Trip to Dunedin...

Finally took a road trip.  Four hour drive of wonderful sights.  Miles of open farm land, thousands of sheep, cattle and deer farms.  I did not see one rabbit along the highway.  Usually we knock off a few huge bunnies driving at 100 Kilometers that is about 65 MPH in USA.  I always jump when I hear that THUD, THUMP, something that goes BUMP under the car...  rabbits are a humongous problem in NZ.

When I was a very young boy I raised rabbits.  We kept them in Rabbit pens and my father would often dress one out for Sunday dinner.  England and Europe refer to rabbit as HARE.  I happen to quite enjoy a "saddle of Hare" in some fine restaurants.  I remember people saying:  "Hell, they breed like rabbits!"  Well, rabbits do breed rapidly!  Possibly the bunnies KNEW we were in route to Dunedin!  They alerted the entire world!  BEWARE.

Everything went fine.  Arrived at our Land Lady's home 'round 5 PM.  I had promised to make the dinner.  Karen is a serious vegetarian.  I made a great, and I will brag a delicious mushroom casserole, garden green salad, all kinds of cheeses, breads, new boiled potatoes, a mixed fruit salad and wines.
Coffee or tea after dinner.  Fun evening.  I slept like a rock.  Awoke feeling great.  Saturday we were going into the city.  I wanted to have a few hours all to myself.

Walked to Begg's Music Store.  They still have music stores in NZ.  I purchased my beloved Technics piano in Christchurch nearly 20 years ago!  IT STILL PLAYS PERFECTLY.  I have never had any repair or maintenance performed on it.
I would take it back to America but there is a problem:  this piano uses 220 NOT 110 Voltage...
When I walked in the front door of the shop there was a boy playing a piano I've never heard the brand, something out of a Korea?

This kid was not at all a talented, or else had been very spoilt and miss guided as how to touch a keyboard!  I walked over to him, lightly tapped him on the head, however I wanted to slap him across the head damn hard.  Well, the sales person behind the desk came around and asked me why I stopped the brat from pounding the piano to pieces?  Like, this boy had talent???  Call up Simon Crowl,  better yet, HELL HAS TALENT!

I did apologize and told the young boy he was not playing the piano, he was HURTING the piano.  I told him to move aside and I would SHOW HIM HOW TO TOUCH THE KEYS ON A PIANO.  I had not a clue what I was going to do.  He stood by his strange mother glaring at me.  I smiled, placed my two old hands over the keys sweeping them treble to bass without touching a key.  Both hands settled on a G sharp below Middle C then dropped to the lowest C sharp.  The Fantasise Impromptu by Chopin saved the day...  I played a "cut down" version of the piece for time's sake...

The boy's mother had tears in her eyes.  I told her I was sorry about the way I ATTACKED HER DAMN KID, she said:  "Forget it.  That piece was my father's favorite piece of music!"  My father tried to learn it and he did attempt to play it many times but never had the "gift".   She then said:  my father would have been probably your age when he died last year.  I rose from the bench, put my arms around her and simply held her for a brief moment in time.

She and her son exited the store and the salesperson was glaring at me:  "Thanks a hell of a lot sir.  I was hoping to sell that piano to those people.  Because of you I lost the sell..."
I will not write the language I used to express my contempt for this man!  HE GOT THE MESSAGE as I carefully put my back pack on my back, picked up my parcels.  Suddenly he had a set back or something occurred because he smiled and said:  "I thought you would help me sell the piano, your a YANK!  You live by Capitalisim!  BUY, BUY, CONSUME..."  I simply blessed him inside a place I keep very sacred and secretive within my heart then, to use a phrase I hate as well as the Actor that said it:  I WILL BE BACK!!!!!!!

From the music drama I walked to the Dunedin Art Gallery.  I LOVE THIS PLACE.  Free admission.
Main exhibition:  Gregory Crewdson.  "IN A LONELY PLACE"... I thought OMG, I hope I took my anti-depressant this morning but, just incase?  I AM JOKING.  THIS MAN'S PHOTOGRAPHY ART HAUNTS ME!!!
I spent two hours between a huge gallery of art the museum owns, classics, NZ famous painters, then the huge rooms with Gregory's enormous art.  Every piece has a story and that story ONLY SPEAKS TO THE PERSON LOOKING AT IT!  I was exhausted after leaving the gallery.

