Notes From A Bear's Journey

Another Pause     Just a quick heads up as I return to help my mother in her transition from true independent living to today's version of "independent" living.  It is quite an interesting shift, that of researching places and then assuming that what you have found will prove suitable...rather like looking for a used car, the salespeople so friendly and so accommodating; it is eerily like looking at dog kennels, for once you commit and leave, you really have little idea how things truly work out.  So you have to rely on your gut...     Luckily, there's another part of the story, and that is 100% credited to my brother who is tackling the other half of the equation, that of caring for and checking on my mother while she is in rehab.  Not only does he have to man what is being done and handle the visitation to make sure my mother has what she needs and can convey her wishes to the personnel, but also has to begin the process of filtering through her home.  The exces

Another Drink, Please     The other night found us at a friends' home surrounded by their family and other friends...24 in all.  It was a grand time with lots of conversation, lots of food and, as befits such a holiday occasion, lots of drink.  The cold weather and their home in the mountains only added to the wintery chill and the warmth, all of us glad to be so comfortable inside, not only physically but in our heads as well.  After all, it comes down to having good friends and family, doesn't it?  But sometimes, aided with the inhibition-diminishing power of alcohol, it can turn a bit.  Inner feelings or hidden anger can emerge, as can somewhat sloppy realizations of guilt and/or a sudden recognition of selfless love from a parent or someone ill, the past transgressions quickly forgotten for the moment, along with the realization that harboring such ills was silly in the long run.     So, and here's a bold segue, I was somewhat captivated by the series of stories in

Thanks, and Giving     There is a holiday coming up in the United States, a holiday usually relegated to eating turkey with cornbread stuffing, some sweet potatoes or yams, mashed potatoes, even some cranberry relish, all ended with a dessert of pumpkin pie or mincemeat pie.  It's a holiday meant to give thanks for freedom to practice a different sort of religion, for settling in a new land, a land full of bounty and friendly neighbors (i.e., the native Americans already there).  It is a holiday appropriately titled, Thanksgiving.  Here's how The History Channel put it: In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers—an assortment of religious separatists seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith and other individuals lured by the promise of prosperity and land ownership in the New World.  After a treacherous and uncomfortable crossing that lasted 66 days, they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape

Obsession and Love     Walking though a book store in Amsterdam proved an interesting stoll.  For one, it was an all-English bookstore, this in a place where English is likely the third or fourth language.  And second, everything in the store, from hardcover to softcover, cost 5 euro.  Most all of the titles were there (the owner told me that they primarily buy remainders and unsold titles in bulk, from Steven King to Lee Child, as well as a host of non-fiction) and the selection went from photography to cooking, and from Game of Thrones to Prime Suspect.  But what was even more striking to me was the number of titles, each stack carefully laid out, not only on the floor to ceiling shelves, but on the floor as well.  Paths were carefully constructed and the books were quite orderly in how they were presented.      So what's the big deal?  Books are books and bookstores are pretty much everywhere.  And so are games (electronic and otherwise), and so are music stores (albeit, dim

Earth (Again)     You may have read that a few recent observations have discovered what may likely be yet another "earth."  Ho-hum, one might say, since recent reports have put the number of earth-like objects in space (that is, potentially habitable to some form of life, about our planet's size and orbiting a larger heat source star) in the billions, anywhere from 11 to 40 billion.  Yes, billion with a "b."  So why on earth (pardon the purposeful pun) would this latest find be such a big deal?  For one thing, this newest orbiting planet is pretty darn close to us, relatively speaking...just 39 light years away...now just as a refresher, a light year is the distance light (moving at 186,282 miles per second or, for those of you outside of the U.S., 299,792,458 meters per second ) would travel in a year ...pretty far, in other words, about 6 trillion miles (9 trillion kilometers) if you're wondering.  Now multiply that by 39 and you have our nearest &

