Recently I came across this article and was struck by how it was written: the POV is from a division between the head and heart. I see now that that is a great cause of conflict but is a POV that is common to mankind. Notwithstanding that fact, I liked the essence of what I had to say back then so am publishing it here. There’s just one idea in the article that disturbs me: “men to match her mountains” – where are they?

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M’LADY

With a cold analytical eye I view the head of the Statue of Liberty with amusement and disdain. She has the coarse features of a man and the smudges commonly associated with little boys. The seven-pronged tiara atop her copper head is reminiscent of the helmet of a long-forgotten knight. Since her hair resembles a powdered wig dating from the Middle Ages it is a blessing that she stands so high and therefore, can’t be seen too closely.

She has a dazed, half-dozing, complacent look which belies the symbolism of radiance and defense that’s attributed to her. Overall, she leaves me wondering about the taste and dignity – and sanity – of the man who created her. I wonder, too, about the intelligence of a country that would point to her with pride.

On the other hand, when I look at her with my heart she takes on softness and grace. I see a crown of thorns wisely placed on a head whose eyes never close, whose vigilance never ends, whose hope never dies. In her face I see the height and breadth of a nation who adopted her as their own, then found that it was she who owned the nation, allowing each of us to live here through the grace of her generosity while gently reminding us that we are all representatives of these United States.

I see the faith and guidance she exudes to all who are persecuted throughout the world. The hand she extends to those who have crawled upon her shores. The freedom, opportunity, and abundance she offers to all. I see the mind, the soul, and the freedom of man being challenged by tyranny and coercion. The Lady stands as a symbol that man can not only rise to meet such a challenge, but did.

From her lofty perch she shouts that opportunity will always knock, that liberty will survive the subjugation and greed that oppose it, and she weeps for those who live under oppression.

Her stately spirit is formed by the noble men who have died to make this country great, and is constantly being renewed by those who work to maintain its greatness. After tears of blood, broken spirits, and desolation her place in the sun is secure. The radiance of her might shines across the world to help direct the way of all those who seek their place. The beam she sends forth carries tenderness, wisdom, truth – and courage, strength, justice.

Behind her calm eyes I see a fierceness that almost frightens me, stayed only by the benevolence and discernment that serve to reassure me. She looks confident that Time cannot erase what her Spirit has built. She’ll always have men to match her mountains because she’ll produce them.

In some small way she belongs to me alone – my own personal symbol of greatness and goodness. But I’m happy to share her with my fellowman, providing the viewpoint is always from the heart.

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I had heard how it was made from wheat flour, kneading and washing, etc., which sounded like more work than I wanted to tackle.  However, I decided to buy the little blob in a bag and see what I was missing.

Out of the bag came a shapeless mass of sponginess. I had no idea what to do with it. I had always skipped over the recipes for Seitan. I tried slicing it but got mostly little blobs which I put into a skillet with some oil to brown. It browned nicely so I tried a bite and never looked back. How many years have I been missing this stuff?!

Since it’s the gluten from whole wheat flour, why go through that long process of washing away the starch and bran? Why not just buy wheat gluten? I went online and found the internet is full of folks who know about buying Vital Wheat Gluten and making Seitan. Google Seitan and you not only get recipes, but forums and websites dedicated to the spongy stuff. Nobody doesn’t like Seitan.

I bought a box of Arrowhead Mills Vital Wheat Gluten and found a recipe on back of the box.  I had  so much new info floating around my mind that I made some mistakes, of course. Made the entire box at once, instead of half of it. Forgot it said to start the broth cold and heat it up with the gluten in it slowly.  When I had it mixed, I dropped the slices into the hot liquid, put on the lid and walked away.

Awhile later I thought to check how it was doing. When I removed the lid there was this huge grayish thing that seemed to fill the pot, molded at the top in the shape of the domed lid.  The pot was too small for that much gluten and it was the largest pot I have. It looked like a giant monster brain. It  looked so funny I couldn’t stop laughing at it and wondered what would happen if I poked it.

