Existential Ennui

~ Searching for Meaning Amid the Chaos

Existential Ennui

Monthly Archives: December 2010

Another One Bites the Snow

31 Friday Dec 2010

Posted by Sherry in Essays, Iowa, Life in the Meadow, LifeStyle, Overlooking the Fields

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

blogging, Iowa, life in the meadow, lifestyle, New Years

Well, and a Happy New Year to you too!

It occurred to me, after looking at the stats for this week, that people apparently have a lot to do during this week. Not complaining of course, but I figured today people are particularly busy. Either you are preparing to host a party, or you are primping to go to one. Or both.

I have primped already. Clean long underwear! I’ve done a bit of cooking for tomorrow. We are having “finger” food tomorrow. A nice dip called spinach, artichoke, chipolte dip is blending in the fridge even as we speak.

I made some blue cheese dressing to alternate with barbecue sauce for some chicken tenders I’ll bread and pop into the oven tomorrow to bake.

The most time consuming is a pizza. I’m making it early and then cutting it into nice small pieces. The chicken and pizza will be arrayed over an aluminum casserole on the wood stove to keep just warm. The dip and its accompanying veggies and crackers on a tray by the windows to stay cool.

The point is to graze. During the day. While watching parades and football and otherwise lazing.

We lost somewhere close to ten inches of snow during yesterday’s thaw. We were scheduled to get up to 48 today with rain, but so far nary a drop and the temp can’t seem to get past 29. That’s disappointing, but the Contrarian has headed out, and apparently has cleared the top of the hill. If we can get through there, usually we can make the rest.

He’s off to get eggs and cat food.

We are heading for a freeze down tonight. I might make it out to Church on Sunday if we don’t get freezing rain. Hopefully we will get out to grocery shop on Monday. All in all, I’m fairly pleased with things.

MauiGirl wrote a post about SAD and how she had been on Realtor.com looking at houses in San Francisco. I tried the site and found a pleasing array of homes in our price range in Las Cruces, NM. It’s a good thing to do when the gloomy days are making you feel decidedly  unhappy with your present location. The site is slow as crap for me, but I do get to see some of the interiors and, like I said, I’m pretty happy with what we can get.

I hope you have a great evening tonight. We are gonna watch a bunch of Marx Brothers movies, I think. We watch the hoopla from bed usually. LOL. We are soooo boring!

Anyway, I’ll be back on Monday. Have a good one as I said, and we’ll get back to reality then. Here’s hoping 2011 is a bit better than 2010 turned out to be.

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What IS Going on in Florida?

30 Thursday Dec 2010

Posted by Sherry in Humor, States on Parade

≈ 23 Comments

Tags

Florida, Humor, States on Parade, What's Going on?

Florida is a land of liars! There. Let’s not mince words here.

I mean, you only have to LOOK at the shape of it. Everybody knows it’s one big fat penis. Even has some little cahones just southeast of Panama City. (Boy were they lost! Panama is like a whole other COUNTRY!)

And then there is that spume of something or other (I’ll not use the word) spilling forth, ending in something called “Key West.”

So, this must be the sexy, harlot-seeking, revelry bending, sex-pot o’ the Americas right? WRONG. It’s the home of the largest population of flabby flaccids in the nation. It’s the king of NO ERECTION here. Everybody’s old uncle Al and Grampa Bill retires to Florida.  You could carpet the entire state with all the polyester draping these wrinkly old bodies! That and gaudy jewelry, red, red lipstick and hot pink toenail polish worn by blue-haired mammas strutting their stuff as they push their walkers down the board walks of Sarasota and West Palm Beach.

And then, get this, they invite Disney to build a theme park there to attract children and their parents! Now this is an explosive situation. Older-than-sin elderly, all gripping with a death hold their driver’s licenses, meeting head on (and I do mean that literally) with busy, we-only-got-three-days-to-see-it-all parents with three screaming under-the-age-of-ten monsters demanding to go to Sea World next!

The carnage is everywhere. Speed limits here are a minimum of 1 and maximum of 12, or as fast as your walker can wheel. And the stop lights? The cross walk is no man’s land for cars, for a solid 17 minutes. Did I mention that all these blue-bonnet lassies are towing a 15oz excuse for some dog? That slows things to a well, backward would actually be an improvement.

