After most of a lifetime, living at least a thousand, or two, or more miles from New York, it is now in PA a little beyond reality that NYC is just a couple hours away. Pat, a good friend of Marge's and now of mine, got on a bus with me for a day tour of the 9/11 Memorial Museum in Manhattan. You who followed the rigors of my not-to-be-forgotten Greyhound Bus ride to "Dezz Moinzz" some summers ago, probably wonder at my mental condition to get on another bus. This time, in contrast to that lengthy torture, it was on a half-million-dollar luxury coach. We got a front seat and relaxed the whole way there and back.

The police had a high-profile presence throughout the visit.

On a short wait for a group gathering...

Pat.

Architecture. Yes, the experience was heavily about architecture...

...and, heavy with what happened there...

Mangled architecture morphed into sculpture.

Names of all are inscribed around the entire perimeter.

Everyone whose life was lost on 9/11 is inscribed on this ceramic piece.

Seeing North America's Ground Zero monument to that day in 2001, I remain struck by current, tragic war zones and attacks pictured in ever-present news from other continents and I am overwhelmed by what men, women, children, elderly, all experience day upon day upon day--and by the restless violence of our own land that has striven to govern itself for nearly two-and-a-half centuries and again and again and again must exert a will to make it justly operate for all its citizens.

Jonathan Winters again, "Can't we all just get along?"

Can't we all just...

In a short while today, the moon will glide between our planet and the sun to make a rapidly traveling shadow across our continent. Then, later in the day, it will be over. The sun will shine as usual. We will continue with our day. Okay, enough. I am in tears.

_____________

I hope the following lifts your spirits as it helps lift mine.

Aidan constructed an amplifier for his iPhone. It works! Ingredients: iPhone (of course), two plastic glasses, cardboard tube of toilet paper roll, duct tape, knife, one young man.

Keoni keeps in touch from Colorado and, besides all the interesting people he is in contact with including admired musicians, he also gets a hike in here and there. He met some Mountain Goats...

Colorado Mountain Goats!

From a visit to Missouri Botanical Gardens, Sandy sent these pix of glass sculpture by Craig Mitchell Smith. At night...

By day...

I didn't at first see the top images are figures until I sent the photo to a larger screen than my iPhone.

And, not least, Chihuly...

Then, there were the soccer games...

Another evening, Marge was tending to the pond...

...when the sunset lit up all the sky...

...and the earth glowed.

The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming!

I have felt like I am Jonathan Winters in The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming!, running madly about pleading with the excited mob of citizens, "We gotta get ORGANIZED!"

But, not entirely because I think the Russians are coming, or maybe the North Koreans. While I don't know how current world events will turn out, the rest of my plea is to my brain. There's the constant pull of--hmmm, I'll have that second cup of coffee; oh, start the grits; oops, measure cup is in the dishwasher so unload it; oh, can't see the measure cup markers; glasses are upstairs, go get them; take along the water bottle for 2nd floor; might as well make the bed; oh, need the earbuds on 3rd floor; hmm, here's the checkbook and bill sitting on the desk, better write a check and get into the mail; hmm, postage is in purse on 2nd floor; oh, better forget that and go finish putting the grits on, in the kitchen...well, now you and I can see that work lives really did organize our personalities--or mine--maybe not yours.

So, what to do about that. Having no work life, experiencing long months of disorganizing health matters, a curious, directionless existence seeped in. How to throw that out of reverse into a forward gear? Well, put on the brakes and shift! Talk to others and get a grip.

So, thanks, you all. Directly and indirectly, you are part of my gear shift.

Music and soccer have been taking place. Aidan persevered through the last week of Dali, too. His mom and dad are back on ordinary time this week after their young men guests returned to their homes on Monday. The rewards were a lot of truly, top-notch, wonderful music.

Aidan, tallest, in the back row of the not-yet-organized-for-photo portion of the Dali group.

Aidan in the middle of the final Dali concert.

Aidan's soccer team got in a couple of games in spectacularly wonderful weather this week. They brought no joy to Mudville but still, how "good to be young"...ah, the song. (Ear worm time.)

Aidan third from the right. Wendy and I are the long shadows.

Soccer grandma selfie.

