Author Archives: Drusilla Tieben (Dru)

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About Drusilla Tieben (Dru)

I am a former police officer, crime analyst, profiler and trainer. I hold a black belt in Aikido. In the past, I've had to make immediate decisions for people in life-threatening situations. I applied the law, martial arts principles, and life lessons, in a logical and ethical manner, and helped victims gain a sense of organization and control over their lives. I wrote a book entitled Discover the Life You Want to Live which is based on my career and writing experiences. I started this blog to help people solve their own problems and to give recognition to all the entrepreneurs out there who have a community and global view and aren't instant millionaires.

Who Will Be There for You?

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I have been contemplating how I want to be remembered and who I want to have around me, especially when it’s time to dance off this plane of existence. My writing has always been one of a mixture of fact and fiction and my past frequently shows up in the characters I’ve written about. I don’t always reveal my darkest moments, and I am okay with that. I want to be remembered as one who loves life and appreciates others for who they are. I don’t want to dwell on past realities or relationships that brought me down. I want to celebrate the love I have been given over these last 25+ years. I hope that my family feels the same. I constantly search for what Wallace Stegner called a usable past that I can employ in my characters and reveal a little of myself to strangers. There are so many things that I want my family and friends to remember about me that are positive.

I wish that I had been more of a documentarian like Edward Abbey and kept my journals full. I wrote during my travels, but over the last few years, I became more sedentary and didn’t keep up. I began writing sort of a prequel about my beloved Caitlin, which came from notes over the past 50 or more decades. As I go through the notes, there are so many things that I wished I had fleshed out when I was living them. But that is the beauty of storytelling I suppose. Write what you know, and remember, and the story will follow.

I suppose pictures will have to be good enough for my future generations. As they fade, we are endeavoring to digitize those old Polaroids and other camera photos. But one thing I’d like to share with you is to keep a journal on hand at all times. Document your adventures because places you’ve cherished may not be there when your family travels to them.

I loved the fact that Wallace Stegner had a legacy, to-do list on his desk when he died and it was later published. He reminded me that while I am on this earth, there is still so much work to be done. I have completed many to-do lists and put them on my desktop of my computer, both short and long-term projects. I want to begin to add writing lists to this, for people and places I want to research and learn about.

But who will be there for you through your failing brain, through sickness, through general aging? Decide who is most important and ask them to be there as you will be there for them. Even if you don’t leave a large legacy, be there for the ones you care about the most, a family member, a loving spouse, or a best friend. My spouse is my both my spouse and best friend. I hope that he will be there for me as I will be there for him.

Finally, ever think about what you want to put out there at the end of life? As a writer I think it’s important to create your own obituary ahead of time. Find a picture you love, and save it on a thumb drive somewhere. Put it in an envelope and give it to each other. You’ve lived a wonderful life so why not have your family celebrate it the way you want them to?

So after walking around the house for 10 minutes looking for your glasses so you can finish your epic novel, and after finding them on the top of your head, rejoice in the fact that you are still here. Embrace the knowledge that your loved ones still love you, and that your words may not be read by everyone, but that they have been immortalized in print. Know that you have left a tiny footprint on this earth and those that love you will still remember your impact on their lives, whether good or bad, mad, or sad, cursed, or beloved. Hope for happiness during the life you still have and wish for happiness for you loved ones in the future. Acknowledge (and write it down) that special someone to watch over you. Someone to Watch Over Me

Love to all on this dark and stormy night! Keep enjoying the zucchini! Here is a wonderful recipe I just tried! Very delicious! Stanley Tucci’s Zucchini and Potato Muffins

Hail and Zucchini

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Or: Searching for Authenticity.
A few days ago the dark, black clouds moved in and a huge thunderstorm came over our little neck of the woods. The rain was intense and the hail burst into being, small balls of destruction raging down onto the planet and our fragile plants. Thunder boomed, and lightening lit up the skies. The giant beautiful leaves of the zucchini and squash became ragged as they were shredded. Thankfully, the flowers remained intact so I am now getting an abundance of zucchini. The destruction wreaked havoc on the gardens, and plants already weakened by the heat and weather suffered. For the first time, one of my long-time raised beds looked extremely sad. The rabbits or other creatures dug holes in it and now I have to go and fix it. It has survived all kinds of weather over the last 20 years.

