J'arriverais!

I landed this morning at 10:30 and promptly went to the Louvre to attend a class given by my friend Debra. I am about as exhausted as can be....so I will post more later!

Pax!

Paul

O'Hare on a Tuesday afternoon

Well...the first leg of my trip was just fine. No complaints. Sitting at O'Hare waiting on a transatlantic flight. Woohoo!

Peace and love and more soon...

Paul

Countdown to Paris

Ok....the packing is almost done. This time tomorrow I will be in the air on the first leg of my Paris trip. I am scheduled to arrive at Charles De Gaulle around 9 am Wednesday morning and a shuttle will take me to Debra's school. Stayed tuned for more updates!

Peace and love!

Paul

Last French Class

Tonight was my last French class before I head to Paris (on Tuesday). I was a little sad to say goodbye to this fun group of people...but happy to know I will probably see them next semester. It was enjoyable to recall my French vocabulary from my KU days and I feel pretty confident in my language skills for the trip. It was an excellent lesson in being a student again...I forget how hard it can be to learn something new--and the very uncomfortable chairs didn't help any. Anyway--I will be posting regularly about my Paris adventures right here...so stay tuned!

PAX!

Walt Whitman on Election Day

ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER, 1884

If I should need to name, O Western World, your powerfulest scene and show,

'Twould not be you, Niagara - nor you, ye limitless prairies - nor your huge rifts of canyons, Colorado,

Nor you, Yosemite - nor Yellowstone, with all its spasmic geyserloops ascending to the skies, appearing and disappearing,

Nor Oregon's white cones - nor Huron's belt of mighty lakes - nor Mississippi's stream:

This seething hemisphere's humanity, as now, I'd name - the still small voice vibrating -America's choosing day,

(The heart of it not in the chosen - the act itself the main, the quadrennial choosing,)

The stretch of North and South arous'd - sea-board and inland - Texas to Maine - the Prairie States - Vermont, Virginia, California,

The final ballot-shower from East to West - the paradox and conflict,

The countless snow-flakes falling - (a swordless conflict,

Yet more than all Rome's wars of old, or modern Napoleon's): the peaceful choice of all,

Or good or ill humanity - welcoming the darker odds, the dross:

- Foams and ferments the wine? it serves to purify - while the heart pants, life glows:

These stormy gusts and winds waft precious ships,

Swell'd Washington's, Jefferson's, Lincoln's sails.

Uncle Walt

Halloween

I just had the best time with Dominic and Ronan tonight...we went trick or treating and then hung out at Stan and Sue's house...(the boys' grandparents) and it was such a beautiful night. One adult was dressed as Michael Myers and he really gave Ronan a scare. He retreated to the porch for the rest of the night and talked about the mon-ter. Really great little guy!!!!

Pax!

Gas Prices??!!??

I just filled up my little Ford Focus for 20 bucks at $1.98 a gallon. How long has it been since I have been able to do that??? Granted, I receive a 10 cent discount for using my Dillons card at Kwik Shop...but still....amazing!

Prepping for Paris

OK...my trip to Paris is a little more than two weeks away and I am starting to get very excited about it. I will be staying with my old friend, Debra Thimmesch, from Nov. 11 to the 22nd in her apartment in the heart of the city. I have been a little anxious about taking this trip with my new health issues, but after careful study and reflection I have decided to go. I ain't gonna let a little diabetes stop me from doing what I have planned for my life--and I have been planning this trip for almost a year now! I plan to post daily to this blog while I am in Paris and will keep you updated on my adventures! Yahoo! And....let's see.... j'ai sera a' Paris bien tot! And I am tres psyched about it!

Pax!

First Post in a While

So....I have been away from posting for a bit as I get my footing back on this new life of mine. Today I started feeling more like my old self--which is good. It's been a tough couple of weeks and I have been filled with amazing feelings of doubt and regret and sadness. Having said that, I also have been blessed with the gift of amazing friends and a wonderful family, so the journey thus far has been better than it could've been. Thank God for that! I will post more later as I continue coming to terms with this new development....

