"Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun" Ecclesiastes 11:7

I walk through the blue under cover

into the child of reserved memories.
I follow the pattern of sunshine around the bend
to see that which covers me in her.
She walks beside me, her spectacles removed,
inspiring me with reflections of blackness.
I, her author, transform her trail and
renew her with visions of the third heaven.

Our River

"All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again."
Ecclesiastes 1:7

Speech Writers

I had read an article by a political speech writer last night. I feel somewhat disillusioned by the idea of political leaders having speech writers. I am naive as I had hoped their eloqence was their own, not hired and polished by another. (Tell me it's not true that the late, great Tommy Douglas had a speech writer. There was a television special last year where the top 10 Canadians, living or dead, competed for the title of "The Greatest Canadian." Douglas was voted the greatest and I voted for him primarily because of his GREAT speeches. )
Then again, maybe I should feel better for their lack as I often rue my own inability to "speak well" but hey, if the Prime Minister can't either, why should I feel bad!

After A Day at Work

I work part time, preferring to be at home to take care of the family and household most of the week. Not that we have a lot of money; it is a lifestyle choice. You know, small home, old vehicles and no exotic vacations but still I feel the envy of my co-workers. They have to put in a full week and are stressed to the max by the job's hectic pace and the responsibilities at home that are waiting for them. It is hard to make that choice when the house is already bought, SUV is in its' heated garage and the flight is booked. My days are mine to plan and what I can afford is the time to look after my family plus indulge in past times such as this. I would feel spoiled except that I have to put up with the lousy appliances we got on sale and the van whose engine light keeps coming on. I could work more, the children are older but the thought of giving up my life's serenity is not appealing. I think we have a happy, functional family as a result. It really does have to do with priorities.
The Canadian government is big on creating a national daycare system. It is assumed that women want or need to work outside the home. Two income families are probably beneficial for the country's economic prosperity but I fear that our future will suffer as child rearing becomes even more institutionalized. I would like to see the one income families subsidized as well. Then families would feel they have a choice.

I Have a Question For You

What makes you different from the many other bloggers out there? Can you state that uniqeness in a sentence or less?
For myself, my viewpoint is spiritual, feminine, analytical and obsessional which mean I can ponder spiritual or physical ideas from a female perspective for quite awhile.
How about you?

A Wives' Role

Women are to submit to their husbands. This Biblical idea is not popular with modern woman. However, this idea does not take away our equal rights with men. It only makes the wife "lesser in command" to the husband. There are not two prime ministers or two CEOs in a company. We don't have two heads. It is natural to have one ruler.
This makes finding a good husband an even more difficult and important task. Who would you be willing to follow "in all things"? A good man will love his wife as himself and will include her in his decisions. It won't be hard to submit to him.
A husband or a society cannot force wives into submission. I think this is what was done in earlier times. Men denied women basic rights in order to keep control over them.
Men need to learn that it is their love that will bring order in the families.

Conscientiousness

Yes, I admit it. I not only am conscientious but I am overly conscientious. I am overly "diligent and scrupulous" to do the right thing.
To differentiate between conscientious and being overly so, my employers would rightly expect me to follow company procedures, not linger at breaks and get along with my co-workers. It would be considered overly conscientious to go beyond that which is expected of me and even more so if I felt guilty by not doing so. An example would be staying overtime and not claiming the time perhaps in fear of what others would think or of getting fired.
A conscientious person holds the door open for those behind them. An overly conscientious person, on the other hand, stands holding the door open for the person walking slowly down the street. If by chance they let the door swing shut, they feel guilty for it afterwards.
Such a person sets themselves up for being manipulated by others through their own guilt and suffering from resentment for others that are not as diligent or scrupulous as themselves.
It is said that the first step towards change is recognizing the problem. To myself and others who suffer from being overly conscienceness, my advice is, "Treat yourself as conscientiously as you treat others." Also notice what is going on around you, your own actions might not be as important to others as you think.

Family Day

We have a unique holiday in Alberta, Family Day. It was created in 1989 by a premier who was struggling with his own family problems at the time. The provincial government wanted to recognize the pioneers and their contribution to the family values of today.
It was fitting then that our day was spent with my husband's parents. His Dad will be 90 this summer. His wife fusses over him, not wanting him to trip or strain. I noticed his patient defiance.
We sat around the supper table while my Mother-in-Law, who was a one room school teacher long ago, told us of the book she read about Canada Jack. That woman can talk, and I don't mean in a bad way, although she will gossip and lose me with stories of so and so's brother's sister's daughter. I admire her gift of speech, the words flow so eagerly to teach and amuse her family.
I am very grateful for the values that have been passed down to us.

"A Lifetime of Fear and Loathing"

Journalist,Hunter S. Thompson, killed himself yesterday. I had not heard of him before but I read of his death in the top news story of the day. He was a writer that started the gonzo movement of journalism. This taught that objective reporting of only the facts did not give an accurate portrayal of the truth.
As I read the papers of today, I am amazed by the subjectivity. I remember being told as a junior high student that opinions were not to be included in a newspaper article but were to be reserved for the Editorial section.
Still, as I read of his death, I notice that there is no fictional ending. He killed himself.

The Torment of the Fool

I did not sleep well last night. The words of MacBeth tormented my soul, "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! ...It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
I hear Shakepeare lamenting the futility of his plays not imagining the impact they would have on the many. Even if he had known, I think he would have still continued his lament as the great, wise King Solomon did in Ecclesiastes. "For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool." Ah the futility of the life that we hold so dear.
I am a fool to think that by being heard I will gain more significance. My voice feels duly lost in the crowd. Yet I will cry out amongst the others of that which is true, the whole duty of man will calm the sounds and furies.

MacBeth in WWI

I had intended to write only about whatever book I am currently into but now I feel drawn to reviewing anything.
I have already checked out a couple of fellow bloggers' prose and feel I might just review their blogs---who knows?
Has any body ever left a comment on a blog before? I am new at this and not sure what is socially acceptable. I would like to leave a comment to Noel, a fellow Bible student, on his budding Calvinism.Then there is Jane with her introspection. I would like to warn her of the danger of too much reflection. I wrote an essay on that theme in grade XII. As with any teenager I had yet to live it before I understood what I was writing. I am 45 years now and still continuing to learn, but I hope my words are drawn from the experience of life now rather than the plagiarism of youth.
We went to see the play "MacBeth" today. It was set in World War I. My daughter said that it must've been cheaper to get costumes for that period. I really didn't see any other purpose for it myself. They kept to the original Shakespearean words, though which are so beautiful. This was the first time I went to a Shakespeare play, I loved it. The actors spoke the words with passion as if they were their own, pouring from their soul.
Who cares if MacBeth and MacDuff had a sword fight in the 1900's, it worked.