Franny and Zooey

"Zooey abruptly placed his hands over his now quite damp face, left them there for an instant, then removed them. He refolded them. His voice picked up again, almost perfectly conversational in tone. 'The part that stumps me, really stumps me, is that I can't see why anybody - unless he was a child, or an angel, or a lucky simpleton like the pilgrim - would even want to say the prayer to a Jesus who was the least bit different from the way he looks and sounds in the New Testament. My God! He's only the most intelligent man in the Bible, that's all! Who isn't he head and shoulder's over? Who? Both Testaments are full of pundits, prophets, disciples, favorite sons, Solomons, Isaiahs, Davids, Pauls - but, my God, who besides Jesus really knew which end was up? Nobody. Not Moses. Don't tell me Moses. He was a nice man, and he kept in beautiful touch with his God, and all that - but that's exactly the point. He had to keep in touch. Jesus realized there is no separation from God.' Zooey here clapped his hands together - only once, and not loud, and very probably in spite of himself. His hands were refolded across his chest almost, as it were, before the clap was out. 'Oh, my God, what a mind!' he said. 'Who else, for example, would have kept his mouth shut when Pilate asked for an explanation? Not Solomon. Don't say Solomon. Solomon would have had a few pithy words for the occasion. I'm not sure Socrates wouldn't have, for that matter. Crito, or somebody, would have managed to pull him aside just long enough to get a couple of well-chosen words for the record. But most of all, above everything else, who in the Bible besides Jesus knew - knew - that we're carrying the Kingdom of Heaven around with us, inside, where we're all too goddam stupid and sentimental and unimaginative to look? You have to be a son of God to know that kind of stuff. Why don't you think of these things? I mean it, Franny, I'm being serious. When you don't see Jesus for exactly what he was, you miss the whole point of the Jesus Prayer. If you don't understand Jesus, you can't understand his prayer - you don't get the prayer at all, you just get some kind of organized cant. Jesus was a supreme adept, by God, on a terribly important mission. This was no St. Francis, with enough time to knock out a few canticles, or to preach to the birds, or to do any of the other endearing things so close to Franny Glass's heart. I'm being serious now, God damn it. How can you miss seeing that? If God had wanted somebody with St. Francis's consistently winning personality for the job in the New Testament, he'd've picked him, you can be sure. As it was, he picked the best, the smartest, the most loving, the least sentimental, the most unimitative master he could possible have picked. And when you miss seeing that, I swear to you, you're missing the whole point of the Jesus Prayer. The Jesus Prayer has only one aim, and one aim only. To endow the person who says it with Christ-Consciousness. Not to set up some little cozy, holier-than-thou trysting place with some sticky, adorable divine personage who'll take you in his arms and relieve you of all your duties and make all your nasty Weltschmerzen and Professor Tuppers go away and never come back. And by God - if you have the intelligence enough to see that - and you do - and yet you refuse to see it, them you're misusing the prayer, you're using it to ask for a world full of dolls and saints and no Professor Tuppers.'" - Franny and Zooey (pg. 168-171)

Sunday at the beach

Dinner and Dominion with Rach

A lovely dinner at Rachel’s new place and a game of Dominion.

Parmesan Meatballs and Zucchini

Parmesan chicken meatballs (from Dinner A Love Story)
Spaghetti (less than usual)
Zucchini
Parmesan

Arugula Pizza

Trader Joe’s crust
Olive oil base with balsamic glaze
Sliced figs
Parmesan and sharp white cheddar cheese
Bacon
Red onion (cooked in bacon grease)

Bake at 400 for 12 minutes. Top with arugula, lemon juice, and honey.

SO GOOD.

I am responsible for how I react. Other people are not responsible for how I react. Everything that happens is grace and for my healing.

St John’s Wort Herbal Body Oil

Good for: Bruises, burns, cuts, eczema, cuts, growing pains, muscle pain, nerve pain, scars, sciatica, smashed fingers, massage

St. John's Wort body oil - and really all herbal body oil - is helpful for nerves because the fat of the oils goes right into the nerves and nourishes and soothes them. Nerves are below the skin and when your skin is dry, your nerves also get dry and have a harder time staying regulated and grounded.

Herbalism

Over the past several years I have had a growing interest in herbalism, plant medicines, and naturopathic/holistic medical care. I could tell you more about Southern women's colleges in the antebellum South than how my own body works and that feels wrong. Here's to learning (and documenting here!) about the interconnectedness of our bodies with the natural world.

"The traditional homeland of the Yaquis, or Yoeme (their own name for themselves), is in the southern part of the state of Sonora, Mexico...Flowers pervade Yoeme culture. The Yaqui believe in an enchanted world called the Flower World, which is always filled with animals and beautiful flowers. People can visit this world by dreaming and singing special deer songs. The deer songs are the most ancient of Yoeme songs. During the Deer Dance, "little brother deer" leaves his home in the Flower World to visit this world."

- Native Nations of North America, pg. 374

Joseph, OR

Last week Evan and I spend a few days in Joseph, Oregon. We stayed at the Jennings Hotel and enjoyed the sauna, impressive library, and well-stocked kitchen there. Our favorite restaurant (we ate there twice) was the Dog Spot, which alone would be enough to drive the five hours for. We toured the Wallawa County museum and walked through shops and neighborhoods. A highlight was taking the gondola up to the top of Mount Howard where we hiked, drank beer, and fed Columbian chipmunks corn kernels. 10/10 would recommend.

Astoria with Dear Friends

We said goodbye to our dear friends with a great day in Astoria. We climbed to the top of the Astoria column (so many stairs), ate fish and chips, got drinks at Buoy, and walked along Cannon Beach. We'll miss our adventure buddies!

Fisherpoets Gathering

Fisherpoets gathering 2019
Astoria, Oregon