11.27.11
Posted in Just Me at 6:02 PM by Ann Hornbeck
My, my, my – another Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I must say I am definitely STUFFED!
We had Aunt Dorothy’s famous crab dip, Grandma Betty’s famous milk chocolate pies, pecan, pumpkin and raspberry pies from the local pie lady, assortments of breads, rolls and crackers to eat with a large variety of cheeses and dips. And what about the main meal? An “organic” and free-range turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, parsnips, and cranberry sauce – what have I forgotten? Oh yes – the wine, the beer, apple cider and don’t forget the martinis! I definitely have the “Fat Boy Blues!” (Greg Brown).
On Friday, I cooked the carcass that yielded enough broth for two different types of soup – all of which are either already eaten or on their way to the freezer as no one in this family dares look at any more leftovers for a long time. Except for the pies – we will definitely buy them from the same source next year!
Thank goodness I went for a two hour hike today with my friend Diane. I needed it, Diane needed it, and we’re glad we did it – even if we did go stuff our faces with guacamole, chips and salsa, and a beer afterwards!
According to PETA.org, “More than 45 million turkeys are killed to disgrace Thanksgiving tables each year. When not forced to live on filthy, factory farms, turkeys spend their days caring for their young, building nests, foraging for food, taking dust baths, preening themselves, and roosting high in trees.” And, “regarded by many as little more than a holiday centerpiece, turkeys are as varied in personality as dogs and cats. They relish having their feathers stroked and like to chirp, cluck, and gobble along to their favorite tunes.” This is one of the many reasons we chose the turkey that was consumed during our feast. I, the vegetarian, even tried some knowing that it was raised responsibly and free to be a turkey. I doubt I will eat any again, but I do bless the moments we had gathered around the table together.
Did you know that on October 31, 2011, the world’s population hit 7 billion people? Our planet is definitely STUFFED! No one knows who that 7th billion person is, or what country they are from, or anything else, but what we do know is “our current food system is incapable of addressing the needs of so many, and it’s up to us to make a change in the way we eat.”
Here are some more interesting facts from the PETA website:
- As the world’s population continues to multiply, it is now more important than ever to examine the impact that our food choices have on others.
- How can we possibly feed 7 billion people? A renewed sense of responsibility and altruism is a good start.
- Animals raised for food currently take up 30% of the Earth’s entire land surface.
- Livestock grazing leads to soil erosion and eventual desertification, and renders once fertile land barren.
- 16 lbs. of grain fed to a cow, will provide just 1/3 of daily caloric needs of one person OR be fed directly to humans and meet the caloric needs of up to 10 people for a day.
- 60% of the world’s grains are fed to farmed animals. Meanwhile, 925 million people do not have enough to eat.
- Water needed to produce 1 lb. of meat = 2,400 gallons. Water needed to make 1 lb. of wheat = 155 gallons.
- Water used in meat and soy production in 2009: 5 trillion gallons of soy and 235 trillion gallons of meat.
- Approximately 884 million people lack access to clean water. That’s more than the populations of the USA, Canada and the European Union combined.
I am so proud of the choices my family continues to make to become better stewards for this beautiful earth. We’re not there yet, but we’re getting closer – small changes reap large rewards! Altruism must exist in our hearts if we really mean to care for this planet and all of us who live on it.
When the world’s resources are slim, when water is scarce, when many choose violence, and some hoard and plunder, I truly believe that our hearts will be ready. And, when our hearts are ready, we walk without fear and we walk together. Growing up in West Virginia provided many opportunities to witness how simple it is to reach out and help someone. Small towns are like that. But, no matter the place, I always witness the same behaviors. A dollar here, a ride there, a bowl of soup, some warm clothes and new shoes, a place to rest – whatever it takes, we all know what to do.
Peace out!
