Certainly uncertain . . .
Thursday, October 8, 2026. It's Thor's day . . . at 9 a.m. on The Way back from the mailbox at 60º you might never look forward to today's forecast of a 90º afternoon. But, there you have it: A bright sunny afternoon with easy Southeasterlies across GreenCountry and into TulseyTown.
[T]he truth is that we can never avoid uncertainty. This not knowing is part of the adventure, it’s also what makes us afraid, and it's at the core of what Buddha called “beginner's mind.”
The uncertainty has Trump panicking – Heather Cox Richardson, in Letters From An American.
The republic revisited: A preview of a coming attraction (some of which will no doubt appear on these pages). – Joyce Vance, in Civil Discourse.
Pema Khandro, Women in Buddhism, The Lenz Foundation. Worthy, insightful.
YoYo's and swans . . .
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 . It's Odin's day . . . a warm week is in the GreenContry forecasts. Afternoons in TulseyTown are to feature easy Southerlies, bright sunshine and upper 80’s. At this 9 o'clock hour, a full mailbox.
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. – Thich Nhat Hanh
So many of our Catholic saints are examples of heroic martyrdom; the message they give is, “If I am perfect, then God will love me.” Because I was so programmed to think that way, I really needed to be released from that pursuit of perfection. Thank God both Thérèse and Francis of Assisi did that for me. – Fr. Richard Rohr, “A Visit from Thérèse,” Meditations, The Center for Action and Contemplation. 10.2.26
Allen Ginsberg read his poem “Howl” at the Six Gallery in San Francisco on this date in 1955. The event gave birth to what has come to be known as “the beat generation.”
Poet and author Diane Ackerman is 78 today, born in 1948 Waukegan, Illinois. Among my faves, a great read in any genre.
It's also the birthdate of Nobel Prize laureate physicist Niels Bohr, born in 1885 Copenhagen.
Vladimir Putin is 74 today, born in 1952, Leningrad, Russia, U.S.S.R. [now St. Petersburg, Russia] .
Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu was born on this day in 1931 Klerksdorp, South Africa .
A message for men:
[The coming elections] also happen to be a test of whether we believe what we say when we tell folks to “stand up for women.”. . . Our sons are watching what men get away with. And our daughters are watching to see whether anyone stops them. Does our country actually stand up for women? They’re right to wonder. – Miles Taylor, Defiance.
R.D. Laing born in 1927 Glasgow, Scotland. The British psychiatrist was noted for his alternative approach to the treatment of schizophrenia incorporating existential philosophy. His writings were significant influences in interdisciplinary academia, yers trooly among them.
“Truth is literally that which is without secrecy, what discloses itself without a veil. ” – R.D. Laing
And, the French-born American cellist Yo-Yo Ma is 71 today, born in 1955, Paris, France.
Why these postcards . . .
Tuesday, October 6, 2026. It's Tiw's day . . . At this 8 a.m. hour, a seven day warming is in the forecasts for GreenCountry. East Southerlies return, bringing more sunshine and mid 80's to TulseyTown's afternoon.
True of more than marriage. Loving someone. Being present. Beginning again. Remembering how we want to meet this life. We don’t do it once. We do it every day. Remember that intention and honor it. – Jack Kornfield. Ask Jack
The sacred nature of the world was largely lost until its more recent rediscovery by seers that we usually think of as “secular,” “mere” nature mystics, poets, and artists: people like Chief Seattle, John Muir, Rachel Carson, Walt Whitman, Wendell Berry, Annie Dillard, and others. [I would add Mirabai Starr to that list]. Fr. Richard Rohr, “Rediscovering Our Connection to Nature.” Meditations. The Center For action and Contemplation. 10.5.26
Who will reduce the existential risks? – Robert Reich, If There's No Other Way. Posted today.
Postal correspondence has a trapped-in-amber quality that an electronic exchange never can. A postcard or letter from a friend is a snapshot, a moment in time captured and suspended until it is received in my real world porch-mounted mailbox. Responding with a missive of my own is a kind of parallel conversation to our daily tide of text messages, one that accumulates only as much momentum as the rate of the U.S. postal system allows. – Melissa Kirsch, “Slow Motion,” NYTimes 10.3.26
When we are open to beauty, it is more likely to appear to us. When we share that gift by pointing it out to others, we find we have even more of it to celebrate. – Trebbe Johnson