Salad Days

Album Cover of the band Minor Threat's Salad Days EP

One day, oh about five years back I signed on the computer and I had a dictionary/word of the day application. The word of the day on that day was the phrase 'salad days.' The term comes from Shakespeare, who along with the Bible is responsible for so many idioms, phrases and sayings we still use. "My salad days, when I was green in judgment," wrote the Bard (in Antony and Cleopatra). That brought back a mini-flood of memories of what salad days means to me.

*warning* There is some profanity at the end of the song

Wishing for the days when I first wore this suit. Baby has grown older, it's
no longer cute. Too many voices. They've made me mute. Baby has grown older.
It's no longer cute.
But I stay on, I stay on. Where do I get off? On to greener pastures. The
core has gotten soft.
Look at us today. We've gotten soft and fat. Waiting for the moment, it's
just not coming back. So serious about the stuff we lack. Dwell upon our
memories but there are no facts.

Recently I discovered a reunion page on a social networking site for former kids who were "hardcore/punk" and hung out at the hang-outs near where we grew up in the metropolitan area of a mid-sized Southern City. It was a bit of a unique situation. Since many of us were very few in number in our own respective high schools back then, we gravitated toward each other through our common love of the music and the other aspects of the punk/hardcore movement. There were a few places that brought us together and so we forged friendships with people beyond our own high school. In many cases, our own high school was not such a fun place for kids who were so different and provocative in their style, tastes and appearance. We sure had a lot of fun together, though. That's even where I met and fell in love with Big Daddy. I took a little honeymoon perusing the reunion board and its members, many people I knew only marginally or very little, and a few I remember knowing fairly well. Those were very formative years for me and my friends. But like all good things when it comes to youth culture and social movements, there was a dark side. I took off my rose coloured glasses shortly.

When I first met Big Daddy he was a skinhead. Wait! Before you throw rotten tomatoes at me, may I inform you that there was a time when being a skinhead was not interchangeable with being a racist or fascist, see here? It's true. Initially skinheads were just one other facet of the punk movement. Somehow the movement morphed and got hijacked into a white supremacist group, and that's all most people associate it with nowadays. There was a time when it was not so.

It was just a bunch of tough working class and middle class kids looking to express themselves through music and things that were important to them. From where I stood and where Big Daddy was back then, it looked like this: The burgeoning little skinhead scene in our area was primarily concerned with music hand having fun (Hey! we were kids after all); their own poverty, employment and future; being disdainful of arty pretension (they called it being an Art-Fag); and not "screwing" people over to get by - being true and loyal to your friends; having some kind of integrity when dealing with others.

The scales of that all tilted when a small group of their friends returned from another bigger scene in another state and where they became affiliated with the racist kind of skinhead-ism. They became the majority and that was that. We always hated racism, and we could just never come on board with that. For us, simply hating people for the way they were born and the traits they were born with was just pure evil.

Big Daddy and I gradually stopped hanging out and running around with that whole scene, as most of us were growing up and moving on to the other things in life one naturally moves on to.

As I looked over the reunion page recently, I wondered, where people stood on those issues today now that they are all grown up. Did they carry that same old baggage? Or did they grow and change? I wondered, and the answers do not seem clear or readily apparent.

The song Salad Days, and really the entire Salad Days EP became somewhat of a theme song for that time of our lives. The record was the band Minor Threat's swan song, and it signaled the end of an era for them and for us. Like a million other teenagers growing up who came before us and a million others afterward, we were questioning our youthful idealism and wondering if it could make it in the real world of adulthood.

Hodgepodge, vol. 6

Photographer Elliot Erwitt Check out all the photos on the lower left side of the page, click on the thumbnails to see a bigger view of each ones. Such a variety of interesting images. Some of the dog ones are quite funny.


Six Things From History Everyone Pictures Incorrectly (Warning contains some mild profanity)


Cool LITTLE Camper


Hairy Humor?
The Trustworthiness of Beards.



A quote I like:

"Love many, trust few and always paddle your own canoe." -American Proverb

Música Alternativa del Señor

Sunday Dinner, vol. 2

In light of our pinched budget, and my return to full time stay-at-home-parentage, I vow to try and be more regular about the home-cooked Sunday dinner. I wrote about it recently here. I would like to get back into making a nice family meal on Sundays, and making it a little more special than usual. The Miami Herald has a weekly food section and this recipe tempted me. Try this link if that one does not work.

