Happy Saturday Evening, my Baby. I'm just getting home, so I wanted to check in to say I Love You. Today was uneventful. My sister did not come over for Saturday shopping because of the heat, so I just hung around the pad. I think we are gonna get a break soon, the weatherman says it's gonna drop down into the 80s in a day or two, so that will be nice. I hope you are enjoying your weekend. I will go for my walk at about 8pm, when it gets dark. Maybe try to take some night pictures. Then I'll be back at the usual time.
I Love You! (that's my philosophy of life). :):)
10:55pm : Three Dog Night (the band behind tonight's song) was my favorite band for about a year, in a kind of musical neverland that existed for me between the time, as a kid, when I listened to Top 40 radio, and my second year of junior high school, when I discovered FM radio and began hanging out at College Records. That was when I "graduated" from pop music to quote/unquote Serious Rock.
But Three Dog Night kind of bridged the gap between The Monkees (another favorite group, in 1967) and Alice Cooper, who was the first real hard rock/shock rock showman rock star I ever was a fan of.
The Monkees were kid stuff, Alice Cooper was the Real Deal. At least to a thirteen year old in 1973, lol. And it was Three Dog Night who bridged that gap. They were a band built around three singers. The instrumentalists were just backup. They didn't even write their own songs, but their interpretations of others' songs were inspired. And, they had a huge number of hit songs.
I am having a lot of fun going back over all the music I listened to as a child (wait a minute......was I ever a child? No. I think I was always a kid.)
The thing about music, for me, is that it has been a constant, straight line, from The Beatles, with everything intersecting, to today. And now we have Alcest coming up, and I have an Agalloch show next week. I hope they expand their tour, too, so you can see them again.
Music has flowed through me since I can remember. It is my earliest consistent memory.
I find it fascinating that classical music has been preserved all these years, these centuries, even though there were no recordings or forms of broadcast three hundred years ago. So it took some dedication by the people to whom it was important, to preserve it.
The history of rock music should be preserved as well.
Sweet Dreams, my Angel. I will see you in the morning. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxo
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Friday, September 6, 2013
Safety First :):) (Turkeys)
Happy Friday, my Darling,
I'm just getting home, you may be enjoying your Friday night, but a quick word on the safety thing, since you don't usually remark on the subject. First of all, I hope that you have never personally had any serious experiences in that regard. I know that in the past, you have made mention of drunks, and redneck and/or hunter culture, i.e. "macho man" culture, but I again hope that you have not had any confrontations or incidents with said individuals. Just going by your reference of Emily Tebbets' post, and taking it at face value as a simple protection, prevention and safety issue, that app is a great idea. Since you generally never mention this kind of thing, however, I just wanna make sure you are Triple Safe at all times. You are, I trust?
On campus, I would imagine you have some kind of student escort service? They have one at CSUN, with designated student safety officers standing by building exits at night, and in the quad area. They are easily spotted by their red shirts, and can either be spontaneously approached or contacted in advance, and they walk students (usually female) to their cars or to the bus stop. They also have walkie-talkie communication to the CSUN Police Department. I am sure you have something similar at UW. Don't know if you ever feel the need to use it, but it's there. I don't even know if you have any night classes, come to think of it, but if you do, always put safety first, especially at night.
Of Middleton, I have only knowledge of what I can see on the Internet, and it looks like a very nice town. I would guess you almost certainly don't have a gangbanger problem, or anything of that kind. Maybe Madison is more of the issue, if there are bars there, and more of the redneck/drunk thing you have posted about before. I mean, for a woman especially, safety is highly important no matter where you are, because there are a lot of weirdos in the world.
But, I think the main thing is always being aware of your surroundings. If you are out at night, travel with friends, never take the bus too late at night, that kind of thing. Don't walk alone. You already know all of this stuff.
The other thing is avoidance. Stay away from areas where undesirable types congregate, and never, ever, for any reason, confront or answer back to someone who is drunk, or who tries to provoke. Don't even make eye contact. But the main thing is just to stay away from all potential trouble areas. If you jog, do it in the daytime or before the sun goes down, and do it where there are people.
Again, you know all this stuff. Stay away from drunken frat-boy types. I made a guess last Winter that you and your friends may have been provoked by jerks, macho types or drunks, because you were posting a lot of "Amurrican" stuff. If anyone ever baits or tries to provoke you or your friends, never answer back, even if it feels like the right thing to do. Just keep moving instead. Keep walking and walk away. I am a "head down, low profile" type when I am, say, on the subway or walking back to my car in a questionable part of town, such as where some concert venues are. It's always better to be safe, every single time. Mainly, just stay in your circle and avoid all forms and energies of violence and negative energy.
A simple example for me, is even something as stupid as a mosh pit at a concert. That is more like an act of "agreed upon violence" between morons who like to shove each other, but what I do when it happens, is I just immediately get out of that part of the crowd and relocate. I don't wait, I just do it. If I see someone who is drunk, or mouthing off in a cocky way (or engaging in any form of "acting out" in public, like arrogant body language, swaggering, etc.), I give that person a wide berth.
Mostly though, I stay away from Bad Vibes of all kinds. The last thing you wanna do is become ultra-fearful or always expecting trouble. Just be watchful, always err on the side of safety, and stay in your Good Circles where the good energy is. Finally, avoid Amuricans! I know they're stupid and I know they're irritating, but they will always be among us, so just avoid them, both you and your friends.
That app is a great thing, too. Be as safe as you can, wherever you go, and remember you have a strong family who loves you very much, and a Navy Seal (that's me!) who does, too. And nothing is ever gonna happen to you, except good things.
I'll be back in a while, at the usual time. I Love You, Elizabeth. :):)
10:55pm : I like the turkey picture. You guys have a lot of Early American birds up there, turkeys and eagles. We have something called the California Condor Preserve, located about 75 miles north of the Valley. I don't think you can go there, because the condor was such an endangered species that in the 1980s there were literally just a handful of them left. So they captured some of those and began breeding them in laboratory conditions, and now there are a few hundred. They are grim birds, like vultures only bigger, but it would be neat to see one. What we do have a lot of is hawks. And geese.
