I taught him to play Magic before he could read the cards. He now regularly bests me at the game. I taught him to play chess when he was 4. At 14 he is now a far superior player then I ever was or will be. My last hold-out was my record time solving the Rubik's Cube. I can no longer solve one at all, but when they first came out in the 1980's, my record time was one minute fifteen seconds. As of yesterday, my oldest son has bested me there as well with a time of one minute flat (and he is improving daily!). Kudos to you Anthony!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
On the Lighter Side
I taught him to play Magic before he could read the cards. He now regularly bests me at the game. I taught him to play chess when he was 4. At 14 he is now a far superior player then I ever was or will be. My last hold-out was my record time solving the Rubik's Cube. I can no longer solve one at all, but when they first came out in the 1980's, my record time was one minute fifteen seconds. As of yesterday, my oldest son has bested me there as well with a time of one minute flat (and he is improving daily!). Kudos to you Anthony!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Themes and Variations (Commentary)
There were a couple of collaborative poems that particularly caught my attention that I will be commenting on as promised.
One of these is a variation on Line One:
What caught my attention is that the outcome of this poem is a celebration of life as created by God. Surprisingly the "seed" here came from a poem celebrating death. The first line is by Sylvia Plath. Her poem begins as follows: "I am vertical, but I would rather be horizontal. I am not a tree with my root in the soil." The second to last line is: "And I shall be useful when I lie down finally." Sadly, she accomplished lying down finally and horizontally by her own hand on February 11, 1963 at the age of 30.
Given the origin of this first line of this poem, I was amazed at how it was translated from a poem celebrating death to a poem celebrating life.
All of the starting lines I gave in this collaborative project were from published works, references for which you can find in the comments section of my last post. For the most part I chose lines out of the middle of poems so they would not be familiar, because my project required that I have these created as blindly as possible.
Another result I wish to comment on began with a line from T.S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. I LOVE the ending of this poem, so I could not resist using one of the lines, even though I was afraid it might be familiar. I just had to see what would become of mermaids singing. Here is the end of Eliot's poem from which I took the line:
As I said, I just had to see what people would do with the line about the mermaids. Here are two of the results:
Regarding the second, Auden comes to mind as well. The last line contains the words done and said. There is a line elsewhere in Auden where he says, "Sighs for follies said and done twist our narrow days." I'd always thought of mermaid's voices as being melodic, but here I think they are singing a cacophony of frustrating memories of what what the "author" and others have done and said - painful memories of things done and said that just won't stop crashing in the mind like waves crashing on the beach.
OK, maybe it is time to go watch some TV :-)
Once again, my thanks for all who participated in this collaborative effort. I'm impressed with you all!
One of these is a variation on Line One:
I am not a tree with my root in the soil,
Nor am I an ostrich with my head in the sand
But rather the clay's form from the potter's toil
Demonstrating the power and creativity of the potter's hand.
What caught my attention is that the outcome of this poem is a celebration of life as created by God. Surprisingly the "seed" here came from a poem celebrating death. The first line is by Sylvia Plath. Her poem begins as follows: "I am vertical, but I would rather be horizontal. I am not a tree with my root in the soil." The second to last line is: "And I shall be useful when I lie down finally." Sadly, she accomplished lying down finally and horizontally by her own hand on February 11, 1963 at the age of 30.
Given the origin of this first line of this poem, I was amazed at how it was translated from a poem celebrating death to a poem celebrating life.
All of the starting lines I gave in this collaborative project were from published works, references for which you can find in the comments section of my last post. For the most part I chose lines out of the middle of poems so they would not be familiar, because my project required that I have these created as blindly as possible.
Another result I wish to comment on began with a line from T.S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. I LOVE the ending of this poem, so I could not resist using one of the lines, even though I was afraid it might be familiar. I just had to see what would become of mermaids singing. Here is the end of Eliot's poem from which I took the line:
Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?(Whether or not you understand what you just read - and I'm not so sure I do, take a moment to read it again just for its music; read it aloud. It can be quite haunting in a lovely way if you allow yourself to take it in for its music alone.)
