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I’m working on the new book, tentatively entitled “Arlo & Janis after Dark,” and here I am giving away the merchandise. Yes, production of the new book is behind schedule, but I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. And yes, it’s mostly old material, but if you’re worried that you’ve seen a lot of it already, think how I feel.
387 responses to “‘Oft Go Awry’”
My grandson has learned all about the nativity in school. He goes to Catholic school which I pay for happily and furnish all his clothes for the uniforms and dress codes happily. I approve of schools that have prayer and say the Pledge of Allegiance each morning. Today Jack got to hold the flag for the Pledge. He was so proud.
His mom is putting out the bisque China nativity I painted when she was one year old which was lovely but had many pieces broken by her older sister. I had forgotten we had found unpainted bisque replacements and Jack was so excited that I was coming to paint the replacements.
He enumerated we had ten chickens, five sheep, two goats, two donkeys, camels, ducks, three cows, dogs, shepherds, kings, angels and the Holy family. He knew exactly how many of each and knew names of Mary, Joseph, the kings, even the angels and shepherds. He knew what each king gave the Christmas child.
Now I know these are creations of writers and there is only legends, but I am happy my four year old grandson is being taught this and that he cares deeply. I am happy his school had a birthday cake for Baby Jesus this week, just as we did long ago at his mother’s school. I am happy we will go to mass with Jack to the children’s mass.
Honestly, Jack’s grandmother crosses herself, bows her head in respect and genuflecs before the altar, the cross or the Virgin,
, even if none of it is totally true. It is respectful and polite and observant of tradition. And that is enough for me to say it is deserving of observation and doing.
Jackie
To put it in nautical terms:
.
Without tradition we are like a rudderless boat.
Jackie, your grandson is an amazing child — able to learn all this! Has a burning interest in everything. Must run in the family. And you, how can you do so much each day? Your days have 24 hours just like mine, and I can hardly get out of my own way. Oh well, I am not fretting about this, we are different, that’s all. Chris used to say, “Vive la difference!”
On another topic, how many of us could go to the right book and find the right poem from which the title of this thread was taken? Without Googling and so on.
Robert Burns. My mind will kick in perhaps with title if not book?
I am listening to instrumental Christmas music, I am making some improvement I think in handling the season. OHOLY Night is playing. I once had to play the role of the composer in a church play because my male star chickened out and I as director producer was only other who knew the lines. In a fake beard and a strapped down chest beneath the dark man’s suit. Playing a small keyboard in lieu of organ.
Love the song but that silly play clouds my enjoyment. I truly loved my Baptist grandmother to do some of the things I did for her and her faith in the Lord.
Miss Charlotte I asked a Swedish chef customer that same question in same way and he answered that he and God had an understanding and he was given extra hours each day that others did not get.
Charlotte: I could go to one “right” book – Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations – but that’s probably not what you had in mind 🙂
Ruth Anne you are right and I have a Bartletts in library outside my bedroom. I did not think of that!
I was right on Robert Burns.
Charlotte in NH
did say “and so on” but without looking is it not
“Gang aft aglae”?
I cheated
To A Mouse
“gang aft agley”
Debbe this is for you. I am trying to get back on my healthy diet and diabetic eating plan. I have kicked the bucket over and eaten the contents. I desperately need to get back and eat as I should, just as you need to quit smoking.
I’d like to challenge you to stay clean and smoke free by pledging to do the same, sweets and sugar free, just eat healthy raw, steamed and baked or grilled to lose weight I gained plus exercise . I will be honest in my success or failure as I know you will.
How about it? Anyone else want to support Debbe in this?
Debbe, and Jackie, oh I very much want to cheer both of you on! Debbe is seeing possibilities around her, coping with change, AND quitting smoking. Jackie is regaining control over cravings, finding new purpose in the season, sharing crafts time/nativity lessons with grandson. Great things are afoot.
My current three areas of improvement pale a bit by comparison. And I do not want to make light of your big changes by setting them against yours.
So see me jumping in celebration, shaking pom-poms, and yelling “GO GET ‘EM GIRLS!”
It is 61 degrees out there with 80% humidity and high winds. My porch and decks and patios are soaking wet. This time tomorrow will be about 11 degrees with high winds and a wind chill warning of minus 10 to minus 20 degrees.
I have to entice all the cats inside with canned cat food after lunch. Temps hitting freezing by lunch and falling off thermometer by midnight.
Jackie you knew the author right away! You have read widely. Ruth Anne, and Old Bear, you are good too. As for the wording, I think Jimmy paraphrased Burns’s Scotch dialect. From this same poem comes the most familiar words, “The best laid plans of mice and men” …
Debbe, and Jackie, great idea for you to collaborate on the healthy efforts. You can both do it!
More tomorrow, it’s late.
Have you noticed that emb ends ALL his Emails with “Peace”? It’s something he’s done for quite some time and is not directed at any special person.
Yes, it is like me signing all my emails, letters and notes “Love.”
Posted without comment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOoVgPLLSKc
Good morning. I am going back to bed except I haven’t gotten out of it yet. It also just occurred to me that no real coats nor warm pants have emerged out of those stored bins of winter clothes. We are about to have several days of Temps in the teens.
Charlotte,
Thank you. Actually, I mean it, though sometimes fail to live it. It’s the major message of a 1st century CE prophet that I try to follow.
Peace,
Yuck, I have to get up while post office is open and get dressed, go into town. I have no benadryl or allergy mess and nose ran all night. Plus animals may be low on foods. My hair looks awful.
None of those things are in any way connected. Don’t try.
Debbe, I don’t know about you but I am almost 24 hours without eating sugar laden food nor bad for me fat laden but delicious stuff I cook for others. I am almost two years from day I began this effort and I am not staying back there.
You are not either Debbe. Did you know sugar and high fat, fried or otherwise, are addictive too?
Jackie, Debbe, et al.,
Specific chemistry is involved in many addictions, and people differ chemically, both because of genetic differences [which are mostly not fully ID’ed. or understood] and differences in the chemical environments we were raised in [which . . . etc.] So alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, and chemicals inherent in foods or produced in cooking them, may have different effects on different. I’ve mentioned a person I know who found kicking booze much easier than kicking cigarettes.
Specific internal chemistry may be involved in kicking habits that are not directly related to external chemicals. My demon is cptr solitaire. Initially, it produces a feeling of satisfaction, perhaps due to self-generated endorphins, but then I’m hooked until I either win a game [or more] or have to quit to go somewhere, eat, or whatever.
Peace,
‘. . . different effects on different people. I’ve . . ..’
Gary, only three inches of snow and not as wet as expected. I think the system is over you right now. I hope it’s as good to you as it was to me and Steve in RO.
Good morning Villagers…
Jackie, I throw my gauntlet down 🙂 This is not going to be easy, my target date is Monday, Dad gets out of nursing home then.
Emb, I too have enjoyed your signing off with peace…if I could I’d give you the hippy version back….the V with your two fingers.
I too need to go back into town and get the generic benedryl…very pleasant temp out there right now…going into hen house and do anger management out on the curtain backs.
Need to pry Ian out of bed….temps are going to start dropping here later on.
Jackie, I’ll tell you about my 10 years of a Catholic education which I will always treasure. I’m so happy to hear you are going to spend time with your family this year. Jack sounds like a little big man.
Thank you Morphy for the ooorahhh.
later…..
8″ snow temps not as cold as I thought — yet — +5*
Debbe does this work? \/ ( \ & / )
Mark will probably find a emoticon.
Smigz, only 3″? We have had at least 5″ so far and it is still snowing. OTOH it is around 16F right now so it is quite balmy.