General Musings – mountainbreakfast

What to Do? And new pieces of music

Theme 274

Piano Concerto, First Movement

Looking for meaning in life? Who isn’t? Here are some hints that may be helpful.

In sum, humans are the only species that can create, analyze, and catalog inspirational ideas in many forms that can be produced as helpful to others, or that can be written, drawn, danced, or sung, and which may evoke emotional responses, some of which may benefit others of the species or of different species. It is unfortunate to mistake the impulse to power, wealth, or influence as a “high calling.” These are usually narcissistic in nature and do not benefit the culture or the environment in which they flourish. Many of these drives have strongly negative effects on culture. In fact, perhaps the most difficult of dilemmas is finding a way to use power, wealth, and influence to advance the culture as a whole rather than merely advancing the individual’s own status.

The first goal in living should be to develop a life that is productive and helpful to the culture. This includes living responsibly and resisting temptations to personal gain at the expense of others. Then, invest in any of the last ten items on the list, and strive to achieve at the highest possible level.

Opening Lines and a song

Here are a couple of openings for stories. If you want the whole story, you have to beg.

1. When Dan got assigned to type Dr. Cozen’s thirty thousand page biblical study manuscript it was the worst day of his life. Why, oh why, did he brag about being a champion typist? Who cared if he out-typed everyone but the teacher? He could have kept it to himself.

But the day he had to start typing the theological drudge was the same day that Mr. Tinsley’s lion got loose.

2. Dan’s family had grown accustomed to the question “Where am I?” after five years of Granddad’s presence in their home, having come from the Nebraska sand hills to the mountainside Ranch. That, along with the daily queries concerning the whereabouts of his long-dead cousin Mabel in “Mussoura” and the sod house he’d built in “Nebraski,” framed the reality in which he moved. His brain riddled with plaques, distant memories bubbled up constantly, but the last two decades were gone forever. Dan was just sixteen, perplexed to see him so confused.

But the question, “Is it okay if I wipe my nose with this tissue?” caught Dan off guard.

Theme 221 – August 2022

Third Chronicles

Good Heavens! Imagine my surprise in finding in a disused attic this partial manuscript of Third Chronicles, a previously unknown book of the Bible. This should follow Second Chronicles, but is anachronistic, being written, obviously, by some sort of scribe in later times. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have an ending. But check it out.

I’ll keep looking for the end of this book, maybe in another dusty pile in the attic.

Trail Building: My Forté

People don’t usually appreciate how hard it is to build a good trail. Often, the process begins by removing fallen trees. This is particularly taxing if they weigh over ten tons, which many of them do. I strained my knee on this one.

But I was able to stand this one back up, luckily. holding up tree.jpeg

And I was able to push these apart so they wouldn’t fall. This is the best strategy, but you might have to hold them for a few years while they adjust.

Sometimes you can just bend them down and out of the way.

Some people cut them and push the halves to either side of the trail, like I’m doing here.

Other times, a flying kick move is necessary to make the logs move.

And this is to say nothing of the rocks. OMG, some of them require enormous strength to move off the trail. Luckily, I’m up to it, although I shook the ground with this one, which blurred the photograph slightly. Sorry.

I had to pull and slide this one across another rock. Very hard. Tremendously hard.

And on rare occasions, you have to use a karate chop. Can you see my black belt?

I once gave this lecture at the high school where I taught for many years, during Morning Meeting on Monday. I ran the projector from the back of the auditorium, speaking into a mike, and I could hear the freshmen saying, “Oh, give me a break. Who is he kidding? He couldn’t move those things!” So I added to my monologue. “Some people doubt my ability to do these amazing things, but here it is, before your very eyes.” Thanks to Katie for taking these photos while offering encouragement while I worked.

Late Summer Ritual: Peaches!

We do this every summer, putting up enough peaches to last through the year. This year, Crest Havens from C & R Farms in Palisade. Great fun! An effective way to distract ourselves from the raging hurricane in Texas and Trump’s destruction of the beneficial aspects of government.