Thursday, June 30, 2022

Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Morton, Washington

Karen and I spent the night at the Seasons Motel in Morton.  It was a clean, quiet, and nice room for $190.00.  We were tired after a busy day on Mayfield Lake on Tuesday.  

We awoke early on Wednesday.  We drove home from Morton.  Beautiful farmland views.  

Karen and I enjoyed a trip from Vancouver, WA, to Lake Mayfield, WA.  It is about a 100 mile drive one way: north on Interstate 5 and east on Highway 12.  The drive from Mary's Corner to Morton, Randall, or Packwood is easy on Highway 12 which goes over White Mountain Pass and then to Yakima.  

Mick and April were camping (Sunday-Wednesday) at Ike Kinswa State Park near Mossyrock.  We joined them in the morning on Tuesday.  We both went on boat rides with Mick as the boatman driver.  We crossed Mayfield Lake from the dock near the bridge at the State Park.  Then we went up the Cowlitz River to below Mossyrock Dam.  A wonderful sightseeing excursion.  The weather was very overcast and threatening rain.  We had a great dinner of dipped pork and spinach sandwiches.  














Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Mayfield Lake, Washington

 Karen and I enjoyed a trip from Vancouver, WA, to Lake Mayfield, WA.  It is about a 100 mile drive one way: north on Interstate 5 and east on Highway 12.  The drive from Mary's Corner to Morton, Randall, or Packwood is easy on Highway 12 which goes over White Mountain Pass and then to Yakima.  

Mick and April were camping at Ike Kinswa State Park near Mossyrock.  We joined them in the morning.  We both went on boat rides with Mick as the boatman driver.  We crossed Mayfield Lake from the dock near the bridge at the State Park.  Then we went up the Cowlitz River to below Mossyrock Dam.  A wonderful sightseeing excursion.  The weather was very overcast and threatening rain.  














Monday, June 27, 2022

Memories of Uncle Mike

Memories of Uncle Mike       Short Poems by Michael P. Garofalo

Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series

Sunday, June 26, 2022

Fade into Emptiness: Shikantaza

"Even though your practice is not good enough, you can do it. Your breathing will gradually vanish. You will gradually vanish, fading into emptiness. Inhaling without effort you naturally come back to yourself with some color or form. Exhaling, you gradually fade into emptiness -- empty, white paper. That is shikantaza. 

The important point is your exhalation. Instead of trying to feel yourself as you inhale, fade into emptiness as you exhale. When you practice this in your last moment, you will have nothing to be afraid of. You are actually aiming at emptiness. You become one with everything after you completely exhale with this feeling. If you are still alive, naturally you will inhale again. 'Oh, I'm still alive! Fortunately or unfortunately!' Then you start to exhale and fade into emptiness. 

Maybe you don't know what kind of feeling it is. But some of you know it. By some chance you must have felt this kind of feeling." 

- Suzuki Roshi, Not Always So

A Cloud Hands Blog repost from February 2007

Zen 







Saturday, June 25, 2022

Daodejing, Chapter 78


Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter 78

"Nothing on earth is so weak and yielding as water, but for breaking down the firm and strong it has no equal.
This admits of no alternative.
All the world knows that the soft can wear away the hard, and the weak can conquer the strong, but none can carry it out in practice.
Therefore the Sage says: He who bears the reproach of his country is really the lord of the land. He who bears the woes of the people is in truth their king.
The words of truth are always paradoxical."
-  Translated by Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 78 

"remember
to be at your best
pattern yourself after water
nothing in all the world is softer or more powerful
nothing in all the world can substitute for it
nothing in all the world can stop it

in their hearts
everyone easily knows that
the soft and the weak
will always overcome the hard and strong
but they find it difficult to live this way

the secret is to
move the bodymind like water."
-  Translated by John Bright-Fey, 2006, Chapter 78 



"What is more fluid, more yielding than water?
Yet back it comes again, wearing down the rigid strength
Which cannot yield to withstand it.
So it is that the strong are overcome by the weak,
The haughty by the humble.
This we know
But never learn,
So that when wise men tell us,
'He who bites the dust
Is owner of the earth,
He who is scapegoat
Is king,'
They seem to twist the truth."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 78  



