January 2014 Visit to Barcelona, Spain

So I'm in Barcelona, Spain for the week! How in the world did that happen?

Well........
Back in the late Fall, my colleague Daniel mentioned he was going to be in Europe conducting for about a month and a half and that he might need some help. I said "say that a little louder?!" and we made it happen! I'm super excited to be here for the week helping as needed with chamber orchestra rehearsals of the Filharmonia Iberia and WOW - they are making a recording! How cool! I'm learning new repertoire as well as watching premieres of two works happen in collaboration with the orchestrator Melani Mestre. Here's a picture of the concert advertisement:

For me, I am happy to BE IN BARCELONA! I'm learning a new city, I'm getting to hang out with my dear friend Daniel and his family, and I'm not in New Orleans for the "sneauxmageddon" (dusting of snow and some ice/sleet) which closed my university and most of the city for two days!

Here is a link to my Facebook album from Barcelona (SO FAR! I will be adding many more pictures to it) https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100515250196297.1073741832.2613080&type=1&l=c3520c369f
Having attended two rehearsals 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then taken long walks around the city, I believe that tomorrow I will actually go inside the Sagrada familia and take some "real pictures" with my new camera! You know, I really should mention that this trip is very coming at an important time for me and that I'm also finding myself able to use it and the time in cafes for some deep thoughts. I'll write about those a little later on, but they involve some self study and some time with God. Maybe I should call some of the posts "Coffee Time with God" because ever since the early Fall, that's usually when I feel able to experience some deep spiritual thoughts. At any rate, I'm so glad to be back in my blogging mode after several months off.

If you're reading any of the joyful gibberish, I hope you have either a margarita (to make sense of it all) or some coffee in hand (to stay awake). :-)

Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana Racial Reconciliation Service - Jan 18, 2014

On Saturday January 18, our Diocese (EDOLA) held an historic service at Christ Church Cathedral, New Orleans. The Presiding Bishop, The Most Rev'd Katharine Jefferts Schori preached and witnessed the gathering. The purpose of the service was to mark several years of conversation surrounding the issue of racism and explore how The Episcopal Church (TEC) can more fully live into the calling of Christ. From what I understand, this was a national initiative. I remember at Gen Con 77, the theme was reconciliation and involvement was with the Native American community. Those services were AMAZING. This special service, entitled Seeking Christ in All People: A Service of Commitment to Racial Healing, Justice and Reconciliation  was both a culmination of the Year of Reconciliation and a celebration of the life and ministry of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
All were welcomed and we had a jazz reception following the service.

Rehearsal Fri night, me w/ Jarrett Follett (Dir of Music of Christ Church Cathedral), Jazz reception (Victor Atkins behind piano), and Tyrone Chambers (Excellent tenor and friend living in NYC)

I was VERY fortunate to be a team with that makes up the EDOLA Music & Liturgy Commission. It literally makes my heart sing to be able to share ideas at the diocesan level! My dear friend Jarrett, who is music director at the cathedral, invited me to conduct the service on Saturday. YAY! SO EXCITED! Over a period of a few months, we gathered a few folks from around the choirs of the diocese for a large group of singers. Our choirs: St. Paul’s Episcopal in Lakeview and the Christ Church Cathedral, were the two main choirs and the hosts. Friday’s rehearsal was terrific and I was truly able to bring out some very nice things in the music. Everyone was super excited to be there and I was able to make some music and bring alive the spiritual connections from the texts and our purpose that weekend!

Victor Atkins took this picture, from the piano, of me conducting :-)

This kind of work is THE BEST and again, it literally makes my heart sing! Our anthems were:

1.    Amazing Grace – Stephen Hatfield

2.    My God is So High – Moses Hogan (Tyrone Chambers, tenor soloist)

3.    Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether – Harold Friedell

"Amazing Grace" by Stephen Hatfield. Maria Elliott, Oboe

I felt that Amazing Grace needed to be included in the service, BUT I wanted a combination of the non-traditional and the hymn we all know. So, how about something where the choir NEVER actually sings the melody in its entirety?! The Hatfield arrangement allows for an instrument to perform the melody and I chose the Oboe, loosely reminiscent of the strength and edginess of bagpipe, but way more manageable J

Here is the program booklet for the service: http://cccnola.org/BULLETINS/011814.pdf

Here is a link to the audio from the entire service: http://cccnola.org/RECORDINGS/RR.mp3

Here is Presiding Bishop Jefferts-Schori’s sermon: http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2014/01/21/presiding-bishop-preaches-on-racial-reconciliation-in-new-orleans/#.Ut5nmEEX6Z4.twitter

Here is the link to the EDOLA Facebook page album of pictures from the event: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151842759416227.1073741832.110612321226&type=1

She did a really fantastic job with this. It wasn’t a “comfortable” service for many people, but she stressed that we were leading The Episcopal Church in speaking on this issue and in reconciliation. She named the provinces around the globe and I think that some who never realized the breadth of places in the Anglican Communion, well…their eyes were opened.

Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori. Photo by Debbie Edens

One of the difficulties in the service was when the litany spoke of guilt associated with current people for past slavery. This made a LOT of people uncomfortable and one of my students said he was looking around and actually saw a lot of red faces. We personally may not have been responsible for the acts of our grandparents and / or other relatives or even – OUR OWN ORGANIZATIONS such as the Episcopal Church itself in Louisiana (and New Orleans proper), BUT it is amazing to see what a bit of give in that area makes. It makes a difference to those whose lives HAVE been affected in the past, present, and I daresay – the future. It also seems to me that one of the first steps in healing is to recognize the NEED for healing, regardless of situation. For this, I am so proud to be a part of The Episcopal Church. We are willing to come to the table, to discuss, to question, and to challenge ourselves and others. This kind of tolerance and openness is certainly not unique to TEC, but it is a most definitely a strength of it.

This strength and spiritual confidence is something from which I can learn. I sometimes forget that I can proactively apply this example to my own habits and my spiritual life. It’s a good reminder. Being open and willing to present an idea and perhaps to argue a point - with the understanding that there are varying facets of any argument - is a huge risk. I will never EVER forget when one of my friends working in TEC described death threats that he had received. They were from people whose opinions were different.

Katharine Jefferts Schori with Bishop Morris Thompson

I admire our PB. She’s a scientist, a warm and kind person, an introvert, thoughtful, BRILLIANT, a great writer, she’s a pilot (so cool and I’m slightly jealous), a runner, and a woman. Her office ends in 2015 and the new PB will be installed that Fall. I was not able to snag a picture with her this visit, but I did the last time she was in New Orleans and I’m happy to have had the opportunity to meet her during the House of Bishops in 2007 and at Bishop Thompson’s consecration three years ago. I also greatly admire our Bishop Morris Thompson and what he and the diocesan clergy and staff are doing here in Louisiana!

I’m going to sign off with a prayer that has been in my life for the past twenty years and that speaks to me deeply. After Bp. Thompson’s first annual visit to St. Paul’s, I Iearned that he also uses it and that makes me very happy!

My friends,
Life is short, and we do not have
much time to gladden the hearts of
those who travel with us, so be quick to
love and make haste to be kind.
And may the blessing of the One who
... made us, and the One who loves us, and
the One who travels with us, be with
you and those you love this day and always.
AMEN.

Adapted from Henri-Frédéric Amiel (1821–1881)

St. Paul's Episcopal Senior Center - Grand Opening

St. Paul’s Senior Center GRAND OPENING!

On Monday, Jan 20th from 11-2, the St. Paul’s Senior Center’s held its grand opening drop-in. Each year, many observe MLK Day as a day to give back to the community and a day to volunteer or do some kind of service. For us at St. Paul's, this seemed like a perfect day to open a senior center (the Homecoming Center transformed into senior center) and provide ongoing resources to senior citizens in the Gentilly area of New Orleans!

The center is located at 1509 Filmore Avenue in Gentilly.

It has been set up to accommodate lunches, games, computer work, crafts, and other activities:

Folks were so excited that they arrived early! Cathey Randolph, Natalie James, Connie Uddo and I finished preparing a delicious lunch Caesar salad, red beans & rice, French bread, and king cake and then everyone had a terrific hot meal!

Everyone that came also got a cool t-shirt!

Each person was given a schedule of Senior Center events for the month and we all had a good discussion of activities they would like to see and ideas for art projects, games or crafting. I was so happy to have a chance to hang out with them. I see them once a month for Bingo and while it is a social time, it’s not the best for really sitting with individuals and chatting. As Bingo players, they can be INTENSELY competitive so it was great to spend time with them in a different setting! Monday, I got to see pictures of people’s grandchildren, laugh, hear how they were really doing, and relax with a chance to get to know them better!  

Volunteering is something that I have tried to make time for throughout my life. Sure, I’m busy….. we all are, but it is SO rewarding and if you can carve out an hour a month, you can make a difference in someone’s life - including your own!

I challenge you all to volunteer somewhere during 2014!

I was impressed at how many St. Paul’s members and neighborhood friends came by the center to say hello and explore the offerings! I will be there on many Thursday mornings – helping with crafts or computer projects. I might even hold some hymn sings and/or some spiritual time with psalms or prayers if there is a need or desire for that. I'm currently trying to decide if I want to follow the path to chaplaincy or a host of other possible ideas. I will be writing a bit about that journey in some other posts.

