August

This month is a lot of things. Hot and humid are two of them. Not really the focus of this post. But then, not much is the focus. I lost track of the concoctions conjured from the produce of the CSA. Last Tuesday was National Night Out, so we had a block party. What were you doing that evening?

This month is also the dog days of summer. Although, we saw many more sun dogs in the cold crisp air of winter. Out over the airport in the mornings. Spectacular and free. Besides, the dog don't seem to care much of these days. Her tongue hangs there like a towel caught in a waterfall, flipping spit and looking wholly uncomfortable.

Times like this my unspoken desire to be a reptile almost becomes verbal on an hourly basis. If I have to watch any more war videos or workplace shootings on the radio I swear I'll give up my frontal cortex for relief from the need to stay warm. Of course, the crows perched on the church steeple disagree - loudly. And I don't mess with crows. (the bird kind; the human ones messed with me) Is it me, or do crows get bigger every year? One day, I expect we'll hear one carried off a Smart Car, then got pissed when it realized it was not the Mother of All Snails. I spent some time trying to convince a flock of crows to sit still and quiet in People's Park (DeKalb, IL) with a wandering Native one long afternoon. So many stories were told that day, I'm still not certain who was talking. Perhaps all of us at once. Birds are warm-blooded like us, but still feel their ties to the dinosaurs, see? We came up as egg-stealers and those bird-brains got long memories, I fear. Alfred knew this, of that I have little doubt.

Enough about brains. They are either over-rated or under-recognized. Probably both. Either way, humility is a bitter fucking pill at times. Apparently, civil engineers are relearning lessons from exoskeleton clan. Take a look.

Lately I have been feeling distinctly bacterial, at least in my root hairs. We have been thinking collectively - or not thinking collectively, but in a positive way. I think its positive, anyway, but "I" don't have much leverage in this thought pattern. A molecular itch. An unsaturated synapse. That thing that don't quite fit. The ghosts of desire taunt every empty receptor. They are orphans, you know. Those bacterial proteins directed by some of our most ancient genes. Fossils some call them, but I disagree because we make them every second - and fossils do not reproduce. But then, I think viruses are as alive as I am. That ain't much but it is what we got.

August.

History

It has been a while since these posts have turned toward the political. However, I came across this diary on the Open Left site that I frequent.

I won't bother running a series of quotes. If you are interested you'll read it, if not - oh well. One part I'd like to emphasize however is this part:

The leaders of the American Revolution were heavily influenced by Enlightenment thinkers, so naturally the United States was founded on progressive ideas. They're described in the Declaration of Independence:

"All men are created equal."

"Governments derive their powers from the consent of the Governed."

In other words, every citizen—a president, a clerk, a multimillionaire, a fruit picker—has the same rights and is bound by the same laws. And the nation's leaders work for its people—not the other way around.

At that time, most nations still operated according to conservative ideas: the rich and powerful should have special rights and privileges, and regular people had a duty to obey their "betters."

American colonists saw the problems with this sort of society firsthand: they were oppressed by a rich, powerful king who refused to obey his country's laws, treated them like criminals and second-class citizens, and prevented them from engaging in manufacturing and trade.

Progressive-minded colonists considered this unacceptable. They started and led a rebellion against the King's rule. They risked their lives to make progress and install a new system of government based on Democracy.

Conservative-minded colonists, called Tories, did not support the rebellion. They supported the King's rule, were afraid to change it, or thought that the costs of political progress outweighed its benefits.

Fortunately, the progressive-minded colonists prevailed and won their independence—with help from France, the birthplace of the Enlightenment. Tragically, conservative-minded colonists insisted on preserving an old evil that would tear the new nation apart: slavery.

What would Thomas Jefferson say to Sarah Palin? to Barack Obama?

How about Rand Paul or Dick Armey? (Now, THAT is a visual name, if ever one was).

Or would he organize a resistance? What kind of resistance? To which nations would he turn for aid? France, again? Are the Tea Partiers the new Minutemen, or are they just a shill, a populist veneer on the Tories of today?

A Crop Share Summer Progresses

The promise of counter-top mushrooms has yet to be realized. The first attempt was a flaming disaster. Too warm I surmise, atop the kitchen 'fridge. Anyway...

