Linda L. Oestreich

It’s 23 December and I think we’re getting off work a bit early this afternoon! I’ve already placed my order with BevMo to get the “spirits” I’ll need for the Bad Santa punch I plan to make for my Boxing Day Gathering. Here’s the recipe…I give you permission to use it at your own discretion!

1 cup Cointreau (or TripleSec to save a buck or two)
2 cups Brandy (not cognac)
3 cups orange juice (no pulp)
1 bottle of sparkling wine or champagne

Put it all in a pitcher and stir. Serve in cocktail glasses over ice…garnish with cherry if you wish. Sounds DEE-LISH! I’ll let you know how it goes!

My shopping is done. I have two rather bulky gifts in the garage yet to wrap or put bows on or put in very large plastic bags (tacky, but not out of range of my wrapping etiquette). I designed and printed out two certificates that I’m giving to two very close friends…that makes it nice so that I can put the certs in their Christmas Cards or, if I’m in the mood, I might even wrap them up like presents. We’ll see about that.

My home co-owner and very close friend, Jeanne, arrives at 8:30 pm Christmas Day to stay until New Year’s Day. That’s pretty cool cuz next week is a 3-day work week for me: Monday is the holiday, and Friday is my regular day off (I’m on that 9/80 plan). If things here are really quiet, I’ll take a little more time off to be with her and enjoy the holiday week. Big difference from my time at HP when the place shut down and we were forced to take vacation! Guess the Feds never really close…that is, unless they don’t pass the continuing resolutions! But that’s another story for another time…

It took me awhile to get my own ”spirits” ready for this Christmas…but I think I’ve moved through my blues and I’ve come out in a pretty nice place. I watched a video this morning of a flash mob singing Christmas Carols–so I looked up one for you to see! Click here for a short one that is quite uplifting! I love the chubby guy in the workshirt!

So, Merry Christmas to you. I hope your days and nights to come are filled with love and happiness.

Tags: Bad Santa punch, Boxing Day, flash mob, Merry Christmas, spirits
Posted in Interest | No Comments »

I have to give thanks to Bozoette again for sharing the theme of “trains” in her blog…which led me to realize that I, too, have a wonderful memory of trains. Bozette says that she got the idea from CafeWriting. I’ve added that blog to my reading list. One more item I seldom get to won’t hurt!

As I reminisce, the first train trip that comes to mind was not the first that I took or the one that lasted the longest, but the one that made the biggest impression on me.  It was a short trip–only 94 miles round trip–and the whole thing, including a stop for sightseeing and lunch, took only 4.5 hours.  I don’t remember the exact year of the ride, but it was probably Spring 1998 or 1999. At the time, my mom was living in Mountain Home, Arkansas (that’s a story in its own right), and I had driven up from Houston to Northern Arkansas to visit her. We drove to Flippen (population about 1300) so we could get on the White River Scenic Railroad and see the lovely beauty of the White River from Flippen to Calico Rock (pop. 850) (these are real names of real towns…cool, huh?). The train had a great open-air platform at the end of the car and it afforded some views of the river and surrounding cliffs that my camera couldn’t even begin to capture. I remember seeing my first American Bald Eagle on that trip, and it was icing on the cake for a special day with my mom.  I still smile as I remember the day. It was one that I’ll treasure forever. It’s wonderful how reading Mary’s (Bozoette) blog brought me this lovely memory. Thanks, Mary!

The next most prominent train trip I remember was with my daughter, Connie, and it was on Virgin Trains. We took the train from Liverpool, England, to Edinburgh, Scotland. We were in Liverpool for two nights–we went there specifically to see The Beatles’ Story Museum–and were headed to a B&B in Edinburgh for another 2-3 days before heading for Paris on the boat-train.  (Despite my Austrian last name now, I was born a full-blooded Scot. I thought it would be nice to see the land of my foreparents!)  We had almost missed the train and the only seats available were at tables (two seats facing forward; two backward around a small table) with others. We chose to sit with a young woman who looked interesting (at the time, I thought she wore a little too  much makeup and showed a little too much cleavage). But, in retrospect, it really doesn’t matter–Joanne Lamb came into our lives. JoJo is a hoot. She was interesting and funny and insisted on getting us an upgrade to First Class for the second leg of our trip (she worked for Virgin, although she wasn’t working during the ride). She shared her stories and listened to ours as we rode together those couple of hours. One would think that was that…but it wasn’t. We exchanged contact information, and that was good because upon arriving in Edinburgh, I realized I had left a huge bag of things in my Liverpool hotel (remember that we were late for the train?). I contacted JoJo, who lived in Liverpool, and over the next few months, she managed to collect the things I had left and mail them to me! She is a force of nature and if you check out her Facebook page, you’ll see what I mean. I look forward to seeing her again, which is quite likely, because this young woman now is a flight attendant on Virgin Air, and she flies to the U.S. quite regularly!  What a delight that train trip was…and what a treasure we found in our friendship with JoJo.

