Category Archives: Entertainment

What-version?

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Entertainment, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social

December 10, 2023- The family onstage rocked the house, literally, led by the classical guitarist father (no patriarch, as he shared billing with his daughter and son-and heaped liberal praise on the newly-recruited drummer. Esteban is a widely- revered flamenco guitarist, who is also up to the challenge of rejuvenating rock classics, and doing justice to traditional Christmas songs, in equal measure. Having come to Prescott from Pittsburgh, via Tempe, long ago, he is always in his element, when playing to the hometown crowd.

Tonight was no exception. The Elks Theater is one of those places where people purchase tickets and go to their reserved seats. Then, any empty seat can be taken by anyone who is wandering about, a benign concession to mildly mentally ill people who just want a few hours peace, amongst others. One such person was in our section this evening, and with the performing family’s blessing, was quietly videotaping the concert. There is also a row of folding chairs, along the back wall, where people down on their luck were able to sit-for this concert-though not for every event, in general.

I sat by myself, a seat away from a family I’d never met before, but who later recognized me as one who had been in their confection shop, once or twice. That spurred thoughts about introversion, extroversion and ambiversion. My friend and I have talked about this; she figuring that each of us is a percentage of the first two categories-thus accounting for the third. I am more extroverted than I used to be, but as I said in a recent post, am the opposite, around certain groups, especially if I don’t know their members. I notice that others are halting in their speech and awkward communicators, in initial meetings-and that’s okay. I went over to the restaurant where a young lady, who I love like a daughter, works. After being warmly greeted by her, I enjoyed a light lunch and had a halting conversation with the two bartenders, as that was where I sat. We three seem to approach new people the same way, cautiously, but at the end of the meal, the lead bartender expressed hope that I’d be back.

Speaking of love, Esteban and family offered up a couple of Elvis Presley’s finest love songs, which resonated with me, because of the friend I mentioned at the top of the last paragraph. This is the second night in a row, that a musician has played such romantic tunes-and it may be happenstance, but I sure feel nice when it occurs.

Here is Esteban (nee’ Stephen Paul) playing La Paloma, which also reminds me of my friend.

The Blue-Leafed Vase

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Entertainment, Family, impediments, Inspiration, Personal goals, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

December 9, 2023- “Now, it seems to me some fine things have been laid upon your table, but you only want the things you can’t get.”-Don Henley and Glenn Frey, “Desperado“.

Two ladies, looking like twins, focused their attention on the titular vessel, and the fresh-cut flowers within. The crystalline surface, and the shimmering blue leaves, take up a small space on the bar at Rafter 11, yet for those ten minutes, the vase dominated the room. A fine singer, named Duane, was belting out covers of songs from the ’50s (Fly Me to The Moon) to the 2000s (Nothing Compares 2 U), yet for that brief time, his efforts were background noise.

The ladies, who were sitting at the bar with my friend, Harry, said they had adopted the older gentleman-a fine thing, as he thrives on the friendships the rest of us regulars offer him at Rafter. Turns out, they themselves have been best friends for 35 years, which they said in response to my observing that they looked like twins. Proximity can rub similarity off on people- something Penny noted, years ago, when we started to ape one another’s habits and proclivities. These ladies were both bleach blondes and about the same height. They dressed just differently enough from one another to be distinctive, and there was enough difference in their facial features to hint at fraternal, rather than identical, twinship. As it happened, though, they were each from a different coast.

When they left, my attention went back to Duane’s music, especially as his vocals pretty much drowned out anything Harry was trying to convey. My older friend left, as he was feeling the day was spent. Duane sang several songs that brought thoughts of my new friend, far away, but ever in my heart and mind. Desperado was among them.

That raised the thoughts of gratitude-or its opposite. I am very much immersed in the former: I have been blessed, a thousand times or more, by all the friends who have come into my life, especially since 2011, and before that, by the woman who gave the best years of her life to me, and whose spirit still spurs me on. There are women and men fifty and older, who are like siblings. There are younger adults, from older teens to forty-somethings, who are like my beloved children. One and all, no one is going to hurt or impugn any of them, in my presence, without a swift rejoinder. A few women from the first group have expressed romantic love for me, and while I haven’t felt the same towards them, their well-being is of high importance.

