I'm in Vermont for a few more days seeing friends and family, then I head to New Hampshire to visit friends and then I head west, first to Chicago, then Minnesota to see a friend in the wild land, then to Edmonton Alberta in Canada to teach Iron Pentacle...then to the west coast, Seattle, Portland, and back to California to student teach with Starhawk at the advanced EAT.

I have been offered a housesit in Italy for a year starting in October. I won't be able to get there until February, but then I will have most of 2008 to be there in a small medieval village
between Genova and Nice. Yay!

It's been wonderful to stay with my brother and his kids, to see dear friends, and to be in Vermont. Lasky and I just went to our favorite swimming hole near the place we lived in Bolton. COLD water! Clear mountain stream, beautiful pool...so nice.

The camper is on eBay and getting a lot of looks and questions. I hope it sells this week.

I am looking for a camp stove, something small...preference for a coleman 1 or 2 burner propane stove. Anyone along my way who has one they'd be willing to lend or donate, please give me a holler! Other than that we are all set to go. The truck is packed, the camper is empty and cleaned out, the truck will get an oil change and break check Tuesday, money is coming, and I'm ready. Lasky is always ready.

It's sad saying so long to people. It was hard to leave my brother and the kids, and there are more partings coming up, but the connections stay strong, and each parting leads to the next greeting so it's ok.

One of my favorite cartoonists is Mark Fiore. His latest is about health care in New Orleans. Check this out!

Back at my brother's in Vermont...just went swimming in the pond with the kids, in the hot summer day, so nice!

Plans are shaping up. The camper is almost emptied out...I am getting 150 miles more per tank of gas without the camper, wow! I'm reducing the load of stuff yet again, and it feels good.

I've been continuing to volunteer as the webmaster for the clinic in New Orleans, http://cghc.org. The site is getting a lot of traffic, and donations through the web site are increasing.

As I prepare to head west I am in a fund raising process for gas and food. It occurred to me today as I was driving back north that perhaps people would be interested in making a donation to me in support of the web work for the clinic, so I thought I'd mention it here. Anyone interested, drop me an email, and thank you. I'd like to raise at least $500 in the next week or so.

One thing that has taken a more solid form for me in the last 6 months is a concept of my job. My job is to be the name Baruch, which means blessing, or blessed. I am blessed, there is no question. I meet fantastic people, have amazing experiences, and am alive. To be a blessing means to me to bring as much joy as I can into my interactions, to be helpful where I can. The former is easier and easier. I find myself feeling friendly towards strangers, and enjoying the little moments as well as the bigger moments with friends and family.

As I travel the part about being helpful changes form, and being a guest in so many homes offers the challenge of becoming tired of being a guest, wanting to just be, and yet going from place to place where it is incumbent upon me to be helpful, beyond what I feel like doing. That got tough for me towards the end of my stay in Holland, which was pointed out to me, so I am looking at that.

So that's my job. The paycheck is sporadic, the benefits are very interesting, and the work itself is amazingly gratifying.

I've been back in the US just over a week. It's been great to be reunited with Lasky and many of my human family friends. I am fortunate to be connected with so many great people!

Vermont is as beautiful as ever, so green, such great mountains and rivers and farms...really a special place.

I officiated at a very sweet wedding on Saturday. The magic was strong, the couple's intent and love so clear and beautiful. It was a pleasure and an honor for me to be part of that.

I have outgrown the camper, so it is off the truck and for sale. I'll be driving across the continent starting September 4 or so, getting better fuel efficiency w/out the camper, and happily not lugging this huge thing around. It was a great transitional object after selling the house, but it's no longer needed. It's nice to see progress within myself.

I am looking for ways to make money. Traveling makes this challenging, but I can do web sites from anywhere, and can offer online teaching. I am thinking of putting together an online course and offering it, not through any organization but just myself. There are so many things I can teach in this format, but I am thinking of a course that involves magical practice integrated with some psychology stuff. More on this as it develops. Anyone need a web site developed?

I feel it, being in the US, driving down the road in a country at war led by a dictator who serves as a puppet to hidden greedmongers, while so much looks "normal." The shadow looms though, and people feel it. People who used to be "mainstream" are disgusted and angry and afraid. Even republicans are talking about martial law here within a year, and they are not liking the idea.

It's gorgeous and sunny and I'm headed out with a friend to the farmer's market.