I would love to try and photograph our CSUN raccoons, but it would be tough, as they are so timid and they only emerge in pitch darkness. I am keen to go on my next short photo trip, and will do so once this triple digit heat subsides. I want to continue to look for hidden remnants of Indian culture, or even from the Western settlers who came here 150 years ago. I love anything that is hidden, and here, we miss so much when we zip along on the freeway. You get where you are going more quickly, but you miss the old stuff, the stuff by the roadside that was there before the freeways were built.
You know me; I am always interested in the "hows and whys" of things, and one thing I am fascinated by, as a person who lives in a big city, is man's pursuit of what is called progress. Don't get me wrong, I love any real form of progress that makes life easier, but I find it mindblowing that my Dad's generation, and the one just before it, saw the whole shebang come in. I mean, there was the Industrial Revolution, beginning in the late 1700s, but progress was slow changing and incremental for about a hundred years. But then, once they invented the electric lightbulb, technology took off like a shot.
Since 1880 : Lightbulbs, refrigeration, full electricity, radio, automobiles, airplanes, jets, rockets, telephones, television, computers, and all manner of electronics in between. And all of this in a mere 150 years, approximately. In Los Angeles, an ancient natural region in it's own right, they came out here to make movies. Los Angeles was a city of the Mexicans, a low key city until Hollywood took off. The early movie kingpins switched their headquarters here, from New York, because of the perennial sunshine. And what resulted, from another technology (filmmaking) was both a tremendous art form, but also a major, major revenue source for Business America, the entity that promotes what is called "progress" by the media and the world at large. Because of the success of Hollywood, which emerged as a power in Depression times and provided a much-needed entertainment diversion for Americans, Los Angeles expanded. At the same time, the automobile was becoming ever more prevalent in the American way of life, and by the mid-1950s, enormous freeways were being built all over the city (and all over America) so that people could get somewhere, quickly, by automobile. Cars were initially an invention for convenience, and fun. They made life easier from the horse and buggy days, and made possible long trips to visit relatives, or just to see the country. But after the freeways were built, they became a way of life, a Vehicle For Business, to bring workers to work (cubicles), and most of all, they made billionaires of the owners of the oil industry, who built the freeways in Los Angeles to ensure that their idea of progress would continue. All of this has happened since World War 2, in the last 60 years. So it's all really new, still, this idea of progress.
Don't get me wrong, I like to be able to use all the modern conveniences. I like being able to travel in my car, so far be it from me to put down the idea of freewways (which were called "free"ways because there was no toll), or computers, television, or any of the other inventions I mentioned.
But I am now, as a person of curiosity, trying to search out parts of the world from the "pre-progress" era that are still in place. And that is because I think there is more to life than progress. Progress was intended to serve all of us, not to make us slaves to it's continuance.
Invention should take a break once in a while, so that people can enjoy the new convenience it provides.
I have gone on a tangent from my initial writing about birds, but that's because I think we can learn from animals of all kinds. Not to be like them, because they cannot reason like we can. They can't figure things out like we can.
But they can understand how to live, without constantly feeling the need to progress, whatever that means.
That's all I know for tonight, my Darling. Sweet Dreams, I Love You So Much! xoxoxoxo :):)
(see you in the morn.....)
I'm just getting home, you may be enjoying your Friday night, but a quick word on the safety thing, since you don't usually remark on the subject. First of all, I hope that you have never personally had any serious experiences in that regard. I know that in the past, you have made mention of drunks, and redneck and/or hunter culture, i.e. "macho man" culture, but I again hope that you have not had any confrontations or incidents with said individuals. Just going by your reference of Emily Tebbets' post, and taking it at face value as a simple protection, prevention and safety issue, that app is a great idea. Since you generally never mention this kind of thing, however, I just wanna make sure you are Triple Safe at all times. You are, I trust?
On campus, I would imagine you have some kind of student escort service? They have one at CSUN, with designated student safety officers standing by building exits at night, and in the quad area. They are easily spotted by their red shirts, and can either be spontaneously approached or contacted in advance, and they walk students (usually female) to their cars or to the bus stop. They also have walkie-talkie communication to the CSUN Police Department. I am sure you have something similar at UW. Don't know if you ever feel the need to use it, but it's there. I don't even know if you have any night classes, come to think of it, but if you do, always put safety first, especially at night.
Of Middleton, I have only knowledge of what I can see on the Internet, and it looks like a very nice town. I would guess you almost certainly don't have a gangbanger problem, or anything of that kind. Maybe Madison is more of the issue, if there are bars there, and more of the redneck/drunk thing you have posted about before. I mean, for a woman especially, safety is highly important no matter where you are, because there are a lot of weirdos in the world.
But, I think the main thing is always being aware of your surroundings. If you are out at night, travel with friends, never take the bus too late at night, that kind of thing. Don't walk alone. You already know all of this stuff.
The other thing is avoidance. Stay away from areas where undesirable types congregate, and never, ever, for any reason, confront or answer back to someone who is drunk, or who tries to provoke. Don't even make eye contact. But the main thing is just to stay away from all potential trouble areas. If you jog, do it in the daytime or before the sun goes down, and do it where there are people.
Again, you know all this stuff. Stay away from drunken frat-boy types. I made a guess last Winter that you and your friends may have been provoked by jerks, macho types or drunks, because you were posting a lot of "Amurrican" stuff. If anyone ever baits or tries to provoke you or your friends, never answer back, even if it feels like the right thing to do. Just keep moving instead. Keep walking and walk away. I am a "head down, low profile" type when I am, say, on the subway or walking back to my car in a questionable part of town, such as where some concert venues are. It's always better to be safe, every single time. Mainly, just stay in your circle and avoid all forms and energies of violence and negative energy.
A simple example for me, is even something as stupid as a mosh pit at a concert. That is more like an act of "agreed upon violence" between morons who like to shove each other, but what I do when it happens, is I just immediately get out of that part of the crowd and relocate. I don't wait, I just do it. If I see someone who is drunk, or mouthing off in a cocky way (or engaging in any form of "acting out" in public, like arrogant body language, swaggering, etc.), I give that person a wide berth.
