First Day of November

Been awhile...I think it's important to keep writing, as I love reading what others are thinking and doing, it helps me figure out the world and my preferred place in it.  But I keep forgetting to come here and do it.

I just finished voting, hope everyone remembers to do that.  On a transAtlantic flight recently I sat next to a nice young guy from Belgium who was flying home to vote!  He says it's mandatory there.  If you don't vote as a Belgium citizen, there's a hefty fine!  What do you all think?  Should we be fined for not voting?  That'd be a switch from all the controversy about having to have photo ID, and the efforts by some evil groups to prevent US folks from voting...

My cat is purring on top of me, it is still dark outside.  Last night was Halloween, but no kids come this far south to trick or treat.  There are things about Halloween I really like:  the whimsy of costuming, the glow of a pumpkin lantern, roasted pumpkin seeds.

But now it is November and the holiday season is nearly upon us.  I just finished going to Italy for two weeks.  It was a big accomplishment!  And, I loved it there, as I was pretty certain I would.  The food is excellent everywhere, no GMOs in Italy!  But I didn't expect it to be so light and delicate:  even the pastas and cheeses and desserts:  portions just right, usually homemade.

I loved Assisi, home of St. Francis and St. Clare and their peaceful loving legacies.  Cortona, made famous by Frances Mayes, was also lovely, as was the inimitable Venice!  What a trip that city is!  Part of me feels like I got away with something:  going to Italy, even if only for a very short time.  How did I pull it off -- the tickets, the travel, the time, the money, the effort?  Traveling is valuable in so many ways.  There are some who start and never stop.  I consider them the pilgrims of the world and hope I can host them when they make it to Lopez.

I want to travel again soon, though maybe just close by.  To Haida Gwaii, or Vancouver Island or Eastern Washington, or just walking on Shaw...

The next adventure for me is school.  I've just sent my tuition payment in to attend a six month course in advanced certification in Orthopedic massage techniques.  This will take place in Port Townsend, where I went to massage school ten years ago.  Much has changed:  the school is in a new, not so picturesque location, new ownership too.  And one of my best beloved teachers has passed away recently:  Doug Daniels, a lovely man, partially blind from birth, who became a friend as well as a mentor.  He came and worked with me on Lopez:  we treated a dying man together, it was a profound experience.  He helped build the woodshed I have in my backyard.  He called our deep tissue class, the "deep issue" class and I will miss having him as my friend and teacher.  It occurs to me that he will probably still be an influence on my work, even from beyond the veil.  I love you, Doug.

My favorite current read is A World Made By Hand by James Howard Kunstler.  It is a dystopian novel about what happens a few years hence after the greed for oil has caused other countries to bomb the hell out of us and the few remaining communities are on their own.  Sounds depressing but it isn't entirely and the scariest thing is that it seems very plausible as a possible future.  I'm listening to it on audio, my favorite way to go with books I'm hesitant to start. 

My wish for this winter is for more community and personal fellowship with my fellow man. Right now my main connection when I'm at home, is through the computer.  Work supplies my daily dose of one-on-one, but I try to see people outside of work as much as I can. The hearth often calls me home to build the fires, cook the meals, pet the cats and other solitary undertakings.  I want this recent trip to Europe and the things I learned there to change me.  So I will continue to learn Italian, write to others through this blog and personal letters,  reach out and invite people into my personal space. 

I wish the same for all of you (well, maybe not the Italian part, but do talk and think in other languages as often as you can, our lives here in the U.S. are not as diverse as those in Europe and elsewhere where other cultures are closer by).  May you be filled with the warmth and light and generosity of the holiday spirit as we near the winter solstice and brave the new challenges that this world is bringing us.  I hold all the storm victims in my heart and hope for the powers that be to make it easier to see that we must change, and accept the consequences of our global greed on our fellow beings.

Ciao and love,  Rosie