Saturday, Gunther and Eliza and the boys and I, with some neighbors, went to Point Pinole Beach and participated in the Coastal Clean-up.  We got a few bags of trash and felt good being outside at the beach--sunny--and being able to clean up.  Now, I feel like taking a garbage bag with me whenever I go to the beach!

Yesterday Robert and I went to a neighborhood house party where we made calls for MoveOn.org--for the Obama campaign.  Lots of wrong numbers and answering machines, but I felt good when a few young people said they were willing to go down to the Campaign for Change headquarters in Medford, Oregon next week and help out!   It was nice to meet local people and do something constructive.

Last weekend, Gunther and Eliza nd the boys and I went to Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero.  There is a hostel there where we stayed, hiked over to view the sea lions, made our own dinner, visited the tide pools, and had a soak in a hot tub overlooking the Pacific.  A nice weekend--and lots of hiking.  Wow, 8 miles altogether--and the boys did very well.   

CLEARING MY MIND 

A cool, overcast morning, and suddenly I'm ready to pull out the weeds I've been looking at in the back yard for weeks.  I began attacking the old, brown, sodden stalks in my tiny papyrus "grove."  Perhaps my zeal was fueled by the thoughts I couldn't express yesterday.

ART 

Yesterday, Robert and I drove over to Ocean Beach in San Francisco.  I wanted to see the 100 wooden Indians by Thom Ross, placed in the sand in front of the ocean. He painted the figures based on a black and white photo of a Wild West show performed in 1902 by Buffalo Bill Cody.  It was neat, but I had forgotten to bring my camera!!

We took a walk on the beach, soaking up the cool fresh air.  Next we drove over to the Asian Art Museum to take in the new Ming Dynasty show and admire all the wonderful objects in the galleries.  My favorite piece was a scroll painting of court ladies.  They were depicted in lovely groups--some playing ball, golf (!), serving refreshments, just like at any backyard party!  Their lovely black hair was decorated with blue ornaments, and the pattern of their heads created the most beautiful flow in the scroll.

THE NEW GREAT GAME: BLOOD AND OIL IN CENTRAL ASIA,
Lutz Kleveman

PEAK OIL PRODUCTION AND ITS GLOBAL CONSEQUENCES. A Very Unpleasant Truth
Co-authors, W.D. Lyle Jr. Ph.D. and  L. Scott Allen, Ph.d 

While we drove, Robert played a program he had recorded from the Internet from an interview from a site he often reads: http://www.Financialsense.com.  The guest was journalist and photographer, Lutz Kleveman.  He has written a new book:  The New Great Game: Blood and Oil in Central Asia.  What he had to say was tremendously eye-opening about geo-politics.

We have to really dig to get this kind of IMPORTANT information that is shaping our present and future.  I found Kleveman (a native German) to be extremely articulate and compelling about the oil situation, and the major players in who gets the pipelines in Central Asia.  Following that, we listened to another program of two engineer/scientists/physicists who understand the fragile state of our oil dependency--rightly, referred to as our addiction to oil. 

For the first time, I really got a clear understanding of what the stakes are with our lack of an energy policy.  The Saudis are not going to increase the flow on the their "spigot."  They really don't have unlimited resources there, and are already planning to conserve for the future. The oil fields in Central Asia are going to be the next battleground for power, and this of course, becomes the core issue in our future national security.  These land-locked areas require a thousand miles of steel, and, as Kleveman pointed out, pipelines are basically indefensible structures.

Most of our current fields were discovered thirty, forty years ago, and no new big reserves have been found, and those in development won't even be ready for perhaps ten years.  Mexico's oil field is rapidly diminishing, and will perhaps be running out in two to three years. The size of deposits and the feasibility of getting oil from off-shore areas--if undertaken--is by no means fully known at this point, and could prove extremely difficult.

Bio-fuel simply can't provide the amount of oil we have come to depend on.  Other sources aren't really ready yet or even easily distributed.  Common-sense points to conservation and public transportation, but no major programs are being proposed at this point. 

How long can we keep turning a blind eye to our most serious national problem, hoping that some miracle will "fix" it, so we can continue our present consumption.

Sorry if I sound like I'm on a bandwagon, but I'm tired of the political platitudes about this great world the candidates are promising.  Do they listen to programs like these to educate themselves? 

I will be speaking with the "Common-sense Psychic" Phyllis King todayon her Internet radio show on TalkZone.

Our topic is

7 Techniques for Creating Your Own Luck

I like the following two quotes:

 “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.”  Oprah Winfrey

“You must always be open to your luck.  You cannot force it, but you can recognize it.” 

