Peaceful Scenes ~ Place for Quiet Reflection

When I want to be peaceful I tend to think of wide-open spaces
and my mind gravitates to beautiful places in New Mexico.
I'm letting my mind travel there today.

Peace ~ Love ~ Happiness

Pendaries, New Mexico

New Mexico

Looking down on the town of Mora, New Mexico



"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy."
... St. Francis of Assissi

It is a tall order, but one worth the effort...

A Postscript on Reading

My family had grocery and dry goods stores in the small east Georgia town where I grew up. The store had a magazine and paperback book section and at some point I discovered that when new shipments came in the covers of the older ones would be ripped off and the books discarded. Oh that was a treasure trove for me when I was between the ages of 12 to 14 or so. I would sneak and peek through the discarded books and hustle home with them. I think I had a drawer in my bedroom where I stashed these treasures. Luckily for me my mother never went through my things.



Most of the books (well all of them) were written for adults, but I read & read. The first racy novel I read was Peyton Place written by Grace Metalious in 1956 and yes it was risque especially for a sheltered child as myself. Gracious me, my mother would have been furious if she had known. Not only was it a national bestseller, but also the center of controversy in many states.

"Canada declared it indecent and made the importation of the book illegal.Parts of Rhode Island, Indiana, and Nebraska followed suit arguing that the book would corrupt young minds. Wealthy communities banished Peyton Place. To read Peyton Place was to read it in secret and were sometimes discussed only among the closest of friends. Everyone was reading it college and high school students... " FreeEssays

I also read Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier. Written in 1942, it is a historical novel set in Cornwall during the time of Charles II and is the love story of Lady Dona and the French pirate she meets who has been using the creek on her husband's estate as a hide-away. Although there is no explicit sex in the book it was nevertheless a scandalous tale of a woman who has "everything" and would consider giving it up for love. I thought it was terribly romantic!




Another book read in high school in the early 1960s was Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank and is "the classic apocalyptic novel that stunned the nation with its vivid portrayal of a small town's survival after nuclear holocaust devastates the country." It was not a banned nor challenged book but it did stand out for me as a dire warning of the dangers of the world into which I was about to enter.





Happy reading!

Don't Just Ban It ~ BURN It

Since I have been posting about banned or challenged books of late I thought the following would be in order. This is probably not news to anyone because it was on the front page of the Austin-American Statesman today "Pastor says plan to burn Quran on Sept. 11 [is] a go" and on the National News tonight. I just do not understand how this pastor (the Rev. Terry Jones) can do such a thing as burn another religions sacred book. It makes no sense to me and is dangerous in so many ways.

Burning of the Quran:

• shows disregard for the beliefs of other people.
• is inflammatory in our difficult times.
• serves only the agenda of this one individual (and perhaps congregation if they support it).
• is un-American as it goes against the rights of individuals to have freedom of religion.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said of the plan to burn the Quran as being "a disrespectful, disgraceful act".

General David Petraeus warned, "It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems."

The Rev. Jones is supposed to be praying about the matter. I imagine he is seeking publicity for some unknown reason. Perhaps it's his 15 minutes of fame. He is supposedly a man of god, but because of 100 death threats he has taken to wearing a gun on his hip. His church is not affiliated with any other church; it is totally independent of any organized religion.

But Jones said he was still praying over his decision to burn copies of the Islamic holy book Saturday at his Dove World Outreach Center and hinted that he might change his mind. "We understand the general's concerns, and we are taking those into consideration," he told WOFL-TV.

On FaceBook 17,103 people have joined "Everybody against pastor Terry Jones burning the Holy Quran" and there are other FB sites protesting this act. I did try to locate FB support but was unable to locate a site. Every site about Jones or burning the Quran that I found were opposing the burning.

Children's Banned Books (Part 2)

Banned Books Week

September 25 ~ October 2, 2010

Children's books that have been
banned or challenged as listed in a blog article by Britney Wilkins in 50 Banned Books That Everyone Should Read. Please visit the site. This was published in 2009 and a great deal of work went into this blog article including links to articles that discuss why the books are challenged or banned.

Most books are challenged by parents for age-appropriateness and some have been banned from schools & school libraries. I think it is appropriate for parents to have a say in what their own children read, but not what is available for all. This I have stated at the end of this blog, but moved it up because I want to make sure it is noticed.

