Refection — Image by kenne
Where am I?
Where do I want to be?
Is more effort needed?
An assessment
may create more questions,
in an upside-down world
where the normal order
is reversed.
Effort is good,
but too much is bad.
Can the key to life
be knowing how much effort
is enough?
“The more I try to stay
on top of water
the more I sink,
but when I try to sink,
I float.”
— kenne
(A version of this poem was first written in December of 2006.)
Stevie Ray Vaughn Image Source: SRV Official Site
In a few more months, it will have been 21 years since the death of Stevie Ray Vaughn. In my book, he remains the greatest guitarist ever.
kenne
Lyle, by Chuck Close — Source: Pace Prints
Sisters — Image by kenne
Leon Russell — Image Source: Wikipedia
Leon Russell was in Tucson this last May and sadly, we missed him.
You know a musician is good when he is able to play successfully in any genre: pop, rock, blues, country, bluegrass, standards, gospel, etc. — did I mention that he’s a great songwriter! Russell was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Monday, March 14, 2011.
kenne
Kenne, Kika & Joy, June 21, 2010
Looking back, I’m unsure which of us may have experienced the most anxiety. One might think it would be the cat (Kika), but Joy would probably argue that point. We had arrived in Tucson 36 hours before the moving van, so after unpacking the cars, we headed over to the Windmill Suites in St. Phillips Plaza for the night.
You might ask, why 53 weeks out rather than one year — I miscalculated, thinking we had arrived on the 28th rather than the 21st. Regardless, a lot has happened in the last 53 weeks, so much so it could be a short story. When all things are considered, we have done a lot to create a new home with the basics of life — friends, acquaintances, and circles of connectivity. Looking back, it amazes us how what we have been able to accomplish in 53 weeks — if only we had more visitors.
We are now looking forward to year two in the desert southwest, which will include more settling in contrasted with more traveling. The following poem is titled “Birthday,” but could have very easily been titled “Life.”
Turned around,
Here am I.
Knowing how,
Not the why.
Young in heart
Old in age.
Feeling the itch,
Pacing the cage.
Inner peace,
Knowing the thou.
Learning to write
Thesis of now.
Turned around,
Found love.
Living the moment,
Free as a dove.
Still learning,
When to talk.
Listening for,
Beat of the walk.
Reality is now,
Truth in the heart.
Singing the knowledge,
Requiem to smart.
Turned around,
Found beauty in art.
Traveling the future,
With Dylan and Descartes.
— kenne
Desert Columbine — Image by kenne
Jose Antonio Vargas — Image Source: The Village Voice – Blogs
“One August morning nearly two decades ago, my mother woke me and put me in a cab. She handed me a jacket. “Baka malamig doon” were among the few words she said. (“It might be cold there.”) When I arrived at the Philippines’ Ninoy Aquino International Airport with her, my aunt and a family friend, I was introduced to a man I’d never seen. They told me he was my uncle. He held my hand as I boarded an airplane for the first time. It was 1993, and I was 12.” Read more . . .
Gathering outside the Mount Lemmon Community Center for a hike up Turkey Run & other roads on Mount Lemmon — Image by kenne
An article in Saturday’s Arizona Daily Star began, “Hikers — barred from their favorite high mountain trails because of extreme fire danger — are not about to pull off their boots and backpacks and stay home.”
It’s all about finding alternatives, which is exactly what the groups I hike with have done. Twice a week, we carpool the 25-plus miles to Summerhaven on Mount Lemmon to hike/walk the non-national forest roads on the mountaintop. Although not as secluded and adventurous as the trails, there’s still plenty to see with the help of experienced hikers and naturalist in our groups.
Yesterday we hiked up Turkey Run, starting at the intersection of Turkey Run and Sabino Canyon Park, to other roads nearing the top of the ski-lift area. The following video is of still shots I took. You can also see the individual photos by clicking here.
A Customs and Border Patrol agent patrols along the international border in Nogales, AZ. Click here for more images on immigration.
The summer solstice at Stonehenge, near Salisbury in England, Tuesday, June 21, 2011 — Source: boston.com
Brazilian Glass Art
This is layered glass art, creating a plant that is in your face. Or is it a face in your plant — you decide!
This is our latest art addition, which sits on a stand that’s on a table by a window so the light can shine through. We found this piece while at the Temcula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival a few weeks ago.
kenne
Image by kenne
A major element of the process of learning is the exchange of ideas. Today, one of the best ways for sharing ideas is through social media. People from all walks of life can more easily stay engaged, as they are often not aware of the goals, priorities, and constraints of others, especially in their circles of influence. The key to sharing ideas is the enabling of passion around an idea, which is the result of “contagious collaboration.”
Recently I read an article in the Atlantic, titled:
The 14 Biggest Ideas of the Year — A GUIDE TO THE INTELLECTUAL TRENDS THAT, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, ARE SHAPING AMERICA RIGHT NOW. (PLUS A BUNCH OF OTHER IDEAS, INSIGHTS, HYPOTHESES, AND PROVOCATIONS.)
14. The Green Revolution Is Neither
13. The Maniac Will Be Televised
12. The Players Own the Game
11. Gay Is the New Normal
10. Bonds Are Dead (Long Live Bonds)
9. The Next War Will Be Digitized
8. Grandma’s in the Basement (and Junior’s in the Attic)
7. Public Employee, Public Enemy
6. Wall Street: Same as It Ever Was
5. The Arab Spring Is a Jobs Crisis
4. Elections Work
3. The Rich Are Different From You and Me
2. Nothing Stays Secret
1. The Rise of the Middle Class—Just Not Ours
You may or may not agree that these are the 14 biggest ideas of the year, but you can learn more by clicking here.
It’s not a coincidence that the parent company of The Atlantic is the Atlantic Media Company, who partners with the Aspen Institute to put on the Aspen Ideas Festival, currently taking place in Aspen with people that truly understand the joy of ideas. What better source for a festival.
kenne
(Image source: Google Images)
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