I have been outside gardening, where I do a lot of my profound thinking, and decided to write down why I oppose marriage between people of the same sex. On November 4, 2008 by a fairly small majority, the voters of the State of California voted for a constitutional amendment to ban such marriages. Then yesterday, visiting one of my daughters, she made a rather disparaging comment that she was sure I would have voted for the ban, and that she was quite perturbed that it passed. In addition I was forwarded a rather sad email from a young man who was terribly upset that his relationship would not be legalized.
Thinking about my daughter's comment, plus the body language that accompanied it, has occupied my thoughts a little since then. First I would like to remark that it is sad that younger people don't realize that age brings some wisdom with it. You are not just 'an old fool' stuck in your ways, but have had many, many years to see how the world works, how people behave. That is not to say that we are all wise, or all wise in all ways, but at least in most cases experience teaches lessons. Now we have the written word, and easily accessible information on the internet, so the wisdom of the elders counts for very little, whereas in days gone by they were well respected.
I therefore wish to state that I oppose gay marriage for the following reasons:
1. It is quite easy for children to become confused about their sexuality during early puberty. In my native country it was common for children in one-sex schools to have what we called 'crushes' or 'pashes' on older students of the same sex. This was not considered abnormal. I recall being madly in love with one girl about 4 years older, when I was about ten or eleven but it was a stage that passed. With the strong emphasis on homosexual relationships nowadays, I can envision many scenarios where a child could become seriously confused, not to mention guilty. In fact I personally know two men who realized in their 40's that they were not gay after all, and ended up happily married to women they met.
2. I do not think that legalizing what is unnatural is good for civilization. There are already a lot of very strange people in the United States, more so than in most civilized countries. Raising children (thankfully rare) in a gay household must be quite confusing for them, even if they are taught from an early age that it is normal. There must also be unkind comments to deal with from people they know.
3. If you are religious there is the religious argument. I do not belong to any church, but I am not an agnostic. Male and female is the normal and natural thing. It does seem that there are more gays on the planet now, but I have noticed that most of the people I know who are gay (how I hate how that word has been corrupted- I even have a cousin called Gaye - poor thing !) have either mothers who appear to be somewhat masculine in appearance or behavior or fathers who show signs of femininity.
4. The Courts will be flooded with divorce cases, so that cases with children who might need protection will have much delayed Court dates.
5. Churches will be forced to perform marriages their preachers/pastors might strongly object to.
6. A book that I read as a child made rather a strong impression on me. The author wrote that she had decided never to write anything that would corrupt others in any way. That would be rather limiting, but I thought then, and still think, that uplifting stories are terribly important. A vast number of novels published are not really worth the paper they are written on, being full of depravity.
7. It is my belief that a wise civilization safeguards it's children. This is not being done, as our little ones are bombarded with unfortunate examples of the immorality and immaturity of their elders.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
My Maternal Great Grandfather and Grandmother
My mother's grandfather, Samuel Barnard was born in 1832 in Antigua and died September 23, 1912 (my birth day) at the age of 80 in Castries, St. Lucia, then the British West Indies. He was a wealthy man of mixed race, including African. He married the strong willed and lighter complexioned Isabella de Beausire Parker on December 16 or 18, 1862. At that point he was 30 years old and Isabella was 20. The Governor of the island was among the illustrious guests at their wedding. Samuel began his career as a school teacher, his father (Samuel Sr.) having been sent to the island about 1840 by the Lady Mico Charity to start a school in Vieux Fort, when Samuel Jr. was a small child. Samuel later worked for a local company, Jones & Co??. , a shipping/import company, working his way up and eventually inheriting part of the company then taking over the rest and renaming it Barnard & Sons. He bought numerous properties, both commercial and residential and owned ships and yachts, and eventually, towards the end of his life, the first Jaguar auto dealership on the island. He was a justice of the peace and a member of the local legislature, and was well liked for both his honesty and outspokenness although he was inclined to be quite litigious. His nickname was Papie Sam, by which he was known throughout the island.
His wife, Isabella, was renowned for her difficult nature, but she and Samuel had a long marriage and produced seven children, 6 boys and one daughter, Lillian. Samuel liked to tease the boys by quoting the nursery rhyme "What are little boys made of ?" He was an affectionate and generous man, buying Lillian jewelry from France, one of which was later given to his first granddaughter, Pamela. Even in England his reputation was known to be honest and trustworthy. Comments were made by the family regarding the unfortunate way he was treated by Isabella.
Isabella's parents, Catherine Ann (Beausire) and Thomas Collingwood Parker, had owned a house in Morne Fortune known as 'Retreat' during her childhood, but it burned down in one of the frequent fires that struck the island. The house was rebuilt by Isabella with money provided by Samuel.
The house where the children were raised was named Sans Souci (French for 'without care'). It was built on Barnard Hill (originally Barnardsville c. 1901). Later some of the grown children had homes on the same hill, which overlooked the harbor. There was a view of the pier which held the shipping office and at the very end was a large warehouse. Steamships (some owned by the family) came into the deep water harbor to refuel with coal, and a huge pile of this was available. The coal was unloaded by porters with baskets on their heads. The warehouse contained numerous imports - food, including butter in cans, and many items needed on the island. Samuel likely had business dealings with the West India and Pacific Steam and Navigation Company which was managed by Catherine Ann's uncle, Joseph Beausire, who resided in Liverpool. Isabella spent quite a bit of time in England, even as a child, since her uncles lived there. She, together with her mother and 2 sisters, Lydia and Agnes are to be found at Robert Beausire's house in Wallasey in 1851 when the census was conducted. They must have been in England for several years since two of her siblings died there. Her only brother Thomas Parker in 1849 age 7, and an older sister, Helen in 1852. Both are buried in the Beausire family plot in Wallasey, Cheshire.
Samuel died of influenza, complicated by dementia. The day before he became ill he was at work as usual at his car dealership. He loved to socialize about town and was often to be found chatting with other locals. His sons were extremely proud of their father. He was seriously ill about 4 years before his death and after that had to curtail his activities, but spent time on a plantation of lime trees in the garden of Sans Souci. If he had lived for another 3 months, he and Isabella would have been married for 50 years. He was a member of the Legislature and mentioned in Debrett. He would have been angry and appalled to know that his granddaughter, Naomi Isabel Barnard, was later turned away from Government House when she arrived in the mid1920's dressed in finery for a ball and escorted by a beau. Nibs was fair skinned with blue eyes, being 3/4ths white but was not allowed in due to her negro origins. She was devastated by this and it affected her behavior for the rest of her life. The Governor General at that time was Sir Frederick Seton Jones who held the post from 1924 through 1930.. The island must have become more racist as white people (British ?) moved there, since Samuel and Isabella's wedding was attended by all sorts of dignitaries, including the Governor-General at that time.
Photos of Isabella de Beausire Parker (born 1842 in St Lucia, died there August 9, 1936 age 94) show a handsome woman, dressed in long black dresses with white hair piled on her head. She was of Arawak, French, English and Alsation background.
The Beausires were from Alsace Lorraine, where they were a wealthy family involved in raising thoroughbred horses. Isabella's father was an auditor on the island and believed to be great friends with Isabella's oldest brother, Robert Beausire
Family rumour has it that Isabella's great grandmother, who was from Martinique, was a Creole and very lovely. She had an affair with Admiral Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet. Research has proven all other family rumours but one to be true, so this is probably correct. He was widowed, in the West Indies hunting pirates and reputedly fell madly in love with her, which union produced a son, who may have been named either William Parker or Thomas Collingwood Parker (Sr.) after Hyde Parker's good friend, Admiral Collingwood. His ship the Cato disappeared at sea a few years later but he bequeathed our ancestor various items from his estate that were not entailed, and quite a bit of money. Some of his family were furious when they found out, but his sister was friendly and wrote her various letters. That son then had a daughter, Elizabeth Parker, who had several children, including Thomas Collingwood Parker (Jr.)
Isabella was partially educated in England, She was raised Catholic but later joined the Anglican Church, perhaps due to Samuel's aversion to Catholicism or because her brothers were Anglican. There was a Catholic school in St. Lucia at one point and she most likely attended there during her early years.
Isabella was not well liked by her grandchildren or daughters in law, being described by one of them as "a dreadful woman, ignorant and bad tempered.". If she saw the grandchildren eating her grapes she would come storming out to chase them away. She had a cherry tree cut down after she saw her granddaughter, Joan, eating the fruit ! Sans Souci was a lovely house, with a long balcony, kept shady and cool with twining vines and flowering bougainvillea. The house was painted white and there were tall statues of graceful females displayed here and there on the stairs. Isabella died of cardiac arrest at the age of 94, in 1926.
In his Will Samuel requested that their children not sell the real property he had accumulated, in particular Sans Souci, but that request was ignored, although the family company continued for many years after his death. Sans Souci burned down in another large fire after Isabella's death in 1936 and Barnard Hill is now home to a small museum ?
(c) Elizabeth Donnell November 15, 2015
His wife, Isabella, was renowned for her difficult nature, but she and Samuel had a long marriage and produced seven children, 6 boys and one daughter, Lillian. Samuel liked to tease the boys by quoting the nursery rhyme "What are little boys made of ?" He was an affectionate and generous man, buying Lillian jewelry from France, one of which was later given to his first granddaughter, Pamela. Even in England his reputation was known to be honest and trustworthy. Comments were made by the family regarding the unfortunate way he was treated by Isabella.
Isabella's parents, Catherine Ann (Beausire) and Thomas Collingwood Parker, had owned a house in Morne Fortune known as 'Retreat' during her childhood, but it burned down in one of the frequent fires that struck the island. The house was rebuilt by Isabella with money provided by Samuel.
The house where the children were raised was named Sans Souci (French for 'without care'). It was built on Barnard Hill (originally Barnardsville c. 1901). Later some of the grown children had homes on the same hill, which overlooked the harbor. There was a view of the pier which held the shipping office and at the very end was a large warehouse. Steamships (some owned by the family) came into the deep water harbor to refuel with coal, and a huge pile of this was available. The coal was unloaded by porters with baskets on their heads. The warehouse contained numerous imports - food, including butter in cans, and many items needed on the island. Samuel likely had business dealings with the West India and Pacific Steam and Navigation Company which was managed by Catherine Ann's uncle, Joseph Beausire, who resided in Liverpool. Isabella spent quite a bit of time in England, even as a child, since her uncles lived there. She, together with her mother and 2 sisters, Lydia and Agnes are to be found at Robert Beausire's house in Wallasey in 1851 when the census was conducted. They must have been in England for several years since two of her siblings died there. Her only brother Thomas Parker in 1849 age 7, and an older sister, Helen in 1852. Both are buried in the Beausire family plot in Wallasey, Cheshire.