"Nothing is more soft and yielding than water,
for cutting things hard and strong, nothing is better,
because it persists.
The weak can overcome the strong;
the supple can overcome the stiff.
Everyone knows this,
yet no one puts it into practice.
Therefore, the sage says:
who shoulders the humiliation of the people, fits to rule them,
who shoulder the country's disaster, deserves to be the king.
The truth often sounds paradoxical."
-  Translated by Tienzen Gong, Chapter 78
 


天下莫柔弱於水,
而攻堅強者, 莫之能勝,
其無以易之.
弱之勝強, 柔之勝剛, 天下莫不知, 莫能行.
是以聖人云受國之垢, 是謂社稷主;
受國不祥, 是謂天下王.
正言若反.
-  Chinese characters, Chapter 78, Tao Te Ching


t'ien hsia mo jou jo yü shui,
erh kung chien ch'iang chê, mo chih nêng shêng,
ch'i wu yi yi chih.
jo chih shêng ch'iang, jou chih shêng kang, tien hsia mo pu chih, mo nêng hsing.
shih yi shêng jên yün shou kuo chih kou, shih wei shê chi chu;
shou kuo pu hsiang, shih wei t'ien hsia wang.
chêng yen jo fan.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Chapter 78, Tao Te Ching



"There is nothing in the world
as soft and weak as water.
But to erode the hard and strong,
nothing can surpass it;
nothing can be a substitute.
The weak can overcome the strong;
the soft can overcome the hard.
There is no-one in the world who does not know this,
but there is no-one who can put it into practice.
Those who are enlightened say:
those who bear a nation's disgrace
will become lords of its shrines to earth and grain; *
those who bear a nation's misfortune
will become kings under heaven.
True words often seem a paradox."
-  Translated by Tim Chilcott, 2005, Chapter 78 



"Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water.
Yet when it attacks what is strong and firm, nothing can hold up against it.
Because there is nothing as changeable as water,
Water conquers what is firm and unyielding.
By being flexible, it can conquer what is strong.
No one in this world wouldn’t be able to understand that, yet no one has the ability to carry it out.

Therefore a wise person’s words declare:
Accepting the blame for a nation’s problems is naturally referred to as being the master of what nourishes the world;
Accepting the nation’s problems as bad signs of fate is naturally referred to as being the king of the world.
These straight-spoken words seem to be backwards."
-  Translated by Nina Correa, 2005, Chapter 78



"Nada hay en el mundo más blando y suave que el agua,
 pero nada puede superarla en el combate contra lo duro y resistente,
 en esto nada puede sustituirla.
 El agua vence a lo más duro,
 lo débil vence a lo fuerte,
 no hay en el mundo quien desconozca esta razón,
 pero tampoco quien sea capaz de ponerla en práctica.

 De ahí que el sabio diga:
 'Sólo quien asume los oprobios del Estado,
 merece ser llamado señor del país.
 Sólo quien soporta las desgracias del Estado,
 merece ser llamado rey del mundo.'

 Las palabras verdaderas parecen paradójicas."
  -  Translated by Juan Ignacio Preciado, 1978, Capítulo 78
 


"There is nothing weaker than water,
Or easier to efface,
But for attacking the hard and the strong
Nothing can take its place.
That the tender conquers the rigid,
That the weak overcomes the strong,
The whole world knows, but in practice who
Can carry the work along?
Who bears the sins of his country,
We know from the sage's word,
Shall be called the master of sacrifice,
And hailed as its altar's lord.
Who carries his country's woes,
The curse of the land who bears,
Shall be called the king of the world; tis true,
Though a paradox it appears."
-  Translated by Isaac Winter Heysinger, 1903, Chapter 78
 


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 78, 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

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey  



 


Friday, June 24, 2022

Short Poems by Michael P. Garofalo

 

Short Poems

By Michael P. Garofalo


      Summer Adventures

     Autumn Views

     Winter Home


      Memories of Uncle Mike

     Favorite Short Poems



Short Poems by Michael P. Garofalo

Haiku, Brief Free Verse, Photos
Tercets, Concrete Poems, Quartets
Cinquains, Waka, Couplets, Senryu
Sonnets, Limericks, Quatrains
Under 30 Letters Best Per Line of Text
Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series I










Short Poems by Michael P. Garofalo



Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series II

Uncle Mike's Favorites: Collections of Short Poems
Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo

      Uncle Mike's Favorite Short Poems Collections


  Poetry by Michael P. Garofalo

Concrete Poetry

Cloud Hands Blog

Memories of Uncle Mike




Text Art: Drunk Driving



Drunk Driving
By Michael P. Garofalo










Text Art and Concrete Poetry


Thursday, June 23, 2022

Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series - News

Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series

Uncle Mike's Short Poems Collections # 1-5


Collection 1

Short poems by Emily Dickinson,
Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes,
Robert Frost, e.e.cummings,
Odgen Nash, Vikram Seth,
Joyce Kilmer, Michael Burch, etc.

Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series 2

Collection 2

Short poems by Ezra Pound,
Anais Nin, Sylvia Plath,
Rita Dove, Shakespeare,
William Carlos Williams,
Issa, Mike Garofalo

Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series 2

Collection 3

Short poems by Mary Frye,
T.S. Eliot, Matsuo Basho,
Dylan Thomas, Sara Teasdale,
Edmund Spencer, etc.

Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series 2

Collection 4

Short poems by and about Uncle Mike.
By Michael P. Garofalo
Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series 2

Collection 5

Short poems by Michael P. Garofalo
Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series 1

Summer Adventures

Seaside Snippets

Autumn Views

Uncommon Considerations

Winter Home

Springtime Days

Memories of Uncle Mike

Favorite Short Poems

Backyard Gardens

 


Short Poems by Mike Garofalo

Cuttings: Haiku and Short Poems

Pulling Onions: Over 1,000 One-Liners

Green Way Research Subject Index

Cloud Hands Blog

Uncle Mike's Favorite Short Poems

Concrete Poetry

Facebook

Four Days at Grayland Beach

Poetry by Mike Garofalo

How to Live a Good Life

The Spirit of Gardening

 

Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series

Text, graphics, photos, and webpage design
by Michael P. Garofalo.

Updated: June 23, 2022

© Green Way Research
    All Rights Reserved

 

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Thinking like Alfred North Whitehead

 Some Principles of Alfred North Whitehead's Thinking

1. Question the assumptions of your community, your society, your religion, your science, your educational institutions, especially those that are rarely mentioned.
2. Question the dominant media, asking who controls it and what they want you to think.
3. Recognize that a serious answer to any important question brings into view lots of other questions.
4. When people appeal to mystery, consider that it may be mystification.  Push critical thought as far as you can.
5.  Recognize that the wider range of influences on an event or person that you consider, the better you understand that event or person.
6.  Recognize that the broader you consideration of the context and of the likely consequences of your action, the better chance that you will make the right choice.
7.  Realize that all your ideas and values are influenced by your particular situation, but refuse to conclude that for this reason they can be dismissed as merely "relative."
8.  Recognize that there may be no actions that are completely harmless, but do not let that prevent you for acting decisively.
9.  Understand that compassion is the most basic aspect of our experience, and seek to liberate and extend your compassion to all with which you come in contact.
10. Deepen you commitments to your own immediate communities, but always remember that other communities make similar demands on their members.  Let you ultimate commitment be all-inclusive."
-  By John B. Cobb, Jr., What would Whitehead Think?   

Process Philosophy

How to Live a Good Life: Advice From Wise Persons

Alfred North Whitehead




Monday, June 20, 2022

What Runs But Never Gets Tired?

The annual average rainfall (AAR) in the different places I have lived is of note for me:

1946-1967  Unincorporated East Los Angeles, Bandini Neighborhood/Varrio,
                  City of Commerce, Southern California   
AAR = 15”
1948-1958  Karen grew up in Alexandria, Central Indiana   AAR = 42"

1969-1973  Biloxi, Mississippi   AAR = 65”
1973-1983  Bell Gardens, Southern California   AAR =  15”
1983-1998  Hacienda Heights, California   AAR = 15”
1998-2017  Red Bluff, Northern California   AAR = 25”
2017–         Vancouver, Southwestern Washington, Northwest USA  AAR = 42”


Vancouver, Washington, is rated as USDA Agricultural Zone 8B.

Zone 8b means that the average minimum winter temperature is 15 to 20 °F. 



