We Interrupt This Program for a Public Service Announcement

I pride myself on being someone who knows where her food comes from.  True, I may not know what my veal's name used to be, but I at least understand that it is baby cow.  I know my tapenade is mashed up olives, and recognize tahini as a product of a street named Sesame.  So it was with great shock and a little bit of shame today that I realized, when I looked at my dinner, I had NO idea what it looked like before it came to the grocery store and was prepared for my plate.  In order to prevent this from happening to you, I present to you, scallops.

Because this:

Is also this:

Image Courtesy of:  http://www.thescallopshack.com/scalloping.php

and now you know!

 

 

The Life in Death - Creature Comforts

Speaking of wandering ... one day I went to a cemetery. 

My intent was to talk about how we view death.  Our perspective isn't inherent in human existence in the way that laughter and human affection from a parent to a child can be.  It is taught.  It is learned.  I went to the cemetery both for a little inspiration and for some imagery - however tangential - to liven what can be a very somber topic.  What occurred instead was I got distracted. 

If you prefer we can call it further inspiration, but the reality is, instead of writing one post on the topic I set out to write, I have the material for at least 4 posts ... maybe one of them will resemble the originally intended posting.  This, however, isn't that post.

This post is about life.  I spent the middle of the day, maybe four hours total roaming around a cemetery.  It's a beautiful piece of land, overlooking a fantastic skyline, and as luck would have it home to many a woodland creature.  It struck me.  A place which is intended to be reflective and a home for those who have passed out of this life, a center for death and for marking of the ends of human interaction .... actually is quite alive if you're willing to notice.  So here it is, the life I found in a place of death:

The start to a day of discoveries

Life upon Life

Musical discoveries were added to the mix

Not a solitary incident

Looking for a seed snack

Regal posts




with the greatest of detail



A feast with fuzzy friends

The Grand Finale

 

Preview to a Trilogy ... Makes this a Quadrilogy?

There has been a marked absence in my writing lately.  On the one hand, this simply means that I need to stop fooling myself.  I will continue to write and update this site as often as seems reasonable, however, any sort of schedule I may once have set for myself is so far out window that I no longer even hold the illusion of maintaining it.  To further insult this wayward schedule, this is not even really a post.  Sure, technically it is posted, however the reality is - this is advertising and forewarning. 

There is a three part - potentially a four part - series about to show up on this blog.  The good news is that at least the first half will be heavy on visuals and perspective, although relatively light on words.  The bad news for some, is that the topic of this series is death.  How we mark it, the relationship we, as cultures and societies, deal with imminent passing, and the memories of those we love, our superstitions and how those influence our actions and our speech.  That said, if you haven't already tuned out.  There are those who belong to cultures which do not wish to engage in this conversation or who may not be comfortable viewing places of burial.  Death, at times, surprises us with its arrival and may make it less comfortable to keep company with such shadows.  I will try to remember to announce the publishing of non-death related posts with as much zeal as I warn of the presence of death within this series.  To my family and friends - I will take no offense if you choose not to partake.  To everyone else - I will also not be offended, but will be utterly unaware of your avoidance.  Enjoy your anonymity. 

For everyone else:  Stay tuned.  My next planned posting here share the life I found in death ... or something similarly titled.

Be well.