Archive for November 2010
Complex and Simple
Comparing myself to others, I feel simple. And complex. It’s just human nature. It is not surprising at all to notice that there are people who blow me away for their depth of intellectual pursuits, political awareness, and social participation. At the same time, I notice that my level of activity appears to be dramatically more involved than plenty of other folks. Of course, it’s all relative. What I notice about thinking of these comparisons is that the contemplation of differences usually corresponds with thinking about the past or the future, and therefore, not the present moment. When I am fully focused on the here and now, I rarely find it to involve such comparison.
One of the things that has me feeling a sense of simpleness lately, is the regular pattern I traipse throughout our house. For the most part, I don’t go into the living room. Or the basement. I have a very consistent trail between our kitchen, the library, and my upstairs bedroom. Cyndie has made changes to rooms in our house that I haven’t discovered until months after the fact. I could get by living in a tent. Two or three rooms becomes a luxury. The good thing about this is I won’t be upset at all if I need to be moved into single room senior living situation someday.
For the variety of my interests that command attention, I have become a master of none. It hasn’t escaped my consideration that I might have achieved a much higher degree of proficiency in a number of my avocations, had I applied more focus and allotments of time. C’est la vie.
That’s just part of the simple complexity of me, you know? Aren’t we just the most interesting of creatures? Feel free to ponder your own contrasting traits today, in light of the idea we are at the same instant, both simple and complex.
Finding the willingness to accept the possibility of simultaneous existence of two opposing characteristics in ourselves, breeds great expansion of our understanding and insights about both our immediate world, and the greater expanse of souls on this planet. It’s a simple way of becoming much more comfortable with complexities of our lives.
Table Memories
Since we didn’t have Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year, my siblings didn’t get their annual chance to be with the old family table, so I am presenting this for their benefit…
I mostly am reminded of trying to do my homework as a schoolboy, when I look at the pattern of dots marking the border of our table. The pencil lead would poke through the paper when you weren’t paying attention and strayed too close to the edge.
The other main memory I have of this table is that it was almost always covered by accumulating newspapers, magazines and old mail, sewing projects, or at the far end, an occasional jigsaw puzzle. There are 5 center leaves available to expand the table to a length that exceeds our present dining room. When Mom allowed Cyndie and I to have the table, she did so with one requirement: we needed to host Thanksgiving, because it was the only table large enough to accommodate everyone when we all gathered.
Now Mom is gone, and some of the family is out of town, so the remaining family has been spending the Thanksgiving holiday with families of spouses. At least that means we didn’t need to clear off the table for a big meal. Lo and behold, it has a sewing project on one end, and fresh home-made holiday treats that Cyndie and Elysa produced over the weekend, on the other.
Savings Galore
In this time of discounts, it seems appropriate that today’s post be offered at 6o% off. Plus, the earlier you read, the more you save. By that, I mean, the earlier you arrive to read, the less there will be to read, and that means time saved.
Discovery
There is something special about that moment of discovery, when someone alerts you to something they feel to be noteworthy and you have your eyes opened to a whole new wonder. Even though millions of other people may have already discovered the next sensation, when it is the first you are seeing it, and it resonates for you of all things good, the moment can be an explosion of inspiration and joyous energy.
Pomplamoose. If you haven’t seen them yet, and own a television, they are now showing up on a holiday car commercial. Otherwise, the place to find them is on your computer. Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn have already been plying their joint video song artistry on youtube for a couple of years, but I have just discovered them now. 
You should, too. They are fun, fun, fun and they are true artisans of the craft of music and recording. It is the way it should be. It is why people say things like, “Don’t ever change.” What they have been producing is so fresh and unpretentious that their growth as artists and individuals becomes a threat to the charm of their current output.
Don’t tell Cyndie, but I have fallen in love with Nataly. And don’t tell Nataly, but I think I have a thing for Jack, too. Just watch their video songs, as many as you can. You will see what it is that appeals so much to me. It’s not just the shots of Nataly eating cereal and milk. Hang around for the post-song bits at the end of the clip. Plus, make sure you can turn your sound up, because the harmony of Nataly’s multi-tracked voice is a hook that is so enticing it feels addictive.
If you haven’t already, you deserve to enjoy the period of discovery now. It will enable you to claim that you watched them back when they were just an internet sensation with a couple of commercials to their credit. Me thinks they will end up with many more artistic accomplishments that will expand their popularity dramatically. That, or my euphoric flush of discovery has me thinking like a love-struck kid again.
But, after all, isn’t that what the special moment of discovery is all about?
A Day After
In the United States, today is one of the days that can be described in reference to the day that came before. Yesterday was the national holiday of Thanksgiving. Today is a day when the choices for spectacular meals from leftovers may be superior to any other time of the year. Now that is something to be thankful for.
Eat up the day after! Just don’t forget to burn more calories than you consume if you want to maintain that balance of health. How long does it take to work off second servings of pie? Whatever it is, I may need to double it.
Oh, but was it ever worth it. Thanks to everyone who labored long in the kitchen for the benefit of others yesterday!
Thank You
In the United States, it is again the day of giving thanks. We are a big country. I am amazed to think about how many people are taking pause from their usual routine today for events related to the holiday. It is a worthy gesture, to pause and consider our blessings.
Among the many blessings I enjoy, I want to thank you for stopping by here to check on Relative Something. Having an audience is an important part of my exercise of writing and posting images. I am grateful for your effort to look in on me from time to time.
Here’s hoping you all are able to enjoy the holiday and share blessings for which you are able to give thanks.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
It’s True
I’m beginning to think maybe life itself may actually be based on a true story. I woke up yesterday and found the weather was just like what the forecast had predicted. Everything that happens is just like what really happens. It’s impressive. It would make a great marketing campaign. “Life …Based on a True Story!”
It seems odd though, since we are all just made-up characters.
.
I am experiencing the weirdness of time perceptions again. The ‘long-ness’ and shortness of passing time. Both happen, simultaneously, and I am smack dab in the middle. I waited while Cyndie was having knee surgery and it was a classic moment of ‘killing time.’ Minutes, and then hours, pass by and I am static. When that phase ends, I move to being a companion in her recovery process. My normal activity is placed on hold. It was a long day.
Yet the day passed by very quickly. It seems like we just got up, and then we were home. A brief rest on the couch in the afternoon and suddenly we’re off to bed for the night.
It reminds me of my perception of having children. At first, they were around the house a lot and required frequent attention, and then not so much of either being around the house or needing attention. In the time it took me to bend down to put my socks on one morning, they were done with college and entering the work force.
The same things that seem to take a long time to pass, are also passing by very quickly. It’s true, even if it seems like I just made it up.
All In How You Look At It
With my descriptions of our trip to Portugal completed, the opportunity for something relative to other subjects is wide open. Is there anything else? Well, there are two ways I am seeing the world these days. One perspective relates to the number of days since we arrived home from our trip to Portugal, and the other way I look at things is in terms of the number of days until I can return to the people and places I discovered there.
This morning, our attention is directed to a more immediate concern close to home. I am driving Cyndie to the medical center to have arthroscopic surgery to clean up some floating bone fragments and repair a torn meniscus in her left knee. Of course, I’m looking at it as a step toward getting her healthy for our next trip to Portugal.
See how easy that is?
Denouement
Filled with glee, bathed in the brilliance of the setting sun, and steeped in 2-weeks worth of euphoric experiences with Ian Rowcliffe and his family, his friends, and his horses and pets, in the region of Celorico de Basto, Portugal… Our adventure is complete.
Relative Something 