Advent in the Old New World

The Weihnachtsmarkt is in full swing, the neighbors are in good spirits, the weather is extraordinarily unlike any December I've experienced (except for a few I prefer to forget) and I'm enjoying it all.  The seasonal depression of years gone by has been defeated (momentarily, I cannot predict the future) and the alcoholic haze that was my home-grown remedy is unnecessary.  When I remember the 'Been Down So Long, It Looks Like Up To Me' days, months, years, I can smile at them at say they were, and I wish that they hadn't been, but there's no denying history until I learn how to use wormholes.....

Art in the City

Things have been relatively quiet on the street. Kuenstlertreff kicked off the fall program last Tuesday with some good music and a lot of interesting people to gawk at and the Herford Culture Night around the city was interesting. I met a good sculptor and saw a lot of interesting artwork, as well as having the pleasure of hearing Herman play horn with the fireman's brass band, a surprisingly excellent group, or maybe not surprisingly, but exceptionally, considering the always high quality of music here. Other than that, I haven't written a decent sentence in over a month, priimarily because I'm thinking visually, and plotting my next chunk or chunks of wood.

Earthquake!!!

Yesterday was my 65th birthday and that may be why the great earthquake of 2011 occurred.  It even danaged the Washington Monument for trying to kill me when I was a foolish 17 year old who tried to run up all of the stairs.  Afterall, I was Captain of the track team....

On a more serious note, I don't feel a day over 64.  Nothing much has changed between the 22nd of August and the 24th.  It may be I have less hair, but I don't think that matters.  I can still type.  I can still read.  There was sunshine today and I took a walk and ate ice cream.  If I missed anything important, I'll let you know next time....

state of the world

economy, riots in London, North Africa in revolt.  people still dying in Afghanistan and Iraq.  still pirates in somalia.  lot of people worried about whether or not the newest apps will work on their o/s.  churches still pretty much empty.  other people worried about nostradamus and the mayan calendar. 

I watched Slaughter House 5 last night and I’m started to wonder if I forgot to turn the tv off.

New Stuff

I put a Picasa gadget in the right column.  You can click on the photo and it'll take you to the Picasa site where you can browse my stuff.

A Bavarian Adventure

I spent a few days in Bavaria with my niece and her family.  It was the first time I'd since Nancy for thirty or more years, and it was like we'd seen each other yesterday!  Her husband, Justin is a great guy and Mary, their 17 year old daughter has her share of the Zavacki genes.  We stayed in the Edelweiss Resort, which is owned by the US Army, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.  For four days, the only German I heard was on the other side of the fence!!
(which seemed to be at least 1km long on the forward side).  Great Hotel for vacationing military personnel with all of the amenities and a really good kitchen.  The only thing lacking was alcohol-free Weizenbier, but the alcohol-free Lager was a good substitute.

Our travels started with Neuschwanstein, Oberamergau, and environs.  A lot of memories flooded through the gates.  The last time I made that tour was with Abby and Lynne.  I am still awed by the paintings and woodcarvings that make up the inner architecture of the castle, as well as Ludwig's devotion to the Virgin.  The icon over his bed is particularly good.  We were in a mixed group of Japanese and Americans, so the tour was given in English, and very well done.  I spent some time in the courtyard smoking a pipe and chatting with a man from Baden-Wurtemburg about the differences between northern southern eastern western and points in between Germany!

This time around, I took a lot of photos in Oberammergau and made note of addresses and contact info.  I don't plan on monumental or even life-sized works in the future, but something three or four feet high wouldn't be out of the question, although the body of work in this great little city makes me feel a little like a back-porch whittler!  The themes range from the sacred to the profane-saints and crucifixes, drinkers and wood cutters, virgins and other sorts of women.

I stopped into the shop where they had a double of my daughter in the form of a porcelain doll ten years ago, but she was no longer there and was informed she was probably one of a kind.  I don't remember why we didn't buy here back then.

