A rambling train of thoughts about the universe and our micro solar system consisting of our dear Sun and other planets in a magnetic dance while we hurtle through space on the face of a rock and stare at flat screens where we attempt to connect while we detach.
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Monday, December 31, 2012
Rick and Terry Danko Live At Soundstage
Because it is a good day to put on some fine fine music.
Missing Rick's clear upright style.
What a guy.
Thanks for the link on YT
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve 2012
and the snow makes everything brighter and fresh.The Last day of 2012
finds us in the US on the edge of a fiscal cliffon the edge of our ability to comprehend how us as individuals can ever hope to make it better.
Hoping is a place to start and recommended however, do not take it personally
if it all goes to H*ll in a hand basket.
Guess that is a consolation.
If you are not responsible, it is not your fault.
Meanwhile Fred has renamed Girly Girl, "Antithesis".
All she will say, is "NOOO" in her whiny cat voice.
She is so like Tommy, her brother or cousin, we are not quite sure.
I did not have the energy to get out and snap photos.
Shoveled for awhile, then rested.
The storm did produce considerable snow.
Looked a bit like these archival photos.
Happy New Year's Eve.
Labels:
New Year's Eve
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Pachelbel vs. Chopin -- GlassDuo
Beautiful music for a Sunday snowy morning.
Another 6-8 inches snow overnight.
For skiers looking for perfect New England Powder,
Today is a good day to begin!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Psalm Challenge 86
Psalm Challenge 86
David's Prayer,
Soft and sweet,
Telling of his being saved,
brought up from the depths
of Hell.
Having faith
evermore,
Believing his Trespassers
will be halted,
by an invisible hand
of God.
Every day,
on his knees in prayer,
on my knees, every day,
at least figuratively.
Thanking God,
in advance,
for the bounties
we receive
and
having to trust
His judgement,
me the human
hoping
the bad guy gets it in the end.
Later,
Forgiveness,
Reassuringly,
it is possible,
for me, the human, in a weak moment
who descended briefly and was
pulled up by the
invisible sure hand of
God.
**************************************************
for the host of Psalm Challenge
Link to Daily Athens
David's Prayer,
Soft and sweet,
Telling of his being saved,
brought up from the depths
of Hell.
Having faith
evermore,
Believing his Trespassers
will be halted,
by an invisible hand
of God.
Every day,
on his knees in prayer,
on my knees, every day,
at least figuratively.
Thanking God,
in advance,
for the bounties
we receive
and
having to trust
His judgement,
me the human
hoping
the bad guy gets it in the end.
Later,
Forgiveness,
Reassuringly,
it is possible,
for me, the human, in a weak moment
who descended briefly and was
pulled up by the
invisible sure hand of
God.
**************************************************
for the host of Psalm Challenge
Link to Daily Athens
Labels:
Psalm Challenge
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Friday, December 28, 2012
Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa- I'll Take Care of You- LIVE
Great song link for friday night music...
tgiff
mg
Recap 2012
Recap 2012
We lost so many.
Mom, Levon, The Captain, other friends, our cat Gigi just died 12.23.12.It seemed Mom brought Captain and Captain called up Gigi (she was his #1 cat girlfriend).
The world did not come to an end
and I told you there is no end and no beginning anyway.I still am loyal to my preferred blogger list
With so many to choose from, just stroll through my blog list for friends around the world who will keep you in the know and challenge your senses.Yes Dad, we are still working
He turned 90 and has been retired 30 years. He tells me he should have kept working.So he wants to make sure I keep working
and he can't see me and will always worry that I am falling apart
and yes, that is as sweet as chocolate.
He hates ms as much as i do.
He was a marine and after watching ncis+ncis-la, i feel i understand his grit a bit better.
The garden was pretty good
Wish there was more time in the day, more energy, less disease, bugs, weedsand H20 supply-demand mismatch.
Wish the blight had never shown it's ugly face here.
Last year was an extraordinarily warm, mild snowless winter in Vermont.
Hope the cold snap we just had killed some of the bugs.
The Election
was over publicized, over politicized, under relevant to my betterment. My weak attempts at questioning local political entities have become an energy suck, bad for MS. Will I stop typing?You will have to pry my keyboard from my cold dead hands.
My Favorite blog post 2012
Ageism and the Empty Chair.My latest Blog challenges
Have tried to post daily, keep content mildly fresh, demand that it please myself first and also not to wait until I feel it is perfect and polished. I take inspiration from all those bloggers who I follow.Entering weekly Psalm Challenge hosted by Daily Athens.
The continuing adventures of Alice Karma in Interview with a Clone, serial blog novel.
Next concert on my list
Midnight ramble once the spring comesMost surprising thing I did this year
Like my Mother, I started painting. She started oil painting after her mother died. The images that came to me may have been from past lives or just my free imagination. When I mapped a timeline of our family and key events, I could better see my parents as people, pretty amazing people who held it together. I got a more 3 dimensional view of my grandparents I scantly recall.Hope for 2013:
peace,prosperity,happiness for all.mary
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Snow
Snow coming
6-15 inches
predicted in the VT/NY Champlain Valleymaybe more in the mountains
depending on where in the Northeastern US you are.
