Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, or. . .?

I  know that all of you, my Gentle Readers, have been wondering where I have been!  Right?  Of course you have - so I will tell you.  I have been indisposed.  Isn't that a lovely word?  Indisposed. . .what does that mean exactly?  Well, Merriam-Webster defines it thusly:


: in·dis·posed

Pronunciation: \-ˈspōzd\

Function: adjective

Date: 15th century

1 : slightly ill
2 : averse

For our purposes today, we will use the first definition - slightly ill.  I am currently in the "recovery phase" following some rather delicate surgery on my right hand/wrist.  Any of you who actually know me are aware that I have had problems with my right hand for several years now, following a surgical accident which occurred during a procedure to repair a broken elbow.  It's a long story, and maybe someday I'll write it out, but I won't bore you with it now.  That is a story to which I am completely averse to telling (at least today!)!

On August 6, I had surgery to fuse my right wrist.  Because of a number of different problems inherent with my own particular wrist anatomy, the surgery took more than 4 hours. I was in hopes that my excellent surgeon would be able to accomplish two procedures this time around and avoid a second surgery, but that was not to be. I am in hopes over the next few weeks, that with some different therapies we will be able to avoid that altogether, but only time will tell.

So!  You now have me as your friendly ONE-HANDED blogging companion.  I know I've said that I've been one-handed before, but now I really am - I'm not to use any of my right fingers - even the two that work! SO, typing and blogging have become a real challenge for me, and because it has become such a time-consuming chore to get my thoughts on paper or screen,  I'm sure you will be relieved to know that I will be publishing over the next few weeks some chapters from my forth-coming "Book of Odes to the Everyday."  Doesn't that sound grand?  If such a book ever comes out, it will be because I print it in my own basement with an old mimeograph machine... I do have a few chapters written, so I will begin with my first ode, which was written many, many years ago - the ones to follow in the forthcoming weeks have been penned more recently. 

Ode to My Books
©1997 Paula Tohline Calhoun

Books in bookshelves, firmly packed,

Books on counters, neatly stacked.
Books by every couch and chair
Books on floors and on the stair.
Books for pleasure, books for learning
(Not one single book for burning).
Books for reading, books for show
Books that shine with afterglow
Of days spent telling stories culled
From those same pages read of old.
Books we’d love to give away,
And books to savor, meant to stay
With those who know the joyous taste
Of books embossed and leather-cased
Devoured as the hours pass
While sitting in some boring class.
(Those who say that class was wasted,
Don’t know just how good that book tasted!).
Books by authors known to few
Books so old that now they’re “new.”
Books that nourish starving minds,
Books for everyone, all kinds.
Books that still reside in me,
Fresh, as they will always be.
Should all the world and all within it
Fall away this very minute –
Were there no humans left to love,
Just my books, and God above -
Then list my life replete, well fed!
With all my books, I’ll be well-read.

And - when it comes to reading, dear Gentle Reader, there can never be enough...

My Fantasy Dinner (with thanks to nrhatch!)

A blogging friend of mine, nrhatch,  http://nrhatch.wordpress.com/ , has a wonderful entry today about fantasizing your idea of a perfect meal.  This idea was initially given to writers, but it can apply to anyone who might like to drift off into "Fantasy Land."  Writers (or anyone) are to invite 12 guests (plus themselves) to any setting on the planet (or even in a galaxy far, far away) to share fabulous food, laughter and love, and convivial conversation. Can you imagine who would be on your guest list (of 12), what would be served, where the dinner would be, etc?  Give it I try - I have!

The Perfect Company, The Perfect Food, The Perfect Location:  My Fantasy Dinner

1. Location:  It would be in my own dining room, with all the guests seated around the dining room table that I inherited from my Mom.  There will be candlelight, but the room will be light enough so that each guest's face can be clearly seen, and the room will be quiet enough that each person can be heard.  The weather will be a perfect 72° F, a light breeze, and low humidity, just the right weather for taking a walk after our meal.  The dinner will start before sunset, and as it will be early summer, the twilight will last for several hours, before yielding to a beautiful, starlit night with the moon riding, full, low, and golden.  OK - can you see it now?