I poked it. It started to shrink and break apart into slices again. I haven’t seen anything so comical in quite awhile. I  let it cook  a full hour then let it cool in the broth. Since then I have learned a bit more about it.

For sometime I made it this way -  One cup of gluten, moistened with 3/4 cup of water, minus 2 TBS, to  which I add 2 TBS of Tamari.  For the broth in which you cook it – Four cups  water to which I add 1/4 cup of Tamari.  It’s really terrific that way but I changed the Tamari to Soy Sauce for some Christmas Seitan and it was even better, if that’s possible. Now I only make it with Soy Sauce.

I’m sorry to say I got carried away with it. Loved it so much I ate it every day, when 2 to 3 times a week is enough. It’s protein, you get too much protein and your diet is unbalanced. I was experimenting with the kneading, and the resting, and the texture, that I didn’t realize I was eating too much of it and too little grains.  One day I looked around my house and wondered what happened to it. Why did I have piles of stuff stacked everywhere? Where was I going to put anything?  Of course my thinking was affected by my unbalanced diet.

The idea of Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy came out of nowhere.  I’ve read the book completely a few times   but mostly when I pick it up I turn to the chapters about New Hampshire. For me that section is worth it’s weight in gold. I even think  of that book and those chapters come to mind. As I read I  learned something about cravings which woke me up instantly:.

“The body craves what it needs to maintain life. In the body there is a  balance of mineral, protein, carbohydrate and water which it must maintain to go on functioning. For every part mineral, the body will crave seven parts protein; for every part protein, seven parts  carbohydrate; and for every part carbohydrate, seven parts water….When we eat protein, we must eat seven times that amount in carbohydrate in one form or another.”

If we don’t get those carbs, we start craving them.

As I was eating all this protein I  suddenly wanted bread. Ii just seemed to be a good thing to have. So I made biscuits – mixed the dough, kneaded, rolled it out, cut out the little round things and baked them. Then ate them like I was starved. I even ate  them with Seitan.  Also made Red Onion  and Pecan bread in the breadmaker. How good! Why ever did I stop eating bread?

A few days later I was visiting someone that had some lemon coffee  cake.  I remembered how much I loved lemon  and ate till I got sick of it.  At  Christmas I not only ate bread, but truffles – my favorite nut,  Macadamia, wrapped in chocolate, then  rolled in chopped nuts.   I thought I would let the sugar alone after the holidays, but planned to keep eating  bread.  Ha!

It had came quietly, subtlely, the idea of reading KC. Besides  the above quote I found what I needed to learn:

“…when bread can no longer satisfy  this craving, the body will demand even more extreme sources, such as sugar.”

A perfect description of what I had been going through for several weeks but my thinking wasn’t clear enough to see it.

This idea of craving being so subtle was something I didn’t know. I had always thought of cravings as something that grabbed you around the throat and shook your entire body. I hadn’t known how quiet a craving can be.  This sent me into new areas of thought….

It seems there has always been violence in and around my life as I am not separate from the world which is full of violence. Subtleties have always eluded me. There are so many kinds of violence besides the physical – emotional,  psychological, overt, covert -  anger is a form of violence before it even reaches the physical level …. all of these can easily overwhelm the subtleties of life.  Then I realized eating the foods that keep you from functioning at your best is an act of violence against yourself. The cravings I had for bread and sugar  were so subtle that I didn’t recognize them for what they were.  I finally understand  wholly that I must stay the course with the proper diet as it affects my thinking. If the body isn’t healthy, the brain can’t be healthy.  How can the Mind function clearly through a muddled brain? It can’t happen. Unbalanced eating equals unbalanced thinking. You can tell how the world eats by looking at the state it’s in.  You can start where you stand to make it better. You can only do it for yourself; you Have to do it for yourself. No one can do it for you.

