I usually tweak my photos slightly. If I don't they tend to appear washed out on the blog. So I confess that most yard photos especially have the contrast increased and exposure decreased, though usually not by much. They look not only better but also closer to what my eye sees when I am snapping pics.
Confession out of the way, here are some from this evening after I got home and watered the yard.
Pole beans and petunias
Eggplant seedlings and newly sprouted cosmos
Tournament of Roses rosebush
French lavender
Singing in the Rain rose - unretouched
Piñata rosebush
Tomatoes and basil (and I suspect the Serrano chile may survive)
If you had seen my Elberta peach tree the last two seasons you would not guess that this is the same tree.
Enjoy!
Speaking of enjoyment, I plucked some basil and Italian parsley from the yard tonight (yes, I also have rosemary, sage, and thyme). These went into a sauce of heavy cream, sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, thyme, dill, red pepper flakes, thin asparagus, and sea salt. All this was tossed with rotelli pasta. Very nice - and lunch for the next couple of days.
UPDATE: Oh, dessert was organic tapioca pudding topped with very fresh home-made strawberry jam from my friend Bill's home-grown strawberries. I feel sooooo decadent.
Millions displaced by cyclone in India, Bangladesh Washington Post - 41 minutes ago By Sujoy Dhar KOLKATA, India (Reuters) - Cyclone Aila has displaced millions of people in India and Bangladesh, only a fraction of whom have access to food and drinking water, officials said on Wednesday.
Holy God, source of life, lover of souls, out of the depths we call to you; in the face of incomprehensible anguish and sorrow, we lift the cries of our distress and implore you to show mercy upon those who are suffering from the destruction of Cyclone Aila. We pray for those who have died and for their loved ones who grieve, asking you to hold them in the arms of your love; we pray for those who have been injured in body, mind or spirit and ask you to heal them; we pray for those who are homeless and wandering, for families torn asunder and ask you to shelter them. Strengthen the hands and hearts of those who assist in relief efforts and grant us all firm resolve to stand with our neighbors who are in need, to love them and to offer our generous support of them in this their time of trouble; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen
--A prayer by Fr. Chip Stokes for those affected by Hurricane Katrina, adapted
“Whatever is happening, I do not like it and I am afraid for my child.”
This was X., the young widow whose hollowing cheeks bespoke weight loss and whose darkening eyes proclaimed sleepless nights. She stood with a rigid dignity but her form had grown slighter beneath the indigo dress that hung from her frame.
“’Fraid,” echoed Her Magnificence, looking about the room and seeing collective anxiety on the faces of the adults.
Yes, in the space of a few short chapters there have been two assassinations since the prince was slain, and three acts of terrorism. Now it is overt military action. Moriarty must be up to something. Grab your deerstalker, the game's afoot.
The Regents are freaking. For that matter, so is the whole principality. We don't have warrantless wiretapping but the roads are closed, movement is limited, surveillance is ratcheted up. Clamping down with control is, how do you say, a rather common response to fear.
Now come the dreams and visions along with the movement of armies. Not the springtime everyone hoped for.
The graphic above encapsulates my prayer at some news.
I realize that life may well not be that different from what we have known but communication is much faster and more widespread. We are thus aware of the world's pain, and specifically of the pain of friends and those they love, in a more immediate way than was ever possible before.
It seems that bad news, unspeakably horrible news, keeps coming. The accidental death of a child, the isolation of those with terminal or potentially terminal conditions, the myriad setbacks on the journey toward justice, the surd agony of a planet.
Our initial take on the California Supreme Court's decision on Proposition 8 may well miss a larger and actually somewhat positive point that the name of "marriage" may be withheld but any attempt to deny the rights of domestic relationships would face a much higher hurdle and is not likely to be viewed favorably by the court. See Ann Fontaine's post at The Lead.
What really moves, angers, and appalls me today is the tragedy that Doxy shares with us today. Just read it. You owe this to yourself. It is tragic and infuriating. Through it all Terri-Lynn shines.
May she rest in peace and rise in glory.
[If you have not read Doxy's post, the point of what I append here will be obscure; if you do read her post it will be more than clear.]
