The Day Before April

The day before April
Alone, alone,
I walked in the woods
And sat on a stone.

I sat on a broad stone
And sang to the birds.
The tune was God's making
But I made the words.

by Mary Carolyn Davies


Just wondering if y'all are all ready for National Poetry Month?

I couldn't wait so I highlighted one today here and over on my Xanga site.

Photo is of Sixes Mill, where I will be taking my walk this afternoon. For the purpose of *truth in advertising*, I should tell you that it is cloudy and overcast today - not sunny like in the picture.

Update:
Rain drops were falling at 6p when I was ready to walk, so I'm postponing this excursion for Thursday.

Bumblebees



Carpenter Bee

Notice the white triangle on his head.






Some call him the Wood Boring Bumblebee.

I've heard they dont sting





In this picture borrowed from Flickr,









the photographer calls the insect a white-faced bumblebee.

I cant really see the white.

He's gathering nectar.

What makes him *white*?


I'm confused.

Are there lots of white-faced bumblebees out there?

I want to be able to identify them.


Any suggestions?

Rebecca Sue Earnest, R. I. P.



















Becky died early this morning and I thought my girls might like to see this happy photograph of her. We were picking her up for school that day in late February 1991: Grandparents' Day at The Heiskell School.

She was always delighted to be our honorary grandmother, since she had never married and not had any children of her own. She would have been 91 on her next birthday, May 31st.

A reader and a leader in her own right, she regaled us with many stories about growing up in Atlanta and being the first female air traffic controller at the airport.

Here's a link to one of the last family gatherings with the girls.

Fittingly, this afternoon I'm attending the Cherokee Community Chorale's performance of John Rutter's Requiem.

I think Becky would have enjoyed it, too.

Fine Art Friday















Leo X by Raphael
Oil on Panel 60.6 x 46.9 in
1518 - 1519
Galleria degli Uffizi

This painting came to my attention while I was reading an interesting article by the outrageously liberal Camille Paglia. And in light of my comments about art opening doors (good for teaching purposes), I'm posting this artwork because I remember the intrigue, but I didnt know Raphael was commenting on it.

Paglia pins Leo for dividing Christianity. His ego would have appreciated that. But I'm not sure he deserves that much credit.

If you'd shown me this painting, I wouldnt have recognized the Pope.

Not sure I would recognize the current one either, except for his garb and entourage.

But I am trying to pick familiar faces out of this recent painting by three Chinese artists. See Shirley Temple?

How many do you recognize?

Orange Roses





Still having fun tying scarves in different ways, I'm wearing this one today. I had to go back and rewatch Big Mama in order to remember how to make that knot.







The orange is significant because I like to talk about my Protestant (Scotch-Irish) heritage and counterpoint the green-loving Irish Catholics... on this man-made, Hallmark holiday.

Sounds a little rebellious, huh?

Just a little.

How are you celebrating St Patricks Day?














This year's reading assignment is Chapter 2: Domestic Life of the Lowland Scot.

Quotes to follow :)

Dinner Menu - Late Winter


Here's what I'm thinking for after church tomorrow

And how it turned out.








Bloody Mary Pot Roast (Venison)
Corn Casserole
Steamed Cauliflower
Sweet Peppers 'n Onions

Garlic Bread

Gallo Merlot
Iced Tea


Ghirardelli Chocolate Cake
Coffee


It's raining and chilly here today. Although Spring is trying to appear in the form of blooming daffodil bulbs and bradford pear trees, I have to remind myself that it is still Winter. Easter is four weeks hence. We're bound to have crazy weather until then.

Time for Saturday chores.

See ya 'round!

Fashion on Friday


I'm really sticking my neck out here...

Giggle.

The big question?

Should I have photographed the necklace by itself on black velvet?

Or given you this glorious shot of my 50-year-old neck?

Nora Ephron, here I come honey!




Actually the issue at hand is to prepare my wardrobe for Spring and Summer and in my effort throw off the winter doldrums, I wore this statement necklace earlier this week.