2.  My Guests:  Needless to say, all twelve gave me their positive "R.S.V.P." well in advance, so that I know exactly how much food will be needed, so that nothing will be wasted.  I must make the following disclaimer - since most of my family (extended) would automatically be my first choice as guests (we always have SO MUCH FUN when we are all together) - I am not including them at this particular party.  I couldn't choose just one or two, so they will all have to settle for either quietly listening at the door, (an impossible task for many of my family), or waiting for my word-for-word description the day after!

On my list (in no particular order) will be St. Luke (writer of the Gospel):  I can imagine no one whose presence, conversation, comments, observations and compassion would be more welcome.  He was not an eye-witness to the earthly life of Christ, but through his total commitment, he had first-hand knowledge of Christ. As a gifted literary artist, he produced what many, including myself, consider the most beautiful book in the world.  Some of you who know me will be surprised that Jesus Himself is not first on my list.  We have a sign posted in our home between the kitchen and dining room that says:  "Christ is the Head of this house;  the unseen Guest at every meal; the silent Listener to every conversation."  Christ is always present with us, and since we invited Him in long ago, He needs no further invitation!

Next:  Albert Einstein.  After reading his biography by Walter Isaacson, I have become fascinated with the complete man.  Flawed and brilliant; awed in the presence of God, yet often agnostic; deep lover of music and his favorite violin (though not greatly accomplished at playing it); he was also a great wit and enjoyed  good conversation, good company, and friendly argument while at the same time standing firm on his wide variety of convictions.  What a guest!

Eleanor Roosevelt:  A brilliant, well-spoken woman, who enjoyed her life in the midst of her own suffering.  She was betrayed, yet triumphed; tolerant and compassionate; and she enjoyed the company of many people from diverse backgrounds.  She became for me the standard against which I measure every other First Lady, both before her time, and since.

Maeve Binchy:  She is one of the still living I will invite.  She is a favorite novelist of mine.  Her novels are completely character-driven, and often revolve around a group of people who may or may not be related (by blood or friendship), but whose lives intersect in some fashion or another.  Since she is Irish, her novels are set in Ireland primarily.  I am always sorry to reach the end of her books - I feel like I've made friends, and that our relationship has ended too soon.  Besides, what a book she could write about my dinner!

Father Francis Chisholm:  Yes, he's a fictional character, but this is my fantasy, remember? If you haven't seen Gregory Peck's portrayal of this man in the wonderful movie, or better yet, read A. J. Cronin's beautiful novel, "The Keys of the Kingdom," then I highly recommend this beautiful story of a Scottish priest who becomes a missionary in China.  Of course, he will look exactly like Gregory Peck - I can see him in no other way, and as I said, this is my fantasy!  Father Chisholm had all the character traits that one could ever wish for in a clergyman:  he was familiar with the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, adopted a simple way of life, and advocated ecumenical cooperation between all Christians. His tolerance was viewed with suspicion within the institutional Church by his superiors, as most prophets in their own time are, but he remained a genuinely happy man.


Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi:  Brilliant, gifted, compassionate; a blessed peace-maker; in spite of his flaws, he was a man who lived his faith instead of merely preaching it.  Here are a few of his memorable quotes below, that speak so well of his life:

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
“Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love.”
“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”
“There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever”
“Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong”
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

Who wouldn't want such a person in their midst?  Besides, I could introduce him to the true Christians at my table!

Jim Henson:  His character and creativity delighted me from the very first Muppet I saw, and his legacy continues to delight and inspire me.  My understanding is that in his private life, he rarely spoke in the voice of the beloved "Kermit the Frog," or any of his other creations, but he was a wonderful conversationalist, and was able to impart his imagination and inspire it in others.


Rachel Carson:  Who could resist, especially in this day and age, having a passionate conservationist and ecologist as their guest?  I am looking forward to hearing her comments on and recommendations for the Gulf Oil Disaster.  I am certain she would have a few choice words, and her passion for the natural earth would be wonderful to be around!


Jane Goodall:  Oh, the places she's been, and the people (and animals) she's seen!  I hope she brings along her scrapbook!


Maya Angelou:  Writer, poet, activist, actress, teacher - so many talents all rolled up into one, she is sure to be an equal among all at this gathering.  I want a copy of the poem she will write for, on, and about the occasion.  She never fails to inspire and enrich.

