Shades of Green

Poem Sunday

2011-02-20T09:17:00.002-06:00

From all that dwell below the skies

Let the Creator's praise arise;

Let the Redeemer's name be sung

Through every land, by every tongue.

Eternal are they mercies, Lord,

Eternal truth attends thy word;

Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore,

Till suns shall rise and set no more.

~Isaac Watts

The bluebirds have returned once again to start a new family in the birdhouse outside my kitchen window. How timely.

2011-02-14T13:14:00.004-06:00

Valentine's Day is not about "I love you." It's about "We love each other."

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all.

the sofa, a blanket, a mug of tea...and thou

2011-02-02T15:47:00.002-06:00

Often, Life is like old Pharoah. Demanding more bricks with less straw.

But sometimes, yes, sometimes....Pharoah sleeps.

And the brick making gets cancelled because of snow. Oh yeah.

An Incontrovertible Reality

2011-01-31T10:31:00.004-06:00

I was standing outside the church building relating a story to a friend. Kathryn was there, and Julia. Who is quiet. Like her parents. They were standing with us, probably because they are smart girls who find the conversations of mature women to be entertaining or at least informative. It was a personal story, requiring language that would only be used in the presence of other females, but there were, of course, other small groups standing out there too which included men and children.

I was speaking in a low tone, but the moment I uttered the Embarrassing Word, Kathryn winced and flinched. I defended myself.

"I was speaking softly,” I said.
“People could hear you,” she remonstrated.

That’s when Julia spoke as only Julia can.

“It seems so much louder when it’s your mother.”

For Aslan breathed...

2011-01-27T22:53:00.001-06:00

"Nor indeed would the other boys at Edmund's school have recognized him if they could have seen him at that moment. For Aslan had breathed on him at their meeting and a kind of greatness hung about him."

~C.S. Lewis, from Prince Caspian

This is what I want for 2011.

Not the greatness, but the difference.

It's that time again

2011-01-24T22:04:00.008-06:00

There is something about the turning of a year that infuses life with Hope. Expectation. Purpose. It makes the probably impossible seem possible. In a flurry of lists and commitments we reinvent our lives. And sometimes, oh, sweet sometimes, the ideas that spin out of our brains swirl with such centrifugal force that some of them stick to the wall.

(I hope I didn't lose anybody with that paragraph.)

There is nothing quite like that blank slate feeling. It reaches every corner, every crevice of experience. And makes me think I will blog again.

It's a bit serendipitous, I think, that after the holidays, company, the resumption of school, and the flu x 3, I would finally sit down to blog exactly 1 year to the date from the last entry in Shades of Green. It would appear that I planned it that way but, if you can take my word for it, I didn't. I haven't kept track of the date at any point since January 1 except for Eleanor's birthday (Jan. 7).

So it is with great surprise and no small feeling of divine mandate that I make this entry in Shades of Green on January 24, 2011, though no one will know or read it on this date. That's okay. It is a Beginning Again, and as such, marks a small, purposeful step on my road to better things. There are already several Beginnings Again here on Eddings Hill. Time will be our judge.

There is a cherished family story that Ro-Bear has often related about his dad as a young boy. I will relate the story itself at a later time, but the point of it is summed up in this great nugget of wisdomly advice from the playground: Do it and then talk about it.

Well then, okay.

2010-01-24T22:33:00.002-06:00

2009-10-28T15:57:00.013-05:00

There are more atoms in a grain of sand than there are grains of sand on earth.

Each time we inhale, we are using atoms that were once a part of everyone who ever lived (before 7 years ago).

Nearly all the mass of an atom is concentrated in the atomic nucleus, which occupies only a few quadrillionths of the atom's volume. These are so dense that if bare atomic nuclei could be packed against each other into a lump 1 centimeter in diameter (about the size of a large pea), the lump would weigh 133,000,000 tons.

- Conceptual Physics by Paul Hewitt

2009-10-28T15:51:00.006-05:00

"...and don't tell me I've damaged your self-esteem. You have to do something to have esteem. Being born and having a pulse does not earn you esteem."

- Dr. Robert Marchini (physics prof.) while handing back graded tests

2009-09-28T19:12:00.003-05:00

Whenever people type "Mhm", it makes me think of muffins.

2009-09-27T20:17:00.004-05:00

Green is the 37th most common surname in the United States according to a census taken in 2000. The approximate number is 413,477 and the Frequency of Occurrence is 153.27 out of every 100,000. (Smith ranks first with 2,376,206 and a frequency of 880.85.)

Dalton is Thirteen!

2009-09-15T18:17:00.008-05:00

I would like to commemorate this the 13th birthday of our third boy,

Dalton Mark Evan Green

(also known as hamandcheese)

He loves to laugh, tell jokes, and goof around.

He loves to whistle, he enjoys creating things. He loves to read.

He can make lots of silly and crazy faces.

We love him very much and are so happy and privileged that he is a part of our family.

Happy Birthday, Bubby!

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun

2009-05-05T13:58:00.009-05:00

Out today!
A concise notice from Grantian Florilegium:

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun a previously unknown work by J.R.R. Tolkien was released today. Written more than seventy years ago, the story retells the epic legends of the Norse hero, Sigurd, the dragon-slayer, the revenge of his wife, Gudrun, and the Fall of the Nibelungs.

Introducing the work is one of Tolkien's renowned lectures on Norse literature. Amazingly, no part of the story or the lecture has ever been reproduced or quoted from since they were first written.

Of course, the Norse legends and sagas were the single greatest influence on Tolkien's writings, and many of the events in Sigurd and Gudrun can be traced through to The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarrillion, and The Children of Hurin. No serious reader of Tolkien will want to miss this remarkable new resource.

"AI as in TRAIN"

2009-05-04T15:18:00.001-05:00

I loved Phonics.
Mama laminated the printouts on different colored construction paper.
It was truly awesome.

2009-05-02T16:15:00.003-05:00

Assuming the usual context, which is correct, if either is?

"It's only a game."

or

"It's a game, only."

Children and Fairy Tales

2009-04-27T09:37:00.001-05:00

It is accused of giving children a false impression of the world they live in. But I think no literature that children could read gives them less of a false impression. I think what profess to be realistic stories for children are far more likely to deceive them. I never expected the real world to be like the fairy tales. I think that I did expect school to be like the school stories. The fantasies did not deceive me: the school stories did. All stories in which children have adventures and successes which are possible, in the sense that they do not break the laws of nature, but almost infinitely improbable, are in more danger than the fairy tales of raising false expectations.
—C.S. Lewis, On Three Ways of Writing for Children

read the rest of the excerpt here...

Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity

2009-04-21T15:35:00.007-05:00

Composed by Gustav Holst between 1914 and 1916.
This is awesome.
And Eiji Oue is...entertaining to watch.

The spirit of this music is very much in keeping with the astrological significance of Jupiter as the planet of benevolence and generosity. This Jupiter has no thunderbolts to hurtle down on us, but only knowing smiles and a wink or two. He has come down from Olympus to flirt with beauties in the mortal realm and, if flirtation leads to something more, so much the better. We hear him chasing but not catching the ladies. The music emerges from its cavorting, twirling and gambolling out onto a central plateau of graceful dance music, then sinks back into the carefree patterns of before.
- Bryan Trussler

2009-04-08T10:15:00.007-05:00

beautiful album art.

Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.

2009-04-01T13:01:00.002-05:00

Nickel Creek guitarist Sean Watkins wrote this in his online journal back in '05.

I’m so sick of sugar-coated songs from the Christian perspective. One of the most comforting and inspiring lines to me is from the last chorus of ‘Come Thou Fount’ where it says, ‘Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.’ Not many un-watered-down songs make it through the filter of the Christian music industry mafia these days.

	Sufjan Stevens - Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

	Found at skreemr.com

Springtime

2009-03-31T16:37:00.005-05:00

We were cute.
Thanks to Mama for dressing us pretty.
Oh, I loved those puffed sleeves.

2009-02-25T15:52:00.004-06:00

Hello my family. I would like to inform you that from hence onward, my name on this our blog is Gwendolyn. However, lest you become sad at losing the familier multifarious, I assure you that that is still my name: Multifarious Gwendolyn - the first name is used somewhat like an adjective. But now I prefer Gwendolyn. Thank you.

Today I am cold. My fingers are cold, my toes are cold, my nose is cold, and even my hair is cold. I miss you all.

I hereby wish The Littlest One in the Whole Family a very happy 10th birthday. May you live long and prosper.

i thank you God for most this amazing day

2008-09-29T12:09:00.000-05:00

http://www.last.fm/music/Eric+Whitacre/+videos/+1-5U7i99AfBik

I never thought I'd say that...

2008-08-25T20:00:00.002-05:00

I was just griping to someone about schoolwork and he said "Well, I'm sure every kid feels this way about school. Except nerds. Somehow, they never seem to be overwhelmed." To which I replied, "Lucky nerds."

2008-06-06T19:37:00.003-05:00

Do dolls freak you out? They freak me out. When I was little, there were only two dolls that I could tolerate. One was a smallish, very thin and spinsterly looking Raggedy Ann. She had a little, white bunny rabbit doll to go with her and I loved her. The other one that I liked was named Emily and she had huge blonde hair, blue eyes, and the prettiest pink dress I had ever seen. However, all of our other dolls totally scared me. The ratted hair, the rolling eyes (or lack thereof), and the scary hands haunted my dreams...well, maybe not. But they scared me. I remember one time when I was about 6, Molly had put all of their dolls under my trundle bed. That night, of course, I really, really, really needed to go use the bathroom, but the thought of putting my feet down on the floor where the dolls could reach them totally scared the peewaddin out of me. I found a way past this major problem, however. I stood on my bed, leapt off, hit the ground running and sped towards the bathroom, proving that fear can help a 6 year old make Jesse Ownes look like Freddie the Sloth.

Of course, if I had thought about it hard enough, I would have realized that the wolf that lived under my bed had probably eaten the dolls all up.

and I quote...

2008-04-21T17:16:00.009-05:00

~monolog

Here are a few great quotes and things that I've randomly come across lately.

If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten.
Tony Robbins.

An adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered.
C. S. Lewis.

A girl of sixteen deserves no credit for her looks. Beauty at sixty is her souls doing.
Anonymous.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.
Tim Keller.

idiot n. A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling.

The Devil's Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce.

beauty n. An aesthetic radiance that delights the soul; a quality much admired in women, landscapes and tropical fish, but curiously out of favor in art throughout the modern era.

cat n. A soft, indestructible automaton provided by nature to be kicked when things go wrong in the domestic circle.

egotist, n. A person of low taste, more interested in himself than in me.
The Cynic's Dictionary, by Rick Bayan.

Whoso neglects learning in his youth, loses the past and is dead for the future.
Euripides (c. 480–406 BC).

In Ages of Faith, the final aim of life is placed beyond life.
Alexis de Tocqueville.

But what if man had eyes to see the true beauty--the divine beauty, I mean, pure and dear and unalloyed, not clogged with the pollutions of mortality and all the colours and vanities of human life--thither looking, and holding converse with the true beauty simple and divine?
Plato's Symposium.

2008-03-27T12:55:00.002-05:00


A mighty fortress is our God, 
a bulwark never failing;  
Our helper He amid the flood 
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe 
doth seek to work us woe; 
his craft and power are great,  
and armed with cruel hate,  
on earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabbath is his name,
from age to age the same,
and He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours,
thru Him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still;
His kingdom is forever.

~Martin Luther

enlightening conversation for all you hot dog lovers out there...

2008-02-25T21:53:00.002-06:00

and hot dog haters, i guess.

2008-02-14T14:10:00.002-06:00

hug.
kiss.
love.

(yes. the heart balloon is flying towards the little girl. NOT away.)

Charlie bit my finger....again!

2008-02-04T17:23:00.000-06:00

2008-01-28T16:41:00.000-06:00

Chuck Norris is #1.
Chuck Norris is also #2.

phobias: we all got 'em...some more than others

2008-01-23T20:55:00.000-06:00

Some of these are state-the-obvious-ish fears like the fear of atomic explosions; some of them make you wonder if there are people that actually have them. These are just a few that I thought...humorous (or profound).

Chickens- Alektorophobia
Beards- Pogonophobia
Chopsticks- Consecotaleophobia
Atomic Explosions- Atomosophobia
Bald people- Peladophobia
Beautiful women- Caligynephobia
Peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth- Arachibutyrophobia
Sermons- Homilophobia
Clowns- Coulrophobia
Bolsheviks- Bolshephobia
Everything- Panophobia, Panphobia, Pamphobia, or Pantophobia
Garlic- Alliumphobia
Being tickled by feathers- Pteronophobia
Old people- Gerontophobia
Words, long- Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
Pope, the- Papaphobia
Thinking- Phronemophobia

we can't escape the realization of the fall

2008-01-14T22:43:00.000-06:00

This is an excerpt from one of the Worldview Academy podcasts with Bill Jack and Jeff Baldwin. Bill Jack:

I recently took Ruby Nell, my ten year old, down to the local Castlerock, Colorado confectionaire, and we got some ice cream. So, we’re sitting there and we made our choices from all these delicious and delightfully named selections. Ya’ know, they had Purple Hazelnut, they had Pistachio, they had Strawberry Peanut Butter, Raspberry Sorbet...they had one—this really rich concoction, you could just look at it and gain weight, ya’ know—it was called Death by Chocolate. So we were sitting there, enjoying our little taste treat, and there was another family, and they came up and they made their choices. And in response, the server acknowledged one of their decisions by saying this: “Is that one scoop of Death?” And here’s the thing that struck me about that: even in that pleasant, respite—on a warm autumn afternoon where the sun is filtering through the window and I’m sitting there with my daughter... I can’t escape the realization of the fall.

