Farewell to 2019

"So long, it's been good to know yuh;
So long, it's been good to know yuh;
So long, it's been good to know yuh.
This dusty old dust is a-gettin' my home,
And I got to be driftin' along."
-  Woody Guthrie, 1940

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne."
- Robert Burns

For me, 2019 was a taste of a cup of kindness.

Karen and I were in good health and live comfortably in Vancouver, Washington.

Some family and friends passed on in 2019.  We were priviledged to share part of our life's journey with them.  Others are battling against illness.  We wish them well.

Overall, our families are prosperous, living in peacetime, productive, and in good health.

California, Oregon, and Washington have many prosperous cities and towns. 

How about way back when I said Farewell to 2006?

Best Wishes to All!  Cheers!  Cheers!  Salud!  

You Can't Dance and Stay Uptight

Dancing in the Moonlight
By King Harvest
1972

"We get it almost every night
When that moon gets big and bright
It's supernatural delight
Everybody was dancing in the moonlight

Everybody here is out of sight
They don't bark and they don't bite
They keep things loose, they keep things light
Everybody was dancing in the moonlight

Dancing in the moonlight
Everybody feeling warm and bright
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancing in the moonlight

We like our fun and we never fight
You can't dance and stay uptight
It's supernatural delight
Everybody was dancing in the moonlight

Dancing in the moonlight
Everybody's feeling warm and bright
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancing in the moonlight

Dancing in the moonlight
Everybody's feeling warm and bright
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancing in the moonlight"

Text Art: Exhibit 4

Islamic Calligraphy by Mohamed Zakariya

                                      Hypergraphie Infinitesmil by Broutin

Osgard by Margaret Penny

Lettrisme by Lorsakoff

Genius Out of Time by Ibn Muqlah

Concrete Poetry and Text Art Directory and Guide

Exhibits at the Onion Garden

TeXTArt

Graphic Arts: Shape Poems, Concrete Poetry, Lettrisme

Text Art: Communicating with Text

Communicating with Text

By Michael P. Garofalo

Text Art and Concrete Poetry Directory

Exhibits at the Onion Garden

Graphic Arts

Movement and Awareness

"Correction of movements is the best means of self-improvement:
1.  The nervous system is occupied mainly with movement.
2.  It is easier to distinguish the quality of movement.
3.  We have a richer experience of movement.
4.  The ability to move is important to self-value.
5.  All muscular activity is movement.
6.  Movements reflect the state of the nervous system.
7.  Movement is the basis of awareness.
8.  Breathing is movement.
9.  Hinges of habit."
-  Moshe Feldenkrais, Awareness Through Movement, pp. 33-39, 1972

Notes on Feldenkrais Methods

Getting the Life You Want

Happiness Activities

1.  Expressing Gratitude
2.  Cultivating Optimism
3.  Avoiding Over-Thinking and Social Comparisons
4.  Practicing Acts of Kindness
5.  Nurturing Social Relationships
6.  Developing Strategies for Coping
7.  Learning to Forgive
8.  Increasing Flow Expectations
9.  Savoring Life's Joys
10.  Committing to Your Goals
11.  Practicing Spirituality
12.  Taking Care of Your Body (Psychological Methods)
13.  Taking Care of Your Body (Physical Activity)
14.  Taking Care of Your Body (Acting Like a Happy Person)
15.  The Hows Behind Sustainable Happiness: Positive Emotions,
       Optimal Timing and Variety, Social Support, Motivation, Effort,
       Commitment, and Habit.  

The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want  By Sonja Lyubomirsky.  New York, Penguin Books, 2008.  Index, extensive notes, appendix, 366 pages.  ISBN: 978-1594201486.  Ms. Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at the University of California at Riverside, and a leader in the field of positive psychology.  

Professor Lyubomirsky analyzes what determines happiness.  Her research indicates that "happiness" is determined approximately 50% by our internal biological "Set Point", 10% by our circumstances in life, and 40% by our intentional activity.  Her explanations and suggestions are clear, reasonable, and grounded in psychological research.  Gaining effective use of our intentional activities is the focus of this book.  "This much happiness - up to 40% - is within your power to change."  

