We went to the Easter Vigil tonight…beautiful service and moving homily about Selma 50 years later. So glad we went!
But it was more than that. The reason we drove an hour away was to attend at the church of a person I used to meet with, something like 7 years ago, who was seeking spiritual guidance. I had been thinking of her for weeks, even dreamed of her. I felt unsettled about the way our time together ended. After years of meeting together, she simply stopped coming. I had sent an occasional email, and left a few phone messages. But she had not responded, and I felt it best to let it go. But now I simply needed to say I was sorry, because I was sure I must have done something to put her off. I wasn’t sure what it could be, but was at a loss. The service began outside with the lighting of the new fire. We saw each other across the space and I smiled a little, and she broke into a big smile. At the Peace, she came and found me and gave me a very great embrace, saying, significantly, “The spirit of the Lord be always with you!” I replied, “And with you, always!” At the end of the service, as we were heading out, she took my hands and said it was such a nice surprise to see me. So I said that I needed to come to tell her I was sorry, but, as she had given me such a big hug at the Peace, I already felt forgiven. She said, “What do you have to be sorry about?!” I said it was that we never discussed why she stopped coming. But she said she had not had a spiritual director since she met with me. It’s just that she’d had very good support among her colleagues when she was at the church she was at at that time. (And as I think upon it, she would have had a hard time driving to me because of an ailment.) So I asked, “And what about now?” She said that now it is hard sometimes. So I left saying that if she ever wants someone to sit with her, to give me a holler, and that I do get down her way sometimes. She wished us a safe ride home. So we will see. It’s fine whatever she chooses. I just feel like a long held weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and like a released bird! This is what reconciliation feels like! This is Easter Joy! This is so so good.
Tomorrow we are off to see VT*Grand, DIL and her parents.
The original blogging community has suffered another great loss today. ♥ RIP Terri Cain ♥
The news came from her children:
To Terri's beloved friends, We are very sad to let you know that Terri died this morning here at her home in San Marcos. After a very long and brave struggle, she seemed to find some peace and serenity in her final hours. I know Facebook isn't a perfect place to share this news, but I know my mom cherished all of you and the community you built with her here. We truly appreciate the love and support you've given her. We will post information about a memorial soon. Love, Nick, Ron, Matthew, Dan, and Allison
Terri died on the Resurrection morning. How apropos. How at once deeply sad (too soon, still young) and deeply moving. I will remember her every Easter, and so many moments along the way, when my heart turns toward the good despite great struggle. (She died of cancer.) I hope I can be half as brave and deep as Terri. What a legacy she leaves. My heart feels sorrow, as well as gratitude that her suffering is over. Peace be with all who loved her. ♥
My five-year old drafted me to play "pet shop" this afternoon. This involves setting up her terrifyingly large collection of stuffed animals for interested shoppers (that's me). When I inquired about the loggerhead turtle I was informed that it was not for sale and would be returning to the ocean shortly once it finished its rehab stint. This was followed by a short release ceremony attended by her crowd of doll babies where she lectured on the evils of plastic bags and balloons and their inherent danger to marine life.
Heard the peepers tonight. Loud and clear. Cooter heard them last night, when I went out -- silence. Told him, and he came out, exasperated, then said: Oh. They quit. (lol!)
Speaking of which: my granddaughter and her mom and dad spent the first part of last week in Florida, scoping out colleges, and just mom and grand the last part in southern California, doing same. If one wants to be a Marine Biologist, and she does, that's where your colleges are. . . .
Glad the peepers have arrived and your kiddle came to help. Naps are SO good after company!
Reporting that the Rhiannon Giddens concert was wonderful. Her new style is a bit more sophisticated, but she still kicks off her shoes and includes some of the chocolate drops style and/or Irish step dancing. Her daddy is Irish and so is her husband.
We had an extra day to explore Durham. They are beginning to make great progress turning old tobacco warehouses into loft apartments. Brenda is familiar with the city from her days at the NC Shakespeare Festival. (I am still re-couping)! Love to all.
Apparently another Presidential Campaign has begun. Sigh. I am not interested in the candidate of any particular party. I'm watching for a candidate who, instead of being partisan and polarising, and more than being bipartisan in view, is clearly transpartisan. I'm watching for someone who can care alike for rich and poor, young and old, and everyone in between, someone who sees the whole picture, and cares about this nation and the world at the same time. Let me know if you spot someone like that.