Mostly though, I stay away from Bad Vibes of all kinds. The last thing you wanna do is become ultra-fearful or always expecting trouble. Just be watchful, always err on the side of safety, and stay in your Good Circles where the good energy is. Finally, avoid Amuricans! I know they're stupid and I know they're irritating, but they will always be among us, so just avoid them, both you and your friends.
That app is a great thing, too. Be as safe as you can, wherever you go, and remember you have a strong family who loves you very much, and a Navy Seal (that's me!) who does, too. And nothing is ever gonna happen to you, except good things.
I'll be back in a while, at the usual time. I Love You, Elizabeth. :):)
10:55pm : I like the turkey picture. You guys have a lot of Early American birds up there, turkeys and eagles. We have something called the California Condor Preserve, located about 75 miles north of the Valley. I don't think you can go there, because the condor was such an endangered species that in the 1980s there were literally just a handful of them left. So they captured some of those and began breeding them in laboratory conditions, and now there are a few hundred. They are grim birds, like vultures only bigger, but it would be neat to see one. What we do have a lot of is hawks. And geese.
I would love to try and photograph our CSUN raccoons, but it would be tough, as they are so timid and they only emerge in pitch darkness. I am keen to go on my next short photo trip, and will do so once this triple digit heat subsides. I want to continue to look for hidden remnants of Indian culture, or even from the Western settlers who came here 150 years ago. I love anything that is hidden, and here, we miss so much when we zip along on the freeway. You get where you are going more quickly, but you miss the old stuff, the stuff by the roadside that was there before the freeways were built.
You know me; I am always interested in the "hows and whys" of things, and one thing I am fascinated by, as a person who lives in a big city, is man's pursuit of what is called progress. Don't get me wrong, I love any real form of progress that makes life easier, but I find it mindblowing that my Dad's generation, and the one just before it, saw the whole shebang come in. I mean, there was the Industrial Revolution, beginning in the late 1700s, but progress was slow changing and incremental for about a hundred years. But then, once they invented the electric lightbulb, technology took off like a shot.
Since 1880 : Lightbulbs, refrigeration, full electricity, radio, automobiles, airplanes, jets, rockets, telephones, television, computers, and all manner of electronics in between. And all of this in a mere 150 years, approximately. In Los Angeles, an ancient natural region in it's own right, they came out here to make movies. Los Angeles was a city of the Mexicans, a low key city until Hollywood took off. The early movie kingpins switched their headquarters here, from New York, because of the perennial sunshine. And what resulted, from another technology (filmmaking) was both a tremendous art form, but also a major, major revenue source for Business America, the entity that promotes what is called "progress" by the media and the world at large. Because of the success of Hollywood, which emerged as a power in Depression times and provided a much-needed entertainment diversion for Americans, Los Angeles expanded. At the same time, the automobile was becoming ever more prevalent in the American way of life, and by the mid-1950s, enormous freeways were being built all over the city (and all over America) so that people could get somewhere, quickly, by automobile. Cars were initially an invention for convenience, and fun. They made life easier from the horse and buggy days, and made possible long trips to visit relatives, or just to see the country. But after the freeways were built, they became a way of life, a Vehicle For Business, to bring workers to work (cubicles), and most of all, they made billionaires of the owners of the oil industry, who built the freeways in Los Angeles to ensure that their idea of progress would continue. All of this has happened since World War 2, in the last 60 years. So it's all really new, still, this idea of progress.
Don't get me wrong, I like to be able to use all the modern conveniences. I like being able to travel in my car, so far be it from me to put down the idea of freewways (which were called "free"ways because there was no toll), or computers, television, or any of the other inventions I mentioned.
But I am now, as a person of curiosity, trying to search out parts of the world from the "pre-progress" era that are still in place. And that is because I think there is more to life than progress. Progress was intended to serve all of us, not to make us slaves to it's continuance.
Invention should take a break once in a while, so that people can enjoy the new convenience it provides.
I have gone on a tangent from my initial writing about birds, but that's because I think we can learn from animals of all kinds. Not to be like them, because they cannot reason like we can. They can't figure things out like we can.
But they can understand how to live, without constantly feeling the need to progress, whatever that means.
That's all I know for tonight, my Darling. Sweet Dreams, I Love You So Much! xoxoxoxo :):)
(see you in the morn.....)
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Cookin' (Now I'm Really Hungry!) ("Storm"!) (Love Added)
Okay, my Baby, I'm coming over to your house for dinner, especially if you are cooking with Sriracha! What time do we eat? :)
I just bought a whole bunch of dried California chiles, aka "Anaheim" chiles when fresh. Dried, they have a dark red color, and they aren't real hot, but have great flavor.
I was at the Mexican market, and I also bought a coconut, just because it was on sale. It's already been shelled, but I still have to figure out what to do with it. I thought the white part, the actual coconut flesh, would be softer, but it's very hard and stringy. I'll Google it, see what I can find, and then I actually will have some Sriracha and some chips when I get to Pearl's. They keep it on hand there, hooray! :)
Tonight is Cinematheque night, we are gonna see Fassbinder's "Gods Of The Plague". I've never seen it before, it's his version of a gangster film, but I am looking forward to it because last week's movie was so good. It's about 90 mins, so just like last week, when you add in the Professor's introductory lecture and the extras he usually shows (interviews with the director, etc.), I should be out of there by 9:30 and back home a few minutes after that.
So, save dinner for me! I Love You, Elizabeth. :):)
(back tonight, and I'll be around while at Pearl's too....)
10:05pm : Awesome news, Elizabeth! I just saw your post a minute ago, you know I am talking about "Storm". I am guessing you have already heard the master, and I can't wait to hear it too! I was just listening to the solo version a day or two ago, and I know it well, so it will be exciting to hear the full version for the first time.
I am gonna eat something real quick, because I just got home from the movie a couple minutes ago, but I wanted to post right away to say congratulations. I'll be back in just a bit! :):)
11:15pm : Wow. You know, I haven't written much about music in recent times, and I think I just mentioned that last night. We have been doing so much photography, that I have been focusing on that, and all the Weird Stuff I write about. Also, a while back you said that you'd been having problems with your piano, so I did not know how that was resolved, though I hope it has been. I know how much you love your piano. But I love to talk music, as you know. As an Artist, you have many creative outlets, and you can include them all, you never have to neglect anything.
