Moon struck

I just got back to land after three days out on the boat. It was restful and rejuvenating. I slept, read, walked on the beach and took photos. These are the activities of a person who is grateful for no emergency phone calls or drama. The most exciting thing that happened was a thunderstorm that I watched from afar.

We have scheduled Pop's memorial mass for the week after July 4th. I thought about him a lot on the boat. He was sick with complications of liver disease for almost two years. He bled from varices in the esophagus. He was in a coma several times from edema and ammonia building up in his brain. He had a damaged heart from an infarction years ago. A part of his aorta had been replaced due to an aneurism. Yet, he lived to be 92. Amazing really. 

And now Mr. Mandela is near death after a life of fighting for freedom and rights and the betterment of all. Old bodies wear out no matter how much will to live one has. I wish for a kind transition for the old warrior and statesman. Others will continue the fight for equality on all fronts. We still have a ways to go but progress continues to be made in the face of fear and bigotry.

I am tired now. It's very hot and humid back on land. Tonight more storms are forecast. And the moon that shone so brightly last week is now waning. It's blood pull no longer disrupting my sleep. I was moon struck for a while. Now I feel peaceful. Time for me to take a nap for an hour and then finish up with cleaning the boat. 

Photos from the week:

Easter Weekend and a study on alcohol use

We had a nice Easter weekend, going out on the boat and staying from Friday through Sunday.  Although it was windy,  the temperatures were up in the 60's (F) which made it comfortable for walking the beach.

I thought a lot about the meaning of Easter.  And here is my take on it: There was a very giving fellow many years ago. He may or may not be very special to you, but he continued to give as others took. I think of him as an incredible poet that wrote with his actions. And his actions were simply to give...as others took and humiliated him, made jokes of him, his words and actions...as others beat him and laughed at his pain, he steadfastly gave...simply gave all that he had to give. I look for that poet today....his body long gone, his poetry remains....Easter is a remembrance of this.

Sunsets are an awesome part of the day on the water

Our Labrador is relaxing after a row to shore and a beach walk

Getting to shore in the dinghy can be exciting when it's windy

Because I am supportive of graduate studies, having been a graduate student myself many years ago, I am posting here a request from CJ who is working towards his Ph.D. in clinical psychology.  Read what he has to say about his research and give him a hand by filling out his survey.  All results are anonymous and you will get to be a part of a study that will hopefully be published.  Good stuff.

__________________________________________


Dear Readers of I'm just F.I.N.E., 
My name is CJ and I am a graduate student working towards my Ph.D. in clinical psychology. I am currently working on my dissertation research, which focuses on a partner's role in a person's decision to seek help for alcohol use issues. I first became interested in researching alcohol use issues when I began working at a VA hospital in my hometown. The number of veterans who are returning with problematic alcohol use is increasing at an alarming rate. Working with this population led me to look into alcohol use issues more broadly, and I found that there is a major discrepancy between the number of people who struggle with alcohol on a regular basis and the number of people who seek any kind of help for it (ranging anywhere from participating in online forums to participating in more focused meetings or treatment). This has the potential to be a major issue given that alcohol use can be a risk factor for suicide, domestic violence, and other serious issues with family and employment.

I am passionate now about understanding and bridging this gap between the need in the community and the resources that are available. In my graduate work, I have focused on working with couples in a clinical setting and in my research, and so it was my natural inclination to try to understand this issue from a family perspective. Broadly, I am interested in knowing if and how a person's partner plays a major role in his/her decision to seek help for alcohol problems. Is it often a person's spouse who convinces him/her to speak to someone about alcohol problems, or are other factors more important? Does a spouse's own drinking behavior or help-seeking behavior play a role in a drinker's decision about his/her own behavior? Given the important role of the family in our overall mental and physical health, I expect that a person's partner plays a major role in many of his/her decisions, but I hope to understand this phenomena better, again to find ways to bridge the gap between those who may need to make a change and the services available to them.