Here's a note from Terri Cain's son Nick about her memorial service. (Sigh)
Dear Friends, Details about a memorial for Terri are below. Some of you are close and some far away, so please know that we understand that not everyone can make the trip. If you can, we would love to see you. Please share this with others in your community who might want to know. Please feel free to be in touch with my wife Allison (allisonoconnor22 at gmail.com) if you have any questions. ------ Memorial for Terri Cain - Please share; all are welcome. Date: Saturday, April 25th Time: Service at 1pm, followed by a reception at the same location Location: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Dieguito 1036 Solana Dr, Solana Beach, CA 92075 We so appreciate your thoughtfulness, but in lieu of flowers and gifts, we know Terri would appreciate a small donation in her honor to a classroom of your choice. Please consider using DonorsChoose to help a teacher in your area foster a love of reading in their classroom. — Nick Cain
I have been so busy these last two days getting ready for an art show! Tomorrow night is the opening for a month long art exhibit of the art league I’m part of. I decided not to hang any paintings this time (I’m hanging three all Summer as it is) but have made a large batch of cards for the sale table. Tonight I put them into plastic sleeves and added my special label. :-)
Keep us posted on the bridge, puddle! It's gotten to be a rite of passage in Spring to know how your bridge is, and how YOU are matters most! ♥
Another sign of Spring! Talk about mud season! Rockslide on the Interstate!
Bill saw this on his way to work. He wrote:
"On I89-N north of exit 11 on French Hill there was a rock slide with some large boulders ending up in or near the breakdown lane. The crews were out this morning with heavy equipment and trucks to clean it up. The traffic was down to one lane going up the hill and it took about 10 minutes to get past it. Some of the boulders were the size of a VW van and there were several stacked on top of one another."
My sister still has two unmarried. Though the last single boy just got engaged. I remember back in the day calling my mother and asking her who all was pregnant this year, lol! She died with 42 grands.
42! Whew! Lovely weather here also. Perfect get out and walk weather. To the bookstore yesterday. Busy, noisy place yesterday. Most neighborhoods in Greensboro have a resident's association. Yesterday was the Downtown Resident's Association monthly event and they were all hanging out at the bookstore--especially around the snack and drink bar. Regular bookies were wandering among the shelves or reading and studying in the back! Busy place! Happy Sunday all!
Well, that was a fun thing to come to this morning! Finally home after a whirlwind week in So CA and Dizzyland! Now I have to go back and read the thread.
Wow. So sad to hear about Terri Cain. Don't like losing our friends. And, just now, Burt tells me about a call he got regarding another friend that isn't doing well and family is gathering. :o(
Grands seem to be having and giving a lot of fun and love.
I have a huge amount of catching up since my trip. Busy day and week coming up.
Watching the Clinton video I was struck by how it echoes these words of Walt Whitman "The true gravitation-hold of liberalism in the United States will be a more universal ownership of property, general homesteads, general comfort -- a vast, intertwining reticulation of wealth. As the human frame, or, indeed, any object in this manifold universe, is best kept together by the simple miracle of its own cohesion, and the necessity, exercise and profit thereof, so a great and varied nationality, occupying millions of square miles, were firmest held and knit by the principle of the safety and endurance of the aggregate of its middling property owners." written in the 19th Century (DEMOCRATIC VISTAS) Bill Clinton was a President for the middle class. It is hard to shake the rule of the arms makers and Wall Street but Hillary got off on the right foot.It is time to celebrate a liberal view and it would gladden my heart to know this is where she wants to lead towards.
It seems from her announcement she has been heeding some of Elizabeth Warren's positions. Great move. I think we continue to need EW's strong progressive voice in the Senate and she may be able to move Pres. HC to the left a bit more. As VP she would be obliged to support her.
Thanks for the link, Puddle. Very interesting. Off to a yearly urologist appointment today-- Check in with filled cup in hand-- in return get Macrobid prescription renewed for a year. Deal. It took at least two years of protesting, foot stamping and refusal to make them understand that their invasive testing was wasted on me. "You all find something awry I ain't letting you fix it. Too old to waste my time/money/insurance etc. I have books to read." Love to all.
The hunt had not gone well Snow deep, the buffalo far deer starving too and in the wickiup, stone soup. So passed a wooden ladle by a loving wife the children grew silent as an angry man snapped the handle in his hand the taste of flavored water, again, the failure to provide. Bitter.
Next time was better the doe offered her spirit spring would come. Flowers and laughter and love. So the bundle of joy, last baby boy pledged forgotten pain as though never known; pacified by the broken handle of a wooden spoon. Born with a wooden spoon in his mouth.Sweet.
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3 people like this. Phil Specht I wanted to share this alongside the great news from my son. Few children have been more intentionally conceived than a pregnancy out of the depths of the Reagan Depression farm crisis when Sharon and I decided another child would be our affirmation. Many children are purposed before birth to bring joy. Probably why there are 7 billion of us it works so well that way. So since he wasn't born yet he couldn't be expected to remember the farm crisis of the '80s and I wrote this poem as a memo.Times were hard. I have so grown to appreciate my son. He defines a self made man, but I had to share he was born as affirmation and his mother and I had a tiny part. 2 hrs · Like · 1
Oh dear good-hearted souls. Before I sleep I need to come by here and bare my soul. Maybe this is part confession, part self-forgiveness. But a terrible thing happened on Tuesday, and I need to offer it here.