"Ancient traditions have long associated holy wells and springs as very special places of the Goddess or anima mundi: symbolic of the Great Mother and associated with birth, the feminine principle, the universal womb, the prima materia, the waters of fertility and refreshment and the fountain of life. The dreaming sites, as they are called, have also been associated with visions, healing, and other paranormal experiences. In ancient Greece, for example, there were more than three-hundred medical centers placed at water sources, where patients experienced healing."
- Christopher and Tricia McDowell, The Sanctuary Garden, 1998, p. 62




"Day after day we looked for rain, and day after day we saw nothing but the sun. Lavender that we had planted in the spring died. The patch of grass in front of the house abandoned its ambitions to become a lawn and turned into the dirty yellow of poor straw. The earth shrank, revealing its knuckles and bones, rocks and roots that had been invisible before."
-  Peter Mayle






What runs but never gets tired?
Water


"Water is the driver of Nature."
- Leonardo da Vinci







Interstate 5 Highway Bridge from Vancouver, Washington to Portland, Oregon.  

This bridge crosses the Columbia River.  




Columbia River Valley




Mt. Hood and Hood River Valley, Oregon
The Hood River flows into the Columbia River.





Astoria, Oregon, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.






Sunday, June 19, 2022

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 77, by Lao Tzu

Daodejing, Laozi
Chapter 77

"The way of heaven,
Is it not like stretching a bow?
What is high up is pressed down,
What is low down is lifted up;
What has surplus is reduced,
What is deficient is supplemented.
The way of heaven,
It reduces those who have surpluses,
To supplement those who are deficient.
The human way is just not so.
It reduces those who are deficient,
To offer those who have surpluses.
Who can offer his surpluses to the world?
Only a person of Tao.
Therefore the sage works (wei) without holding on to,
Accomplishes without claiming credit.
Is it not because he does not want to show off his merits?"
-  Translated by Ellen M. Chen, 1989, Chapter 77  



"The Tao of Heaven resembles a drawn bow.
It brings down the high and exalts the lowly;
it takes from those who have superfluity,
and gives to those who have not enough.
The Tao of Heaven abstracts where there is too much,
and supplements where there is deficiency.
The Tao of men does not so.
It takes away from what is already deficient
in order to bestow on those who have a superfluity.
Who is able to devote his surplus to the needs of others?
Only he who is possessed of Tao. 
Thus it is that the Sage acts, yet does not plume himself;
achieves works of merit, yet does not hold to them.
He has no wish to make a display of his worthiness."
-  Translated by Frederic H. Balfour, 1884, Chapter 77  



"The Path of Heaven is like bending a bow-
the upper part is pressed down,
the lower part is raised up;
the part which has much is reduced,
the part that has little is increased.
Therefore, the Path of Heaven
reduced surplus to make up for scarcity;
the way of mankind's Ego
reduces scarcity and pays tribute to surplus!
Who is there who can have a surplus
and take from it to pay tribute to Heaven?
Surely, only one who is on the Path.
For this reason, Sages transact, but do not hoard,
complete their work but do not dwell upon it.
In this way, they have no desire to display their 'worth.' "
-  Translated by Jerry C. Welch, 1998, Chapter 77

"The Tao of Heaven,
Is it not like the bending of a bow?
The top comes down and the bottom-end goes up,
The extra length is shortened, the insufficient width is expanded.
It is the way of Heaven to take away from those that have too much
And give to those that have not enough.
Not so with man's way:
He takes from those that have not
And gives it as tribute to those that have too much.
Who can have enough and to spare to give to the entire world?
Only the man of Tao.
Therefore the Sage acts, but does not possess,
Accomplishes but lays claim to no credit,
Because he has no wish to seem superior."
-  Translated by Lin Yutang, 1955, Chapter 77 


天之道, 其猶張弓與?
高者抑之,
下者舉之,
有餘者損之,
不足者補之.

天之道損有餘而補不足,
人之道則不然,
損不足以奉有餘.
孰能有餘以奉天下?

