Saturday, March 27, 2010

Seeing Ghosts


I'm hooked! Yes, Ancestory.com finally got me. That and Lisa Kudrow's new series, "Who Do You Think You Are?" I've sleuthed around on Ancestory's website and found a few things. I've blogged about a distant cousin who sent me information about my mom's family, but not until yesterday have I really gotten into looking into the past. Using the little information I have about my great-grandmother, Jennie, and the connection to her great-grandfather who was killed in the Civil War, I was able to hook into family trees on Ancestory.com that led me back from those folks. Several of the threads stopped the generation before people immigrated to the US, leaving me 'stranded' in Ireland, Holland, and France. But a couple of threads back into England and Scotland continued. The English kept great records. Occasionally I'd see an ancestor "Sir So & So" or someone who was born in "Castle Whatever." Then I found the Plantagenet name...interesting. From there the branches exploded into lines from Henry II of England, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Louis VII of France and the 4 daughers of Raimond Berenger of Provence who at one time were all queens in Europe. Could I be distantly related to royalty? Was one of my favorite women in history, Eleanor of Aquitaine, a family ancestor? More sleuthing to come, I think. In the meantime, I'm seeing ghosts!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Day Two

Since I didn't feel like driving 30 miles round trip to walk today, I decided to try the road to the north of my property instead. This is what it looked like...see what I mean about mud? The neighbors have driven their truck on it, but there wasn't a place anywhere that I didn't squish in the mud. So I tried walking in the field to the right of the water-filled ditch. Usually the fields are a bit easier just because the left-over vegetation from summer covers the mud.
It was easier, but there were stilll places where I was afraid the mud was going to suck my boots right off my feet.
Doesn't this just look like all kinds of fun? I'm sure Lucie and I didn't walk more than half a mile total. The good news is it was such hard walking that I worked up a sweat and feel like I got a good workout anyway. I think I'll stick with the paved path for awhile.

Little Box from Abroad

I found a little box from abroad in my mail yesterday. It was from Laury! and it was filled with little Easter-y goodies. Chocolate animals, marzipan carrots, clothespin kids... all found their way to the year-round skinny Christmas tree that sits in my hallway. Okay...I ate the carrots as soon as I opened the box; that's why you don't see them here. I needed my recommended daily veggie portions, didn't I? Do you think Laury bought my candies here? I definitely think that's where the beautiful paper bunny egg originated. And Laury blogged about the clothespin kids in this entry.


Thanks, Laury, for my surprise that traveled all the way from Stuttgart, Germany!

Monday, March 22, 2010

It Begins

I feel called to walk the Pilgrim's Path. I would like to begin in Le-Puy-en-Velay and walk at least to Cahors. In order to do this, I not only need to re-institute my daily walking habit, but also condition myself to walk much longer distances than I have in a long time. Since I live in a very rural area, walking around my neighborhood is where I'll start. But on rainy days and until the dirt/gravel roads dry up, it will be very difficult. So today Lucie and I checked out the Great Western bike/walking path that is part of the Iowa Natural Heritage Trail system. Those are my feet and shadow at the trail head. (This photo also serves the purpose of beginning my weekly assignment for Eyes of the Heart; we're supposed to create self-portraits using shadow, framing, reflection, or the self-timer on our cameras. I'm easing into this self-portrait thing...I detest having my picture taken!) Luce and I walked 3 miles in about an hour and 15 minutes...not a fast pace, but do-able for long distance walking. The path is marked at half-mile intervals so you can keep track of distance. It's nicely paved so this will be a great place to come on rainy,muddy days. The only drawback to it is that it's 15 miles one way from my house; not where I'll drive every day as I train.


Even if I'm not able to be a pilgrim, this walking is a win-win situation for us. Lucie gets a bit of exercise and so do I!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Reflections

The assignment this week for my online photography class is to walk about and receive images of reflections...and then 'reflect' on them. I despaired finding any the first part of the week as the weather was not cooperating...gray, dismal, drizzley days that made being outside painful. Yesterday, however, the weather changed and since I had plans to meet a friend in Des Moines for lunch, I decided to wander around the downtown library and see if I received any reflective images there. It's funny...I've looked at this spectacular building a million times, but I wasn't sure the goldy-bronze panels actually reflected anything! A perfect example of looking at things, but not really 'seeing' them. As I discovered, the panels do reflect images depending on where you stand. In one light, they are opaque. Move a few feet and change the light and they become mirrors of the urban landscape. I call this image "Urban Angles, Illusions, & Reflections" At first glance, it's hard to see where the entrance ends and its reflection begins.
This is the building across the street from the library. You see its reflection above. Here you see the library itself reflected in the building's multi-paned windows. From this angle, the library looks like a long, low Prairie-style builing situated to hug the horizon. The close-up photo below shows reflected buildings with colors muted by the copper mesh infused in the glass panels of the library's walls. I think it makes the image look rather mysterious and like you're on the inside looking out through screened window. A question to ponder: do I see the world as it is or as it's reflected through the 'screen' of my mind?

