Month: July 2011

Growing Up With Spiritualism – Part 1

I grew up in the Catholic faith. It was a mixture of Roman Catholic, Spiritualism and Voodoo. Crystal balls, talking to the dead, the “evil” eye, curses, voodoo dolls, tarot reading — to name a few — were part of our culture.

It was a wee bit scary growing up. Some kids grow up with monsters under their bed — we grew up with monsters and all of the above. I remember when I first heard about the monsters under the bed — I would take a running start, “fly” into the air and onto the bed so the monster could not pull me under. I don’t remember who implanted the idea of “monsters” in my head.

We used to get “holy” water from the Catholic church and put a jar of that water along with a lemon next to the front door to ward off any evil spirits that might be trying to enter.

Going to church every Sunday was a must.

My first real recollection of spiritualism came very early in life. I couldn’t have been older than 10 years old. We were living in Chicago and my family went to visit my aunt. She lived in the projects on the 3rd or 4th floor of a large complex. In the back of this complex was a large courtyard. The residents would hang their clothes out to dry in the back porches of their apartments.

While we were visiting, my cousin was in her bedroom sitting in front of a mirror combing her hair. Suddenly we heard screaming. When we went to her room, she was “fighting” something. With fists in the air, she was punching as if she was beating on something or someone.

At first I thought it was a joke she was playing on us. But the screaming was real. After the “episode,” my mother went to her and pulled the back of her shirt up. Her back had fresh scratches from the “something” that she had been fighting.

I’ve kept this memory in my head for a long time. I don’t remember much else about it. Since that time, I’ve always believed that there is a spirit world — both evil and good.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Ephesians 6:12

[amazon_link id=”0834003619″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Holy Bible, Giant Print Deluxe Edition: King James Version[/amazon_link]

Basic Garden Planting

It’s late July in Minnesota. I haven’t had much time to plant a garden as most of the time I’m working indoors painting, hanging pictures and other miscellaneous work.

Today though was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect and I was determined to work on two strips of dirt in front of our house. I had already prepped the area and planted a couple of bleeding hearts.

Bleeding Heart

But the past week, it rained. And rained. And rained. The ground is saturated with water and the dirt was compact again. I took out my hoe and started digging. I like my gardens to look sculpted instead of wild so I place things carefully in “order.”

Adding new dirt, I mixed it with the old dirt. It was a little hard to make holes for the plants as I kept running into small-to-medium sized rocks. At first I thought that there may be plastic underneath as some gardeners put plastic, then rock, then dirt in order to reduce the number of weeds they get. But, I never ran into the plastic so I don’t know why I keep running into rocks.

This part of our property is very shady so we are limited in what we can plant. Although, I did notice later in the afternoon that we get filtered sun — very little filtered sun but it’s better than nothing.

We went to a nursery called Bachman’s in Maplewood, MN. There was not much selection there for a shady garden. But, we did come away with a few plants. The ones we bought were:

  • Coleus – this plant has both shady and sun varieties
  • Caladium – can be used indoor or outdoor. If outdoor, it likes part sun to shade
  • Maracas – another indoor or outdoor plant. If used outdoor, it likes shade
  • Coral Bells – this is a perennial (meaning that it comes back every year) and is hardy to -40 degrees. This plant can attract hummingbirds. It may not like the location though because it likes sun to part-sun. I’m not sure if the filtered sun will be good enough. We’ll see.
  • Lilium Hybrid (Asiatic Lily) – sun to part-shade. Again, a “we’ll see” plant.
We decided to put dark bark mulch over the dirt instead of the red bark mulch so that it could blend with the environment.
Shady Garden
Now it’s a “wait and see” game. First to see if they do well in the next few weeks and then to see if the perennials come back next year.
[amazon_link id=”0395873312″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Taylor's 50 Best Perennials for Shade: Easy Plants for More Beautiful Gardens[/amazon_link]

Basil Plant

Despite the downpours of rain, heat indexes of 115 — in Minnesota — our basil plants are living. I don’t understand it. They are not in a very sunny location as we don’t have much sun on our property.

Basil plants are like people — in spite of the hardships they may suffer, they continue to live.

I wonder what other plants might be thrivers in our environment?

 

 

Birthday Dinner

Pink Roses

Happy Birthday to me! Beautiful pink roses for my birthday.

Then, as requested, my son made me homemade butternut squash ravioli, salad (bleu cheese, walnuts, pears) and garlic bread.

Salad (with bleu cheese, red onions, pears and walnuts)
Butternut Squash Ravioli, Salad, Garlic Bread

For dessert we had my favorite — homemade coconut cake.

Homemade Coconut Cake
Slice of Coconut Cake

What a sweet sweet life. Thank you God.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart … Jeremiah 1:5

 

Sunrise Sunset

Time flies. As a little girl I used to want to be “older” so that I could be “free.” Looking back, I was more free as a child — no bills, no housing concerns, no worries about what I said or didn’t say. Being middle aged is not so bad though. It brings maturity (hopefully), added “age wisdom”, marriage, children, grandchildren and friends like no other.