You can Google Seitan and get lots of info, but here’s some things I learned-

One cup of Vital Wheat Gluten, NOT gluten flour, though I understand in some places gluten is called Gluten Flour  – 3/4 cup of water [minus 2 TBS]  with 2 TBS  of Soy Sauce. The liquid should be 3/4 cup in total. Put the Soy Sauce into the water and stir to mix well. Then add the liquid all at once. Stir quickly as this stuff is really thirsty. Put your hands in the bowl and finish mixing if necessary. Knead 3 to 5 minutes, forming the ‘dough’ into a small loaf about 6″ long. Let it rest a few minutes and repeat.

For each cup of gluten pour 4 cups of water into  a large pot. Add 1/4 cup Soy Sauce but no heat. Slice the roll of gluten into 1/2 inch slices. Sometimes I slice the loaf into 3 parts and cook it that way. Then I can lay the Seitan on a cutting board and slice it horizontally. It looks exactly like roast beef.  When the gluten is in the broth, start the heat slowly. When it begins to simmer adjust the heat if necessary to keep it simmering. Don’t boil the gluten. Let it cook for an hour, remove from heat and let it cool in the broth, then refrigerate in the broth.

Always. Use. A. Serrated. Knife. To. Slice. Gluten. Or. Seitan..

The Broth – this stuff is precious. Strain it and make soup. Drop in the veggies, then when they are done, drop in chunks or slivers of Seitan just to heat and you have a great soup. The broth also makes the best gravy you’ll ever taste. Use it on steamed veggies and brown rice. Or drop in some Seitan and pour it over a bowl of rice. Add a veggie side dish.  See how you can get carried away with this stuff?

I have found a source online for Vital Wheat Gluten. Price is good, and shipping okay. Here’s the URL:

http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/vitalwheatglutencan.aspx

They sell a 3 1/2 lb. can of gluten for 10.99. Shipping 4.49.

Here’s another URL where I’ve found good Macrobiotic products with reasonable prices:

http://www.simply-natural.biz/

Today I made an Old School Barley and Mushroom Soup for brunch. Hulled barley which I found at the Simply Natural site, fresh crimini mushrooms, carrots and onions. It had the most satisfying goodness, delicious and nourishing. But tonight I’m having Brown Rice, Broccoli – and SEITAN!

Until recently I didn’t know about the link between sunshine and vision. The more research I’ve done for this article, the more amazed I am at what I have learned about the power of the sun to make us whole.

I have used super blue-green algae for several years so I can see better than many people much younger than I. In recent months I found a blurriness as I looked at things at a distance, though I could read print smaller than the phone book, up close. Also, my left eye has most of the fuzziness, even up close.

I have a digital clock in my bedroom. Small, with a black background and red letters. For months now, when I checked the time at night, I saw only a red blur. Difficult to tell what time it was.

I learned of a particular exercise during this research that I didn’t believe was possible, but I have tried it myself and know it works – - -

Use the morning sun, the afternoon sun is too bright. Look toward the sun, Not directly at it. Never directly at it. Find a place that allows you to look so that you get the full spectrum of the sun directly into your eyes. You can move your eyes around, no need to stare at one spot.

Sit there for 20 minutes. The healing power of the sun is entering your body through your eyes which are a part of your brain. Do this every day. Just being in the sun without sunglasses will help you, too.

During the winter months the morning sun isn’t available from my apartment but I was determined to check this out. I tried the sun sinking in the west at first. I found the light quite glaring so only sat there about 3 minutes. That night I noticed the clock was clearer…just a little.

Encouraged, I looked toward the sun for 5 full minutes. Focused on a tree and thought about how people romped in the sun before they were told how much sun they needed, and how sunlight would affect their eyes adversely. Children spend all day playing outside in the sunshine, without sunglasses, and are happy and healthy. We’re told to cover up, wear sunglasses, and douse ourselves with a chemical concoction called sunscreen. If someone gets cancer, it’s blamed on the sun, not the chemicals we spend hours rubbing into our skin. If you’re out in the hot sun for long periods, do use a sunscreen, just make sure it is natural with no chemicals to damage your skin. Certainly wear sunglasses at the beach, or if you’re driving. Or tramping through the snow. There’s a place for them. How about all those folks in Tropical zones – what did they do before sunglasses and sunscreen? They were probably healthier.

