Why I'm This Way

This is a typical e-mail invitation to a family event from my little sister Mary. This goes a long way toward explaining why I'm the way I am.

Subject: Holy crap Thanksgiving is coming

And despite the world going to hell in a handbasket, I feel extra hopeful and thankful this year.

Who wants to get together for the traditional bloat? As an added impetus, maybe we could watch the Canadian documentary about Jim and see if it's as bad as he thinks it is. Or we could watch something more seasonal, like "Shakes the Clown."

We've got cats for all (two available for take-home,) Jim will barbecute the turkey, old-fashioned hillbilly lawn fight if weather permits, food, food, food. (Assuming people bring some.)

What say? Answer me soon or I swear to christ I'll come after you bums with a meat ax!

(Then when you don't show up and people ask where you are I can say "I axed them, but they didn't answer," bwa ha ha!)

---MEW

My response:

I'm in. Don't hurt me. Let me know what to bring or I swear to God I'll cook something.

Looking forward to it!

Happy Thanksgiving!
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Mother o' God, What's She Up to Now?

This will come as a shock to those of you who see me as a carefree bon vivant and ultra sophisticate, but after a lot of soul searching, I've applied to and been accepted into a Religious Science practitioner training program. (This is not Scientology or anything related to it.)

A practitioner is a spiritual counselor who affirms that the truth of the client is greater than any apparent limitation. Practitioners don’t give advice or beg Reality to move into a specified direction. Rather, they affirm the good of what already is in order to bring our thinking and feeling into alignment with the idea that infinite good surrounds us. This good is in the form of love, harmony, peace, wellness, abundance, and any other good we can imagine.

The training program takes two years and has written and oral exams at the end of it (about like a masters degree). The program has a high attrition rate but my class is intact so far. If I pass, I get licensed and let loose on the world. As with any licensed professional, practitioners charge a fee, which is set by each individual practitioner.

I'm happy to answer any questions, but I must admit this has been a very private part of my life and personality, so I can get a bit defensive when I try to explain myself. But give it a go if you want to know more and I'll do my best to give lucid answers. Also, a good, objective write up is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Science.
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Life So Far

The whole cancer thing is well resolved. Thanks to everyone who was so kind and comforting. I am a little embarrassed because the problem wasn't comparable to the attention I got.

In other news, it was a fine vacation, after a more than rocky start. The most fun I have all year is at my friends' Ellen and Roger's. They have a hoolie—a rip roaring house party—in conjunction with the Sebastopol Celtic Festival. Musicians who play Irish music come from all over Northern California and have sessions at the house into the wee hours. We all go to the Festival, which is separate and public, but for me the real action is at Ellen and Roger's.

They have a great house and property for this event. Tents are pitched, sleeping bags unrolled, and the enormous kitchen is full of the best food imaginable. We pitch in to contribute, cook, and clean up, and Ellen is a master cook so no one goes hungry. Blessed Daniel, who has Wild Hog Winery, brings many bottles of his finest as well as wonderful vegetables from his wife Marion's garden. (Marion stays home for the crush.) All in all, it's a wonderful hoolie.

From there, Ellen and I drove down to Solvang and Santa Barbara for shopping, beaching, eating, and museum jaunts. We listened to election news all day, every day, and came home highly educated and shopped out.

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