Paradox

Like most Fridays today at 1,

I attend the current events discussion group here, a lively interchange among 60 or so residents far more tuned into national and international events than this writer.  They are mostly armchair experts proudly  tuned in to the breaking news, so in order to appear coherent I pay special attention to the media on Friday mornings. I've even subscribed to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat in order to read the editorials. Its been just about a year since I purchased this modest home in sleepy Oakmont Village which is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary as a retirement community. Who would have predicted I would be more worldly informed in this rural setting?
Whereas the daily news in Oakland centered around muggings and driveby-shootings and gang wars, the local news up here reports a goat got loose from some one's yard, and the dates the various grape harvests are predicted to begin. Its a different world. Of course the international news is the same, today's headline being the riots in Cairo. I feast on the debate, even though the democrats outnumber the republicans 40 to one, so its a fairly one-sided dialogue. The rest of the week I busy myself with visiting guests (many this week including my realtor and her family from Oakland, Catherine with guest Jaymi from Colorado, Michele from San Francisco,  Beth and Barb from Alameda, and Jac and Valerie from France. I'm not lacking in social stimuli.
Every day I admire my garden, picking up buckets of Asian pears which some critter knocks down every night, and hauling them to the food bank. I also am busy making plans for garden revisions. Please come and visit if you haven't already! And painterly friends, there is much to photograph and paint!