I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
I do not think that they will sing to me.
I have seen them riding seaward on the waves
Combing the white hair of the waves blown back
When the wind blows the water white and black.
We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.
As I said, I just had to see what people would do with the line about the mermaids. Here are two of the results:
I have heard the mermaids singing each to eachRegarding the first variation, I wasn't sure what to think when I received the concluding line about TV. At first it felt sarcastic - which is fine, this was all free game, but when it was all put together, it reminded me of a poem by Auden called The Labyrinth, which speaks of trying to figure out this maze called life. At the end of the poem, the protagonist looks up at the sky out of the tall hedge maze and wishes he were a bird to whom such thoughts must seem absurd. Sometimes we get so messed up trying to figure life out, we really do have to take a break and just sit down and watch TV! (Or look at nature and wish we were birds!)
And cannot rid the sound from my head.
Though to do so ought to be within reach
I choose to watch TV instead
I have heard the mermaids singing each to each
And cannot rid the sound from my head.
Like crashing waves upon a beach
What is done and what is said.
Regarding the second, Auden comes to mind as well. The last line contains the words done and said. There is a line elsewhere in Auden where he says, "Sighs for follies said and done twist our narrow days." I'd always thought of mermaid's voices as being melodic, but here I think they are singing a cacophony of frustrating memories of what what the "author" and others have done and said - painful memories of things done and said that just won't stop crashing in the mind like waves crashing on the beach.
OK, maybe it is time to go watch some TV :-)
Once again, my thanks for all who participated in this collaborative effort. I'm impressed with you all!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Themes and Variations (Full Results)
These are the results of the collaborative poetry effort of my last post. From the 10 lines I posted as seeds, 10 poems and 14 variations grew.
If you contributed a line, see if you can find it and read the final result containing your line.
Each of the ten initial lines is from a published work. See if you can guess the author. Answers are in the comments section.
In a few days I'll post comments on a couple of the following that have some special qualities. Again, my thanks for your help on this project!
I am not a tree with my root in the soil,
Nor am I an ostrich with my head in the sand
But rather the clay's form from the potter's toil
Demonstrating the power and creativity of the potter's hand.
I am not a tree with my root in the soil,
Nor am I an ostrich with my head in the sand
But rather the clay's form from the potter's toil
Be something he carefully pondered and planned.
I am not a tree with my root in the soil,
Nor am I an ostrich with my head in the sand
But a derrick bursting with oil
Not to be held in one’s hand.
At times you sink, you fall
At times you are upheld
At all times you can hear him call
My strength and power with yours to weld
At times you sink, you fall
At times you are upheld
like Churchhill or DeGaulle
Great men by greater forces felled.
Bells that toll across the meadows
Flutes that pipe the Shepherds home
Can also call archers to their bow
And call the dead from beneath their loam
Bells that toll across the meadows
Flutes that pipe the Shepherds home
Sheep that bleat each for their fellows
Are drawn together as they roam.
Bells that toll across the meadows
Flutes that pipe the Shepherds home
Can also call archers to their bow
The ladies and gentlemen stand in a row.
Bells that toll across the meadows
Flutes that pipe the Shepherds home
Can also call archers to their bow
And that concludes this telephone poem.
Earth does not understand her child
For her child is not her own but God’s
He made them all, both tame and wild
He made us all, the normals and odds.
The Truth’s superb surprise
Is hidden like the noon day sun
No matter the effort or how many tries
He always manages to get his work done.
The Truth’s superb surprise
Is hidden like the noon day sun
No matter the effort or how many tries
It can do naught but shout to us: Run!
The Truth’s superb surprise
Is hidden like the noon day sun
When threatening clouds its glow denies
And former brightness now is done.
You jumped because you feared to fall, and thought
Let us meet death on our own terms
With each breath, our life dearly bought
Oneness with all life, even worms.
You jumped because you feared to fall, and thought
Let us meet death on our own terms
knowing it is what we sought
But that knowledge was filled with vile germs.