I am grateful for all the fine things that have been laid upon my table-daily experiences, far and wide as well as local; vivid and exciting, as well as quiet and mundane. I am grateful for the challenges, which have led to refinement of some rough edges. I am grateful for the first that was laid upon my table-the deep love of supremely committed parents and the sibling love that has branched from that. I am grateful that the child we raised is a full-grown, clear-headed man, and happily-married. Now, I am grateful for the friendship of a lady far away, and all the encouragement I feel from the small coterie to which she belongs.

We’ll see where it leads.

Acker Night, ’23

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Education, Entertainment, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

December 8, 2023- The people scenes and the decorations were fabulous, tonight. My camera, though, was acting up-so one of the great events in Prescott’s year will depend on a friend’s shared photos. Stay tuned, far-off friends and loved ones. I am ever one to enjoy festivals, though, and tonight was no exception.

I started off Acker Night, 2023, with my second night in a row, eating chili for supper-this bowl of spicy goodness was at Post 6, where I also contributed to a raffle, which brought a gift basket to someone. I didn’t stay long, as few people I know were actually there. I somehow can’t get past not wanting to intrude on the space of strangers my age or older. It’s easier joining younger adults at table. (With friends, of course, it doesn’t matter what age, gender or place on the political spectrum they occupy.)

Meeting my Hiking Buddy at Century Lounge, I caught up with what’s been going on in her life, then made the rounds at different businesses-from Old Sage Books, which is closing (owner’s retirement) to Lifeways (which is thriving). We encountered a Grim Reaper, a few Victorian-clad gentlemen and the Ghost of Christmas Present, from “A Christmas Carol”. There were a few teenagers singing Carols and any number of musical artists, both inside businesses and on the sidewalks.

The very purpose of Acker Night is to raise money for children and youth in the Arts-especially in music. So, it is always sweet to see the kids themselves showcasing their talents. Indeed, one dance school proprietor, whom I’ve known for many years, was out there again tonight, leading her girls, and a few women, in spirited dance steps. At least it was not as cold this evening, as it has been, the past several years.

I hope that this season is filled with light where you are!

Artistry

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Education, Entertainment, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

December 5, 2023- A good friend inquired about a course, offered by Wilmette Institute, a Baha’i online academy that focuses on a number of aspects of our Faith. Her interest is in the interplay between the arts and Baha’i, which is actually quite deep. The course, simply titled “The Baha’i Faith and the Arts”, is indeed being offered for six weeks, this coming April-May.

This spurred my own thinking about artistry. I never really advanced much beyond stick figures and potato people, though I can now at least draw reasonable facsimiles thereof, when it comes to people, cats and dogs. I made a bird house, once, in eighth grade. The instructor said “Thank God it’s made of wood. You and metal? Oil and water. ” Craftsmanship has come easier, with maturity, focus and practice. I might even try my hand at ceramics, one of these days.

Art, though, is mainly an expression of the spirit-as humanity has found, over the course of many centuries. The best of artistic expression celebrates the higher levels of human functioning, or calls our attention to suffering, that we might rise to those higher levels. Some, like Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, is mythological in tone, but no less celebratory of the rising of the human spirit. Other art, like Picasso’s Guernica, is intended to provoke reflection on the worst that our species can do to its members. Paintings, frescos, sculpture and pottery can present anything from solid utility, to historical record, to sheer serenity.

My aforementioned friend and I were part of a group who visited Ayala Museum, Greenbelt Mall, in Makati, during my recent Philippines trip. There, we encountered the thought-provoking:

the disturbing:

and the soothing.

Artistry is, to both of us, and to millions of people, a regenerative outlet, one that will sustain humanity through the worst of times and aid in celebration of the best.

Actual Vacation, Day 3

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Entertainment, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal goals, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

November 22, 2023, Grapevine- There are all kinds of journeys to be had, in this life and beyond.

While exercising, back at Home Base, last week, I watched a segment of an “adventures in car repair” show, on the Motor Trend Channel which, as you might imagine, has several such programs. The journey that one crew undertook, never brought them much outside their shop, their supply places or their test drive circuit, but it was certainly a fascinating peregrination.

The vehicle on which they were working had one functioning part: The drive train (actually, only the flywheel). Everything else, from the transmission to the windshield wipers, was messed up, beyond imagining. Somehow, they began work on turning the heap of metal into something resembling a useful piece of equipment. It took them seventeen months-and $48,000 of the owner’s money-but it came off the rack as good as anything out of River Rouge or Smyrna.

Almost as exhausting, to my imagination, was Julie Powell’s cooking of every recipe in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”. Not falling victim to a miasma of conceit took a lot of energy, though criticism from Ms. Child certainly must have helped, in that respect.