To participate in my research project, please see the information below. The study is intended for both members of a married couple (you will be directed accordingly based on whether you are the partner who has expressed concern or you are the partner whom your spouse is concerned about), and is entirely anonymous. The study is completed entirely online, and should take each partner about 20 minutes. Please click on the link below to get started.

Thanks and best wishes!
CJ

Participate in a survey on couples and alcohol use and enter to win a raffle!

Are you and your spouse legally married (or in a civil union) and at least 18 years of age?
Do you or your partner currently consume alcoholic beverages at least once a month?
Is alcohol use an area of disagreement in your marriage?

If you answered yes to the above questions, you and your spouse are eligible to participate in a research survey regarding the relationship between your marriage and your alcohol-related help seeking behaviors. When you complete the survey, you will each be entered into a raffle for one of four $50 Amazon.com gift cards!

The survey will take each participant approximately 20 minutes, and survey responses will be anonymous.

Please start here:
https://surveys.clarku.edu/AlcoholUseSurveyStart.aspx
 
This study has been approved by the Clark Committee for the Rights of Human Participants in Research and Training Programs (IRB). Any questions about human rights issues should be directed to the IRB Chair, Dr. James P. Elliott, 508-793-7152, jelliott@clarku.edu. The study is being conducted by C.J. Fleming, M.A. and James Cordova, Ph.D. in the Psychology Department at Clark University. Please feel free to contact the researcher ( alcoholusesurveyemail@gmail.com ) or the research supervisor ( jcordova@clarku.edu ) with any questions or concerns.

A week away

We have been enjoying a week at a resort down South. We got here on Sunday and have been enjoying a different kind of beach--developed--and a fabulous fitness center. We've been in yoga, Pilates, and the hot tub which has done some amazing good on my lower back.

Early in the morning we get up and go for a morning walk. Then we go to the fitness center, and of course, there are naps and a few shopping expeditions for groceries.

One of the main reasons we came was to attend an AA/Al- Anon conference that starts here today. There will be speakers and workshops. I have been before and liked the conference. So we coupled this with a time to get away and not be too far from home if we are needed.

It's been a great time so far. And I suspect it is about to get better with seeing old friends and meeting new ones. More on this later.

Sunday being

The much hyped cold front kind of fizzled out here.  There were a few drops of rain last night but not enough to amount to much.  The humidity is the killer here today--89%.  Working on the boat yesterday was doable because of the breeze.  Otherwise, it would have been miserable at the marina.

Fall is my favorite time in the Lowcountry.  It just takes its sweet time getting here.  And the secret is that when it does arrive, the tourists have mostly left, there aren't long lines at restaurants,  the beaches are not crowded, and my favorite anchorages are all but deserted.  

My days have been messed up because of going on a mid-week cruise on the boat.  For some reason, it felt like Friday was Monday.  I even drove to meet a fellow I sponsor on Friday and was surprised that he didn't show up.  That's because we meet on Monday!  Today, I've finally gotten back to real time and know that it's Sunday.

Some neighbors at the marina got married yesterday on the beach of the island that I go to almost every week.  Last night, we were supposed to go to the reception on their boat.  These folks are heavy drinkers.  We started walking over to their boat and heard all the celebratory commotion.  My wife put her arm on mine and said, "Do you really want to go over there?"  I told her that I didn't but would go if she wanted to.  We both decided that we weren't in the mood for the party.  Instead, we walked back to the boat and sat on the dock enjoying the breeze.  It seemed a much better way to spend our time together.

We don't have any special plans today.  Maybe we will start packing up the dishes in the kitchen because everything has to be removed before the new cabinets go in.  Maybe we will drive to the beach or boat.  Maybe we will take a nap.  Maybe we will......The possibilities are endless.  It's Sunday and a good day to just be.

Rainy day news

Rain has been falling since last night.  Sometime this morning, we lost power which happens frequently in the country.  Limbs become sodden and fall on the lines.  Eventually, the power company comes out to fix the problem and that occurred around 6 AM this morning.  

The longest that we were without power was 23 days after Hurricane Hugo came through.  We got to know our neighbors really well during that time.  A generator was shared, food from defrosting freezers was eaten,  bon fires of downed limbs, and lots of team chain sawing were the activities of the day.  