And what was amazing was that “death” was a word that was new to Adam and Eve. Even in their expansive vocabulary. After all, Adam named all the animals. He had an expansive vocabulary, but he did not know the word “death”. But it’s so common to us that we make it a delight to our palate. Our culture feeds us death one scoop at a time.

2008-01-07T19:40:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Ellie!

16 years old

We love you old thing.

2007-12-29T22:15:00.000-06:00

...having survived his battle with the fearsome Balrog and been made even more powerful by his trial.

more George-isms

2007-12-28T23:33:00.000-06:00

16th Do not Puff up the Cheeks, Loll not out the tongue rub the Hands, or beard, thrust out the lips, or bite them or keep the Lips too open or too Close.
(pretty self-explanatory)

17th Be no Flatterer, neither Play with any that delights not to be Play'd Withal.
(don't flatter, and don't tease people who don't like to be teased)

18th Read no Letters, Books, or Papers in Company but when there is a Necessity for the doing of it you must ask leave: come not near the Books or Writings of Another so as to read them unless desired or give your opinion of them unask'd also look not nigh when another is writing a Letter.
(don't bury yourself in a book when others are around; don't look over somebody's shoulder)

19th let your Countenance be pleasant but in Serious Matters Somewhat grave.
(keep a nice expression but be serious when it's appropriate)

20th The Gestures of the Body must be Suited to the discourse you are upon.
(keep your hand motions etc. appropriate to what you're talking about)

21st: Reproach none for the Infirmaties of Nature, nor Delight to Put them that have in mind thereof.
(don't make fun of people who can't help the way they are)

22d Shew not yourself glad at the Misfortune of another though he were your enemy.
(be a good sport, even with people you don't like)

23d When you see a Crime punished, you may be inwardly Pleased; but always shew Pity to the Suffering Offender.
(it's ok to feel that justice has been done, but be sensitive to the punished one)

24th Do not laugh too loud or too much at any Publick Spectacle.

25th Superfluous Complements and all Affectation of Ceremonie are to be avoided, yet where due they are not to be Neglected.
(don't be all gushy, but give a compliment when it's deserved)

To all you people who have been at our house within the last year....

2007-12-24T20:29:00.000-06:00

They're gone!!!!

things I'm looking forward to

2007-12-15T15:05:00.000-06:00

~monolog

As this year comes to a close, there appear in my mind a few things that have not yet come to pass which I would like to share with you. Some are close at hand, some are quite distant, yet they all have one thing in common: They are all eagerly awaited by myself.

I'm looking forward to...

blogging more
I do intend to start trying a little harder in the Blog arena. It is healthy, you know.

having my sisters at home for a little while

getting another iPod at some point in the future
When Steve was stolen at the beginning of the semester, I was crushed. But I recovered quickly, and now once again enjoy the pleasure of not feeling the need to "phone up" every time I'm...doing...something......all the time, basically. But the joys that Steve did bring are ever filling up my memory space. I miss that little guy. All 2GBs of him.

going in January and again in February to the Sacred Harp singing held in Oxford, MS

Punch
Highly acclaimed mandolin virtuoso and musical master Chris Thile has formed a new acoustic band, Punch Brothers. Their debut album from Nonesuch Records, Punch, is slated to be released February 26, 2008 (at the release of their previous album, How To Grow A Woman From The Ground, they were ticketed as the How To Grow A Band). It's gonna be groundbreaking.

Grace Chapel's December meeting

reading Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis
It's fiction, and it's by C. S. Lewis. Apparently, it's a "must".

finishing some of my music
I'm becoming more and more aware that you sort of have to put some gritty work into a song or a piece of music. You can't just scribble a little bit whenever the Muse comes along. Sometimes she's pretty shy. Especially during the school year.

Through the Window of a Train
The underrated bluegrass group Blue Highway will release their 8th record also in February. All 12 tracks on the record were written or co-written by the members, so it's completely fresh work. Their last album, Marbletown, which was nominated in 2006 for the IBMA's Best Album award, was super good. But this upcoming record is thought by the band to be their strongest yet!

voting!

track next semester
I've really enjoyed running cross country this year. It's been extremely beneficial. I once wrote down 10 pros to running in a little notebook, but I lost it, so, I'll try to remember as many as I can.

Physical strength
Concentration and focus
Bonding with fellow runners
Healthy use of energy
Physical coordination
Self control

getting to Romans

diminishing the contents of the bin of sentimental junk under my bed
Slowly, but surely, I'll get it down to the bare essentials. I'm not the sort of person that takes his box of Stuff down the driveway to the trash barrel in a moment of truth-and-revelation and dumps it in without looking. No, I get rid of it bit by bit as my attachment to it slowly peels away so as to make it not hurt. Like a band aid on your arm hairs.

In which I fly

2007-12-06T16:56:00.001-06:00

I am going to fly for the very first time on Tuesday. Or, rather, on Tuesday I am going to fly for the very first time. I look forward to this experience with no trepidation. Some I have talked to have described flying as something that one should look at as a Pekingese dog would look at a vet when going to have its monthly shot. But I am very excited about trying my wings and am looking forward to a rough take-off. I like excitement of that kind, you see.
However, never having done anything like this before, I was hoping that you could give me some advice about what to take/do on the trip over. I think it will be only an hour flight, nevertheless, I want to have all the experiences of flying that I can in that flight. Oh! And I will have the flight back in which to revel. Yay! I'll be going with Dan, so he can show me what to do, but I'd still like some input from our loving blog followers...if we have any left, that is. :-)

Note: This post is dedicated, with fondest love, to Rebekah.

For a certain Rebekah Ceridwen

2007-12-06T16:52:00.000-06:00

Post.
There. I posted.
No really... an interesting post is coming up. One that can be waited for with bated breath.

