This sunset photo was taken at Oceanside , Oregon a few years ago on my last trip there. The reason I am attaching it to this blog is that I am leaving for Oceanside in a few days and will spend a week there in a house perched high on the hill above these rocks. I have stayed there quite a number of times but it has been a while now. During the time I have been to Europe and Scandinavia so this will be a time of relaxing and contemplation, fresh seafood and wine from some of the wine producing areas of Willamette Valley, not far from there. The valley with it's red hills covered in green grape vines is an inspiration all it's own. One of the wineries makes a Johannesberg Riesling that is a favorite of mine but cannot be purchased here in Idaho so needless to say, I will have to stock up. I have a friend who also loves the Riesling wine and I seem to find others as well who like this wine. I am pretty convinced that my great grandfather produced these grapes before he moved here from Europe according to research I have. I had wanted to go for some time but finally felt that it wouldn't happen this year, however, my other half has been ill and thought it might help to get some things off her mind if we went .This is quite a spontaneous decision. Now myself, I am not known for being spontaneous but there are times that I do things that surprise others and even myself.
I attended the funeral of someone who led a long and productive life yesterday. He was almost 97 years old and sharp as a razor yet. In fact, in some of the anecdotes, etc. at the funeral, it was mentioned that he was still making plans for new fences and planting trees next year. He lived on a farm only minutes from where I live but had previously immigrated from Norway, coming to North Dakota, then owning a ranch in the Yellowstone River Valley and finally purchasing a business here in town along with other investments. He was a rugged individual who spoke his mind but was eager to let you speak yours and then not be judgemental if it was a differing view. He could be tough as nails but yet compassionate. A loving father who was not afraid to discipline according to his children. He and his wife were eager to give to anything that would help improve the life of the less unfortunate. He had a wonderful sense of humor and I saw the love of his family as they talked about him. This was not a funeral service mourning the passing, it was one of celebrating a life lived to the fullest. A part of the service was dedicated to the older cowboy and western music that he loved as well as classical pieces played on the piano by a son in law, written by Grieg, a beloved Norwegian composer. I will miss his stories and views on life. It will be like losing a good friend or a great leader, there will be an empty spot that will be difficult to fill by someone else. Life of course is not permanent and so we need to remind ourselves that we should make the most of it. Here is a quote from somewhere or someone that I want to pass along. " Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in from the roadside in a cloud of dust, a glass of red wine in one hand and a chocolate in the other, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ' wow ! what a ride ! '
Finally, I want to repeat something that I read not long ago. " What I appreciate, appreciates" . In other words, if you recognize something that someone does for you, it will make them feel better and in turn cause them to do more or increase the good things that they do, or making your investment of a thank you letter or praise " appreciate ", like interest on your bank account. As I read this I thought about times that I have done that and the great return on my investment that it made. A thank you, a phone call or email or letter to someone who has done or said something that deserved a little recognition or whatever it might be, these are things we can do. I must admit I don't do it as much as I would like to say I do but I try hard. I can say from personal experience that a warm look, a touch on the arm, a kind word, or any kind of respect or appreciation that seems sincere will melt me like butter on a hot stove. I crave it and the truth be known, I think a lot of people do but not all will admit it. I wish I could go back in time to some people that I wish I had understood this as much as I do now and made it known how deeply what they said or did was appreciated. But then, some people I think know instinctively. I have often said that I don't need to talk or be talked to constantly when in the presence of a really close friend.Just being together is sometimes enough, no words spoken. Sometimes silence together can be a wonderful thing when there is a real connection. I have been told in the past that I wear my feelings on my sleeve. That is probably true. But is that a bad thing ? Some will say it is. Be stoic, stiff upper lip and all that " crap ". Well, I don't buy it, at least not for me. I may show or speak my feelings more than some I suppose but I think that is what is missing in too many people. Too many walls, too many facades. I think and feel that openness between friends or spouses is the deepest kind of connection that one can have and I wonder if it is more rare than it should be. Until later, Ralph
Saturday, September 22, 2007
This sunset photo was taken at Oceanside , Oregon a few years ago on my last trip there. The reason I am attaching it to this blog is that I am leaving for Oceanside in a few days and will spend a week there in a house perched high on the hill above these rocks. I have stayed there quite a number of times but it has been a while now. During the time I have been to Europe and Scandinavia so this will be a time of relaxing and contemplation, fresh seafood and wine from some of the wine producing areas of Willamette Valley, not far from there. The valley with it's red hills covered in green grape vines is an inspiration all it's own. One of the wineries makes a Johannesberg Riesling that is a favorite of mine but cannot be purchased here in Idaho so needless to say, I will have to stock up. I have a friend who also loves the Riesling wine and I seem to find others as well who like this wine. I am pretty convinced that my great grandfather produced these grapes before he moved here from Europe according to research I have. I had wanted to go for some time but finally felt that it wouldn't happen this year, however, my other half has been ill and thought it might help to get some things off her mind if we went .This is quite a spontaneous decision. Now myself, I am not known for being spontaneous but there are times that I do things that surprise others and even myself.
