"I found reflected in myself all the world's lust for war and murder, all its cowardice; I had to lose first my self-respect and then my self-contempt; I had no less a task than to carry through to the end my scrutiny of chaos, with the now soaring, now sinking hope of rediscovering beyond chaos nature and innocence. Every human being who has been awakened and really has achieved consciousness has on one or more occasions walked this narrow path through the wilderness--to try to talk to others about it would be a fruitless effort."

(Hermann Hesse, Life Story Briefly Told)

Still Vacating

Camped out in the Pecos over the weekend, returned via the Mine Shaft Tavern and hiked La Luz trail yesterday. I am using the down time to reorganize my writing. I am also exploring a couple of new hobbies to keep me busy. Do not want to see week end, but rather could use another full week away.

Vacation

Taking some time off from work today and all of next week. Not going anywhere, but plan to do lots of catch up stuff around the house: fix car, wash car, clean house, clean hypnotherapy office, etc. Also hope to go camping this weekend, visit a rock collectors club, host a tea or two and a good friend is visiting (one of my godson's father...my godson doesn't have more than one father--I have two godsons...that's what I mean by one of my...oh, never mind :)

Must Be Nice

John McCain thinks you need to make about $5 million dollars before being considered rich. I guess that he must think that I'm way below poverty level with my income.

And he doesn't even know how many houses he owns!

Morning Glories in My Yard

Looking Around the Dorm

The Assistants Who Run the Place

Looking around the office...
My tea corner at work; view out the window is of the western volcanoes.

My office at the shelter:

Dog / House Sitting

Maddie

I had six hummingbirds last week fighting for dominance over my feeders. I put less sugar in the mix this week. The hummingbirds have made themselves scarce.

Is there a profound lesson in this?

When you count by the thousands, do you say, "One thousand one, One thousand two, One thousand three one thousand, four one thousand...", or do you say, "One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand, four one thousand"?

Rrribitt

I heard a frog last night as I drifted off to sleep. It's sound was like a plaintive cry in the dark, a frog with perhaps only this one moist night to find a mate. Like one of those creatures who only live for 24-hours when it rains, then die.

Then I decided to hear it as joyous singing. It became a frog who was so happy that it couldn't help but stay up all night singing praise to the night sky.

Funny how our mind can change our perception--and thus experience--of reality.

Lessons Learned

I learned two lessons this week: one about others, and one about me.

The one about others is:

"Don't trust others to make me happy."

The one about me is:

"Don't trust others to make me happy."