Thanksgiving…. Swartigill….Men On The Moon…. Back to Earth….
by Bernie Bell - 10:26 on 26 November 2022
Thanksgiving…
A bit late – there’s a time difference between when Bartholomew posts his poems and when I see them, as he lives in North Carolina, America.
This one arrived yesterday, after I’d posted my blog for the day….it’s the thought that counts….
“The Fourth Thursday in November
Laughter rolls
in from outside
where cousins play
Laughter bakes
into the cornbread
where cooks gossip
Crying onions
bubbling gravy
crackling turkey
All parade to the table
where we hold hands
in fidgety anticipation
As grandmother blesses
the feast and chats with Jesus
while our tummies grumble
The poem above is a collaboration with my friends at Charles House inspired by some Thanksgiving poetry I read to them, including James Whitcomb Riley, Joy Harjo and, of course, Lydia Marie Child.
And at the risk of seeming like a sentimental old fool, I am thankful for you, my dear readers. Happy Thanksgiving.”
It continues Bartholomew’s theme of food and humanity……. ‘Laughter bakes into the corn bread’…..and releases as the bread is torn to be eaten…..wonderful imagery.
While we’re talking turkey…. http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=15999
In Orkney we celebrate the harvest by holding Harvest Homes …. http://www.orkneyjar.com/tradition/harvest/hairst9.htm
which usually take the form of a meal of soup, followed by mince and clapshot ( tatties mashed with neeps) - though these day there’s usually a veggie option too – followed by a pudding, followed by a lot of speeches by local ‘dignitaries’ while we try not to go to sleep due to our full tummies, followed by a lot of lively dancing ……https://theorkneynews.scot/2018/10/20/tis-the-season-to-get-dancinthe-eva-three-step/ - followed by a break for soup and home-bakes and then home to sleep it all off.
Then the farmers start ploughing again.
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Swartigill….
As Sigurd says, this provides ‘a glimpse of everyday life in Iron Age Scotland that does not centre on the monumental architecture of brochs.’
https://archaeologyorkney.com/2022/11/25/swartigill-2022-photoblog/
Much as I like brochs…. https://theorkneynews.scot/page/2/?s=Brochs+Bernie+Bell - there is a bigger picture…..
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Men On The Moon….
I watched an episode of ‘Heartbeat’…… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartbeat_(British_TV_series) in which the villagers gathered in the local pub to watch the Moon landing - in those days not everyone had a telly in every room.
The landlord of the pub said that people would remember what they were doing when it happened – and I remember that my Mum and Dad let me stay up to watch it as the programme went on until about 4am – I was 14 at the time. They didn’t stay up to watch it as they had work the next day and, like Peggy Armstrong in ’Heartbeat’, Dad didn’t believe that it was happening - thought it had all been filmed in a desert in America. He never altered that opinion. I also think he’d agree with Peggy when she says ‘Men on the Moon – what’s that got to do with the price o’ fish?”. I now also question the money spent on the space programme when so much needed, and needs, to be done for humanity here on our own planet …..
https://theorkneynews.scot/2019/07/27/greening-other-planets-or-not/
Back then, when it was happening, I was young and excited about it.
It's worth reading the text of John F. Kennedy’s speech about space exploration – specifically American space exploration…. https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/historic-speeches/address-at-rice-university-on-the-nations-space-effort
…and this excerpt from the Video Transcript for Archival Research Catalog (ARC) Identifier 45017 National Archives and Records Administration www.archives.gov
President Nixon: “Some way, when those two Americans stepped on the Moon the people of this world were bought closer together. That it is that spirit, the spirit of Apollo, that America can now help to bring to our relations with other nations. The spirit of Apollo transcends geographical barriers and political differences; it can bring the people of the world together in peace.”
……in the light of what else was happening at that time (Vietnam War?) - of what has happened, and is happening, since then… https://theorkneynews.scot/2021/08/25/the-amazing-mosquito-migration/
And now there’s all that space-junk in between. Years ago at a family christening my Dad was talking with a very old nun who was scandalised when he said that we can’t go to heaven now as there’s too much space-junk in the way. Dad had a very relaxed approach to his Catholicism – the nun – didn’t!
Me and my big brother stayed up to watch it – a good memory to have as he’s since passed from this life. Memories – general and personal.
If that was on the telly now, people might not give it a second glance as they’ve become so blasé about wonders.
Or, they’d mistake it for yet another ‘reality’ TV show…….
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Back to Earth….
….and its wonders – natural and manufactured….
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63715719
We first came across Crawick Multiverse in an episode of ‘Ian Robertson Rambles’ in which, while walking in Dumfries & Galloway, Ian visited the site. The name doesn’t indicate verse as in poetic verse – though the place is a form of poetry – it’s verse as in many Universes – constellations, galaxies and the Milky Way are laid out across the land.
Ian tells us that when the open-cast coal mine became defunct the Duke of Buccleuch commissioned Robert Jencks to plan and produce this landscape – it’s a wonder. I’d love to go there - doubt if I will be able to - doubt if I’ll go off-island again but – Ian Robertson takes us to these places, even those of us who aren’t likely to go there in ‘reality’.
And – these places exist – that’s what matters. It’s one of the rare occasions when I can see some point in the aristocracy - when someone like the Duke of Buccleuch has the imagination, inspiration and interest in the common weal to use his land ownership and wealth to commission someone who also has imagination and inspiration - to produce such a place.
Looking at the plan – many echoes of ancient sites – stone rows & circles….. https://www.crawickmultiverse.co.uk/ . What might people make of this in 5,000 years time? If we’re still here…..
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Here’s one I made earlier… https://theorkneynews.scot/2019/03/15/through-a-looking-glass/
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