I know only a few of the neighbors now.  Some of the ones that we worked with side by side are still around, but quite a few have sold their property and moved to the city or to retirement homes.   

There is a lot to take care of here.  Some of you commented about that on my last post.  People get tired of the work and simply want to have less to do.  I don't know when that time will come for us, but I hope that it is a long time off.  We don't spend many days lolling around doing nothing.  But on these rainy days,  when nothing has to be watered by me, the weather pulls us together inside to take a nap, holding each other close and later awakening to dusk coming on.  

We made dinner tonight--an insalata caprese made with basil from the garden, tomatoes from the island and fat free mozzarella.  And now, it's time to sit on the porch and listen to the rain.  I treasure this life with my sweetheart.  I treasure her so much that it's hard to put into words.  I think the feeling has been this way since I met her, even when we were laid low by alcoholism.  Some things are just meant to be.  

Snow dreams

It poured rain today.  Sheets of wet came down as the rain bands from a big storm moved up the coast.  I went back and forth to the boat, with all foul weather gear on and stayed dry.  The sailing team at the college was having a race today so there were kids from various schools competing.  They were having a great time since the rain didn't matter much to those in the boats.

What was just liquid here became frozen further north.  I checked the radar and saw that my home town in Virginia is snowed in.  I felt a bit home sick, thinking back to waking up on those mornings when the world outside was white and so quiet.  I had an impulse to get in the car and drive north to that whiteness.  Instead,  I enjoyed the fantasy of a fire inside a warm house, knocking the chill off after having been out for a walk around the fields of the old home place.  One of those memories that comes back like it was yesterday.

It has been a mild winter in these parts.  And now the daffodils and hyacinths are starting to bloom.  The spring peepers will start their chorus as soon as there are enough warm days in a row to beckon them to come out of hibernation.  Their sound also brings up memories, but ones of a different sort.

For now, I am content with these last few days of winter.  Soon enough, we will be into March when the force of spring comes in.  These gray days of winter aren't depressing to me because they are infrequent in this part of the South.  They provide an opportunity for a lazy day of reading and napping.  Just for a few hours though,  it would be nice to have the raindrops that are hitting the roof turn into soft flakes of snow.  I can dream.

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home. ~Edith Sitwell

Vegetative state

I have been amazingly worthless this week.  I am wondering about my lack of energy.  I'm not depressed but wanting to cocoon, stay home, read and take naps.  So I have done just that.  I have not been to the boat, have not done much of anything outside, and have only driven off the property a couple of times.

I think that all is a bit "off" because my wife is spending the nights with her parents. When she gets home in the morning, we have coffee, read the paper,  and catch up on how things were the night before.  I really don't want to go anywhere once she is home, and that feels okay.

I have a tendency to be solitary so cocooning at home isn't that unusual.  When I was working, the days between Christmas and New Year's Day were when I rested and did as little as possible.  I knew that once the Christmas holiday was over, there would be few long stretches of time when I would be able to vegetate.  In the last few years, my cocooning has been on the boat.  I much prefer being out on the water and away from the marina, and right now that isn't possible.

In a few days, I will be taking a road trip to Florida.  The thought of the long drive isn't appealing.  Maybe I am preparing subconsciously for the drive and being away by resting and staying at home.  I will be there for a few days and then head back home.  I'm trying to psych myself up for the trip.  I'm not being very successful at that for the moment.

I did manage to go see the movie "War Horse".  It was a throwback to the type of feel good movies that Hollywood used to make.  I like a good horse or dog story.  And somehow I think that this was as much about how terrible war is as it was about fate and how it may work in our favor.

Today, I am going to debone the turkey and help C. make a turkey pot pie.  She scoffs at turkey leftovers, but I think that this might actually be a good tasty dish.  Okay, this paragon of domesticity is going to get to work.  And then it will be time for a nap.....

