The Bowl

 Husbandman and I walked around the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center this morning. We also visited the gift shop in search of a singing bowl. There were many. 

I wasn't surprised that Husbandman was a natural with the singing bowls, while I bumbled and bungled along.  Bottom line: he's musical I'm not. The gift shop man stood near me redirecting and advising me as I misplayed the various bowls while Husbandman's bowl sang out vibrations throughout the store.  

I bought a bowl anyway because I've always wanted one and I'm pretty sure I can pick up better singing bowl technique at some point in the future. 

 You may remember I recently wrote about my love for my Deagan dinner chimes.  Come to find out, I also love my Tibetan singing bowl.

The Connection

 Our birthday week wrapped up yesterday.  I'm now 9 x 7 and Husbandman is 8 X 8.  We celebrated at restaurants, exchanged cool gifts, and felt all the love of fam and friends.  

As a celebratory birthday extension, we ventured out to an apple orchard early yesterday morning. We walked among the apple trees, split an apple dumpling with ice cream and listened to music.  We joined the hordes of foliage mongers soaking up autumnal beauty. We didn't buy apple cider and that's a regret.  

Later that same day, we attended a screening of Killers of the Flower Moon.  Excellent. You should see it if you feel like it.  It's one of those movies that propels me to the internets to gather facts and opinions about our horrific history. 

My personal connection with the film is a fascinating tale and I will share it thusly. 

In the fall of 2022, while visiting kin in Seattle, Washington, I unexpectedly discovered, and fell in love with, the melodic harmonics of Deagen's historic chimes and longed to have my own.  Unbeknownst to me, #30Something, aware of my obsessive desire, surreptitiously endeavored to procure a Deagan oeuvre.  Late in 2022, after extensive searching, she found, and purchased, authentic Deagan chimes and gifted these to me at our annual holiday gift exchange.  Come to find out, the seller of the chimes had enclosed a note that these very chimes (which I now own) were used as a prop in Scorcese's film, Killers of the Flower Moon!  As you know, we viewed the film on October 21, 2023 at a private screening.  While we did not see the chimes, we firmly believe that they were probably on the table of sound effect props featured toward the movie's end.  (No spoilers, but great scene).  Alas, the chimes were not played, but this is still a cool story.  I ring the chimes each day and they never fail to bring me joy. 

Birthday Week:  Solid 5 on the Fist of 5. 

The Lineage

 I'm back from a trip down south to visit my dad.  We sat in big chairs watching television and gabbing.  Dad held Karl with a K on his lap.  I held multiple plates of fritos. We watched The Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.  We talked about movie stars and reviewed Dad's genealogy research. 

Here's a sad story I haven't shared before.  My nana was born Emma Josselin. The Josselin line stretches back to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  I'm sad to report that some of my ancestors were killed by Native Americans with hatchets in the 1690's. 

I wonder what my family members could have done to tick off their Native American neighbors?  

Let's face it.  It's not hard to put the pieces of this puzzle together. I wish I didn't come from LAND STEALERS, but I have to face the hard truth of my heritage. It is what it is. 

The Festivals

Catching up after a busy couple of weeks in B-town.  Last weekend Good Friend CB came for a visit.  Hoorah!!! 

I took a day off work and we bopped around stellar exhibits on campus.  Ceramics, Photography, Victorian Book Publishing. We saw it all.

On our second day, we drove over to Stinesville Quarry Festival. I'm sad to tell you that I've never spent time in this charming neighboring town, population 203.

Highlight of the festival was the pie auction.  The auctioneers skillfully drove up the bidding and the apple caramel pie went for 200$.  Two water pies ("poor man's sugar pies") went for about 25$ each. Generous when you get the backstory on water pie.   Originating in the Great Depression, water pie is made with water and a few other ingredients.  I'm wondering why someone would enter a pie contest with a water pie, but Stinesville is a land of mystery.

Both nights we zipped around town for Lotus Festival.  Another great festival, full of unexpected pleasures.  Check out San Salvador from France some time if you feel like listening to topnotch Occitan polyphony.  

Our time together was delightful.  Fall's off to a great start.