My family and I spent a year living in Mellette, South Dakota, my mother’s home town. My folks rented the house for $25 a month. This was the year that my father was stationed in Saigon, South Vietnam. This photo has my cousin Jan (left) and I (right), near the house in Mellette. That’s my brother Dennis’ bike near the porch. The year was punctuated with a blizzard that winter–it snowed for three days. When it did quit snowing we had to force open the screen door you see in the photo to escape the house. The snow drifted up to the rooftops.
Living in South Dakota was such a departure from life anywhere else. I have memories stored away, and bring them out occasionally.
Sometimes serendipity is your guide when you launch your browser and cruise the web.
One day whilst browsing 43 Folders (*see below)I read an article, clicked a link and was transported (digitally and mentally) to a website that held me in rapt attention–it is very cool!
Thru-You.com is the brain-child of Kutiman a musical artist from Israel. It is sort of a mash-up of music videos posted on YouTube. On there own, most of the ‘musicans’ in Kutiman’s music videos are rank amateurs, but chopped, diced and kneaded together they absolutely shine. Check it out–see and feel the power of music, and YouTube.
*43 Folders is focused on an arc about how to improve the quality of your career and life by managing your attention in a way that allows you to work your ass off on the creative projects that matter most to you. –Merlin Mann, founder.
In a nondescript storefront in Shelton, Washington there is a restaurant that delights the senses. I was lucky enough to be there tonight to celebrate my birthday (5 days past). Don and Marilyn (my father and mother-in-law) met Diane and I there for a lovely evening enjoying Xinh’s culinary talents and a good wine from Shelton. Halibut with a tomato, garlic, basil sauce… mmmmmmm… Xinh’s.
If you are ever in the Northwest, I kid you not, do yourself a favor and stop by Xinh’s for a memorable night of seafood delights. Everything I have eaten there has been edible bliss. Look here: http://www.xinhsrestaurant.com/
On June 12, 2009, an unusually warm Northwest day, Angie received her bachelor degree from Evergreen State College. The 3-hour, outdoor ceremony was bathed in sunshine. The Evergreen State College is known for costumed graduates during commencement ceremonies (click on the photo gallery and you’ll see some) and left-leaning speakers. One speaker (he is a lawyer, and is purposely unnamed) ranted randomly regarding Bush policies, while the other was refreshingly coherent, and had comments in keeping with the day–David Whyte (he is a poet).
After the ceremony we retired to Angie and Bryan’s house for a potlatch to celebrate the day. In keeping with the main purpose of the potlatch (the redistribution of wealth), there were some priceless stories told, and memories made.
Diane and I said our farewells in Virginia and headed for home yesterday, starting our trek at 1:00PM EDT. We drove to Richmond, boarded our flight to JFK in NYC.
JFK - Not the place you want to fly into...
Once on the ground at JFK (what has to be one of the ugliest big city airports in the world) we were informed that our flight would be postponed for an hour. We ate, watched the sparrow that lived in the airport bath in the drinking fountain and waited. We eventually was pushed to 9:15PM EDT, but actually took off sometime around 9:45PM EDT. We finally arrived in Seattle a few minutes after midnight, and after gathering luggage and the drive home (thanks Angie for driving us home!) we finally put our heads to pillows around 2:00AM.
Diane went back to work this morning. I am working on yardwork at home.
We stopped in Port Republic, Virginia for a ‘reenactment’ that we saw advertised on a sign the day before. As we arrived this morning, just beyond the sign was a bivouac of union and confederate troops on the lawn near Highway 253.
I was told in school that the American Civil War ended in 1865, but I’ve also heard that it is still being fought in parts of this country. Today was the first time I’ve had actual evidence that the war still continues.
The four trips Diane and I have made to Virginia have taught me a couple things — Virginia is a southern state, and the people who live here speak southern!
On one of our trips to Virginia last year we visited Jefferson’s Monticello. There was a large group of schoolchildren waiting in line to go into the home where we overheard this conversation between two girls:
Girl One: “Whatcha doin’?”
Girl Two: “I’m justa sittin’ here hangin’ witcher mama!”
Monthly internet access $45, iMac $1289, Skype free, video chats with daughter, son-in-law and grandson PRICELESS!
Seeing Ziren via Skype is a great way to spend an evening. His new tricks, sounds and facial expressions are brought to life and we can experience them! Yet another reason I love technology!
The four trips Diane and I have made to Virginia have taught me a couple things — Virginia is a southern state, and the people who live here 
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