This season we joined a Crop Share at a local farm. Tangle Town. Relative to the many Farmer's Markets, the 1/2 share has been quite cost effective. It has also taught us to eat with respect to the local environment. Implicit in this approach is the need to prepare foods that one might otherwise avoid. This lesson has already been learned by many of you, no doubt, and I have always made an effort to pertain to the seasons. In any case, the most abundant is the most cost effective food. No matter what so-called economic system one lives beneath. Or above and apart, as the case may be.

With the help of the Flavor Bible , suggested by Middleman's recent roommate in Chicago, I have come to terms with beets. Still can't quite stomach the red ones in a plain presentation. Borscht is out of the question.

Gulin has learned about beans. Specifically those mixed with greens. Solid meal, this. Especially with kale and/or collards. Crisp up a piece of bacon before starting the flavor symphony and you'll forgo heaven for a plateful of the Earth's green bounty.

The two recipes that follow were developed along the lines of the Flavor Bible and the early summer harvest of from Plano, MN.

Add on where you see fit. How does one pickle cauliflower? Conjure mead?

Missive

Whoa. This has because something of a ghost site.

So, what up folks? There are rumblings behind the scenes that even I can fathom and kenn.

Gulin and I are tentatively planning a trip out west this June, but summer can be a tricky time for us. All indications are that we will get out to OR for the marathon. Assuming that middleman has gotten himself out of Chicago and into the greater Portland area. It would be ideal to meet up with the Kerrs at the same time, but that remains to be organized. Let us know what's up.

It may well be that the trip to the PacWest will be the de facto reunion. At least from my perspective, as the fall will be tense and busy until after early September.

On the whole, we are doing OK. No more poems about shoveling snow. Now there are tulips, crocus, and daffodil. Just got a plug of mushroom mycelia (Nameko) to fruit for fresh, counter-top mushrooms in a few weeks (hypothetically). Writing about bioswitching and evolution lately and looking forward to the Experimental Biology meeting later this month.

Congratulations Taylors

Hope all are still doing well.

A trend develops

Level II

Snow Day

Ha. The second snow of the season blizzarded across the yard. The drift in the driveway was like a blue whale: big and shaped by the elements. Swirled bubbles on the winward riptide prickled my face. Pull the hat down; cover the ear; mind your nose. Soon the warm ceramic glow of bitter black coffee will make numb fingers begin to hurt. Now is the time to lift and scoop. To hack purposefully at the wiles of nature and the world.

That was the morning. Then we watched the sun move across the sky and dapple shadows on the snow sculpted by wind and shovel. Stay and push the cycles spun through my head slowly through my fingertips onto the keys that transform thought into word. Slow. Deliberate. Like alchemists ply for the Stone. Like cooks make soup, only harder to sample or savor. Then it was evening and later, now.

Tastes pretty good.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I would like to wish all my family a Happy Thanksgiving. All in all we have a lot to be thankful for. I am. Love you all. Miss you all.

Love
Mom, Liz, Aunt Liz, Busia, Buschette, Great Aunt Liz

Been out of touch

Hi all,

Guess I have been out of touch lately. I have been a bit under the weather. Still not too good. I have just been coming home from work and sleeping. Today is the first I feel have way decent. Have to catch up with all I have not been doing.

Hope Mary and Jerry - David and Gulin had a good visit.

Karyn and family are doing fine. Waiting for the birth of their second. In the meantime, Matt got a job. Levi is doing well at daycare and growing up very fast.

Michael, Valerie, Juniper and Phinehas were back in MI. for a quick trip. Valerie's grandfather, Harry, passed away. They came it for that but were able to visit some of the family.

I had a wonderful trip to CO to see them in September. They had a suprise birthday for me at a Harvest Festival Dinner.

I just signed Don up for SS. YEA!! Business continues to be REALLY SLOW!!!

Not much else.

Love me

Travels & Visits

Quick note. Gulin and I returned from our most recent trip to Turkey last Sunday afternoon. Finally clearing some of the jet lag. The main purpose of the trip was to attend the wedding of Gurcan and Demet. Gurcan is Gulin's step-brother. We had some time to tour the Mediterranian coast and had an interesting day at the Modern Art Museum in Istanbul, too. Walked around so many Roman ruins that I lost track of which was which. I especially like to take a moment to stand in the ruined towns and try to imagine what it was like to walk those roads when the cities were in their prime. Other times, I ponder what our cities and towns will look like 2 or 3000 years. What will be the main attraction in the ruins of Chicago, New York, or even Coleman? Will they even be ruins? Mostly centered on the town of Kas.

