Sea change

I know the news shouldn’t have affected me 

but it did;

changed my perceptions,

changed how I view them,

changed how I feel about them.

I know that change is inevitable;

it means people aren’t static.

 They continue to grow,

to seek

to become;

not to mention the whole 

“it’s their life and not mine” thing 

but…

The recent discovery that two artists I’ve enjoyed 

ended marriages to begin new relationships

bothered me.

 

 Author Elizabeth Gilbert

(she of Eat, Pray, Love and Committed fame)

and writer/artist Brian Andreas

(creator of Storypeople) -

 I swear it’s not because I believe in a “happily ever after” scenario.

Who gets THAT?

Besides, there’s every indication that they ARE happy now,

so maybe THIS is the happily ever after they were searching for all along.

But here's the thing -

I miss commitment.

I miss examples that people can make relationships work –

in good times and bad -

changing together through difficult times

and emerging stronger,

both together and individually.

The pain, confusion, doubts and struggle 

are their own private battlegrounds.

They owe their ‘public’ nothing.

No explanations are needed.

But my opinions of them are diminished nonetheless; 

right or wrong, 

they just are.

I wish them well.
I'll probably still enjoy their art,
but I'm mourning the loss of my image of them.

Not saying it makes sense,

just sayin'.

Spirals

 

Everything

turns,

rotates,

spins,

circles,

loops,

pulsates,

resonates,

and

repeats.

Circles

of life,

born from

pulses

of light,

vibrate

to

breathe,

while

spiraling

outwards

for

infinity

through

the lens

of time,

and into

a sea

of stars.

 Suzy Kassem

 

All the unfolding

and becoming;

Each one different.

It's OK to be obsessed, right?

Still waiting for Jackson&Perkins to call me for my dream job 

as a rose photographer!

Capitol

The clinic which I direct received its initial funding (for 2 years) from a Foundation.

In a few months, we're coming to the end of our grant.

I suppose the Foundation thought they might need to educate us 

about how to get replacement money before kicking us off the dole.

So they set up a 2 day workshop in our capitol 

and arranged for all their grant recipients

 to meet with a private consulting group, 

aka lobbyists.

I'll admit that as I drove deeper into the heart of Missouri,

past more campaign signs for He Who Must Not Be Named than I've seen before,

I wasn't optimistic about it being a good experience.

I was delighted to be proven wrong.

I'm embarrassed to admit that as often as I travel into rural areas of our state 

for poking around and antiquing 

and as much as I consider myself to be an informed citizen,

I have never been to Jefferson City before.

I'll just stand here quietly while you cast aspersions.

Our accommodations couldn't have been more comfortable;

 

 the town itself was very conducive to pedestrians,

is situated on the bluffs of the Missouri River

and is really lovely.

 Frankly, I think we went a little overboard in the house we gave the Governor.

 

I could be quite content in one of the condos directly across from him

or in his neighbors house behind the garden.

The buildings are meant to impress

(probably rubes like me)

and they do!

 

 

 

 I'd be assigned to the 'peanut  gallery'
which would be fine by me!

 

 

 

  

I found myself wondering how often any of the legislators

bother to look up here - 

let alone take in its message.

Nothing is politically right that is morally wrong.

 Let those that have ears hear!

I also was amused by this sculpture

depicting God only knows what ...

 do you remember 'back in the day' 

when your contempt for a colleague

could be expressed with nothing more 

than a sneer and look of disdain?

Ah, those were the days!

Definitely worth the visit;

and, in case you're wondering, 

yes, I even learned some things about lobbying

and approaching people with power for money;

not that I'll ever have to,

we have a whole department at the hospital to do that.

Trust me when I say,

the last thing they want is for me to be calling our state reps on my own.

At my age and with my experience,

my filters are pretty much shot to hell.

It was a fun two days though!

Rosebud Rodeo and Fair 2016

It would be unfair to overlook other elements of the celebration on Rosebud

just because they play a smaller part in our time while we're there.

Don't get me wrong.

I'm not a member of PETA 

and I appreciate the skill and stamina involved in a rodeo;

but, when you sit there and root for the animals,

maybe you don't belong in the stands.

 

 While some animals are running their assess off
and getting jerked around in the ring
this one was observing it all from the lap of luxury.
The contrast made me smile -
one of the few things that did.

So we quickly went back to the dancing where we belonged.

And this one,

sneaking a small smile at his auntie ...

won first place in his age category -
Grass Dancing!

SOO proud of him!