grow older better

Tag: mothers

  • Plants as Living Thoughts

     Years ago, my mother gave me a cutting of a plant that a friend had given her years and years before that.  The friend was one of her childhood friends and my mom asked me to keep the plant growing as a reminder of that friend [Aunt Peggy]  who was part of my childhood. 

    The plant never did much in D.C. and New England but it was cool looking and so I kept it growing.  It was one I had in the car with me when I left Vermont and eventually moved to Oregon.   

    Two other plants that made the cross-country trip were a jade plant and a Christmas cactus from my friend Freda who had given me cuttings about 15 years earlier.  [All my other plants were given to friends as I had no spare room in my car and was not going to land anywhere for a long time.] 

    I eventually learned the plant from my mom was an epiphyllum and that it just loved Portland’s weather.  In a few years it began to bloom and outgrew many pots and got too big and heavy to bring inside in the winter.  

    epiphyllum

     

     

     

     

     The other 2 grew more slowly and so I had room in the house for them each winter.

    Fast forward to last winter and our artic blast and record setting cold 🙁   My epiphyllum was wrapped in layers and was well sheltered or so I thought.  I checked it regularly and one day it seemed "funny" so I managed to bring it in.   Seems it died from the roots up so I did not see the damage until it was too late.

    I found one small piece of solid green and put that in a rooting mix and in a small pot.  I watched it daily and as long as it remained green I repeated the rooting powder and watering. 

    new growth of my epiphyllum

    Then this past August – a full 8 months after I started this tender care – it started growing…At that point I realized more fully that it was my mother’s presence in my house. 

    I really feel good that her request of me to keep it growing had been accomplished.  So Aunt Peggy and Mom – your epiphyllum is still alive – as are my love and thoughts aobut you.

    My Freda plants are doing well – but Freda died this past July.  

    Love you too Freda and will keep the plants healthy.Jade Plant

     

    P.S. ALL houseplants are now in for the winter

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Mother’s Day – the original

    My annual tribute to the original Mother’s Day

    How did we get away from the original intent of Howe’s mother’s day proclamation to a now corporate event of sell sell sell and buy buy buy? Oh and do not forget to make those intercepted phone calls….

    I cry for those mommy’s who have lost their children in the mad shrub’s so-called war….

    Let’s take back mother’s day when we take back our country from these #$%#&$*&(^

    Mother’s Day Proclamation – 1870
    by Julia Ward Howe

    Arise then…women of this day!
    Arise, all women who have hearts!
    Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
    Say firmly:
    “We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
    Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
    For caresses and applause.
    Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
    All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
    We, the women of one country,
    Will be too tender of those of another country
    To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”

    From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
    Our own. It says: “Disarm! Disarm!
    The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.”
    Blood does not wipe our dishonor,
    Nor violence indicate possession.
    As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil
    At the summons of war,
    Let women now leave all that may be left of home
    For a great and earnest day of counsel.
    Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
    Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
    Whereby the great human family can live in peace…
    Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
    But of God –
    In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
    That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
    May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
    And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
    To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
    The amicable settlement of international questions,
    The great and general interests of peace.

    Peace,
    Lynn

    glyconutrients, healthy aging, growing older, aging, nutrition, exercise, eating properly,

  • Mother’s Day 2007


    A repeat posting [from Mother’s Day 2006 on my politikal blog] – with a few minor edits
    [cross-posted there today as well]



    How did we get away from the original intent of Howe’s mother’s day proclamation to a now corporate event of sell sell sell and buy buy buy? Oh and do not forget to make those intercepted phone calls….

    I cry for those mommy’s who have lost their children in the mad shrub’s so-called war….

    Let’s take back mother’s day – we started to take back our country from mad king george last Fall – let’s continue to do so….peaceably

    Mother’s Day Proclamation – 1870
    by Julia Ward Howe

    Arise then…women of this day!
    Arise, all women who have hearts!
    Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
    Say firmly:
    “We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
    Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
    For caresses and applause.
    Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
    All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
    We, the women of one country,
    Will be too tender of those of another country
    To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”

    From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
    Our own. It says: “Disarm! Disarm!
    The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.”
    Blood does not wipe our dishonor,
    Nor violence indicate possession.
    As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil
    At the summons of war,
    Let women now leave all that may be left of home
    For a great and earnest day of counsel.
    Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
    Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
    Whereby the great human family can live in peace…
    Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
    But of God –
    In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
    That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
    May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
    And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
    To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
    The amicable settlement of international questions,
    The great and general interests of peace.

    Peace

    glyconutrients, healthy aging, growing older, aging, nutrition, exercise, eating properly,