The MOON

Here are four photos of our Moon that I took recently!  Canon Powershot 50X zoom
1. Wed., Jan 22 2:30 a.m.



2. Closeup of CRATERS - I really can't believe this camera can get such a zoom!

3. This one was taken from the UNO parking lot in the morning! You can still see craters! I darkened it slightly and that's why it looks so grainy.

 

4. Crescent moon from the Crescent City. The moon was setting and to catch it, I had to climb up into the attic and take the pic through the dirty window, but it still came out pretty well :-)







Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light,

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths of night and light and the half light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams under your feet;

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

~ William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)

Zion Canyon, a photo I took on a stormy day in October 2012

VSG 5-month Update

Hello Everyone!
I thought I'd write a 5-month VSG update because...........................................................
I HAVE MADE IT TO ONEderland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  72 lbs lost and I'm now 198! WOOHOO!
This JUST happened so I am excited about it :-)



Shrinking me! Pictures from April, early August, and the end of September!

So, I've lost 72 lbs and I still would like to lose about 30 more....
I'm keeping watch on my neck to see if it becomes goosey and I'm also watching how my skin is sagging in some spots. I exercise, but I have a feeling that even with strenuous and regular programming, the tone may never be regained even if stronger muscles are developed. Under my arms will probably remain flabby. I've decided to see how it goes for a year or more after I'm done losing and then re-evaluate and decide whether or not I want anything done about the extra skin. It's my descision and as I do with many things, I'll deliberate before moving forward.
I've gone from a size 24 (and sometimes 26) to a size 18 and can feel some of the clothes I bought in September becoming lose already. I saw an awesome red and black velvety pair of snazzy pants last week and went ahead and bought them for when I am a 16.

I WILL GET THERE!

A couple of people seem rather shocked at my weight loss even though they've seen me relatively often throughout the process. I'd be shocked too. Some have said "oh gosh, you shouldn't lose any more" and my response was "I'm still over 200 lbs"....followed by more shock :-) About 12-13 years ago, I made it down to 193 and before that, it was around 1994-8 that I was under that. I don't really feel very different except occasionally I feel "lighter" and walk "lighter".

I have noticed the following:

- People say I smile more. I'm actually not smiling more, it's just that my cheeks aren't so fat now and they can actually move the way they're supposed to
- One flight of steps is easier. The rest are the same crappy steps and asthmatic process
- I can cross my legs again. I LOVE this and I had missed it
- I have less padding so my butt sometimes hurts from sitting
- I always got cold in air conditioning, but now, outside heat bothers me a bit less - Y A Y ! ! !
- I still don't like eating in the morning and my sleeve doesn't seem to hold as much then....
- I do at least make an effort to eat breakfast though - and eat yoghurt voluntarily
- Airplane seats. HALLELUJAH, I CAN FIT!
- Stupid mini cans I used to make fun of are my friend when I want a Coke
- I seem to be able to wear more than just flat shoes again, YAY
- I can sit on the sofa with my legs curled up much easier now.
- I've actually packed my lunch like I used to do when I first began teaching HS in 1995. It's actually not a bad experience and when I have a bag full of tiny containers and snacks, I feel like a kid and it's rather fun :-)
- I can get a bag of things like mini Snickers or Peppermint Patties and be satisfied with ONE. That my friends, is a miracle. You might have noticed I'm drinking Coke and eating chocolate....and that won't stop....ever. I will not live in denial. This surgery has given me what I needed: portion CONTROL. The rest of what I eat is mostly healthy.

That's it for now :-) Soon, hopefully tomorrow, I'll finish my posts about hair loss and exactly what I'm eating these days! Certainly, I could NEVER have done this much weight loss, 72 lbs, without the aid of having a sleeve gastrectomy. I also certainly could NEVER have had the procedure done if I had not found ENDOBARIATRIC and Dr. ALVAREZ. He has been so helpful and encouraging!




Sasha Kitty (1996-2013)

I haven't really been able to write about this until now.....many reasons, but mostly it just makes me very sad :-(
My dear little Sasha kitty, my companion for 17 years, died on September 4th. I miss her like crazy. I came back from teaching in Innsbruck and she had lost a great deal of weight and was anemic. She had been experiencing increasing signs of CRF both before and after my long trip, but her numbers were not "that bad". She recovered rapidly from the anemia, but then wasn't eating and was losing weight more and more over the next weeks. The vet was able to diagnose her, but treatment was going to be ongoing and hard. The weekend before she died, I really thought she was going to pass away at home, but she rallied and then stopped eating completely. She spent a few days having dry heaves and some misery with that, but was mostly ok otherwise. It seemed like she'd be ok if she ate something, but she did not and I said goodbye to her on a Wednesday.