唯有道者.
是以聖人為而不恃, 
功成而不處,
其不欲見賢.
-  Chinese characters, Chapter 77, Tao Te Ching



tian zhi dao, qi you zhang gong yu?
gao zhe yi zhi,
xia zhe ju zhi,
you yu zhe sun zhi,
bu zu zhe bu zhi.

tian zhi dao sun you yu er bu bu zu,
ren zhi dao ze bu ran,
sun bu zu yi feng you yu.
shu neng you yu yi feng tian xia?

wei you dao zhe.
shi yi sheng ren wei er bu shi,
gong cheng er bu chu,
qi bu yu xian xian.
-  Pinyin Romanization, Chapter 77, Daodejing 
 
"Bend the bow and embrace the tiger
to emulate the way of heave

drawn with resoluteness
the bow changes length and width
turning in on itself

released with resoluteness
the bow projects its arrow fixedly to a target
by equalizing itself

the bow can shoot up or down as needed
always seeking to balance out
flexibility and cohesion
always seeking to resolve
excesses of energy and deficiencies of energy

equalizing and balancing out and resolving
are the ways of heaven

but the ways of man
make things unequal
imbalanced and unresolved
cutting man off from heaven and earth

only a sage wise man humbly cultivating the tao
     way of life
can entreat heaven on man's behalf
asking heaven
to reestablish the natural order
by not asking heaven

when he is successful
he does not dwell on it
displaying his skill at emulating the way of heaven

he simply smiles
and moves on to the next task."
-  Translated by John Bright-Fey, Chapter 77



"Is not Tao like the drawn bow?
The highest part is lowered,
the lowest part is raised.
Overall length is shortened,
overall depth is lengthened.
So the Great Tao
lowers the highest and raises the lowest.
But the Tao of man
increases the high and decreases the low.
Who can take from the high and give to the low?
Only the true follower of Tao.
Thus, the truly wise act but are not possessive,
achieve but claim no credit,
because they have no desire for vain glory."
-  Translated by C. Ganson, Chapter 77 


¿Acaso el camino del cielo no procede
igual que el que tensa un arco?
Rebaja lo que está arriba
y elva lo que está arriba
y elva lo que está abajo;
quita lo que sobra
y reemplaza lo que falta.

El camino del Cielo quita el excedente
para compensar lo que falta.
El camino del hombre es my distinto:
el homre quita al indigente
para sumárselo al rico.

¿Quién puede dar al mundo lo que tiene de superfluo
sino el que posee el Tao?

El santo actúa sin esperar nada
lleva a cabo su obra sin encapricharse con ella
y mantiene escondido su mérito."
-  Translated by Alba, 1998, Tao Te Ching, Capítulo 77 



"The Tao of heaven is like the art of archery,
tall man, aim low;
short man, aim high.
If the string is too long, shorten it;
not enough, lengthen it.
The Tao of heaven is just like that,
short the long, long the short.
Man's way is different.
He takes from those who do not have enough,
to give to those who already have too much.
Who can have anything left for taking?
Only the man of Tao, as sage,
works without taking,
achieves without keeping,
does not show his greatness."
-  Translated by Tienzen Gong, Chapter 77 



"Is not the Tao of heaven like the drawing of a bow?
It brings down the part which is high; it raises the part which is low;
it lessens the part which is redundant (convex); it fills up the part which is insufficient (concave).
The Tao of heaven is to lessen the redundant and fill up the insufficient.
The Tao of man, on the contrary, is to take from the insufficient and give to the redundant.
Who can take from the redundant and give to the insufficient?
Only he who has Tao can.
Therefore the Sage does not horde.
The more he helps others, the more he benefits himself the more he gives to others, the more he gets himself.
The Tao of heaven does one good but never does one harm; the Tao of the Sage acts but never contends."
-  Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 77  




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 Webpage drop down menu, and other resources for that Chapter.   

Chapter 77, 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

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey  


 

 

Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series - Announcements

 


Uncle Mike's
Cellphone Poetry Series I

Short Poems

By Michael P. Garofalo

 

     Summer Adventures



     Autumn Views



     Winter Home



     Backyard Gardens


     Uncle Mike's Favorites

 


Short Poems by Michael P. Garofalo

Haiku, Brief Free Verse, Photos
Tercets, Concrete Poems, Quartets
Cinquains, Waka, Couplets, Senryu
Sonnets, Limericks, Quatrains
30 Letters per Line of Text
Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series









Short Poems by Michael P. Garofalo


Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series II
Uncle Mike's Favorites: Collections of Short Poems
Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo

 



Happy Father's Day, Michael James Garofalo




My father was Michael James Garofalo.  He was born in Los Angeles, California, on January 10th, 1916.  He passed away on April 2, 1996.  He had been raised, educated, worked, raised his family of three children, built 3 houses, enjoyed traveling in the Southwest, prospered, retired and lived till he was 81 years of age in Los Angeles County.

