Living in a Modern Commune

So I was thinking on Mother's Day as I was sitting around the campfire by myself this thought popped into my mind. It would be great if I could live here on my farm, maybe raise a pig and a cow, along with the chickens, cats and dogs, and have a garden. And I would count on my neighbor to grow the feed for the livestock. And we would shop at the local General Store that would NOT get their items from foreign countries but from other crafters within the state or county. And we would gather together in times of harvest and planting. We would share in joys and sorrows. And no one would go without. Everyone would have enough to eat, and warm place to sleep, food in the pantry, food for the livestock, and a place for the children to run and play without fear of stranger abductions.

Is anyone else out there interested? I realize some would say, hey join the Amish. Or some other religious cult. But I don't need religion. Religion is what has caused the great divide of humanity. I am looking for others who wish to commune with others on this spiritual level, who wish to live together as a human unit.

A Conversation with Sarah

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Reverence to Life

I saw the rope
Innocently blowing gently against the silver maple trunk
root bound on top of the concrete
It is what its forced to do

But no complaints come from the tree
until the wind blows
starting slowly, gently, rocking
to and fro
lullaby for finches
and chickadees,
who fly around in a buzz
scrounging for their supper

Alas, I have gotten off the subject
of my suicidal discoveries

I saw the rope
and cut it
but it was tough
cotton, old and covered with
a film of moss

as I sawed the salvation
to my suicide
my arm began to wear
such work to off one's self
why all the bother?
there should be an easier
way
or at least a less dreadful
effort to send the soul to the
other side.

Finished.
The rope is now cut,
the curious dangling rope is
but a stump of a rope
still attached to the Silver Maple
forever, soon to become
swallowed up into the abyss
of organic life.

My thoughts of giving up life
by using the rope
is now being taken by the life force of
the Silver Maple
forever being locked up to be found
by some palenentolgist from
another galaxy
exploring Mother Earth by a
future being.

Even in death, life continues
in perputual motion
forever and ever.
Only dust becomes us
and in that moment
it ceases to be just a particle
but nothingness.

Reverence to Life



Angela J Looney

What Happened to Your Machine Tim?

If you read all his posts after his nose surgery and all those pictures of Tim with his shirt off covered in his mask, you also would wonder what happened? He is not wearing his mask at nights. Why not you ask? I don't know he won't answer. Maybe all that drama for nothing.
Oh well.....I'm too tired anymore to ask him about it. Time to go to bed and get up at 5:15 to ride along with a 14-year old driver. A driver who stops when we turn corners! And he likes to drive on the left side of the road. Are we in England?
Crykey, I'm gonna go to bed. G'nite.

A Concept

Sometimes, I come up with the idea and have to let it out. Not wanting to wait, I wish to spit it out like that bad taste of Black Velvet that hits my lips when the husband says, "Here, mouthwash! I want everyone to read my words. I want to share with the millions of Looney Talk subscribers. And then the worry sets in. Like a black film beginning to build on the surface of the bathroom mirror as my spouse is in the shower. The confidence police start circling, waiting for the slightest moment of inadequacy. Hoping to catch me in the act of failing. And then the paranoia hoovers like a Black Hawk helicopter, waiting for me to finish my repulsive act and it strikes me hard to the cool, damp ground. They all are taking over my ideas, my words, my concept.

Shakespeare wrote "to be or not to be, that is the question?" After all the years of trying to figure out just what the bleep he was talking about, I think I have it figured out. If I were to write about my concept right now, it would be open to ridicule before it was even polished. It could possibly be stolen, someone else could take credit for it. All the creative flare I have dedicated to my project- taken in one swift move, similiar to that of a hawk making off with our farmyard chicken.

So, should I write my concept down in the blog? Let the readers put their two cents in. Or wait for the day when I actually do write my concept. Write it down and submit it to some twenty-something year old Hollywood script reader who wouldn't know a good story from a hole in his shoe. He would scribble on my script, "This would not sell! No one would watch. No one would read this." Oh, the negativity monster creeps in, taking all shred of human value I possess in my soul.

Pondering the infamous question of Shakespeare, I will sit upon my rock and challenge my mind, to be or not to be.

Death on 380

It was not a pretty sight. In one of those moments you see happening in slow motion, it was happening to me. Three vehicles ahead of mine. Playing out for all drivers to see. Or at least those who were wide-eyed and bushy tailed. By almost eight in the morning, at least half a pot of coffee has been ingested by myself. The drivers on the other side, were they paying attention? That is my question. When I saw it happening I wanted to honk my horn and come to a screeching halt. But I knew the drivers behind me weren't paying attention. They were too close. So letting off the gas as the accident happened was all I could do. To my amazement they must have seen it happen as well.

