Prescription-Mellow

Happy Hour Morro Bay, Ca

Halter Ranch Vineyard, Paso Robles appellation

      At risk of sounding self evident, everything is relative.

      I was sinking into depression as I read a favored blogger who lamented his approaching turn to 61. He reflected how quickly the last year passed and how in just a few more quick passes he will be 70 when he noted it will be "hard to ignore the reality," the reality of which he wrote are "the intimations of mortality!"  Gosh, thanks a lot pal!

      I raised it at coffee after a 90 minute tennis slug fest with another elder boomer and a couple of battlers a few years ahead. The gents in our circle on the coffee deck at Lily's are of a similar age. We noted village elders in their 90's who are dynamos of activity, including tennis and pickle ball and civic groups. The number of 80 somethings who run, play court games, lawn bowl, hike, kayak, bike, dance or find romance are too numerous to count. 70 year olds are like the 40-50 year old's back east, with full engagement in everything, including surfing that stretches the body in extraordinary ways. 60 year olds here are teeny boppers. 50 and below are the kids.
      Our "circle of wisdom" agreed that attitudes about age in our village on the Central California Coast are schematically different than those back east. Given the blessing of health, age is relative, and relatively younger here. Or so we have convinced ourselves. 

       You could argue that we are surrounded by beauty, without freeways, urban sprawl or high density humanity. True and that helps but one of the youngest people I know is our friend Tod, who lives in the heart of New York City. A dancer, choreographer, artist and renaissance thinker, Tod has mentored generations of creative spirits. He is north of 80 but his passion for life, learning and expression makes me think he has the fountain of youth on tap in his kitchen. It is a mind set, like so many of our friends here. 
      In Indianapolis I served on the board of an historical, Presidential Home and was surprised when two powerful and influential men, still fully engaged, needed to retire from the board when they reached 65. They had years of experience and yet had years of service to give, but "retirement age" was a custom, part of the cultural mores. 

        Relativity-age and vitality, creativity and passion, setting and culture. If fate smiles health upon you, the calendar need not imprison or limit. I wish my mid-western Geezer writing friend good recovery from a blown knee, success in his goal of walking every street in his city and 9 years to get younger so when he reaches 70 he won't be thinking of the end of things but rather the continuation of the sweetness and opportunity that comes with each sunrise. 

harvest is for grapes

    Grape growers and wine makers expect an earlier harvest this year. In some vineyards, that means soon.

          From the "captain of the watch," Cheers!

    See you down the trail.

PRECIOUS FONDNESS

BIRTHDAY HARVEST

     Growers in the Paso Robles Appellation have already begun harvest, earlier than normal.  The drought and weather seems to have rushed the calendar, but the crop is expected to be extraordinary.

   The Brix level, the amount of sugar in the fruit, is reportedly very good and that leads to a better wine. 

    Many vineyards "dry" farm, which causes the roots to extend deeper into the soil, that also produces a better fruit.  Some varietals need water, so the drought has forced some irrigation, still the overall report is the 2014 harvest

in Paso will produce extraordinary wine.  Cheers to that!

YOU CAN'T FORGET

     The good nature and spirit of friends make sure we note the click of yet another year.

     Though other plans kept me from this gathering at Sebastians, our Friday Lunch Flash Mob was full of good cheer and well wishes.  Sorry I missed those brownies!  Thanks to our "hostess" and wonderful friend Jeanie for the photo.

     We were able to enjoy the American Provence' with dear and sweet friends.

      A dinner and concert with former Hoosiers Griff and Jacque gave us a chance to marvel again at the extraordinary music talent residing here on the central coast.

   This is an aggregation of talent that has individually toured or recorded with the Steve Miller Band, Carol King, Diana Ross, Tower of Power, Eric Clapton, Smokey Robinson, Diane Shurr, Inga Swearingen, Marvin Hamlish and others. Most of them are also composers and their music has scored TV and film.  

    Though you can't see Diane Steinberg-Lewis, her music has been recorded by Natalie Cole and Cleo Lane.  She was also the original Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds in the Robert Stigwood production of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.  On this night, she, Kenny Lee Lewis, Danny Pelfry, Ken Hustad, and Dean Giles were producing a new video. A special birthday gift for this boomer.

