Chloe and I are settled in at a friend's in Den Dolder, near Utrecht. The train ride from Italy was quite an adventure in small ways, and exhausting. It took a few days to really bounce back. Also I find that I sleep heavily here in Holland, not so much in the places south like Israel and Italy.

We're all set to get the veterinary certificate so the cat can re-enter the US, will be doing some visiting this week and some ritual and permie talk stuff on the weekend.

It's sunny, windy, 18C, a nice typical Dutch summer day.

It's been quite a week since I last blogged. I made my plans to depart from this beautiful place, which happens tomorrow when I head back to the Netherlands where I will be housesitting and rabbit sitting for friends, and visiting with friends, and offering a permaculture talk. Towards the end of August I will go back to North America with Chloe the cat, who is currently sensing impending change and complaining, as she may wonder if she is being left.

I had what I can only call a visitation from my mother yesterday morning. It occurred while my body was asleep, but it did not have the quality of a dream. It was palpable. She gave me the best hug and a smile and said "Life is for living." I said "Sometimes I'm afraid to live" and she responded with a smile and said something to the effect of "Those little dramas are not important." I woke up smiling and have been smiling since.

My plan is to be in the northeast for a few week, do some visiting, possibly offer a permaculture event in New Hampshire, and then head back to Montana with Chloe and Lasky.

I've been watching old movies; Vertigo, North by Northwest, Bell Book and Candle, Lifeboat, Rear Window...lots of fun.

I continue to read various news and information sources online and it really is interesting. There seems to be a trend of growing awareness, and at the same time plenty of "same old same old." As always, time will tell.

I've been going a bit stir crazy here by myself for the last few weeks. Again I am reminded that even I need other people! The woman whose house this is, "S," came back yesterday...she works in Milan during the week and is here on weekends. Her husband is working abroad currently. Besides the fact that I like her and we have great conversations, interacting with another person, one with whom I share language, immediately lifts my spirits. I feel much more sane. I guess my hermit days really are over!

This semester I am teaching two sections of Psychology of Gender at BVU and I'm having a great time with both of them. The students are engaged and enthusiastic about the material. It's a lot of fun and very gratifying for me as a teacher.

In conversations with S we've been discussing some of the fascinating quirks and contradictions and blind spots in humans. I am continually fascinated by the tendency of many humans to fear the unknown to the extent that they shut themselves off from difference, while others embrace the challenges of exploring the unknown. Why is it that some people believe they need the solidity of fixed beliefs, while others are more open to ambiguity and uncertainty? there are numerous psychological explanations, and infinite variables in how individuals are imprinted that lead them to be as they are, us to be as we are, but it still raises my curiosity.

I've decided to offer the online Healing Magic class for free, donations accepted, starting September 8.

I just found this very interesting thing at CommonDreams.org. It is a link to the Grassroots Network Alliance page which allows you to easily send a survey to any and all present public office holders and candidates for public office in your city, state, and nationally in the US. Click on it, check out the survey, and it is likely that, like me, you would like to know how your public servants and those who wish to serve will represent you. I think this has great potential!