This was definitely the year in which I cast out some serious remaining demons.   I am nothing but grateful, for the following people, places and events:

White Tanks Regional Park & Ford Canyon;

Lake Havasu City & its Balloon Festival;

Roy Purcell and his Cerbat Murals;

The Dolan Springs Joshua Tree Forest;

Oatman, AZ- and everything in it;

Matt Deuitch and his team, for helping close on the Phoenix house;

Kamran Ruintan and dental team, for helping my physical healing;

Lake Pleasant;

Deer Valley Rock Art Center;

Dave & Deb, for Hoover Dam, Red Rock National Recreation Area, the Wyndham “Green Hotel” and just for being family;

Aram, my son, for going about your vital work, being a good host and taking life by the horns;

Janet Waters, Crystal Cove, and steadfast support;

Mission San Luis Rey;

Palm Springs Tram;

“Team Dutchman”- my Superstition Mountains hiking buddies, for a successful trek around Weaver’s Needle;

Leticia Fierro and the Centennial HS troupe- ” A Midsummer Night’s Dream” never felt more alive;

The Payson Women’s Film Festival committee- for standing tall;

Ernest A.Love Post 6, American Legion, for having my back and for choosing me as your Chaplain;

Annick Elziere- for Sabino Canyon and for never losing hope;

Tubac, Tumacacori and Mission San Xavier del W’ak;

Bill Williams Mountain;

Molly Beverly and the Prescott Slow-Food team- This was a spectacular Regional Conference;

Yavapai Red Cross DAT-and all those who came to help us.  Prescott stood tall, in two horrible sets of trials;

USS Wayne E. Meyer crew, for hosting us families on a very enjoyable run;

Phyllis Killian and family, always nice to return to Dinnebito;

Mindy, Wynne and the guys- Birthdays in the Front Range are second to none;

Uncle George, Christina Knapp, Mitchell Silas, Christina Nicole and all my Colorado friends- for being there and for always setting me straight;

El Dorado Springs, Manitou Springs, US Air Force Academy, Seven Falls, Wetherill Mesa;

Derek and Sima Cockshut and Star Valley Chocolates- for reviving my flagging spirits;

Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Snake River Gorge,Cody, Greybull, Medicine Wheel, Devils Tower, Hulett and Aladdin, WY;

Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Harney Peak, Deadwood, Custer and Mitchell, SD;

Pipestone, MN;

Jim, Summer Rae, Boston James and the bright lights of the Iowa State Capitol;

Bettendorf’s  riverfront;

Tampico  and Dixon, IL;

The ever-inspiring Baha’i House of Worship, in Wilmette;

Cahokia Mounds;

Nataly Loveless and Bloomington, IL;

John E. Glaze and Enid, OK;

Wes Hardin and the Blue Front Cafe;

Fort Smith, Van Buren and Little Rock, AR;

Beth and Dave Glick, and their lovely family;

Jeff Markowitz and Princeton, NJ;

Glenn and Barbie, for your intrepid nature and for everything good that happened to both Aram and me, during our respective visits;

Gloucester and Rockport, MA;

Jim Condon and Tom Belmonte, forever my friends;

Block Island;

Tom D. Stevens and wife, for being such gracious hosts;

New York City, for standing tall;

High Point, NJ, for honouring us veterans;

Gettysburg, for telling the story straight;

Christina Fullmer, Maliya and all Annapolis;

Rudy’s Barbecue, Springfield, OH;

Dodge City, KS;

Joshua Seyfarth, for your engaging wit and culinary skills;

Brea, CA and Carbon Canyon;

Prescott National Forest, and Sedona;

My dear parents-in-law, for all you have done and will ever do;

My Baha’i community of Prescott- my rock and armour;

Marcia Brehmer, my spiritual mentor, for all your guidance this year;

Melissa Monahan, for being a friend;

My Facebook friends, never judgmental- to me anyway;

Mom, for putting me here and for being the light of so many lives;

It has been a good year of personal growth, and yet-

I will never forget Drew Crotty, Dennis Young, Beverly Mc Millin, John Woodbury, Jamie Cooper, Bob McDonald, Lorraine Stewart, Thomas A. Smith, Janet Mortensen.