Protect the Children

These books have all been at the heart of controversy over their appropriateness for children and youth to read. Britney Wilkins has done a fine job of explaining why each is in conflict. Please go to her article to see the 50 Banned Books That Everyone Should Read when you go to this list click on each title to read the reasons for challenging or banning that particular book.

1. Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.

   Frequently a target of censorship, this classic coming-of-age story of a teenage boy in New York is often banned due to the language and sexuality–particularly a scene with a prostitute.

2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.

   Offensive language, in particular, one very racially-charged word, is the usual reason given for banning this book, which has been controversial since it was published in 1884. Twain’s famous story highlights the friendship between a white boy and a black man in a book that attempted to challenge the racism Twain saw around him.

3. Forever by Judy Blume.

   Blume is frequently the target of censorship as many of her books deal with teen issues revolving around becoming a sexual being. Forever documents a high school girl’s loss of virginity and delves into the emotional aspects of her choice.

4. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.

   This fantasy novel says much about friendship and loyalty, but it also says plenty about not following a religion blindly. Many have seen the book as anti-religion and have banned the book.

5. Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

   Most who oppose this book claim the violence, language, and the implication that man is little more than an animal as the reasons. The book depicts a microcosm of society played out on an island populated by young boys stranded there and trying to survive. The struggle between good and evil and the exploration of human nature can force readers to examine themselves in ways that may not feel comfortable.

6. The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.

   Some parents object to the magic and wizardry that is at the heart of the Harry Potter books. Because of their objections, many schools and libraries have banned these books.

   I can't say that I am surprised at this especially with the challenging of the L'Engle book A Wrinkle in Time, but I certainly don't agree with it. Most of the fairy tales I read or that were read to me as a small child would be banned under this code. Oddly enough, I read where Little Red Riding Hood was banned or challenged in some area because she was had wine in the basket she was taking to her grandmother.
7. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.

   A powerful book that explores friendship, life, and death, this book is often banned due to what some feel is offensive language and scenes of witchcraft which some believe promotes disobeying authority as well as anti-religious sentiments. Oddly, the theme of death, which is a major element in the novel, is also used as a reason to ban this book.

   Why this book is of concern truly baffles me. The book is very well written and the movie made from it touching.
   
8. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl.

   This book depicts a child who lives under the oppression of mean caretakers and relies on his creativity and an alternate world in order to survive. Those opposed to the book dislike the violence, language, and disobedience towards adults.

   Regularly this book was checked out of our library & read to classes by teachers.
   
9. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson.

   This children’s story tells of two male penguins at a zoo who care for an egg together. Despite the reality that male penguins bond together to care for their eggs in nature and that the two characters in the book are based on actual penguins from the Central Park Zoo, the idea of two males creating a family has forced many to ban the book due to reasons of homosexuality and anti-family issues.

10. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. T

    he bonds of family and friendship are at the heart of this novel, but it also highlights the battle of good and evil and brings in supernatural spirits, therefore making it a target for those worried about the religious implications they feel the novel makes.

    There are three other titles in the series A Wind in the Door, Many Waters, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet all featuring the Murry family. I routinely recommended the reading of these as I did with the Chronicles of Narnia series by CS Lewis even though this series could be challenged as a breach of separation of church and state with its "Christian" theme. It is a story of a fantasy world with magic occurring in it... hmmm.
    
11. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier.

    Selling chocolates as a fundraiser at school not only sets off fictional turmoil in this book, but it also prompts parents to challenge the book. Reasons given include language, violence, resisting authority, and sexuality.

12. The Giver by Lois Lowery.

    The award-winning book that depicts a society driven to maintain an amazing amount of control over its members, including euthanasia and suicide. Some parents have reacted strongly to these themes in the book and have taken the book as an endorsement for killing.

    Some of the more mature 5th grade students read this book but I did advise that they discuss it with me or their teacher because I was sure there would be questions to arise.

I have not read all of these books, but the ones I have read do not concern me in their witchcraft, problems of teen years, death, etc. Some should be discussed within a class or with parents to take away the "sting" of reality or to answer questions that surely will arise. Parents should and do have the right to request that their child not be exposed to a particular book, but they should not have the right to dictate what is available for others to read.

