I Am Just A Cloud

I Am Just A Cloud

A fun video I created for The Cloud Appreciation Society.  The video wasrecorded in Wasilla, Alaska, my home town.  Some of the photos are mine, some obtained from the www.  I remember as a young child looking at the clouds and imagining what I could see.  Many of us have the same memory.  As an adult, I continue to look at clouds and see what I can see with my imagination.

Cousins AND Friends

Here Tyler Fishback, Jenny DeGraffenried, Brittany Fishback, Carter and Chelsea DeGraffenried and Christopher Fisback hang onto fun art work in Homer, Alaska this summer (June 2008). Carter, Jenny and Chelsea are up for the summer visiting, but they really are true Alaskans!

What a fun day hanging out together, at Bishop’s Beach then a quick pit stop at the Ocean and Wildlife Center. We also went fishing and hiking at Russian River and each one has a great story to tell.

Cousins and friends, these guys rock!

DeGraffenried/Fishback Cousins

The Cloud Appreciation Society

I think what prompted me to check out the website The Cloud Appreciation Society was a radio program on NPR many years ago. I have quite enjoyed looking at the beautiful pictures of nature and many of the photos make me think of how grand our Heavenly Father’s creations are.

I paid less than $10 for a membership and received a membership certificate and button.

This is one of my favorite pictures on the website.

Morning Glory cloud sweeps in over the Gulf coast of northern Queensland

Sport Balls on Stump

Lao Ma's Folk Art

While visiting Lao Ma in North Carolina, he took me on a 4.5 mile hike through the woods of Pittsboro. This was one of my most favorite sites, the first of four pieces of folk art he has created over the last three years, since getting Mongo and taking her on walks. Each time he found a ball at the river, he brought it back here to this stump and created a rather fun and distinguished one of a kind, never before seen piece of art. Just one more reason I love Lao Ma.

The other folk art… Beer Cans in Fence, Bottle Grave Yard, Skulls in Tree, Bottles in Bag.

Hike to the river

Find a ball

Build art on a stump

And hope they don’t fall

Mongo and Lao Ma

Water and Snack

Pants banded tightly

Backs got a pack

Hopefully no ticks

Hopefully no rain

Lots of greenery

Beauty to keep sane

Turtles say hi

Beavers leave signs

Old ones leave bricks

While the trees collect vines

Beauty surrounds

Air is sweet

My time here

is truly a treat.

My Brother Mark.

DeGraffenried Brothers

DeGraffenried Brothers, Mark in the middle.

My brother Mark is a sculpture with a rare talent. He was commissioned to create a monument of the 9 who died in a car crash in 2005, one teacher and 8 students who attended Utah State University.

How special his art is, helping individuals, families and communities heal from the loss of their loved ones.

News video and article.

I’m proud to call you my brother Mark.

In My Next Life, Start With The Ending…

A salute goes out to David Wilcox for his song, Start With The Ending.  It is a wonderful thought.  His song is about a relationship, that instead of starting with dating, starts with marriage and gets all the uglies out in the beginning.  Wouldn’t it be nice?  

You can play “Start With The Ending” song here.

And what if life started with death and ended with an orgasm!  How fun would that be. 

This story was emailed to me and it is a great thought!
In my next life I want to live my life backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way.  Then you wake up in an old people’s home feeling better every day.  You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, and then when you start work, you get a gold watch and a party on your first day.  You work for 40 years until you’re young enough to enjoy your retirement.  You party, drink alcohol, and are generally promiscuous, and then you are ready for high school.  You then go to primary school, you become a kid, and you play.  You have no responsibilities; you become a baby until you are born.  And then you spend your last 9 months floating in luxurious spa-like conditions with central heating and room service on tap, larger quarters every day and then Voila!  You finish off as an orgasm! I rest my case.

“Indexed”

My brother-n-law Kevin Kline (“Are you

talking about my daddy?”  Yes.  Anna’s daddy)

is an avid blogger who has inspired me to

be more dilligent to keep up with my blog

more regularly.  Thanks Kevin!

Here is a sample of a blog I found

on his blog.  Very fun and creative.

 

Other fun diagrams can be found at:  http://indexed.blogspot.com/ 

As requested: the 7 holy (or not) virtues.

Russian River Fishing in Alaska

All the cousins wanted to go fishing, so it was up early, oatmeal for breakfast and off to the Russian River up the Seward Highway.  We had to wait at the Russian River Camp Ground entrance for cars to leave before we could go into the park.  We packed lunch and all enjoyed a meat sandwich, grapes and granola bars before heading down to the river.

After a little hiking, wading across the river and back, we found the best fishing hole ever!  Dana was the expert and caught his limit of salmon in just 10 minutes.  I think he hooked his first one in the first four casts.  He taught me how to do it right then I limited out in short order.  I was thinking that I wanted to keep going, that my fun was over to quickly.  I guess I could have released my fish and kept on going, but maybe next time!

Now I was standing at the edge of the river taking pictures, videos and cheering on the kids.  Dana was a great sport and he coached Christopher, Brittany and Chelsea to catch one fish each.  Here’s a picture of Brittany and her Russian River Red Salmon.  Great job Brittany!!  Such a cute Alaskan girl!  We left with 10 salmon today!  The fish were hot, hot, hot!!  Hope to go back there soon and camp over night.

 

 

Staying to the Left of Your “But.”

So simple, yet complex in application, a little exercise I did from the book, “Thinking Body, Dancing Mind” by Chunglkiang Al Huang & Jerry Lynch, changed my life.

Taken directly from the book:

“Many of our intuitive desires are nullified by our rational thought or judgment.  Notice how often your inner voice speaks to you, only to be followed by “buts” and excuses for not following you “whims.”  When you make the following statements, stay to the left of the “but.”  In other words, do what you initially say or think, and forget what follows the “but.”  Here are some examples.

“I could really use a vacation, but that would be irresponsible with all this work to be done.”

“I’d love to go to the party, but I need to get up early tomorrow.”

Little Braden J.

My heart is with Braden and his family today this 28th day of May, 2007.  Less than 72 hours ago, he called his mother at school, his last day of school for the year, not feeling well and needing to come home.  Many mother’s have experienced this, going to pick up a sick child from school, but Friday 26 May2007, this situation turned grave within 48 hours to become a breath stopping and heart sickening situation. 

Like many other 9 year old children, Branden suffered from asthma, and like his father, it had plagued him all of his life.