The Fezziwig News by Stu Jenks

"Culvert on the Gabe Zimmerman Trail"

"Culvert on the Gabe Zimmerman Trail, Arizona" (c) 2012 Stu Jenks

"Jesus at El Tiradito"

"Jesus at El Tiradito, Tucson, Arizona" (c) 2012 Stu Jenks

To all of those who died and who were injured a year ago today, you continue to remind in my thoughts and prayers.

"Two Candles At Grace Cathedral"

 

"Two Candles, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, California" (c) 2011 Stu Jenks

I'll pray for many tonight, at Grace St. Paul's Episcopal. I'll pray for my dead family. I'll pray for my living friends and loved ones. I'll sing Silent Night. I'll light a candle. I'll go home, hoping that The Void Of God, that blessed emptiness where everything exists, fills my apartment in the morning.

I'm sure it will, for that Void is in my home now.

Right now. All the time. Always. Everywhere.

Merry Christmas Eve, y'all.

 

 

 

...tell my wife I love her very much. She knows...

"...tell my wife I love her very much. She knows..." (c) U2, Mark Kelly & Stu Jenks

Go to this link on the StuTube for a little video of my Congresswoman's husband.

And it was so good to see you today in The House, Gabby. Big wave from us here in Tucson.

"Gabby's Safeway: God Bless Tucson & All The Victims"

"Gabby's Safeway: God Bless Tucson & All The Victims, Tucson, Arizona" (c) 2011 Stu Jenks

"The Relit Spiral Star"

"The Relit Spiral Star" (c) 2011 Stu Jenks

[Photos taken with my killer Canon purple point and shoot, the SX 210]

For three years, I've wanted to change the bulbs in our studio sign. A couple years ago, I gave it a cursory look from atop of a spindly ladder. Couldn't figure out how to get into the sign, but Saturday, after winter-servicing the swamp coolers, I gave it another college try. Seems I just needed to unscrew two screws and swing it out. Still from atop of a ricketty ladder I worked, but this time Crane Day (seen walking up the steps) firmly footed the ladder while I put in new florescent and halogen blubs. Thanks Master Crane for keeping me safe.

So, for the first time in 11 years, The Tucson Arts District Partnership Studios, on North 7th, has its sign illuminated. The Arts District no longer exist, partially folded into other arts organizations, but its old studios do, quietly triving in these tough times, with some of the best jewelers, weavers, painters, sculptors, potters and woodworkers in town. And a couple pretty good photographers as well.

Crane, that day, also showed me a flyer announcing a tenth anniversary celebration of The Artist District, back in year 2000.

"Look who the treasurer was," said Crane.

"Gabrielle Giffords. Wow," I said.

So this is for you Gabby, the relit spiral star logo of The Tucson Arts District Partnership. See it as a candle of healing for you, one of many we burn for your recovery. We love you, Gabby.

Dr. Carlos Gonzales' Blessing (The Transcript)

The Blessing by Dr. Carlos Gonzales at the Memorial for the Victims of the Tucson Shooting
January 12th, 2011
McHale Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona


Welcome. Let me start in the traditional way by introducing myself.

I am Carlos Gonzalez. On my mother's side, I am Mexican. A child of descendants of this valley, pioneer family from Mexico that came in the 1800s. On my father's side, I'm Yaqui. Refugees from Mexico that escaped the genocide in the Rio Yaqui in the 1800s.

We have been here -- for myself, I am fifth generation in the valley of Tucson.

Now, please understand I am not a medicine man. I'm really just a family doc. Fortunate enough to teach here at this university and fortunate enough to learn the sacred ways and the sacred words so that I can share them with you.

I have been given permission by my elders to say blessings of this type although, to tell the truth, I've never done one with so many people.

So I've also been fortunate to grow up in this great country where a poor kid, from the south side of Tucson could get an education at a fine institution like the University of Arizona, and then even better, to come back and teach here. And teach students at this institution. So with that, I would like to start the blessing after my brief introduction.

I'm sorry I have to do it the traditional way. It's the way we do it. Now, for those of you that know the traditional blessing way, please feel free to do it. For those of the rest of you, just please stand. So let me begin.

Oh Creator, I come to give a blessing, a blessing at this time of disharmony, at this time of disunity. Please after hearing my blessing and my prayers, let us work towards harmony, towards wholeness and balance.

Let us begin by honoring the eastern door from where we get visions and guidance. May each of us get the vision and guidance to proceed in a good way.

From the southern door, where we get the energies of the family, please let us honor the families of those that have passed on. Let us honor the families of those that are healing. And also let us honor our own families. Let us remain humble. And also use humor when appropriate. For humor is healing and can help people.

From the western door, please let us honor the sacred ways and our sacred ancestors. For without them we would not be here. Oh, Creator, that is a door to which those that have passed on have walked to the next world. Let us honor them as they passed on. Let us also look within ourselves to see how we can improve and be better human beings.

From the northern door, where we receive challenges and the strength to meet those challenges, let us all receive strength to meet the challenges that face our great country. Please, give us that strength as we proceed.

