Dream Catchers

My family spent the morning with Paul and Angela's family making dream catchers. Some time last week, both their daughter and their foreign exchange student from Jordan asked me to teach them. I made hoops from willow branches and brought my beads for decoration. All of our children seemed to really enjoy the project.

Learning to make dream catchers was the last thing I ever did with my father before he passed away. It is an honor and a privilege to pass that knowledge on to our children.

Faces of Nature

Sunset in Wellpinit...


Water under the bridge...

These are the faces of nature as I saw them today; water under the bridge on the Little Spokane River, and a sunset in Wellpinit. It was a beautiful day. Since I woke up this morning, I felt the presence of spirit in my life.

Graduate Degree Posted

My graduate advisor at Whitworth College called this afternoon to say my Master's Degree in Education formally posted this week. I can pick up my transcript today. After so many years, I can hardly believe it's finished. Now I can add letters to the end of my name:

Barry G. Moses, M.Ed.

In all fairness, I know my wife will want me to mention she beat me to the punch by adding letters to her name last year. She completed coursework at Inland Massage Institute, and now holds the title Rhonda M. Moses, LMP.

Jail Dreams

Rhonda and I received a letter from our 19 year old foster son, Anthony. He writes from the Spokane County Jail and talks in length about several recent dreams. I basically taught him what my father told me as a young man; that dreams are a primary source of wisdom. I advised him to write down his dreams and look for insights. He took my advice, and after a series of three important dreams, he received answers regarding how to resolve his current situation. The answers may require a certain degree of sacrifice, but at least now the path is revealed.

I'm glad Anthony is beginning to look inward for answers and take accountability for past wrongs, though I recognize he tends to express a greater interest in spirituality during times of incarceration, or other situations where he's compelled to be humble. I just hope he will continue his inward journey long enough to make some lasting changes for good.

Homeland Insecurity

The Spokane County Courthouse and Jail.

Once again I've threatened the national security by photographing sensitive buildings. It all started last year when I photographed the Federal Building in downtown Spokane and provoked a curbside interrogation by federal officers. All I wanted was a shot of the fountain all lit up at night, but the authorities quite nearly accused me of spying on the building's "hidden security features." A few months later I actually received a written citation for photographing a friend near the Social Security office. Now this morning I got stopped by yet another officer for photographing the Spokane County Courthouse and jail at sunrise. I thought it was quite beautiful, actually, but the gentleman treated my aesthetic sensibilities with suspicion. He said, "It's not a crime to photograph this building, but I'll still need to take your name, in case we need it;" whatever that means...

In the age of domestic and foreign terrorism, it seems the world has become less secure with artistic inquiry near government structures. I guess I'll just have to be more mindful of my surroundings before I start snapping photographs. In all fairness to those who protect the people from harm, I see how my innocuous little hobby might seem like a threat to all we hold dear. If they really knew me, however, they would see how harmless to the national security I really am.

Always the Princess

Anyone who follows this blog with any degree of regularity will know my daughters think of themselves as princesses, especially McKenna. She wore a tiara to our date last night at the Spokane Symphony. In so many ways she acts the part; she demands respect and can be quite stubborn at times, but deep down she's just a sweetie. As we were riding home, she was quiet for the longest while, and then out of the blue she announced, "I love you daddy." She says it so rarely, I simply learned to cherish those moments when they happen.

Spokane Symphony

The Spokane River as it appears by the old Opera House.

We've come full circle tonight with a visit to the Spokane Symphony. Several years ago, my friend Francesca invited me to the Opera House to sing an honor song for the symphony rehearsal. Standing on the platform with conductor Morihiko Nakahara, I sang one of my father's prayer songs. The river flows just a few hundred yards from that exact location, and it felt as though all the ancestor spirits could hear me. My son Dakota stood with me that night.

One of the musicians who heard me sing was so moved, she later called me on the telephone. Since then, she and I have corresponded regularly by email. Her name is Candace, and I believe I mentioned her once or twice before on this blog.

Well tonight, I received two tickets from Francesca (at Candace's suggestion) to hear Roby Lakatos play the violin. He was amazing!

This time my daughter McKenna accompanied me as part of a daddy daughter date. I'm intrigued by the way our lives are slowing beginning to connect. Many thanks to Francesca and Candace for a very wonderful evening.

On a slightly different note, my wife and I discovered McKenna's love of classical music quite by accident. At one point we were flipping through radio stations as we took a long family drive. We stopped for a moment on a station with classical music and McKenna insisted on listening. She absolutely loved it! Even tonight, the show lasted for over two hours, but she never asked to get up or leave. She doesn't even sit through action movies that well. After the performance ended, I asked her what she thought and she said it was excellent.

The Sisters

Several weeks ago both sister missionaries in the Brentwood Ward were transferred out at the same time. We were very disappointed, until we met the new sisters, Sister Watkins from Saint Louis, Missouri and Sister Evans from Sandy, Utah. They joined us tonight for dinner, dessert, and a spiritual thought.

According to my tradition, I asked each missionary for a quote. Sister Evans quoted the Book of Mormon in a selection on prayer, Alma 34:17-27. I was especially moved by verse 26 where the prophet admonishes: "...pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness." That one verse made me remember all the wilderness places in my life, and all the times I cried unto God for mercy.

