Coming of Age in the Aquarian

Christmas is coming

Journal Entry Date: 31 Oct 2004

Thought for the Day:
"Awareness is lost on those who are not on a spiritual path. For those who are spiritual seekers, it is the greatest gift." Awareness, verse 26 (Crosweller, Buddhist Wisdom Daily Reflections, p.316)

Brought to eye/mind today:
Saw a picture somewhere of a Christmas wreath with all the needles aligned around the circle, so that they seemed to flow. Mentally, could see a spiral galaxy in the center of the wreath. Will work this up for this year's Christmas greeting.

Thank you, Lord, for an enjoyable day.

Journal:

• A busy day: balanced my checkbook; cleaned bathroom, made a cake and decorated it, and installed new track lights


• Snow today. MLF sez we need studded tires--he's right.


• Celebrated MLF's birthday with cake and the meal he requested. When the day was over, he said, "This was a good birthday." Felt good about it.


• Felt bad about not doing any painting, but chose to do other things.


• Not many trick-or-treaters

Half-light all day

Journal Entry Date: 30 Oct 2004

Thought for the Day:
"Be gentle and patient. Gather together with other peaceful people and speak gently of spiritual subjects. This is a true blessing." --Mahamangala Sutta (Crosweller, Buddhist Wisdom Daily Reflections, p.315)

Brought to eye/mind today:
Saw my work-in-progress "Beyond Biology" in morning half-light and realized the top layer should be pale gray where it touches white areas.

Thank you, Lord, for an accident avoided.

Journal:

• Looked up while I was working at my computer and saw a long line of geese flying south.


• Took my old bed to dump. While loading it accidentally dragged it through a mud puddle and that felt right.


• Linda returned my call in the afternoon. It was late in the day and I still had chores to do, so we both agreed to bag going to the Halloween dance and aim for going to First Friday.


• On the road to the grocery store, a car in front of me drifted into my lane. I had to hit the brakes to avoid hitting it. I felt I should have honked (never think of it). On the other hand, if I had honked and startled the other driver, s/he may have reacted by stepping on the brake and then I would have hit the car for sure.


• Watched the movie "The Fighting Temptations". It had a lot of gospel music and the music was varied and well-arranged. Really enjoyed it.

Everything is illusion

Journal Entry Date: 29 Oct 2004

Thought for the Day:
"Everything is illusion. Learn this and you will be free from suffering." The Right Way, verse 279 (Crosweller, Buddhist Wisdom Daily Reflections, p.314)

Brought to eye/mind today:
In hallway, on the way to the lunchroom, encountered a man in fireman's gear. A moment of confusion, then I asked "Are we on fire?" He chuckled, "No, Halloween costume."

Thank you, for an exhilarating exercise session.

Journal:

• Able to sleep on stomach again; right hip feels better, less fragile.


• Received an answer from TIME reprints. They want money.


• Son MLF's birthday today.

Rose Wine, again

Journal Entry Date: 28 Oct 2004

Thought for the Day:
"One well-chosen word or one well-chosen line of poetry, which brings the listener peace, is better than an thousand spoken in vain." --The Thousands, verse 100 (Crosweller, Buddhist Wisdom Daily Reflections, p.313)

Brought to eye/mind today:
Clinique's "Rose Wine" again. Forgot about it yesteday. The pattern evokes an idea for a painting technique.

Thank you, Lord, for plumbing fixed.

Journal:

• Plumber replaced split pipe (went with the $199.00 estimate). He cut a hole in the back of the cabinet under the kitchen sink to tie in with the vent pipe. I stapled canvas over the hole until the area dries out, then I'll close it up with board.


• Took off early from work to be here while the plumber was working and to get some questions clarified.


• All in all, I did six blog entries today. Blogging, like everything else, take time. I'm beginning to think I should cut back on some of my activities.