I modified it a bit because I didn't want to have to run to the store and spend more money. I'm using a large chuck roast, which is marinating now (the night before). I'm using ham rather than chorizo. I also used apple juice instead of wine, because it's what we have on hand, Pentecostal teetotalers are we. (Sometimes I use cooking wine in recipes but we have none.) Since I was a little low on garlic I used a generous shake of garlic powder to supplement. Rather than sour oranges, I squeezed and used the juice of three Valencia oranges, and added some key lime juice. I will cook this in the crock pot after I sear it as described in the recipe.



I hope this dinner turns out better than the last Sunday Dinner I posted about. I think we will just have some mashed potatoes and fresh veggies with it.

Prepping the meat with the marinade

Edited to add: It was VERY good. I recommend this recipe.

In Honor of Cake Wrecks

I was just fooling around, wanting to make a cake for dessert one day this week when I thought I'd give a nod to one of my favorite humor sites, and see my childrens' reaction. "That's funny mom."

"knucklehead emergency"

I coined a new phrase, ya'll. Here's how it happened.
"It's not a life or death emergency, it's a knucklehead emergency." So said I, to the administrative assistant who answered the phone at the high school. My teenager was the last one to have something important of mine or Big Daddy's. Think car keys, cell phone, etc. Yes, we looked everywhere. Lesson learned, I hope.

It's the little things...

My children gifted me with planted flowers in pots they decorated for Mother's Day in their Sunday school class last May. The plants are 'full sun' tolerant, but the trouble is our extreme heat. They withered and had to be watered daily. I replanted them in a bigger bin and they have thrived. It makes me happy to see them brightening our front porch.



I was gloriously loitering around the drugstore yesterday morning when I found the above toy and bought it for myself. (Have you ever gloriously loitered? If not you should try it.) I was relishing my return to stay-at-home-parenthood, sans any kids during school hours, and was able to make my necessary purchases without the usual distractions. What are the usual distractions when I have to foray into a store with my offspring? Pressing requests for junky toys or foods we don't need; appeals for the latest and most aggressively marketed man-scented personal care or acne products; pointing out racy, potty-humored or noisy greeting cards; and the list goes on. Now you might understand why an opportunity to shop alone is a big deal for me.

Anyway, I found this Matchbox car and I had to have it. Matchbox cars were among my most favorite childhood toys. I think I liked playing with them and my Barbie Dolls with equal enthusiasm, though not at the same time, of course, nor with the same playmates. How many roads or block garages did my little brother and I make for our cars? Many afternoons were spent low to the ground, scooping out mini-highways with our hands in the dirt and pea gravel of the "driveway" of our parents' little summer place. Ahh, I remember it well, it was a cozy little corner spot near a big lake and a small Pennsylvania town.

On Sundays after church our good-natured Dad would take us to the general store where Matchbox cars were displayed in a window case. I know we anticipated this nearly weekly ritual as we would pick a new little car. Good days and good times. I found a picture of the same store.

The Recipe Box

picture from Vintageprintable1

My cousin sent out a facebook request for a corn cake recipe. I obliged with the closest thing I had. It was a recipe for a corn casserole from my Aunt E. When I opened my little recipe box to dig around for the right one, I had a real warm fuzzy moment. My Aunt E and my Aunt D had passed away some years ago. Seeing their recipes on the cards in there, a few in their own handwriting made me feel so good. To be reminded of all the good times we spent together, usually involving a delicious meal, well, it made my heart glad. My Mom has contributed many recipes. The recipe box itself was a wedding shower gift from my Sister-in-law T and included a few of her own good recipes. If my memory is correct, ones she collected from some of the other women at the shower.

Then, there are all the recipes I've collected over the years, many from people who pass in and out of our lives, former coworkers, former church friends, and people who we no longer see because of life's circumstances and situations. We move, our lives change but this little look into my recipe box reminded me of some people who left a special mark in our lives and in our hearts. Food has such a connection with the human race, I think we were made to share meals together socially on a regular basis. (I think that is just a part of what Jesus was doing when He instituted the celebration of communion.)