Samuel died of influenza, complicated by dementia. The day before he became ill he was at work as usual at his car dealership. He loved to socialize about town and was often to be found chatting with other locals. His sons were extremely proud of their father. He was seriously ill about 4 years before his death and after that had to curtail his activities, but spent time on a plantation of lime trees in the garden of Sans Souci. If he had lived for another 3 months, he and Isabella would have been married for 50 years. He was a member of the Legislature and mentioned in Debrett. He would have been angry and appalled to know that his granddaughter, Naomi Isabel Barnard, was later turned away from Government House when she arrived in the mid1920's dressed in finery for a ball and escorted by a beau. Nibs was fair skinned with blue eyes, being 3/4ths white but was not allowed in due to her negro origins. She was devastated by this and it affected her behavior for the rest of her life. The Governor General at that time was Sir Frederick Seton Jones who held the post from 1924 through 1930.. The island must have become more racist as white people (British ?) moved there, since Samuel and Isabella's wedding was attended by all sorts of dignitaries, including the Governor-General at that time.
Photos of Isabella de Beausire Parker (born 1842 in St Lucia, died there August 9, 1936 age 94) show a handsome woman, dressed in long black dresses with white hair piled on her head. She was of Arawak, French, English and Alsation background.
The Beausires were from Alsace Lorraine, where they were a wealthy family involved in raising thoroughbred horses. Isabella's father was an auditor on the island and believed to be great friends with Isabella's oldest brother, Robert Beausire
Family rumour has it that Isabella's great grandmother, who was from Martinique, was a Creole and very lovely. She had an affair with Admiral Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet. Research has proven all other family rumours but one to be true, so this is probably correct. He was widowed, in the West Indies hunting pirates and reputedly fell madly in love with her, which union produced a son, who may have been named either William Parker or Thomas Collingwood Parker (Sr.) after Hyde Parker's good friend, Admiral Collingwood. His ship the Cato disappeared at sea a few years later but he bequeathed our ancestor various items from his estate that were not entailed, and quite a bit of money. Some of his family were furious when they found out, but his sister was friendly and wrote her various letters. That son then had a daughter, Elizabeth Parker, who had several children, including Thomas Collingwood Parker (Jr.)
Isabella was partially educated in England, She was raised Catholic but later joined the Anglican Church, perhaps due to Samuel's aversion to Catholicism or because her brothers were Anglican. There was a Catholic school in St. Lucia at one point and she most likely attended there during her early years.
Isabella was not well liked by her grandchildren or daughters in law, being described by one of them as "a dreadful woman, ignorant and bad tempered.". If she saw the grandchildren eating her grapes she would come storming out to chase them away. She had a cherry tree cut down after she saw her granddaughter, Joan, eating the fruit ! Sans Souci was a lovely house, with a long balcony, kept shady and cool with twining vines and flowering bougainvillea. The house was painted white and there were tall statues of graceful females displayed here and there on the stairs. Isabella died of cardiac arrest at the age of 94, in 1926.
In his Will Samuel requested that their children not sell the real property he had accumulated, in particular Sans Souci, but that request was ignored, although the family company continued for many years after his death. Sans Souci burned down in another large fire after Isabella's death in 1936 and Barnard Hill is now home to a small museum ?
(c) Elizabeth Donnell November 15, 2015
Sunday, November 2, 2008
My Maternal Grandmother
My maternal grandmother, Florence Winifred nee Hendy, ("Winifred") was born on October 20, 1882 in Brighton, England. She was very lovely with long hair. My older brother and I didn't meet her until we were about 9 and 7 years old respectively, when she and my grandfather, George Ernest Beausire Barnard, came to visit and a year or so later to live near us in Worthing, England. Prior to that they had been living in St. Lucia in the West Indies. Even in her later years Winifred had long hair below her waist. When she was younger it was long enough to sit on and she always kept it in braids, wound about her head. By the time I met her she had grey hair, but when she was a child it was blond, darkening to a light brown as she grew older. She had blue eyes and was about 5' 2 " tall.
She was a very happy woman, it seemed to me. Often laughing, somewhat plump, sedentary , gentle natured. Her father, William Hendy, born May 6, 1840 was a book publisher, who died a month after she was born on November 24, 1882, and her mother, Katherine Amelia (nee Holmes) born December 17, 1841, died on October 16, 1888, shortly after Winifred's 6th birthday. They both died of tuberculosis. At the time of her mother's death, Winifred's oldest sister, Helen, was 22 and Mildred, the next in age, was 18, and they cared for her after their mother's death and for the two boys, William, 17, and Charles, age 14, although the boys were away at boarding school. As sisters often can be they were quite strict with Winifred so that she never quite forgave them and they were never close, even as adults. Perhaps they resented having to act as parents to a small girl, particularly at an age when they would have been dating. Mildred never married but Helen did at the age of 28 when Winifred was 12 years old. Another possibility could have been jealousy since Winifred was the beauty of the family. At the age of 19 she was still living in Brighton, and working as a typist but shortly after that she got a job with the War Office in London, as a secretary. At some point she went to live with a grandmother and her slightly older cousin, Hilda.
She met her husband, George , born October 12, 1869, through Hilda. Hilda married George's brother, Arthur Alison Barnard on August 2, 1900 but the marriage lasted only long enough to produce one daughter, Pamela, born on May 20, 1907. Winifred's marriage to George on June 7, 1905 however, was long and happy, with seven children. Soon after their marriage they sailed to St. Lucia, where George owned coconut and banana plantations. Winifred never learned to keep house or cook, since George had multiple servants on his plantation and when they were in England others were either brought with them to houses they rented or hired locally. There were also nurses and governesses for the children, including a wonderful black nurse called "Da". Winifred did not breast feed any of her babies.
George was 13 years older than Winifred and as a young man was rather quick tempered and aggressive, but by the time he was in his late 70's he had mellowed. He had a lot of problems with cataract and was almost blind, wearing an eye patch over one eye. The cataract started to develop quite early (in his late 40's) and at one point he sailed to Canada for treatment. He liked to have his nails very long which I considered effeminate but of which he was quite proud, and I would nag at him to let me cut them. He would eventually relent, allowing me to cut all but the little fingernail on each hand !
My mother has dreadful stories of him horsewhipping the four oldest children, including her, but by the time the 3 youngest boys were born he had changed. She has scars on her back from the whips and even when she was grown she avoided much in the way of conversation with him. She and her next born sibling, Hugh, were the ones who received the most punishment. My mother was very strong willed, disobedient and difficult but Hugh was a sensitive child and suffered most from the harsh treatment. Winifred was not without blame in the matter though, since she would report the children's misdemeanors to their father and request that he punish them. During one of their visits to England, while the family was living in a rented house someone reported suspected child abuse to the local authorities and there was an investigation, but nothing was proved.
After their retirement to Worthing in 1950, George and Winifred resided in a guest house run by an older couple and their daughter, Gwen. There were other guests in the house and meals were provided. Both George and Winfred developed diabetes and heart problems during this time, probably from the rather poor diet, since they were fed a lot of starch and sweet desserts. One dessert that Gwen loved to make was called "lardy cake", which she would share with us too. You can just imagine the ingredients !!! They both gained too much weight. Occasionally my grandmother would take my mother, brother and I out to afternoon tea at the local tea shops where we would order hot tea and hot buttered toast (usually slightly burned since there were no toasters). A little pot of jam would accompany the toast and then the waitress would bring round a plate with a variety of small pastries and cakes and we were allowed to choose one each. Never more ! This used to bother me, since eating out was a particular treat and I didn't think it was very fair. I never said anything though since English children are (or were in those days) raised to be very polite !! I believe now that my grandfather although quite wealthy, was very careful with money and kept my grandmother on a tight rein.
My grandfather died at the age of 82 on May 12, 1952 of heart problems. He was in a private nursing home after he became ill and the nurses commented on the marvelous physique he had for his age. Large death duties (taxes) had to be paid from his estate, and my grandmother died at the age of 72 on May 5, 1954 - almost two years after his death, and just long enough after that more death duties were payable. The taxes almost wiped out my grandparents carefully conserved money, leaving almost nothing but the plantations in the Caribbean which had previously been turned into a limited company, divided between the seven children.
After my grandfather died I recall my grandmother trying not to laugh at things she found funny, since she felt it was not suitable for a new widow. I remember her in gales of laughter, saying to my mother, "Oh, Lesley, don't." It probably did her a great deal of good to laugh. She had a very good sense of smell and one day when she was at our house for a visit she kept complaining that she smelled apple (which she hated). My mother assured her that there was no apple in the room, but later realized there was a small piece in the canary's birdcage.
Winifred often commented that she was forever 'waiting' for others or some event to occur, and felt that this was a punishment for past life sins ! She loved to do crosswords from the Sunday Times newspaper, and was very good at them. She was terribly affected by the heat in the Caribbean and was miserable living there. Educated women in those days were expected to wear long dresses and sleeves regardless of the weather, so I am not surprised. My mother recalls her forever complaining about the heat, sitting fanning herself and sending the children away to be cared for by servants. The plantations were also quite isolated and my grandmother loved to shop. Fortunately there were occasional visits to England, by sea, which helped in that regard.
She was very much loved by her children, and especially by my mother.
