"IF"

by Rudyard Kipling

If you can deep your head when all about you

Are loosing theirs and blaming it on you;

But make allowance for their doubting too:

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or, being hated don’t give way to hating,

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aims,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same:

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings,

And never breathe a word about your loss:

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And - which is more - you’ll be a Man, my son!

I was thinking today and this poem came to me, I had to go through "My Special Box of Words."  She was still there.  In finding self and making decisions - we have to know all the "IF’s.  I have learned along the way that I need to to take a breath, let my enter spirit completely take over and in the end, things just seem to fall into place.   So I tell those who will  liston, find a quite place, you bedroom, porch, the woods, the beach.  Sit and listen to mostly quiet.  You’ll hear nature, but you are also charging up you sprit.  Taking the time to find out if something is worth it?  I have just recenty learned something, when you always put others ahead of your self it is an unsellfish acts.  I believe when you can live all of your life giving instead of taking, we have worked our way to complete oneness with mind, body and sou!  I am glad that I have gotten to the very comfortable me of where I am...RaeDi

 "THE CAMPER’S CREED"

________________________     Henry Wellington Wack  ________________________

 I love nature and her loyal books.  I will preserve a wholesome health and spirit-know and count the trees and stars my friends, the sun and shade my comforters afield.

I will never waste the natural resources of my native land; nor violate its laws nor a sportsman’s honor; nor take of game from woods and waters beyond my need.  If I light a fire in a grove, I will quench it.  I will protect the forest and its wild life.  I will use a brother’s camp as a sacred trust, with a loving care, and leave it in order for the comfort of his late return.

I read this as a child and kept it these long years in my wooden box.  I thought with the camping season almost upon us I would share this creed.  I think that we all more than realize our natural resources are running low or even close to being gone.  I know that I read this to my children and taught them to not waste and never take more than what you need, and put something back for everything you take.  Somehow I feel if we had all followed this creed years ago we might some how be in better shape today....RaeDi

"Justin and Jeffrey, Mount Rainier in background"

"Spotting Eagles and Billy Goats"

_________________________ByRaeDi__________________________________

Each and every summer we took two weeks and headed to Wallowa Lake State Park.  This was the best place in  the whole world to go and explore the Wallowa Mountains and Hells Canyon Wilderness.  The drive down was always impressive.  Again we got to go through the Blue Mountain Range in Oregon.  We would try and catch the first Ferry out of Bainbridge to Seattle then get on to I-5 to the exit for I-90.  Heading West towards Ellensburg, Washington.  Where we’d get on the south I-82.  That would lead us down to Hermiston, Oregon where we would pick up I-84.  We always stopped in Pendleton, Oregon  for our late brunch, each time we would eat at the same place and have the same waitress.  She became a friend of the family.  Always said she had been expecting us any day.  What a welcoming site she was.  After getting our fill of wonderful home-style food and they always gave us a free piece of pie of our choice.  That wasn’t easy, it was all homemade and each as good as the other.  We’d have our goodbye’s knowing we’d stop by on our way home.  Then we’d make our pits stops filling up the tank and empting the bladders and we were back on the road again.

We were right at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains one of our favorites drives.  At LaGrange, Oregon we would pick up State Road 82 heading east and then south again.  Then we were headed for the Wallowa Mountain Range just as wondrous and remarkable as the Blue Mountains.  The drive down State Road 82 I have to say was trying, tiring and wearisome. Two lane traffice the whole way, and with all the RV’s it could be very slow going.  There were a lot of beautiful scenes, but as the driver you had to keep your attention on the road.

Once we arrived in Joseph, Oregon we were all but to our destination.  Joseph is a small quite very quaint community.  Full of wonderful, friendly people, has a beautiful park in center town and it was like walking back in time.  There were all sorts of Antique Shops and shops where varying talents in the art world were selling all mediums of art.  It was always such a great diversity for such a small community almost at the end of this road.  We’d get out and stretch our legs and window shop and then head to the local Farmer’s Market and pick up some fresh produce and usually a jar of Fireweed Honey to go with the biscuits I had learned to cook on our camp fire.  Adding our fresh produce to our stables we had brought with us we were ready for the next two weeks of fishing, hiking and watching the different animals there in the wild.  We gathered up our purchases and headed on down the road to our destination, Wallowa Lake State Park.