She was the BEST CAT EVER and so sweet!!!!! She was smart, silly, lazy, hilarious, and would take care of me every time I was sick. She would also respond every time I talked to her....either by meowing or by flicking her tale if she didn't want to meow or acknowledge she heard me. She also had three favorite toys:

The Wicked Witch of the West, a little Snoopy which I have had since I was a little girl, and a monkey :-) In my old apartment, she used to meow while carrying them in her mount and bouncing down the stairs - so funny! Once, I came home to find the Wicked Witch under my bed....all except for her legs sticking out as in the Wizard of Oz!
Sasha would always manage to find my black pants and sit on them, practicing her Olympic shedding. Sasha even made the news a couple of times over the years :-)

Sasha kitty makes the news for hiding from the New Orleans heat!

I have several  short videos that I made over the years. Here is a simple collage, made last year - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-tgKuPPwPs&noredirect=1

Maybe one day I'll get another kitty or a dog, but for now, I just can't. Rest in Peace, dear Sasha kitty. I will always love you dearly.

Sasha kitty enjoying a sunbeam

The Fantastic Flaming Fabulosity of Our Sun

I recently saw an incredibly detailed picture of a sunspot posted on facebook by a friend. I couldn't believe the clarity! I thought I'd post a few of my favorite sunspot and solar prominence photos here. This image below simply takes my breath away! It is from 2002 and was the APOD for Nov 14th that year. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap021114.html

APOD Nov 14, 2002 Credit: SST, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

I love the pictures that I get from Astronomers occasionally via twitter!! They use all sorts of filters. Below is a collage of two of my favorite solar prominence shots from @FogBoundTurtle (Claude D.), an amateur astronomer, photographer from Burnaby, BC. claudedesrosiers.smugmug.com 

Images from Claude Desrosiers, Burnaby, BC

Here is a great one of the solar surface, also by @FogBoundTurtle
http://claudedesrosiers.smugmug.com/Nature/Astronomy/i-FffwwqK

Speaking of twitter (and Facebook), get to know Camilla Corona (Space Chicken), the mission mascot for NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, a super fun sciencey chicken that worked at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and is a STEM Ambassador at the Stanford Solar Center! @CamillaSpace is her Twitter handle!
I LOVE this next image from the Stanford Solar center! It has beautifully merged solar images into a quilted sun :-) It's their webpage cover! Clever!

Home page of the Stanford Solar Center

This next one is a solar prominence in X-Ray view from NASA
http://ixo.gsfc.nasa.gov/resources/imagesAstronomyScience.html

NASA X-ray images

AND from NASA's SDO - Solar Dynamics Observatory - At first light on April 21, 2010, the first photographs from the SDO were received. A WOW view of the high-definition sun was that of a dramatic prominence; an arc of solar plasma rising into the sun's corona. Here is a link to three year's worth of NASA SDO Images in video form with explanation!
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sdo/news/first-light-3rd.html

NASA SDO images

Another fabulous APOD - from July 2013  This image below features sunspots crossing the sun. I still cannot believe the clarity and detail! Here is the explanation, directly from APOD
"Explanation: One of the largest sunspot regions in recent years is now crossing the Sun. This region of convoluted magnetic fields may well produce a solar flare that releases a cloud of energetic particles into the Solar System. Were a very powerful cloud to impact the Earth's magnetosphere, it could be dangerous to Earth-orbiting astronauts and satellites. Conversely, the impact of even a less energetic cloud might create picturesque aurora. This is the sunspot region as it appeared two days ago. The rightmost part of this region has been cataloged as AR 11785, while the left part as AR 11787. The darkest sunspot regions contain nearly vertical magnetic fields and are called umbras, while the surrounding bronze regions -- more clearly showing stringy magnetic flux tubes -- are called penumbras. Churning solar granules, many about 1000 km across, compose the yellow background region. No one knows what this sunspot region will do, but space weather researchers are monitoring it closely." ~ APOD

Image by Damian Peach - http://www.damianpeach.com/about.htm

The final one I'll post today is of the 2012 Venus transit. This image is by NASA SDO and shows the entire transit sequence! Here is the www.SPACE.com info on the image:

"About this Image

On June 5-6 2012, SDO collected images of one of the rarest predictable solar events: the transit of Venus across the face of the sun in this cool space wallpaper. This event happens in pairs eight years apart that are separated from each other by 105 or 121 years. The last transit was in 2004 and the next will not happen until 2117. This image was captured on June 5, 2012." ~ via www.space.com

NASA SDO Venus transit, 2012
 - http://www.space.com/16026-sdo-ultra-high-definition-view-2012-venus-transit-path-sequence.html

I'm sure I'll post more sunspot fabulosity at some point. Living with a star is awesome indeed!