It was a good day, full of sunshine and laughter and conversation.

The next day we rumbled around a bit, then headed Northwest to Kaltenberg to a medieval knights' tournament (Mittelalter Rittertournier).  Again, sunshine and a lot of fun wandering the castle and grounds watching the antics of the medieval reenacters.  The tournament began with a splendid cloudburst which turned into a driving rain and lasted through the first thirty or forty minutes.  The show went on.  Arthur, Mordred, Morgan laFey, Merlin, Mary, Nancy, Justin, hundreds of other people, horses, geese, asses, and I were soaked to the skin.  It was a great show, ending with the conquest of Camelot by Mordred.  (It was part ii of the saga) The part words were 'Come back next year to see how it ends.'

Sunday morning was a bit drier and we just lounged around the hotel for the first part of it.  Mary stayed in the room while we old folks hiked the Alpine valley in the direction of the Zugspitz.  There were alot of foks in lederhosen and dirdeln riding their bikes and walking in the same direction and about five kilometers yonder, we found out why.  We had stumbled upon the Gaujugendfest in Grainau, with 14 different brass bands from around the area marching around the village.  We followed them to a giant tent and went inside to watch the festivities.  There were at least four hundred folks there, strapping young men in lederhosen and women in dirndeln, tubas, trumpets, drums, and thousands of glass mugs of the 1 liter variety (Mass is the word) waiting to show their talent.  About half of the bands were marched inside when suddenly, the sky went black, then crackled and roared as lighting and driving sheets of rain came down.  They eventually started to blow sideways, into the tent.  The ensuing scramble had people crossing tables and benches to the safety of the driest corners.  A few minutes later, the rain gave way-to hail!!  It lasted about ten minutes longer and the residue was a carpet of marble sized ice balls.  Just as suddenly, it went away.  Taking advantage of what looked like at least an hour of blue sky, Nancy, Justin, and I hitched up our trousers and marched back to Garmisch.  The milky limestone streams we'd passed on the way to Grainau were now fast flowing mud.  In the villages along the way, people were sweeping up the leaves and branches and flowers and ice and assessing the damage.  Some gardens were flattened.

The hotel bed felt very comfortable for the next hour or so!!

Later that evening, we went into Partenkirchen for an evening meal.  I consumed a mountain of Jaegerbraten and Spaetzle and enjoyed the local Weissbier (Hefe, or Weizen in other places, wheat beer in Amerika), alcohol free variety, and we watched some kids in lederhosen slapping their heels and knees for the delight of a busload (or maybe two busloads) of Japanese tourists.

The next day was an enjoyable train ride for me back to Herford and a  night in Frankfurt for my niece Nancy, Justin, and Mary.  They are all back safely in the beautiful high desert of Oregon.

I'll post some photos in a bit.

Bad Times on the Street

The friend of a friend was murdered last week, her body left on a wanderway, doused in gasoline, and burned.  After a week of investigations, an old boyfriend and his new friend confessed.  He just didn't want her around.  He had been recently released from a mental institution according to the street. The confession didn't help our friend feel any better.  Think about it and think something or pray something to change the way such energies develop.

Schwarzer Ritter

Vincent-La Plaza-Zum Piano reopened yesterday evening as Der Schwarzer Ritter (The Black Knight) under the management of Peter, formerly of the Sirlbelstube.  It is the nicest beer garden in Herford, with the ancient, enormous trees housing pigeons who occasionally drop things in one's glass and a view of the Jakobikirche.  The Grand Opening was a bit too much for me, with too many suits and ties and sprayed hair and flowers, but it's too early to tell whether of not it will maintain its attraction for me as the most comfortable writing spot in town.

Half of May....

Mona Lisa's been down for two weeks now.  Giovanni and Nora have been vacationing on Crete.  Met Volker, Reiner, and Jimmy (der Singender Englander) at Stadt Coeln for knoblen last Friday and have had Jazz night, Text Art, and Live Art to keep me busy.

