Catching the Sun

The United States needs to intensify its implementation of solar energy electrical power production as have Germany and China.  The near future is obvious!

I will begin studying renewable energy topics during in the next eight months.  

Solar Energy - Wikipedia


Catching the Sun.  Documentary film, 73 Minutes, 2015.  
Filmmaker: Shalini Kantayya.  Wikipedia article. 

Heart Surgery

Karen has undergone many recent heart tests. Today she will have a coronary angiogram done by
Dr. Harada at Legacy Hospital in Vancouver, WA.

She had a stent implanted.  She seems to be recovering well. She will likely come home tomorrow.

Very Worrisome!

Backyard Birds

 Karen Garofalo has taken many fine photographs of the many kinds of birds that visit our backyard bird feeders and bird bath.

We took care of our daughter's two
brown dogs for a week.

Dao De Jing, Laozi, Chapter 14

Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu

Chapter 14


"Look for It, you won't see It: It is called 'fleeting'.
Listen for It, you won't hear It: It is called 'thin'. 
Grasp at It, You can't get It: It is called 'subtle'.
These three lines
       are about something that evades scrutiny.
Yes, in it everything blends and becomes one.

Its top is not bright
Its underside is not dim.
Always unnameable, It turns back to nothingness. 
This is the shape of something shapeless
The form of a nothing
this is elusive and evasive. 
Encountering It, you won't see the front
Following It, you won't see Its back.

Keep to the Tao of the ancients
And so manage things happening today.
The ability to know the ancient sources,
this is the main thread of Tao."
-  Translated by Michael LaFargue, 1992, Chapter 14 



"When you're sitting, trying to get in touch with the Softness, the One important thing, it evades your grasp─like a spirit that appears here, then there, then is gone.  You think you see it, then it recedes into nothing.  This is the only way to describe the presence that is formless.  But in this practice we achieve a oneness.  And we come in contact with the deep sources of all things, the ancient sources that enable us to handle whatever comes to us today."  ...  "I take "know the ancient sources" of things to mean gaining an intuitive understanding of the deep truth about affairs.  (As often, "ancient" serves to express what we more commonly express by images of "depth" or "Origin."  (Note that here Tao is not the name of the ancient source that one knows, but of the practice by which one comes to know it.)  It seems very unlikely that "these three" refers to the three different things mentioned [i.e., seeing, listening, grasping] which "become one."  It makes more sense to suppose that "these three" refers to the three line saying, which is about a presence or mental quality incapable of being grasped through close mental scrutiny.  in this mental space everything is Merged, "blends and becomes one."  This observation is a partial basis for my solution to the puzzle about the meaning of Chapter 1, reading literally "these two, merged."  That is, it refers to the previous two-line saying in Chapter 1, which is (partly) about the state of "not desiring," which identifies with a mentally Still state called t'ung/"The Merging.""
-  Michael LaFargue  


The Tao of the Tao Te Ching.  A Translation and Commentary by Michael LaFargue.  State University of New York Press, 1992.  Detailed glossary, extensive bibliography, 270 pages. This translation is based on the oldest version ( 168 BCE) of the Tao Te Ching found in King Ma's tomb - the famous Magwandali manscript.  81 Chapters arranged in a topical order by the author.  Chapter 14, pp. 80-81. 


The Tao and Method: A Reasoned Approach to the Tao Te Ching.  A translation and commentary by Professor Michael LaFargue.  New York, SUNY Press, 1994.  640 pages.  Detailed index, bibliography, notes, and tables.  An essential research tool. 

"What you don't see when you look
is called the unobtrusive.
What you don hear when you listen
is called the rarefied.
What you don't get when you grasp
is called the subtle.
These three cannot be completely fathomed,
so they merge into one:
above is not bright, below is not dark.
Continuous, unnameable, it returns again to
     nothing.
This is called the stateless state,
the image of no thing;
this is called mental abstraction.
When you face it you do not see its head,
when you follow it you do not see its back.
Hold the ancient Way
so as to direct present existence:
only when you can know the ancient
can this be called the basic cycle of the Way."
-  Translated by Thomas Cleary, 1991, Chapter 14


"Looked at, but cannot be seen -
That is called the Invisible (yi).
Listened to, but cannot be heard -
That is called the Inaudible (hsi).
Grasped at, but cannot be touched -
That is called the Intangible (wei).
These three elude our inquiries
And hence blend and become One.