So the Ski industry is salivating, the plow truck drivers are resting up,
we are taking what comes and rolling with it as much as we can.
Christmas was nice and quiet,
quieter without Mom on the phone,
recapping where everyone was and what they were doing.
Every Christmas forever was connected with Mom somehow,
We actually trimmed the tree before
so I could tell her on our Sunday call.
When we visited once,
Mom told me, "I hope you are taking notes!"
It surprised me, said with almost a threatening tone.
She was always so tolerant of circumstance gone south,
plans gone awry, expectations failed.
Now I realize she was a victim of institutionalization,
even my ultra tolerant Mom. Even the strong but quiet woman
who bore 7 children without a whine or a wimper.
Reminding me we have to completely revamp our eldercare before the baby boomers need it.
Oh wait, too late.
First step,
At Adult day programs, call it the "Club", serve faux drinks,
replace all the Glenn Miller with Steve Miller and
look at truly multigenerational centers.
Next step. Do you know it is up to each of us to create the milieu that meets the needs of our individual community? I like the idea of a virtual adult day,
we could attend from home and avoid the bumpy upland travel.
Finally, thought I would post a storm photo from 2010.
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Jim Weider w. Anton Fig, James Mongomery and Les Paul's Trio "Amazing Gr...
Christmas Eve music link...
Amazing Grace, the music is the words...Beautiful...
From NYC
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Testify 25/08/84
SRV Music videos posted this beautiful gem of Stevie Ray Vaughn & Band.
I was so sad once I discovered SRV, he was already gone. Perhaps that is why he
left too soon, like some other truly gifted artists.
Happy Christmas Eve for those who observe.
For those who do not, turn up the volume and enjoy the show.
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Daniel Goodman - Keys To The Kingdom
take a few minutes to listen and watch this link......
Labels:
Music
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Psalm Challenge 85
Psalm Challenge 85
Christmas is coming,
Daylight growing,
Gifts are flowing,
The tree is up.
The Sun above us,
a good provider,
shines his gifts of
warmth and power.
In the Heavens, all around us,
lies the home of all the Justice.
We Pray for Peace.
We ask for Mercy,
We want Salvation,
to rise up through our feet from the earthen ground.
Rainy days, brings flowers, food,
We take time out to nap.
Later gather the bounty in our garden,
We know no money could ever buy.
We ache for our country,
Sometimes afflicted
with the opposite of
truth and peace.
We pray salvation,
comes on swiftly,
slaying the greedy, evil and arrogant beasts.
how else would peace be possible except by the death of evil?
Can we pray for such a death sentence to evil?
Link to Psalm Challenge website
Labels:
Psalm Challenge
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Interview with a Clone
Interview with a Clone,
by Mary E. Gerdt 2012
all rights reserved
Chapter 20
The Letter…Part 2
On Earth, in a little beach house, slept a normal human, non clone named Alice Karma. She slept very deeply tonight, after being hit by a freight train of new information. She was the victim of an overzealous mother who did what she thought was right at every junction. Perhaps it was right.
In the beginning, Susan Wolf suspected that cloning was becoming more than science. The politics was a part she was removed from, until she stumbled onto the plans of certain powerful people living in Switzerland. She found out their true motivation was not for good, but for creating slaves for labor, and organ donors to harvest. They pressured her to say she was successful and they saw the child who was the result. Susan gave the leaders phony documents loaded with math and scientific jargon. She then returned to the US to begin planning her next phase of undercover island living and dabbling in science.
Susan never wanted to put Alice in the middle. She did bear and rear Alice after all. Alice had a deep affection for her Mom and vice versa.
So why did Susan feel compelled to maintain the lie?
Alice woke up in a start. Her eyes stinging from the sunlight streaming in her window. She shook her head and breathed deeply.
Her life was being clarified, normalized instantly without knowing what normal is. And it felt fine, another breath, cleansing out all the oddity of being a clone, no one else knew right now. It was a secret she held with her Mother, her biological vehicle mother and environmental/nurturing/mentor mother. Alice would never again question her mother’s motivations about what she did, lying, posthumous confessions. Her whole life was coming into focus, instead of the old blurry Alice.
Alice shared the letter with Georgia. Georgia was visibly shaken which in turn shook up Alice. Georgia was more like a mother than Susan. When she implanted the embryo, Georgia was certain she was doing the first clone birth. Even still, she was resistant to doing the procedure. Susan basically bribed Georgia with a long term commitment and a very high salary and expense account. In turn, they could only leave the island at prescribed times. Security was tight.
As it turns out, there was no clone, no documents, no miraculous wonder of modern science in the 2060’s.
There were criminal elements afoot, who trolled constantly for the clone data. There was a bounty for who brings any information forward.
Meanwhile, on Mars, Gigi Fairweather stopped by the infirmary to check on her niece, Dawn Fairweather. Dawn was delirious and sick with fever. They were down to their last antibiotics. Dawn had a kidney infection which threatened to shut down her kidneys. Gigi knew Dawn’s father Tommy would be furious Dawn was here, on Mars. Another disastrous outcome with Gigi, Tommy’s sister. The problem is, Dawn stowed away against Gigi’s advice. Once they took off, she was on her way too.
