Turning Fifty Nine

The wheel of the calendar

keeps turning

each experience, each day

new opportunities

growth, change, or

spinning idly, or hiding away--

choices, always choices

and, I realize now,

always mine to make.

Where I go, what I do,

who I want to be

mine to make, 

to grow, or to die, 

all mine to make.

Looking back, lessons learned

many, to repeat 

to learn again

until I get it, finally,

and move on.

Today, the wheel turns again,

again at the top, ready for yet another

year, another

gift

of what I can do, 

who I can be,

and where I want to go.

Each day, a gift

to be opened, to be used,

the how is always mine to choose.

The where and when and why 

is left to the Universe

in all its wisdom.

This day is yet another number, 

another turn of my own calendar

another cog in the wheel of this life

moving ahead, as sure as the sun 

rising on this day

this day that is mine to live.

--Neal Lemery, 2/28/2012

Check out the north Oregon Coast's new literary journal, The North Coast Squid, published by the Hoffman Center in Manzanita.  A fine collection of juried stories, poems, and photographs from Oregon Coast writers and photographers, including my wife, Karen Keltz, and me.


http://hoffmanblog.org/

The Late Winter Gardening Day Check List

• Towels dried in the sun.  At the end of the day, I will wash off the actual sweat of outside physical labor, and smell the sunshine on the sun and wind roughened terrycloth.  I will rejoice in that simple pleasure, which will be followed by a glass of wine.  
• Located garden coveralls, which were stashed last October in the back of my closet, and forgotten on the rainy and cold days of winter.  
• Located my favorite garden pruners, oiled them, and put them in the pocket of my garden overalls, and ventured out into blinding sunlight.  My sweatshirt was too hot for me, and I left the front door open, frightening the cat that likes to stay inside.  “Dad, what is that bright light?” she meowed.  I am not sure.  It is a strange and unfamiliar phenomenon.
• a month’s worth of trash burned, including an amazing collection of cardboard boxes.  Do these just reproduce in the dark garage like rabbits?
• Kitchen compost to the compost bin, which I turn over.  Anticipation of putting compost out in a month on the grapes and apples.  The funky compost odor smelled good, almost springlike.  
• Lawn mowed, ending the “winter rough” look.  Getting intoxicated on the smell of fresh mowed grass.  The lawn mowing activity brought back the simple pleasure of cutting grass and not having to really think about much, except just following the pattern of mowing.  A word of gratitude to the gods that the lawn mower actually started.  
• Flag put out, with no foreseeable hurricane force winds to propel it a quarter mile down wind, or twist the flag and the metal pole into a broken pretzel.   Watched the flag flap in the breeze, against bright blue sky.  
• Apple tree planted, replacing tree twisted in half by November gale.
• Plum tree planted, adding on to our little orchard.  Now there are two plum trees.  Noted that I am not a precise planter of orchards, and future pickers of fruit here will note my less than exact grid of trees.  May the apple gods remind them that this Johnny Appleseed was a lawyer, not a surveyor.  Or, maybe they will just blame the less than perfect grid of trees on the storms, or think that I got into the Scotch before I started to plant the orchard.  I’m OK with that idea.
• Tied up two apple trees listing leeward from the prevailing winter gales.  New stakes and lots of baling twine.  Now, the orchard actually looks like an orchard, rather than an example of wind damage, and Exhibit A of an application for a FEMA claim.
• Pruned apple orchard of “new” trees.  It is, amazingly, the eighth year for this orchard and it is starting to really look like an orchard.  I am especially nice to the tree that produced its first crop of amazing pie apples last fall.  I asked the gods of the orchard for an encore of that gift.
• Planted magnolia in front yard, anticipating its eventual growth to twenty five feet, and filling the yard with the scent of magnolia blossoms every spring.  Had to expand the hole, as I discovered what is likely a very significant buried rock.  I consciously tried not to think about the three other magnolias that have died in the front yard by my hand and the whimsy of the gods.  
• Eucalyptus trees re-staked and pushed upright, with more bailing twine.  They apparently do not like 60 mph gale force winds.  Wimps!
• Bark dust reapplied around some of the shrubs in the front yard, making the yard actually somewhat presentable.
• Bird nesting boxes cleaned out, letting them dry out in the sun and readying them for the spring nesting season.  Last week, a house finch mama was seen checking them out.  I must be a good host for the parents arriving soon.
• Mentally noted an expanding list of future garden chores awaiting me the next time I venture out.  
• Realized that Tylenol is an essential element of one’s love of gardening and the enjoyment of a sunny day in February.