Not by its rising, is there light,
Nor by its sinking, is there darkness.
Unceasing, continuous,
It cannot be defined,
And reverts again to the realm of nothingness.

That is why it is called the Form of the Formless,
The Image of Nothingness.
That is why it is called the Elusive:
Meet it and you do not see its face;
Follow it and you do not see its back."
-  Translated by Lin Yutang, 1955, Chapter 14  




視之不見名曰夷.
聽之不聞名曰希.
搏之不得名曰微.
此三者不可致詰.
故混而為一.
其上不皦其下不昧.
繩繩不可名.
復歸於無物.
是謂無狀之狀.
無物之象.
是謂惚恍.
迎之不見其首.
隨之不見其後.
執古之道.
以御今之有.
能知古始.
是謂道紀.-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 14


shih chih pu chien ming yüeh yi.
t'ing chih pu wên ming yüeh hsi.
po chih pu tê ming yüeh wei.
tz'u san chê pu k'o chih chieh.
ku hun erh wei yi.
ch'i shang pu chiao ch'i hsia pu mei.
shêng shêng pu k'o ming.
fu kuei yü wu wu.
shih wei wu chuang chih chuang.
wu wu chih hsiang.
shih wei hu huang.
ying chih pu chien ch'i shou.
sui chih pu chien ch'i hou.
chih ku chih tao.
yi yü chin chih yu.
nêng chih ku shih.
shih wei tao chi.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 14


"We look for it but do not see it:
    we name it "subtle."
We listen for it but do not hear it;
    we name it "rare."
We grope for it but do not grasp it;
    we name it "serene."
These three cannot be fully fathomed,
Therefore,
They are bound together to make unity.
Of unity,
its top is not distant,
its bottom is not blurred.
Infinitely extended
and unnameable,
It returns to non-entity.
This is called
"the form of the formless,"
"the image of nonentity."
This is called "the amorphous."
Following behind it,
    you cannot see its back;
Approaching it from the front,
    you cannot see its head.
Hold to the Way of today
    to manage the actualities of today
    thereby understanding the primeval beginning.
This is called "the thread of the Way.""
-  Translated by Victor H. Mair, 1990, Chapter 14 


"When you look, it isn't there
 Listen and you cannot hear it
 It seems to be beyond your reach
 Because you are so near it
 This single source of everything
 Appears to be an empty image
 Though it cannot be understood
 You can see its naked visage
 Follow it to nothingness
 Approach it where you have no face
 From nowhere to infinity
 This vacant image leaves no trace
 From never to eternity
 This naked face is what you are
 An empty, vacant, open door
 Forevermore ajar"
 -  Translated by Jim Clatfelder, 2000, Chapter 14   


"Se le llama invisible porque mirándole no se le ve.
Se le llama inaudible porque escuchándole no se le oye.
Se le llama impalpable porque tocándole no se le siente.
Estos tres estados son inescrutables y se confunden en uno solo.
En lo alto no es luminoso, en lo bajo no es oscuro.
Es eterno y no puede ser nombrado, retorna al no-ser de las cosas.
Es la forma sin forma y la imagen sin imagen.
Es lo confuso e inasible.
De frente no ves su rostro, por detrás no ves su espalda.
Quien es fiel al Tao antiguo domina la existencia actual.
Quien conoce el primitivo origen posee la esencia del Tao."   
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Tao Te Ching, Capítulo 14


"Look at it: nothing to see.
Call it colorless.
Listen to it: nothing to hear.
Call it soundless.
Reach for it: nothing to hold.
Call it intangible.
Triply undifferentiated,
it merges into oneness,
not bright above,
not dark below.
Never, oh! never
can it be named.
It reverts, it returns
to unbeing.
Call it the form of the unformed,
the image of no image.
Call it the unthinkable thought.
Face it: no face.
Follow it: no end.
Hold fast to the old Way,
we can live in the present.
Mindful of the ancient beginnings,
we hold the thread of the Tao."
-  Translated by Ursula K. Le Guin, 1997, Chapter 14 