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons

Virtues and a Good Life

An Old Philosopher's Notebooks

Pleasure

Reading

Epicureanism

Home For the Holidays

My best wishes to all for a peaceful and pleasant winter holiday season.  May we remember our accomplishments this past year, have few regrets, and hope for good health, peace and prosperity.  May our shared history make us proud.  May the Earth rest and bear the sweetist Wenatachee cherries and gently cradle the mighty Columbia River.

Katelyn, Mike, Karen, Makenna, Beryl

We have our Christmas and New Year Celebrations with family and friends.  This year we did Italian style meals.  Karen and I decorated interiors of our house with typical holiday season art.  We exchanged presents and best wishes.

Today, our children and their families will have lunch together at our home: lasagna, brocholli beef roll, cardoon (Texas Celery, artichoke stalks cooked, breaded, and fried), wine, and ourdourves.  Karen is positive and joyful.  Feasting for Fun!  Good Cheer!

Time for my NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS:
Walk our dog Bruno once each day.
Learn how to effectively use CorelDRAW 2019 and Corel PaintShop Pro 2020 software.
Take a class in drawing.
Practice Tai Chi Chuan in class led by Jill Ross on Friday and Saturday.


Because of my interests and hobbies, and the fact that I am now retired at age 73, I spend a lot of my time indoors in my office, study, mancave, den, reading room, art studio, hang out space, retreat, etc.

The temperatures outdoors are mostly in the 40F's these days, and it gently rains a lot.  There are few gardening chores in December.  My reading and writing ROOM is nice and dry, cozy, and comfortable.  The room is insulated.  I always dress to stay warm.  I use an electrical heater set at 50F.

My STUDY is about 10'x12'x8'.  Bookshelves that we made cover the north and south wall.  A window faces south.  A small closet is on the east side of the room.  In front of the west wall is a large table with computer equipment.  Another small wood table is on the south side is used for art projects, reading, laptop computer, games.  The room is carpeted, but I would prefer a hardwood floor for easier rolling on my large office chair.

The computer equipment in my home OFFICE includes a Dell Inspiron desktop with Windows 10, Epson Workforce WF-3640 Printer, Samsung 21"dia screen, Logitech keyboard, old Toshiba laptop, and an Epson Perfection V600 scanner.  I purchase Internet access, and other services, from XFinity Comcast.  My annual modest earnings from my websites keep me current with computer hardware and software every four or five years.

Here is a photo of my STUDY, looking to the south on a foggy winter day.  There is a large sweet gum tree in our front yard.  I can use the wood table for drawing and art projects, books, laptop computer, digital camera equipment, a game, or a small  electronic keyboard.

My dog, Bruno, thinks my study/office/studio is his DOG CAVE.

Taijiquan 42 Movement Competition Form

Here is a link to an excellent article by Dr. Paul Lam about the 42 Taijiquan Competition Form.

Dr. Paul Lam has also produced a high quality instructional DVD on the Combined 42 Forms.
I have used his instructional DVDs many times.

Here is information currently in the Wikipedia article on 42 Form Tai Chi Chuan:

"The 42 Form (Competition Form, Mixed Form^[1]) t'ai chi ch'uan is the standard Wushu competition form which combines movements drawn from the Chen, Yang, Wu, and Sun styles of traditional T'ai chi ch'uan (Taijiquan). It was created in 1989 by Professors Men Hui Feng from The Beijing Sport Institute and Li De Yin from the People's University for the Chinese Sports Committee. The 42-form has been subjected to criticism for being a hybrid form, but in actual practice it has received a lot of positive attention as well, for being a challenging, fluid form which loads the body with energy (qi). Today it is a popular form for competition as well as for personal health benefits.