I bought it about five years ago at a jewelry party and find that it makes certain outfits really standout. I doubt there's another exactly like it, but you will see in the stores now a plethora of big jewelry.

Wear some.

Accessorize.

It will make you feel better.




PS Just to give you encouragement and let you know that you can wear a something like this even if you're staying at home all day.... the cutest rendition of the style I've seen lately? A middle-aged women wearing jeans, a turquoise zip-up sweatshirt, with a colorful, beady necklace.

Just do it!

Take a picture, too.

Where Do We Go From Here?
Chapter Eleven
All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes

Mapping out the long and winding road through popular culture, author Ken Myers addresses all the groups affected by the trends of popular culture and challenges them to action.




The intellectuals, the parents, the teachers, the industry workers, and finally church leaders - all are called to understand the nature of culture (popular, folk, and high) making sure that their views are consistent with the context in which God created it.

Is it a mad dash?

No, I dont think so. I identify with the turtle in the fable: slow, plodding, determined steps toward the finish line.

Dash toward what?

I am free to engage with the people and institutions around me because as a born-again believer my affections are rooted in Christ's culture (kingdom). I must seek protection from Him and regularly at that. Then and only then will the idolatrous culture not rule my life.

Myers states that

one can enjoy popular culture without compromising Biblical principles as long as one is not dominated by the sensibility of popular culture, as long as one is not capitvated by its idols.

Engaging the culture on all fronts is the key that starts the cars we're driving on this long and winding road. Christians cannot and should not avoid certain arenas on the pretext that they are ungodly.

I'm using the Bible as my road map.

What are you using?

Nine in 2009

Seems like a good day to revisit some New Year's Resolutions and see how I'm doing. One of the things I like about blogging (and categorizing my entries) is that it really makes it easier to check up on myself.



Sometimes it's difficult to stay focused.


For a couple of years I have read and contemplated Doug Phillips' year-end assessment. His is so lengthy (albeit excellent) that I have never started it other than in my mind. I do think I would have more success with his if I followed it throughout the year, creating an album that would be finished at year's end.

At any rate, here's a link to a short AJC article that I'm using this year for structure.

1) Get the family up and moving.

Not doing so great in this area, unless you count the fact that DH and I *relax* together in the evenings by NOT MOVING. Actually we have walked together as a family and now that it's staying lighter longer, I think we can work this into the schedule. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have yet to make good use of the stationary bike mentioned in this entry.

2) Give your spouse 15 minutes per day.

Since I work with DH, I think he appreciates when I dont talk to him :) No, really. The advice in this area is noteworthy: no griping during this check-in time. (I could be more careful about that.) But if I count in 5-minutes snatches, I'll bet we rack up 15 minutes with any problem at all.

3) Count your blessings.

Easy to do here. My list is long and I have no grounds for complaints. What I could do is *tell* those people more often that they are a blessing to me.

4) Reach out.

I'm on the receiving end in this arena. I have a *new* friend whom I met on Facebook! I did pay visit with an old neighbour in January; need to write that thank-you note; and have yet to clean out the closet.

5) Be optimistic.

Not a problem... I think I'm wired that way. Actually, no, I think it's a gift from God. I wake up happy and ready for each day the Lord gives me.

6) Do at least one thing each week that brings you enjoyment.

Collecting (books) and reading (fiction and non) - I carry them around with me; even if I dont have time to look at them when I'm at the office, I like knowing they're there.

See that book review in the upper right-hand corner? It's written by my favorite college history professor and prompted me to buy Dr Kirk's book.

7) Take a little time to answer tough questions.

Cindy over at Dominion Family gives me the opportunity to address signficant questions. We've been discussing pop culture in an online book club.

Carol at MagistraMater always writes about interesting topics. Thanks for suffering through my comments, Carol!

Plus I've been reading Calvin's Institutes of Christian Religion - that's a real brain-teaser. Check out the site at Princeton Theological Seminary. I hope to post more about Calvin in honor of his 500th birthday (July 9th).

