Stories from

 


(Summer Jetsam)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Is your company gone yet?
JOE: Yes. They left yesterday. Back to normal this morning.
CALLIOPE: Where does our book stand?
JOE: I thought you might ask. In between visiting and swimming at our friends' pool, I managed to finish the table of contents, index and a few minor revisions.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: Next is final review of the text to see if I missed anything.
CALLIOPE: And then?
JOE: Then is conversion to PDF format and distribution.
CALLIOPE: How do you plan to go about it?
JOE: I will announce it to my readers who subscribe to my newsletter and also post notices on the websites of communities to which I belong.
CALLIOPE: Do you plan to automate distribution of the e-book.
JOE: Not at first. I will distribute it as an e-mail attachment to those who are interested.
CALLIOPE: What if you have a great response.
JOE: Then I will consider automating it. I thought the personal touch might be better if I can keep up with it.
CALLIOPE: It's nice that you have the time in this day and age of automation.
JOE: I think so too. At least I'll try it. Talk with you tomorrow.

 


(Mayan Road)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. Just waking up?
JOE: You know better than that. We had overnight guests staying downstairs. I didn't want to disturb them using the computer.
CALLIOPE: Did they just wake up?
JOE: No again. We had to visit with them and then stop in at their family reunion in Attica.
CALLIOPE: I see. Glad we got that straightened out. What news?
JOE: I am nearing the end of my work on our book. My reviewing is finished, the table of contents is in order and the index I worked on yesterday is looking good but in need of a few corrections.
CALLIOPE: When will it be out?
JOE: Possibly next week. I have to give it a final going over and see if there is anything else to tend to first.
CALLIOPE: Is this your first e-book.
JOE: Two of my other books are available in e-book format through BookLocker but this is the first one I will offer directly.
CALLIOPE: There's always something new to experience.
JOE: So there is. I don't know where this will lead except to a new adventure.
CALLIOPE: Enjoy the ride.
JOE: I plan to. Talk with you on Monday.

(Sunset in Leroy)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Sleepy.
CALLIOPE: Didn't you go to bed last night?
JOE: I did but I kept waking up with new ideas for my writing.
CALLIOPE: I had a few ideas I thought I might share with you.
JOE: Thanks. I woke up early and wrote them all down before I forgot them.
CALLIOPE: I hope they help.
JOE: I'm sure they will?
CALLIOPE: Where do you plan to start?
JOE: I finished reviewing our book, Conversations with Calliope, and I think the text is adequate.
CALLIOPE: But?
JOE: It could use a little enhancement.
CALLIOPE: Such as?
JOE: I am going to try adding a cream background instead of white which seems a little boring. I will also rearrange some of the photos and complete an index I started yesterday. I also plan to add to the announcement and publicity ten reasons to read this book and ten reasons not to. I'm anxious to get going again. Talk with you tomorrow.

 


(Giant Bugs)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: A lazy summer day I suppose.
JOE: I can't deny it. Getting started today seemed an effort.
CALLIOPE: What have you done so far?
JOE: My diary is about all the writing I could manage so far.
CALLIOPE: What about yesterday?
JOE: I finished proofreading about half of our book, Conversations with Calliope, and plan to work on it some more today.
CALLIOPE: How are you going about it?
JOE: One chapter at a time so I don't lose my concentration.
CALLIOPE: Have you recovered from your environmental trauma?
JOE: For the most part. I don't think I told you about the article I read on Saturday.
CALLIOPE: Tell me.
JOE: Clunker poison is a chemical poured into the engine of a car traded in with the new government program. It seizes up the engine irretrievably and the car is demolished even if the rest of it is still usable.
CALLIOPE: Leading to more junk on our national trash pile.
JOE: Exactly. After reading about ecology and our responsibility for the earth, it threw me for a loop. Talk with you tomorrow.

 
(Sunset on Honeoye Lake)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Still meditating on last night.
CALLIOPE: On what specifically?
JOE: Sunset. I spent the day reading and talking about what we do to the earth and don't even seem to notice our destructive ways.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: Despite it all, the earth favors us with treats such as fantastic sunsets despite all our worst habits.
CALLIOPE: An interesting thought.
JOE: My question is where it will take me.
CALLIOPE: Do you have any ideas?
JOE: Not specifically. I realize I can't change everyone's attitude about the earth any more than I can change how people treat each other.
CALLIOPE: You're not God.
JOE: Exactly. Even God leaves it to us how we treat the earth and each other. Although we have free choice, we also must accept the consequences of our decisions.
CALLIOPE: Maybe you should write about the connection.
JOE: I have been, but maybe I need to do more of it. Talk with you tomorrow.