To see in death sleep, and in the sunset
The beginning of a the nightmare time
Of doubt and fear and cold regret
The time has come to end this rhyme.
To see in death sleep, and in the sunset
The beginning of a the nightmare time
The blind journey through the upset
and find tranquility most sublime.
One luminary clock against the sky
Ticking away our final days
As heaven waits for us, we all must die
But first we must come through life’s maze.
I had grasped God’s garment in the void
To touch the hem my soul to heal
And smooth the wrinkles when annoyed
And keep my heart on an even keel.
I had grasped God’s garment in the void
And marked it with my painted hands
That the towers of men would be destroyed
And sifted as the desert sands.
I had grasped God’s garment in the void
In hope, nay faith, that He would hold
Lest all my labors be destroyed
And turn to dust and not to gold.
I have heard the mermaids singing each to each
And cannot rid the sound from my head.
Though to do so ought to be within reach
I choose to watch TV instead.
I have heard the mermaids singing each to each
And cannot rid the sound from my head.
Though to do so ought to be within reach
I’m hopelessly daunted by the chasm ahead.
I have heard the mermaids singing each to each
And cannot rid the sound from my head.
Like crashing waves upon a beach
What is done and what is said.
If you contributed a line, see if you can find it and read the final result containing your line.
Each of the ten initial lines is from a published work. See if you can guess the author. Answers are in the comments section.
In a few days I'll post comments on a couple of the following that have some special qualities. Again, my thanks for your help on this project!
ONE
I am not a tree with my root in the soil,
Nor am I an ostrich with my head in the sand
But rather the clay's form from the potter's toil
Demonstrating the power and creativity of the potter's hand.
I am not a tree with my root in the soil,
Nor am I an ostrich with my head in the sand
But rather the clay's form from the potter's toil
Be something he carefully pondered and planned.
I am not a tree with my root in the soil,
Nor am I an ostrich with my head in the sand
But a derrick bursting with oil
Not to be held in one’s hand.
TWO
At times you sink, you fall
At times you are upheld
At all times you can hear him call
My strength and power with yours to weld
At times you sink, you fall
At times you are upheld
like Churchhill or DeGaulle
Great men by greater forces felled.
THREE
Bells that toll across the meadows
Flutes that pipe the Shepherds home
Can also call archers to their bow
And call the dead from beneath their loam
Bells that toll across the meadows
Flutes that pipe the Shepherds home
Sheep that bleat each for their fellows
Are drawn together as they roam.
Bells that toll across the meadows
Flutes that pipe the Shepherds home
Can also call archers to their bow
The ladies and gentlemen stand in a row.
Bells that toll across the meadows
Flutes that pipe the Shepherds home
Can also call archers to their bow
And that concludes this telephone poem.
FOUR
Earth does not understand her child
For her child is not her own but God’s
He made them all, both tame and wild
He made us all, the normals and odds.
FIVE
The Truth’s superb surprise
Is hidden like the noon day sun
No matter the effort or how many tries
He always manages to get his work done.
The Truth’s superb surprise
Is hidden like the noon day sun
No matter the effort or how many tries
It can do naught but shout to us: Run!
The Truth’s superb surprise
Is hidden like the noon day sun
When threatening clouds its glow denies
And former brightness now is done.
SIX
You jumped because you feared to fall, and thought
Let us meet death on our own terms
With each breath, our life dearly bought
Oneness with all life, even worms.
You jumped because you feared to fall, and thought
Let us meet death on our own terms
knowing it is what we sought
But that knowledge was filled with vile germs.
SEVEN
To see in death sleep, and in the sunset
The beginning of a the nightmare time
Of doubt and fear and cold regret
The time has come to end this rhyme.
To see in death sleep, and in the sunset
The beginning of a the nightmare time
The blind journey through the upset
and find tranquility most sublime.
EIGHT
One luminary clock against the sky
Ticking away our final days
As heaven waits for us, we all must die
But first we must come through life’s maze.