"Look, it cannot be seen,
So it is called invisible.
Listen, it cannot be heard,
So it is called soundless.
Touch, it cannot be caught,
So it is called elusive.
These three cannot be examined,
So they unite into one.  
Above it there is no light,  
Below it there is no darkness.
Endlessness beyond description.
It returns to non-existence.
It is called the shapeless shape,
The substance without form.
It is called obscurely evasive.
Meet it and you do not see its beginning,
Follow it and you do not see its end.
Hold on to the ancient Way to master the present,
And to learn the distant beginning.
This is called the unbroken strand of the Way."
-  Translated by Stefan Stenudd, Chapter 14


"Looking for it, it cannot be seen -
Being formless, it is called Yi, the invisible.
Listening to it, it cannot be heard -
Being soundless, it is called Hsi, the inaudible.
Grasping at it, it cannot be reached -
Being subtle, it is called Wei, the intangible.
These three; imperceptible, indescribable -
Mystically united and elusively perceived
as an undefinable oneness.

As the oneness ascends - no light appears.
As the oneness descends - no darkness is perceived.
Unceasingly, continually, form eluding definition,
Evasively reverting to spirit - to nothingness.
The form of formlessness.
The image of imagelessness.
The oneness remains nameless.
Meeting it, it has no part which is front.
Following it, it has no behind.

Encompassing the ancient Tao,
Present affairs are mastered.
Knowing the primal nature of mankind
and the universe,
Is to know the essence of Tao."
-  Translated by Alan B. Taplow, 1982, Chapter 14 


 "Plainness is that which cannot be seen by looking at it.
 Stillness is that which cannot be heard by listening to it.
 Rareness is that which cannot be felt by handling it.
 These, being indiscernible, may be regarded as a Unity of the Tao.
 It is not bright above nor dark beneath.
 Infinite in operation, it is yet without name.
 Issuing forth it enters into Itself.
 This is the appearance of the Non-Apparent, the form of the Non-Existent.
 This is the unfathomable mystery.
 Going before, its face is not seen; following after, its back is not observed.
 Yet to regulate one's life by the ancient knowledge of Tao is to have found the path."
 -  Translated by Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 14

A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters (Verses, Sections) of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes over 25 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter.  Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms for that Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization.  Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, a Google Translate drop down menu, and other resources for that Chapter.   

Chapter 14, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

A Daoist Druid's Final Journey  

An Old Philosopher's Notebooks

Cape Lookout State Park, Coastal Northwest Oregon, Trip Day 3

 Cape Lookout State Park, Coastal Northwest Oregon

Cabin Camping Trip, Day 3, December 11, 2024, Wednesday

Near the town of Tillamook, Oregon, Netarts Bay and Three Arch Rocks

We left our Netarts Cabin at Cape Lookout State Park today. We drove home, via Oregon 6, to Portland.

Nice weather. Clear skies. Around 50 degrees F.

The Dusk Before Darkness

Where moving shadows born of sunshine rays,
Lighter and darker marks in the corners all days,
Unreadable messages from Solar Scribes for me.
Some subtle shadows drawn on moonlit trees,
Blurred and fleeting pockets of mystery to me,
Lost in the blackness of the nighttime breeze.

Night-Time creeping in, crickets chirping up a din.
No moon, No stars, No city street lights;
Darkness setting slowly and comfortably in.
A few frogs croaking love songs in the dark,
Moths fluttering into a white hot lantern
on a crazy addicted deadline lark,
Bats flapping by for breakfast, eating fluttering bugs.
Surf side sounds rumble over the invisible dunes,
Crabs and razor clams will crawl about at low tide soon,
Turtles will waddle up the shore, dig, lay eggs,
Guided by the moon, reproduction, life and doom,
In the restless dark and foamy gloom.

My flashlight sliced a path through the woods,
My cane balanced my wobbly walk for good.
Hearing the hoot of an owl in the canopy,
I walked along as slowly as I could,
Listening to the mysterious snoring damp woods.

