Abuelito with all 3 grandkids

Isis, Tigerboy and Dallin were giggling and wiggling while I held all of them. I look like a Southwestern story teller ;-)
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Time is our noticing changes

Nothing is permanent. Life is changing. I am changing. I am not the same as I was as a child, although I am the same person who had those experiences. I do not remember every detail of my childhood. Yet, I am still here. My awareness of self is still intact.

The Earth, the stars, everything is in motion and everything is changing form. Energy changes to matter and matter changes to energy.

Only this moment exists. And in this moment change is taking place. Our bodies are not the bodies of our youth. Every cell has changed with whatever our body had eaten and absorbed. Thus it is with every thing that exists. It is so obvious and so simple. Everything is changing. Time is our noticing changes. A flower blooms. The petals change and fall. The flower blooms again and again and again and it changes again, and again and again.

Everything is changing. When we suffer, we hold on to a moment, a still photo of that moment and we forget that we are in motion. “This too shall pass” goes unnoticed. Change is still taking place, whether we notice it or not. It is just that our awareness has been stilted as we focus on a past moment or a perceived future which we base on a no longer existing past moment.

Awck! Words can’t convey the way music, or swimming or being in the immediate present can. When I move my awareness to the immediate present and intend joy, I become aware of only the immediate present and I can not suffer then.

Waiting in the rain was normal?

I shot this photo of Celeste when I was picking her up after her class at Green River Community College. Imagine that this scene is the norm in the Great North WET. I am so glad to be in sunny Long Beach again.

Trevor's graduation from UC Santa Barbara

Our nephew, Trevor, graduated from UC Santa BarbaraIf you click on the photograph you will see his smile.

Mushroom, Jessica, Brett, Celeste, Grant, Trevor, Denise

Brett, Grant, Trevor, Shari

Denise and Celeste at the graduation ceremony
Grant and Trevor at the graduation dinner in old town Santa Barbara

He sang the national anthem, a Capella.
I included a short 14 second clip.

We are all very proud of Trevor.

Joseph is a photographer

My nephew, Joseph is turning out to be a good photographer. He took a good photo of me recently and posted it on his MySpace.

Morning Sun Beams

I awoke this morning to the sweet warmth of the sun beams tenderly kissing my face as they slithered through the window blinds. “Awaken to a new day, Brother Mushroom”, they whispered. “You are safe, you are loved, you too will shine today. Awaken to a new day, Brother Mushroom. Awaken and continue to be a blessing to all those you meet today.
One of my first thoughts was, “Hey, I'm not on the ship.” During the Viet Nam war, it was so delightful to wake up knowing I was not on the ship. The ship had no windows in the berthing compartments (sleeping rooms). When the sun shine woke me up, I delightfully knew I was out of harm's way, far away from the guns, the rockets and the killing.
I am grateful for the sweet gift that I received this morning from Brother Sun.