Finally!

I'll miss the OWS rally in Burlington today, alas.

Doug Box, a great photographer from Texas is visiting the VPP and he's a great speaker and I plan to learn a lot, so...

But the great news is that Americans are finally paying attention to how our financial woes are connected to the two unfunded wars, unfair tax policies, Wall Street regulating itself, Citizens United, insane subsidies to Big Oil and Big Ag, etc., etc.  I've just been amazed at how bovine we seemed to be, plodding along in whatever direction the corporate masters chose, voting against our own interests.  While it's still pretty fragile, I think the will for real new direction is growing in the mainstream population.  Who knows?  Maybe they'll even see the value of universal healthcare one of these days.

Occupy Wall Street - Burlington

We decided to speak up, so to speak, and attend the Occupy Wall Street rally in Burlington today.  As flaming liberals, Barbara and I remember the media's utter lack of interest in covering the many protests leading up to the Iraq War and we don't want to see that happen again.  Many people who lived through that time actually think there was no organized protest.  Well, there was plenty but you never saw it on the news.

People are rightly upset by the hijacking of our democracy by monied interests and we hope this could be the beginning of a real backlash.  About danged time, too!

The crowd was energetic, strategizing and marching on Main and Church Streets, even after a 500-strong march yesterday.  We plan to show up every Sunday until... what?...Congress gets the message?  Citizens United is overturned?  Discouraged average Americans get out and vote their own interests for a change?

You might say the marchers' concerns are diverse, but I think they boil down to the same thing: our "representative" government has vanished in the wake of the boatloads of money tipping the scales in favor of corporations and the mega-rich.  And war is profit, don't forget, and the engine of what little national industry we have left so no one in power really wants peace despite their claims to "support our troops".

It was a very satisfying afternoon and, on top of that, we had fabulous Turkish street food from Muzo's cart on Church Street!  Delicious - menu below:

We're B-A-A-C-K

Back in Vermont, YAY!  And it's still autumn, there are still some leaves and nice days ahead.  As Ebeneezer Scrooge said on Christmas morning, "I haven't missed it!"

My sister Barbara will be staying with us for a while and I'm really happy about that.  We finished cleaning out her house in Charlottesville, VA and it is now on the market there.  Her friends recommended a real estate agent who was wonderful, a landscaper/handyman, also just great.  Our cousin Janet and her husband Leon came down from Rockville, MD to help pack, paint the porch and generally keep us cheerful.  It was a big job, but, amazingly we got through it and the house looks great.

As you know, I have been doing water aerobics here, so I dragged my sister along to the beautiful new solar heated pools at the The Smith Aquatic and Center run by Charlottesville Parks and Rec.  I feel a lot better after some jumping around in the pool, so I was glad to find such a nice facility to splash around in.

Looking forward to seeing my peeps at the Fitness Edge in South Burlington on Monday.

Happy Birthday, Dad

Happy Birthday, Dad - 87 today!

You're going strong and we're hoping you'll be around another 87 years.

We also hope we're as fit and active as you are when we get to your age!

I wrote a longer tribute last year and hope you'll read it if you missed it on August 23, 2010.

Peter Gudaitis

Well, this has been a terrible week.

My brother-in-law Peter Gudaitis died suddenly and completely unexpectedly on Wednesday at home in Charlottesville, Virginia.

My sister Barbara and Peter's brother Chas are there now trying to make sense and order of it all.

Barbara has to return to New Orleans next week to pack up her apartment there and move back to Virginia - she's been working in New Orleans for three years.  I know it sounds like an odd arrangement, but Peter and Barbara were an unusual couple.  They talked every day, visited when they could and really appreciated each others quirks.  They each had 100% support from the other.

We're all just so sad and can't believe we'll never see Peter again.

He was brilliant, a music lover, could build anything electronic, made some beautiful furniture, earned his PhD in cell biology, was passionate about ideas, liberal with a capital "L", unfailingly curious, adored his cats, was shy, kind, a gifted photographer and also hilarious.  When he wanted to do or build anything he did meticulous research then dived right in.

He was really good at avoiding me and my camera and I was unhappy to think I might not have a good picture of him.  Finally I remembered taking some at Elizabeth and Chris's wedding in 2003 when even Peter didn't avoid the general photography mayhem going on.

Peter used to go on hiking trips in the Sonoran Desert with his father and brother Chas.  He and Chas continued the tradition after their father died and those trips meant so much to him.  The family will scatter his ashes in Arizona at a future date which sounds to me like just what he would have wanted.

Goodbye, Peter.  We'll all miss you so much.

Here's Peter's obituary notice in the  Daily Progress, Charlottesville.  If anyone wishes to make a donation Barbara has chosen The Committee for Missing Children (address in the obit.)  Thanks.

Happy Birthday, Anthony

This day was hard to imagine.

Anthony who has been in my heart since before he was born turns 30 years old today.

He has always been an original, quick and creative with deep feelings he articulated from about age 4.  The most morally courageous kid I can ever remember knowing, he has always made me so proud.

This photograph was taken when Anthony was 21 heading to Ireland for the first time with very little but his Uilleann bagpipes.  He reluctantly let me snap a photo before we drove to the airport.

I'll admit I did plague both my children with an ever present camera, but how else would I have had shots like this that make me smile and tear up at the same time?

Anthony is all grown up now, working hard, doesn't have his birthday off, alas.  He's still piping away whenever the chance arises, still shares a lot with me and Ed.

He lives on the other side of the state so we don't see him as much as we'd like, but, hey - he could be on the West Coast, so I feel lucky indeed.

I love you, Anthony, and I hope this post doesn't drive you nuts!

Keuka - Quick Trip to Wine Country

Arlo and I took a trip to Keuka Lake on Sunday.  Keuka is in the Finger Lakes region of New York, near Ithaca.

My friend Dineen visits her family camp there every August and we missed going last year.

The greatest thing about this place is the total relaxation - no schedule or commitments.  Aaaahhhhh!  We had beautiful weather, hot but breezy, then rainy and breezy, then cooler and breezy.  We just sat on the deck overlooking the lake, on the lawn overlooking the lake...you get the idea.  Arlo's girl friend Martini came out with Dineen, so there was a lot of ball chasing, treats, etc. along with the lounging.  Martini is also a Golden Doodle, born one month before Arlo in 2006.  Salt and Peppa!

On Tuesday it rained and we got soaked shopping, running the dogs and dashing back and forth from the car.  We decided to visit a couple of wineries just across the lake.  Our first stop was Heron Hill. 

We had a tasting and met Tambi Schweizer the tasting room manager who also made the cool bistro table you see below.  It's part of an auction/fundraiser project for the area - think of those painted cows in Burlington last summer.  The materials are a wine cask and corks!

The wine was so delicious (to say nothing of making cool lamps out of the gorgeous bottles) that we bought a case to bring home and share with our Cacklefest friends, the Peeps.

Then we went on to Bully Hill for a mah-velous lunch on the deck:  grilled Portobello mushroom topped with a crab cake and two perfectly seared scallops.  More wine, too!

This trip was too short!!!  Arlo and I had to beat it back to Vermont on Wednesday for a couple of photography jobs, but we are so glad we went.  Next year I hope my sister Barbara can come again and the Peeps, of course.  Thanks again, Dineen for a wonderful vacation!