There is a wonderful cafe beside the gallery called THE NOVA.  I sipped a strong coffee, munched on a scone, then walked to my favorite old, very old USED BOOK STORE on the Octagon.  IT IS NO LONGER THERE!  GONE!  The old deaf man that owned it died.  It is now a dress/frock shop!

Used book stores are like comfort food to my soul.  They haunt me because of the smells, the thin as paper pages of some books that have passages underlined, notes in the margins, dates when they were given to someone...  I can spend lifetimes inside such santuarys.  

I have always had a dream that oneday I would have a used book shop and tea room, very small tea room in an old Victorian house with three floors.  I would name it : THE GYPSY MOON.  Once I even went so far as to design a floor plan for the books, used sheet music, old magazines, a reading room... then a very small room where one could have great wine, teas, coffees, read, eat and drink on very OLD VINTAGE CHINA.
Anyone that can remember when:  I did only use old used china in my restaurant in Alpine years ago.  I and my family spent hours shopping at the  Desert Industries, The Salvation Army, Thrift shops...

The climax of the day for me was:  WE ALL WENT TO THE RIALTO CINIMA.  The place is right out American 50 years ago.  The biggest damn screen you have ever seen.  The movie was "THE BOOK THIEF"  GO SEE THIS MOVIE.    IT IS FANTASTIC.  It touches every person alive from young to very old... it is history, it is magic, it is reality, and most of all it is a story of overcoming evil and hate.  The acting is beyond what I imagined.

Before I shut this blog down... see Philomena.  More to write later.

Limitations

As I evolve within my human space suit, my brain chemicals, my DNA/RNA  I realize I do have to accept certain "LIMITATIONS"  I am a 67 year old male.  If anyone had told me I would live this long in the 70's I would have knocked them sideways and laughed them into the next century.

I was a BULLET PROOF MAN until I turned 60 years old.  I could fall off cliffs, catch all kinds of diseases, cry, hurt and I came out with flying colors.  At 62 I developed a serious cancer.  My body could not fight E Coli, the list is endless!  For over 30 years I lived in GYMS.  I TRAINED PEOPLE!  I destroyed the triceps on my left arm.  I had a knee replacement, the list is endless... I never, ever dreamed I would require glasses...  the sun created problems with my skin...  I have survived many things and worst of all distress, the loss of people I love that have crossed over to the other side.

SOMETIMES THERE IS NOTHING WORSE IN ONE'S LIFE THAN THE SENSATION OF CRASHING INTO A LIMITATION!!!

Today was a breakthrough.  I have been working for ages on Claude Debussy's Reflects dans l'eau... Reflections in the water.  For some unknown reason I could not get the 2nd and 3rd pages into my hands...  (I can play passages at Allegro and Presto tempos IF I DESIRE!)  The universe blessed me with amazing hands... ALAS!  NO!  These two pages refused to make love to my hands.

TODAY IT HAPPENED!  I crossed over from a limitation to a revelation.  Finally, water, images, sunlight, moonlight, water Lilly's, air, sky it all came together!  Only a musician would understand this magic.

Do not be alarmed by the score when I post it.  (the two pages...)  16th notes, 32nd notes, passages with crossover hands...  it worked.  I nearly fell off my piano stool.

BTW:  sorry about the last blog.  I do not know what the angels wanted but they took away part of my blog about my painting... (probably because they had a better plan... possibly they thought: by damn play these passages of water and light the right way. Paint a picture in sound, leave the oils alone for a bit.)  No doubt the world is pleased I quit playing in oil paints as well!

Debussy composed one the most famous melodies on earth... Clair de lune... (moonlight).
Limitations are LEARNING CURVES as well as blessings!  I do not like the feeling of being limited.  I really don't.  I always think I can soar with the stars... race with the moon... BUT one must realize that we have to accept humility.  Limitations teach us HOW TO BECOME HUMBLE and GRATEFUL beyond our imagination.

The Joy of Your Own Two Hands...

