shorthand phrases -learning my own unique words, my dream language

What is the literary style of my internal dream-maker? What does this shorthand tell me about what I might infer about the meanings of my dreams?

My brand new blog is called "Behind the Links."

Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Tools for Dreamers - Part II

Image via Wikipedia

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On Archetypes

Joseph Campbell, in a conversation with Bill Moyers, defines archetypes this way:

“The human psyche is essentially the same all over the world. The psyche is the inward experience of the human body, which is essentially the same in all human beings, with the same organs, the same instincts, the same impulses, the same conflicts, the same fears. Out of this common ground has come what Jung has called the archetypes, which are the common ideas of myths.

Moyers asks, “What are archetypes?” Campbell replies:

“They are elementary ideas, what could be called ‘ground’ ideas. These ideas Jung spoke of as archetypes of the unconscious. ‘Archetype’ is the better term because ‘elementary idea’ suggests headwork. Archetype of the unconscious means it comes from below. The difference between the Jungian archetypes of the unconscious and Freud’s complexes is that the archetypes of the unconscious are manifestations of the organs of the body and their powers. Archetypes are biologically grounded, whereas the Freudian unconscious is a collection of repressed traumatic experiences from the individual’s lifetime. The Freudian unconscious is a personal unconscious, it is biographical. The Jungian archetypes of the unconscious are biological. The biographical is secondary to that.

All over the world and at different times in human history, these archetypes, or elementary ideas, have appeared in different costumes. The differences in the costumes are the results of environment and historical conditions. It is these differences that the anthropologist is most concerned to identify and compare.”

Arthur Benard, Ph.D., M.F.T., in his workshop, “Dreams: Awakening Your Sleeping Genius,” lists archetypes:

“There is a part of the unconscious that all people have access to, which Carl Jung labeled the ‘collective unconscious.’ It is a psychic storehouse for all humankind, and the contents of the collective unconscious are called archetypes: patterns that are found within the conscious of everyone.

It is important to understand that the universal meanings and generalized definitions are of minimal value in terms of self-understanding and personal growth. Only through discovering your own translations of symbols, even universal ones, can you effect any real change or insight. Another limitation is that symbols change meaning according to the context in which they appear and the personal experience of the dreamer.

Angel – spiritual ideals; higher self-image, guiding angel

Bull – strength; earthly desires; take the bull by the horns; ‘bull market’.

Cave – hidden aspects of self; deeper levels of mind; exploring the depths of the inner self; site of mystery and healing; secrecy; hiding place when troubled.

Cross – difficulties we have to bear; the way of Christ; rebirth

Fire – at its worst-uncontrolled temper, jealousy, vengeance, hatred; its opposites are the fires of love, zeal, patriotic fervor, cleansing and purification.

Light – mental understanding; insight; spiritual illumination.

Mandala – designs usually enclosed within a circle, which represent wholeness and the higher self.

Mountain – attainment of spiritual awareness after surmounting obstacles; high ideals; mastery of earthly concerns; climbing a mountain – making spiritual progress.

Ocean – our emotions and their condition; subconscious and super-conscious areas of the mind; mysteries of the deep within us.

Rainbow – God’s promise to people; protection, happiness, joy and good things to come.

River – the course of life; flow of ideas and emotions; spiritual activity

Serpent/snake – the kundalini, the creative force that flows through us and can raise our energy to spiritual awareness; represents both good and evil; negative aspect - lust and temptation; positive aspect - wisdom and healing.

Star – high, spiritual ideals

Stone – foundation of truth, solid, dependable

Tree – support, strength, permanence, dignity; indicates growth and un-foldment; flowering tree – inner beauty, abundance, promise of the fruits of your labor.

Water – source of life; spiritual depths; feelings and emotions; deep, clear still water often represents truth about the inner self; murky water – emotions upset and in turmoil.

