Christmas 2001

Sweet Family and friends,

Another interesting year. Are you also almost completely used to 2000 instead of the 1900s? Funny how that works. All goes along so nicely then 9-11! The bubble breaks, the world seems like it will never be quite the same. I share all our shock and sadness, I understand the pain and anger, I\’m grateful for the heroism and our ability to work together: America the great. The perspective I now have helps me see a larger picture in all this that puts it in context: we\’ve been through major crises before. The global village we share is hurting and there\’s much work to do. May we all do our part in that healing and sharing, and may peace soon return to the world.

It\’s November, amidst a series of storms which have dumped, finally, 5 inches of rain before breaking for a day of in-and-out sun. Breaking, also, a year of drought! It\’s early morning the day after the sunshine and it is snowing! What perfection. May this be a good healthy winter of mucho liquids for the forests, all us creatures and snow pack for next summer\’s water needs.

About the time you will get this, I’ll have just gotten my left wrist operated on for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, after having had the right wrist operated on a few months ago, following in my Dad\’s physical body\’s footsteps. I’ll be happily recuperating during this sweet season one-handedly wishing all of you the holiday’s best.

This has been a year of much art. The weekly drawing workshop has turned into two each week. The second is a painting workshop with a long pose. I\’m doing a very interesting large oil portrait, and a logo for the organization drafting a fire plan for the valley. A couple of other logos are in the works. I had a two-week artist-in-residency at Crater Lake where I took about 400 photographs. The best of these will be worked on in my computer, printed professionally, and submitted for a show at the Schneider Museum of Art in celebration of the centennial of Crater Lake Park.

My sister Barbara gave an amazing surprise combination 80th birthday/60th anniversary for our folks in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. They loved it and were completely surprised. Dad sent someone for his dancing shoes and was in rare form. I stayed about a week to enjoy the folks and relatives I haven\’t seen in years. It was wonderful.

The best book I\’ve read this year is \”The Power of Now,\” by Eckhart Tolle. It is not that it is such new information, but it is so direct, focused, and clear that it is quite inspirational. It has shifted my being in a wonderful way giving me a clear perspective on — and understanding of — how the human mind, time, presence and being work in the universe and our life. I urge you to check it out.

Seasons greetings and Love,
Greeley