Let's Discover the Body Caring from Leslie Kenton

To my friends and relations; do check out this Leslie Kenton (for olders you will remember Stan Kenton who is her father). I've had an old book by her, Joy of Beauty. kept it for twenty five years. Just checking it out again. There must be good things on the www about her also.. Lets check her out. I in bed anyway from a bad knee, so I am starting her first week in a two week plan to get started. Starts with a bed day relaxation and fruit juices. Could be very fine. You can check my bod which would behave better at ten pounds less or close to that. Good thought one day every week in bed for meditation and juice and yogurt. She teaches simple ways to get the protein you need from three seeds taken every morning: pupkin seeds, sunflower seeds. and one other I will have for you in the morning. I will report into you. You may report back to me. Any interest, please let me know. Now I am going to sleep for my knee. Any feedback on this I will appreciate. Best to you.

Note on Meditation from Sharon

For me, I would say that meditation alone has done more for me (with regard to depression) in the past couple of years than anything anyone else has ever offered bar none--and by immense measure. It is completely free and completely freeing. I remember thinking that the "monster" was always near by and would ALWAYS be near by and that to fall back into that deep dark hole was ALWAYS only a step away. It stopped me from doing all kinds of things because I never knew if I could trust that I wouldn't go there under pressure.

I don't anymore. I am not afraid of that anymore. I take no medication but I try very hard to meditate as often as possible. I strongly believe that your thoughts are the key to everything and that meditation is the key to your thoughts.

You can't always keep track of your thoughts. There are too many and they come too fast. But you can keep track of your feelings. I know now that when you concentrate on what you don't want, what you are worried about, what you are afraid of (which are really all pretty much the same thing), you feel bad and that when you think about what you DO want, what you want to happen, what makes you happy, what you love, what you are grateful for, you FEEL good. It's really that simple but not so simple to do.

I remember the very first time that I actually STOPPED my thinking. I was running through another countless broken record of thoughts, endless, horrible, ranting, thoughts and, all of a sudden, I STOPPED. I stopped that voice in my head for the very first time in my life and suddenly I knew that I was separate from the voice and that I was in charge--that I had the choice to either keep thinking that way or I could think about something else. Sounds simple now but I never knew I had the choice before that. It was always there but I never knew it before and, once I knew it was possible, and especialy that it was possible for ME, everything began to change--so much so that people around me even began to notice it which surprised me. And, of course, it isn't simple--well it is but it is very difficult to remember that it is simple--or something like that.

I also used to think that I was very emotional and that was just part of my personality. That there was nothing I could do about it. Sometimes I felt ruled by my emotions and sometimes I did a lot of damage to myself and to others because of it. And then I learned that an emotion is nothing more than a really STRONG thought and that you can stop them too if you want. You can still feel them if you want--they are still there and you try to learn what they are saying--but they no longer have to overpower you.

Anyway, most of the time I'm not afraid anymore. It doesn't have to be fancy and you don't have to be really good at it for it to make a difference. Just a few minutes of silence every day changes everything--at least it has for me.

If you meditate, over time, you will eventually feel all of the colors--all of the colors that make us human. Some of the colors are not very friendly but, over time, more and more of them are. It's like it cleans a tiny tiny bit of the grime off the window each time you sit and then you can see better and sometimes, for only a speck of time, you get to see a rainbow through the glass.

Note from Sharon

Beth never did register to vote. She talked about it but never did it. I'm not sure why. I guess other things are more important to her right now. She is doing well at work--apprentice to the marketing manager and very comfortable in meetings with all the millionaires and high-powered people who are running the place (along with several other businesses). She still calls almost every day and talks her day out which surprises me because she is so capable and so independent. She is going to take me to pick out some clothes when I can drive again. It is so easy for her and so very difficult for me. She is quite amazing to me.

David is in between right now. I think that letting go of what was is extremely hard and trusting enough to open up to what is next is even harder. I think that is where his biggest challenge is right now.

I had really mixed feelings about the candidates. Obama, the way he moves and talks, reminds me of how Peter used to be when he was more alive than he is now. I really liked him as a man but didn't trust him completely as a politician. McCain on the other hand, I wasn't sure about either and Sarah Palin's voice was everywhere and was becoming irritating to me and I wanted her to stop talking so much. In the end, because of his history as a POW, I made my decision for McCain. I decided that to do what he had done, especially when he decided to stay with his men when he had the choice to leave, that that showed undeniable character, something that is not easily won or lost and so I still believe it is still there and would show up again if our country was in dire need of it. I think Obama has a strong character too but it hasn't been tried yet so I don't know what he'll do when faced with the need for it.