Sister Watkins quoted President Benson: "Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life."

Amen.

After all these years, I'm still grateful to know the missionaries, and to receive them into my home.

Island of Color

The gloom of winter began in earnest a few days ago when heavy, gray clouds rolled in from the southwest and dumped torrents of rain and slush on the area. I'm thankful for the turn of seasons, but I tend to experience a form of seasonal affective disorder or depression if the weather stays dark for too long. That's why I felt happy to see the clouds part late this afternoon and allow the golden sunset to brighten the last few minutes of day. I especially appreciated an old Ferris Wheel standing barren and unused over Market Street, but still an island of color against the cold, bleak days ahead.

Uella

Rhonda's grandmother Uella spent the last few weeks as a guest in our home. At 90 years old, she often remembers her childhood better than than she remembers last week. For days on end, she told the most endearing stories about her beloved husband, her deceased daughter, her older brother, her parents, and so many others who touched her life over the years. Sometimes she forgot what she already said and repeated the same stories, but I enjoyed them every time. More than anything, I was grateful to sit in her presence and witness such a shining example of a life well-loved. She went back to Arizona this afternoon and will be missed.

The Abominable Cheese

Few places expose the generational divide more than Chuck E. Cheese. All around, children nearly trample one another to exchange hard currency for worthless plastic trinkets, while parents huddle together for mutual support against the rising cacophony of grade school hysteria. Children as young as 3 years old experience their first adrenaline rush of preschool gambling by plugging money into brightly colored machines in exchange for a small paper ticket. After winning only a handful of tickets, they rush to the counter with breathless anticipation to claim their prize. Indeed, after spending $57 for pizza and an introduction to childhood gaming, my kids come home with a pencil eraser, a cracker jack sticker, and a small piece of hard candy.

Once the tokens run out, my children suddenly take interest in other activities. For example, a video camera takes a running feed of anyone who cares to stand in front of it. My daughter McKenna holds a flimsy plastic microphone and assumes a very professional demeanor for the monitor. She speaks with remarkable Katie Couric style and says, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the news. Drip, drip, drip, it's wet outside. It's raining (pause). It's pouring (pause), and the old man won't stop snoring." She held her face so serious and still I absolutely could not hold back my laughter.

In the end, I'm glad my children enjoyed the evening, even if I had to endure the torture of the abominable cheese.

'Quality' Art

If misfortune or lack of parental willpower find me at Chuck E. Cheese, the only things I ever enjoy are the ski ball lanes and the little camera machine. Where else can you get 'quality' art for only 25 cents? Rhonda and I pose here for a grainy mugshot that mercifully hides all my blemishes. :)

Earth and Sky

I'm pleased to introduce my first photograph edited on Gimp.

As I mentioned before, my brother-in-law Paul restored my computer using the Ubuntu operating system rather than Windows XP. I've been somewhat frustrated learning the new rules, especially my apparent inability to import photographs from my digital camera, but Paul spent several hours at my home this evening formatting the computer. I'm very happy to edit my pictures once again.

I took this particular photograph on the way home from the winter dance in Wellpinit. The full moon shone brightly in the western sky as the clouds raced by in the quick, balmy wind. The night looked to me like a mystical union of earth and sky.

Ubuntu

OK everyone, sorry for the delay. I haven't posted for several days because we've switched back to our main computer, but my brother-in-law installed Ubuntu as the operating system, rather than Windows XP. This thing functions very differently than anything I've ever seen before, and I'm about ready to pull my hair out. However, I promised him I would give it a fair chance. Of course, the first thing on my agenda will be how to get digital photographs from my camera onto this operating system. I'm sure then to resume posting as usual.

Taste of India

I finally presented my sister with a very belated birthday dinner at a Taste of India; she chose the place. We had soup and bread, but she insisted we got the wrong soup, or at least it was not the same as before. I've never eaten Indian food, but I thought it was good. It's always nice to try something from a different culture.

Blogosphere Cameo

I made a "cameo" appearance in two blogs lately; first in Seth's blog from the campus of Brigham Young University, and second from my old friend Gary. Seth posted my picture, and Gary credited me with inspiring him to start his own blog. Both blogs are linked to the left of this entry; one under Seth Hill, and the other under Gary's Gratitude.

Winter Returns

From my desk at work, I heard students yelling about the snow. When I went outside, sure enough, the snow returns to mark the beginning of winter. This is a season when the spirits return and everything else in nature sleeps. The snow covers our doings from the previous year in preparation for a new life in spring.

Dance Lessons

My daughters took ballet lessons last year, and had a wonderful time, but only Whitney decided to continue. This year she is taking jazz lessons and seems to really enjoy it. She's the cutest dancer I know.

My Princess Daughters

My daughters dressed up as princesses this Halloween; a favorite theme for them. They were absolutely radiant this year, thanks in large part to my mom, who sewed the most amazing dress for McKenna. I love my daughters with all my heart. They are indeed princesses in the kingdom of my little world.

Halloween

Oh... my kids are getting so big. We still do Halloween and all the "kid" holidays, but as I watch them grow, I see faint glimmers of who they'll become. For example, Dakota dressed up as a doctor this year, and looked like he could really fill the part some day in real life. My daughters are also turning into young ladies. They're not babies anymore. Where did all the years go?