fruits of the spirit: LOVE, PEACE, JOY, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, GENTLENESS, FAITHFULNESS & SELF CONTROL.
posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 10:10 AM
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a wildflower and scenic view walk on the 19th, the first day of spring 2024 and then a sweet, wonderful visit over a delicious meal; an overdue, and blessed visit with the tiners; and overdue and blessed visit at alden lane; our new (3 years?) tradition of bringing the st patty's party to my mom/rick's and celebrating some more; a wonderful, inspiring, 'based on true story' movie with crazy good popcorn, followed by a wonderful lunch and then.. an extra special bday treat from extra special friends; eataly's pizza & pasta.. with spring wildflower hikes, bike rides and picnics to look foward to..
Our God is an awesome God! and i always remember this; but especially as we near Easter..
hallelujah & amen!
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posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 9:16 AM
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How is it that Laura Garcia (Cannon) looks younger in 2024 than she did in 2003? -So beautiful! and add raising triplets; any stress the news yields.. and yet.. same youthfulness and energy.. inspiring!
posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 8:39 AM
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posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 11:19 AM
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and i remember thinking/writing: but San Jose is not currently ready for; or worthy of.. -because, based on what we've been seeing; until SJ/SCC address the issues of encampments, graffiti.. until they can reduce crime and increase safety and cleanliness..
this GORGEOUS, STUNNING, AWESOME sculpture would last around... less than 24 hours. that's was my guess
****
fast-forward, to when robert & i met directly, and in person, with Steve Borkenhagen, Exec Dir, of Urban Confluence, and this project! -lots to read about regarding the origins; the design competition..
read more if inspired; i'm going to let you join us at Voyager Coffee, San Pedro Square, in Downtown San Jose, during our conversation with Steve
us to steve: When we were leading the NOTonNOBLE protest, we had discussed amongst ourselves at that time.. wow! like how much energy it was taking.. the 80+ hour weeks we were putting in.. how taxing on every level.. but we fought, fought, fought.. and thought, -how wonderful it would be, if we could be using this time and energy toward something good and beautiful, vs. fighting evil, -know what we mean? Breeze of Innovation is something we can be FOR; we can fight for... it's an answered prayer for us.. we love it and want to learn more..
and of course, we shared our concerns about san jose being ready, clean enough, safe enough for something so magnificent -very concerned about anyone spending that much time, money, effort etc. for something that wasnt going to be properly valued; appreciated; -protected-
and that's when he educated us
steve to us: do you understand about what a conservancy is? (does?)
-and we did not.
he went on to explain, that let's say breeze of innovation is successfully built on plaza de cesar chavez.. which is in downtown and is surrounded by hotels, businesses, restaurants, -these surrounding entities have a vested interest in protecting the landmark sculpture for all their guests...
and, in my own words, now, what i understood immediately is this: oh! SJPD will not be responsible for protecting, cleaning, maintaining.. SJPD won't be responsible for catching/preventing graffiti and vandalism in general -because they are already overwhelmed..
so as long you have -several- entities, each with their own funds and human resources dedicated toward protecting.. well, now it stands a real chance!
-and once it was clear to me, to us; that breeze of innovation has a real chance, 1. to exist at all, and 2. to be protected and enjoyed by the masses thank you to a strong conservancy
lets do this thing! it cant happen fast enough!
and our conversation had a longer depth; and wider spectrum of topics, but.. i want to stay focused on breeze of innovation; and.. conservancy.. which i realized, is what our sacred perc ponds have in a kind of natural and organic way.. i mean, thank God, we do have parks & rec, and the valley water who have a vested interest in protecting; but.. there are a whole lotta neighbors; everyday people who enjoy the perc ponds.. and without being paid to do it; or asked to do it; or recognized for it
-we have a vested interest in keeping our sacred perc ponds; sacred. free from graffiti, garbage, etc. and there are so many unsung heros, who, when walking through.. pick up garbage/trash/litter... who cover up/remove graffiti -our vested interest is in getting to continue to enjoy, walk, bike, hike, bird watch, explore, fish, picnic.. safely in a clean, cared for landscape... and for our kids; and our grandkids to enjoy the same. and it is a sad story that we need so many everyday individuals PLUS city/park/county services to do this work on an ongoing basis; but we feel and honor that responsibility -and dream of the day when a caught n' consequences task force helps prevent the park property destruction/vandalism in the first place.
