Surrender to the Flow

Economy in Peril

Well, February is nearly here and that means we are still cruising forward into this new year.  Everyday I hear about another company laying off thousands more workers.  Our new president is facing a crisis of tremendous proportions.  There are millions of Americans wondering if his ideas and plans are going to help; we all need help soon.  My husband has been on unemployment for about three months now with little to no leads on work; there are so few jobs and so many seeking them.  I am trekking along and working hard and feeling thankful I have somewhat stable job...I mean is anything really solid anymore?  This situation is taking a toll on us.  We are trying to remain strong and have faith that things are going to start to turn around.  We are exploring all of our options, including re-location, even though we really want to try to weather the storm and stay here in Oregon.  

I'm not even going to pretend that I completely understand this economic crisis we're in, but I listen to lots of commentary and do my best to get my arms around the enormity of the situation.  We have made cuts in our spending.  We are learning to be more thrifty.  For the time being we are hanging in there and doing the best we can.  Spring is just around the corner and hopefully good times are just around the bend.

Courage

"Courage is what it takes
to stand up and speak;
courage is also what it takes
to sit down and listen"

~Anonymous

                 

The Wheel

The wheel is turning and you can't slow down,
You can't let go and you can't hold on,
You can't go back and you can't stand still,
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will.

Won't you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?
Won't you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?

Round, round robin run round, got to get back to where you belong,
Little bit harder, just a little bit more,
A little bit further than you gone before.

The wheel is turning and you can't slow down,
You can't let go and you can't hold on,
You can't go back and you can't stand still,
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will.

Small wheel turn by the fire and rod,
Big wheel turn by the grace of God,
Every time that wheel turn 'round,
Bound to cover just a little more ground.

The wheel is turning and you can't slow down,
You can't let go and you can't hold on,
You can't go back and you can't stand still,
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will.

Won't you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?
Won't you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?

Grateful Dead - Obama Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball 1/20/09

One for the History Books

I'm sure many of you watched Obama's inauguration today and were in as much awe as I was.  The President's speech gave me chills in parts and brought tears to my eyes in others.  This was truly a historical day as the first African-American took the oath of office.  I feel hopeful that we can rise to the challenges facing our country and become more unified as a whole.   I want to see our government behave in a responsible manner and get us back on track.  I want us to protect our sacred Earth and be mindful of the choices we make on a daily basis.  A day like today really makes you stop and appreciate all that we have because we have so much.  Here are a few of my favorite parts from today's speech:

"Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real.  They are serious and they are many.  They will not be met easily or in a short span of time.  But know this, America -  they will be met."

"We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.  To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.  To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

"To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.  And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect.  For the world has changed, and we must change with it."

"For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.  It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.  It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."

You can read the whole transcript here. 

Now it's time to get to work.

               

Deep Breaths

"Surrendering does not involve
preparing for a soft landing.  It means
just landing on hard, ordinary ground,
on rocky, wild countryside.  Once
we open ourselves, then we
land on what is."

~Chogyam Trungpa

Just Trekking Along

Hi everyone!  I hope you're all getting into the groove of the New Year.  I just got back from and eight day trip to the East Coast to see my family and friends.  Per usual, it went by way to fast but I had a great time and I was sad to leave.  This was the first year I did not actually spend Christmas in NH with my family.  In a way in way nice to be home without all the hustle and bustle of the holidays and to really just spend time visiting with people.  The first day I was back our family friends had a get-together and I got to to see a bunch of people that I always hope to see.  The next day our life-long friends had a wonderful tea party and we got to hang out and see their precious new baby boy at the young age of 5 days....ahhhh, love babies...looking forward to having one sometime...  I also drove down to Boston for a night and got together with my bestest friend, Anna.  We met up with Kara and Andrea and had a fabulous time drinking beer and reminiscing about our high school days.  It was so great to see them!  (Side Note:  It's not fun driving in Boston in a rental car with NH plates and not knowing where you're going...I've never been beeped at so much in my life...)

I got to spend my sister's 26th birthday with her while I was there too.  I cherish the time I get to spend with my sister.  It's so true that nobody really understands you and your family dynamic like your siblings do.  Jill and I got to spend lots of time together on this trip.  When we're together it's like we were never apart.  She is going back to Barcelona at the end of the month.  I am so jealous...I wish I could go back over and visit again while she's there but that's not too feasible right now.  I fully expect that she will be back to updating her blog, Fun-etics in Barcelona, when she returns to Catalunya.  Her stint will be a little shorter this time; about 5 months.  I can't wait to see where she ends up this coming Fall when she returns.  I would love it if she ended up closer to me geographically but I will be happy for her no matter where she ends up! 

I was back to work this week (I got in at around 11pm on Sun night) and it was so exhausting.  I am slowly digging myself out of a hole of paperwork and emails and getting back into the swing of things; just trekking along.

The Greyhounds, Brady and Sally (with her toy)

Mum and her Hounds

Have I mentioned I love babies?!?

Jilly Bean
 

My Aunt & Uncle's week old Yellow Lab pups

Jill's favorite cake...yellow with chocolate frosting

Cutting the cake

Kara, Max & Bernie...so cute!

My sister shoveling snow (no gloves I might add, she's hard core New England)

The morning I left

Front Door
 

There's no place like home

Snow in the front yard

Stagecoach Rd. in Sunapee

Happy New Year!

Happy 2009!  I hope everyone had a great time ringing in the New Year and have enjoyed the last month of holidays.  It seems like every year I remark at how fast time goes by and how I can't believe it's already time to start the months over again.  Once again I am making resolutions, packing away the Christmas decorations and looking forward to the fresh start that comes with the new year. 

We had a very unusual month of December with the biggest snow storm here in 40 years.  It seems so surreal looking back at it now.  We got about 18" of snow and amazingly there are still little piles of it on the side of some of the roads.  Even more miraculous was that my In-Laws made it into the airport during the storm.  We had a very white Christmas and had lot of fun staying cozy inside and celebrating with them.  We were thankful for chains on our tires since you could not get out and go anywhere without them!  It's so much different from back East.  The city just is not prepared to deal with that much snow; nothing gets plowed and the roads become treacherous.  I'm glad it's melted.  I can drive an hour to the mountain anytime and have plenty of snow to satisfy me, but for the day to day I will take the clean green.  It should only be about six weeks until the first daffodils push their way up through the wet ground.

The last few days have been a lot of fun celebrating the new year with our friends who flew in from Utah.  We hit up the Railroad Earth shows the last three nights (well I actually skipped the second night cause I had to work) and the music was top notch.  We are all really into Bluegrass and love the jamming and pickin' that comes with the shows.  The crowd at the Aladdin was great.   In terms of the scene and the venue it really doesn't get much better.  The show last night was three sets of amazing music.  We parked ourselves in the front of the balcony and were thrilled.  The sound and view from there is ideal and we had plenty of space around us to boogie.  We found ourselves in the heart of streamers, glitter and confetti as the clock struck midnight.  I'm pretty sure the decibel of the crowd made me a little more deaf than I already am but it was such a great time.  My husband just took our friends back to the airport so they can begin their journey home where their three boys are waiting for them at Grandma's...and we're off and running into 2009. 

I'm going to spend today and tomorrow getting ready for my trip back East to see my family.  I'm leaving tomorrow night on a red-eye.  I get to go see so many of the people who I love so much and I'm so excited.  I will post some pics below from the recent festivities.  Happy New Year everyone!