Are you gonna make a video for "Just Before The Storm"? I'm just curious, but you can surprise me! But, please know that the last thing I want to do is convey the kind of pro-active pressure message that I may have done last Summer, when you were recording at home and dealing with computer troubles and other stuff.
We have come a long way since then, even though that was an amazing Summer too. But now we know so much more, on so many levels, about each other, and the meanings of things. We have expressed so much since then. In doing so, I think we have been very successful in putting creativity at the forefront, and making it the sole focal point. Everything else is icing on the cake.
This time the icing is that you have a finished song, very melodic and beautiful and professionally produced.
And, creatively speaking, you have all the time in the world. You can do anything you want.
And I will always be right here beside you. Sweet Dreams, my Darling!
I Love You. :):) xoxoxoxoxo
I just bought a whole bunch of dried California chiles, aka "Anaheim" chiles when fresh. Dried, they have a dark red color, and they aren't real hot, but have great flavor.
I was at the Mexican market, and I also bought a coconut, just because it was on sale. It's already been shelled, but I still have to figure out what to do with it. I thought the white part, the actual coconut flesh, would be softer, but it's very hard and stringy. I'll Google it, see what I can find, and then I actually will have some Sriracha and some chips when I get to Pearl's. They keep it on hand there, hooray! :)
Tonight is Cinematheque night, we are gonna see Fassbinder's "Gods Of The Plague". I've never seen it before, it's his version of a gangster film, but I am looking forward to it because last week's movie was so good. It's about 90 mins, so just like last week, when you add in the Professor's introductory lecture and the extras he usually shows (interviews with the director, etc.), I should be out of there by 9:30 and back home a few minutes after that.
So, save dinner for me! I Love You, Elizabeth. :):)
(back tonight, and I'll be around while at Pearl's too....)
10:05pm : Awesome news, Elizabeth! I just saw your post a minute ago, you know I am talking about "Storm". I am guessing you have already heard the master, and I can't wait to hear it too! I was just listening to the solo version a day or two ago, and I know it well, so it will be exciting to hear the full version for the first time.
I am gonna eat something real quick, because I just got home from the movie a couple minutes ago, but I wanted to post right away to say congratulations. I'll be back in just a bit! :):)
11:15pm : Wow. You know, I haven't written much about music in recent times, and I think I just mentioned that last night. We have been doing so much photography, that I have been focusing on that, and all the Weird Stuff I write about. Also, a while back you said that you'd been having problems with your piano, so I did not know how that was resolved, though I hope it has been. I know how much you love your piano. But I love to talk music, as you know. As an Artist, you have many creative outlets, and you can include them all, you never have to neglect anything.
Are you gonna make a video for "Just Before The Storm"? I'm just curious, but you can surprise me! But, please know that the last thing I want to do is convey the kind of pro-active pressure message that I may have done last Summer, when you were recording at home and dealing with computer troubles and other stuff.
We have come a long way since then, even though that was an amazing Summer too. But now we know so much more, on so many levels, about each other, and the meanings of things. We have expressed so much since then. In doing so, I think we have been very successful in putting creativity at the forefront, and making it the sole focal point. Everything else is icing on the cake.
This time the icing is that you have a finished song, very melodic and beautiful and professionally produced.
And, creatively speaking, you have all the time in the world. You can do anything you want.
And I will always be right here beside you. Sweet Dreams, my Darling!
I Love You. :):) xoxoxoxoxo
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Soft Focus (more added)
Hey my Darling! ,
I'm just getting home. I loved that photo you posted a couple hours ago, and the concept behind it, too. It reminded me of some of the pics my friend Dave used to take. I told you he would deliberately unfocus a shot, just to obscure the subject (be it a building, a person or whatever). Now I wanna do it too, except I will need a camera with a manual focus option. Oh wait! I already have one - my Pentax ME Super film camera.
I still have to shoot some film. I've been saying I was gonna and I haven't.
I also like the concept behind the photo because the guy says it could be considered a temple of sorts, and all my reading and studies of late coincide with that - the megalithic structures, pyramids, stone circles, all designed for ancient magical practices having to do with cosmology and alchemy. Many of those structures have "windows" of precisely lined-up stones, to capture the sun's rays at a certain time of day or year, like a sunrise or an equinox. So, it all fits in with that picture. :)
It was another blast-furnace day, so I will wait until dark to go for my walk. I may stop by the Oviatt just to see how the new printing set-up works, if the public can still use it, etc. I told you they pretty much turned the first floor into a coffee house lounge. It's really nice, but I don't know if they have public computers down there any more. I wanna print your Bill Watterson cartoon of the other day (super inspiring!) and also some of my blogs from the Summer, just a sampling for now but eventually all of 'em, to have as a printed record of this incredibly special time. So, if I leave on my walk about 7:45 (a half hour from now), I should be back no later than 9:45, and that's only if I can print at the Oviatt. So we'll see. But either way I'll be back at the usual time to write more. I hope you don't have a ton of homework (but I bet you do.......oy.)
But more than that or anything else, I Love You! :):)
And I'll be back in a little while........
10:55pm : I did go to the Oviatt and you can still print from the upper floors. The computer situation is the same deal as last Spring - no more public units on the first floor, but about 12 on the upper ones. It doesn't apply to me anymore, except for when I wanna print, but I still like to pop in for old times sake.
I think it's interesting that we have kind of gone into what you could call a period of esotericism. I mean, I realise with that statement that I am lumping you into into my present area of interest, but I know that you are interested in other metaphysical subjects, as they relate to nature, or meditation, or alchemy, so we are both kind of converging at the same peak. I say "it's interesting", because last year it was all music, and that was of course awesome, but now we have steered things in a divergent direction. Now that I think of it, I can include you as having mutual interest in the general course of the topic, because I write for you, and to you, and I receive your input, both psychically, spiritually, and directly on FB.
So now that I think about it again, and reconsider it, it's really interesting how the conversation has become more about metaphysical subjects ever since we started communicating this way. Your major is linguistics, and I have often said that when I write, it is an "inner voice" doing the talking, the voice of my mind rather than "me". So it is really interesting to think of the difference in the processes between speaking, or linguistics, and writing, or the voice of the mind. Perhaps what comes out of each process is not all that different, but I think that by communicating in a psychic manner, we have brought out a psychic text.
