I heard the poem below read today, and was stuck by the universality of the message - how it rang true to the Buddhist teachings in a way that I can't imagine Mr. Longfellow might have known. "Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, is our destined end or way". Indeed.



A Psalm of Life

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream! --
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Find us farther than today.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our heats, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead
Act,- act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead.

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
a forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us then be up and doing,
with a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

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Donald Olander June 18, 1948 - April 18, 2005

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Our friend Ducky was one of just a few close friends we have anywhere. We only saw him occasionally - but we could be completely at ease with each other, and always found things to laugh about. We would get together for meals out, and to chat about our lives and the cast of characters that populate them.

But we didn't have dinner with Duck two Fridays ago as we had planned. He called the night before to say he was going to finish preparing his tax return Friday for that day's filing dealine. As they say, the only two things you can be sure of in this life...

He called again on Sunday and left a message for us, then again on Monday. Pat tried to return his call, but there was no answer.

That Monday night, probably just after he called and left the last message on our phone, he stopped being the person we knew. The life-force that had organized all his elements into the amiable self that we knew had moved on to wherever such forces go when their time in our presence is over.

We enjoyed his humor and his admired his appreciation for what life had to offer. We will miss him - his appearance and good nature, and his funny vocal mannerisms.

Goodbye Duck.

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When sister Mona was here a month or so ago, she wanted to get pictures of a house like ours with a big palm next to it, and some calla lillies, which grow here in elegant abundance. Somehow she never got around to this, and asked me to get photos to send her. This post is to make those pictures available for her and anyone else who stops by...



Here are links to an additional palm photo and yet another.

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A month without a new post - so much for my new writing discipline.

The truth is, there just hasn't been much inspiration in recent weeks. I put a lot of effort into being positive about work and our temporary living arrangements, and try to find a little time to read and manage the finances - maybe see a DVD movie now and then, but not much more.



But Pat stopped in Fort Collins (here is the official city web site) to check the area on his way to the East coast for work, and now we may be on a track similar to the one we had before for a several-year stint in the Front Range prior to cutting loose for part-time or full-time life in Mexico. Funny - we passed the area many times on our way to and from the ranch in Wyoming - but never thought to check it out while we were there.



Now we feel we would be more comfortable in Fort Collins than Denver fifty miles south - smaller city ambiance, college town, some agriculture nearby - and closer to the ranch in Wyoming too. Still convenient to the DEN airport though. Also housing appear to be about 25-35% less expensive than Denver (which is already 50% of the cost of Alameda) for comparable homes. There is also high-tech presence there with some big name employers and decent-size facilities. And of course, network engineers are a generic requirment for all communities, so with patience there should be an opportunity there if we eventually relocate.

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