A LINCOLN LEGACY

      We've celebrated Thanksgiving as a national holiday of praise and thanksgiving since President Lincoln declared the day in 1863.

     As an odd year begins its exit we pause in our family to take note: Family, friends, faith, health, healing, memories, dreams & goals, kindness, love, courage, creativity and hope.

     History recounts the first American Thanksgiving as 1621 when 50 Pilgrims and 90 members of the Wampanoag tribe celebrated a harvest festival.

     In the beginning those English men and women, unhappy with the Church of England and English society and seeking a new life on this continent, treated their hosts with civility and appreciation. The immigrants and the first citizens celebrated for 3 days. History records those early accords were changed in time.

     Perhaps this year we can reflect on why and how those first good intentions were lost and why so much of this nation's history is built on an illegitimacy and a forced occupation. It is a not a weakness, rather it is a sign of integrity and greatness to examine our faults and ask where did we go wrong, how could we have done it more wisely and with honor, and how can and should we adapt, change and make better choices going forward?

     Is there also a further lesson? The first national Thanksgiving came midst the civil war, but Lincoln had the wisdom to ask for praise, prayers and thanksgiving. In our 2016 divide, should we do no less?

     I'm also grateful we live where we can acknowledge our wrongs, chastise inequality and pray for better ways, in our diverse ways.

     See you down the trail.

     

    

CHANGING-THANKFUL-WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE?

CHANGING

   Highway 46 overlooking Morro Bay.  Thanksgiving will be green this year.

     The tinge was prompted by three light rain events, the most significant accumulation being 1.2 inches. It is a start.

    Cattle trails appear on the slopes as lines on weathered hide.

   We are also grateful for the green of Thanksgiving and the promise of more rain.

THROWBACK GRATITUDE

   November 1976, our cabin home in the woods in southern Indiana where we continued a tradition begun years before-our Friend's Thanksgiving. It began before we were parents and when many of the friends were single or just getting hooked up. 

   By 1976 it had become a feast indeed and our little cabin was full of great and grateful friendship.

       

  After the ample meal your's truly did the best he could to fight the affect of L-Tryptophan. 

A HOLIDAY BONUS

  Frequent readers of the blog have noted periodic references to or comments from The Catalyst-AKA Bruce Taylor. Here is an early 80's iteration of said madman!

  BTW-it was on his blog this week where I raised the issue

of "authenticity" of this holiday of thanks. 

   The first Thanksgiving may have been in or near what is now El Paso Texas and in 1598. A young spanish scion of a family with Royal alliances and who had done work for the King of Spain in this New World, launched an expedition in the summer of 1597. They were to travel to a land grant holding the young man earned near what is now El Paso.

They commenced from southern Chihuahua near Santa Barbara (Mx). It was a hellish a go. Drought, flooding, hostiles, near starvation before crossing the Rio Grande. Later after a period of recuperation the young Juan de Onate arranged a feast of thanksgiving. The Spanish provided game, the Indian's provided fish, a mass was said by
Franciscans and apparently a happy event was launched. Historians have said this celebration was one of the significant dates in the history of the American Continent. 

It seems the feast we gather is identified with the English, who as you note, gave thanks more than a half century later.

    His follow up post includes a notation that some scholars believe the Spanish celebrated even earlier in Florida. Despite the historical debate, it might be good to add a Spanish, Texan or Mexican touch to your traditional feasting.

   Regardless of origin, a day given to being thankful is cool.

So too is this-VERY GOOD PRICE- for California!

Safe travel.  Happy Thanksgiving.

See you down the trail. 

LUCK-FORTUNE-BLESSINGS-AND YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THESE BEFORE-PLUS THE SECRET OF THE WISHBONE

GETTING PERSONAL HERE

     Being acclimated to the pace of life in a village tucked between the Santa Lucia Mountains and the Pacific I was caught off guard by how many people were in motion and doing commerce in our near by "big town."