 


(Nature's Beauty)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Feeling productive.
CALLIOPE: What did you produce?
JOE: My column for Saturday, My Great Life and The Dream of the Earth.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: It's a long story. The highlights are that I read three books connecting my thoughts about stewardship of the earth rather than raping it and leaving a pile of junk in our wake.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a strong statement.
JOE: The more I read the more troubled I become about our throw-away society and what we are doing to our environment in the process.
CALLIOPE: And you wrote about this in your column?
JOE: I did.
CALLIOPE: Don't you think you might stir up some controversy?
JOE: I hope I do. Sometimes I feel like Chicken Little but the voice of one crying in the wilderness is usually not a popular one.
CALLIOPE: Getting people to change never is a comfortable pursuit.
JOE: I agree. But I think it's time to speak. Talk with you tomorrow.

 


(Sunflowers)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Are you back to work or still in vacation mode?
JOE: Back to work I guess. But I am still working on refreshing myself.
CALLIOPE: Such as?
JOE: Yesterday I attended Spiritus Christi Church as they celebrated the tenth anniversary of their men's addiction recovery program.
CALLIOPE: How did that affect you?
JOE: I got to thinking about my granddaughter and her struggle to cope with her alcoholic father while he struggles with himself.
CALLIOPE: Where did that lead?
JOE: To a great sense of sadness that she has to endure pain, sorrow, and worry about her father.
CALLIOPE: Is there any hope for change?
JOE: He seems to be nearing bottom and possibly getting serious about some help.
CALLIOPE: Good. Anything you can do in the mean time?
JOE: I wondered that too. I wrote my granddaughter a letter yesterday telling me of my sadness about her situation and her father's and sharing my prayer for their peace with God and with each other.
CALLIOPE: At least you did something.
JOE: I wish I could do more, but at least I let her know I understood and cared about her. I guess that's a start. Talk with you tomorrow.

 


(Spring Flowering)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. Where have you been?
JOE: Carol has a vacation this week. I guess the mood is contagious.
CALLIOPE: I guess so. We were in mid discussion about Grass Roots and you promised to elaborate.
JOE: I did. I was telling you about hearing their song Where Were You When I Needed You on Wednesday night.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: They came out with it in 1966, during my first year out of the monastery. It reminded me of feeling like an alien on earth in a culture which had emerged while I was away.
CALLIOPE: Did it bring back memories and feelings about those days?
JOE: In a way, but it didn't through me into chaos as Michael McDonald did.
CALLIOPE: How did you react?
JOE: I quickly moved on to thoughts about all the friends I have developed since then and how much I have learned and grown.
CALLIOPE: So it was a good reaction?
JOE: It was.
CALLIOPE: What's next on your horizon?
JOE: The books I am working on as well as a new awareness of my place in the cosmos and my feeling of responsibility to make the most of it. I'll tell you more next week.

 


(Wagon Wheels)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon, Joe. I missed you this morning.
JOE: I was off to a busy start.
CALLIOPE: Doing what?
JOE: Going for a massage, shopping, and manual labor edging the lawn.
CALLIOPE: Are your musical adventures over?
JOE: Hardly.
CALLIOPE: Tell me.
JOE: Last night several of us drove to Finger Lakes Race Track for a concert by the Sky Coasters and then Grass Roots.
CALLIOPE: Go on.
JOE: I have seen Sky Coasters quite a few times, a band from Rochester which plays quite a variety of songs and I always enjoy them.
CALLIOPE: And Grass Roots?
JOE: Another story. I must admit I didn't remember them from the old days, at least until they sang, "Where Were You When I Needed You?"
CALLIOPE: Did that song have some special significance for you?
JOE: It was their first big hit in 1966 the year after I left the monastery and was just getting back into the real world. It brought back memories of those days. I'll tell you more tomorrow.