Writing is on the edge of a new wave, so be patient.  There are quite a few stories in the bucket, many of which will be used in "The Yellow House".  YH itself is coming along.  I may throw a few tidbits out on zavacki.com this week.  Most of my time has been spent on carving.  Gideon's Angel is about ready to ship, I've got a great brown bear and buddha on the finish line and the long term Heide und Siek and the Brueghel like nativity are there when I feel them calling.

Weather's been great.  I've got to get the bike out of the cellar and start peddling.  Om mani bicycle, Om.....

Training for St. James

I start my Spring conditioning with about 10 kilometers today.  70+ degrees, blue skies, small dogs, smiling children along the way.  As usual, after a winter of 3 to 5 kilometer walks, the first good one showed up in the back muscles.  Feet, legs, and head all wanted to keep walking, but common sense prevailed.

The title is indicative of my plans for late summer, early fall.  There are three stretches of the Jakobsweg (The Way of St. James) in the area.  They’re three to five day tours, with some days stretching out to twenty-five or thirty kilometers.  I need to get in good condition with some long ones, lose the gut, harden the feet, and start exploring.

For me, every walk is a pilgrimage.  I did the three hours today as a walking meditation, concentrating on my breathing and posture and had some really good results. Zen isn’t just sitting, as some of the Roshis might say, ‘the world is full of wonder, who needs bells and chants?’

I’ll start carry the camera around again, once I’m in fighting shape.  All of my gear tends to drag me down in early Spring, but I’ll be fine after a week or two of acceptable weather.

Stay tuned, and: wanderpartners are always welcome!!

Return of the Hot Club….

jazz in Café Schiller!  A great boogie-woogie pianist as the main course and some local talent playing cool on sax, keyboard, and bass to warm us up.  Great scenery, good music, and no cover charge.  Life is good…..

Return of the Polak

I haven't been writing as much as I should on ANY topic!!  I've been immersed in my wood sculpture, finishing up Gideon's Angel, putting a finish on a Nativity scene, sketching up some architectural details for a series on the history of Herford, sketching various monastic types, wanderers, pilgrims, mad dogs (no Englishmen involved), and taking advantage of the weather to walk and gawk as well as practicing my zazen.

I'll doing this regularly again, because it's fun.  If you'll remember, the Stone Street Report started out as a place to inform you of new stories, both in the life of the Polak and the secondary reality system we call writing.  It will continue in this way, with links to photos of the universe according to me, and maybe even some sketches as well as photos of the wood.  My next two pieces are a Buddha for personal use and a California Golden Bear commissioned by a friend.  In between will be some architecture and a Wheel of the Year for a pagan friend of mine.....

I'm looking forward to Kusnstler Treff tomorrow night to listen to some good music and gawk at the local women.  Aside from the flowing of creative juices and meditative aha's life is comfortable and slow.

Peace and Love, and remember the Alamo.  Sara Palin fought there to preserve slavery.

Excitement on Steinstrasse....

Friday was a pretty good day for the owner-operator of Music Line in the Gänsemarkt.  He sold some stuff and spent the evening relaxing with friends.  When he woke up Saturday morning, his show window was in pieces and four guitars and a mixing board were gone.

Idiots come in all shapes, sizes, and national origins.  This group was probably stumbling home from the Palace of Stupidity (otherwise known as Go Parc) when the combination of a trash can and a big window proved too much of a temptation for their small brains.  I say small brains because they took what was at hand rather than risk another twenty seconds of bravado and collect the three to four times more valuable stuff a little farther behind, but then again, it may be they can't read, either, since everything in the window was marked clearly with its value.

Loud, drunken behaviour comes with youth, but vandalism, theft, and viciousness comes with environment.  You find it everywhere, from North and South America to the cities of Europe and Asia.  I suppose it's a little less pronounced at the Poles and in the underdeveloped nations where there's not that much to steal.  Once again, the problem of education versus family values.  You cannot teach a pig to fly.