At some point down the road, it will be really interesting to combine these sensory forms, and do things like take psychic pictures. I love all this stuff, because I am adventuresome in that way. I am not a guy to climb Mount Everest, but I will climb the Mount Everest of thought and comprehension.
So, we are going in that direction. And we are turning it into art. It will be very interesting indeed to see how it evolves as we proceed. That's why I like to write it all down, so we have a record.
You are probably asleep, and so I send you Sweet Dreams in the moment. But if by chance you awaken to read this, I also send you a hug and kiss, many of them actually.
xoxoxoxoxoxo I Love You, Elizabeth. :):)
I'm just getting home. I loved that photo you posted a couple hours ago, and the concept behind it, too. It reminded me of some of the pics my friend Dave used to take. I told you he would deliberately unfocus a shot, just to obscure the subject (be it a building, a person or whatever). Now I wanna do it too, except I will need a camera with a manual focus option. Oh wait! I already have one - my Pentax ME Super film camera.
I still have to shoot some film. I've been saying I was gonna and I haven't.
I also like the concept behind the photo because the guy says it could be considered a temple of sorts, and all my reading and studies of late coincide with that - the megalithic structures, pyramids, stone circles, all designed for ancient magical practices having to do with cosmology and alchemy. Many of those structures have "windows" of precisely lined-up stones, to capture the sun's rays at a certain time of day or year, like a sunrise or an equinox. So, it all fits in with that picture. :)
It was another blast-furnace day, so I will wait until dark to go for my walk. I may stop by the Oviatt just to see how the new printing set-up works, if the public can still use it, etc. I told you they pretty much turned the first floor into a coffee house lounge. It's really nice, but I don't know if they have public computers down there any more. I wanna print your Bill Watterson cartoon of the other day (super inspiring!) and also some of my blogs from the Summer, just a sampling for now but eventually all of 'em, to have as a printed record of this incredibly special time. So, if I leave on my walk about 7:45 (a half hour from now), I should be back no later than 9:45, and that's only if I can print at the Oviatt. So we'll see. But either way I'll be back at the usual time to write more. I hope you don't have a ton of homework (but I bet you do.......oy.)
But more than that or anything else, I Love You! :):)
And I'll be back in a little while........
10:55pm : I did go to the Oviatt and you can still print from the upper floors. The computer situation is the same deal as last Spring - no more public units on the first floor, but about 12 on the upper ones. It doesn't apply to me anymore, except for when I wanna print, but I still like to pop in for old times sake.
I think it's interesting that we have kind of gone into what you could call a period of esotericism. I mean, I realise with that statement that I am lumping you into into my present area of interest, but I know that you are interested in other metaphysical subjects, as they relate to nature, or meditation, or alchemy, so we are both kind of converging at the same peak. I say "it's interesting", because last year it was all music, and that was of course awesome, but now we have steered things in a divergent direction. Now that I think of it, I can include you as having mutual interest in the general course of the topic, because I write for you, and to you, and I receive your input, both psychically, spiritually, and directly on FB.
So now that I think about it again, and reconsider it, it's really interesting how the conversation has become more about metaphysical subjects ever since we started communicating this way. Your major is linguistics, and I have often said that when I write, it is an "inner voice" doing the talking, the voice of my mind rather than "me". So it is really interesting to think of the difference in the processes between speaking, or linguistics, and writing, or the voice of the mind. Perhaps what comes out of each process is not all that different, but I think that by communicating in a psychic manner, we have brought out a psychic text.
At some point down the road, it will be really interesting to combine these sensory forms, and do things like take psychic pictures. I love all this stuff, because I am adventuresome in that way. I am not a guy to climb Mount Everest, but I will climb the Mount Everest of thought and comprehension.
So, we are going in that direction. And we are turning it into art. It will be very interesting indeed to see how it evolves as we proceed. That's why I like to write it all down, so we have a record.
You are probably asleep, and so I send you Sweet Dreams in the moment. But if by chance you awaken to read this, I also send you a hug and kiss, many of them actually.
xoxoxoxoxoxo I Love You, Elizabeth. :):)
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Family Tree (You & Me) :):) (family history added)
My Sweet and Beautiful Baby! I am just getting home from Pearl's, so I wanted to check in and say that I hope your first day of school was a good one, uneventful in the best sense of that word. I'm sure it was a mad dash in some ways, too, especially after the relaxation of Summer, but I am sure you have that part down by now. I am gonna go over to Ancestry.com for a few minutes, cause my brother thinks he may have found a previously unknown relative on our family tree. He wants me to do some checking for him, because I am the geneaologist in the family.
I also have my own Family Tree : Adam and Elizabeth. Or if you prefer, Elizabeth and Adam.
I think it sounds good either way, my Lady.
I'll be back at the usual time, with more.
I Love You With All My Heart. :):)
(back in a bit)
11:10pm : The Ancestry thing is a trip, because in 2007 I spent months making this huge tree, and it was something I never expected would happen because when we were kids, my siblings and I didn't have a single extended relative. I think I told you this a while back, maybe last year. Anyway, we had no grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins. All we had was Dad, Mom, and me and my brother and sisters, our nuclear family, because everyone else had died long ago. My Mom was adopted from an orphanage at six months, and never knew the identities of her birth parents until she was in her fifties. My Dad was raised by his Mom and his granny, and never knew his father. His Mom died of tuberculosis in 1937 when he was 17, so after that it was just him and his grandma. She died in the late 40s. Mom's adoptive parents were both deceased by 1943, and basically both my parents were kind of on their own, thrown into the deep end of life, when they were teenagers. But, they made it out okay, and it was all good (or mostly good) and for our family it was an interesting story, because when I was a kid, everybody had extended families, some large, some not so large, but everybody had at least one relative. Except us, we had none.
So, in 2007, when I set out to do our family tree, a chance made possible by the Internet and all the records kept by the Mormon Church (they are America's great geneaologists), I was surprised to discover what a large, extended family we had in the generations before I was born. I discovered a lot about my Mom's birth parents, their history, and on Dad's side I discovered a full American history for his Mom's side.