Thoughts on our Refrigerator

2007-08-21T17:54:00.000-05:00

Magnetic Poetry is a wondrous thing.

chocolate
love
prince

wish
spring

friends
too

fun
summer

you
laugh

boys
band

fall
rain

dance
silly

family
smile

happy
way

winter
play

cheese
princess

little
giggle

cute
life

(While this may not be a Glorious Waterfall, it is somewhat more interesting than Stagnant Mode.)

2007-08-02T12:19:00.000-05:00

we have now downgraded to stagnant mode.

Wilson vs. Hitchens

2007-05-11T21:47:00.000-05:00

Fairly New: Two well-known intellectuals do battle in a well-written theological debate hosted by Christianity Today. It may sound boring, but it's actually pretty easy reading—readable but substantive, witty but serious.

Source

Make that a combo.

2007-05-01T20:13:00.000-05:00

What Davis is having for supper:

spicy fish.
a tortilla.
chocolate milk.

2007-04-26T00:08:00.000-05:00

amazon.com

Nickel Creek

2007-04-18T12:11:00.001-05:00

Nickel Creek
Sean Watkins
Chris Thile
Daniel Gooch
Lisa Ault

Yesterday Molly and I went with two of our friends from choir, Daniel and Lisa, to see Nickel Creek at Mississippi College in Clinton, MS. We left at 3pm to drive 3 1/2 hours one way and didn't get back till 2am, but it was well worth the trip!
Nickel Creek was of course, as Daniel put it, ridiculously incredible. This is their "Farewell For Now Tour" because they are breaking up the band after this, but plan to reunite in a few years.
They played all the old favorites, opening with The Fox, and closing with The Lighthouse, and also some new ones. They have grown up but still connect with the audience in an incredible way. During the third number the audience on the ground floor rushed the stage; we stood about 4 feet from the stage for most of it...you couldn't stay seated for anything - the music was too intense. It was so incredible to be so close to them while they played. Seeing their faces added a whole new dimension to the performance. I wished for all of you who love Nickel Creek to be there with me.
All four of us bought t-shirts that are very cool. We would have stayed till they came out to their van but it was Tuesday night and we had a long way back.
We realized half way there that none of us had brought a camera, which was really aggravating; but we did use our camera phones, so these pictures are really little. Daniel and Lisa look a little crazy...but they are really nice!
Great, great experience that can't really be described with words. You know.

Coming to Bookstores Soon

2007-04-13T22:04:00.000-05:00

Might I direct your attention to a post by Dr. George Grant...

Read with a southern accent, very fast.

2007-03-29T21:05:00.000-05:00

"I was getting along fine with Mama, Papa-Daddy and Uncle Rondo until my sister Stella-Rondo just separated from her husband and came back home again. Mr. Whitaker!"
-Why I Live at the P.O.

Have you ever heard Eudora Welty read any of her work? You should. It's great! We have this wonderful tape of her reading some of her stories and this is one of our favorite passeges to quote 'cause it's so hilarious the way she says "Mr. Whitaker!" at the end.

I don't know. You just have to hear it.

"How come nobody has ever written an action story about penguins?" - Julia

2007-03-29T20:57:00.000-05:00

weren't she the cutest thing?
.

BOO!

2007-03-22T13:00:00.000-05:00

did i scare you?

Argh!

2007-02-28T21:35:00.000-06:00

caption, please.

fill in the blanks

2007-02-28T11:45:00.000-06:00

"I'm having _______ soup with ____!"

-- ____ ______

Who said...?

2007-02-28T11:42:00.000-06:00

"Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger..."

Happy Birthday to Mr. Incredulous!

2007-02-23T05:33:00.000-06:00

Shafer is Eight today!

Happy Birthday, Small Wonder.

Shafe the Waif

A face only a mother could love...

We're late! We're late! for a very important date!

2007-02-22T15:53:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday to the best Papa in the whole wide world!

We love you. More than you can possibly know.

does anyone happen to know where the post title comes from?

for RoBear

2007-02-14T03:34:00.001-06:00

"What I do and what I dream include thee,
as the wine must taste of its own grapes..."
~E.B.Browning

EBB: Sonnett XXIX I think of thee!

2007-02-14T03:18:00.000-06:00

I had decided I'd post a love poem every day, but hadn't chosen them yet, when I saw that Beatrice posted one of EBB's lovely sonnets. Ah, yes! You just can't get any better than those sonnets...so here's a favorite of mine. btw, someone had a thread going on 'long distance relationships,' and I don't know how that dialogue ended, but if you want to know how the Browning's relationship was affected by long distance, just read Sonnets from the Portugese. They'll knock your socks off. (My Little Portugese was Robert's nickname for Elizabeth. The sonnets are not written in a foreign language. ;-)

I think of thee!--my thoughts do twine and bud
About thee, as wild vines, about a tree,
Put out broad leaves, and soon there's nought to see
Except the straggling green which hides the wood.
Yet, O my palm-tree, be it understood
I will not have my thoughts instead of thee
Who art dearer, better! Rather, instantly
Renew thy presence; as a strong tree should,
Rustle thy boughs and set thy trunk all bare,
And let these bands of greenery which insphere thee,
Drop heavily down,--burst, shattered everywhere!
Because, in this deep joy to see and hear thee
And breathe within thy shadow a new air,
I do not think of thee--I am too near thee.

~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

(belated) Poem Sunday: Yeats

2007-02-12T23:42:00.000-06:00

He wishes for the cloths of heaven

Had I the heavens embroidered cloths
Enwrought with golden and silver light
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light;
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams.

~William Butler Yeats

...Be Mine...

2007-02-12T17:10:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Week!

Me and LG

2007-02-07T21:14:00.000-06:00

This is me with my tortoise, LG. I found him at Grama'nGrandpa's, and grandpa carved my initials in his shell so that people would know it was mine.

(click to enlarge)

Poem Sunday: Stevenson

2007-02-05T01:21:00.000-06:00

The Celestial Surgeon

If I have faltered more or less
In my great task of happiness;
If I have moved among my race
And shown no glorious morning face;

If beams from happy human eyes
Have moved me not; if morning skies,
Books, and my food, and summer rain
Knocked on my sullen heart in vain:

--Lord, thy most pointed pleasure take
And stab my spirit broad awake;
Or, Lord, if too obdurate I,
Choose thou, before that spirit die
A piercing pain, a killing sin,
And to my dead heart run them in.

~ Robert Louis Stevenson

i call it ---

2007-02-02T20:44:00.000-06:00

regatta by e

by egreen

Mark Twain on Domestic Strife and Politics

2007-02-01T22:56:00.000-06:00

I thoroughly disapprove of duels. I consider them unwise and I know they are dangerous. Also, sinful. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet retired spot and kill him.
- Autobiography of Mark Twain

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
- Mark Twain, a Biography

~hat tip to ro-bear

everywhere.