Gigi looked at her watch and had one more solar Earth day before her next show with Alice. She grew to enjoy the discussions and back and forth debates over the air (and space) waves punctuated with laughter and applause from Mars.
Gigi still did not know the truth about Alice, why she looked an awful lot more like Gigi than like Susan Wolf her clone mother, but not.
A supply ship was due any day. A day later, the transport rescue ship would take them all home.
by Mary E. Gerdt 2012
all rights reserved
Chapter 20
The Letter…Part 2
On Earth, in a little beach house, slept a normal human, non clone named Alice Karma. She slept very deeply tonight, after being hit by a freight train of new information. She was the victim of an overzealous mother who did what she thought was right at every junction. Perhaps it was right.
In the beginning, Susan Wolf suspected that cloning was becoming more than science. The politics was a part she was removed from, until she stumbled onto the plans of certain powerful people living in Switzerland. She found out their true motivation was not for good, but for creating slaves for labor, and organ donors to harvest. They pressured her to say she was successful and they saw the child who was the result. Susan gave the leaders phony documents loaded with math and scientific jargon. She then returned to the US to begin planning her next phase of undercover island living and dabbling in science.
Susan never wanted to put Alice in the middle. She did bear and rear Alice after all. Alice had a deep affection for her Mom and vice versa.
So why did Susan feel compelled to maintain the lie?
Alice woke up in a start. Her eyes stinging from the sunlight streaming in her window. She shook her head and breathed deeply.
Her life was being clarified, normalized instantly without knowing what normal is. And it felt fine, another breath, cleansing out all the oddity of being a clone, no one else knew right now. It was a secret she held with her Mother, her biological vehicle mother and environmental/nurturing/mentor mother. Alice would never again question her mother’s motivations about what she did, lying, posthumous confessions. Her whole life was coming into focus, instead of the old blurry Alice.
Alice shared the letter with Georgia. Georgia was visibly shaken which in turn shook up Alice. Georgia was more like a mother than Susan. When she implanted the embryo, Georgia was certain she was doing the first clone birth. Even still, she was resistant to doing the procedure. Susan basically bribed Georgia with a long term commitment and a very high salary and expense account. In turn, they could only leave the island at prescribed times. Security was tight.
As it turns out, there was no clone, no documents, no miraculous wonder of modern science in the 2060’s.
There were criminal elements afoot, who trolled constantly for the clone data. There was a bounty for who brings any information forward.
Meanwhile, on Mars, Gigi Fairweather stopped by the infirmary to check on her niece, Dawn Fairweather. Dawn was delirious and sick with fever. They were down to their last antibiotics. Dawn had a kidney infection which threatened to shut down her kidneys. Gigi knew Dawn’s father Tommy would be furious Dawn was here, on Mars. Another disastrous outcome with Gigi, Tommy’s sister. The problem is, Dawn stowed away against Gigi’s advice. Once they took off, she was on her way too.
Gigi looked at her watch and had one more solar Earth day before her next show with Alice. She grew to enjoy the discussions and back and forth debates over the air (and space) waves punctuated with laughter and applause from Mars.
Gigi still did not know the truth about Alice, why she looked an awful lot more like Gigi than like Susan Wolf her clone mother, but not.
A supply ship was due any day. A day later, the transport rescue ship would take them all home.
Labels:
Interview with a Clone
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Friday, December 21, 2012
Happy End of Times!
Thanks to Ann & her Angels for this link suggestion for today....
Best wishes to you on the other side of the mayan calendar.
mary
Best wishes to you on the other side of the mayan calendar.
mary
and another wonderful inspiration with the angelic voice of
Teresa Williams & the Levon Helm band
And just in case we all survive to take a dive off the "physical cliff",
watch what the senate is doing to rob you of privacy:
take action, dudes, and dudettes, this is
Your Privacy!!!
Wake up!
Wiretapping millions of Americans? It’s
unconstitutional & illegal. And it's up for a vote in Congress.
https://eff.org/r.2asn
Labels:
End of the world
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Thursday, December 20, 2012
40th Anniversary Celebration | Events | Institute of Noetic Sciences
40th Anniversary Celebration | Events | Institute of Noetic Sciences
Thought I would put up this link
then Instantly,
the message will go around the world
not possible 40 years ago
Wonder how many might see it
and Leap
at the chance to be a part
of early space travel
Why did we not go back?
12.20.2012. wanted to point out this is one of the three shortest daylight days in the northern hemisphere
I kept thinking about the shortest day.
Then, expanding my thinking, it was natural to see there were 2 days just a little longer on either
side of the shortest day
soon days will be longer...it will be welcome
Thought I would put up this link
then Instantly,
the message will go around the world
not possible 40 years ago
Wonder how many might see it
and Leap
at the chance to be a part
of early space travel
Why did we not go back?
12.20.2012. wanted to point out this is one of the three shortest daylight days in the northern hemisphere
I kept thinking about the shortest day.
Then, expanding my thinking, it was natural to see there were 2 days just a little longer on either
side of the shortest day
soon days will be longer...it will be welcome
Labels:
Space,
Three Shortest Days
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
3 23 09 Frank Glover Jazz Kitchen
Wondeful link on you tube for Sunday afternoon...
We saw a documentary last night on public tv about Frank Glover and Claude Sifferlen
My 2 new favorite Jazz artists.
