Inner Light

This verse from an ancient Chinese fellow was interesting to me:

A knower of the truth
travels without leaving a trace,
speaks without causing harm,
gives without keeping an account.
The door he or she shuts, though having no lock,
cannot be opened.
The knot he or she ties, though using no cord,
cannot be undone.

Be wise and help all beings impartially,
abandoning none.
Waste no opportunities.
This is called following the light.

What is a good man but a bad man’s teacher?
What is a bad man but a good man’s job?
If the teacher is not respected
and the student not cared for,
confusion will arise, however clever one is.
This is the great secret.

Thinking Outside Our Finite Box

I enjoyed reading this ancient oriental poem;

The Tao is empty
but inexhaustible,
bottomless,
the ancestor of it all.

Within it, the sharp edges become smooth;
the twisted knots loosen;
the sun is softened by a cloud;
the dust settles into place.

It is hidden but always present.
I do not know who gave birth to it.
It seems to be the common ancestor of all, the father of things.

I remember early thoughts as a child lying under the star filled sky at night, "How far does the universe go? If we came to a wall what would be beyond that wall and the next and the next?"

As I became a bit older and read more deeply into the scriptures I found myself trying to make the connection of a God that lives off somewhere in heaven yet lives inside me. Is so far away and untouchable, yet so intimately close. How One could be without mother or father and never be born, yet always to have existed.

A Native American saying made sense to me at that point in my life, "You become a man (grown person) when you realize how much there is that you do not know."

The ancient poem above was written 5,000 years BC. I guess it doesn’t matter so much when eternity is forever.

Let Go, Let God

For several years now I have have had the thought in my mind, "Let go and Let God". I came across this information and thought I would share it.

The sage who grasps the everlasting nature of the Tao has gone beyond false identification with the ego, and instead has a living connection to the Tao. This person puts others first, asks nothing in return, and wholeheartedly serves. In this way, the sage lives the ultimate paradox of the Tao – by giving without asking, the sage attracts everything that he or she is capable of handling or needing. By putting others before themself, the sage endures just like the Tao. The sage emulates the natural philanthropy of the Tao, and all of his or her needs are fulfilled in the process.

The more you pursue desires, the more they’ll elude you. Try letting life come to you and begin to notice the clues that what you crave is on its way. You’re in a constant state of receiving because of the ceaseless generosity of the eternal Tao. The air you breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat, the sunshine that warms you, the nutrients that keep your body alive, and even the thoughts that fill your mind are all gifts from the eternal Tao. Stay appreciative of all that you receive, knowing that it flows from an all – providing Source. Stop the chase and become a witness – soothe your demanding habits by refusing to continue running after more. By letting go, you let God; and even more significantly, you become more like God and less like the ego; with its lifetime practice of edging God out.
Qouted from Dr. Wayne Dyer's Change Your Mind Change Your Life (excellent read!)

New Hope, New Direction for our country

One of my co-workers sent me this link. It is a letter from President-elect Obama to his daughters. It speaks volumes, read it for yourself if you like. If you have trouble viewing it simply drag your mouse cursor over the link below to select it, hold down your Ctrl key and push down your c key on your keyboard. This will copy it. Put your cursor in the address window above, hold down the Ctrl key again and tap the v key. That will paste it into your browser window. Hit enter and read away.

Or simply go to the lower right side of my blog to "Links I Like" section and click on Obama's Letter to Daughters.

http://www.parade.com/export/sites/default/news/2009/01/barack-obama-letter-to-my-daughters.html

The Universe Provides if We Step Aside!

We had what I fondly call a "Barbe moment" on Sunday. I went to dinner with my wife Sally and the German Miner’s Band (http://www.lock3live.com/winterMarket.aspx) at the Radisson Inn in Akron. After that the plans were to take them over to EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall on the campus of the University of Akron for the second performance of Tuba Christmas. While at dinner one of the band members, Norman Wolfgang (not sure of his last name) said, "It's one thing to see it but really another to be able to play in it!" A couple minutes later Sally’s cell phone rings and she gets a call saying Tucker Jolly, the conductor and professor of Low Brass instruction at U of A, has invited the Miner's Band to play in Tuba Christmas and is waiving the registration fee. So we rush through dinner while Norman and Uri rush off to get their instruments and put on their Miner's Band shirts.