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Street Performers

Laury's posts about accordeonistes the past two days over at Soar-Dream-France reminded me of this group that I photographed in 2007 on Place des Vosges.  Reading about Laury's encounters with street performers brought to mind my first introduction to this very Parisian phenomenon. The year was 2005; names have been changed to protect the innocent...

The four of us spent a couple of days exploring Paris together. Every time we'd come upon musicians performing on the street or in the Metro, Chuck would stop to listen...sometimes for two or three songs. Barbara, his partner, would fume and fuss. "Come on, Chuck, let's go!" as she tugged on his sleeve. Marie and I would comfort her.."It's okay, really, we're in no hurry." Chuck always tossed a few coins into the cup or basket or open guitar case. Barbara would rag on that, too. "Why do you waste time listening and then waste money?" Chuck's answer: because I enjoy the music, I'm not in that big a hurry, and they work really hard. Showing my appreciation is the right thing to do." Amen to that! Much as I love Barbara (and Chuck not so much!) on this he and I agree. The music is always wonderful, I never want to be in such a big hurry that I miss any of what Paris has to offer, and those musicians and performers work really hard. I follow Chuck's lead...I always stop, I always applaud, and I always throw some coins their way. Heck, I've even been known to buy a CD!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Walking in a Relaxed Manner

On Friday I spent some time with Dr. Mary Fraser who runs the Iowa Pastoral Care Counseling Center. Sponsored by the United Methodist Church, the Center offers pastoral care to clergy of any denomination and their families. She graciously agreed to talk with me as I search for 'what I want to do when I grow up.'  During the course of our conversation, we spoke about pilgrimage and I shared some of my experiences in France and how I profoundly I was impacted by them. She suggested a book by a Des Moines author, Joyce Rupp, called "Walk in a Relaxed Manner." Joyce, who is a Servite sister, walked the Spanish part of the Way to Santiago de Compostele with a retired priest in 2003 and wrote this book in response to her experiences being a pilgrim. I found the book at the local Cokesbury store and literally devoured it in a day! Next steps: I want to talk with this woman and others in Des Moines that have walked the pilgrim Way. And I want to walk the Way myself...the part in France that goes through Conques. I feel other things stirring with as well. Time will tell.

The  photo is the seal from Conques. The shells symbolize pilgrims; the yellow Y indicates that pilgrims enter the village on one path and can leave it on one of two different paths. It's on the driver's side door of Miz Red Belle where I can see it every time I get into or out of my car. Always reminded...

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Metes and Bounds

I made a trip into Winterset yesterday to visit the Madison County Courthouse and discuss metes and bounds with the Assessor's Office. It seems during a recent dispute about a small piece of property that lies along my south pasture boundary, the Assessor's Office discovered that the legal description of my property contains pieces of land that are also included in the legal description of my neighbor's property...and vice-versa. If you look at the map to the left, my land is outlined in red; the Cunningham's land boundary is the dotted blue line. The orange hash marks indicate the two pieces that are in both legal descriptions. It seems that at some point in the  distant past, whoever did the legal description for Cunninghams used the creek (dotted line) as the boundary; whoever did my property shot a straight line north to south. Neither description appears to have been officially surveyed. It looks like we're talking a little less than 2 acres in common. Since I have no access (without going thru my neighbor's field) to the piece on the other side of the creek, it seems reasonable to me that should be his; the small piece on my side of the creek should be mine. I'm more than happy to use the creek as the official boundary. Now....how do we make that happen without spending a boat-load of money on attornies and surveyors? Ah, good question!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

