Photos for the next few days while I am in the woods at the Inchelium PowWow.

I’ve just lived the worst two or three months of my life. I believe I am on a good track of improvement, but some days still I’m not so sure.

It wasn’t the flu, although it felt quite like it. Intense, immense body ache, foggy brain, and constant need for a nap. Soooo tired.

Of course, all lab work says I’m “well within normal”.

Really? Me? Normal?

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Did you know that right now, in Seattle, even for people with money, getting great mental health care is not easy? The doctors are not available. “No new patients right now.” “She can see you, but her first appointment opening is in seven weeks.”

See, I tried. I was so tired and so sore, and I became so blue-gray and grim, that I actually asked for help. That’s something I just don’t do (the reasons for which deserve another essay all to themselves). But somehow I had the fortitude to keep asking until someone said, “Yes, I can help you with this.”

Earlier today I was talking with a friend about how I hadn’t felt I could really tell my friends about what had been going on for me. And there were two things at play here. One, it’s America, right−we don’t show our weaknesses. And two, so many of my friends are in pretty dire straits themselves−I didn’t want to be their “last straw”.

I think that we are living in super difficult times right now. (No duh.) But seriously. We look at what is going on around us and feel the weight. It’s like there’s something prominently amiss that’s perfectly suited to fuel anyone’s anxiety. The classics: war, famine, drought, genocide. But also oil spills, earthquakes, unemployment, SARS, food contamination−stuff that is quite real and not some fear that’s been manufactured to keep us distracted.

And I don’t know about you, but even if my life was peachy keen right now, 75% or more of my friends and family are in rough times, many are just barely holding on.

My BFF’s life is crazy. In the last four years or so her life has been burdened with all the worst of what can happen to family members. Heart attack. Death from old age. Death from old age. Suicide. Guillian Barré. Foreclosure. Unplanned pregnancy. Foreclosure. Heart attack. Death from old age. Unplanned pregnancy. Suicide. (Yes, the repeats are true.) And because these things are happening to her family members, they zap her, and her most important support network. Meanwhile, she’s working to keep four children and a husband fed, alive, and happy.

So many of us are running around just barely holding on. And we’re not talking about it. Which skews perspective. The silence gives the impression that other people’s lives are okay. We compare ourselves unfavorably.

We also feel the rift in the energy of the world−all around us things are coming undone−in a quiet, invisible way, and that invisibility exacerbates our feelings of confusion and anxiety.

I can’t think of anyone I know who isn’t living with the stress of warp speed, even the folks with the simple lives are balancing inhuman loads.

We really have to give ourselves, and each other, a break.

Didn’t feel too energized for a walk, so Tiberio swung by and drove us to Golden Gardens, so we could just park and look out at the water. Ended up going for a little stroll anyway, talking about what do we want to be when we grow up. Middle-aged angst; you’ve heard of that, right?

iPhone Hipstamatic app with John S lens and Kodat Verichrome film

While the adage is “don’t judge a book by its cover” the thing is, we’ve got a book that is in need of a cover. And so Elke assembled the coven, and we went to work with scissors, paint, pastels–and even some  sprinkling of gold flakes–aiming for something just right to go on the outside of these Downloads that Elke has brought forth.

We didn’t come up with the thing that is Just Right, but we did come up with some elements we love, in between giggles, chocolate, and walks to the seaside. Stay tuned for samples and if you are on Facebook follow Downloading a Friendly Universe for snippets of wisdom from the downloads.

I’m happy to be working on the website for my friend, David Jones. He has a powerful voice and so many worthwhile things to say. I’ve believed for quite awhile that he needs his own channel, his own modern soapbox. And now it’s coming true.

After a few conversations with him to gather info and ideas about his work, I distilled my notes into 3×5 scraps of paper, spread them out on my worktable, and started organizing the thoughts.

After awhile, a site map came to me. This is still a rough draft, but I think it’s close.

I am building the site in WordPress. I’ve always loved WordPress, and it keeps getting more robust and flexible. But I have so much to learn, still. Like, how to make two navigation menus, one for the overarching aspects of the site, and one for the kinds of writing and such that David does.

For the site banner I am dinking around with a photo I shot of some graffiti under the First Avenue Bridge. So as not to spoil the surprise of the site when it’s published, I’m not adding my mock-up here, but this is a photo from the same location and shoot. I might add this somewhere on the site; it would be a nice favicon.

It’s so wonderful to use my talents for evil good.

The members of my family all received Disaster Kits for Christmas a few years ago. We did a lot of research into compiling them—to be expected what with a couple of professional safety pros and a Virgo or two in the family.

Here are the documents from which we worked. I hope they are useful to all of you who are pondering becoming prepared (or, more prepared) for natural disasters—which seem to be on the upswing.

There is an array of documents here. I found that different organizations and government entities had very different perspectives on “disaster” and none of these documents individually are as comprehensive as all of them together. I also liked to contrast the advice from New York City’s government to the approach of the LA Fire Department.

Anyway, please peruse and prepare.

Personal Workplace Disaster Kit, Red Cross

Family Disaster Kit, Red Cross

Food and Water in an Emergency, Red Cross / FEMA

Shelter in Place, Red Cross

Ready, New York City

2004 Emergency Prep Booklet, Los Angeles Fire Department