Trailrunner, I hear what you are saying about the value of work, & how it contributes to lives, to society, to who we are. We are interdependent & couldn't get through a single day without the contributions of 100's of people! Isn't that a humbling thought? The efforts of so many are simply vital! One week without trash pick-up illustrates that reality beautifully! We really are all connected. We also live in a world where WORK is given so very much attention & adulation for all the wrong reasons! What people do to earn money (& of course how much they earn!) often defines them to an extent that I personally find bizarre. I know you know what I'm talking about! That is why I care less about how people earn a living than with other features of their humanity. What interests me the most about the people who have impressed me over the years, is a certain "quality of attention" they give to a task, no matter how grand or humble it may be. That presence, that "flow" as it has been called, is being fully human, & is strikingly beautiful. The way someone who is mindful & present sets a table, prepares a meal, interacts with a child, speaks to strangers, can mesmerize me. We can witness life in it's fullest, most whole, complete & beautiful, by seeing even the simplest thing done with great care. But, moments like that can easily be overlooked & or seen as meaningless in this world so obsessed with career paths & success strategies. Still, indeed, I well agree that a person can perform the work they do for a living with the care, attention & presence I am referring to, & when that happens, we are all made better! (Actually, you, your dh, your son & his wife (at the restaurant) impress me as fine examples of people who live like this!) You nursed the sick, you sang opera, you ran the trails. You have seen others nurse, sing & run as well. I would imagine that you did all of these things attentively, lovingly, mindfully, but certainly you have witnessed these tasks performed robotically or in a "check list" sort of fashion. For me, it is not the "what" but the "how" that leads to completion, wholeness, fufillment, whether we are "working" or not. Whatever we are doing, matters little in the end, but what could be sweeter than to feel content with "how" we've done things, no matter what they were, no matter how small or insignificant? To live with true quality of attention, to do our best, no matter if anyone is looking or a paycheck is in the mail. With this approach to life, when one "retires" the habit of living mindfully & being present has enriched the heart & mind so fully that a "deficit" or void of any kind is not perceived. Life in all of its fullness continues to surprise, delight & offer rich rewards, even without the job, title, paycheck & all the status & approval from others that those things confer.

Sorry, no big deals here to chortle over. I can't believe this obsession with name brand clothing, etc. Seems to me that if the maker wants to put his name on a shirt, shoes, etc. that I'll wear (hopefully for years), s/he should sell it to me for half price. I advertise his product every time that I wear it. When s/he tells me that, due to the wonderful cachet of their brand name, exclusivity and all (but they willingly sell it to all comers) I must pay double the price of run-of-the-mill products for it .... I say that's *smart marketing*!! Seems to me that we should just laugh at them and tell them to get lost!! Momma Bird in good old Ohio - we're waiting for you to show us a picture of you modelling your lovely new suit. Kathy - sounds like a good idea to pick up a few of those wonderful desks ... and publicize them on eBay. Good wishes for stretching your dollars ... (I was tempted to add, something like, " ... but not your stories, please" but forebore - I have had no reason to believe that I've seen stories stretched around here. Accusing someone of lying is not exactly a laughing matter, in my book. Though I do enjoy a good laugh, as several of you know - usually of the rather dry kind of humour. Enjoy your summer, sharing good times with loved ones and friends. I just lost a good friend - a hard worker and smart - not yet 60. Lung trouble - he smoked (cigars). ole joyful

How did I miss some of these? They're all so wonderful and unique. And it so nice, many of them mean something special. Boy, it's like opening presents to look at some of these threads again. CANNOT WAIT until you post pics of your holiday exchanges........I am definitely living vicariously through all of you. I did try to find a pic I remember seeing in a book of a vase pattern so I could pick out glass for it but that's all I'll let myself do before the new year. Couldn't find the pic anyway.

It looks like Hoang’s mislabeled rose could be Princess Alexandra of Kent. Heres a few pinks from my garden. The Faun Sweet Drif Abe Darby Light pink Sun Rosa Wedding Bells Spirit of Freedom looking a little crispy, but usually a show stopper.