Sally decides that “duh” elf (me) needs to take the two band guys in and get them registered if needed and get the rest of the band seated while she parks the 15 passenger van. I go in and get our tickets and I ask an usher where the band guys can check in. He says stage door follow me and TAKES OFF OUT THE DOOR WITH THEM IN TOW!!! I have to follow them! I glance over my shoulder at the rest of the band and happen to hear, "Take the elevator to the second level." We were supposed to have seats saved in the first row! YIKES!!!

I get down to the stage area (lucky I went) and search for someone in charge. Norman Wolfgang speaks English well but doesn’t “speak between the cracks” so to speak. Uri speaks a couple of phrases. The guy in charge wants to know how many people are playing which prompts Uri to start naming all the instruments played in the Miner's Band. I explained to guy in charge briefly as to what was up and asked if he could make sure they got hooked up. No problem. I bolt back out the door and back inside knowing the rest of the band is lost in the huge crowd by now. I spot Sally inside asking people something like, “Where are my Germans?” I explained as best “duh” elf could the situation and said I think I heard, “Elevator go to second level” So we head up and start looking out over the sea of people and see way in the distance some arms waving that look like our people. Thank goodness they have found seats in the nose bleed section.

We get settled in the two seats they have saved for us and spot Norman and Uri looking good amongst the 400 other tuba players.

Here comes the Barbe moment…

Halfway through the performance Tucker Jolly talks about who comes from where, so I’m kind of nudging Sally in the ribs by now as Tucker Jolly says, “We are honored and privileged to have all the way from Chemnitz Germany two members of the Miner’s Band performing with us tonight.” The guys stood up and were thrilled and I could see Sally was doing the proud momma thing. So I said, “You know Barbe would say this is the universe putting things together!” It was a great evening, everything just fell into place!

Barbe by the way is my good friend from soulyyours on Etsy. You can view her blog link on the right side of my blog if you like!

Wood Carvers from Erzgebirge

Well the wood carvers from the Erzgebirge region of Germany finally arrived in Akron for the Chriskindl Market. There's four of them and they arrived late Wednesday night from flying all day and came right over from the hotel and started up the lathe! They were turning out bowls and carving all sorts of traditional German figurines and toys. They are amazing to watch!

They will be here until our First Night celebration on New Years Eve!

Save the Trees, Save the Planet, Make a Choice!

Check out this amazing site I just came across in Mother Earth News! It's called Catalog Choice. It is listed in the "Links I Like" section on the right hand side of my blog page.

In a word, it is good for the forest, good for the planet, good for every living thing and good for helping you control the incoming junk mail clutter constantly invading your home!

It's very simple to use. Go to the site; get a user name/password. Don't worry they won't spam you or sell your name and email address to advertisers!

Go to the Choose Catalog page. I found it easiest to click the browse button and start from "A" and go through the names. Once you find a magazine that “invades" your home just click on it and select a choice as to why you don't want it mailed to you anymore and they will be sent a message to remove you from their mailing list!

I'm inspired and refreshed by this very cool site and I hope you are too! Pass it on to everyone you know! This is a really simple tool that has a big impact on the environment and our lives!

One Sun, One Ocean, One Sky, One Planet

How did we all become so divided? If we think about it for a moment we all live under the same sun, breath the same air, are surrounded by the same ocean and live on the same planet.

That in itself is an amazing thing, if we just take a moment to think about it that is.

Cigar Box Guitar Building

I finally got the last couple of tools I needed to start building two Cigar Box Guitars! I'm pretty excited, I glued up some red oak for the two necks and am letting the glue set.

Check this utube video out of Grammy award winner Marcy Marxer playing her CBG. Her CBG is a nice work of art as well; enjoy her playing ability and the close-ups of her CBG by going to the right side of my blog page to "Links I Like" and clicking on CBG Boogie

Nice qoute: My life is part of every other life
I have no need to control anyone or anything: I can affect change by transforming the only thing that I ever had control of in the first place, which is myself.

New Direction

Well it's been a long, very long election and it's finally over! This had to be a record turn out at the polls. It seems Obama has helped turn a corner for much of the world. It seems as if the last eight years of plain old mismanagement are finally coming to an end.

Watching the news this morning I found it very interesting how much the rest of the world was watching "our presidential" election. There were shots of the European community cheering; the Israelis were cheering and more were cheering. It seems the rest of the world is as glad to see the end of the reign of GW as we are.

Obama and his advisors won't be able to untangle the mess GW and Cheney have gotten us into overnight, but at least they are willing to start.

Simple Thoughts Big Messages

It seems the less I try to over think it, the more clear and easier the message becomes.