 


(Coconut Palm)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Doing well. I got some exercise yesterday morning and went to say goodbye to my brother Bob and his girlfriend Carol who are returning to Hawaii this morning.
CALLIOPE: Any further musical adventures?
JOE: As a matter of fact yes.
CALLIOPE: Tell me.
JOE: Carol takes lessons and is in a traditional Hawaiian Hula group. She performed a couple dances for us last night.
CALLIOPE: Sounds interesting.
JOE: I thought so. It went beyond the typical Luau dancing. She also took time to introduce and later explain the movements of each dance.
CALLIOPE: A treat.
JOE: Indeed. It reminded me of the unbounded creativity across the world.
CALLIOPE: Any personal message for you?
JOE: It encouraged me to continue exploring my own creative side and express whatever you and the other muses might bring me as gifts.
CALLIOPE: Glad you appreciate them.
JOE: I do. Talk with you tomorrow.

(Portuguese Street Tile)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What news today?
JOE: I continued my creative restoration program yesterday.
CALLIOPE: How?
JOE: Carol and I spent the afternoon at her cousin's cottage on Canisus Lake, one of the New York State Finger Lakes.
CALLIOPE: And you relaxed all day?
JOE: For the most part. However the afternoon was punctuated by a musical surprise.
CALLIOPE: Tell me.
JOE: Zack, a thirteen year old grandson of one of Carol's cousin's friends, began talking about his interest in opera. It turned out to be more than an interest.
CALLIOPE: How so.
JOE: He had amassed quite a bit of knowledge about opera, favored Mozart, particularly La Nozza de Figaro and Die Zauberflaut. In mid discussion he broke into song favoring us with several arias from each of his favorite operas.
JOE: How a mature baritone voice could emanate from a thirteen year old boy astounded me.
CALLIOPE: I wish I had been there.
JOE: Some of your more musically inclined sister muses would have been impressed.
CALLIOPE: Perhaps one of them had a hand in drawing him to opera.
JOE: Perhaps. In any case it was a pleasant surprise, bordering on a peak experience.

 


(Dream of the Earth)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. You were going to tell me more about the book you were reading.
JOE: You mean Lost in Translation. I finished it Saturday after we talked.
CALLIOPE: So tell me more.
JOE: The story portrayed an archaeologist in search of the lost bones of Peking Man in China. The translator for the archaeologist was the protagonist and she balances dealing with her own father, Chinese culture and her attraction to a government representative accompanying the expedition.
CALLIOPE: What did you like about the book?
JOE: I mentioned my interest in the subplot of a priest, Teilhard de Chardin, his book The Phenomenon of Man and his relationship with a woman in the 1930's as well as his involvement in possibly trying to preserve the Peking Man bones.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more about him.
JOE: He wrote about evolution of the earth and mankind at a time when the Catholic Church was not ready for his thoughts. He lived and worked under a cloud.
CALLIOPE: Did you have some personal involvement.
JOE: Yes. I fell under a cloud as well when I read his works and discussed them in the monastery in which I lived.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you were a bit of a rebel.
JOE: No doubt. While the cats were away, several other monastic mice and I attended a week long conference at Fordham University which further cast suspicion on all involved.
CALLIOPE: I see. And now?
JOE: I still like to challenge peoples' perceptions with my writing but now try to do it a little more subtly. Talk with you tomorrow.

 


(Rock's Secrets)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: I assume your arrival at this late hour reflects your efforts to restore yourself.
JOE: If you mean was I sleeping until now, I wasn't. I've never slept that late in my life.
CALLIOPE: Don't get defensive.
JOE: I'm not. I was up before 6:00AM. But I have been relaxing, at least a little.
CALLIOPE: What did you do?
JOE: Read two newspapers, completed a crossword puzzle, fed the birds, fertilized my plants and flowers, walked to the farmer's market and started exploring Google Checkout as a possibility for my website.
CALLIOPE: A good mix of activities. Anything else to report?
JOE: Yesterday I continued reading Nicole Mones' book, Lost in Translation.
CALLIOPE: What interested you in that book.
JOE: I saw the movie based on it and wasn't particularly impressed. I found a copy at our library book sale and decided to try it.
CALLIOPE: What's it about?
JOE: The story of an archeologist and his translator in search of the lost bones of Peking Man.
CALLIOPE: Any surprises?
JOE: One. The substory is about Pierre Tielhard de Chardin, a Jesuit priest who helped discover the controversial skeletal evidence. That's a story I will share with you on Monday. Talk with you then.