During the 1940′s and 50′s it was decided, without any scientific evidence at all, how much we needed of each vitamin. For Vitamin D, the dosage was set at 400 I.U. They didn’t consider that you could spend a day at the beach and generate 10,000 I.U.

During my research I learned of a woman who had cancer and had spent all her money for treatments. She still had the cancer and was terribly distraught, of course. She was told to sit in the sun in a bathing suit and take lots of good calcium. She increased both those items over a period of weeks then went back for a check-up. No more cancer. Folks, there is healing power in the sun.

I finished the 5 minutes and started up the hall. Across that room, up the hallway, and across another room, everything was sharp and clear. There was a feeling inside that I couldn’t identify as I had never felt it before. No words for it, but finally thought – if I could have all my internal organs bathed in sunlight I think it would feel like this.

That night I saw the clock clearly. The red numerals stood our sharply. And the clearness stayed with me for a couple more days. At that time, the sun’s position was changing in the heavens. I would get the morning sun soon on my north balcony and would do this test properly.

* * * *

First Day on northern balcony — Spent 5 minutes looking toward, actually near, the sun. Later there seems to be a difference, but I can’t pinpoint it.

Second Day – 12 minutes. Then looked around at the neighborhood. Definitely a difference. Covered the right eye. The difference is in the left eye, objects are not quite as fuzzy.

Third Day – 22 minutes. Got carried away. Before re-entering a dark room, turned around to look out over the rooftops to soften the extreme from light to dark. Vision sharper, more in focus in left eye.

Fourth Day – 20 minutes. Amazing – what used to be tree-shaped greenery in the distance looks different now. I can pick out the individual trees. Why doesn’t everyone know about this?

Fifth Day – 20 minutes. There’s a definite difference in my eyes. It feels like each one is now a pathway leading inside, like an obstruction has been removed. Difficult to explain.

I stood on a street corner, looked across the street, down one block and across another street to a drugstore on the corner. It’s no longer fuzzy. Details are clearer than they used to be. I learned I can see better and more clearly during midday without sunglasses if I wear a hat with a brim to shade my eyes. I must keep this up but I think what has happened so far is a good indication of what is possible.

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While I was waiting for the sun to change positions I was taking a break from writing this article and started having second thoughts about it. There is so much info out there warning us against the sun. Mainstream media constantly reminds us of the dangers of sunshine. There’s a constant barrage of consumer products thrown at us, things we absolutely must have if we’re going to survive the life-giving sun. I felt overwhelmed by it. I had decided I probably wouldn’t publish this article.

Fast forward a few days – I was at amazon.com checking out some health-related books I wanted to order when I came across another one that I had heard about, Swanson on Swanson, the autobiography of Gloria Swanson. The price was right: $ .01, plus $3.99 postage. Turned out to be four bucks well spent!

At one point in Ms. Swanson’s life she had had surgery which left her in great pain. Her doctor said she would need more surgery, plus drugs to make her well. She declined both. When she asked the doctor about the healing power of the sun, he didn’t know anything about it but warned her she might get an infection. A bad idea from his point of view.

The tiny, strong-willed Ms Swanson decided to take charge of her own health. Her description of how she got the sun to shine where the sun never shines is quite comical, but what she did, worked. In three weeks she was well, rested, and ready to go back to work. No surgery, no drugs. A smart, determined woman!

I couldn’t possibly read the account of her ordeal and discard this article. Her story re-enforced what I was learning about the sun and I discovered it at just the right time. We need to know all we can learn about the healing power of the sun and consciously make it a part of our daily life, instead of hiding from it. After all, it is benevolent – all life on this planet is made possible by the dazzling rays of the sun. So catch a few!