Other trainworthy notes:

• My maternal grandfather was a railroad worker–can’t remember his job title. He died before I was  born, so I never knew him, but my mom spoke about him often and always quite fondly.
• Mom and I traveled all around France, Switzerland, and Italy by train in 1978. Mom paid all the bills; I made all the arrangements and carried the luggage.
• Sometime during Connie’s childhood, she and I flew to the San Francisco area and returned by train. I wanted to give her the experience of traveling.  But, just as I’ve forgotten so much of what was going on during those days, I’ve forgotten when it was–1980 maybe?
• The Coaster travels from San Diego up the coast–I occasionally take it to San Juan Capistrano for STC events. It’s inexpensive, great fun, and without traffic!!!

OK. That’s it for that particular train of thought.  (ba-da-boomp!) Till next time!

Tags: Arkansas, Bozoette, CafeWriting, Liverpool, memories, Scotland, The Beatles' Museum, The Coaster, trains, White River
Posted in Interest | No Comments »

 It’s two weeks until Christmas and three weeks until 2012. What a year it’s been. Everyone around me has had their ups and downs, but we’re here and we’re moving through this time of stress and craziness and looking under every pine bough for the peace and love and laughter we know is still here.  I’m sitting in a beautiful city that almost never freezes and feeling as though I’m in the cold north. I have my wall heater on and two space heaters going from time to time (yes, I’m being ultra careful).  I think I have the majority of my Christmas shopping done, but I still need to mail a few things and, of course, wrap everything.

The house is partially decorated, and that’s good. But it’s not completed, and that’s not good. Jeanne arrives for a week’s visit on Christmas Day. I’m considering having an open house type of gathering for Boxing Day. Entrance requirement? a box, maybe? That and a simple something to eat…just to keep costs low. This afternoon is the local STC chapter’s Holiday Party and I magically turned a dozen eggs into two dozen deviled eggs!

I am happy and sad, too. The biological father of Cheryl’s son is in Jacksonville, FL, in a coma. Cher and her son, Glynn, flew out there yesterday. My heart is with her. She and Glynn senior have been friends despite not being together these last 40 years or so. Why do these things happen so often at or near the holidays? I’m sure there’s a reason, even if it isn’t one I like.

Not sure why I’m blogging at all today…I’m in a kinda blue mood…but I read the blog of bozoette and it made me want to blog! I wish I were more constant about doing so. Maybe this coming year?

I’ve begun piano lessons and classes at UCSD begin on 9 January. In addition, I’m going to Curves when I can to get some much-needed exercise to support the weight loss I’m having because of the Sept 19 gastric bypass.  So far, I’m down almost 50 pounds.  And, that’s definitely a very good thing!

Holidays are here for us all, no matter if you’re Christian or Jew, Muslim or Buddhist. This time of year affects us, even if we don’t celebrate the same things…we are caught up in the melee of wonder and insanity.  Let’s do our best to stay focused on the good, keep an eye on our health, support the friends we hold near, and live life with the gusto our Gods intended. I know I’m doing my best to do so…and although I slip from time to time, I’m OK with that.

Happy Everything to you…may your 2012 be prosperous, sane, and beautiful…every minute of every day.

Posted in Interest | No Comments »

Aerial view of HQ on PacHwy in Old Town

Some of you know that I was laid off on 7 October. If you don’t know, don’t feel bad. I was reemployed by 17 October. I think that may be the shortest unemployment window in the history of this non-depression. I should probably be on the cover of People magazine!

As I look back, the event was pretty uneventful. While I was out recovering from my surgery, the government contract that I was working on ended. I knew that it was going to end, but I thought that I was going to have a seamless transition to another contract and stay in the same job. (That happens a lot here in the world of government contracts.) But it didn’t work out. The specific job I was in here at SPAWAR (Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command) was abolished and I was left without a place to call my own.  So, I boxed up my stuff and went home on 30 September. OMNITEC, my employer, was kind enough to pay me for a week after my layoff, so I was officially on their books through 7 October. That was a good thing because that meant my health insurance was covered through 31 October. Yeah…blah, blah, blah…no need to go into all those details…it’s boring to write, I bet it’s even more boring to read!

