Now why on earth would I have a supply of name tags for my brother Randy? Yes, here they are, printed on white cloth ribbon, Randall Bates, all ready to be cut up and sewn into clothing, as we used to do in the old days when we went off to camp or school. My mother did, anyway. Heaven only knows how this supply got in here. Was I supposed to sew some in for him? And didn't do it? That would be so like me. Maybe I should mail them to him???

Raining today, but still too warm for fires. Leaving for Minnesota in one week to help Joan in the 'rent's house. Perhaps I will be able to ship the spinning wheel back here. Perhaps there are the old Norwegian Bible, catechism, and other pictures and things that I can have for my kids. Perhaps not.

The third debate will be the night I arrive. The second - I will attend tonight with Richard Brender, my politico buddy, at a gay/lesbian lounge at the base of Capitol Hill. I will have new hiking boots from R.E.I. in hand. Something tells me that, arch support notwithstanding, my sandals will not be appropriate for Minnesota hikes.

"Shine out, O Blessed Star,
Promise of the dawn;
Glad tidings send afar,
Christ the Lord is born."

Surprising how little maudlin verses like this bring back my childhood in the Lutheran Church with somewhat of a warm glow, my general anti-christian stance notwithstanding.

This is from a letter from Sister Marian Maurer, a Deaconess of the Lutheran Church, still trying to interest me in a religious career. Deaconesses were the nuns of the ULCA (United Lutheran Church in America) (to be distinguished from UCLA - University of California, Los Angeles).

Reading the letter through, however, also reminds me of the petty irritations the Church could inflict upon me. Stuff about falling down and worshipping Him. Offering Him gifts. Reminding us that our little gifts are as nothing compared to the gifts He offers us. And so forth, and so on.

Enough of this He business. Earthly men have taken advantage of ridiculous language like that for centuries. I have no problem with the Christian church, per se. Walking into a beautiful cathedral is still walking into a sacred space, ever as much as is walking into a beautiful oak grove. I can relate. Until they start in on the HE business. No HERS involved.

I don't think I got it then. I think Ayn Rand was more of an influence than feminism in religion. But one way or another, I never answered these letters.

Even I can make no ado about a receipt for $30 for pictures ordered, so instead we will fast forward to the near past and my weekend in Sequim for Pete's 50th birthday party. The days were blue, green and gold. Saturday morning, I did yoga in a pile of golden leaves. The skies were blue from end to end. The evergreens stretched tall and green into the sky. A bald eagle flew from one. A pileated woodpecker worked on another.

I went off of my 2-week-old diet, and gained back the three pounds I had lost, but I lost them to cheese blintzes, cajun fish stew and dirty rice, chicken parmesan, and birthday cake. All in a good cause. Saturday afternoon Caroline came with Taj, and helped cook.

Saturday night we tripped 'round the fire, laughing with Johannes from Finland, as he told us that the demographic of Finnish people who would vote for Bush consists of old, divorced men who had dropped out of high school in their blighted youths - old, bitter, dumb guys. Sunday morning I did dishes. Sunday afternoon, Pete and Hall filled their new water jet tub for me, and I sank beneath vanilla bubbles until you could have sucked the marrow from my lifeless bones.

Dew fell like rain on my tent in the mornings. The river ran cold and swift over the rocks, waiting for the winter rains. Afternoons were sunny and lazy, reading on my flocked mattress. Evenings were warm with friends.

Left Monday afternoon, with China Cat Sunflower on the stereo, and that, along with Rider, Samson, and Terrapin got me to the ferry.

Home is a good thing.

A list of commercial air fares from Louisville, KY. (Standiford Field). Phone number: 4-6969. Louisville to Chicago: $23.98.
Louisville to New York: (1st class jet) - $58.74
(Day Coach Prop) $42.19
Louisville to Seattle: (jet tourist) $139.98

Hundreds of Tours and Steamship Cruises available, domestic and foreign.

Printed at the bottom:

Attend the church, or synagogue, of your choice this week and support them.