Dear Readers & Writers,
I love this passage from the essay “Los Angeles” about California’s exceptional lands and waters and what its hills and highways, rivers and skyscrapers, deserts and subdivisions would say to all of us living here:
An afternoon drive from Los Angeles will take you up into the high mountains, where eagles circle above the forests and the cold blue lakes, or out over the Mojave Desert, with its weird vegetation and immense vistas. Not very far away are Death Valley, and Yosemite, and the Sequoia Forest with its giant trees which were growing long before the Parthenon was built; they are the oldest living things in the world. One should visit such places often, and be conscious, in the midst of the city, of their surrounding presence. For this is the real nature of California and the secret of its fascination; this untamed, undomesticated, aloof, prehistoric landscape which relentlessly reminds the traveler of his human condition and the circumstances of his tenure upon the earth. “You are perfectly welcome . . . during your short visit. Everything is at your disposal. Only, I must warn you, if things go wrong, don’t blame me. I accept no responsibility. I am not part of your neurosis. Don’t cry to me for safety. There is no home here. There is no security in your mansions or your fortresses, your family vaults or your banks or your double beds. Understand this fact, and you will be free. Accept it, and you will be happy.” –Christopher Isherwood, 1904-1986.
600+ pages of happiness – Even in these divided times, miracles for nature are happening. The Senate passed a bill in early February 2019 protecting 1.3 million acres of wilderness. In California, Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks will expand. The more than 600-page measure saves tax payers $9 million and renews and permanently authorizes funding from off-shore oil revenues to protect land and waters. “It touches every state, features the input of a wide coalition of our colleagues, and has earned the support of a broad, diverse coalition of many advocates for public lands, economic development and conservation,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in the Los Angeles Times.
Checklists are life-savers – Doctors use them, so do pilots. Lives are literally saved every day because of checklists, which remind professionals of essential steps to follow to stay on task during surgery or during flight. You can make your own checklists, too, whether you’re creating dinner, a business plan or a craft project. Here’s my Checklist for the Writing Life.
Have a wonderful rest of your week!
Sincerely,
Kristine
