Black is the color of my true love's hair

The only live performance of her singing is from 1958. It was grainy and difficult to follow.      

                                                     

Joan Baez has had an amazing career.  Her voice—that incredible soprano voice—rang out as a voice of our generation.  There are too many roads to take down this topic, the wide genre of her songs.  Instead, the one song that rings clearest in my memory is “Black is the color…”

A question niggles in my brain:  What is it about the color black that pervades the design world?

Why are TV remotes black? Is it possible that Sony or RCA want us to lose the remotes in the dark recesses of sofa cushions knowing that the black remotes will remain hidden?

 

Why are many purse linings black, or nearly black?  Is it possible that, by making the linings dark, little items (nail clippers, lipstick, lip-gloss) will disappear, thus requiring further purchases?

 

Why do fancy dress events involve black/dark suits and dresses?  The ‘little black dress’: Why is it the important dress in the closet?  

For that matter, why do members of the Clergy wear black cassocks, black suits, black nun habits, etc.?  Why?  

In the beginning two questions, the color black perhaps denotes dignity and stylishness.  In the last question, maybe the color black indicates a desire to shed worldly attachments. Just guessing here...

Teenagers seem to go through an ‘all-black-Goth’ stage.  Black hair, black clothing, coal-black eye make-up—this is supposed to shout out to the world that they are individuals making a statement.  

Oddly, when they are all together, they appear to be wearing uniforms.

Spies, burglars, movie villains, and Harry Potter characters all are dressed in black.  The Adams family—stylish black clothing.  Matrix—really cool black clothing. 

Enough of this rant.

Anyway, enjoy this song.

I wrote this in 2013, and came across it recently. Why, I don't know. The underlined words are from Wednesday words challenge that I fitted into this homage to black, and to Joan Baez.

USPS? It did more than just stamp and then mail...

 

 children by mail

mailing 

One child did make the trip in a railway mail car: 5-year-old May Pierstorff was sent from Grangeville to Lewiston, Idaho, to visit her grandmother on February 19, 1914.

May was just under the weight limit at 48.5 pounds, and her parents realized that sending her by mail would be cheaper than buying her a train ticket.

They attached the postage — 53 cents in parcel post stamps — to May’s coat, and she rode in the train’s mail compartment all the way to Lewiston.

She was personally delivered to her grandmother’s home by Leonard Mochel, the mail clerk on duty.

 

.       

 Yes, this happened

 

Prior to 1920, it was possible to send

children through the US Postal service.

However, there were certain conditions

that needed to be met. Firstly, the

children had to weigh less than 50

pounds, and stamps were attached to

their clothing as a form of payment.

Surprisingly, it was often more cost-effective

for individuals to send their children via

mail rather than opting for train

transportation. Interestingly, during

the journey, the children would travel on

a train, specifically in the mail car, where

they were supervised and provided with

nourishment by mail clerks. One remarkable

example of this unconventional practice

involved a distance of over 700 miles,

from Florida to Virginia, covered with a mere 15 cents worth of stamps.

USPS community 

 

When my 12 year old daughter flew from Ireland to Aunt Kathleen's wedding in California, we escorted her onto the plane where she was accepted by the stewardess who cared for her. When the plane landed, the stewardess took her personally to hand her over to Grandma and Grandpa. 

I was amazed then, and now I am even more amazed.

Email is nothing. 

We are what we eat...

 

 

In many ways, people do not understand the implications of what they eat. The foods that people consume have long lasting results. What goes in will emerge out..

You have to understand three words that sum up the entire animal kingdoms:

Carnivore, Herbivore, Omnivore

The best way to understand this is to refer to a brilliant movie: Jurassic Park 

Sam Neill was the actor who tied the events all together as Dr. Alan Grant, a world famous expert on most things Jurassic related. Through out the movie, he rescues the grandchildren of the park's creator and leads the humans to safety.

Against what? Vicious meat eaters...carnivores. 

 

about 3 min. long

Then there are the...herbivores. 

Then there are the...omnivores....

There are no examples in Jurassic Park of omnivores.  At least not living.

Why did I write this particular post?

Sam Neill died this last week of pneumonia following a rare form of blood cancer called angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. His death saddened all who were familiar with his films.  

Jurassic Park was so important, more than he could know. 1993 was a groundbreaking movie for many experiences. (Spielberg) The main reason was the character Dr. Alan Grant who was an expert on dinosaurs and the key to the success of this movie.  Just watch the film. You will be drawn to Sam Neill. He is riveting. 

 

                                   

After this had been posted, I made some real technical errors which basically almost wiped it all clean.  I have just spent a lot of time, some tears, and tense moments involving some profanity trying to re-post. 

The original posting was absolutely brilliant, cohesive, and pithy.  

 

It is time for the annual cow chipping.

 

Well, it is that time of the year: Chatham Jaycees Annual Sweet Corn and Cow Chipping Festival in Illinois.

Small communities like Chatham are gems. Generations gather to renew friendships and celebrate history.  While there are competitions of all sorts, nothing, but nothing, is as intense and delightful as the Cow Chipping Contest.

The whole process is fairly simple. From their cow pastures, farmers select dried cow pies of the correct size, using a toilet seat as the measuring standard. The pies are then donated to the Jaycees where they are kept in a secure place. I am not kidding.

(There have been some accusations about sabotage; pies have been embedded with pellets or such in the past.  So, security is provided. Yes, it is. Honest. There used to be security men wandering around.) 

Future chippers--not afraid to get their hands dirty

"This event will take place on July 21-23 at the Chatham sports field. Any attendees wishing to participate in the cow chipping throw should attend when the event is announced.  Experience is not necessary. All should understand that participation may result in pungent particulates adhering to hands and clothing."