Finding their recipes in my little recipe box gave me a special reminder of family times around the table, good memories and love.


~Blessings and ♥

Missouri Corn Pie/Casserole from Aunt E

1/4 cup butter (or margarine)

1 box of corn muffin mix

2 eggs beaten

1 cup sour cream

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can creamed corn



Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Melt butter in a baking dish, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Bake at 400 for 35 minutes.

Today is the First Day

Today is the First Day...of the next season of my life. I have a child who is a high school senior, a child in middle school and one in elementary school. I quit my job, because I need a part time job that will allow my late afternoons and evenings to be free. I need to be here for my family more than my recent job permitted. It was good while it lasted and now it's time to move one. I have big plans for myself. I have things I want to do for God and ministry. I have things I want to do for me (artist & hula-hooper-woot!) and my family. What does God want me to do? Some areas and things I can sense and feel a prompting from Him, and I think there will be somethings that are a surprise and a challenge. God, please help me, I need it.

I'm feeling good...BUT I don't walk by feeling I walk by faith.

hula-hoop? I can't but I'm trying

Photo by Tony the Misfit
I can only do about 5 rotations. I work with a woman who used to be a hula-hoop champ back in 'her day.' One of my summer camp students could hula-hoop for a good 15-30 minutes. My goal was to have them impart this groovy technique to me, before summer ends and I quit my job. Re-read the first sentence. Am I hopeless when it comes to hula-hooping? I fear I am. Stay tuned. I am not giving up! I shall hula-hoop.

Nature Boy, part 2 (Journal Entry)

I am working through feelings and issues that impact me and my family. Addiction, co-dependency and dysfunction used to put an undue burden on my life and my heart. Over time, and most importantly through faith in a real and living God, healthier ways of living and coping are being sought and implemented in my life. Journaling is one tool on the road to healing. It helps me process and understand things in a more productive way.



I was thinking more about this song and my wayward loved one. The song itself, has a sort of positive message: "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is to love and be loved in return." Yet, the overall impact of the song is somber (in my opinion). It feels sad. Beautiful, but sad, particularly in the Jazz versions of the tune.

My loved one seems to want love very badly but as best as I can tell, they look for that love in the wrong places and in the wrong way. This is my own limited knowledge and observation. I know that my loved one lies so much about so many things and inevitably the truth comes out sooner or later. Then the people who have been lied too act and react, and my loved one is further isolated. You cannot build relationships on lies. I know substance abuse is a factor. I suspect mental illness, because the lack of care toward others and the lies go beyond more typical addiction behaviour, if you will. Let me clarify, they are not lies to cover up and otherwise aid my loved one in getting high. Not ranting and babbling while under the influence. They are often grandiose lies that make my loved one look favorable, but often at the expense and hurt of others: slander.

Addiction, mental illness, what came first? Again, I'm not sure. If my loved one was not actively using alcohol and/or drugs, would the lies stop? In the past, and again it's difficult to tell, they have decreased somewhat but not stopped completely. Which has led to my suspicions of mental illness. Is my loved one capable of being truthful and having what I would call a "normal" relationship with people? And by that I mean any type of normal long-term relationship, be it friendships, romantic, etc., where there is give and take. A very strange and enchanted one, indeed, and lonely and prone to wander as well.

I hope my loved one will discover the truth of loving and being loved. We all have choices to make. My loved one can choose to stop lying and choose to be truthful. They can choose to let light in their life instead of darkness. They can choose to reach up for help. That help is available, only a prayer away, for God calls us out of darkness and into His glorious light (here, v. 9). They can choose to stop hurting their own self and others. I pray for that to happen soon.

...on Anne Rice quitting Christianity

photo credit Grevy Photography
Much has been said and written about Anne Rice's recent announcement, here. Though I have never actually left the church, nor do I think I will, I can relate to what she wrote. I can only guess what prompted it for her. I know what did (and does) prompt 'feeling like that' for me: Some fellow church member's callous or gossipy remark. Some fellow church member yelling at me or my family over a perceived** or actual wrong*. Some scandal within the church or so-called-church. An un-biblical or misconstrued pronouncement from a church leader. Christian friends and relatives that are consistently (not occasionally!) un-Christian in how they interact with others. Fill in the blank. What I can say is that most of us Christians have been there, feeling like she feels. I love what Dave Burchett blogged about Anne Rice here and here. He says what I would say, if I could say it quite that way.

