Hi John…

We woke to white outside.  Not much at this low elevation yet it was snowy throughout the day.

I am beat.  I have been burning the candle on both ends and it is catching up with me.  The day was busy starting with taking Satori to get a clip and me to Carole’s for my hair.  We both were getting our hair done at the same time.  Her dog Zara is recovering from a broken toe.  She has a splint.  We exchanged dog stories. 

More importantly we talked about her brother-in-law who is captured right now by Somalian pirates.  He is a merchant marine captain of the ship that was just taken over by pirates.  The crew is now safe and he is still being held captive.  I can’t imagine the worry the family is in right now as they wait for news.  They must feel powerless.  Michael is on another ship and is well.  He too must be beside himself waiting for news.  Time will tell.  I wish them well and send my love. 

Hard to write anything beyond that.  Hard to talk about my day which seems insignificant to those waiting.  I will take Carole’s bright attitude and move forward as we wait for news.

I brought Chai for a car ride to get Satori.  Satori looks so cute.  Oh…maybe I’ll grab a picture tomorrow.  Randy at the Grateful Dog is going through some major changes…both personally and professionally.  She is a real sweetie.  I brought her a few daffodils and a SamStone to brighten her day.  I hope to get Chai in after her stitches come out.

I had my last Kids Yoga at RES for the Spring.  These kids are wonderful.  I love watching how much these kids love their Moms & Dads.  When they tell stories…even the simpliest details you can just tell how much they love their families.  They just bubble with smiles and adoration.

Tonight was my Teen yoga at a new time and day.  We had enough for a class.  All were tired so it was a Yin-talking class.  Good to hear their stories. 

We made a yummy rigatoni spaghetti dinner with Kristin.  I had been on the phone throughout the day.  Yes, I am off to bed.  Too much swimming in my head right now.

Good night love.   Hope you are warmer than we are here.  love…d
 

Hey John…

I guess I don’t always think that there are others reading my letters to you.  Some times I just yack as if I am talking to you.  Well I got a few “hellos” from readers checking in with me today to see if I was okay.  I am okay.  Actually I am very okay and I appreciate the love and care in seeking me out.  I love you guys.

So, I did a little rant last night.  There are times in my life that I just don’t understand people.  I reach a point that I am just stunned at what a human can do to another human.  It is not that I am in despair over how we act.  I have more hope and faith than the word despair.  No, I am just stunned.  Stunned that a person can decide to kill himself and take out 15 other people along the way.  I am stunned that we are capable of blowing up a car and killing those around us…not only once but 6 times in 72 hours.  I am stunned that a person can get up and go to work one day as a receptionist and have a man come in and shoot her and all her co-workers.  I am stunned that a father can kill himself and his children just so his ex-wife doesn’t get them.  These are desperate people.  Why not just kill themselves.  How did this get so big that one feels they must bring others along with them in death?

There are times I ignore this…times I feel compassion…times I look for a reason…times I wonder about what needs to play out here…what is the bigger picture?  But the last few days I have felt astonished that I share this planet with individuals who choose to kill innocent people as they kill themselves.  Don’t they even get it that there is no “get out of jail free” card.  These issues will still exist on the other side.  We are here to learn and leaving school early doesn’t get rid of the lesson. 

The media doesn’t even know what to say.  We all just tell the story and shake our heads because these events are so far off the moral richter scale.  We don’t even teach these things to our kids.  We tell them to stay away from drugs, use a designated driver when drinking and “don’t shake the baby”.  Do we now need curriculum that covers if you feel like suicide please do it by yourself?  Harsh sounding isn’t that?  Even writing those words are hard.  Suicide is a scary topic.  We dance around that subject.  Death is scary to people yet not talking about it will not make it go away.  I do believe we have the right to end our own lives.  I sure hope someone chooses differently because again…they still need to attend to the issues either here or at another time.  For some reason we still can’t manage that “thou shall not kill” simple rule.  Maybe since our society does not respect that simple rule it trickles down to the single individual. 

Maybe my empathy button is on overdrive right now.  My heart just aches for the terror and dispair felt by others in those last few moments on this earth.  I would like mother earth to just say “okay cut it out…enough already”.  Maybe we have to say it.

My day began to balance me with cleaning.  Much thinking happens while cleaning.  It’s a nice meditation.  I then did 5 hours of errands.  I don’t make a “good girl” because shopping is my least favorite activity. 