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UPDATE: May 15, 2008

On Day 6, the fascination continued. When I came inside from the balcony the first thing that caught my attention was a large plant. I had always noticed how the new leaves were a lighter green than the older ones, but this time I saw it in a light I had never seen before.There were so many shades of green within the light and dark. Plus, it sparkled in places where the light caught it more directly. The entire plant seemed to glow in the light. I was suddenly mesmerized by it’s beauty and I’ve had it for 8 years.

At noon one day I sat and observed the trees around me. The interplay of light and shadow was fascinating. I had never looked at it so keenly before. The Princess Anne Palm had sparkles of light on it’s fronds that twinkled in the wind like it had tiny Christmas lights all over it.

Then the color came into play. I had always been aware of color but not in this way. The evergreen with the deep,  almost black, shadows near the trunk, it’s large, flat, splayed branches with a nearby Morning Glory’s purple blooms racing across them. I began to understand what was happening. I was seeing the sunlight more clearly than usual, though it had always been there to be seen. In the sunlight is the full spectrum of colors so they were becoming more vivid and magical. It happens to be May when the Jacaranda trees are in bloom. Purple trees with some new green leaves just appearing – what beauty there is in Nature. And what joy to be awakening more fully to it.

Blithely, I bought tuna canned in olive oil. Cooked wide noodles, added the flaked, oily fish, some chopped onion and capers, and had a feast. Briefly. The headache came out of nowhere. After a day or so, I tried again. Severe headache again. This sent me to the computer and a search engine. During those years that I spent as a Vegan, something had happened to the fish. They were now full of mercury, among other chemicals that have no place in the oceans of the world. I read about whales and dolphins swallowing plastic bags which suffocated them. But, they said, you can eat Alaskan Salmon, it has no mercury! What a desolate situation….

I tried the salmon and it was fine for awhile. Then I found a smaller can that had no bones and skin and thought to try the noodles and capers again. Not all Alaskan Salmon are from Alaska. An Alaskan Salmon can be grown in other places. I didn’t know that.

I made it for lunch and sat down to watch a TV show that I sometimes watch if I’m not busy. I had been eating about 5 minutes when the show started; something happened to my body at the same time. At first I thought it was severe heart-burn. I had had a mild case of that once many years ago, but this was much worse. I was sure my chest would explode while my heart was thumping and racing. At the same time my stomach felt as though it would be included in the violent explosion that seemed imminent. I loosened my clothes, struggling to breathe, but it didn’t help.

I thought I should lie down till this passes, so headed for the bedroom, leaving the TV running. By the time I got there I was shaking so hard I could hardly stay on my feet, and was suddenly extremely hot, drenched in perspiration; it was actually running into my eyes. I tore my clothes off, trying to hold my stomach with one hand, which didn’t help at all.

I knew it was the fish as I could feel it more in my stomach now. Instantly I realized that it had to come up. If I survived till it hit my digestive tract, it would spread through the blood to the entire body and I would be a lost cause.

I got up and struggled back up the hall. Drank a glass of water as the glass shook in my hand, but nothing happened. I realized I’ll have to do more than drink water, I’ll have to help eject it. I desperately needed to get it out of my stomach, by whatever method I had to use. I jabbed the index finger of my shaking hand into my mouth, but it wouldn’t go far. Holding onto the sink I tried again. It went a little farther that time, but still didn’t work. (How do anorexics manage that?!) Finally gave it a good stabbing and up came the food I had eaten 5 minutes earlier, looking like ground-up baby food. As soon as it was all out – I had eaten more than I realized – I rinsed my mouth and staggered back to bed.

By the time I got to the bedroom, I was still shaking so hard I could barely stand, but the heat was gone. Now I was shivering with cold. Pulling the quilt back I climbed under it and hoped the worst was over. It wasn’t. It felt like a huge vise clamped around my stomach, squeezing and twisting, while a thousand razor blades chopped at the inside of it. It wasn’t easing up, it was getting worse. The pain became so excruciating that I screamed silently to the Universe:

“HelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMeICan’tStandAnyMorePain!!!”

