I came across this quote via the recent blog entry 'The Strange Science of Zombie Fungi' – courtesy of Maria Popova's 'The Marginalian':
'A mind not be chang'd by Place or Time' – John Milton from Paradise Lost (Book I, line 234 … if I've counted right!).
"The mind is its own place”
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| Mother's Day lunch - we'd have had roast potatoes ... and now my mind is on lunch! |
This has been my head space … while I've pottered around chattering away to myself! - happy in my own little way - as I pretend to gear my own self up to being sensible and progressing with things needing to be done. Also sorting a few things out that took forever … patience, at times, is not my virtue ...
No excuse – I've been lazy – which of course now means I'm dithering around trying to catch one of those tails to put some salt on it … perhaps I can actually come back into this world and put muddling through behind me … there's mental hope – but that headspace is another thing!
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| Blue Tit - enjoying Spring |
Anyway after a gloomy International Women's Day and Mothering Sunday (our Mother's Day here in the UK – tied into the Church's calendar – dating back to the 8th century) … we are still enjoying mists or rain – no doubt the plants are appreciative … certainly the blue tits are filling out, as they chunter around in the lime tree outside.
I remember back twenty five years ago … we had Mother's Day with my my mother, and my brother's MIL, over in Alfriston (where the floods have recently been) … when the Canadian family were over …
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| John Tenniel's 1890 illustration for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland |
… there were lots of us … 15 or so … it was so warm we moved outside and had our Mothering Sunday roast lunch in the garden …
I did find some interesting women I wanted to mention and thus rabbit holes I fell into … but I think I'll leave them for another day …
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| Dante Gabriel Rossetti's portrait of Swinburne (1862) |
I did come across an article on Algernon Charles Swinburne's early work (1857 – 1871): 'The Female Archetypes' … which might make interesting reading for one or two of you …
It's drier and brighter today … thanks for your kind thoughts … and care – I'm just about up and running – by next week definitely …
From a friend's garden - the
hyacinths I gave her a few years ago
The Marginalian - The Strange Science of Zombie Fungi
Disstheses on Swinburne's 'The Female Archetypes' c/o Louisiana State University (NB a pdf)
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
31 comments:
Hopefully you can tie up those loose ends. Glad it's finally a nice day.
It sounds as if everything is going in the right direction for you at last - three cheers.
I had a brief look at Swinburne - the terrible mother leapt out at me; what can it mean?;-)
Ha! Everybody gears themselves up, pretending to be sensible and progressing with things that need to be done. Sometimes I even write little notes about tasks waiting to be done, half so I won't forget and half to fool others with my organisational skills.
Hari OM
Out in The Grey has been a tad erratic for me in terms of 'organisation' - but I have decided I don't care! Fret not. Things will be done. Or they won't. Order of importance is the only thing that matters. YAM xx
@ Alex - yes I hope so too - by next week I should be well on the way ... well it's about to get cooler and wetter again - c'est la vie ...
@ Janice - yes ... at last and as you say 'three cheers'; I'm not sure where you're referring to 'the terrible mother' - I had a brief look at the pdf from Louisiana University ... sorry!
@ Hels - well I've been very deleterious ... and have a serious need to catch my tail - but you're right about little notes floating around - fortunately I'm on my own ... so no-one wondering what on earth I'm doing! I probably need someone around to chase that tail ...
@ Yam - you're doing so well in The Grey - I so admire you and your travels ... but also you're right ... 'what the hell' we've got where we're at our tender ages - but we do do what we need to do ... now I must get on for this evening!
Cheers to the four of you ... thanks for your thoughts - Hilary
I think sometimes we need to be lazy. Later, we might find that if we didn't get that rest, we'd get sick or perhaps have a mental meltdown.
I don't get many lazy days and relish them when I do.
Your Mother's Day lunch looks good. Especially those potatoes.
Hope your week is filled with creativity, energy and just the right amount of sunshine. Hugs
It's been a long time since I could sit and ask, What do I want to do today?