So wanna go their yet?

The state was the first to see Europeans, yet, it waited until 1845 to become a state of the union, exhibiting I guess a lot of questionable conduct. Ponce de Leon was the first to arrive and named it La Florida, or flowery land. No idea what the inhabitants who were already there called it. Home comes to mind.

The usual wars ensued when the English came around. Mostly they set English supporting tribes on Spanish supporting tribes. The English are good at getting others to do their dirty work.

Slaves regularly ran away to Florida, where the Spanish first converted them to Roman Catholicism, and then set them free. Never one to let an opportunity go by, the Catholics.  The Treaty of Paris gave the mess to England, and the Treaty of Versailles gave it back to the Spanish. Spain gave it to the New U S of A, in exchange for us not meddling in Texas. (We lied. Note that as a pattern)

Once we owned it free and clear it was time to clean out the Indians (remember those people who called it simply “home.”). Three Seminole Wars later, the state was still not rid of them pesky red skins, and some of them took to the Everglades, where they are said to remain to this day.

With the discovery of how good cotton grows, the state changed it’s mind about freedom for Africans, and enslaved them again (remember we  lie a lot) and put them to useful work in the fields. You all know how that story ended.

The state remained low in population until old people, who are always slow to get new things, discovered it was WARM there, and started their walker migration.

Florida suffers more lightning strikes than any place in the US. Most of those are to old men in golf carts. Gotta get that exercise you know. Wives exercise by lifting bloody marys in the club house. This means that over time, there are more old women than old men, and gigolos flock to retirement settlements to find an easy mark.

Hurricanes don’t deter these folks, mostly because Alzheimer’s robs them of any recall of the last one. Many are seen roaming around the malls with inflatable vests over their leisure suits, “just in case.” Nursing homes pass them out as the height of  “chic” and the poor dears never know the difference.

There are some nice animals that live there, but this is overshadowed by all the icky reptiles.

Hanging chads. Need I say more?

On the plus side, it has the lowest incidence of earthquakes, so the penis will not be falling off it seems.

Two-thirds of the population was born in another state, so no point in asking directions anywhere. Chances are, they won’t know.

I could give you actual numbers, but let’s just say, it’s mostly white with a localized Cuban population. Not to be confused with Hispanic. Believe me on this. They are two totally different things.

Median age: OLDER THAN SIN

Religion: Very Catholic and when it’s not, it’s Jewish.

Economy: you know, oranges and grapefruits. Oh yeah, and tourists who come to look at all the old people.

Education: classes are held when they can get enough children together to fill a classroom.

My advice: Don’t waste your time. Most of the state will be under water in a few decades due to rising sea levels.  The “Big Dick” will be reduced to a Pencil Dick by then. 

If you are a girl gigolo and looking for a hot sugar daddy with deep pockets, just hang out at the mall and look for men whose belts are up under their armpits. And SCORE!

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Dear, Johnny Depp Awaits You in the Bedroom

29 Wednesday Dec 2010

Posted by Sherry in Bush, Environment, Essays, fundamentalism, Humor, Iowa, Life in the Meadow, Literature, Non-Believers, Presidency, What's Up?

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

atheists, environment, fundamentalism, George W. Bush, going green, Johnny Depp, life in the meadow, Michel Foucault, Politics, Presidents, writing

A statement like that can cause a woman my age to go into immediate cardiac arrest. I gasped, turned to my beloved Contrarian with all the love I could muster in my eyes, and gushed, “Darling, this is the Best late Christmas present ever!”

I tripped across  one dog and stepped on at least one cat tail as I launched myself across the room, eyes shining brightly at the bedroom door.

I burst in, my eyes like eagles, searching the environs. “Come out, come out, where ever you are, ” I teased.

“What are you talking about?” the Contrarian grunted. “I taped David Letterman. Depp is a guest. Since Stewart’ still off on vacation, I thought we could watch it for our bedtime fare.”

Welcome to my life. My fantasy universe collapsed before my tear-laden eyes, and I mumbled, “well of course, I was just making a joke.” I pushed my tired feet under the covers, pulled the blankets up tight against my chin, and closed my eyes, to let the fantasy play out for a few more seconds.