And one has already left us.
My judgement of Jazz is if it makes me feel without cringing, shaking my head, wondering where they came up with that beat.
Good jazz to me never makes me wonder who is playing...
It is all about the feeling
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Psalm Challenge 84
Psalm Challenge 84
The swallows found a home here,
in our back shed,
we never had the heart to shut them out,
when they come back after flying
thousands of miles to their temple of life,
their nests where they have 2-3 consecutive nests full of babies,
they chirp their relief and gratitude, their faith tested.
They are grateful for the bugs that
annoy us and get in our eyes and bite us.
We are grateful they eat as many bugs as they do.
We wonder if, after we are gone, will someone bulldoze the old shed,
failing to see the significance of swallows?
I saw the sunrise
I am in awe.
Our total, our being, our bodily temple, all comes
From the Sun.
It rained, My faith tested,
again and again,
failing, rejected, dejected, dismayed, disowned, disoriented.
Adrift, a rolling stone.
In the end, there is a rainbow,
a reward for our faith.
Like trusting swallows, we hope we find
our home and will be here with our Father Sun,
until the end
if there ever is
an
end.
for the host of psalm challenge
Psalm Challenge
Labels:
Psalm Challenge
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Upstairs Cat Downstairs Cat
That is just how it ended up working when Girly Girl moved in.
Tommy,Gigi and Sean are downstairs,
Girly Girl is upstairs mostly, occasionally strolling
or running through the downstairs to
surf for food,
or nap.
About Girly Girl: we took a couple fuzzy pictures that are not worth sending.
We wanted to showGirly's Meridien's Mom how she is blending in with the pride, her first family,
by the fire in harmonious bliss, and that has not happened yet. The blending may never quite happen but at least they all have their respective "places" as cats and people will do.
Instead of photos, thought I would write this post and dedicate to the Photos not taken category.
Girly Girl is never still, our camera and phone always somewhere else.
Then I thought,Girly's Meridien's Mom knows all too well what she looks like, her soft white and black furry head charging at you full speed at an inopportune moment,
or her picky claws saying pick me up, then she says no, then she squeals no,
and then starts purring loudly.
I remembered how I secretly wanted to keep her when we gave her away.
Glad to have her back. She is so sweet.
Her obnoxious little whiny habits,
irresistible.
Tommy,Gigi and Sean are downstairs,
Girly Girl is upstairs mostly, occasionally strolling
or running through the downstairs to
surf for food,
or nap.
About Girly Girl: we took a couple fuzzy pictures that are not worth sending.
We wanted to show
by the fire in harmonious bliss, and that has not happened yet. The blending may never quite happen but at least they all have their respective "places" as cats and people will do.
Instead of photos, thought I would write this post and dedicate to the Photos not taken category.
Girly Girl is never still, our camera and phone always somewhere else.
Then I thought,
or her picky claws saying pick me up, then she says no, then she squeals no,
and then starts purring loudly.
I remembered how I secretly wanted to keep her when we gave her away.
Glad to have her back. She is so sweet.
Her obnoxious little whiny habits,
irresistible.
Labels:
Pets,
Photos Not Taken
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Friday, December 14, 2012
Puss n Boots Hill Country NYC
Levon Street Team is on the prowl on you tube looking for a great Friday night music link.
It did not take me long to find this great tribute song to Levon Helm.
I envisioned Levon startin' up the GTO with his little woman & they take off for the city.
For Ramble tickets in Woodstock, NY or merchandise for last minute shopping...
levonhelm.com
help "keep it goin"
travelogue notes...
p.s. we got a very cool card from Singapore...thanks all :-} no snow here either <3 data-blogger-escaped-="data-blogger-escaped-" mary="mary" p="p">3>
Ex Parte Communications and More Town Attorney Shenanigans
Ex Parte Communications and More Town Attorney Shenanigans
I really like this link above that is part of my core curriculum for understanding town politics,
rules and procedures. Sometimes people throw around terms. Law is particularly
snarly with such words, and strings of words: Latin, English and the like.
of course medicine is similar but i can speak and feel comfortable in that world
i understand the order, the protocol logic
Some things are common sense and they are also rules of law.
At the end of the day, with infractions and Shenaniganzas, the common man or woman can do little to affect town fathers' behaviors.
Friday finds us in extended stick season in Vermont at the height of darkness...
Today is a week, 7 days before, you know, the end times and when the daylight gets longer again.
The end times could be an event or just a shift, a schizm, a bump in the road.
As I have surmised before, end times or not, we are always suffering, sustaining, rejoicing and accepting changes, always and for ever.
I really like this link above that is part of my core curriculum for understanding town politics,
rules and procedures. Sometimes people throw around terms. Law is particularly
snarly with such words, and strings of words: Latin, English and the like.
of course medicine is similar but i can speak and feel comfortable in that world
i understand the order, the protocol logic
Some things are common sense and they are also rules of law.
At the end of the day, with infractions and Shenaniganzas, the common man or woman can do little to affect town fathers' behaviors.
Friday finds us in extended stick season in Vermont at the height of darkness...
Today is a week, 7 days before, you know, the end times and when the daylight gets longer again.
The end times could be an event or just a shift, a schizm, a bump in the road.
