Rally For Peace

Bush will be in Salt Lake next week to raise money for McBush. There is a peace rally during that time.

My sign will say:

May all beings be happy -- and freed from Bush
1/20/2009 -- Liberation Day

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Peace and Human Rights Rally During George Bush's Visit 5/28/08

Mark Your Calendars: Wednesday May 28, 2008
5:30 to 7:30 PM
Salt Lake City, Utah

Please inform all of your friends, advocacy organizations and list serves of a rally and protest happening in Salt Lake City next week. This is being planned to coincide with President Bush's fund raising trip and meeting with Mitt Romney next Wednesday. Three of the speakers, Marshall Thompson, Kathy Snyder, and Rocky Anderson are Utahns. Daniel Ellsberg who uncovered the "Pentagon Papers" conspiracy will also be speaking. We need to try to get thousands of participants/protesters/advocates out for the rally so we can form one huge voice that will greet Mr. Bush when he comes to our fair city.

All groups are invited, and are encouraged to show your outrage. A strong presence of Veterans and Veteran's Groups is hoped for!

Details:
Peace and Human Rights Rally
5:30 pm Wednesday May 28, 2008
City & County Building
Washington Square
400 S. State Street
SLC, UT

Speakers:
Marshall Thompson
Kathy Snyder
Daniel Ellsberg (yes, THE Daniel Ellsberg)
Rocky Anderson
and more

The event will be simulcast on KRCL. Bring your posters, banners, noise
makers, and all your friends, neighbors, grandparents, grandkids, and
fellow church goers for the biggest going away party ever! As one of our
organizers said, this will be a "Mission NOT Accomplished" Party.

Broken Refrigerator

Turns out that appliances aren't made like they used to be. Our refrigerator decided to quit last Thursday night. It was only about 10 or 11 years old. For a thing that costs both and arm and a leg, this seems like not a long life. DH and I discussed the costs vs. benefits of repairing or getting a new one. Refrigerators are electricity hogs, especially side-by-sides. We have limited space in our kitchen as there is a custom cabinet just above the space where the chill chest goes. I wanted a bottom freezer. No can do, they are just too tall. But, I was able to find another ... sigh ... side-by-side ... that fits. But it's Energy Star compliant, so our local power company will send us money. It uses about 200 fewer Kwh than the broken fridge.

I think that, of all the mod cons, a refrigerator is one we depend upon the most. We just assume it'll be there, quietly keeping our expensive food cold enough to be safe. When the damn thing breaks you don't know what might have gone bad. We are fortunate (spoiled) enough to have a small chest freezer in the basement to support our Costco habit. When we discovered that the fridge had died we moved the thawing stuff downstairs. We also have Scott's beer fridge, a tiny refrigerator also in the basement. It is holding our expensive-as-gold organic milk now. The rest now lives in the backyard in the Coleman, along with a big hunk o' ice.

New fridge is to be delivered tomorrow. The biggest hassle, however, is the dead refrigerator is leaking tons and tons of what we assume to be, water. We've disconnected the water, drained the water dispenser, and removed the ice. Still it pours water onto the hardwood floor. This morning, after my shower and getting into work clothes, I'm grubbing around behind the refrigerator with a ShopVac. So, dead fridge sits there, surrounded by puppy pads (we don't own a puppy, we keep the pads around for our incontinent cats).

Spring Birds & a Little Knitting

DH and I installed a small fountain in our garden a couple weeks ago. Turns out running water is the magic ticket for getting cool birds in the garden. We were just in time for many migrants, and boy have they shown up! Here's a list of birds we have been treated to see the last little while:
Regular residents:
- house finch
- American robin
- lesser goldfinch
- European starling
- mourning dove (seen collecting nesting material)
- sharp-shinned hawk (ripping a mourning dove apart)
- house sparrow
- yellow warbler
- black-capped chickadee
- crow
- black-headed grosbeak
- downy woodpecker
Migrants/infrequent visitors:
- Townsends solitaire
- dusky flycatcher
- Swainson's thrush
- Wilson's warbler
- yellow-rumped warbler
- lazuli bunting (actually came to the feeder)
- some bizarre pigeon, wearing a band
- a gorgeous male Western tanager

What a treat!

