Columbine 2013

The columbine in my yard is in full bloom.

 

The light purples and pinks are new this year.

 

 

 

Originally I had these dark purples and yellows. Evidence, I think,

 

 

 

that though the norticulturists breed for certain colors

 

 

eventually they revert back to their original beauty.

 

 

Mankind can only improve on Mother Nature so much ... and our improvements are not always permanent.

Thursday Thirteen #295

Today I offer up 13 ways to age gracefully . . .


1. Take up a new hobby, or go back to a forgotten passion.

2. Don't worry what your neck looks like.

3. Keep your sense of humor.

4. Accept your body's changes and acknowledge that your life won't stay the same.

5. But you might also try denying that you're getting older. Don't focus on what isn't working, think about what is.

6. Mourn what you're losing, if you must. It's going to go, so you may as well make the best of it.

7. Make young friends.

8. Find the things that are important to you, and do them.

9. Keep moving and exercise.

10. Watch your diet.

11. Smile (you might use whitener on your teeth, too, it helps make you look a little younger)


12. Wear rubber gloves when you do your chores so your hands will look smooth and supple.

13. Use conditioner on your hair to keep it from drying out and looking dull.

What are you doing to age gracefully?


Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 295th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

It Doesn't Happen Every Day

Earlier this month, I wrote about an afternoon spent with a willow tree branch, wherein I attempted to do a little water witching.*

 

The well drillers came on Tuesday.

 

They set up quickly and went to work.

 

 

After drilling just 6 feet, they hit a cavern.

 

 

At 15 feet, they hit rock.

 

 

So they dug.

 

 

And they drilled.

 

 

And they dug.

 

 

And they drilled.

 

And they hit water at 371 feet.

 

But it was only a little bit.

 

 

So they drilled.

 

 

And they dug.

 

 

And they did other stuff

 

 

That meant climbing up in the well drilling machine

 

 

But in the end they got 'er done. They stopped at 425 feet, with 8 gallons a minute of water flow.

 

Not enough to start a water company, but it will definitely water the cows, and that's what it is meant to do.





*They did not drill where I had told them to, so we will never know if my water witching worked.*
 

Books: Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
By Fannie Flagg
Copyright 1987
402 pages


I have long enjoyed the movie, Fried Green Tomatoes, which starred Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Mary Louise Parker. It is one of my favorites.

However, I had never read the book, an oversight that I decided to correct since I have read many other books by Fannie Flagg.

Very rarely do I decide that the movie is better than the book. In this case, I think it is a tie.

The movie succinctly showcases the heart of the story, and tells it well, if not better, than the book. But the book is rather like southern potato salad - more creamy and filling than the movie ever thought of being.

The book goes into greater depth and offers up additional characters, and I enjoyed that. The movie has a number of differences from the book, too, and it was interesting to note those as  I read.

The book Fried Green Tomatoes is set up in an unusual manner for the reader - there are many time and location changes, and things jump around a good bit. Some of the story is told by Ninny Threadgood, an old woman in a nursing home, who is visited by Evelyn Couch. Evelyn is a modern day 48-year-old woman who is trying to find herself (and I confess I have in the last decade identified with her character strongly whenever I see the movie. Towanda indeed.).

Other parts of the story are told by an omniscient narrator, and still other parts read as if they are torn from the local gossip sheet.

I think in this instance the two works are best taken in separate lumps, and better off not compared. Each has its strong points. If you want a bit more potato salad than the movie offered, read the book.

Sunday Stealing - Meme Questions

From Sunday Stealing: the fairy tale meme

Snow White: Do you consider yourself pretty? Name the part of your body you think is the most beautiful!

A. I do not consider myself pretty, nope. I have nice skin, though. As I have aged it is not as nice as it used to be but it is still fairly decent.


Cinderella: What is your shoe size?

A. It's the appropriate one for my feet.


Sleeping Beauty: How many hours do you sleep each night?

A. Generally 7 to 8. I usually get up at least once during the night.

Little Red Riding Hood: What is your favorite food? 

A. Chocolate, apparently. That seems to be what I have the most trouble giving up. My favorite veggie is green beans. My favorite fruit is watermelon. My favorite meat is chicken (it used to be fish until I started having weird reactions to seafood). My favorite grain is rice.

