Remembering AOL

My maternal grandfather died on February 26, 1960, and was buried a couple of days later at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs, GA. Since we have recently buried there both his daughter, my mother, and his son-in-law, my father, I thought it was interesting to note the landscape of their section of the cemetery and how the trees have grown.

 

Lots of flowers for this man who died young, age 58

Photo below taken December 7, 2022

 

The Cultivation of Christmas Trees

There are several attitudes towards Christmas,

Some of which we may disregard:
The social, the torpid, the patently commercial,
The rowdy (the pubs being open till midnight),
And the childish — which is not that of the child
For whom the candle is a star, and the gilded angel
Spreading its wings at the summit of the tree
Is not only a decoration, but an angel.

The child wonders at the Christmas Tree:
Let him continue in the spirit of wonder
At the Feast as an event not accepted as a pretext;
So that the glittering rapture, the amazement
Of the first-remembered Christmas Tree,
So that the surprises, delight in new possessions
(Each one with its peculiar and exciting smell),
The expectation of the goose or turkey
And the expected awe on its appearance,

So that the reverence and the gaiety
May not be forgotten in later experience,
In the bored habituation, the fatigue, the tedium,
The awareness of death, the consciousness of failure,
Or in the piety of the convert
Which may be tainted with a self-conceit
Displeasing to God and disrespectful to children
(And here I remember also with gratitude
St. Lucy, her carol, and her crown of fire):

So that before the end, the eightieth Christmas
(By “eightieth” meaning whichever is last)
The accumulated memories of annual emotion
May be concentrated into a great joy
Which shall be also a great fear, as on the occasion
When fear came upon every soul:
Because the beginning shall remind us of the end
And the first coming of the second coming.

T.S. Eliot

1888 - 1965

Sisters

sisters are special, strange, and specific 

which I wrote in greeting card to my cousin Karen Stovall when her older sister Harriet died in August 2022

special = better, greater, or otherwise different from what is usual

strange = unusual or surprising in a way that is unsettling or hard to understand

specific = belonging or relating uniquely to a particular subject

Photo taken Summer 2017 at our annual Jordan family reunion at Callaway Gardens ~

TULIPS FOR PARKINSONS

T = TIME (not technology) - being present, holding hands, looking into eyes

U  = UNDERSTANDING - try to avoid misunderstanding by giving benefit of the doubt

L  = LIVE QUALITY (lifestyle choice) - support choice of caregiver & where to live

I  =  INCREASED AWARENESS - learn more about the disease process

P  = PILLS ON TIME - structure/schedule/routine provides security

S  = SUPPORT - (encouragement) - wait patiently while s/he does it on her own

Karen Painter, another Parkinson’s patient, designed the logo used today, with a red tulip and 2 leaves in the shape of “P” and “D”. Since 2010, Karen’s red tulip has been universally used as the logo or symbol for Parkinson’s.

FOR A TIME OF SORROW*

My father died one year ago today and I thought I share some words* that have comforted me.

 Sorrow is one of the things that are lent, not given. 

A thing that is lent may be taken away;

a thing that is given is not taken away.

Joy is given.

Sorrow is lent.

We are not our own, we are bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20),

"and our sorrow is not our own" 

(Samuel Rutherford said this a long time ago),

it is lent to us for just a little while

that we may use it for eternal purposes.

Then it will be taken away

and everlasting joy will be our Father's gift to us,

and the Lord God will wipe away all tears from off all faces (Is 25:8)

So, let us use this "lent" thing to draw us 

nearer to the heart of Him who was once a Man of Sorrows,

(He is not that now, but He does not forget the feeling of sorrow).

