Weather in the Tries: Looks like we’re scheduled for another week of Paradisical weather here in Paradise. Well, it would be Paradise if we didn’t have smoke in the air. We are currently scheduled for a week of mostly sunshine and temps in the low 70s to low 80s. Porch sittin’ weather! 

Good news! My publisher is going to put The Bride’s Gate and Other Assorted Writings up on Kindle and drop the price for eBooks. I don’t know how low the price will go, but it will be lower! Those of you who read eBooks, be patient! So far, I have one 2 5-Star reviews up on Amazon and 1 on Goodreads! Woot! Woot! I am hearing from people who are reading the book they really like it and they promise to put a review up when finished.

Where Were You On 9-1-1?

Yes, I know I’m a couple days late, but Jerry Coyne asked this question on his blog. We remember where we were when we hear bad/shocking news. I took a sick day from work and was home, in bed with the flu when President Kennedy was shot. I was working in the office of the 555 Company (US Army) in Karlsruhe, Germany when Bobby Kennedy was shot. The radio was on, and I was typing, and I heard it. No one else did, and they didn’t believe me. Kept telling me I’d heard it wrong; they were talking about JFK. And then they listened. I was at an auto race at the Hockenheimring, near Hockenheim, Germany when Martin Luther King was killed. It was announced over the loudspeaker, in German, and I didn’t understand enough know what had happened, but I knew it was something bad. I was in Fort Leonard Wood MO and had just finished reading a novel about an Apollo mission that went wrong when the news came over the radio about Apollo 13.

On 11 September 2001, I was in bed, asleep, on the Oregon coast. A friend called, explained what happened, and while speaking to him, I got up and turned on the tv. We watched our tvs at the same time and saw the second hit. We were without words.

We were angry. We were in shock. We were frightened. Both of us has been “through” Vietnam. He’d been there, I was in uniform, but hadn’t gone. We hung up to watch and process on our own. I was so grateful Aaron Brown was doing the broadcasting on CNN. He was calm, professional, and one of my favorite broadcasters. His calm demeaner as he broadcast, was much appreciated. I still miss him.

I spent the day in front of the tv. I remember chanting, softly, to myself. I think it was Green Tara’s chant (Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha). It might have been the Om Mani Padme Hum, probably both. As an atheist, I knew my prayers would do no one any good. As a Buddhist I needed those prayers for me. They gave me something familiar to hold while my world burned. I had recently gone through the deaths of 11 of my co-workers and friends in less than 2 years, and then I retired to take care of my uncle the last 6 months of his life. He died in my home. I needed the sleep, the healing, and the love however I found it.

I did not think war was the answer and was sorry our elected officials did. I feared before the election that Jr. would get us into a war if elected. He stated he wanted to be a War President, like his daddy. I believed him. And, frankly, I often wonder, and still wonder when I see the pictures of him being told, if he didn’t know something was coming down, he just had no idea exactly what or when. His reaction was too much a nonreaction. Even in front of the little people he was reading to. So much for my conspiracy theory.

I’m still very saddened and embarrassed by the sudden rise of hatred against Muslims instead of anger against the perpetrators. I’m very saddened and embarrassed we, as a nation, did not try to find out the true cause. What had we done they felt the need to do what they did? Yes, we are the victim, but why? It wasn’t just Desert Storm and allowing women to drive jeeps, we did other things, too, that dissed the Arabs. But we’ve never really asked, nor have we truly apologized for whatever we did, nor have we learned anything.

I am still an atheist, and I still follow many of the teachings of Buddhism and Taoism (which are NOT religions, but philosophies or ways of life). The nice thing about Buddhism and Taoism is they are AND philosophies. One can be a Christian and a Buddhist or Taoist, a Muslim and…, a Hindu and.., and whatever one’s religion is or isn’t and a Buddhist or a Taoist.

But I digress. Where were you on that fateful day, what were you doing when you heard the news of 9-1-1? If you are old enough to remember it, I bet you remember where you were and what you were doing. Would love to hear from you in the comment section.

Photo of the Week:

Entertainment:

Netflix: Watched the penultimate episode for this season of Hospital Playlist. I understand they are debating whether to have a season 3. I sent a note telling them I thought they should. Will they listen to me? That’s a rhetorical question, you don’t need to respond. 

Finished Home to Heaven, another Netflix K-Drama. Not as good, but good. Home to Heaven is a father-son company that goes in and cleans the homes after someone dies. The father died, the sun is Autistic, and an uncle the boy (young man at 20) didn’t know about was named guardian. Lots of fun areas.

Books: If I finish it, I review it, you can read it at: http://lenoragood.blogspot.com

I am reading four books at the moment. I might have one or two finished by the time you read this.

Novel: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. I can understand why it was so popular when it came out. But I’m not sure I’m all that fond of it. I’ll keep reading. he uses the phrase,  “so it goes,” every other page and throws me out of the story each and every time. I’ve finished a couple other books and my latest reviews are on my book review blog above.

Poetry: The Father by Sharon Olds. Beautifully written poems about her father’s dying. Sad, poignant, well done.

            Mother Country by Elana Bell. Another collection of poems by a woman who so wanted to become a mother, even after so many setbacks (miscarriages).

            American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin by Terrance Hayes. All are sonnets, all have the same title, and some are laugh out loud funny, some are cry real tears sad, and some will flat out make you angry. Great poems, well written. Food for thinking on some of the tougher aspects of life.

Quote for the Week:

A Buddhist chant, chanted at the opening of an illegal temple in the midst of a Khmer Rouge prison camp in Cambodia:

Hatred never ceases by hatred

but by love alone is healed.

This is an ancient and eternal law.

And there you are my kind and gentle friends. Sammy Brave Dog and Auntie Lenora wish you a terrific week with lots of goodness to fill your days.