like water on a rock

Ever heard Rufus Wainwright sing "Across the Universe" by The Beatles? Well, what are you waiting for? Heard Fiona Apple's cover of it that played in the movie "Pleasantville"? It's on YouTube...

I sit here looking out our dirty spare bedroom window listening to this and other Beatles covers from the soundtrack "i am sam". Never saw the movie, but I am just a little more than slightly in love with the Beatles. I looked up what "Jai guru deva om" means, and not only am I embarrased to say I thought he was saying something about Jackaroo, which was a book I read in junior high(as improbably as that may be), but it is Sanskrit. Oops.

On 4 February 2008, at 00:00 UTC, NASA transmitted[2] "Across the Universe" in the direction of the star Polaris, 431 light years from Earth. The transmission was made using a 70m antenna in the DSN's Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex, located outside of Madrid, Spain. It was done with an "X band" transmitter, radiating into the antenna at 18 kW.

This was done to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the song's recording, the 45th anniversary of the Deep Space Network (DSN), and the 50th anniversary of NASA. The idea was hatched by Beatles historian Martin Lewis, who encouraged all Beatles fans to play the track as it was beamed to the distant star. The event marked the first time a piece of music had ever been intentionally transmitted into deep space, and was approved by Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, and Apple Records.[3] (The first musical interstellar message was "1st Theremin Concert to Aliens", section 2 of the Teen Age Message.)

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup,
They slither while they pass, they slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind....

What was Lennon's world-and how did all those thoughts/feelings/moments/images not change it? He surely dug transcendentalism and meditation...did those things really drift through his mind, leaving nothing permanent behind?

I want to make more time to meditate. I have a tendency to think of things clinically, and not fluidly. I can't explain the difference very well, but it feels like the difference between strolling on a beach or running on hot coals.

Wu wei:literally meaning without action. Wei wu wei: action without action. Often paralelled with water-soft and weak but it can carve out stones and flow unendingly.

cartoon voices

Thursday had a bad driving experience with the girls-cursed at a woman while heading off to work. Abigail just looked at me afterword and said "Mommy, that hurt my ears". I am going to rue the day that one learned to talk...

Friday balanced both days' deposits at work so I shouldn't hear too much bitching from the boss on Monday.

Saturday I actually got out and did some weeding and general tidying up of the front and back yards. It felt good to be outside working in the dirt and such. There are some really annoying allium in the flower beds, though, that are driving me crazy. I am not a fan of their foilage and the flowers are not the pretty ones I always see in Martha Stewart magazines-more like a drab tan color. So I yanked them out while pulling tons of evil clover weeds.

ps-if your child is under the age of five, don't ever make the mistake of telling them Mickey Mouse lives at Disney World. I told Abigail today and she was actually speechless, not a regular state for my daughter, mind you!

Happy Easter everyone!

Learning to try new things

So, I never intended this to be a blog with 90% of the content devoted to my children, but somehow fate has it out for me. I keep remembering little stories, quips and instances that I want to share with the world and write down for memories' sake. One such story is about my oldest daughter, Abigail's taste in music. She loves rocking out to Peter Bjorn and John in the car, listening patiently to her mother chant along with Bob Dylan tunes, and asks if Beethoven is available to listen to in the house.

She's interested in everything from Stockhausen to the Smiths. She also happens to have developed a love and deep appreciation for music from the Lawrence Welk Show and from Andre Rieu's concerts.(both of which I take full responsibility for considering my husband and I have corrupted her with public broadcasting from a very early age.)

Ever heard either of these two music forums before? Ever patiently sat through the Lawrence Welk show on a Sunday night, in rapture by Myron Florin the magnificent accordion player? Or Andre Rieu, the Dutch violinist who frequently uses smoke machines and women in garish, sparkly, somewhat Venetian dresses, accompanying him while he dances and prances on stage, dark brown hair flying in ringlets about his face? Didn't think you would answer yes to most of those questions. My daughter, however, seems to think both these guys are the cat's meow and doesn't understand why I don't want to stay in the family room and watch, eyes glued to the screen whenever they happen to come on. I have to hand it to her, though, she finds the most amazing things to point out like, look mommy, that man is dancing while playing the violin, or look mommy, that man smiles a lot and lets lots of people sing on his show! Her innocence and sensitivity create in me a genuine wonder at what she sees and interprets in that gorgeous little head. Can't think of much more to say about the subject. Just that my daughters are lovely, even if they think watching the accordian being played is on par with getting a sack full of money.