Hera and Hypnos tried to lure me to sleep.
But 30 knot winds kept me awake,
And saved me from Nyx's minions from Hades Lake.
Chaos gave birth to Darkness and Day,
Erebus and Hemera - another way to Say,
Gods named and ancient myths for today.
Nighttime gods and goddesses mourning,
Following the Black Way to the Thanatos Graves.

My yurt at Cape Disappointment shook in the Winter storm,
I sat on the covered yurt porch, bundled up and warm;
Dark rain, cold campground so dark, everyone inside today.
The campground nearly empty these bitter January days.
The uninviting dark wet night keeps them all away.
Silence reigned that dreary soaked day,
Even keeping all of the animals hiding away.

Coming Dawn, rosy reds, sunshine slides West overhead;
Leaving Dusk, darkening pinks, sun gone down, it is said:
Reminders of the Dead.

The incandescent lamp!
Only one lamp in my yurt, not very bright,
Yet it allows me to read and write all night,
Supported by an electric Coleman lantern light.
The whole world works by electric lights.
Day and night, day and night, Month after Month,
For Year after busy Year, lighting bright the night sky;
In factories and stores and homes worldwide.
Work, work, work ... earning a living - we try.
Is such serious night pollution really wise?
Did the Milky Way disappear in the bright city sky?
Are circadian rhythms distorted and altered by and by?
Will some species become extinct from the loss of Night?

Turn off the lights, cuddle in the covers,
Start to slumber, sink into sleep,
Enjoy the darkness of the dreamless
La Petite Mort, alone, in darkness steeped.

Pacific Coast Memories: U.S. Highway 101 and 1.
At the Edges of the West.
By Michael P. Garofalo
Docu-Poems, Haiku, Concrete Poetry, Photographs, Songs

Four Days in Grayland

 

Images from the Internet of the Oregon Coast

Mt. Adams, Washington

Stratovolcano, 12,281 Feet (3,743 M) 

Cascade Mountain Range, Southwestern WA

Near Yakima, Packwood, Klickitat, and Goldendale WA

Mt. Adams - Wikipedia

Cascade Volcanic Arc

Karen and I have traveled all around this immense and dramatic mountain many times since 2016.  

Cascade Volcanic Arc

Mt. Adams Emerges in the West

The Fireplace Records Case #58

Mt. Adams Emerges in the West

"Master Yellow-Bitterroot Mountain asked me,

'What is the meaning of Old Pahto emerging in the West?'

I lifted my cane and placed it in my mouth, saying nothing.

Later, zany Zen liar that I am, I wrote:

"No minds, no dharmas. No-mind, much Dharma."

Zen Koans: The Fireplace Records
Koans by Mike Garofalo

Zen Koan Collections Studies

Subject Index to 1,975 Zen Buddhist Koans

Reading Wittgenstein 1975-

Buddhism

Taoism

Meetings with Master Chang San-Feng

Philosophy

Quintain Poetry

Mount Adams, Old Pahto, Washington

Pulling Onions

 

He Who Feels It, Knows It More

"The human body is not an instrument to be used, but a realm of one's being to be experienced, explored, enriched and, thereby, educated."
-  Thomas Hanna

"There is deep wisdom within our very flesh,  if we can only come to our senses and feel it."
 -  Elizabeth A. Behnke

"He who feels it, knows it more."
-  Bob Marley  

"No matter how closely we look, it is difficult to find a mental act that can take place without the support of some physical function."
-  Moshe Feldenkrais  

"I would have touched it like a child
But knew my finger could but have touched
Cold stone and water.   I grew wild,
Even accusing heaven because
It had set down among its laws:
Nothing that we love over-much
Is ponderable to our touch."
-  W. B. Yeats  

Touching, Feeling, Sensation: Quotations

The Five Senses

Bodymind Theory and Practices, Somaesthetics

Self-Massage 

Cane Weapon Practices

Cane, Walking Stick, Short Staff
Bibliography, Links, Resources, Lessons, Guides, History, Lore
Hypertext Notebook by Mike Garofalo.  


Cane Fighting: The Authoritative Guide to Using the Cane or Walking Stick for Self-Defense. By Sammy Franco. Contemporary Fighting Arts, 2016. 242 pages. ISBN: 978-1941845301. More emphasis on using a thicker and longer walking stick, like a Japanese Jo, rather than an inconspicuous cane. VSCL.