But our weather doesn’t compare to what lightening has caused over the four corners area. Lightening started 4 different fires in Colorado, one of them raging in the Black Canyon, and the one in Utah is now passing over the border into our state. The few but brave firefighters have not contained them as of this writing. But the most devastating news is the fires on both the North and South Rim of the Grand Canyon which was also started by lightening—the loss of a legendary and historic building, the Grand Canyon Lodge, as well as many cabins and other structures in the park. For the first time since my trek down into the depths of the Canyon, I felt a huge hole in my heart. I don’t know if Phantom Ranch is still standing (across the Colorado River and at the base) where I have fond memories of camping there. I also have memories of taking the hottest shower in the Lodge after our 7-day adventure over thirty years ago, and arising from the dead of that rugged hike, peering out of those tall glass windows at beautiful scenery of the Canyon below me. I shared those memories in my Caitlin Ferguson mysteries, and wanted to share them with my family in a few years, taking them back in time to those beautiful vistas. They will never see the amazing sites from my original point of view and I am saddened that these things had to happen before they could see them. I know many people will rally to rebuild, but it won’t be the same. People want comfortable and new, and the authentic charm will be forever lost. Nature has won out once again.

But for this post, I want to dive into what it means to be authentic. According to an article in Psychology today: “Humanistic psychologists would say that by definition, authentic people possess a number of common characteristics that show they are psychologically mature and fully functioning as human beings. They:

  1. Have realistic perceptions of reality.
  2. Are accepting of themselves and of other people.
  3. Are thoughtful.
  4. Have a non-hostile sense of humor.
  5. Are able to express their emotions freely and clearly.
  6. Are open to learning from their mistakes.
  7. Understand their motivations.” Psychology Today-Authentic People

I think it’s important to be your authentic self. Sometimes I have unrealistic perceptions of reality. I feel like I have tried to live a full life, and expect a lot from others. Many people fail at meeting my perceptions, and yet I still have hope of them creating their own fulfillment. I fail repeatedly on Number 4, but I believe that I express my emotions freely, even though sometimes they aren’t clear, just a jumbled mess. I attempt to be open and apologize for my mistakes. I attempt to correct the mistakes and make life better. My motivations are clear about where I want others and me to be in the coming years. I want to continue learning something new and be influenced by the written word. So many books have changed my life, and I treat them like the old connect-the-dots game, creating a visually acceptable endgame. Reading the greats from hundreds of years ago, as well as new literature keeps my perspective growing. I want the freedom and independence to explore new ideas and letting go of ego, creating a world without anthropocentricity.

“I seek only the learning that treats of the knowledge of myself and instructs me how to die well and live well.” ― Michel de Montaigne

So for now, I am cursing and regaling the weather at the same time, and enjoying the fruits of my labor. Whether it is a zucchini bake, or a potato/zucchini muffin, the humble zucchini has given us sustenance in new ways. They help me create an authentic food staple for others to enjoy. And, to paraphrase the Jello commercial: There’s always room for zucchini….

Let us not forget the things that are happening right now to our world, but let us look forward to who we could become, creating a better self  from our past selves, thus, creating something wonderful in the future. Let’s decide what is authentic and cut back on the cynicism, and approach a future with sympathy. Let’s get beyond our hero-worshiping phase because heroes always fall. Let’s overcome what we thought was wonderful and create something better out of the ashes.

I love you all and ask that you create a beautiful world in times of sadness and disaster. Go forth, like the humble zucchini, and multiply your gifts!

The Gathering of Minds around the Campfire

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We search for our primeval selves in the summer: the gatherers, the hunters, and the farmers later in the evolutionary process. In the wild west we attempt to grow things in the heat, drought and horrific storms that destroy crops and shelter. And yet, we build again, knowing that this cycle will repeat itself, getting worse each year that we abuse the land even more than we have in the past. Many of us are trying to create a little sacred, bountiful place where we live. But many more of us don’t know how to start, or don’t want to because it is incredibly hard work. It taxes us beyond measure. We have to learn to persevere and enjoy the perseverance.

In this crowded suburban world, and the Door Dash quick and easy society, it’s hard to imagine us going back to working the land and creating something wonderful with our hands. And yet, some of us try. We feel the inherent need to grow things and watch them provide shade and sustenance. And at the end of the day, we get something cool to drink, sit in our comfy chairs in the shade of the gazebo and admire what we have created. When the air gets brisk, we may even create a small fire in our fire pit and sit outside to wait for the stars to come out. Our little mecca has survived the ravages of weather and time, and we grow to appreciate the skills we have been given to create this in our world.