PEACE!

Life is what happens to us...

....while we're busy making other plans. No? Got some great pics of my brother and his family in China....one is posted.

Instead of bemoaning the fact that they are 1/2 a world away, I need to celebrate every picture they send me. Instead of worrying about tomorrow, I really need to pay attention to today--which I spent with various tribe members in a variety of amazing activities. Instead of waiting for my future, I need to continue to make it happen--moment by moment, day-by-day, relationship by relationship--life is good.

PAX!

Mary Jane Teall Awards

So....I just won Best Actor in a Comedy/Drama tonight for my work in "Moon Over Buffalo" this summer and I am genuinely humbled. The ceremony was very cool and it was such a wonderful celebration of live theater in Wichita. I am so honored to be a part of this amazing community of talented people.

Pax!

Mom at Botanica

Every year my mother has a booth of her art at Botanica's Gallery in the Garden. You can actually see her booth here: http://www.botanica.org/

I always look forward to this event (I help her set up and tear down her booth) because I get to see her new work or her works in progress. This year she had two beautiful new pieces that reflect a different tone for her. The first was a study on layered stones that was magnificent, but my favorite was a complex study on leaves that was so understated. I say complex, because when you first glance at it the painting appears very simple, but the more time you spend examining it and being pulled into the study, the more detail appears. It is a very splendid work of art and I am so proud of my mom who painted it!

PAX!

Closing night

I posted a little while back about "opening nights" and how I love the excitement and momentum as we rush towards the first night of a theater project. Tonight we closed "Tuesdays with Morrie" at my church, and while I was disappointed in the small crowds that attended, I am very proud of the show. That I was able to hold my own with Tim Robu meant the world to me! I mean that guy can act--even tonight we were discussing one of our scenes and he hit on some terrific motivation for me that helped me nail it tonight. Anyway, I loved being able to do this show and I hope Tim and I can maybe work on it again in the future.

PAX

Counting down to Paris

I can't believe that I will be in Paris for two weeks in November. My last trip to Europe was amazing, but not taken during a particularly good time in my life. Don't get me wrong--I loved it--just not what happened on my return. Anyway, this trip will be completely different...staying with a dear friend....no plans at all for anything--just going to wing it. Oh...and I started my French class a couple nights ago....FUN!

PAX

How do I say....

.....how grateful I am for my tribe? My family? My friends? My life? I suppose I could start with a simple....thank you. All of you....

What a way to burn....

In spite of copious amounts of sun screen, I have managed to get some sun--but you won't hear me complaining--it feels GREAT! Today we were visited by old friend Gary and new friend Phillip. Old friend Betsy left shortly after lunch (she is trying to get back to Houston before Gustaf hits) and then there are always lots of sunny, funny young people around as Q's daughter Julia has her teenage friends in and out of the house. We are getting ready to grill steaks for our last official meal together as the rest of us will begin our various travels early tomorrow. I do know that I have soaked up enough sun and love to last me to our next gathering.

Peace and love,

My tribe...

This place and my friends are so very good for me....I have spent the entire day in the pool as old and new friends have dropped by...or landed at the airport....or driven up from Houston....it's an odd mix of comings and goings as we all spend time together. Happy in each other's company. If only the ENTIRE tribe were here....but then, where we we put everybody????

Late Friday at the Q Lagoon

We arrived in Dallas about 10:30 tonight only to find a delicious tortilla soup awaiting us. We've been in the pool and getting the late-night lantern tour of the new landscaping. Ahhhhh.....music, Coke Zero, good food and my tribe. I am in heaven....

Pax

Saturday in the Park

Just in from an evening at the park with Dominic and Ronin--Sinda's boy's. My, my, my...what energetic little guys. Dominic went ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP of the rope ladder and his little brother Ronin spent most of the evening sliding down slides. It was a beautiful evening and just right.

PAX

New pics of my nieces on the farm!