As I have surmised before, end times or not, we are always suffering, sustaining, rejoicing and accepting changes, always and for ever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Labels:
Lawyering,
town meeting,
town',
Vermont town meeting
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Roger Waters & Eddie Vedder Perform "Comfortably Numb" - "12-12-12" The ...
From the Sandy Relief concert on you tube....
Sandy Relief Needed
Sandy Relief is needed and this group is a good one to donate to...
http://www.robinhood.org/
They are helping those around the storm ravaged areas.
We watched part of the incredible concert last night 12.12.12
Spread the word, help that wonderful city heal from unimaginable wounds.
http://www.robinhood.org/
They are helping those around the storm ravaged areas.
We watched part of the incredible concert last night 12.12.12
Spread the word, help that wonderful city heal from unimaginable wounds.
Labels:
Sandy Relief
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
12-12-12
12-12-12
only happens once
well that is true of other dates too
if you want to get picky about it.
12-12-12
will mean nothing tomorrow or next week
but still it is
kind of cool.
12-12-12
12 to the third power
12 months
12 years since we all had to buy new computers
because they were going to crash
and they didn't
12-12-12
wasn't it just yesterday when we thought
wonder if I will ever make it to the new
milennium
now we are here
12 years later
There were 12 of these,
one for every month
1-1-1 in 2001
2-2-2 in 2002
3-3-3 in 2003
you know and so on
So it is the last one of this series
Hope your 12-12-12 day is grand.
Our
Labels:
12-12-12
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Interview with a Clone Chapter 19
Interview with a Clone
By Mary E. Gerdt 2012
All rights reserved
Chapter 19
The Letter… Part 1
Alice woke up with a dry parched mouth and a pounding headache. She spied the empty brown bottle. One Japanese beer was all she could stomach any more. Maybe that was for the best.
She must have passed out next to the letter that started a crying jag that shivered the timbers of their island beach house. Alice strained to recall anything but Margo, the name, Margo, what did it mean, who was she?
She realized she never really even made it to the letter, just the envelope, just the thought of her mother, her clone mother, would write her a letter, make her carry it around and put that load on Alice, too. Secrets, on top of secrets. Alice wanted to burn the damn letter, the one that had her off her game, emotional, out of control…with…feeling.
Georgia checked in earlier, left some cold cereal, juice, fresh towels. She never saw the letter, and would never have known about it if Alice had just burned it, right then, as she impulsively wanted to do. Alice waited a split second and blew her chance to be a daring, cavalier gambler. Instead, she is calculating, scientific, like her Mom, predictable, objective, boring.
Alice rubbed her eyes, took a swig of juice, and read the letter.
This time the Dear Alice thing didn’t even garner a sneeze, let alone tears.
She looked at the empty beer bottle and swore to herself, “never again!”.
Dear Alice,
You have been the shining light in my life, my everything, my purpose, my chance to make my parents proud, my country, my sciences that I loved more than a spouse, or my parents.
As I grew as a scientist, there were certain boundaries I had to consider, evaluate, analyze.
(of course, Alice thought, cloning? The ultimate ethics challenge-never seemed to bother Mom)
When I was in basic training, readying for the space program, I was in the program with Gigi Fairweather. (Alice’s interest perking up).
Before we went to space, we had the option of saving embryos.
It was generally accepted that we might be rendered sterile in the radiation of the trip and the risks associated with the early settlements. So they gave us a catalog of likely sperm donors and we ordered up children to be frozen if we made it back.
(Alice is more puzzled than ever)
I never made it to outer space even though I flew plenty. Gigi wanted to go all the way to Mars, even back in school. I preferred cloning plants and monkeys and trying to make humans. Switzerland offered me a great deal of money and a state of the art research lab. We worked for 5 years.
Alice heard this all before.
We failed.
Alice’s heart skipped a beat. Like a flip flop. She paused breathing. Then began again. She checked her own pulse. “I am alive.” she thought.
She read on.
We knew we failed. Yet we could not show nothing to the Swiss government, they were so on edge, too hopeful and insistent. By then I had developed arthritis and had terrific pain in spite of treatments. I knew even if I wanted to clone, I could not give you, or any child, what I knew would be a painful condition.
So my faithful midwife Georgia, thinking she had planted a clone, actually planted an embryo I had removed from Gigi’s cache. No one knew.
Not one single person.
Alice dropped the letter, stunned now, past emotions, past understanding, her life based on a lie, a white lie, or a terminal ego or the well meaning of a caring mother surrogate.
Gigi was her mother. Alice was being interviewed by her mother living on Mars who does not know it. Alice’s mother Susan lied. Alice was more alone than ever. Once unique and suffering being the only one, and isolated. Now she is like the rest of the human race, finally like everyone else, and no one to tell, no one to care.
By Mary E. Gerdt 2012
All rights reserved
Chapter 19
The Letter… Part 1
Alice woke up with a dry parched mouth and a pounding headache. She spied the empty brown bottle. One Japanese beer was all she could stomach any more. Maybe that was for the best.
She must have passed out next to the letter that started a crying jag that shivered the timbers of their island beach house. Alice strained to recall anything but Margo, the name, Margo, what did it mean, who was she?