(c) Elizabeth Donnell March 10, 2010
She was a very happy woman, it seemed to me. Often laughing, somewhat plump, sedentary , gentle natured. Her father, William Hendy, born May 6, 1840 was a book publisher, who died a month after she was born on November 24, 1882, and her mother, Katherine Amelia (nee Holmes) born December 17, 1841, died on October 16, 1888, shortly after Winifred's 6th birthday. They both died of tuberculosis. At the time of her mother's death, Winifred's oldest sister, Helen, was 22 and Mildred, the next in age, was 18, and they cared for her after their mother's death and for the two boys, William, 17, and Charles, age 14, although the boys were away at boarding school. As sisters often can be they were quite strict with Winifred so that she never quite forgave them and they were never close, even as adults. Perhaps they resented having to act as parents to a small girl, particularly at an age when they would have been dating. Mildred never married but Helen did at the age of 28 when Winifred was 12 years old. Another possibility could have been jealousy since Winifred was the beauty of the family. At the age of 19 she was still living in Brighton, and working as a typist but shortly after that she got a job with the War Office in London, as a secretary. At some point she went to live with a grandmother and her slightly older cousin, Hilda.
She met her husband, George , born October 12, 1869, through Hilda. Hilda married George's brother, Arthur Alison Barnard on August 2, 1900 but the marriage lasted only long enough to produce one daughter, Pamela, born on May 20, 1907. Winifred's marriage to George on June 7, 1905 however, was long and happy, with seven children. Soon after their marriage they sailed to St. Lucia, where George owned coconut and banana plantations. Winifred never learned to keep house or cook, since George had multiple servants on his plantation and when they were in England others were either brought with them to houses they rented or hired locally. There were also nurses and governesses for the children, including a wonderful black nurse called "Da". Winifred did not breast feed any of her babies.
George was 13 years older than Winifred and as a young man was rather quick tempered and aggressive, but by the time he was in his late 70's he had mellowed. He had a lot of problems with cataract and was almost blind, wearing an eye patch over one eye. The cataract started to develop quite early (in his late 40's) and at one point he sailed to Canada for treatment. He liked to have his nails very long which I considered effeminate but of which he was quite proud, and I would nag at him to let me cut them. He would eventually relent, allowing me to cut all but the little fingernail on each hand !
My mother has dreadful stories of him horsewhipping the four oldest children, including her, but by the time the 3 youngest boys were born he had changed. She has scars on her back from the whips and even when she was grown she avoided much in the way of conversation with him. She and her next born sibling, Hugh, were the ones who received the most punishment. My mother was very strong willed, disobedient and difficult but Hugh was a sensitive child and suffered most from the harsh treatment. Winifred was not without blame in the matter though, since she would report the children's misdemeanors to their father and request that he punish them. During one of their visits to England, while the family was living in a rented house someone reported suspected child abuse to the local authorities and there was an investigation, but nothing was proved.
After their retirement to Worthing in 1950, George and Winifred resided in a guest house run by an older couple and their daughter, Gwen. There were other guests in the house and meals were provided. Both George and Winfred developed diabetes and heart problems during this time, probably from the rather poor diet, since they were fed a lot of starch and sweet desserts. One dessert that Gwen loved to make was called "lardy cake", which she would share with us too. You can just imagine the ingredients !!! They both gained too much weight. Occasionally my grandmother would take my mother, brother and I out to afternoon tea at the local tea shops where we would order hot tea and hot buttered toast (usually slightly burned since there were no toasters). A little pot of jam would accompany the toast and then the waitress would bring round a plate with a variety of small pastries and cakes and we were allowed to choose one each. Never more ! This used to bother me, since eating out was a particular treat and I didn't think it was very fair. I never said anything though since English children are (or were in those days) raised to be very polite !! I believe now that my grandfather although quite wealthy, was very careful with money and kept my grandmother on a tight rein.
My grandfather died at the age of 82 on May 12, 1952 of heart problems. He was in a private nursing home after he became ill and the nurses commented on the marvelous physique he had for his age. Large death duties (taxes) had to be paid from his estate, and my grandmother died at the age of 72 on May 5, 1954 - almost two years after his death, and just long enough after that more death duties were payable. The taxes almost wiped out my grandparents carefully conserved money, leaving almost nothing but the plantations in the Caribbean which had previously been turned into a limited company, divided between the seven children.
After my grandfather died I recall my grandmother trying not to laugh at things she found funny, since she felt it was not suitable for a new widow. I remember her in gales of laughter, saying to my mother, "Oh, Lesley, don't." It probably did her a great deal of good to laugh. She had a very good sense of smell and one day when she was at our house for a visit she kept complaining that she smelled apple (which she hated). My mother assured her that there was no apple in the room, but later realized there was a small piece in the canary's birdcage.
Winifred often commented that she was forever 'waiting' for others or some event to occur, and felt that this was a punishment for past life sins ! She loved to do crosswords from the Sunday Times newspaper, and was very good at them. She was terribly affected by the heat in the Caribbean and was miserable living there. Educated women in those days were expected to wear long dresses and sleeves regardless of the weather, so I am not surprised. My mother recalls her forever complaining about the heat, sitting fanning herself and sending the children away to be cared for by servants. The plantations were also quite isolated and my grandmother loved to shop. Fortunately there were occasional visits to England, by sea, which helped in that regard.
She was very much loved by her children, and especially by my mother.
(c) Elizabeth Donnell March 10, 2010
Saturday, November 1, 2008
The Economy,
I just came back from a trip to the local Sears store. I hope they are not going to close. Since this is a small community they are never particularly busy and it seemed that everything in the store was on sale. The aisles appeared to be wider and lots of closeouts down the middle of the main aisles. I even got some toys for a dollar each, which will help at Christmas time with my 13 grandchildren to buy for. Of course some of them are older and no longer interested in toys but there are still seven little ones.
It is quite amusing to have grandchildren of various ages, as mine range from a few weeks old to age 21. Each of them is different (of course) and it is so interesting to see their personalities develop. At Christmas time I often wish there weren't quite so many of them though !! Especially with the economy the way it is.
I have been quite busy lately and haven't been able to go on my usual neighborhood walks, but I have noticed that there are 3 buildings foreclosed on within a hundred yards of my house on just two streets. One of my friends is a real estate broker working for one of the big mortgage lenders and she is handling about 25 foreclosures a week. She says that it is pretty amazing to see some of the young people with small children in these million dollar homes, with all kinds of expensive furniture and appliances.
It is quite amusing to have grandchildren of various ages, as mine range from a few weeks old to age 21. Each of them is different (of course) and it is so interesting to see their personalities develop. At Christmas time I often wish there weren't quite so many of them though !! Especially with the economy the way it is.
I have been quite busy lately and haven't been able to go on my usual neighborhood walks, but I have noticed that there are 3 buildings foreclosed on within a hundred yards of my house on just two streets. One of my friends is a real estate broker working for one of the big mortgage lenders and she is handling about 25 foreclosures a week. She says that it is pretty amazing to see some of the young people with small children in these million dollar homes, with all kinds of expensive furniture and appliances.
Friday, October 3, 2008
My First Job
I left school quite young, and my first 'real' job was in a lawyer's office in the town of Brighton, England. I was hired as an assistant to the receptionist and my duties included answering the phone on a huge old switchboard with all kinds of plugs. You may have seen something like it on the movies. There were about 10 'solicitors' in the building, which was a huge old 4 storey mansion. The basement contained various offices for most of the secretarial staff and in my early days of working, there was a small dark-room for making photocopies. There was also a kitchen where the building superintendent and his wife would make afternoon tea. They lived in part of the top floor, which was reached by a different stairway, and also contained a second rented flat.
The owner of the firm was a man in his 60's and he liked to do things the old fashioned way since he took great pride in the firm's reputation. This included delivering mail on foot to all local firms within a radius of about two miles. This was one of my duties and my first day on the job and new to the area, I was sent off with a large bag of mail. No one gave me any instructions as to the order of delivery so I was completely at a loss except for the main street. I returned exhausted and quite upset, hours later ! I think they believed I had done a flit !!
Upon arrival at the office each morning I would sit at a huge old wooden table with the other receptionist to open the mail. As I did this I would open The Times newspaper and read it and after a few weeks she became quite annoyed by this. I don't know why she objected, since it didn't slow me down. The mail was put into piles for the different solicitors and then I went round to their offices to deliver it. I got to know them all quite well and with several of them I would have great conversations. I seem to remember spending quite a bit of time talking even though I was so much younger than the solicitors. One man in particular, who was probably in his 50's used to talk to me for ages. He was a crusty old guy, quite a character. I remember one day I answered the phone in his room, while he was out. The phones in those days had a curved mouthpiece and when I picked it up I noticed that it was covered with dry spittle !!
My employer was married and his wife had a voice like a man, which was rather stressful when you answered the phone. She would say "This is Mr... B..." and it was hard to tell for a moment whether it was the wife or the husband, so I always dreaded those calls. Periodically the owner would call me into his office (he had the largest one on the ground floor, where his eldest son was also located). He would say, "When you speak to me, I want you to call me "Sir". I had been raised to think that you did not say "Sir" to a man, so I would respond, "Yes, Mr. B..." but I never called him Sir. He seemed to take it in good part !
Besides answering the switchboard, which was quite traumatic since I was inclined to be absent minded and often forgot people on hold with so many calls coming in, I was also sent to the dark room to make copies. It was a small room with a large sink and vats for developing chemicals. There I would stand, sometimes for hours in virtual darkness except for a small yellow light hanging from the ceiling. I occupied my time, at first, singing quite loudly to myself, without realizing that everyone in the basement could hear me. One day a secretary in the next room made a comment about my singing, and as I am not renowned for my voice, being tone deaf, after that I no longer sang. The chemicals had to be mixed up for developing and did not last long, so often if there was a lot of copying to be done I had to mix new. It was not a job I enjoyed.
Another of my duties was to take afternoon tea around to all the offices on a large tray. Tea time was on the dot of 4 p.m. and it was considered quite bad manners for anyone to phone in at that time, or until about 4.15. About 3.30 the superintendent or his wife, sometimes both, would go to the kitchen and put an enormous kettle of water on the cooker. There was a huge teapot and that was filled with at least a teaspoon of loose tea per person.
After I had been working there for some months the dark room was replaced with a copy machine. That also had to be filled with chemicals and those also did not last very long. I remember one afternoon, I had been requested late in the afternoon to make some copies and mail them out that day. I tried to do so but the machine was not working very well. Everyone else had left for the day and I decided it would be better to just type the document instead of redoing the chemicals. By that time I had been promoted to the position of secretary, having taken time off every morning for a few months to learn typing and shorthand. I was tapping away on the typewriter when I heard footsteps and turned around to find my boss. I was in tears since I was supposed to meet one of my new co workers for an outing and was short of time. When he saw how upset I was he suggested that I change the chemicals and copy the document instead of trying to type it. The next day, he also told the other solicitors that they were not to leave me to cope with something like that alone in future, which was very nice of him.