    And there was a poignant moment that provided a profound perspective reality check.  I chatted with a friend who also worked in the video and media business. I met him 7 years ago when we came to the central coast.  A couple of years ago we learned he faced a serious health challenge. Last evening he told me that his doctors had missed something and he had just been told that he is likely to be gone by October.  He said he would like to be awake at his death, though that is not likely, given his illness. In the meantime he is making the most of the days he has left, traveling when he can, watching his daughter who was the guest artist for a couple of numbers last night and he prepares.

      That afternoon I was interviewed and engaged in a  conversation with an eminent author/theologian from San Francisco. She is now in recovery from lung cancer. A non-smoker who was surprised by the diagnosis last year, she has endured chemo, radiation and surgery and is learning with live with the affects and altered lifestyle.

       On this day when my mother brought her eldest into the world, I am grateful for health, family, friends and the wonder of life.  Speaking with Paul and Mary and my prayers for them were gifts of another sort, and of exquisite and priceless value.  My birthday wish is that we all enjoy and celebrate each day. Life is precious. 

FONDNESS
Look carefully

   See you down the trail.

HOP SKIP TO 2014

ONE AT A TIME

     Harvest carnivals, autumnal rites and the turning of the year.  

     Merchants launch Christmas longings even before we observe that night of dress up and masked extortion of candy where now social media provides a "safe house" map and GPS guide.

     In the last push of this 2013 we'll remember it has been 50 years since JFK inspired us. We remember vividly our own piece of history now a half century on. Boomers have become seasoned vets of the season. In Thanksgiving rituals we intuit another Yule, Holiday, Christmas, Advent and yet another rapid change of calendar.

      When days shorten and night becomes longer we reflect, remember and marvel at where it all goes, cued by  nature gone melancholy. Regret and hope ballet on our mood. This time of year is an acquired taste.  The more of it we sip, the better we appreciate the vintage. Still, can it really be time for this end of year run through the holidays and memories?  Already?

SECRETARY OF THE INTERNET

     So there in the photo of the cabinet, next to the pin striped Secretary of State is the secretary of the Internet in a black T shirt and jeans.  Intriguing?  

   As the Obama team, so slick at campaign social media, struggles to get the new Affordable Care market exchange computer system operating, maybe it's time to ask, should we elevate all federal government information and computer systems and programs to a single department or agency?  Do we need our own Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison or Steve Jobs?  Yea, I know the curse of a federal agency is first a growing bureaucracy and a diminishing efficiency, but if we imported some "google think"  or "oracle management" or "apple genius" it could spill over to the bloated federal mind set.  

     Better design and more efficient testing of the health care market place system probably would have been a product of a Facebook, or Google team.  And besides this embarrassment is the very real matter that most of everything today moves via technology platforms.  Should we trust the big picture, high altitude view on this to the snoops and investigators of the NSA and FBI or CIA or to the high platform warriors of the Pentagon?  Commerce certainly can't hack it?  Maybe we do need a son or daughter of silicon valley to mix it up with the Cabinet.

     See you down the trail.

    

READING NEIL

AN ARTISTIC SPIRIT

     I have my late brother Jim to thank for turning me on to Neil Young.

Neil Young Photo Courtesy of Graeme Mitchell  New York Times

     Jim was a devoted fan and his enthusiastic playing and gifting of the Harvest album led me into fandom all those years ago.  

     Jim, who was also a writer and player at music thought Young possessed a perspective that put him into a league of his own.

     Now, Young is opening up and talking a bit about his eccentric, creative and unique life.

Photo Courtesy of Jeff Kravitz/Film Magic

     In advance of his book Waging Peace, Young has spent time with journalists, itself an unusual act for the private troubadour. 

      The New York Times' David Carr, a unique and fascinating story in his own right, provides a personal look at Young at home on his Santa Cruz mountain ranch retreat here.

        This Rolling Stone post also links to a kind of Neil Young Archive.

    It's not too early to be thinking about a Christmas gift of

a book for the music or Neil Young fan in your life.

    Here is a vintage Young performance from the time my younger brother pointed me in the right direction.  This is dedicated to Jim.  

See you down the trail.