Back here in Minneapolis we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Mary Agnes and Jerry this weekend. Should be a good visit.

So, what have y'all been up to?

Just Saying HI

Hi Family,

Just wanted all to know I am off to CO on September 24, will return September 29. I am off to see the Kerr family there.

My computer got a bad virus (don't know how this happens to me all the time), but I lost all my e-mail address. Can anyone who wants to e-mail me so I can have their e-mail.

Love
Liz

Family Party

Spend Halloween in MPLS.

Weekend of October 30, 2009

Costume optional.

Pictures of the 2009 Reunion

Here are some of the pictures. I did not have a good camera with me. I will send discs.

Me

Here are some of the highlights of the 2009 Reunion:

We all arrived at Mary and Jerry's on Saturday. (Or the rest of the family that was not there on Friday). Don showed up for a short time. We truly missed members of the Greg and David Okar familes.

The weather was a bit nippy, but we managed not to have rain.

We had a great dinner of chicken, venison, shrimp and veggie shis -k-bobs on the grill. We had all the go withs. We were all stuffed.

The little kids had a great time playing with each other and riding Thomas around the track. They all loved feeding the chickens. The adults just talked, as adults do.

We had the grab bag. I must say that it was not as involved as last years. We did have a few exchanges. It was simple. Kids just picked which ones they wanted. Adults had numbers, a corresponding number was then picked and they got to chose there grab bag. What was the memorable "gift".

We did tie dye shirts. How long before the dye comes off our hands??

Bart played with all his nieces and nephews, and of course his cousin Levi. He did "unders" on the swing set, he gave them airplane rides, and ran around with them. We did sit by the campfire. I did not get an updated picture of it.

We raised a few questions. What happens when you sit on a Hebrew National and also who is Bart's friend Bo? Perhaps someone could answer that for us.

Elisa cooked us a wonderful breakfast the next morning. It was right on time. 9:30. Elisa even manged to use the high tech stove.

All in all we had a good time. I would like to pass on the "blue" ball. Any takers. Katherine has come up with some ideas for the next one. It seems as though the month needs to change. October??

I will post the other pictures on the next blog.

What did I miss.

I am going to do it!!

I plan on putting pictures and my memories on here tomorrow. My world has been a bit crazy, plus my computer was acting up!!!

Reunion!

I have not seen any traffic on this site about the reunion. What was everyones favorite part. Not the weather I am sure. I know the attendence was small but I had a ton of fun. My favorite part was being able to use some of the skills I have learned in the real world to entertain my neices and nephews. At the bar everyone yells and orders at the same time all thinking they are the most important person in the room. Kind of like little kids. I was able to listen and understand most requests over the weekend using this skill. I also learned I need tighter fitting shorts when playing airplane with the kids. Finally the lesson that will stick with me the most, you must ease little kids into super-ultra underdogs. Karen and Matt hopefully you will not have problems getting Levi onto airplanes in the future.

What is the word on next year. I know people are busy with the start of the school year but the year also goes fast. I am down for having it later in the year, Labor day weekend. We could do winter time as well. Sledding, ice fishing, igloos all that stuff is fun. Does it snow in Turkey? If not I think I could probably get over not dealing with snow. Also, South Lyon crew what is your thinking. Do you guys want to host?

If no one minds I would like to take over the hosting of the grab bag. I can gather things I see through out the year. I have the least amount of responsibility and time consuming matters. Maybe it would help me to mature a little to take on a task of this type of importance. It also make my attendence mandatory every year.It makes it easier with the bosses if you can tell them attendence is mandatory. It may be a touch different but the fun and spirit will be the same.

I do not have many pictures of the re-union but I will try and post the ones I do have.

We're OK

You might hear some reports of a tornado touching down in South or Downtown Minneapolis, the reports are true. Very close to our house, based on the satellite maps I've been looking at, it went pretty much right over our place.