Raising Cane: The Unexpected Martial Art. By Octavio Ramos. Velluminous Press, 2006. 188 pages. ISBN: 1905605102. This book features fairly detailed explanations with illustrations of many cane strikes, blocks, and maneuvers by a former sheriff. Black and white photographs and descriptions of all cane techniques. VSCL.

Essential Jo: Comprehensive Techniques and 2 Person Drills for the Japanese 4-foot Staff. By Dan Djurdjevic. Pikkeljig, 2015. 156 pages. ISBN: 978-0992511333. "The jo is the Japanese 4-foot staff, originally taught with the ken (sword) in the samurai arts. Essential Jo is arguably the most comprehensive text on the subject to date, offering a course of study from white through to black belt in this practical, yet elegant, art. The book features over 900 professional black and white photographs accompanied by clear, detailed textual explanations. While it is intended primarily for students with experience in weapons arts, particularly jodo, the book can also be used by beginners for home study. The art of jodo makes an excellent addition to any martial art system. This is the first instructional text by award-winning martial arts writer and teacher Dan Djurdjevic."

Aging and Humor

 Old Age . . .

 

"To get back to my youth I would do anything in the world, except exercise, get up early, or be respectable." - Oscar Wilde 

 

"The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for." - Will Rogers 

 

"We must recognize that, as we grow older, we become like old cars – more and more repairs and replacements are necessary." - C.S. Lewis 

 

"Old age comes at a bad time." – Sam Banducci “

 

"Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened." - Jennifer Yay

 

"Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you are aboard there is nothing you can do about it." - Golda Meir 

 

"The older I get, the more clearly I remember things that never happened. - Mark Twain 

 

"Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age. Sometimes, age just shows up all by itself." - Tom Wilson 

 

"I’m at that age where my back goes out more than I do." - Phyllis Diller 

 

"Nice to be here? At my age it’s nice to be anywhere." – George Burns 

 

"Don't let aging get you down. It's too hard to get back up." - John Wagner 

 

"First you forget names, then you forget faces, then you forget to pull your zipper up, then you forget to pull your zipper down." 

Leo Rosenberg

 

"At my age, flowers scare me." - George Burns  

 

"At age 20, we worry about what others think of us…at age 40, we don’t care what they think of us… at age 60, we discover they haven’t been thinking of us at all." - Ann Landers 

 

"As you get older three things happen. The first is your memory goes, and I can't remember the other two." - Sir Norman Wisdom 

 

“The older I get, the better I used to be.” – Lee Trevino 

 

"I don’t feel old. I don’t feel anything until noon. Then it’s time for my nap." - Bob Hope 

 

"Getting older. I used to be able to run a 4-minute mile, bench press 380 pounds, and tell the truth." -Conan O’Brien

 

"When your friends begin to flatter you on how young you look, it’s a sure sign you’re getting old." - Mark Twain 

 

"The idea is to die young as late as possible." - Ashley Montagu

Ikigai: A Reason for Living

"A Reason for Living":  Ikigai

Ikigai "entails actions of devoting oneself to pursuits one enjoys and is associated with feelings of accomplishment and fulfillment."
-  Michiko Kumano

Secrets to a Long and Happy Life

1.  Stay active and don't retire
2.  Leave urgency behind and adopt a slower pace of life.
3.  Only eat until you are 80 per cent full.
4.  Surround yourself with good friends.
5.  Get in shape through daily, gentle exercise.
6.  Smile and acknowledge people around you.
7.  Reconnect with nature
8.  Give thanks to anything that brightens our day and makes us feel alive.
9.  Live in the moment.
10.  Follow your Ikigai.  

-  Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles,  Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, 2017.

Advice from Wise Persons: How to Live the Good Life

Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo

TIME: ATTENTION: LANGUAGE by Mike Garofalo

Attention, Language, and Time
Selected Poetry: 2016 - 2026
By Michael P. Garofalo
Poetry WebBook, 85 pages, September 2026. No Ads!

