I'd like a prize for recounting the Cool Times I had In CT Aug 5th-7th, 2016

Hello Everyone in the Real World wherever you are even though we connect online. Skim down half-way to get to my CT adventures, or if you want wander through my meandering take-off from Brooklyn to Grand Central Then to NWCT. Hope you get out and about to enjoy the summer in new places and see some new faces (and good ol' ones too.)

 I did not think I'd be spending a weekend out and about ihe northwest corner of CT from Friday evening, August 5th, 2016 through Sunday around 7pm, August 7th but apparently the angels had a few plans for me. the book ends of this trip were train rides from NYC and back again, and those were added adventures.

I got to hear a great South American trio in the subway (hot so the tropical sounds of rainforest birds and critters on wooden whistles and stringed instruments was extra lovely and welcome. Their CDs are Open River (music of the Andes) and Runa,(Native American Music, The White Feather, I got Vol 2). I thought how the 'angel feathers were finding me when I noticed them on their  ;large dream catchers  hanging from their mic stands and on the CD back cover).

On the subway I met a friendly fellow Billy Daily whose done radio shows and makes more as a porter than he did working in medicine was a good soul to meet. Thinking of the passing of Bob Chatfield, a longtime CT resident and radio host, I was feeling he'd appreciate these many lovely expressions of life here not only in the bustling NYC area and quieter Brooklyn but the homespun fun in the northwest Corner of CT which he called home and where he along with so many of our other residents now heavenside are still treasured.

Who am I to not go with the flow of family, friends, outings and adventures on 'Indian time' (seeing what seems to be reasonable and work well without a lot of stess with some flexible timing when possible.) Catching the train upstairs of Track 28 to Wassaic was going to be easy, with the good hour or more planning I'd done. Meeting my travel partner however became a little dramatic with a half hour before meet-up time turning int a 2-minutes before the train left. Our new plan will be to Meet at the Track, not downstairs where the food and restrooms are.

There is a restroom in the Station Master's lobby on the first floor and one can charge their cell phone there. When I first went to NY folks there were able to give me a good idea of where I might want to go and how to get there. Some things change names (even hospitals for instance and can have many branches in the city, so particulars and exact addresses help, especially in a blizzard when the city might close down and time is of the essence.)

But that was months ago and I have thanked them a few times since for welcoming a newcomer in need. Each time they appreciate it and once said I could write a thanks to let the MTA folks know, which I did. I also learned a lot more about how the subways are set up with more logic than I realized while studying a large subway map and listening to the lovely musicians (including the tale end of violinist Susan K something I have to lookup, Kessler? who needs to get online and supported so she's not overworking 6 days a week in the summer since playing in the winter is more challenging. We need to support our artists, even if independently as I hear some European countries do.

These groups were sponsored in part by New York Musicians or Subway Music. I still would like to see a number and simple letter code given to each subway stop so people would have a more obvious way of knowing the relationship between stops. There are great clues with maps and sometimes a lit up map with each stop announced and highlighted when reached. But in terms of planning and knowing one is going in the right direction and so on, why not have a number for each stop and be able to plan with that info and share with others as needed who are asking for directions. The learning curve would increase dramatically especially among newcomers and international folks I think.

Yes, I wrote to the MTA about that idea but haven't heard more than they got it. We can always do more independently, maybe with Tshirts and posters and online things. Will it be up to Moi to number the NYC Subway Stations...maybe I know an engineer/ city planner who can help me out.

Getting a ride from Wassaic back to Sharon Ct was a big help, but then I recalled a play at Tri-Arts could be fun to see. I saw a preview a year or so ago, "I love you, you're perfect, now change." That was not starting for 2 hours and so I ventured to the Sharon Hotchkiss Library where cars and tents reminded me it was the Author's Booksigning.

A little steep for my donation budget ($35), but this is my kids' hometown and we have had many blessings living there for twenty years at the Audubon Center, going to the Congregational Church (and visiting many others as well as honoring our own sense of growing spirtuality which included some Native, Buddhist, scientific theories and more to build on my Catholic upbringing and some understanding of Mormon teachings, that of Jehovah's Witnesses and more.)