A recent highlight for me was saddling up my pony and going to the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown. (I am a proud member there!) It's a just-my-size museum discernible from how my feet feel when I'm finished browsing through their collections and shows. An interesting one there right now gathers together art that has been hanging in schools throughout this area. I recognized one that had been hanging on the wall of Souderton Area High School where Keoni went and Aidan is about to start his Freshman year.

By Walter Baum.

Here is what this particular show is about...

Marge returned from one of her trips and a thoughtful remembrance or two included these guys that tasted awfully good after a grilling last night...

Nothing like the odor of broiling chilis. Mmm-Mmm. Thanks, Marge.

And she brought along this puzzle. Oy. It's a doozy.

Toby hasn't as yet forgiven me for taking him to the vet. I'm sad about that. I miss my little buddy but maybe someday he'll come round again. In the meantime, Aidan sent me this picture of him with his buddies who don't take him to the vet...

A nice tramp around the farm perimeter is one of my go-to places for that spirit-quieting balm. The effort of walking the uneven, lumpy terrain requires some focus, breath becomes deeper, the mind absorbs the moment and quietly takes in the world just as it is. At the end of the walk the animals are always ready with their greetings, or just take note that "oh, yeah, she's here again", then go back to what they were doing.

Wendy keeps a path around the fields mowed.

Patches the "other" barn kitty.

Getting ready to roost for the night.

Rose of Sharon is the friendliest of all the goats.

The three dogs and Toby all gave their super, come-running greetings when I drove up after being away. I'm too busy absorbing their happy enthusiasm and dispensing my hugs and pets to grab a picture. Somehow Aidan was able to capture one of Frezz after returning from Heifetz Institute. This is how happy Frezz was that Aidan was home again...

Wendy was at Heifetz in time to capture Aidan's performance of the Boccherini...

All set to play the Boccherini

And, she was at the final concert where Aidan played in his quartet the piece he'd labored such long hours to shape every day of the previous week.

They started back home as soon as it was over arriving late Saturday night. Those goat mamas need to be milked to relieve John of his extra duties while she was away. It took two of us to hit all Wendy's bases since three young men from the Dali Quartet Insitute a half hour away are housed at the farm and John's car suddenly needed attention at the garage. His pony Lexus has about 250K miles now.

Aidan sent me this scene from his stay at Heifetz in Virginia...

The concert venue.

One of the fun things I do for Marge when she has to go out of town is feed the fish in the fish pond. It is covered with "lettuce" and when I toss the fish pellet food out there most lands on the leaves instead of the water. The pretty little savages rise up, knock it loose, and gobble it all up.

Marge pulled out some of the "lettuce" so it's easier to see them devouring the bounty.
I'm happy they don't have teeth.

Speaking of trips, Marge and her visiting nephew Jonathan went for an overnight trip to New York on a bus that they get about a half hour away from here. A two-hour bus ride, and they're in the heart of NYC. People actually live near the bus station who commute to work in NYC. Buses run every hour. I was astonished when I first learned of it. Marge sent these while on their trip...

Marge and Jonathan.

Jonathan actually was on the ABC Morning Show where they do the crowd on the street scene.

Aidan was up to his card tricks...



And he's been teaching Karma some new tricks...




Aidan has already, since returning, been in a winning soccer game which his summer league won. He's happy he didn't have to miss any games. He had an assist and a goal that won the game.

We hear often from Keoni. He's taken full advantage of days he's able to break away from the music to hike up the mountains and enjoys texting us pictures of his adventures and note-worthy happenings.

Yes, that is Renee Fleming at one of the Aspen Music Institute Master Classes.

Now here's another choice bit of his news. During Robert McDuffie's Master Class for violin, two rows in front of Keoni sat Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

What a moment in beautiful Rocky Mountains that Keoni captured.

Aidan plunged right into the ARCONET Dali Workshop this week. They will end with more concerts starting tomorrow. Tuesday evening the three young men staying at the farm were performing in their quartets. They are friends of Keoni's and go to McDuffie Center for Strings also.

Lukas on the right playing viola.

Dustin at the left on violin, Michael on viola at the right.

...and Michael's parents who drove all the way from Wash. D.C. to attend.

Watching the proliferation of growth has been an ever-engrossing part of my Pennsylvania adventure.

One of Marge's Tiger Lillies.

One of Wendy's flowers.

One of Nature's toad stools.

As always, I love seeing the Queen Anne's Lace happily spruce up the visual impact of hulking, human detritus...

...and disturbed road sides...

...and quiet pastures.