Per Phyllis McGinley:

Housewives deserve well-furnished minds. They have to live in them such a lot of the time!

8) Dont fall into a weight-loss trap.

I'm hopelessly trapped, weighing myself daily. I only *record* the number once per week. I know that I weigh TEN pounds more this March than I did last. There I said it! Now everyone knows!

I should have signed on with Amy at Humble Musings and dieted with that group. I'd be in much better shape. I might even be richer :)

9) Be good to your feet.

This resolution is interesting because wearing the right shoe size makes all the difference in the world. About five years ago, a good friend mentioned that she'd purposefully gone up a size, with amazing results.

With walking as my exercise, I've never experienced knee pain (hip or back either), but I routinely moan about my feet. Even with no regular pounding during this past winter, my right heel continues to hurt. That means I need to do more stretching exercises (per DH-MD).

And... time to schedule a pedicure ...

So I'll be ready for some new peep-toed shoes!

Spring Cardigan

















By this time of year, I'm ready for Spring even when Mother Nature may not be. In my area, it's cold and rainy today; and there is snow in the forecast for Sunday morning!!

Wearing this fun floral cardigan with a black skirt and red patent flats has already lifted my spirits. Scroll down to see the black/brown rendition of this outfit, winterized with tights and boots.

It's not too early to start thinking about new colors (black and white) or a statement accessory (oversized necklace?) and updating the wardrobe while cleaning out the closet.

What are you wearing in anticipation of Spring?

Eggs, Balogh and Culture


Would you hang this picture in your home?


You will find it at http://www.freespiritart.com/

A righteous life and rigorous training without a heart full of grace is like an
egg without a yolk — a fragile shell that will break under the slightest
pressure.

Not only are Pharisees a bore and an active bother, they
eventually crack under the strain of impossible expectations.

That is
only one side of the truth, however,

for though Pharisees are eggs without
yolks, those who try to exist solely on mercy without structure or discipline
are like eggs without shells —

a sticky, gooey mess.

Gary Thomas
Seeking the Face of God


I happened upon this egg quote on Cindy's sidebar... and kept mulling it over. I guess because I like eggs .... for several reasons.

I like paintings of them and poems about them.

I like to eat them, too. I think they are good for me. In fact, I know they are.

Here's a link to my *egg* training.

Furthermore, here's a link to an insightful article about culture addressing the issue of the artist versus the entertainer. Again I found it at Cindy's.

The author, Endre Balogh, who is new to me appears to be a talented musician and artist.

Here's a link to his version of a broken egg.

Who is new on your cultural horizon?

Myers and Murder Mystery

Great art, she felt, had a calming effect on the viewer. It made one
stop in awe, which is exactly what Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol did
not do. You didnt stop in awe; they stopped you in your tracks
perhaps, but that wasnt the same thing as awe. Awe was something entirely
different.

These are the words of Isabel Dalhousie, the main character in Alexander McCall Smith's book, The Sunday Philosophy Club (chapt 21), which I listened to over the weekend and reviewed here.

It may seem that I'm stuck in chapter seven of Ken Myer's book, All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes, but I am continuing to mull over in my mind the pregnant propositions he's making. As such, it is particularly appropriate to remember the above quote by Dalhousie found in the light murder mystery I enjoyed on my weekend jaunt to see my daughters in Michigan.

In addition to being an amateur sleuth, Dalhousie appreciates fine art. That means that I need to go back through the book and make a list of the paintings she has in her own home plus highlight the description of a suspect's living room in which she mentions over six artists.

Where are you finding applications of your Myers' reading?

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting


See what I did this afternoon!

A virtual birthday cake for DD#3 who turns 21 tomorrow.

Virtual because she's in Michigan and I'm in Georgia.

Close your eyes and make a wish!







