I AM YOUR MOTHER

I AM YOUR MOTHER

I am your mother, do not neglect me!
Children protect me-I need your trust;
My breath is your breath, my death is your death,
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

I am your nurture; do not destroy me!
Love and enjoy me, savor my fruit;
My good is your good, my food is your food,
Water and flower, branches and root.

I am your lodging, do not abuse me!
Tenderly use me, soothing my scars;
My health is your health, my wealth is your wealth,
Shining with promise, set among stars.

The Creator is our maker, do not deny,
Challenge, defy or threaten this place.
Life is to cherish, care, or we perish!
I am your mother tears on my face.

Adapted from a prayer by Shrley Erena Murray in a Methodist Womens’s study guide for mom's UMW fellowship.

FACEBOOK'S GOT RELIGION-OR DANGER SMALL RANT AHEAD

Or at least it looks that way all of a sudden. There's been a spike the "let's see if there are five million people on Facebook who believe in God." or "let's see how many on Facebook are true Christians" push like style entries on my page.


Hey, I do believe.......most of the time. But, tracing the links back gets me to Evangelical style websites with all the depth of my oversize mug when the tea runs out. Safe to say I haven't pushed any "like" buttons. I also suspect that if most of these folks got a look at my to be read sooner rather than later pile the door would close very quickly. Let's see; there's Thomas Merton, Matthew Fox and a guy named Tom Cowan: He's a shaman. There's also a book on Paganism and an autobiography of Hildegard of Bingen. The stack runs heavy to heretics or at least to people who believed in tipping over the pot to see what would fall out.


I guess what irritates me the most is the shallowness these links. For one thing what I believe or don't believe is between me and the Creator of All Things. Two, I strongly suspect that my vision of the Almighty will not agree with theirs. Three, like? I like corn on the cob, squirrels and daisies. I really like the cats. I love mom, my family and chocolate. Not necessarily in that order. But, Whoever or Whatever created the universe isn't exactly in the same league. Four, you can't put the Creator on a bumper sticker or capture Him/Her in a cute little quote. He/She won't fit.

SUMMER

We didn’t have much of a summer. Tonight, with two weeks to go until the Autumn Equinox, summer is fading. And, I’m thinking, not so fast buddy, I’ve got tomatoes and peppers to ripen.

Started cutting herbs today. The first of the basil with go in the dryer tomorrow. I’ll pick some more but I want to leave some of the flowers for the bees. Same with the mint and oregano. Haven’t seen a lot of bees this year; and we have enough to share. The pineapple sage didn’t bloom but there’s plenty of leaves to dry. It’ll be interesting to mix the sage with the orange mint and see what kind of tea results. The lemon cucumbers are doing well and the Franken zucchini have been fairly productive. The leave on the plants are big enough to provide an umbrella for a small child.

Had a deer make its way around one of the rhodies the other morning while I was taking a break from weeding. He looked at me, I looked at him and he eventually ambled on his way. These black tails are so small. If I could get close enough we’d probably be nose to nose. Just leave my peppers alone. It’s funny, really. The little pepper that could is over by the tomatoes and they walked through that bed during the winter. They nibble on that pepper plant but don’t bother the ones that are in the herb bed just a few feet away, Maybe the scent of the rosemary and oregano throws them off. Who knows? Just stay warm for a little longer please.

BLUEBERRY SCROUNGER

I wish I had my camera yesterday morning. Heard a rustle and spotted a squirrel perched in the biggest blueberry bush. I knew there were a few berries left and obviously the squirrel had found some of them. He(?) had a good time munching and I had a fantastic time watching him.

THE LITTLE PEPPER THAT DID

I did an entry at the end of June about the pepper plant that lost it "head" after we put it in the trunk for the ride home.

Not only did that baby grow it's outdone the other two plants. Of course it had to come from behind. It not only set more peppers than the plants that had a head start, but I've had to pick these while they're still green (they'll be great in soup or relish) because they were literally pulling the plant over. I picked one yesterday and got these this morning.

It's pick 'em green or lose 'em when the plant goes belly up from the weight of the fruit. BTW the larges one is about six inches long.

BIRDLAND

There’s a fascinating hierarchy in our neighborhood’s feathered world. If we had hawks roosting in the trees the crows wouldn’t give them any peace. In turn, the scrub jays torment the crows. The starlings (and the squirrels) scold the jays while the swallows dive bomb just about everybody in range. When it comes to the swallows, I’m not sure if it’s harassment or “let’s just see how close I can get without losing any feathers,” because I think I got dive bombed this morning while I was bending over contemplating a stubborn weed. “Something” buzzed over me; it was too loud to be a hummer and there was a flock of swallows dancing overhead.