Running as fast as it possibly could, a beautiful doe had decided it was time to cross the busy interstate before 8 o'clock. Thank God she didn't have her fawn following. She was alone. Probably chased by a sexually charged buck or blood-thirsty hunter. Either way it was the final curtain for our little lady. I was three automobiles back. She came running past on the western side of the interstate without getting hit. She was halfway through. But there were a line a traffic on both northbound lanes. A black SUV in the fast lane hit her with its left headlight. Bam! She went straight down in the median. Just as fast as she came out of the corn field did she fall to her death. Murder on the highway. There was nothing to do. Everyone kept going. No one stopped. No one pulled over. Not even the SUV. Everyone drove on by. I kept finding myself slowing down the rest of the commute. Looking and scanning the horizon for her family and friends. No deer anywhere. Guess they all are waiting for their turn to run across the deadly highway.

It is a sad day for the deer and the driver. Their insurance will probably go up. They will likely have thousands of dollars of repairs. I will have that vision of the deer's final seconds of life play over in my head. It's like a movie that you can't take your eyes off. Mesmerizing in a morbid way. Death on 380.

Bedtime Story

After a month of using the CPAP I can report – underwhelming effect!

It took a while, but I am finally becoming adjusted to wearing it. The hardest part was under my nose, where the mask presses my mustache hairs into my skin. That still hurts by morning.

The other main adjustment was in sleeping position. At first, I slept on my back, but that hurts my lower back. Eventually, I was able to sleep on my side facing the direction the hose went. It took about three weeks to finally get comfortable sleeping on the other side as well, when the hose has to come up over my neck. But it is the only way I can sleep, as I toss and turn and must sleep on both sides.

I am still learning about the humidity level. I do like having cool, moist air when it is hot. We’ve had some cool mornigs, so I am trying out various temperature settings, although th eaother morning, something was weird and I nearly drowned!

But, still no “amazing energy burts” that other users had promised me I would experience. I know my level of sleep apnea is not very high, and ther pressure setting is fairly low, but I still wish I could feel something! I now need to work on getting to bed earlier (thanks a lot, FaceBook!) but I’ve never really been able to sleep more than six or so hours.

So, my report is practically “no report”, at least as far as benefits go. The longer I wear it, the more I get used to it, but I sure hope to feel the effects kick in sometime!

Friday Night Music

With the change of the seasons come the change of our music format.  Or at least this time.  Instead of cranking up the stereo and playing everything loud, we went unplugged.  We didn't shake the house last night, but it was a rumbling good time had by all.

  Music night started out with a girl and her guitar and her man singing.  We had started playing together over the weekend and found out that we enjoyed playing together.  We started the evening with a Ryan Bingham tune "Hard Times" and I think this one is a keeper.  With Tim on the vocals doing a Dylan-style melody the followers the Looney's may find it entertaining.  However, having said that don't be mislead that we'll be fashioning any open mic soiree anytime soon.  Practice must come first.  After all we aren't just ammee's here.  

   Next on the set list, a stunning rendition of Moonshiner.  Or was it strumming?  This one gets the fingers fumbling and without being repetitive, with one word I can sum this up-practice.

   "Tear Stained Eyes"-Son Volt  what a great song.    It is one of those tunes that you can easily sing along with especially the chorus.  It feels simple but it is quite complex which makes it a brilliant piece of Americana.  Don't fall off your chairs but we added some harmonies to this one.  Another keeper for the Looney's.  The capo really helps on this one-Thank You Jeff Schmidt.  You rock.

   "Passenger Side"-Wilco.  God I love this song.  Yeah, we got some issues with the beat but it will come together.  It is fun to play and sing along with.  Another smart writer, a simple song that is complex.  Where do these guys get that I wonder? :)  

   Now the voice is going and the fingers are starting to not work as well.  Time for some easier strumming and we're getting ready to close the joint down.  Grab that dance partner and start your little jig to "New Madrid"-Uncle Tupelo.  A great little ditty-it's a keeper.

  And  ending our session, a fun song to play and sing along to, "Wagon Wheel" -Old Crow Medicine Show.  Now somewhere I had heard that Bob Dylan wrote that song.  Guess I should research it before posting but that would require work and time, so for the moment I will CYA with, we were performing OCMS rendition of said song.  It's a great song.  

   Next on the FNMN show we viewed on DVD the 100s from Java House.  Performing back in January for IPTV Radio, it was a great performance.  Unplugged but not undone.  I love these guys.  Great songs, simple but highly complicated.  Similar to those other guys we mentioned above.  Do you see the attraction?  I don't know if you can buy this, but I believe every now and again, the cable channel in Iowa City shows these past performances.  It was a great show-Vern McShane rocking the place on the pedal steel.  I especially loved the bass solo on the "Picture" song.  The only thing about that gig that I disliked was the small room and crowded stage.  Not anyone's fault, it just was tight.  Great night of music folks.  If you have never heard any of these tunes before look them up on google. It is worth the little bit of effort to find them.

Peace,

Ang