The thing I most enjoyed doing, was drawing maps and compass points on the deeds when there was real estate involved. All deeds were typed on parchment paper with a pink edge. This came as a single 2 page document (both sides would be typed on if necessary, so it was actually 4 pages) and if it was a long document similar pink lined paper had to be inserted in the middle. There were holes in the margin and it was tied together with pink ribbon. You had to figure out how long the document was before you started the third page (whether to use an insert or use the 3rd and 4th pages of the folder) or you would have to redo the first few pages. The map was drawn with waterproof ink and as I was quite good at this, being of a meticulous nature, everyone in the building was soon bringing their documents to me. Each document was proof read with another secretary and with the double sided parchment, if anything was omitted the entire thing had to be retyped. I soon learned to be quite careful and would check each paragraph myself before proceeding on with the next. It was easy to miss a line since everything was single spaced.
Copies were also made with carbon paper, and since I was not the best typist at that time, this was also a problem. Whenever an error was made you had to erase each copy. There was no white out and my fingers soon became very calloused from using an eraser. The callous was still there about 15 years later, though it is now gone.
At first we were paid each Friday with cash in a small brown envelope. Later we were given checks, which seemed very exciting to me. We worked 9 to 5, but there was a fairly long lunch hour. The pay was miniscule, but since I was living at home with my mother it seemed plenty at the time.
My mother and I decided to emigrate to Canada, so after 2 1/4 years I left, never to hear from any of my coworkers again. I was sad to leave and have several pictures of myself with various friends made there. They took up a collection and gave me a few going away gifts. I have long since forgotten what those were, except for a pair of earrings which I still have, not having thought of them until writing this article.
The owner of the firm was a man in his 60's and he liked to do things the old fashioned way since he took great pride in the firm's reputation. This included delivering mail on foot to all local firms within a radius of about two miles. This was one of my duties and my first day on the job and new to the area, I was sent off with a large bag of mail. No one gave me any instructions as to the order of delivery so I was completely at a loss except for the main street. I returned exhausted and quite upset, hours later ! I think they believed I had done a flit !!
Upon arrival at the office each morning I would sit at a huge old wooden table with the other receptionist to open the mail. As I did this I would open The Times newspaper and read it and after a few weeks she became quite annoyed by this. I don't know why she objected, since it didn't slow me down. The mail was put into piles for the different solicitors and then I went round to their offices to deliver it. I got to know them all quite well and with several of them I would have great conversations. I seem to remember spending quite a bit of time talking even though I was so much younger than the solicitors. One man in particular, who was probably in his 50's used to talk to me for ages. He was a crusty old guy, quite a character. I remember one day I answered the phone in his room, while he was out. The phones in those days had a curved mouthpiece and when I picked it up I noticed that it was covered with dry spittle !!
My employer was married and his wife had a voice like a man, which was rather stressful when you answered the phone. She would say "This is Mr... B..." and it was hard to tell for a moment whether it was the wife or the husband, so I always dreaded those calls. Periodically the owner would call me into his office (he had the largest one on the ground floor, where his eldest son was also located). He would say, "When you speak to me, I want you to call me "Sir". I had been raised to think that you did not say "Sir" to a man, so I would respond, "Yes, Mr. B..." but I never called him Sir. He seemed to take it in good part !
Besides answering the switchboard, which was quite traumatic since I was inclined to be absent minded and often forgot people on hold with so many calls coming in, I was also sent to the dark room to make copies. It was a small room with a large sink and vats for developing chemicals. There I would stand, sometimes for hours in virtual darkness except for a small yellow light hanging from the ceiling. I occupied my time, at first, singing quite loudly to myself, without realizing that everyone in the basement could hear me. One day a secretary in the next room made a comment about my singing, and as I am not renowned for my voice, being tone deaf, after that I no longer sang. The chemicals had to be mixed up for developing and did not last long, so often if there was a lot of copying to be done I had to mix new. It was not a job I enjoyed.
Another of my duties was to take afternoon tea around to all the offices on a large tray. Tea time was on the dot of 4 p.m. and it was considered quite bad manners for anyone to phone in at that time, or until about 4.15. About 3.30 the superintendent or his wife, sometimes both, would go to the kitchen and put an enormous kettle of water on the cooker. There was a huge teapot and that was filled with at least a teaspoon of loose tea per person.
After I had been working there for some months the dark room was replaced with a copy machine. That also had to be filled with chemicals and those also did not last very long. I remember one afternoon, I had been requested late in the afternoon to make some copies and mail them out that day. I tried to do so but the machine was not working very well. Everyone else had left for the day and I decided it would be better to just type the document instead of redoing the chemicals. By that time I had been promoted to the position of secretary, having taken time off every morning for a few months to learn typing and shorthand. I was tapping away on the typewriter when I heard footsteps and turned around to find my boss. I was in tears since I was supposed to meet one of my new co workers for an outing and was short of time. When he saw how upset I was he suggested that I change the chemicals and copy the document instead of trying to type it. The next day, he also told the other solicitors that they were not to leave me to cope with something like that alone in future, which was very nice of him.
The thing I most enjoyed doing, was drawing maps and compass points on the deeds when there was real estate involved. All deeds were typed on parchment paper with a pink edge. This came as a single 2 page document (both sides would be typed on if necessary, so it was actually 4 pages) and if it was a long document similar pink lined paper had to be inserted in the middle. There were holes in the margin and it was tied together with pink ribbon. You had to figure out how long the document was before you started the third page (whether to use an insert or use the 3rd and 4th pages of the folder) or you would have to redo the first few pages. The map was drawn with waterproof ink and as I was quite good at this, being of a meticulous nature, everyone in the building was soon bringing their documents to me. Each document was proof read with another secretary and with the double sided parchment, if anything was omitted the entire thing had to be retyped. I soon learned to be quite careful and would check each paragraph myself before proceeding on with the next. It was easy to miss a line since everything was single spaced.
Copies were also made with carbon paper, and since I was not the best typist at that time, this was also a problem. Whenever an error was made you had to erase each copy. There was no white out and my fingers soon became very calloused from using an eraser. The callous was still there about 15 years later, though it is now gone.
At first we were paid each Friday with cash in a small brown envelope. Later we were given checks, which seemed very exciting to me. We worked 9 to 5, but there was a fairly long lunch hour. The pay was miniscule, but since I was living at home with my mother it seemed plenty at the time.
My mother and I decided to emigrate to Canada, so after 2 1/4 years I left, never to hear from any of my coworkers again. I was sad to leave and have several pictures of myself with various friends made there. They took up a collection and gave me a few going away gifts. I have long since forgotten what those were, except for a pair of earrings which I still have, not having thought of them until writing this article.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Cake Decorating
I went to a local church last night to watch one of the members decorate a cake. She had baked a large cake and surrounded it with numerous cupcakes. She explained that she had cut the top slightly to make the correct shape so that it would look like a tiger and had brought strips of licorice and numerous colored jelly beans, and some chocolate icing. The cake had already been decorated with yellow icing and she took a small brush and painted on some chocolate lines for whiskers and then pulled apart the licorice for decoration. After placing the first couple of licorice strings she licked her fingers. I thought it was done in a moment of absent mindedness, but amazingly each time she placed the licorice and jelly beans she would lick the stickiness off ! I looked at my neighbor and raised my eyebrows and she started to giggle slightly.
After the decorating was finished we all admired the cake and it did look very nice. I was new to the group so there was no way I was going to speak up, and in any case, the point was moot after the first few licks. I made up my mind there was nothing that would induce me to eat any of it. Apparently everyone else felt the same way. The woman who had done the decorating left after she had finished, while the rest of us stayed for another talk, and the cake remained untouched on the table. I joked to my neighbor, "Want some licky tiger cake ?" and we both had a good laugh. I imagine the cake ended up in the trash bin. What a waste !
After the decorating was finished we all admired the cake and it did look very nice. I was new to the group so there was no way I was going to speak up, and in any case, the point was moot after the first few licks. I made up my mind there was nothing that would induce me to eat any of it. Apparently everyone else felt the same way. The woman who had done the decorating left after she had finished, while the rest of us stayed for another talk, and the cake remained untouched on the table. I joked to my neighbor, "Want some licky tiger cake ?" and we both had a good laugh. I imagine the cake ended up in the trash bin. What a waste !
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Politics, the government debt bailout
I just arrived home to find that my next door neighbors had a McCain, Palin sign posted on their front hillside. I was rather shocked !! It's the first one I've seen although there is an Obama sign just down the street. Actually I had not completely decided who I was going to vote for until McCain chose Palin. I am getting bad vibes from her, rather like I have been getting from President Bush so now have come down decisively on the side of Obama. It is unfortunate that the process of choosing a presidential candidate is decided the way it is. I don't think I would have chosen either candidate.
Of the two, Obama is a much more interesting speaker in my opinion. I've found McCain's speeches somewhat lacking on the whole and he is inclined to be repetitive. Obama has a great voice and knows how to project his personality to inspire people. Of course we all know they can rarely follow through on their campaign promises, maybe that's why they both seem to be avoiding policy speeches and concentrating on 'picking' on each other. With all the major problems facing this country their behavior is unbelievable.
Unfortunately President Bush has really divided this country. Even though I am a person who tries to be open minded I find it hard to feel any connection with anyone who admires him. I have a friend who is barely on speaking terms with her sister, since the sister still likes Bush and approves of his policies, whereas my friend is appalled and upset. She has said several times that she can't believe someone raised in her family can't see him for what he is !! When he was reelected 4 years ago it was unbelievable to me. How could someone I could see so clearly was a ghastly mistake get reelected ?! Even the word 'bush' gives me a bit of a start nowadays. That's another unfortunate thing, the way words get corrupted. The word 'gay' is a case in point. (I have a cousin in England called Gaye).
It appears that the government is doing a great job of destroying this country, particularly in the last 8 years. However, I don't mean just the present administration, since each seems to manage to make missteps, including Clinton with the Glass Seagal act. Of course it is easy to look back and see things in hindsight. Now we appear to be nationalizing debt while the fraudsters get away with millions.
