Saturday, July 24, 2010

Common Ground

Last post I promised to report on my visit to an eatery called Common Ground in Oneonta. It was very nice - beautiful decor, lots of natural wood slab tables and bench seats, quiet, nice music, excellent food. Like home-cooked organic gourmet. Knock your socks off delicious with lovely atmosphere. I'm sorry I didn't find them earlier in my visit!

I thought Twelve Tribes would be some kind of Native American Indian thing, but I must have gotten them mixed up with some other hippie enterprise along the main drag in Oneonta. This Twelve Tribes is named after the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Membership seems to involve a pretty major lifestyle decision. As I gather, folks who follow that way join what is essentially a religious commune. They pool their resources and live together in a community, and have several enterprises to generate income so they can make their way in the world. Everyone we encountered at the Common Ground was gentle, soft-spoken, and provided the best kind of service one may hope for in a restaurant.  I truly felt the spirit of love and service toward God and fellow man there.

One of my friends who got pretty severely burned by a separatist religious concern in the past has warned me and mine to be extremely wary of this religious group. I have taken her warnings under advisement.

I used to know an old fella name of Bob Ross. Not Bob Ross the oil painter, another Bob Ross. The Bob Ross I know reminds me of  a nature show I saw on PBS one time featuring otters and sea urchins. Sea urchins are like little ocean bottom animal versions of sand burrs or cockle-burs with hard, spiky, repellent exteriors. A sea urchin looks like a nasty little ball of of needles, something you would not want to mess with if you could help it. Otters have discovered, however, that sea urchins are tender and sweet on the inside, and love to eat them. The trick, of course, is to get past that spiky exterior. The mental image I have is of the otter floating on its back with a sea urchin on its belly. Bob Ross reminded me of those sea urchins, just as spiky and repellent as he could be in presentation. God Forbid that anyone should ever discover that he was actually a pretty sweet guy, if you could ever get past his spikiness. Quite a character, Bob was. I only tell this on him now because he has gone on to the Big Meeting in the Sky some years ago now. Anyway, Bob used to tell a particular story on himself in which the punch line or moral was, "Hell, I ain't afraid of nothin' I ain't about to do!"

That's sorta the way I view these Twelve Tribe folks - "I ain't afraid of nothin' I ain't about to do."

I found them pleasant, charming and attractive, and wish there were a Common Ground restaurant nearer to where we live, but my interests and situation at this time in my life in no way lead me to be remotely interested in joining a religious commune and handing over everything I've worked for. I appreciate the devotion of those who have chosen that way, but it is not my way. Live and Let Live, I say. I hope Common Ground is still there the next time I visit Otsego County, because there were some more things on the menu I want to try.

Meanwhile, if you are confident in what you believe, you don't have to worry about someone talking you into something else. If you're not sure, go find out! Be sure! If you are sure, if you are confident in whatever you believe, borrow a line from Bob Ross - you don't have to be afraid of nothin' you aint' about to do!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Fourth of July Celebrations

I am currently in Otsego County visiting daughter Misty and her new baby Mira, and we have attended several fourth of July events with the baby.




On Friday the 2nd, "The Oldest Church" had their annual Ice Cream Social (from 5 to 8) and the Village of Cooperstown had their fireworks event (about dark-thirty).

We saw Mike and Marcie Schwartzman at the Ice Cream Social and the Fireworks event!


Brendan worked on Sunday, but Misty and I went to a cook-out with the Morrell clan at Renay's Mom's house. Renay and her sisters were there, some of the big kids, all of the little kids, a few other of their relatives, and some old family friends. They grilled hamburgers, hot links, steak, and the best hot dogs I've had in quite a while. Everyone brought something, too, so there were potato salads, a great pasta salad, some baked beans and some coleslaws, including Misty's own home-made. Beverages included an array of iced tea, soft drinks, and plenty of cold water, and Renay made cupcakes for dessert, enough food to feed three armies.


On Monday Springfield had their Independence Day Parade, a pretty big deal. Veteran's clubs, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, civic organizations, aspiring and incumbent politicians, car clubs, beauty queens and fire departments from all over Otsego County were represented in the parade, which lasted nearly two hours. Here is a picture of "Old Number One" from Cooperstown. Saw a bunch of our old pals from CFD in that parade. 

Afterward we made our way up to Richfield Springs and had a bite at the Tally Ho: 2 BLT's, a batter fried fish sandwich, and a turkey Rueben. I had the Rueben and someone asked me how it was. I said it was a little too turkey for me - next time I'll just have the traditional Pastrami Rueben.  The fries were pretty good, though.

Later today I have a date to meet Renay downtown Oneonta for a meal. We brainstormed several possibilities and finally came up with a place on the main drag. I couldn't remember the name of the place (Common Grounds?) but it's run by an outfit called Twelve Tribes, apparently a pretty controversial group. I don't know what they do, or what it is alleged that they do, but when we invited Brendan, he said it was a cult and gave such a reaction that I said, "Hey, we're not planning to join, we're just going to eat there. We heard they have really good food." He didn't seem interested, and when we tried to invite his mother, her reaction was more strenuous and more sustained than Brendan's had been. Yikes! Wishing to defuse things with a little levity, I tried to say again that we weren't going to join, we were just going to eat there, but I don't think she ever heard me. It seemed odd to me, these reactions, the way things are when someone is very excited and you don't know why and you can't get them to settle down. Kinda piques my curiosity about this Twelve Tribes outfit! How about I post again tomorrow about what I find out about it when we go there?