武肺疫苗第三劑／莊峻華

 武肺疫苗第三劑／莊峻華

今晨匆匆忙忙結束球局，回家準備到藥局，打武肺疫苗第三劑，愛美上週早為我預約，這事我同意她的看法，而且我一直都戴口罩，勤肥皂洗手，保持距離，而且也不喜歡出外旅行，到哥斯大黎加旅行一週，是被迫參加，而且我都躲在旅店，鮮少外出，我和武肺相安無事，我們家人都未受外界感染，輝瑞說他們有第三劑增強藥效，拜登總統也鼓勵，愛美老人親戚朋友，也開始注射第三劑，我當然不能輸入不輸陣，於是就預約，剛好在第二劑後半年當日，比第一劑預約容易甚多。

早上球局出發前，藥局有通知，要我預告藥局中心我的到來，於是我到其網站，發現它是通知元兒，而且需要在抵達藥局門口，我的手機技術欠佳，在藥局無法連線，於是我提早出發，抵達後早一小時，開始辦手續，藥局專人問明是第三劑，立刻說國家防疫中心，尚未批准，無法接種第三劑，於是我在藥局纏她些時，我不相信愛美有錯誤會，我們家三人六次預約，都是她辦理，於是我走出藥局，電話愛美，抱怨通知是給元兒，結果藥局中心，又來通知，我仍舊無法接上，於是我再走回藥劑部，然後再爭論，藥劑師很耐心要我回答四張問卷，當然先查我的兩次接種記錄，打出來的表格，仍舊是元兒名字，我自動改成我的，因為我是老人優先，小姐看到我的回答，都是無症狀，立即說是我不能打，因為現在國家尚未批准，一定要有症狀者，始可接種第三劑於是我就倖倖然離去。

我回程到兩超市看西瓜，芒果，和牛排，西瓜和芒果，均已過季節，牛排特價也賣光，於是我開畢一早車程，還好秋天不熱，只是不適鬧街汽車排氣汙染，連續打了一路噴涕。愛美問我為何打不到第三劑，我說妳的親戚朋友打到，是因為他們有狀況才能打。

美國人有一半不願打疫苗，我天天都聽一些雜音，這是公共衞生之觀念，打第三劑，世衞組織也反對，因為世界上許多人，尚未有機會打第一劑，還好拜登答應，免費提供三倍劑量國內第一劑結種總數，這算慷慨吧？還是許多不滿雜音。

這些都不是我的煩惱。

Read a book/Carlos Pueblo

 Read a book/Carlos Pueblo

Recently, Amy asks me to read a book, Adventures in American Literature, which is a loan from her sister that she has a hard time to follow. I give her one of my library collection, the American history after the Civil War. I am interested in American history and literature and I am very impressed upon the reading of a few first pages of the book about Puritans, Age of Reason, and the Great Awakening, etc. I have read about the Mayflower and Puritans and I always like to know who can claim themselves as Puritans nowadays. I want to know more affirmed reasons why the West are so advanced in almost every field of life. Only the first few pages have been caught my eyes. I am lucky that I add another task in my regular life that I shall read a book after my morning exercises, cooking, You Tubing, and many naps during the day.

I am aware of reasons of the Wester Advanced and why so many people like to live in the West. It is because of the Great Industrial Revolution. The author of this book has pointed out something which I can relate it to the fact to distinguish the West from the rest of the world that is the Age of Reason. Those philosophers have challenged the old church establishment and demand a logical explanation on everything that make sense. They have defined that God is the Nature and the Nature is almighty; therefore, the modern days of the science, the political system, arts, and the literatures are developed. I don't see that in the rest of the world except Japan. These are the reason why people like exile heads of a nation as well as regular immigrants are waiting to live in the Western World.

There are arguments among the whole world on everything, i.e. from the religious belief, vaccinated or not, conservative or progressive, Communism or Democracy, etc. The answer can be provided by a good book. People do what they believe and they believe what they are brought up. 

When I see what is happening in the current day of the U.S.A., I like to reason it what I learn from books which I have read and understand its background. Like Puritans who were oppressed in the old world while the American Southerners were more affiliated to the oppressed, the Church of England. I suddenly understand why there are supporters of Trump in the whole world.