But we could never find out much about his Dad. Dad grew up without a father, and it was strong women in his life who raised him. And my siblings and I have always been curious about our history, so this eve my brother messaged me on FB to say that he found some info on Ancestry, a possible link to our unknown grandfather, Dad's father whom he never knew.
In the 1920s, there was much irresponsibility amongst young men, and young white men as well. Both my Dad's and my Mom's biological fathers ran away after getting their women pregnant. But there was a new twist in the story tonight. My brother found out, on Ancestry, that Dad's father had another family in Kentucky, a couple hundred miles from northern Indiana. And he had apparently ditched that family, and had relocated to Indiana, and married my grandma, who died in 1937 when Dad was 17. But the thing is, that the reason Dad never knew his father, is apparently because his Grandma, who owned the house his Mom lived in with this man, found out that Mr. Landers had another family in Kentucky, and she ran him out of the house. This is my speculation tonight, from long term knowledge of Dad's stories, and finally, from last pieces of the puzzle so many decades later, thanks to the Internet, and the persistence of memory.
My family is late in regenerating, I think I have mentioned that before. All the previous peeps have kids when they are 35 or 40. So, my grandpa William Landers, a man my Dad never knew, was born in 1880, a full 80 years before I was born.
It's most fascinating for me because of the time history. If I had a wish to meet any of my ancestors, it would be the women, the strong women like my grandma Louise, who died of tuberculosis in 1937, or her mother, my great grandma Katherine Kelly, who died not long after.
I would like to meet my Mom's adoptive parents someday, too. They died in the 1940s, long before I was born, but even though they are not part of my geneaology, they are heroes to me as well.
Blood is fascinating, and is part of who we are both biologically and in the backwards extention of the family tree.
But really, it is the strong people in your life who make you who you are.
I mean, you make you who you are, but you could never do that without those strong people to launch you.
I look back at the family history I never knew, and it's all good. We never knew the difference, so we never had any psychological burden of having no relatives. But now, thanks to research and modern technology, and most of all to people in other states who have kept records, we are finding who we are.
And we are strong.
I Love You, Elizabeth. Though we are our own, and individuals above all else, we are like those people.
We are strong.
Sweet dreams, my Angel. I will see you in the morning. xoxoxoxoxo :):)
I also have my own Family Tree : Adam and Elizabeth. Or if you prefer, Elizabeth and Adam.
I think it sounds good either way, my Lady.
I'll be back at the usual time, with more.
I Love You With All My Heart. :):)
(back in a bit)
11:10pm : The Ancestry thing is a trip, because in 2007 I spent months making this huge tree, and it was something I never expected would happen because when we were kids, my siblings and I didn't have a single extended relative. I think I told you this a while back, maybe last year. Anyway, we had no grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins. All we had was Dad, Mom, and me and my brother and sisters, our nuclear family, because everyone else had died long ago. My Mom was adopted from an orphanage at six months, and never knew the identities of her birth parents until she was in her fifties. My Dad was raised by his Mom and his granny, and never knew his father. His Mom died of tuberculosis in 1937 when he was 17, so after that it was just him and his grandma. She died in the late 40s. Mom's adoptive parents were both deceased by 1943, and basically both my parents were kind of on their own, thrown into the deep end of life, when they were teenagers. But, they made it out okay, and it was all good (or mostly good) and for our family it was an interesting story, because when I was a kid, everybody had extended families, some large, some not so large, but everybody had at least one relative. Except us, we had none.
So, in 2007, when I set out to do our family tree, a chance made possible by the Internet and all the records kept by the Mormon Church (they are America's great geneaologists), I was surprised to discover what a large, extended family we had in the generations before I was born. I discovered a lot about my Mom's birth parents, their history, and on Dad's side I discovered a full American history for his Mom's side.
But we could never find out much about his Dad. Dad grew up without a father, and it was strong women in his life who raised him. And my siblings and I have always been curious about our history, so this eve my brother messaged me on FB to say that he found some info on Ancestry, a possible link to our unknown grandfather, Dad's father whom he never knew.
In the 1920s, there was much irresponsibility amongst young men, and young white men as well. Both my Dad's and my Mom's biological fathers ran away after getting their women pregnant. But there was a new twist in the story tonight. My brother found out, on Ancestry, that Dad's father had another family in Kentucky, a couple hundred miles from northern Indiana. And he had apparently ditched that family, and had relocated to Indiana, and married my grandma, who died in 1937 when Dad was 17. But the thing is, that the reason Dad never knew his father, is apparently because his Grandma, who owned the house his Mom lived in with this man, found out that Mr. Landers had another family in Kentucky, and she ran him out of the house. This is my speculation tonight, from long term knowledge of Dad's stories, and finally, from last pieces of the puzzle so many decades later, thanks to the Internet, and the persistence of memory.
My family is late in regenerating, I think I have mentioned that before. All the previous peeps have kids when they are 35 or 40. So, my grandpa William Landers, a man my Dad never knew, was born in 1880, a full 80 years before I was born.
It's most fascinating for me because of the time history. If I had a wish to meet any of my ancestors, it would be the women, the strong women like my grandma Louise, who died of tuberculosis in 1937, or her mother, my great grandma Katherine Kelly, who died not long after.
I would like to meet my Mom's adoptive parents someday, too. They died in the 1940s, long before I was born, but even though they are not part of my geneaology, they are heroes to me as well.
Blood is fascinating, and is part of who we are both biologically and in the backwards extention of the family tree.
But really, it is the strong people in your life who make you who you are.
I mean, you make you who you are, but you could never do that without those strong people to launch you.
I look back at the family history I never knew, and it's all good. We never knew the difference, so we never had any psychological burden of having no relatives. But now, thanks to research and modern technology, and most of all to people in other states who have kept records, we are finding who we are.
And we are strong.
I Love You, Elizabeth. Though we are our own, and individuals above all else, we are like those people.
We are strong.
Sweet dreams, my Angel. I will see you in the morning. xoxoxoxoxo :):)
Monday, September 2, 2013
Each Other :):) (critters added) (love, too)
I'm home My Love! This morning was the last part of my three day break, and I was back at Pearl's for the afternoon shift. I saw your post a little while before I left, and it made my day, I've been floating ever since.
