Saturday, April 27, 2013

Judge me not








"Never ascribe to malice
 that which is adequately explained by incompetence."



                                Napoleon Bonaparte























Saturday, April 20, 2013

Bagdad Burning






She's young, but she is an interesting blogger over in the Middle East.

No, I don't think we in the USA have any idea what it is like.

I caught her blog because she goes by "Riverbend".
"She has to be cool", I thought.

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com.au/




Riverwatch


Saturday, April 13, 2013

"Between Two Rivers"



From "March River Walk" by Monica Devine

"I walk the river discovering a new direction where

cutbanks have sloughed off and bending

trees lean with a weary creak

meltwater seeps up, whirlpools suck down and

everything is on the verge of

falling in, falling off, falling apart "



                  follow her at        monicadevine.blogspot.com

Her posts are awesome, her artwork divine.


A wee bit jealous,
Riverwatch











Thursday, April 4, 2013

Wit incompetence








Don't you just love adult kids with a sense of humor?

Like my daughter at my sister's funeral at which I spoke.  The much younger man who owed the Funeral Home sought me out afterwards to tell me how much he enjoyed my speech, what an excellent speech it was.
Pride.  The universal sin.  Even at a funeral.  I sought out my daughter to tell her about my great compliment, and she smiled and said, "It was a good speech, Mom, but that man is just currying future business....as...in...YOU!"
Ha Ha Ha.

They're all so cute.

And just yesterday my son and I went to lunch together.  Feeling good, I made some comment about something funny around us.....and he just broke up laughing!   "Mom!  You used to be such a wit, but I think you better drop the wit routine.  You have become "wit incompetent"!

What can I say?  I don't even remember what I was trying to be witty about!
Dang.

Does that rank up there with my going out in my yard in my night clothes?
I did that just the other evening.  Something I wanted to see and sure as heck didn't want to re-dress to go see.
Call it lazy if you will.
Call it poor judgement if you must.
I knew what I was doing......I just didn't care.  I was covered.

But I must admit this is new behavior for me.  Never, even when I was trying to be cute and noticed, would I have gone out in the "public" yard in nighties!
As I was out trolling my grounds in my nighties, I suddenly remembered all the old women ......OLD women...I have seen through out the years out in their yards in nighties.  Lots.
Housecoats.
MuMu's.
Flannel gowns.

Don't remember seeing any old guys doing the yard parade.
Probably because their "nighties" are of such ilk that somebody would call the police!

Some people miss their former good looks as they age.
Some people miss their former wit.

Disappointed,
Riverwatch










Monday, April 1, 2013

Grandma! Where are you?



"Grandma!  Where are you when I need you?!"


Been thinking about my grandma lately.  I had two and I think of both.
I only had one grandpa, and I do think of him, but not in the same manner as I think of the old women in my young life...now that I am old, not having died young.

Always thought I would die young.

Didn't die young.

Granny was my dad's mom, and Grandma was my mom's mom.
Neither one was the warm-fuzzied kind of woman!
They were very different from each other, but they shared a common trait:  they weren't into children all that much.

It was from these women ......and my sister....(and to some extent my mom) I learned that not all women are into children all that much.
And I learned that is ok and doesn't make a woman deficient at some core level.

I myself love children...never met a child I did not love and find fascinating....and I could be happy managing an orphanage and writing about and for children.  I am full of warm fuzzies.

But I learned from my grandmothers that not all women would be happy in such a role, and for them it would be a sentence, not a destiny.
And that is ok.
Society wants all women to be into children "by nature", but that is just plain missing the boat!

I come from a family of several sweet men

                                  forum.thesims.com



 and many fierce women, Image result for images of fierce women
                                         


so I learned that society's idea about the role of women...and the role of men.....is not correct.

It is a pretty idea, but not correct.

It is good for society, but that doesn't mean it is natural.

It functions well for society, but that does not make it natural once the jungle is left behind.

The roles, "nature fitted", are actually about dictating what you are and ensuring you do your bit for society, and there is great pressure to get you to buy off on your "nature fitted" role.

Heck, my dad wouldn't even let me chew gum!
"A chewing girl and a crowing hen, all come to a very bad end", he loved to say.
I chewed on.
Behind his back, of course.

Both my grandmothers were forced, more or less, into the role of abundant motherhood.

One grandma jumped the tracks completely and reappeared when the child-rearing was done.                                                              
                                                by abundantmama.com 



                                     
.    The other was a self-directed slave with a sad tired expression.




How I wish I had interviewed them when I was young and had the chance.
How I wish I had even listened to them!
How I wish either had left behind some written words from their old age.

Where are my grandmothers when I need them now that I am old!
Whatever were THEY thinking as they aged?

Granny (the track jumper) lived to be 104 and Grandma lived to be 79.
Now there's a clue as to what jumping-the-tracks will do for life expectancy!
Also, "the good die young" takes on more meaning.

Perhaps old age is a sentence and we are in prison?
Nah!  I don't believe that!
I just wish the thought hadn't sprung to mind.

My grandma who "jumped the tracks" was maligned behind her back all the time, but, just like she wasn't into kids all that much, she wasn't into gossip all that much either.  She did as she pleased!

Even before I was old enough to understand, I admired her for doing as she pleased.
That childish characteristic in me has lasted even into my old age.
I cannot help it.  I admire people who do as they please, let the consequence follow.
I disrespect them if they whine about the consequences....but I have noticed many self-directed people do not whine about consequences.  They are too busy directing and redirecting their lives.

Have I mentioned I do as I please?

The biggest consequence for me is: this "non-society-approved" characteristic in me has leaked into all my children, who do as they please!

I must not whine.


Missing Grandma and Granny who would surely cheer me on,
Riverwatch