It is up to us to take a break from our fundamental craziness of society, and explore the philosophies of life. It is up to us to keep the good parts of history alive and reflect on what we have been given. It is up to us to sit around the campfire and think about the state of affairs. Western writers have pondered this: “…How some scientists speculated that gathering around fires was the original unique characteristic of human beings. Not language or metaphor or tool use but the social circle, the gathering around the flame, the place where all those other discoveries were communicated.” “Yup, that’s right. Around the campfire you have a lot of spirit and it comes out in different ways. Kidding each other, serious thought. Singing. Politics, nature, jokes. Everything mixed, like you say. Campfires are a medium of expression all their own.” [Gessner, David. All The Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West (p. 99). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition].

“Campfires bring back so many memories of our childhood and most of them are good. In times of strife, we tend to go back to these memories to be at peace within ourselves. Campfires have provided warmth, light, fuel for cooking, and a sense of security deeply imbedded in our genes from our ancient ancestors. Campfires can free up conversations and you feel happy and free from the world’s problems for a quick minute.”
https://enjoythewild.com/benefits-of-a-campfire/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-evolutionary-reason-w_n_6171508

So, now that we have had cooperation with the weather, and there is water in the mountains, we can get out, maybe go camping, or create a fire in our backyards. We can spend a night in the open looking at the stars. We can think about the world and what we can do to help it. And maybe we can be at peace for a moment. Reminisce of days gone by and good things to come. Relax for a moment away from the screens. Listen to the world around you in a different way.

But like all things we create (fire) we must be cautious and remember to use the designated areas to create a campfire. We must completely put out the fire! Rake, rake, check, and re-check before you leave the site for any embers. Drown it out and re-rake the embers. We can appreciate nature and protect it at the same time. No more human fire disasters!

Love to all on this hot, dark, and stormy day.

Rule Followers

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Last week, I had eye surgery to try and keep the pressures down in my right eye and it was quite an unnerving activity. The nurse asked me a ton of questions if I had followed the instructions about medications, and other preparatory assignments. I said yes to all of the questions and I told her that I even wrote them down on my calendar which meds to stop taking the week and even day before the procedure, as well as when to stop eating and drinking (water, guys, water). She was amazed that I did all this and told me: “I like that you follow the rules.” And I thought to myself, “Why wouldn’t you follow the rules in order to expect the best outcome?”

As the IV went in and I drifted to a dream-like state, my thoughts wandered. They led me to the drug-induced thought process about rule following, chaos and order. In the end I posed the question to me and now to you:  “Is being a rule follower a good thing?

Henry Adams once stated that “Chaos was the law of nature. Order was the dream of man.” Henry Adams. The Socratic Method

In an online article on The Socratic Method website, the author states that “…order is the dream of man highlights our inherent desire to impose structure upon the natural world, asserting our authority over the wild and unruly elements of existence.” The article notes that order is a human construct. Each of us desires order but the order we know is limited by our understanding of the world. Thus our sense of order is subjective, and needless to say, different from the next person. And that person may think us chaotic. Our culture defines who we are and what we think is right.

Order and chaos aren’t necessarily opposing forces, but are interconnected and shape our world. If different voices chime in and each gives their perspective, randomness of chaos may eventually bring about order or a pattern. Each novel idea becomes codified by the masses, and organization or order ensues out of chaos. Rules are made and most people attempt to follow them.

“Henry Adams’ thought-provoking quote encapsulates the eternal struggle between chaos and order. While chaos may be the inherent law of nature, order remains the dream of man. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that chaos and order are not opposing forces but intertwined elements within the tapestry of existence. Chaos brings forth creativity, innovation, and the boundless possibilities of life. Order, on the other hand, satisfies our need for structure and predictability in an unpredictable world. It is in the delicate balance between these two concepts that we find the tapestry of life’s beauty, where chaos and order coexist in a harmonious dance, forever shaping our experiences and understanding of the world.” The Socratic Method

Chaos is inevitable in our lives and we can’t always keep it from happening. We follow the rules and sh*! happens. And yet we persevere and attempt to follow the rules of society the best we know how. However, having reflected on this topic, I have one more subject to broach:

The books I have been reading of late are a wakeup call for what is happening on our planet and the people who live on it – the fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other violent weather. It is a frightening thing to know our children and ensuing grandchildren will suffer the consequences from our actions. We can’t fix everything, everywhere all at once, and it will take many more generations to solve the devastating actions of this current administration. But we can leave the people alone who are trying to study, understand, and predict things that will harm us. We need people who can jump in during disasters and help out and study the problem in the aftermath. [No more cuts!] So, yeah we can passively listen to that idiot in office blame the democrats – but HEY! you idiots in charge – you are the ones cutting all those folks who keep us safe. It’s a sad day when we don’t understand we need people who understand science. We need people to warn us about climate and ensuing weather caused by the warming of the planet. And, yes, we need services to help those who need help. (Thank you Mexico!) Chaos will ensue on innocent people and they will die when you have uneducated people in charge before order is restored. All I am asking is for everyone to think about what is happening in this chaos and take action to create harmony. People who work in supportive government agencies aren’t the bad people. People currently in the high office are the ones who should be accountable for all of government’s failings. We need to think about our future before deciding that all of this is okay. Enough said.

And here’s a big shout out to the Monarch High School young men who cleaned my trash bins today! Excellent work and your prices were reasonable. Entrepreneurship in Action! I am recommending you to my fans! If you want to book a cleaning go to their website: https://www.boulderbinscleaning.com/

I love you all and thank you for standing up and helping your neighbors. Keep spreading the love!

Boundaries of the Self

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On this eve eve of our country’s birth, I am pondering where we are. I am pondering the terms of what our sense of self has become. Have our representatives lost their minds or are they just becoming what they always were, mindless drones to an oligarch who doesn’t care about representing all of the people all of the time? Are they so isolated to the realities of the world because they never explored beyond their sheltered life of luxury? Or do they simply not care anymore now that they’ve gotten their more than fair share of the wealth. Have their lives been so protected that they haven’t seen the suffering they are now causing to others who didn’t grow up in the world of prestige and protection? Where has their dignity and justice gone? Why is money more important than the lives of those less fortunate?

I grew up with poverty always knocking at our door. We didn’t want to admit that, but we struggled as kids. And yet, my family always did the right thing and gave as much as we could to others who were less fortunate than us. We didn’t think of ourselves as poor people. What little we had we shared with others in our same situation and they did the same. We didn’t have luxuries and it was uncomfortable to be around those who had more even though we all tried to fit in, especially when they were mean and horrible to those less fortunate. Our sense of self grew as a result of this idea that we could do better if we all worked together, both rich and poor alike. Our parents taught us to do better and go beyond our humble means. They taught us to reach out and become ambitious doers, people of action, but not necessarily craving to be noticed. But if we were noticed, make sure it was for actions that led to saving the planet, saving a community, saving the people, and saving our relationships with each other.

David Gessner asked of us: “Do any of us ever get beyond the boundaries of the selves we start with? Can we really make ourselves into more than we are? Or do we always bump against the borders of self and snap back to the default settings that we were programmed for in the first place?” [Gessner, David. All The Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West (p. 157). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]

Gessner also quoted Wallace Stegner about this subject: “In Crossing to Safety, the Stegnerian narrator writes that ‘When I hear the contemporary disparagement of ambition and the work ethic, I bristle.’ But: ‘Unconsidered, merely indulged, ambition becomes a vice; it can turn a man into a machine that knows nothing but how to run. Considered, it can be something else—pathway to the stars, maybe.’ Ambition can lead to the stars, or at least to that greater broadening, to magnanimity, to largeness. But it still has its more primitive roots in the craving to be noticed, to be known, to have one’s name recognized.” [Gessner, David. All The Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West (p. 147). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]

Finally, Gessner stated about this subject: “Neither Stegner nor Abbey were immune from the hunger for renown. Both wanted their work to be remembered. They would not, it seems to me, have frowned at the notion of my writing this book so many years after their deaths. It is oblivion, of course, that we make our names against. Nothingness that spurs us to be something. And what is worse than being ignored? To a proud person, it is as if our existence is not acknowledged. We are nobody.” [Gessner, David. All The Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West (p. 152). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]

So as we go into the 250th birthday of our country, let’s agree to do something good during this time of injustice. Let’s agree to get out of our comfortable existence and write people who may have more money than us and can fight these old cronies to make a difference. Let’s agree to donate to good causes and continue to fight the good fight against those who simply don’t care. Let’s bump, and even break out of our barriers of the self, and create something beautiful before we die. This weekend, I am giving to the Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) out of Boulder, Colorado. They are working tirelessly to have local support for nutritious food for families in need. With cutbacks to Medicaid and SNAP, our support helps them make their goals. And The Leffingwell Foundation is matching any amount of your donations to EFAA, up to $100,00.00. How awesome is that? https://www.efaa.org/donate/funds/

Give what you can and help out the folks in our community.