 

(Into the Woods)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Did you take a break as promised?
JOE: I did. I took a walk down a country road and communed with nature's beauty on the best day I have seen all summer.
CALLIOPE: Good timing.
JOE: I can't agree more.
CALLIOPE: What did you discover?
JOE: Birds, cornflowers, Queen Anne's lace, fields, woods and wild black raspberries.
CALLIOPE: Did you take along your camera?
JOE: Not this time. I had to choose between just being with nature or capturing it. I chose the former.
CALLIOPE: Not a bad choice. What did the experience do for you?
JOE: Helped gain me some perspective on life. It's the journey which matters, not the goal.
CALLIOPE: Others might disagree.
JOE: Let them. We all have to choose our own paths and make of them what we will. I'm happy with the choices I have made.
CALLIOPE: Glad to hear it.
JOE: Thanks. Talk with you tomorrow.

 

(Swimming Racehorses)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. I feel rested, relaxed and energetic.
CALLIOPE: How nice.
JOE: I think so.
CALLIOPE: What do you plan to do with the state in which you find yourself?
JOE: Good question. I can always count on you for a little prod.
CALLIOPE: Well?
JOE: I was thinking earlier this morning about how technology has drained all my energy lately.
CALLIOPE: What do you plan to do about it?
JOE: Patience! Patience! I'm getting to that.
CALLIOPE: Not very quickly.
JOE: That's just the point. There's no rush.
CALLIOPE: Proceed.
JOE: My plan is to take some time in the second half of summer (such as it is) to recharge my creative batteries.
CALLIOPE: Now we're getting somewhere. How?
JOE: My art supplies are getting dusty. I plan to get them out and get to work painting and drawing. I also plan to delve into reading to start my creative juices flowing again. Talk with you tomorrow.

(Vandas in Barbados)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Feeling at peace.
CALLIOPE: More so than usual?
JOE: Yes. I have accomplished all the immediate goals I set for myself and now am taking a deep breath before starting on the next one.
CALLIOPE: What goals did you accomplish?
JOE: Both of my websites have been revised and posted, our Conversations with Calliope ebook is ready for proofreading and my column on Inspiration and Institution is on its way to my public.
CALLIOPE: You've been busy.
JOE: I have. Several projects were near completion but still unfinished. Suddenly all of them came together in the past few days.
CALLIOPE: It must be a good feeling.
JOE: Yes. One of accomplishment and satisfaction.
CALLIOPE: What's next on the horizon?
JOE: I think I'll get back to work on Marital Property.
CALLIOPE: I haven't heard you talk about your novel lately.
JOE: It's been fermenting. I think it's time to open the cask and see whether it is aged enough to proceed. Talk with you tomorrow.

 

(Rusty Hull)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What' on your mind today?
JOE: I was just thinking about my newspaper column for this Saturday.
CALLIOPE: What do you plan to write about?
JOE: Inspiration and Institution.
CALLIOPE: Sounds intriguing. Tell me more.
JOE: Discovering Spiritus Christi Church brought to mind all the movements started by idealists.
CALLIOPE: Yes?
JOE: Most of them end up ossified into stodgy institutions including religions, political movements and even whole civilizations.
CALLIOPE: So?
JOE: I was wondering if it is possible for a movement to stay fresh without becoming institutionalized.
CALLIOPE: Have you reached a conclusion on the matter?
JOE: No. It remains a question, perhaps one of life's mysteries for me.
CALLIOPE: So what can you do?
JOE: Enjoy the freshness while I can and contribute what I can to its viability. Talk with you tomorrow.

(Family)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Have you finally returned to your regular schedule?
JOE: We'll see. The answer is yes for the moment.
CALLIOPE: Did your weekend adventures provide all you expected?
JOE: They did. A couple from Spiritus Christi invited my brother and me for dinner Saturday.
CALLIOPE: How did that go?
JOE: Quite well. We learned more about the history of the community which has been in existence for about ten years now and is going strong.
CALLIOPE: Any revelations?
JOE: I was concerned that they might have some confining dogmas which might give me second thoughts. I thought I might want to just stay with the experience and not try to make too much sense of it.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: Discussing it did not provide any such difficulties. It is a community which offers support for acting in a Christian way without the onerous burdens I formerly carried as a Roman Catholic and which eventually drove me from their fold.
CALLIOPE: And then?
JOE: My brother and I and our girlfriends attended the Spiritus Christi service Sunday morning and felt totally immersed in their fellowship and community.
CALLIOPE: It sounds like you have found a new spiritual home.
JOE: I think so. We are trying to let it develop naturally without forcing anything. Talk with you tomorrow.