Friends...Gone     The other night we had a friend over for dinner, a chance to catch up with both her life and also with a life my wife and I had left nearly three years ago, that of work.  When such a period of time passes, the changes seem greater for some reason.  Cute little cousins have blossomed into almost unrecognizable young ladies, or hair has gone gray on aunts and uncles (or their children, in our case).  But often with friends, especially close friends, appearances don't really seem to change.  Certainly, physical appearances change, but within a short amount of time, all such images become irrelevant and your old times are back...it's almost as if time had stayed still and despite the years, you are right back where you left off, laughing and joking and well, being old friends.     It all reminded me of the song by Paul Simon, Old Friends . A portion of his lyrics went: Can you imagine us years from today, sharing a park bench quietly?  How terribly strange

Coming Home     Ahh, there is nothing like it, is there?  As fascinating and relaxing and enjoyable a trip or vacation can be, there's a point where you're simply ready to return, to sleep in your own bed, to see your animals and friends and family, to take care of bills and work off some weight, to get back into a routine.  And it is often that little stretch back that is the longest...you're tired, you're anxious, and you're ready to be there.  But that is when all the glitches seem to happen... Outside one of the shops     For us, our grand adventure culminated in Amsterdam and we basically had just 8 hours to explore;  and as we discovered, it simply wasn't enough.  But we certainly tried, walking nearly six miles in a grand loop, from the nearby museum district to the Van Gogh to meet friends (they said the museum was packed but well worth the visit), down to Central Station to eat at the Biblioteque restau rant (fantastic and recommended to us by a

Overseas     Traveling overseas, no matter what country you are in, is usually rewarding.  Not only do you meet new people and gain new experiences, but often you come away with a fresh perspective.  It can be humbling to discover that everything you once thought couldn't be improved in your life or country (from your viewpoints to your attitudes) can be quickly modified or changed simply by hearing another side.  Even something as simple as a news broadcast can send you home wondering if what you are watching at home really is the news.  This seemed especially true while we were in New Zealand where the headlines about the U.S. amounted to just a couple of minutes on the broadcast, then it was on to other more important things such as rugby scores. Cat nibbles in Amsterdam     And while in Amsterdam, my wife and I came across something as simple as this packaging for cat food.  Could it be anything else?  No fancy names, no fancy gimmicks...a simple picture, a simple na

The Churches     I just had to enclose this image, taken from the back side off of the peak of Mt. Pilatus which was mentioned in the earlier post.  Look closely at the tiny white building just atop the lower ridge...it's a church.  In this remote location, miles from anything and seeming particularly difficult to get to, I wondered who would be the people attending, and who had built it and why in that particular spot?  But even more so, it became a good example of how I felt about seeing most any of the churches throughout Europe, particularly the countries of Switzerland, France and Germany which we had recently visited.  No matter where you went, churches seemed to be everywhere, the clock towers and bell towers appearing poised at their own majesty to a time not all that long ago.     Just entering some of the larger gothic cathedrals, one is dazzled by the sheer height and size of many of the structures, not to mention the work involved in building such a building (an

More Swiss Surprises     With the surprises of Zurich now moving past me, it was time for other cities to surprise me, all of them within a short train ride.  And none was probably more famous and welcome (even among those residents of Zurich to whom we talked) than Lucerne.  The lake, the history, and of course, the mountains.  At this point, however, let me add one additional caveat, that these posts are merely one person's opinions and observations (mine) and quite likely, might have some of you more experienced travelers shaking your heads and saying, "what the devil is he talking about?"  And to you, I can only apologize if I have somehow gotten a bit of history incorrect or have seemingly mischaracterized a favorite (or not so favorite) spot of yours.  As we all know, this happens, a pair of freshly tainted eyes looking at something with wild abandon, taking in first impressions in a few hours and then walking away as if that is all there is to know.  Time and m

On Track to Zurich      One can only be awed by the efficiency and extensive coverage of the rail lines of Europe.  The high speed trains and city terminals are filled with people, all determedly moving somewhere, back to their home or onto another destination.  Step off of the train and you'll discover the stations equally full, the large lighted boards constantly changing as the trains arrive and depart pretty much within a few minutes of each other.  This was certainly the case in Zurich, a microcosm of what we saw in Paris, but as with the precision of their watches, was a thing of beauty to behold.        For you newcomers, and we were certainly in this frustrated group for many days and countries, let us assume that you have somehow made it through the local ticket process and moved onto the larger trains making the longer runs.  The trains are divided into sections of first and second class, much as in airlines.  Seats are nicer, more leg room, a bit of a snack, and