On Sunday we walked out the birdhouses, with it in mind to clean them out (now that we can get to them), so that some waiting birds could have the use of them. I opened the box the Wrens had used last year and cleaned out all their sticks, but as I did I saw there was white mold. As it was getting on toward sunset, I said I'd come out soon and wash it down with apple cider vinegar. On Tuesday I did that very thing and heard the birds twittering excitedly around me. So far, so good.
Then I went to the next bird box, about 30ft away, took out the plexiglass slider, cleaned it with vinegar and set it aside. Next I reached up and pulled out the old dried out grasses which came out all-of-a-piece, but as it fell to the ground I saw something else fall too…little pink bodies! Oh no! I thought I had upset some baby birds, but no! These creatures each had four feet and a tail!! Their eyes were still shut and there wasn't a bit of fuzz on them yet. I had no idea what they were! I was so stunned to see them at all, and in a bird house, that all I could think to do was take and iPhone photo of them and send it to my Wildlife Biologist son for identification. Meanwhile I balled the two of them up in the grasses for protection and comfort and had them waiting near me on the ground. Then I saw a third and set that little cellar in with its siblings. I hardly knew what to do. I wasn't going to put them back into the bird box if they were, say, Skunk or Rat babies! And I was half thinking: Opossum? This tells you my confused state of mind because there is no way a Skunk or Opossum Mama could fit in through the bird box hole, even though it had obviously been gnawed larger by someone.
As I stood by and waited for word from my son (this all took about 3 minutes), I made a terrible discovery! Apparently a 4th little one had fallen into the grasses and I had someone stepped upon it and crushed it. :-( I felt horrible and am still aghast!
My son wrote back that they were probably flying squirrels or red squirrels, and immediately I saw that must be true, because of the way their little paws were shaped. Awwww, poor baby red squirrel! (I'm pretty sure it's red quarrels as their is sometimes one at our bird feeder. I won't be shooing her off anymore. That's the least I can do.) My son wrote "I assume you left everything in place?" So I had to fess up to my wildlife biologist son, who didn't say much in response, except to say that they'd had some in their bird box a couple of years ago. Had I known that I might have suspected as much! But never having seen any creature use a bird box except a bird, I was utterly kerflummoxed! Sigh. The whole event took about 15 minutes in all. I hope the three remaining squirrels fare okay, as the fall couldn't have been good for them.
I learned a new thing. Never clear out bird boxes without benefit of ladder. I just wasn't able to get it there myself. Next time I'll employ my dear husband!
Anyway, I couldn't sleep without writing this out to you. Thanks for listening. I can forgive myself because it was utterly unintentional. Though it still stings that I could be so ignorant.
I should have mentioned that I did indeed put the grasses and babies back! Excepting of course the one who died. That one was wrapped in paper towels and set in our garage for now. I hope their Mama doesn't abandon the nest, and I wish I could tell her how sorry I am. Did she, I have to wonder, helplessly witness the melee? I'm sure nature adjusts to tragedy faster than I do. A small consolation, perhaps.
Still tired from driving 1400 + miles in two and a half days, though looking at the land from Louisiana, through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Eastern Colorado brings insights and perspectives. I imagined what it must have been to travel by horse, by oxen, to farm without the machinery and technology we have, to for that matter, hunt and gather for a living. How much has changed in 300 years.
We visited a Civil War museum in New Orleans, and the uniforms looked like they would fit a child of 10 or 12, so small were they, and the instruments of war, cannons, swords, daggers. Brutal, horrible, the suffering and blood that must have happened.
We had a good time meeting David's two sisters three days: once for coffee au lait at the Cafe Du Monde, once at Emeril's restaurant Delmonico's, and once at Harrah's casino for dinner. It was fun watching the three siblings interact with memories.
A wonderful trip, but if I didn't think I was in my 70s before, I know I am now. We might have done this 30 years ago with less exhaustion.
Listener, your tenderness, care, and empathy are beautiful and so much of who you are. We saw road kill, and it hurt to see it. I realized how much machines are integral to human culture. We really have utterly changed this earth with our technologies.
A young girl responded to a question about death, saying, we are all energy and it is constantly transforming. Somehow that helped a little.
I'll write again soon, but now some rest. Our crabby cat howled much of the night. We think he had been lonesome for 10 days.
I glad you had a good time in New Orleans, Pat. Thanks for the details. Listener, you will heal and so will the babies, thanks for your story of mishaps.
Phil's poem and its background story are wonderful and very touching. Thank you, Phil.