I Am a Breadmaker

When the pot of homemade seafood chowder I put together this week started clamoring for a hefty chunk of bread to go with it, I pulled out a much be-spattered cookbook to find this recipe. You see...I am a breadmaker. Other people specialize in cakes or cookies, bars or pies; I make bread. And I make it the old-fashioned way...by hand. I don't use a doughhook to knead, and I won't have a breadmaking machine. I want to stir the flour and yeast mixture with my wooden spoon. I want to knead the dough until it has that firm, elastic smooth-as-a-baby's bottom feel to it. I want the dough to become alive in my hands. Making bread is like a holy ritual to me. I have made bread in a wood-fired cookstove in the Yellowstone backcountry and served it at upscale neighborhood dinners in San Diego. This particular challah recipe has seen California, Iowa, California and Wyoming and has fed hungry kids, ravenous backcountry Rangers, trail crew gangs, friends and neighbors. Its highest praise came from a friend's mother, a Jew who had fled Germany in the face of Nazi persecution. She declared just like the Shabbat challah from her childhood. I felt so proud. I am a breadmaker.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Shadows

Lots going on with 'shadows' this week. I'm participating in an online photography class called "Eyes of the Heart" that has a contemplative and spiritual theme to it. I've been 'receiving' photos of shadows all week and sharing them with other class members along with my thoughts on my shadow side. I posted one photo over Dona Nobis Pacem. All this shadow talk reminded me of some photos I took during my month in France last year. I decided to record my presence by catching my shadow image at various places I visited. So, that's me standing on the seawall in Collioure with the beautiful azure Mediterranean lapping at the rocks below. This idea of recording my presence was inspired by a conversation I had with another photographer who told me that she always takes a photo of her own feet at her travel destinations. Feet would work, but I think a shadow is so much more mysterious, don't you?

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

The Final Chapter?

I awoke to a blanket of fog covering the valley outside my window with just the very tops of the village houses peeking through it. I showered quickly and went down to breakfast which was much less formal than dinner the night before. Pilgrims wandered in as they awoke; I snagged a cup of coffee, two slices of baguette, and a little dish of yogurt. I heard the bells toll 7am and knew they would soon announce Morning Prayer at 7:30am, so I made my way to the Church. Back in my room afterwards, I stripped the bed and deposited the linen where I had been instructed, did a final check, and closed the door behind me. Dropping my key with a number of others in a basket by the front door, I left my pilgrim lodgings. The fog was beginning to lift as I walked up to my car. I was leaving, but I was determined to keep my pilgrim persona for a while longer. Was this the final chapter of the 'Pilgrim Imposter' story? I don't think so!

Monday, March 1, 2010

Part 7: Sing-a-Long!

I followed my fellow pilgrims over to the Church after dinner was completed. It was time for Compline and the daily 'Blessing of the Pilgrims' service. I tried to sit inconspicuously in a back pew, but everyone moved as close to the altar as they could, so I, too, chose a closer pew. As I tried to follow along, I was able to pick out only a few words I recognized. Pelegin, pilgrim, was sprinkled in every other sentence, so I knew this service was about and dedicated to the walkers. Several certificates were awarded. It wasn't until later I learned that 'compostelles' are given for walking a certain number of kilometers of the Path or for completing visits to certain churches. After the awards, designated pilgrims came forward and read a prayer in their native language; a half dozen in all. And yes, there was one American, a woman from Seeley Lake, Montana, who read in English. The service completed, the group moved en masse to the open area in the north transept, Mary's Chapel. Brother Jean-Daniel stepped to the piano, and we all sang a rousing  'Chant des pelegins de Compostelle' (Ultreia!) I say 'we' although I didn't have a clue what the words were...I just mouthed whatever and joined in the chorus. It was a stirring experience! The third verse and refrain had hardly stopped echoing off the walls when the group moved to the parvis in front of the Church. For the next half hour, we were entertained by the Brother's explanation of the famous typmanum.  Again I say 'we.' Those of us who didn't speak French could only assume that the Brother's talk was amusing as the French-speakers laughed frequently. Tourists gathered with us, and at 9:30pm, we all re-entered the Church for the evening 'Orgues et Illumines'; organ music with illumination of the upper ambulatory of the church. This is the only time anyone can mount the narrow stone stairs to that area. I paid my 5 euros and did the walk. It was amazing to listen to the huge pipe organ and walk around the spectacular columns and capitals. Each capital was carved in the different design. Peering over the railings, the candle-lit Church below was full of mystery. I ended the evening sitting in the back pew of the Church listening to Brother Jean-Daniel play "The House of the Rising Sun/Son" full volume, reverberating off the ancient stones of the Church walls. My 'pilgrim' heart sang with joy!

A long day filled with new experiences and new ways of looking at the world. I crawled into bed quite tired. My last thought as I drifted off to sleep....'I hope these pilgrims are quiet tonight.' I never heard a peep out of them!
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