Regardless, Obama is president now. He is president for all of us. I didn't know the "black thing" was so important to people but I can see it in their faces now that the decision has been made. I remember colored town on the way to church in Ada when we first moved there and how you could see daylight through their walls and that everything was the same drab color--the ground, the wood, the trees, the dirt, the people. I remember Napier school and Hammond Heights. I remember the faces of my friends who were black in high school when somebody made a snide remark. I remember the faces most of all--and wished it was time.

I remember thinking during the election that it was finally time--whether for a woman or a black man--that it just doesn't matter that much to people anymore--it never did for me. So, when I saw those people rejoicing in the streets and like when Whoopie Golberg said that she was finally able to put down her suitcase after all these years--I rejoiced too. It was time. It is time. And because of it, we are all a little different now. That's a good thing.

I think there are hard times ahead--things that will test Obama to the limit--maybe even things that will test us all--but we've passed tests before and we will pass this one too.

I wish you lived down the street so I could come to bring you some eggs and see what's on your walls.

From a found, old letter to Susan and Peter M.

Thank you for the letter; it makes us feel good to know you're still alive. The dress for Sharon won't fit her long but is very pretty. Richard loved the badges; they were very good. It will be my birthday soon and I want badges too. I want a whooping crane badge most.

It was nice to read about you Peter. Sue, you will have to keep all his clippings, people are so impressed with them

Surely you have received the geneology stuff by now. It was sent at least 2 weeks ago. Let me know if it's there yet.

We are going to swim this afternoon at the college. Mary took her bathing suit with her to school in a huge sack. She felt she needed to even tho she'll come home before we go. She's very efficient and maybe bright. She's certainly independent.

Outside is all green It's been raining for 2 weeks and green is all you see out the window. It looks good and bright but wet.

Your daddy made some etchings of me that are good. He won an award in Tulsa. He hasn't ha time to send things out to contests because he's so busy with one man shows.

Jenny will be a tulip in the school play, a yellow tulip. She almost made the 3rd grade track team. She is a little weepy about it. She has 2 teeth out in front but she 's prettier than she's ever been

Richard wanted to decorate his room so we gave him $5.00 to start. He spent it all for black light paint. His rats stink. He was stage manager for the school play, Tom Sawyer; Chuck was an old man in a night shirt.

I want your daddy to make me a sign for the car offering people rides so they won't have to drive their cars and pollute, but he won't. I will I guess. The car's always going; I think it's only sensible

Sharon had a piano recital. She had the shakiest hands and played best of anyone there. She is good at this too just as at everything else. She has been taking lessons from Marie Thompson. Marie says she's remarkable good. We have an ugly piano but Sharon doesn't care. Maybe Chuck will get lessons for his birthday. Maybe Alan too.

Peter is growing up. He stands up for what he thins is right; he's honest and probably going to turn out a good man; but he's driving me out of my mind with his loud voice, his wild hours and his changeable mind.

Sounds like you're still having good breakfasts and getting along well. There was a riot forecast for New Haven, Conn; be careful. Behave yourselves. I love you.

This Is Malan Christopher At His New School

Here's Debie's Happy Halloween

News from Julie

I am obsessed about the election. Marty voted for McCain but the rest of us are voting the correct way. Even though voting democratic in Utah is kind of a lost cause. I think it might be closer this year than in the past. That "news story" about Richard was great, very funny. I have voted every time since I was 18 but mostly picked the one I felt was the least objectionable. But this time I really want Obama to win. I feel hopeful that things might change and things might be looked at in new ways. Maybe naive but I hope it is true.

Latest movie that I really liked was " Autumn Rush" and favorite book was " The Book Thief". You should try both. I have always felt like the "white Trash" one in the family because of my choices in TV, movies, books but I think by not limiting myself to only the classics, meaningful things, I happen upon some really good stuff that makes me laugh, cry, feel wonder. I stand by my love of fantasy, imagination etc. Plan to watch my favorite movies over and over and read the Harry Potter books over and over and try to avoid anything that tries to make me a "better, more insightful, etc person. Real life is okay but I need to escape sometimes. Hope things are calming down there. I'm worried about how things are going in the world but hopeful that I will be able to retire someday. Like you say, Love and peace. Julie