So, here I am (in the picture above, my building is the small rectangle below the big silver-roofed building at the very left of the picture). I now work for a small defense contractor, The Marlin Alliance, headquartered a few miles north of San Diego in Carlsbad, CA. It’s woman-owned and operated and I like it. One of the owners of the company was my colleague over the past year. In fact, she was the Malcolm Baldrige expert that I worked closely with and learned from during all the work we did to have SPAWAR in the running for a performance excellence award from the California Council on Excellence.

I am back at SPAWAR, but now I support the Director of Civilian Human Resources. She is also the Deputy Director for EEO for the whole SPAWAR claimancy. The SPAWAR claimancy includes the whole contingent here in the Pt. Loma/San Diego area; Hawaii; Charleston, NC; New Orleans, LA; and Norfolk, VA. The team is outgoing and fun and very dedicated to making a difference. I am hopeful that this position will last long enough for me to make a difference, too! The contract I’m included in is for 5 years, but Marlin needs to perform at a certain level to get options signed annually. I don’t have any doubts about that. I do have doubts about whether Congress will continue to have enough money to support the work we do.  Of course,  as long as this Command has civilian employees, they will need Human Resource support. So, that’s a good thing. I’m hoping it will be good for me!  And, I get to put new and interesting things into my bag of skills and abilities. That can’t be all bad!

Til next time!

Posted in Interest | No Comments »

It’s two-thirds the way through October and I’m still processing September. Gastric bypass, getting laid off, finding a new job much like the old job, were all milestones…but September 2011 will always be the month I lost one of my best friends.

The world doesn’t pick times that are convenient to give you challenges, and it certainly didn’t hold back for me. The biggest loss I had was my friend, Tessa Wingate. Tessa made her transition on Monday, 26 September. She had turned 64 in July. She died in a nursing home in Houston where she had been for several months because of medical complications of a failing liver. Despite rallies and lengths of time when we all thought she was going to pull through, she gave up and just went to sleep. She entered a nonresponsive state the weekend of 17 September and nine days later she stopped breathing.

I met Tessa sometime in the early 90s when I was in Houston. She was quite active in the Unity church that I attended and, in fact, it was probably because of her that I considered becoming a licensed Unity teacher and/or minister! I attended classes at Unity Village in Kansas City and was awed at the level of spirituality that Tessa seemed to have. She was one of those women who loved to do handiwork–not knitting and macrame–but building and hammering and installing. I remember that after one of the hurricanes that hit Houston, she and a team of folks from Unity rebuilt a home through the Habitat for Humanity. She was always helping me–many times at my Houston house, but almost as many here in San Diego. She could do anything. She installed the track lighting above my kitchen sink, replaced the light fixture above my dining room table, and she helped paint the very room I’m writing in now.

She was smart and kind and generous—to everyone but to herself. For some reason, she never gave herself a break. She was always trying to prove something..trying to convince herself that she had worth. And, when she couldn’t, she drank wine. In addition, she was hounded by deep, continual depression. She saw therapists and shamans, acupuncturists and holistic healers. She saw psychiatrists, too. During the years I knew her, she had several procedures and studies done on her brain (lightwaves, beta waves, sleep tests). And she took several anti-psycotic drugs. Nothing ever seemed to give her peace. She was happiest when she was doing for others. Left alone, she fell into the depths of despair. Her God couldn’t help, her doctors couldn’t help, and even those of us who loved her as friends and family couldn’t help. Basically, she couldn’t help herself…and the drugs and the alcohol she used to try to find peace killed her.

Nonetheless, I loved her. I was straight with her and, when it was needed, I let her know that she was the only guest at her pity party. Once, in Houston, after she had been in a 30-day rehab, she came to live with me. I made her sign a contract that she wouldn’t drink while she was under my roof. She signed it and lived by it for 3 months! But then she moved back into her townhome and her old habits started up again. She was a high-functioning alcoholic. She usually only drank when she was alone. Unfortunately, she was alone a lot.

She was always asking for forgiveness and apologizing for things that didn’t need it. I never really understood that part of her. But, she was smart and intuitive for her friends. We had a Saturday morning phone call almost every week for years. Sometimes, we would stay on the phone for hours discussing careers, spiritualism, religion, politics, our pasts, our past lives, and our families. She was great at helping me over personal hurdles, but she never was able to help herself.