Today the techie guy I  hired showed up to show me things with my new phone.  How to sync it into my Mac.  (He has three Macs and loves them)  After he left I decided to take a walk... not such a brilliant idea because it was colder than hell and the winds and rain were terrible.  I did not care!  I needed a walk.  Fresh air, Sky, Visions of beauty.  I braced myself for the elements.  All went well, but I was cold.

Arrived back at the house round 1 PM.  Made a lunch then went to work on my computer.  Ended up flat on my back reading a great book... a very short nap!

For the first time in ages I pulled out my oils and canvases... simply had to.  I have made it plain as day this year I am following my synchronicity.  That is my new word for 2014.  SYNCHRONICITY.

Years ago I did quite a bit of painting... not like real artists do, but my own thing.  You will see a picture of what I call my "Hippiedom of peace and love!"  It hangs on my studio wall.  Well, today I created something I call:  "A Garden in Motion"...  it is not finished however, it will grace a wall upstairs.

Amazing what your hands can do.  My Grandma Keller could take anything and make a beautiful piece of art out of it.  She made me a hanging light and it was a clump of glass grapes with a light bulb inside it that made everything seem like magic.  She could take tin cans, cut them into shapes and make gorgeous wall hangings.  She was a great seamstress...  I watched her cut patterns out of old newspapers to sew dresses from.  Her hands were quite amazing.  If I was not feeling well she would rub my fore head and neck with her hands and I seemed to feel so peaceful and the pain had gone somewhere.

When I pulled all this stuff out to paint this afternoon I thought: oh hell, all the tubes will be dried up and crusty.  NOT SO!  My hands moved gently and the muse guided thePartita...  my hands needed a new movement.  Color and motion.  Some days they lead me into making bread... other times touching the earth and tending to my plants.  My hands have forever had a mind of their own.  They are two of my best friends.

strokes.  I forgave myself for not practicing piano today...  I am working on one hell of a difficult passage on the piano for me as I am learning a Bach

Blowin' in the wind...

I try to walk 2 possibly 3 or more miles every day.  All my life I have used the gift of "WALKING" to clear my emotions, cleanse my brain of confusing issues as well as walking has helped my physical body to keep "moving".  That tired saying:  USE IT OR LOOSE IT!   Well, walking like I do I could loose it by being hit by a bus!  tripping over my own feet, or better yet simply falling into a deep hole and never climbing out.

I have hiked all over the world.  Places where some people would never place their feet.
In my youth I did do some very insane hikes... but thanks to the "INVISIBLE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE OF ANGELS" I did not fall in to many dark holes!  I do have a propensity to stumble.  I don't always "WATCH" where my feet are going therefore I trip over my feet and I do not go down gently.

I CRASH.  Yes, screams, blood, limping... DRAMA.  I have to have audiences.  People running to help me.  "OMG!  are your teeth okay?  did you hurt your knees?  (yes)  OH you have blood running down your arm! (no shit)  Can we drive you someplace? (NO!)  People are good to me.

Today I struck out on my walk early.  The wind was blowing at a gusty tempo.  I secured my cap because I love my caps.  They are old... but each one has a meaning and the wind damn near lifted my "Bank of Alpine" cap off into the universe!
Walking into the wind is like walking against water.  Makes one strong.  My lungs were panting for a more gentle way to suck up oxygen.  My lips were dry as toast.  Eyes were in flames and I was not feeling so good.  I made it down to the QT Gardens, but once there I found a bench and yep, just like old people do I PLANTED MY BOTTOM and did not move.

Finally the winds abated.  I used my rescue puffer!  stood up and put one foot in front of the other with out looking down where my feet were going...  (not a wonder I cannot to this day dance!  I watch dancing with the stars and think possibly I could learn where my feet should go?
NO, my hands and fingers can fly over the key board like magic and I never look at them... I seem to have the same habit with my feet BUT I forget they are poor little lambs that have lost their way.)
I start down the path and by damn I trip!  Sliding on my arse I finally come to a stop.
There had to be at least 10 Asians walking UP the path.
They stopped and helped me get up... talking in a language I do not understand.  One older lady pointed her finger at me and rattled off something in Chinese.  I nodded and said YES!  She smiled and said, "YES!"