Shirlee--glad you finally got your doc to leave you alone. Rick had very excellent insurance which it seemed to me encouraged his doctors to explore and explore, and always find two or three things on every front which were "pre" something terrible--blood disorders/cancer; skin cancer; eye stuff; foot stuff; diabetes stuff; kidney stuff; lung stuff. . . . And in all that, all the procedures, tests, and actual "treatment," what killed him was their inability to keep his blood pressure up.
listener, I fully empathize: I once stepped on a tiny baby mouse the mother was in the process of moving when I disturbed her nest during a clean. The guilt is tremendous! In fact, I feel pretty guilty just using mouse traps--but sometimes it's you or them. HugZZZ!!!
Sounds like a lovely trip Pat! You've been missed though--I'm wit' your cat! Glad you're back. . . .
Puddle, so happy to see you here now. I was about to go Into a worry mode! Damp and chilly here today--nobody expected today--time to kick back with a book!
Dear ones…thank you for the "comfortable words". I'm doing better tonight. I had lain the dead baby squirrel in paper towels in our garage, but today I needed to decide what comes next. I stood there in the garage trying to decide whether I ought to try to dig a deep enough hole so to commit the wee one to the Earth, or to wrap him softly and set him out with the trash. The latter sounds so awful, but the truth is that around here anything that can be smelled by a sensitive nose WILL get dug up and carried off. And if one baby is found (and the scent learned) the others are more in peril. But it was a hard decision. What helped was holding the wrapped baby in my hands and holding him in the Light of prayer. My heart's question was: Bury the baby or Let it go? I was surprised and relieved when the Peace rested on Let it go. It was such a soft and subtle deepening of Peace, but felt so tender for all that, as though God were being tender with me. Since then I've been able to accept it and forgive myself, and to realise that the mishap occurred exactly because I too am just a creature. Nature thrives despite mishaps.
I read today that mother Red Squirrels make several nests and move their babies from time to time. I'm betting she moved the three who remain today, when she saw the state of things! I'm sorry to have given her more work, especially as there tend to be Crows around and they prey on baby squirrels. Turns out only 22% of the babies make it! A Red Squirrel usually ovulates once a year and has one litter of 1 to 5 babies. And Red Squirrels live just 2.5 to 8 years, depending on conditions.
Pat, thank you for the image of the Energy still BEING. Yes, yes…of course. I always believe that and hadn't acknowledged and "beheld" the baby's Energy until today. That helped so much.
Pat I am AMAZED you drove that far in such a short space of time…! For me that would be like driving to Prince Edward Island and back in just 2.5 days. Ohhh myyyy!!
63 comments:
Howard and all of you lovely ladies are first!
We went to the Easter Vigil tonight…beautiful service and moving homily about Selma 50 years later. So glad we went!
But it was more than that.
The reason we drove an hour away was to attend at the church of a person I used to meet with, something like 7 years ago, who was seeking spiritual guidance. I had been thinking of her for weeks, even dreamed of her. I felt unsettled about the way our time together ended. After years of meeting together, she simply stopped coming. I had sent an occasional email, and left a few phone messages. But she had not responded, and I felt it best to let it go. But now I simply needed to say I was sorry, because I was sure I must have done something to put her off. I wasn’t sure what it could be, but was at a loss.
The service began outside with the lighting of the new fire. We saw each other across the space and I smiled a little, and she broke into a big smile. At the Peace, she came and found me and gave me a very great embrace, saying, significantly, “The spirit of the Lord be always with you!” I replied, “And with you, always!”
At the end of the service, as we were heading out, she took my hands and said it was such a nice surprise to see me. So I said that I needed to come to tell her I was sorry, but, as she had given me such a big hug at the Peace, I already felt forgiven. She said, “What do you have to be sorry about?!” I said it was that we never discussed why she stopped coming. But she said she had not had a spiritual director since she met with me. It’s just that she’d had very good support among her colleagues when she was at the church she was at at that time. (And as I think upon it, she would have had a hard time driving to me because of an ailment.) So I asked, “And what about now?” She said that now it is hard sometimes. So I left saying that if she ever wants someone to sit with her, to give me a holler, and that I do get down her way sometimes. She wished us a safe ride home.
So we will see. It’s fine whatever she chooses. I just feel like a long held weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and like a released bird! This is what reconciliation feels like! This is Easter Joy! This is so so good.
Tomorrow we are off to see VT*Grand, DIL and her parents.
tc and Dean are first today.
The original blogging community has suffered another great loss today.
♥ RIP Terri Cain ♥
The news came from her children:
To Terri's beloved friends,
We are very sad to let you know that Terri died this morning here at her home in San Marcos. After a very long and brave struggle, she seemed to find some peace and serenity in her final hours.