       Our favorite natural food super grocery was a festive crowd doing an animated ballet with little carts, baskets, shopping aisle slide-bys, earnest product choosing and cheery chat. Very cheery since after all San Luis Obispo repeatedly has been called one of the happiest places in America.   

      I paused for a few moments just to take it all in.  Wow, I thought.  All of these folks from across every demographic and life-style possible, and believe me in California that is a wide spectrum, every one of these folks were fixated on the big day, the gathering, the feast, the party, the family or the friends.  No, they were not all on the same page or in sync with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln who, in two eras, birthed and certified a day of Thanks, but they were full of anticipation and in motion to the moment.  I stood there chuckling, smiling largely at the very prospect that we can still get up for a time certain to pause and at least pay a token regard to all that is good in our lives. And out here you can stand there with a shopping basket in your had and just chuckle away and barely draw a second look.

         Less than 24 hours later our tennis foursome was taking a break between matches chatting with a well known village resident.  His hair is coming back in, but he is still weak and drawn from the radiation and chemo.  He moved with a kind of creakiness though he is trying to get back to regular play.  One of our group, a good friend of his, asked what he was doing for Thanksgiving-she was worried he was going to be alone.

         "Me and my old dog are going out someplace for a walk and then we'll both have some chow," he laughed.

         She worked on him, telling him about her daughter's gathering, all the room they had, all the food they were going to have, how he should join them.

          No, he declined.  He said he'd turned down a lot of offers and appreciated every one's kindness but he'd be just fine.

         Luck, fortune, life's unveiling, your circumstance.  Regardless of where you are on this spectrum, there is this chance to pause, do an audit and count the good in your ride around the sun.

     This force of creativity, this exotic and unique woman, this artist and gardener who has put up with me and all those years of chasing stories and documentaries around the clock and around the globe is a blessing who has made my life a thing of even more beauty and fulfillment. Our two wonderful daughters, one who is in Connecticut and will be in New York City this holiday, and the other who is in LA on this day of thanks are  blessings indeed. The three of them have multiplied my understanding of love.

    The beauty of this planet and the special grandeur of California and the health and ability to hike up to 11 thousand feet in the Sierra, for example, has a special place in my heart of gratitude. I hope not to take such blessings for granted.

TURKEYS ON PARADE
a tribute to the bird of the day

REEL THOUGHTS REDUX

       Steve McQueen's 12 YEARS A SLAVE is an example of brilliant and ethical film making. It could be one of the most important films made.  Why?  Because it immerses the viewer in a vivid reality that must be embraced so the lessons are forever remembered and never repeated.

    This puts the hateful, ignorant, violent and destructive nature of American slavery out there with a force that crushes.  Yet the powerful dignity of humanity survives, carried in the heart of a man who is done so many wrongs and injustices you wish you could put your hands on the slavers, plantation owners and other allies of that horrible part of our history. 

    The acting is superb and the film making so extraordinary that you become an emotional captive of that era. You may never encounter cinema villains that provoke such dark rage in your heart. This film gathers you into a time and culture that enslaves your sense of hope and leaves you desperate as to how any human, let alone American citizens, could think, act and behave in such vile, brutal and evil ways, even while spouting Christianity. 

     We've all "studied" slavery, but we've never seen a window into that horrible human enterprise like this. Every performance was masterful and contributed to the stark approximation of truth, as history. Chiwetel Ejiofor who portrays the real man, Solomon Northrop must be a candidate for the Oscar.  His performance of the true life journey, while fighting desperately to retain dignity is something you'll never forget, nor are you likely ever to put away the frank retelling of a time in our past that should haunt us forever. 

     It's a special film. I wish everyone would see it.

              THE SECRET OF THE WISH BONE

     HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

     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.

    

THANKS

THE GIFT

Dad used to remind us to make the most of each day.

This day, set aside as a special time for reflection, family, friends and celebration is a great pause on our journey.

Make the most of it. Enjoy.   

  May you all know the serenity and strength

of the ancient Sequoias.

 Happy Thanksgiving!  See you down the trail.

A THANKFUL TURKEY TROT

GO AHEAD AND COUNT THEM-

Your blessings.