Amy Tan:  A superb novelist, her novels are peopled with wonderful Chinese characters, both historical and present-day.  As a woman of Chinese descent, she has great insights into the life of her characters, and she has given me so much pleasure, brought forth countless tears, and elicited so many smiles, provoked so much thought, I cannot wait for her arrival.


Ella Fitzgerald:  The quintessential American musician, my desire is to not have her perform, but to relax, enjoy the company, and to talk about her life and times, her struggles and triumphs.  Of course, if she wants to scat a bit, who am I to stop her?


It seems I  leaned more heavily on the living than I thought I would, (1/3), but fantasies being what they are, the mind wanders around a bit.  My guest list tomorrow might be completely different! Now, on to the menu:


Although they were definitely asked not to bring anything, they will of course each bring along their favorite wine or beverage of choice, which will be deanted, if necessary, and served with the meal - if they so choose.


Appetizers: I will serve a few assorted favorite hors d'oeuvres, among which are mushroom turnovers - small, flaky cream cheese pastry crescents wrapped around a filling made of seasoned portabella mushrooms, shallots, wine and olive oil; bite-size quiche Lorraine; and the perfect pimiento cheese, made with a deliciously sharp Vermont white cheddar cheese, and served on waffle toast points.  (Waffle toast, an invention of my Mom's, is buttered bread, the best available, in any or several varieties, that is toasted in a waffle iron, then each square cut diagonally into fourths.  Besides wine, iced darjeeling tea with mint and lemon will also be available.


Starter:  A very light fruit salad, cool and refreshing to the palate after eating the appetizers.  Made with the very freshest of local organic fruits, all in season (in my fantasy, all fruits are available, locally grown, year-round!).  Crisp Red Delicious apples, perfectly sectioned oranges and grapefruit, green and red grapes, and a perfectly ripe cantaloupe - all combined with a tiny splash of cointreau.or Grand Marnier.


Main Dish:  Moving more in an ethnic direction, and using my father's recipe, handed down to me, I will prepare and serve Seafood Gumbo - rich, thick, and loaded with shrimp, oysters, crab, and scallops.  It will be spicy hot, but not too hot, but dried peppers and Tabasco sauce will be available, along with extra filé on the side.  This will all be served over rice - good old Louisiana white rice, a bit sticky, but thoroughly cooked.  There will be oyster crackers at each place, to put a finishing touch on the gumbo, if desired. Also, there will be a beautiful side salad, made with several lettuces (no iceberg), fresh non-refrigerated firm, ripe tomatoes, sliced and seeded cucumbers, scallions, sliced sweet peppers, shredded carrots, fresh green peas, (uncooked), and garnished with a bit of chopped egg.  All served with freshly-prepared, slightly sweetened balsamic vinaigrette.


Dessert: served after a walk around and through our beautiful water gardens (this is a fantasy, remember?)A most excellent , not-too-sweet Rice Singapore.  (My Mom used to laughingly call it "just a little rice pudding.")  Rice Singapore is one of those perfectly wonderful, though time-consuming dishes to prepare, but worth all the effort!  It's made with rice cooked in cream, sugar, vanilla bean and fresh-ground cinnamon.  It is served chilled, with ripe strawberries, and it truly does melt in your mouth.


The invitation will direct the guests to wear whatever they are most comfortable in, and should probably be loose-fitting, or have an elastic waist band.


One final note:  I will mention again, that in this fantasy, there will be no waste of any kind.  All food prepared will be consumed - either that night, or the next day or two - and guests will be free to eat as much or as little as they like, except I will perhaps encourage Mr. Gandhi to eat abundantly!  No need for fasting here in my perfect world.


Alright, everybody - now it's your turn!  Send me your ideas for the perfect Fantasy Dinner!


Hope you eat not too much nor too little, but just enough . . .

Free?

Freedom can be a sticky notion, let alone a word.  We all want it for ourselves and others we love, in particular.  We, as Americans, purport to want it for all the world, (although our reasons are not always altruistic, unfortunately.)  What exactly do I mean by the word, though? It can be a very confusing idea if you stand freedom off by itself, and don't blend it liberally with self-control, and responsibility.  I remember hearing for the first time when I was in high school the axiom:  "The right (freedom) of a person to swing his/her arm ends where another person's nose begins."  So, am I really free?

