Gardening in May

Following the Shade:

 When temperatures are in the 80s and 90s, then by midday the gardener has to “Follow the Shade,” moving as the shade moves, and avoiding the harder work, such as hoeing and mowing.  By no means having to avoid the pleasure of gardening.  A lot of that these days.

 Rain, Mowing, and Potatoes

Unlike in many parts of the country, we have had more than adequate rain, more like April than May, a real thunderstorm last night.  Grass and weeds so tall and lush that it takes long to dry out enough to mow between rains, and the mower clogs up on the wet and lush growth and quits.   I will never catch up.  The back gardens are at their glory with roses, clematis, and peonies; just ignore the weeds which try to detract from the flowers.  “Look at me, too, I’m here.”  And the potatoes—hip high, so lush I am afraid they are going all to foliage and flowers and there will be no potatoes.  We shall see.

 Hands Dirty or Clean?

 Hazel and I were working together, spreading a truckload of mulch, weeding as we went,  on foundation planting around the house.   She remarked on my bare hands, that I must like working in the dirt.  It is true, I never wear gloves.  I said, “Well, I guess I would rather get my hands dirty working in the garden than clean washing the dishes.”  Truth.  When we were through, she came in the house to wash her hands, went to the kitchen sink, and was stopped, by a sinkful of dishes soaking. 

Who Protects Our Freedoms?

[I was prompted to write this op ed a few years ago by a letter in which the writer praised the military while in the same breath reviling the government.  It is still timely.  Following this item is a comment I ran across on a website today, which extends the role of "defenders of freedom" to every citizen.]

Memorial Day Reflections 2009

 Why must we, upon celebrating Memorial Day, in one and the same breath praise the military and vilify the government?

 If our veterans, volunteers and conscripted, living and dead, are spiritual descendants of those who fought in the Revolutionary War to establish a free nation, then so our statesmen, elected and appointed, living and dead, are spiritual descendants of those founding fathers who wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.  Our military can never have fought for our freedoms if our government had never established those freedoms.  And if we accuse some in our government of being avaricious and corrupt, driven sometimes by hunger for power, then so do we have to admit that some in our military are treacherous and cowardly, given sometimes to atrocities.

 Our young people have for more than 200 years fought in wars and invasions both just and unjust, and our public officials have for more than 200 years crafted laws and treaties both wise and flawed.

 It is a part of patriotism to hold our military to the highest standards of honor and integrity, and it is equally a part of our patriotism to hold our government officials to those same highest standards of honor and integrity.

 While we honor our veterans for fighting to maintain our freedoms, let us honor our statesmen for writing the laws establishing those freedoms.  Both veterans and statesmen, living and dead, have given and are giving their lives for our country.

[Today i saw the following comment on a blog on the web.  This veteran names more than veterans and statesmen as "defenders of freedom."  It is for all of us to take up that role.] 

From Demo Christian:

As an Army veteran and as an American I am offended by the phrase "those who are defending our freedoms."

Yes, men and women have given their lives to preserve freedom and to protect America from foreign threats. But it is the job of every American to defend the freedoms that we are guaranteed by our constitution. And many have been labeled as un-American for doing so. Freedom riders, suffragettes, comedians, war protesters, writers and a host of lynched men helped defend the freedoms that others tried to and did deny them.

I am glad that we honor our war dead for their sacrifice. But I can think of no better way to honor them than to exercise our freedoms and ensure that they are not a cherished memory for our grandchildren.

---

Flowers for Memorial Day

An old story tells of two men who were attending the graves of departed friends.  One, a Caucasian, was placing a vase of flowers on his friend’s grave.  The other, a Chinese, was placing a bowl of rice on his friend’s grave.  The first asked: “When do you expect your friend to come up and eat that rice?”  And the latter responded: “The same time your friend comes up and smells those flowers.”

 We have come a long way, though, since those days of flowers and rice.  Now, it is globs of plastic.  Whole cemeteries covered with globs of plastic.  Globs in the shapes of flowers, but they might just as well be shapes of cars, dishes, golf clubs, guns, or anything else the deceased might have fancied.  Or why not just recycle old plastic toys, melt them down and toss them on the graves.  Just as colorful.  Just as meaningful.

 Living flowers at funeral services and at gravesites, it seems to me, honor the life of the now deceased, and symbolize the life that continues after death, the lives of the descendants and the lives of those who were touched by the life of the deceased.

 These thoughts came to me afresh a few weeks ago when I was at the local trash dump, and was astonished to see the heap of trash crowned with a vast amount of plastic globs.  It seems that a local cemetery had just cleaned up all the old plastic, in order to make room for a new round of plastic on the upcoming Memorial Day.

 It brings me no sentimental pleasure or joy when I drive by or walk through a cemetery littered with plastic.  When I consider how these thrice pollute: first, when they spew out contamination while being manufactured; second, when they spoil the tranquility of the cemetery; and third, when they are carted to the landfill where, being non-biodegradable, they will spend eons.

 Far more touching would be to see the withered remains of violets or daisies or rose petals watered with tears when placed on the grave. 

My Inconclusive Travel Plans

[This was forwarded to me by an old friend, at least as old as I am, but I do not know its origin.  One of those things that goes around I guess.]
I have been in many places, but I've never been in Cahoots. Apparently,
you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone.