Long weekend

Well, it is the Labor Day weekend. Whenever I hear those words, I can't help but think of the song "Come Monday" by Jimmy Buffet. I don't know what the show is going to be here at the island. Hopefully, with all the college kids back in school, it will be quiet for the last big weekend of summer.  I have had an interesting summer, filled with all kinds of life experiences. But I can look back and see that this is just a repeat performance of so many summers (and years). The difference is that for the past few years I have rolled with the punches, not raged back in anger or self pity. I know that every life experience is an opportunity for me.  I don't know whether the languid summers of my youth will come again. I didn't know how good I had it at the time. But I do have languid days now in which I shirk the desire to do something driven by another's agenda. I am doing those things that I want to do for the first time in so many years.  So for this Labor Day, we are out on the boat. We will return on Monday to spend time with my wife's parents. I will be a beach bum for a couple of days with my toes in the water and my ass in the sand. Life is indeed good today!

Lying by a fire

It has been really cold the last couple of days.  So cold here, in fact, that it froze water on the dock and in the wetland near the house.  Every morning I look out the bay window in the bedroom to see the woods and the wetland.  There are seven acres of woods here with all live oak, water oak, cypress, tupelo, gum, pine and dogwood dominating.

Because the woods are dense, it is inevitable that limbs will fall or trees will die.  I do mourn the passing of a tree.  It doesn't seem right that trees succumb to heart rot or fungus or some kind of introduced disease.  We humans seem more suited to those kinds of mortal wounds.

I remember the seven huge elms that fronted the home place in Virginia.  I stood under them to play, to catch the school bus, to ride my bicycle, to sit in the shade during hot summer days. They were magnificent.  I never thought about them dying, but eventually they succumbed to Dutch elm disease.  One by one they were cut down and now have been gone for years, rotting somewhere or burned up.

After Hurricane Hugo came through in 1989 and stripped the leaves from the trees with its deadly wind,  the trees were stressed.  A large water oak in the front yard died within a year.  Lots of limbs came down.  I probably worked about four months to get all of the wood split and stored.  All the while I was wishing that the tree was still there and not being cut up with a chain saw and split for fire wood.

Because of the woods and the finite life of trees, there is an ample supply of wood in the wood shed.  And on the type of cold days that we have been having it feels good to have a fire going.  There are four fireplaces here--two that use wood and two that use gas.  Most of the time, we light the gas logs that are in the bedroom and bath.  But the last few days, we have had a wood fire in the fireplace near the kitchen.

Having a fire is a wonderful thing to me.  I was happy when we would have a fire going when I was a kid.  It felt good to come inside after being in the cold and warming up near the fire.  It is romantic too.  I had a lot of good times on the sofa in front of that fireplace when I was in high school--those stolen kisses and raging teenage hormones seemed as hot as the embers burning.

I have lain in front of many a fire.  I welcomed its warmth on so many occasions over the years.  We have slept in front of the fire here on sleeping bags when the house was being built.  We would stay here late painting and build a fire and snuggle next to each other while the fire burned.  We have also slept next to fires on the beach, wrapped up in each other, after surf fishing at Hatteras or a long afternoon sail. 

I am glad that the wood hasn't all gone to waste.  Some of it has provided warmth when nothing else has, some of it has added heat to what was already hot, and some of it has transfixed me as the sap popped and sizzled, and the flames flew up into the night sky.  Mesmerizing, lying by a fire.

We all need sabbaticals

A sabbatical is not rare in academia.  Most professors will request a sabbatical at some time. They provide an opportunity for refreshment and new experiences.  It's a chance to get away from your normal routine - a time to immerse yourself in a different environment, a chance to see your life from a different perspective.

I think that perhaps I am going to call retirement a kind of sabbatical.  The Director came in today and told me that I can keep my office and computer here should I desire to continue to work on some manuscripts and projects.  That was a surprise to me.  We have had our differences over the years, but I told him that I appreciated the offer and would take him up on it.  I have a couple of books that I want to publish, a series of statistical lectures to complete, and some other opportunities to participate in scientific endeavors.  It sounds good to me because I will only keep the schedule that I want to keep and not one that is a must.   