.

The very next instant I was lying quietly in bed looking around the room – through glass doors the sun was shining in on the puffy marigold-colored quilt, ferns and ivy in hanging white wicker baskets, the multi-colored Croton sparkling in the sun, the ficus tree on the balcony moving gently with the breeze. Of a sudden – Where is the Pain? What happened to the Pain? A moment ago I had experienced the worst Pain of my life. How had it evaporated in mid-air? My stomach was a little queasy, a bit of a headache, and a ‘wiped-out’ feeling but nothing more. I almost felt good.

Then I heard voices from the TV. The show that I was planning to watch as I ate was giving way to the show that followed, a show I never watched – - no, no, that show wasn’t coming on, it was going off. They were both hour-long shows that had come and gone. I had lost 2 hours, but how? And where was I all that time? What happened to the Pain? And how did I survive the torment that was more than a body could bear?

I had passed out, of course. Passed out cold from pain that was unbelievable and unbearable. And stayed out till the pain was gone. I lay there and knew absolutely that if I hadn’t gotten up from that bed and ejected the poison, that I would never have gotten up from that bed. That, and the aid of a user-friendly Universe had helped me survive.

I survived, but what of the oceans? The living home for so many creatures and plants necessary to the health of the earth, so much underwater beauty, so necessary to the lives of mankind. We have used it as a dumping ground for so many years that we are choking out it’s life. As though we can live without the oceans. As though we could do such a dreadful deed and escape the consequences.

UPDATE:  Sept. 4, 2009

The soy article mentioned in the first paragraph of this article has been temporarily removed.

I was buying a jar of Coconut Oil. I always get it in glass jars but not this time. For some reason I didn’t understand I had picked up a plastic jar. Turned out to be a really good thing.

Pacific Coast Highway is very wide at the point where it runs down the center of a large shopping center. There are traffic lights at each end of the center, several blocks apart. When the traffic stops at both lights, you can make a run for it and get across PCH. Dumb, but you can do it.

When I left the market with my coconut oil I noticed the lack of traffic and made a dash for the highway. Just as I approached I saw 2 cars bearing down on me so turned in mid-stride to run up the sidewalk till they passed.

Never made it. Got slammed down to the concrete. Strange how an incident can happen so quickly, yet you feel the pain in individual places. I landed on my right knee first, then my mouth. Even as it happened I wondered how my teeth could stand the force of the fall. I tasted blood. Right arm under my body, left hand in pain.

I lay on the sidewalk with body parts hurting and realized I couldn’t get up. I did manage to get my left hand over to my mouth. My teeth were intact, but my hand came away bloody. Cars were passing right at my feet and alongside me on PCH. No one stopped and I realized that I would have to lie there till someone actually came to help me. At such a time, seconds turn into minutes. It seemed forever, but suddenly a man took hold of my shoulders and asked if I was okay, could he help me up. I told him I didn’t think anything was broken; I just couldn’t get up. He had to lift me bodily so I could stand. He was wearing black clothing with a white patch on the left shoulder; I’m sorry I wasn’t able to read it at the time. I could see he was Hispanic but never got his name. As we were struggling to get me on my feet, a woman came running and asked if she could help. Said she knew First Aid and CPR.

They helped me over to a low wall to sit and the man asked if I was okay. I assured him I was in one piece. I could tell he had to leave and I thanked him as profusely as I could. The lady sat on the wall with me and asked questions that I knew were designed to tell her how injured I might be. No, I’m not diabetic; yes, I know my name, etc. She asked where I lived and it happened that she lived just a few blocks from me. I had said nothing aloud but was wondering how I would get home as I couldn’t stand on my own or walk. She said she was going that way, then helped me to her car which was nearby, and we started for my house.