I was a fan of Anne Rice's earlier books until the time I had a spiritual awakening*** in my mid-20s, and felt the need to make a clean break from my former life and pastimes. That included my entertainment choices like adult fairy tales and sexy vampires. (I still think Interview With The Vampire is a classic and puts other, newer Vampire-fare that shall remain un-designated to shame.) I know I've mentioned before, how during that time I was focusing on building my spiritual self and feeding my flesh with fantasy was not productive at that time. So I sort of lost track of Anne Rice for awhile, while God was doing some much needed, heavy duty work on me.

I read Christ The Lord, Out of Egypt a fictionalized account of Jesus' early years, after seeing the sound bytes about Anne Rice's conversion when it first became news. I thought it was really good. It was from a decidedly Roman Catholic perspective. That might bother some people, but it didn't me. She guesstimates that Jesus' brothers and sisters were step-siblings and that Joseph was a widower before he married Mary. Roman Catholic readers, many of whom believe the siblings were cousins, can leave their idea of Mary's perpetual virginity intact. Non-Catholics can say, well, maybe you believe that but we are literally convinced of literal full-blooded brothers and sisters (born after Jesus) but it's an interesting idea. However, none of that impacts our salvation in Christ alone, and it makes for an interesting read.

What impressed me about the book was how through her gift and talent of writing Anne Rice made certain aspects of Jewish culture and history come alive for me. Her description of the Mikveh bath, and other aspects the times and family life during that period gave me a sense and understanding that frankly blessed me and helped me understand better. It was like adding an illustrated picture to a set of directions for greater clarity. I had read and heard about these things before, but she painted a picture for me, but also gave it a practical application. Then there was the testimony part of the book, so beautifully written and explained, I enjoyed that aspect so much.

I can pray that she will continue to follow Christ the Lord (She didn't give up on Him, after all, only "Christian Religion"). She has much offer the body of Christ and it would seem, and much to learn herself. I think if she dedicates herself to unbiased, open-minded scholarship, as she did in the first Christ book she wrote, and prayerful vigilance to God and his Word she can and will overcome her disillusionment with some aspects of Christianity and its followers. There are certainly very difficult and unpalatable facets of the various aspects of our faith, Jesus' Crucifixion is the cornerstone prime example of that.



*We are a ministry family but we are not perfect. If we say or do anything un-biblical, please confront us calmly and in love the way you would like to be confronted, yelling and demeaning us makes us less likely to really hear what you are saying.
**We are a ministry family and therefore called to exhort, if the shoe fits...don't clobber us with it, just repent. ;)
***Commonly called "getting saved" or giving one's heart to the Lord.

Flower Power, part 1

I was having some fun with ze frank's flower maker. Here's what I came up with:

'Pastel Petals'





'viva'

Speaking of flowers...
The Daily Weaving blog had a recent post about Artists and flowers, see it here. It's about a public art project in Charleston, WV. I like good graffiti. It reminded me of the Lizards on the Loose public Art project Orlando, Florida, did in 2008.

Song Memory, then off on a tangent...Nature Boy

I was thinking about a loved one who has had a long and difficult struggle with substance abuse, and now, mental health issues. There is a song that will occasionally remind me of this person, and it's called Nature Boy. (Actually there are a few songs, but for today, it's this one.) As a little girl I recall my father listening to Nat King Cole's beautifully somber version (see here). While I was looking up the song online I discovered something I didn't know. The song was written by Eden Ahbez, who was quite a fascinating character. The song is incredible and has become a standard covered by a variety of artists.

Lukewarm

I absolutely savor my morning coffee, that quiet hour with a delicious beverage is one of my favorite times of day. However, unlike everyone else, I don't mind when my coffee becomes lukewarm. On cold days I enjoy it hot, and I like it iced in the afternoon, but really my favorite way to drink my coffee is when it's just warm. I relish it as I sip it and as it gets down to room temperature during the course of my morning routine. But that is not what this blog entry is about. I just said all of that as a background and a way of explaining what comes next.

