I spent the first two thirds of today as planned, attending a Civics Speech contest for high school students in the morning and a memorial service for a neighbour, in the afternoon.  These were punctuated by a conversation with the real estate agent who is handling the sale of the house in which I am living at present.

I was asked how much time I’d need to move.  Truth is, I don’t need much.  I moved a much larger household, in less than a week, in July, 2011.  Niceties, though, entail a decision by the property owners and my securing a residence.  The former is not my call.  The latter will involve  what I hope will be a brief search.  Considering the warp speed with which this process is moving, I trust I will land nicely on my feet.

As I approach the third anniversary of Penny’s passing, I feel a pullback from some of her family members.  Hopefully, this is not due to my moving out of what has been family property.  My in-laws have treated me like royalty for 33 years, and I quite honestly just want to help simplify their lives.

I also feel a pullback from some of my friends here in Prescott.  This was bound to happen, but while I am in the hands of a loving universe, with regards to where I live next, I prefer to stay in this area for at least two or three more years.  So, on Monday, besides doing a couple of service projects, I will go by the first place I have in mind for my next residence, and see what’s available.

I am familiar with this catapult.  I’ve held onto it before, and been flung quite a few interesting places.

Whether you’re a lover or a fighter, I hope today meets your expectations.  This is my third Valentine’s Day as soul mate to a departed angel, and I am blessed with all manner of Earthly friends- of both genders and all ages.  It’s not necessary to always have a live, in-the-flesh type Significant Other.  If you do, though, I wish you both a warm and tender day of love.

I had the day off, as it is the day before a 3-day weekend, and no teacher likes to miss the Valentine’s Day parties at school- so few subs, if any, were called.  Have taken care of several process matters, relative to this house- and can relax just a bit, over the  Presidents’ Day weekend.  A couple of local events, and dinner with a friend, will take up tomorrow.  The trail is calling on Sunday.  Monday will be devoted to volunteer work.

Today, though, will see me spend the evening with friends in Flagstaff. I will stop and hike at Stoneman Lake,, en route.  Macy’s European Coffee House has a gathering, once a month, to talk about spiritual matters, from a Baha’i perspective.  While I don’t get up there every month, tonight is a perfect opportunity for this.  I can bring my oil samples and info with me, too, just to see if anyone might be in need of our fine products.

Sic semper amoris!

Concerns- This house is now being listed for sale.  I will make my move towards downtown, sometime in March or April.

Type A people and I may never really understand, or trust, one another.  This will affect my attendance at a regular mid-week event, but life goes on.

I have two meetings this evening.  Either one, or both, could end up being a hair-raising, or hair-pulling, experience.

I don’t give a care if no one on Word Press reads my personal posts.  The posts will continue- mostly for my friends on Xanga and Facebook.  WP’ers, keep snoozing, just don’t snore too loudly- okay.

Sid- He was about the first TV personality to make me laugh.  So much of Sid Caesar’s comedy was situational.  This made it timeless. RIP, sir.

Vortex- Southland, you are surviving!  East Coast, hang in there.  You know what to do, and it’ll be gone soon.

I will be using this space to randomly comment on matters large and small, when there is nothing huge in my life.

Abe- The greatest American President, up to now, was born on this day, 205 years ago.  It’s hard to imagine what this country would be like, had either his immediate predecessor or his immediate successor been at the helm, when matters came to a head in 1861.

Shirley- Mrs. Temple Black lived an extraordinary life.  She didn’t rest on her considerable laurels, nor express a demand for entitlement.  I remember how much her movies meant to my dear sister, on so many Saturday afternoons.  No one begrudged Cheryl the command of the family TV, as long as Shirley was singing and dancing.  I never did put Animal Crackers in my soup, but I have been known to sing in the rain.

Pax-  The latest storm ending in ‘x’ is an equal opportunity weather challenge.  It’s a chance for the President to do right by the South, and it looks as if he is in the process of same.  No one’s suffering is any less worthy of  concern than anyone else’s, so North, South, Northwest, Midwest, Canada, Great Britain- hope all stay warm, dry and safe.

Bloopers- Criticism is not an attack.  This morning, I posted a comment, in a format that was not suitable to the needs of the person on whose wall it was posted.  The critical response, from someone I don’t know, was fast and to the point.  Said post was deleted, and no animals were harmed in the process.

Sochi-   I wish Shaun White well.  The sport he helped popularize has been stylized further by others.  This is what life is all about, and takes nothing away from what Shaun did, in prior Olympics.  Canada’s Women’s Hockey Team won today, fair and square.  A win by a hair is still a win.

Here at home-  I have worked two days this week.  Yesterday, I started to feel an urge to pull into my shell.  Instead, getting up, after a post-work rest, and attending a Slow Food Prescott potluck and business meeting, followed by a couple hours’ worth of spiritual study, was far more rewarding.  There are many challenges to my comfort zone ahead, and it’s best I leave it behind, more often.  As the saying goes- “Praying God to bring you to the mountain top, whilst sitting at its base, is not the way to get there.”

The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.

Hiking-  I went to the trailhead for the Drinking Snake segment of Black Canyon Trail- and ended up taking the equally intriguing Forest Road 9218, informally called Townsend Butte trail, as that’s where the trail ends, overlooking the nearly deserted former mining town of Cleator.

Here are some views of the trail.  This shows the Drinking Snake Trail- the one not taken today.

Next is Townsend Butte Trail, the one that made all the difference.

Some buttes and basalt outcroppings broke the desert garden views, almost nonstop Prickly Pear groves, interspersed with chaparral.

This seasonal seep from Bumble Bee Creek is called White Pond.

Approaching Townsend Butte, there are gorgeous sweeping views of the badlands leading to the Bradshaw Mountains.

