L'aura del Campo

I had a dream. Quiz results. New quiz.

I had a dream once, so did Martin Luther King. I did August picnics. What did I do in the past to bring people together; what will I do from this day on? Quiz results are in. Forever was #1! Answers are here. Heel feels a little better. Rain on the café umbrellas. Images of wet tar.

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Verán: 12 'Asma (31 agosto)

'é a lua,  é a lua,  na quintana dos mortos'
♣    Federico García Lorca    ♣

OS SOÑOS

I had a dream

In 1988 on the 25th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream speech" I was living in an inner city neighborhood and decided to have a picnic barbecue. The "We, too, have a dream" barbecue. It mutated in many ways over the next 15 years, but it was always held at the end of August. I wanted to start it again this year, but ran out of steam.

It was my way of bringing together my very divided life (neighbors, religious community, co-workers, friends). People were amazed at the diversity of guests.

A list of 5 highpoints:

1. 150 guests overflowing onto my neighbors when I had invited 2 blues musicians. Even my co-workers came to that!

2. Cory Burdick, my friend, acting as dj, playing music from the back 2nd floor balcony. Guests dancing the macarena.

3. Wendy Woodruff mentioning to an elderly 90+ woman that she had used her fork when the older woman wanted to borrow it. The response? "I'm not afraid of cooties."

4. Friends from Iran preparing chicken out by the street, smelling up the whole neighborhood. Neighbors couldn't keep away that year.

5. The local councilman stopping in. He is now the mayor.

I did what I could to bring folks together. They came from the streets, from the boardrooms, from the choirs, from neighboring stoops and suburban hideouts, from the U.S. and Canda, from all segments of the world.

This is what I did once. For fifteen years. Providing the rib-eye steaks and allowing everyone to bring whatever that could. And they did. One year the party in the garden went on past midnight. We had candles lit along the paths and ponds. These are good memories. But I still must ask myself ... from this day on what will I do to promote unity among humanity in the community I live in.

IMAXES

Where the road lays bare:

Cosmos in orange and white; Bobcat sweeping up debris from the street; cloudless sky; pink puffs of mimosas; 2 men sealing up the cracks; barely a breeze; perfect temp; truck spreading the tar, brown-black, wet and shiny; the hum of machines; the smell of the road.

██████████████ weather under the blankets:
██████████████ weather where I am: 70º on a clear evening.
██████████████ weather in Puerto Montt, Chile: 46º and moist.
██████████████ weather in Bismarck, North Dakota: 80º and very windy.
██████████████ weather in Missoula Montana: 58º and a bit damp and chilly.

POESIA

Les parapluies d'Henri

Come in from the rain
drumming the red umbrellas.
Enter to incessant chatter,
the background music,
the hiss of espresso,
the hush.
Here at Henry's
on old Rue d'Henri,
quarried rock that did not burn
will hold safe your secrets.
After a hundred years
of flames and whispers,
outside umbrella flowers
beat the drum.
Inside speak of cherry blossoms
sip your coffee,
smell the rain. [163.322]

A VIDA

Heel still hurts but laid down early, fell asleep before dark and didn't go out dancing last night . A 5 block walk this morning didn't help, but didn't cause much trouble. Janice took me to Penn house and I have 2 'new' pair of shoes. The old ones just gave out. They are fit for the mud and nothing else.

My diet today seems to consist of chocolate and coffee. Not a healthy diet! We drink Folgers here, but I prefer Kenya AA or Ethiopian Harrar when I can get it.

Didn't go to the city meeting last night. Whole bunches of folks should be thankful for that! If I had a lawyer they'd be feeling some heat. Meetings are coming up in September and if I can logically, rationally (less passionately) explain that after I've complained about situations to numerous committees and officials for two very long years at some point they become liable for not taking action to make the city safe. I wouldn't have injured my heel if they had.

BLOGOMILLO

Pick on Montanans and they leave comments! Now I need to find some Western Pennsylvanians here. Any Pittsburghers? Greensvillians?

And last I checked, folks here seem to be attracted to ostriches for some reason.

AS QUEBRA-CABEZAS

Results are in:

1. 57 1,000 gps zwisis
2. 45 500 gps chalaedra
3. 44 400 gps Bard
4. 43 300 gps partyof5dj
5. 37 200 gps Wren

Many thanks to all who participated (6-10, 100 gps; all others 50 gps): Stiggles , jspinelli, vivacious , emmyloo, Scarlett , BillW , galinago, ridinghhood-p.boutilier , pwilli , Barbs , andrew , Wendopolis , PastVoices , Z.˚rz , SilverValkyre loves YOU! , pencilsoverpens , intuey , Feywriter , letgocling .

I will try to distribute all the gps by tomorrow.

The answers:

1. My favorite colors are green and orange.
2. I am attracted to big brown eyes and brown hair.
3. My first car was a blue 4-door '60 Pontiac Catalina.
4. At 5'8" I am the tallest of five cousins. Barely. My sister is 2nd.
5. I have a degree in Biology (B.A.)
6. I was hatched in April (a week late as usual)
7. My friend Kevin lives in California, but he grew up in Illinois.
8. I first had glasses when I was 6 years old.
9. I need to lose weight. 30 pounds will do. Want any?
10. My father's mother was Bertha.

My new quiz:

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CITA DE HOXE

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963