I know Facebook isn't a perfect place to share this news, but I know my mom cherished all of you and the community you built with her here. We truly appreciate the love and support you've given her. We will post information about a memorial soon.
Love,
Nick, Ron, Matthew, Dan, and Allison
Terri died on the Resurrection morning. How apropos. How at once deeply sad (too soon, still young) and deeply moving. I will remember her every Easter, and so many moments along the way, when my heart turns toward the good despite great struggle. (She died of cancer.) I hope I can be half as brave and deep as Terri. What a legacy she leaves. My heart feels sorrow, as well as gratitude that her suffering is over. Peace be with all who loved her. ♥
So glad Howard brought her into my life, so glad Edwin and I both got to hug her (San Diego DeanFest, '06). A Giver if ever there was one!!
An attribute of so many many Deaniacs!!
puddle-hugs are the best. I'm glad Terri got one. ♥
Nope: Edwin hugs are the best!! Thankful will testify to that. World class hugger!
Teri was such a trooper! I'm getting your feed on facebook, but not hers, so thank you so much for posting this!
Puddle and Listener--I amso sorry for the loss of your
Deaniac friend. Will there ever be another such caring group to pop up as our ranks thin?
Lovely Easter to all--sunshine here in GSO.
My Wildlife*Biologist son wrote:
My five-year old drafted me to play "pet shop" this afternoon. This involves setting up her terrifyingly large collection of stuffed animals for interested shoppers (that's me). When I inquired about the loggerhead turtle I was informed that it was not for sale and would be returning to the ocean shortly once it finished its rehab stint. This was followed by a short release ceremony attended by her crowd of doll babies where she lectured on the evils of plastic bags and balloons and their inherent danger to marine life.
Heard the peepers tonight. Loud and clear. Cooter heard them last night, when I went out -- silence. Told him, and he came out, exasperated, then said: Oh. They quit. (lol!)
Speaking of which: my granddaughter and her mom and dad spent the first part of last week in Florida, scoping out colleges, and just mom and grand the last part in southern California, doing same. If one wants to be a Marine Biologist, and she does, that's where your colleges are. . . .
Silly ol' peepers!
I'm glad they're starting to make an appearance at last...!
My niece went to UNH for marine biology, and it was a great program. As whales are her specialty, she has worked along both coasts.
Just thought of this:
Easter Peepers! Ha!
Kiddle left just after ten this ayem. I made it another hour, then headed up for a long, solid nap! Still exhausted!
Just past midnight, and 64º!!
Spring sounds to have sprung in WVA! :-D
Glad the peepers have arrived and your kiddle came
to help. Naps are SO good after company!
Reporting that the Rhiannon Giddens concert was
wonderful. Her new style is a bit more sophisticated,
but she still kicks off her shoes and includes some
of the chocolate drops style and/or Irish step dancing.
Her daddy is Irish and so is her husband.
We had an extra day to explore Durham. They are
beginning to make great progress turning old tobacco warehouses into loft apartments. Brenda is familiar with the city from her days at the NC Shakespeare
Festival. (I am still re-couping)! Love to all.
Just finished Downton for the 27th time. Trying to decide if it's time to go back to Up/Down for a while, lol!
Warm and gray, but so far none of the rain predicted. No temp as close as 20º to freezing predicted for the next ten days!
Peepers were a swelling chorus last night. Think they're pretty much here till the third week in June.
Apparently another Presidential Campaign has begun. Sigh. I am not interested in the candidate of any particular party. I'm watching for a candidate who, instead of being partisan and polarising, and more than being bipartisan in view, is clearly transpartisan. I'm watching for someone who can care alike for rich and poor, young and old, and everyone in between, someone who sees the whole picture, and cares about this nation and the world at the same time. Let me know if you spot someone like that.
Naps are entirely underrated!
That's good to hear about Durham perking up, Shirlee. I love the creativity of reusing a building while maintaining it's architectural integrity.
HUGE thunderstorm going on out there. First this year. Woo!
puddle, that means you're about to get warm air behind it, and I'm pretty sure this time it's here to stay! ENJOY!!
Here's a note from Terri Cain's son Nick about her memorial service. (Sigh)
Dear Friends,
Details about a memorial for Terri are below. Some of you are close and some far away, so please know that we understand that not everyone can make the trip. If you can, we would love to see you. Please share this with others in your community who might want to know. Please feel free to be in touch with my wife Allison (allisonoconnor22 at gmail.com) if you have any questions.
------
Memorial for Terri Cain - Please share; all are welcome.
Date: Saturday, April 25th
Time: Service at 1pm, followed by a reception at the same location
Location: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Dieguito
1036 Solana Dr, Solana Beach, CA 92075
We so appreciate your thoughtfulness, but in lieu of flowers and gifts, we know Terri would appreciate a small donation in her honor to a classroom of your choice. Please consider using DonorsChoose to help a teacher in your area foster a love of reading in their classroom.
