Darkness falls in Columbus, Mississippi. November, 2003.
(Click picture for larger view) 
"The day is done, and the darkness,
Falls from the wings of Night,
As a feather is wafted downward,
From an eagle in his flight"
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
The western sky over Columbus, Mississippi on a cool crisp November evening as darkness falls. I loved the clouds still holding on to the last ruby rays of the sun and this same hue blending with a faint golden yellow at the horizon. The evening star probably the planet Venus seems suspended between earth and cloud. This was one of the most beautiful sunsets I had ever seen.
Submission for Photo Friday topic "darkness". (end of post)
Miss Clover shares a secret with her sister, Miss Chloe.
(Click picture for larger view) "A secret is not something unrevealed, but something told privately, in a whisper." ~ Marcel Pagnol quotes (French Writer, Producer and Film Director, 1895-1974)
These two can "almost" always be found together; sleeping in the bean bag chair, sitting in a window staring out into space, walking slowly through the den or curled up in various configurations on my bed. They wash each other, cuddle and only occasionally bite and spar. Here Clover seems to whisper a secret into her sisters ear and Chloe is either only mildly amused or simply bored, more interested in returning to her nap. They are twelve years old now and have never been apart for more than a couple of days. So similar yet so different.
There are many beautiful cats, dogs and other animals featured this week at Friday's Ark. Be sure to visit Music and Cats on Sunday evening for this weeks Carnival of the Cats. (end of post)
The Lloyd C. Bird Skyhawk Band from Chesterfield, Virginia.
(Click picture for larger view) "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." ~ Henry David Thoreau quotes (American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher, 1817-1862)
Family Weekend at the College of William & Mary. The college jazz band played in the stands but this award winning high school band played at the beginning, halftime and gave a post-game show. The music of a marching band is synonymous with college football.
Submission for LensDay topic "music". (end of post)
Surgery went well on Monday. Yesterday was difficult with the pain medication in the pump making Mom very woozy and disoriented and the first try at getting back on her feet very hard. Apparently the Dilaudid can cause itching, a red rash, hiccups and nausea. She had all of these so it was discontinued last night. After two tylenol (I'm sure there was codeine in there too) she was able to sleep. Her foot and leg is in a contraption that slowly raises and bends the knee to ideally a 90 degree angle. Today she is up to 80 degrees. With drains and some of the lines gone she felt much better and while I was there slept for two hours before supper and an hour afterwards. Dad & I have been taking tandem turns staying but she says she is sending him home tonight. Physical therapy went much better today. Only small moments of goofy exchanges. She does remember a few of the strange things she came up with yesterday but not all. She may transfer to the rehab facility tomorrow or Friday. Today was a much better day. Thanks to all for your continued thoughts and prayers. (end of post)
srp
Beautiful: The dance and the dancer. (Click picture for larger view) "A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood." ~ Rachel Carson
When Nyssa was two she went to Bible School for the first time. She did crafts, heard Bible stories, had cookies and juice and played with other little children her own age. She loved it. Well, at least she loved almost all of it. Sunday morning the Bible School program was given. The children recited the Bible verses they learned and sang songs. These were songs she had sung all week at Bible School, at home and in the car. She knew them and loved them, but when she walked out on stage and saw all those people sitting in the audience, she froze. She stood at attention, didn't move, didn't sing, didn't smile, didn't do anything. When it was over she left.
Two years later we had moved from Oklahoma City to Columbus, Mississippi and she wanted to take dance. Miss Charlottes dance school had a four year old class with ballet and tap. At the end of the year there was always a recital. Each class did two numbers with costumes and pictures and trophies for all. The little ones were always so cute although never synchronized with each other. Once in a while one little girl would see that people were out of their place in line and would try to re-arrange the dancers while the dance was in progress.