There are other such journeys of mind and heart. I have gone on a few: Reading every book in the Harry Potter series, followed by reading every existing volume of George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire”-preceded, long ago, by absorbing each volume of John Jakes’ “The Kent Family Chronicles”. I see where Mr. Jakes passed on, earlier this year. His work was what rekindled a love of the printed page, that had been dampened, over the years, by one thing or another.

Writing is, of course, another path I can take. In my Xanga days, some whimsical stories came out of this imagination. I lost track of them, when Xanga folded and no longer have access to that medium’s successor sites, which own the rights to everything anyone ever wrote on Xanga. Still, there may be some fiction forthcoming on this Word Press, if for no other reason than to keep the travel blogs from getting tiresome to my readership. Then, there are growing different vegetables and fruit, learning to repair different items, increasing fluency in different languages and so forth-all good for brain and body.

There came a sad notice that one of my former students, who has struggled with health issues, since a terrible auto accident, some years back, is entering the final phase of this life. I certainly pray for his comfort, and if possible, recovery, but passing on is, as ‘Abdu’l-Baha once described it, “yet another journey, for which one should carefully prepare.” May the best thing happen, in his case, as in that of anyone who is close to transition.

We soldier on.

Actual Vacation, Day One

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Entertainment, Historical, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

November 20, 2023, Grapevine- As I started to make myself a grilled cheese sandwich, around Noon, son intervened. It means a lot to him to be a good host, so he took over the making of lunch. My true vacation, time with no service or work responsibility, has begun.

Yes, most often, when I leave Home Base, there are elements of the greater good involved. This time, I will just focus on being a good family member, with no Zoom calls or other activities-emergencies aside. Yet, being a good family member is the greatest good, as I think about it.

Up early this morning-2 a.m. early, I found smooth sailing and was off to the shuttle by 3:05. The ride to Phoenix was not crowded, and after a pleasant conversation with one of the other passengers, we arrived at 5:10. From there, TSA was a breeze and our flight to Dallas-Fort Worth arrived ten minutes early. Aram was at the airport shortly thereafter. I accompanied him to an appointment, then got to enjoy the grilled cheese lunch and sprawl out for a snooze.

This evening, after a light dinner, the three of us took in Grapevine’s charming Christmas Festival-with plenty of lights and a modest fireworks display. There was even Fair-type street food, so we each tried a deep-fried Oreo. Not as bad as I thought it might be, and we walked enough to keep the pounds from sticking.

Here are some scenes from the Festival.

Holiday Lights, at Grapevine Recreation Center
Sculptures in the Peace Circle, Grapevine Main Street
Sam Houston, offering peace to First Nations of Texas.
View of the Peace Circle sculptures
All around the Clock Tower (Above and below)
Some fireworks scenes (Above and below)
The Glass Reindeer
More lights in Grapevine’s Main Square (Above and below)

As in Manila’s Rizal Park, and back in Prescott-at Courthouse Square, there is nothing like bright lights to raise spirits and the people’s mood. Sometimes, just a little encouragement is all the incentive people need to make a commitment to the betterment of their lives.

Hours of Power

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Entertainment, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal goals, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

November 11, 2023- Settling in, to enjoy ninety minutes of pulsating, original rock songs, by one of Prescott’s most pulsating, original bands-The CheekTones, I was pleasantly surprised when two young ladies I had not seen before sat themselves at the table, joined, for good measure,a few minutes later by two of their male classmates, then by a shyer, more reticent girl.

The first two asked me general questions about my day, and how I enjoyed The Raven-and the CheekTones. It turned out they were mostly there to support one of the boys who was playing a song with Don Cheek and his band. The kid can play! His parents were there, for the moment-as were these classmates. The girls spoke a bit about their after school jobs-shopping cart jockey, beverage pourer at a local burger joint and juice bar attendant. The boys had nothing to say. Then we all turned our full attention to the band.

Don has had a band presence here, at least since I moved up from Phoenix, in 2011. He has been mentoring young musicians for probably twice that long. He inspired, and supports, another local band, Scandalous Hands, who appear regularly at The Raven, as well. The two bands do 95% of their performances in Prescott clubs and outdoor venues-going, every so often, to Sedona or to Parker, on the Colorado River. Such energy conservation has its benefits-and is rather common, to local bands. It’s a huge reason why their performances here tend towards the intense, the explosive and are so inspirational to young artists.

