Variety

I just read a blog I get RSS feeds from that told of being at a prayer breakfast with seventeen differing faiths attending, and told of dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Desmund Tutu.

The blog reminds me of two things:
1) I remember reading that today's info from the internet is like "word of mouth". I had posted earlier about JFK being the first president where we viewed the whole election (and then death) process from TV - the timing being when most homes had television. Prior to that it was radio, newspapers, and "word of mouth" for news and electing a president.

What's happening with the internet during this current presidential candidating is "word of mouth" spreading of info on a massive scale. And journalism is happening in the bloggosphere - like what I just read - it was an eye-witness account at a world-affecting event.

2) Such varieties of people and how they live by faith (Christian or not, everyone really does live by faith). And like the blog says, within faiths, there are good people and bad people.

And like the picture, there's so many varieties of flavors - both good and bad jelly beans.

White Deer

As I said in yesterday's Fire post, it did snow (and the fires are out). It started midday and snowed hard and we got about 10". Now it's sunny and will melt fast.

On Monte's and Dawson's second dump run yesterday it started snowing. At the dump were some deer with an albino-like one. Because along with the large, white snowflakes it was so cool, Dawson went back with his camera. He posted it on his photoblog.

Fires!

I heard on the news this morning that at least three fires in very different parts of Colorado started yesterday. "Oh Dear." We've had good moisture this winter, but if it doesn't continue, the good growth dries.

It was so beautifully warm yesterday! We got so much done outside yesterday and the roofers totally finished and cleaned up. Monte got our parking area in front of the house reworked with a little bobcat so the area slopes away from the house, and gravel was delivered and he got that all spread. We've loaded up stuff for taking to the dump. And I even walked around picking up trash.

The snow is finally all melted from my garden and there's onions and spinach coming up. I always leave last year's salad stuff in the ground and they come up early spring for good eating, way before I'm able to get seeds in the ground. I will have to dig them out eventually, since last year's crops live into another year for the production of seeds.

It did get really windy yesterday. It's been a windy winter. I guess the wind is what wrecked havoc with the started fires. Many homes burned in southern Colorado. We've lived some summers with the danger of fire. Many of the large fires have been close to home and we can smell them. I hate waking in the night smelling smoke, wondering, getting up and looking out all the windows.

There's a local website that began about a decade ago because of wanting more close-to-home updates on what's going on. Now there's pictures posted from all over so we can even check on snow conditions for various mountain roads. When I smelled smoke last summer I went to this pinecam.com and there were questions posted about the smoke and someone in the area wrote answering, as to what was going on, so no worrying further.

What to grab from your home if you do have to get out fast?! It's because of this question and stories told that I've tried to get as much on my computer as I can. I've put most all our important data on my computer creating spread sheets, and I've even scanned in old photo albums and have lots of photos on my computer.

It was supposed to snow overnight but I guess that's changed to tonight. They say the snow/rain will help with the fire fights.

Da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was born yesterday, the 15th, in 1452. Lots of journals of his drawings and figurings exist, but his completed works are few in comparison.

Because I've been framing pictures (I learned how to cut mattes - how cool - oh, the possibilities ...!) I've got all the frames I've collected all in one room. On the windowsill I sat a funky little picture I have of the Mona Lisa. That picture has fascinated viewers for centuries. From his sketch journals it's believed he used himself as the model for that picture.

From a library book, I saw the building that is home to his The Lord's Supper. It is totally a miracle that it's the one wall left standing pretty in tact from bombing in the war.

Some people have taken his sketches and completed some of his projects. One of those I connect with is, it is he who first imagined the spinning wheel's fly-wheel that holds the bobbin with the feed-hole for the animal wool twisting into a yarn. I could probably say that better if I looked at one of my books, but I think you get the idea.

Books

Author Anatole France, born today in 1844, said,

"Never lend books, for no one ever returns them;
the only books I have in my library
are those which people have lent me."

We definitely have the books in our house - probably over 1000!?! I should count, I think Monte has and I should ask him how many he thinks we have. (OK, I asked Monte ... he says we have at least 7000! Boy was I off.)

We hate to lend books, but we do. It seems the moment we lend a book, we want it for something. So there's some kinds of books we never lend anymore. And I've borrowed books too and I really try and remember to return them!

So I don't think there's many books in our library that were lent to us ...

Work Quote

"Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else."

- James M Barrie

I think I'm doing lots of work, yet I'm enjoying what I'm doing. I do have to go to the grocery store soon, when I'd rather be doing something else - so that is WORK.

"Deviant"

My son Travis designed a T-shirt. We usually think of the word 'deviant' in a behaviorally, socially negative way. But if you really think about it, what is the norm or sociably accepted standards might be something we should do differently, and be unique (does 'a peculiar people' fit here?). 

Trav's T-shirt really is a good visual for Blaise Pascal's quote - 

"When everything is moving at once, nothing appears to be moving, as on board ship. When everyone is moving toward depravity, no one seems to be moving; but if someone stops he shows up the others who are rushing on, by acting as a fixed point."

We went to church tonight instead of tomorrow. Aram preached and reminded me of this quote I've read before, and too I thought of Travis's T-shirt design.

Happenings

I've been gone all day and about to leave again. Monte, Dawson and me, along with his girlfriend "Splara" and her parents are about to eat sushi, and then going to a Small Potatoes concert, at Denver's Swallow Hill.

Jacquie and Rich are great writers and musicians of true Folk music. They are always fun. I had to download this picture from their website since it's a great visual of their song, "Time Flies".

I've listened to this song over the years, but until now, seeing the picture, it really hit me! ... Monte has written a song about wishing we could slow down time and capture 'right now' ...

My favorite song of theirs is "Waltz of the Wallflowers" which Jacquie won an award for. And too, I love Rich's powerful song: "1000 Candles, 1000 Cranes".

"Spuds Rule!" 

Anne Frank Quote

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature, and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As long as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles."

- Anne Frank

Happenings

What I'm posting now, I was going to post in the last post, but that one ended up really being about Dawson's photography. This post is other stuff happening around here this week.

Weather Report: Sun and Snow/rain mix Monday. Tuesday was beautiful. Wednesday was cooler but sunny, building in afternoon to 'slush' and then snow. Thursday - it's snowing, but supposed to stop a bit this afternoon with sun, and maybe some more snow Friday. The weekend is supposed to jump to the upper 60's maybe 70!

So ... roofers are trying to get as much done in replacing our roof as they can. Tuesday was a mass of guys ripping off the old roof, picking up the trash, and they tar-papered the whole roof (and whatever else they do - like maybe some heat strips or whatever code calls for). Driving home yesterday evening it looked like a lot of the roof was done. The 23 year old reddish-brown cheap asphalt shingles are gone and replaced with a variegated green, grey, tan, brown quality asphalt.

I ran errands yesterday after MOPS and checked out outdoor furniture. So Monte and me will spend this afternoon together (fun date!) picking out outdoor furniture for his deck off his newly finished office, and maybe replace the old furniture on our much used back deck - which we actually call 'the pergola'.

And my greenhouse is getting some more seedflats in there. I'll be planting tons of seeds over the next weeks. I'm excited, as I am every year, to see the new growth of the grapevine in the greenhouse and watch for where grape bunches are forming.