Happy Diwali!
Happy Birthday to my mom and sister-in-law!
Unhappy day for the birds in our neighborhood, many of whom will die. Another d**ned oil spill. Please see the article in the San Francisco Chronicle: Container Ship Oil Leak.

Oiled Wildlife Care Network is an organisation that is trying to help.

My question is, If people can't be trusted to navigate these precious waters why are they being allowed to do so?

NOTICE OF FAVORABLE DETERMINATION CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR ADVANCE PROCESSING OF ORPHAN PETITION:

IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO FURNISH PROPER CARE TO AN ORPHAN...

We are officially off hold.

Oh yeah. Finally.

We just received a notice from our agency stating that parents picking up their children in Ethiopia who are not staying at the orphanage cannot bring their children back to the hotel while the adoption is in process.

I guess some people are creating some bad press with the locals in Addis Ababa. I am so curious what went down. What did the Americans do this time?

The
Coolest
coin by far
is the Wyoming quarter.
A smooth, elegant outline of a rodeo rider.

It made us think, my Chicago comrade and I.
What would our coin look like? What would our symbol and few choice words be?

As for me my coin would contain these words:

Belongingness
Responsibility
Generosity

It would be simple like the Wyoming coin with a picture of an adult holding a child's hand overlooking a garden. At least one is a person of color.


Now onto my Rock album...

Prayer vigil for Dunbar Village

Although Dunbar Village in West Palm Beach is still Hell on earth for many African Americans, especially women and children at least some community members are trying to bring some healing to this place and there is a fund for the victims of the Dunbar Village torture.

Dunbar Village Victim's Assistance Fund
Checks can be made payable to the Dunbar Village Victim Assistance Fund-St. Ann. They can be dropped off at any Wachovia branch or mailed to: St. Ann Catholic Church, 310 N. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33401. The church’s phone number is (561) 832-3757.

CHILD.
We are still waiting. I thought for sure the I-600A would arrive by now since we were already cleared by the state of MA. And the wait time for Ethiopian infants continues to increase every month. Sometimes I wonder. Sometimes I stop and feel as though I am disappearing.

Last night we went to a sports bar/brewery pub to watch the Patriots play the Colts since we don't have cable and Mr.D is into football (a little).It seemed we were surrounded by Colts fans and when the Colts jumped ahead toward the end of the game we were deafened by the cheers. Unfortunately for them their joy was short-lived. The Patriots pulled ahead during the last few minutes and won the game.

When we arrived home I insisted on watching the Marx brothers movie, The Cocoanuts because there are auditions for this show at the Contra Costa Civic Theater and I wanted to see if there are any good parts.

I am totally taken by Harpo, who I think was an absolute genius, (not to take away from the brilliance of Groucho or Chico). But how many actors (Not MIMES) can communicate intensity without speech? I really dislike the three stooges but not because I don't like physical humor. I appreciate the art of physical comedy (Peter Sellers, Charlie Chaplin etc.) but I don't enjoy cruelty or stupidity (3 Stooges). The Marx brothers aren't dumb or even out of touch. I am. For just having discovered them.

Mr. D discovered last week that in San Francisco if you find yourself involved in a fender bender you DO NOT CALL THE POLICE! They do not have the funding to attend to fender benders unless someone is injured and needs an ambulance. My theory is that there are so many minor traffic accidents (because of the lawlessness of the California driver) the police could not possibly staff the reporting. I have not been a fan of intersection cameras in the past (having fallen victim in Canada during our honeymoon) but in California I believe it is necessary. Who is at fault when both parties claim innocence? Mr. D needed a photographic record or witness to vouch for the recklessness of the driver passing him (on the left)in an intersection as Mr.D was turning left.

The driver who met fenders with Mr. D was a US Postal Worker speeding to keep up with the demands of the job, (or Netflix).

California,
CALIFORNIA! (sung by Joni Mitchell)

Today I drove to El Sobrante to work on crafts for the Waldorf Harvest fair.
I made lanterns from old paintings. I handed over some sweaters that had been felted in the washing machine and turned into vests. I made 10 blossom fairies. And gnomes. Other people were making jewelry or labeling items for the fair.

Ha ha! I stole this picture from my chicago comrade's blog!

Halloween
When you were young:
Dusk approaches.
There is a chill in the air
and you are becoming someone or something else.
A witch with a green store bought mask three years in a row (ages 7,8 and 9)
A hobo with a sac on a stick (I didn't even know what hobo meant, age 10)
One of the members of the band Kiss (lots of black and white make up age 11)
A detective (overcoat for hiding eggs and such age 12).

And then each progressing year it became more and more
"What your parents don't want you to turn into".

Favorite Halloween:
Milwalkee ave. Chicago (age 27 Puss-in-boots)loft party.
Mr. Cates is talking to a man in a chicken mask. The man in the mask is from France but he did not learn english and speaks in small sentences. Mr. Cates does not know it but the masked chicken man is his brother, just flown in from Scotland for a surprise. Those of us who do know are painfully giddy. We are good friends with Mr. Cates and his brother. I am doubled over laughing until my stomach aches, tears streaming. It is unbearably funny.