Henry Moore

I have found these 7 points to be helpful in creating a more synchronistic and happy life:

When looking for a positive change:

1. Ask for what you want.  Get clear about your real question and true objective.
2. Look for any message in delays or inner resistance.
3. Identify the specific nature of your fears.  Take measures to handle them one at a time.
4. Make a decision to increase positive experiences in general in your life--whether they are large (changing jobs) or small (getting more relaxation on the weekend.)  Be happy and happiness flows toward you.
5. Express gratitude daily for what you already have.
6. Choose the most positive option.
7. Participate with what's in front of you to the best of your ability, and act when the time feels right. 

Anders and I attended the Legend of the Stars program at Chabot Space Center last week.  It was fun, but the week passed too quickly!

Today Robert and I drove out to the Mosquito Abatement office and picked up some mosquito larvae-eating fish.  I hope they survive!  I  did see some wriggling larvae the other day, which motivated me.

Wednesday evening, Debbie Gilman, my yoga instructor announced that she will not be teaching this class in the Fall since her schedule is changing.  She is a wonderful teacher, and I had a very emotional reaction to the thought that I won't be able to experience her presence on Wed evenings--a class I don't often miss.  I told her I would miss her and we realized that she started teaching at the Y about the same time I joined--ten years ago.  It's hard when good things change! 

Yesterday I picked up some chicken feet and bones and made homemade chicken broth.  I was suddenly gripped recently by the urge to make chicken soup.

It's a lazy summer.  I feel like getting in the car and driving across country.

Anders and I attended Legends of the Stars at Chabot Space Center each afternoon last week.  We both had a good time, and the week passed so quickly!  

Today Robert and I drove out to the Mosquito Abatement office and got some mosquito eating fish for the two ponds.  Let's see if they survive.  I did see something that looked like wriggling larvae in my vase fountain...so

Yesterday we bought a bunch of chicken feet and bones and I made a big pot of homemade chicken broth.  I suddenly got the urge.  Why?

It's a lazy summer.

I feel like getting in the car and driving across the country. 

Trevor, seven, and Chloe, almost six, flew up alone from Studio City for their first visit to Nana on their own last week.  We called it "cousin camp."

Best time? The Saturday trip to Stinson Beach for Auggie's fourth birthday.  It was a great day in every way.  I stood (ankle-deep) in the surf for a total of five hours, watching four kids dart this way and that!  That sure keeps the old brain from sleeping. 

Before they arrived, Robert and I went to U-Haul and I bought two Grand Wardrobes and one small Wardrobe box.  We Gorilla-taped them together into a cardboard condo, and cut some windows. 

Wow, the four cousins played in this box contraption every day for hours.  It changed into various purposes from fort to submarine.  On Friday, I set up my long-planned painting project on top of the boxes. Not only was it just the right height for them to paint, they had lots of space, and I didn't have to put down newspaper for protection!

I highly recommend letting kids play in big boxes.  Cheap, safe, imagination-stimulating, fascinating.

I love children's art, so I bought four stretched canvases (10 X 14,) several big bottles of tempera paint, and as many small applicator bottles with pointed tips (in the plastic bottle section of the drugstore, the ones for applying hair color.)  First, I had them paint their canvases all black.  Once dry, I let them use the applicator bottles for brilliant patches of color and best of all, wonderful Jackson Pollock-y lines, lines, lines.

Now I have four fabulous paintings, which I plan to hang together in a rectangle on the wall.

Voila! Modern art made by real little moderns.

Am I the only person who still cuts out articles of interest from the newspaper?  I rip recipes and travel tips from magazines and then put them in a folder.  An old habit, that leads me to times like this summer when I long to weed out these old files!!

I wanted to pass along the article (yes, I cut it out and put it in a folder) on pollination. Here is the link from the San Francisco Chronicle.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/05/HOIU11ICE8.DTL

Why has pollination caught my attention this week?  

Well, we have to care about the bees and the other pollinators if we want to continue to eat.  That's pretty basic.  I handle anxiety by taking action (which, could be good, could be bad.)

Also, we are all going through a lot of anxiety right now,  what with all the increases in food and gas costs and diasters of wind, fire, and water.  Making changes and doing things that benefit life are helpful to re-balancing our internal ecology.  

Y esterday Robert and I sat outside and watched a hummingbird bathe in my new fountain.  Either she did it twice, or she and her mate did it once, but watching that tiny being flutter it's wings in my fountain was a joyful moment. 

Happily, I also kept seeing bees visiting my newly-planted lavender and the blossoms still left on the old grapefruit tree.  

A few days ago, I weeded out some possessions. I recycled my collection of dolls and paper dolls, and some colorful silk scarves which I had picked up in Thailand, and gave them to my friend Zenobia.  Her granddaughters are visiting this week. Z just emailed  me to say the girls LOVE the dolls and the scarves for dress-up.  I am very happy.