The Frog Prince: What do you find disgusting?

A. Vomit or the act thereof, poop jokes, things that boys do, and politics.

Jack and the Beanstalk: What plants are in your room?

A. I have an artificial flower arrangement of yellow flowers in my office. Because of my allergies I long ago rid the house of real plants - mold in the dirt was causing problems.

Puss in Boots: Do you have a pet? Do you want one?

A. I have a herd of cows. They are not pets but they are my animals. I do not want another pet of any kind.

Rumpelstiltskin: What is the meaning of your url? 

It means "this blog at blogspot." The blog title, which I think is what this question is really asking, means "Blue Ridge Mountains, Living in the Country, and the World is Magic to Me."

The Little Mermaid: Can you sing?

A. La la la la la. Yes. I also play guitar. I don't do either as much or as well as I used to.

Pinocchio: What is your greatest wish?

A. This is a hard one. But I think my greatest wish is to be acknowledged and to feel like I matter. Or maybe that is my greatest need, and my greatest wish is something else.

Peter Pan: What is your (mental) age? 

A. I think I'm about 22. If you're interested in some personality testing and would like to know your emotional age, check out this link. Be aware the tests can be long, and I'm not responsible if you click on a link that says "pay up." I'm not being paid to promote this, I just like personality tests.

The Star Money: What is your most prized possession?
A. This is tough, too. I don't value things all that much and most of them are replaceable. But I would have to say my computer, or my backup hard drive, because it has so much of my writing and photography on it, and that would be difficult if not impossible to replicate if I lost it all. After that, I would say my diploma, which is representative of my education.

Down by the Road

Daisies in the hayfield.

 

Some kind of phlox.

 

Daisies up close and personal.

 

Buttercups.

Thursday Thirteen

Animals in my life:

1. My dog Ginger. She was with me from 1984 to 2001, which is a very long time for a dog. She was 17 years old when she died. She was a mix of an Eskimo Spitz and terrier, I think. She never weighed more than 35-40 pounds. Because of my terrible allergies, we kept her outside unless it was very cold out, and then I would bring her into the garage. Even though it's been a dozen years since she passed away, sometimes I still expect to see her scampering around in the back yard when I look out the window.

2. We raise beef cattle, and I grew up with cattle. Fortunately I have never had to handle more than calves. Cows are fun to watch, though. They are very calm creatures most of the time.

3. My father had chickens for a while when I was a young girl.

4. He also had guineas,

5. Quail,

6. Turkeys,

7. and ducks.


8. Deer. These are not pets or something we raise, but I consider the deer to be my animal totem.

9. I have never owned a cat, but cats have played an interesting role in my life. My mother thought my grandfather came back as a cat, and I think my mother sends me a black cat as a warning. This is because the day we buried my mother, I came home to find a black cat in the front yard. It hung out around the house for a year almost to the day of my mother's death and then it vanished. Now I only occasionally see a black cat on the farm, usually less than once a year, and I consider it a warning. The other day I saw two different black cats on the farm within an hour. I wonder what is up . . .

10. We aren't supposed to have mountain lions in this area, but I am one of a number of people who claim to have seen them. I have seen them several times, actually. I saw one when I was a young girl, and back then I heard the scream of a panther late in the evening a few times. Then I saw a mountain lion cross the road in front of me when I was driving over Caldwell Mountain one day. Officials claim there are no mountain lions here and that what we are seeing are bob cats. However, I have seen those, too, and I know the difference.

11. In the last several years, we've had swans on the farm ponds. This includes a black swan that appeared out of nowhere and hung out for a long time. These birds were brought in by a local millionaire for his pond but sometimes they apparently want a change of scenery. They fascinate me because they are so elegant in the water, and look so unusual. That's especially true for the black one.

12. To my knowledge I don't have mice in my house, but growing up we frequently did. I remember my mother opened up a drawer where she had stored some lace to find a mouse nest full of babies in there. And one time during a party a mouse ran out into the room full of guests, and my mother took off her high heel and killed the thing with it. I imagine that was the highlight of the party. I have an affinity for mice dressed like Santa Clause.

