Cup

 Last day of one of my favorite months of the year. The beginning of June seems like the summer is wide open with possibilities. July comes and it’s dog days of summer and back to work soon. Been watching lots of World Cup matches this summer. The schedule has graciously allowed for it. Been fun. 

The Land

 

Myths & Texts

1956's Myths and Texts. Gary Snyder is one of my favorite poets. I read a couple of these poems from this collection before going to sleep the past few weeks. Very relaxing reads. Deep ecology and communing with nature. Very

Tao (or Dao if you prefer) like.

Parking

#jeepsparkedbyjeeps Rockwall, Texas 

 

Preacher

Another Father’s Day gift. Country Preacher by The Cannonball Adderly Quintet. A 1969 live album recorded at a gathering of Operation Breadbasket at a church in Chicago. Operation Breadbasket was created by Martin Luther King, Jr who named Jesse Jackson as the chief organizer of their efforts. Jackson actually starts the album off with an introduction to the band. You can hear The Quintet embracing funk into their hard bop milieu as this album closes out the Sixties. 

Underground

Went to Dead Wax Records in Garland and brought home 1967’s The Velvet Underground with Nico. This is new pressing by the original label, Verve Records. It even has the peeling banana sticker. I can’t afford an original pressing. They go for thousands of dollars. The Underground sound remarkably modern on this album. To think this was released the same year as Sgt. Peppers. Pepper is a great album but it is definitely a statement of a particular time and place. The Velvet Underground’s debut album sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday. 

 

Mercy

One of my Fathers Day gifts actually purchased by my wife in Jasper, Indiana. The title song Mercy Mercy Mercy was a favorite of my high school jazz band’s repertoire. Always a crowd pleaser. 

28th

Today is our 28th anniversary. So we went to celebrate by going to an old fashioned music lounge to eat Italian food and listen to live music. It was a very nice evening  

 

Art House

Well, her retirement lasted only 11 days! She is now the Site Manager for the Forney Art House which is the new home base for the Forney Arts Council, a non-profit which advocates for the arts in our community. Pretty cool opportunity. A nice part time gig less than a mile from our house. 

Clouds

 

L-Ville Wolfpack

I had a fun two weeks in Louisville, Kentucky. Another AP Read complete and in the books. It was fun having Kim with me for some of the Read. Good to see The Wolfpack. L-Ville was a fun town. I hope to return next year and explore more of it. 

 

Stranger Danger

I was just gifted this sticker. If you understand this reference we can be friends. Actually, even if you don’t understand it we can still be friends because I’m no gatekeeper. But if you ever need to discuss Camus and the absurd reality of existence, I’m here for you. 

A Night at The Races

Churchill Downs! A nice evening  we bet on two horses and won like a dollar. 

 

Louisville

 

Vintage

Ordered a 1980 replica Barça jersey. Athena is keeping watch to make sure any Real Madrid fans don’t mess with it. 

Newk

An exploding light of musical creativity. A colossus among the giants. Rest in Peace Sonny Rollins!

School’s Out!

 

School's Out for Summer

Last day of school. The end of my 27th year in education. Bout two more to go in PubEd. It was a very good year. 

Tao

Completed another go-around through the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu. This edition was translated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English. I read one chapter a day during my lunch break at school. Really calms things down during hectic days.

Eighty-one "chapters" so about sixteen school weeks. I read a different translation during the first half of the year. Very esoteric and abstract with a few practicalities thrown in here and there. The Dao was compiled between the 5th and 3rd centuries BCE and became the foundation for Daoism. Restful reading.

Retired!

Retired!