I can't wait to place a ring on your finger. What a special day that will be. :):)
I guess school is starting tomorrow, it's gotta be, am I right? But no matter, we will just go along day by day as we have been, and this has been such a great Summer, and we still have three weeks left of the season. Then we will enjoy a gorgeous Fall, such a wonderful season in it's own right. We have each other, and we are seeing the world through each other's eyes as we see it through our own, and what a beautiful world we are seeing. Life is beautiful, Elizabeth, and so are you.
I Love You With All My Heart! :):)
I will go on my walk now, then be back later at my usual time. I know it's a school night, so I hope it's not too late, but I think that when I was still posting from the Oviatt last semester, I was writing until about the same time, and it seemed to work okay. If not, I'll adjust!
(back in a bit)
11pm : I had a coincidence while out on my walk. I had to go in a slightly different direction to return a movie at the Redbox (the West Memphis 3 movie). So to get back to CSUN, I went down a street just below the one I live on. I usually enter the campus by my own street. Right when I got to the corner where campus begins, I saw a sign that caught my eye. It was low to the ground, and I recognised it as a political sign, because we are having a special election to fill a few vacancies in state politics. But that's not why it caught my eye. I mean, there are signs everywhere, right? This sign caught my eye because I saw the name Elizabeth. It would be interesting for someone to do a study on name recognition, and how it catches our eye in print, even as a surprise. Maybe it is similar to face recognition, the shapes of the letters and such.
Anyway, the sign caught my eye because of the letters of your name, and then a millisecond later I was looking at the full name: Elizabeth Badger.
I have no idea who Elizabeth Badger is, but I thought, "okay, very good then. My Elizabeth starts school tomorrow, and of course she goes to UW, so..........well, you get it. :)
And I also thought, "well, I just saw that Elizabeth is attending a Badger Photo Club meeting, which I just wrote about last night".
"Okay.......I get it", I told the sign. :) Then I continued on my walk. You and I love words, and we love magic and coincidences (whatever those are, right?), and you know I love your name.
So I proceeded on my usual route after that. Wink, wink, nudge nudge, as Monty Python would say. Then I got about another block down, and I saw these little figures in the street gutter, right next to the storm drain. CSUN has a population of feral cats, which I've mentioned, but right away I knew these weren't those. I could see their slightly hunched backs and most importantly, their green, reflective eyes.
There were three raccoons staring at me. The CSUN storm drain raccoons. I have no idea how many there are, because you hardly ever see them. They live in the storm drains below campus, and I had only ever seen them emerge perhaps twice before, from a storm drain a quarter mile away, by the orange grove. And that was at least four years ago. Every time I have seen them, on just a few occasions, there have been three of them, and it always seems like a mother raccoon and two children, because first one emerges from the drain, and scouts out the situation, to see if it is safe. Then you see two others emerge.
When I have seen them, I always stop and try to be still, so that they won't scramble back down into the storm drain where they make their home.
The campus was empty for Labor Day, and I was the only one present, so I tried to make myself unnoticeable. I quietly stepped into a night shadow on the grass, away from the sidewalk and street.
They had come out of the storm drain wanting to cross that street, to look for food in the campus trash cans on the other side. So, I stood there in the shadow, because I wanted to watch them. Raccoons are such humble creatures. They only ever come out at night, and only to look for food, and they run right back to their underground hideout at the slightest disturbance. I wanted to tell them, "go ahead and cross the street. I won't stop you". Raccoons bring that out in you. But I knew if I made the slightest move, they'd abort their mission.
So I stood still.......and I waited......for about three minutes.
And the raccoons gathered their courage and crossed the street, and headed for the trash cans.
Me, I continued on my walk. It was muggy out, but a little cooler than it has been, and the air felt like warm velvet.
I thought about life and how things happen for you and me, and I thought, "Of course". It's Us.
I Love You My Amazing Elizabeth.
Best energy for school tomorrow, and Sweet Dreams tonight. xoxoxoxoxo :):)
I can't wait to place a ring on your finger. What a special day that will be. :):)
I guess school is starting tomorrow, it's gotta be, am I right? But no matter, we will just go along day by day as we have been, and this has been such a great Summer, and we still have three weeks left of the season. Then we will enjoy a gorgeous Fall, such a wonderful season in it's own right. We have each other, and we are seeing the world through each other's eyes as we see it through our own, and what a beautiful world we are seeing. Life is beautiful, Elizabeth, and so are you.
I Love You With All My Heart! :):)
I will go on my walk now, then be back later at my usual time. I know it's a school night, so I hope it's not too late, but I think that when I was still posting from the Oviatt last semester, I was writing until about the same time, and it seemed to work okay. If not, I'll adjust!
(back in a bit)
11pm : I had a coincidence while out on my walk. I had to go in a slightly different direction to return a movie at the Redbox (the West Memphis 3 movie). So to get back to CSUN, I went down a street just below the one I live on. I usually enter the campus by my own street. Right when I got to the corner where campus begins, I saw a sign that caught my eye. It was low to the ground, and I recognised it as a political sign, because we are having a special election to fill a few vacancies in state politics. But that's not why it caught my eye. I mean, there are signs everywhere, right? This sign caught my eye because I saw the name Elizabeth. It would be interesting for someone to do a study on name recognition, and how it catches our eye in print, even as a surprise. Maybe it is similar to face recognition, the shapes of the letters and such.
Anyway, the sign caught my eye because of the letters of your name, and then a millisecond later I was looking at the full name: Elizabeth Badger.
I have no idea who Elizabeth Badger is, but I thought, "okay, very good then. My Elizabeth starts school tomorrow, and of course she goes to UW, so..........well, you get it. :)
And I also thought, "well, I just saw that Elizabeth is attending a Badger Photo Club meeting, which I just wrote about last night".
"Okay.......I get it", I told the sign. :) Then I continued on my walk. You and I love words, and we love magic and coincidences (whatever those are, right?), and you know I love your name.
So I proceeded on my usual route after that. Wink, wink, nudge nudge, as Monty Python would say. Then I got about another block down, and I saw these little figures in the street gutter, right next to the storm drain. CSUN has a population of feral cats, which I've mentioned, but right away I knew these weren't those. I could see their slightly hunched backs and most importantly, their green, reflective eyes.