I flew to Houston in early May to see her. She was in the nursing home then and the prognosis at that time was only a few weeks…even though she stayed around for several months after that time, she never really did regain the old Tessa-hood. Our calls lessened because she often wouldn’t answer her cell phone…and from time to time she forgot how to use the phone to call me. Once in awhile, we’d have a chat that was so close to being like old times, that I would get my hopes up that she was rallying. Then, the next time we spoke, she’d be confused and distant, forgetful and scared. She called me on Wednesday, 14 September. It was about 10 pm here, so it was near midnight there in Houston. I scolded her for calling so late. She was concerned because her doctor had just told her that she only had about a year to live.  I laughed it off and reminded her that in May they said she only had weeks to live and she was still here.  Little did I know that would be our last call and the year would be only 2 weeks…

Other things happened in September…but they have all resolved. Maybe Tessa’s passing has resolved, too. I hope so. One thing I know is that I believe with all my heart that she isn’t struggling to find peace any longer. I like to think of her happy and healthy just like she looks in this picture of her and her sweet Bichon, Jack. (Jack got a good home with one of the nurses that was caring for Tessa.)

I miss you, Tessa–and always will.

Posted in Interest | No Comments »

I have become a Jelloholic. I have more flavors of Jell-O® in my fridge and cabinet than I knew existed. I’ve sent friends to the store for me (still am not driving post-surgery) and they have brought back delicious, colorful, new adventures. Some of them (the Jell-O®, not the friends) are pre-made and easy to grab and eat. Some of them are boxes of granules that gel when combined with boiling water, a bit of stirring, cold water, and time in the fridge.

I grew pretty tired of strawberry because that was the only flavor they had while I was in the hospital. But, I am now armed with cherry, orange, raspberry, strawberry-kiwi, black cherry, and my favorite (lime) is gelling right now! (Did you know that “The people of Salt Lake City consume more lime-flavored gelatin than any other city in the United States”? I certainly didn’t! But it’s kinda fun to wonder why…)

I’ve managed to make Jell-O® my magical treat, my decadent dessert, the fun part of every meal.  Of course, it doesn’t take much to give you fun at a meal when the rest of your meal is special sugar-free protein drinks, chicken broth, and water. It’s possible that I’ll be on this clear liquid diet for a couple of weeks, so I’m doing all I can to enjoy it!

And, since Jell-O® is now my close and personal BFF, I did a bit of googling: You, too, can learn about the history of Jell-O®, with one easy click!

Here’s my favorite, little-known fact about Jell-O®,

March 17, 1993, technicians at St. Jerome hospital in Batavia test a bowl of lime Jell-O with an EEG machine and confirm the earlier testing by Dr. Adrian Upton that a bowl of wiggly Jell-O has brain waves identical to those of adult men and women.

Smart as Jell-O?

And, I always thought that calling someone a Jell-O®-brain was an insult!

Can you tell I’m recuperating???? Keep calm and wiggle on! (stolen from an old Jell-O® ad)

Tags: gastric bypass, Jell-O®, liquid diet
Posted in Gastric bypass, Interest | No Comments »

I am doing quite well, thank you! Turns out I needn’t have worried about telling too many folks about my surgery, because I write in this blog so seldom, many folks have stopped reading it. The Universe does operate in wondrous ways!

Well, in addition to the gastric bypass, I had a hiatal hernia and some issue with something being attached to my liver that my doctor explained to my daughter, but has not yet explained to me. Guess I need to figure that out. I am feeling strong enough to do my online teaching job today, although I still have a sore throat from the tubes they put down my throat and it’s tough to sit for long.  Standing and lying down are much easier on all my incisions!

Well, I’ve begun to be very fond of sugar-free Jello and my protein drink. The Metagenics drink I have that’s cappucino-flavored even works well warm, so I can pretend that I’m having morning coffee! And, I do prefer Swanson’s chicken broth over the generic brand from the grocery store!

Other than that, the big news is that it’s raining in San Diego! Can you imagine that?  Big rain…sort of (nothing in San Diego ever compares with big rain in Texas). And it’s nice to be inside, looking at it and listening to light thunder (another rare thing here in SD).

I will sign off now, realizing that this post is more for me than for you. It doesn’ have my usual wit and wisdoms, but it does give me a place to check back on as I move on down the road of this new lifestyle I’ve chosen!