But, no worries. I'm at home now and everything is fine.

have fun at the reunion.

Final Reunion Plans

The summer is going very fast. It is almost time for our Third Annual Family Reunion. Plans have to be getting finalized.

First: Simply are you able to attend or not. Just a simply yes or no is good. No explanation necessary. Of course we would love to see everyone!!! Maybe in the future we should stick to about the same weekend, then we could always try and plan around it. I know for myself it seems like everything always happens at the same time.

Second: If you are coming. Will you spend the night at Mary and Jerry's. They do have the room. If not I believe Kathrine and Eric will be able to put someone up.

Third: Mary and Jerry are planning Shish- K-Bobs. We need go withs. Let them know what you are bringing. On second thought let us all know, so we can plan better.

Fourth: The Grab Bag. I am not as good as coming up with the list of rules my dear brother did. Here is my version.

1. We will have an adult grab bag and one for the children. Children are considered the fourth generation of the Okar family. Adults being the 2nd and 3rd generation. I am counting only from Mom and Dad.
2. If you want to participate, you are to bring one to two grabs gifts. The amount you bring will be the amount to get. Same with the children. Remember look around the house, do not spend money. If you do go to the dollar store.
3. The children will go first. It would be hard to do the oldest to the youngest, so we will just put the grab gifts out and let them pick.
4. Adult grab bag will be a bit different. Each person will pick a number. We will then go in number order. Details to come later about the numbers and so forth.

Based on a few of the comments from some of the previous blogs, how about thinking a taking an hour maybe and letting everyone know what you are up to these days. Trying to get to know each other a bit more.

How about a game of Bocce Ball? Someone has Mom and Dad's good set. Who is that?

Any other ideas, please jump in and suggest.

I will also copy this and e-mail. Again if you see that someone is not on the list, please let me know.

Liz

New Debate Topic

The following question is currently being asked by my linguistic professor. My class has an online portion that takes place on a discussion board and this is the newest topic. I thought that since the highest number of responses come from debated topics, this might be an interesting topic.

Who owns the English language? Since, English has become the number one global language, its foreign speakers overwhelming outnumber its native speakers. Who, then, should decide what is its standard and grammatical use?

I will post my response from the class here when I am done composing it.

This could be a sea change

I realize that our family covers a wide range of political perspectives. We may never agree. Or, maybe we do agree and our egos keep us from acknowledging such. Regardless, all who are interested in exploring a novel experiment in a form of direct democracy will find the following post intriguing.

A Web-based Tool for Bottom-up Self-organizing

Its long, I know. But ain't your life worth it? Imagine what might be able to happen if enough people were able to put aside their fears and actually attempt a political act that goes far beyond voting. I don't know where it might lead, but there are libraries full of history books detailing the evidence that complacency is the first hurdle. This tool combines social networking, polling, and something akin to a match-making site, except on the bases of real-life political out-looks rather than romance and such. There is alot of potential here, I think.

I'd like to emphasize that this democratizing tool will work for citizens of any political perspective. It is designed to match you with other citizens, at any level of civic organization (city, county, state, nation, etc.), that are over similar mind on particular policies, or issues. It will also provide polling data related to these issues, so that interested parties can build campaigns for the positions they share. The caveat is that one has to participate if one hopes to see such an endeavor bear the kind of fruit for which ones hankers.

If you are at all intrigued by this idea, take a look at this thread:

Excerpt and Discussion on Open Left

There is a lot to digest in these links. Enjoy. Empower.

REUNION PLANS

Hi family,

I guess somehow it is my job to pass the word about the family reunion.

Am really disappointed that David and Gulin will not be with us.

Excerpt from the family blog.

Mary Agnes has put aside the weekend of August 21 - 23, 2009.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Again, being a saint, she offered to host the reunion at her home.
Probably just an excuse to get Jerry working on the house.

Mary and Kathrine would like to know who is coming and who might be staying with them. I for one will once again ask Mary and Jerry to put me up. I will bring a mouse trap!! Kidding.

Mary and Jerry are planning shish- k- bobs for the main meal. Chicken, veggie, venison and beef. Make them how you wish. We need to have the go withs. As always being true Okars we always have plenty of food. Let Mary know what you will bring. I will bring plates, silverware and napkins. Will also make something to eat. Some sort of rice dish.

