A Place to Give Thanks

Over the river, and through the wood,

To Merry Mount away!

We would not stop for doll or top,

for 'tis Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river, and through the wood—

and straight through the barnyard gate,

We seem to go extremely slow,

it is so hard to wait!

Over the river, and through the wood—

To Paddy’s house to play,

He will say, "Let’s shoot today!”

As out to the field we go.

Over the river, and through the wood—

To Granmama's house we fly!

Hurrah for the fun! Is the turkey done?

Hurrah for the pecan pie!

Over the river, and through the wood,

To Merry Mount we’ll stay!

We’ll bless the food in a Merry mood,

for 'tis Thanksgiving Day.

                        Words by Lydia Maria Child & CPW

There is much to be thankful for at Merry Mount and we wish all who read this blog today a very Happy Thanksgiving!  

CPW

A Place for a Quantum Tenet

When one takes a seven-hour trip via car alone, one has an opportunity to THINK and ponder one’s present standing in the world.  I recently had that opportunity.

During one stretch of rural Kentucky, I lost a strong radio signal and found myself in silence.  Having listened to several hours of talk radio, I began to analyze current events, question the validity of the reports, and establish a personal opinion.  It then occurred to me that my opinion is based not only upon the most current knowledge, but rather, upon the totality of everything I believe.  I then began to “whittle down” and synthesize my belief system which I now call my

“Quantum Tenet”.  I offer it to you.

·      I believe in logic

·      I believe that as homo sapiens we are biological creatures whose reasoning  power defines our individuality

·      I believe in aesthetics

·      I believe in moral intelligence

·      I am a secular humanist

·      I am a pacifist

“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” – Gordon A. Eadie

Merry Mount is a place where I stand and where I can be true to myself.

CPW

A Place for Artifacts?

My Gems

A framed print of My Gems by Irish-American painter, William Michael Harnett (1848-1892), hangs over the piano at Merry Mount.  As you can see, it is a still life painting that depicts (among other things): books, a lamp, burnt broken matchsticks, a pipe, a tankard, a piccolo, an inkwell and quill, and sheet music. Notice that these artifacts seem well used and make reference to the five senses. 

As one approaches retirement, one is forced to look around one’s office and make decisions regarding items collected or gifts received, and find a place for them.  Which artifacts do I keep, which do I give away (who would really want them?), and which should be thrown into the trash bin that is then buried in a landfill? Some artifacts have been brought to Merry Mount and wait a time in retirement when I can make a decision about where they will be displayed or stored.

Taking a broader perspective, pending retirement presents one with the opportunity to look to the past, ponder the future, and make decisions about the need for material objects (all are not artifacts).

Artifacts are piling up at Merry Mount, are they worthless?  How is their value decided and who decides it?  Is Merry Mount becoming a museum?  Am I to be a curator?  Yikes! Too many decisions.

I leave you with this poem by Frank Avon.

 I leave 

                Biography

Artifacts (a poem by Frank Avon)

We are defined by artifacts,

the things we keep about us.

We will not be confined

to dictionary definitions:

He's a quarterback.

She's very pretty.

They're workaholics, all of them.

She's Asian.

He's as rich as Croesus.

Their dancing is divine.

We are defined by the things

we keep around us, won't let go:

Antiques, with the patina of life.

Paintings that color conception.

Postage stamps, traveling sedentary.

Rare books, pages to the touch.

Deciduous trees, harmonizing space.

Paperweights, animated gestures.

We are defined by artifacts,

hard facts, unrefined, tangible:

Automobiles, luxury or economical.

Clothes we wear, to shelve our selves.

Implements. to use and for display.

DVDs, stored away, rarely watched.

Coffee table books (no one looks) .

Rings on our fingers, silken things.

With artifacts we define ourselves,

are protagonists of our own fictions.

Everything we own is a metaphor

for what we have or haven't done.

Whatever we treasure is a melody

(jazz, pop, folk, rock, operatic) .

What we choose to keep, clarifies

who we are, who we choose to be.

We are defined by things prosaic,

things prophetic, things archaic.

If you would trace

our etymology,

it's not a documentary,

it's not a family tree;

it's what we keep,

until at last

what we've kept, is,

like us, set free.

Aaargh!  Come to the museum.

CPW