Today I read some more in Charlotte Joko Beck's book on Zen, called "Nothing Special", and I continue to be inspired by it. She described two kinds of people -- one who, like a pilot in a plane trying to escape from a hurricane, desperately tries to avoid anything even slightly negative in life, and the other who, like a pilot in a motorless glider, just glides here and there with the various weathers of life. It's not a perfect analogy, but it does remind me to do more gliding than escaping in my life. 

Charlotte Joko Beck 

This was Cia's day off from exercising, since she's doing a strenuous hike with friends tomorrow, so I had to do my daily walk by myself (poor, lonely me), along River Road and up and down a long, lovely, wooded hill three times. As usual, I saw several swans and many soaring seagulls along the walk, and I stopped occasionally to get a good look with my binoculars -- a recent gift from my sweetheart. If anyone feels scared or sorrowful or confused, I suggest they find some swans or seagulls, and just watch them with binoculars as long as possible. There's peace to be found in watching birds being at peace.