Let us use it to make us more tender with others, 

as He was when on earth, and is still,

for He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. (Heb 4:15)

*excerpt from Edges of His Ways by Amy Carmichael's

Photo Credit Sheffield Leithart

2022 WORD OF THE YEAR

 BEDEW

B = believe

E = enter

D = do

E = escape

W = water

Resurrection Pines

upon the burial of W.D. Jordan

beloved grandfather

The wind in the pines

begins a whisper,

a hushed refrain, the murmuring hymn

of an age-old tune -

Creation's song with muted words

proclaims;

from dawn of time to dusk,

from rising and the setting sun,

familiar chorus echoes through

the trees:

life waits to be made new,

renewed,

yearning, striving, aching, pining;

Already-not yet, whole.

Anticipating greater winds,

the movement grows,

as breezes blow,

bending stubborn branches,

unveiling whence the true Light

shines.

Inspiring, showing, glowing,

brushing back the dark, and 

Drawing brightened gazes higher,

Lifting up, still lifted to the

clear and open skies, arise -

Soon no more tears, nor sighs.

Until with shout triumphant,

blasts the heavenly gate

of unearthly choirs,

fills the reborn firmament,

bends the hearts, the heads, the knees

of men.

And raises up the dead in Him

alive with life unending,

Life!

No longer bent and broken,

rushed, pushed, prodded,

tossed, twisted, turn, then -

in a moment changed.

The wind in the pines

reminds

of Resurrection coming.

Margaret Jago McCarthy

Link to story about crosses and pine trees (esp loblolly & longleaf )

Eggs

 Top ten ways I like to eat eggs ~

1)  Benedict-style - pictured is Sunday's deliciousness but you can't see the crab cake

2)  Scrambled with cheese

3)  Hard-boiled with lemon pepper

4)  Poached 

5)  Quiche

6)  Shakshuka

7)  Omelette-style

8)  Deviled

9)  French Toast

10)Lemon-cheese Cake

Recipes to follow ~

Family is Forever

 Photo take 23 March 2019 on back deck of our parents' home on Kingsland Ct Atlanta GA

at weekend gathering

L - R; Grey, Noel, Dana, Amanda

Here's a favorite quote from the Downton Abbey television series in which Lady Edith explains to her older sister Lady Mary why she continues to engage.  

“Because in the end, you’re my sister. And one day only we will remember Sybil...Until at last our shared memories will mean more than our mutual dislike.”

Siblings

Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply ~

Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

What Is So Rare As A Day In June

For a cap and bells our lives we pay,

Bubbles we buy with a whole soul's tasking:

'Tis heaven alone that is given away,

'Tis only God may be had for the asking;

No price is set on the lavish summer;

  June may be had by the poorest comer.

And what is so rare as a day in June?
Then, if ever, come perfect days;  
Then Heaven tries earth if it be in tune,
And over it softly her warm ear lays;
Whether we look, or whether we listen,
We hear life murmur, or see it glisten;
Every clod feels a stir of might,
An instinct within it that reaches and towers,
And, groping blindly above it for light,
Climbs to a soul in grass and flowers;
The flush of life may well be seen
Thrilling back over hills and valleys;
The cowslip startles in meadows green,
The buttercup catches the sun in its chalice,
And there's never a leaf nor a blade too mean
To be some happy creature's palace;
The little bird sits at his door in the sun,
Atilt like a blossom among the leaves,
And lets his illumined being o'errun
With the deluge of summer it receives;
His mate feels the eggs beneath her wings,
And the heart in her dumb breast flutters and sings;
He sings to the wide world, and she to her nest,
In the nice ear of Nature which song is the best?

Now is the high-tide of the year,
And whatever of life hath ebbed away
Comes flooding back with a ripply cheer,
Into every bare inlet and creek and bay;
Now the heart is so full that a drop overfills it,
We are happy now because God wills it;
No matter how barren the past may have been,
'Tis enough for us now that the leaves are green;
We sit in the warm shade and feel right well
How the sap creeps up and the blossoms swell;
We may shut our eyes but we cannot help knowing
That skies are clear and grass is growing;
The breeze comes whispering in our ear,
That dandelions are blossoming near,
That maize has sprouted, that streams are flowing,
That the river is bluer than the sky,
That the robin is plastering his house hard by;
And if the breeze kept the good news back,
For our couriers we should not lack;
We could guess it all by yon heifer's lowing,
And hark! How clear bold chanticleer,
Warmed with the new wine of the year,
Tells all in his lusty crowing!