The mountains were on our left as we approached the lake, we would round a curve in the road and there on our right was the lake.  The first time we saw it we were so surprised, it was green.  I had never in my life seen a green lake like this before, not this green.  The back drop to this intense green lake was the Wallowa Mountain Range.  It seemed to be about a 270 degree arch around this green lake.   It was one of the most visually impressive views I had ever seen.  The children were always excited to see the lake and they knew we were within just minutes of where we would be staying and fishing.

The whole trip down there was chatter who would catch the biggest fish, who would catch the most.  The boys (twins, but I tried not to call them that) were very eager this summer, their younger sister always out fished them and always cought the biggest fish each time we went out.  She was at Grandma’s for the entire summer and they were so happy she was out of the picture this year.  It was just the two of them against all the rainbow trout in the river.

Wallowa River is one of those raging rivers; lots of bloulders of all sizes lined it and were a part of this loud fast roaring, white capped river.  The river was so loud you couldn’t talk.  It was wonderful having hours each day spent just fishing and being one with nature.  You had to make sure you had your footing and usually you could back you hind end up to a boulder and lean against it and start casting.  That river was full of the prettiest Rainbow Trout, it took no time at all until we had supper caught and readied for the frying pan over the camp fire.  Nothing in this world tastes as good as that which is cooked on an outdoor camp fire.

We always hiked in the early morn.  We knew of an exceedingly high, long and beautiful waterfall that fed this river up a couple of miles.  We usually hiked there at the beginning of each new day.  We saw lots of deer and squirrels, hawks and so many different birds.  This particular holiday with just the boys I had bought them each a pair of binoculars so they could be looking for Eagles and Billy Goats.  I had told them a story when we moved to Washington from Yorktown, Virginia.  It had been a very long two weeks coming clear across the country with the kids and our dog Molly.  Normally I am a good happy traveler, but that trip exceeded even my patience.  I told them if they were real quiet and very still and watched up on the mountains where the grass grows and looked mowed they would see the Billy Goats that were eating the grass.  That is why it looked like it was mowed.  They believed that story for quite a few years.  So whenever we traveled they were always on the lookout for the Billy Goats.  They of course wanted to see the Eagles too.

This particular trip south with just the two of them, I decided to take a little different route.  We’d head south on State Road 16 and pick up I-5 at Tacoma headed north and then get on State 164 to State 410.  We were going to go through the Mount Rainier National Park.  We had been there a couple of times but it had been a few years since we had made this trek.  It was a beautiful, breath taking trip.  I was glad to have made the decision to change our normal route; it was a few hours added to the trip, but well worth it.  The boys had a blast.  With their new binoculars they knew they were going to see Eagles and Billy Goats.  They also knew that they had to be very still and very quiet so they wouldn’t scare them away.  That early afternoon with Mount Rainier as a back drop, being very quiet and still the boys finally got to see the Eagles for the first time.  They watched them for a long time flying and scouring above us.  They could hear them talking with each other and they had a young Eagle with them.  They were so excited; they wore a smile for the entire trip.

For the next two weeks I didn’t know children could be so quiet and still.  They were lying in bushes and under trees watching and waiting for the chance to see what they had been trying to see for several years.  This trip and with their binoculars was their chance -  they were going to see the Billy Goats too.  The only thing that eluded them was seeing the Billy Goats eating the grass on the mountains.  But they knew it to be true, the grass always looked mowed and they didn’t think anyone culd get a lown mower up there, it had to be the Billy Goats.  It was always so funny to listen to their conversations about the Eagles they saw through their binoculars.  They would plan out how they would catch a glimpse of the Billy Goats.  It was all I could do to control my laughter.