[Note: Diverus is a variant of Dives in this folk song. "Dives" is Latin for "rich man."]
As it fell out upon one day, Rich Divès made a feast, And he invited all his friends, And gentry of the best.
Then Lazarus laid him down and down And down at Divès’ door: “Some meat and drink, brother, Diverus, Bestow upon the poor.”
“Thou’rt none of my brothers, Lazarus, That liest begging at my door; No meat, nor drink will I give thee, Nor bestow upon the poor.”
Then Lazarus laid him down and down, All under Divès’ wall: “Some meat, some drink, brother Diverus, For hunger starve I shall.”
“Thou’rt none of my brothers, Lazarus, That liest begging at my gate; No meat, no drink will I give thee, For Jesus Christ His sake.”
Then Divès sent out his hungry dogs, To bite him as he lay; They hadn’t the power to bite one bite, But licked his sores away.
Then Divès sent to his merry men, To worry poor Lazarus away; They’d not the power to strike one stroke, But flung their whips away.
As it fell out upon one day, Poor Lazarus sickened and died; There came two angels out of heaven, His soul therein to guide.
“Rise up! rise up! brother Lazarus, And go along with me; For you’ve a place prepared in heaven, To sit on an angel’s knee.”
As it fell out upon one day, Rich Divès sickened and died; There came two serpents out of hell, His soul therein to guide.
“Rise up! rise up! brother Diverus, And come along with me; There is a place provided in hell For wicked men like thee.”
Then Divès looked up with his eyes And saw poor Lazarus blest; “Give me one drop of water, brother Lazarus, To quench my flaming thirst.”
“O, was I now but alive again The space of one half hour! O, that I had my peace again Then the devil should have no power.”
There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's Side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 'No, Father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'
I did nothing in the garden this weekend except walk and take the photos shown below. I watered well before leaving town and my friend Kathy saw to it that things were watered before I came home. Thanks, Kathy!
Check these babies out. Planted this year as a bare root rose.
Likewise with this one.
These were planted two years ago and have just bloomed in the past week.
I came home to many other blooms than these, but I caught these on camera (I began to say "on film" but that hardly obtains anymore) before running off on today's romp.
It appears that most of the vegetables are going to make it. More on them at another date.
God of love and mercy, receive our thanks this day for the men and women who have given their lives in service to our country. Help us to honor them in our work for peace through justice, that people across the globe may live abundant lives freed from the threat of war and violence. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.
UPDATE:
I added no comments earlier because I really had no words to add. Now I would like to add these (borrowed) comments: Each and every one of these deaths left a hole in the world. That is why we count them.
Before I left I plotted with my friend Bill to do a day trip (yes, "road trip" is overstating it) on this Monday observance of Memorial Day (I won't call today "Memorial Day;" that's May 30, harrumph).
I don't think we're in North Carolina any more.
Posing at the Harvey House Museum in Belén
Bill, in motion with wind blowing
Some of you may recall our visiting a Harvey House Museum in Barstow, California, last fall. Here is one with a local touch: the requisite New Mexico ristra of chiles to ward off evil
Cool brick building
We had lunch at great coffee shop in Socorro then took a brief stroll (until it began to rain)
This felt like Old Mexico to us
Our ultimate destination was the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Reserve (more of that later)
The cactus garden was in bloom
I have more photos but this will do for now.
A lovely little change of pace after a lovely huge change of pace over the weekend.
The longer the weekend, the less one wants to return to work. Yet it must be said: I am very grateful to be employed.
I am not even using first names yet in this post, please forgive me but I don't feel I have permission to do so.
Two days ago a friend's nephew and nephew's young son witnessed an accident in which the nephew's toddler was run over fatally while they could do nothing to stop it. Nephew, wife, and all their children (and the driver) all need major prayer right now. God knows their names and you know what to do.
My friend is, understandably, very distraught right now too.
Thank you.
Almighty God, Father of mercies and giver of comfort: Deal graciously, we pray, with all who mourn; that, casting all their care on you, they may know the consolation of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
UPDATE (5/26/09): Grandmother of the toddler says that folks are doing better. Grandfather says they are doing as well as can be expected.