I'm knitting Blossom by Elsebeth Lovold. This is what I've finally settled on to knit with the Hempathy I have. I started a couple of tank sweaters and realized that I would not wear something sleeveless. Blossom takes the same number of balls I have and has short sleeves. I've just about finished the cables that shape the sweater. Then it'll be back to just the stripe pattern. This is fine, because it's mindless knitting, which I thoroughly enjoy sometimes.

Rakusu Sewing

Wondering what I've been up to lately? Well, I have too ...

I have decided (and with my teacher's permission) to take jukai, which means various things to a Zen Buddhist. Mostly it is a ceremony that makes it all official. It's a bit like a baptism to a Christian. It's a true paradox to participate in a ritual like this in a spiritual tradition where emptiness one of the prime ideas (now, there's a contradiction). But, Zen is from Japan, and this is a very Japanese ceremony.

In preparation for jukai, a person sews a rakusu. This bib-like garment is meant to be a representation of the Buddha's robe. The patchwork on the front looks like the rice fields he observed. The rakusu is stitched entirely by hand and is quite a complex thing. There are 16 pieces of cloth. The back is a frame of fabric that surrounds a white cloth. The rakusu does not belong to me until it is given to me by the teacher (roshi). In addition to the jukai date and my name, he will write the following verse on it:

Vast is the robe of liberation
A formless field of benefaction
I wear the tathagatha teaching
Saving all sentient beings

When Roshi gives me my rakusu during the jukai ceremony, I will also receive a 'dharma name', which is, among other things, a Japanese name.

It took me just over a week of solid sewing, cutting, and pinning to make my rakusu. It was thoroughly enjoyable to sew.

I expect jukai will take place on May 7 (maybe 8th or 9th) at Kanzeon Zen Center. And no, I'm not shaving my head.

Bike to Work Day

First bike to work day of the season. It was cold, cold, cold! Not only that, but because of DST, it was utterly dark. I did install my new NiteRider headlight over the weekend and it generates an excellent bright beam. I didn't have it charged all the way, so it started to blink after about 30 minutes. I give the light 2 thumbs up.

I think I'd still rather have cool weather than 100 degree days. Just barely, though.

Discovered a new blog, Garfield Minus Garfield. It's a repost of the Garfield strip with just Jon Arbuckle. It's actually quite hilarious, full of odd existential humor. Read it before King Features forces the blogger to cease and desist.

Friday Knitters

Who'd have ever thought that *knitting* would become such a social event? And it's odd, too, for such an introvert as me. Not only do I knit every Tuesday night with my Stitch'nBitch friends, the Friday Knitters have now become quite the big group. We started out as 4 or 5 knitters that got together on Fridays at 7 AM. Sometimes there was just 1 or 2. In the past few months, however, the group has grown to 12 or more people. I credit much of the growth to Sheri (wearing orange in photo), who is energetic and outgoing, and to Lisa (not in picture).

I only know that my week would not be complete without my group knitting!

Spring Snowdrops

It's been a brutal winter, with snow on the ground since before Christmas.

Here is sign that spring is around the corner. I found these beauties blooming today in a rare snow-free spot in my garden. Enjoy.

A Post Which Makes No Sense

My blog is intended as a quasi-journal, and sometimes knitting blog. Today's post will make little to no sense to most of you, unless you're me ;-). It's intended to document a big day.

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Sensei (MZ): ... then that is progress (more intense day-to-day arising of habitual thoughts). They are thought and not thought. They are not you.

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Discovered the Lazy, Stupid, and Godless forum on Ravelry today. Wanted to invite L. to that group. Turns out she's already there. Made me laugh and laugh. Hello, my name is Eileen and I'm a sensitive asshole ... Only the Finest in Assholery since 2008.

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Reading S. Suzuki at lunch:
When you are determined to practice zazen with the great mind of Buddha, you will find the worst horse is the most valuable one. In your very imperfections you will find the basis for your firm, way-seeking mind. (The Marrow of Zen)