1-2-3-4 Cake
(my grandmother's recipe)

1 C real butter
2 C granulated white sugar
3 C sifted flour (sift all purpose flour then measure out)
4 eggs (5 are better, but then the *title* doesnt match)

3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C water (or milk)

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs on at the time. Alternately add water and flour mixture. Add vanilla. Bake in three 9" prepared cake pans at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Invert pans onto wire racks and remove cakes from pans immediately to prevent overcooking. Cover each layer with damp paper towel, while they cool.

Chocolate Frosting

3/4 Cup butter, softened
4 cups XXX sugar
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, (i.e. Bakers squares), melted
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 oz water
1 oz choc liqueur

Using wire wisk blend until fluffy in mixer.
Makes enough to ice a 3-layer 9" cake.

Before the Revolution
Chapter Seven
All Gods Children and Blue Suede Shoes


Feeling pretty depressed at the situation after reading Myers, I'm not sure what to say

except that

now I understand better why I have never connected with pop art.


More later.

Scarves, Bows, and Sashes

Here's the *before* photo and a couple of questions.


Can you tie a square knot?



Is there any purple in your closet?



Will you wear a scarf today?




Yesterday a blogger friend, Donna at Quiet Life, posted a link for scarf-tying techniques. I thought it was helpful and I want to remember the site. So please meet *BigMama* who isnt so *big* :)




Here's my after photo, but you cant really see my square knot.

But I can do it.


Everyone always asks me to tie their sashes, bows, and scarves.... even ties.


And no, I didnt learn it in Girl Scouts.


My mother taught me.


Right over left, and left over right.


Try it.

Here's a link to see what the knot should look like



Here's another link - for tying lighter weight scarves at Brooks Brothers.

Or perhaps you're good at tying men's ties.

Here's a picture of the one most recently given to DH.






More about that handsome pattern here.

Better to Receive


Opening the proverbial can of worms, author Ken Myers addresses the invasion of popular culture on the liturgy of the church on pg 99, of Chapter Six in All God's Children & Blue Suede Shoes.

Oh, no!

Here not only do we go a meddlin' but we've flat out stepped on peoples toes... hard! The particular example concerns whether a particular song sung solo during worship was true, lovely, noble, or admirable.

Surely you can recall such an incident.

Acutally I thought we might avoid this type of controversy when the basis for the chapter was the analysis of C S Lewis's 1961 essay An Experiment in Criticism (mainly addressing books and reading), but Myers rightly extrapolates the argument into the church. I mean how can we ignore the Author of the reality to be grasped. So, even though Myers adeptly explains the factors Lewis proposed for evaluating books, music, art, etc, they can also be used within the sanctuary. In fact, it's a really good way to decide how and what to read, listen to, or regard.

But that issue of subjectivism has raised its ugly head. Never mind the opinion of the worship committee! Those are matters of taste; or "One man's kitsch is another man's art.*

And propriety?

How dare I suggest that such was not appropriate!

Why, I'm the one accused of rudeness for even pointing that out. Read Lynn Truss.

Yup. That's the triumph of the pervasiveness of popular culture, all those preconceived notions about what is proper, what is good, what is bad - they're now null and void.

Furthermore, that social egotism which runs rampant with this type of thinking?

That is exactly what is totally offensive to me. And I think God is offended ... first! Rightly spoken, I am offended for Him, for His Honor, for His Name. I am called to defend Him.

One of the ways I can do that is to be a *docent of glory* Here's a link to what I'm talking about. It also contains a reference to T M Moore's thought provoking article Can I Get a Witness.

But I'm digressing.

Our culture is sick on a number of fronts: high, low, folk, or popular. Take your pick. That is not to say every one or all persons involved are. Just generally speaking :)

Myers implies that it's a reflection of our spiritual health. I agree.

It probably starts with what we're reading.

Learn more about it at DominionFamily where our online book club discussion is taking place.


Update: 1/30/09 entry at my Xanga site addressing paintings in particular.