I read this morning that Mary Christine, who has been writing daily for over 5 years, has decided to take a sabbatical from blogging.  I think that we all get tired and need a break from routine tasks. I like to think that those who are taking a sabbatical will connect with the dreams that can inspire them on the next stage of the journey. I certainly wish that for Mary as I have followed her flowers, her running, her work and her sobriety since I was blogging.

I am feeling inspired to dream today.  My dreams aren't elaborate ones.  They are mostly about having more time to spend at home or on the boat.  It seems that in those two places, I have the utmost freedom. I don't want to take a sabbatical from life, just from structure.  My desire is to create more space in my life so that people and opportunities will present themselves in unexpected ways. I hope to keep that spirit of openness, spaciousness, and surprise alive.  And I wish that for each of you. 

"I still recall how, with my bag on a pole, I forgot my yesterdays.
Wandered the hills, played in the water, went to the land of the clouds.
The lift of an eyebrow, the blink of an eye -- all of it samadhi.
In this great world there is nowhere that is not a wisdom hall."

Ziyong, 18th c. Chinese nun

Back to reality

We got home late last night. It was a long drive with some nasty thunderstorms and heavy rain as we came down I-95.

I'm back at work today. It seems strange that the vacation is over. I know what people mean by the "geographic cure"--the phrase used to describe the idea that one can escape problems by moving to a new place, instead of changing thoughts and behavior. This wasn't a "cure" but just a change of scenery and pace. It was a great time, and now it's back to the reality of email, reports, memos, and just living life.

It always seems surreal to leave one world where everything is so simple and far removed from the pressures that we live and to drive back into another world where there are definite deadlines and commitments. But no matter where one goes, life is happening. I talked with the watermen who are struggling to make a living with diminishing resources. Their life may seem simple to me, but it's hard and real for them.

I know there's no such thing as a geographic "cure". But just maybe changing external conditions refresh and affect mood. There sure is a lot to recommend a brief break from the usual routine. This vacation was about seeing some places that made me reflect, relax, and re-tune. A change of scenery is an invigorating experience. And it made me appreciate all that I have right here and that "here" isn't such a bad place to be.

What can I say?

I missed posting yesterday because I dropped out of sight of technology for a day. I took the day off, walked on the beach, went out to dinner, and enjoyed every moment of an extended weekend.

I won't call this spring fever, because today is not particularly warm. But the daffodils and forsythia are blooming and buds are on the shrubs. I can feel that we're about to turn the corner of our coldest days and begin to blossom in the delight of spring in the South.

I don't think that there's much that can compare to spring down here. Everything wakes up and shouts out that it's time to put on a color display. Azaleas are everywhere with their riot of color. And the days begin to develop a languid feel to them. The first regatta of the season takes place with multi-colored spinnakers billowing on the downwind runs. And the chorus of spring peepers is amazing in the wetland near the house.

We're not there yet, but the forecast is for warmer weather this week. I can feel that collective energies are gathering to bring forth new growth. And with it, there is a spiritual reawakening that is starting to occur within me as well. Life is good.

Another oyster roast

It's finally Saturday. Thankfully. After a long week that had its ups and downs, and cold weather for these parts, today is supposed to be warm with temps in the 60's. It's going to be good weather to go on the boat.

There's a group of people coming to the anchorage and island to have an oyster roast. It's the same group that did the oyster roast for my birthday. They have a pontoon boat that can get up really close to the beach, close enough to put a gangway down. It's a family owned business that does eco-tours of the area and the boat has the capacity to carry around 40 people. So it will be fun to eat some oysters with them and their customers this afternoon.

After the oyster roast, I'm going to meet up with my sponsor and a friend to go to an open AA meeting. After that I'll probably spend the night on the boat.

I like having some activity on a warm Saturday. There's nothing better than getting with friends, eating steamed oysters, being on the water, and then ending the day with a meeting.

Happy Saturday to everyone.

Out for a stroll

I've been out for a walk on the beach this morning.