Gradually over the past 2 years the following Bible verse has been on my radar, and has really been understood by me as never before.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Rev. 3:16

God is speaking to a Church that He is not pleased with. I understand the rest of the passage but this sentence has always puzzled me a bit. Perhaps, it's obvious to others but it wasn't to me. Since becoming a Christian I suppose I was always a little perplexed with this verse, because for me a lukewarm beverage isn't bad. Then, I never really understood why the Lord would rather have people hot or cold towards Him. Seems like He would only want them 'hot', as in passionate towards Him. And that those who were "cold" would be those who were indifferent or rejecting of Him. And why would he prefer even that than those who were 'warm/lukewarm' towards Him?

Well, it would seem I was missing the understanding altogether, because that is not what this verse is saying.

In the context of the times, one has to realize the importance of water. Cold, fresh water or hot water (either via springs or boiled) both have importance in the health of people. In ancient times, as today, lukewarm water is a breeding ground for disease. God wants His followers to be like fresh, cold water or like hot healing mineral springs, if you will, not like warm stagnant pools where bacteria and mosquitoes thrive, and can bring harm. I totally did not get this concept for years.

Lord, help me to be like cold, refreshing water to those who are thirsty; and help me to be like hot and healing mineral springs to people who are hurting and weary. Jesus was like that.

Let My Love Open The Door

I don't know why I like the song as much as I do, but I do. It's sweet, vulnerable and a tiny-little-bit blue. Can you imagine Jesus singing this song to all of us? I can.

Are New Yorkers More Rude Than Others?

Not in my limited experience! I know that it is a fairly common perception that New Yorkers can be brusque, brash and bold, and yes downright rude, but that is just not the case. I found them to be pleasant and helpful overall. One kind woman from a fashionable boutique directed us to another nearby store that sold umbrellas. She did this during a rain shower, and went out of her way to come outside to tell us - we were huddled under a nearby awning. That little incident was typical of our experience. Things moved at a faster pace, but that does not equal rudeness in most cases. Any rudeness we encountered was incidental and no more or no less that we'd observe anywhere.

On a side note, I did observe that subway cars, as crowded as they are, are unusually quiet, even when full. See, I think in the South folks would be chatting, even strangers. But that brings me to another observation. The pervasive use of texting on cell-phones and ear-buds in MP3 players has moved our human communication and interaction into another dimension.

Above photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/gustty/

How I Eat A Cupcake

I was a child's Birthday Party this weekend an ate my cupcake in my preferred fashion. I would describe it myself, but blogging actor Jorge Garcia has it nicely described and illustrated HERE on his old blog, so go over there and check it out. I was delighted when I read his entry several months ago and discovered that I was not the only one who does this. I kinda just started doing it on my own a few years ago. I especially like to do it with bakery made cupcakes as opposed to homemade ones. The bakery ones usually have more frosting and by making my cupcake into a sandwich, it seems to balance out the sweetness for me. If you try it and like it, let me know.


cupcake photo by shilelle

Scents and the City

Sometime in the beginning of the summer a co-worker asked me where I was going on my vacation, and I replied New York City. Then, that person said something like, "Oooh, it smells really bad there." I took notice of that because I consider myself to be a little more sensitive than the average person to smells. Big Daddy says I have a bionic nose.

I arrived in New York on a Tuesday afternoon, and was soon on a walk around the neighborhood and through a small part of Central Park. I was delighted that my co-worker's critique of The City smell was not my experience. For a GREAT BIG CITY, New York did pretty well smell-wise. The neighborhood of our hotel, The Upper West Side, smelled pretty good, thanks in no small part to lush and lovely Central Park. I often found myself catching a whiff of something woodsy that reminded me of my youthful summers in Pennsylvania. There were also the smells of food from the various restaurants and street vendor carts. That was nice.

It seemed to me that garbage was collected every night, which amazed me. Our garbage is picked up twice a week, but in a city that size, it would have to be daily. So occasionally one caught the smell of garbage, and somewhere around Times Square I caught a strong stench of urine, but it was only once and then it was the weekend and the City was busier.

Even the fuel exhaust in the Subway tunnels was not as overpowering and unpleasant as I thought it might be. New York smells fine to me. But I have to admit, for the first time I enjoyed the stinky mangrove smell that hit me as we were driving back to our Keys home. It was fun to go away and then it was good to be back.