a family kind of weekend

On Friday night, Cyn and I went to visit her nephew, whom she hadn't seen in over two years. It was fun chatting with him and his mother.

On Saturday, I set more tile. The last of it. I barely got one section done in time to pick up my mother and drive in a snowstorm up to my sister's house for her daughter's fourth birthday party. It was nice. Afterwards I finished the tile. After that we drove back down to Cyn's house, heard about her daughter's terrible trip to Chicago, and then went to pick up her son from work.

Today, I cooked breakfast for Cyn's family, plus her daughter's boyfriend. I made aebleskivers, a Danish thing - little round (spherical) pancake thingies, with blueberries in the middle. After that, we went to see Heather get an Honors award at school. Then Cyn and I came back here to finish my grout.

Too much driving.

The bathroom is coming along well. this week I will hook up the electricity and lay the floor. Then I can replace the fixtures and be more-or-less done.

relatives

wargoers

And why is it that the reservists are being called up for active duty, with a Middle Eastern tour, while the Army is being kept behind to protect the homeland? Shouldn't it be the other way around?

Think about what they do. The Army is used to doing extedned manuevers. Seems like just the sort of group you should send overseas to wage war. The army reserve is used to being called out, setting up, performing operations, and breaking camp - all in a couple of days. Seems like jsut the sort of people you'd like to have on hand to respond on a moments notice to a threat here at home.

Just another thought to make you wonder what the hell is going on out there in Washington.

Whirl Away

I was listening to Pattis Smith and reading a post about violence towards anti-war activists, and the words, "all men are brothers killing each other/and mother earth is wringing in wonder/who stands guard for each other/why must we guard anything at all" leapt out at me.

Whirl Away, Patti Smith

Hello friend I've come a-calling
passively stationed
active patrol
sliding in at high noon like some reluctant sheriff
not want to get involved in it all

who stands guard for each other
why must we guard anything at all
anything at all

from the earth's four corners the people are calling
forming equations but the questions are hard
all men are brothers killing each other
and mother earth is wringing in wonder

who stands guard for each other
why must we guard anything at all
anything at all
whirl away now X3
whirl away

there's a cross on the road
there's a great mill turning
some seeking answers
some born to dancers
you can hold on the blade and turn around forever
be flung into space into another kind of grace

who stands guard for each other
why must we guard anything at all
anything at all
whirl away now X3
whirl away
whirl away now X3
whirl away

[?]
some giveth their hand
some giveth their land
some giveth their life
you lay in the fields of grain
the staff of life all around you
but yet you, you will cut someone down for their possessions
some material thing
and our children are being blown away like wishes in the wind
for the sake of their coat
or the colors of their coat
or the color of their skin
or the name on their shoes
and the mother cries 'Why they taken my son?'
and the father wonders 'Are they taking my boy?'
he extended his hand
he gave them his land
he gave them his bread
he gave them his heart
said hello friend
hello friend X4