What to Do When There's a Galaxy in Your Cup of Tea

So....you have a galaxy in your cup of tea?



Poor photo quality and focus due to gravitational lensing...

Stay calm, don't panic. You can get through this.

First, realize that every day we deal with matters of matter and antimatter, energy and dark energy, gigantic blobs of supercluster-filled filaments and voids. You are one of the lucky ones. Most of us don't usually think about it or come across such close and tangible evidence of other existences in places such as teacups. We leave it to the philosophers or cosmologists such as Max Tegmark (great website!) or theoretical physicists like Brian Greene (website also great!)

You have to come to terms with the fact that we could all simply exist swirling around in someone else's cup of tea. Galaxy, galaxy cluster, supercluster, filament, or whole universe!

Hypothetically, there is the possibility of existing in a multiverse - a finite or infinite set of universes, including the one we are currently experiencing. These parallel universes are also called "parallel dimensions" and "alternate universes".

If you prefer the infinite number of universes, you might eventually come across the theory that some that are phased exactly as our universe is. This goes along with the idea that our universe is not "special" or unique.

Here are some media links that Tegmark recommends that have to do with multiple universes: http://space.mit.edu/home/tegmark/popular.html

Here is a link to one of Brian Greene's terrific books: The Hidden Reality
In it, he goes through his outline of nine types of universes. Makes you think!

* Side note I cannot aVOID (haha!): One of the COOLEST things I learned last year was that our Virgo Supercluster is surrounded by three voids - the Sculptor Void, Bootes Void, and the Capricornus Void. Voids correlate to the colder temperatures in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and they have few galaxies. Voids are found between filmental structures (and those include superclusters). You can't have filamental structures without empty spaces. I always ask my music students...can you have sound without silence?  What about audiation? I'd love to have a conversation with John Cage about his views on sound and silence and philosophize a bit. I'll bet that would be fabulous. I'd also like to have tea with Brian Greene - more fabulosity!

So, ENJOY the galaxy in your tea. GO ahead, drink it and now you yourself consist of multiple worlds. Have you ever had a close look at your eyes? You will sometimes find stars in them.....  :-)

Five Reasons We Live in a Multiverse - by Clara Moscowitz, one of my favorite Space.com writers http://www.space.com/18811-multiple-universes-5-theories.html

But wait, you say it's even worse, that there's a galaxy with multiple black holes in your tea?

How about you try drinking iced water....

SPACE JOKES - Some of My Favorites!

This post is a small collection of some favorite silly one-lined space puns and jokes found over time from all around the internetz! There are SO MANY - If you have a favorite not included here, let me know and I'll add it!
:-) ENJOY!

* Einstein developed a theory about space, and it was about time too.
* What is a light year? The same as a regular year, but with less calories
* How does the Solar System hold up its pants? With an asteroid belt
* What do you can an alien with three eyes? An aliiien :-)
* How does the man-in-the-Moon cut his hair? Eclipse it
* Why didn't the Sun go to college? Because he already had a million degrees!

* How do you get a baby astronaut to sleep? You rocket
* What kinds of fish live in space? Starfish
* Scientists have found the center of Jupiter.......contains the letter i
* How many astronomers does it take to change a lightbulb? None, they like the dark
* How far can you see on a clear day? 92,955,807 miles (to the sun)

* Living on Earth may be expensive, but we do get a free trip around the sun every year!
* Where do astronauts keep their sandwiches? In a launch-box
* What did Mars say to Saturn? Give me a ring sometime!
* What kind of stars wear sunglasses? Movie stars
* What did the alien cook for lunch? Unidentified frying objects
* If a meteorite hits a planet, what do we call the ones that miss? Meteowrongs
* How do you organize a space party? You planet
* Why is the Moon bald? He has no 'air

* Why does the Moon go to the bank? To change his quarters
* Why wouldn't you want to give Saturn a bath? It would leave a ring around the tub
* What do you call a crazy spaceman? An astronaut
* Why didn't people like the restaurant on the Moon? Because there was no atmosphere
* Why did the cow go up in the spaceship? To see the Mooooooooooon
* How do you have communion in space if you don't have mass?
* Where does an astronaut park his car? At a parking meteor.
* What channel do asteroids like to watch? The comet-y channel
* How do we know Saturn's been married more than once? Just look at those rings!
* OMG They have discovered WATER ON MARS http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050401.html

* When do astronauts have lunch? At launch time.
* I heard there's a new restaurant on the Moon, but it lacks atmosphere
* Why did the sun go to school? To get brighter
* What is a spaceman's favorite candy bar? A Mars bar
* What do planets like to read? Comet books
* How does a meteor shower? With Comet.