Peachy Tulips

In honor of Calvin's 500th birthday (July 10, 2009)I am reading his Institutes online with the help of Princeton Theological Seminary. Here's the link. Each morning, I follow along with the audio rendition. Addressing both the the eyes and the ears creates a better atmosphere for understanding. I recommend it.

But his birthday makes me remember other things about Calvin which I intend to detail throughout the year.

The first is an acrostic that many associate with a summarizing of Christian doctrine, exemplified in Calvin's systematization.



It's T-U-L-I=P


T=total depravity
U=unconditional surrender
L=limited atonement
I=irresistible grace
P=perseverance of the saints


In Southern this becomes P-E-A-C-H

P=pervasive perversity
E=election, external and eternal
A=atonement, limited by design
C=calling, effectual
H=heavenly home held by heavenly hands


Have you heard of this before?

How does it strike you?

Which letter was most difficult for you to accept.

For me, it was the *limited atonement* issue.

The one which just melts my heart?

Irresistible grace.

Who can resist the Lord God Almighty?

Today I am pleased to understand these doctrines because the Lord shed His Light on my heart and made my blind eyes see and my deaf ears hear.

May you be so blessed.

Fashion on Friday

Brown is a favorite color of mine, much preferred over black.

But the main point of this photo is the tights.

They're brown, too.

My girls may think I'm dorky.

But I like wearing tights, panty hose, or socks and am appalled at the new trend to go without.

I've done it, but I dont like it.


Thank goodness First Lady Obama wore panty hose at Tuesday's Inauguration Ceremony. It affords a more polished appearance. However, I wondered if her feet hurt at the end of that day? Those green heels were 3 inches!

How do you feel about stocking/panty hose/tights?

I dont, however, own any Spanx.

Even if I am a native Atlantan.

Do you?









Original Footless Pantyhose from Spanx: In 1988, Sara Blakely cut the feet off her pantyhose so she could get the benefits of shaping and an invisible panty line under slacks while wearing sandals. Two years later, the Atlanta resident introduced a comfortable, body-slimming, toeless garment to the market. The line now consists of over 100 figure-enhancing garments

Accounting for Taste

Gone to meddlin' some might say when Ken Myers broaches the subject of preferences (either music or cannibalism!) on page 77 of All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes and proves that matters of taste are not wholly private and personal.

The author had already begun to draw the line in the sand on page 76 by suggesting that if a particular culture form encourages the sort of individualism that presupposes that one has to discover who s/he is independent of family and community then there is a problem.

BINGO!

Here's the reason we mothers (who have no taste and wore short shorts - giggle) are reading this book:

What should attract more attention is the effect of consistent exposure to
popular culture, whether or not the content is objectionable, on the internal
dispositions. The habits of mind, heart, and soul. In short the
qualities of character.

AMEN!

Aesthetic judgment is one way of determining merit or evaluating form, but is by its very nature more elusive than the scientific (quantitative or qualitative) method will allow. It requires patience, training, and a willingness to submit. Those are qualities that I'm sure all of us are striving to develop in our children, our charges.

Myers quotes a 1966 article addressing the aesthetics of popular art showing its limitations by contrast:

Great art reveals something about human nature because it is forced to
conform to created reality. It selects its material according to the
demands of the "Author of the reality to be grasped".

Now that's a new name for God, but I recognized Him.

He is our reference point.

In this same referenced article, it is argued that popular art cannot bear the sustained attention that high art can. We might remain well-acquainted with it, but the relationship is always superficial, never maturing into intimacy. pg 83

I appreciated the explanation surrounding celebrityism, another attribute of pop culture, and how TV talk shows play into this. And how sentimentality, another attribute, and its lack of sincerity permeates the atmosphere even into evangelicalism.

Myers just explains a lot.

He challenges my sympathies.

Because I watch television, listen to music, surf the world wide web, and enjoy fashion.

But because I think my life is characterized by a rootedness in objective reality, the subjectivism of popular culture is impotent for me.

Or is it?