And don’t forget to give to your local PBS and NPR! I just signed up for Rocky Mountain PBS passport and am loving the programs on their app! $60 a year gets great entertainment and you don’t have to pay those bigger companies! I am turning into more of a geek than I am now with learning about the past. I am loving the period detective shows!

So give whatever you can, and love the ones who are around you. I love you all and celebrate the good things about our country this weekend, continue to fight against those strange black clad secret police, and attempt to shut out the violence for a little longer by caring for everyone.

I CAN

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I recently re-visited my son’s elementary “I Can” can and reminisced on how easy it was to remember what his thoughts were about accomplishments he made at that early an age. They seem so tiny compared to today’s standards, and yet they helped him become the person he is today. Back then, he had the world at his fingertips and nothing seemed impossible. I truly believed then he would do amazing things as an adult. Today, he is getting there, fully adulting, and owning his life. I hope all of the children from his classes will achieve greatness as well and strive for a better society.

As the storm rages outside, I have been furiously writing today to get to the end of this trilogy. I wanted to share Caitlin’s musings about life and her can do attitude. Here is an excerpt from Book III of the Caitlin Ferguson mysteries I am currently writing:
“Joseph Campbell spoke of a Heroes Journey in his work, Power of the Myth. His words affected those who were fighting against the government at the time when she [Caitlin] was away. She was glad she missed all that drama. Heroes went on adventures in search of truth, and those that stayed behind understood the costs of leaving. People stayed put because they felt safe. She reflected on how much her family lost because they feared her disappearance and perhaps even her death. But the journey allowed her to relinquish her past version of herself.”

“She spoke out in the past, but now was the time for action. Words cannot solve what is to come. No one was shirking away or hiding from this. She would be there for this future generation even though there would always be events beyond her control. In a way, this finality liberated her. Yes, people have died, but she could help those who lived – create their future. If she lived through this last earthly battle, she could stay here and create a better society for the children.”

“Nope. Her time to die was not now, in this moment. She had to keep her strength for her daughter, granddaughter and grandson, and the rest of the children. Their generation would change the world. If her travels taught her anything, it was all about the sharing of wisdom from the old ones. They taught her patience and consistency. They taught her how to look for patterns from the simplest of actions (e.g., follow the money) to the larger over-arching picture through their stories of what this world, and the people who lived here, would become and how it could be saved.”

Caitlin will go towards the gathering storm and wage the war that needs waging and help her family and friends survive. I continue to strive to become her, working hard to always do the right thing.

Can we say that about ourselves? Can we all have that I can attitude and make the changes in our lives and others to create a better society? Go forward from this day with kind hearts and active minds. Go forward and strive for good things. Be kind to everyone you meet every day. Give your hearts and minds to create a better world.

I truly love you all this stormy night and send out good vibrations and hugs!

Are You Thinking?

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Or: “We are what we think. All that we are, arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”—Buddha

We are short-term compared to the rest of the universe. People generally tend to think the future is a long way away. In reality, we should be thinking about our human impact on this planet long after we are dead. We should constantly be thinking about what we will be leaving for the future inhabitants of this planet. Alas, the passion for the get-rich schemes cloud many a crazy rich person who only want more for themselves. After all, seeking money and buying things are the American way of life, isn’t it? But having this as a priority in our uneducated lives, these ill-gotten gains, makes all those who don’t believe in this system suffer. These temporary gains, the boom or bust environment, especially in the wild, wild west have all been taken at the expense of what we hold dear. We are a dry land that is getting warmer and more populated over the years. Vegetation doesn’t grow back, and if you take the water away, there is nothing to replace it.