The kids excused themselves, after forty minutes or so, to go do teen-specific activities. They popped back in one more time, towards the end of the concert, just so I wouldn’t think it was because of me that they left the first time. Nah-I was there once, long ago. It was good they stopped back in, though. I had the young guitarist’s finger warmers on the table and would not have been able to return them, save through Don-who has enough to concern himself.

There was a lot of power in the air today. It is categorized, by astrologers and cosmic advisers, as an Eleven Master Day-meaning that its digits, 1+1+1+1+2+2+3, add up to eleven. A pair of ones, written side by side, are also seen by the mystics as being pillars of both male and female energy.

Today was Veterans Day, and there was a long parade, part of which I watched, before heading to Farmers Market, to tend to the only service day I could offer there, this month. In early evening, I sat in on a Healing Devotional, hosted by someone who was attacked last month. She is on the mend, though, and is still working with police in her community, to try and locate her assailant, before another attack happens.

Each of these events had a power of its own, as did the initial responses to my joining subgroups of nextdoor.com. It has never been easy for me to accept compliments and positive views from others, but that is changing-at long last. It does not have to conflict with personal modesty-and is good for building the energy flow that I need, in order to accomplish what lies ahead, both here and further afield. One friend says my travel is foolish, but deep down inside, I think she is only masking her own wish for a more expansive life, something that those who controlled her life for so long would never allow.

Each of us can move ahead, and as long as we support one another, in our struggles with our own egos and with those who would try to stifle us, for their own ends.

A Rare White Bat

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Posted by on in collaborating, Entertainment, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social

November 3, 2023- One of the members of our luncheon, on behalf of the Red Cross Blood Ambassadors, was most insistent that we all go and look at the rare white bat, that was in a cage, near the south end of the parking lot. She said it was the one thing she has all her out-of-state family check out, when they come to visit.

Hmmmmm- A bat, in a cage, by itself, in the heat of the day. There had to be a catch-but we continued with our lunch-time banter, enjoying the fare of Rock Springs Cafe, a major eatery in Black Canyon City, about midway between Prescott and Phoenix. There were a few photos, in the cafe’s garden, after the meal, and those who did not have Blood Ambassador swag, (I have a small pile of it, collected over the years), got a few pins.

With all that, it was time to go see the bat. I must say, the paint job is nice, but I would not try to hit a ball with it.

Expanding Home, Day 23: 25 Hours

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Entertainment, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

November 1, 2023, Banning (CA)- Momentarily forgetting that I had checked my Cotopaxi backpack, through from LAX to San Diego, I went back in and asked an agent about the process for finding misplaced items. Her generic answer, and showing me where to head, in order to locate it, gave enough space for my reality to set in. The bag was actually in good hands, and I could head to the domestic TSA inspection, then to the last leg of my return flight.

I got a decent amount of sleep last night, but “last night” in the Philippines ended at 5 a.m., this morning, when it was 8 p.m., Tuesday night, in California. So, by the time I landed in San Diego, it was 5:30 p.m. here and 8:30 a.m., Thursday morning, in Manila. By the time I had caught the shuttle to long-term parking, retrieved Sportage and driven here, to Sunset Motel, it was 8:15 here-and…you get the picture.

I had a nice breakfast at Cherry Selections, in the lobby of Manila Airport Hotel, then bid farewell to my friends in Airlane Village and walked over to Terminal 1-again gently guided by a series of gatekeepers, to the proper queue and the China Air block of service booths. Philippine TSA provides a quick inspection, so that part took only three minutes or so.

Once on board, it was my turn to take one of the middle seats-only fair, as the flight over was spent in aisle seats only. Everyone has to take an aisle seat, or two, once in a while. The seats on China Air vessels are roomy and ergonomically sound, which is not the case with some North American carriers. We were served a late breakfast, which in my case served as lunch. Arriving in T’aipei, we had to undergo Taiwan TSA inspection, before boarding the trans-Pacific leg of the jaunt. There was then a three-hour wait, as the plane had technical issues, that were addressed in orderly fashion.

One of you asked about changes in air , with those on either side of me. I found the Taiwanese seatmates on the first leg, quiet and pensive. They also spoke little English. The American man, to my left, on the longer flight, was aloof and wary; the Brazilian gentleman to my right was exhausted, but cordial. I was just grateful for the leg room, and the service. Truth be known, I probably would have faded out, on chattier seatmates. All told, five or six hours of sleep transpired on the three legs-with the short hop from LA to San Diego actually finding me in the deepest sleep-albeit a thirty-five minute cat nap.