13. So far this year I have not seen a bear on the farm, but they are around. I have taken a few photos of them. We once had a little cub on Grandma's front porch.




Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 294th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Books: The Shoemaker's Wife

The Shoemaker's Wife
By Adriana Trigiani
Copyright 2012
Approx. 15 hours (Audio)

I have read or listened to almost all, if not all, of Adriana Trigiana's books. The author is from Southwestern Virginia, which makes her a hometown girl, and for that reason alone I take pleasure in her work.

While I still think her Big Stone Gap book series is her best work, her recent books about shoemakers in New York (Very Valentine and Brava, Valentine) have also been entertaining.

The Shoemaker's Wife takes us back in time to the immigrants who came to America to learn the trade of making shoes. Two young boys, Eduardo and Ciro, are orphaned after their father dies and their mother leaves them at a convent because she cannot care for them. The story follows Ciro for a while, then switches to Enza, a stalwart, hard-working young woman whose destiny is entwined with Ciro's, and back again.

The story is told in third person omniscient, always an interesting point of view and one not seen in many new works these days. I always like it.

It is always better for me to be listening to long books while I am in the car, and this one was no exception. The story at times grew lengthy and I think some strong editing would have made the book better, but all in all it was a nice addition to Trigiani's work. Having read her earlier pieces I could see where this story was coming from, and had an idea of where it was going.

Trigiani is strong in character study and she's good with description. This book took advantage of both, probably a good thing since it was a little short on plot. It would not be unkind or wrong to call this a literary romance, for boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-again truly is the plot line.

The details of the time period are nicely done and since I have not been to Italy or Minnesota, and it's been quite some time since I was in New York, I found her descriptions interesting. Some might find them a little long-winded, though.

The only issue I had with the audio CD was a change in readers about half way through the book. At the end of the book, the author (who was the last reader) explains that this change of voice was done to emphasis the change in locale and time and to create a radio-play type of feel to the audio book. Unfortunately I found it a little jarring - the first reader was quite softspoken and feminine, and Trigiani - well, she's from around these here parts and has a tougher, louder, voice. It's not an unpleasant voice, but the two did not mesh. While I understand what the author wanted to do with the switch, the end result was more along the lines of "good grief, what happened, did they run out of money to pay the reader?" than I suspect was intended.

If you're a fan of Trigiani, and I hope you, then this is another good read for you. If you're just finding her, you might want to start with another of her works before you tackle this one.

Fancy Footwear

After months of hobbling around trying to heal a painful right foot, I finally went to the orthopedist Monday.

He put me back in a boot.

I was in a surgical shoe for a similar issue in late 2011. I still have the surgical shoe and since it is less bulky than this monstrous thing that goes all the way to my knee I suspect I will be wearing it some, as well. Particularly when I go out if I feel I need to.

The diagnosis was a multiple one of arthritis, plantar fasciitis, and tendonitis. I have the three itises, I guess. I have been limping around for a while.

I've had trouble with my feet since 2007, off and on. Plantar fasciitis is a bear and it eases up but apparently is never cured. The first time it flared up it was mostly in the left foot; this time it's the other side.

The doctor also recommended I wear a night splint, which is essentially the same thing you see above except you wear it at night and you aren't supposed to walk in it much. I have tried one in the past and not found it especially helpful; also, it interfered greatly with my sleep and getting your sleep is as important as anything else. So I don't know that I will follow that recommendation but I will look for the night splint I used last time.

Wildlife and Wood

If it's not the deer eating my roses, it's this:

Squirrels have been gnawing on the wood frame of my back door.

A woodpecker has devastated one of the trees in the back yard.

Congratulations, Emory!

Yesterday, my nephew, Emory, graduated from University of South Carolina. He is studying to go into the medical field and will be continuing his education at the College of Health Professions at the Medical University of South Carolina - Charleston.

It seems like just yesterday he was a little toddler trailing after his uncle and his granddaddy while they worked on the farm.

I am so proud of the young man he has become. He's worked hard to get through college, taking pre-med and very hard classes in chemistry, biology, etc.

Emory at Christmas, 2009.

High School Baseball 2008.

At his high school graduation party, 2009.

Emory and his brother in 2006.

Emory kills his first buck, 2007.