(Skip forward 15 years)
Halloween
A middle aged woman, tasteful head-scarf, real jewelry, cardigan sweater and off-white pants.
Its dark.
You are sitting in your parked car under the BART tracks waiting...
to pick up your husband returning from a late meeting in the city.
Scary.

DAY

You woke up today
on your birthday
but it wasn't a day
you wanted

You wanted a day
that woke you up
with bright sunshine
not overcast and dreaded
like today

the well empty
running out of friends
who can help you
enter back into a life
of usefulness

But you are still sleeping
love!
You are a shaft of golden light
imbued with cosmic mysteries
and earthly blessings.

And Very Necessary.

Happy Birthday love
Wake Up!

Sunsets. And saying goodbye.



Why am I such a sap? Every time I say goodbye to a friend or family member (I like) I always get that, "No! Don't go!" feeling. I am sure it has to do with my "issues".
Anyway, it was hard dropping my longtime friend off at the airport and coming home to her empty bedroom.

Can someone show me how to use our camera? I would like to be able to take pictures of the full moon and other night time glow things.

Another torturous night of loud rock music in San Francisco,(earplugs not included), this time at The Independent to see Meshell Ndegeocello. Our friend Chris Bruce, recently extricated from Seal's "band", is now touring with Ms. N.and it was his playing (magnificent) that made the evening possible. Ms. N sings about the things I thought about when I was in college, i.e. sex and lies.

The next morning Mr. D and I woke with non alcohol related hangovers. To make things better Chris and I went for breakfast at a french soul restaurant, Brenda's. They served the best grits and biscuits I have ever eaten.

In the afternoon I drove to Oakland to pick up another long-time comrade from Chicago, who is here now among us.

Big Star (Not at Fillmore) singing "Why don't you come back from way out west..."

Good question.

The Fillmore on Geary Street in San Francisco is known for its psychodelic posters and its intimate rock shows. On October 20th Alex Chilton's Big Star played to a civilized crowd.

We sat in the balcony and I enjoyed the show, as it brought back fond memories for me of the Metro in Chicago and all of the wonderful rock and power pop I imbibed. Mr. D used makeshift earplugs and plastered on his most tolerant face.

Last week at the East Bay Waldorf School was very exciting,(and exhausting). I followed around the Handwork teacher and assisted in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades. It was extremely hard not being the "I" in the class and I am glad for the experience. Although I hope my after class comments to the handwork teacher aren't offensive. As a class teacher one forms a pretty clear boundary line, while subject classes need to be a little less disciplined. It is also very hard conducting a "traveling show" instead of having the classes come to the teacher. Handwork is especially hard to carry around.



Last night while we ate quesadillas on the back porch there was a dear little hummingbird keeping us company. I tried to catch her in flight but only caught part of her.


Yesterday I finished a dreadfully written fantasy story, INKHEART. I do not recommend it even if it is being made into a major motion picture. The characters are poorly written and the descriptive passages are weak and repetitive.

Example:

Meggie sees her mother after 9 years and stares
(end of page 444) "as if nothing else in the world existed".


Meggie's father finds a photo of his wife and realizes she is alive and it seemed
(page 491)"as if nothing else in the world existed".

The use of quotes at the beginning of each chapter from classic books like Huck Finn or the Tolkien trilogy does not make this book more credible. It makes it more desperate for credibility.

Why did I read the entire book if I disliked it so? Because I have a plot driven nature and needed to see it through to the end.

It is Monday and I am off to the East Bay Waldorf School to help the handwork teacher make lanterns with the school. The Lantern walk is coming up soon and I am ever so curious to see what kind of lanterns we will be making. Something like this?

I have forgotten how to use the windshield wiper. It has not rained for 4 months, (since we moved) and when it finally started raining this week I was like a new driver. This lever does what?



I also have forgotten how to knit, (see the beginning of my first sock here)and was reminded this morning at The East Bay Waldorf School where I will be volunteering as an assistant to the handwork teacher (who is married to Spencer Hatch). I am glad to be back with "my people".

On Tuesday we were fingerprinted and now we are waiting for our approval and I-600A orphan petition document from California's immigration office.

My Vashon Island friend just informed me that someone received a fine for boating dangerously close to 2 Orcas off the coast of San Juan island. This is good news for Orca friends because this kind of behavior happens daily and goes unpunished. An earlier blog of mine stated that Orcas are negatively affected by the multitudes of boaters in their habitat and that they can't hear each other over the din of the boats. See article for more details.

Last Night Bad guy dropped by...

Like MAGIC the morning glory blossom appeared this morning. I hope she has many brothers and sisters as I have been checking every morning for a month to see if they would flower.

Another weekend full of sunshine, marital conflict, and music.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is a weekend festival for which you will want to arrive early. We showed up at noon when the event was in full swing and could not find a seat anywhere near the (star)stage in which Los Lobos was playing. We sat next to a couple of New Englanders, one a montessori teacher and behind a couple with lots of friends/family with young kids. The music was excellent; John Prine, Keller Williams, Bela Fleck and my favorite Los Lobos. Lots of cowboy hats and characters including a blue fairy. There was even a dog that looked like my Ima.