看書／莊峻華

 看書／莊峻華

我們家愛美，要我看一本書，美國文學奇遇，剛好我有興趣，於是我和她交換一本美國歷史，就是南北戰爭到1965年，我開始看此書，立即喜愛，作者描述美國文學，始於五月花清教徒，舉出聖經舊約大衞詩篇兩版本，詹姆士王版，和清教徒版，清教徒是在英國受英國國教破害，移民新世界，強調上帝恩賜，但清教徒僅存一代，移民第二代，受歐洲英法兩國理性主義之影響，開始質疑聖經立論邏輯曰，說理時代，1730－1740年間，清教徒企圖復辟但僅檀花一現，從此人不知近代有否清教徒？作者繼續描述美國南方移民，他認為是英國教徒，就是清教徒在舊世界之破害者，美國南北人之差異，非常有趣，讓我更了解美國近代，就是現在的美國政治局面。

兩個月前，我在過去大學群組，和一位博學女同學抬槓，宗教，政治，和中國文學等，我一直想記下我當時，臨機應變的看法，這最能表示我一生之成見，現在終於發現，幾百年前，歐洲人已經開始懷疑，近代科學政治文學等，終於脫胎換骨，工業革命於是焉產生，這是近代人類生活之分界點，許多人享受生活，許多人苦苦掙扎渡日。

我的懷疑聖經，僅止於表面之邏輯說理，托瑪士。潘恩更加詳細，我查谷歌，然後在網誌影片上聽一節潘恩之理論，欣然同意，有相見恨晚之感覺，只是我的人生重點，仍舊是個人生存，改善家庭生活，幫助家人，過有意義之生活。

我相信史賓諾莎的自然神，也是這時代的哲學產物，我的緣覺大師父，越南釋一行老和尚，也涉及此理性主義，就是說理邏輯，潘恩提醒天啟錄，就是上帝私語一些人，這些人開始寫聖經，抑或開始代言上帝，潘恩不信，我也不信，我信佛家佛學，道理簡潔扼要。

The morning exercises/Carlos Pueblo

 The morning exercises/Carlos Pueblo

It has been two years since I have had my morning exercises every day now expanded from 7:30 am to 11:00 am or more, of course, I must get up early at about 4:30 am to prepare for the task. I am very proud of my arrangement for such pleasant life during my senior years and make myself occupied. After the morning exercises, I can start my day in relax until I go to sleep early into the night. As I describe that I do have a lovely house in a lovely subdivision, I don't have very much worry left in my mind at this age and I find this morning exercises is very good for my health. There are about six of us to enjoy such morning exercises at our group and during the weekend, Friday and Saturday for instance, the group can be expanded to more than 12. After I finish my tennis, I would go to swim for another session during the summer.

I feel very good to play tennis especially that I can still chase the ball and avoid a fall. More and more tennis lovers discover that we are fortunate to have tennis courts for us to play free. It is near our residences and well maintained. I also appreciated that I do have an Olympic side pool for me to swim most of the times by myself.

Now I forget to go out to travel. I really don't need to spend that kind of money. I would rather give it to my children and Amy for them to spend. For some reason that I don't like to spend any money nowadays except small items like new tennis balls and my favorite groceries. I have my 23 years old vehicle inspection done for another year and it is still doing very well. I decide not to fix the air conditioning because I only drive to and back from my morning exercises. There is no need of the air conditioning in my old car.

My old tennis captain Bill is 81 and still plays tennis twice a week and I hope that I can do my morning exercises until his age. I have had plenty of time and enjoy it very much.

上午運動／莊峻華

 上午運動／莊峻華

上午運動是我老年生活之大宗，每天我約四點許起床，開始忙碌，準備早餐，有時候陪愛美散步三條街來回，然後就趕到鄰村球場，現在每日都有網球可打，入秋後天氣稍涼，網球可以打到十一時，然後我可以再游泳一節，回家後就是一日休閒。如果天雨，場地不宜，我就在家休息，讓右手臂靜養。

我們核桃村球場，漸漸客滿，尤其是週六，西村鄰居又有兩位老人，加入我們每週陣容，現在可以不擔憂有人缺席，也不耽心人多，我們可以運用其餘兩球場，也不是很多人有空閒，或是會打網球，也剛好我們鄰近社區，均有網球和游泳設備。