No more viperous springs

Journal Entry Date: 27 Oct 2004

Thought for the Day:
"Don't have preferences, don't become attached. If you have no likes and dislikes, no attachments, you will be free." Pleasure, verse 211 (Crosweller, Buddhist Wisdom Daily Reflections, p.312)

Brought to eye/mind today:
>>pattern in the case of a Clinique product named "Rose Wine"
>>Moving blocks of data in Excel. (Actually a shift in consciousness from doing it to watching it being done by me.)

Thank you, Lord, for a stable bed.

Journal:

• At work, learned that Fe, one of my favorite people, may be moving to Anchorage. And I was finally able to resume work on the battery PM procedure.


• Trying to order essential oils online ($10.00 for 1/3 ounce just doesn't cut it). The company I used to order them from just doesn't get ecommerce; so looking for another company. It takes a lot of searching and checking out.


• When I lay down on my new bed it doesn't tilt and sort of sway--kinda like jello--when I move. And I don't roll toward the middle while I'm sleeping. There are no viperous springs lurking just under the surface. Life is good.

No thanks today

Journal Entry Date: 26 Oct 2004

Thought for the Day:
[about a musician, but could be any artist, could be me]
"...in general he is too cautious and too willing to compromise his individual perspective to be considered a significant artist..." --Josh Tyrangiel, "The Clinton of Country," TIME magazine, 20 September 2004

Brought to eye/mind today:
Meditation--maybe blog should have these sections
>>To eye/mind
>>Today in retrospect
>>Where I am now, this moment

Thank you, ... [don't recall feeling thankful today]

Journal:

• Called Linda about going to Halloween Dance. She says she's feeling like a cold is coming on and promises to call back later this week.


• A co-worker has tasked me with setting up a safety page. I resent having an equal just walk in and give me an assignment. We're not on a team, she works in another part of the department. It's like--"I decided you should do this, so do it."


• Kit the cat loves tuna. She must have all the sounds associated with making tuna salad engraved in her brain. Before I even get the tuna can open, she's there. She meows a little to get my attention, then sits patiently, waiting.

Some days you just get too bogged down to go forward

Journal Entry Date: 25 Oct 2004

Thought for the Day:
"Live in accord with nature, and if you are happy there will be no wanting in your life. This will give you concentration." --Anguttara Nikaya (Crosweller, Buddhist Wisdom Daily Reflections, p.310)

Brought to eye/mind today:
Admired scarf made with shaggy yarn, so looked for the yard on the internet. It's called "eyelash."

Thank you, MLF, for help with Eudora.

Journal:

• While checking email, my email client Eudora went into fatal error. Tried everything I could think of--reinstalling the program, editing the Inbox file. Asked MLF to help. He deleted the Inbox (after making a backup); using another client, we cleaned out the inbox--all nogo. Searching the internet with "Eudora page fault," he found a suggestion that the files in the spool directory (file extension rtv or rcv or something beginning with "r") be deleted. These files open with Notepad. After checking each to be sure it didn't contain needed information, the files were deleted and Eudora worked again; the TOC had to be rebuilt.


• Kit the cat is sick and not eating. When she does eat, she throws it up. Giving her Amoxycillin.

Half-life

Journal Entry Date: 24 Oct 2004

Thought for the Day:
"As a plant sheds its withered flowers, so you must shed your desires and hatred. Be at peace in thought, word and deed, and let go of all attachment. This is the way of a truly holy person." --The Holy Person, verses 377 & 378 (Crosweller, Buddhist Wisdom Daily Reflections, p.309)

Brought to eye/mind today:
What make us lonely is consciousness of self (awareness of self apart and distinct from all else which it perceives). The more conscious we become, the more lonely.

To alleviate this loneliness, we reach for experiences in which we can "drown" ourselves. But this rarely works, because drowning eventually causes loss of consciousness. And one's own sense of self preservation cannot allow it.

So we step back and and reach for "acceptable," half-drowning experiences that are half-felt and leave us half-hungry; but in which we can maintain some control. And we live half-lives.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for a new bed.

Journal:

• Assembled futon frame and set up bed. Ahhhhhh.


• Read RC paper about respect.


• Made scallops amadine for dinner. Yummmm.