From Father Sky, where we get the masculine energy, the energy to be responsible, to be respectful and to protect those that need protection. Give us that good energy.

From Mother Earth where we get the feminine energy, give us that energy to nurture and care for those that need it, and also to help those that ask for our help.

Oh, Creator, may the two energies, the masculine energy and the feminine energy, come together in our center where the creator exists, where each of us has a piece of the creator.

Please, you have given us each a gift. May we use these gifts to help our fellow human beings.

Oh, Creator, let us bless the families of those that have lost their loved ones. Let us bless the family of those that are healing. Let us bless those people that are here today. Let us bless those that are outside in greater Tucson, in Arizona and in our country. Let us bless them so that they too can heal from this tragedy that has occurred.

Oh, Creator -- if I may, my son is in Afghanistan. A little blessing to him, too.

Oh, Creator, let us not forget our fellow creatures. Those that stand. Those that blow in the wind. Those that are tall and stately. Those that crawl on the earth. Those that slither on the earth. Those that live under the earth.

Let us remember and bless the winged ones. Those that swim in the waters. The four legged. And also our brothers, the two legged that walk throughout this world. When we all come together at this time. And may the words people hear here sink in to their hearts so that they too can heal. So that they too can feel better.

Oh, Creator, I ask this humbly. I ask this so that we all can once again achieve harmony and balance in our lives.

Oh, Creator, welcome -- we welcome those people who come to our beloved city here, our beloved city of Chukson or Tucson as it's known. Welcome here and please bless each and every one here.

And with that, I would like to end my blessing to all my relations.

Off To San Francisco...

...to participate in a Holotropic Breathwork workshop, facilitated by Tav Sparks and Stan Graf.

"I'm Stu and I'm from Tucson," I may say at the initial check-in at the beginning of the workshop on Friday night. "Someone shot my congresswoman last week, and I'm pretty mad and sad about it all."

Or I may say something else all together. I've been on an emotional roller coaster these past six days, as have many of us Tucsonans. Yet Barack''s words last night and the prayers of Dr. Gonzalez at the start of the memorial helped me so much. Only my crooked smile through my tears shows my joy. And my gratitude, to Daniel Hernandez, to the doctors at UMC, to my sheriff, to my friends, and to my President.

Running my shakras with music, breathing and movement will be just what the doctor ordered on Saturday.

See you on the other side. Literally.

And may God, and The Great Mystery, bless us all.

Love, light and luck,

Stu

 (Photo Credits: "The California Republic flag aboard The Red & White Fleet in San Francisco Bay" (c) 2010 Stu Jenks, "Obama To Mourn With UA, Outside McHale Center, Tucson, Arizona" (c) 2011 Stu Jenks)

 

"Dr. Carlos Gonzalez praying The Four Directions"

"Dr. Carlos Gonzalaz praying The Four Directions, Memorial Service, McHale Center, Tucson, Arizona" (c) 2011 Stu Jenks & MSNBC.

"Morning Media Circus at UMC"

"Morning Media Circus at Univerisity Medical Center, Tucson, Arizona" (c) 2011 Stu Jenks

I'm grateful that cameras have been here to record medical updates on Gabby's condition. (The UMC staff have been wonderful.) Brian Williams did an excellent job on NBC, last Sunday night, giving us the facts from atop a Brake Masters, across Ina Road from the Safeway. (I hope the owners of the shop charged a ton.) I'm glad, very glad, that cameras were there when Clarence spoke, (I'm loving me some Clarence) and happy that cameras have been there repeatedly when my sheriff has stuck to his guns (pun intended), and continued to say that the vitriolic, hateful, violent discourse of our politics, may and may not have anything to do with this shooter, but still, we, as a people, need to examine ourselves. We need to search in our souls for the Gentleman and the Gentlewoman when talking with those, with whom we disagree, not feed the bully or the thug within (my words). I enjoyed, for a moment. seeing CNN broadcast from my Guero Canelo on Oracle, even though I also knew that I probably couldn't get a Sonoran Dog there, at that moment, if I tried. I'm glad the cameras are here to broadcast our heroism and sadness and grief to the world, so they can experience it too.

That being said, I'm ready for The Media to go home, to get the hell out of my town.

Television News is about two things that contradict. One, it's about getting information to the world and two, it's about making money, selling soap, and getting high ratings.

When I was young and a follower of Walter Cronkite, information to the world was the only reason. CBS News lost money for years, propped up by the entertainment branch of the network.

Now, money is primary reason for their existence. (If we happen to get part of the story right, great. If we get it wrong, we'll try and fix it in New York, or hope that people forget, as we move on the next real tragedy, or the next hyperbolic fake-fearsome thing.)

The sharks are loving being in Tucson. We have a real horror here, real blood in the water. It's not fake. It doesn't need pumping up. It's in the air. And thanks for coming. I do appreciate you broadcasting those wonderful stories of kindness, courage, and heroism of my fellow Tucsonans to the World.

Now go home, after the President speaks tonight at McHale.

Go.

And don't let the saloon door hit you on the ass.