                         2/4/2012

Neal's Best Reads of 2011

Neal’s Best Reads of 2011  -- not in any particular order...

Buddha’s Brain, the practical neuroscience of happiness, love and wisdom.  Rick Hanson and Richard Mendius, 2009.  This very approachable book soon has you hooked on understanding recent brain research into its function and adaptability.  Science, religion, meditation, psychology and learning theory are all woven into a captivating discussion on what, until recently, has been our most mysterious organ.  This is fun to read for the lay reader, and you want to apply the practices to improve our brain functioning and learning.  An enjoyable and approachable read for anyone.

Eiffel’s Tower, Jill Jonnes, 2009.  A historian’s look at the planning, construction and the life of the Eiffel Tower.  He brings  vibrancy into what could be seen as a sterile engineering project into the life of Paris in 1889 and the World’s Fair.  This actually is a page turner, and draws the reader into the daily life and cultural politics of a very creative and exciting era in Paris.  

How We Decide, Jonah Lehrer, 2009.  This neorobiologist takes us on a tour of the functioning of the brain, and how we are genetically programmed, as well as culturally programmed to sort through the millions of stimuli of a day, and make decisions.  This book is primarily geared to psychology and brain scientists, rather than the lay reader.  The better book on this topic is Buddha’s Brain, at least for me.

Holding Lies: a novel of a river and its secrets.  John Larison.  2011.  You get into the skin of an Oregon fly fishing guide, and his effort to reconnect with his grown up daughter, as well as the river politics of a small rural community.  This promises to really wrap you into the life of salmon and fishing.  Yet, that promise isn’t quite kept and the more important story to the author is the murder of another guide and the remorse of a middle aged man for his inadequacies as a father.  An adequate read, but not great literature.  

Reinventing Fire: bold business solutions for the new energy era.  Amory Lovins and the Rocky Mountain Institute. 2011.  This is a must read for any entrepreneur and student of trends.  This turns the energy crisis and global warming hand wringing into an optimistic view of the revolutionary approach to 21st century opportunities.  This book offers a fascinating tour of current technology and opportunities that seem to ignored by mainstream media.  Their viewpoints are backed up by research and state of the art scientific and engineering research. 

Back to Work: why we need smart government for a strong economy.  Bill Clinton. 2011.   At his public policy best, President Clinton offers us his clearly written, engaging assessment and argument for where we should be going as a country and as individuals.  Articulate, persuasive and not as partisan or strident, or as lethargic as other political rhetoric this election “cycle”, this is a good read.  He’s provocative, inspirational, and challenging.  This is a worthy book for any voter this year.

Looking Through Water.  Judy Allen. 2011.  My friend’s enjoyable novel of coming of age of a girl with healing powers, on the Oregon Coast.  This is engaging, and she tells a good story of life in rural America and how a family deals with the challenges of poverty and fear of a young girl’s gifts.  Enjoyable, yet the reader is challenged to ponder pre-conceived views of healing powers and the gifts of other cultures.

The Astoria Chinatown Conspiracy, Richard B. Powers. 2011.  A captivating murder mystery set in the West’s oldest American city, in the 1880s, when bigotry against Chinese coolies was at its height.  My friend brings the characters of my favorite Oregon fishing town alive.  I’m halfway through this novel, and am drawn into the story and his colorful weaving of characters and intrigue.  I’m sharing this with my fellow lovers of Astoria history.  

Thinking Fast and Slow. David Kahneman. 2010.  An interesting exploration into our thinking process, our reactions and our two tiered level of analysis, problem solving and reaction to our world.  Interesting, and thoughtful, but not nearly as fun as Buddha’s Brain.  This has stayed on the best seller list for almost a year, so others are finding it worthy.  It is worthy, just not as much fun as Buddha.