2007-02-01T20:35:00.000-06:00

snow is falling.

Winter Comforts

2007-01-29T13:11:00.000-06:00

The Badger's winter stores, which indeed were visible everywhere, took up half the room---piles of apples, turnips, and potatoes, baskets full of nuts, and jars of honey; but the two little white beds on the remainder of the floor looked soft and inviting, and the linen on them, though coarse, was clean and smelt beautifully of lavender; and the Mole and the Water Rat, shaking off their garments in some thirty seconds, tumbled in between the sheets in great joy and contentment.

from Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Graham

Poem Sunday: Sir Walter Raleigh 1552-1618

2007-01-28T20:34:00.000-06:00

from The Pilgrimage

Give me my scallop
shell of quiet,
My staff of faith to walk upon,
My scrip of joy,
immortal diet,
My bottle of salvation:
My gown of glory, hope's true
gauge,
And thus I'll take my pilgrimage.

'I love you like eskimos love furry hoodies'

2007-01-23T22:47:00.000-06:00

speaking of furry hoodies, i got a furry hooded coat/jacket. it is pretty much the sweetest thing since sliced bread. it is army green with sweet pocket detail on the arm and lined with real synthetic rabbit fur! then it has got this wicked awesome trim around the hood and when you put it up, you look like one of those eskimos with awesome fashion skills. ever since i got it i've been wearing it around the house enjoying the soft warmth of it and the way i feel so secure in it. i don't know what i'll do when i grow out of it, or when the big poofiness of it goes out of style. actually, i do know what i'll do: i'll wear it anyway. who cares about style when you feel so wonderful?

thank you, mama and old navy.

In case you need something to think about...

2007-01-23T12:03:00.000-06:00

"An onion can make people cry but there's never been a vegetable that can make people laugh."

Eudora Welty on the 'word'

2007-01-22T14:23:00.000-06:00

One of the most amazing paragraphs I have ever read:

"In my sensory education I include my physical awareness of the word. Of a certain word, that is; the connection it has with what it stands for. At around age six, perhaps, I was standing by myself in our front yard waiting for supper, just at that hour in a late summer day when the sun is already below the horizon and the risen full moon in the visible sky stops being chalky and begins to take on light. There comes the moment, and I saw it then, when the moon goes from flat to round. For the first time it met my eyes as a globe. The word 'moon' came into my mouth as though fed to me out of a silver spoon. Held in my mouth the moon became a word. It had the roundness of a Concord grape Grandpa took off his vine and gave me to suck out of its skin and swallow whole, in Ohio."

Eudora Welty, One Writer's Beginnings
~hat tip to MJ Tate

Poem Sunday: Herbert

2007-01-21T16:37:00.000-06:00

Redemption
Having been tenant long to a rich lord,
Not thriving, I resolved to be bold,
And make a suit unto him, to afford
A new small-rented lease, and cancel th' old.

In heaven at his manor I him sought:
They told me there that he was lately gone
About some land which he had dearly bought
Long since on earth, to take possession.

I straight returned, and knowing his great birth,
Sought him accordingly in great resorts--
In cities, theaters, gardens, parks, and courts:
At length I heard a ragged noise and mirth

Of thieves and murderers; there I him espied,
Who straight, "Your suit is granted," said, and died.

--George Herbert
(1593-1633)

more George-isms

2007-01-20T20:38:00.000-06:00

6th Sleep not when others Speak, Sit not when others stand, Speak not when you Should hold your Peace, walk not on when others Stop.

7th Put not off your Cloths in the presence of Others, nor go out your Chamber half Drest.

8th At Play and at Fire its Good manners to Give Place to the last Commer, and affect not to Speak Louder than Ordinary.
(if someone comes to join your game or group around the fire, give your place to him)

9th Spit not in the Fire, nor Stoop low before it neither Put your Hands into the Flames to warm them, nor Set your Feet upon the Fire especially if there be meat before it.

10th When you Sit down, Keep your Feet firm and Even, without putting one on the other or Crossing them.
(keep your feet flat on the floor)

11th Shift not yourself in the Sight of others nor Gnaw your nails.
(don't wiggle around when you are with company, and don't bite your nails)

12th Shake not the head, Feet, or Legs rowl not the Eys lift not one eyebrow higher than the other wry not the mouth, and bedew no mans face with your Spittle, by approaching too near him when you Speak.
(don't be obnoxious)

13th Kill no Vermin as Fleas, lice ticks &c in the Sight of Others, if you See any filth or thick Spittle put your foot Dexteriously upon it if it be upon the Cloths of your Companions, Put it off privately, and if it be upon your own Cloths return Thanks to him who puts it off.
(don't squish bugs with other people around (unless you're showing off for a girl), and if there's gunk on a friend's clothes, take him aside and get it off)

14th Turn not your Back to others especially in Speaking, Jog not the Table or Desk on which Another reads or writes, lean not upon any one.
(don't turn your back to someone talking to you, don't bump a table when someone is using it, and don't lean on people)

15th Keep your Nails clean and Short, also your Hands and Teeth Clean yet without Shewing any great Concern for them.
(keep them kempt, but don't be vain about them)

George Washington's 110 Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior

2007-01-16T20:30:00.000-06:00

~monolog

We've got a little white book called George-isms. I'm going to put the essence of the introduction to the book here...

When he was a boy, George Washington was given by a teacher (possibly his father) a list of one-hundred-ten rules for living. George had great ambitions as a boy, and he knew that these rules would be invaluable to him. He wrote out the rules in his own handwriting and kept them with him all his life, trying his best to follow them. His intelligence, leadership and vision were not the only things that were part of his success but his gentility and courtesy as well. They took him from the farmlands of Virginia to the battle-fields of the Revolution and eventually, to the first presidency of the United States (under the Constitution; there were multiple presidents before him under the Articles of Confederation but that is neither to the point nor of considerable importance). He knew how to talk to heads of state and common soldiers; he knew how to behave in royal courts and local taverns. The 110 Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior is a standard we would all do well to imitate.

Here and there I will post a few "George-isms" in the original spelling, sometimes giving a paraphrase so one won't be obliged to sit and puzzle out the meaning if one is already late for one's bath...

1st Every Action done in Company, ought to be with Some Sign of Respect, to those that are Present.

2d [sic] When in Company, put not your Hands to any Part of the Body, not usualy Discovered.
(don't figet or scratch unseemly parts of the body in the presence of others)

3d Shew Nothing to your Freind that may affright him.

