Shadow on Stone

Shadow on Stone

Once I was talking to Pop about "life" and I asked him why he went to church and believed the simple way he did.

He said: "What else IS there?"

Tomasito, 2009


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Pop's Differneces

Desert Grave. (Tomasito photo, 2009)

Pop's Differences

Some years ago my father, Andy (Andrew Staffon) Wold, died of a brain aneurysm in his own little paid-for house on Sky High Drive on a hillside overlooking the Ventura River Valley between Ojai and Ventura, California when I was away on one of my far-flung pilgrimages..

“Pop” was in his early eighties and had lived a simple life as a part-time drummer and an appliance salesman.

He and Mom, Lorene Clayton Wold, had raised us kids, Brother Joe, Brother Jack and myself—the middle son—into adulthood in Los Angeles, Albuquerque, New Mexico and Portland, Oregon.

That's about enough of that background stuff.

What I wanted to put on record is something one of Dad's friends at the Lutheran Church in Ventura said to be about Pop (Andy) when I came back
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“You know,” he said, “Your Dad was very different in a way--I never heard him say a bad thing about another person."

Odd thing. I had never even noticed this.

An even odder thing was—I had never heard him say anything bad about an other person either—and I had lived with and around him all my life.

Well, once he had said that Reagan should have never been elected president because Ronald was the same age exactly as he was “and that was too old to be president.”

But that was the worst thing I could remember him saying about anybody!

He never swore either—and I never heard him argue with Mom—not even once in all those years!

Now, of course, Pop was human—but by golly he WAS different in those mild and old-fashioned ways.

Tomasito, 2009


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In Memory

"In Memory" (Tomasito photo, 2009)

It is a beautiful day to enjoy every moment.

A strong, cool breeze from the Pacific all those miles away.

Bright sunlight and a few scattered, puffy clouds.

Isn't it?!

Tomasito, 2009


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Today

"Today" (Tomasito photo 2009 )
(Please click on this photo to see a real face. TW)

Today

A few years ago I got to talking to a stranger--an old man--about this and that.

He told me of some of his very interesting adventures as a young man so I asked him what day in his life he would like to re-live if he could.

He looked at me brightly and replied: "What's wrong with today?"

Tomasito, 2009


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Cookies, Eggs, Easter

Cookies, Eggs, Easter! Photo by Tanya, 2009

This is the day after Easter but since we were on our week-end holiday yesterday, we thought this would be an appropriate time to send all of you a virtual Easter present of some traditional colored eggs and some tasty home-baked cookies.

We hope you enjoy them!

Tomasito, 2009


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Saint Petka Church Altar

Saint Petka Serbian Orthodox Church Interior.
Tanya photo, 2009. (click on photo for more detail)

Good Friday

Today is "Good Friday" in the calendar of most branches of the western Christian tradition so I thought it would be appropriate to present this photo of one of the Orthodox Christian churches ion this area--Saint Petka in San Carlos--an altogether unexpected ornate building in the old tradition in this very humble and unassuming typical southern California town.

Tomasito, 2009


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Deer Park Monastery Altar

Deer Park Monastery, Escondido, CA, Great Meditation Hall Altar.
(Tanya photo, 2009)

This is the season of rebirth.

We drove out to the Deer Park Buddhist Monastery today to see what new wild plants were blooming and to enjoy the "Sangha", the peace and beauty of this special place.

I wish you could have all been there with us---it was very good.

There is an old resident dog there--quite an old-timer--I showed you a photo a few days ago of the dog with Tanya petting him--and he followed the group of us making a silent "walking meditation" to increase our mindfulness. He got more and more frisky as we walked until, when we were near the top of a big hill, he was racing circles around us and snorting like a young dog!

He was enjoying himself so much we all had to laugh!

Happy Spring, Everybody!

Tomasito, 2009


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