I was reading that the wealthy are the ones who cause most of the earth's pollution, and I am not surprised. My handyman said he has seen numerous examples of the wealthy, who when they put their houses up for sale redo everything to appeal to a buyer. After the house sells, he is often referred by the previous owner and everything is torn out and redone.
Seems to me we would be better off without political parties - and instead each appointed lawmaker should be elected for their ability to represent the average Joe and Jane instead of the present situation where they seem mainly to represent wealthy businessmen.
Of the two, Obama is a much more interesting speaker in my opinion. I've found McCain's speeches somewhat lacking on the whole and he is inclined to be repetitive. Obama has a great voice and knows how to project his personality to inspire people. Of course we all know they can rarely follow through on their campaign promises, maybe that's why they both seem to be avoiding policy speeches and concentrating on 'picking' on each other. With all the major problems facing this country their behavior is unbelievable.
Unfortunately President Bush has really divided this country. Even though I am a person who tries to be open minded I find it hard to feel any connection with anyone who admires him. I have a friend who is barely on speaking terms with her sister, since the sister still likes Bush and approves of his policies, whereas my friend is appalled and upset. She has said several times that she can't believe someone raised in her family can't see him for what he is !! When he was reelected 4 years ago it was unbelievable to me. How could someone I could see so clearly was a ghastly mistake get reelected ?! Even the word 'bush' gives me a bit of a start nowadays. That's another unfortunate thing, the way words get corrupted. The word 'gay' is a case in point. (I have a cousin in England called Gaye).
It appears that the government is doing a great job of destroying this country, particularly in the last 8 years. However, I don't mean just the present administration, since each seems to manage to make missteps, including Clinton with the Glass Seagal act. Of course it is easy to look back and see things in hindsight. Now we appear to be nationalizing debt while the fraudsters get away with millions.
I was reading that the wealthy are the ones who cause most of the earth's pollution, and I am not surprised. My handyman said he has seen numerous examples of the wealthy, who when they put their houses up for sale redo everything to appeal to a buyer. After the house sells, he is often referred by the previous owner and everything is torn out and redone.
Seems to me we would be better off without political parties - and instead each appointed lawmaker should be elected for their ability to represent the average Joe and Jane instead of the present situation where they seem mainly to represent wealthy businessmen.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The Lost Art of Letter Writing
My mother will be 100 years old this year. Goodness, that makes me feel old too ! I have applied for a congratulatory letter from The White House and, since she was born in England, one from the Queen (actually my brother put in that application). I am not an admirer of President Bush, but have put aside my political feelings, since I know it will please my mother !!
Last year, when she was 98 1/2 (yes, as you get very old you go back to halves !!) I could no longer care for her, so with very mixed feelings, and a great deal of guilt, I found a small board and care home for her. After doing so I had to pack up all her possessions so her house could be rented out to provide income for her care. My mother had kept most of the letters sent to her over the last part of her life, and a few from earlier years, and they are all piled in a large purple plastic container. Yesterday I decided to go through them to discover any snippets of information about our family history, that they might contain.
That got me thinking about the fact that no one writes "real" letters any more. It used to be such a thrill to go to the mailbox and find a handwritten letter from one of the family, or an old friend. Even a typed letter, though not as personal, was exciting to receive. Sometimes I print out my own email letters, or email I receive, if I think they might be interesting for posterity, but somehow a handwritten letter is much nicer. Handwriting is so distinctive and just holding a handwritten letter brings strong memories of the person in a way that a typed letter doesn't. Just one glance and you can tell who it is from if you have seen their handwriting before. I have some books on handwriting analysis and it gives amazing insight into a person's personality.
The purple box is filled to the brim with letters from some of my mother's brothers and sisters (she had seven), letters from myself, my children, my brother, some of her old friends. There are letters from my stepfather, written in the early years of their relationship when my mother visited family in England on several occasions. Letters from an old boyfriend and his mother. It is sad to think that since the advent of email all that will be lost. I am just as guilty as the next person, since I haven't written a personal letter for some years and even when I do I almost never use a pen, since I have arthritis in both the middle fingers of each hand, which makes my writing look rather crabbed unless I am very careful. It also seems that writing a letter with a pen provokes more thought and brings forth more detail than one would write in an email. You have a piece of paper of a certain size to fill, so look for information that will fill it up.
Unfortunately over the past ten to 15 years all that has been lost. Time to rummage for some writing paper and start again !!
Last year, when she was 98 1/2 (yes, as you get very old you go back to halves !!) I could no longer care for her, so with very mixed feelings, and a great deal of guilt, I found a small board and care home for her. After doing so I had to pack up all her possessions so her house could be rented out to provide income for her care. My mother had kept most of the letters sent to her over the last part of her life, and a few from earlier years, and they are all piled in a large purple plastic container. Yesterday I decided to go through them to discover any snippets of information about our family history, that they might contain.
That got me thinking about the fact that no one writes "real" letters any more. It used to be such a thrill to go to the mailbox and find a handwritten letter from one of the family, or an old friend. Even a typed letter, though not as personal, was exciting to receive. Sometimes I print out my own email letters, or email I receive, if I think they might be interesting for posterity, but somehow a handwritten letter is much nicer. Handwriting is so distinctive and just holding a handwritten letter brings strong memories of the person in a way that a typed letter doesn't. Just one glance and you can tell who it is from if you have seen their handwriting before. I have some books on handwriting analysis and it gives amazing insight into a person's personality.
The purple box is filled to the brim with letters from some of my mother's brothers and sisters (she had seven), letters from myself, my children, my brother, some of her old friends. There are letters from my stepfather, written in the early years of their relationship when my mother visited family in England on several occasions. Letters from an old boyfriend and his mother. It is sad to think that since the advent of email all that will be lost. I am just as guilty as the next person, since I haven't written a personal letter for some years and even when I do I almost never use a pen, since I have arthritis in both the middle fingers of each hand, which makes my writing look rather crabbed unless I am very careful. It also seems that writing a letter with a pen provokes more thought and brings forth more detail than one would write in an email. You have a piece of paper of a certain size to fill, so look for information that will fill it up.
Unfortunately over the past ten to 15 years all that has been lost. Time to rummage for some writing paper and start again !!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Grandchildren
Although I loved being a mother, I wouldn't want to do it again. Not for lack of physical energy, but the strain of being on call 24 hours a day and coping with all the traumas of childhood: falls, emotions, tantrums, illness, sibling rivalry, fights, etc. I have tremendous respect and admiration for grandparents who raise their grandchildren, often with the added burden of very little money.
I adore my own grandchildren and when they arrive for a visit I am delighted, but when they leave, it is so peaceful ! Something all my adult children expect me to do, is talk to their tiny children on the phone. I can seldom understand a word they say and what they do say is usually at full decibel. Rather the way the British were renowned in the mid 20th century for shouting at foreigners, as if that would make up for the lack of comprehension.
When my second child was born, I had the naive expectation that she, as a tiny baby, would be exactly the same as my firstborn. Nothing could have been further from the truth, but it still amazes me, with each baby born into the family, how each one differs so much, almost from the very first day. My firstborn, a son, was a screamer who had a hard time digesting his food even though he was being nursed. Until he was about two years old he hated to be cuddled, unless he was being fed, since he saw it as restrictive. At 6 months I stood him up in his crib to show him that he could see out the window into the garden, and after that nothing stopped him. He would haul himself up and stand there, shaking and wobbling until he fell over from exhaustion. He was a very quiet child, and would play for hours by himself. He didn't speak clearly until he was almost 5 years old, when he learned to read in just a few weeks. I had never taught a child to read before, so didn't realize how unusually fast he was learning. By the time he started school he was reading at a 6th grade level.
My second child, my first daughter, had to be woken for each meal. She slept almost round the clock for the first few months, and grew fat and sassy until she started crawling, when she slimmed down. She never sat down to play, but was always roaming about looking for mischief !!
I adore my own grandchildren and when they arrive for a visit I am delighted, but when they leave, it is so peaceful ! Something all my adult children expect me to do, is talk to their tiny children on the phone. I can seldom understand a word they say and what they do say is usually at full decibel. Rather the way the British were renowned in the mid 20th century for shouting at foreigners, as if that would make up for the lack of comprehension.
When my second child was born, I had the naive expectation that she, as a tiny baby, would be exactly the same as my firstborn. Nothing could have been further from the truth, but it still amazes me, with each baby born into the family, how each one differs so much, almost from the very first day. My firstborn, a son, was a screamer who had a hard time digesting his food even though he was being nursed. Until he was about two years old he hated to be cuddled, unless he was being fed, since he saw it as restrictive. At 6 months I stood him up in his crib to show him that he could see out the window into the garden, and after that nothing stopped him. He would haul himself up and stand there, shaking and wobbling until he fell over from exhaustion. He was a very quiet child, and would play for hours by himself. He didn't speak clearly until he was almost 5 years old, when he learned to read in just a few weeks. I had never taught a child to read before, so didn't realize how unusually fast he was learning. By the time he started school he was reading at a 6th grade level.
My second child, my first daughter, had to be woken for each meal. She slept almost round the clock for the first few months, and grew fat and sassy until she started crawling, when she slimmed down. She never sat down to play, but was always roaming about looking for mischief !!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Road to Health
I wrote this article some time back, when I applied for a job writing articles for a local magazine. I didn't get the job, although I was told I was second choice !
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The discovery of glyconutrients in 1996 was hailed as the 'Discovery of the Century' by the American Naturopathic Medical Association. Glyconutrients are the 'essential sugars' found in foods. There are 8 of these sugars and only two are easily obtained from food. The other six are found only in organically grown food, fully ripened on the plant/tree and then picked and eaten within approximately 24 hours. Four of the remaining six can be manufactured by the body fairly easily, but the remaining two are more difficult to manufacture and it's an energy and time consuming process fraught with the possibility of error. Many informed scientists believe that lack of these essential sugars is the reason for ill health, particularly immune system illnesses.
Fortunately it is fairly easy to provide your own glyconutrients as only tiny amounts are needed. One way is to grow potted herbs, such as chives, parsley or basil that can be eaten uncooked, in organic soil. Depending on the weather these can be in grown in pots outside, or on a sunny windowsill. The soil should be kept healthy with the addition of organic supplements, including kelp.