According to the authors of the Fourth Turning (and the book I love so much, and intend to re-read this summer--Generations:  The History of America's Future from  1584 to 2069) Strauss and Howe, our current time is much like the 1930's!  Hmmm, dust-bowls, unrest, and foreclosures?  Well, hey then, let's get those victory gardens from the 1940's going.  Even Wal-Mart just signed contracts to purchase food from local growers within each state to save millions of dollars on transportation costs.

What is coming to your attention? 

The last week was kind of eerie with the gray over-cast skies layering the Bay Area with a blanket of wildfire smoke.  I smelled smoke in the morning when I tip-toed outside.  We had a health advisory to stay indoors.  Lightning ignited fires all over Northern California, and the drought has increased the damage.

Block party. We were lucky on Saturday June 22 as that was the day of our block party and the weather was perfect.  This year we set up the table and chairs, on the street where I live, and my front bench was smack dab in the middle of the action.  It was fun. 

A Street of Trees. This Saturday was the big day for planting all the new trees we all ordered for the median strip in front of our houses.  Gunther (my son for those of you who don't already know!) who lives across the street with Eliza and Anders and Auggie, was the instigator of the idea.  Trees make a street, and our street only has two or three, so Gunther went around and talked to neighbors and people caught the spirit. 

He ordered a bunch of trees from a nursery up in Sonoma County, and they were delivered to my driveway space. Saturday everybody was out jack-hammering away old ugly cement and digging huge holes for the new maples.  I bought a Japanese maple for the side of my house. 

Last week, my friend Roy planed a Meyer Lemon  tree, an orange tree, and a small Japanese maple in my back garden.  That finishes the big planting, and now I have to get out there an do the succulents and salvia. 

Bee Friendly. I want to make my garden bee and bird friendly.  I am very worried about the plight of the bumble bee.  I was reading an article that says the bee population has decreased by about 30%.  If we lose bees and their pollination, it's scary how many fruits and nuts will disappear!

Maybe you can plan something this month in any kind of space available--even pots on a window sill with flowers will help.  Ask the people at a nursery what flowers bees like and help them out!  

My friend, Karla Nagel, was here yesterday and just left this morning.  She and her husband, Enrique live in Mexico City, and she was on business this time.

The weather was perfect (finally!) to sit outside.  Robert grilled some asparagus which we ate as an hors d'oevre with salt.  I made Paul Deen's Chicken Georgia (very easy--sauteed with mushrooms and sprinkeled with cheese)

Auggie and Anders had a chance to play with Karla and she made them laugh a lot.  Before dinner Robert, Karla and I went for a walk at the dog park and enjoyed the frest breeze off the bay and looked at all the frisky dogs enjoying their daily romp.

My manuscript has been sent off to Japan and I am enjoying a little summer break.

I finished Out by Natsuo Kirino (very unusualy story!!) and am now deeply involved in Eleanor Coppola's new book, Notes on a Life.  It's very well written, and I can see many of the scenes in my mind from years past.  She has an amazing ability to tell a story as if from a series of verbal snapshots.

It's time for a walk with my new pedometer.

Robert and I went to San Francisco yesterday--it was a beautiful day.  I did some shopping, of course.  Then we sat in Union Square and watched the people and listened to a rock band.  We went over to the St. Francis Hotel (they have a lovely ladies lounge) and then rode the outside elevators to the highest floor so we could see the fantastic view from up there.  Coit Tower on the left and the Oakland part of the Bay on the right, with lots of architecture in between.

Then we did our usual walk through Chinatown.  I bought some tea at Ten Ren Tea Shop.  We had seen a documentary called All in This Tea, about a man who went to China for years buying tea.  I'm sorry I forgot his name just now, but I really enjoyed seeing him trekking through the tea farming areas of Southeast China.  

Roy is coming today to continue working on the back garden.  The rock fountain is working, burbling away!  I love it. It is perfect, with layered rocks creating tiny waterfalls, and some pebbles and ledges.  The gray Buddha I bought a year ago at the Redding Target sits serenely on the ledge.  We are trying to finish the yard before Sigrid, Jim and Trevor and Chloe come on Thursday.  It's her birthday, and they will be here all weekend.

Roy put up my Target Gazebo last week, and I found a "chat set" --a loveseat, 2 chairs, and a coffee table, for the Gazebo.  It's like having a new room outside the family room.  I love it.  You can see that I shop at Target a lot.  I love Target for many reasons.

Back to work.  I'm just working on finishing my book on Aliveness for Shufunotomo, my publisher in Japan.  I'ts coming along, and I love including all the stories of exceptionally alive moments sent in by people.

Tonight Rainey and I will drive down to Kepler's Books in Menlo Park to hear Ellie Coppola discuss her new book, Notes on a Life.  I love her writing and everything she does.  She is so very, very talented, and so very modest about it all!