I remembered her only other experience on stage and wondered how it would go. It would not have surprised me to have her stand there. This stage was not in a church, it was not a small sanctuary. This was the auditorium of the local junior high school; the stage was large with velvet curtains and a row of lighting across the front; and it was five feet above the floor of the hall. It was almost full; mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents and friends; everyone had come to watch their favorite dancer. Charlotte had classes ranging from four years of age through high school, probably 125 dancers in all levels. This was a big production in a small town and everyone turned out.
I just held my breath. She strutted out, stayed in line, tapped her toes, did her shuffle steps and SMILED! Amazing! After the second dance the little ones came and sat with their parents for the rest of the program. I leaned over to her and asked her how it felt to dance in front of so many people. She looked up with this glow on her face and whispered back in her breathy excited whisper, "It was so wonderful; it was a REAL stage!" Yes, Miss Nys, it was wonderful, you were wonderful. The dance was beautiful and even more so, the dancer.
Submission for Thursday Challenge topic "beautiful".
Maggie (L) and Nicky (R)asleep together.
(Click picture for larger view)"It is thought a disgrace to love unrequited. But the great will see that true love cannot be unrequited. True love transcends the unworthy object, and dwells and broods on the eternal, and when the poor interposed mask crumbles, it is not sad, but feels rid of so much earth, and feels its independency the surer."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), U.S. essayist, poet, philosopher. From "Friendship," Essays, First Series (1841, repr. 1847).
This is as good as it gets. Nicky loves Maggie; follows her around like a little puppy dog hoping to play or snuggle or even sit quietly with her. Maggie will have none of it. She hisses, spits and runs snarling from the room when he approaches her. They both love to sleep on the big bed. Usually she keeps to the top and he is banished to the bottom of the bed with pillows in between so as to block him from her view. This candid moment was captured before Maggie knew Nicky was so close. She must have been really sleeping soundly not to have heard him jump up on the bed; or he very slowly weaseled his way to the top of the bed noiselessly. (he is pretty good at slowly slinking) How he accomplished this maneuver is a mystery but the result is a picture of unrequited love and the contentment that comes with "almost".
You can find Nicky and Maggie with their feline, canine and other friends at Friday's Ark. Also, be sure to visit Carnival of the Cats on Sunday, this week hosted by Music and Cats. (end of post)
First home game of the season for the William & Mary Tribe. "The game of life is a lot like football. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity. ~ Unknown"
Last year I didn't get to attend Family Weekend at Sewanee. It was a twelve hour drive and the few hotel rooms anywhere close to campus were booked up months in advance. (I understand that parents book rooms for graduation four years in advance.) Now that Nyssa is in her "dream" school, I wanted to go.
Family Weekend had something for everyone including a golf tournament, the "bone marrowthon", games and face painting for the younger crowd, art museum tours, friends of the library book sale, picnics on the grounds, William & Mary Sings choir concert, concerts by various a cappella groups, lectures, panel discussions, study abroad fair, a Homer reading marathon and of course the "football game."
William & Mary played Liberty University. I had never been to a college football game. My alma mater was a very small school in Oklahoma. We had basketball fever but football wasn't more than intramural at that time. So this is my first. In contrast to the Sewanee games.....lemonade....no evidence of alcohol anywhere. I love football, I understand football and know the rules. Nyssa says I should be a ref or sportscaster but I tend to get a tad excited. Unfortunately, I am not always the nicest person during a game I feel strongly about. I am the mother who tells her child, "If you are going to foul someone, do it right, take them out so they can't come back." I know, shame on me. Fortunately, I have a girl not a boy who plays football. (Although I have watched many girls basketball games where kicking, boxing and tackling were common and more time was spent on the floor diving for a ball than dribbling it.) Anyway, W&M played very well, even if one receiver illegally pushed off on a long reception and the referee missed the offensive pass interference call.
You miss a lot watching a game on TV. The crowd issues forth a collective groan whenever a pass is dropped and synchronized cheer when a first down is gained. How do they manage that? How can it seem like one jolly green and yellow giant be yelling "Ohhhhhhhh....Noooooooo!!!!!" instead of three thousand individual people? I thought it was great. My only complaint...the bleachers. No one has yet manufactured one that is comfortable for three hours. Anyone who could design a cushy bleacher would definitely make a fortune.
