After Sunday morning worship ended the Central MidWest District meeting, I played tourist until my evening flight.  It was rainy when I arrived on Friday, sunny and bright yesterday as I spent the entire day indoors, and rainy and cold again today.

Don't remember how I first came across this.  I emailed it to a few friends but for some reason forgot to post it.  Was a little surprised and saddened that a couple of friends, both of whom are very open spiritually, questioned the authenticity of the video.  Is it easier to speculate in humans creating elaborate hoaxes than to believe that there are other living things that can recognize and recreate shapes?  I guess it is.  Personally, I would rather believe - in both the elephants and in us.

I saw the second home game of the season for the Giants tonight - was finally in town at the right time to see the much touted AT&T Park, built downtown near the Embarcadero.  I dragged my brother along for his birthday present, even tho he has no interest in baseball whatsoever.  (But he did have a modicum of interest in seeing the inside of the stadium.)  When Bengie Molina hit a nice and clean little home run in the bottom of the second to score first and put the Giants in the lead over the Padres, and I was jumping up and down and everyone around me was cheering, and

When I got back from church, famished, my brother handed me something.  He had bought me an It's It!  A San Francisco tradition and my favorite ice cream sandwich in the world.  I scarfed it down, savoring the cinnamony cookie goodness.  We then went to lunch.  (Yes, I had desert first.)

Today was Ching Ming, or Grave-Sweeping Day - the day one pays homage to one's ancestors by tending to their graves (hence the sweeping) and making offerings.   I am back in California this week for Ching Ming, to attend to the graves of my paternal grandparents.  Or rather, to watch my father attend so that I will know what to do when it someday falls to me.

I'm not a gardener. But I aspire to be one.

Last Fall, under the rationalization that it would protect the plants underneath from the winter snow, I didn't rake up the dead leaves that fell on the flowerbeds, only the grass and sidewalk.

The tiger lilies - my flower - that I planted last Fall were poking their tender heads through the top soil this morning. I had worried about them, as all around spring flowers were springing to life. Maybe they had not made it through the winter. But there they were this morning, slow perhaps in waking up, and timid, but making their own way into this world nonetheless. Welcome.

Happy St. Pattie's Day!

Green is in the air for more reasons than one. Even tho the first day of spring does not begin until this Thursday, the earth doesn't seem to care about the calendar.

Every year I am amazed. One moment it seems like nothing is stirring in the still cold, hard earth. And the next moment it seems like new life is popping up all over the place.

While taking out the trash this morning, I noticed crocuses popping their heads up. I didn't even know they were there, having inherited them. But they care not who "owns" the land.

It's been so nice to be home in SF and to just not do anything. Chinese food. A stroll down to Irving Street for cold, sweet boba drinks...

But my family thinks we have to "do something" while I'm back. So we take a day trip to one of the Indian casinos. I guess lights and bells is as good a way as any to celebrate Lantern Festival? It's pouring rain the entire drive there. I eat too much at the buffet, especially dessert. And I lose a little money. And then I crawl into the car for a nap.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Flying after work from DC to Cali, I got into San Jose at 11pm last night (2am my time), picked up my rental car and drove about half an hour south to a Motel 6 in the town of Gilroy. Sleeping about 5 hours, I woke at a quarter to 6 (luckily 8:45am my time) and by 6:30 was on the road, taking the 152 eastward to the I-5. Living up to its reputation as "the garlic capitol of the world," Gilroy smelled of the stinking rose.