Cowboy Junkies tonight. Not live, just through the Dell Speakers...but the Junkies mood. Like no other. And I often forget to mention them when asked for a list of all time favorites. They got me through so many nights...so many years. If you let it, the keyboard can be an instrument...a piano of sorts. The typing keyboard that is...

A different world today. Violence is the norm. It has become expected. Joy is lost in the shuffle. Who has time? Some fun stuff going on these days...though all in the shadow of a terrible situation in Iraq. I said in January that going to war Iraq was a bad move and I stand by that statement today. Fighting for peace...

And beyond the obvious...the war...the actual killing...there is an uneasy feeling in the air. Waiting for the next terrible event to occur. Bracing for the the horror.

But there is a glimmer of fun. The Red Sox. The Cubs. So often I hear myself saying that sports are so meaningless...so unimportant. And yet, the presence of sport adds a dimension to life that I'd hate to live without.

And it's at times like these that I appreciate the thrill of a fun-filled, pressure packed sporting event most. Playoff baseball. Every pitch matters. Every action intensely critical. Like life...at its finest.

Like Caution Horses...

Summer is gone.

Where to begin? Another September 11 has passed. Quietly, this time...as we try to sort out how to remember the day with honor and respect. Without offering so much attention that we end up challenging more terrorists to try to create their own American holiday. Personally, this year's September 11 remembrance inspired me to explore my thinking a bit more closely. No doubt, America and its values are an easy target. We live to consume, often unaware of the pain and suffering we cause. How can I -- my family -- take steps to improve on that? How can we become more educated? How can we be more careful? More generous?

A side benefit to this year's morning gathering of students and faculty on September 11 was the opportunity for me to learn a bit more about the community I have joined. The mood was respectful and quiet. A group of students and adults sang, accompanied by piano, the Sting song, "Fragile". While I have heard the song many times, I had never considered it in this light...and I found that it summed up the mood and feeling of the day quite nicely.

Sharon Lauer visited today. It was great to see her...a visit from "the other" life. Though Sharon is likely to be part of this York stage since her parents live, literally, just down the street. All the same, it was nice to see a familiar and friendly face. Seeing her reminded me that I don't really miss Pittsburgh. I've been frustrated here..and overwhelmed..but I have not been "homesick" or longing to get back to something. If anything, I am looking ahead to the next thing...wondering what that will be. So, I think that's a good thing.

I attended a service at the York Unitarian Church yesterday. What a great place. Everyone was so friendly and interested to hear what brought me there. I am eager to do more there. It was so nice to feel connected to a group...to feel surrounded by people like me...like us. It has been a long time since we've felt that.

We ended up in York, PA. Not the classic small town that we imagined, but home for now. No doubt, getting away from Pittsburgh is a good thing. We now have the chance to redefine ourselves...break all those old habits...and create new -- improved -- routines.

So, things have changed a great deal since my last entry. I will not be returning to the job I've had for 12 years. We will most likely be selling our house and leaving the Pittsburgh area. kids will need to switch schools. And while that all sounds negative...there is a huge positive side! I can't wait to find a new community to join. Maybe there will be a Unitarian church we like. Maybe there will be families like ours. Maybe there will be people with whom we share similar ideals and values. Wow...the possibilities are endless. But in the meantime, knowing that we are going to have to move is simply overwhelming.

I've spent a good bit of energy lately thinking about the impending war...I am so disgusted that we have let our political system develop to the point where engaging in a war can help the approval rating of the president. It just isn't right. We need to look upon war as the horrible, terrible event that it is. Not as some campaign strategy.

As I said in a letter to the editor last month...getting into a war with Iraq at this point will mark The failure of George Bush as a diplomat.