The result of the game is shown below.
The poor Liberty Flames went down in the same.
Final score: William & Mary 56 - Liberty University 0.
(end of post)
Lorane & her friend Nicky. "Ever since surgery began, man's destiny has been to suffer, in order that he might be cured. And no one can change that, gentlemen."
~ Jean Scott Rogers from Corridors of Blood, (Character Mr. Blount speaking to his class in surgery, before the invention of anesthetic, 1958.)
Today my mother will be having knee replacement surgery. She knows this will be painful, requiring intensive physical therapy and that given her medical history, this won't be easy. Her knee pain has reached the point that walking is very difficult and she still would like to be able to walk enough to visit her son Stephen in Austria.
I don't know how blogging will go this week. Either my dad or I will stay with her at the hospital for the three days she is there. Then she will go to a nursing facility for intense physical therapy for 21 days. At least they will have her diabetes better under control, although we have been doing a good job with it.
In your quiet times of devotion this week, I would appreciate it if you could remember her in your prayers. Dad doesn't say too much but I know he worries enough for all of us. Thanks.
Update (6 PM): She came through the surgery OK. Her knee joint had a lot of inflammation, fluid and chondromalacia, so this was really necessary. I had to leave the hospital about 5:30 pm to get ready for a meeting tonight and to feed all our critters, but my dad is staying overnight with her. She was not out of recovery yet. If you knew how hard it is to get her up on normal days this would not seem unusual. More likely they are waiting for a specific bed to get ready on the orthopedic ward. So far, so good. (end of post)
Nyssa in one of her favorite pastimes. (Click picture for larger view) "There are two barriers that often prevent communication between the young and their elders. The first is middle-aged forgetfulness of the fact that they themselves are no longer young. The second is youthful ignorance of the fact that the middle aged are still alive."
~ Jessamyn West (1902-1984), U.S. novelist. To See the Dream, part 1 (1956)
Nyssa loves to swim. We have never had a pool but she is always able to find someone who has. In Virginia she has the ocean but also through the years has loved to swim and dive in the Furhman's pool. Friend of her grandparents, she credits Mr. Furhman for teaching her to dive.
Submission for Moody Monday topic "youthful". (end of post)
Asparagus stalks, 'on end' macro shot. (Click picture for larger view) The Clean Plater
Some singers sing of ladies' eyes,
And some of ladies lips,
Refined ones praise their ladylike ways,
And course ones hymn their hips.
The Oxford Book of English Verse
Is lush with lyrics tender;
A poet, I guess, is more or less
Preoccupied with gender.
Yet I, though custom call me crude,
Prefer to sing in praise of food.
Food,
Yes, food,
Just any old kind of food.
Pheasant is pleasant, of course,
And terrapin, too, is tasty,
Lobster I freely endorse,
In pate or patty or pasty.
But there's nothing the matter with butter,
And nothing the matter with jam,
And the warmest greetings I utter
To the ham and the yam and the clam.
For they're food,
All food,
And I think very fondly of food.
Through I'm broody at times
When bothered by rhymes,
I brood
On food.
Some painters paint the sapphire sea,
And some the gathering storm.
Others portray young lambs at play,
But most, the female form.
'Twas trite in that primeval dawn
When painting got its start,
That a lady with her garments on
Is Life, but is she Art?
By undraped nymphs
I am not wooed;
I'd rather painters painted food.
Food,
Just food,
Just any old kind of food.
Go purloin a sirloin, my pet,
If you'd win a devotion incredible;
And asparagus tips vinaigrette,
Or anything else that is edible.
Bring salad or sausage or scrapple,
A berry or even a beet.
Bring an oyster, an egg, or an apple,
As long as it's something to eat.
If it's food,
It's food;
Never mind what kind of food.