* What do they use when they run out of drinking cups in space? The Big Dipper
* What is the center of gravity? The letter v
* Are the Moon and the Earth good friends? Yep, they've been going around together for yrs
* What do astronauts put on their toast? Space jam
* If athletes get athletes foot, then what do astronauts get? Missile toe.

* What hot drink do aliens enjoy? gravi-tea
* I'm reading a book about anti-gravity.....it's impossible to put down!
* How do astronauts add more protein to their diets? They make it meteor.
* I would go to space, but the cost is astronomical!
* One morning I got up around 5:00 a.m. and wondered  "Where did the sun go?"  and then it dawned on me.

* How can you tell when the Moon has had enough to eat? When it's full
* How do you ride a horse in space? Use a saddle-lite
* What kinds of plates do they use in outer space? Flying saucers
* What kinds of music do planets sing? Neptunes
* An astronaut wrote about flying to the moon twice. It was double-spaced.

* Cassini spacecraft took pictures of Saturn and Earth. It was the best of both worlds.
* When astronauts die, the local paper runs an orbituary.
* Two dating astronauts met up for a launch date.
* An astronaut broke the law of gravity and got a suspended sentence
* An astronaut who fails on a weightlessness experiment must be aware of the gravity of the situation.

* Becoming a space pilot requires a good altitude
* Is that the Dog star? You can be Sirius!
* The satellite went into orbit on January 1st, causing a New Year's revolution
* Why is the Moon up so late these days? Don't worry, he's just going through a phase.
* Scientists allow us to see the sun in a different light
* Sitting in the sun can make you well-red

I'm sure I'll be adding to this list! :-)

Paragliding in Slovenia

On my final day in Ljubljana, Slovenia, I went paragliding for the first time in my life! I definitely hope I'll get to do it again sometime! My experience seems to have come as a surprise to many....I guess for a couple of reasons. Many people don't know that I used to be rather athletic, train horses, bike 20 miles every other day, and compete on a top swim team, etc. Indeed. I haven't done anything except walking/hiking for several years! There are many things that don't necessarily come up in music conversations! :-) Almost every trip I've been on, I've done some sort of hiking. Sometimes, it's low and slow and other times, it's rather rigorous. I remember when came back from Brazil and remarked that I needed a new camera and mentioned that I had dropped it while hiking in a portion of the jungle down to the Foz do Iguacu and then it got super wet from the rainy falls. That turned some heads. LOL. People see what they want to see I suppose. Sometimes overweight people actually ARE active movers and shakers (and eat like the average person, but whatever).

My view from taxi on the way to the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (Letališče Jožeta Pučnika Ljubljana),
also known by its previous name Brnik Airport

I've always wanted to go hang gliding, but on my past two trips to Europe - while on trains between cities - I have seen a TON of paragliders over the hills and valleys. This sparked my interest and this summer, I decided to give it a try. Being a novice, I tried tandem paragliding - when you have a pilot and they really do the flying while you hold on and enjoy! I did not travel for one weekend so as to be able to afford it. When I got to Slovenia, I was also on the lookout for hot air balloon rides, but they were not available and paragliding was! A new friend of mine that I met in Slovenia, knows someone who is a paragliding pilot so I used her wonderful help and connection to meet Primož Lajevec who works for the Loop Acrocup Propilot company and team. He actually does all the extreme sports and knows Felix Baumgartner (Red Bull "space" jump). In fact, Primož helped break the balloon drop record, info here.

Paragliding in Slovenia, 2013 - I took this pic of the pilot that went just before us!

Primož picked me up at the Ljubljana airport and we drove througha small town over to the base of the Krvavec mountain. Then, we drove up to the walking point and walked a tiny bit up to the gliding site. It was steep and I quickly got out of breath. There were also a LOT of black ants all over the place on the walk up there, odd. Anyway, once up at the site of a slope on the mountain, there were several pilots waiting for the wind to be just right and to take off. We got fitted with all the gear.

Next, Primož said that when he counts down and says go, to  > R U N <
The first try, I fell after four steps and we had to start over. The second try, I slipped on some rocks and fell, bringing us both down and I scraped the HECK out of my leg. lastly, he added guys on my left and right sides to help pull up and sure enough, they did when I fell a third time. I had tried leaning more forward and that really helped, but I still fell. My legs were somewhat weak and I can only guess that it might be because I was about two months out of surgery and still occasionally feeling low on energy. Nonetheless, we got airborne and it was GLORIOUS!