My brand new blog is called "Behind the Links."
Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.
Technorati tags: dreams archetypes

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Tools for Dreamers - Part I

My Dream Kit

A “Dream Kit” is something I put together in order to enhance my dream work. It allows me to do dream work more effectively, and have more fun in the process. What else should I think about? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The purpose

Why would I need a dream kit? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What would I actually do with it? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How hard to make would it be? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The contents

How often would I use it? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What would the kit need to contain to serve the purpose?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How much would I need to invest? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The container

Where would I keep the container? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

What form would the container take? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Would it be an open or closed container? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Life goes on.

Life Goes On

Life goes on because hearts still beat
And forces beyond ken are incomplete.
Life goes on when another's life ends.
We can't stop forces we don't comprehend.

We say, "life goes on," and leave unsaid,
"How? I don't know how. It hurts my head."
We know life goes on because we live.
The one who left we must somehow forgive.

Life goes on but never forever.
The truth existential - we're not clever
Enough to avoid the abyss owned by all.
We discover "Life's Meaning" for the shortfall.

We lose ones we love if we live long enough.
We miss them. Finding good days is so tough.
Life goes on however, because that is The Plan.
Moving on is hard, but we all have a Wing Man.


Copyright by Carol Gee
January 12, 2009


My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.
Technorati tags: poetry loss writing existential

What could be good about this Monday?

In difficult times it sometimes helps to think with another part of your brain. While the words get stuck or have become garbled or scattered, imagery is clear and unambiguous.

But the image is not mystery free. Is this creature part of a family? Or just resting near rocks? And what lies over the brow of the hill?

This is a Nebraska bison, resting on the prairie surrounded by wildflowers. Well-fed, at peace, in the land of plenty, the buffalo belongs.

On this Monday, it is good to contemplate this flower-surrounded beast at rest. Powerful but peaceful.

I know the image maker was also such a creature. But he is gone. And so is the other one from Nebraska. Celebrated with yellow flowers, both now at rest -- at peace.

So I must be also. Because I've had the gift another Good Monday, not to be squandered, but treasured.


My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.
Technorati tags: [tagname]

Accepting the Winters of our lives:

From here in the Spring we saw the horizon but not what was behind it, lost in the mists and clouds of the unknown. We could not have foretold what this winter would bring.

It is hard to visualize Spring in the middle of a cold Winter. It is hard to to understand that the turn of seasons is part of the larger plan. It is hard to accept that Winter means the loss of life for some of God's creations. It is hard to know how to get to acceptance of events beyond our control.

The reality of Winter often means struggle. We struggle against the cold winds. We slog through deep drifts of cold or blowing snow. Our eyes sting with tears. Our ears stay tuned to the crunching footsteps ahead and behind us on the path upon which all of us are headed.

We tread carefully upon the icy paths of change, attempting to get to the firmer ground of what is true and truly known. We wrap ourselves in the warmth of family and friends and familiar rituals.

This will be a Winter of loss and of celebration, of being alone and being together, of caring and being cared for, of letting go and moving on. And finally, this will be the season of eventually getting into acceptance. We will accept that life is made of spring and summer, fall and winter. And that it is good.

Update: My niece wrote a lovely tribute to her late beloved Grandma, at Paws Fur a Moment.

My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.
Technorati tags: prose seasons change family loss

Back to winter

From a Southern climate to a Western climate means a temperature drop. It has been a long time since snow on the ground, slick streets and sidewalks, and electric blankets are a matter of course. In Texas such things are news and demend special measures. In Wyoming such things are taken as simply life today. There is more talk of weather forecasts, and people take them into some consideration when making plans. But plans are usually made as if things will be normal. Cancellation at the last minute is always understood. And family prevails.
I noticed some things. My family worries if I am wearing short sleeves. They give me a hand with an icy patch on the sidewalk. I am reminded to turn on my electric blanket to warm the bed early. I have hat, gloves, warm socks, etc. enough to withstand any eventuality. I do not have my own transportation nor domicile, which means that my family coordinates who takes me where. That is a lovely nurturing kind of thing and I have welcome mats everywhere.
I also noticed that shivering every now and then is tolerable. I noticed that the sky is incredibly blue, the snow on the mountains is perfectly beautiful and the air is clean and crisp. Sunshine burns through the chill. And sound carries differently when there is snow on the ground.
More later, folks

“What did you do on your summer vacation?”