I am a fan of lazy days. Rushing around all the time trying to get things done is okay now and then but not always. My philosophy at this time of life is to spend a great deal of time doing very little. And spring is just around the corner!
@ Liz - I was just getting off the bandwagon that I needed to be on ... now I really need to catch up ...
@ Diane - yes I can believe you don't have many hazy lazy days - and can believe you relish them when you get one or two ...
@ Sandra - Mother's Day lunch is always good ... I prefer roasted potatoes ... but yes new potatoes are delicious too. Thank you - I am getting on with things ...
@ Jacqui - I can also believe you don't get much free time - and what can I do today is so right - a necessary question ...
@ Karen - I'd love to relax where you are - you've had a busy life with the family. Doing what we want now I guess is the thing to do ... and as you say Spring is at its beginning for 2024 ...
Cheers and thanks everyone for being here - Hilary
It sounds like the train has almost reached the end of the tunnel and it’s looking good coming out at the other end, Hilary. Make sure you don’t let it get shunted to the sidings at the next station. As for potatoes, after years of seldom eating them, we seem to have “found” them again. Recently we bought an air fryer and it is perfect for sautéed style potatoes without all the oil, and it takes no time at all. We cut the spuds into squares, spice them liberally, and that’s about all the preparation. And the end result is fabulous. I have also taken to buying little potatoes and fingerlings, and I have been cooking those in the oven, but I will see what I can do in the air fryer. Right now, I parboil them for about five minutes, then I toss them in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic, a little cayenne pepper and grated onions and bake for about twenty minutes. Delicious! Gros bisous de ton ami canadien, David.
It's easier to feel lazy in my dotage so I feel your pain with that. Thanks for your interesting post.
I left a message ealier, Hilary. Maybe a good time to check your Spam folder.
@ David - rescued ... or sometimes they take a while to come through ... not sure - but both posted - thank you.
I'll be fine - once I really get my act into getting on with things - I was out today ... but will, once again, attack 'things' tomorrow!
Interesting about the air fryer - the family offered me one - but I don't have much space and am happy going on as I've gone before ... but appreciate the cookery lesson - I haven't, I don't think, had a meal from an air fryer - I'll have to check and see if I can find someone to offer me one, one day. Sounds good though. I wondered about fingerlings ... we have them here and sometimes I buy them but only cooking for one brings the odd challenge. But now my taste buds are yearning for fish fingerlings ... whitebait springs to mind ... now they'd be good in an air fryer: I'd guess?!
Thanks for the communications ... always good to hear from my hugging Ami Canadien, David!
@ Jacqui - just being out of mental sorts ... but am getting to grips with things, I'm pleased to say ...
Cheers to you both - so good to see you - Hilary
Sometimes the mind and body must wander a bit ( often separately), and then loose ends slowly pull together. I know my family in PA is running on a separate movie reel in my head - a nagging worry. But sounds like you are slowly catching up to your tail. Spring when sprung should help.
I did love your word "chunter". You have the best descriptions!
Take good care and take your time.
Wishing you all the best, Hilary! I'm glad you have some good weather. That's always a mood booster.
I have never been able to raost potatoes how I like them with a crunchy skin but we grow our own potatoes now and they taste so much better than bought ones that I do not mind how they cook any more.
My folks never used to worry about Mother's day or Father's day they said there was onough reasons for celebrating without adding another two days!
Cheers Diane
@ Joanne - rather too much wandering my mind and body have been doing for a year - but I'm on track now: thankfully! Yes - I can feel your headspace for your family in PA - it's always so difficult these life changing times ... you've definitely done your father proud though.
Spring is definitely on its way - together with daylight savings in two weeks ... long idyllic days ... thanks 'chuntering' is a good word and appreciate the compliment too ...
@ Debbie - thank you ... the longer days definitely help my blues - and as you say mood booster ...
@ Diane - great to see you here from down south - appreciate it. Home grown veggie ... so much better - my mother was a brilliant gardener and we always had fresh garden veggie - from wherever she was living.
