Update on Northwest Hammered Dulcimer event

For those who aren't on the NWHDS list, the next event is Aug 4-6 2006.

Not only do we get to have Mick Doherty and Rick Fogel,
we also are priviledged to welcome back Carolyn Cruso.

A downloadable registration form and further info can be found here.

Biggest Obstacle/Challenge

Do you remember a wonderful animated short entitled, "Getting Started" by Richard Condie? (He also did The Big Snit) They were produced under the umbrella of the Film Board Nat'l Du Canada?
Anyway, if you have never seen it,
find it.
And see it.
Your library may even have the full DVD version of this.
(If you can find the collection, you must also watch "The Sweater." My dad grew up in this same era, and honestly, if you are Canadian or of French Canadian decent, you surely must love this!)

BACK ON TRACK:

Anyway, Richard Condie's Getting Started, illustrates perfectly my ongoing obstacles when it comes to working from home.

(*Looks at pile of dishes, vacuum-craving carpets, laundry etc....*)

Must...focus!...MUST... go...into studio and...work...

Local Hammered Dulcimer Teacher Makes Good!

My hammered Dulcimer teacher, Mick Doherty, (Far Left) went on a trip for Mercy Corps to Korea, with some other band mates (Eddie Parente, Marv and Rindy Ross of the Trail Band) and Public Broadcasting has aired a piece about it.
There are sound files and articles to download at OPB.org (Oregon Public Broadcasting) documenting this cross- cultural musical outreach.
Click here for further information about Mercy Corps, and here for more information regarding their work in North Korea.

Prepping to bury a hero

The family of PFC Tucker has announced the date and location of the public memorial service for their son, who arrived home yesterday.

Most of my own personal processing of this has occurred at Blue Max's Sanctuary Blog.

Madras is a small farming town north of Bend by about 30 minutes. Like most small towns, it is a close-knit community, and when "it hits the fan" the people bind together.

Impromptu Pik Nik

Just south of Town, beneath Tam MacArthur Rim which is adjacent to the Sisters Mountains, (out of the shot on the right).
At 6500 Ft above sea level, I can tell you we are alot cooler than my kids at camp up near Portland. Just beyond the trees at the far end of the meadows, is Three Creeks Lake, but the lake was still snowed in so we couldn't swim. :o(


What you can't see in the photo above, is the lovely little creek that meanders all across these meadows. In July, Aug and September there are clots of fly fisherman all over the meadow and they do pull enough trout out of here to make this lake and its Alpine Meadow Creeks a destination. Another thing you can't see in these photos is how deep these creeks are -even in the narrow spots some are almost 5 feet deep.



Here is Kenz trying to get me to put down the Krappy-Cam (which is the only camera I had handy on this day) and open up her sub sandwich for her.


Bonne appetit!

(That was directed at the Mosquitos. We got eaten ALIVE! As I am sure you can imagine. June + Alpine Lake = mosquitos)

(And that is about all the math I can handle today.)

Trout Creek Bible Camp

So I took all the girls to camp 3 hours north yesterday (Monday) and Today there are camp fotos.
Yay!
From the Left:
Kelly, Elle, Katherine and Scout, and the CIT and counselor.
(I think "Relay" is one of the counselors)



















And of course
this is a better
camp-foto of
Katherine and Scout.
(Katherine was actually the model for my photo-manip entitled Hooded Mermaid)

Mindless Hate

People say many things.
They say this war is about oil.
They say this is a war concocted by a glory hungry man on a religious bent, who currently sits in the White House.

I can point to a grieving Tucker family in Madras and their friends.
I can point to the Mindless Hate that drove his killers in this obscene act of retaliation.
It is not my President, nor my oil sucking neighbors and self that have created this war.
It is a Mindless Hate declaring that all who live must submit (in this case to Allah) or die.
There is global intent, and we can't bury our heads in the sand.

There is nothing new under the sun.

