I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
What I have been telling you, from alpha to omega, what is the one great thing the sigil taught me — that everything in life is miraculous. For the sigil taught me that it rests within the power of each of us to awaken at will from a dragging nightmare of life made up of unimportant tasks and tedious useless little habits, to see life as it really is, and to rejoice in its exquisite wonderfulness. If the sigil were proved to be the top of a tomato-can, it would not alter that big fact, nor my fixed faith. No Harrowby, the common names we call things by do not matter — except to show how very dull we are ...
November 29, 2014 - 1:15 p.m.
I didn't write yesterday I should be champing at the bit today but I'm not. I'm having trouble writing. That's more reason for me to write. I am sad but I had a happy few days and recounting them will make me feel better.
So last you heard I was in bed in my room at Emily and Joe's house. I told you that I had monsters under my bed that turned into children when I looked. They left shorting after I wrote that. But the children came back just as I posted. That delayed my going downstairs to talk to the adults. It's pretty hard to leave when you have three delightful little girls crawling all over and under your bed and playing on your computer and your smart phone. I am pretty much a sucker for kids and dogs. There were plenty of both around.
When I finally made it downstairs to talk to Sarah and Drew who I had heard talking. I didn't bother getting dressed as they are part of the Steeple Tent Camp at Falcon Ridge and are used to me stumbling into camp every morning dressed that way to Kramer food and coffee. When I got downstairs I found that Drew's family was there too. Well I wasn't going to run upstairs and make myself presentable. So if first impressions are what count I will forever be the schlub in the hoodie to them. Do I remember their names? Hey I remember his father is Chris and his brother Scott. Why I got it wrong at first. I bet hi mother has a name too. I'd wager good money that not only does she have one but that I was told it and heard it said many times. I'd wager the money because I'm smart enough to understand both probability and that I'm an idiot. Oh Amy was there too. I am not exactly sure who Amy is but I sat next to her, liked her, and don't think she is related to anyone there. I'll probably find out I got her name wrong and it's really something like Zelda. I also didn't mention Emily's father Steve aka Grumpy. He was there before I arrived the day before so I was thinking of him as one of the givens but you don't know that. And of course there were Joe, Emily, and the three fine daughters of Farmer Brown. Well OK they aren't Farmer Brown's but I know that people would appreciate the reference.
What happened next? I know there was bacon involved. When I'm at that house there is usually bacon involved. I know that we played Cards Against Humanity. It was my first time. It was a lot of fun. We didn't get to do what Sarah and I wanted to, fill out the blank cards. We'll do it at FRFF. On the way home I thought of making them all about Falcon Ridge. Actually I want to make own version of the game, Cards Against Falcon Ridge. There could be cards like "Making a stew of the emerging artists" and "Grand Slambovian orgy."
What's with spell check it didn't know the words schlep, hoodie, or Slambovian?
Come dinner time we were joined by Kathy and Joe's brother who I met the day before and so I certainly know his name and there's no need for me to show off that I know it here. Have I mentioned everyone? Is that possible? I do these things geographically but it was a long table and I was near one end so I could be missing someone at the far end that I couldn't see from my seat.
Now for the food. You know I'm not going to leave that out. I didn't eat it but I do have to mention that there was cranberry sauce with bacon in it. I forgot what food Emily gave me that prompted me to say, "Have I told you that I love you lately?" Apparently I have said that to her before with a similar prompt.
I filled my plate with heirloom turkey, mashed potatoes, and French stuffing. What makes it French? It' not bread it's pork, beef, and mashed potatoes. It's essentially a hash. Oh and it has cinnamon! Steve made the mashed potatoes with heavy cream. See why I love these people?
Then came the desserts. Emily made apple pie, at my request, and cheesecake. Kathy brought chocolate trifle. I thought all trifle was chocolate but it isn't The others are clearly lesser trifles. There was also homemade whipped cream. I had dessert; apple pie and cheese cake with whipped cream, dessert of dessert, the trifle, and dessert of the dessert of the dessert, apple pie topped by trifle. Let's just call that heaven on earth.