My paternal grandfather, Anthony Garofalo (1881-1931), and his father Demetrio came to Los Angeles from a town in Sicily called Pino dei Greci.  They were in the LA fruit and produce transportation and wholesale business.  Since my grandfather Anthony died of cancer when my dad was 15, my dad never experienced an adult relationship with his father.

My father grew up in Los Angeles during the Great Depression of the 1930's and World War II.  He lived and worked during the economic boom years from 1950-1980 in Los Angeles County.

My mother, Bertha June Garofalo (1921-1994), and my dad were married in 1942.  He was then a University of Southern California student and civilian draftsman employed by the U. S. Army Air Corps.

My dad and I were born in the same hospital: The White Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles.  We both attended The University of Southern California.  

He worked his entire professional career for the Flour Corporation.  He retired in 1978 as the Chief Piping Engineer at Flour.  Flour designed and built oil refineries and chemical plants all around the world.  

My dad's Flour office was near the corner of the Washington and Atlantic Blouveards, less than a half mile from our small home in Bandini, unincorporated East Los Angeles, just another ELA barrio adjacent to industrial, manafacturing, retail, railroads, and slaughterhouses.  This area later became the incorporated City of Commerce.

I worked for the City of Commerce Public Library from 1963-1969.  I was attending California State University at Los Angeles at the time, paid for by my dad.  My dad worked at Flour back then, and we were moving to the new house that my dad and my two brothers had built in Hacienda Heights.  I worked hard at the "Ranch" most weekends building the garage, house, pool, and landscaping from the age of 10 to 21.  My dad taught us the building trades.  

My dad was a Catholic.  He paid for me to attend Catholic School at St. Alphonsus Grammer School (K-8) and Cantwell Catholic High School (9-12), both in East Los Angeles.  He supported the Catholic Church, its outlook on life, their schools, and their sacraments.  My mom was the quiet Lutheran, acting like a Catholic.  

My dad was a Republican.  He was a professional engineer in a non-union workplace.  He would not be thought of by others as a progressive, liberal, or libertarian.  He liked the Moral Majority attitude.  A prim and proper attitude, hard working, clean cut, Catholic, bourgeois, conservative, mainstream, married ...  Ronald Reagan was his favorite President.  

My dad was a savy investor, very hardworking, and frugal.  He left me with an inheritance that enabled me to move to Northern California in 1998.  I worked part-time from 1998-2017, and enjoyed life as an educator, fitness instructor, and semi-retired bohemian gentleman gardener on 5 acres in a rural area.

I can't say my Dad and I were good friends.  It was probably somewhat my own fault, but he frequently was, for me, not a likeable sort of fellow in some ways.  He tended towards an authoritarian and bossy manner.  We did not share the same opinions about many issues of our adjacent generations or about different outlooks on life.  

I could always count on him for help and guidance, and tried to reciprocate in kind over our lifetimes.  I respected him in many ways.  I admired his accomplishments.  I thought of him as a strong, decent, hard working man.  I wished him well for him for 52 years.

He told me many times, "You are a good son."  He choose Karen and I as his caregivers and personal managers after he had a stroke in 1992 and my mom died of cancer in 1994; and, choose me as the Executor of his estate.  We honored all his last wishes.  

We both enjoyed traveling in the Southwest from 1950-1993.  He took our family on many trips in the West from 1948-1966.  My dad and mom owned a Ford 350 truck and a 20" travel trailer.  He drove that rig across the USA and down to Mexico City.  

So I tip my hat to my Dad, Big Mike, my Father, Michael James Garofalo, and my good memories.

Happy Birthday, Dad








Saturday, June 18, 2022

Before and After in the Garden


[A repost from the Cloud Hands Blog on June 25th, 2014.]

Our "Sunny Vegetable Garden" changes dramatically from spring to summer.

The two photos below were taken by looking south.  The first photo was taken in early April, and the second in late June.  The "winter garden," where Karen was standing in April, has been cleared and all the onions and garlic harvested. 







The two photos below were taken by looking north. The first photo was taken in early April, and the second in late June. Whatever we don't water is dried and brown by June





June Gardening:  Quotes, Poems, Sayings, Lore

Gardening and the Seasons:  Quotes, Poems, Sayings, Lore

Our dog, Bruno, always likes to join us for gardening activities.  He is skilled at digging for gophers and snakes.









This photo was taken in 2005.