My friend (a classmate of years gone by) says, "I still tear up very quickly when I try to tell folks at work about it." There are fears/concerns for the nephew/father of the toddler.
Please keep the prayers coming.
And thank you.
UPDATE 2 (5/27/09): The funeral is scheduled for today [Wednesday].
I am having a hard time keeping myself together with this posting. I never thought I would see these babies so round, with pudgy fingers, with contented looks, without breathing tubes, just like average newborns. God never let us be discouraged even when we could see through their skin, even when they were so covered with equipment we could barely see their eyes, even when we returned from lunch one day and eight doctors and nurses were surrounding Olivia's isolette, even when they were both setting off their monitors like dueling banjos, even when the news delivered from the PNP or doctors was hard to hear and I could go on. Everyday was filled with God's love and hope. Katie and Jeremy are people of extreme strength and faith. Katie's mantra was always 'that is one for the win column.' Together they stood strong and determined and prayed for God's blessing for their babies. What extraordinary parents! Our family and friends have been our rock. Their prayers and support have made the difference. The medical personal everywhere has been unbelievable, caring, loving and understanding.
As for Clara and Olivia, you just know they are tough little cookies-a force to be reckoned with.
This sounds like the end of something but you know it is just the beginning! Thank you, Lord Jesus. Quote of the Day: That is one for the win column. Katie Hoff
Feeling so much better I can make coffee myself. I can shower without help. I have tons more energy.
Thanks so much for all the prayers. I feel like a miracle today.
She and Gary still need lots of prayers.
Gary has a torn rotator cuff and will have surgery soon. He will be down for at least 10 days recovering at home and then 3 months of light duty at work. I'm very worried about both os us being down at the same time. We will need lots of help during his 10 days of recovery. Please keep him in your prayers for a successful surgery and complete recovery.
For JCF and MP and David and others in their quest for the right employment.
David@Montreal chatted with his cousin who is going through heavy treatment that currently puts him and his wife in isolation.
as i said both Frank and Carol sounded particularly worn down, and for the first time he hinted to be of the possibility of a future without him. Carol spoke of the hardship of not even being able to attend her parish Church last Sunday as they are in isolation. and Kerri, their youngest daughter and my God-daughter has just been confirmed as being pregnant, however F & C cannot see either her or their other 2 daughters and grandchildren i confess there were tears i hung up.
Prayers for Frank and Carol and their entire family, and for David and his neighbor Robert, continue.
For Padre Mickey, the Lovely Mona, and the Dance Party crew as the good padre wrestles with la computadora.
For Kirstin who made it through and graduated and for my chum Vivian who did so also.
Those of you with a spiritual practice, do send prayers, good vibrations, incantations, and meditations of healing to my godson Robbie (aka Lopi) who was assaulted and robbed yesterday and is in hospital bruised and with broken leg.
I was there when Jane got the call, just before we headed from her house to the wedding. It is evidently a spiral fracture. +Maya extended the paw of healing. We extend prayers.
For Doxy and Dear Husband, who included this in their wedding program:
Even in our joy, we do not forget our friends and loved ones who are barred by secular law and religious tradition from making the commitment we are making today. We pray for the day when all couples who wish to enter the covenant of marriage will be able to do so, and we will continue to work for the inclusion of all the baptized in the life and ministry of the church.
For those still writing papers this late in May, or dissertations.
For peace. For diplomats, translators, and bridge builders. For those who take risks so that human hearts may be connected. For those who welcome strangers. For those who give a home to exiles. For those who bind wounds, set bones, and lay cool compresses on fevered brows. For those who still write notes by hand (I am not among them). For those are willing to dig in the manure so flowers will grow. For yourselves, that you will be kind to your only self.
05/24/09 DoD Identifies Army Casualty Sgt. 1st Class Brian Naseman, 36, of New Bremen, Ohio, died May 22 in Taji, Iraq of a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 108th Forward Support Company, attached to 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team...