Celebrate the Freedom to Read (Part 1)

The American Library Association's annual Banned Books Week is September 25 - October 2. Today in the Parade section of the Sunday newspaper a few of the banned books were highlighted. I was appalled at some of the titles that are banned. Reasons for the banned books are:

Too Political ~ All Quiet on the Western Front (Erich Maria Remarque), 1928; A Farewell to Arms (Ernest Hemmingway), 1940; For Whom the Bell Tolls (Hemmingway), 1940; The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck), 1939; Dr. Zhivago (Boris Pasternak), 1957; In the Spirit of Crazy Horse (Peter Matthiessen), 1983.

Too Much Sex ~ Madame Bovary (Gustave Flaubert), 1856; The Sun Also Rises (Hemmingway), 1926; Jaws (Peter Benchley), 1974; Forever (Judy Blume), 1975; I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou), 1969; How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents (Julia Alvarez), 1991.

Irreligious ~ On the Origin of Species (Charles Darwin); 1859; The Lord of the Rings trilogy (J.R.R. Tolkien), 1954; Bless Me, Ultima (Budolfo Anaya), 1972; Harry Potter series (J.K. Rowling), 1997-2007; The Last Temptation of Christ (Nikos Kazantzakis), 1960.

Socially Offensive ~ The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (Franklin), 1791; The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne), 1850; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain), 1884; As I Lay Dying ( William Faulkner), 1930; Gone with the Wind (Margaret Mitchell), 1936; Ann Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (Ann Frank), 1947; To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), 1960; The Color Purple (Alice Walker), 1982.

These are just a few of books that are banned. It is incredible to me that some of these (if not all) titles are banned. How are people supposed to formulate their own ideals and version of right and wrong if never exposed to various viewpoints. Many of these stories I have read and feel that my life was made better by the reading of them; that I was exposed to more in life than what encompassed my immediate surroundings; and that held differing viewpoints from the people around me. These books expanded my knowledge base. Granted some books are a bit risque but it does not mean that one should avoid reading.

For me to have missed out on reading Hemmingway or Steinbeck would have been a travesty... and to have not been able to read Harper Lee's magnificent book on the South would be incomprehensible. I need to go back and read many of these again to see exactly what the "controversy" is. This is as good a reason as any for reading or rereading many of the classic books that have been written over the years; many of which had a deep impact on my thinking.

Thursday's Two-fer

I've been a little slow to "produce" this week. Seems I've got too many things going on to stay focused. This morning I dropped off Gertie at the veterinarian to have her teeth cleaned. I always worry so much about having anything remotely surgical done to her, but I know having it done is better for her than not doing it.

Today I thought I'd do a "two-fer". The first is about a recent wine purchase and the second is about my visit to the Cedar Park Farmers Market last weekend.

I am not much of a wine connoisseur, but I do enjoy a glass of red wine a couple of times a week. Usually I buy a local (Hill Country) wine or something from Chile or Argentina, but the other day I was in a new-ish grocery store (chain) in Austin called "Sprouts" and decided to check out their wines. This time I decided to just go on the look of the label. I tried the two below just for fun.

Visiting the Wine Section of Sprouts Farmers Market
http://sprouts.com/home.php

Obviously the Drink & Eat Boire & Manger
with the cows on the label had to go home with me.
Gerald knew I would not be able to resist
buying these two even if they ended up
tasting like vinegar (which they did not).

My favorite is Broke Ass Red Wine from Argentina.
Don't you just love the band-aid on the "ass"?
The label says, "No Frills Great Table Wine".
Oh yeah, I'm buying it again!


Visiting the Cedar Park Farmers' Market

David Pitre & daughter Claire
My good friends David Pitre & Katie Kramer Pitre are owners of
Tecolote Farms ~ Certified Organic ~ Webberville, TX
Katie & I taught school together in the mid-1990's,
then we were neighbors just east of Austin,
and we were always friends.
David is a well-known organic farmer.
It is always nice to see them at the Farmers' Market;
they have wonderful produce.

Also, Happy Birthday Tecolote Farm... seventeen years old today!