Sigh.

***

What’s in a name? No, I’m not getting all Shakespearean on ya. Are you named after someone? Cappy over at Writer’s Block is, and she tells you all about it. Also her penchant for naming as yet unborn children.

I do that for pets. I name them in advance. My next two dogs will be Frieda and Diego. After the Mexican painters. I saw the movie. What a love affair. Passionate people hurt each other, but their love is dramatic.  I like to name in love affairs. Or something else. We have Kate and Spencer (Hepburn and Tracy) and Calvin and Hobbes (okay that isn’t a love affair, except sorta it is). Our cats. They don’t exactly act like their counterparts. That is the downside.

***

This next one requires some real thought. First impressions may be wrong. Does the computer enhance, or make for better writing than the old-fashioned ink and quill? pencil? ink pen? typewriter? The eraser was vilified as making for sloppy writing, easy to “correct.” How about white-out? Trickier question than you might have thought. American Scientist has a titillating review on the subject. The book in question is called: A Better Pencil: Readers, Writers and the Digital Revolution.

It sounds like a quirky but quite interesting little book.

***

If Murr Brewster hasn’t come across your radar yet, you may want to take a look at her blog. She has a slice of environmental reporting to do today, done in her rather inimitable style. How do you fare in the “go green” revolution? Like Murr, up and down, depends.

***

What frustrates me with “some” atheists is that their arguments are based on fundamentalist interpretations of the bible, which we (most of us) agree are utterly wrong. Yet these atheists seem either unwilling or unable to see that there is a better/clearer/more intellectually sound way of reading scripture.

Tim Bulkeley writes a great little piece over at The Bible and Interpretation that lays the plague of the neo-Atheists at the feet of the fundamentally unbiblical fundamentalist. I agree. See if you do. Thanks for the H/T from James McGrath at Exploring our Matrix.

***

My thought is that Dubya might not want to take his book tour to London. Not after the scathing and terribly accurate review Eliot Weinberger gives it. An excerpt will suffice to whet your whistle:

In the late 1960s, George Bush Jr was at Yale, branding the asses of pledges to the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity with a hot coathanger. Michel Foucault was at the Societé française de philosophie, considering the question, ‘What is an author?’ The two, needless to say, never met.

***

***

We’re having fried chicken, mashed taters and gravy and peas. I like peas. I even like the ones in cans. Like when I was a kid. They are like two different vegetables. Peas from the freezer and peas from the can. It’s one of those foods I need to revisit now and again, like that bright orange french dressing by Wishbone. Nostalgia they call it.

I’m a good wife. I cook up good grub. Even if Johnny Depp wasn’t in my bedroom.

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Looking at the Finer Side of Life

28 Tuesday Dec 2010

Posted by Sherry in Bible, fundamentalism, Gay Rights, Humor, Inspirational, Iowa, Life in the Meadow, Literature, Media, Poetry, religion, The Wackos, What's Up?

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

bible, blizzard, DADT, fundamentalists, gay rights, God, Humor, KJV, Pat Robertson, Poetry, spirituality, virtual church

If your mother was anything like mine, complaints about dinner were met with “the little children in China would be happy to have carrots to eat.” If I groused that I didn’t get the one toy I wanted for my birthday, I was told, “the little children of Africa have probably never gotten a toy.”

So, sadly, and with great grumpiness, I can’t complain about the snow here in Iowa. The stupid East Coast just had to go and have a BLIZZARD. How rude! Coupled with the deluges in California and consequent mudslides, I’m unable to feel the least bit sorry for myself.

And that never sits well with me!

Being able to complain is just, well, so American.

But, I’ve taken an oath of sorts to try to listen to my better angel, at least until the new year. It’s just that there isn’t so much good news as you would think out there. We’re a surly bunch, and we like news that at minimum makes us feel better relative to our fellow humans. That’s just the way we are. How else to explain the likes of Cops on Patrol, and Bridezilla, and Hoarders?

Anyway, if you want to feel uplifted and also called into your better self, do go and read this lovely poem from the Franciscan Missionary Society–Christmas Blessing. H/T from Vox Nova.