This WebBook is a collection of poems, quips,
quintain stanzas, resource links, lists,
onions, quintain sonnets, docu-poems,
concrete and Text-Art poems, koans,
and hypertext diversions.
All by Mike Garofalo.

It features lifestyles and locales
     in the Pacific Northwest.

It traces the evolution of the poetic voices
     of one old man during a decade.

It offers many examples of
     Quintain Stanzas and Quintain Sonnets.

It essays the front and flanks of Time.

It has a Poem Title Index
                    and a Subject Index.

It provides a free audio-recordings
     of poetry readings by Mike Garofalo.

September 27, 2026. Ver. 32.
Texts-PreSS Couve Publications.

 

All Texts-PreSS Couve WebBooks are Free
Ad Free, Open Access, Uncluttered

Attention, Language, and Time .HTML Current Version.

Backup .PDF on 9/27/2026 Version 32. Unedited.

Texts-PreSS Couve Publications, Vancouver, Washington State

"Discover a Decade of Poetic Evolution

in the Pacific Northwest

In Attention, Language and Time: Selected Poetry,

2016 - 2026, poet Michael P. Garofalo invites readers

on a deeply philosophical journey through the landscapes

of the Pacific Northwest and the inescapable currents of

time. Tracing a decade of artistic evolution, this collection

bridges the profound and the everyday---from the rainy

shores of the Olympic Peninsula and backyard Zen 

meditations to the role of memories, river rafting, and

the irreversible march of entropy and aging.

Garofalo’s versatile voice masterfully navigates a rich

array of forms. Readers will find grounded, conversational

narrative verse and highly structured Quintain stanzas and

Quintain Sonnets seamlessly existing alongside avant-garde

conceptual language, Dadaist surrealism, and visual Text-Art

and Concrete Poetry. Whether contemplating the quiet

fading of campfire embers, unraveling local histories, zooming

in on city life, or deconstructing the very syntax of language, 

this work constantly challenges and rewards the reader's

attention.

Available entirely for free, this 85-page, ad-free WebBook
is structured for effortless digital reading. It features intuitive
internal navigation, comprehensive thematic indexes, and
complimentary audio recordings of the author reading his own work.

Experience the intersection of nature, memory, and
language today---without paywalls or interruptions."

- By Mike Garofalo and Ms. Ai

Flight From Boredom

"No pleasure endures unseasoned by variety."
-  Publilius Syrus  

"The essence of pleasure is spontaneity."
-  Germaine Greer

"Why not seize the pleasure at once, how often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparations."
-  Jane Austen

"Perhaps all pleasure is only relief."
- William Burroughs

"Man, Nietzsche contended, is a being that has leapt beyond the "bestial bounds of the mating season" and seeks pleasure not just at fixed intervals but perpetually.  Since, however, there are fewer sources of pleasure than his perpetual desire for pleasure demands, nature has forced man on the "path of pleasure contrivance."  Man, the creature of consciousness whose horizons extend to the past and the future, rarely attains complete fulfillment within the present, and for this reason experiences something most likely unknown to any animal, namely boredom.  This strange creature seeks a stimulus to release him from boredom.  If no such stimulus is readily available, it simply needs to be created.  Man becomes the animal that plays.  Play is an invention that engages the emotions; it is the art of stimulating the emotions.  Music is a prime example.  Thus, the anthropological and physiological formula for the secret of art: "The flight from boredom is the mother of all art." "
-  Rudiger Safranski, Nietzsche: A Philosophical Biography, p. 23



Seven Pleasures: Essays on Ordinary Happiness  By Willard Spiegelman.  The seven simple pleasures discussed are: dancing, reading, walking, looking, listening, swimming, and writing.  If you included Taijiquan as "dancing" then all of these can be solitary activities.  Picador, 2010.  208 pages.  ISBN: 9780312429676. 

Pleasure and the Good Life: Concerning the Nature, Varieties, and Plausibility of Hedonism.  By Fred Feldman.  Clarendon Press, 2006.  240 pages.  ISBN: 978-0199297603.  VSCL. 

Pleasure and Enjoyment: Quotations, Sayings, Information

Hedonistic and Epircurean Philosophy

The Five Senses  

Play