When I ponder my mind
I consistently find
It is glued
On food.
by Ogden Nash
Submission for MacroDay topic "food". (end of post)
I'm off to parent weekend. If Nyssa allows me to use her laptop I may still
be able to post. Have a good one. Alma Mater
Hark the students' voices swelling,
Strong and true and clear
Alma Mater's love they're telling
Ringing far and near.
CHORUS
William and Mary loved of old
Hark, upon the gale,
Hear the thunder of our chorus
Alma Mater, hail!
All thy sons are faithful to thee
Through their college days;
Singing loud from hearts that love thee
Alma Mater's praise.
Iron shod or golden sandaled
Shall the years go by -
Still our hearts shall weave about thee
Love that cannot die.
God our Father, hear our voices
Listen to our cry
Bless the college of our fathers
Let her never die.
(end of post)
November 2004. Mississippi. "And at home by the fire, whenever you look up, there I shall be - and whenever I look up, there you shall be" ~ Thomas Hardy (British Novelist and Poet - 1840-1928)
It was cool, foggy and damp that November evening in Mississippi. I was back in Columbus to pack up my remaining furniture for storage. The house had sold. Fifteen years of memories were packed away but each room was full of memories I could not pack; ghosts of Christmas past; of little girls in tutus and kittens curled next to the hearth; of Halloween trick or treaters and birthday slumber parties; these all came rushing back as I moved from room to room. I sat in each room remembering the day we moved in, no furniture, no friends, no family; but a new start for my small child and for me. There were good years, good friends and contented times here; I felt safe, secure and in control of my life.
When life in Mississippi slowly started to come apart, our home became my respite from the storm, my cocoon. Here I could sit by the fireplace with my child wrapped in my arms and keep the world away. She was here and I was here. But life finally came crashing in suddenly, unexpectedly, completely; dashing futures and dreams and hopes. So in November 2004 I sat in front of the burning fire for one final time with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart reliving the memories and watching the last fire burn.
Submission for Photo Friday topic "burn." (end of post)
Mr. Rhett and his compelling eyes, a smooth operator.
(Click picture for larger view) I purr and your blues fade away.
I snuggle close and a frown turns to a smile.
I play chase and your world fills with laughter.
And in return, all I ask, is two meals a day...
...and all your love.
~ Stuart and Linda Macfarlane
Mr. Rhett and his hypnotic eyes can be found at Friday's Ark and at the Carnival of the Cats this week hosted by Yourish.com. (end of post)
Clover: "Now you see all of me, majestic, sleek, preparing for action."
(Click pictures for larger image) "On mounting a rising ground, which brought the figure of his fellow-traveller in relief against the sky, gigantic in height, and muffled in a cloak, Ichabod was horror-struck on perceiving that he was headless!--but his horror was still more increased on observing that the head, which should have rested on his shoulders, was carried before him on the pommel of his saddle!" ~ Washington Irving (American Writer called the first American man of letters. Best known for the short stories The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. 1783-1859
"And now in the wink of an eye, I become the "headless" queen of the universe, frightening all who dare to cross me. I will be immortalized in epic literature. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! (Evil laugh)
Yes, Clover and her delusions of grandeur can be found at Friday's Ark and at the Carnival of the Cats on Sunday evening, this week hosted by Yourish.com. (end of post)
Max: "This ball will not leave my sight!"
(Click picture for larger view) "It's tough trying to keep your feet on the ground, your head above the clouds, your nose to the grindstone, your shoulder to the wheel, your finger on the pulse, your eye on the ball and your ear to the ground." ~ Proverb
Anyone able to do all of the above at the same time probably winds up looking like a pretzel in a Twister game. Max here does have one aspect down pat; he certainly can keep his eye on the ball. He is the fickle one though, a few weeks ago his favorite toy was his football. Now, the poor football is completely nasty, covered with dirt and pine sap, sitting in a dark corner of the yard totally forgotten along with his purple monster and other previous "favorite toys". It seems that he can only have one at time. Why? Apparently, Max has learned that having two "favorites" puts him at a disadvantage; when his mom throws one and he runs to get it, she just picks up the other one to throw. This means that he is continually running across the yard to fetch. Once is great, twice is OK, but by the third time he is huffing and puffing. (He is fat) That is about all the strenuous exercise he can take at one time. Besides he'd much rather be standing at the fence with his leg hiked up, peeing through the chain-links to the yard next door where there live three dogs that bark at him annoyingly. Then it's time for a nap. He would much rather just sit in the shade, keeping his feet on the ground and his eye on the ball, preferably while reclining on his cushy mattress. Throw in a chewy, a biscuit treat and a couple of ripe figs and he's in heaven.
