With wisdom, strength, and beauty

These are my days since returning to teaching. With grand Live Oaks greeting the sunrise and math students appreciative to work in a small group away from the noise of their packed classroom. It’s a nice way to begin and end a work day.

The release in stepping outside under a bright blue sky knowing you’ll see a sun dog, and you do. A knowing tree helps me block the sun as I look up to smile and soak it all in. No car to drive, but my feet to take me home in under fifteen.

There is a gift in this.

An opportunity.

In the wait

I had about 30 minutes while waiting for my daughter, second time in one week, so I parked my car and stepped out to enjoy the changing light and clouds. Across the street was a baptist church with two crucifixes. One set high and the other lower in the parking lot. The power line silhouette looked like a third cross, and I was taken by how the three looked against the sky. A large military plane flew in the distance roaring with the hum of the traffic of nearby Interstate 10.

     

As I was taking this last shot, a woman driving an old white van with square windows running down both sides pulled to my side of the street, which was against the traffic for her. She rolled down her window and asked, "What do you see there?" For whatever reason I felt unsettled about her approach, but still answered her briefly. She maneuvered the vehicle as to park and then asked, "You a member of this church?" I quickly replied no and walked behind her van to cross the street to my car. She didn't get out, waited a moment, then pulled away. The whole interaction had an "X-File" feel to it because she seemed peculiar in her mannerisms. Of course I would have been grateful for Mulder and Scully to have stepped out from the church parking lot at that moment and show me their ID, but that didn't happen. I'll always wonder about that interaction, and would like to return to the location to shake it off a bit with another '30 minute shoot'.

#30minuteshoot #sunset #clouds #batonrouge

We can't go back, sweet girl

Sparkle walked me to what was the field tonight. I think it had been some time, and I do know each visit breaks my heart in different ways. This session left me feeling a distance to what once was. I suppose that's because there is less familiar to appreciate. Even my 'redefine your space' meditation brought me only inches closer to a feeling of security.

A larger pile of debris and building materials welcomed our entry into the grassy entrance. With further passage in, the old gate opening, which used to stand there on its own without surrounding fences, is now gone. The new street and stop signs were up, their vertical presence in the place of the old, tall trees.

We went across the dried and cracked soil spilled into the streets over the concrete curbs, and sat down in a spot looking back at the sunset. The tree I thought they were to remove stood there as a silhouette while a new resident of the development, actually a neighbor we know, rode her back by us for a few rounds of late day exercise.

I had held onto the comfort and quiet of the pasture for the handful of years Sparkle and I walked it together. Here I was tonight knowing it was really gone. How long does it take to say goodbye and how long can you hold it in your heart.

"We can't go back, sweet girl," I told her.

I wonder if in her dog ways she somehow remembers the green, too.

The Revivalists at the Varsity Theatre - March 11, 2017

           

Last Sunday night at this time I was exiting The Revivalists show at Baton Rouge's Varsity Theatre feeling content and psyched that I finally saw them again. My heart still races a bit and I'm smilin' big as I review the photos.

My spot at the right corner of the stage under Ed Williams and his pedal steel guitar makes it look like I was sitting on stage with them.

It was THE spot for David Shaw planting it right in front of me for Fade Away. Melt. 

I love how he connects with the crowd throughout. I'm always taken in good ways by the energy wave moving through us. So taken, that I lost sense of his location on stage while panning the crowd during Bulletproof. Where's David Shaw? Yup, behind me. I gotta giggle. 

(Note that his appearances stage right were reason for high fives with one of the guys next to me who had never seen them before. I had clued him in before the set that he'd be happy with the location.)

               

The band and crowd were so psyched that Maggie Koerner, who opened the night, returned for the encore. 

I'll always remember this show as the one that got me back out on my own to live music since my good friend, Skip, passed away this past August. He's the one who introduced me to this band, and I first saw them live with him and his brother in October 2014. I missed him in the midst very much, and immersing in these sounds and vibes was both tender and healing for the soul. 

Thank you, Revivalists.

