Origin of the whole in the donut

You may be wondering how I chose the title of this blog. It was a catch phrase that an old friend of mine used to use all the time. This past week however I was conversing with an email buddy and old friend of mine.Who asked me how I got to this title. She explained that in recovery "The Whole in the Donut" represents {if I may paraphrase} the void that is often left when someone makes a radical change in their life. How someone fills that void is often done by spirituality, art, or fellowship. Thanks Debbie

During this time of New Year we often look back and reflect on the past year and wonder what is up ahead. What changes that we have made and how they now fit into our lifestyle. A fitting period to examine that whole in our donut to see how we might go ahead and positively fill that space that we all often experience as boredom, anxiety, fear and lonlieness....
Happy New Year. Y'all

Johhny Damon becomes a clean shaven, richer NY YANKEE. A RED SOX icon moves on to their rival team of all time


Another written visual image by
Author Stephen Rozwenc

so mr blue hair
chews ultra cool
dark

sunglasses
poised atop
the insatiable desire for circumstance
to choose


rising and falling
crimson/orange/red/gold notes
blown and disowned
by fall’s groovy tenor sax

The solstice is finally here and we will now be seeing those short days and long nights begin to move in the other direction. With this change other forces come into play such love of family, celebrations and vacations.
This is the view from my window in my new office at the Health Services at UMASS Amherst. My first weeks at working forty hours have been long bringing a new appreciation for weekends and holidays. I have not held such a full time position since my daughter was born and I thought that I could make an easy transition. I think that I have done this so far.
One of the events that I am proud of is that I have been jogging the hill with my dog. Running many miles before dawn. Although it is crack cold I feel that this activity is the best part of the day.

Prelude to a poem 

off to the park
Author Stephen Rozwenc from Haydenvile MA

just inside two
black iron gateposts
and a row of pew type benches
for bemused parishioners

two frizzy-haired priestesses
clad
in street stained sweatsuits
and one
spittle bearded bishop
cloaked
in a 30 gallon trash bag
(in case of rain)

bob and weave
rock and sway
kick and spit
ritual howls
as they pass
a brown paper bagged pint
of cheap communion wine
back and forth
up and down
gulp and giggle
sublime and fickle
Allah favors
the compassionate
as they offer
their cautious prayer
to the hawk
and the wild iris
for the unbearable return
of the extinct
ivory billedwoodpecker

First day at the new job UMASS

My day began when I woke up without the alarm at 5:30 to have a reasonable time to take all of my chores, have some coffee, eat breakfast, read the NYTIMES and walk the dogs. I had to do all the chores with the chickens myself because Cheska was at a conference in San Antonio. Big deal with the chickens at the end of the day those slackers only laid ten eggs.
My biggest concern was that I left my dogs all alone for the day. I really did feel guilty about this. I could not look Ranger in the eye when I put him in his pen. Both DJ and Ranger did fine.
I think that this job is going to work out well though. The University seems like a great place to work and seems to be the kind of environment that I can thrive in.
As soon as I got home all my people started calling and emailing. That made me feel good.

Here we see the moon reflecting the setting sun taken at 4pm on one of the shortest days of the year

Sari summer 05 

24 hours makes a difference. It sure does?

A whirlwind of a day. A canine friend unexpectedly died and left a deep hole in a human friends life.
Unconditional love is found through a relationship with a pet and when that bond is broken through something as traumatic as a death that wound is so very hard to heal. Death is very final, but fond memories last forever.
Even though Sari was not my dog. Ed is a lifetime comrade who I respect and cherish a great deal. It hurt both Cheska and I immensely to him in such pain.
Best wishes to Eddie & Oscar who will make a difficult adjustment to life without this once great friend.

It is with regret that I am leaving my job. I always enjoyed the clients ,the work the nicely renovated old warehouse. It was a straight shot from my house and really no hassles. All things come to an end and change is inevitable.
The job no longer suited my lifestyle and I had to accomodate the lifecycle alterations that have come my way. I hope that this adjustment suits me well and that I will enjoy working at UMASS as much as I did working for CDH.

This is a photo of 10 Main Street Florence where I worked on the thrid floor. It was taken just before the gas station was demolished and the Bank was built. People, sites and community change all the time.

Thanksgiving snow on Stage Road, Chesterfield

While on a well needed walk after our delicious tradition with good friends.