the english language is missing a word....

Stephen’s niece Michelle (his brother’s daughter, not my brother’s daughter. Yes he has two nieces named Michelle). Anyway, his brother’s daughter is an English teacher. She told Stephen this story: At some point she was helping a student with a paper where he was using the word “developed” several times in his story. She reviewed his work and tried to encourage him to expand his vocabulary. She suggested that he try and come up with another descriptive word to enhance his paper without overusing the word “developed.” She offered some alternatives including the word “evolved" which would have maintained the integrity of his story and the assignment. He responded that he was not allowed to use that word. Evolved??? That's right, evolve as in evolution???

Yes, there are people out there who will not use the complete English language because, why???

Breaking the law, oops....

As it happens, today is the anniversary of Earl Zindar's death.
I wish his family and loved ones peace as they remember his life.

And so it seems that I can not link his music tune to my blog, copyright law you know.
So I removed the link and now you all must get the music for yourself. Bottom line I need a BMI license, way too much money for what I want to do. Too bad.

http://zindars.com/

By the way, while I was trying to find a way to play this legally I sent a note to Anne, Earl's wife.
I wanted to see if she had any ideas about this. I received a wonderful e-mail reply from her and she asked about Justin.
Very nice that she remembered him. Yes Anne, Justin is just fine and he is a wonderful son.

I Always Think of You (for my son Justin)

One of the great joys of being self-employed and working from home is being able to listen to anything I want to during the day. Whether it is NPR, or some sermon podcast, or something in my iTunes, I get to choose and sometimes I listen to nothing at all. On Friday I was working and decided to look at my iTunes play list. I decided to play some music Justin got for me back in 2004. The artist is Earl Zindars, The music is some really beautiful jazz. The albums I have are And Then Some and The Return.

In early January 2005 a small package addressed to me arrived in the mail. Inside were the above named CDs with a post-it note attached. Justin told me the story; at the time he was working at the Masonic Avenue Good Guys in San Francisco. As part of his job and sometimes just to be helpful, he sometimes went to customer’s homes to help them with their audio and/or video systems. Earl and his wife Anne came into the store and bought a TV from Justin and he went to their home to set it up for them. While Justin was there, the topic of music came up and Earl asked Justin what kind of music he liked in the jazz genre. Justin mentioned his favorite, Bill Evans. Earl went on to mention that he had worked with Bill and that they had been friends over the years and that Bill was at his wedding. He gave Justin two CDs. Justin enjoyed the music and contacted Earl to see if he could buy another copy of the same recordings for me. That is how I came to receive the recordings and Earl’s note.



Friday as I was listening, I got to thinking about how I was introduced to Earl Zindar’s music through Justin. I did a google search and I saw that he had passed away in August 2005 just 8 months after sending me the CDs and the note.


Reading about his life was pretty neat and I felt a bit nostalgic about the whole thing. Although I like jazz, I am not a true aficionado but I know what I like and I like Earl Zindars. Be sure and check him out.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/19/BAGAREA6QJ1.DTL


http://www.zindars.com/

Happy Birthday Mother

Helen Elaine Kern Markwart
July 31, 1921 - May 6, 1999.

Shortly after mother died I was fortunate to be able to join a mother/daughter grief group. This was a wonderful experience where adult daughters shared the sadness and loss due to the death of our mothers. Each of us brought a unique experience to the group. I was and am grateful for the experience.

During the group I often doodled in my journal while listening to the others share their thoughts and feelings. In spite of the sometimes strained relationship I had with her I was able to think of many things for which I am thankful that I had the mother I had.



During the early days of my grieving, I spent time making a lamp shade with old buttons that she had. Doesn't every mother have a collection of old buttons? Touching all those buttons, many I remember from my childhood, was a healing experience. Sewing each one, one at a time, onto the shade was meditative as well. Later I found the perfect lamp base and the whole thing is magnificent. After I die, I wonder who will want mother's beautiful lamp.

Father's Day 2008

This morning Stephen asked me to describe my happiest memory of my father (1915-2001).
We were driving across the Bay Bridge on our way to Grace Cathedral for the 11:00 Liturgy.
On our way there we always pass by Tadich Grill on California St. I imagined it being 1938 and Dad having lunch there.
A block from the Cathedral is the Mark Hopkins Hotel. I imagined Dad there with his friends for an evening at the Top of the Mark.

Fast forward circa 1958 - I said that for me my happiest memory was sitting on the arm of the big black chair watching him work a crossword puzzle and listen with him to the Lucky Lager Dance Time radio program. I sat on the arm or sometimes at his feet, while wafts of smoke would drift from his lit cigarette and envelope me in a haze of who he was and what he enjoyed. I remember it as though it were yesterday and to this day I too love crosswords and the music of the 30's, 40's and 50's. Thanks Dad.

Happy Father's Day Dad I thought of you today. I love you.

Michelle gave me the idea

It seems the perfect thing for me, just like the journals I used to keep. Of course I have heard of the blog and it seemed meant for the geek with time on her hands.

Yet, for anyone who knows me, I have wanted to write about my life all my life. So I might just do that.

The unexamined life is not worth living for man.
Socrates, in Plato, Dialogues, Apology
Greek philosopher in Athens (469 BC - 399 BC)