Atop Townsend Butte, the views are of little Cleator, getting a new lease on life- as are several of the  Black Canyon “ghost towns”.  There is no direct trail down to the village from the summit, though.

It’s only 3,953 feet high, but for a brief few minutes on top of old Townsend, I felt on top of the world.

On the way back, as always, there was a heart waiting for me.

Social/Musical- The fine day was capped by a small, but lively, drum circle at the Brehmers’ home in Chino Valley.  We had a fine time with sandwiches, a kale-rice dish and the rest of the chocolate cake from our friends, the Hamiltons, left over from my gathering on Thursday. Our drumming and chanting lifted each others spirits, and sent good vibes around the world, to Sochi, and everyplace in between.  Looking forward to a fine Sunday!

Tidbits- I had the good fortune of working at the nearby middle school.  I covered the SPED resource room, and found lots of buzz over the Valentine’s Dance, which happened this evening.  In between the teasing and flirting back and forth, the kids mostly got some work done.  The ones who stood out, though, were a pair of loners, who chose to just sit.  I sense there is more to these boys than most people seem to have registered, but at least the regular TA is aware of their issues, and can be a consistent voice on their behalf.

Broken record- People complain about a complainer.  Is any of that going to help my erstwhile friend, who is obviously in need of a caring, but strong, helper?  I’d be glad to get her back on track, and when she is no longer shutting me out, I will.

Giving- I’ve always given, without worrying about receiving.  My only thing is, it doesn’t always HAVE to be about money.  I am generous with my time, and attention to people.  Those need to matter, also.

Weekend- I thoroughly enjoyed the Crockpotluck, at the Legion, this evening.  It was satisfying to resist the urge to try every single dish, which would have been strenuous, and would have made me what the French call  un gourmand.  Tomorrow night, we have our monthly drum group, in Chino Valley.  Otherwise, tomorrow during the day, and on Sunday, I will be on the trail. 🙂

Olympics- The Opening Ceremony may have been quirky and somewhat photoshopped, but the vast majority of the presentation was as fascinating and moving as any I’ve seen.  The little dreamer, “Lubov”, the historical pageant and Maria Sharipova made for an enchanting opening.

Have an awesome Saturday, everyone.

Health and Healing-  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can hit any of us, any time there is a serious life-changing event, or series of events, that happen all of a sudden.  It is not just in a war zone or after a wide-spread disaster, that such things hit.  The loss of a loved one or a natural event that affects only a relative few people, when it hits out of the blue, can send one spinning into a very hellacious space.  So can chronic, undiagnosed pain.

There are a couple of people online, for whom I have great affection, who are going through severe PTSD, from the looks of things.  This sort of thing needs to be taken seriously.  I will do what I can, which in one of the cases probably isn’t much.

Life- Mine is good.  I went over to a gathering this evening, and stayed for about an hour- before slipping out, pretty much unnoticed.  People were heavily into themselves, and that’s okay.  One of my better friends had some good things happen to her today.  That’s fantastic, because she needed to catch a break or two, and I know she can do fabulous things.  I did some cleaning and straightened up a few things, before tomorrow night’s event.  I also talked with my son, on the phone, this afternoon.  He’s holding his own, and I am immensely proud of him for learning and growing as a man.

Money- I was gently chided by someone, who said “The more you give, the more you get.”  Well, that’s true, to an extent.  If I gave as much as the collective charities want, I’d have nothing left.  Just to satisfy my critics, let me say that 15-20% of what I bring in each month, goes to charities of my choice- my Faith, a child protection entity and a children’s hospital, plus the little boy I sponsor, in another country.  That’s all anyone needs to know.

Spirit- 

That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race.

Well, this week is half over.  I am hoping the snow-weary people of much of our Hemisphere (northern) will catch a break, after the storm anticipated for this weekend.

It was a busy one; no work, but a two-hour Red Cross meeting broke up the festivities.  I enjoyed a fine bowl of albondigas at Shannon’s Deli, afterwards.  My regular Tuesday night Baha’i study circle, in Chino Valley, capped the day.

Personal/Social- I am blessed with so many friends and well-wishers, and am always glad to return the love.  One of my best friends in the world noted that I have never been a liar.  In fact, I’m probably the world’s worst silvertongue.  I couldn’t carry a falsehood forward, if a million dollars were at stake.  Now, misunderstanding, and misstating things, in all sincerity- that happens when I get too overwrought.  That, and an occasional outburst of “hell” or “damn”, have gotten me kicked out of places, and out of good people’s hearts. I can only imagine what real cussing would bring down on my head. Still and all, I lead a mighty happy life.

Plans- I made further progress on a mission of homage and mercy, coming up March 7-10.  As it’s a rather focused, necessarily brief journey to a place where I have extended family, and a couple of dear friends, I am playing close to the vest on this one.                                 On a different note, March 15 will bring me down to Phoenix Convention Center, for a business convention.

Wider world- People ought not get so over the top about money.  I’m frugal towards myself, a bit more generous with those closest to me and with certain charitable causes.  No one can give to every outstretched hand, though; yet many thrust their hands out, capriciously, anyway.  I see Wall Street came back, a bit, today.  It makes sense- every stock that gets sold back to the pot, ends up getting a new buyer, after a fashion.  Money, like all other things in the world, recycles itself handsomely.  One just needs to be patient, and know where to look.

Spirit-   Knowledge, too, is limitless.

It is permissible to study sciences and arts, but such sciences as are useful and would redound to the progress and advancement of the people. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Ordainer, the All-Wise.

This was a fabulous day for me.  I pray for those who had a hard time, though, especially in the Midwest.  Northeasterners, take a deep breath and get the shovels ready, again.  Minnesotans and Wisconsinites, stay by the fireplaces tomorrow.  These, too, will pass, and Valentine’s Day is 8 days out.