We have had to nix the fresh figs. He became bloated, distended, rotund, tight as a tick, and looked miserable even if he did not verbally complain. I really thought if he were accidentally stuck with a pin we might see Max flying high over the house in serpentine fashion like a balloon. Hopefully, this mornings trip to the vet and re-assurance to Dr. Mom who was thinking volvulus, intussusception, loss of vascular supply, gangrene of the bowel, peritonitis, peritoneal effusion or metastatic carcinoma, will do the trick. X-rays looked OK, just backed up bowel and some clogged glands adding to the problem. Yes, he just needs to "fluff" and "poop". "It happens you know."
You can see Max and other doggie friends at Carnival of the Dogs this weekend hosted by Mickey's Musings.
Victrola manufactured 1913 - 1914. (Click picture for larger view) "If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture, let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies... It would be a sad situation if the wrapper were better than the meat wrapped inside it." ~ Albert Einstein (German born American Physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity. Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. 1879-1955)
This antique Victrola sits in my parents living room but belongs to my brother. I looked up the serial numbers and this is one of the early enclosed side floor models created out of luxurious mahogany. It is in perfect condition and working order, even with extra needles. Stephen has quite a collection of classical recordings to go with it. This design transformed the tabletop models into beautiful pieces of furniture. This is a far cry from modern day CD players and iPods, yet there is still something soothing in the sounds that emanate from these early recordings that cannot be matched with technology.
Submission for Thursday Challenge topic "furniture". (end of post)
Courthouse window, Colonial Williamsburg.
(Click picture for larger image) "Philosophy is written in this grand book -- I mean the universe -- which stands continually open to our gaze, but it cannot be understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language in which it is written. It is written in the language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures, without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it; without these, one is wandering about in a dark labyrinth." ~ Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
I loved the shape of this window high in the courtroom; its oval shape and design. Wavy glass panes reveal its age. In this place one can almost go back in time and imagine coming before the court of our peers; wealthy, male, landowners. Well, at the time they were the only ones who could spare the time to volunteer for jury duty. As you sit here you wonder, how did they manage to get people from thirteen colonies, with different countries of origin; different needs and wants to come together in a new government. Amazing.
Submission for LensDay topic "geometric". (end of post)
The poet. (Picture by Margaret)
Random Thoughts of Life
When I grow up
I want to write
the deep sayings found
in greeting cards or
on those bright, quirky t-shirts.
When I grow up
I want to travel
on a road-trip to California
(because I'm too afraid to live there)
or on another mission to the moon
(because I don't believe we really went the first time).
When I grow up
I want to learn
from fortune cookie advice
what the true meaning
of life is.
When I grow up
I want to dive
head-first into an exciting job
every morning,
and sleep each night
with anxious anticipation
of the day to come.
When I grow up
I want to laugh
at all the crazy antics
of my teenage years.
When I grow up
I want to dance
off arthritis and death
to the horrible music of the 1980s.
When I grow up
I want to live
with my tongue sticking out
in the madness and pure excitement
of the moment.
by Nyssa
I did ask permission to post her poetry here. Maybe she'll send me more written this year. Hint. Hint. Nyssa.