She realized she never really even made it to the letter, just the envelope, just the thought of her mother, her clone mother, would write her a letter, make her carry it around and put that load on Alice, too. Secrets, on top of secrets. Alice wanted to burn the damn letter, the one that had her off her game, emotional, out of control…with…feeling.
Georgia checked in earlier, left some cold cereal, juice, fresh towels. She never saw the letter, and would never have known about it if Alice had just burned it, right then, as she impulsively wanted to do. Alice waited a split second and blew her chance to be a daring, cavalier gambler. Instead, she is calculating, scientific, like her Mom, predictable, objective, boring.
Alice rubbed her eyes, took a swig of juice, and read the letter.
This time the Dear Alice thing didn’t even garner a sneeze, let alone tears.
She looked at the empty beer bottle and swore to herself, “never again!”.
Dear Alice,
You have been the shining light in my life, my everything, my purpose, my chance to make my parents proud, my country, my sciences that I loved more than a spouse, or my parents.
As I grew as a scientist, there were certain boundaries I had to consider, evaluate, analyze.
(of course, Alice thought, cloning? The ultimate ethics challenge-never seemed to bother Mom)
When I was in basic training, readying for the space program, I was in the program with Gigi Fairweather. (Alice’s interest perking up).
Before we went to space, we had the option of saving embryos.
It was generally accepted that we might be rendered sterile in the radiation of the trip and the risks associated with the early settlements. So they gave us a catalog of likely sperm donors and we ordered up children to be frozen if we made it back.
(Alice is more puzzled than ever)
I never made it to outer space even though I flew plenty. Gigi wanted to go all the way to Mars, even back in school. I preferred cloning plants and monkeys and trying to make humans. Switzerland offered me a great deal of money and a state of the art research lab. We worked for 5 years.
Alice heard this all before.
We failed.
Alice’s heart skipped a beat. Like a flip flop. She paused breathing. Then began again. She checked her own pulse. “I am alive.” she thought.
She read on.
We knew we failed. Yet we could not show nothing to the Swiss government, they were so on edge, too hopeful and insistent. By then I had developed arthritis and had terrific pain in spite of treatments. I knew even if I wanted to clone, I could not give you, or any child, what I knew would be a painful condition.
So my faithful midwife Georgia, thinking she had planted a clone, actually planted an embryo I had removed from Gigi’s cache. No one knew.
Not one single person.
Alice dropped the letter, stunned now, past emotions, past understanding, her life based on a lie, a white lie, or a terminal ego or the well meaning of a caring mother surrogate.
Gigi was her mother. Alice was being interviewed by her mother living on Mars who does not know it. Alice’s mother Susan lied. Alice was more alone than ever. Once unique and suffering being the only one, and isolated. Now she is like the rest of the human race, finally like everyone else, and no one to tell, no one to care.
Labels:
Interview with a Clone
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Monday, December 10, 2012
Next stop: Mars
Next Stop: Mars
The red planet,
did we get so bored with the moon 40 years ago?or did someone want the funding more?
On the radio, I heard an astronaut for Apollo 17 talk about the last trip to the moon
40 years ago...
He said Some kids don't even know we went to the moon...
Well, private contractors are fixing that...
A few cool billion U.S. dollars will get you to the moon.
Next stop: Mars
Labels:
Mars
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Black Country Communion "Cold" Live Over Europe
Fred just got me this album as early Christmas present.
Cold...gives me shivers and is truly incredible....
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Psalm Challenge 83
Each week I am trying to be more inquisitive about the Psalm coming up.
At first I wondered how I would keep track of the number, could I even understand those mystical sounding songs written by Asaph? or who really? How can thousands of years go by and something is not lost in the translation? Especially with the inherent bias of the translators.
It helps to read the other entries, hosted on the website below. The photos, extraordinary.
The songs after all, will mean something different to all of us as individuals. They leave some mystery for us to be inquisitive about. Clever, of course, since we humans so often ignore the obvious or direct communication.
This week I managed to research on Monday and have pretty much thought about the meaning, the various interpretations, the co-occuring modern wars, conflicts, uprisings and random acts of senseless violence near and afar on our fair planet. Wish me luck with my poem.
for other entries:
Psalm Challenge...
In my tribe
i saw my father buckle
under the weight of povertycreated by too many children
not enough to go around,
well,
nothing much extra i should say
we never knew we were poor
in my tribe
my mother worked like a dog for men
who took credit for her know how and skill
and they smiled at her
and that was enough for mom
i love her so
in my tribe
we came from the old country where
the bastards drove us out
took our land
killed our men
for religion, land and money
oh and
power
in my tribe
we got stronger
with each passing blow
each setback,
each
hungry moment
i saw the photos of jews
killed by nazi's,
read the stories
of germans gone bad.
my relatives
my father was caught up in WW 2,
sailing the South Pacific while his brother and
other neighbors fought
against the people who drove his grandfather
from prussian farmlands.
we were danish now i know
it can get confusing sometimes
whose tribe you are really in
in my tribe
i sometimes imagine how genghis khan conquered
some of my people.
is he also my blood?
Blood aside,
in my tribe
we were taught to respect and love
honor and obey,
fight against oppression, poverty, hunger and shame.