Another way is to grow sprouted seeds. You can use either a glass jar or a special sprouting container. Both seeds and containers are available at most farm markets and nurseries, or they can be bought on the internet. Alfalfa are my favorite, but there are many other seeds that can be sprouted. Keep unused seeds in a tightly covered jar in the fridge. Growing sprouts in a clean kitchen avoids any chance of contamination with salmonella, as has occasionally been the case with commercially purchased sprouts.
Other benefits of sprouting your own seeds are several: complete cleanliness, availability, freshness and variety. In addition, freshly sprouted seeds contain enzymes which are necessary to your overall health, since they enable your body to process the foods you eat and keep your digestive system working at par. This is especially important if you have allergies. All raw food contains enzymes but sprouted seeds increase their enzyme content as much as 43 times. The enzymes aid in digesting fats, protein and starch, when eaten during the same meal, as they interact with saliva and the upper part of the stomach. Without enzymes from food the body must produce its own copious amount, but as people age their ability to produce concentrated digestive enzymes is lost, leaving the body unable to utilize vitamins, minerals and other nutrients effectively.
If you use a jar for your sprouts, find a large glass jam jar or canning jar (quart size). You will also need a piece of tulle or cheesecloth 8 inches square for the mouth of the jar. Tulle will last much longer and is available at fabric stores. Then choose the seeds you like. A large packet of alfalfa is fairly expensive but since you only sprout 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time, the packet will last for weeks. Other seeds that make great sprouts are mung beans, radish seeds, lentils and, rye. You can also sprout wheat but so many people are allergic to wheat without even realizing it so might be best to avoid it.
If using beans measure about half a cup, depending on family size. You can also experiment with other seeds to find the ones you prefer. I recently bought some cranberry beans to try and liked those.
Place the seeds in the jar and cover with water. Leave the jar upright, cover with the cheesecloth and allow to soak for 24 hours. Then drain the water by tipping the jar on its side with the cheesecloth held tightly in place by a rubber band. Pour several ounces of fresh water into the jar and put the jar in a medium size bowl, tilted slightly so it will drain slowly, with the cheesecloth over the neck and rubber band replaced. At this point you may notice that the seeds are already sprouting, especially in the case of alfalfa. Twice each day repeat that step, until the seeds are the desired length. Alfalfa will be about one inch long and takes approximately 4 to 5 days, depending on room temperature. Don't let alfalfa get longer than 2 inches. Mung beans take 2 or 3 days to reach their best length and can be used when they are between one quarter and a half inch long. Never put the jar in the sun - the heat might kill the unprotected seedlings. I personally use tap water that has been filtered, just to be extra careful.
To preserve the enzymes, do not cook the sprouts. Use them on sandwiches, in salads or stirred into cooked food just as you are about to serve, only long enough to warm them. They should never exceed 145 degrees Fahrenheit if they are to retain their enzymes. Keep the sprouts in a covered container in the refrigerator, where they will remain fresh and delicious for one week. If you choose to sprout beans rather than seeds, eat only small quantities at first, while your system gets used to them. They contain large amounts of roughage and can cause an 'upset stomach' in people who have sensitive intestines ! Make sure the sprouting container is well scrubbed and dried prior to reuse.
Sprouts are fun to grow and if there are children in the family they will be particularly interested to watch the process. It might even help them eat - and enjoy - their vegetables !!
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The supplement industries have jumped on the bandwagon now, with glyconutrient supplements, but speaking as a relatively uninformed 'layman' I should think that obtaining glyconutrients from food is much more sensible and natural. Nowadays if you google in 'glyconutrients' most of the links will be to the supplements and it takes more of a search to discover the real facts.
For more information this link will take you to a more detailed explanation of glyconutrients:
http://www.nutrientsforhealth.com/glyconutrients/glyconutrients/41/glyconutrients-what-they-do/
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The discovery of glyconutrients in 1996 was hailed as the 'Discovery of the Century' by the American Naturopathic Medical Association. Glyconutrients are the 'essential sugars' found in foods. There are 8 of these sugars and only two are easily obtained from food. The other six are found only in organically grown food, fully ripened on the plant/tree and then picked and eaten within approximately 24 hours. Four of the remaining six can be manufactured by the body fairly easily, but the remaining two are more difficult to manufacture and it's an energy and time consuming process fraught with the possibility of error. Many informed scientists believe that lack of these essential sugars is the reason for ill health, particularly immune system illnesses.
Fortunately it is fairly easy to provide your own glyconutrients as only tiny amounts are needed. One way is to grow potted herbs, such as chives, parsley or basil that can be eaten uncooked, in organic soil. Depending on the weather these can be in grown in pots outside, or on a sunny windowsill. The soil should be kept healthy with the addition of organic supplements, including kelp.
Another way is to grow sprouted seeds. You can use either a glass jar or a special sprouting container. Both seeds and containers are available at most farm markets and nurseries, or they can be bought on the internet. Alfalfa are my favorite, but there are many other seeds that can be sprouted. Keep unused seeds in a tightly covered jar in the fridge. Growing sprouts in a clean kitchen avoids any chance of contamination with salmonella, as has occasionally been the case with commercially purchased sprouts.
Other benefits of sprouting your own seeds are several: complete cleanliness, availability, freshness and variety. In addition, freshly sprouted seeds contain enzymes which are necessary to your overall health, since they enable your body to process the foods you eat and keep your digestive system working at par. This is especially important if you have allergies. All raw food contains enzymes but sprouted seeds increase their enzyme content as much as 43 times. The enzymes aid in digesting fats, protein and starch, when eaten during the same meal, as they interact with saliva and the upper part of the stomach. Without enzymes from food the body must produce its own copious amount, but as people age their ability to produce concentrated digestive enzymes is lost, leaving the body unable to utilize vitamins, minerals and other nutrients effectively.
If you use a jar for your sprouts, find a large glass jam jar or canning jar (quart size). You will also need a piece of tulle or cheesecloth 8 inches square for the mouth of the jar. Tulle will last much longer and is available at fabric stores. Then choose the seeds you like. A large packet of alfalfa is fairly expensive but since you only sprout 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time, the packet will last for weeks. Other seeds that make great sprouts are mung beans, radish seeds, lentils and, rye. You can also sprout wheat but so many people are allergic to wheat without even realizing it so might be best to avoid it.
If using beans measure about half a cup, depending on family size. You can also experiment with other seeds to find the ones you prefer. I recently bought some cranberry beans to try and liked those.
Place the seeds in the jar and cover with water. Leave the jar upright, cover with the cheesecloth and allow to soak for 24 hours. Then drain the water by tipping the jar on its side with the cheesecloth held tightly in place by a rubber band. Pour several ounces of fresh water into the jar and put the jar in a medium size bowl, tilted slightly so it will drain slowly, with the cheesecloth over the neck and rubber band replaced. At this point you may notice that the seeds are already sprouting, especially in the case of alfalfa. Twice each day repeat that step, until the seeds are the desired length. Alfalfa will be about one inch long and takes approximately 4 to 5 days, depending on room temperature. Don't let alfalfa get longer than 2 inches. Mung beans take 2 or 3 days to reach their best length and can be used when they are between one quarter and a half inch long. Never put the jar in the sun - the heat might kill the unprotected seedlings. I personally use tap water that has been filtered, just to be extra careful.
To preserve the enzymes, do not cook the sprouts. Use them on sandwiches, in salads or stirred into cooked food just as you are about to serve, only long enough to warm them. They should never exceed 145 degrees Fahrenheit if they are to retain their enzymes. Keep the sprouts in a covered container in the refrigerator, where they will remain fresh and delicious for one week. If you choose to sprout beans rather than seeds, eat only small quantities at first, while your system gets used to them. They contain large amounts of roughage and can cause an 'upset stomach' in people who have sensitive intestines ! Make sure the sprouting container is well scrubbed and dried prior to reuse.
Sprouts are fun to grow and if there are children in the family they will be particularly interested to watch the process. It might even help them eat - and enjoy - their vegetables !!
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The supplement industries have jumped on the bandwagon now, with glyconutrient supplements, but speaking as a relatively uninformed 'layman' I should think that obtaining glyconutrients from food is much more sensible and natural. Nowadays if you google in 'glyconutrients' most of the links will be to the supplements and it takes more of a search to discover the real facts.
For more information this link will take you to a more detailed explanation of glyconutrients:
http://www.nutrientsforhealth.com/glyconutrients/glyconutrients/41/glyconutrients-what-they-do/
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Thoughts on Friday Night
I live on a long street, but the top part, which is a cul de sac, is separated from the rest by a busy cross street, so we seem isolated from the rest of the residents. There are seven houses in the cul de sac, and on the weekends I am often the only person at home. All the other homes are dark and deserted, except for an occasional low lamp left on for a late return. It is rather depressing and tonight I even considered going to a local pub, however I am a little too shy to do so. Instead I have put on the television for company and have the weather channel in the background as I write this. There is a program about tropical storm Fay, back in the 1920's which caused heavy rain for 5 months. I had not heard about it before.
My handyman called today to see if I had any work, so I asked him to come over to repair the side gate which has some termite damage. Unfortunately it occupied him for more than 7
hours !! If I had known that beforehand I would have had him build a completely new one. That is the problem with not being very savvy about repairs. I also had to listen to a lecture about cleaning up my garage, since he wanted to do it. However, that is my next major project and I need to figure out what to keep and what to throw away, without any outside advice !! The painters never came back to do the things they missed, so I have begun to do it myself.
None of my neighbors are married, except for the ones at the top of the cul de sac, and I am not too sure about their relationship as she got pregnant when they first met. After the baby was born he brought her over to see me and commented "She was a mistake", which is not something you usually say after the baby is born, in my opinion. That side of the street has 3 other houses: the 2nd house from the top is a rental, with a young couple who are rarely home and keep very strange hours. When they do come in, they drive straight into the garage with their clicker, so are rarely seen. The next house has 3 middle aged men, all single. There is a lot of laughter in the evenings when they are there, encouraged by alcohol consumption, but even so I am a little envious of the camaraderie. The corner house is owned by a woman who has had a succession of abusive boyfriends. She meets them in bars and the last 3 have ended up in jail for being violent to her !!