***

Speaking of faith, it’s puzzling, and always has been that fundigelicals prefer the KJV (King James Version) of the bible. They cling to it as THE definitive word of God. I’ve never been quite sure why, since it’s basically not a very good translation, and the language, though beautiful isn’t also easy to understand.

History Today has a great article on the history of the KJV. If fundigelicals actually knew this history, I suspect they might be a bit less enthused about it. It was directed, in some sense, to be a polemic for the right of kings, and thus against the interests of the Puritans who were a bothersome lot in England and elsewhere. The only reason why the Puritans in this country ended up using it, was because the Geneva Bible had been suppressed in England and the KJV was the only one they could get their hands on. Worse, the first printings of the KJV were so bad that they were almost heretical–referring to God’s ass at least one occasion!

***

I’ve linked to Andy Borowitz before. His political humor is great. Today he explains what Pat Robertson has to say about the East Coast blizzard. As you can expect, God is punishing somebody that Pat doesn’t like. Go  read it and have a chuckle.

***

Speaking of political humor, Mo over at Whatever Works, offered this gem. It’s a site called Political Irony. Lots of jokes, cartoons, a rundown of the talk show political humor. Just lots of fun stuff. I’m sure I’ll be pilfering from it regularly. Add it to your reader or subscribe to never miss a post!

***

Speaking of more political humor, I saw this in my travels yesterday:

Of course it hurts. You’re being screwed by an elephant.

***

Do you have a ritual for Christmas that you never miss? We watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, you know, Clark and his merry band of Griswolds?  We laugh at the same things again and again. It’s a tradition. By the way, the ham was delicious and we can’t stop eating ham sandwiches! Today we are switching to turkey enchiladas, which finishes off the Thanksgiving turkey. And NO it hasn’t been the fridge since November!

***

We are getting three days of melting starting tomorrow! We are so excited. We can’t keep the smile off our faces. We may actually be able to get out without being blown out! Temps of 35, 40, 45 for the next three days! Heaven! Oh and rain too. Then freezing, so no doubt it will be slick as snot on Saturday or Sunday. We looked up our snow cleats for our boots! We are ready!

***

This is a laugh. I mean, it really is funny/sad/pathetic/hysterically knee-slapping humorous.

Brian Fischer of the AFA, the homophobic “family values” group (one of thousands) wrote a “gotcha” column the other day.

“You dumb old gays! You had a pass to get out the army, should the food prove not gourmet, or the shower room not to have the hunks to ogle. You could go to the commander and announce your gayness. Well, no more,” Fischer gleefully slobbers, spittle flying,  his wild eyes darting. “No, your commander will say, ‘sorry Nancy boy’ back to barracks for you! Those days of special preference are over. You’re in the for the duration.”

Yes Margaret, there really is a crazy man who said that. I swear. Makes you blink and look around carefully. Once again, you fear, you might have slipped into the Twilight Zone.

***

Ideas that Create has a post on virtual churches. Can they offer anything “real”? It’s a provocative look at an Internet phenomenon. See what you think.

***

Finding all those retrospectives creepy? Especially the ones that tell you who died this year. I forgot some of them and was shocked all over again.

***

Keep warm!

Related Articles
  • The bible that even atheists worship (independent.co.uk)
  • The KJV and the English Language (zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com)
  • FAIL part 2: Bryan Fischer takes another crack at the ‘feminization’ of the Medal of Honor (pinkbananaworld.com)

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Could You Do This?

27 Monday Dec 2010

Posted by Sherry in Essays, LifeStyle, Overlooking the Fields, Psychology

≈ 21 Comments

Tags

Alaska, Arctic Circle, Kavic River Camp, lifestyle, psychology

Meet Susan Aikens. Don’t know her? Shame on you. You haven’t been watching Sarah Palin’s Alaska.

Now, I’ve already stated that Sarah’s reality (which is really no reality at all) is as much fun as an awful “C” level sci-fi movie. Replete with all the just visible wires upon which hang the saucers from outer space.

But on Sarah’s pretend “goin’ a caribou huntin’ show” we met a woman who simply sticks in the synapses of our mind. Susan, you see, lives at 69.4N x 146.54W. That, to you urbanites is NORTH of the Arctic Circle. She lives there in a camp called the Kavik River Camp.