Blessings,

Me

Tags: gastric bypass, Linda Oestreich, liquid diets, Metagenics, post-op, rain
Posted in Gastric bypass, Interest | No Comments »

Have been hemming and hawing on whether to share this info or not…but I decided to go for it. I’m going to make this work and I have to be honest and open about it with all my friends.  Tomorrow, 19 September 2011, I am having a gastric bypass. My doctor (Dr. Alan Wittgrove)  is well-renowned and has an excellent track record of successful operations and successful weight losers! Some of you may remember that I already did this.  Yup.  In October 2000, I had a vertical-banded gastroplasty. Not the same operation, but it was intended to do the same thing…give me a tool so that I could lose the weight I’ve been carrying around for 50 of my 63 years. Well, the first operation helped me lose about 75 pounds over the first year…but I never did change my eating patterns and never gave up or properly controlled the carbs, fat, and sugars that I eat. So, here I am 11 years later and I’ve gained back all but 10 of those 75 pounds. So, now, I’m doing it again. This time, I believe that I am more committed, more ready, and maybe a little bit more scared… I’m older and the weight I carry affects me in ways it didn’t when I was younger. I want to be sure that my joints last a good long time…and that I can walk long distances and climb stairs without sounding like a locomotive.

So, that’s the story. I’ll be checking in at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla tomorrow at 5:30 AM PDT. Surgery is scheduled for 7:30 AM. It’s a 3- to 5-hour procedure–probably because it’s laparoscopic, and I’m sure that it’s slower working on my insides through little holes than it was when they just opened me up as they did the first time.

I’m healthy. I’m a good candidate, so I don’t expect any complications. I have friends and family here to help me post-surgery. And, I’ve been lucky enough to not be diabetic or even have high cholesterol! But, I sure will be happy to not have as much arthritis pain in my joints once I lose some kilos!

So, the word is out.  I’m still not comfortable putting the note on Facebook…but maybe I will note something there post-surgery. I’m excited. I’m ready (emotionally), even though I still have laundry, and house-cleaning, and dishes to do before I call it a day!

I guess that’s it. No wise words or witticisms…just doing what I think is right to protect my health and ensure that I’m here for a long, long time to come!

Love & hugs,

Me

Tags: Dr. Alan Wittgrove, gastric bypass, health, surgery, weight
Posted in Gastric bypass, Interest | No Comments »

June 2, 2011. Another beautiful day in paradise. Rather than write a narrative, I believe I’ll follow the lead of my friend, Mary Wise, and share a list! This is my list of 10 cool things I’ve done so far this year:

1. Visited the coastal redwood forests of northern California and drove the Avenue of the Giants (with multiple stops for tree-hugging) with my heart-sister, Cheryl Smith. These trees are beyond any words I might have to describe them. You have to go and FEEL them! The peaceful energy emanating all around these wonderful beings was palpable and powerful. I’m still able to close my eyes and see and smell these seemingly prehistoric forests and feel the slowing of time and the inconsequential nonimportance of me.

2. Co-taught a 7-week online certificate class for STC in Technical Editing Fundamentals. New experience for me. Never taught a full class without seeing the lovely faces of my students. This format allowed me to talk to them and hear them talk to me if I opened the phone lines. I think the class went well. Thanks to my dear partner in crime, Michelle Corbin, who kept us on time, on schedule, and on point, we pulled it off! And, thanks to our first class who were our beta testers, we promise our next class (if we’re invited back) will be even better!

3. Taught a completely online 10-week class for UCSD Extension in Copyediting for Technical Communicators. This one was a bit more rough. Probably because I didn’t have Michelle as my partner! Prepping for this class overlapped the final teaching weeks of the class in #2, so my plate was definitely full. This class had EVERYTHING done electronically. I not only never see my students, I never talk to them except on a prerecorded set of PowerPoint slides. Very strange experience, but I believe it’s the way of the world now and I hope to be asked back by these folks, too!

4. Took a quick weekend trip to Houston. One of my best friends, Tessa, has had some medical issues, which at first seemed to be quite severe. I felt it was important to go see her myself, so I did! I stayed with my dear friends Connie and Lin Richard for 2 nights and with another dear friend, Deb Silvi, for 1 night. I visited Tessa 2 days of the 3 I was there and managed to grade papers and visit with my friends for the rest of my weekend. I’m glad I went because it helped me understand Tessa’s malady. I just wish the timing had been better and I had had time to see more of my Texas friends.