I read the story of Ezekiel and foreseeing nazi plunders
fearing the end of abrahams children
i finally started to see the blending of judaism and christianity
and why it is so despised
by
the despicables.
they can never win
against
my tribe
or the tribes of God
they can and will try
as i look out at the milky way and see my mother's essence and hear her voice in my mind say
"milky way"
I am reminded of my tribe
and the faith she gave me
and she said
go,
go see the world.
she studied jesus
and mystics
and the bible
in my tribe
Labels:
Psalm Challenge
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
The Chocolate Party
The Chocolate Party
Political leaders fail to control themselves
or
gas prices, taxes, ooc spending, regulations,
and yet,
they manage to keep track of what donors give them
in tidy bank accounts
they funnel to advertisements or give back to the party
for another political battle.
I propose
The Chocolate Party
because it has a nice ring to it,
hey, are you not drooling right now, just thinking about it?
Just think, candy bars for votes.
Sugar coat all the promises,
Simplify the diet of Rhetoric,
Sweet success!
The party of Chocolate,
even if small and simple,
or gives you a pimple,
it will stick in your mind,
and make you rethink
old stale political agendas.
Hot chocolate?
Candy bars?
Ice cream?
It is all OK
In The Chocolate Party
Labels:
Chocolate
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Friday, December 7, 2012
Dave Brubeck - Dave Brubeck - Legacy Of A Legend
Great video link and tribute to this wonderful jazz artist who I bonded with as a young girl when my brother put Take five on the family wooden console record player. Warm and fresh, delightful, unforgettable.
Labels:
Friday Night Music,
Jazz
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Thursday, December 6, 2012
December Views
Labels:
Vermont
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Appearances
These two handsome horses posed nicely for a photo opportunity.
Now we know the sign is a little puzzling perhaps,
so remember,
Appearances can be deceiving,
and horses cannot read.
Technorati Tags: Appearances,Horses
Labels:
appearances,
horses
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Interview with a Clone Chapter 18
Interview with a Clone, Chapter 18
By Mary E. Gerdt
All rights reserved 2012
The Envelope
Alice knew today was the day, the day the envelope would be opened. Alice carried the envelope all over and now, seeing the name of the nameless clairvoyant through a tiny tear, she knew there was no turning back.
Her mother always said the clairvoyant had no name, adding to the mystery of the story.
In fact, Alice strained now to remember the story she heard when Susan was tired, feeling vulnerable, down on her work. Susan would say, “It was meant to be, the Seer said.”
The Seer, now Alice knew as Margo, was nearly as mysterious with only one name.
The commercial break was nearly over.
Normal could wait.
Alice was going to stick her neck out, gamble, for the first time, well, ever.
Her heart pounded, she made a conscious effort to breathe deeper, as she went off script,
into the ozone of uncertainty.
Gigi‘s voice beamed, “We are back.” Applause…music…
For a pilot turned radio host, Gigi was fully competent and clearly loved the attention.
Alice jumped in, ”I have a surprise.” and she paused, eager to continue but looking for the nod from Gigi. It was her show after all. Alice was respectful of that much. They were the ones stuck on Mars, that red desert island.
Gigi shrugged. Looking puzzled at her microphone. She closed her eyes, as if that could help her explain the mystery that this clone girl was cooking up. Gigi did not like surprises. She preferred as few variables at any point in time. Zero or less was her preference. “Go ahead, “ Gigi said hesitatingly.
“I have an envelope from my clone Mom, Dr. Susan Wolf. Today I am going to open it. (Alice cannot hear the applause on Mars) In these years after Mom is gone, well they have been very difficult, like anyone losing a Mom, she was my Mom and Dad in one. It is hard to explain, like I have told you before.”
On Mars, a mesmerized crowd shared a private moment, the envelope they imagined. It had been so long since they had seen an envelope, and the emotions it could contain.
Gigi was equally as mesmerized, and what of this surprise, why now, why open the envelope here, now?
Alice thought the same thing.
Alice ripped open the envelope so the Mars contingent would have no doubts.
“My first discovery is that my mother reveals a fortune teller’s name who Mom knew and who predicted my birth as the first clone.
Gigi plays along, “And her name is…?”
“Margo” Alice answered.
The Applause went on until the signal split up, solar flares and static took over, and Alice and Gigi signed off.
Alice, relieved by the interruption, took her envelope to her room where she planned to read it with another Japanese beer. She savored the moment, and at the same time it was part of her growth and development. Her Mom wrote her a letter. So rare even on Earth here. Handwritten, in the old cursive style, hard to read at times.
Dear Alice, she read quite plainly, and unexpectedly burst into tears…..
On Mars, Gigi thought about Alice’s discovery.
Who was the fortune teller named Margo?
What did the rest of Susan’s letter say? Gigi was uneasy a little. Trying to recall what she and her old roomate Susan might have shared. Was it coming out in a posthumous note? Gigi shook her head, no, there would be nothing incriminating. After all, Susan and Gigi went to college in 2040, not like the kids of today, 2064 that was more like Alice’s generation.
By Mary E. Gerdt
All rights reserved 2012
The Envelope
Alice knew today was the day, the day the envelope would be opened. Alice carried the envelope all over and now, seeing the name of the nameless clairvoyant through a tiny tear, she knew there was no turning back.