On my side of the street, there is a duplex rented to two couples in their late 30's or early 40's. (I have written previously about the tenant in the back), but the ones in the front have a large balcony which looks very attractive, with lots of plants and patio furniture, barbecue etc. When they first moved in they used to have parties on the balcony, and it was rather fun since I could lie in bed and listen to them play the guitar and sing. Even though it often kept me awake I enjoyed it. However, the man has lost his job and the parties have come to an end. In addition the building is in foreclosure and they are not sure what is going to happen when the bank takes it over.
The only other house, besides mine, is another rental which contains a young single man in the lower studio unit and a lesbian couple in the upper unit. I will write about them another time.
I talk to all the neighbors, not regularly, but if we happen to be outside and not in a hurry. I enjoy talking to people and find them interesting.
I have become rather addicted to playing Word Whomp on pogo.com but have discovered that if I play it too much my brain won't stop. Last night I played till about 8.30, but that was apparently too late, since I woke up about midnight with words churning about in my brain and had a terrible time going back to sleep. Tonight I am being very circumspect and going to read before bed.
My handyman called today to see if I had any work, so I asked him to come over to repair the side gate which has some termite damage. Unfortunately it occupied him for more than 7
hours !! If I had known that beforehand I would have had him build a completely new one. That is the problem with not being very savvy about repairs. I also had to listen to a lecture about cleaning up my garage, since he wanted to do it. However, that is my next major project and I need to figure out what to keep and what to throw away, without any outside advice !! The painters never came back to do the things they missed, so I have begun to do it myself.
None of my neighbors are married, except for the ones at the top of the cul de sac, and I am not too sure about their relationship as she got pregnant when they first met. After the baby was born he brought her over to see me and commented "She was a mistake", which is not something you usually say after the baby is born, in my opinion. That side of the street has 3 other houses: the 2nd house from the top is a rental, with a young couple who are rarely home and keep very strange hours. When they do come in, they drive straight into the garage with their clicker, so are rarely seen. The next house has 3 middle aged men, all single. There is a lot of laughter in the evenings when they are there, encouraged by alcohol consumption, but even so I am a little envious of the camaraderie. The corner house is owned by a woman who has had a succession of abusive boyfriends. She meets them in bars and the last 3 have ended up in jail for being violent to her !!
On my side of the street, there is a duplex rented to two couples in their late 30's or early 40's. (I have written previously about the tenant in the back), but the ones in the front have a large balcony which looks very attractive, with lots of plants and patio furniture, barbecue etc. When they first moved in they used to have parties on the balcony, and it was rather fun since I could lie in bed and listen to them play the guitar and sing. Even though it often kept me awake I enjoyed it. However, the man has lost his job and the parties have come to an end. In addition the building is in foreclosure and they are not sure what is going to happen when the bank takes it over.
The only other house, besides mine, is another rental which contains a young single man in the lower studio unit and a lesbian couple in the upper unit. I will write about them another time.
I talk to all the neighbors, not regularly, but if we happen to be outside and not in a hurry. I enjoy talking to people and find them interesting.
I have become rather addicted to playing Word Whomp on pogo.com but have discovered that if I play it too much my brain won't stop. Last night I played till about 8.30, but that was apparently too late, since I woke up about midnight with words churning about in my brain and had a terrible time going back to sleep. Tonight I am being very circumspect and going to read before bed.
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Aftermath of Painting
The painters, who had promised to finish everything by Wednesday (I was expecting Thursday), did not finish until very late on Friday. That meant that all week, except for breakfast, I had to eat out. I do like going to restaurants, but find that having dinner out often causes me to sleep badly, as I have food allergies. Lunch is fine, since everything is digested by bedtime, but dinner, with all the additives that are in some restaurant food, disagrees with me. I went to Marie Callender's for one dinner and ended up with a very bad cough for a short while afterwards. That is one of the several symptoms I get from eating certain foods. I also am allergic to wheat - a whole other article.
Getting my things unpacked has taken longer than I expected since I had to repaper all the shelves. I did not use Contac paper this time, but decided to get the more expensive plastic liner. Cutting it to the right size and putting it in every cupboard and drawer took ages, but at least everything is now beautifully clean and tidy. Now that I am trying to be more organized I am having difficulty finding room for everything, even though I have hauled several boxes of various items down to the garage. (Getting the garage organized is another matter since the boxes are heavy and piled on shelving.)
Unfortunately the painters missed several areas and also there are places that need touch up, nail holes not filled and some spray paint on the beamed wood ceiling. The foreman promised to come last Sunday, but hasn't appeared yet. This coming weekend is the next date, but I think I may just do most of the touch up myself to save a lot more mess.
I have also become rather addicted to word games on pogo.com. Probably good for my brain but not for any other area of my life. I particularly cannot play late in the evening, or my brain continues them for hours afterwards !!
Back to my unpacking, still about 8 boxes to go. The house does look very nice, amazing what a new coat of paint does. The walls are cream throughout, and they were textured. The kitchen cabinets are a light brown with a little pink in it and in the bathroom the small cupboards are a deep dark -almost burgundy color. It is rather a drab dark little room and the color really brightens it up. In fact I like it best of all the colors I chose. Next major project is to have my floor tile put in and remove this terrible old carpet and tile which has long since passed it's prime !!
Getting my things unpacked has taken longer than I expected since I had to repaper all the shelves. I did not use Contac paper this time, but decided to get the more expensive plastic liner. Cutting it to the right size and putting it in every cupboard and drawer took ages, but at least everything is now beautifully clean and tidy. Now that I am trying to be more organized I am having difficulty finding room for everything, even though I have hauled several boxes of various items down to the garage. (Getting the garage organized is another matter since the boxes are heavy and piled on shelving.)
Unfortunately the painters missed several areas and also there are places that need touch up, nail holes not filled and some spray paint on the beamed wood ceiling. The foreman promised to come last Sunday, but hasn't appeared yet. This coming weekend is the next date, but I think I may just do most of the touch up myself to save a lot more mess.
I have also become rather addicted to word games on pogo.com. Probably good for my brain but not for any other area of my life. I particularly cannot play late in the evening, or my brain continues them for hours afterwards !!
Back to my unpacking, still about 8 boxes to go. The house does look very nice, amazing what a new coat of paint does. The walls are cream throughout, and they were textured. The kitchen cabinets are a light brown with a little pink in it and in the bathroom the small cupboards are a deep dark -almost burgundy color. It is rather a drab dark little room and the color really brightens it up. In fact I like it best of all the colors I chose. Next major project is to have my floor tile put in and remove this terrible old carpet and tile which has long since passed it's prime !!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Spring Cleaning
I have a crew coming on Monday to paint the inside of my downstairs cupboards, so I am in the process of removing everything from them. That has meant several trips to get boxes and 3 days so far working most of the day packing. This house was built in 1956 and by the look of it inside the cupboards has never been painted before. I have been in this house for 5 years and since it is relatively old - by U.S. standards anyway - there is a lot to be done. I am working on it little by little. It's amazing how dirty things get. At this minute I am taking a break from cleaning out the broom closet and shortly will be vacuuming up the miniscule particles all over the floor.
Years ago it was the custom to 'spring clean' every year. It was also necessary to defrost the refrigerator periodically to deice it and that meant taking everything out and cleaning it at the same time. Now many people rarely clean their fridges, including some of the younger members of my family, and the result can be pretty appalling. Many older customs are sensible and although I make a point of cleaning my fridge every so often, after looking into my empty cupboards I think it would be sensible to revive spring cleaning too. I even found a deceased mouse in one cupboard, hidden in the back under some old paper bags (Wondered where that smell was coming from last year !!)
Whenever I am painting I have difficulty deciding on colors. Last year when I was painting a rental, I decided part way through that the kitchen color was wrong and had to redo it. Home Depot used to have a rather clever tool available where you could try different colors out on a computer, and I should probably invest in a program like that for my computer.
Whenever I am cleaning up I make solemn promises to myself that I will be much more organized in future. I moved into this house from a much larger one, which meant downsizing, and the garage is still crammed with things that I have to organize and decide which to keep and which to get rid of. Things have been complicated by the fact that several of my children and offspring have moved in and out in the interim. Each time that has meant rearranging and moving things about, and each time they leave I am left with unwanted items that I have to cope with. Then I had to put my elderly mother into a board and care home and that meant keeping many of her personal items, including a lot of very intersting books, and adding them to the ever increasing pile.
The worst thing about not being organized is being unable to find an item that you need. Often there isn't either the time or energy to look for it, which means buying another. In this present cleaning endeavor I have just discovered several items that I had to duplicate. What a waste of money and more clutter !!
Back to packing before it gets too hot. We seem to be heading into a rather humid day.
Years ago it was the custom to 'spring clean' every year. It was also necessary to defrost the refrigerator periodically to deice it and that meant taking everything out and cleaning it at the same time. Now many people rarely clean their fridges, including some of the younger members of my family, and the result can be pretty appalling. Many older customs are sensible and although I make a point of cleaning my fridge every so often, after looking into my empty cupboards I think it would be sensible to revive spring cleaning too. I even found a deceased mouse in one cupboard, hidden in the back under some old paper bags (Wondered where that smell was coming from last year !!)
Whenever I am painting I have difficulty deciding on colors. Last year when I was painting a rental, I decided part way through that the kitchen color was wrong and had to redo it. Home Depot used to have a rather clever tool available where you could try different colors out on a computer, and I should probably invest in a program like that for my computer.
Whenever I am cleaning up I make solemn promises to myself that I will be much more organized in future. I moved into this house from a much larger one, which meant downsizing, and the garage is still crammed with things that I have to organize and decide which to keep and which to get rid of. Things have been complicated by the fact that several of my children and offspring have moved in and out in the interim. Each time that has meant rearranging and moving things about, and each time they leave I am left with unwanted items that I have to cope with. Then I had to put my elderly mother into a board and care home and that meant keeping many of her personal items, including a lot of very intersting books, and adding them to the ever increasing pile.
The worst thing about not being organized is being unable to find an item that you need. Often there isn't either the time or energy to look for it, which means buying another. In this present cleaning endeavor I have just discovered several items that I had to duplicate. What a waste of money and more clutter !!
Back to packing before it gets too hot. We seem to be heading into a rather humid day.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A Rather Poor Poem
Perhaps it's not really true
But I never feel I quite fit in, in Orange County.