2013 is hours away from being history.  May all of us fare better in the year ahead.

Yes, I am still posting these reminiscences that no one has read, or is likely to read.  My blog site is for me, and if anyone else feels like reading it, I’m glad.  If not, have a nice day, Universe.

Anyway, in 2012, these people, places and things were keys to my healing:

John E. Glaze, Enid and Gloss Mountain;

Janet Waters, San Clemente, Laguna Beach, “the Greeter”;

Casa Romantica;

Christina Knapp, Boulder, Marshall Wilderness and Chautauqua Park;

My blessed son, Aram,  and San Diego- the USS Midway, La Jolla, Maritime Historical Museum;

Palo Duro Canyon- and the Sipapu;

Mesa Verde National Park;

Lamar, CO and Chez Duvall’s;

The 50th Anniversary of  The Pine Springs Proclamation (at Native American Baha’i Institute);

Thomas A. and S. Michele Smith, Reno and the Centenary of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s visit to North America (San Francisco);

Oakland’s Centenary Walk;

The Winters family and Fort Worth’s Log Cabin Village, plus the Stockyards District;

Muir Woods;

Point Reyes and Tomales Bay;

The Coastal Redwoods;

Cape Mendocino;

The Oregon Coast, from Brookings to Florence;

Khai Devon and Portland, OR;

St. Helens and Astoria;

Hoquiam, WA;

Sassa Gal (Sarah) and the South Puget;

The Olympic Peninsula;

Ted Lew and Seattle;

Wenatchee, even in the midst of its travails;

Columbia Gorge;

Bend, Culver, Newberry Volcano and Crater Lake;

Rogue River Gorge;

Jody Bourne Weah and Ashland;

Lassen Volcanic National Park;

Elko and the Ruby Mountains;

Carol Curtis and Salt Lake City’s Centenary observance;

The Glenwood Springs Centenary observance;

Mindy and David Kosak, and George A. Boivin, III- my reliable Colorado family;

The Mortensons and San Antonio;

Austin, TX

The Pedernales Region;

South Padre Island;

Laredo;

Annick Elziere, Tucson and Sabino Canyon;

My Massachusetts family, Salem, Boston and The Freedom Trail;

The Grand Canyon, Bright Angel Trail and Sand Beach;

Most of all, Prescott, my in-laws and this house, and my community.

I came along way back, in 2012, though not quite far enough.

Odyssey Hospice- Wonderful caregivers, rapacious head office staff, blessed grief counselor(Bob).

Letting the love of my life go to the Spirit Realm.

Four months of hiding within myself.

Dismantling our Phoenix household.

Sending Aram off to the Navy.

Refuges- Watering Hole Ranch, my niece’s wedding, Blue Front Cafe, Big Vern’s Steak House, Nick’s Barbecue, the Grant Residence(Catlettsburg, KY),  Scioto Hills State Park, Nashville, Cairo, Illinois and the Confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, Claytor Lake,  Edinburg, VA, Longmeadow Farm, 16 Winter Street, Glick’s Greenhouse, the Baha’i House of Worship (Wilmette), Chicago Botanic Garden, Great Lakes Naval Training Center, New Salem State Park, the Ali residence(Quincy, IL), Cape Girardeau, Enid, OK, Crystal Cove State Beach, San Diego, Prescott.

Challenges-  Selma, AL, Atlanta,  Blacksburg, Washington, DC, Hannibal, MO, the Texas Welcome Center @ Alanreed.

Chapter 7

Trillium Specialty Hospital

My year of substituting dangerously

Painting the house, inside and out

Penny’s last birthday, without candles on the cake

My 60th birthday, sharing pizza with the guys

December 5-6, with my family, at Yard House, at Durant’s and at the Phoenix Light Parade

Xanga

The longest year of my life, signifying dedication, and not much else.