Her mother always said the clairvoyant had no name, adding to the mystery of the story.
In fact, Alice strained now to remember the story she heard when Susan was tired, feeling vulnerable, down on her work. Susan would say, “It was meant to be, the Seer said.”
The Seer, now Alice knew as Margo, was nearly as mysterious with only one name.
The commercial break was nearly over.
Normal could wait.
Alice was going to stick her neck out, gamble, for the first time, well, ever.
Her heart pounded, she made a conscious effort to breathe deeper, as she went off script,
into the ozone of uncertainty.
Gigi‘s voice beamed, “We are back.” Applause…music…
For a pilot turned radio host, Gigi was fully competent and clearly loved the attention.
Alice jumped in, ”I have a surprise.” and she paused, eager to continue but looking for the nod from Gigi. It was her show after all. Alice was respectful of that much. They were the ones stuck on Mars, that red desert island.
Gigi shrugged. Looking puzzled at her microphone. She closed her eyes, as if that could help her explain the mystery that this clone girl was cooking up. Gigi did not like surprises. She preferred as few variables at any point in time. Zero or less was her preference. “Go ahead, “ Gigi said hesitatingly.
“I have an envelope from my clone Mom, Dr. Susan Wolf. Today I am going to open it. (Alice cannot hear the applause on Mars) In these years after Mom is gone, well they have been very difficult, like anyone losing a Mom, she was my Mom and Dad in one. It is hard to explain, like I have told you before.”
On Mars, a mesmerized crowd shared a private moment, the envelope they imagined. It had been so long since they had seen an envelope, and the emotions it could contain.
Gigi was equally as mesmerized, and what of this surprise, why now, why open the envelope here, now?
Alice thought the same thing.
Alice ripped open the envelope so the Mars contingent would have no doubts.
“My first discovery is that my mother reveals a fortune teller’s name who Mom knew and who predicted my birth as the first clone.
Gigi plays along, “And her name is…?”
“Margo” Alice answered.
The Applause went on until the signal split up, solar flares and static took over, and Alice and Gigi signed off.
Alice, relieved by the interruption, took her envelope to her room where she planned to read it with another Japanese beer. She savored the moment, and at the same time it was part of her growth and development. Her Mom wrote her a letter. So rare even on Earth here. Handwritten, in the old cursive style, hard to read at times.
Dear Alice, she read quite plainly, and unexpectedly burst into tears…..
On Mars, Gigi thought about Alice’s discovery.
Who was the fortune teller named Margo?
What did the rest of Susan’s letter say? Gigi was uneasy a little. Trying to recall what she and her old roomate Susan might have shared. Was it coming out in a posthumous note? Gigi shook her head, no, there would be nothing incriminating. After all, Susan and Gigi went to college in 2040, not like the kids of today, 2064 that was more like Alice’s generation.
Labels:
Interview with a Clone
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Monday, December 3, 2012
Bob Dylan - Duquesne Whistle
Link to a very interesting, entertaining, foot tapping
a tad bit violent, might want to be ready to close yours eyes briefly,
tune will stick with you 4 ever,
cool Bob Dylan creation.
Labels:
monday
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
Saturday, December 1, 2012
My 1000th Post Psalm Challenge 82
The girl looked over the ridge at the gathering of tall images standing
around a glowing fire in the pitch dark.
She lay on her stomach, close to the ground, hoping she could merely watch,
intrude,take in this strange and magical ceremony.
God appeared as a giant golden energy lightbeam.
The girl felt warm, connected, mesmerized.The other figures, tall, but not tallest like God.
Powerful, but not powerful-est.
God gathered the crowd, seemingly ever expanding,.
Was the world really this
complicated?
The girl shielded her eyes at times, evil, devilish, mean, malicious
entities snarled her way,smelling the defenseless orphan girl, poor and homeless, desperate, hungry and afraid.
God reeled in the slithering fallen angels, who are powerful and yet lacking in compassion.
As the powerful fallen angels looked for their purseful of rewards,
they were handed great heavy trunks and they revelled in their deception.
The young girl was saddened as she surveilled a transaction, was it corruption?
God pulled her aside and assigned her a special angel, who washed her, fed her
and rested her mind of where will I sleep? eat? be nurtured?
She asked God why he rewarded the fallen angels, cold greedy sinners.
God smiled at the simple misunderstanding so common among earthlings,
It was not gold young lady,
It was a sack full of your sadness, your hunger, the heavy weight on the mind of a young orphan girl.
She smiled as she nodded off.
for other Psalm Challenge links, click psalm challenge
Labels:
1000,
Psalm Challenge
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
999
999
is just
666
upside down
and 4 me
it is my 999th post
on this, my travel blog,
my MS blog,
my self expression/outlet/
social connecting
sharing images, music,
misery and happiness,
weird quirky observations,
travel and music reviews.
Was not sure how 999 would be written.
I am here to tell you how it got written:
tiredly.
After working 3 days last week, 5 seems like an eternity
Crappy weather, cold descending in an arctic blast,
test our resources.
My 999th post is dedicated to my husband of 28 years today,
FCR,
I'll ride the river with you any day,
MEG
Next post is Number 1,000
Labels:
999
Monkton, VT
Monkton, VT, USA
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