It's another warm and sunny day.
Lazy time for us.
Just walking and watching the dog play.
Ruffling each other's hair,
Linking our fingers together,
Laughing as the waves chase us away from the water.
Smelling the salt in her hair,
Kissing full lips,
Encircling firm hips.
Loving these moments when
There is nothing for us to worry about,
Nothing to take away
This special time together.

The day after

Well, as my father used to say, "Christmas is as far away as it will ever be". This was his comment for the day after Christmas. Today does have that "day after" feeling about it.

Christmas Day itself was a day filled with some ups and downs. The early morning of Christmas Day started with watching the Christmas mass from St. Peter's basilica. I'm not Catholic but the beauty of that mass, the little children from around the world, and the celebration of the birth of Jesus is the best way to start Christmas day.

Later in the morning, we took three cakes to the AA clubhouse where my wife attends meeting. I met some of the people that she knows. And there was a fellow sitting with his own thoughts. I heard him say that his family was driving him crazy, and it was a choice of going to a bar or coming to AA. He said that he already felt better after 20 minutes at the clubhouse.

For some reason, I found being there sad. It is a sort of dilapidated place in a rough neighborhood. There wasn't a tablecloth to put on the table. My wife commented that next year, we would bring red paper tablecloths, and a couple of poinsettias to make it more festive. But I think that the man who looked so despondent made me the saddest. Before my "let's fix him" thoughts got going, I realized that he isn't in a bar. He's where he needs to be. And he is among people who understand and will help because of that.

After getting back from AA, we finished up cooking. There was enough food for an army, even though we didn't make large portions. My wife's parents came over. They are in their upper 80's and have noticeably slowed down. Her dad enjoys sitting in a chair and reading the paper. Her mother has difficulty relaxing even at this age in life. I won't take her inventory but suffice to say that she is best taken in small doses.

We opened presents and had a nice meal. I was aware of the two empty chairs at the dining room table. My mother used to sit in one and my wife's aunt in the other. Once again, I thought that I want to have a house full of people who can share all the food that we prepare.

But then, I found that by the late afternoon of yesterday I'd had enough of people for a while, so I went for a ride in new Blue. It was a beautiful day with warm temperatures so it was nice to just drive.

Later, I visited some friends and watched a short movie that they are producing. One fellow is an actor and quite a good one. We had a lot of laughs over his role in the movie.

It was nice to come back to a quiet house, sit with my wife, and just reflect on the kaleidoscope that was Christmas Day.

Friday at last

I'm glad that it's Friday. I woke up with a sinus headache--jack hammers across the forehead. I'm hoping to make it through the day at work. But I'd like to go home and snuggle up by the fire under a warm quilt.

Even though the weather change wreaks havoc with my head, I like this cold weather. It's refreshing. It's brisk. It's supposed to be nearing 25 F tonight and this weekend is supposed to only have a high of 40. That means that it will be time for long-johns on the boat. And snuggling down under a couple of heavy sleeping bags.

It's hard to believe that it's nearing the end of November. I'm starting to feel some of the pressure of the holidays. We've started talking about the Thanksgiving menu. There'll be the usual suspects of turkey, oyster stew, corn bread stuffing, mashers, casseroles, and sweet potato pie. Lots of gut expansion foods.

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. We're only having a few people here. I wish that there would be more, but people seem to have family to visit and places to go. My wife's elderly parents will be here. And I'll probably go visit some other friends who live nearby later in the day.

I think that having a big crowd for Thanksgiving is a great idea. It's what the holiday is about--sharing what you have with others. We have a nice Thanksgiving luncheon at work every year. There are generally about 50 of us attending that. And the food is outstanding!

But thinking about Christmas and all that entails is just making my head hurt more. I'm not at all ready to think about that yet. I'll take one holiday at a time.

Close your eyes

Last night the speaker at our home group meeting talked about meditation. She has been doing meditation for a number of years and has clinical training as a therapist. And she uses meditation in her practice.

She led us through a meditation. We lit some candles, listened to soothing music and concentrated on our breathing. She asked that we put our hand over our heart to feel it beating. Then she instructed us to visualize the heart beating and connecting with all the other hearts in the room.