Gratitude is good for you

On November 2, 1800 President John Adams

wrote to his Wife Abigail.

I send his words to you on a personal level

about your home.

And  they are issued here again as

Adams meant them, as he was a new occupant

of the White House.

I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings

on this house and all that shall hereafter inhabit it.

May none but honest and wise (men) ever rule

under this roof."

I count friendship as a great blessing.

Long and lasting friendship is a cause for 

great celebration.

"The holy passion of Friendship is of so sweet

and steady and loyal and enduring nature that

it will last through a whole lifetime,

if not asked to lend money."

Mark Twain

:)

And again today, our neighbors on the Top of the World

ridge top, made their parade, terrorizing our cats.

If anything feels lucky today, it should be

these messy cretins from a prehistoric age.

but we are glad to see them

and thankful to share one of

their commercially raised cousins.

(organic of course)

GOBBLE GOBBLE

See you down the trail.

IN THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON

BREATHING DEMOCRACY

LIVING A REPUBLIC

One of the great joys, and thus a reason for

gratitude in this season of thanks, is the 

vitality of conversation and political engagement

at Lilly's, one of the world's most unique coffee shops.

On any day you will see animated cliques of 

conversation as various knots of people gather on the deck.

Actually it is a kind of porch, partially under roof, set

amidst a trellis and arbor like construct that works

only in our mediterranean style climate.

The charm of the place is not the story.

It is the people and the earnestness of

the conversations.  There are conservatives, liberals, libertarians and critics. Musicians,

artists, writers, free thinkers, business people

and educators also abound and everyone

comes with a life of experience. So,

as you might imagine, the conversations

are vivid, eclectic, sometimes loud,

and always completely switched on.

I love it.  By nature, and training,

I want to hear all sides, so just listening is a joy.

It reminds me of an assignment in Brazil years ago.

It was just after the military dictatorship ceded control

to the first elected government in 20 some years.

The place was intoxicated with ideas of democracy

and republic.  Newspapers and radio stations that had

been shut down and boarded by the dictatorship

were opening again.  The cafes and bars were alive

with conversation.  Brazilians were quoting

Jefferson, Madison and American principals.  It

was a heady time.

We are lucky to have a little of that every day at Lilly's.

Thanks.

UPDATE FROM BOB

Here's the latest from my friend and former colleague

Bob Foster.

It's all good. My prayer has been that God would show the doctors what He wanted them to do. He has. Loudly. Clearly. 

One of the Mayo doctors consulting on my case recently attended an international symposium on CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia). Research conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, WA, proved that CLL patients, meeting certain criteria, do not need to have their bone marrow below 50% involvement to successfully transplant. 

I meet that criteria. Further heavy chemotherapy only increases the risk of an infection closing this window of opportunity. We will maintain my relatively good health with weekly, low toxicity chemo treatments until transplanting in late January 2012. We are again moving forward.

Transplant is a 50/50 proposition. There is a highly promising, post-transplant clinical trial underway at MD Anderson. That is our back-up plan. Failure is not something I dwell on, but at least we know there is a "plan B." Anyone who worked radio field production with me knows that I lived for plan B. In this case, plan A would be just fine.  

Foster

DAY BOOK

AT THE MARKET

CHEERS!

SEE YOU DOWN THE TRAIL.

DECK THE HALLS

ALREADY?

I love the yule and Advent season.

Christmas is one of those times of year

that has the power to enchant.
One of my first posts spoke of the magic.
But----

This the first residential tree I've spotted.
Not sure what my disdain does nor where it goes
as I exude it passing Christmas displays at department, big box and even drug and grocery stores.  I've been tossing
that disdain at the all too early set ups since before Halloween.
My mother said it was improper to decorate or even
seriously prepare for Christmas until after Thanksgiving.
So as I continue on my journey to being a full fledged
crank, I guess I should pull down Dickens
or hum a few bars of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
let nothing ye dismay...
May I be the first to wish you
MERRY CHRISTMAS
See you down the trail.