the nobility
of misfortune is that it
teaches us the truth

space age usa

this little collection of images is from our newly acquired matchbook collection. they feature illustrations of the apollo 11 mission into space and lunar landing. i'm not really sure of their origin. although probably not nasa approved, they were most likely produced in the afterglow of the triumphant moon landing. as i looked around a little today i saw quite a bit of other independently produced apollo 11 memorabilia commemorating this mission.


i was just a baby when the world first thrilled to this event, but it has always produced a bit of awe when i think of all the incredible effort that went into the preparation and lead up to that day in july of '69. in my minds eye i see time standing still briefly here on planet earth, as the whole world holds its breath and stares into the night sky at that great beautiful orb and wonders. and stops to look at grainy black and white images through television shop windows. and in those moments tens of millions of the dreams of children are launched as well.

if you'd like to see more images from this collection, there's a nice little lot for auction on ebay here. bon voyage space travelers.

the wait continues
as time stands still inside this
bright and empty room

the view from here

as i move about my daily activities, and they sometimes seem mundane, i am reminded that all of us look differently. i do not mean as in our appearances, but in the ways we all look differently as we move through this life. sometimes we forget and become frustrated with one another because others do not see things the same way we see them. our lives are a collection of recorded images, sounds, smells, emotions, feelings and taste and so much of what moves us is incomprehensible. memories dart around us like butterflies that alight and pause for brief moments and then are gone...

last season's comments
as the glow of memory
fades into distance

happy boxing day!

see the baby king
come now to reconcile us
with peace and mercy

sounds of silence

so here we are again, perched on another Christmas eve's eve. the baby's in the manger. the presents are under the tree. our hearts and minds are weary and distracted by all the madness. and have you ever listened to snow? so quiet when it falls, it seems to blanket the air. it forces us to listen. sometimes you just have to stop what you're doing and be quiet. listen...

the last one to fall
remembers all who went
before and waits no more

ends and beginnings

although the calendar says the new year is still over a week away i think we should actually mark it tomorrow. tomorrow marks the shortest day of the year, or solstice. it is the day in ancient times when people actually observed the sun standing still. it happens twice a year, and after tomorrow we begin the slow crawl back toward summer. it is a time of natural transition. endings and beginnings.
outside my front door most of the trees have already stripped themselves of their leaves, and moved into a kind of hibernation period for winter. and in traditional fashion many of us too are wrapping up seasonal activities as we prepare for the end of one year and the beginning of another. i don't often make new year resolutions, but if i did i'd start tomorrow.

in a moment our
eyes will change made new by
perfect restoration

transformations

the boss got himself a new car the other day. after he picked it up at the dealer he brought it by the shop for everyone to take a look. typical new car. shiny happy face. plastic bits everywhere. cat eyed and large. as i walked around it i could only think one thing. that this newness would soon be gone, and that as it made its way along the highways of the bay area, it would soon begin to suffer. slowly at first. almost unnoticeably. the tires would wear and the paint begin to fade. the merciless elements would begin to oxidize and then rust much of the underside. all of the soft rubber would start to shrink and crack. small dings appear like so many pock marks. one day a rock will fly up and mar the clear windshield. and the inside too would begin to wear. leather cracks. carpet fibers mat and fray. and little by little it will eventually be worthless. i see it every day now. these vehicles that cost us so much to initially acquire and then maintain. and suddenly they come to the end of their road. the ugliest junkers still out on the road each day were once brand new and shiny. and desired and wanted. and then they change. and their value is gone. worthless. i will admit though, i still love that new car smell.

you took this form to
make our appeal from low and
high you represent

favorite things 17

while walking through the aisles of the roseville antique trove last year, i spotted this crude little nativity on a shelf. it immediately drew me in. something in the way it looked, the unpainted wood and hand hewn figures reached out to me in a kind of kinship. in fact the more i interact with each one, i have a sense that i am not unlike them. crude form altered by the creator's hand, and made to worship the baby Jesus. and now i am pleased to have them in my home, as they will continue to remind me of these things, and draw me closer in at this time of year.

no room to gamble
our lives are the decks laid out
as a hand we hold

Christmas checklist

stay focused. there's still lots more to do...

in humility
we stand tall confident in
our high position

monday blues

back now to the "it's just my job 5 days a week" thing...

the shield takes a
hammer and battles on through
all adversity