This is the same Mindless Hate, that tried (is still trying unsuccessfully?)to exterminate all of the Jews.
The same Mindless Hate that drives pedophiles to seek their prey at My Space and similar venues. This Mindless Hate blows up strangers in foreign countries and Mindless Hate murders its own people. The same MIndless Hate that would devour the globe is not housed solely in AMerica or the Middle East, but it also thrives in Africa, in Uganda, Sudan, South Africa and China and Korea. It lives everywhere, and every generation strives with some form of it.
Who are you (we, me?) to think we can sleep snug in our beds? War is the Evil Norm and not the occasional catastrophe. War is the Human Spirit and Human Nature. War is the vehicle of Purest Evil to complete its goal : erase humanity. Erase all life.
This Mindless Hate kills for the sake of killing.
That is what we are fighting against.
That is what this war is about.

This Mindless Hate is always worth fighting.
No matter what the odds are.
Sometimes, it is not the outcome, but the battle that counts.

As an example, I might point to the epic story found in Lord of the Rings.
Impossible odds. Almost certain death, and yet holding fast and fighting on, to whatever end.
Evil is always worth battling, no matter what "fear of the outcome" that Evil might want to attempt to instill in our hearts in order to disuade us from participating in the battle to subdue it.

So instead of blaming Bush for this war, I point to the Mindless Hate living in the hearts of the Extremists who give in to it, and who succumb to the Will of Mindless Hate, aka Pure Evil.

Whether this war is won or lost, I don't know.
But we are fighting pure evil and not some oil war.

Bardic Traditions

Funny.
I have known for a long time that, in my dad's side of the family, each generation has one or two individuals who seem to be the "Story Keepers", remembering and recounting ancestral data and stories and having the internal desire to instill such knowledge in younger generations. My great grandfather was such a man, then his daughter, and then her son (my father) some how my brother was disinterested, but my heart was kindled with the old stories of our family and ancestors. I see it has now happened to my middle daughter. She actually laid a title to it today. We were speaking about who had been passing down the family stories and traditions, since the leaving of France to the coming to America. She suddenly stopped speaking, turned her head and said "Then I am the next Bard in our family." Wow. She identified the bardic tradition, the story keeper tradition, with what has occurred in our family. It was a deep and meaningful moment that I am sure, many people would say, "huh?" or "so what?"
To me, tradition and metaphorical meaning are the stuff of life.
One might also say,"So what. It is important to you and so you have managed to transmit that to your child."
Maybe.
Except that I have 3 children to whom I would dearly have loved to transmit my passion, but who do not share it - except the one.
Interesting.

Playing End of Ages

How depressing.
Being forced to give up on the "Revelation" due to technical differences, I proceed along the path to The End of Ages.

The Game proves that I am far too stupid to complete it.
It is in such moments that I am tempted to give up and give in.
But my heart longs to conquer these beautiful lands...
and yet it seems as though I am made of lesser stuff.

*sigh*

The never ending war between hope and lack of hope.

;o)

Am I too stupid, am I not?
Surely time will tell, for though I am tempted to give up, I can not. Ever.
So hard headed am I.
;o)

Remember When...

...Scout put this song on in the car the yesterday and gave me a major flashback!
I was suddenly transported back to 15 years old, sitting on the roof at about 11pm on a hot summer night listening to the radio...

Yummy Dummy - Mexican Casserole

hey this had very few ingredients and was REALLY good!
For an emergency, trot this one out at a potluck for rave revues at little cost(time and monetary) to you.
;O)


CHICKEN, GREEN CHILI, AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

1 tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 c. onions, chopped
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
1/4 tsp. cumin (if you have it ok if not, it doesn't matter)
12 flour tortillas, cut into bite size
3 c. cooked chicken, cubed
2 (4 oz.) cans green chilies
8 oz. Cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (I just added extra cheddar and skipped the M Jack)

Put butter and onions in small bowl; microwave on high until tender.
In large bowl, mix soup, sour cream, diced chilies, spice, and cooked onions.
Set aside. Layer half of cut up tortillas, chicken pieces, soup mixture, and cheeses in a 2 quart dish.
Repeat layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Cover with heavy duty plastic wrap and microwave on high for 12 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Serve with hot French bread, green salad, etc.

Eeeeeiwwwwww...

Previous tenant of this blogspace left old fudgesickle wrappers piled in the corner...

Gonna have to help clean up and organize- I don't know; a few rugs and a throw pillow or two...