— Nick Cain
Dullish, drearyish, grayish day. River's over the bridge, but not by much. More on the way. Spring!!!
I have been so busy these last two days getting ready for an art show! Tomorrow night is the opening for a month long art exhibit of the art league I’m part of. I decided not to hang any paintings this time (I’m hanging three all Summer as it is) but have made a large batch of cards for the sale table. Tonight I put them into plastic sleeves and added my special label. :-)
Keep us posted on the bridge, puddle! It's gotten to be a rite of passage in Spring to know how your bridge is, and how YOU are matters most! ♥
Here's a link to my Art Show preparations!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153467699526754.1073742051.637766753&type=1&l=2899981ec1
very nice listener! as always when you share something from your facebook page here I am sorry that I cannot comment or 'like' your postings or art.
Another sign of Spring! Talk about mud season!
Rockslide on the Interstate!
Bill saw this on his way to work. He wrote:
"On I89-N north of exit 11 on French Hill there was a rock slide with some large boulders ending up in or near the breakdown lane. The crews were out this morning with heavy equipment and trucks to clean it up. The traffic was down to one lane going up the hill and it took about 10 minutes to get past it. Some of the boulders were the size of a VW van and there were several stacked on top of one another."
http://www.wcax.com/story/28769263/interstate-back-open-after-massive-rock-ledge-falls-onto-highway
those sections of ledge were huge, so lucky that happened at a time when there was so little traffic!
heh! My little sister just got to oversee her latest granbebe's arrival. #17!!
Culverts down to 90% and additional rain threat vanished. Bit of blue in the north.
so glad that the water is receding and that spring is on it's way! we're looking at 50s and 60s - it's about time!!
It *is* about time, Jo!! For you guys even more than us! xox
Congratulations to your sister on GB 17, Puddle!
Watch the rock slides Vermonters! Love to all.
Sixties and sunny today. What a joy!
My sister still has two unmarried. Though the last single boy just got engaged. I remember back in the day calling my mother and asking her who all was pregnant this year, lol! She died with 42 grands.
In Maine with the Grands, having a barrel lot fun!
42! Whew! Lovely weather here also. Perfect get out and walk weather. To the bookstore yesterday. Busy, noisy place yesterday. Most neighborhoods in Greensboro have a resident's association. Yesterday
was the Downtown Resident's Association monthly event and they were all hanging out at the bookstore--especially
around the snack and drink bar. Regular bookies were
wandering among the shelves or reading and studying in
the back! Busy place! Happy Sunday all!
Well, that was a fun thing to come to this morning! Finally home after a whirlwind week in So CA and Dizzyland! Now I have to go back and read the thread.
Wow. So sad to hear about Terri Cain. Don't like losing our friends. And, just now, Burt tells me about a call he got regarding another friend that isn't doing well and family is gathering. :o(
Grands seem to be having and giving a lot of fun and love.
I have a huge amount of catching up since my trip. Busy day and week coming up.
Take care, my friends. Much love to you all.
We're home and it was 65F today! "O frabjous day! Callooh Callay!"
Lovely warm and sunny day here. I believe spring is here to really stay. And time, too.
Phil Specht
53 mins ·
Watching the Clinton video I was struck by how it echoes these words of Walt Whitman "The true gravitation-hold of liberalism in the United States will be a more universal ownership of property, general homesteads, general comfort -- a vast, intertwining reticulation of wealth. As the human frame, or, indeed, any object in this manifold universe, is best kept together by the simple miracle of its own cohesion, and the necessity, exercise and profit thereof, so a great and varied nationality, occupying millions of square miles, were firmest held and knit by the principle of the safety and endurance of the aggregate of its middling property owners." written in the 19th Century (DEMOCRATIC VISTAS) Bill Clinton was a President for the middle class. It is hard to shake the rule of the arms makers and Wall Street but Hillary got off on the right foot.It is time to celebrate a liberal view and it would gladden my heart to know this is where she wants to lead towards.
It seems from her announcement she has been heeding
some of Elizabeth Warren's positions. Great move.
I think we continue to need EW's strong progressive
voice in the Senate and she may be able to move Pres. HC to the left a bit more. As VP she would be
obliged to support her.
Good to hear from you, Phil!
Vermont #1 best state in which to eat local, for the 4th straight year:
http://www.takepart.com/…/10-best-and-worst-states-eat-local
74F today! WOW!!
We were 73º--but it's got to feel odder to you than to me, lol! You had real/deep snow much more recently than me. . . .
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/clinton-begins-the-2016-campaign-and-its-a-toss-up/?hc_location=ufi
Thanks for the link, Puddle. Very interesting.