Joy comes, grief goes, we know not how;
Everything is happy now,
Everything is upward striving;
'Tis as easy now for the heart to be true
As for grass to be green or skies to be blue,
'Tis for the natural way of living:
Who knows whither the clouds have fled?
In the unscarred heaven they leave not wake,
And the eyes forget the tears they have shed,
The heart forgets its sorrow and ache;
The soul partakes the season's youth,
And the sulphurous rifts of passion and woe
Lie deep 'neath a silence pure and smooth,
Like burnt-out craters healed with snow.

James Russell Lowell 1848

The Optimist

Life handed him a lemon,

As Life sometimes will do.

His friends looked on in pity,

Assuming he was through.

They came upon him later,

Reclining in the shade

In calm contentment, drinking

A glass of lemonade.





poem published in a 1940 edition of The Rotarian

photo credit:  Photo By: Courtesy of Army Cols. Elizabeth and Aaron Martin

WORD OF THE YEAR 2020

REST

R = remember

E = encourage

S = submit

T = treasure

 A seemingly passive word that pointed me to action so I chose action verbs to help me implement this godly exercise.

Fashion on Fridays

On the way to church last week, I realized that the plaid in my new winter scarf (on sale costing less than $10) was straight from the Spring Palette:

jester red

pepperstem

toffee

living coral


Just the jump start I needed to get my mind in gear for the coming months ~


PS  Scarves are such an economical way to update the wardrobe.  Stay tuned for another new-to-me color combination.

Fashion on Fridays

Spring 2019 Pantone Palatte   (Left to Right)

Top Row
Fiesta (orange)
Jester Red
Tumeric (orange)
Living Coral (color of year)

2nd Row
Pink Peacock
Pepper Stem (green)
Aspen Gold
Princess Blue

3rd Row
Toffee
Mango Mojito
Terrarium Moss
Sweet Lilac

Bottom Row (Neutrals)
Soybean
Eclipse
Silver Queen Corn
Brown Granite


I think I can work with this palette.  I especially appreciate the way Pantone helps me pair colors I ordinarily would not.

Banana Pudding

Combine in blender the following 5 ingredients.


Use low setting to stir.


2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
dash of salt
4 egg yolks (save whites)








Pour liquid into a heavy saucepan or the top of a double boiler (safer).  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened.  Reduce heat and cook stirring occasionally, for five more minutes.  Do not let pudding boil.  Remove from heat.  Add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.

Line the bottom and sides of 1 1/2 qt casserole with a single layer of vanilla wafers.  Spread a layer of vanilla pudding (perhaps 1/2 cup).  Top with a layer of sliced bananas.  Repeat layering (wafer, pudding, banana) three times.  This will take 5-6 medium-sized ripe bananas and a full box of wafer (and all the pudding.)

Beat four egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.  Spoon meringue on top of pudding, covering entire surface and sealing well to the edges of casserole.  Bake at 425 for 5 minutes or until delicately browned.

Even though this recipe makes 8 servings, I always double it, preparing it in several dishes in order to share ~

WORD OF THE YEAR 2019

SIMPLE

As 2018 draws to a close and the demands of 2019 are barreling down upon me, I have chosen a word to help me tackle my responsibilities.

S = straight-forward

I =  important

M = meaningful

P =  pleasing

L =  loving

E = economical

In this year's Advent devotional, each day I chose a word to focus on.... to help me remember how to apply the lesson.  As I read, usually the word would come quickly to the forefront and I would try and use it later in the day.

So with my anagram to help direct my steps in the coming year,

I will ask myself questions based on this SIMPLE word.

I will search Scripture for these adjectives, like a word study.

I will expect God's Protection.