Outliers: the story of success. Michael Gladwell. 2009.  This delightful book looks at the lives of some folks who were amazingly successful, and others who didn’t quite get there, and wonders, why?  An inspirational and intellectually satisfying read.

Emotional Intelligence 2.0.  Trevor Bradbury and Jean Greaves. 2011.  An excellent book on being aware and using emotional intelligence as you navigate the world of business and social interaction.  This was so concise, helpful, and insightful, I gave copies to my staff and my fellow managers at work.  An excellent book to hone one’s leadership skills.

Books on My Night Stand

Cleopatra, a Life.  Stacy Schiff.  2010.  A biography of the queen of the Nile, which I understand makes the reader challenge the stereotypes and simplicities of a life of someone who was actually quite complex.

At Home: a short history of private life.  Bill Bryson, 2010.  This hysterical writer promises to entertain me again, this time with a tour of his house in England.  A Walk Through the Woods is the apex of outdoor recreational humor writing, so I can’t wait to read this.

Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the rise and fall of the Comanches, the most powerful Indian tribe in American history.  S. C. Gwynne.  2010.  This history book has been on the best seller list for some time, with reviewers praising its well crafted writing, and interesting tale from the perspective of the vanquished.  

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: class encounters with addiction.  Gabor Mate’. 2008.  Friends in the know tell me this is the best book written about addiction in the last twenty years, and offers profound insights.  This comes highly recommended.

Neal Lemery, January, 2012.

Why did the fish cross the road?

Fire

Fire

Sometimes, the fire inside

seems to go away

until I give life a little space,

and find a place to dream, to 

reconnect

with who I really am

who I was, and who I want to be.

Then, the sparks find the fuel

and the reason to be.

When the fire returns

it burns brighter, and higher

and warms me to the core,

lighting up my

world.

Neal Lemery 1/2012

The Legend of Pohaku-o-Kane

                                   

      Long before humans discovered Kaua’i, a family of three huge rocks, two brothers and a sister, were seeking a new home.  They rolled across the ocean floor, visiting several islands and atolls before finally arriving at the north shore of Kaua’i.  

As they approached the shore, they were refreshed by the fresh water of the Limahuli Stream.  Breaking the surface, they saw that they were on a reef surrounded by fish.  The collors of the land, ocean, sky, and clouds delighted them.

O’o-a’a, the sister, was enchanted by this spot and decided to stay.  Basking in the warm sun and lulled by the sound of the waves, she soon feel asleep.  The brothers, wanting to go inland, rolled onto the sandy beach.  After a while, the younger brother, Pohaku-loa, stopped to rest in the shade of hala trees.  Enjoying the rustling leaves and cool breeze, he decided to stay.  Although his younger brother pleaded with him to continue up the mountain, Pohaku-loa fell asleep content.

The older brother continued alone, intending to climb to the top of the mountain.  When he reached the pali (cliff), his strength and determination were not enough.  He faltered and fell.  Again and again, he tried to reach the top, refusing to give up.  Eventually, the great god Kane noticed his struggling so hard and went to investigate.  He asked the rock why he was struggling to hard to reach the top.  The rock replied, “I want to be where I can watch the world below.”

Kane pointed out that it didn’t matter where the older brother was, for he would surely fall asleep as his brother and sister had.  The older brother insisted that he would remain awake.  Kane decided that this determined rock would never give up, that he would continue to climb and fall until all that remained of him was dust.  So Kane and the rock made a deal.

  Kane lifted the older brother and placed him on the top of the mountain ridge.  In return, the rock promised to stay awake and watch and remember all that went on below him.  

Then, Kane said, “When I come again, you must come tell me what you have seen.  When you are ready to go, the island will sink beneath the waters and the waves will climb upto you.  Then you and your brother and sister may begin to travel again.  Until then, watch and remember.”

---Limahuli Garden National Tropical Botanical Garden guidebook, Ha-ena, Kaua’i, Hawai’i,  p. 39