I attended the funeral of someone who led a long and productive life yesterday. He was almost 97 years old and sharp as a razor yet. In fact, in some of the anecdotes, etc. at the funeral, it was mentioned that he was still making plans for new fences and planting trees next year. He lived on a farm only minutes from where I live but had previously immigrated from Norway, coming to North Dakota, then owning a ranch in the Yellowstone River Valley and finally purchasing a business here in town along with other investments. He was a rugged individual who spoke his mind but was eager to let you speak yours and then not be judgemental if it was a differing view. He could be tough as nails but yet compassionate. A loving father who was not afraid to discipline according to his children. He and his wife were eager to give to anything that would help improve the life of the less unfortunate. He had a wonderful sense of humor and I saw the love of his family as they talked about him. This was not a funeral service mourning the passing, it was one of celebrating a life lived to the fullest. A part of the service was dedicated to the older cowboy and western music that he loved as well as classical pieces played on the piano by a son in law, written by Grieg, a beloved Norwegian composer. I will miss his stories and views on life. It will be like losing a good friend or a great leader, there will be an empty spot that will be difficult to fill by someone else. Life of course is not permanent and so we need to remind ourselves that we should make the most of it. Here is a quote from somewhere or someone that I want to pass along. " Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in from the roadside in a cloud of dust, a glass of red wine in one hand and a chocolate in the other, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ' wow ! what a ride ! '
Finally, I want to repeat something that I read not long ago. " What I appreciate, appreciates" . In other words, if you recognize something that someone does for you, it will make them feel better and in turn cause them to do more or increase the good things that they do, or making your investment of a thank you letter or praise " appreciate ", like interest on your bank account. As I read this I thought about times that I have done that and the great return on my investment that it made. A thank you, a phone call or email or letter to someone who has done or said something that deserved a little recognition or whatever it might be, these are things we can do. I must admit I don't do it as much as I would like to say I do but I try hard. I can say from personal experience that a warm look, a touch on the arm, a kind word, or any kind of respect or appreciation that seems sincere will melt me like butter on a hot stove. I crave it and the truth be known, I think a lot of people do but not all will admit it. I wish I could go back in time to some people that I wish I had understood this as much as I do now and made it known how deeply what they said or did was appreciated. But then, some people I think know instinctively. I have often said that I don't need to talk or be talked to constantly when in the presence of a really close friend.Just being together is sometimes enough, no words spoken. Sometimes silence together can be a wonderful thing when there is a real connection. I have been told in the past that I wear my feelings on my sleeve. That is probably true. But is that a bad thing ? Some will say it is. Be stoic, stiff upper lip and all that " crap ". Well, I don't buy it, at least not for me. I may show or speak my feelings more than some I suppose but I think that is what is missing in too many people. Too many walls, too many facades. I think and feel that openness between friends or spouses is the deepest kind of connection that one can have and I wonder if it is more rare than it should be. Until later, Ralph
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Why Idaho ?
For anyone who wonders why anybody would move to Idaho, or is it Iowa, or is it Ohio ? See, not everyone even knows for sure what state it really is or where it is or how it is. Well, the photo here can maybe give a clue as to one reason to live in Idaho. I have heard many people think it's Iowa when I mention my home. No mountains in Iowa, although it's a nice state. Been through it, in it, etc. Spent some treacherous times there on the highways in the winter during snowstorms. But back to Idaho. Not all Idaho looks like this, some is even more beautiful and for those who know what I mean, can I hear an " Amen " ? This happens to be the Sawtooth mountains a couple hours from my house. I love going there, spending time there in a cabin by the river and cooking next to it and listening to the sound of the river lull me to sleep at night. It's hard to get there during the winter because of a pass you have to go over to reach the area and the roads are not maintained during the winter. Of course we have the desert in many areas, Beautiful alpine lakes to have a glass of wine next to or a picnic. The skiing is world class at Sun Valley north of me. You can easily spend time for lunch next to a business man in a restaurant or a cowboy from a local or isolated ranch. There are always the trucks in the parking lots of grocery stores or restaurants with the flat bed on back and a couple of ranch dogs patiently waiting on thier masters, untied, just waiting. It's a friendly place, most people very polite. The weather is mild here where I live, at least it was until this year when it got really warm during the summer for endless days on end. Thankfully the humidity is usually around the lower teens or less. But I see signs of a coming change in seasons. I have a watermelon in the garden that hopefully knows the difference too. It doesn't seem to know when to quit growing but I love watching it.
I keep looking at my landscape gardens and thinking of more that I could plant but I know I better wait until next spring to see how much it will fill in. The back one has grown so much that sometimes I am really taken aback by it since it has been in only a few months. As I have said before, l love the gardening and beautifying. Something that my friend and pastor said in his sermon last Sunday made me think ! It is relevant to gardening, ( lots of other things too but for now, gardening ) It is this, that in Europe there are famous works of art in some of the cathedrals that are not signed by name by the artists that created them . Instead there are letters or this phrase in Latin " Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam ". This is very relevant to the Catholic church as I understand but I won't go into that at this point. What the literal translation of this is " To the greater glory of God ". And what has that got to do with gardening ? Well, for me, I realize that I love gardening for many reasons and one of them is to make this small part of the earth a little nice maybe than when I came. In this instance it pertains to gardens. I have mine in back and one for the public in front. I have had lots of comments on them but this is not the reason I plant. And after thinking on what was in the sermon last Sunday, I think that gardening can be one expression of honoring our creator. Everyone has gifts and abilities which can be used for this, it's just that you have to think about what that is, whether it's comforting someone who is needing a friend, working in a job that helps fellow human beings, growing food, and on and on and on. It's how we look at what we do that can tell a lot about us. Maybe we teach children, counsel people, show them ways to take care of themselves, or bring music to them, etc. Whatever we do, whether in our jobs or on our own time, can be a dedication ! I have a Japanese influenced garden in front of my new home and I am going to put one more boulder or rock in it with these words " To the greater glory of God " but in Japanese. And when someone asks, what in the world are those scratchings on the rock, I have a perfect time to tell them.
I know winter is a ways away yet but I have already started looking at the mountains east of me unconciously to see if there is any snow on top and noticing my skis waiting for me next to the door in \the garage. Until next time, Ralph.
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