and you know what i would do given the chance: 1. clean it up 2. public apology 3. write an essay why this is wrong, and why you will not do it again -and if you do get caught a 2nd time; straight to jail write after you 1. clean it up 2. apologize publicly 3. write an essay why it is wrong and why you will never do it again
anyway..
now let's talk location. you can research that breeze of innovations location has already moved a couple times for a variety of reasons..
the current vision for the location is plaza de cesar chavez, and let's just say an early "happy birthday to.." -because march 31st is..
from the picture this looks good... it is in downtown... it is surrounded by businesses with a vested interest in its protection.. all good really; it would bring more attention to; awareness of cesar chavez..
but why does downtown get all the cool stuff? why not BEAUTIFUL BERRYESSA!.. we want our own sonic runway, and we would LOVE to have BREEZE of INNOVATION.. as you can see by our collective and ongoing efforts to keep our sacred perc ponds; sacred -we already have a track record of caring for, valuing, appreciating, protecting..
pause. daydream.. entourage, pride n joy, masses of people (just like barones/fortino) -slightly intoxicated happy dancing people at this live concert at the most stunning venue of all venues in the world!
play: what is it about lights? they are just so magical. they transform and elevate and enchant everywhere you find them... Christmas trees, boutiques, Disney's electric light parade, the water/light/music magic.. -when we light up our yard art.. when they twinkle as decor in restaurants.. when lights are strung along a walkway; when they accessorize an arch, an entry, a patio
when they are white; when they are a variety of colors, when they blink in different patterns.. when they dance with music.. the best!
they just consistently make magic. -speaking of.. those (14) historic headframes from the copper mine heydays in butte montana.. -someone(s) very intelligent spearheaded having them decorated in lights.. this just immediately elevated their appearance at night, making them beautiful and visible from long distances; and elevated their status as the historic icons they are
back to San Jose, and Breeze of Innovation.. plaza de cesar chavez is just too small from our point of view.. a couple acres. if breeze of innovation looks in the real world, as i see it in my imagination based on the youtube, and online pictures..
it needs and deserves MANY ACRES.. to really be all that it can and should be; to properly handle the local people/tourist traffic
so, on my own.. i started looking at alternative locations for this best venue of all venues in the world.. this breeze of innovation... this stunning, magical place to visit, hang out and enjoy
...for live bands... for picnics, romantic strolls up to inspiring views... cafes... restaurants... weddings, special events.. small business boutique shopping.. -of course the lights in the rods.. they will need to be able to change color! -wonder what it looks like, by day.. when the lights arent lit..
anyway.. plaza de cesar chavez; too small... beautiful berryessa..; not to be ruled out... but where else? where else?
and it came to my mind.. where else in san jose do they already have a track record of valuing, protecting, appreciating, maintaining beautiful things? where else in san jose, is it, ALREADY, clean and safe and pleasurable to visit, shop, enjoy live music, a pretty landscape, decorations
and, it is the 10th largest city in the nation, and i don't believe i've visited every single area... (although during NOTonNOBLE we did go to just about every. single. park. and. elementary school.)
but..
"of course! Santana Row!" -Valley Fair Mall.. gorgeous, clean, safe, pleasure to shop at; easy to bring guests/visitors and feel good about.. Santana Row.. with their beautiful hanging baskets of flowers.. pretty, pretty landscapes.. fancy stores.. wonderful variety of restaurants.. impressively convenient parking.. without realizing it, -before our conversation with Steve Borkenhagen..
well, obviously, Santana Row has a strong conservancy! this area is well taken care of; consistently
so, ... i started looking at maps of the area.. -and i think.. across the way from...
