The Bridge is Closed

The bridge is closed
That goes over Lake Champlain
Between Chimney Point,Vermont and Crown Point in New York State.
It has been 400 years
since a French man named Champlain
came here
to explore new real estate
as men have done since
and we wonder
when where and how
the new bridge will
be constructed.
We hope that the residents of both sides can weather this unusual occurence with the least amount of harm. So many rely on the traffic across and around the bridge. I lost the picture of the rusty piers. Just as well it is a scary one. We were on it a few weeks ago.
Best wishes also to the ferry operators who are keeping the traffic flowing.
Mary

Pictures Fall Vermont

Late Foliage Season

It is late
in the foliage season with leaves
falling to the ground fast and furiously.
Piling up in the front yard
We let the wind take what it will
Up to the woods
Where squirrels take cover.
Have a great fall season.
Mary

Blog Interrupted

Fresh Post




My internet connection has gone

Kafluey

(is that how it is spelled?)

Maybe

Koophlooey?

Caphluey?

What does it matter?



I am (have been) unable to post to my blog

That has become

A refuge for my thoughts

And documentation of my human travel experience

Even if it only

Scratches the surface,

And then only when I can get

A connection.



Well I am writing this 10/15/2009 Thursday PM in Monkton, Vermont

And hoping the phone guys can get

The lines going again.

Don’t take me wrong,

This has caused me to rethink

My reliance on the internet

And how there are a billion starving people in the world

Which I heard on the radio.

So why are my connection contributions so important?

I found myself whining and caught myself as explained above.



So happy we planted seeds and are still reaping the rewards.

I hope you have enough to eat.

Consider growing even one thing to eat.

Will I still post when I can get back on?

Of course.

I hope what I write helps even one person even if that is myself.

I hope you have a great day, wherever you are on the planet, and have food and a warm place to sleep. This is in advance and

Yet to be posted….when the internet comes back. Mary

10/20/09. The internet came back on just as I was getting used to be unconnected again.
I had wanted to check if Mercury has been retrograde but I couldn't google.
Best wishes on making your connections. M

Poetry: 340 and Music

Three Four Oh


340



The code


Some one


Thought


Should describe what


I have and others have


And try to describe


By words


And symptoms


As varied


As the colors on a rainbow.






340


The international number


That doctors use


And insurance companies


Cringe at when they see


The number


That means expensive


Meds, treatments and tests


And a person who may not work


Long enough to pay it all back






340


I looked for wisdom in that number


And some sign


That the number meant something to me


Or those others with what I have


That quirky strange set of symptoms no one can see but me right now


Some day perhaps I could be identified


By wheels or a cane or a staggering gait.


For now I can keep others from knowing


What I have


Is


340


_____________________________________________________

notes: "340" is the International Coding Term for Multiple Sclerosis.
It is used for Doctors, Hospitals, billing, etc.
in numerolgy it is reduced to "7" which is a very unique number. Am I over googling???
Oh, who cares....mary
_____________________________________________________

Also I wanted to put a link to our favorite vinyl music station going through some hard times. Help support them if you can.



http://www.musicheads.us/

Have a great day werever you are!

Notes on Mom's pictures

I wanted to write a few notes about Mom's oil painting "period" in her life.
The dates started about 1967-and went on for a few years. She took a class and for awhile her art teacher was mine as well. I longed to be able to put what was in my head onto the canvas but alas I am not able to like Mom did.
I used to watch her create and was flattered she did my image.
When I asked her why she did not "sign" my picture, she said a good artist does not need to sign for you to know it is their art. I guess that is true about a lot of things.
I pitched a fit about the same art teacher. He said I did not do a project because he said it was too good.
I knew I did. So I imagine all my fits in the seventh grade might have distracted Mom. Or maybe she just lost interest as I have done many times in exploring a new genre.
She did submit "Mark Twain" in a contest. She submitted his painting as a historic figure.
She lost the contest because she had actually painted "Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain". It was a show that played about that time. So the judge felt she was painting a modern image of a person playing an historic figure.
I felt like it was splitting hairs and not really fair. It would not be the last time I felt humans would be unfair.
Ah, the pain of self expression.
Mary

More of Mom's pictures

More of Mom's pictures.
I can still smell the oils and I loved all the colors of paint.

Mark Twain

Mary (me)

My photo

a little better view of The Cat

We always called him "The Indian"

I hope you enjoy!

Mary

Mom's paintings

Mom's Art

Mom painted these
about the time I was in 10 to 12 or so.

I love the cat.

The Fish

The Zinnias.

I have a few more but have to get them photographed and downloaded.

I hope you enjoy Mom's paintings.

Mary

A Hard Frost

A Hard Frost swept over the the valley and nothing escaped damage this time.
Jack Frost he is called, a rascal for sure.
We picked all the peppers and medium artichokes (covered large ones for flowers).
and watermelon, broccoli and spaghetti squash.
At least the ragweed is dead too and the mold can settle a little clearing the air.
And today's rain means we can stay in and relax.
Good with the bad.
Have a great day wherever you are on the planet.
Mary

Happy Birthday Christopher Reeve (on Friday)

I have been wanting to post a link to Christopher Reeves website. It is posted below. What a marvelous person he was and his wife as well. Now his kids are picking up their parent's torch so that others may benefit from his famous name and his more importantly his work with spinal cord injury.
Before Christopher Reeve's accident, I was a hospital neuro nurse who cared for patients after spinal cord injuries and talked to them about "acceptance", "moving on from anger", in those days we would close the door and have a talk. I tried to teach new patients how to survive in the world from a chair with a body that could not move but still affected their health. I tried to teach them to see themselves in a new light.
Now after Christopher Reeve's courageous struggles and refusal to accept the status quo, we can see progress being made.
Thanks Christopher Reeve, Dana and now their children for supporting research and development of new ways and new treatments.

Stop by and give them a hand.

christopherreeve.org

The Autumnal Equinox

These pictures are from last year

but they show the range from  a late view

below  \|/

to peak in the maple woods

above /|\

We just have dabs of color today in the valley.

Nice mild weather after a near killing garden frost.

The garden looks pretty rugged but we did can saurkraut and stewed tomatoes last weekend

(tomatoes we got from Paul Mazza's wonderful farmstand.)

We steamed the artichokes and ripped their hearts out and froze in chicken broth for leek artichoke soup and appreciate why those little jars of marinated chokes cost so much.

I think I still have thorns. We left a few to flower fully and want to take pictures.

The plants are cold tolerant but the next frost will be a killer for sure.

So is the season of autumn.

Have a great day in your part of the planet.

Mary