2000-09

Y2K                                                                                                                                                                                          September 11, 2001

Second Prescott residence                                                   Dobson Ranch

Mother’s 75th

Penny in decline

Mingus Mountain Academy

Sierra Pines Apartments                                                          Ironwood Elementary School

Solar Drive

El Mirage School                                                                            Palo Verde Middle School

Willow Canyon High School                                                                                                                                                  Penny’s third Master’s Degree

Pre-School Substitute

Aram’s HS Graduation & 18th Birthday

Ten years of feeling strange

Leaving Korea                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Centenary of Baha’u’llah’s  Ascension

Santa Monica and Oxnard                                                                              Weekend drives to Flagstaff

First residence in Prescott                                                                                                        Keams Canyon

Jeddito School                                                                                                                                              Louhelen Baha’i School

Hopi ceremonies on weekends                                                                                                      Bosch Baha’i School

Cross-country family road trips                                                                                         New Year’s Eve, 1997,  in Edwardsville, IL

Chilchinbeto                                                                                                                                 Santa Barbara

Murder, She Wrote                                                                                                                Salome, AZ

Penny’s first injury

Northern Arizona University                               A townhouse in Flagstaff                                                           Penny

Nieces and nephews

The Baha’i Faith                                                            Tuba City                                                                     Humphreys Peak

Wedding in San Diego                                                  Julian, CA                                                          Pilgrimage to Israel

London and Canterbury                                                                                      Standoff, Alberta

The Wildfire Conference, Greencastle, IN                                         Guyana                                                     Macy, Nebraska

Glenn and Barbie

Pine Ridge Lakota Nation                                                                                                Losing my Dad

Cheju

The Korean Baha’i Community

Visiting Professor of Conversational English

Fatherhood

Taiwan

The Polar Route                                                                          Cementing a marriage

Vietnam                                                         Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Sydney, Australia                                                               marijuana

North Shore Community College               Quebec Winter Carnival                                                                   Marshall’s and Sears

Hitchhiking

dating and clubbing

UMass-Amherst                                                                                         Crane’s Beach security detail                                          Quisisana Resort

Etna-Dixmont School                                Villa Oasis School                                         the Grand Canyon                             Disneyland

Chicago at  Christmas time                               Guaymas and  Puerto Penasco                                                                                 siblings’ weddings

This is the second in my word portraits:

Brother Glenn

Losing Grama

Brother Brian

Saugus Junior High School

The death of Marilyn Monroe

Boy Scouts

British pop music

The school arsonist of 1963

Motown

My handwritten newsletter

Delivering newspapers

The deaths of John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy

The Blackout of 1965

Saugus High School

Girls

Star Market

Fireplace Ten

Mount Chocorua

Martha’s Vineyard, 1966

Salem Willows

Pleasure Island

UMass at Boston

Basic Training, Fort Jackson

Apollo I

Myrtle Beach

Fort Benjamin Harrison

Fort Myer, VA

The scourge of alcohol

Autism

I spent this past weekend attending three day sessions, and one evening, of Grand Canyon Baha’i Conference, which has been held every December since 1984, in Phoenix.  This is the first year I have not stayed in the city, opting instead to drive back and forth from my home in Prescott, 1 1/4 hours away.  I had a tamale order coming on Saturday. and Sunday night, I just felt it financially prudent to not spend money on lodging.

The theme of the Conference this year was “Arise To Serve Humanity”.  When I think of it, this is what I prefer to be doing most of the time, anyway.  As an eldest child, it was expected of me, from the day my sister was born and that ethic has served me rather well, by making my life path very certain.

I spent Saturday listening to the actor Rainn Wilson and Justin Baldoni present their thoughts on how we may serve as mentors to the rising generations of youth, both younger Millennials and those born since 2000, whom I regard as “Generation AA”- a tribute to their focused energy.  Like youth from time immemorial, our current children and teens are very much focused on genuineness.  A few examples were given, in the presentations, of those adults whose “walk” is at clear variance with their “talk”.  I’ve never been able to successfully do other than what I say, or vice versa, so, being a very bad liar, I feel most comfortable with like-behaved people, whether young, old, or in-between.  Being with kids is thus, natural for yours truly.