This morning I woke up around 4:30 am and not wanting to get up yet I just sort of relaxed in the state between awake and sleep. At some point my mind heard, recited, received or whatever the words, "You are measured by the deeds of your heart." Plain and simple, clear and simple.

Just so you know I don't talk like that or actually think like that.

It sounds good to me, feels good to me and simply makes simple sense to me.

Les

Don't Over Think It

I read this qoute the other day and I find it really rings home for me:

Let me throw every image away and say the simplest things that are true: I exist, I am aware, I create. These are the three qualities of essence that permeate the universe.

I think I feel this most when I'm lost in my thoughts in my wood studio:

I'm existing in the moment, I'm aware of the present and I'm creating something beautiful from wood.

To Use Rare Woods or Not

Why do we enjoy exotic woods? Exotic woods have beautiful colorful tones and shades. From the red tones of dajara, the darker richness of cocobolo, the amazing grain patterns of lacewood, the heavy oil texture of lignum vitae, the deep color of purpleheart to the light and dark contrast of zebrawood. They have a rich deep look and feel to them. They impart a wonderful natural and “exotic” kind of stir when handled or gazed upon. Exotic wood can be turned into beautiful pieces of art such as jewelry and fine furniture. No wonder we enjoy exotic woods!

Because we enjoy these fine woods, we need to take care that we don’t enjoy them to extinction. This could happen by not paying attention to how and where our woods are harvested. If a particular type of wood is in such a great demand for its beauty it could easily be harvested at a rate faster than it can be replaced.

Then there’s always that domino effect, you know how one thing leads to another? Take the forest and the animals no longer have a home to thrive in. Guess we could put them in a zoo. Take the forest and we’ve destroyed countless undiscovered plant medicines.

I look around me and see so many sources of wood that can be repurposed instead of wasted.

Let’s be part of the solution, not part of the problem. I choose not to use any woods that are on the endangered list, how about you?

Farm Cat

At one time I lived in a small community called Walton, Oregon. It was for the most part an old time General Store with a Post Office inside. I lived 3 ½ miles up a narrow valley on a dirt road called Nelson Mountain Road, in an old one-room school house I owned. No indoor plumbing and my drinking water came from a faucet in the backyard that fed out of a natural artisan underground spring. The water was fantastic!

Behind my yard ran the Chickahominy Creek. Past that was an old homestead apple orchard. Beyond the orchard and up a steep hillside were miles of coastal mountain range.

One early evening I decided I needed a couple of items from the General Store. I hopped on my old single speed Schwinn bicycle and rode off. Picked up my items, checked my post office box and chatted a few minutes with the storekeeper. It was dusk on the way back but I still had enough light to see once my night vision kicked in. I prided myself on my excellent night vision. Once in the narrow part of the valley I noticed it was getting real dark. There was no moon up yet. I could hear the Coyote’s howling in the hills. It was very peaceful. I knew the winding dirt road like the back of my hand. Except when I looked down I realized I couldn’t see the back of my hands.

Not wanting to ride off the road and spend the night in a patch of skunk cabbage I walked the last mile and a half home.

Ok, where am I going with this and who is Farm Cat?
He was a tabby cat and mostly white with some black splotches. He lived most of his life in and out of the woods at the school house. Farm Cat would stay gone for 2 or 3 days at a time hunting and just being a cat. I fed him on a ledge in the barn. Friends would come to visit who had dogs. If Farm Cat were coming home then, he would sit across the road on a steep hill and yell for me until I hiked up to him. I would have to put him on my shoulder, carry him down the hill and put him up on “his” ledge to eat so dogs couldn’t bother him. He kept the mice out of the house so I had no problem doing this favor for him.

Early one day I decided to pitch my tent at the far end of the orchard to spend the night and watch the deer in the orchard. I waded across the creek and took the deer path to the end of the orchard and put my tent up. My intent was to go back up in the late afternoon and get settled in. Friends dropped by and stayed most of the day. By the time I was headed up to my tent it was dark and the moon had not risen yet. Once up on the trail I actually could not see my hand in front of my face! I decided to turn around and head back down to the house as it was too dark to find my tent when I noticed the faintest white blur at my feet. I realized it was Farm Cat! There was just enough starlight to reflect off his fur. He would walk forward about 3 feet and stop until I caught up. He did this all the way to my tent. This was out of the normal for him. This made me think of the connection between nature and us in a whole new way.