I'm happiest in my garden, grubbing in the dirt
And my nails tell that story well.
I fertilize my garden with bales of alfalfa
And large sacks of steer manure
Redolent of the pasture and dairy farms.
I like to grow fruits and vegetables,
Not always very successfully
If you had to rely on me
You would lose weight.
*****
I had an idea for a poem,
When I was painting
But by the time I cleaned up
And found a pen I forgot what it was.
I had an idea for a poem
While I was awake in the night
But in the morning
I couldn't remember it.
Nature's Bounty
I have been picking raspberries, which are one of my favorite fruits, ranking up there with apricots. I start the season enjoying strawberries, which are nothing like the large crunchy ones sold in stores, and they are delightful, but as soon as the raspberries are ready the strawberries are almost abandoned. I have a cane patch about 6 feet by 2 feet - not all that large, but I have been picking a bowl or two each day for several weeks now, and no end in sight. They are like little jewels hiding in the leaves and each time I pick I think I have done so thoroughly, then lo and behold as I am walking by later I see another...and another.
My peach tree is just beginning to produce, and since it is in the front several of the neighbors are hoping to get some. You could write a book about the neighbors on this street, they are quite interesting, in an odd way !! The neighbor who abuts my back garden on the west side (a rental) hates anything growing. He systematically goes down the passageway between our properties and cuts back everything that hangs over from my side, forcing it all over the fence in piles on top of my plants. He just removed a large branch from my plum tree, that grew above the fence and dared to be on 'his' side. It was covered with about 15 almost ripe organic plums. That was hurled over the wall too. I sneaked a look over the fence and the only thing growing in his fairly large back yard is a rather unhappy rubber tree plant in a pot. The rest is just bare earth. I took this man in dislike after he moved in. He is big, burly and bullying. He got a puppy which was left in the yard all day and evening on it's own. I went over one evening to ask if he could make sure the dog did not bark and yowl after 9.30 p.m. The man was working on his car in the garage, so I introduced myself and then said, in a nice way, "Your dog has been barking a lot..." Before I could say another word he threw down the tool he was holding and raced up the stairs to his apartment, shouting "I'll fix him". I cried out, "Oh, no, please," but he was gone. I presume the dog got a good beating. I never complained again. There seems to be a baby over there the last 8 months, but I never hear it cry or make any noises. I have just seen the mother carrying it in and out to the car. Makes you wonder !?
In the front there is no divider between the properties and since his is the back apartment you would think he'd have no interest in it, but no. He rips off any branches that dare to set limb across the dividing line, leaving jagged tears (at least in the back the other day he used clippers) and every flower has been torn out. Fortunately there are steep stairs about 2 feet away, and so the area of bare earth leading downhill to the street (about 10 yards) is not too noticeable. Before he moved in I had planted California poppies there, since the owner of the rental uses the property only for income and has no interest in it otherwise. People are very strange, but also quite interesting.
My peach tree is just beginning to produce, and since it is in the front several of the neighbors are hoping to get some. You could write a book about the neighbors on this street, they are quite interesting, in an odd way !! The neighbor who abuts my back garden on the west side (a rental) hates anything growing. He systematically goes down the passageway between our properties and cuts back everything that hangs over from my side, forcing it all over the fence in piles on top of my plants. He just removed a large branch from my plum tree, that grew above the fence and dared to be on 'his' side. It was covered with about 15 almost ripe organic plums. That was hurled over the wall too. I sneaked a look over the fence and the only thing growing in his fairly large back yard is a rather unhappy rubber tree plant in a pot. The rest is just bare earth. I took this man in dislike after he moved in. He is big, burly and bullying. He got a puppy which was left in the yard all day and evening on it's own. I went over one evening to ask if he could make sure the dog did not bark and yowl after 9.30 p.m. The man was working on his car in the garage, so I introduced myself and then said, in a nice way, "Your dog has been barking a lot..." Before I could say another word he threw down the tool he was holding and raced up the stairs to his apartment, shouting "I'll fix him". I cried out, "Oh, no, please," but he was gone. I presume the dog got a good beating. I never complained again. There seems to be a baby over there the last 8 months, but I never hear it cry or make any noises. I have just seen the mother carrying it in and out to the car. Makes you wonder !?
In the front there is no divider between the properties and since his is the back apartment you would think he'd have no interest in it, but no. He rips off any branches that dare to set limb across the dividing line, leaving jagged tears (at least in the back the other day he used clippers) and every flower has been torn out. Fortunately there are steep stairs about 2 feet away, and so the area of bare earth leading downhill to the street (about 10 yards) is not too noticeable. Before he moved in I had planted California poppies there, since the owner of the rental uses the property only for income and has no interest in it otherwise. People are very strange, but also quite interesting.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
My First Attempt at Blogging
Since I have never written a blog before, I expect my first efforts will be a bit stilted, but probably I shall warm up gradually to it. I haven't looked at many other blogs, so am not quite sure what people write about. The name of this blog "Plenty of Room in the Sky" refers to the fact that you can train some plants to grow upward, to save room !!
However, first a bit about me: Am in my 60's, feel/look way younger, very active. I have always been a person with a ton of energy. My favorite activity is gardening, especially growing fruits and vegetables or edible flowers. A couple of years ago I had enough edible flowers to make a beautiful salad. I remember seeing one in a magazine (National Geographic I think), prepared by a famous chef. It was huge and each layer was a different color - a real work of art.
I was born in Europe. but came to California with my mother, via Montreal, Canada, but apart from short forays to Hawaii and Missouri, California is my real home. I live in South Orange County almost midway between Los Angeles and San Diego.
I have a fairly large garden in a small town, about 300 yards from the beach, but up on the bluffs. The front garden is much larger than the back, but the back is rather attractive, since it has been terraced with a retaining wall. It is not the best garden for vegetables since there is too much shade, but I plant a bit here and there, making the most of every nook and cranny. I am also planning to put some vegetables in the front, where they are not too noticeable from the road.
I have been in this house for 4 years and have improved the soil tremendously with a lot of hard work. The soil was totally neglected and baked hard (adobe) when I moved in, and almost impossible to dig. I have composted and used many bales of alfalfa, plus sand and manure to loosen it up. I also use all the leaves from my large Chinese elm as mulch. The soil has improved gradually, although it is still not perfect. The best growing results come from areas where I have at least 6 inches of compost but that is taking quite a bit of time and effort.
One problem, living near the beach, is that my squash, beans and peas, are inclined to mildew. I bought some Neem to spray on them and that has helped somewhat, but I have to be very careful about watering, especially towards the evening hours. At least I don't usually have extreme heat to contend with, although occasionally when a hot desert wind blows it can get into the high 90's. So far it has never been more than about 98 F. Fortunate since I don't have air conditioning. More normal summer temperatures are in the mid 80's.
Since I have always loved nature I garden organically, and I also try to plant flowers that will provide food for birds and butterflies and attract bees. When I moved here I would rarely see a bee, but now there are quite a lot. On very hot days they come to my pond for water. I have a water plant in a pot on the edge and they crawl about on the wet gravel which is on top. I didn't know bees did that until I saw them. I hear that they take the water back to the hive to keep it cool.
My Chinese elm is a bit of a nuisance, but I can't cut it down since it is a feeding station for dozens of caterpillars each spring. There are so many that the ground is brown with their droppings and for a few weeks it is rather unpleasant. I have also been nurturing a large dragon lizard. There are very few lizards around here now because the large ants they prefer to feed on have been virtually eliminated and I think they also fall prey to neighborhood cats.
Well, that's all for my first attempt. I shall be delighted to receive comments (well delighted with nice comments anyway !!)
However, first a bit about me: Am in my 60's, feel/look way younger, very active. I have always been a person with a ton of energy. My favorite activity is gardening, especially growing fruits and vegetables or edible flowers. A couple of years ago I had enough edible flowers to make a beautiful salad. I remember seeing one in a magazine (National Geographic I think), prepared by a famous chef. It was huge and each layer was a different color - a real work of art.
I was born in Europe. but came to California with my mother, via Montreal, Canada, but apart from short forays to Hawaii and Missouri, California is my real home. I live in South Orange County almost midway between Los Angeles and San Diego.
I have a fairly large garden in a small town, about 300 yards from the beach, but up on the bluffs. The front garden is much larger than the back, but the back is rather attractive, since it has been terraced with a retaining wall. It is not the best garden for vegetables since there is too much shade, but I plant a bit here and there, making the most of every nook and cranny. I am also planning to put some vegetables in the front, where they are not too noticeable from the road.
I have been in this house for 4 years and have improved the soil tremendously with a lot of hard work. The soil was totally neglected and baked hard (adobe) when I moved in, and almost impossible to dig. I have composted and used many bales of alfalfa, plus sand and manure to loosen it up. I also use all the leaves from my large Chinese elm as mulch. The soil has improved gradually, although it is still not perfect. The best growing results come from areas where I have at least 6 inches of compost but that is taking quite a bit of time and effort.
One problem, living near the beach, is that my squash, beans and peas, are inclined to mildew. I bought some Neem to spray on them and that has helped somewhat, but I have to be very careful about watering, especially towards the evening hours. At least I don't usually have extreme heat to contend with, although occasionally when a hot desert wind blows it can get into the high 90's. So far it has never been more than about 98 F. Fortunate since I don't have air conditioning. More normal summer temperatures are in the mid 80's.
Since I have always loved nature I garden organically, and I also try to plant flowers that will provide food for birds and butterflies and attract bees. When I moved here I would rarely see a bee, but now there are quite a lot. On very hot days they come to my pond for water. I have a water plant in a pot on the edge and they crawl about on the wet gravel which is on top. I didn't know bees did that until I saw them. I hear that they take the water back to the hive to keep it cool.
My Chinese elm is a bit of a nuisance, but I can't cut it down since it is a feeding station for dozens of caterpillars each spring. There are so many that the ground is brown with their droppings and for a few weeks it is rather unpleasant. I have also been nurturing a large dragon lizard. There are very few lizards around here now because the large ants they prefer to feed on have been virtually eliminated and I think they also fall prey to neighborhood cats.
Well, that's all for my first attempt. I shall be delighted to receive comments (well delighted with nice comments anyway !!)
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