4th In the Presence of Others Sing not to yourself with a humming Noise, nor Drum with your Fingers or Feet.

5th If You Cough, Sneeze, Sigh, or Yawn, do it not Loud but Privately; and Speak not in your Yawning, but put Your handkercheif or Hand before your face and turn aside.
(I recommend it being your handkerchief )

2007-01-09T19:15:00.001-06:00

Today I shot an airbourne moth with a rubberband.

monolog
don't pay attention to this part.

Happy Birthday ~e ! You sweet thang, you!

2007-01-07T19:03:00.001-06:00

15. Yep Fifteen! Hard to believe, isn't it. Why, only yesterday...blah, blah, blah...
You know we love you, ~e --- our SweetBabyGirl. May sound cliche', but you really do fill our lives with music. In so many ways. ~Love, Muth

Poem Sunday: Cowper

2007-01-07T18:49:00.000-06:00

When in the slippery paths of youth
With heedless steps I ran,
Thine arm unseen conveyed me safe,
And led me up to man.

Through hidden dangers, toils, and deaths,
It gently cleared my way;
And through the pleasing snares of vice,
More to be feared than they.

O how shall words with equal warmth
The gratitude declare,
That glows within my ravished heart?
But thou canst read it there.

Thy bounteous hand with worldly bliss
Hath made my cup run o'er;
And, in a kind and faithful Friend,
Hath doubled all my store.

Ten thousand thousand precious gifts
My daily thanks employ;
Nor is the least a cheerful heart
That tastes those gifts with joy.

On Second Thought...

2007-01-02T03:36:00.000-06:00

...this poem is worth seeing in its entirety:

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

~Alfred Lord Tennyson

Happy New Year! : Tennyson

2006-12-31T17:53:00.001-06:00

Ring out the old;
Ring in the new!
Ring happy bells across the snow.

The year is going;
Let him go!
Ring out the false; ring in the true.

~Alfred Lord Tennyson

Now Stir the Fire ~ Wm. Cowper

2006-12-28T16:46:00.000-06:00

~rachel tsunami

One of my favorite things about the holidays is the company that comes and stays, or drops by for a visit, letting us draw them in to the warm embrace of our home, sharing their joy and laughter, reveling in old memories, making new ones...

We just bid goodbye to the Bruces who arrived almost 24 hours ago. (We spent more of those hours fellowshipping than not. Nome Sane?) In a little while, we'll get to hug the necks of Lauren (Bradley)Wallis and Lacey Madden who will drop by to visit awhile, and this evening we'll light a few candles and heat up the tortilla soup to welcome the three Shafer boys from Stephenville, TX: Raz, Kris, and Jacob, and Evan Ritchie who is traveling with them. Word has reached me that they're bringing several of their 'strings' so I expect Robert and Logan will follow suit and we'll have some jammin' goin' on tonight. They'll backtrack a bit to Memphis for the New Year meeting which starts tomorrow.

What delight! Food, fire, music, laughter, singing, (and probably more food...)

Now stir the fire,
and close the shutters fast,
Let fall the curtains,
wheel the sofa round;
And while the bubbling
and loud hissing urn
Throws up a steamy column,
and the cups,
That cheer but not inebriate,
wait on each,
So let us welcome peaceful evening in.

~William Cowper

from ~ A Child's Christmas in Wales

2006-12-25T19:51:00.000-06:00

We just listened to a recording of Dylan Thomas reading his classic Christmas prose on Christmas day --- a tradition we began a couple years ago. If you've never heard it, or read it, give yourself a treat. It is rich with luscious literary device and visual language so vivid the images leap off the page.

One Christmas was so much like another, in those years around the sea-town corner now and out of all sound except the distant speaking of the voices I sometimes hear a moment before sleep, that I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights when I was twelve or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six...
~Dylan Thomas

Merry, Blessed, Happy Christmas Day ~ from the Greens

2006-12-25T17:55:00.000-06:00

Sunday: Pink and Winfrey

2006-12-25T17:05:00.000-06:00

They only, who are trusting in His death for their salvation, can truly appreciate and celebrate his birth.
~A.W. Pink

The God that filled the universe suddenly confined to womb! The creator
made of a woman! Immutable God undergoing mitosis! (The spiritual, unchangeable,
indivisible God was growing by the process of natural cell division.) When God
was a man Omnipresence walked! (Think about it. God had always been everywhere.
Now he walked to get there!) Omniscience learned! Limitless strength grew weary!
Eternal peace was troubled! His hands held the world, yet he had no where to lay
his head! The feeder of the birds hungered! The Living Water thirsted! God ---
asleep on a pillow! The Almighty said, "If it be possible." The All-Wise asked,
"Why?" A man-made nail held the hand that none could stay! Sovereignty sighed!
Omnipotence cried! Eternity died?!? Oh, how amazing our God is!

~Elder Jeff Winfrey

Christmas Acrostic

2006-12-24T16:36:00.000-06:00

C - carols
H - hot chocolate
R - reading Christmas stories
I - interesting looking packages
S - smells of food and candy
T - tinsel
M - music
A - angels, aardvarks (Christmas aardvarks, that is)
S - singing

(do you have anything to add?)

'Tis the season

2006-12-24T16:17:00.000-06:00

****

-to laugh
-to sing carols

-to hunt for mistletoe
-to yell "Merry Christmas"
-to recieve Christmas pictures
-to send Christmas pictures out

-to feel the warmth of the woodstove
-to wrap presents in the dead of night
-to bounce up and down in excitement

-to watch a family traditional Christmas movie

-to enjoy the whole family being together at once

-to whip things into hiding if a certain person comes in
-to spend all day in the kitchen cooking delicious goodies
-to snuggle in the warm blankets with a cold nose poking out

-to gather around the fire and play a word game, enjoying each other

-to sit with a cup of hot tea (or hot chocolate, whichever you prefer) and think

****

'Tis the season to be jolly!

(what does this season mean for you?)

Poem Sunday - Stevenson

2006-12-17T20:58:00.000-06:00

Prayer

I ask good things that I detest,
With speeches fair;
Heed not, I pray Thee, Lord, my breast,
But hear my prayer.

I say ill things I would not say-
Things unaware:
Regard my breast, Lord, in Thy day,
And not my prayer.

My heart is evil in Thy sight:
My good thoughts flee:
O Lord, I cannot wish aright -
Wish Thou for me.

O bend my words and acts to Thee,
However ill,
That I, whate'er I say or be,
May serve Thee still.

O let my thoughts abide in Thee
Lest I should fall:
Show me Thyself in all I see,
Thou Lord of all.