NINE
I had grasped God’s garment in the void
To touch the hem my soul to heal
And smooth the wrinkles when annoyed
And keep my heart on an even keel.
I had grasped God’s garment in the void
And marked it with my painted hands
That the towers of men would be destroyed
And sifted as the desert sands.
I had grasped God’s garment in the void
In hope, nay faith, that He would hold
Lest all my labors be destroyed
And turn to dust and not to gold.
TEN
I have heard the mermaids singing each to each
And cannot rid the sound from my head.
Though to do so ought to be within reach
I choose to watch TV instead.
I have heard the mermaids singing each to each
And cannot rid the sound from my head.
Though to do so ought to be within reach
I’m hopelessly daunted by the chasm ahead.
I have heard the mermaids singing each to each
And cannot rid the sound from my head.
Like crashing waves upon a beach
What is done and what is said.
Monday, January 22, 2007
PLEASE HELP!
Mission accomplished!
HUGE THANKS to all who participated in helping me complete this part of my winter term project. Many of you commented that it was fun - how cool is that? My work gets done and others have a good time!
In case this is your first look at this post, and you have no idea what I'm talking about - what was going on was a collaborative poetry effort similar to the children's game telephone (where one child whispers something in another's ear and that one passes it on, and you see at the end how different the saying comes out!). At each stage there was a line from a poem, but the rest of the poem was hidden, and I asked people to add the next line knowing only the prior one.
Twenty-four poems were created out of 10 "starter" lines that I put up.
Responses came from Norway and Micronesia and within the US from California, Michigan, Illinois and Massachusetts!
If you're interested in seeing the full results, check back in a few days. I'll put up two posts about this - one with all the poems and one with just a couple of poems with comments. As a teaser for now, here are two samples:
HUGE THANKS to all who participated in helping me complete this part of my winter term project. Many of you commented that it was fun - how cool is that? My work gets done and others have a good time!
In case this is your first look at this post, and you have no idea what I'm talking about - what was going on was a collaborative poetry effort similar to the children's game telephone (where one child whispers something in another's ear and that one passes it on, and you see at the end how different the saying comes out!). At each stage there was a line from a poem, but the rest of the poem was hidden, and I asked people to add the next line knowing only the prior one.
Twenty-four poems were created out of 10 "starter" lines that I put up.
Responses came from Norway and Micronesia and within the US from California, Michigan, Illinois and Massachusetts!
If you're interested in seeing the full results, check back in a few days. I'll put up two posts about this - one with all the poems and one with just a couple of poems with comments. As a teaser for now, here are two samples:
I have heard the mermaids singing each to each
And cannot rid the sound from my head
Like crashing waves upon a beach
What is done and what is said.
I am not a tree with my root in the soil,
Nor am I an ostrich with my head in the sand
But a derrick bursting with oil
Not to be held in one's hand.
Update
Wow! We feel so loved! We received an amazing amount of prayer support and hugs and just felt surrounded by love during and after David's medical issue last week.
David is doing GREAT! We're continuing to pursue testing and the best possible preventative treatments, but, other than that, life is going on entirely as usual.
David is appreciating all the extra hugs from friends, family and coworkers but seems a little embarrassed about all the attention and is really downplaying the whole thing.
There is one thing, however, that he is playing to the hilt! The doctor told him he would be experiencing short term memory loss. He has already been exploiting this information, and I think that is just going to be his blanket excuse for forgetfulness for the rest of his life!
"I'm sorry, I don't remember that. I've had a stroke, and I have short term memory issues."
He'd better not try using that excuse when our anniversary rolls around - especially not with our twentieth this year!!
David is doing GREAT! We're continuing to pursue testing and the best possible preventative treatments, but, other than that, life is going on entirely as usual.
David is appreciating all the extra hugs from friends, family and coworkers but seems a little embarrassed about all the attention and is really downplaying the whole thing.
There is one thing, however, that he is playing to the hilt! The doctor told him he would be experiencing short term memory loss. He has already been exploiting this information, and I think that is just going to be his blanket excuse for forgetfulness for the rest of his life!
