October Already!

Darn the wheel of the world! Why must it continually turn over? Where is the reverse gear?  - Jack London

London's words sound like how I feel when I realize it's already October 1 and the year 2012 is speeding by. How can it possibly be only three months until the end of the year?

His references to wheel and gear also remind me of how quickly technology advances and how slow I feel I am to keep up with it. 

All of this has me starting to get a little panicky, but then I see this poem by Cindy Cheney:

IME

Like a petal in the wind

Flows softly by




As old lives are taken

New ones begin




A continual chain

Which lasts throughout eternity

Every life but a minute in time

But each of equal importance 

(photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanate)

Remembering Laurence

I went to a beautiful morning get-together on the grounds of Pittock Mansion to honor our beloved friend Laurence on the second anniversary of his passing.  

We sat in the sunshine and talked about our memories of his life, both personal and professional.  Just before we left, we shared a prayer and the reading of one of Laurence's favorites:

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

(Psalm 103:1-5)

Are You Registered?

Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.  - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Here in Oregon, the deadline for registering to vote in the November 6 general election is October 16.

Now is the time to do it:

• if you are 17 or older and are not registered
• if you've changed your address
• if you want to change political parties

For information about voter registration, go to www.oregonvotes.org.

September Days

"By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,

With summer's best of weather
And autumn's best of cheer."

                         

-Helen Hunt Jackson

(photo from http://juhatik.blogspot.com)

    

Happy Endings

Now that our mother has been diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, Hospice has entered our lives. Mom will continue to live "at home," which happens to be a wonderful Alzheimer's facility called Lydia's House in Mennonite Village, just south of Albany, Oregon. The staff there will now be working with Hospice representatives "to improve the quality of [Mom's] last days by offering comfort and dignity." (see www.hospicefoundation.org)

Hospice is not a place but a concept of care.  Special emphasis is placed on controlling pain and discomfort.  The emotional, social and spiritual impact of the disease on the patient and the patient's family and friend is also addressed.

I've heard this program unofficially described as a "happy ending."  We are comforted in joining with Lydia's House and Hospice in providing for our Mom's happy ending whenever it may come.

Being Right Versus Being True

"Being Right is driven primarily by facts, and not by Truth. Being Right is having accurate descriptions of "what happened." Being Right is about having the facts in your favor; it's about getting the upper hand in an argument; it's about winners and losers — for when YOU are right then others are wrong. And where does Being Right put YOU in relation to others: an enemy, adversary, competitor, opponent, or rival?"

"Being Right is not the best way to "win friends and influence people." Being Right is the booby prize! The real prize is in Being True. Being True means having integrity of character. Being True is the holistic unity and expression of existence: heart, might, mind, strength, and soul."    (from Matt Moody at http://www.calldrmatt.com/Facts&Truth.htm)

I can read the statement above and agree with it, but it sometimes seems hard to live out in everyday life.  As I grew up, I was so often rewarded for being right.  Decades later, being right is not as rewarding, but I'm still figuring out how to be true.  

The Game Is Afoot

I am intrigued by the contemporary Sherlock Holmes series on PBS, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. The traditional stories, now accessorized with cell phones and nicotine patches, are updated to appeal to new audiences.  (photo above from BBC/Hartswood Films for Masterpiece)

Now, USA Today says, "When CBS rolls out its prime-time Sherlock iteration this fall, Elementary, Holmes will be living in 21st-century Manhattan unraveling mysteries on a new continent, even as BBC's Sherlock, a co-production with PBS' Masterpiece (where it airs in the USA), prepares to film its third season back in the U.K." (from www.usatoday.com)

Perhaps the actual game that's afoot is to see who gives this century's winning performance of the legendary detective. (And, don't forget Robert Downey, Jr.)   Elementary premieres Thursday, September 27, at 10:00 p.m. on CBS. It stars Jonny Lee Miller (as Holmes) and Lucy Liu (as Joan Watson).  (photo at left from www.starpulse.com by CBS Broadcasting)