Then we moved the tables to the side and came to the thing that led me to know these people, music. We're not musicians but that doesn't mean we can't sing. Joe played guitar and we sang our hearts out. We sang Dave & Tracy, The Kennedys, Eddie from Ohio, and the Nields, yes I sang Easy People with the easy people. All things you might expect from people I met at Falcon Ridge but we also sang Bob Marley, The Monkees, and Da Vinci's Notebook. I should have made a set list. Oh Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Yes for tor the most part it was folk. We must have sung something by the Beatles, right? I know we sang a lot more than listed. Oh Dar, duh. When we did Iowa I took out my lighter app on my phone and I'd do it again. The Christians and the Atheists sat together at the table and not even the pumpkin pie was burning.
My bus home left at 5:30 PM on Friday. We couldn't quite get up the energy to get up and do anything out before then and that was fine. Before I went up when Emily asked me what I wanted to do I said play in the snow with the kids and that's what I did. The snow was ice and not well suited to making a snowman but we tried. We built something or other on the backyard swing. The kids sledded. We played "family." We were the snow family. We were too poor to buy any food and had to eat snow. We were too poor to be allowed into town. There was a $1,000,000 toll to keep people out. Think these kids have a sense of social justice? We built a wall around our home to keep the snow creatures out
Somehow I only took pictures of the pets to send to my animal loving friends. I was too busy to being a participant to be a photographer.
The one disappointment was that Carolyn couldn't come by after dinner. She is the kids' babysitter and comes with the family every year to Falcon Room. She has her own show at WMUA the UMass Amherst radio station. She has a show of nature songs and I call her and suggest songs most weeks. She knew I was leaving Friday afternoon so she came by Friday morning to say hi to me! She was seeing the rest of the family Saturday night for Second Thanksgiving. That was planned after I booked my bus. Oh well I can't be everywhere. But it felt so nice that she came by to see me. I got hugs and I got to see the kids play with her. They are going to each write a song "The Babysitter is Here" when they grow up and it won't be as poignant as Dar's as Carolyn is not dating a jerk.
Finally I had to bid everyone adieu and Joe drove me to South Station for the ride home.
I got there early as I wanted to. Even though I kept getting fed at their house I wanted something to eat just before the bus ride. I just had McDonald's fries and a donut. Then I boarded the bus. There I got to take advantage of having an A taken and boarded before the Bs and Cs. It's just a matter of registering with Bolt Bus. You should do it. Every ninth trip is free. Of course I am a bit upset with Bolt. On the way up the bus had no electrical outlets and the Wi-Fi only worked intermittently. It was very cold most of the trip and the seats were too narrow. The ride home was better. The seats were wider and the Wi-Fi worked. It was too warm at first then too cold but finally hit the sweet spot. There were AC outlets but they didn't work! I've talked about my computer being temperamental. When it was unplugged and turned off it wouldn't turn on. It would eventually but it took forever and it had to be plugged in. It's gotten better once it's plugged in it will start in a few minutes. But I had turned it off and with no AC I couldn't turn it on. That's why I didn't update last night. Sorry I know My Gentle Readers missed their Wise Madness fix. Please don't correct my delusion. On the bright side the bus got in almost a half hour early! it would have been faster but we got caught behind double parked cabs on a narrow street. I spent most of the time listening to music. Let me see what's on my recent play list. Carey Farrell; Radio by Your Side, The Arrogant Worms; Canada is Big, Shawna Caspi; Apartment for Lovers, Red Molly; the Red Album, and Robert Sarazin Blake; Robert Sarazin Blake
When I got home it took a few minutes the light saying it was plugged in came on and that meant it could be turned on. Any guesses what is wrong with it? It isn't the battery. If I take the battery out and plug it in it doesn't work.
Anyway I had a Thanksgiving to be thankful for. I was right, writing this made me feel better.
I signed the Pro-Truth Pledge:
please hold me accountable.
Memories: Not that Horrid Song - May 29, 2018
Wise Madness is Now In Session - May 28, 2018
The NFL and the First Amendment - May 27, 2018
On The Road Again - May 26, 2018
Oliver the Three-Eyed Crow - May 25, 2018
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Horvendile November 29, 2014
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