When David Gessner was writing All the Wild that Remains he visited Arches in Moab, to track down Edward Abbey’s haunts. He visited Abbey’s friend, Ken Sleight, now eighty-three-years-old. He was a former river rafter and horseman. Sleight was the inspiration for Seldom Seen Smith, the adventurous and laconic “Jack Mormon” who co-starred in Abbey’s best-known novel, The Monkey Wrench Gang. Abbey met him and stayed with him while he was at Arches. Sleight talked about Abbey and how his essays and books influenced so many people.

Sleight talked about the people who visit the wild places especially out in the west. He stated: “‘Are they thinking?’ That’s what he [Abbey] would always say. What he [Abbey] wanted to know is ‘Are they really thinking?’ Regardless of what they think of me, I want them to think.” The best times with Abbey, he added, were by the campfire while on the river. Abbey was an incredible spokesman and people listened to him. [Gessner, David. All The Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West (p. 98). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition].

These wise words rang true to my heart when I visited my old haunts in Utah last year. When I see what has happened to the once beautiful places, I despair that it can only get worse. It’s hard to be in the minority of thinkers who understand that there will always be global consequences for all of our current actions. It’s hard let harsh feelings go for those that who just want to take the money and run and are not given any consequences for their actions, particularly the oil and gas industry. The boom or bust has both made and broke small towns and the wild places are getting fewer and fewer. People in the lush, green east coast towns don’t understand what is happening out here. However, westerners persevere throughout these trying times. Easterners are now dealing with weather as well, but with the abundance of water, not the lack thereof. Environmental catastrophes are happening whether we want to accept it or not. We must look within to save the wild places and the people who live there.

It seems that human suffering is okay to those who are in power and we have to keep trying to change the mind of those in power. Gessner also stated that “Largeness of thought does not come naturally to most of us. It isn’t easy to see the big picture. Many don’t even try.” [Gessner, David. All The Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West (p. 122). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition].

So today I am asking you to read or re-read Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey and Beyond the Hundredth Meridian, by Wallace Stegner. I am asking all of you to think about what we have done in the past and how we can start to make a change for the future. It’s heady reading but worth it. We can only focus on one thing at a time and the billionaires aren’t going to change their way of doing business, so maybe small towns can really think about what it means to take their money. Maybe they can negotiate contracts that make more sense before these companies take everything out of the land and run away. When all is said and done and the fruits of their labor are carted off to Texas and other places, the towns will go bust if they don’t have a long-term plan. The land will not recover quickly and no one will help clean up their messes in the end. It’s a sad situation but little towns have to think about what they will accomplish in the long run with short-term gains, that only benefit the rich and powerful (and other states!). Just sayin’.

I love you all and hope we live to see another clear day!

Dancing in the Moonlight

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Or: Do You Remember Where You Were in June 1973?
Or: Do You Remember When You Were 18?
Or: Do You Remember When You Believed You Had the World at Your Fingertips?

And here I am, 50+ years later still dancing, but with many harsh realities coming at me every day that I am alive. I just read about this, but it happened a while ago. It is still noteworthy to mention again. A bunch of so-called righteous moms checked out all of a San Diego library’s featured LBGTQ+ books and refused to bring them back unless the library took them off the shelf. Okay, so now I must rant a little. Here is what I am saying to you (I wish it could be directly to your face): First, what gives you the right to censure every other human being that uses that public library? Secondly, why are you soooooooooo ignorant? Thirdly, this worked against you, because when the public heard about your little stunt, they went out and purchased all of those books and gave them to the library, AND raised and donated $15,000.00 for the library. Then…. the City of San Diego matched that donation so now they had $30,000.00 total to buy many more wonderful books! So your little stunt backfired! Also, if I was the librarian, I would have sent you a big whopping bill!

All I’m saying to you people who think you know best for EVERYONE, just let it go. There are many other people in the world who have different opinions and lifestyles from you. You cannot dictate what others think or do. It has never worked in our society. We worked hard to be different and more tolerant of all people. I am still amazed there are so many small-minded people in the world. You should be striving to change every day that you live and let others live their lives. Don’t dictate demands on others who don’t agree with you. Don’t be afraid of DIFFERENT even if it is within your own family. They are still your siblings and children. They love you and you should absolutely and unconditionally love them back. Isn’t that what we fought for? To be a nation different from Europe? Everyone who came here in the past have their own ways of thinking. I don’t agree with all of them, but that doesn’t make me want to censure them. Conversations don’t have to be about your small-minded ways of thinking. Embrace everyone and Lighten Up!

