4th of July

Happy 4th of July to all. Dad and I went to a party given by one of the nearby ranchers with a little beach house in Cayucos. The host told a story about one of his kids who came home for a month and stayed a year, but Dad didn't look too worried. I found myself unable to answer another one of those simple conversational questions simply, which is, where do you live? One of the guests, another rancher, had a bumper sticker that said, "Got a job yet? Keep buying foreign." His wife talked about how to most effectively shoot ground squirrels and how hard it is now to get ammo. These are my people.

Yesterday I made myself a schedule, it is important when you are unemployed to put yourself on a schedule. I can really kill a day doing not very much. Last time I was unemployed I saw a psychologist as part of a lawsuit who told me to make myself a schedule and stop drinking alcohol, so I stopped seeing her. This time I'm already not drinking, so I get to do things differently. It is important to put the things you do not want to do, or you think will be hard, on the schedule during your best part of the day. Give this a limited time frame and when the time frame is over, you are done with that chore for the day and avoid beating yourself up all day about what you should be doing but are putting off. Yesterday I finished a painting I brought to Dad's that I decided wasn't done, but could not finish before I left. Cruiser took over the drafting chair, but I have to stand to paint in Dad's set-up anyway.

Topic #3 to enlightenment is Leadership with a quote from Lao-Tzu, the author of the Tao Te Ching, about acting simply and true leaders. I'm not going to try to expand on the Tao Te Ching, but appreciate the author of the book's reference to artists leading the Renaissance and I hope I am leading by example.

True leaders
are hardly known to their followers.
Next after them are the leaders
the people know and admire;
after them, those they fear;
after them, those they despise.

To give no trust
is to get no trust.

When the work’s done right,
with no fuss or boasting,
ordinary people say,
Oh, we did it.

I wish I did not pack my Tao Te Ching, but brought it with me.

Topic #5 is Patience with a phrase by Confucius, “Do not be desirous of having things done quickly. Do not look at small advantages. Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly. Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.” Patience is not my strong point, and I suppose my adventure (or great affair) will take some patience. My lack of patience is why I prefer watercolors, they require some thorough preparation sometimes, but they are quick and it does not take long for me to be able to stand back and be pleased at my progress, although I suppose I always work mindfully. So in my watercolor example, working quickly is true to the nature of watercolors and not the same as not being thorough. So, like I said, I have trouble with this topic.

Coyote made a round around the ranch this early morning. Cats must have known because they went under the covers, no cat breakfast for Mr. Coyote.

Today's job is to set up my computer. This is a job I hate, so scheduled for this morning. Dad is golfing tomorrow. Wednesday I am back and forth to Mom's to get my last paycheck and put it in the bank, sign paperwork to cash out my pension, and pick up the dry cleaning I forgot.