As for the grab bag. We will have two. An adult one and one for the kids. If you want to participate you are to bring two “grab bags” per person. The idea of course is to not spend money and find things laying around your house. I imagine for the kids if you do not have things around the house, the dollar store is a great place to find things. REMEMBER ONLY TWO PER PERSON.

I hope that I have everyone’s e-mail on this list. If you see someone missing please let me know. At one time I had them all, then my mother board went.

Tie Dye shirts. It has been requested that we do tie dye, but try and use natural dyes. Beets for red. Coffee, tea, onion skins and so forth.

Any other ideas would be great!!

Bart, in regards to smoking. Those who do, smoke outside and can do so discreetly. Is the place you work a non-smoking establishment?? It will be great to see you.

I sincerely hope to see the Greg and Mary Okar family. Sure did miss seeing Pat, Molly, Matt and Leanne at the last one.

I am going to attempt to try and cut and paste this on the blog.

Any other ideas and or comments, let me know.

Kathrine, I will e-mail you some pictures from the 4th of Levi and Charlie. Some of them came out really good.

All my love to all of you.
Liz (better known as Putt-Putt) as a child. That or Little Bit.

Reunion!

I think it seems as if everything is coming together. Today however, I was surprised. I saw Patrick after the Cubs game. I started talking about the reunion and his exact words were, "What family reunion?". Can someone please clue him in better than I could. He said he is moving the first weekend of August. Maybe he can make it also. I am going to bring tie dye. I think we should include the people who want to do it the old fashion way and not use markers. All are welcome to share. I would prefer if it was a no smoking event. I do not think it sets a good example for my nieces and nephews. Plus I am training for a marathon and would prefer not dealing with it. Uncle Dave looking forward to your grilled veggies. For people staying what about a quick canoe trip or golf round?

History

Haven't had a Family Lore post in quite some time. So let me try and get something rolling.

I was born in Chicago, but that's pretty much all I know about that period in the Okar Family history. Resurrection Hospital. Dr. Malarkey, or Mileski, or some such dude, was there.

There was a dog involved, Zip. He had some kind of "sixth sense" about when Dad was returning from a sales trip. When instructed by our mother to take me (an infant) for a walk, Liz and Greg used to pinch me so that they could claim I was crying to return home. This may be why I have an inexplicable dread of walking around the block, especially while being pushed in a stroller. Occasionally, they left me on the rail-road tracks, strapped tightly into the stroller. Apparently, I became inured to the pinches. As I have said, I have no direct memory of these events. These are lore, even to me.

Our Mother's family was disappointed and/or upset because she did not marry a Polish man, or because she had the gall to move all the way to Michigan. I suspect it was both. I've never understood the latter. These were people that had traveled across the ocean and, presumably, west from NYC (or wherever). Chicago/Detroit seems small potatoes. Oh well. In any case, turmoil ensued. At some point, my Busia was living in Huntington Woods with us and her husband was in Chicago. After she died, her room became the Blue Room.

Somewhere along the line MA got married, Greg joined the Army and Liz managed American Drugs in Berkley, MI. I mostly hung around at got into scrapes with the Hurley's and Longs, or into trouble with McMullen and the Crowe boys. I was a latchkey kid. Staying with Grandma Thuss at the Crowe's was alot of fun. Later, I'd go to work with Liz and count cartons of cigarettes. I remember being so surprised when the people around me began to smoke at how narrow of a range they consumed, given the many brands I routinely stocked in the store. One of the first times I can remember being acutely aware of how small my social circle was, despite how overwhelming it seemed at times. An early lesson in the importance of scale that I;m still actively working to fully comprehend. All because of cigarettes and manual labor. A lethal combination in so many ways. Thanks for that, Liz. It was a very good experience. I enjoyed it at the time, too.

Any more and I'll be getting into my autobiography rather than Lore. So, siblings, let's see where my interpretation of the piecemeal picture that are my earliest memories.

Back from Halifax

Quick note to let you all know we had a wonderful visit to Nova Scotia over the last 5 days. Got stranded in Boston last night, though, so we just arrived this morning and scrambled off to work.

Greg's new diary needs more digesting than I can manage at the moment.