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11.20.11
Posted in Just Me at 7:27 PM by Ann Hornbeck
Three more days before the Solano Turkey Trot event on Thanksgiving morning! We prepared all year and I don’t think we have forgotten anything. Best Race Director on the planet – check! The perfect venue for the race – check! A great start/finish line and timing – check! Food and water waiting at the finish line – check! Music – check! County Supervisors and Mayors from most of the seven cities – check! No rain – oops, there is a 70% chance of rain, but who cares – check! Road closures during the race – check! Cones and signs telling people where to go, where not to go, alternate routes and cones blocking entrances to restricted areas – check! Water stations on the route – check! Porta-potties on the route and at the venue – check! Garbage and recycling cans – check! Ambulances and policemen ready for any emergency – check! The best country road in Solano County surrounded by pastures, horses, vineyards and wineries – check! A course that has been measured, measured again, and measured again – check! The highest number of registrations since the race began – check! The best darn Turkey Trot race ever – check! And yes, this year, there will be lots of runners who may find themselves splat! on the ground. But, it will be so much better than sitting at home, and definitely, better than pepper spray!
I have always heard “we the people” of the United States of America are “allowed” to gather in peaceful protest, but many times, we have witnessed a law that does not always follow its own rules. Remember Julia “Butterfly” Hill? She is the young woman who lived in a “180-foot tall, 1500-year-California Redwood tree for 738 days between December 10, 1997 and December 18, 1999.” According to Wikipedia, when Julia was a young girl, her family was camping and a butterfly landed on her hand and stayed there for the duration of their trip. She named the butterfly, Luna, thus her decision to also name the ancient redwood tree “Luna.” During this time, there were many, many demonstrations occurring in Humboldt County. At one demonstration, the police used pepper spray on a group of young people. Eventually, the verdict was “Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputies and Eureka Police Officers used unconstitutional and excessive force when they applied pepper spray with Q-tips directly to the eyes of the eight nonviolent forest defense protesters in three incidents in 1997. Three of the activists were also sprayed directly in the eyes from inches away. Two of the young women were juveniles, aged 16 and 17.” The rewards that went to the demonstrators were $1.00 per person. The reason – because throughout the trial that ended in 2005, all they wanted and argued for was justice.
Oh Lady Justice – where art thou, now?
This past Friday, a similar event occurred in Davis, California. A small group of people sat with arms locked together in a non-violent and peaceful demonstration against the rising costs that continue to wreak havoc on students trying to enter the California UC system. This was a planned protest and many campuses were doing the same – holding peaceful protests in the main areas of the campus. The video shows two policeman literally showering the students with pepper spray up and down the line, numerous times, with no remorse, even as spectators cried and shouted to the police to stop, stop, STOP!
If any of you have ever been to Davis, you understand that things like this just don’t happen there. It is a nice town where people are aware and care about the planet, working hard and playing little so they can move on to become scientists, researchers, doctors, physicists, astronauts, biologists, chemists, veterinarians and teachers. The whole city includes bike trails and restaurants and the farmer’s market is open all year long with music on the lawn and people milling around the park. The vendors love it, the students love it, and we who are just a hop, skip and a jump away, love going there. These kids aren’t stupid and they are not trying to create a scene, they were trying to be heard. But, the campus police lost control, and now the joke is on the Chancellor who first supported the actions and then curbed her enthusiasm stating that the campus police showed poor judgment. Yep, you got that part right. SPLAT! Walking up and down and up and down the line, SPLAT! One person after the other, SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT!
So, what’s next? A long and drawn out legal affair that five or ten years later will, hopefully, bring some justice. For those who remember the Chicago 7 trial, the Kent State murders, and those like Pete Seeger, Cesar Chavez, Joan Baez, Butterfly Hill, Mahatma Ghandi, Mother Teresa, and many of us, always walk with peace in your hearts and never, ever give up.
Peace out!
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11.13.11
Posted in Just Me at 9:32 AM by Ann Hornbeck
A present at my awakening today – a recording of Greg Brown’s gig at the Treehouse Cafe in Bainbridge Island, WA sent to me by an original follower of Greg from his early years to present. Thanks, Glenn!!! I am in the process of downloading the files as I drink my first cup of coffee on a morning that shares some sun and clouds, a typical Left Coast November day in Northern California. Ok, so one disc imported to iTunes. Now, let’s see if I can listen to the CD as the house is full of little ones eating cereal and taking advantage of time with Papa who is spending time with the children while Mommy sleeps in a little bit.
