Sunday, August 03, 2008

Rhetoric, NPRA Rodeo, County Fair, goats, and Carly fix!


Look out dear readers. I am feeling a bit philosophical this morning. Not totally clear about the definition of that word, I just looked it up. Re Wikipedia: “Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, truth, justice, beauty, validity, mind and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing these questions (such as mysticism or mythology) by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on reasoned argument.” I know this is a travel blog but it is also a personal “shout box” for the writer who just happens to be me. So if you are not interested … stop reading now and come back next week. Possibly, I will be over my introspective compulsions by then but I will make no promises.

The other day one of my friends and fellow blogger, George (a link to his blog is on my blog) wrote the following: “Yesterday I watched the movie, "A River Runs Through It." This is a wonderful story about a family living their life in Montana in the early 1900s. The father is a minister, and in one of his final sermons he says, "And so it is that those who live with us and should know us, elude us. However, we can love them completely, without understanding! When I hear these words, I am a bit sad. Because I want to know those that I love completely. And I want them to know me. But the minister is right! That knowing is soooooo elusive!”

In my opinion, this line from the movie that George is quoting, although written as dialog for the character who happens to be a minister is not about believing in a higher power and all I could think once I read it was, “how true, how true!” It is a reflection of humans and the way they live their lives and fortunately for many—those who stay hidden within themselves—completely knowing someone is not a prerequisite for loving them. In fact, I believe in some cases, if we knew another person totally it might prevent those feelings from coming to fruition. I know I have always said my life is an “open book” but I also harbor subterranean and sinister secrets that when known could possibly for some, render Julie Joy totally unlovable.

Is my clandestine motivation for writing my mother’s biography and when finished with her story, writing my own … a way of testing our family? If so, the key question of the test would be: Will you still love us when you really know us? So, is that the true reason these tomes are unfinished to date? Is it the honest cause for my lack of time spent at the keyboard? But, then again, I sometimes wonder if you are appalled and uncomfortable will I care? `I’m not sure how I feel about that one but I am convinced, my mother held on to a lifetime of memorabilia (much of it especially telling of her seamy side) so that her story would be written. In fact, I have positively concluded she was planning on writing it herself but the effort was sidetracked by her alcoholism and untimely death from lung cancer.

Okay … so much for that exploratory rhetoric! Again, we had a busy week. Last Sunday we spent the afternoon at the Mason County Fair and enjoyed the NPRA Dodge Rodeo with our great granddaughter, Carly. So full of energy, she ran this old Nana “to ground” but Papa held up pretty good. Of course, he IS younger than me you know. My cousin, Buster who is formerly from Pt. Townsend, WA and now lives in Nevada came north for some medical tests with his doctors. We met on Tuesday at Little Creek Casino for lunch then came home to Penny the Pace for another hour or so of visiting. It is always good to see him and get caught up on all the news.

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I have been working with my genealogy trunks, (Gloria and Les have loaned me space to work in their basement) sorting and repacking what will head down the road with us when we start moving south again. Phil and Les went out on Thursday for a day of fishing on Phillips Lake and that day I went to the hospital for a chest x-ray. As an ex-smoker I like to get one every couple years. The next day I went back for my yearly mammogram and will hope for good news regarding both from my doctor in the near future. On Saturday, we went garage saling and found a very nice bicycle at a reasonable price for daughter, Bobbie to give to her granddaughter, Carly for her birthday. We are celebrating her ninth a couple days early at Chucky Cheese’s Pizza parlor today at three o’clock. I think I’ll take earplugs along just in case. Next week I will have pictures of the birthday party today,

Sister update: Both doing well. Robin has pretty much totally recovered and is debating any further action considering quite possibly “the so-called after surgery (which was 100% successful in removing the cancer cells) treatment could well be worse than the disease.” Dixie is working on learning to walk again which is an uphill struggle but she is determined.

Here are some images of happenings during our past week.

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