Friday rain had been predicted, but the skies over Salies remained sunny all day and the temperature climbed to 33ºC. It was a scorcher. I called Kiwi-san.
“Looks like the I-phone forecast was wrong. It hasn’t rained.” Continue reading
REPENT, THE END IS NEAR
If I think I am supposed to be doing anything but what I am doing now, I’m insane.
Byron Katie, A Thousand Names for Joy
Yesterday I watched a 2 hour documentary called What a way to go: life at the end of Empire. It was impressive and upon finishing it my thought was ‘I should be doing something, but what can I do?’ Continue reading
THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT
Lord, give me the Serenity to accept
That which I cannot change;
The Courage to change that which I can;
And the Wisdom to know the difference. Amen.
(A.A. prayer, Anonymous)
So on the 12th of August I climbed into Miss Pumpkin (my trusty 1007 Orange Peugeot) and took off for my retreat in the Swiss Alps feeling absolutely certain that Salomé was in the best care possible and that she would spend a marvelous ten days loved and entertained by my downstairs neighbor and her family. Continue reading
THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT
The humidity in Salies today is about 999%. It seems like one is breathing warm soup and there is no way to stop perspiring. Everything feels sticky, my face, arms, chest and down to the tip of my toes. Dry is an unknown state. Continue reading
THIRTEEN HOURS INTO SEVENTY
I was born August 1, 1942 so today, August 1, 2011 I have completed my 69th year on this planet. I was born at 8 a.m. by caesarian section so at this moment, 9p.m, I am thirteen hours into my seventieth year. That is exciting. Continue reading
VERDOLAGA
The first place it appeared was in a crack between the blocks of cement on the sidewalk outside the café. I jolted to a halt and stared. By golly, if it didn’t look like “verdolaga”!
Continue reading
THE OCEAN OUTSIDE MY WINDOW
When you think that only Mozart is beautiful, there’s no room in your life for rap.
(Byron Katie, 1000 Names for Joy)
I listen to the birds outside the window, the sound of the wind in the trees, the chimes by the door as the breeze moves them and am delighted. A large truck rumbles by, clacking, hammering its way down the pavement, an adolescent zooms through gunning his motorbike for all it’s worth, exhaust open at top volume and murderous thoughts fill my mind. Continue reading
SAINT JACQUE’S NUTS (Salies, 2009)
(Author’s Note: This text, written on the first day of my second stay in Salies, goes to show how one changes with time; two years later I am a Saliescien)
Day one in Salies and one cannot understand why one does not live in France: Continue reading
SALIES IS A GENTLE TOWN…
Salies is a gentle, peaceful town. It is generally quiet around here so it was no wonder that when the thermometer started hitting 30+ºC last Saturday, everything got quieter. There wasn’t a wisp of breeze; nothing seemed to be breathing. Continue reading
ABUNDANCE
A-Bun-Dance: Creating sufficiency by getting up off our assets (and) moving our buns…(Swami Beyondananda, Dictionary of American Politics)
All I have talked about up until now are flowers, as if the whole of life were nothing but an impressionist painting to be admired in ecstasy. 
Continue reading
Writing a life 