I don't think we did either ... but we were all at boarding school - so it probably never occurred - til latterly and early adulthood when we could make a party around it for our mother/s ... Father's Day never featured til very recently I think.
Cheers to the three of you ... I'm coming out of my 'funk' and will be on track soon ... Hilary
Oh Hilary, I can so relate to the dithering. When I'm not actually working at my paid job, I don't seem to be able to settle to anything properly. I can't wait to hear about your rabbit holes, though. It's good to know you're feeling better and hope you go from strength to strength.
The hyacinth is looking well. Enjoy your weekend, Hils.
Hi Hilary, you have such interesting posts. I've spent some time visiting the last several to catch up - though, I would need to go back several years to do that justice as I've been absent for so long.
I relate to the "dithering" - been at it for far too long - I hear the echoes of my mother's voice telling me to move it along as the setting sun waits for no one. And so... I'm trying to catch the setting sun and see if I can indeed get it to wait for me. Not having any luck so far. Is persistence a virtue?
Nonetheless, I wish you calmer days and much peace and tranquillity as you sally forth. Sending smiles and hugs your way, Jenny
I think being lazy can really help with percolating ideas and interests! I don't have enough quiet days. Something I need to think about.
Hi, Hilary - I always love your posts and get so much out of them. I am glad that you are feeling more on track and I hope your weather is starting to clear up. i totally agree that good weather is often a great mood booster.
@ Val - thank you ... I rather wish I had a paid job so I had some routine. My rabbit holes always appear ... I can't seem to stop them ... but it's getting brighter and we're nearly into that six months of longer days ... here's to us both as time progresses - and you with your canal trips ...
@ Sandra - thank you ...
@ Jenny - how lovely to hear from you again after your absence of years. I'm looking forward to your A-Z to catch up, though I won't be joining in. Ha ha - your mother chiding you, as my mother used to ... funny old life?! Persistence and being around our community certainly has helped me. Calmer days for us both ... smiles and hugs being sent back ...
@ Elizabeth - you are a force of being authorly active with a wealth of generous knowledge for us all. Laziness can percolate ideas and thoughts ... good word!
@ Donna - thanks ... great to see you ... I have to sort out my notification life - I keep promising: it will happen! Also a sunny day definitely is a mood booster ...
Thanks to the five of you ... lovely to see you - cheers Hilary
I hope you can get everything resolved/tied up soon. I don't get much in the way of lazy days, but I was given two days off paid this week after a frantic week at work, and I've intentionally taken it as downtime at home today. Tomorrow, I will likely get some things done around the house that I've been letting go.
I've tried being lazy. The idea of being idle for a while appeals to me. I'm having a go today. It's Wednesday lunchtime and normally by now, I'd have my Friday Fictioneers piece written and ready for posting, but I decided to hold back. It's not working because I'm feeling really frustrated!
Hopefully, by now you are back on track, Hilary!
@ Shannon - thank you ... things are happening and that's the main thing. Oh how wonderful to have those two free days ... and then to be able to do some house-work, which will make you feel easier ...
@ Keith - I'm good at being lazy, but don't want to be and am really not happy in that mode - but I need the mental 'kick up the butt' - on the other hand my blog posts are somewhat longer than yours. Yes - frustration kicks in ... hence the head-space - which keeps me very occupied!
I'm almost on track - by Easter I will be ...
Cheers to you both - thanks for understanding! Take care - Hilary
@ Janice - re Swinburne and the terrible mother ... Kali is the fierce form of the Hindu goddess ... while Atalanta is a heroine in Greek mythology (apparently there are two versions of the huntress) - a Calydonian boar hunt, and the Argonauts. While Swinburne refers to Kleist's 1808 tragedy on the mythological Amazon queen, Penthesilea ...
Lots to investigate about terrible mothers if you're so inclined!
Made me look your query up ... cheers Hilary
Sometimes, it is not so easy to get oneself to strike off the entries in the to-do list!
Hi Pradeep - oh I've been very bad at dealing with my 'to do' list or 'must get on with'!! Thanks for the support - cheers Hilary
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