I answer to myself, "Of course I am, because I have no desire to swing my arm into another person's nose!"  But what about someone else?  If they do have such a desire, then are they more free than I?  The answer, in a way, is also "yes."  Pure freedom is the ability to dream, be and do what you want, how you want, when you want, where you want . But is that what freedom, for all practical purposes, really is?  Perhaps we could define it more closely as the choice to behave and do as you please.  Therein lies the rub, so to speak!  Most of us in fact do have the choice to be and do whatever, but the consequences of choice are always in force, and cannot be avoided.  Those consequences can affect our choices for the remainder of our lives, and also the choices of others, so that the scope/freedom of our choices gradually becomes more and more restricted as time and our lives march on. 

Galatians 5:13 -"It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself." 

Even in nations where individual freedoms are tightly controlled (is that an oxymoron?), the choice is still there; the consequences are different, however, and perhaps more immediate and perceivable.  So the question is perhaps not so much "Are we free?" but "How free are we?"

Best answer:  It depends!  First of all there are laws.  Natural laws of the universe/creation apply, which keep us, among many other things, (to date anyway) from just flapping our arms and flying about, or eating anything and as much as our hearts desire with no affect on our girth or health, or never aging - no matter how much we might want to - because they relate to our abilities, rather than our choices.  While we might dream those things freely, we cannot accomplish them at will.  (This opens up a whole other can of worms dealing with "What the heart can conceive, the mind can achieve (or vice-versa)," but we'll keep this discussion to our present, closed-minded conceptions of natural laws.)

Besides natural laws, there are our man-made laws.  Those kind of laws affect our personal freedoms more in the realm of choice.  My choice to sock another in the nose results (hopefully), through that infraction of the law, in some sort of legal or penal action/punishment.  Sometimes the infraction of a man-made law intersects directly with a natural law.  Not only has my choice to harm another  affected my future choices, but it has affected the ability of the victim to be uninjured, and consequently some other choices s/he might wish to make.

I believe in God, in the core of my being.  I believe also that God gave us freedom of choice and also of ability (which can change over time a we become more skilled at unlocking the secrets of creation).  Because humanity often chooses to act without regard to consequences, I know that God grieves over us.  I firmly believe that God desires our wholeness and happiness, but that God has given us the options in how to achieve that.  By giving us those options, God restricted God's self.  There is nothing, in other words, that God cannot do.  There are, however, because of God's gift of freedom, things that God will not do.

The question, "Where is God when all the killing, destruction, and suffering in and of this world is going on?  How can a merciful God allow such things to happen?"  I don't know the answers to all those questions.  If I did, then my God would be too small.  I am absolutely convinced that God exists right along side of us as we suffer, and God endures with us and inspires us to reach out and put an end to as much of the desecration as we will.  God always hopes that we choose to do the right things.  That we treat one another as we would wish to be treated, because that is the way to true joy, peace and freedom.

If we were to follow this great commandment, there would be no need for man-made laws, and no concern over the natural ones.  The Gulf oil "geyser" (it is certainly no "spill!") disaster would not have occurred through our own selfish choices, and if it had occurred by natural means, then we all would have reached out in such a way as to alleviate the consequences upon all affected (therefore all of us), and channeled all our resources to end and repair the damage.  God gave us the freedom and the equipment to do all these things.  It is our freedom.  It is our choice.  Let us exercise it with responsibility and love.

There is a wonderful musical called "Shenandoah," which was made of  the James Stewart movie.  It takes place during the American Civil War, and concerns the Anderson family of Virginia, which had made the choice to remain out of the war completely, and to concentrate all their energies on their own family and farm.  They have black laborers on their farm, but pay them a living wage, and no slaves.  In spite of their choices, because of the choices and actions of others they are inevitably drawn into the war despite their own wishes.  One of the songs from that musical is called "Freedom."  It is a song sung by one of the Anderson daughters-in-law and a black child, a slave from a neighboring farm.   After hearing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the child inquires of his friend if he is really free, and can he go somewhere else to a place called Freedom?.  Here are the lyrics:

"Freedom" 
(from "Shenandoah,"  lyrics by Peter Udell)

Freedom ain't a state like Maine or Virginia
Freedom ain't across some county line
Freedom is a flame that burns within ya
Freedom's in the state of mind

