The Great Trinity Forest Hike

Now that I have a new camera, I will post photos after our Saturday hike along the Trinity River's edge. Perhaps freeze hawks in mid-flight and discover photogenic woodland creatures on the beaten path.

I was reminded of Thoreau last night. To christen the hike, here are a few Transcendental verses. Please chant the following to yourself using the "NightSwimming" melody from REM. I'm listening to it right now and, strangely, the oboe (hautebois) works with Thoreau's rhyme.

It is no dream of mine,
To ornament a line;
I cannot come nearer to God and Heaven
Than I live to Trinity Forest even.
I am it's stony shore,
And the breeze that passes o'er;
In the hollow of my hand
Are its water and its sand,
And its deepest resort
Lies high in my thought.

Thoreau did not want to play a part of the landscape, of his pond. He wanted to become the landscape. So will I.

I'd like to thank Amanda Owens for giving me my 'Idea' book last weekend. I don't know who said this, but I'll quote it anyway: 'Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.' My next entry will be about the Morgan rabbits & the Great Flood.

Come on, you've got 3 minutes.

Here's Weapon of Choice by Fatboy Slim. It's an oldie, but a goodie. I remember the first time I watched it, I wanted to steal Christopher Walken's moves. I still do.

Whomever is next to get hitched, if you play it at your wedding, I'll show you what I've learned so far.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sMZwZiU0kKs

Enjoy! And Happy Saturday!

Jager

Glad I caught your attention. Well, it's 12:48 a.m. central standard time, and I just got back from shaking it with seven of my friends and I know "7" because I bought seven jager shots. We went to Al Amir, this Lebanese restaurant where you can eat a feast, break manna, share two bottles of wine. Then you choose between two dance floors. It's the type of restaurant that probably has several other dance floors hidden behind mirrors and caged dining booths. The tassels of the belly dancers probably deceive us from the things that go in and out of those doors.

So I was there tonight. . . with Zane, Jennifer, Kevin, Megan, Andrea, Craig, and welcome back veteran dancer Erika Huddleston! Who spent the majority of the last visit to Al Amir in the parking lot . . . talking to someone.

Hooray! We danced like fools. I dance like a fool. The belly dancer gave me her business card. Perhaps I can be writer by day, dancer by night, eh? As the wise Shakira once said:
My hips don't lie. Oh, non, non, non.

I must sleep now. Though ABBA's Dancing Queen is ringing in my head (as my theme song for the evening), I must depart to my sheets for z z zing.

Farewell. If you want to dance with me, just invite me to a club that has disco lights, mirrors, and plays random lebanese versions of Beyonce. Surreal.

i will post pix tomorrow --- Andrea took mooooocho of them!

Paul Potts sings Canta Opera

I'll be brief. . .


Watch this video. Incroyable.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NLF9iEXnBRo

My Copy for a Children's Book

I don't know if you glanced at it or not, but I've removed my book's copy until the copyright office sends me confirmation. I don't want to lose this puppy. And this kitty. My Dad concepted the book's main characters back when Henry, Andrew, and I were sleeping in bunkbeds. (and Sadie wasn't even a speck on the radar). He made up a song to go along.
Go Dog, Go!
I mean . . .
Go Dad, Go!

(if you want to read it, just let me know & I'll read it to you). After you sign a non-disclosure agreement. Just kidding. Kind of.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL---IT IS NOW 7 MINUTES AWAY---AND I'M SO EXCITED THAT I CAN'T SLEEP.

we'll get up and then we'll eat cinnamon rolls and then we'll open presents by the fire and then my cousins will come over and then we'll play and then we'll eat and then we'll play and then . . .

27 years old & still sounding like a 5 year old. somethings never change.

You're the Swimming Pool on an August Day

"Everything" (til i figure out how to post videos on this sucker, here's the link to the video. Watch it. It's worth it. Even if you are skeptical of love. Even if you hate love songs. Basically, even if you are the murder of Love.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SPUJIbXN0WY&feature=related

You're a falling star, you're the get away car.
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.
And you're the perfect thing to say.

And you play it coy but it's kinda cute.
Ah, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do.
Baby don't pretend that you don't know it's true.
'cause you can see it when I look at you.

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, you make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.
You're a mystery, you're from outer space,
You're every minute of my everyday.

And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,
And you know that's what our love can do.

[Chorus]

So, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
So, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, you make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.
You're every song, and I sing along.
'Cause you're my everything.
Yeah, yeah

So, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
So, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

I know this is gonna sound cheesy, but this is the one song that gets me everytime. It's the prelude to later thoughts on love (cheesy, Katie). Yet, the older I get, the more I think about L-O-V-E.

More on love . . .

Midnight Meditations

A Character talks about the power of Love.

Walker speaks on behalf of Ivy --- his blind daughter who is about to embark on a quest for medicine through a wood of mysterious danger . . .

Edward Walker: "Let her go. If it ends, it ends. We can move towards hope, that's what's beautiful about this place. We cannot run from heartache. My brother was slain in the towns, the rest of my family died here. Heartache is a part of life, we know that now. Ivy is running toward hope, let her run. If this place is worthy, she'll be successful in her quest."
Mrs. Clack: "How could you have sent her? She is blind."
Edward Walker: "She is more capable than most in this village. And she is led by love. The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe.

A Singer & Songwriter talks about deception.

"I tell you everybody's in the same mess. We all are. I'll be the first to tell you, I'm a mess. God is dealing with me everyday, everyday telling me how I can be less of a mess. He showed me, 'Look Lauryn, you have a problem, I'm gonna show you how you're causing the problem, and now I want you to be the solution. And that's what all these songs are about: Problem---Cause---and Solution."

"Free your mind, you know."

"We all think that the Gospel is: joining a church building. That's deception. The real Gospel is repent. That means let go of all that crap that's killing you. Life is supposed to be a pleasurable experience not this torment. I realized I was tormenting myself. It wasn't about things that I needed, all these security blankets. The more I acquired, the more I became a prisoner."

"I was measuring myself, trying to compare myself to a standard that wasn't reality. It wasn't the standard at all. It says in scripture that we compare ourselves amongst ourselves. That's not the standard! You already are the standard! What are you trying to fit into a standard for? We were each created to be individual standards. So after all that, I'm just ready to be me."

"We all fit ourselves into the little boxes purposely because of the parts of ourselves that we're unhappy about and we don't love. It's sad--there's this false social doctrine that says, the invincible God with all His expression, who created every single one of us absolutely different, on purpose, wants everybody to fit into the same suit.

I'm like---you know what? That's deception."

~Lauryn Hill

An international justice lawyer talks about the means to end injustice:

"What is the plan to end suffering? We are the plan. Injustice is a particular kind of sin, the abuse of power. It is the taking away of good things God intended for humanity."

"We feel powerless. The most difficult thing for the world to believe about faith is that God is good. However, God asks each of us, What do you have to offer? Remember when I fed the 5,000 with a small boy's lunch? I do miracles out of what you offer me. Offer Him what you have and He will provide the miracle."