I made it into the center.  The sun was high and lots of things were happening at the fair.  All kinds of art, preserves for sale, woven scarfs, jewelery, clay pipes, and MASSAGES.

I am posting the photos.  There were massage tables set up in the Greenspan.  Girls and Guys were massaging people... you can see the sheets blowing in the wind.  My first thought was:  Hell, pay the price and get your back massaged and centered.  Then I thought NOT.

I have been with the same woman who performs the "LAYING ON OF HANDS" for years.  Sonja will erase my aches and pains from the fall...  I believe in the power of TOUCH.
HUGS.  EMBRACES.  PHYSICAL TOUCH LIKE HAND SHAKES, CUDDLES and HEADS TOUCHING.  We all share something very invisible.  It is called AIR.  OXYGEN.  You can't see it but every thing is breathing this element in and out and sharing it!  (BTW, I have a marvelous masseuse in Alpine... she is amazing.)

After my trip to the grocery and wine shop I started home.
A young man was standing on the sidewalk.  He had no shirt on, a back pack and a day pack and a bed roll strapped to his back.  His shoulders had to be screaming for relief.  I suppose he "felt" my vibes looking at him because he turned toward me and in a very Scandinavian accent said:  " Can you tell me where the bus station is?"

I said,
"There is no bus station.  There is a bus stop where they collect you and take you places..."  He had the most gorgeous smile you have ever seen.  (It has to be the milk, cheese and eggs in Sweden, Norway, makes these genes so damn perfect.)

He asked, "Where is the thing you call STOP?"  "Follow me, we are a block away."
He hoisted his pack and we walked side by side to the stand.  I told him that I used to carry a load on my back like he was packing and could not ever wait till I found a place to drop some of the needed stuff in a safe place and start carrying my day pack.  He agreed.

The tops of his shoulders were somewhat bruised.  He asked me how to avoid that and the rubbing against the straps that can cause one to bleed.  I told him.
(I LEARNED THE HARD WAY YEARS AGO!  I ALSO LEARNED IT WITH BLISTERED FEET IN EXPENSIVE HIKING BOOTS.)   YOU MUST USE REAL LAMB'S WOOL.  NOTHING FAKE OR SYNTHETIC.  IT HAS TO BE LAMB'S WOOL.  TUCK IT UNDER THE STAPES OR VELCRO IT AND YOU WILL NOT SUFFER.  Yes your back and shoulders will ache, but that is the TENSION not the skin rubbing away!

He tried to thank me in a broken language but I got the message and the most amazing thing he was carring was a guitar.  It was a 12 string.  Very Vintage. (what is with the young people finding all these instruments from the 60's?  REINCARNATION?)

I told him I was a musician.  I have wandered all over the world making music.  I play keyboard.  PIANO.  They are not easy to carry.  He laughed and said,  "I will tell my mother when I text her.  She wanted me to be a pianist!  I will tell her the instrument is to heavy to carry on my back!"  I told him not to say that.  The piano is a voice like no other instrument it just is a bit more complex than a dulcimer, violin, flute, clarinet....  He thanked me and lined up for the next bus.  He was heading for Wanaka.  (no doubt thinking it was a cheaper place to stay than QT)  It used to be a heavenly place but today it is flash restaurants, bars and discos...  A gorgeous lake and mountains, but not very INEXPENSIVE.

My blessing of Synchronicity seems to take me into all kinds of places.  If, I had not fallen the timing would have been off so that I would not have met this young man and guide him to the bus.

If I had not tripped the Chinese people would not have helped me learn a new realm of kindness and I may have missed the massage tables at the fair.    Keep tuned in.

An event that reminded me of my past...

There is a house below our place called the "Marianna".  It is a very old Kiwi style house.  Built probably in the late 60's.  It is owned by a family in Invercargill.  Over the years many people have used the house for summer holidays, skiing and get aways.  I remember when one couple always arrived for Xmas and they had two little girls.  Those girls have since become full grown powerful young women.  They use the house as a "PARTY HOUSE".

The past two years the girls have stayed in the house with lots of friends and enjoyed the property to the max during the Christmas Holidays.  This year I counted 14 young people.  They were between the ages of 19 - 24.  They also must have great access to lots of money or their parents credit cards.

