Asides

Politics
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Imbolc                                                        Valentine Moon

“Consider these facts from a highly intelligent forthcoming book, War Front to Store Front, by Paul Brinkley: In 2009, Afghanistan had a nominal GDP of $10 billion. Of that number, 60% was foreign aid. The cultivation of poppy and the production and export of raw heroin–all of which is informal and underground–accounted for 30%. That leaves 10%, or $1 billion, of self-sustaining, legitimate economic activity. During the same year, the U.S. military spent $4 billion per month to protect a country with a real annual economic output of $1 billion.””  Foreign Policy, Situation Report for 2/10/2014

General
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Imbolc                                                           Valentine Moon

As regards ancientrails’ 9 year + run.  I want to acknowledge Bill Schmidt as an important resource in keeping the back office working.  He knows the code, both literally and figuratively.  When ancientrails hit its storage limit in August of 2013, he did a four day dive into the innards of the website and its host, solving what turned out to be a difficult problem.

And, you too, reader.  Seeing the counter hit upward of 2,000 unique visits a month, I know you’re out there, but I know only a few of you by name.  Thanks for listening.

General
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Imbolc                                                                     Valentine Moon

Looked out the window toward the orchard.  Snow.  Snow on the bee hive.  Snow over the old wheelbarrow.  Snow over the hay bales and up the trunks of the trees.  Snow over the plant holder.  This last is around 2 feet high.  We have from 2 to three feet of snow depending on where you look.  The vegetable garden is a hobbit village after a blizzard.

Great Wheel
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Imbolc                                                                 Valentine Moon

Not feeling down exactly, but restless, a bit aimless.  I imagine it’s a mild cabin fever, with the delightful elements of Latin, writing and taking classes losing some of their joy.  Leaves me without the push I need to finish things.

P90X helps.  It provides a new body work routine, mixing up that regular portion of my day, but it can’t replace the garden chores and work with the bees.  I’ve not got outside much at all during the time of the polar vortex and in the past during such cold snaps I have.

This will lift.

Health
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Yoga.  This will take a while to get.  Difficult for me, co-ordinating the various moves and it requires stamina and strength as well as flexibility.  I probably have the most to gain in yoga of all the work P90X has to offer.  Which means, of course, that I’m starting the farthest from where I want to be.

A few poses here.  It will require real work to do them well.

Family, Friends, Woolly Mammoths
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Winter                                                       Seed Catalog Moon

African proverb:   “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Groups like families and the Woollies offer us the opportunity for both.  To live long and well, we travel with each other on the ancientrail of life.  To hone a particular skill or project we can go alone, but with others supporting us.

 

General
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Winter                                                         Seed Catalog Moon

Left the stove on all night by mistake.  It was 91 here in the study while -15 outside this morning.  Over 100 degrees difference.  Like a mini-trip to the Southwest without leaving home.

 

Weather +Climate
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Winter                                                       Seed Catalog Moon

Wow.  It’s gotten warmer since the late afternoon.  26.  Tomorrow will see the temps above freezing, then a major plummet.  Gonna try to get some work done outside tomorrow.  Not sure what.

General
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Winter                                                                         Winter Moon

Minnesota macho is back.  The only consolation from the weather folks is, “It’s been colder.”  Oh, yeah.  We’ve had a real winter this year and I’m glad.  This is the weather I moved here for and if we can have these winters every two or three years, I’ll mute my complaints when it’s hot.  I promise.  Well, don’t hold me to that.  Like many Minnesotans my cold tolerance far exceeds my heat tolerance.

 

General
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Samhain                                                                      Winter Moon

Each year around this time I have my physical.  I drive into the Medical Arts Building, park in the ramp next to it, see the doctor, then, after the fast is no longer necessary, I take the elevator down to LL where I dine in Hell’s Kitchen.  Kate went along today and we had a nice apres physical meal together.  Hell was full today with people coming in voluntarily.