"I'm sorry, I don't remember that. I've had a stroke, and I have short term memory issues."
He'd better not try using that excuse when our anniversary rolls around - especially not with our twentieth this year!!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Mixed Blessing
It was hard to know how to title this post. I considered “Gratitude.” I considered “Pondering Life.” These fit too, but we’ve certainly experienced a "mixed blessing" this day.
We have been reminded of how precious life is.
We have been reminded of how quickly life can change.
We’ve had quite a scare.
We’ve seen many blessings.
This morning my husband woke me up just after 5am. He wanted to let me know he was going to drive to the hospital. When he told me what was going on – one arm entirely numb, dizziness and a sense of being too warm – I suggested I should drive him. As he continued to dress I made a call for him to get someone to lead his morning Bible study, but before I could complete the call he collapsed onto the bed, arms spread wide, saying, “Call 911. Call 911.” Then he got really quiet.
Thus began our day. It was a day of worry and of grace.
The firemen and paramedics arrived very quickly. I waited for a friend to arrive to remain with our kids who were still in bed; thankfully they had not been awakened to witness and become distressed by what was going on. I then headed to the ER. Everyone there was great – kept us informed, got a series of tests (6 of them!) started right away, were very thorough. The doctor was fantastic – kind, informative, attentive, concerned, personable.
As the morning progressed at ER and the numbness receded, my husband began to think it was a fluke, a pinched nerve or something, and he began to feel a bit silly for having gone in. This was not the case, however, as we soon we found out to our profound amazement. He had experienced a TIA (transient ischemic attack), a “mini-stroke” or “warning stroke.” What we also found out from the CT scan is that he has had a stroke in the past – a stroke that did damage but one which he did not feel and that had not impacted any functioning, so we were totally unaware of it. This was all rather shocking.
We’d never heard of TIA’s before. We now know that they are somewhat common among the elderly but particularly concerning in someone this young, especially someone with no risk factors – no smoking, no family history of stroke, no hypertension, no obesity, etc. He will need to take precautions to prevent possible future occurrence of stroke, and we know that if he experiences numbness or dizziness in the future that he needs to get to the hospital right away.
Tomorrow we will receive more information as he sees his primary doctor.
On the one hand, it was a very scary experience, and it is of concern to know that he has some degree of risk for stroke (and has actually had a stroke in the past) even though he is only 41. On the other hand, we have seen many blessings of God in this day. The timing could not have been better. It happened while he was awake rather than asleep. The numbness came on after he’d been up for a while; had he woken up with it he may have thought he had just slept on his arm in strange position and not taken the numbness as seriously. It happened at a time when the kids were spared the distress of witnessing our living room full of firemen and paramedics and seeing Dad wheeled out on a gurney and leaving in an ambulance. It happened at home, and we live very near the hospital. It did not happen when he was driving. We were upheld by many forms of support both tangible and intangible and were reminded of the love surrounding us and what fantastic, caring friends we have. The testing that he was given alerted us to a problem that was already there but that we would have had no other way of knowing about. This served as a warning that has given us the knowledge we need to be able to take precautions. This has reminded us too of what I listed above – how quickly life can change – how precious life is – how precious we are to each other - and how we need to remember that every day.
My posts don't usually contain such deeply personal events, but I think today calls for it.
I am so thankful for my husband and for God’s sustaining grace in this day.
We have been reminded of how precious life is.
We have been reminded of how quickly life can change.
We’ve had quite a scare.
We’ve seen many blessings.
This morning my husband woke me up just after 5am. He wanted to let me know he was going to drive to the hospital. When he told me what was going on – one arm entirely numb, dizziness and a sense of being too warm – I suggested I should drive him. As he continued to dress I made a call for him to get someone to lead his morning Bible study, but before I could complete the call he collapsed onto the bed, arms spread wide, saying, “Call 911. Call 911.” Then he got really quiet.