It was just recently in a conversation that they brought up the story of the Billy Goats.  At least they were laughing and they wanted to know what else I had pulled the wool over their eyes on.  I won’t tell them, as each one of these "stories" come up they then will have the realization that was another one of "Moms’ stories.  I can say there are quite a few stories I used over the years to keep peace, have quite, and to do things in my own time.  Eventually they will realize that this Mom was very inventive.  I have no doubt that even they will stoop to use my stories or even add more stories to the list.  I’d love to be around in several generations and see what they are telling their children and how my stories are being told by that time.  I wonder will they stay true to my words or over time will they take on a new story. 

"Wilson's Warbler"

"HURDY-BURDY DAYS"

By Martha Haskell Clark

April walks beside me still in budded cloak of brown,

Primrose gold above the hill the lengthened sunsets burn;

Every wind a minstrel goes, singing through the town,

For hurdy-gurdy days are here - and May is at the turn!

May is at the turning in a blur of hill - blaze haze,

There's the hint of leaf - smoke drifting down the dingy city ways.

There's a flash of bluebird weather through a rift of rainy skies,

And the dawn of dreams rememered in a gray world's eye

A battered hurdy - gurdy at the corner of the street,

Old tunes, forgotten tunes, and lilac - breath and fern, haunting sweet,

And every day is yesterday - Youth is at the turn!

May is at the turning like a gipsy in the lane,

With leaf - mist at the girdle, and her blown hair pearled with rain;

There's the green of new grass creeping up the roadway from the south,

And the curve of love and laughter on a gray world's mouth.

March ran whistling down the hill, the gamin of the year,

April but a child at school, with life and love to learn 

Sudden through the city - gray, riotous and dear

Hurdy - gurdy strum the dusk - May is at the turn!

May is at the turning in a burst of tulip - flame,

With a spattering of cowslip - gold to show the road she came;

There's a young moon's silver sickle - gleam through orchard boughs astart,

And forgotten love - songs throbbing in a gray world's heart.

I seen a pair of Wilson Warbler's today, I thought it was some more gold finches had come to stay with us.

I was told this is a weed.  I say if it is a weed it sure is pretty, does anyone out there know what this flower/weed? is?

RaeDi....

"No More to Sacrifice"

By RaeDi

Fighting this war year after year in time

What is the purpose, what have we gained?

Can we say the flag draped coffins

All set in there perfect rows, perfect lines

Does it give us any peace of mind?

Too many losses, too much sorrow

Please, please end this war by tomorrow

No more of our son and daughters

Will we send to fight this war, not one more will we sacrifice

What is this war, what are we fighting for?

All the wars, in all the years, for all of time

How many have paid the ultimate price?

Too many have we lost

When will we learn, will we learn?

No more are we willing to sacrifice

What is the cost?

No price, no price can take the place

Of our Fathers, Mothers, Brothers, Sisters

Our Sons and our Daughters

Each is too precious; the price too high for us to pay

My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to each and every family that has served our country over all the years in time....RacDi

(Belgium - 368 American Military Buried In Flanders Field)

"Flanders Field American Cemetary and Memorial"

  "In Flanders Field"

By John McCrae

In Flanders fields, the poppies blow

between the crosses, row by row,

That mark our places.  In the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly,

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are dead.  Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders Field.

Take up our quarrel with the foe!

To you, from failing hands, we throw

The torch.   Be yours to lift it high!

If ye break faith with us who die,

We shall not sleep, though poppies blow

In Flanders Fields.

This is but one of our battles that our countryman has fought in our country’s history, take up the torches and don’t ye break faith so they can sleep in Flanders Field....RaeDi

Lt. Colonel John Alexander McCrae, MD

He was a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier.  He served as a surgeon in WWI in the "Battle of Ypres."

"Man’s Best Friend"

We got Ning Ma in September of 2006.  We knew from the beginning she was different.  We chose this name for her because she doesn’t meow, she ning mas.  We call her Ningi.  She has a quite extinsive volcabulary.  She is always talking as she comes in the room and always talking as she leaves the room.  If I had to say what dialect she sounds like I would have to say Asian. 

