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August 18th, 2010
There’s an abundance of lotus flowers in the pond at Green Spring Gardens this summer…more than I’ve ever seen before, and we’ve been visiting there for the past 15 years. The park was one of Emma’s, and now Lucy’s, favorite rabbit and deer hunting grounds. This photo was taken as clouds passed over the setting sun, so it doesn’t have the golden glow cast upon the lotus flower here, which just happened to post on the morning my father passed away. Titled Silent Sunday: Padma, W, who had been maintaining the blog and was visiting his own family out-of-town, had set it to auto post well before learning about my dad. He categorized it as “nature,” which was obvious, but also as “seeking peace,” which also made sense considering padma’s meaning. When a commenter asked what padma meant, W answered, “Padma is Sanskrit and Tibetan for lotus. It’s one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhist teaching. I thought it was appropriate for a serene Silent Sunday post.” In light of my father’s passing, seeking peace is apt even more so, and I’m happy that the lotus blossom kinda symbolizes that day on the blog. Much ado about nothing, really, ‘cept weaving like threads into a tidy memory.
May 18th, 2010
This post isn’t so much about the actions of an irreverent Facebooker as it is about thanking a Facebook friend for nipping an icky situation in the bud. Although I’m quite the pollyanna when it comes to netiquette, I do realize that there’s a lot of immature and meanie behavior out there. Being a peaceful sort, I usually shy away from confrontation and raisin’ a ruckus, so I’ve pretty much stayed under the online radar, which is why I was surprised recently by the unprovoked insolence of a Facebook friend’s friend. First, a little about my Facebook “friend”…I’ve never met this 20-something guy, but was, eons ago, close with his father. I imagine that, to the poor kid’s dismay, he was convinced to friend me so his dad could have a peephole into my life. That’s fine. If he happens to see anything of interest here, I do hope he shares! So, his kid, my virtual friend, recently posted an article on the BP spill…lots of conflicting data about the actual amount of oil being spilled into the ocean each day. It was a good article, so I used the “like” button. Then, one of his friends posted a comment directed at me, and what it lacked in humor, it made up for in meanness, and it was even kinda embarrassing…something to the effect that if I “liked” that then I was, in his words, “retarded,” and he hoped the spill’s repercussions would some day rise up, walk land and wreak havoc on my person…and that’s putting it delicately. This guy doesn’t know me at all, and his rant on me wasn’t even on point. So, thanks go out to my Facebook friend whom, remember, I don’t even know, but who deleted his friend’s wacked comment and let me know in so many words that I needn’t worry about it happening again. He may’ve done it out of respect for his dad or just because he’s that kinda guy, but no matter, I’m grateful to him for removing it. There’s enough ugliness out there. I understand wisecracking and being obnoxious with friends, as I’m definitely not above any of that stuff, but what’s the point of dissing a complete stranger? I really think he thought he was funny, but believe me, he was no comedian. Age doesn’t necessarily immunize folks from being rude, but here’s hoping that this guy grows out of it.
April 27th, 2010
I know I promised a meatier post for today, and I was tooling along just fine…I really was…until I got a phone call about a family member’s health glitch. So I’m now all distracted, at least until I hear good news. So, just a few random things… I’m still throwing punches with my cold, but am getting better. But, you know how you’re improving, but then along come these other annoying symptoms? Like a nonstop runny nose and that tickly throat thing that is usually worse at night, so you can’t sleep and neither can anyone else? I hate when that happens. I’m trying not to whine here, so I’ll move on. This beautiful African violet is just one of many that adorned my mother’s lawyer’s office. That’s one good thing about country lawyers…they don’t mind much about one roaming about and taking pictures. Or maybe they’re just too polite to say anything. Anyway, I kept my camera focused on the flowers and away from the file cabinets, so… You may have noticed that I’m back to messing around with website design, but haven’t attained any sense of consistency with pattern, color, etc. So, maybe I’d better work on that…oh, and tomorrow’s post.
March 4th, 2010
Today I was going through old photos—old being last spring—and came across ones that I had taken while on a visit to family in Kentucky. So I spent some time skimming hundreds of captures during my week there in early May…bumblebees on sweet peas, as-of-yet unidentified butterflies and moths, daisy-like flowers that are probably weeds, three-leaved clovers…and I was suddenly overcome with sadness. Through all those images, grief re-emerged over my father, who, unbeknownst to us at the time, had only another six months of life left. I remember taking all of those photographs last spring as I walked the fringes of his small hay bottom, stopping now and then to take in the complete silence and gaze at the old house up the road—the one I had spent my first few years in. I chased flying insects from grass blade to flower head and after returning to the house I remember him asking me what I was doing outside and him not really understanding when I told him I was photographing flowers and bugs…just as he didn’t understand W and me wanting to drive cross country five years earlier. “Why do you want to do that?” he had asked. Many of his attitudes perplexed me, but at least he was here to perplex. So I guess that’s how the grief thing works. Time helps heal the wound until one brushes up too closely against its memories.
February 25th, 2010
George Harrison would’ve been 67 today had lung cancer not taken him in 2001. I join millions of others in a love for the Beatles, but George has always been my favorite. Maybe because he was the “quiet Beatle,” but most definitely because of his collaborations with best friend and *ahem* my musical crush, Eric Clapton, as well as his guitar sound. In the early 70′s, Harrison had said that he was only allowed one or two songs per album, and that it would’ve taken many, many more Beatles albums before he could showcase all that he had written. So, when the band decided to break up (in his opinion, at no fault of Yoko Ono) he was ready to do his own thing. I’ve put together a new playlist of some of my favorites that he either wrote, sang or was involved with somehow, so if you’re a fan, go take a listen. It is really very good stuff. If drjay were here and not off yoga-ing in the “Rich Coast,” he could give me a lesson in George Harrison 101…which reminds me…today is drjay’s birthday, too! Happy Birthday, guys. Many thanks to W for the fine photo.
January 29th, 2010
I couldn’t decide on today’s photo. Nothing felt right…not the acorn in a stream of sunlight on the forest floor nor delightful Lucy on a summer day with her muzzle buried in the sand. So, with just minutes left in the day, I’m going with this one. It resonates. A little angsty about an upcoming visit with family, this will be the first time in my life that my dad won’t be there…the first time in months that I may, again, face contention. And snow is coming—a pittance compared to the mess that is plaguing other parts of the country—but still unwelcome. So, I’m going to brush the uneasiness aside and strive to put my mind at peace, because there is no good reason to not do either. 
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Catherine
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Joanne Olivieri
YogaforCynics