They arrived in three cars.  Trunks loaded with suit cases, coolers full of food and buckets of booze and beer.  They moved in and began the party scene.  They were great.  Kept the music at a level that did not offend even though the verbal crap from their mouths was a bit harsh.  Who cares, they are young and full of hormones, not too many brains and most of wanted to get wasted.

The first night they drank from from 4:00 PM until 11:00 PM then called cabs.  Headed to the pubs down town.  Around 3:00 AM the taxis delivered them back to the house.  OMG... the conversations were most interesting.  I had crawled into my bed 'round 11 PM when they left the house.  I awoke when they came home only for a wee bit and then drifted back into slumber land.
I awoke at 6 AM.  Walked up stairs, hit the start button on the coffee maker.
First thing in the mornings I look out the big windows and take in the scenery of mountain, water and sky as the sun rises.
I noticed a body curled up on the side walk outside the Marianna house.  A young man apparently passed out and a couple of "to-go" plastic cups beside his head.  It was raining and rather cold.  My first thought was: OMG he is dead.  Well he was dead drunk.  I thought to myself  I could possibly make him a big mug of strong coffee and walk it down to him.  Then my power of reasoning kicked in and I thought NOT.

Minutes later he roused from the sidewalk and as he stood he staggered sideways, in circles and fell on the cement.  He then bumbled his way to the door of the house.  Knocking and pounding.  NO ONE WAS WAKE and I honestly think they had had a guts full of him.  He curled up on the bench on the outside porch.  He later awoke and begin calling on his cell phone.  Someone answered because he took off on a run down the street...

I was haunted by an event that occurred in my early 20's when I was living in Ogden Utah.  It was the holidays and I decided to walk from my house to the PLAYERS LOUNGE on Washington Blvd.
I drank a fifth of vodka and became extremely DRUNK.  I began walking back to my place in a white out blizzard... snow and so cold.  My feet were frozen.  I made it to my door only to discover I had lost the key!  SHIT!  I AM LOCKED OUT!!!
I staggered up the steps to my land lady's front door.  I knocked.  NO ANSWER!  She was sound asleep in her bedroom at the back of the house.  Snow was at least a foot deep.  I finally laid on the porch and slept in snow!  Finally about 7 AM I heard her in the house.  I knocked and she opened the door in her bath robe and a look of shock and awe on her face.  "What in hell are you doing Brent?"
I told her my story.  She told me to get my butt inside and she took my wet clothes replaced them with warm pajamas and then told me to lay on the sofa but NOT TO FALL ASLEEP.  She started bustling around singing.  She always sang old songs from the 30's...

Mabel had lived in San Fransisco when she was 15 until her mid 20's.  She could play any damn thing on a piano and could not read a note of music.  She knew all about DRINK.  She had some God Awful cures for hang overs and I KNEW IT.  "Now all you need honey is a big class of tomato juice, lots of Tabasco and a raw egg."  Oh, God, I shivered... "NO, Please, I will puke my guts out."  "That is the idea love."  "Can I have anything besides the acidic tomato juice?"  "Yes, black coffee and three Bufferine."  Bufferine was an aspirin with something that kept your stomach from bleeding... I drank the coffee, took the pills and snuggled into a pile of blankets and pillows.  Just as I was dozing off she came back with a little brown bottle and a spoon.  "Open up silly boy... swallow this and you'll be good as gold."  I thought to myself... what in hell can it be?  It tasted like liquorice... something I had tasted when I was sick as a child.  It was good old PAREGORIC!

Hours later I awoke wide awake feeling great!  "Thank you Mabel... what would I have done without you?  I promise I will never, ever do this again."  (I am famous for making deals with GOD!  like, God, if you get me through this one I promise I will be a good boy and never be bad again...)
I had a gig to play at the Elks Lodge that night.  GOOD MONEY.

I showered, shaved dressed and actually, yes, I walked to the Elks Lodge in the snow and played my 4 hours.  I also started drinking the damn Vodka...  ANGELS and possibly GOD guided me home via the help of friends.  I had a great time and once more forgot my deals with GOD.

I could not judge the young man on the sidewalk to harshly... I had been in his place at times!  ONE THING I DID HAVE:  I WAS LOVED AND PROTECTED.