There were three raccoons staring at me. The CSUN storm drain raccoons. I have no idea how many there are, because you hardly ever see them. They live in the storm drains below campus, and I had only ever seen them emerge perhaps twice before, from a storm drain a quarter mile away, by the orange grove. And that was at least four years ago. Every time I have seen them, on just a few occasions, there have been three of them, and it always seems like a mother raccoon and two children, because first one emerges from the drain, and scouts out the situation, to see if it is safe. Then you see two others emerge.
When I have seen them, I always stop and try to be still, so that they won't scramble back down into the storm drain where they make their home.
The campus was empty for Labor Day, and I was the only one present, so I tried to make myself unnoticeable. I quietly stepped into a night shadow on the grass, away from the sidewalk and street.
They had come out of the storm drain wanting to cross that street, to look for food in the campus trash cans on the other side. So, I stood there in the shadow, because I wanted to watch them. Raccoons are such humble creatures. They only ever come out at night, and only to look for food, and they run right back to their underground hideout at the slightest disturbance. I wanted to tell them, "go ahead and cross the street. I won't stop you". Raccoons bring that out in you. But I knew if I made the slightest move, they'd abort their mission.
So I stood still.......and I waited......for about three minutes.
And the raccoons gathered their courage and crossed the street, and headed for the trash cans.
Me, I continued on my walk. It was muggy out, but a little cooler than it has been, and the air felt like warm velvet.
I thought about life and how things happen for you and me, and I thought, "Of course". It's Us.
I Love You My Amazing Elizabeth.
Best energy for school tomorrow, and Sweet Dreams tonight. xoxoxoxoxo :):)
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Kitty Heart! (I'm Back!) (I Love You)
I "Heart" my Angel, and her kitties know it! Another great photo! Did you have to wait a while for them to create that pose, or did you just happen to catch it as it was happening? I think it's a message from your cats, they know what's going on. ;)
I am hanging around the apartment again, still hot out, but at least I am getting some much needed dusting and cleaning done. Labor Day weekend, so I'm laboring! Soon I will venture out to shop, maybe look for a movie at the Redbox. Continue to enjoy your day, my Darling, and give your wonderful kitties a hug from me. These are for you - xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
I'll be back to write more this evening. I Love You!
10:45pm : My Darling, sorry I'm late! I was out on my walk and I ran into my friend Dennis and his kids at CSUN. I hadn't seen them in a while, so we were hanging out and talking. But, I wanted to get back to be with you. I am gonna post this right now, so you won't wonder what happened to me, and then I will be back again in just a little bit. I Love You!
11pm : For me, it's about being reliable and having you know you can always count on me. I know it might not seem like the world's biggest deal, but for a long time now I have posted at a certain time of night, right around midnight, and I didn't want you to have to wonder, "where's Adam"? That, my dear lady, is one thing you will never have to worry about me. I like being reliable, and I love always being there for my baby.
This time, running into my friend was a surprise, but always -every time - in the future, when something is planned, like a concert, I will always say, "I am going to a concert (or whatever) and I will be back at such-and-such time". These days, I am not much for "hanging out with the guys" anyway. I am a guy, who, no matter what I am doing, I basically can't wait to be back home again with my Darling. It could be home, or anywhere, but you are my magnet, my compass, and wherever you are is where I want to be.
Just so you know. :):)
To quote the title of one of my favorite Metallica songs, "Nothing Else Matters".
I saw your post about the photo club. Are you already a member, or going to join? I just think that the energy of what is happening is so great - so great! - and it is something I can feel in my soul from two thousand miles away. Elizabeth, you are so connected to your passions now, and I am thrilled, because I have talked so much about destiny, and following your bliss, and I can both feel and watch you ascending into it. You have, in so many ways, the same desire and expectancy for discovery that I have always had, and I am filled with joy at your joy .
It is wonderful in the extreme to share these days, these experiences with you, and now that we have settled in, it is especially nice to relax and enjoy the ride, day by day.
I can feel you as I type, you make me so happy.
:):) xoxoxoxo
I am hanging around the apartment again, still hot out, but at least I am getting some much needed dusting and cleaning done. Labor Day weekend, so I'm laboring! Soon I will venture out to shop, maybe look for a movie at the Redbox. Continue to enjoy your day, my Darling, and give your wonderful kitties a hug from me. These are for you - xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
I'll be back to write more this evening. I Love You!
10:45pm : My Darling, sorry I'm late! I was out on my walk and I ran into my friend Dennis and his kids at CSUN. I hadn't seen them in a while, so we were hanging out and talking. But, I wanted to get back to be with you. I am gonna post this right now, so you won't wonder what happened to me, and then I will be back again in just a little bit. I Love You!
11pm : For me, it's about being reliable and having you know you can always count on me. I know it might not seem like the world's biggest deal, but for a long time now I have posted at a certain time of night, right around midnight, and I didn't want you to have to wonder, "where's Adam"? That, my dear lady, is one thing you will never have to worry about me. I like being reliable, and I love always being there for my baby.
This time, running into my friend was a surprise, but always -every time - in the future, when something is planned, like a concert, I will always say, "I am going to a concert (or whatever) and I will be back at such-and-such time". These days, I am not much for "hanging out with the guys" anyway. I am a guy, who, no matter what I am doing, I basically can't wait to be back home again with my Darling. It could be home, or anywhere, but you are my magnet, my compass, and wherever you are is where I want to be.
Just so you know. :):)
To quote the title of one of my favorite Metallica songs, "Nothing Else Matters".
I saw your post about the photo club. Are you already a member, or going to join? I just think that the energy of what is happening is so great - so great! - and it is something I can feel in my soul from two thousand miles away. Elizabeth, you are so connected to your passions now, and I am thrilled, because I have talked so much about destiny, and following your bliss, and I can both feel and watch you ascending into it. You have, in so many ways, the same desire and expectancy for discovery that I have always had, and I am filled with joy at your joy .
It is wonderful in the extreme to share these days, these experiences with you, and now that we have settled in, it is especially nice to relax and enjoy the ride, day by day.
I can feel you as I type, you make me so happy.
:):) xoxoxoxo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)