and its been one of my fascinations my entire life; having lived in over 30 different neighborhoods in the bay area
how culturally different (safe and clean to dangerous and littered), how sometimes just one or two blocks can make all the difference.. -why some bad neighborhoods spread and grow and keep claiming more territory
but here, don't we have a chance to take a great area, and let the great spread and grow and claim more territory..
yes.
and only very briefly before i close: WAIT, WAIT! how can i close without mentioning THE BEST SURPRISE from our meeting with Steve Borkenhagen -somewhere during the conversation, he brought up to us MY IDEA FOR LIGHTING UP SAN JOSE! -to my knowledge; no one knows about or cares; despite my sending personal letters to over 100 churches here in san jose. NOT ONE church responded at all -at all- my letters (to churches, i must remind) went UTTERLY IGNORED BY EVERY.SINGLE. CHURCH. the embarrassment is on them as far as i am concerned.
-not even sure how it reached steve, but someone sent it his way and he shared that whoever that was, said, "have you seen what this crazy lady has written.."
and how funny is that!?! it's not crazy to go into great debt for a new city hall that how many people will ever enter/enjoy? will travel across the world to see? or will even go out of their short way within this very city to make sure they get to see? - not crazy to let illegal campers colonize and close our local shopping plazas.. not crazy for city council members to stealth vote for 100 homeless to be provided tiny homes across from an elementary school on a park, slash, water supply facility.. long list here,
but it's considered crazy to share a beautiful vision, where said vision costs very little (relatively speaking) divided among churches/districts; different faiths; can be seen and enjoyed in all 10 districts vs. just one; is unique; beautiful; inclusive of all faiths.. and would, in fact, put san jose on the map, yield some 'awe' and attract artists, photographers, poets, writers, tourists, locals from all over the world
-in this case, i'll be happy to own 'crazy' as long as it's a synonym for inspired
but, honestly.. to have anyone ever; and in this case, steve borkenhagen! even mention that he knew about it; that did make my day.
and obviously there is room for both: breeze of innovation and light up san jose -the more magical lights the better
-but where was i?
*****
i wonder if i can help the graffiti taggers of any given neighborhood understand? graffiti is to property as smoking is to lungs. you are voluntarily destroying your own chance at having a better environment. vandalism does zero to improve your circumstances -you just add to the ugly. -love that analogy, what movie? denzel washington 'like getting in the boxing ring and hitting yourself in the face'
good exercise/question: would your neighborhood be a good host for something as beautiful and magical as breeze of innovation? -when investors/artists drive by or walk around your neighborhood, do they want to invest? or keep looking elsewhere...
-just the absence of graffiti can elevate an area 10 fold; the opposite also being true.
hallelujah & amen
posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 12:53 PM
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towards the back; or at the bottom on a per diem basis
sometimes those words; they are light and float write to the surface; allowing me to just skim the surface for an epic poem
but sometimes they're heavy and dense; each word worth its wait in gold
i need to reach
-sometimes i reach down, reach in, reach around and through and there it is!
but more often than not
i need to tilt the container, let gravity be gravity, let a certain amount of words just spill out all over the place because they are literally in the way
and i can't write what i want to write until i'm willing
and willing spills is its own art form; will spills demand to be left write where they land
you do not spend any time cleaning them up, organizing, re-writing
will spills are not drafts
they are biodegradable but unwasted words; a rather natural break-down occurs
doesn't it.
****
and with this in mind,
** it was at the let love connect the world performance.. sometime during the performance, a narrator said something like: 'as we enter the A.I. world, we (pray? hope?) that the love that is in human DNA will be carried forward with us..'
and the show went on..
but my heart and mind returned -A.I. can never yield true, genuine love. LOVE is a fruit of the human spirit; not the flesh; LOVE is not tucked within the strands of human DNA; LOVE is not x-ray-able; LOVE is not quantifiable; LOVE cannot be programmed or coded
-it can be imitated; mimicked, but the imitation and/or mimick is void the genuine spiritual experience. [but always reliant on an original] LOVE is the internal interpretation of a knowledge; feeling. and God is LOVE..
so, we should not count on A.I. to bring string love along via a complex molecule, -should we. We might instead consider asking and inviting and welcoming -in fact, recognize the necessity of our infinitely loving and eternal God.