(Chorus) Freedom, freedom,
Freedom, freedom
Freedom is a flame that burns within ya
Freedom's in the state of mind


Freedom ain't a boat that's leaving without ya
Freedom ain't a place ya float to find
Freedom's in the how ya think about ya
Freedom's in the state of mind


(Chorus)


You can't get to freedom by riding on a train
The only way to freedom is right on through your brain


Freedom is a notion sweeping the nation
Freedom is the right of all mankind
Freedom is a body's imagination
Freedom is a state of mind


Freedom, freedom
Freedom, freedom
Freedom is a notion sweeping the nation
Freedom is a body's imagination
Freedom is a full-time occupation
Freedom's in the state of mind

In the young boy's case, if he wanted somewhere to go, perhaps freedom really was a place, but in truth, the real essence of freedom is available to all of us, no matter where we are; the secret is knowing that the path to freedom is found on the map of love.

Gentle Reader, I wish for you all, enough. . .

You know you're gretting older...

Years ago, my brother Dick and I used to love to read Mad Magazine.  One of the favorite sections to read was the cartoons by Don Martin.  He had a very creative imagination and always came up with things that tickled my funny bone like no other cartoonist could. (Up until Gary Larson and "The Far Side" came along, that is, but they are almost equal in talent!)  For instance, in one issue he had a page of cartoons entitled "You know you've gained weight when. . ."  My favorite of those is one that shows a very large person stepping into a bathtub with about 1" of water in it.  After he gets in, the bathtub overflows! and the sentence completion is . . ."it doesn't take as much water to fill the tub a it used to!"  He also did a very visual cartoon as an issue's end-page, called "One Day at a Short-Order Restaurant." A waiter walks up to the cook's window and puts in his order: "Cold pig on a green sea, dust the roof and no pom-pom." Without even looking up, his hands blurring with speed, the cook assembles the sandwich,  hands it to the waiter, and confirms that it is a "cold pig on a green sea, dust the roof and no pom-pom." Next at the window is a man, obviously not a waiter or employee, who, with a worried and urgent look on his face says:  "Where's the bathroom Mac, hurry up and no foolin'!" Again without looking up, the cook assembles a sandwich rapidly, looks up at the man and hands him the sandwich while confirming his order of  "where's the bathroom Mac, hurry up and no foolin'!"  Still makes me LOL just remembering.  Following are a couple of Wikipedia examples from their article on the great Don Martin (1931-2000):

"Although Martin's contributions invariably featured outrageous events and sometimes outright violations of the laws of space-time, his strips typically had unassuming generic titles such as "A Quiet Day in the Park" or "One Afternoon at the Beach". In one four-panel gag, titled "One Night in the Miami Bus Terminal," a man approaches a machine labeled "Change," inserts a dollar bill, and the machine changes him into a woman. In another gag, a man is flattened by a steamroller but is saved by the timely intervention of a concerned passerby, who folds him into a paper airplane and throws him towards the nearest hospital."

Lately, while passing by a mirror or reflective window, I have often taken pause, asking "Who is that old woman?"  I don't know why this would take me by surprise, but I have recently found myself asking that question a great deal and I really don't recognize that woman, until I stop and stare at the  (cloudy, to these older eyes) reflection!  My husband's favorite remark along those lines, when he sees his own reflection, is "Dad?"  So, I figure that these sorts of questions are a sign that you know you are getting older . . .

There are others.  Such as:  You know you are getting older when . . . the hairs on your chin start to outnumber the ones on your husband's; or . . .you need your glasses in order to repair your glasses; or . . .you have to lean completely forward in order to get your breasts into your bra cups; or. . .you start referring to your Dr. as "Sonny;" or . . .no matter how long or short your walk to the bathroom is, the mere act of walking toward it causes an "accident!"  I'm willing to bet some of you have your own examples, and I invite you to please post them as comments here...we can always use a good laugh - especially upon recognizing ourselves in other peoples' observations.

I must add one last example on my part, to let you know one of the great things about getting older (in addition to my mother's comment which was always "It sure beats the alternative!") and that is:

You know you're getting older when . . .you treasure your life more and more every day!

Looking forward to your own observations on aging!  From this very cloudy mirror (getting cloudier everyday it seems!) to you, my Gentle Reader,

I wish you enough. . .