Although this sounds really wacky when I'm writing it, it was a relaxing experience. I found that as she softly spoke and I concentrated on my breathing, my mind became blank as I focused internally. A great sense of relaxation and comfort came over me. I felt as if I were truly cocooned and not concerned about anything else except my heart beat and my breathing.

I'm not sure that I'll be able to entrance myself but am planning to try this form of meditation. It was a great opportunity to let go and just be.

Inland Sunday

Today was a beautiful day here. Yesterday, it rained as a front came through and cooled the temperature down to around 70. So when the sun came up this morning, I decided to go inland, instead of to the water.

There's a number of trails that interconnect in this state to form a system called the Palmetto Trail. We drove to the trailhead of one of the parts of the Palmetto Trail and went for a nice hike through the woods.

I've included a number of photos here. Cedrorum will no doubt recognize some of the species that he sees on the job. I recognized red maple, sweet bay, long leaf pine, American beauty berry, Smilax, sweet gum, cinnamon fern, bald cypress, wax myrtle and many more species.

But the mushrooms and wild flowers were what really caught my attention. There was wild ageratum, numerous daisies, and I came across an old "friend" from my childhood walks in Virginia: Indian pipe. Indian Pipe, also known as “Corpse Plant,”doesn’t have chlorophyll, so it is a waxy, whitish color. It has flowers that droop and tiny, scale-like leaf. When they look at it, most people think Indian Pipe is a fungus.

It was a nice way to spend the afternoon. The dog enjoyed her walk and seemed happy for the cool temperatures. There were a lot of interesting things to sniff along the trail.

The woods offer their own special beauty this time of year. I think that I'd like to go back again soon.

Cooling down

"The Indian Summer, the dead Summer's soul."
- Mary Clemmer, Presence

This morning is the first clear indication that fall is on the way. The temperatures are in the upper 60's and the high today will be around 80 F. That trend will continue through the weekend with a brisk NE wind.

It just has that fall feeling in the air too. The shadows are longer and the days shorter. I'm going out of town for a few days and am glad that the weather is conducive for being outside. I'm going to do a lot of walking, reading and sleeping. It's just a mini-holiday but that's fine with me.

I've printed out the schedule for meetings in the area, and there are a few where there's an Al-Anon and AA meeting in the same building at the same time.Those will be convenient for us to go to. And I'm taking my laptop with me so I'll be able to keep up with all of you.

Here's what I'm grateful for today:

• A few days of pleasant temperatures after a week of heat and humidity
• Heading out of town for some play time and being able to take the dogs with us
• That I'm focusing on the things that I can change (me) and accepting that there are very few things that I have any control over or power to change
• That my Higher Power is showing me that things don't always have to go my way, yet I can still be happy and content.
  
• That there are people who are willing to help me out when I tell them that I'm in trouble.
  

Attitudes like our dogs

It turned out to be a nice weekend here. After Friday's threat of a tropical storm, there was only some rain and gusty winds. After that, the sun came out, the winds dropped, and the temperatures rose. It was hot, like the dog days of August are still hanging on.

Instead of being on the boat, I took the dogs to dog park on Saturday evening, for a walk on the beach on Sunday morning, watched a couple of movies on DVD, and went to a birthday party on Sunday evening. It was all good.

It's interesting to meet people on the beach and at dog park who I know through their dogs. I may not know the person's name but I know the dogs. Everyone stops to talk and admire each others dogs. And the dogs seem to recognize their friends. There's a lot of tail wagging and comraderie.

It's not hard to wish that everyone had their dog's attitude: No hidden agendas; no offense taken if another dog invades your space to sniff a butt; great enjoyment of the simple pleasures in life, like a mud puddle or the breeze on your face; no loneliness because there's always something interesting to do; and no thoughts of tomorrow, just the moment and the pure pleasure of living in it.

I think that living the life of a much loved dog is a pretty good life. It's definitely something to admire--wag a tail,get stroked, get a treat, greet friends, and take a nap. I can identify with those things.

And I don't think it's an accident that DOG spelled backwards is GOD.