5. Attended the 2011 STC Summit in Sacramento. My 28th consecutive STC annual conference. It was delightful and I had a chance to room with Judy Glick-Smith, one of my best STC buds from my Texas days. Going to conference is so different for me these days, but it is nice to attend sessions, give presentations, and visit with folks without darting back and forth doing Board of Director things. I do miss the days of yore and so many of my dear friends who no longer attend conferences. But, all things change, and embracing that change makes us who we are…so I embrace it and move on! 

6. Gambling! I know that it’s probably not in my best interests, but I do love those slots! I am doing pretty well at keeping it a hobby and not an obsessive-compulsive addiction…but I sure see how it would be easy to cross the line. Nonetheless, it’s fun and it is a mind-numbing escape for me. Thanks to another best friend of mine, Connie V, for putting up with me for the past four decades and for being my casino companion!

7. Going to work. Yup. I still like it. I am writing more on this job than I have written in many years. I think folks value what I do and I’m hoping that things work out so that I can stay here for a good, long time! (Of course, I have my backup plan ready in case things don’t work out that way…refer back to my comment about change in #5.)

8. Spending time with my daughter. Connie Oestreich is my pride and my friend. She has recently begun designing, creating, and selling jewelry and being altruistic in many little ways. I’m amazed every day at the talent, creativity, and compassion that she shows. Even the name of her little company, SeviBeau, is perfect. It’s something she made up and it means Sexy, Vibrant, Beautiful. Her passion is helping other women be recognized for their talents and abilities and I think she’s hit upon a wonderful way to show it. And, of course, this is her hobby; she still works for the Feds full time!

9. Visited Vic & JM Cercley and Louise & Terry Briggs. Part of the road trip home from those lovely redwoods noted in #1, was that Cher and I visited long-time, special friends along the way. Vicki and JM live in Santa Rosa and Louise and Terry live in Santa Maria. Both families treated us like royalty and to make things even nicer, they both had dogs to help entertain us!

10. Lived and loved and laughed. And, the list ends with the mundane, but wonderful everyday events that come with living each day in as positive a way as I can. Life, of course, isn’t all pleasant, but we all have the power to respond to it in a way that won’t sap all our energy. My sister is still in a nursing home; my brother is still unemployed. Cheryl had to put her lovely shepherd-mix, Dudley, down because of cancer, and several of my dear women friends are quite ill from various things–cancer being the main player. Each day is a surprise package. I do my best to be grateful for whatever it is.

Tags: Avenue of the Giants, Bozoette, casinos, copyediting, friends, gambling, Houston, online classes, SeviBeau Jewelry, STC, STC Summit, technical editing, UCSD Extension, Work
Posted in Fun, Interest | No Comments »

These last two weeks, since the earthquake and tsunami, the world’s attention has been on Japan. This week, a colleague of mine shared a letter with me. This letter was written by a woman who lives in Sendai, Japan. She wrote it to her goddaughter who lives here in the San Diego area. I am copying the content of that letter here just as I received it. You can make your own judgments about its contents. I know that the picture it paints of everyday life in a place of unbelievable strife will stay with me forever. I asked for, and received permission to share it here. And now, I’ll shut up and let Anne, speak for herself:
*******************************

The goddaughter’s intro:
(I thought you’d like to read a letter that my godmother sent family  members from Sendai. She has taught English there for the last decade  and survived the tsunami/earthquake. Thanks for all your best wishes and  prayers, we are certainly thankful she is ok. )

Hello My Lovely Family and Friends,

First I want to thank you so very much for your concern for me. I am very touched. I also wish to apologize for a generic message to you  all. But it seems the best way at the moment to get my message to you.     

Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very  blessed to have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend’s home. We share supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful.      

During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up to get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their home, they put out sign so people can come to fill up their jugs and buckets.

Utterly amazingly where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. People keep saying, “Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another.”

Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes.

Sirens are constant and helicopters pass overhead often.

We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on. But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not. No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much more important concerns than that for us now.

I love this peeling away of non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the entire group.

There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in  the sun. People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking their dogs. All happening at the same time.

Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night.

No cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled. The mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them silhouetted against the sky magnificently.

And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway.  I have no idea from whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, no.

They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts.

So, so far this area is better off than others.  Last night my friend’s husband came in from the country, bringing food and water.

Blessed again.

Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don’t. Rather, I feel as part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.

Thank you again for your care and Love of me,

With Love in return, to you all,

Anne

Tags: beauty, Cosmic shift, earthquake, hope, Japan, Sendai, tsunami, worldwide energy shift
Posted in Interest | No Comments »