Visit Tecolote Farm on FaceBook

"Oldest CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in the Austin area. Members pick up their shares at their doorsteps or neighborhood hubs currently. We deliver to the Central Austin area (roughly: north of 71, east of 360, south of 183, and most points east). Thank you for your interest in our produce, and we hope to meet you soon! Come see us at the farmers' markets in the meantime to pick out exactly what you want of the same great produce that we deliver in our CSA. We were chosen by the Austin Chronicle's Best of Austin awards in the Critics' Pick category for Food and Drink as the "Best Organic Veggie Delivery Service". Superb quality, freshness, and an amazing value~ all for just-picked tender and delicious viddles! A true CSA is a relationship between a household and a farmer- you experience what can be grown on one farm in one growing season, with all the wonderful surprises, weather hardships, and culinary delights that the farmer's household is also experiencing. This is the true farm to table experience, and we love bringing our produce right to the people who eat it!"

Fruit & Vegetable Vender

Olive Oil
Texas Hill Country Olive Company
Produced in Dripping Springs, TX
Wonderful flavors of olive oil & it's fresh!
www.texashillcountryoliveco.com

Tasty - Refreshing - Drinks

Texas Lavender!!
Grown in nearby Webberville
about 15 miles from Bastrop
I bought a lotion & spray.
Smells so good!
www.texaslavender.com

Jewelry for Sale
pretty typical jewelry products
for sale at a market

Hot Dog
poor pitiful puppy
It was pretty warm although there was a
nice breeze and not too hot as long
as one could find some shade.

I just could not bring Gertie with me this weekend.
The temperature is just too hot;
so she is staying at Best Friends Boarding Too.
She has her own little doggie condo
with a yard & there is even a
swimming pool in the shape of a dog bone.
Way cool!

And just the other evening...

Turkeys on the Roof
Two Young Toms

I may have to rename my blog to "Turkeys on the Roof". These little guys and some of their pals are coming around during the day & early evening. One day I found a turkey feather in the yard. At first I thought it was a hawk's tail feather, but the G-man identified it as a turkey feather.

D-guy, my sculptor friend and ex-husband, in Australia suggested that I have turkey windvanes made for the roof. When he first saw the photo on FaceBook he thought they were cutout sculptures. He makes windvanes in his studio which are exceptional. Wish he could do them for me, but the freight to get them here would be exorbitant.

Daniel Jenkins Sculpture & Windvanes link. Very interesting work & the sculptures are beautiful in the water garden.

"Ill Fares the Land"

An excerpt from historian, Tony Judt's book "Ill Fares the Land" is found within this link in an interview he had with Terry Gross of "Fresh Air" on NPR.

Right from the get-go I am hooked when I read these words:

"Something is profoundly wrong with the way we live today. For thirty years we have made a virtue out of the pursuit of material self-interest: indeed, this very pursuit now constitutes whatever remains of our sense of collective purpose. We know what things cost but have no idea what they are worth. We no longer ask of a judicial ruling or a legislative act: is it good? Is it fair? Is it just? Is it right? Will it help bring about a better society or a better world? Those used to be the political questions, even if they invited no easy answers. We must learn once again to pose them."

The one question above that most stands out to me is: "Will it help bring about a better society or a better world?" Perhaps this is the rebellious child of the 1960s coming out. I think in the '60s and '70s many of us were fixated on making this country & the world a better place. Certainly, I wanted to see an end to the Viet Nam War and an end to apartheid in America.

In my mind the War was purely political; it was about saving face of the United States. It really didn't have anything to do with national security, but about winning a conflict because we always won in war. However, this was a different war. We did not know who were the enemies... we could not tell the good guys from the bad because we were fighting a guerrilla war. There were no front lines; no clear definition of who to trust. For me and most who objected to the war it was not about hating our soldiers or wishing them ill... it was about getting them out of a no-win situation; getting them out of harm's way.

And then there was the problem of race at home. It was time... PAST TIME... for black people to share in the same rights and privileges as whites. This revolution was for all people of color. Today we are still fighting for the rights of individuals whether they be immigrants, people of color, of various religious persuasions, or sexual persuasion.

I have passed the point of wanting to be part of demonstrations or to confront people who think differently from me. However, I have not stopped writing about the things I think are wrong with our society... and I have not stopped VOTING. When I look back on that last sentence it seems I write about what is wrong... time I looked for what is right.