Gaffes were few, and no one-except you, the readers, are aware of my brain fart, concerning the checked-in backpack. There was a bit of comedy-as I tried to open a cosmetic bin door, which had no latch, and the officious lead flight attendant rolled her eyes and told me to look to the overhead bin on my left. Thus did this groggy one leave the T’aipei-LA plane and make his way to the immigration queue.

Once re-united with the backpack, in San Diego, it took fifteen minutes for the shuttle driver from Fox Auto Parks to arrive, and ten minutes for him to get five of us to our waiting vehicles. Reunited with Sportage, I drove up to Escondido for gas, and coffee, then over to this pleasant little high desert city, and the clean, comfortable Sunset Motel. It’s been twenty-five hours, or so it seems. G’night, all!

Expanding Home, Day 16: The Gatekeepers, The Bay and The Green Belt

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Posted by on in animal and plant life, Assistance, collaborating, Community, Entertainment, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October 25, 2023, Manila- The clerk smiled wanly, as he told my friend that the matter she is seeking to resolve can only be tended through making an appointment, and that appointment can only be made over the phone-on a Tuesday or on a Thursday. This is the legacy of the “State Department streamlining” that was in vogue, until a few years ago. While I can understand the reasoning behind it, there remain those, like my friend, whose anomalous issues merit rather urgent consideration, and thus are discomfited by what they can reasonably view as just another roadblock.

I will fortunately be around until Tuesday, so if she misses making the call tomorrow, there is always Hallowe’en morning, before I have to Alley-oop back to Airplane Village. This is one of the tasks that was before me, when I first arrived at the South Luzon Baha’i Center, so it is important to keep on top of it, at leas to the point that she feels encouraged and empowered. (It has nothing to do with immigration, just so we’re clear.)

The gatekeepers at the Embassy do have their work cut out for them, with many people who are looking to immigrate to the U.S., or at least obtain short-term work visas. The Filipinos who I have encountered in the U. S. are amazing workers and have a gentleness about how they go about their work. They keep their cool and try to work through any bureaucratic nonsense that arises, whether it is governmental or corporate. I noticed that the very people assigned to enforce bureaucratic rules-including the clerks at the Embassy gate, have a sense of humour about the scheduling and other small details. This does tend to set the visitors at ease.

She took her copy of the reminder to call, tomorrow, and we walked down the steps, past the vendors, touts and beggars, to the seaside park that was renovated and upgraded, during the last Presidential administration. That president, I recall, was all about the Philippines-and its people, being respected by the rest of the world. The current state of Manila Bay was one of his pet projects, and was done well.

View of Manila Bayside Park (Dolomite Beach) , from the overpass to U.S. Embassy
Section of former sea wall, Dolomite Beach, Manila Bay

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A human, for scale, at sea wall section, Dolomite Beach

After returning from the seaside, we switched gears, and with a second friend, we headed towards the Scottsdale of the Philippines, aka Makati. Here, we met a third friend, for an afternoon and evening of pretend shopping and art appreciation.

It’s not just WalMart that is full on Christmas.

We met K, at Cash and Carry Mall (shown above), then went to Greenbelt, also known as Makati Glorietta Mall. Here, our first stop was Ayala Museum, where an exhibit of abstract art by young people from around the Philippines is on view.

Here is an example:

Vision from the eyes of the future.
Avant garde art abounds at Glorietta.
There are five Green Belts in Makati Glorietta. This is a scene from # 5.

We were all drawn to a loud presentation, which turned out to be an interpretive dance roll-up to the opening of a photography exhibition, also by young Manilenos, curated by Maria Ylona.

Interpretive Dancers leading up to a photography exhibit’s opening

This opening was a class act, with a dignified set of coccktails, softails and delectable hors my d’oeuvres. This was own first time eating caviar-not bad at all. Here is an example of the photographs which won awards from Ms. Ylona.

Team work, Filipino-style
Cats earn their keep, at Makati’s malls. One does not see rats, anywhere.
Is there any doubt, as to who’s boss?
Green Belt #4’s “moat”
Three fashionistas

As it was, after this last photograph, we looked upon the crowd that was queued up to head to the suburbs, and took it upon ourselves to sit in the garden’s twilight. An hour of nibbling on Starbucks flatbreads and enjoying the cooling air was a far more reasonable way to wait out the masses than standing on a curb and breathing fumes, though there was some of that, later.

There is ever something interesting, when one’s hosts are three amigas.