Remember

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
     That mark our places; and in the sky
     The larks, still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
     Loved and were loved, and now we lie
          In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
     The torch; be your to hold it high.
     If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
          In Flanders fields.

--John McCrae

We have broken faith. 

Decoration Day

My perusal of prose and poetry regarding Decoration Day lead me to believe there was once an appreciation for the lives fallen soldiers left behind.

Quart #4

Garden News:

I'll remember to take some photos tomorrow.

Things are coming along nicely.

I've dried almost 4 quarts of oregano. I did have to move the drying operation outside because 8 hours of drying really heats up the kitchen.

We will have garden peas. That is exciting.

We are looking for a pea sheller for the blackeyes.

As you know, we have lettuce. And we have carrots.

Carrots are odd. You think you have carrots and you pull something up and realize that you don't yet have carrots. And then-- one day-- you have carrots!

I have a question.

I did a smidgen of scholarly research on the author of this poem.

A. E. Housman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A. E. Housman
Born	Alfred Edward Housman 26 March 1859 Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
Died	30 April 1936 (aged 77) Cambridge
Pen name	A. E. Housman
Occupation	Classicist, Poet
Nationality	British
Alma mater	St John's College, Oxford
Genres	Lyric poetry

Alfred Edward Housman (/ˈhaʊsmən/; 26 March 1859 – 30 April 1936), usually known as A. E. Housman, was an English classical scholar and poet, best known to the general public for his cycle of poems A Shropshire Lad. Lyrical and almost epigrammatic in form, the poems wistfully evoke the dooms and disappointments of youth in the English countryside. Their beauty, simplicity and distinctive imagery appealed strongly to late Victorian and Edwardian taste, and to many early 20th-century English composers (beginning with Arthur Somervell) both before and after the First World War. Through their song-settings, the poems became closely associated with that era, and with Shropshire itself.
Housman was one of the foremost classicists of his age and has been ranked as one of the greatest scholars who ever lived.[1][2] He established his reputation publishing as a private scholar and, on the strength and quality of his work, was appointed Professor of Latin at University College London and then at Cambridge. His editions of Juvenal, Manilius and Lucan are still considered authoritative.

[My emphasis.]

"One of the greatest scholars who ever lived." 

Good Lord! I'm sure you-- Dear Scholared Readers of Literature-- have heard of him but I hadn't until today.  

Q: Why is this?

That question assumes the premise-- that Houseman was one of the greatest scholars who ever lived. (I'm no philosopher, but I think that's called "begging the question.") And that he was a good poet. 

So I swiveled my chair around to pick up Miss M's copy of The New Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1918 (Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed., Oxford University Press, New York, 1955, 1939, first published 1900) and I see that A.E. Houseman has a grand total of three (3) poems (pp. 1052-53) included.

So I'm not buying it. 

If he was one of the greatest scholars who ever lived who just happened to write poetry, he'd have gotten more than what amounts to a page in this 1100+ page anthology in 9-pt font. 

I did like the poem, though. I thought it appropriate for Decoration Day. 

A Poem for Decoration Day

Here Dead Lie We 

Here dead lie we because we did not choose 

To live and shame the land from which we sprung. 

Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose      

But young men think it is, and we were young.

A.E. Houseman  

Found in Other Men's Flowers: An Anthology of Poetry, A.P. Wavell, ed. G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1945.

Godzilla! We had a delightful meal

Chicken stewed with prunes

And then we watched the original Godzilla

with Perry Mason

Spoiler alert. They blew him up.

For My Republican Friends & Family

And for my Democratic and Libertarian and Tea Party and Low-Fo Friends, too. (I want to be inclusive.)

I am scouring my library for what I think are interesting things-- quotes, etc.-- to convey as we approach Memorial Day, which used to be called Decoration Day.

I've already posted a few!

Today I wore an old T-shirt of Mr. Big Food's to work in the garden. Wouldn't you know, our County Supervisor showed up in prompt response to Mr. Big Food's call. It's a black T-shirt with red & white lettering. It says. 

WWRD

"What would Reagan do?"

OMG! He's going to think I'm a Republican!

What could be worse? He's going to think we all all Republicans! 

Any how. That reminded me of a crappy old book I have. 

History teaches that wars begin when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.

--Address to the Nation, U.S.Allies, and the Soviet Union,

The White House, January 6, 1984

 See. This is so corny you just have to believe it.

On page 284...

The Quotable Ronald Reagan. Peter Hannaford, compliler and ed.; Regnery Publishing, Inc., Washington, D.C.; 1998.

Coming up on Decoration Day. 

Y'all know it started in Columbus, Mississippi-- right?

Filed under "Country Folk Will Survive"

Tip of the hat to Mr. Big Food's Dad. This is awesome!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=335893426565493

"I love you, a bushel and a peck!"

I love you, a bushel and a peck! 

A bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck! 

A hug around the neck, and a barrel and a heap 

A barrel and a heap, and I'm talkin' in my sleep. 

About you. 

About you! 

About you! 

My heart is leapin'! 

I'm having trouble sleepin'! 

'Cause I love you, a bushel and a peck 

You bet your pretty neck I do! 

Doodle, oodle, oodle. 

Doodle, oodle, oodle. 

Doodle oodle oodle oo. 

I love you, a bushel and a peck 

A bushel and a peck, go and beats me all to heck! 

Beats me all to heck how I'll ever tend the farm 

Ever tend the farm when I want to keep my 

Arms - about you - 

About you! 

About you! 

The cows and chickens 

are goin' to the dickens! 

'Cause I love you a bushel and a peck 

You bet your pretty neck I do - 

Doodle oodle oodle 

Doodle oodle oodle 

Doodle oodle oodle, oo! 

I, myself, do not care for turnips. But Mr. Big Food loves them!

Lyrics from the musical, Guys and Dolls.

Our Poor Little Mail Box

That's Bo's Pole Light, off in the distance.

When we first moved here and got our Electricity hooked up, we were informed that out Pole Light would cost us $7/mo. I objected. Who needs a pole light, for Goodness Sake? We moved here to get away from pole lights. 

Silly me. Everybody's got a pole light. That's how when you call 911 the Sheriff knows where you are. [See how backwards that structure is? That's how we say it.]

So we have a pole light. 

But that poor little mailbox just sits there, unadorned, serving no purpose but to connect us to the outside world which tells us we need to pay for the gas we put in the truck and asks why we haven't spent more money at the Home Depot.

"You are not getting ready to animate a mailbox, are you?"

"Well. I was thinking about it. What do you think?"

"R.U.F.F."

"I see."

I think the mail box and pole light should be the anchors to a flow... ROSE bed!

"RRRRUUUFFF! RUFF?"

"I know, boy. That's a BIG sacrifice. But really, there are lots of pieces of grass to pee on here at the Farm."

"Ruff."

"Wait! What? I must have dozed off. What's happening?"

"Oh... . Dear Missy. Go back to sleep."

"Well, ohhhkaaay. But whaaaa'ts ha.ppp..pp... zzzzzzz... .

What a great photo!

I was just bumming around the world wide web and saw that Aggie has a great new photo up. Quite appropriate, given that her little birdies are growing up.

Check it out!

"The bugle echoes shrill and sweet... "

"It is sweet and honorable"

From Trees and Other Poems, Joyce Kilmer, George H. Doran Company, New York, 1914.

Hey Marica?

"Yes, Missy?"

"You've been quiet today. What's up?"

"Well, the peas have aphids and I am really looking forward to peas."

"Ruff?"

"I know, Rocky! I should be looking for a pea sheller."

"Hey Marica!!"

"Yes, Missy."

"Did you see what I did today?"

"I watched you periodically. To what particular episode do you refer?"

"I jumped on and then from Mr. Big Food's chair all the way over to the couch in a single bound!!! Did you see me??"

"Yes. I did."

"Wasn't I great?"

"Yes. You were. It was awesome! I told everybody about it!"

"RUFF!!"

"You were too cool too, Rocky!"

"We rock-- hahahahah--"

"rufffffffffff"

"... and if I ever see that sort of behavior in the house again you are going to be in the dog house."

I don't know why I didn't think of this. It's Brilliant!

A rubber band. Brilliant!

Horatio Alger was a name I'd heard before. I went looking to see who he was. 

This whole book thing takes on another dimension now that  I'm thinking about rubber bands. 

I have a lot of books which are hanging together by a thread. Which? That?* 

A rubber band would do them good!

I just want to be

a Farmer outstanding in my field.

Like these two ladies!

photo courtesy of Mr. Big Food's Uncle.

(By the way-- they pulled up some of your line the other day.)

Dear Friends--

We have a lot of lettuce. 

Want some?

Oh My Goodness! We Should Play A Game!

We could resurrect the Dinner Party with fictional characters.

We could learn more words.

"Boooorrrrringgggg."

"ruff."

We could dig into those sentences in that canister. That's some history.

"You could, if you were so inclined, remember us, Marica. I mean, seriously, I spent almost the entire day in my box.

"I remember you! You're my dog!"

"Thank you. That's all I needed."

"You are welcome."

FREE DAY!!

These are some of the best photographs you will see all year.

I thinned the turnips today and SURPRISE! got some halfway decent turnips. And some decent turnips greens.  

Miss M & Her Friend weeded the tomato garden. 

Mr. Big Food & Tuffer arrived back at the Farm and the boyz decided to go fishin'.

This is the best photo. There's a whole story to tell. 

Tomorrow is Our Free Day!

"Free"

I like the sound of that word.

:-)

See that dress she's wearing? It has French seams.