This is a quote from 2019 flyers.

Competition is serious business.

This is an international sport. Visitors travel to participate in this event.

Pinterest.com

 

Being a farm girl who was never daunted by cow manure, I did this: 

 

Notice that the patty is the size of a toilet seat. This an important element in chipping contests.  Equal sizes, etc. Standards must be maintained.

 

 

 Note the intense concentration.

 

Cow patty's final resting place

I shellacked the daylights of this thing and took it home with me to California. I placed it in a dry area by the patio, where it was whole for 2 years. Not enough rain to speak of, so this managed to impress all who saw it. 

 

 

 

 

 

"

Heroes, each and everyone of them

 

Pinterest

California is ripe for the burning, as wildfire season kicks in. 

Last year was a record for the wildfires suffered in California. One fire lasted two months, finally reaching containment in December.  It was huge in the numbers of deaths and acreage of land burned. We will remember the names of those cities and people.

What kept more from dying and homes from being burned? Firefighters. Heroes.

 

                                         from the 1920s. 

History of Firemen from 1920s, 6 minutes long 

Fireman Week was on June 15, but every week should be considered this by all. Please remember this, and thank every firemen you see or meet.

Brave then, and brave now.

They don't even flinch. 3 minutes long

Our community of elderly people depends on the vigilance of the firemen just down the street. They are live-savers, literally. 

 

...Five little monkeys jumping on the bed...

 

 

Children's literature is phenomenal in its messages of hope, love, learning and so on. I have read so many books to children over the years of teaching and parenting, finding pleasure in the creativity of the authors. 

This book was high on the list of books shared over decades.

But like this???  

 

Only Liam Neeson delivered this classic in such a powerful meaningful way.

You go, Liam. 

What do these words mean?

            Words+ideas=thoughts =>beliefs=>actions

 

This was posted by a FB site and I have borrowed it. It is a fuzzy copy, but I hope you can enjoy it. 

Words heard through the curtain

  

Getty images 

You wake up the morning, thinking of the plans for the day.  It is a day off from work, and a full ten hours of daylight lie before you.  Movies?  Go shopping?  Visit friends or relatives?  Go out for lunch?

But, no.  A migraine has woken you up, sends you to the emergency room.  The ER is packed with people elbow to elbow, jockeying for a spare chair.  It is a holiday and all the doctors’ offices are closed.  Everyone in a city of 130,000 is lined up to get help for something.

I was there, oh yes, I was there.  A migraine had emptied me out and left me a dried up worm of a person in agonizing pain.

During eight of those ten daylight hours, an appreciation for the plights of man swept over me.

When a gurney surrounded by curtains became available, I finally was allowed to lie down. In the bright cubicle with my eyes covered, my super hearing kicked in, and unwillingly, I became part of the drama* taking place on either side of me.

 

 

 

To my left? Oh, man. 

On the other side of the curtain a young man (early twenties, maybe) had come in with chest pains.  Thinking it was the remnant of bronchitis from weeks ago, the man/boy talked with the doctor.  His answers to standard questions rang an alarm in my own chest.  Drugs?  Uh, not for a couple of weeks, only ‘coke and some weed.  Drinking binge?  Uh, only a few beers.
 

His answers were always followed by a silence

Each question was asked in different ways.  Tests were run, more questions asked.  Then the man/boy was left alone.  No friends or family brought him in; no one sat holding his hand.

Doctors came in, one after another, to talk with him.  Each time the questions were the same, but the answers came closer and closer to the truth.

Ultimately, the cardiologist came in; he had the results of a Cardio-Ultrasound, which he showed to the man/boy.  Enlarged heart.  Stroke level blood pressure.  Tell me again…drugs…?

The truth came out in almost inaudible whispers.  The next words from the doctor were that this man/boy was being admitted to cardiac care unit, and then if there was any family to be called. 

 

His gurney with all its attached IVs and monitors were wheeled away with the young man/boy in stunned silence.

The ‘mom’ in me wanted to go with him, hold his hand, pray with/for him.  The first two I couldn’t do, but prayer was what I could manage. 

Then I was released after getting a ton of drugs that would kill the monster migraine and restore me.

The other side of the curtain—you never know what you will learn at the end of the day.

...and the curtains come down....

 This happened to me back in 2023, and it was something I will always remember.  I posted this because I have experienced many curtain events in the past 3 years.  Those are stories for another day.

To keep a promise....

 

 Promises.  How many promises do you make?  How many do you keep?

Without doubt or hesitation, I know that God keeps His Promises.  Mercy and love, impartial judgment and grace, integrity and unchanging character, compassion to the weak crushed by life, forgiveness and salvation...endless list.

In many blog posts, one will express pain and suffering or depression over losses, or heartbreak.  In the comment section, so many sincere followers give comfort and sympathy.  And then, there is "I'll be praying for you" somewhere in the comments, or "Prayers and blessings".  

But, I wonder are these phrases are actually followed?  Once the words are written and the cursor goes to publish, will these word be acted upon?

This is not a criticism, for I write these words myself, but simply a question.

Robert Frost wrote in "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" this last quatrain, 

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

But I have promises to keep.  Any type of promise?  Yes, it would seem so.  A promise to bring a salad to a potluck is an easy promise--CostCo provides.  A promise to meet at 2:00 can vary from 1:55 to 2:05 (we are obsessive about this.) is still an easy promise to keep for most people. My in-laws are lax on this.

But to say "I'll be praying for you" is vague.  Perhaps this sentence should be followed by "I promise". This is one promise that requires commitment and sincerity. It needs to be kept.