Tom and like to take our morning coffee and tea out on our upstairs balcony off the master bedroom.  We can look over so much from up there.  We would let Ningi come out on the balcony with us.  She stayed pretty close in the beginning.  Then she started showing us her balancing act on the railing.  We thought she looked so cute.  Her next trick was to leave the balcony with one small leap onto the roof of the lower section of the house and walk on the peak/ridge of the house and go to the end and just sit there and watch the world go by.  We thought that was cute too!

One day as she was sitting out on her peak and we were busy watching a pair of Eagle’s with their young gliding around and around and chittering back and forth. It was a magnificent show and we were enjoying our selves sitting there drinking our morning coffee and tea and then.....we realize that Ningi was out at the end of her peak sitting there - she was a sitting duck.  We both at the same moment had the realization of what could happen if we didn’t get her off the peak.  We tried to stay calm and call her in, but she had the cat attitude of not listening and right then she didn’t want to come to us.  She wouldn’t even look at us.  Tom took off downstairs and grabbed her bag of kitty treats.  She loves them.  When he got back up on the balcony he started making noise with the bag  she reconized the sound and came running.  That was the last time she was allowed out on the peak of the roof.  We can’t share our morining time with her out on the balcony, it will always be off limits to her. 

In time we saw her develop an inside behavior and an outdoor behavior.  Inside she always listens and minds you, even watches our body language and isn’t a problem.  She doesn’t beg for food, in fact she leaves the room when we sit down to eat.  She came that way.  She is not interested in any human food.   The only problem was when she was outside she just wouldn’t listen.  Her outside attitude was she liked to hide from us and only come in when she is ready.  Where we live that is a major problem if you are a cat.  There are the eagles, owls, raccoons, coyotes, bears.  The list goes on.  She would be a gourmet meal for any one of them.

Here lately we have noticed another big change in her.  She has decided she is a man’s cat.  She follows Tom where ever it is he is going.  She now comes in and out and out and in with Tom.  If he has to get wood from the wood shed she goes with Tom and follows Tom back.  When he is reading and sitting by the fire she lays at his feet.  When he comes home she runs to the door and greets him. 

If he is not sitting in his chair she gets in it.  You can tell that each watches the other, if Tom looks like he is making a move to leave his chair for anything Ningi is ready for the move.  I noticed one day as Tom was getting up he was looking for something to put in his chair.  He put his scepter (remote control of all gagets in his kingdom) in his chair.  I watched to see if that would detour Ningi, for now it did, but for how long?  Now you watch them both making a move to get to the chair first. Tom has come to the realization that Ningi can leap futher than he can move faster.  She is a hard one to move if she doesn’t want to be moved.  She goes completely limp...when Tom sees her in his chair he takes another.  He has been dethroned for the moment.  But let her move to get a drink or anything he moves in as fast as she moves out.  Back and forth!  

She has did allot of growing since we first got her, not only in size but in her behavior too.  She no longer wants to hide from us when she is outside.  She no longer wants to be outside without one of us.  If it is Tom all the better for her.  I now think she think’s she is man’s best friend.  She sure acts like it.  I wonder when she will learn to bark!!  

RaeDi

April 16th, 2008

"MY MOM MY MOM WILL I BECOME?"

April 12, 2008

I have been using my nice notecards to send to people when the date on the calendar comes up for whatever the occasions, I would normally use cards.  I keep trying to remember when in town to pick up a big selection of cards that last for months.  I just can’t seem to get it together this year.  I reach for the box that usually has a couple of dozens cards for me to pick from, but it is empty.  Now I not only need the cards but need to get more notecards as well.

I was thinking why don’t I buy notecards on eBay and just have them shipped to me.  It reminded me about the one extra present I had bought for my Mom last Christmas.  I had sent her regular packages in the mail as usual.  I was on eBay finishing up on the rest of my shopping and I came across some notecards by Kincade, I knew my Mother would just love to have them.  I contacted the seller to see if she would ship them to a different address than that which was my billing address.  She responded back it would be find to please send her the address to where I wanted them sent and to include any information I’d want to send in the package.