The closest city is Fairbanks, only 500 miles to the South. The nearest road is EIGHTY miles to the East. The runway is 1.5 miles long. The camp looks like a series of storage containers like they lift onto cargo ships.

People go there to hunt and fish and observe wildlife. Susan makes a living “hosting” such groups, with hot showers and grub. She has WiFi, which she “hauled in” some time back. She heats with fuel oil, and has some to spare for hunting groups. She has a vein of coal that she mines for additional fuel.

She carries a rifle wherever she goes, since bears abound. She would know. One attacked her, biting her up badly enough that she had to stitch her own head back together. She got another weapon and went out and killed the bear. Then she made her way to shelter and waited ten days for a pilot to come in and get her the rest of medical help she needed.

When her hip was displaced, she somehow managed to tie a rope around her ankle, and tie it off on a beam and haul herself upside down, and then hang from the bad leg until it dropped back into its socket.

Did I mention she lives alone? Did I mention that for six months out of the year, she lives ALONE, without a single soul for company. EVER. Except for the occasional radio contact with a passing plane.

Did I mention she is a grandmother?

Did I mention she lives alone?

People like Sue dumbfound me. They really do. I ponder them, and I can’t, in the end, ever come to understand.

What kind of person finds this a joyous way of life? Who choses this?

The easy answer is no doubt that such a person, somehow psychologically, doesn’t “fit” in normal social society. They are the extreme trappers, intrepid wanderers. But they are also the utterly consumed-by-their-subject, butterfly enthusiasts, or blue-footed boobie world experts.

Folks like this are  capable of sustained interest,  bordering on the shocking, on one subject. They are people who never much stop to think about being alone, isolated, or one-dimensional. They don’t have any use for malls, parties, friends, fashion, or much of anything outside their passion.

They can eat the same drab food weeks on end. Possessions are accounted as valuable only if useful. No figurines, no art work, no comforts of home. They are not impressed with “snuggies” or “heart” pendants, or Prius.

They are not like us in hardly any way.

Sue, spends I would guess, a goodly portion of her day, surviving. I have no idea if she gets mail drops or food drops.

We are all too familiar with a type of man who does this. Hermits. In the “olden” days, they were the trappers who only came into “town” to sell their pelts before going back out to their isolated worlds. Perhaps the adventurer, the explorer might be added, but they seldom went off alone. But women doing this? I can’t think of one, other than that woman, who used to win the Iditarod, Karen I believe. But even she got married and had kids and lived with her family.

Imagine such a life–if you can. I can, to a point, and then, well, it soon loses it idyllic tones. You remember that in a medical emergency, the simplest of problems could be life-threatening. Beautiful landscapes cannot be shared.

Sue now has Internet access. I’d dearly love to see her write a blog. How interesting would that be? I’m going to e-mail her and ask her to consider it.

I admire her. I couldn’t do what she does. Even in my younger, as the Contrarian would say, ‘greener” days, I could not have done it. I can stand a fair amount of isolation, but eventually the loneliness would have gotten me.

How ’bout you? Would this intrigue you? Or get you racing for the mall for safety?

Related Articles
  • Palin And The Caribou (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)

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With Blessings for All

24 Friday Dec 2010

Posted by Sherry in Inspirational, Iowa, Life in the Meadow

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

blogging, Inspirational, Iowa, life in the meadow

I wish everyone a blessed Christmas. We have much in our respective lives to both be thankful for and much that we have suffered through this past year. This night, we turn our thoughts to hope and promise. The hope of better days, the promise that we will support each other in times of trial.

The message is one of love and compassion, of empathy, and peace. We celebrate a belief in better days. We remember all the good that we have enjoyed.

We let go of petty jealousies, petty wrongs, and greed. We celebrate our unity as images of our Creator. We are quiet, serene, and gentle. As He was.

Whether you believe or not, we are wondrously made, fashioned in mystery. We live as part of a unity of life upon a small blue dot. We wander throughout the universe, unafraid on our journey. We cling to each other, and give courage as we face the unknown, assured that somehow we are going in the right direction.