#therevivalists #livemusic #batonrouge #varsitytheatre #nolalove #iPhone6s #lightforafriend

My baptism into a town hall experience with Senator Bill Cassidy

People showed up in Denham Springs! The intention of Senator Bill Cassidy's Town Hall was to provide an opportunity for locals to address their concerns about flood recovery. He had a team of government FEMA officials with him to answer questions and encouraged people to have their questions answered. This was a positive and good move for those in need.

Non-flood and flood related questions, written on note cards from those in attendance before the meeting's start, were answered by him from the podium. 

ACA's repeal and replace response went 50/50 with cheers and boos. Well, we have folks here who don't like Donald Trump. Surprised? 

On 45's tax returns, he's for transparency without mention of cahones to do something about it.

What will he do to battle Jeff Sessions voter repression? Prove who you are. It's not asking too much to show a photo ID.

Is he limiting constituents engagement with him? "Thank y'all for being here today." 5,000 calls a week are coming in! DC and LA both getting calls, and they're wanting to put priority on LA calls who are having a tough time getting through. In particular, it is those who don't like DT who are calling. You know, most class are from CA and Oregon. If you call back 2 or 3 times, there are better chances of speaking to someone. He wishes he could answer everyone. Watch for FB live. Send email.

The sea level rises and there's climate change, yet there's a push to move away from regulations. Our state has a master plan for the next 50 years. DT's plan for greater use of US natural gas instead of China's will decrease emissions overall. It'll be a plus for emissions. DT's pipelines good for job creation and money, too. Need to put funds into the coastline restoration. @Stephen Poss, I believe there was a shout out to you within his discussion about Mother Earth. Of course I smiled.

After one hour he wrapped things up, but a women in the crowd shouted out for more time. He didn't expect the turnout and request, and an older gentleman called out, "You'd think you know by now!" BC said he'd address questions on a more personal level once done.

Once he left the stage, he was surrounded by reporters seeking clarification about his responses. I scooted into the huddle to listen in. I was not alone in raising my eyebrows throughout as he spoke of the goodness of DT. Those boos from 50% of the crowd were just because they don't like him, not because of the ideas. How can you not like a replacement of Obamacare that's cheaper and in your hands? A woman nearby muttered, 'No, no' as he went on in DT support.

Overall, I greatly appreciate the opportunity with Senator Bill Cassidy. I will do it again if just to join with others to listen and lift voices. I'll go to be inspired by the efforts of others - the mom with 4 little children making the long drive, the woman acknowledging other's attendance, the reporter from New Zealand collecting town hall stories, and the family still in temp housing after the flood seeking answers. Citizen activation has a learning curve, and I think that the senator walked out of there learning, too. A gathering intended for discussion of flood recovery also had a strong representation of LA citizens who are paying attention and demanding accountability from him and the president. Red state, red district, shared human concerns.

I also better know what to say to him in a follow-up note. He presented himself as a Donald man instead of a discerning senator listening to the people's voices. What will he do to change his ways so I know that, while he supports the DT's vision, he is making sure to support legislation that protects the people and our planet. While I appreciate his time, I don't support his apparent DT allegiance belittling our sincere concerns.

May his town hall in Metarie on Wednesday continue the wave of raised voices. Really, you don't like Donald Trump? In Louisiana?

Emily McMains, your calm wisdom. If I could only bottle it. Thank you.

#senatorbillcassidy #townhall #forthepeople #louisana #showupdiveinstayatit

#bikeyourcity

When able, I've been cycling to local destinations instead of jumping into my car. Here's a quick shot of the view while waiting for the green at Stanford and Perkins. Our roads desperately need major crosswalk maintenance and dedicated bike lanes.

#cycleyourcity #bikebatonrouge#wecandobetter #cloudreport #mybikestory

Crystalline

Baton Rouge's rare freezing temps for the past two nights gifted us with beautiful stories of science and art. These images each hold a moment of awe and curiosity to which I return with appreciation.

#ice #blue #earthforce #science