I was talking to Bertha yesterday and happened to ask her if she had read the blog lately. She hasn't been on line this week at all because her Norton has expired and she has no protection because she was having problems subscribing online, so they advised her to buy the disc which she was hoping to find in Greenville yesterday. Anyway, I was telling her about Ben's post and that he had to speak on being mindful. Michele (at work) and I had gotten into a conversation about what being mindful meant. She said she thought it meant being polite so we settled on being considerate. I went to my trusty online dictionary and the main word meaning was aware. If someone told me they wanted me to speak on being mindful, I think I would draw a blank (could that be because I know nothing about being polite, considerate or aware?) I would have liked to have heard all of Ben's talk. Maybe at the next family gathering he will share with us. Flowers are starting to bloom in our yard and Farmer Ed has started to till his garden.

the outlaws - 2

Saw Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard last night at Radio City! Asleep At The Wheel was their backing band; Ray Price, the 81-year-old songwriter behind "Please Release Me," opened the show. Merle's "Big City, Turn Me Loose," probably got the best reaction.

This makes twice now I've seen Merle -- for my 19th birthday, Mom & Dad & I saw him within earshot of Dad's machine shop at a club called Dillon's. The building has gone by several names before and since -- I recall it first as the Wrangler outlet where 6-year-old Barry got a big promotional Dale Earnhardt poster (I hung it next to them Duke boys). Aside from a beautiful poster of the Space Shuttle Challenger taking off, which I destroyed by rolling it up and batting it around the house (an unconsciously symbolic gesture), I can't recall having any other posters until I reached high school.

Layton Reunion

Everyone needs to save the first Sunday in May for the Layton Reunion. The Emma Margaret Layton Byrum family are the hosts this year and everyone who can help will be needed. Not sure what all we have to do but I'm sure there'll be enough work to go around.

test test testing

Just wanted to see if I can post. Is Bertha still having trouble? I had to use a different web browser.

Good luck to our Tar Heels in the NCAAs (Gene, your Hokies screwed my brackets all up -- maybe next year). Jeremy & Cathy are entertaining notions of a trip up here when the Wolfpack advances in the NIT tournament (finals are up here at Madison Square Garden -- I watched Carolina lie down against Gonzaga during Thanksgiving at the NIT pre-season tourney at MSG -- would have been much more satisfying to have come home instead). Don't know if they're serious, but I'd love to see them (bring scotcharoos).

Love to y'all.

something to think about

I have to speak to a group Wednesday night about being mindful.... I am closing the lecture with this.. Just wanted to pass it along because it rings true for me... :)

The Invitation ~ by Oriah Mountain Dreamer


The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Thanks, Cathy for sharing the pictures with us. You girls should see my wreath. When I got home, I had put it on the table on the deck. When Cecil had come over and came in the back door, she had Debbie, who was here go and look at my wreath and she talked about how beautiful it was.
WELL, you should see it now. I left it on the deck and while I was in Las Vegas it rained. The pine cones closed up and the nuts have popped off. It's beginning to dry out again and is beginng to look better, but when it's dry, I'll have to glue my nuts back on. All that work. We had a good time in Las Vegas. I only had to yell at Cecil once and she realized that I had good cause. Talk to all soon.