Off to a yearly urologist appointment today--
Check in with filled cup in hand-- in return get
Macrobid prescription renewed for a year. Deal.
It took at least two years of protesting, foot stamping
and refusal to make them understand that their
invasive testing was wasted on me. "You all
find something awry I ain't letting you fix it.
Too old to waste my time/money/insurance etc.
I have books to read." Love to all.
Phil Specht
2 hrs ·
Born With A Wooden Spoon
The hunt had not gone well
Snow deep, the buffalo far
deer starving too
and in the wickiup, stone soup.
So passed a wooden ladle
by a loving wife
the children grew silent
as an angry man
snapped the handle in his hand
the taste of flavored water,
again, the failure to provide. Bitter.
Next time was better
the doe offered her spirit
spring would come.
Flowers and laughter and love.
So the bundle of joy, last baby boy
pledged forgotten pain
as though never known;
pacified by the broken handle
of a wooden spoon.
Born with a wooden spoon
in his mouth.Sweet.
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Phil Specht I wanted to share this alongside the great news from my son. Few children have been more intentionally conceived than a pregnancy out of the depths of the Reagan Depression farm crisis when Sharon and I decided another child would be our affirmation. Many children are purposed before birth to bring joy. Probably why there are 7 billion of us it works so well that way. So since he wasn't born yet he couldn't be expected to remember the farm crisis of the '80s and I wrote this poem as a memo.Times were hard. I have so grown to appreciate my son. He defines a self made man, but I had to share he was born as affirmation and his mother and I had a tiny part.
2 hrs · Like · 1
Hi Jo, Puddle, Shirlee, Listener, and Barb.
Back from our New Orleans trip: two 9 hour days driving, the last day, 6 hours. Am really tired. Will drop in tomorrow.
Warm, rainy day. Water well over bridge earlier, receding now. Spring, lol!
Oh dear good-hearted souls. Before I sleep I need to come by here and bare my soul. Maybe this is part confession, part self-forgiveness. But a terrible thing happened on Tuesday, and I need to offer it here.
On Sunday we walked out the birdhouses, with it in mind to clean them out (now that we can get to them), so that some waiting birds could have the use of them. I opened the box the Wrens had used last year and cleaned out all their sticks, but as I did I saw there was white mold. As it was getting on toward sunset, I said I'd come out soon and wash it down with apple cider vinegar. On Tuesday I did that very thing and heard the birds twittering excitedly around me. So far, so good.
Then I went to the next bird box, about 30ft away, took out the plexiglass slider, cleaned it with vinegar and set it aside. Next I reached up and pulled out the old dried out grasses which came out all-of-a-piece, but as it fell to the ground I saw something else fall too…little pink bodies! Oh no! I thought I had upset some baby birds, but no! These creatures each had four feet and a tail!! Their eyes were still shut and there wasn't a bit of fuzz on them yet. I had no idea what they were! I was so stunned to see them at all, and in a bird house, that all I could think to do was take and iPhone photo of them and send it to my Wildlife Biologist son for identification. Meanwhile I balled the two of them up in the grasses for protection and comfort and had them waiting near me on the ground. Then I saw a third and set that little cellar in with its siblings. I hardly knew what to do. I wasn't going to put them back into the bird box if they were, say, Skunk or Rat babies! And I was half thinking: Opossum? This tells you my confused state of mind because there is no way a Skunk or Opossum Mama could fit in through the bird box hole, even though it had obviously been gnawed larger by someone.
As I stood by and waited for word from my son (this all took about 3 minutes), I made a terrible discovery! Apparently a 4th little one had fallen into the grasses and I had someone stepped upon it and crushed it. :-( I felt horrible and am still aghast!
My son wrote back that they were probably flying squirrels or red squirrels, and immediately I saw that must be true, because of the way their little paws were shaped. Awwww, poor baby red squirrel! (I'm pretty sure it's red quarrels as their is sometimes one at our bird feeder. I won't be shooing her off anymore. That's the least I can do.) My son wrote "I assume you left everything in place?" So I had to fess up to my wildlife biologist son, who didn't say much in response, except to say that they'd had some in their bird box a couple of years ago. Had I known that I might have suspected as much! But never having seen any creature use a bird box except a bird, I was utterly kerflummoxed! Sigh. The whole event took about 15 minutes in all. I hope the three remaining squirrels fare okay, as the fall couldn't have been good for them.
I learned a new thing. Never clear out bird boxes without benefit of ladder. I just wasn't able to get it there myself. Next time I'll employ my dear husband!