Earlier, as I was chasing the last strawberry on a plant, I stood up and found myself eyeball to feather ball with a hummer. It “chpp, chpp’d” at me a couple of times and zipped off. I last saw it harassing a swallow near the neighbor’s porch. I wonder if hummers have a version of neener, neener, neener. Obviously, wingless humans are at the bottom of the pecking order. LOL

FREEDOM TO DEPRESS

" 'We wanted them to ask the questions we wanted to answer, so that they would report the news the way we want it to be reported.' Sharon Angle, Nevada Republican senate hopeful who has avoided reporters, discussing media strategy with Fox News." As reported on the Perspectives page of this weeks Newsweek magazine.

Last I heard the candidate, running against Harry Reid, has managed to blow an eleven point lead since the primary. God(dess) keep up the good work. That attitude alone is enough to disqualify her for any elected office down to and including dog catcher.

SUMMER FLOWERS

I suddenly remembered the macro feature on the digital camera. So naturally I had to go out and .........


The stargazer lilies are in full bloom.

And the pink rose by the driveway. The buffet loving deer haven't gotten these yet. Actually it was more of a problem in the early spring than it is now.

The black eyed susans are up. The true definition of "yellow."

A blossom from the little rose that could. This bush was three little leaf stems at ground level and a really good root ball this spring. It was in a pot on the porch and got its feet too wet. It's very happy sharing the flower bed with some geraniums.

JUST A LITTLE QUESTION

Found a link on Face Book to a yes or no question. Should flag burning be made a crime? The comment of the person who had the link was the basic “if they don’t like it here, they should go back where they came from.” Haven’t burned a flag. Don’t have any desire to burn a flag; unless it’s dirty, raggedy and needing to be retired. And I’m not touching the whole flag worship thing with a ten foot pole. But it begs the question.

The latest ancestor I can account for stepped off the boat with rest of her bog trotting kin in 1850 at the Port of New York. Near as I can tell everybody else was this side of the pond while dinner toasters were still starting off the after dinner liquid merriment with “to his majesty” or “God save the King.” I’ve got tree branches haling from Scandinavia to Spain and Northern Italy. And from France before it was France to Byzantium and the Ukraine. Not to mention England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Under the circumstances I prithee tell me sir; where should I go?

Probably wouldn’t be any happier with my six times great grandfather Thomas Elmore, a Quaker. Seems he spent some time in the slammer in the glorious colony of Virginia. As near as anyone can tell he either didn’t pay his tithes or refused to attend the Church of England, the established church of Virginia, …..or both. Nothing like studying the times of your ancestors to remind what they had to go through to get here. And how lucky we are in spite of the problems facing us.

The poster has the right to his opinion and I have the right to tell him to “zark off.” (courtesy of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) Of course, I’d have the added pleasure of exiting while the target is puzzling over what I just said and wondering if the translation means what he thinks it means. :-)

THE LITTLE PEPPER THAT IS

pulling off a small miracle thank you. When we got veggies for the garden out at Johnson's we picked out a couple of nice looking pepper plants and brought the whole shebang home in the trunk of the car. There are times I do miss the van.

Anyway, one of peppers was "decapitated." Took off the upper half of that little sucker. Nuts. Replaced the pepper; didn't quite have the heart to dump the oddball. Then I noticed the little leaf buds above the big leaves. So, with fingers crossed we planted it, and low and behold those little leaf buds are growing. I don't know if it'll develop enough to actually produce peppers but at least it's growing. Life is a stubborn old thing, isn't it? Doesn't want to give up no matter what.

THE LITTLE ROSE THAT COULD

Life hangs on by the thinnest threads sometimes. We potted up a pretty little pink miniature rose a couple of years ago. In spite of a little black spot last summer it seemed really happy in its pot on the front steps.

We had an unexpected and fairly severe cold snap in early November and I think the shrub was nipped a bit; it spent the rest of the winter under cover on the porch. When the plant started to leaf out this spring, it was back to its home on the steps, Where it promptly went downhill.

When we took out a huge fern in the bed next to house well, there was this whole new space to fill in. What the heck, give pinky a chance. When I went to unpot the rose, surprise surprise, there were three tiny little leaves at the base of the main stem. Into the oversize potting soil lined hole went the patient. The rose that appeared to be ready for rose heaven is now about six inches tall and doing an admirable imitation of a dandelion. In other words, it’s growing like a weed.

Never give up, you just might bloom in spite of everything.

EYES SHUT, HUMMING REAL LOUD

Geez, has it been two months? No excuse. Between the garden, the family tree and other things I guess I've had a case of writer's block or something. Anyway my take on the appearance of BP's CEO in DC yesterday. Not a pretty sight.

