Idaho to San Diego

Thanksgiving 2008 is where this journey begins.

Chicago Illinous 1948 is where my human journey began. I'm telling you this to forewarn you that this travel journal is going to have a spattering of personal thoughts and revelations that may or may not be relevant to my geographical location but will surely have some meaning on my journey from the cradle to the grave.

Here's the Family getting ready to chow down for Thanksgiving dinner at Rhianna and Josh's new farm in Port Orchard, Washington.

From Autumn to Winter 08

Clockwise from the Left: My first daughter Shay, her Mom Cheri and Cheri's husband John. Coming up the other side of the table is Robert, Shay's husband, Rhianna my other daughter, me, and Joshua, Rhianna's husband.

And this is little Kayla Hamming it up like she does so well.
It was a wonderful reunion and then I got to spend a few more days with Shay Rob and Jenica.
Shay and Rob are taking after me, the latest home they purchased has wheels. Rob and I spent a day going over some of her "quirks" and getting some little things fixed. It now has running hot and cold water and a toilet that flushes----what else could you ask for?

Then it was South down the Oregon Coast. It was a beautiful day for travelling and if it wasn't for a fairly major "fupah" my time in Oregon would have been totally idyllic. I had locked my car using the electric lock. The next morning I noticed that I had left the passenger door open as I was leaving. My guitar, my flute, my tools all were untouched, so I worried not.

Well, I realized about 200 miles later when I went to get the charger for my camera battery that a small handbag was missing. I still wasn't worried, it just had "stuff" in it, vitamins, some computer cables and a few books. Then it dawned on me that that bag had an envelope with basically all my banking records for the year. So it was a bit of an inconvenience, and really I suspect it was a kid walking by and just grabbing what he or she thought must surely be a treat. It turns out the midnight snatcher got one more item and it was valuable. I also had a wrapped Christmas present from Rhianna and Josh which I did not realize was missing until Christmas. So this midnight thief not only has all my vitamins to stay healthy, some nice reading, some useless computer cables, he or she also has a Sonicare electric tooth brush and an I-tunes gift card.

Better be brushing every night, (listening to good tunes,) or I'm really gonna be mad.

Well, I did some emotional sea-sawing on my way down the coast, but for the most part I just stayed with what was really happening in the moment and it was a great trip.

That brings me to a segway into some journalling I was doing yesterday. I want to share it:

Polarities. Are they essential for experiencing the full spectrum of life?

What is the “full spectrum” of life? To a Buddhist monk that might be the experience of night and day while totally being centered in 
equanimity.

For another the full spectrum might be waking up in a self created living hell, a hostile world where evil always prevails, then discovering bliss on a high mountain road, or in the beauty of a flower or a forgotten love song, or....?
I have heard it said that in order to reach the peaks of heaven we have to delve into the depths of hell. (And there is truth in this.) However I have also learned that true Bliss (Peace of Mind) is always available regardless of where we are on the “Heaven/Hell” spectrum.
To sum it up: No matter what the circumstances (things on the circumference) if you can come to your center and be totally present with what is happening HERE and NOW You will find peace of mind is. Matters not if you are the monk meditating on the mountain top, or Samurai warrior in the middle of battle --- peace is there.

(Pretty much summing everything up I said in one sentence: "The only difference between a Master and a non-Master is that the Master embraces what is, totally. Echart Tolle)

I'm adding something new and exciting to this blog. Ken's photo puzzler. Yes I was listening to Car Talk today. Here's the way it works. At the end of each post there will be a picture with the question: Whatzit?? Like this photo: Your job is to figure out what it is before my next post, and in the mean time you will have to be on the edge of your seat waiting to find out if your right.