For me tolerance is the issue. Perhaps tolerance is not quite the right word. Perhaps embrace is a better one. We should EMBRACE the rights of ALL; not just tolerate them. We have Civil Rights and Religious Rights and Human Rights in our wonderful country. For all it's faults this is a great country, but we do not have to alienate our neighbors just because they look differently from us, think differently, have a different life style, or religion.

It should not make us less Christian, less Muslim, less Jewish, less Human to accept people as they are. Violence and hatred are our enemies. Open-mindedness, inclusiveness, and acceptance are our allies.

I hope you will consider looking at the book which I am recommending: "Ill Fares the Land". It is a wake-up call for us, for the old ones like me and for the middle and young generations. Here is another excerpt:

"For thirty years students have been complaining to me that 'it was easy for you': your generation had ideals and ideas, you believed in something, you were able to change things. 'We' (the children of the '80s, the '90s, the 'aughts') have nothing. In many respects my students are right. It was easy for us — just as it was easy, at least in this sense, for the generations who came before us. The last time a cohort of young people expressed comparable frustration at the emptiness of their lives and the dispiriting pur­poselessness of their world was in the 1920s: it is not by chance that historians speak of a 'lost generation'. "

Tony Judt died Friday of complications from ALS. He was 62.

El Sanctuario de Chimayo

Just south of Taos is the small community of Chimayo at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. El Santaurio de Chimayo is located there and dates back to the 17th century. It was established by some of the first Spaniards in what is now New Mexico. Chimayo is about 30 miles north of Sante Fe. It is a few miles east of Espanola.

We took the scenic High Road from Taos to Espanola and arrived at Chimayo. I have heard of this community, but did not know much about it. The two chapels there are lovely, but the taking of photographs is not allowed inside either chapel.

There are little chapel gift shops located beside each chapel along with the Vigil Store and Peregrino Cafe which sell postcards, religious symbols, candles, and art made by local artisans. It is a quiet place and even though most people are tourists it does not feel touristy.

The links provided above give a history and photography of the chapels. Chimayo is quite an interesting place to visit. Chimayo is perhaps best known for its weavers and examples of the Chimayo Weavers can be seen at the link provided. Above there are also links to the community of Chimayo and to El Santuario.

This was another unexpected find as the G-man and I traveled along the High Road: Scenic Drive from Taos to Espanola.

Entrada

Vintage

Peregrino Cafe
Chili Shop, Gallery, Cafe

Santo Nino Chapel

Hearts above the tower

The Vigil Store

Display of artisan work outside store

Just outside store - relics

El Santuario de Chimayo
Entrance

El Santuario

Santuario Garden Wall

Candles

Pilgrim Statue Welcomes All to Visit

Cool, refreshing river runs throughout the Santuario

Base Camp...

Just walking along the main street through Taos I spotted this Toyota Tundra with two bikes and the coolest little Airstream camper. Now I've always liked Airstream but this "Base Camp" model is super -cool! I don't think it would work for me & the G-man...mainly the G-man, but I could go for it... if I were single & much younger.

Airstream "Basecamp" Camper
Seen on the main street in Taos
Coolest Camper on Two Wheels

Years ago I did some camping and just loved it. I've tent camped on a horse-packing trip into the back country at Yellowstone and at Big Bend National Park, also in a small camper at Big Bend, at Terlingua, at Davis Mountains (TX) State Park and on weekends at a ranch north of Austin. Lots of my camping involved horses, but some was associated with motor-boating and skiing.

When I sailed we usually stayed on the sailboat (a 25 foot Hunter), but other times it was tent camping and sailing an 18 foot M-Scow. All my camping experiences have been good ones. Well, with the possible exception of the time my ex- was thrown off is horse & I had to pack up everything and drive him to the emergency clinic. Nothing serious just pulled muscles, but he had a hard time walking for a few days.

Mostly those camp-outs are good memories, but I wouldn't trade in the G-man to have it back again. That was another life and some of you know exactly what I mean by "another life". At this stage in my life I am thankful for two things: 1) finding the G-man when I was in my late 50s and 2) that I do have some good memories to look back on with my 20+ years with M.