What a treat last night! Many of you should remember Daniel Ellsberg who released the Pentagon Papers in 1971, and at this date, has been incarcerated over 80 times as he and his wife continue to push for truth and justice. (Ok-now, I’m really on the list! “Paranoia will destroy ya’.”) Well, his wife, Patricia, and one of her sisters, Barbara Marx Hubbard, came to our little church to speak to a small crowd of people about the current social media explosion as it relates to the Occupy Wall Street and ongoing changes across the world. What a wonderful engagement!
The two sisters have continued to promote peace, truth and justice. Patricia and her husband Daniel were inspired by Gandhi’s concept of the Truth-Force. Today, she continues to lead guided meditations, many posted on her website, and to address peace, women’s and environmental issues. Here is her website: http://patriciaellsberg.net.
Now to Barbara. Her website (http://evolve.org) is full of so much information, it will take me a year to get through it, but I’m going to start! I think my friend Jo will love this site! Barbara is a marvelous speaker and an aware and highly conscious person, and one who truly believes we are at an emergence, where consciousness is expanding and the world shifting.
So, the Greg Brown CD is awesome. Thanks again, Glenn!
Today is here…what to do? A hike? A drive to the coast?
Who knows what the future will bring. But, we must keep moving, trying, hoping and believing!
Tender Hearted Child
- Greg Brown
You make me laugh out loud
I see you come a runnin’
I can pick you out of any crowd
Doing things your own way
Always your own way
So full of emotion
You never want to call it a day
Tender hearted child
I’ll always be your Dad
Even when you leave home
Call me if your sad
This world that we have made
Oh it’s wicked and it’s wild
May your love never fail you
Tender hearted child
Oh I wish that we could leave you
A world that knows no war
Where all of god’s children
Will never suffer anymore
May you not give into bitterness
May your heart stay undefiled
And may your love never fail you
Tender hearted child
Well, I love to watch you sleep
I’d love to watch you grow
I’d love to learn some of what you know
May you learn to stay calm
Even when you’re feeling riled
And may your love never fail you
Tender hearted child
May your love never fail you
Tender hearted child
Peace out!
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11.08.11
Posted in Just Me at 9:29 PM by Ann Hornbeck
I am listening to Emerson, Lake and Palmer singing Lucky Man. Oh my – how nice to hear the synthesizers from that recording! And, where are they now? Not the guys, but those sounds?!? Man, they had some fun! I rarely, if ever, notice synthesizers any more – but the basic premise of that song breaks my heart. It is indeed a song that spans generations – too many short lives for too many who go to war and never return.
I hear Kona the Cat snoring from her bed. I can’t imagine life without her, but she is getting up there in age. She spends 23 hours of the day sleeping, 1 minute of receiving a dose of insulin morning and night, and no interest in going outside as she doesn’t want to contend with two hens and besides, why go outside? She has everything she needs here! Life is full of beginnings and endings, and everything in-between.
Pets are such great friends. As a child, I never had a cat. Come to think of it, no one I knew had a cat except for my aunt who had a very beautiful one when I was in college. I suppose, living in the Appalachians, cats were basically considered good at catching mice and other small vermin! But, I sure do love my Kona. I love climbing into my big bed at night and lifting her up and onto the bed. She cuddles up next to me, waiting for me to start rubbing behind her ears and along her cheeks until she starts purring and eventually, stretches and curls up for the night. I will miss her when she goes.
My favorite pet as a child was a small, blonde spaniel that came to me when I was in third grade. Chi-Chi was her name. That dog was a true companion and so amazing. She taught me how to love, how to heal, where to go, where not to go, how to run, how to walk, how to play, how to rest, how to jump, how to fall, how to find my way, and how to enjoy just being. It seemed like every summer, she had a litter of pups. I can see them now, all cuddled up and being pulled from underneath our 92 year-old neighbor woman’s rickety garage that was built in the 1930′s or so. Every year, my brothers would have to wriggle their way under that garage, pulling each puppy gently to daylight, assuring no “child” was left behind. Oh how I loved holding those puppies, smelling their puppy breath, and watching their little tails wagging, wagging, wagging as they shifted and crawled their way to their mother’s teats – breakfast, lunch and dinner on the patio – no remorse! Every morning, I would run to their box for feeding time. Eventually, all of the pups would find new homes, but I always had Chi-Chi. Until, I didn’t. She was the perfect companion. She climbed trees with me, sat patiently beside me as I waited to cross the street, followed me wherever I went, and left when she got too bored. She was my best friend. She taught me survival and how to be free. Even now, I miss her just thinking of her. Love is a wonderful thing.
