Tag Archives: giving

The World Goes On and the Zucchini Keeps on Giving!

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Being outside and cleaning up my sacred spaces revives me, even with mosquitoes (spray every part of your exposed skin), hot weather, and the gathering storm approaching over the mountains. But as the world goes on and people remain frenzied and a little bit crazy, my sanctuary is where I’ll be for most of the summer, far from the noise spewing forth from the media. Cleanup continues and I look for those plants that I am going to excavate and re-plant in the fall. The front yard bed was the first garden that I experimented with when we first moved here over 27 years ago. Time does seem to fly by us and seems to speed up as we age.

I’ll divide and move my ancient peonies to the back yard where I hope they’ll thrive and bloom once again like they did when I first planted them. I’ll dig up sedums and grasses from that same old bed where the crazy ground cover grows and continues to try and smother them out of existence. I’ll transplant them to the new bed in the front yard where I took out almost 200 square feet of grass and replaced it by planting those wonderful waterwise plants a few years ago (courtesy of Resource Central Boulder and the City of Louisville). I hope they will fill the gaps and thrive and complement my overall aesthetic scheme. And I’ll try (once again) to eradicate that crazy Snow in the Mountain ground cover that took over the whole bed. (Careful what you wish for in a ground cover – one plant exploded and multiplied into places I never intended it to do! It is out of control!) I hope to add another cute cedar tree and maybe a few more roses in those areas next spring after the snowmelt.

I get slower with the cleanup every year, as I dig up more grass and put in new plants. Some make it, some don’t, but it’s the physical act of trying and doing that matters. We try everything to combat aging and when our lives don’t always go in the direction we had originally planned, we persevere. But perhaps that’s the point of living: to find what is our true direction in a world of chaos and mis-direction; to be the person we were supposed to be even if it turns out to be something totally different from our first childhood vision board (or journal in my case). Maybe it’s okay just to be who we are at any given moment in our lifetime. And maybe it’s okay to create beauty in our change of direction, moving like the wind and the water onto the next project without regret for what has happened, anything that has been lost to us, in the past. Sometimes the losses make us grow even more.

Currently, we are trying to thrive in a chaotic atmosphere where storms (both human and environment) create destruction. But, when the clouds move in and the world looks grim, we slowly begin to see the fruits of our labor like the humble zucchini. We are thriving despite all the setbacks, and are brave enough to try and make the best creations from the bounty of our gardens. And if the tomatoes still have spots on them, add a little calcium (I just learned this! Egg shells and/or Tums!) and hopefully you will get the fruit in the end where you can create something tasty and wonderful.

So don’t get discouraged with your life. Make the best of it every day. If the only thing you can do is to give water and a snack to a person standing with a sign on the side of the road, then do it. You may have saved that person’s life for one more day. And that’s a good thing for you to do. (Thanks for that tip goes out to my eye doctor’s nurse!) So, don’t curse and spit into the wind. Don’t spew negative nonsense to others who are just trying to figure it out in their daily existence. Just lend a helping hand when you can and be thankful for where you are at this moment in your life. I love you all so much and send out this message of hope every day that I am alive. Jim Croce Don’t Mess Around with Jim

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.

Riding the Biggest Wave

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It’s almost summertime and images of those amazing surfers riding the big waves always make me dream of Hawaii. Although I am not a surfer I loved watching the locals master the biggest waves I’ve ever seen. Even the littlest kids were better than I could expect to be, but they get to go out every day and practice since they lived there. When there was a surge, school would let out and they were there on top of those crazy waves. Their skill set is something that we could all learn from to plow through all of the discontent and uncertainties in our lives.

Surf culture dates back at least 1500 years. I always thought those free-spirited folks had such a carefree life, with a knowing that it could end at any moment in a rush of turbulent water. There was fear, but they continued to conquer the inevitable. It is a culture of human versus water, as well as human versus other humans. There was always strife on who would dictate the local areas, warding off all those they didn’t consider royalty or a different tribe. And yet, their culture created a community that helped each other, from the food they ate to the surfboards they would make. The best surf spots were guarded secrets to the outsiders and they taught each other how to pick the right wave for the ride. They had mad skills in learning how to stay on top.

Each day so many of us choose to ride the wave that has been given to us and yet we could be that rogue warrior that goes off on their own despite the risks. We could learn from this counterculture by riding the wave that helps us postulate carefully about the facts that are given us. We can be the people who love and respect each other and do not blame everything on poor people. We can decide that everyone deserves a chance at the table, no matter who they are. We can be the people who accept differences and not worry about where we came from. We can be the people that takes care of each other. We can stop comparing ourselves to those who have more money. They will be who they will be, and we can’t change them. We are on a biological clock and human life is limited. So, why don’t we live our lives helping others instead of hoarding and having the mentality of I got mine and I’m gonna keep it? Live a comfortable life as you age, but help those in need with your personal wealth. Stop worrying about everything else, and turn off the TV and your phones for a little while each day. We can’t keep money and treasures after we die, no matter what the bazillionaires believe. We don’t need more to be happy. And just like the oceans, life is full of differences and mysterious beings. Let’s embrace them all and have some fun doing what we love with what we learn every day.

