Just when you thought my musical tastes couldn't stretch any further (heh) I have to tell you about the 5th Annuual Bluegrass Jamboree held in Brooklyn this weekend. It was a mixed audience -- as Darla said, there were so many hicks she felt right at home in no time! A highlight was James Reams - a soulful, righteous giant of a man.

In other news, I have been carrying my camera around for a week and I have yet to take a photo. I seem to have some kind of anxiety about starting to take photos. It's one thing to be taking digital photos (I've been doing it for about a year now) and it's something else altogether to be taking "real" photos.

My beginner's class starts Friday and we have to bring a [completed] roll with us to develop. Akkkkk. Akk. Akk. Akk.

*for Frances
*for Alene
*for Carrie
*for Dan
*for Liz
*for Jonathan & Cindy
*for Laura
*for Brook
*for all

The 11th has come and gone. I stuck pretty closely to my original plan for the day and was glad for it. I started out at Coney Island where I walked on the boardwalk, talked to the waves, and the birds, and the sun and also did a short meditation by the water. I ended up staying on the beach for about 5 hours and I came away renewed, for which I'm thankful.

In the past year I've felt everything: I've been angry, heartbroken, disbelieving, sick and numb. I wasn't too sure how I'd feel on the 11th, all I knew was that whatever I might feel, I didn't want it to be at work. In the end, I felt blessed, both for the love of my friends, and for my capacity for joy. It took all day to realize the joy -- [first I fell into the ocean; later we almost set a corner of Prospect Park on fire during the candlelight service] -- but in the end I got it. God's message to me: Catherine, don't take yourself so seriously.

Yes, friends, great silences here. I *am* sorry, and no worries, I'm fine, just very busy.

In addition to scrapbooking [ahem] and being the sole editor for 10,000+ web pages, I have applied to be a twice weekly volunteer tutor at one of the library's Centers for Reading and Writing. Last night was a volunteer orientation session where we heard the stories of several students. One man talked of learning to read at 52 (and his path from addiction and homelessness to recovery) and I came home remembering the transformative power of storytelling. Hope I make it through the application and interview to be a volunteer.

I don't have anything profound to say on the eve of September 11th, except that if you are in NYC please join tonight's candlelight vigil in Washington Square Park. The vigil was organized by September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows - a group founded by family members of September Eleventh victims. Their mission is to develop nonviolent responses to terrorism as well as to work to break the endless cycle of violence and retaliation engendered by war. Their name comes from this Martin Luther King, Jr. quote - "wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows."

Bush's lastest antics have Liz completely outraged and she has pulled together some great links to anti-war groups. Go check 'em out.