A Place to Celebrate Two

Joy (left), Mom, Eva (right)

Today, September 29, 2018, we celebrate the 2^nd birthday of our twin granddaughters, Joy and Eva.  These two have brought so much joy and happiness to the two of us who reside at Merry Mount.

For most grandparents, the birth of a grandchild brings new and exciting opportunities into their lives, but to be blessed with twins goes exponentially beyond the blessings of two.

One, two: buckle my shoe

Eins, zwei: Polizei

Uno, dos: sínodos

Un, deux: pas de deux

These girls are as rare as a 2 dollar bill!

Thanks Great Grandmother Woliver!

Mono Mono twins (Monoamniotic-Monochorionic or "Mo-Mo" twins) are always identical and incredibly rare (about 1 in 10,000 births). They will share both their amnions, chorions and placenta too. They only happen in about 1% of monozygotic (identical twins) pregnancies.

Eva & Joy

Friends For Life

Twins holding twins: from left: Great Aunt Carol, Joy, Great Aunt Cher, and Eva

It’s this early connection between twins and even triplets that often translates into a strong adult bond. Through shared experiences over the years, the twin union matures taking on a deep richness. “The twin history is really important as we get older,” explains Pearlman, herself an identical twin. When older multiples need a bit of nurturing and support, for instance, they can always turn toward the one who knows them best, their cotwin. “I still find myself—as well as many other twins I know—during periods of stress, calling my twin. There’s this soothing function, even as adults. Just hearing my twin’s voice provides that soothing comforting function.”

It seems that when a person has a cotwin, all that is wrong with the world can quickly become right.

From:           https://christinabaglivitinglof.com/toddler-twins/nurturing-the-twin-bond/

The journey that Eva and Joy have had during their two years plus together have enriched our lives in so many ways.  Here is a photomontage.  Enjoy!

Two peas in a pod

Dueling Pianist (Eva on bass, Joy on trebles)

Happy 2^nd Birthday Eva and Joy!

CPW

A Place to Think and Observe

On one evening this week, Rett and I had dinner with the Porch Crew. Our dear friend, Mary Anne, asked me the following question, “What are you thinking?”  Perhaps she knew that that question would send me off to ponder it.  What a great gift that question was!

MA’s question ultimately led me to this one:

Merry Mount is a place to dig around and observe. 

While digging through my memory, I recollect the last song, Final Entry, from Dominick Argento’s song cycle, From the Diary of Virginia Wolff.  Wolff writes:

No: I intend no introspection. I mark Henry James’ sentence: observe perpetually. Observe the oncome of age. Observe greed. Observe my own despondency. By that means it becomes serviceable. Or so I hope. I insist on spending this time to the best advantage.

“Observe perpetually”.

Human beings are magnificent creatures.  Most of us have the ability to engage our senses and observe the environment that surrounds us.

We can view beautiful sunsets, we can smell the roses, we can hear the hermit thrush or the Meditation from Thais, we can feel the hen’s feathers, and we can taste tomato pie.  And if we so choose, we can recollect those experiences in our minds. I intend introspection.

“Observe perpetually”.

The day after MA posed the question, I drove my truck to Polly Acres, an idyllic cattle farm that borders on Deer Creek State Park.  A thunderstorm was approaching near sunset and I was able to watch the thunderheads against a backdrop of golden light.  We quickly loaded the hay and I returned to Merry Mount to feed the goats.  As I unloaded the hay, the aroma of the freshly baled hay overtook me, and a strong memory came to me of my experience as a young lad helping my Papaw and Dad stack hay in the Woliver barn.

“Observe perpetually”.

I entered the house and saw what Rett had written on the kitchen blackboard.

“Observe perpetually”.

I wonder as I look around
at all the beauty that I've found.
I've found it in the smallest places.
I've found it in the smiles on faces.
I've found it in majestic sights.
I've found it in an eagle's flights.
And as I've seen it with my eyes
I've slowly come to realize
that all the beauty that I see
belongs to you and belongs to me.

This beauty should be shared by all.
Each beating heart should never fall
Quiet, never to beat again
without the memory of where or when
it captured the sights it got to see.
For what is life?
What can it be?
If not for beauty that's all around
you have not seen, nor have you found
what it is we came here for.
You came to know beauty, nothing more. 

Poem by Edwina Reizer

I disagree with Reizer’s final line, for I posit that we are here to observe and then strive to create or recreate.  We are driven to write a poem, blog, or diary; plant a seed; conceive and maintain a rose garden; cook a pie; compose a piece of music; paint a canvas; sculpt a thinker; build a Lego tower; etc. etc.

I Hear Oceans

I hear oceans.

I hear blue oceans,

black oceans,

silver oceans that travel under me.

I hear gentle oceans,

and oceans that cover the ruins of temples.

I hear oceans that call “Come out!”

and oceans that don’t know my name.

I hear tall oceans,

sad oceans,

oceans of refugees,

and oceans of eagles.

I hear great rolling oceans,

and oceans that whisper to me in the night.

I hear oceans that sing in their cage

like birds.

I hear oceans.

                                                                                    Robert Bode

                                                                                    July, 2015

                                                                                    Marrowstone Island

In conclusion, I find Merry Mount to be a wonderful place to observe and to create or recreate, and, therefore, I offer you the following selected photos.

“Observe perpetually”.

CPW

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