Popular Culture and the Restless Ones

Dictionary definitions and scholarly quotes abound in chapter four of AGC&BSS, as Ken Myers establishes the framework of culture: its origin, nature, and attributes. He particularly addresses the causative agents and does not overlook the responses (manners and social habits) of those affected by these new social forces.

There was so much to digest that I was tempted to make a vocabulary list in order to remember all the people, places and things he mentioned. I still dont know what the old SCTV troupe is. (pg 63)

At any rate, I am a little perplexed with the idea that popular culture (per se) is new. I mean there has always been culture and there has always been a populace. Also, if the main question for addressing the liabilities of popular culture is how to spend one's time, then we all know that that question is as old as the hills. (pg 55)

In fact, I think that in the chapter's title, Myers is referring to someone as old as the hills: Augustine of Hippo (4th cent). That creature of popular culture who goofed off (pear tree incident) and wasted time (debauchery) until he was almost thirty years old. Remember his poem where the final line is -

Our hearts are restless, O Lord, until they rest in you

Fast forward to the 16th century and meet the French skeptic, Montaigne, who agonized over people not paying enough time to God and worried that *variety always solaces, dissolves, and scatters. He's talking about distractions (in the culture) here.

Blaise Pascal (also French) in the 17th century identifies the same restlessness and blames it on the lack of religion in the culture. So, when Myers promotes the television as the modern entertainment appliance unlike any other, I just dont buy its uniqueness. I dont know what were the previous artifacts in the earlier centuries that distracted the populace, but I'm willing to bet there was something.


I suppose, however, that in the chapter title Myers could have been referring to the 1965 Christian film entitled Restless Ones







or the '80s rock band, Bad English, which had a song called The Restless Ones.





But I'm thinking restless means *without or apart from God* and am going with the Augustine reference.

What do you think?

Back to the issue at hand and the after-effects of the big, bad Industrial Revolution (18th - 19th cent) which allowed for unprecedented discretionary time and income, which in turn *forced* people to look for ways to relieve boredom.

Okay, I'll go along with the idea here that *empty people search for fulfilment in all the wrong places*.

Jump into the 20th century where Myers asserts that popular culture (over and above high and folk cultures) has been a more dominant force in the past 25 years (1963-1988), a veritable valium of the masses. He suggests that the search for diversion (recreation) has become more and more desperate and requires greater and greater levels of stimulation.

I concur.

In fact, the phrase *I'm bored* is one of my pet peeves.

So, I re-read the chapter in order to solidify my understanding of this quest for novelty and instant gratification. I think my upbringing provided me with a built-in line-of-defense for avoiding some of these negative manners and habits, but the best mode of maintaining my preference for the permanent things (Eliot/Lewis/Kirk) is teaching my children (or others). I never bought into the liberal parenting technique that they had the right to choose. (pg 69)

Ask them if we had a television and how we used it.

Or what radio station we listened to in the car.

Ah, what about the Internet, Cindy asks?

Yes, as early as 1990, we had dial-up (they were too young to use it then). Then we signed up for high-speed (maybe 2004), but with parental controls and guidelines on a desktop computer in a family-room-type study for educational purposes. Yeah, right!? (grin) Above all it was made clear that these appliances were luxuries, not necessities; tools, not gods (icons).

High-speed access fits right in with the final pages of the 20-page chapter in which Myers addresses our impatience. I confess I kept counting to see how many more pages I had to read.

Does instant access to information on the world-wide web contribute negatively to pop culture?

It makes me wonder how people felt about the phonebook or the Yellow Pages when they were first published? Was it too much information about a person or a business to make available to the masses? Wouldnt the details be used improperly? To borrow a phrase from a Facebook friend, were the Yellow Pages comparable to Faceplanting?

This entry is far too long for me to expect that anyone would read it in its entirety. But that's okay.

I'm not restless.

I'm not seeking instant gratification in the form of lots of comments.

I'm seeking wisdom.

I'm not primitive. That's why I own a computer.

I live in a time and place where God has placed me to serve Him.

Oh Lord, make me ever mindful of Your presence.