--Robert Louis Stevenson

Poem Sunday: Herbert

2006-12-10T18:15:00.000-06:00

Teach me, my God and King,
In all things Thee to see,
And what I do in anything,
To do it as for Thee.

A man that looks on glass,
On it may stay his eye,
Or, if he pleaseth, through it pass,
And then the heav'n espy.

All may of Thee partake:
Nothing can be so mean
Which with this motive, "For Thy sake,"
Will not grow bright and clean.

This is the famous stone
That turneth all to gold;
For that which God doth touch and own
Cannot for less be told.

George Herbert (1593-1633)

(Anybody recognize the sunset?)

There's no such thing as too many...

2006-12-04T19:13:00.000-06:00

1. books

2. black shoes

3. teapots

4. love letters

5. years with my sweetheart

6.

Okay, I'll leave some for the rest of you.

Hmmm... Blogger's nightmare: Has someone done this already and I've forgotten about it and will appear to be pretending to be original?

Poem Sunday: Longfellow

2006-12-02T22:58:00.000-06:00

Loss and Gain

When I compare
What I have lost with what I have gained,
What I have missed with what attained,
Little room do I find for pride.

I am aware
How many days have been idly spent;
How like an arrow the good intent
Has fallen or been turned aside.

But who shall dare
To measure gain and loss in this wise?
Defeat may be victory in disguise;
The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide.

--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Not original with me. The idea of Poem Sunday came from a friend. (Thanks, A.W.) But it's a good thing. Hope it will help me revisit some favorites.

I can explain

2006-12-02T22:23:00.000-06:00

blogger's ennui

2006-11-20T22:37:00.000-06:00

A.B. Simpson, quoted by Andree Seu in World:

God is represented as treasuring the prayers of his saints in vials.... They are placed like fragrant flowers in the chambers of the king.... And later they are represented as poured out upon the earth; and lo, there are voices, and thunderings, and great providential movements, fulfulling God's purposes for His kingdom. We are called 'The Lord's Remembrances.' And we are commanded to give Him no rest, day or night, but to crowd the heavens with our petitions.
And in due time the answer will come with its accumulated blessings. No breath of prayer is lost. The longer it waits, the larger it becomes.

(Hat tip to our friends at Wittingshire)

Don't Miss This!

2006-11-17T22:40:00.000-06:00

rachel tsunami

I stumbled onto this quite unexpectedly last night, and I'm really excited about it:

The History Channel will air, this Sunday night at 8pm (probably Central), a 3 hour dramatized documentary called Dangerous Crossing: The Untold Story of the Mayflower.

Go to www.mayflowerhistory.com and follow the link to read Caleb Johnson's lengthy and thorough review of the full documentary. Caleb Johnson is apparently the foremost authority on all things Mayflower, and he is very impressed with the accuracy of the production.

This site will offer a link to the History Channel website, where you can play an interactive game about the Mayflower to earn the privilege of seeing the first 10 minutes of the show. Pretty cool. I had to do it twice to pass the test!

Sounds like it would really be worth recording. We don't get network or cable tv, just have the screen, so we can't do it, but somebody really should.

Also, would somebody tell me how to hide a link in plain ol' words you can click on without typing all the www.stuff?

ouch!

2006-11-16T20:44:00.000-06:00

I cut my finger

Fill in the blank -

2006-11-16T16:45:00.000-06:00

~e

it's raining...

and i'm feeling _______

blue.

Pied Beauty

2006-11-14T23:54:00.000-06:00

rachel tsunami

Warming fires are in the woodstoves daily as well as nightly now, and our small, annual harvest of chestnuts is in. Kathryn has already made her first round of Chestnut Bisque. The view from my kitchen window is a gloriously textured carpet of leaves under the huge, old pecan tree. Puts me in mind of this poem. We've had the most colorful autumn in north Miss'sippi that we can remember. The pied beauty of the season just seems to go on and on. Must share this loved poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins, which marvels at the incomparable variety and diversity in God's creative palette. Hopkin's injunction to us is well-taken. "Praise Him."

GLORY be to God for dappled things—
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough;
And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.

Gerard Manley Hopkins 1844-89

pied: having patches of two or more colors
brinded: streaked, or patchy coloring
stippled: dotted, flecked, speckled

More than self

2006-11-11T00:15:00.000-06:00

O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness And every gain divine!
verse 3, America the Beautiful by Katherine Lee Bates

Lest We Forget

2006-11-10T16:43:00.000-06:00

rachel tsunami

November 11 is Veteran's Day. It is duly noted, along with all the other holidays of the year, in pale grey letters on my calendar---it's easy to miss, and even easier since there are no presents involved. No traditional meal to prepare. No greeting cards to mail with the sheepish inscription, "Hey! I know this is late, but..."

But I never rest well when I sail past Veteran's Day without proper regard for it. It just doesn't set well. There's something that niggles at my brain, my emotions. And I have my brother, Keifor, to thank for that.

Several years ago he decided to make a difference in the lives of his 4 sons (pre-Davis, as I recall) with regard to Veteran's Day. I saw a picture later that my mother took of them all standing near the flag on their front porch that day, with Keifor reading something to the boys. It was the text of a verse from America, The Beautiful , and he had prepared a graphic of those words superimposed against an image of the flag. Several days before, he had mailed copies of that, bearing a personal note, to each name on a list of men, family members and friends, who are counted in that (more-often-than-not) forgotten group---our Veterans. I could only imagine what it must have meant to them.

I resolved then that if we do not teach our children to remember, no one else will. Keifor was, and still is, a busy man. He could have done even less to commemorate that day and still have made a lasting impression on the men. On the boys. The important thing was that he didn't let the day go by without remembering---and teaching his sons to remember.

In the years following his good example, I have tried to "go thou and do likewise." One year I wrote a letter expressing our gratefulness, and sent a copy to every veteran we personally know, from WW2 through Vietnam, on behalf of our family. Another year, our whole family assembled and sang verses one and three of America, the Beautiful to every veteran we could reach by phone.

Last year, I was teaching at our homeschool co-op on Veteran's Day. I couldn't do something big last year, but I rehearsed my class of 3rd-6th graders, and we placed a cell phone call to my Uncle Harry, veteran of World War 2, a naval hero who served on the submarine USS Haddo. After a spritely, but slightly comical solo of Anchors Aweigh by yours truly, the class sang America, the Beautiful to Uncle Harry. I told him, in front of the children, that I had spent Geography class telling them his story. I told him that I want them to know, and I want them not to forget. I told him of the impact his life has had on my thinking, and on my choices, all my life, and that I would be forever grateful that he never ran; that he was willing to put himself on the line for us. I told him that he was one of my main heroes. It was one of the too few times in my life I have followed through on a good intention. It was a very special moment for both of us.