. . . is the long-ago question asked by my teachers. I am reminded of this because of my trip to Wyoming, where I was born and raised. Well, here would be my answers:

• I visited my relatives. I spent time with my mom. We worked on her quilts together. I came to realize how frail she has become.

• I slept in three different beds but brought my own pillows. I went to bed late and I slept late, too. My Metroplex allergies cleared.

• I ate good food, sometimes too much. My sister-in-law filled my plate too full of too-rich food. I fixed my “little” sister’s salads or plate lunches when she walked home for lunch. My other sister cooked fresh salmon for me and regaled me with genealogy tales late into the night. My brother fed his three sisters his grilled-outside burgers and homemade potato salad.

• On Independence Day I sat in the shade and watched a parade. I cussed the fireworks that kept me awake the night of the Fourth. I took drives in the country and was glad for my gas-efficient car. I marveled at the green grass all over the plains and at the very full lakes and rivers after a snowy winter and a rainy spring. I celebrated the animal moms and the animal babies all along my route.

• I saw the dozens of teepees and brush arbors of the traditional Northern Arapaho Sundance. I watched and listened to men, women and children from the Wind River Reservation, in beautiful Native American costume. As the sun was setting they drummed, chanted and danced for us tourists in the circle around them.

• I looked at Wyoming’s blue sky and blue and white mountains. I sat by a small rushing river, and listened to the wind in the pines. I stuck my fingers in a cold high mountain lake.

My trip has been marked by:

. . . the Fourth of July, and fresh strawberry shortcake with real whipped cream, after the big parade. Our family recipe uses angel food cake.

. . . an abundance of flowers in well-tended front yards. This town is ablaze with big and little blooms of all colors. The yards anchor log homes, frame homes, modular homes, very old big homes, and a new little subdivision.

. . . images of the wide-open West, as familiar as when I was a toddler. This is the town of my birth. My 92 year old mother is in a nursing home just a couple of blocks from where the hospital in which I was born was then located.

My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.

Technorati tags: diary travel imagery

Confessions of a curator

A few weeks ago I posted a piece called "Exploring Curators." It began with a definition and included some new information about Making Good Mondays:

Curators preserve things of value. These things include information, works of art, historical architecture, rare books, and, now, even digital data.

. . . Today I have been acting as the curator of my own body of work online at what I called my "creative blog," Southwest Blogger, hosted by Bloglegion. For whatever reason, a few months ago I started cross-posting all the posts I had done there to this site, "Making Good Mondays." I actually was afraid that something would happen to the material, and I would have no record of it. And I feel lucky now because I could still get to the originals, though the blog itself is currently unavailable to me. I copied several posts today that were worth preserving. Here is a sample what I saved through cross-posting today. . .

Today I confess that I have been at it again. I have this need to carefully preserve what I have created, I confess. Here is another sample of some of my favorite pieces, written during a time (late 2005 - early 2006) when I felt really creative:

• Bloggers share their dreams -- This is about dream interpretation combined with imagery.
• See Space and Savor the Images -- Links to beautiful sites for Space imagery that I have enjoyed.
• Clouded Thinking -- "Seeing Into the Future" is one of my poems.
• Capturing Stardust -- This is a short essay on the magic of space travel.
• Living at Sea Otter Slough -- This piece combines creative imagery with a poem that is among my favorites that I have written.
• Water Theme - Messes With Your Head -- Here I combine a mysterious optical illusion with dream interpretation ideas you can use.
• City Kid -- An autobio piece, about why I moved from the country to the city, is a bit personal.
• Nest Eggs -- This combines a beautiful visual with a short poem I call "Why Save?"
• Dry Country -- This is a short comparison-and-contrast of living with drought in the city or the country.
• Authenticity matters -- This is a short essay exploring the value of living an authentic life.
• Carelessness -- This is a short admittedly, edgy poem I call "Little Things Matter."
• The end of an era -- This is a short personal piece about what telegrams have meant to to me.

