Jackson's Actions

All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire. --Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC) <

Received this video this morning from my dear French friends in Saint Vougay. This is their trip to the American military cemetery where my father and the crew of his B-17 are buried. (Thomas Morgan, William Thompson and Andrew Jackson, my dad, are the graves they photographed here). Iffig held the camera, and his son, Guenole and wife, Martine are in the video at the end. A lovely tribute to Memorial Day and to the fallen dead who they say saved Brittany from the Nazis.

I visited in 2008, and these lovely people will be friends of mine forever. They are the kindest and most respectful friends one could ask for. This cemetery is very beautiful and I thought captured well in Iffig's video.

The video takes a bit of time to open (my ignorance of loading such things on this website) but hopefully by the time you read this, it will open?




##

Carol Peters invited me to read for the poetry series she manages at the Charleston Library (which was fun and I met her lovely poetry community) and then we did some sightseeing for the four days I stayed with her.

Angel Oak is a 1500 year old behemoth which is a must see. Carol lives on James Island where their park system is incredible. We also saw the Caa Caa Interpretive Center, about 600 plus acres of former rice fields (worked by slaves ) which are now converted to a wildlife sanctuary with alligators, birds, turtles, and much more.

We had a great time. Here is my photo album.




If you want a slower experience, try this link:

Slideshow

##

Red bellied woodpecker


Sandling


Blue Jay


Cardinal (male)


Blue bird


Duck


Mourning Dove


Interior lining

This video of Deborah Digges reading her poetry in Pasadena, March 2009 (one month before her suicide) is a gift. I wasn't familiar with her work until now, and what a waste, what a loss.

Listen to the last poem "Broom" and weep.

Elizabeth Gilbert's talk on Creative Genius

Elizabeth Gilbert faced down a premidlife crisis by doing what we all secretly dream of – running off for a year. Her travels through Italy, India and Indonesia resulted in the megabestselling and deeply beloved memoir Eat, Pray, Love, about her process of finding herself by leaving home.

She’s a longtime magazine writer – covering music and politics for Spin and GQ – as well as a novelist and short-story writer. Her books include the story collection Pilgrims, the novel Stern Men (about lobster fishermen in Maine) and a biography of the woodsman Eustace Conway, called The Last American Man. Her work has been the basis for one movie so far (Coyote Ugly, based on her own memoir, in this magazine article, of working at the famously raunchy bar), and now it looks as if Eat, Pray, Love is on the same track, with the part of Gilbert reportedly to be played by Julia Roberts. Not bad for a year off.

Gilbert also owns and runs the import shop Two Buttons in Frenchtown, New Jersey.

"Gilbert is irreverent, hilarious, zestful, courageous, intelligent, and in masterful command of her sparkling prose."
Booklist

First I met a masseuse named Martia who utterly inspired me in body and mind. She has convinced me to drink water. I don't drink water. Six glasses a day.

Then she convinced me to read "A New Earth" (Eckhart Tolle). None of this information is new to me, but it is all utterly 'forgotten' so I am reacquainted with
who I really am.

Then the book recommended to me by a good friend arrived. "The Field" which is another scientific facet of this woo woo world I live in.

And now, some lovely girl on Facebook invited me to be her friend, and she had this
video posted to her page. Kismet.

I LOVE this concept. It fits all the constructions in my tiny mind about creativity.
It fits what the poet, Mary Oliver, said about "that wild, silky part of ourselves" which won't show up unless the poet shows up at her desk to write.

Last week was my week to indulge myself in buying stuff. Stuff I love, I might add.

This week is my week to be reinspired with the wonder of this world.

Thank you Amy, Martia, Louise...all those dear friends who I love so much.

##

When I woke up this early morning, snow had actually stuck to the ground. (it usually melts within minutes.) What a pretty sight. These are the white pine that line my
driveway and are huge and likely 80 years old.



But they don't clear these country roads up where I live, so I'm staying home today. Fred the Fit says "Brrrrrrr!" (and Henry, my cat, isn't going out at all either).



##

I love Asheville and the many friends I have here. This is a group of women who
assemble once a month to watch a movie, bring pot luck dinner, and just enjoy each other's company. In this case, four poets, one visual artist, and a writer of non-fiction met to share homemade soup, lettuce wraps, fruit salad, bread and cheese, wine and chocolate cake. And since our hostess has a brand new kitten, we had all the more fun with his antics.

Rachelle, our mostest Hostess.

Wendy, Mary, Karen, Pat and Bev (taken by Rachelle)

Pat and New Kitty

Mary filling the bread basket (great bread.)

Wendy and Karen enjoying the lettuce wraps and soup.

Rachelle aghast at the very thought~! (did someone mention guns?)

Put the kitty under the basket, and he'll travel with it like a turtle!

Beautiful Michou, posing on his perch.

Karen in sweet faced listening

Mary enjoying a good laugh. (she does often)

Michou finds a hidey hole (under the TV)

Michou doesn't sit still for long however.

Mary catching me in the act of snap.

Wendy, Mary, Karen, Bev, Rachelle (taken by Pat).

Wendy's book on Options (stock market savvy) comes out soon~!


I pre-ordered my copy already. And I'm going to try doing it too!!

##