We are led by the invisible hand of God, beckoning us to be ever more human, ever more like the Godhead.

***

We got a surprise this morning. Not welcome, but we are letting it be. It would be in excess of twelve inches of snow, with perhaps more to come. We are truly cozied in among the trees, looking at a vast sea of white. We’ve shoveled off the porches and swept the bird feeder and everyone is warm and snug.

We shall have a glorious meal tomorrow, watch some good movies, and read or do other indoor things. I made nut clusters with peanuts, pecans and almonds this morning, setting out the candy muffin tins in the snow to harden up the chocolate.

Whatever your circumstances, I hope you can get where you want to go, and share the day with those you wish to be with. My thoughts are with those of you who might be alone. I know that experience, and well, one just enriches the day as best one can.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and we’ll resume our conversation on Sunday or Monday. Be safe, and be joyous. HOPE!

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It’s Really Too Late

23 Thursday Dec 2010

Posted by Sherry in Advent, BVM, Christmas, Crafts, Essays, Holiday, Humor, Inspirational, Poetry, religion, What's Up?

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Advent, Billy Collins, Blessed Mother Mary, bottle brush trees, Christmas decorating, Crafts, hope, Magnificat, Poetry, religion

Are you starting to panic? Too much left to do and not enough time? Forgetaboutit! Tis the season to enjoy friends and family and good eats. Stop obsessing!

Easy to say I know. Not having to shop is a big plus. I’m in truffles today. I have them all set up on cookie sheets, just letting them harden up a bit before I do the rolling. This year it’s ground almonds, cocoa, sprinkles, and powdered sugar. I have 39, so ten of each except one.

Tomorrow the nut clusters and I have all the yummy cookie, candy stuff done. The cooking should be easy on Saturday. One casserole which throws together and the ham. The rest is just a veggie and a relish tray, and heating up some stuffing. Have to remember to get that out of the freezer tomorrow.

If you are deep into reflection on the true “reason for the season” however you define that, then you might find some uplifting thoughts at Women Beneath the Cross‘s, The Magnificat: Realizing God’s Dream.  Commonweal, in a short reflection tells us Jesus’ flight into Egypt, while of course echoing Moses, also speaks eloquently to immigrants today, and the dangerous lives they face. And Michael Hogue from Tikkun Daily Blog, reminds us that the only answer is hope in incremental improvements in a very imperfect world.

***

I guess it’s pretty late for crafts, but you might want to stop by a Michael’s after the holidays and pick up some of these for next year to do. They are those old rather nasty looking “bottle brush” trees. Most everyone has had one or more of these in the past. Vickie at Uncommon Artistic Endeavors has all the simple directions to turn these cheap “trees” into real stunning decorations.

***

I know that poetry, like most art is somewhat subjective. What I love, you loathe, or points between. But this poem, called Aristotle from 3quarksdaily, is simply stunning in its imagery. Please do yourself a favor and take a look. I don’t think you will be sorry.  

***

Sometimes prayers are answered like immediately. I kid you not. (that was a popular saying back in the day.) We have this cat, Calvin. He’s a beauty, all orangey and spotted. He likes milk, and he bawls at you when he wants it. He’s taken to sitting on the table with me in the morning and following along with morning prayer.

He usually prowls around with the other boy cats during the night. Last night he was absent. This usually causes a minor concern that he has been let outside and forgotten. All doors are checked. He is not around.

So I figure he’s just hunkered down in one of his hidy-holes.  In the morning, no Calvin emerges to join me for Thursday, Week IV, antiphons and psalms. I begin to worry. As we discover various hidy-holes, he creates new ones. Is the tyke sick?

So, I’m doing my prayers, and I say, “God, will you push Calvin out into the open just so we know he’s okay?” Less than ten seconds go by, before I hear a rustling behind me. A large box is on the table, on its side, and Kate has taken to it as her refuge. When I look, Calvin is rearranging himself in it. Been there all night no doubt.

God, busy as things get, seems to have time for my simple request. 🙂

Believe it, or not, as you wish.

***

It’s a slow day. What can I say. The truffles are done, and dinner is in the oven.

What’s on the stove: Arroz Con Pollo. Stuffed celery. Rolls.

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