I took some video for a couple of minutes and then discovered that it didn't take. GRRRR so I tried it again and was able to get about 33 seconds before I realized it was making me dizzy. We were up there for about 25 or so minutes I think and when he began to circle like a bird, I did indeed start feeling motion sick and wished I had remembered to take my medicine. Then, I remembered I'd gone through a cab ride, car ride, and now was airborne so I really should have taken it. I will never forget again. Here I am enjoying it though! So awesome! It really was like being a bird.

I saw a castle and we went toward the castle. Ljubljana looked INSANELY SMALL from up there! I was surprised at how high we were! It wasn't any cooler (it was 99 that day), but it was windy up there. I got a bit dehydrated, but it was all worth it and I really want to go again. I also want to try parasailing!

Here is the video I took. I wave my feet, haha! I also am giving a thumb's up at the very end :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1U4SjDaOhA

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ljubljana, Slovenia

I had been wondering where to go for my last free weekend while teaching for the UNO Innsbruck program this past summer 2013 and finally narrowed it down to two places: Budapest, Hungary or Ljubljana, Slovenia. I chose Slovenia because of the train timetables and cost and decided that I would definitely visit Budapest on another trip. Plus, I've heard and read about Budapest for years. Slovenia, whaaa? So....I thought it would be a little less on the proverbial "beaten path". I must say, Ljubljana was LOVELY and the PERFECT choice for me this time around. I had a fantastic time!

Once I decided on Slovenia, I began to search for things to do there and info about Ljubljana. I knew nothing about the country itself, its history, or what it was known for. I learned that one of the most popular things to do there was to take a hot air balloon ride and I got super excited about the possibility of doing that. Once there, I learned from various travel agencies and a tour guide that there had been a major balloon accident a few years back where someone tried to take over 30 people up in a basket and then crashed in the outlying marshes. There was a large fire, many injuries, and some people died. So, Slovenia passed an ordinance banning ALL balloon travel because it lacked proper regulation.
I understand that very recently, they have again begun to examine regulations and opening ballooning back up for the tourist industry! Maybe next time, I will get to do that!
Here is the article on the accident: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19354150

So that idea was out......and I started looking at museums. I found that Ljubljana has a Narodni Musej Slovenje (National Museum of Slovenia) that is in two locations. One location contained exhibits that were more archeological in nature and included a find that is said to be the oldest musical instrument in the world.

That sold it for me! I told myself "they'd better be open when I get there!" :-) and so they were and I went and saw the instrument. It is a flute made from a cave bear femur and said to be 55,000 years old.
Here is a link to my blog post with info about the Divje Babe flute: http://carsonia.blogspot.com/2013/08/oldest-musical-instrument-in-world.html



The train ride from Innsbruck only contained one change so that was nice. I was able to relax, blog, and do some grading. The scenery was AMAZING going through the Alps!

Ljubljana is situated in a valley between a ring of Alps in the distance so after a ton of tunnels, the ride finally settled into a flat countryside, dotted with farms and small lakes. I arrived around 9:30 and night had fallen before I expected it so I worried a bit about walking from the train station to the hotel as I had no idea where to go except the name of its street. I would have used my phone, but it was on Airplane mode the whole summer and using wifi only, when available. Luckily, the train station was a fairly large one and lots of people were around both inside and out. I started walking down a main street and stopped at a restaurant to ask directions and lo - the street was the next one over and the Central hotel only two blocks down the street! YAY!  I checked in and bought a bottle coke (a.k.a. HEAVEN) from the bar to take upstairs. When I got in my room, I found a greeting from the hotel on my TV - nice touch!

The next morning, I had coffee with a wonderful new friend and she walked me around downtown a bit and led me to the museum. I usually travel by myself and never have the opportunity to meet friends of friends. This was so terrific! I ended up having dinner later with her and some more new friends! After the museum, I took a two hour walking tour of the city. I also usually do not do prescribed tours. I usually wander about aimlessly.....well sometimes I have a loose plan, and find the treasures the city has to offer on my own. I think because it was so damned HOT, I wanted to ensure that I would get out and do something exciting so I bought a tour ticket!

Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Croatia to the south and southeast and Hungary to the northeast. The architecture in Ljubljana, the capital (300,000 people), reminded me a little of what I have seen in Romania and Bulgaria. It was mostly the tops and edges of buildings that conveyed this feeling. Here is one building, the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation in Prešeren Square.

The country has a large Catholic and Lutheran population and a mix of languages. While I was there, I heard Slovene, Italian, and French. I'm sure there are plenty of other mixes when it comes to languages. This area was first part of the Roman Empire, followed by the Holy Roman Empire and then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The State of Serbs, Croats, and Serbs merged into a kingdom of the same. Then it was the Kingdom of Yugoslavia ! Finally in 1991, Slovenia became an independent country, joined NATO and the European Union in 2004. Wars have dealt this little country a hand of being annexed and occupied by others. Amazingly, they have managed to preserve plenty of their history, culture and identity. The city itself has been rebuilt more than a few times.