Emory with a guitar that his aunt helped him pick out in 2010.

Emory at Christmas, 2012.

Emory yesterday as he walked down the aisle (screen capture from online video of his graduation).

Emory and his brother Chris yesterday, photo from Chris' FB page.

Well done, young man, well done!

 

Book: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
By Cheryl Strayed
Copyright 2012
346 pages (e-reader)


Cheryl, in her memoir, tells us the story of her life up to her mid-20s. After her mother dies, she falls apart and ultimately ends up hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which is the west's version of the Appalachian Trail.

It runs from lower CA to Canada or thereabouts.

Anyway, the author sets out on this 1,000-mile hike about as unprepared as anyone can be. Her shoes are too small and her backpack too heavy. She comes across as very ignorant about a great many things. She says she spent six months "preparing" by going to various camping and hiking stores and receiving all kinds of advice, and not once did she think to load her pack or try on her shoes? Really?

My book club is reading this book for its May selection, so I finished it completely. Oprah also chose the book for her book club, which I am sure boosted the book sales tremendously. But I am not sure that I would have (a) read this book as a personal choice and (b) finished it if I had. However, I would have missed out had I not read the book. At least sometimes I think that. I have some ambivalence about this story.

It is well-written, but I grew tired of the character's whining. I think every other page was: Four years before I decided to hike, my mother died, so I broke up my marriage. My mother died, so I tried heroin. My mother died, so I lost my job. My mother died, so my family broke apart. You get the picture.

There were a good many physical complaints, too, about her feet (she ended up losing her toenails because her shoes were *that much* too tight!) and the heavy backpack. As far as I was concerned, these were things that were within her control and she chose this suffering for whatever reason. The woman was one class shy of a college degree, for heaven's sake. She wasn't - or shouldn't have been - as ignorant as she made out to be.

The character had a tough childhood, which accounts for a great many things, but after 300 pages I was a little tired of the pity party. I kept waiting for the epiphany that I knew from page 5 would need to happen, and when it finally did, I wiped my brow and said aloud, "Whew, this train wreck is finally coming to a close."

The book has over 1,000 five-star ratings, and about 125 one star ratings on Amazon. I fall somewhere in between. I'd give it a 3.5 perhaps, not because it is an enjoyable read but because it tells a story that I think needs to be told.

She doesn't make the obvious connections between her parental neglect and her train wreck of a life, but they are there for the discerning reader to see. I think I would have liked for her epiphany to have pointed this out more, but it didn't, though it alluded to it. I think parental neglect is rampant in the United States, and poor parents are everywhere. In fact, I think the entire country is suffering under the burden of these grown-ups who were never nurtured properly and so they take out their anger and frustration on everyone around them. Only instead of hiking some trail, they go into politics.

Because the message is so necessary, and because I didn't know there was a Pacific Crest Trail until I read the book, I suggest reading this story. However, I tell you that with this caveat: I don't know that you will enjoy it. You will, though, learn something, if you read with an open mind.

The River James

The James River flooded earlier this week, reaching flood stage of about 21 feet. We went to Buchanan to view the river late in the day, and the waters had already receded several feet and flooding was no longer a danger to the town.

In 1985 the river overflowed its banks and nearly wiped out both Eagle Rock and Buchanan. That flood remains a high water mark for those communities, and those of us who remember that dreadful November day recall it with a shudder.

When we were by the water's edge, the river was lower, but still angry, and you could smell the sludge and stench of flood waters. 

You can see from the wet marks on the piling that the river had been much higher before we arrived.

From news footage, I know that the water was around this sign and up on the grounds we were standing on earlier in the day.

An angry river is not something to dismiss. It's very dangerous.

The entire parking lot was underwater earlier in the day.

Normally the whole of this sign is visible, and the ground beneath it is dry.

From The River James
By Mary Johnston

. . .

"Three hundred miles
     Runs the River James
Bubbles cool the mountain springs,
     Slides the narrow stream.
Maidenhair and rhododendron,
     Flame azalea, dogwood, laurel,
Roots of helocks,
     Giant hemlocks,
Where the Indian kneeled,
     Cupped his hand and drank cool water

. . .