Exactly two weeks later, unexpectedly, Uncle Harry's earthly warfare ended. He gave a final salute to his family who had gathered around a hospital bed, and closed his eyes in death. When I got the news, I realized I'd been given a special and final opportunity to say thank you, and this time I hadn't dropped the ball.

I know this is a long post, and someone else's personal remembrances aren't always high on the list of interesting reading, but if anyone has stuck with me this far, please understand two things: I don't credit myself with these performances of gratitude. I credit my brother, Keifor.

Is there someone you know who has served? Something you can do to bless someone else who has made sacrifices in the past for you? Our children aren't born knowing or caring about this heritage, but they will be richer human beings if we will teach them to honor and show appreciation for what others have contributed to their lives. Consider this challenge: Do something. Even something that may seem small to you. If it is from your heart, I promise you it will swell the heart of a veteran.

And secondly, the real point of my message is this: May God have mercy on us if we do not remember to show gratitude. Yes, our lives should be permeated with it. But on Veteran's Day, please remember especially the courage and the sacrifice of those who have done---and are even now doing---their duty. On our behalf. To forget is to gradually be eaten alive with selfishness.

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget --- lest we forget!
~ Rudyard Kipling

he's on a roll...

2006-11-07T06:23:00.000-06:00

by rachel tsunami

Because of our family's strong ties to Harmony Hill Singing School, the question has come up through the years with almost predictable regularity. As our children and their cousins, the Beauch Boys, have grown from toddlerhood into their cognitive years, there have been the inevitable questions about those ties. And the conversations have often include the dawning of the idea of geneology in their fertile minds.

Just how is it that we are so connected with that place and the events that take place there? Who owns it? Where does the buck stop? Just who was Roy T. Denman? Today it was time for another round of all that, and I joined mr. incredulous just as ham 'n cheese was struggling to explain:

ham 'n cheese: Mama, can you explain to Shafer about Harmony Hill?

me: Sure. It's like this: Many years ago, your Granny, and your great-grandaddy Roy were in a Real Estate business together (which I explained), and they saw this piece of land that was on the top of a hill, and it had room for some buildings and tents, and you could watch the sun come up over the lake, and they believed it would be a great place to have a camp singing school for young people and their families. So they bought it to have a place for what became Harmony Hill.

mr. incredulous: Wow. So then he owned it?

me: Well, no one person owned it, you see. He founded it.

mr. incredulous: (...incredulously) Wow! Really?...Where did he find it?

"Who's Gene Pool?"

2006-10-30T20:17:00.000-06:00

I was sitting at the bar drinking some hot cocoa in our Casablanca mug with the picture of Bogie and Bergman sitting at a table in a cafe with the caption: "Here's looking at you, kid."
Shafer / Mr. Incredulous: Who's Here?

for moo, for autumn

2006-10-30T18:51:00.000-06:00

The day becomes
more solemn and serene...
There is a harmony in autumn,
and a lustre in its sky.

The Indian Serenade
by Percy Bysshe Shelley

hot mama

2006-10-30T17:55:00.000-06:00

by rachel tsunami

Earlier this month, Queen B. Shenaynay posted a treatise called Chili Apologetics, a thought-provoking piece about the virtues and benefits of capsaicin, and endorphins, and pain. As best I could tell, she believes (through extra-biblical revelation), that Adam and Eve ate chili on their first date. Of course, none of us can prove her wrong, nor would we want to.

At the time, I proffered a comment about the following recipe, which has found a happy home in my collection, and was pressed to share it, which I happily do here. However, I need to be perfectly clear about this. I did not try to claim that this chile is "better" than Shenaynay's, only that it is very good, and that it has caused a shift in my chili paradigm. I don't know about you, but in my world, there's room for more than one chili, and each family has its favorites for different reasons.

btw:
~masa harina isn't hard to find. Most any grocery store will have it.
~obviously, the quantity of jalepenos can be adjusted up or down according to how many brain cells you can spare.
~as usual, when cooking with beer or wine, they are added for the flavor. I can't vouch for the taste if you omit the beer. It might be just fine.

All in all, a really good recipe!

Beef Chili with Masa Harina

There are as many versions of chili as there are chili cooks. This one includes a signature flavor of the American Southwest: masa harina. The Mexican corn flour used for making tortillas and tamales, masa harina is made by grinding corn kernels that have been simmered in a slaked lime solution and then dried. It is sold in well-stocked food stores and in Latin markets. Added to the chili near the end of cooking, masa harina thickens the liquid slightly, giving it body, and imparts a subtle corn flavor.Grind the meat yourself or ask the butcher to grind it fresh for chili, using the large holes of a meat grinder to give it a coarse texture. Accompany the chili with small bowls of sour cream, salsa, shredded cheddar cheese and chopped green onions.

5 Tbs. vegetable oil
3 lb. beef chuck, ground for chili
3 large yellow onions, finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño chili, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup chili powder
2 Tbs. ground cumin
1 Tbs. ground oregano
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 cups lager-style beer
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbs. masa harina
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a large nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the vegetable oil. Add half of the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a colander placed over a bowl to drain off the fat. Repeat with 1 Tbs. of the oil and the remaining beef.
Drain and set aside.

In a large pot over medium heat, warm the remaining 3 Tbs. oil. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, oregano and coriander, stir until well combined and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the reserved beef, the beer, stock and tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 50 minutes. Add the kidney and pinto beans and masa harina. Simmer until the chili is slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve in large bowls.

Serves 8 to 10.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series,Soup,by Diane Rossen Worthington (Simon & Schuster, 2001).

::kip voice:: So basically...

2006-10-26T15:12:00.000-05:00

I have this pretty sweet web album thingy . It's pretty much the coolest one out there.
Check it out! Gosh! My lips hurt real bad!

"This come's from our many media's"

2006-10-24T18:46:00.000-05:00

Van Atkins billboard in Ripley-
You're back to school headquarters!
I am?

On a homeschool blog-
If you realy want to homeschool, their is allways away...
Not if you spell like that!

And I'm sure you have all seen this one-
Only windshields kills more bugs than we do!
N.C.S.P.

On a grocery store in Tupelo-
No credit cards are excepted in this store.
Well, in that case...

Uh...

addendum by rachel tsunami~

Ellie, you forgot this one, also seen on a billboard in our fair town. And this is exactly how it appears, mind you:

Cash for Your,
Paychecks and titles!

Nothing doing! I'm never parting with my Your.