I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there.

I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to
be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends,
family and work.

I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too
much on physical activity anymore.

I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to
visit there too often.

I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand
firm.

Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting
older.

One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the
adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the
stimuli I can get!

I may have been in Continent, but I don't remember what country I was
in. It's an age thing.

PLEASE DO YOUR PART!

Today is one of the many National Mental Health Days throughout the
year. You can do your bit by remembering to send an e-mail to at least
one unstable person. My job is done!

From one unstable person to another... I hope everyone is happy in your
head - we're all doing pretty good in mine!

UN AGENDA 21

[I submitted the following news article to the Hampshire Review this week, don’t know if they are going to use it.  It was prompted by an article a couple of weeks ago by the local tea party, and by my visit to the meeting at which they discussed the issue.  I will expand on this in the near future.]

Local Democrats Look at UN Agenda 21

At a recent meeting of Hampshire County Democrats, the topic of discussion was UN Agenda 21, of whom most had not even heard until they started hearing of the opposition to it.  And even so, they may be hearing erroneous information.  The gist of the opposition to Agenda 21 seems to come down to concern about property rights, at least locally, and whether the Agenda has undue influence over even local land use and zoning policy.  So does it really all come down to property rights?   And if so, whose property rights?  Yours?  Mine?  Where do my property rights end and yours begin?  And who can come and take those rights away?  Is it about taking away our property, or dictating how we can use that property?

Since its creation after World War II, there has been controversy and criticism of the United Nations.  An early opponent of the UN was the conservative John Birch Society, which began a "get US out of the UN" campaign in 1959, charging that the UN's aim was to establish a "One World Government."   So it is not surprising that those who oppose the United Nations and our membership in it, would also look askance at many of the programs and documents coming out of the UN, and see them as part of what they perceive as the “One World Government” aim of the UN.

Case in point is the UN Agenda 21, which is a plan, not a mandate, for sustainable development, introduced at the 1992 Earth Summit, and signed by 179 nations, including the U.S., by President George H. W. bush, but seen by some as a means of gaining “centralized control over all of human life on earth,” as Glenn Beck put it.  But, as the UN’s Tariq Banuri says, “Agenda 21 is not a binding treaty.  It sets out a sort of common vision….environmental concerns are common concerns of everyone on this planet.”  The Agenda is a program that “addresses the pressing problems of today and also aims at preparing the world for the challenges of the next (21^st) century….[goal is to] promote the integration of the three components of sustainable development—economic development, social development and environmental protection—as interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars.”  All of this is seen as a threat by opponents, with warnings to look out for code words, such as “sustainable development,” “smart growth,” and “comprehensive plan.”  Presumably, this Agenda is meant to infiltrate into nations, into states, into counties and local governments, and we are to be suspicious of almost anything being proposed locally in the name of planning, zoning, and land use.  And, most immediately, anything affecting our property rights, which “they” mean to take from us.  Accordingly, we might look askance at our own Hampshire County “Comprehensive Plan” that came out of our local planning commission, which states its vision as “encouraging future growth and development…within a sustainable environment for current and future residents.”   Does that sound like a bad thing?

MISSING MAMMA

[Mothers' Day can bring back some of the simplest of memories.  My mother, Drewry Elizabeth Woody Harpold, died in 2005 at the age of 92, leaving over 100 descendants.  Following is a message I sent out to siblings and children for Mothers' Day.]

Missing Mamma

Recently when I opened the catchall drawer in the kitchen to find a rubber band, I realized I was pulling out the last of the supply of rubber bands.  How could this be?  Rubber bands were an inexhaustible resource, at least they had been for me for many years.  I had not had to purchase any for 20 years.  And I realized that this was because my mother had provided me with a steady supply, back in the 90’s when I was a teacher and in much need.  These were from her years long collection, as well as current ones saved from her newspapers.   I do remember thinking, at the time, “What am I to do with all these rubber bands, I will never use them all up.”  Yet here it was, the last rubber band.   Now I will have to buy some, where are they sold, anyway?

Whenever I make up a glass of Iced tea, I find myself chanting, “A heaping teaspoon for me, a level teaspoon for you,” which was what I would chant when I had lunch or supper with Mamma, and was allowed to make our iced tea, since that was something I could do without blunder.  

Recently I bought a 2000 Volvo V70 Cross Country Station Wagon.  You remember that I had an ’81 Volvo Station Wagon, which I drove for 19 years, till 2009.  When Volvo came out with AWD, back in mid-90’s, I remember thinking, “I wonder how long it would be before I could afford to buy one second-hand?”  One time when I visited Mamma, in the last year or so of my teaching, she told me that she had noticed that Byrd Auto, in Hagerstown, had a used Volvo for sale, so I went there and tried it out.  Liked it too, but didn’t expect ever really to own one.  Now here I am, owning one.  And thinking of Mamma as I drive it.  Although I don’t know if even she imagined me ever driving a red one!
‘Sfunny, of all  the memories one has of one’s Mother, it’s the little things that continually recur.

Much love to all, you who are mothers, you who are married to mothers, you who have mothers, you who will become mothers, you who will be married to mothers, you who have memories of mothers,