The curator in me has been on a cleaning, clearing, documenting, preserving binge around the house, I admit, that is a bit too compulsive. This post is just another symptom. But I am enjoying myself immensely.

My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.
Technorati tags: collecting writing creativity diary thoughts blogging

References on Spirituality

Today's post is a reading list of books in my library on the general subject of spirituality, mental peace, stress management, and questions related to existential philosophy. Enjoy!

"A Return To Love: Reflections On the Principles Of a Course In Miracles" By Marianne Williamson. Harper Collins, 1992

"A World Waiting To Be Born: Civility Rediscovered" by M. Scott Peck. Simon and Schuster, 1993

"Chicken Soup For the Unsinkable Soul" by Canfield, Hansen and McNamara. Health Communications, 1999

"Compassion in Action: Setting Out On the Path of Service" by Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush. Bell Tower Pub., 1992

"Creative Visualization" by Shakti Gawain. MIF Books, 1978

"Finding Values That Work: The Search For Fulfillment" by Brian O'Connell. Walker & Co., 1978

"Fire in the Soul" by Joan Borysenko. Warner Books, 1993

"Further Along the Road Less Traveled" by M. Scott Peck. Simon and Schuster, 1993

"Guilt is the Teacher, Love is the Lesson" by Joan Borysenko. Warner Books, 1990

"Inner Simplicity: 100 Ways To Regain Peace and Nourish the Soul" by Elaine St. James. Hyperion, 1995

"Insearch:Psychology and Religion" by James Hillman. Spring Pub. 1994

"Man's Search for Himself" by Rollo May. Signet Books, 1953

"Mythologies" by William Butler Yeats. Macmillan, 1959

"Myths, Dreams and Religion" by Joseph Campbell. Spring Pub. 1988

"Passion for Life: Psychology and the Human Spirit" by John and Muriel James. Penguin Books, 1991

"Peace Is Every Step" by Thich Nhat Hahn. Bantam Books , 1991

"The Heroine's Journey" by Mureen Murdock. Random House, 1990

"The Hope For Healing Human Evil" by M. Scott Peck. Simon and Schuster, 1983

"The House of Belonging" poems by David Whyte. Many Rivers Press, 2004

"The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth" by M.Scott Peck. Simon and Schuster, 1978

"The Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling" by James Hillman. Random House, 1996

"The World Treasury of Modern Religious Thought" by Jaroslav Pelikan. Little, Brown & Co., 1990

"Unconditional Life" by Deepak Chopra. Bantam Books, 1992

"Wherever You Go There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation" by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Hyperion, 1994

"Zen Keys: A Guide to Zen Practice" by Thich Nhat Hahn. Doubleday Dell Pub. 1974


Note: This list is displayed permanently in the left column of Making Good Mondays.


My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about Russia.
Technorati tags: bibliography spirituality religion existential books self-help

Random Thoughts of a Blogger - International

Making Good Mondays has a larger international audience than my political blog, South by Southwest. Along with the United States at 56%, Canada and the United Kingdom each have 11%; Australia and India each have 3%. Twelve other nations share the rest of the readership. I have had a few posts that have been linked abroad, I have regular foreign readers, and a blog in Italy has a link to this blog.
Notice that English is the primary language in every nation but India, which nevertheless has a very large percentage of English speakers. The Internet provides translation services, however, and it is interesting to see a blog post translated for another reader.
Because of the large number of readers from outside our borders, I was curious about what I was doing that "worked" for foreign readers. I speculate that the subjects, themes and images have a somewhat universal appeal: Focusing on creativity, I write poetry and prose, and about dreams, utilize imagery prominently, and sometimes write about the international aspects of Space. I write about my childhood, my birthplace, about home and holidays (see LABELS in the left column).
Other bloggers sometimes explore these same questions about the international aspects of the Internet.