At the 11th Asian Games of 1990, Wushu was included as an item for competition for the first time with the 42 Form being chosen to represent T'ai chi. The forms are:^[2][3][4]

1. Commencing form (起势)
2. Grasp the peacock's tail (right) (右揽雀尾)
3. Single whip (left) (左单鞭)
4. Raise hands (提手)
5. White crane spreads its wings (白鹤亮翅)
6. Brush knee and twist step on both sides (搂膝拗步)
7. Parry and punch (撇身捶)
8. Deflect and press on both sides (捋挤势)
9. Parry and push (进步搬拦捶)
10. Apparent close (如封似闭)
11. Open and close hands (开合手)
12. Single whip (right) (右单鞭)
13. Punch under elbow (肘底捶)
14. Turn body and push palm on both sides (转身推掌)
15. Fair lady works the shuttles on both sides (玉女穿梭)
16. Kick with heel on both sides (右左蹬脚)
17. Cover hands and punch (掩手肱捶)
18. Part the wild horse's mane on both sides (野马分鬃)
19. Wave hands like clouds (云手)
20. Step back and beat the tiger (獨立打虎)
21. Separate legs (right) (右分脚)
22. Strike opponent's ears with both fists (雙峰贯耳)
23. Separate legs (left) (左分脚)
24. Turn body and slap foot (转身拍脚)
25. Step forward and punch downward (进步栽捶)
26. Oblique flying (斜飛势)
27. Snake creeps to the right (单鞭下势)
28. Golden rooster stands on one leg (right and left) (金鸡獨立)
29. Step back and thrust palm (退步穿掌)
30. Press palm in empty stance (退步压掌)
31. Hold palm up and stand on one leg (獨立托掌)
32. Lean with body in horse stance (马步靠)
33. Turn body for large roll back (转身大捋)
34. Grab and punch in resting step (歇步擒打)
35. Thread palm and push down (穿掌下势)
36. Step forward to seven-star posture (上步七星)
37. Mount the tiger and stand on one leg (腿步跨虎)
38. Turn body with lotus kick (转身摆莲)
39. Bend the bow to shoot the tiger (彎弓射弧)
40. Grasp the peacock's tail (left) (左揽雀尾)
41. Cross hands (十字手)
42. Closing form (收势)"   

-  Wikipedia Article

Sun Taijiquan 73 Form

Sun Lu Tang's Internal Martial Arts: Xingyiquan, Baguaquan, and Taijiquan.

Sun Style of T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Standard Competition 73 Movements Form. Research by Michael P. Garofalo. 

This webpage includes an introduction, information on the history of the Sun Taijiquan forms, a detailed bibliography, extensive links, references to video resources, a large collection of quotations about Sun Taijiquan, recommendations on the best media resources on the topic, and suggestions for learning the 73 competition Sun Taijiquan form. A detailed comparative list of the names of each of the 73 movements is provided, with source references, and the movement names are given in English, Chinese, Chinese characters, French, German, and Spanish. This webpage includes detailed descriptions of 40% of the 73 movements with black and white illustrations for each movement sequence along with commentary and comparisons. Many additional nomenclature lists and section study charts in the PDF format, photographs and graphics are also provided - over 1 MB of information. 

This webpage was the most detailed and complete document on the subject of the Sun Taijiquan Competition 73 Form available on the Internet in 2008.  I have not updated it since 2008; but the information will still be useful to players of this form.  

The above text was posted on May 17, 2017.  

Text Art: Selections 3

Asemic by Tatiana Roumelioti

Jas H. Duke

Maurice Lemaitre

Margaret Cooter

Anagram Listen

Carol Stetser, Perspectives, 1977

Text Art and Concrete Poetry

Exhibits at the Onion Garden

Text Art: Eight Trigrams Chart

Eight Trigrams Chart
By Michael P. Garofalo

Trigrams

Tai Chi Chuan

Text Art and Concrete Poetry

Hun Yuan Chen Taijiquan

"In the Hun Yuan Tai Chi form, each movement flows into the next in an endless circle of energy. The first stage of learning involves remembering the individual movements which are all based on the following Tai Chi principles:

1. Keep the spine straight and relaxed - not tense.
2. Bend your knees to enable weight transfer.
3. Let your weight sink down to the soles of the feet - not held in the upper body or the thighs. Develop natural weight transfer – from ground to ground.
4. Legs are the foundation. Each movement starts from the legs, to the waist (which also enables the spine to rotate) and then to the arms. The waist controls the upper body.
Avoid leaning with the upper body.
5. Distinguish between empty and solid. Control your centre of gravity. Step out empty with no weight, so that you may be able to retrieve your step if necessary.
6. Be aware of relaxing the shoulders.
7. Use minimum amount of strength to move the body. Anything more is tension. Relax, relax, relax.
8. Coordinate the lower and the upper body.
9. Distinguish between open and close within the movement. Feel your back and chest. Avoid leaning.
10. Use your mind, that is, your intention, to lead the movement."

- Brett Wagland, Experiencing the First Stage of Hun Yuan Tai Chi

Hun Yuan Taijiquan 24 Form

HunYuan Qigong: Tracing Life to its Root, by Kenneth S. Cohen, 2007

Hun Yuan Qigong

Concrete Poetry and Text Art

In the month of December, 2019, I enjoyed research into topics related to communicating with text and images, and text orientated graphic arts.  I used library books, some used books I purchased, and the Internet to learn more about these subjects.  I played with and learned about CorelDRAW 2019 software each day.  Inclement weather kept us retired folks indoors more, and garden chores are reduced.  

Blogger is not as robust graphically as WordPress, but Blogger is free and very stable.  I have been using Blogger since 2005.  Posting the following information on this blog helps to get a faster update by Google.  

Here are some of my recently updated hypertext documents online:

Concrete Poetry and Text Art: Information and Exhibits 

Text Art and Concrete/Visual Poetry:  Books, Journals, Links, Documents, Information

Exhibits at the Onion Garden   Text Art and Concrete Poems by Michael P. Garofalo

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Exhibits of Pattern/Space Text Art     

Tai Chi Chuan   

The Spirit of Gardening  

Mike Garofalo, in our back yard, Vancouver, 

Washington, Springtime, 2018

Moda Center

My daughter, Alicia, and I went to the Moda Center in downtown Portland, Oregon.  We attended an NBA basketball game between the Portland Trailblazers and the San Franciso Bay Warriors.  The game was interesting, well attended, and enjoyable.  The interior of the stadium is quite dramatic in size.  Alicia did a great job driving in Portland traffic, and was good company in the hurly burly of a big sports stadium. 

During the last five years I followed the Oakland Warriors closely on their rise to five straight NBA championship games, winning 3 NBA Titles.  I subscribe to NBA League Pass each year ($299) and get every NBA game.  This year, the Warriors are a new team due to injuries to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and the loss of Kevin Durant, Andre Iguadola, David West, JaVale McGee, and DeMarcus Cousins, etc.  They are a weaker team and probably will not be in the playoffs in the 2019-2020 season.  Easy come, hard to let go.

I follow and support sports teams from the West Coast of the USA.  I lived in California for 70 years, and now live in Washington.  I root for teams from California, Oregon, and Washington. 

I actually like the live action of a lower level basketball game.  As, for example, between college, high school, and middle school teams.  Usually, you can sit quite close to the court.  As for the NBA games - give me television coverage on NBA League Pass, NBA TV, ESPN, CBS. 

I will be watching a 6-7th grade girls basketball team recreational league game this coming Friday night.  My granddaughter, Makenna (Mak), is a feisty defense minded guard and gets to play a lot.

Obviously, I enjoy watching the game of basketball. 

Mossy Grave

"The smell of the sea hugged the fog in the redwood trees,
All cool and dank, dimly lit and rank with green,
And in shadowed limbs the Stellar jays jabbered free,
And me, standing silently, an alien in this enchanted scene.

From behind the mossy grey stumps
the sounds of footsteps crunching fronds of ferns
caught my suddenly wary mind ...
What?