Why is it that the older we get, the more we look backwards? It reminds me of a Doors album that shows the circle of life where you see a little boy who is born and then ages over time and eventually dies, only to once again leave the womb to begin another journey. On and on it goes. Until we get it right.
I sure am glad that the asteroid missed our beautiful Earth today. Whew! But, man, I hope someone got some good photos of the event! How exciting!
Peace out, my friends.
Time keeps slip, slip, slipping away…go make some noise!
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11.05.11
Posted in Just Me at 9:08 PM by Ann Hornbeck
My 5k Run/Walk this morning was just what the doctor ordered – no pain, and much success. I will remain with this group until the class ends. Next? Maybe I will try the 1/2 marathon, only because it will be cold, something I think I could embrace over 100 degrees anytime. But, 13 miles?
Finally, the rain falls. The clouds were dark and heavy with moisture, yet, as the drops fell to earth, we sat oblivious to the cold and wet as the fire kept us warm and comforted. I think many of us welcome an ending to this year that has brought little relief to so many. The news feeds have done exactly what they were meant to do. I feel stagnant, dull and uncaring about anything related to our so-called leaders, especially, and in general, most of what I read. My mind has sad “ENOUGH!” Confuse us! Alarm us! Overload us! Keep our cups full.
As we age, we naturally create barriers to overload, replacing stress with calm, humor, friends, exercise, balance and unbounded joy. Our bodies respond to our genetic make-up, yet also to our choices, such as good nutrition, exercise and a healthy outlook on life. Our bodies change, we change. Everyone talks about bucket lists, and everyone seems to have one. Mine would be to hike the Appalachian Trail – all the way, walk the Great Wall of China, spend a year living and working at a Buddhist temple, write that book that I keep talking about, and travel to parks and places that I would like to see in the U.S., Alaska, and Canada, and of course, visit with families and friends in various places, and keep running or swimming until I can’t.
I hope to build an 800 sq. ft. bungalow that will sustain me for the rest of my life. Becky and I have the same goal, one that we discussed as we traversed Dolly Sods this past fall. A bed, a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a small living room.- oh, and a hot tub! Because my bungalow won’t be in West Virginia, then it will be close to my daughters so I can help with their everyday struggles, but not be underfoot or always sharing my opinions that no one wants to hear! Ha!
Chop wood, carry water. Breathe in, breathe out.
Chop wood, carry water. Breathe in, breathe out.
Sounds good to me!
And how blessed I am to have choices.
Everywhere across this great land, someone wishes for a warm bed, a chance, a bite to eat, someone to trust, and something to believe in. But everywhere they look, everything is full. The inn is full, the shelters are full, the dumps are full, the jobs are full, the world is full, our buckets are full.
Thank God our hearts are never too full.
Peace out!
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Cold & Dark & Wet
I fell in love like a drunk in a pond.
That twisted gal of whom I was fond,
She found a new man on the internet.
Wham I’m spam and it’s cold and dark and wet.
Tell me what is a fella supposed to do
When a car costs what a house used to
And a house is a pile of chipboard, paint, and debt.
I’m at the city limits and it’s cold and dark and wet .
Big rig rolling over me in a blizzard -
I’m living on beans and chicken gizzards.
One day I was young, the next day I was old.
Late November, it’s wet and dark and cold.
Jobs, I guess they’re like wild geese -
They all went flying overseas.
I’m standing in the rain smoking my last cigarette.
Morning in America is cold and dark and wet.
Christmas lights are going up,
I could use a little joy juice in my cup.
Life is not a walk across the park,
Not when it’s wet and cold and dark.
- Greg Brown
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