Mail - James Olson - Outlook

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About Fall

With today's sunrise, and it was a real sunrise, not simply getting lighter as is usual, there is hope following near despair.
I guess something good can come from somthing so seeminly horrible as to make us think and act.
I do feel good about today. But am exhausted none the less.
Tomorrow brings change one way or another and I do so hope for the good kind of change.
We have things to do and goals with some direction. Now it is taking that first step.

What Once Was Old is New Again

The last few days have brought me nearly all of the newly released, digitally re-mastered Beattle albums and it's been a bit of a "religious" experience listening to them and hearing stuff I hadn't heard before. Compared to the CD releases in the 80's, these have so much more sound. There are songs with bongo drums being played that I had never noticed before. Listening to the White album was like listening to it for the first time in some ways. Ah!
This year has seemed like such a walk down memory lane. Re-connecting with some old friends; true, the news from some people not so good. Cancer and other health issues are taking a toll as they do and then there is just plain old age not leaving any of us breathing folks behind.
I drove past my old neighbourhood in Bellevue on Friday, took some photos and felt a little meloncholy as it had been a day of memories.
But the Beattles saved me.

Sunrise on Iron Street

I've recently been trying to work my way around the whole Facebook thing, connecting with some folks from the past; highschool and beyond, work and the like. Yesterday I found some friends I met when I lived in Phoenix, back in the late 80's working at a Nursing home for extremely handicapped children called "Hacienda de Los Angeles". We met only because one of these friends worked a summer stint as a PE teacher at this place every year. I only worked there about six months; despite the name, the place was anything but representative of the domestic residence of the Angelic hosts although I wouldn't want to second guess the celestial intentions. The pay was very low, even for Arizona and the working conditions were less than perfect. It was a difficult and thankless job but one that taught me some things about myself, following on the heals of the previous "job" I had left which was a monastic experience which had taught me much as well. Another gift I received from this job was meeting Claudia, the Summer teacher and her husband Scott.
The friendship that developed over the course of the 3 years I lived in Phoenix was such a blessing to me when I didn't know very many people. Our conversations were intense; both of them are as opinionated as myself so you can perhaps imagine. The friendship has persisted despite the several moves they have had to make in finding teaching posts and my relocating to the Seattle area in 1991 and then to Bellingham 5 years ago. They have had two children in the interim and are now living in New Mexico, teaching on the Navaho Reservation.
I spoke with them on the phone yesterday after having found them on Facebook (still a marvel to me) the day before. Hearing their voices was so nice.
Just wanted to say here that knowing them both has enriched my life and given me much to cherish.

Celestial Vision on Iron Street

Enough is enough

Ok, for some years, at least as long as I've been back in the Northwest after living in Phoenix, I've made fun of the local NWesterners and their complaining of heat. I have ridiculed and poked fun at what I've seen as a tendency to complain about the least amount of weather. 80F for a couple days does not constitute a "heat wave" any more than a few inches of snow makes a "blizzard".
Now the last couple days, last night being the worst, constitutes some real heat. It was over 90F in our kitchen yesterday afternoon and our outside temp was 101F at 1500. We've not had a decent nights sleep in 2-3 days and it looks like the heat is going to be around for a while longer.
So if I complain about the heat, please know that my parameters for complaining begin at 90F not 75F. I love snow too!