I immediately got out my address book and contacted the seller and instructed her to put a note in the box To "MOM" from your loving daughter RaeDi, have fun corresponding!"  I gave her my Mom’s name and address.  I told her to put "MOM" on the first line just like that and then her name, address and such.  Every since we left home we have always sent all correspondence to our Mom, "MOM."  I told her to put, "Do not to open before Christmas on the outside of the package!"   My Mom if not told she will open it ahead of time.  It doesn’t matter, Mother’s Day, Birthday’s, Christmas.  The seller told me it wouldn’t be a problem.

I had forgotten about this little surprise gift I had sent, it is not unusual to do things like this and then totally forget until the person says something about it later or I receive a thank you note.  It was Christmas Eve and I was talking with my Mom on the phone and she started this story and when I knew what she was talking about I just let her go on and finish it.  I wanted to know exactly what had happen and what all went on.

My Mother is of the age now that I finally realize she is getting older.  She has that older/maturer character we all see so much.  She said, "I have forgotten to tell you I had received the oddest package in the mail.  It was a fairly small package about 6 by 8 inches and about two inches thick.  But the thing that troubled me was it came from New Hampshire.  I have never known anyone from that state.  To top it off the return name was D e b i, I have never heard of anyone spelling Debbie that way.  So I put the package on top of the refrigerator and was going to think about what to do with it."  A few days later I took the package to the postoffice.  The Post Mistress there knows my Mother well, it’s a very small rural town in Missouri and everyone knows everyone (and everything!).  Her children went to school with me and my siblings. 

She said, "I told the Post Mistress about this package I had received and I handed it over to her and was explaining I didn’t know anyone from New Hampshire and the only person I ever knew in New England was when my daughter RaeDi  had lived there in Connecticut years before." 

She went on to explain,  "The way in which this person spelled her name was very odd.  I have never seen the name Debbie spelled D e b i."  They put the package down at the other end of the counter, while they discussed what to do.  They each were thinking and having a discussion about several years ago when that person had put bombs in the mailboxes and there were those problems with anthrax ...  I could just see my Mom and the Post Mistress talking about this package that they had decidedly put at the other end of the counter.  It was all I could do to keep from laughing while my Mom was telling me this story.  I let it play itself out. 

Their decision was they should write down the return address and the way in which D e b i was spelled, and keep this information for some time just in case something came up.  The other decision was just to return the package to the sender.  Wait and see!

My Mom was glad to be rid of the package from a person who spelled their name like she had never seen before and from a state that she hadn’t known a soul from there in her whole life.  "You just never know!"  When she was finished I let her settle down, I could tell it still upset her a little.  How did they get her name and address.  What was in that package?  It was just as well that it was sent back to the sender.

I said, "Mom, did it say anywhere on the outside "MOM?"  She said ’NO, why?"  I said, "Mom that was a little extra package I sent you for Christmas.  Did it say do not open before Christmas?"  "Well yes it did say that!"  I could hear her thinking and at about the same time she was asking, " Did you send that package and what was in the little package?"

"Yes Mom, I sent it to you as an extra surprise for Christmas!"  "What was it?" she asked.  I told her, "It was just some notecards I thought you would like."  She said, "Oh!’  Then she replied, "Can I still get them back?"  I told her, "I would make the arrangement to have them resent to her." 

I contacted the seller on eBay and said the notecards were on there way back to New Hampshire.  My Mom didn’t know anyone from there and just couldn’t keep something that wasn’t hers.  I wasn’t going to tell her that they had discussed this at the post office and even jotted down the return address to keep just in case. She said when the packaged arrived she would send it back and put "MOM" on it, she thought she had.  But I would need to pay the postage again.

I talk with my Mom several times a week.  One day she called me and said, "I just received the notecards and I loved them!  But they are so pretty I don’t know if I can use them."  I’ll keep them for something I might want or need a really nice card for."  "Mom use them, I’ll get you some more!" 