The most famous rebuilding came after its earliest stages when it was the city of Aemona (Emona), occupied well before Roman times on the banks of the Ljubljanica river. It was destroyed by battles from time to time and was devastated by the Huns in the mid 400's.

Emona / Ljubljana was said to have been founded by Jason and his Argonauts on their quest to obtain the Golden Fleece....... Here is another link to a clearer rundown of the backstory. When Jason and his Argonauts sailed across the Black Sea, they supposedly got lost and into the river systems which eventually led them to the rivers surrounding Ljubljana. When they arrived, they ran out of river, took apart their ship to carry it across the mountains and back to the Adriatic sea. While they stopped, Jason defended the settlement and fought a mighty dragon which enabled him to get the Golden Fleece that it had guarded for many years. From this story also comes the use of the dragon as the symbol of Ljubljana!
I LOVE DRAGONS!

The Dragon Bridge is a main city sight and there are tons of other monuments and sites, but the city itself does not have any world famous tourist attractions. I liked this because I could concentrate on getting to know the history of the place rather than feel obliged to go certain places. One important national monument in the main old town area is that of France Prešeren, a national poet and his muse. Once regarded as smutty because the muse was half-naked and across the square from the Catholic church, the statue now is simply an expected part of the cityscape.

This is located in the square on the Tromostovje bridge (Triple bridge) over the Ljubljanica river. It, along with tons of things in the city, was designed by a nationally famous architect Jože Plečnik. The airport is also named after him.



One site I liked is the Robba Fountain, the Vodnjak treh kranjskih rek - or - (Fountain of Three Carniolan Rivers) near the Town Hall. (The original is in the national gallery, but the replica is great). It has three men with jugs and three fish of differing sizes representing the three rivers flowing into Ljubljana - the Sava, Ljubljanica, and the Krka. The fountain was also featured on a Slovenian banknote and is a national symbol today.

Robba Fountain

The Robba fountain was right across from a house on the corner of the small square that had been where GUSTAV MAHLER lived for a year or so while he composed and taught and directed the orchestra there! He also presented 50 operas. MAHLER!!! I had to stop the tour, freak out a bit, and then we could go on! I LOVE MAHLER!!!!

One of my favorite spots is the Stolnica Sv. Nikolaja - St. Nikolaus cathedral located on Cyril & Methodius Square. It was originally a Romanesque and then a Gothic church, but was burned down by the Turks in 1469 and rebuilt as a Baroque masterpiece. We only had about 15 minutes there and there was about to be a mass so I planned on going back the following day, but I was unable to. NEXT TIME. At least I was in awe of the overdone décor and contrasting calm reverence for a few minutes though! I also decided to photograph the sanctuary from the point of view of the candles! :-)

                                                           Stolnica Sv. Nikolaja
The door of the cathedral was FASCINATING. It depicts Slovene history to commemorate the 1250th anniversary of Christianity in Slovenia. Our tour guide told is about every crevice and figure and that before the door was dedicated and cathedral blessed by the Pope John Paul II, Tone Demšar, passed away. Then, he showed us the camouflaged figure of the builder on the door! Sneaky, but effective! :-)  Sadly, I did not get a picture.
It was INSANELY HOT while I was in Ljubljana so after doing the walking tour, I took a boat tour to try and cool off.

That was great, but it didn't stop the heat! That night, I had dinner with my new friend Meta and some of her friends from Slovenia and France. So much fun! We attended a free jazz concert in one of the squares and then had some AWESOME GELATO. After that, we had dinner and hung out for a while. On my way out, I noticed a sign for Human fish.....

What is that? you ask....I will tell you!

Human fish is a beer, named after an unusual type of fish found in nearby caves. in the Dinaric Alps. This fish is rather translucent and has feet-like appendages! It is called the Olm.

The next day, I made plans to go paragliding and spent some time in the cool hotel wifi waiting for the weather and the contacts to work out. Tomorrow, I will post about my paragliding experience!

So, I REALLY hope to go back to Ljubljana! It is a gorgeous city, friendly to all ages groups, has an enjoyable city market, plenty of tourists, is clean and bright, has culture, has nightlife, and has an appreciation for the arts and history. I felt safe the entire time I was there. The train station is not far from downtown....it's a pretty short walk. There are plenty of food places, lots of surrounding activities, a castle one can go up the hill and visit, sporting activities, and everyone I spoke to seemed happy to help with questions or directions. I highly recommend a visit!!!!!!!

 

Here is the Facebook album of my pictures. You do not need to be a facebooker to see the pics :-)  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100367813954707.1073741830.2613080&type=1&l=9f04fb19aa