Sunday, Ms. Leila Milani spoke of developing a culture of service.  It is largely dependent on being not associated with the accumulation of anything- goods, money or reputation- at the expense of others.  She also spoke of the three Stations in the world of existence- God, the Manifestations of God (Who can speak with the Voice of the Creator, as Christ did, and as Baha’u’llah did) and the Station of Servitude- exemplified, perfectly, by John the Baptist, and by ‘Abdu’l-Baha and, to a lesser but still significant degree by many throughout history- Saint Francis of Assisi, Florence Nightingale, Mohandas Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, et al.)  Several modes of service were mentioned:  Spiritual teaching, learning useful skills, education of children, financial support of worthy causes, hospitality, founding a loving home, serving one’s parents and working in development projects.

Roberto Nathaf then offered the intriguing notion that, as physical Man seeks to travel to distant stars, perhaps even by circumventing the speed of light, so spiritual Man ought seek to develop the Light of the Spirit to the nth degree.  By serving others, one becomes truly regal.

On Monday morning, Dr. Jim Reed, a Christian educator, offered the notion that, by undergoing difficulties, one may use  these tests to inform and assist others.  It is interesting that the case of a breast cancer survivor, Kristen Magner, who has taken to inspiring others through post-cancer involvement in interpretive dance.  Sandra Paredes, a mother who lost her son in an accident, three years ago, has spent this holiday season giving gifts to children in hospital.  Dr. Reed spoke of the Human Library, comprised of those who have suffered, a major force that brings people forward in their individual and collective lives.  He said “Suffering and trial are not punishment.  They are preparation for a life of service.”  Indeed, they are.

Now, what are we to make of the continuing occurrences of destruction- both natural and human-caused?  With Mr. Saeed Khadivian, an educator from Los Angeles,I offer this notion:  There are two forces at work- today and throughout history- Destruction of old systems and Construction of a new system.  In this day, however, the Kingdom of God on Earth, promised by Christ, in the Lord’s Prayer, is what is stirring, what is slowly and almost imperceptibly, being brought into being.  It is this Promised Day that is the true Fruit of all the acts of service that are occurring.  This fact is lost in all the attention being paid to acts of destruction, catastrophes, personality aberrations and political rancor.

A friend asked me, a few days ago, why everyone knows about the words of Christ, and many know of Buddha, Joseph Smith and Mohammed, but not much is heard of Baha’u’llah.  I felt ashamed at that.  The first thing everyone, regardless of faith or creed, should know about Him is that His name, in Arabic, means “The Glory of God”.  From there, a person may learn as much about Baha’u’llah, and His Teachings, as he or she cares to learn.  The other thing I wish to share here, though, is this:  Beginning with the 1844-50 Ministry of Baha’u’llah’s Herald, al Bab (Who is to Baha’u’llah as John the Baptist was to Christ), the groundwork for the Kingdom of God on Earth is being laid.  Baha’u’llah, during His Ministry (1863-1892), revealed over 100 volumes of Scriptural Guidance. His eldest son, and designated Successor, ‘Abdu’l-Baha and His great-grandson, Shoghi Effendi, expounded and further clarified Baha’u’llah’s Teachings, until their own passings, 1921 and 1957, respectively.   Baha’i literature is available for study at http://reference.bahai.org/en/.

I was asked today, in an online exchange, what I thought the difference was between loving, as opposed to “feeling bad” about someone’s pain.  I cannot feign love, so  feeling good about someone’s success or good fortune is as natural as feeling badly about his/her misfortunes.  Love is, in the true sense, both the basis for, and the outcome of, faith.   In fact, love is pretty old, in the scheme of things, as Baha’u’llah, speaking with the Voice of God tells us: O SON OF MAN! Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty.

I wish all a joyous and very Merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous 2014.