Here's a link to the post the last time I chose a word  ;-)

Sunday Lunch

White Chicken Chili

Fruit Salad
(escarole, diced pears, red grapes, pine nuts, fig vinaigrette)

Toasted Cornbread

 Pinot Noir
 Coffee

Thanksgiving

Gettin’ together to smile an’ rejoice, 
An’ eatin’ an’ laughin’ with folks of your choice; 
An’ kissin’ the girls an’ declarin’ that they 
Are growin’ more beautiful day after day; 
Chattin’ an’ braggin’ a bit with the men, 
Buildin’ the old family circle again; 
Livin’ the wholesome an’ old-fashioned cheer, 
Just for awhile at the end of the year. 


Greetings fly fast as we crowd through the door 
And under the old roof we gather once more 
Just as we did when the youngsters were small; 
Mother’s a little bit grayer, that’s all. 
Father’s a little bit older, but still 
Ready to romp an’ to laugh with a will. 
Here we are back at the table again 
Tellin’ our stories as women an’ men. 


Bowed are our heads for a moment in prayer; 
Oh, but we’re grateful an’ glad to be there. 
Home from the east land an’ home from the west, 
Home with the folks that are dearest an’ best. 
Out of the sham of the cities afar 
We’ve come for a time to be just what we are. 
Here we can talk of ourselves an’ be frank, 
Forgettin’ position an’ station an’ rank. 


Give me the end of the year an’ its fun 
When most of the plannin’ an’ toilin’ is done; 
Bring all the wanderers home to the nest, 
Let me sit down with the ones I love best, 
Hear the old voices still ringin’ with song, 
See the old faces unblemished by wrong, 
See the old table with all of its chairs 
An’ I’ll put soul in my Thanksgivin’ prayers.

by Edgar Guest (1881-1959)
 "the poet of the people"

Favorite Books/Authors

Challenged to post the dust jackets of 7 favorite books (on Facebook), WITHOUT any explanation, I spent a week contemplating the possibilities.

First, for the sake of simplicity, I am limiting my choices to fiction.

Second, I decided to divide my life into decades.  That made it easier to select a favorite from that time in my reading life, despite the fact that ten years is too long of a period for choosing just one favorite.

Third, as I was jotting down titles, I realized that many were part of a series by a single author.

Finally, in order to ease the pain of not defending myself (the selected book titles) on Facebook, I am logging my opinions here, where I can later re-examine them.

Elementary Age (0-9yrs)

I loved reading biographies and have very pleasant memories of library time in elementary school.

The one book cover to make the cut is Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, probably because it fits the series approach for cataloging my reading experiences.












Youth (10-19)

I remember loving historical fiction/romance, and started collecting books for my own library.

Lighthouse by Eugenia Price, the first in a trilogy about St Simons Island, is a clear favorite from this time period, in addition to being a favorite vacation spot.












Young Adult (20-29)

I first read Gail Godwin, the author of A Southern Family, during this decade, and did not re-visit her until my forties, when I read five of hers in a row.
















Adult (30-39)

Frankly, in my twenties and thirties, I read mostly non-fiction (theology, childbirth, and parenting stuff).  So, anything I read during this decade was very light.  I only finished four in this particular series but it fits my taste for historical fiction.















Adult (40-49)

Over the years, I have revisited this Georgia author sporadically.


This title I enjoyed so much that I bought another and gave it to a good friend.


The first Terry Kay novel that I read was The Year the Lights Came On.











Adult (50-59)

Not too long after I read this book, I heard author Susan Vreeland speak at The High Museum.  What a treat.

Girl in Hyacinth Blue was the first of hers that I read, but not before I'd been introduced to Chevalier's Girl with a Pearl Earring.

In comparison, I prefer Vreeland's novels over Chevalier's.

I was sorry to read that Vreeland died about this time last year (August 2017) at age 71.








Adult (60)

Just now finishing up this 14th novel by Jan Karon, I can wholeheartedly recommend all the Mitford novels.

"I feel like I am there" when I read about Mitford.  It's like a mini-vacation.  Relaxing.

Oh! and I recommend Esther's Orange Marmalade cake, which I have personally baked and shared.