Love to all on this crazy, rainy night!

Sound Bites – Make it Happen

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Or: STAND UP and FIGHT for BRAVE REPORTING, AUTHORS with HEART, and HUMANITARIANISM!

For every hateful rant that comes out of the mouth of, ohhhh let’s say …that ignorance is bliss person Representative MTG. (you know who I’m talking about) regarding public television, let’s ask news reporters who are repeating her comments follow-up with fact-checked rebuttals. Let the truth shine through with new sound bites. Let the follow-up become positive and exuberant statements from all supporters who understand the incredible benefits of public television. Tell unbiased news reporters about the heroic lifelines small broadcasting stations have in each of their little towns. Remind them how sometimes public television is the only station that gives news to those in distress after disasters. Tell the world the benefits of positive and encouraging reporting on PBS and NPR that we all want to listen to instead of heartbreaking and ugly reporting on that biased station our illustrious leader loves.

For every idiotic comment on social media that comes out of that guy in office and his Best Buddy (you know who I’m talking about), about important agencies that really matter to us, let’s all start slamming back rebuttals and remind him how wrong he is. Let’s all make positive comebacks to his ridiculous tirade about the benefits of all the things that they dislike… like ohhhh let’s say… the Department of Education, USAid, Social Security and Medicaid,  FAA, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, FEMA, IRS, Dept. of Treasury, National Institute of Health, NOAA, and the Treasury Department, to name a few.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/elon-musks-government-dismantling-fight-stop/story?id=118576033

Let’s remind that Amazon mega billionaire that we support him because we love the convenience of buying and selling online with him. Let’s remind him that he should give some of his money to all of these worthy causes like his ex-wife does. Let’s remind him that he should give of himself freely with no strings attached. Let’s remind him what a massive boycott could do to him like what is happening to the Best Buddy. If we all stand together as a people, we can make positive change.

And give! Give, give, and give a tiny portion of your income, no matter how little you have, to those in need, those representatives and senators who are fighting against this oppression, and those in the media who want to stand up and speak the truth. Create your own movement for generating action for a sane and loving world!

I decided to pick one cause a month and give some of the money back in my part-time job to those in need. This is the money I am making after I have retired. I started in March and so far, I have donated to World Central Kitchen and Rocky Mountain PBS. I plan on doing much more in the days to come. We can all do the same if we don’t eat out at every lunch or have that extra cup of coffee at our favorite drive thru. Every little bit counts right now to keep the momentum to combat what is going on.

And now, I am re-vamping a tradition that I had in the past, to give to others in a way that can create a better community of knowledge and understanding. I used to be the person who gave books as presents every Christmas to my friends and co-workers. I had a large group of associates and friends and I loved the old Chinook Bookstore in Colorado Springs (alas it is no more). It was a place of friendship and warmth. I spent a lot of time there browsing and buying books. I took them home and devoured them, relishing the pure enjoyment of learning something new or reading the next in a series of fantastic fiction. My research took me places that I’ve never been and I hoped to visit someday.

Today, I am aiming to start that back. I recently ordered and gave the book How to Raise a Citizen to a friend who is helping young people learn to survive in the world. He and his high school friend started an after-school program, going back to their neighborhood to help them. They have been given an opportunity to engage the youth in positive ways. They carved out a place for them through the help of the City where they lived. These kids can now have a place where they feel safe, play basketball, have a snack, do homework, and read. These young entrepreneurs are helping create opportunities for the teenagers. They have contacted local businesses and industry to partner with them that will help these kids in the future. They have had backpack and food drives, and will be holding events for education as well as job fairs. It’s programs like these that I want to support. He is on Instagram and it is called Generational Opportunities. We should work to let this happen all over in those little neighborhoods that need the most help. We can all make this happen in our communities.

So when you find a book that moves your heart and soul, give it to someone and encourage them to read it and pass it on. Although I haven’t found the perfect bookstore like the Chinook, I visit the ones in the small towns everywhere I go in my travels. I order a lot of books online, but I want to continue buying and reading interesting books and support these small bookstores. I want to pass them on to co-workers and friends. I encourage you to start your own movement like this. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be able to return to intelligent conversation and kind acts on a daily basis!

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And to the person who hit my car and drove off today, shame on you! I would have left a note and paid for the damage if I had done this to your car. Karma will catch up with you in the end. I am sad that you are the person that you are. There are too many selfish people like you in the world! Your life circumstances should not be the excuse to do mean and terrible things to others. I will try to forgive you, but it’s hard.

For the rest of you, I love you all and happy reading tonight.