So as we face and accept our aging, we can still believe that we all have the world at our fingertips. We can still believe that we all have choices and accept that we are all wonderful beings and choose love, not hate. And, after we’ve faced the heat of the day, we can just wait a little while for nightfall and thank the universe that we are still alive. We can then go outside and water the tomatoes, say hello to the bugs, the bats eating the bugs, nightfall, and embrace the moon! Do a little dance, make a little love, and get down tonight (KC and the Sunshine Band).

“We like our fun and we never fight
You can’t dance and stay uptight
It’s a supernatural delight
Everybody was dancing in the moonlight….”
Dancing in the Moonlight
King Harvest – Original (Although Toploader does a good job!)

I love you all and wish some of you would just grow up into loving humans!

The Heat is On

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As I ponder the many things I can do inside because of the heat I return to my writing once again and try and capture the thread that will finish the book. But, alas, my mind wanders, there are loads of inside chores to complete and I return to the blog, if only to get some writing in today.

Summer Solstice is upon us and I want to return to a simpler time when I danced with the goddess on the longest day of the year with my fellow merrymakers in sacred spaces. I once believed that I was on the right path to enlightenment and the world’s woes were slowly being resolved. I once embraced the path that we as a people of this great nation believed and cared for each other. The police I knew were starting to come around and be the friendly neighborhood protectors instead of using evil [gestapo] tactics. They were proud to be a part of the neighborhood. People weren’t shooting each other in my neighborhood. Neighbors left their doors open, had block parties and shared beautiful food and music without interference from the evil ICE folks, or local police using military tactics for no reason. I want to return to hearing that violent crime is down. Maybe it was all an illusion, but I was proud to be a part of that illusion of the world.

Today, things are rapidly deteriorating to fear tactics and hating BIPOC [i.e., the brown people or anyone who doesn’t look exactly like you]. I still don’t understand how some people can embrace this in their lives. I want those people to wake up and fight back no matter what. I want people to take away all the guns from those that are insanely violent and hurt those who are trying to do the right thing. And I want to return to the belief that we must allow justice to take place and punish those in the wrong (you know who I am talking about). I want that weird secret police to go away and stop harassing those who believe in the democratic process and are just doing the right thing within their jobs and the courts. I want to believe that we can return to finding enlightenment within our lives without worrying about be accosted, or even worse, shot.

So, enjoy the peaceful moments today. Go inside and leave off the TV and phone. Write to your heart’s content your thoughts and musings in your beautiful journals (or laptops!). Read a good book. Work on a puzzle with your family or play a game. And, put on some 80’s tunes (Glen Frey) and get away from it all for a little while.
The Heat is On

I love you all and hope only great things happen to you!

Rainy Day Reflections

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Or: Slow Down and Smell the Flowers!
Or: Sneezing but Still Smelling the Flowers!
Or: Fixing Sprinkler Breaks but Still Smelling the Flowers!
Or: Picking up Bobcat Poop in the Middle of the Garden, but Still Smelling the Flowers!

So I am officially in my 70’s and am considered an elder in the world where we need names based on age. I feel like I have earned that title, and try to give good advice whether asked or not! However, today I must admit I have slowed down a little bit. My brain works in more mysterious ways. I remember lots of interesting facts and have amazing discussions, but can’t remember an actor’s or a cousin’s name.

I am writing better than I ever have before (Duh…I’ve slowed down so why not!) Physically, body parts ache more, I fall, I get goofy at the end of the day, I sneeze a lot when I’m outside but I’m still kicking it as high as I can.

I don’t like crowds as much, and try to find interesting places to visit to keep stimulating those brainwaves. But, alas, the crowds…. I am trying to let things go a little more, but that’s a tough one. I overthink too many things, and make myself a little fried when I can’t get it right (or the way I want it to be).

So, if I forget something mid-sentence when my blood sugar is low, or the conversation drifts into a place where we didn’t think it was going, bear with me. We will all get to the same place in the end, and hopefully the same conclusion. Be kind to each other and accept that we stop and talk to everyone about anything. Forgive past slights and move on to this next phase in life.

My advice for us elders is to keep on living, keep on loving, and keep on learning something new. Move your body and rest when you need to, even if it is a little more often than ten years ago. And don’t forget to stop and smell the roses (even if you sneeze ten thousand times afterwards). Love to all on this crazy, rainy, hailstorm day!