Thus began our day. It was a day of worry and of grace.
The firemen and paramedics arrived very quickly. I waited for a friend to arrive to remain with our kids who were still in bed; thankfully they had not been awakened to witness and become distressed by what was going on. I then headed to the ER. Everyone there was great – kept us informed, got a series of tests (6 of them!) started right away, were very thorough. The doctor was fantastic – kind, informative, attentive, concerned, personable.
As the morning progressed at ER and the numbness receded, my husband began to think it was a fluke, a pinched nerve or something, and he began to feel a bit silly for having gone in. This was not the case, however, as we soon we found out to our profound amazement. He had experienced a TIA (transient ischemic attack), a “mini-stroke” or “warning stroke.” What we also found out from the CT scan is that he has had a stroke in the past – a stroke that did damage but one which he did not feel and that had not impacted any functioning, so we were totally unaware of it. This was all rather shocking.
We’d never heard of TIA’s before. We now know that they are somewhat common among the elderly but particularly concerning in someone this young, especially someone with no risk factors – no smoking, no family history of stroke, no hypertension, no obesity, etc. He will need to take precautions to prevent possible future occurrence of stroke, and we know that if he experiences numbness or dizziness in the future that he needs to get to the hospital right away.
Tomorrow we will receive more information as he sees his primary doctor.
On the one hand, it was a very scary experience, and it is of concern to know that he has some degree of risk for stroke (and has actually had a stroke in the past) even though he is only 41. On the other hand, we have seen many blessings of God in this day. The timing could not have been better. It happened while he was awake rather than asleep. The numbness came on after he’d been up for a while; had he woken up with it he may have thought he had just slept on his arm in strange position and not taken the numbness as seriously. It happened at a time when the kids were spared the distress of witnessing our living room full of firemen and paramedics and seeing Dad wheeled out on a gurney and leaving in an ambulance. It happened at home, and we live very near the hospital. It did not happen when he was driving. We were upheld by many forms of support both tangible and intangible and were reminded of the love surrounding us and what fantastic, caring friends we have. The testing that he was given alerted us to a problem that was already there but that we would have had no other way of knowing about. This served as a warning that has given us the knowledge we need to be able to take precautions. This has reminded us too of what I listed above – how quickly life can change – how precious life is – how precious we are to each other - and how we need to remember that every day.
My posts don't usually contain such deeply personal events, but I think today calls for it.
I am so thankful for my husband and for God’s sustaining grace in this day.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Shul
I have always loved old stone walls such as the one in the photograph below. I love the hollows left by the stones that are missing. There is a beauty there, and the beauty is in the history and the meaning, the fact that something WAS there and made an impression. It is an emptiness that is not empty; the emptiness itself signifying something. The hollows always leave me wondering, “What was the color of the rock that was there? What was its texture? Whose hand placed it there? When did that hand place it there? When did it fall out and why? What was this wall built to keep out or to keep in?” With all of this in mind, I took the following photo, which I entitled “Shul.”
"Shul" is a Tibetan word defined as “an impression – a mark that remains after that which made it has passed by – a footprint, for example." From what I understand, it can also be used to describe such things as the hollow in the ground where a house once stood, the spaces worn in a rock where a river runs in flood, the indentation in the grass where a deer slept the night. Shul is an impression of something that used to be there, but this hollow signifies meaning rather than emptiness.
"Shul" is a Tibetan word defined as “an impression – a mark that remains after that which made it has passed by – a footprint, for example." From what I understand, it can also be used to describe such things as the hollow in the ground where a house once stood, the spaces worn in a rock where a river runs in flood, the indentation in the grass where a deer slept the night. Shul is an impression of something that used to be there, but this hollow signifies meaning rather than emptiness.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Monday, January 01, 2007
Forth into the New Year
As I move forward into the new year, these are the verses in my mind:
"The LORD replied, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.' Then Moses said to him, 'If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.'" Exodus 33:14-15
"Make your tent bigger; stretch it out and make it wider. Do not hold back." Isaiah 54:2a
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