05/24/09 DoD Identifies Army Casualties (3 of 3) Sgt. Paul F. Brooks, 34, of Joplin, Mo. He was a National Guardsman assigned to the 935th Aviation Support Battalion, Springfield, Missouri... died May 21 near Baghdad, Iraq of wound sustained when their unit was attacked...using IED
05/24/09 DoD Identifies Army Casualties (2 of 3) First Lieutenant Leevi K. Barnard, 28, of Mount Airy, N.C. He was a National Guardsman assigned to the 252nd Combined Arms Battalion.... died May 21 near Baghdad, Iraq of wound sustained when their unit was attacked...using IED
05/24/09 DoD Identifies Army Casualties (1 of 3) Major Jason E. George, 38, of Tehachapi, Calif. He was an Army Reservist assigned to the 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, Fayetteville, North Carolina... died May 21 near Baghdad, Iraq of wound sustained when their unit was attacked...using IED
During meetings with congressional leaders this week, Netanyahu was stunned by the "harsh and unequivocal statements" with which lawmakers complained about the settlements, according to an account in the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. The newspaper said that although the prime minister tried to highlight the threat of Iran in his talks, lawmakers instead returned repeatedly to the issue of settlements. --Washington Post
If Netanyahu was stunned, I cannot help wondering what other world he lives in. You cannot continue to expand settlements in Palestinian territory and pretend that you want peace or, for that matter, that the security of Israel is your goal. It is theft of land by rabid zionists: plain, pure, and simple. To even allow language about divine right to the land is to invoke the sort of knee-jerk fundamentalism we condemn in all religious traditions, and to invoke it in the pursuit of power and wealth ( = land) at the expense of those who are displaced. It is patently immoral, unjust, and unconscionable.
I would like to see Israel thrive - within its pre-1967 boundaries. But until it ceases this expansion I cannot and will not support it. This lies at the heart of the abiding problems there. It is an action that dares surrounding countries and the world community to do something about it, provoking an abiding (and in this case fully justified) resentment among the Palestinians. It can only make matters worse. Not only do I believe expansion should cease, I believe the settlers should all return to Israel (their definition of Israeli boundaries not being acceptable). If they whine, tough shit. They should not be there in the first place. I have zero sympathy for them, just as I have zero sympathy for the US architects of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
It is obvious that I do not equate rabid expansionist zionism with the nation of Israel. I refuse to accept the idea that one must accept the former for the sake of the latter. The latter needs to cut out the cancer of the former if it wishes to live in peace and behave like a civilized nation. Having said that, any reader of this blog knows I do not believe the United States has been behaving like a civilized nation, so I certainly am not holding us up as a shining example.
I rejoice to see pro-Israel American lawmakers and the Obama Administration stand up and call Israel on this issue. It's about effing time.
And if nobody is going to play nice, should the land go back to the Hivites, the Jebusites, the Perizzites, etc.? Because I can no longer buy into territorial theology, even when it's in the Bible.
05/24/09 : DoD Identifies Army Casualty Chief Warrant Officer (3) Brent S. Cole, 38, of Reedsville, W. Va., died May 22, when his helicopter went down in Tarin Kwot, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division...
Radiant, gracious, a joy. No wonder DF fell for her.
I was on a plane instead of church today but here is proof that we did go to church this weekend.
Belle put on a mask to honor her New Orleans roots and meet Mimi again. My daughhters Maggie and Belle are very fond of Mimi. How could they not be? See, blackmail! I've got my arm around her again. (Keep an eye on the clergy; we're not to be trusted.)
Jane noted that one must stop and smell the magnolias. Fran caught me sniffing.
It was an amazing walk with the three of us deep in discussion of the Most Holy and Lifegiving Trinity.
The views expressed on this blog are solely those of the blogger and do not represent the positions of any group or organization with which he may be affiliated. As one who spent decades stuffing down his opinions and emotions, I am inclined to cut loose here, which I believe is healthy, honest, and part of the process of sanctification in the long run. Politics and spirituality mingle freely here, along with theatre reviews, photography, and passionate talk about food, literature, and the human journey. If anything written here offends you, please find other blogs to read. I am here to share, not to do battle.