"Danger and woe!
     Flood -  Flood -
Flood in the James,
     The ancient, mighty, tawny James!
Over the rocks at Richmond,
     Between green islets,
Murmuring, rushing,
     Beneath the city of the dead

 . . .

"The children play,
     The lover smile,
The old folk rest, 
     Beside the James."

Thursday Thirteen

1. May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, as proclaimed by the POTUS at the end of April. You can find information at the National Institute for Mental Health website (NIMH) and the information below comes from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Here are some common myths and facts about mental health.

2. Myth: There's no hope for people with mental illnesses.

   Fact: There are more treatments, strategies, and community supports than ever before, and even more are on the horizon. People with mental illnesses lead active, productive lives.

3. Myth: I can't do anything for someone with mental health needs.

   Fact: You can do a lot, starting with the way you act and how you speak. You can nurture an environment that builds on people's strengths and promotes good mental health. For example:
• Avoid labeling people with words like "crazy," "wacko," "loony," or by their diagnosis. Instead of saying someone is a "schizophrenic" say "a person with schizophrenia."
• Learn the facts about mental health and share them with others, especially if you hear something that is untrue.
• Treat people with mental illnesses with respect and dignity, as you would anybody else.
•  Respect the rights of people with mental illnesses and don't discriminate against them when it comes to housing, employment, or education. Like other people with disabilities, people with mental health needs are protected under Federal and State laws.

4. Myth: People with mental illnesses are violent and unpredictable.
   Fact: In reality, the vast majority of people who have mental health needs are no more violent than anyone else. You probably know someone with a mental illness and don't even realize it.

5. Myth: Mental illnesses cannot affect me.
   Fact: Mental illnesses are surprisingly common; they affect almost every family in America. Mental illnesses do not discriminate-they can affect anyone.

6. Myth: Mental illness is the same as mental retardation.

   Fact: The two are distinct disorders. A mental retardation diagnosis is characterized by limitations in intellectual functioning and difficulties with certain daily living skills. In contrast, people with mental illnesses-health conditions that cause changes in a person's thinking, mood, and behavior-have varied intellectual functioning, just like the general population.

7. Myth: Mental illnesses are brought on by a weakness of character.
   Fact: Mental illnesses are a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. Research has shown genetic and biological factors are associated with schizophrenia, depression, and alcoholism. Social influences, such as loss of a loved one or a job, can also contribute to the development of various disorders.

8. Myth: People with mental illnesses cannot tolerate the stress of holding down a job.

   Fact: In essence, all jobs are stressful to some extent. Productivity is maximized when there is a good match between the employee's needs and working conditions, whether or not the individual has mental health needs.

9. Myth: People with mental health needs, even those who have received effective treatment and have recovered, tend to be second-rate workers on the job.

   Fact: Employers who have hired people with mental illnesses report good attendance and punctuality, as well as motivation, quality of work, and job tenure on par with or greater than other employees. Studies by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) show that there are no differences in productivity when people with mental illnesses are compared to other employees.

10. Myth: Once people develop mental illnesses, they will never recover.

    Fact: Studies show that most people with mental illnesses get better, and many recover completely. Recovery refers to the process in which people are able to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. For some individuals, recovery is the ability to live a fulfilling and productive life. For others, recovery implies the reduction or complete remission of symptoms. Science has shown that having hope plays an integral role in an individual's recovery.

11. Myth: Therapy and self-help are wastes of time. Why bother when you can just take one of those pills you hear about on TV?

    Fact: Treatment varies depending on the individual. A lot of people work with therapists, counselors, their peers, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers in their recovery process. They also use self-help strategies and community supports. Often these methods are combined with some of the most advanced medications available.

12. Myth: Children do not experience mental illnesses. Their actions are just products of bad parenting.

    Fact: A report from the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health showed that in any given year 5-9 percent of children experience serious emotional disturbances. Just like adult mental illnesses, these are clinically diagnosable health conditions that are a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, social, and sometimes even genetic factors.

13. Myth: Children misbehave or fail in school just to get attention.

    Fact: Behavior problems can be symptoms of emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders, rather than merely attention-seeking devices. These children can succeed in school with appropriate understanding, attention, and mental health services.

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 293rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Mending Wall