住墨西哥的球友比得柯維奇回休市，找到老隊長來打球，他和新球友均為舊識，我們兩組人，剛好合併，更加親切，我可以安排程度相當者，雙雙對打，免得抱憾，況且老人打球，更重要是避免跌倒，保持平衡。

每天我都收回舊球，再作使用，然後淘汰給社區愛犬，或是一位球友當球機用球，廢物利用，很快一年已入第四季，我看武漢肺炎，亦無削減情況，我還是認真上午運動，鍛鍊身體。

Farewell to Michelle's pet dog Gryphon/Carlos Pueblo

 Farewell to Michelle's pet dog Gryphon/Carlos Pueblo

Gryphon and his sister Honey and brother Brinkley cane to Houston for a short visit last week. I held him up to the hatch back trunk and said good bye to him. Amy told me that Michelle found the blood stains on our carpet were from Gryphon. The diagnosis was that he had a late stage of oral cancer which had expanded to the other part of his body. He was put to sleep last Friday. I am sad for several days because that he has been such a lovely dog to me.

Amy and I have been summoned to Austin to dogs sit while Michelle's family are away. I started to walk three dogs several times a day in the subdivision and they love it very much. Since then their owner even has more excuse to lure us back to Austin to take care of them. I don't mind because that I claim myself as a dog whisperer and I have many dogs friends at home. Gryphon is appeared as the weak one among the three; yet he always finishes his chore of walk without any difficulty. As a matter of fact, he is the best behave one among all. He has a curly black hair and small size of body. He is very well behaved.

I know that they must sleep in the same room of a human being or they would be uneasy during the night; therefore, I always volunteer to sleep at the sofa in the living room. We have their bed move next to me. Each time I wake up for my toilet break, they would also wake up and I let them go outside as well. Gryphon and Brinkley always come back right away and only Honey would make some delay. All three dogs answer my call and pay fully attention to it. This is what I love them so much.

It is a kind of suffering when we run into the separation with love one which is the Buddhism. According to my understanding that Gryphon is a good dog and always has been; therefore, after his death, he would go straight to the Western Extreme Happiness Heaven and never comes back to the earth to be suffered again as a dog or a human. This is the reincarnation.

告別愛犬格瑞芳／莊峻華

 告別愛犬格瑞芳／莊峻華

愛犬格瑞芳是琳兒家中三愛犬，週前來訪過夜，回家後發現口腔癌，並已擴散到其他部分，十分嚴重，獸醫無法治療，只好擇期安樂死，我聽聞後一陣哀傷，這是我們佛家曰愛親別離苦，我是有過如此經驗，格瑞芳離我們甚遠，只是有緣，我甚喜愛此犬，其實三愛犬，布林克力和蜂蜜，我都很喜愛，這次琳兒携三犬來訪，是否事先安排之告別？主要是格犬留下血跡，愛美告示，她提醒我莫出操行軍太久。

我們常被徵召北上奧斯汀，照顧三愛犬和三愛貓，因為主人喜愛出外旅行，藉口我喜愛寵物，一直到我抗議，影響我網球運動，而且年紀大也不喜駕車長途，後來說是愛美幫忙駕車，我更不敢坐，未有結論，我們就有別離。

愛犬喜愛散步，尤其是家人忙碌，無閒暇帶他們逛街，我開始帶他們行軍，後來愛美開始有興趣，在奧斯汀無事，有時一天散步到四次，途經鄰居愛犬，均甚羨慕，遇見其他愛犬，也能和平相處，這是我之長項，喜愛結識鄰居愛犬。三愛犬牢記我這位罕見老人，我睡大廳沙發，他們就在我身旁，席地而睡，半夜如廁，驚醒三位，順便放風，格瑞芳和布林克力，都是不叫自回室內，惟蜂蜜需要呼換多次。

三犬很聽話，比我們家子女更貼心，而且是全神貫注，當然令我此老人感激不盡，我發現我需要之友誼不多，我可以有如格瑞芳一般之友誼，心已滿足，希望如此愛犬，也能得道成佛，無需輪迴轉世，再回人間受苦。