1 John 4: 7-12
Questions from the onset: -spirit of generosity; mercy; grace -decision to forgive/receive forgiveness; faith, hope -that mysterious 'care' neuron -are you under the impression DNA contains? -the truth that sets us free that A.I. has the power, authority to sanctify
*****
-prayers, prayers, prayers with an ongoing telepathic itemized list.. trivial to vital; material to spiritual..
-prayer semantics -long ago changed; stopped praying someone i can trust and pray instead, someone who is trustworthy
more recently, -do forgive; do forgive... the scripture says, ask... Ask,
Ask
Seek
Knock ... not Tell, Sit Idle, then Barge In..
*****
... would be my hope, living to get to be a great grandma!
****
swimming in a million answered prayers; and there appears to be no cap on how many great days, great experiences, great YEARS even, in a row.. -the promised land
***
-that helped. and the will spill; as common/identifiable to writers, as {insert best analogy here}is to
amen.
posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 12:36 PM
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posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 10:44 AM
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posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 8:58 AM
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posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 10:34 AM
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adding to prayer list.. hallelujah & amen
posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 9:10 AM
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it was to meet, via movie, a pleasanton, ca hometown hero. and i loved the individual life story for all the beautiful lessons.. and then extra loved the whole thing exactly because pleasanton, the town, and livermore.. and places dear and familiar to me serve as the location. -what an overcomer, this young man.. and his family too.. they glorify God's name
posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 9:08 AM
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posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 8:34 AM
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****
it will suprise no one who knows me, that i'm self-inflicting (self-imposing?) another somewhat large literary project. -as i was reading unlocking the chain of poverty the first time, i was inspired to do, what i now know i will eventually do
and that is to juxtapose my own life to elpidio's
-not compare our lives; juxtapose. and there is a very large difference.
but i look foward to it; a million lessons tucked inside..
-more later
hallelujah & amen.
*****
march 4th, 2024
exercising my writes, 'readers prerogative' to change my mind and put jewel back on the shelf without finishing it. i remember loving the craft of writing; i remember being very impressed with its originality, namely that it is one of very, very few novels ive read that does not use an affair/infidelity in the plot
but as i was re-reading.. the whole 'outdated cultural references' issue was stealing my interest. i do employ, as a reader, viewer of movies, in regard to 'outdated cultural references'
i can employ, in my own imagination, over-rides, if you will, and keep reading or watching
but sometimes i just decide to let the book or movie go, and move on...
all books/movies/shows are 'free will' for me at this wonderful stage in my life
nothing is mandatory because of school or work
i can read whatever i want; not read what i dont want..
what a great life experience it is! and, one of the things that has helped me grow, heal, move forward, be victorious in life in general
is 'not parking at the point of my pain'
a great joyce meyer teaching i continue to apply... and as the results are spectacular for me as an individual, i can easily see the benefits if entire families, classrooms, societies, cultures were to do the same.
not parking at the point of your pain -is not to deny; not to pretend pain didn't happen..
it is a choice to recognize pain did happen; but not to stay stuck and drown there
evolve; move forward...
in Jesus name, hallelujah & amen.
posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 8:13 AM
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and the downtown San Jose area seems like an entirely different world from our Berryessa neighborhood
and i've also spent a fair amount of time thinking that one of the reasons San Jose battles all the issues they do, is exactly because they are too big. Even broken down into 10 districts, -the responsibilities sometimes seem too much for the leadership/resources available; they seem overwhelmed..
but, after the NOTonNOBLE experience... we became pretty familiar with the drive to and from the city council building
and now we are back, speaking to as many councilmembers/staff as we can
singing our solution to the illegal campers, loiterers, transients, panhandler situation
-the solution is NOT EIH
the solution is DIGNITY ACRES EMERGENCY CAMPGROUND...
****
more later... hallelujah & amen
posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 8:06 AM
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YOU never know what you'll READ because i never know what i'll RIGHT ~WriteousMom.com AKA: sandra, tvgp (tri valley gypsy poet)