It began going to the dentist to pick up our new electric toothbrush.  On the way I heard the good news about our legislature overriding the govenor’s veto of same-sex marriage.  I was so happy I felt like dancing in the car.  I got to the office and it was quiet in there.  I approached the 3 receptionists and said “You probably don’t talk politics in the office however did you hear?”.  One said “oh we do talk plotics and much more”.  One out of the three had just heard and we checked our responses and saw we were all happy.  We did the “yes to equality” dance. 

Now I am more aware that there are readers of this blog who may not share my same opinion.  I hope over time you may see the equality of this event.  If not, know we can still exist side by side.  I love seeing that more and more we are becoming more equal.  To allow two people the right to marry whether they have a different skin color…religion..or are the same sex.  This is only good.  Hopefully Obama will pick up the wave and work this at a federal level.  My children’s children may one day write a paper in school about how odd that a law was required to create a marrage for 2 people just as Gabe is surprised that there were separate water fountians for blacks and whites.  This is only good.

Gabe & I finished the evening with lacrosse in the snow…yes falling snow in Jericho.  Satori and I ran.  And tonight Gabe & I watched “Yes Man” with Jim Carrey.  Just say “yes”.

Well, I am off to a bath and then bed.  Sleep well John.  love…d

I think I will end with Brit F.’s myspace quote.  I believe in the world when a 17 year old feels compelled to quote this…
  
“Until the philosophy that holds one race superior, and another, inferior, is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned, everywhere is war.”

So much to tell about…so late to do it.  Oh well.  First the sad news.  Well, there is quite a bit of sad news out in the world right now.  I envy you being kept from that.  I remember going to my yoga teacher training and talking a month long break from the world news.  It was nice.

Sad news from the North Korean missile launch…people needlessly killed in Binghamton and Pittsburgh…volcanoes erupting and the ground quaking in Italy.  I think the best comment about the newspaper was that it was a list of prayers.  It feels like that right now.

Sad…but not tragic…Chai is recovering from her third abdominal surgury to remove stones.  She went in Friday and is recovering well.  I am sad that her life will now change.  I am sad that she feels like crap.  She will be required to wear a muzzle outside unless she is on a leash.  There is no alternative.  We cannot let her go through another surgery.  So in my saddness of her loss of freedom I will know she will be safe.  I just always imagined dogs could run free and just be happy.  This is just unbeleivable that it could happen again.  Enough though.  We will keep her safe from herself and that will make us happy.  She can look forward to romping in thick snow next winter without her muzzle.

I cannot even venture into the details of my last Friday.  I am happy for the support of friends to get through that day.  I did spend the weekend in Montreal with friends on another adventure.  That will be discussed later.  I had great fun with Jill, Marcia and Page.  Home was taken care by great friends.

To end on an upbeat note I have some pictures Jen took of Gabe pond skimming.  He and Nate went last and it was cold.  Notice what the spectators were wearing.  Too bad Trevor could not make it.  It looked like a blast.  

The theme was “Woodstock and the 60’s”

Yes Max…this is the wheel chair you left in the garage….it now is spray painted and has Trevor’s old skiis on it.

Gabe…this is where you got those big bruises on the outside of your legs.

It rises up again and goes the rest of the way switch (backwards).

That looks way too cold for me.  They won a pair of socks.  I hear plans on making the wheelchair more adaptable for next year…maybe with snowboards instead of skiis.

Good night my love.  I will fill in the gaps of these days for you later.  For now, I am going to bed.  Much love….diane

John…..

Today was a gorgeous day. It was sunny and around 60 degrees.  I spent most of the day cleaning up some gardens.  Many bulbs are starting to push up.  It was a good day outside.

I started with my morning yoga class.  Then a walk with Jane and dogs.  From there just outside stuff.  I talked with Jeff and Rose.  They were cleaning out Roses’s car.  I talked with Lee-Ann.  All is very good with her.  She sounds happy. 

Kristin, Gabe & I put up the trampoline today.  Good thing Barry was here for his daytime sleep between jobs.  He helped with the crucial corners.  I talked with Brit.  It was good to hear her voice back in Vermont.  Marcia stopped by for a visit.  I’m glad we had a chance to catch up.  Today was a day to talk with good friends I guess.

Well I am tired and off to bed.  Sleep well.  love….d