• Lorelle VanFossen, writing for last yearBlogHerald asked, "Are You Really Writing For Your Blog Audience?" I quote a few tips:
  
  

  Have you stopped to consider the cultural colloquiums and references you make in your blog writing which are country, region, or age specific? I have.
  
  . . . Think about how the trendy, jargon, national, and regional references you use in your blog may be misunderstood or even confuse your blog readers. It’s critical for bloggers to be “understood”, so take time to look at what you write and how your writing may create a disconnect with your readers.
  
  . . . If you are writing as a representative of a culture or region, then definitely allow your written speech to represent the dialect and colloquialisms of your area. It’s essential to create the “sense” of place in your blog writing, inviting the readers into your world.

• Webmaster General's "tedster" wrote a little post some time ago that still may have pertinence for bloggers posting today. Titled "International Pitfalls for American Webmasters," it discusses differences between countries regarding numbers, date formats, and national cultures. An Enterprise Technology Architect, Craig Borysowich, discussed the internationalization of documents and documentation last year.

It is my plan to follow some of these hints and parameters. Because fiber optic cables carry my ideas around the world in a magical way, I great you across our borders. I welcome you to read and would very much welcome comments. May your next Monday be a fine one!
My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about Iraq.
Technorati tags: blogs blogging internet writing internatioal

Home Every Summer

Home Every Summer

Even big people want to go home every now and the then. Homesickness is not confined to little kids. Separation from one's roots may come at a cost. That price could be exacted in the form of unrequited longing, or as merely as a wish to visit loved ones and old familiar haunts.

These feelings are most intense for most of us two times during the year, at the holiday season and during "summer vacation." Thus, there are multiple motivations to "go home," wherever that is in our own heads. First, we usually want some time off from work, a vacation, and we want to "go home." The other thing is a need for variety. Summer comes and we want "something different."

And we want to spend time with those to whom we are attached. For me this means traveling from Texas to Wyoming to visit my family of origin every summer. Even though we are both retired, summer is when we take our vacation for that trip. That is because of habit, because of summer holidays, and because of weather. My teachers asked me as a child, "what did you do on your summer vacation?" Expectations of doing something during the summer begin early. The "something" might be tied to my birthday, Mother's Day or Memorial Day in May, or to Independence Day, the Fourth of July. Texas has a brief spring, and a long hot summer. Wyoming has a later spring, a short summer and a long, cold winter. Cold winters do not make for easy, safe traveling. So summer is the time to contemplate the trip North.

Predicting the end of the possibility of snow is difficult in mountain country. Wyoming has seen snow on the Fourth of July. The best we can do will be an educated guess. But we know for sure that being with my elderly mother would make a very special Mothers Day. My own birthday is not so important. And our adult children have gotten used to having m out of town on Mothers Day. And being in Wyoming for the 4th of July would also be very special. That is a big celebration in the town we visit, with a big parade, fireworks and a grand rodeo.

Both ideas are tempting. I will let you know, folks, what we decide.

My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about the elections.
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When Dreamers Get Together

This is the story of some old friends. We are dreamers and we share the same profession. So we get together once a month to exchange ideas about our lives and our dreams. Some dream more than others, all share equally in the group work.

It is a very valuable association that we all treasure. We must because we have been doing it for years. We meet for a meal and to catch up on each others' lives, work and grandchildren.


And we catch up on our latest dreams. We all grow from the process. And we honor the relationships we have with each other and with each others' dreams.


Cross-posted at Southwest Blogger
My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about .
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