I don’t know if she has used any of these to pretty notecards yet or not.  But why would anyone spell their name like that?  I wonder will I get to that stage too.  I’ve heard my Mom saying things out of my very own mouth, it started years ago, and I thought I saw her reflection in the grocery window, but it was only me.  Well I get to this stage of just not knowing for sure?  Putting things at the end of the counter while discussing what to do?  I love my Mom, but MOM my MOM will I become?

I don’t want to make lite of the security matters we have in this country now.  But I couldn’t help but see how things can make ones mind second guess what is and what isn’t!  My Mom did let the Post Mistress know about the whole sorted story!  "If only the seller had put "MOM" on the package, I wouldn’t have questions who it was from!"  My Mom told me.^j^ 

I Love My Mom^j^

RaeDi

I have a special little wooden box that I have kept my "words" in since I was very young.  I was very selective about what and which "words" would be chosen to keep.  I have never in all these years been able to take leave of any one of these.  I could not in any way decide what should go.  In all this time the box is filling and has little space left to gather more "words" for me.

I was going through my little wooden box these past weeks.  I fine that I still can’t let go of any of my "words."  But in looking at each page, each sheet the words rewarded me so.  Just as they had some years ago.

This I put in my box of "words" some forty-two years ago.  I’d like to share it with you...

THE FOOTPATH TO PEACE

By Henry Van Dyke

To be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars; to be contented with your possessions, but not satisfied with yourself until you have made the best of them; to despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meanness, and to fear nothing except cowardice; to be governed by your admirations rather than by your disgusts; to covet nothing that is your neighbor’s except his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners; to think seldom of your enemies, often of our friends, and evey day of Christ; and to spend as much time as you can, with body and with spirit, in God’s out-of-doors-these are little quideposts on the footpath to peace.

I remember when I first read this.  I remember telling myself that I would use this as a guide line in what I hoped to be.  When something was said or did and I wasn’t for sure, to my "word" box I’d go to see.  I looked through until I found my "Footpath To Peace."  It has be many years since I read these words, I realized they hadn’t parted from me.

I have to admit that I favor this one more of these.  I love the guidepost of being with body and with spirit in God’s out-of-doors, that is where I love to be. 

God’s great-out-of-door in body,

mind and spirt is where you will find me!

RaeDi

I was reading "The Best of the World's Classics, by Henry Cabot-Lodge, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF (copyright 1906).  It had been a gift many years ago.  I have read it several times, but it had been some years since the last time.

I was so enjoying Cato The Censor - Of Work on a Roman Farm.  A piece of paper fell out onto the floor.  I picked it up and read what I remember was given to me by a friend of long ago.  The paper with the creases so frail:

Maturity is the ability to control anger and settle differences without violence or destruction.

Maturity is patience.  It is the willingness to pass up immediate pleasure in favor of the long-term gain.

Maturity is perseverance, the ability to sweat out a project or a situation in spite of heavy opposition and discouraging setbacks.

Maturity is capacity to face unpleasantness and frustration, discomfort and defeat, without complaint or collapse.

Maturity is humility.  It is being big enough to say, "I was wrong." And, when right, the mature person need not experience the satisfaction of saying, "I told you so."

Maturity is the ability to make a decision and stand by it  The immature spend their lives exploring endless possibilities: then they do nothing.

Maturity means dependability, keeping one's word, coming through in a crisis.  The immature are masters of the alibi.  They are the confused an the disorganized.  Their lives are a maze of broken promises, former friends, unfinished business and good intentions that somehow never materialize.

Maturity is the art of living in peace with that which we cannot change, the courage to change that which SHOULD be changed - and the wisdom to know the difference.

MATURITY

I don't know where this came, 

it is a very amazing collection. 

But I do remember my friend and our discussion. 

I past this on for you to read. 

Hopefully we all have this maturity,

past it on for others to read,

maybe it will bring different probabilities.  

RaeDi