The overall idea to be grateful for life, to keep an open mind about the gifts and diversity of life and our planet and respect everyone's free will to live without harming others is a theme many seem to explore now online and in gatherings and finding our way through changing and challenging times

. But back to the the books and authors who wrote them. See the Library's website for more details of Who's Who that was there as authors and illustrators, such as Wendell Berry and his wife who walked me through a couple of lovely books. One was about a bunny who rescued her siblings with ideas she had gotten from Reading Books!

Another about The Earth made plain that we need to heal the earth after too much building up and cutting down. It's amazing to connect with such talented, successful authors in an array of genres. Where do these folks come from?

While most have local connections their minds may be from a special part of the galaxy and reflect good nurturing, education and individual sparks of skilll and strong will. I got to see Billy Clegg and  read a bit of how he used his hometown experiences in Sharon when doing his writing of a memoire then another book he had there, Did You Ever Have a Family.

I do hope to read that soon.  His mom Kathy did paintings on the wall at the old Sharon restaurant back when I met her and it's rather cool to see how one's neighbors have many facets to their lives and kids who become famous  and turn out well after recovery sometimes,even when coping with harder parts of life such as addiction. Sadly, many stories too real and too sad to tell may be mentioned in a newspaper or among the community but we have yet to find a way to remind people in an ongoing way that we do share their burdens (one another's burdens and really hope to be there for each other.)

Events like these harken to that collective bigger love as most libraries and faith groups are privately funded, not town-sponsored more than in part, if at all. Saturday I got to a meaningful talk by www.iancook.com about Dementia which was held at Noble Horizons. He readily commented in response to my question about the ways family and friends need guidance on how to care for someone with dementia or other pressing need in an effective timely manner. Dr. Cook painted a bleak (and graphic) picture of what it would take for a judge in LA, California to  mandate someone had care against their will.

The truth is many people with pressing medical issues such as obesity may also be at risk for harm by not being able to move effectively to use the bathroom. It's a miracle someone might find a person stuck in the unenviable position of not moving for a day or more to get help in a timely manner. The other big worry is 'Wandering for those with Dementia, or Driving or Living Alone when they should not."

See the article on this blog about Tom Drew and try to be an advocate for any person who seems like they need help by encouraging some gentle interventions. Again, one needs to watch for liabilities and legalities so don't overdo a good thing, but try to work with caring, sensible people and see Village To Village network ideas (www.v2v.org I think) in one of 200 areas in the US and get some ideas to maybe start one's own group. I shared  that with the group there so maybe the idea will catch on.

After all the fun and outing with people, I was able to steal away to a mountaintop lake fed with spring water. Deluxe, lovely nature and I were a team in marking that as a highlight on a hot summer day.

That was the day before the big Re-opening of the Scoville Library which I put remarks about in a comment on pg 8 about  Remembering Every Buddy doing things. Amazing architecture inside and out, reflecting the past and the latest, greatest in modern both upstairs and down took over a million bucks, but the donors came through. Those are friends worth keeping and celebrating, which they did with large cakes and many thanks, See more online.

A new minister at Greenwoods Community Church in Ashley Falls MA was warmly welcomed. That is a Baptist type church with traditional views yet a very nice group of caring folks working for decades not only locally (with a popular Kidz Camp which ran for a week of awesome crafts , a Biblical play and many nice daytime activities) for years but that's not the case so much in recent years.

They do an annual Hearts of the Father fundraiser concert of the Messiah near Christmastime. They have many missions they have worked steadfastly with for decades, benefitting many impoverished efforts such as Rancho Del Rey in Mexico and  missions in other places in the world.

I was lucky to cach another swim at a local pool to take in that never ending fun of swimming in the summer. Now back to mid-August and gearing up for an awesome block party to build community in a Brooklyn neighborhood. More on that after it occurs

. But $10 Kwas donated and lots of fun will be offered for free as will food thanks to the hard work of a handful of volunteers. We need to likely gear up for more small fundraisers to build community along the way, train folks up in their leadership roles and pace the event to be held in even years, with a more casual quiet social time the odd years. Maybe that can work for others interested in hosting such events in their neighborhoods... between family reunions, outings and jumps in a cool pool or mountain top lake!