“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”

On or about June 5, 1944 General Dwight Eisenhower scribbled this note and stuck it in his jacket pocket. He never had to use it and it was found years later, still in the jacket pocket. Since the original copy of this little sheet of paper shows the editing he did as he wrote, many historians believe he probably wrote it as he traveled from base to base to visit with the airborne troops as they readied to board their planes for the invasion of France.

Worst case casualty estimates for the airborne troops was up to seventy percent. The man believed it was important to look into the eyes of the men he was sending into harm’s way. Contrast this with the Deepwater Horizon survivors who claim they were asked to sign liability waivers as soon as they reached shore.

Contrast this with the “nobody told me anything, I apparently haven't displayed any curiosity whatsoever about how this company drills for oil , I wasn't on the Deepwater Horizon rig before the disaster, so these events are not my responsibility” testimony of BP CEO Tony Howard in Washington DC yesterday. It may be catty, but I picture the man in his office eyes closed, fingers in ears, humming really, really loud.

In another note, Rep. Joe Barton R-Texas (recipient of over $1,400,000 in oil and gas contributions since 1989) first apologized to Howard at the beginning of the hearings for the “shakedown” by the White House that forced BP to set up an escrow account to cover damage claims from the spill, then withdrew his apology later in the day. It appears he was strongly encouraged to do so by members of his own party. As in “eat crow now or risk losing your seat on the committee.” Again the précis of the news story is my own, but it gets the gist of it.

After all the ‘Pubs are hoping to pick up as many seats at possible this fall. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out as the supporters of “leave industry alone to regulate itself” face the voters. At least the escrow fund may help the alleviate some of the capitalize the profits, socialize the cost of cleaning up the messes we’ve seen in the past.

Cross posted to Women On.

RAIN, FAMILY TREES AND PROOFREADING

Managed to knock off another section of weeds today. Gee, three days in a row out in the mud pile. The weather man predicted showers for late today. Yeah, right. The word showers implies that the falling water doesn’t fall very long. Anything over an hour is rain, guys.

The pink rhodie on the north side is showing a little color. Just have to remember those May flowers that go with the April showers. And the April mud, and the April weeds……..:-) On the upside I’ve seen several lady bugs hanging out in out of the way places like the heather.

Getting a kick out of working on the family tree. Something that does catch my attention are the folks who either don’t pay attention when the program prompts them with a place name or copy what someone else has done without thinking about what they’re doing. That is when I’m not wincing. Are they in too big a hurry to think about what they’re doing or just not realize that there’s a problem?

As an example, I was working with an archived tree on Ancestry.com when I spotted a little problem with an entry, I’m reasonably certain that my I’m not sure how many greats are involved grandfather who was born in Normandy did not die in Alia, Delaware in 1031. I mean it’s just a hunch; but it’s not like Bayeux, Normandy and the east coast of North America are in the same hemisphere much less the same time zone.

LOW TECH BUT IT WORKED

Listen to the tech heads and the marketers. We live in a technological Nirvana and pity the poor souls who had to make do with less. Sometimes we forget that what the technology actually provides isn’t new. It’s either faster, more elaborate, or replaces something we used to do for ourselves. Computers process information in seconds that used to take days or weeks to complete. The global information network allows us to know about earthquakes in Chili or Haiti in minutes. Planes allow us to cross the Atlantic in a few hours instead of a few weeks. The Battle of New Orleans is an icon in American history. It was fought after the peace treaty was signed.

Chasing some ancestors through the centuries prompted me to finally crack open some of the history books I’ve been collecting over the years. (The reading list doesn’t seem to get shorter.) Anyway, I stumbled across something low tech, but very effective.

I’m not sure if the English still use the term, but the royal finances used to be managed by the Exchequer. Before the exchequer was an office it was a thing. A tablecloth, actually. A tablecloth with a simple grid painted on it.

This is a simplified version of the system in use in the 1100’s in England. It would be at least two hundred years before Roman numerals were replaced by the decimal system we use now. Remember playing with Roman numerals in math class? Remember trying to actually add or subtract with them? Instant insanity.

This sample grid just has hundreds, tens, and ones. When it was time to collect the taxes the court officials would go on circuit and meet with the local justices or sheriffs. The cloth would be laid out where everyone could see what was happening and collections began. Working through the list tokens would be laid out on the cloth. The top row was for what had been assessed. The bottom row represented what was actually paid. You could see at a glance whether the totals matched.

At a time when literacy was at a premium that checked cloth was a way to get the job done in a way everyone could follow and agree on, And the receipt? The final total was notched onto a stick. The stick was split and each side kept a half. The clerk who could actually read and write wrote out the final results on parchment and rolled everything together for safekeeping.

It worked; it’s hard to argue with that.