"Hello, old friend," said Chang San Feng.
"Master Chang, what a surprise," said I.
Master Chang sat on a stump, smiled, and said,

"Can you hear the Blue Dragon singing in the decaying tree;
Or is it the White Tiger roaring in the wilderness of your bright white skull?
No matter! The answer is in the questioning; don't you Chan men see?

In the red ball flesh of this decaying tree
Sapless woody shards of centuries of seasons
Nourish the new roots of mindfulness sprouting.
Yes, Yes, but how can it be?
The up-surging waves of life sprout forth from the decaying tree,
As sure as sunrise rolling over the deep black sea.
Coming, coming, endlessly coming; waves of Chi.

Tan Qian's raven roosts for 10,000 moons
in the withered branches of the rotting tree;
then, one day, the weathered tree falls,
nobody hearing, soundlessly crashing
on the forest floor, on some unknown noon.

Over and over, over and over, life bringing death, death bringing life,
Beyond even the miraculous memories of an old Xian like me;
Watching, watching, sequestered from the strife,
Turning my soul away sometimes because I cannot bear to see.

Even minds may die, but Mind is always free
Bounding beyond, beyond, far beyond you and me;
Somehow finding the Possibility Keys
And unlocking the Door out of the Voids of Eternities."

Master Chang somehow, someway,
slowly disappeared into the red brown heart of the decaying tree.

Then the squawk of the jay
opened my mind's eye to the new day -
Namaste."

- Michael P. Garofalo
  Meetings with Master Chang San Feng
  Remembering Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California

Text Art: Selections 2

Roland Sabatier, Lettrisme, 2019

Guillaume Appollinaire, 1912

Isidore Isou, Portrait Hypergraphic of Vincent Van Gogh, 1962

Lettrisme Exhibit Booklet, 1974

Cozette de Charmoy

Text Art and Concrete Poetry

Text Art: Listening to Philip Glass

Listening to Philip Glass

By Michael P. Garofalo

Text Art and Concrete Poetry

Documentaries on Television

This past week I was resting and trying to recover from symptoms of a cold.  I watched television, read, and played with CorelDRAW.  I enjoyed watching documentaries.

The "Magical Andes" was a spectacular tour of the Andes Mountains and the people who live there in South America.  This massive mountain range from Argentina to Columbia is 8,000 KM or 4,970 miles.  I have lived my whole life close to mountains.  I have toured, hiked, and camped in the San Gabriel mountains and San Bernardino mountains near Los Angeles, the Sierra and Cascade mountains in Northern California, and the Cascades in Washington and Oregon.  Views of mountains, up close and from afar, have been a dramatic experience in my life.  I don't think I will ever visit the Andes, but the Cascades (Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainer) will provide my fair share of mountain living.  This fine documentary film will take you directly into the Andes.

The business side of professional soccer and its impact on a working class community is shown in the documentary "Sunderland."  This team was loosing in 2017-2018, and dealing with failure is the challenging topic.

I enjoyed the doucmentary on "Design" featuring top design artists from around the world.

All of these fine documentaries are on Netflix, and probably on other television streaming applications a well.

Andes Mountains

The photograph above is of Mount Shasta, California. It was taken by Evi Shoemaker of Rancho Tehama, California. Mount Shasta is a 14,179 foot (4,322 m) stratovolcano. It is the second highest peak in the Casade Range, and the fifth highest peak in California. It is a member of the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It is located in Siskiyou County, California, in the United States of America. It is considered to be one of the Sacred Mountains on Mother Earth. 

When I was 65 years of age I once climbed to about 10,000 feet on this volcano.  Most of the time we visited the sourrounding forests below 8,000 feet.

Deep Wisdom Within Our Very Flesh

"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  

 "The hand is the cutting edge of the mind."
-  Jacob Bronowski


'The Heavenly Level is the function of feeling."
-  Cheng Man-ch'ing

"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 

(Originally posted on 4/3/16.)