Anyway, I couldn't sleep without writing this out to you. Thanks for listening. I can forgive myself because it was utterly unintentional. Though it still stings that I could be so ignorant.
er, make that: "walked out to the birdhouses"...
little cellar = little cellar
"I had someone stepped" should read "I had somehow stepped"
Sorry for all these typos!
their is sometimes = there is sometimes
(but you knew that)
I should have mentioned that I did indeed put the grasses and babies back! Excepting of course the one who died. That one was wrapped in paper towels and set in our garage for now. I hope their Mama doesn't abandon the nest, and I wish I could tell her how sorry I am. Did she, I have to wonder, helplessly witness the melee? I'm sure nature adjusts to tragedy faster than I do. A small consolation, perhaps.
Good Morning,
Still tired from driving 1400 + miles in two and a half days, though looking at the land from Louisiana, through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Eastern Colorado brings insights and perspectives. I imagined what it must have been to travel by horse, by oxen, to farm without the machinery and technology we have, to for that matter, hunt and gather for a living. How much has changed in 300 years.
We visited a Civil War museum in New Orleans, and the uniforms looked like they would fit a child of 10 or 12, so small were they, and the instruments of war, cannons, swords, daggers. Brutal, horrible, the suffering and blood that must have happened.
We had a good time meeting David's two sisters three days: once for coffee au lait at the Cafe Du Monde, once at Emeril's restaurant Delmonico's, and once at Harrah's casino for dinner. It was fun watching the three siblings interact with memories.
A wonderful trip, but if I didn't think I was in my 70s before, I know I am now. We might have done this 30 years ago with less exhaustion.
Listener, your tenderness, care, and empathy are beautiful and so much of who you are. We saw road kill, and it hurt to see it. I realized how much machines are integral to human culture. We really have utterly changed this earth with our technologies.
A young girl responded to a question about death, saying, we are all energy and it is constantly transforming. Somehow that helped a little.
I'll write again soon, but now some rest. Our crabby cat howled much of the night. We think he had been lonesome for 10 days.
I glad you had a good time in New Orleans, Pat. Thanks for the details. Listener, you will heal and so will the babies, thanks for your story of mishaps.
Phil's poem and its background story are wonderful
and very touching. Thank you, Phil.
Wow. Great reading. I'll have to check in tomorrow as I'm now at work and am SLAMMED with trying to catch up especially at tax time!
XOXOXOXO
Shirlee--glad you finally got your doc to leave you alone. Rick had very excellent insurance which it seemed to me encouraged his doctors to explore and explore, and always find two or three things on every front which were "pre" something terrible--blood disorders/cancer; skin cancer; eye stuff; foot stuff; diabetes stuff; kidney stuff; lung stuff. . . . And in all that, all the procedures, tests, and actual "treatment," what killed him was their inability to keep his blood pressure up.
listener, I fully empathize: I once stepped on a tiny baby mouse the mother was in the process of moving when I disturbed her nest during a clean. The guilt is tremendous! In fact, I feel pretty guilty just using mouse traps--but sometimes it's you or them. HugZZZ!!!
Sounds like a lovely trip Pat! You've been missed though--I'm wit' your cat! Glad you're back. . . .
Puddle, so happy to see you here now. I was about to go
Into a worry mode! Damp and chilly here today--nobody
expected today--time to kick back with a book!
Dear ones…thank you for the "comfortable words". I'm doing better tonight. I had lain the dead baby squirrel in paper towels in our garage, but today I needed to decide what comes next. I stood there in the garage trying to decide whether I ought to try to dig a deep enough hole so to commit the wee one to the Earth, or to wrap him softly and set him out with the trash. The latter sounds so awful, but the truth is that around here anything that can be smelled by a sensitive nose WILL get dug up and carried off. And if one baby is found (and the scent learned) the others are more in peril. But it was a hard decision. What helped was holding the wrapped baby in my hands and holding him in the Light of prayer. My heart's question was: Bury the baby or Let it go? I was surprised and relieved when the Peace rested on Let it go. It was such a soft and subtle deepening of Peace, but felt so tender for all that, as though God were being tender with me. Since then I've been able to accept it and forgive myself, and to realise that the mishap occurred exactly because I too am just a creature. Nature thrives despite mishaps.
I read today that mother Red Squirrels make several nests and move their babies from time to time. I'm betting she moved the three who remain today, when she saw the state of things! I'm sorry to have given her more work, especially as there tend to be Crows around and they prey on baby squirrels. Turns out only 22% of the babies make it! A Red Squirrel usually ovulates once a year and has one litter of 1 to 5 babies. And Red Squirrels live just 2.5 to 8 years, depending on conditions.
Pat, thank you for the image of the Energy still BEING. Yes, yes…of course. I always believe that and hadn't acknowledged and "beheld" the baby's Energy until today. That helped so much.
Pat I am AMAZED you drove that far in such a short space of time…! For me that would be like driving to Prince Edward Island and back in just 2.5 days. Ohhh myyyy!!
New thread!!
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