My Advent....

I got involved with politics during my teenage years, as one can read it in my Family web site. The Hungarian Revolution in 1956 was a turning point in my life for escaping with my young husband to start our new life and to raise our future children in a free country.

When I am reflecting on those long and struggling years I am not surprised to find that there was no room for politics in my life. But I was praying for the ending of the Korean and Vietnamese wars, and was overjoyed when in Europe the Iron Curtain fell with the Berlin walls.

In the past decade I am getting more and more disturbed by the political maneuverings, the actions of the groups of terrorists, and with the wars and blood sheds. During the time of Advent I am praying again very hard for the honesty and wisdom of the leaders that they will promote World's peace and our future with their decisions.

Approaching Christmas season

A suspected uranium-enrichment facility near Qom

While getting into the the warm and loving holiday spirit, one can not overlook the brewing dangers of the World.

World powers united in condemnation of Iran's nuclear activities yesterday in a rare show of international consensus on the threat posed by Tehran's continued nuclear defiance. China and Russia joined the United States, Britain, France and Germany in backing an International Atomic Energy Agency resolution censuring Iran and ordering it to halt construction of a secret uranium enrichment plant.

The resolution, the first since February 2006, passed with 25 votes and six abstentions. Only Malaysia, Venezuela and Cuba supported Iran. (picture and quotation from the Times)

Tristan and Isolde

"Tristan and Isolde is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based on the romance by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was composed between 1856 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bulow conducting."

"Wagner composition of Tristan and Isolde was inspired by his affair with Mathilda Wesendonck and the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer. Widely acknowledged as one of the peaks of the operatic repertory. Tristan was notable for Wagner's advanced use of chromaticism, tonality, orchestral color and harmonic suspension." (from Wikipedia)

I had had the good fortune in November of 1955 to attend to the opera of Tristan and Isolde at the Hungarian Opera House in Budapest. It was an unforgettable evening for me.

Unfortunately I do not have chances like that anymore, and that is why I was so thrilled few days ago when listening to BBC Radio 3's live production from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. (Antonio Pappano conductor, tenor Ben Heppner and soprano Nina Stemme as the tragic lovers.)

Edith Piaf - Autumn Leaves (Les Feuilles Mortes)

The Song from my youth...

Summer and Fall.

Just about a month ago my daughter came to visit me for few days. We took advantage of the gorgeous weather and drove out to the countryside to enjoy the last days of the Summer. She took a picture of me sitting on a boulder by the Santiam River.

But the Fall came fast and uninvited; I took the second picture of my old dogwood tree few days ago. And I'm glad I did, because the rainstorm of last night left my tree completely barren of the leaves.

Jack and Jill

I have a pair of squirrel in my backyard, and I have named them Jack and Jill. I have no idea of their genders, and was assuming that they are a happy playful couple jumping from trees to trees, just like a pair of acrobats. My neighbor has a huge filbert tree by our redwood fence, and the little animals spending quite a time collecting and hiding the nuts.

I was desperately trying to take some pictures of the squirrels, but had not much luck, so I am using the above picture from Wikipedia.

Occasionally I also have a raccoon, who comes to drink from the wide bowl of water I had put out for him for his nightly visits, and he leaves his autograph faithfully in the grass.

Two summers ago I had seen quite a few little brown rabbits too, and even a deer came once to visit my yard. But sorry to say that lately my wildlife got curtailed by the neighboring developers, who is taking bigger and bigger chunks out of the surrounding land. Thank goodness for the flocks of birds that are still around.

And because Halloween is just right around the corner, I have to mention that sometimes a cute little brown bat is hiding in one of my awnings during day times.

I wonder if we are looking forward to a harsh winter.

What about older people?

The good news is that according to the Newsletter of Mayo Clinic, the swine flu vaccine targets the H1N1 virus that made its first reported appearance in the United States and Mexico in spring 2009.

This vaccine will be available for the public before the predicted major outbreak in this winter.

But would it be enough for all of us?

"The risk of swine flu infection is lower for people age 65 or older than for younger people. As vaccine supply and demand among younger age groups is being met, the swine flu vaccine will be offered to people over the age of 65."

This is something new for me, quite opposite what was in practice in the past.