(end of post)
Signs posted in "family friendly" areas of Virginia Beach "The man who is slipshod and thoughtless in his daily speech, whose vocabulary is a collection of anemic commonplaces, whose repetitions of phrases and extravagance of interjections act but as feeble disguises to his lack of ideas, will never be brilliant on an occasion when he longs to outshine the stars. Living at one's best is constant preparation for instant use."
~ William Jordan
Philosopher & writer
(from The Majesty of Calmness, p. 47-48)
These signs have been placed up and down the beach area, in and around malls and parks; anywhere families and children might be on outings together and where tourists might visit. I never saw one of these signs as a child, but those were different times. Adults were more careful to filter what they said in the presence of little ears. What happened? We became careless, thoughtless, little by little language deteriorated, we compromised on our values of what speech is acceptable and what isn't fit for human consumption. Now, we have rap lyrics that are no more than expletives strung together, comedians who think this language actually enhances their show, and children who curse at teachers and other adults. I think this sign was a good idea but a little late and perhaps put to better use if posted in our homes.
Submission for Photo Tuesday topic "thoughtless". (end of post)
Mississippi Gulf Coast Sunset (picture by Nyssa)
(Click picture for larger view) "When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator" ~ Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
The Mississippi coast near Pass Christian has been ravaged, the coastline changed, these dunes decimated, tree-lined drives obliterated, homes destroyed. And yet the colors shading the sky at sunset remain the same. The moon still rises over the now calm sea and each morning the sun shines, bringing warmth to the earth; the now gentle winds reshape the sand and yes, even now the seeds of gently waving sea grass begin their journey of rebirth along with the courageous people of Mississippi.
(end of post)
Lorane & Loren, married 54 years and counting. "Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable." ~ Bruce Lee
This year my parents celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary. They were from opposite ways of life but with the same values of family, faith and hard work. Their love grew out of friendship and has lasted and grown stronger through years of joy mixed with sorrow; always together.I'd Marry You Again
With tiny tears that glistened, my eyes were fixed on you,
And thinking of the life we'd share, we softly said "I do."
Our hearts were knit together from the time that we first met,
And memories were gathered, that we never will forget.
While daily living life with you, you saw the real me,
And still you chose acceptance, a lifelong mystery.
With many happy days gone by, and others when we cried,
some days we'd share so endlessly, while other days we'd hide.
With all the ups and downs we've had, in learning to be friends,
I know that in this heart of mine, I'd marry you again.
by Anne Peterson
Water drop caught in free fall. (Macro)
(Click picture for larger view) "A drop of water hollows a stone, not by force, but by continuously dripping." ~ Ovid (Ancient Roman classical Poet and Author of Metamorphoses, 43 BC-17 BC)
Submission for MacroDay topic "water". (end of post)
Blue wild violet, Macro shot by srp. (Click picture for larger view) Beautiful Blue
Splash of fresh sea-breeze in my lover’s eyes
Cast upward on angel’s swimming pool
Laced with fluffy sky dunes
Which sadly cry to earth crayon tears
Berries, Hibiscus, Birds—all drenched
With bright color
Endless shades and tones
Of beautiful Blue
by Nyssa (2003)
(end of post)
Children of Summer. (Click picture for larger view) "I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only a child playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me." ~ Sir Isaac Newton (English Mathematician and Physicist, 1642-1727)
Under the bright summer sun, children play at the beach building castles and dredging moats in the damp sand. Their dark silhouettes are a sharp contrast against the sparkling blue of the vast ocean; this ocean whose waves will soon wash over the castles and turrets at high tide, erasing all traces of their existence. And yet memories of these castles in the sand will remain intact in the hearts of the children.
Submission for PXITE topic "silhouette". (end of post)
Look into my eyes. (Click picture for larger view) "I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts." ~ John Steinbeck (American Novelist and Writer, Nobel Prize for Literature for 1962, 1902-1968)
Max gives me a steady hypnotizing look as if to say "OK, your are getting sleepy, sleepy; you will now bring me one of those cat-shaped crunchy treats. You are completely under my spell." Most of the time, he would be right.
Submission for Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings. (end of post)