While unpacking from our move to Minnesota, I found an old notebook. In it, I had a list of everyone I knew who had passed away in the last 30 years. Morbid? No, not really. I have kept it so that I would not forget the people who had an impact in my life. Someone suggested I use people’s birthdays instead but I like the “memoriam effect.”

As we get older, we start to wonder what our existence is all about. One day here — one day gone. Will anyone care? Sure, there are the known and unknown influences we’ve had on people. But — after awhile, when the people who know you have passed on — nothing.

Eeeekkkk!

Fortunately for me I believe in an afterlife — a resurrection of the dead and a heaven and Father to go to. Without that — nothing.

Sunset

One of my favorite songs is from the movie Fiddler On The Roof. It’s called Sunrise Sunset. Take a listen by clicking on the link below. It has always reminded me of getting older.

Any special “getting older” songs you have?

Happy Birthday to me and thank you all for being a part of my life!

[amazon_link id=”0792838955″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Fiddler on the Roof[/amazon_link]

 

 

Only Just One of Me

It’s summer — and yet, I’m sitting here thinking about snowflakes during my birthday week. I enjoy snow — each crystal coming down from heaven appears to be so different — just like me.

I am unique. We’re all unique.

Hmmm … getting older makes you think about death. Not all the time. But I start to wonder if I will suffer when I die or if I will go quick. Will I be hit by a car or die of cancer? It seems a little odd to think about it but all of the older people I know have these thoughts. It’s part of the aging process.

My body has slowed some. Going up and down ladders to paint make my muscles sore and I feel like a little old lady hobbling around until the muscles get back to normal.

Ahhh — middle-age. I still feel 18ish and 30 something — at least in my head.

A Young Me

There is only just one of me. Thank God for that.

 

 

 

Scarlet Ribbons

Birthdays — I tend to reminisce more than usual during times when I am reminded that I am older. I don’t feel like I’m older but I know I am. The calendar, gray hair and the wisdom. Hahahaha

So …

The Camp Fire Girls always had a nice camp that I went to in Westfield, Wisconsin. It was called Camp Tiyalaka. I learned many songs there that I had never heard before. One of these songs is called Scarlet Ribbons. I had always thought it was a camp song but when I googled it, it was actually a popular hit song for Harry Belafonte in the 1950’s.

There is a Wikipedia article on the history of this song.

Click on the youtube link below to hear the song.

I’m not sure why the song keeps popping up in my head. It always takes me back to when I was at Camp Tiyalaka. I don’t have too many memories of being there. Most memories are of the songs I learned.

Music has a big impact on my life as I’m sure it does on other people. It can make me sad, happy, angry — it takes my brain back to memories that I may or may not want to remember.

Scarlett Ribbons — I don’t think I’ll ever forget that song.

[amazon_link id=”B001384JGE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair) (Remastered)[/amazon_link]

 

Spider Commercial

AT&T has a great commercial that exemplifies how I feel about all creeping things. (Click below to view it on Youtube.)

Minnesota may one day cure me of the “creeping things” paranoia. Last evening, before going to bed, we turned on the light to the outside deck. On the outside of the screen were many different types of insects looking at me — none of which I had ever seen before.

I wonder if there is “creeping things” insurance — in case I should die of a heart attack before the cure.

 

Carving Love Into A Tree

I’ve always wanted to think back and remember having a boyfriend who carved our initials into a tree.

Trees

The thought is nice but it’s not reality. I did have a boyfriend who had our initials carved into a locket. I still have the locket. I’m not sure why I’ve kept it all these years as there are many sad memories that go with it. At the time, they didn’t seem sad. One’s perspective as a young person is quite different than as an adult.

A song by Chris Rice called My Tree compares a lover who carves his love’s initials into a tree with the carving that Christ did on His tree – the tree at Calvary. There is no better love than Christ. He doesn’t have an ounce of selfishness in His heart and only wants what’s best for us.

Why is that so hard for us to grasp?

Lyrics to the song My Tree

On a hill far away stands a tall mighty tree
Where a boy and girl used to take turns pushing the tire swing
I remember the pocketknife in hand and her name in my heart
Thinkin’ there ain’t no way for a boy to contain
the love that he feels inside


So I carved her name into my tree
Then I carved a heart around her name
Then I carved an arrow through the heart just to say “I love you”
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross
the emblem of suffering and shame
I remember the nails through my hands and your name in my heart
How in their wordless way the nails explain
the love that I feel inside
As they carved your name into my tree
Where I wrapped my heart around your name
Then I took your arrow through my heart
Just to say, “I love you”
Just to say, “I love you”


Now I can never forget how much you mean to me
‘Cause I will always remember whenever I see
Where I carved your name into my tree
Where I wrapped my heart around your name
Then I took your arrow through my heart
Just to say, “I love you”
Just to say, “I love you”
I really love you.

 

[amazon_link id=”B001PMK14M” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Deep Enough to Dream[/amazon_link]