A few minutes later we heard the paramedics coming up Second Street. She said, “They’re coming for you.” Nothing I could do at that point. She asked me didn’t people in this country help each other? It was then I noticed she had an accent. Said she was from New Zealand and people help each other there. She had been in the Pet Store near where I had fallen when someone in the store said, “Call 911, a woman has fallen out on the sidewalk.” Trace had asked them, “Well, why don’t you help her?” And that’s when she came running….

As we talked I realized how much I missed my daughter that I had lost a few years ago. I could really have used her help right then. Trace said she had lost a brother. Her mother was coming for Christmas.

When we got to my apartment complex she pulled into a guest parking spot. I thought she was going to see me to the entrance door. I opened the front door and she came inside with me, across the lobby to the elevator. Went right to my door and didn’t leave till I had my door open. I gave her my card and a hug. She said she would call me that night to see how I was. It was much later that I realized that when I had the cards made, I hadn’t put my phone number on them, just my email address.

I sent an email to my sons to let them know not just what had happened and that I was okay, but about the lady that had helped me. The next morning my younger son called to see how I was and told me a story that sounded familiar. He had been up in Portland OR the week before on business. One night after work he and a couple of guys from work were walking down the street. They saw an old man running for a bus – he tripped and fell and just lay there. My son said people were walking by him and no one stopped to help him. He said the people with him were going to walk on by and not stop to help. So he helped the old man up and made sure he was okay. I remembered Trace’s question: Don’t people help each other here?

“Hit the sidewalk running” took on a different meaning as I dug the pebbles and debris from the mangled flesh around my mouth and chin. Couldn’t eat, couldn’t talk without moving the places that had to heal. Dabbed the mangled spots with coconut oil. Very soon tops had formed and fallen off, but the hand got worse. When I couldn’t use it at all – and discovered a bump on the bone where it hurt most – I went to the Emergency Room at a nearby hospital. Two weeks had passed since the incident, now I had to wear a splint for 2 weeks and not use my hand at all.  I wondered about Trace and how could I get a Thank You gift to her. She had told me the intersection where she lived, and I knew it well so decided I would take her a gift on New Year’s Day.

The splint came off just before Christmas which was a gift from the gods. I went to a shop with beautiful products and chose some Eucalyptus items because they smelled soooo good. Huge bar of soap, bath salts, lovely bath mitt, bottle of liquid soap. I had planned to put them in a basket but when I told the clerk what they were for, she said – Oh, I can put them in a nice bag, with pretty tissue, and there are some small cards there if you want to choose one; I’ll drop in the gift receipt, too, and tie it up with a pretty ribbon. I added my phone number and was ready for New Year’s Day.

I had looked at a house for rent some years ago at that intersection so started my search there. No one home, just 2 dogs letting me know the place was protected. Turned up the street and knocked on a door. No one home. At the next door my knock echoed through another empty house. Small apartment complexes across the street, one I used to live in, but she said she lived in a house. Knocked on another door and woohoo! a person not working on New Year’s Day! No, she didn’t know the person I was describing, but good luck, and what a nice thing to do. I felt like saying, “No, this is reaction to a nice thing done,” but left it at “Thank You.”

Further up the street, knocked again, no one home. Okay, time to turn around. I went to the house beside the first house I had gone to, but faced a different street. No one home. Thinking it over, it seemed prudent that I should come back when people were off work, but the house next door was right there, so I went over and tapped on the door. Lo and behold! the door opened! When I asked about Trace, the girl at the door, and someone back inside the room, said yes, Trace was their neighbor. I could see they didn’t want to give out info to a stranger so I told them what I was doing. Turns out Trace lived behind them, in the first house I had gone to – the one I had wanted to rent years ago – the one with the dogs. It was fortunate that I had used the bag instead of a basket for the gift. I was able to leave the bag between the screen door and the front door. Then I walked away wishing I knew how to whistle!

The next day I found a message from Trace on my Voicemail – “So glad to hear from you. I’ve been by your house a couple times and wondered how you were. Thanks for the lovely gift, when I got home and found it, it really lifted my day. Let’s have tea or lunch, let’s stay in touch….”