Open Thread ~ metamorphosis ~ 25 MAR 21


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“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
Leo Tolstoy

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sculpture by Gerard Mas “Lady sticking out tongue” (2007), polychrome alabaster

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Vacant Lot with Pokeweed
by Amy Clampitt

Tufts, follicles, grubstake
biennial rosettes, a low-
life beach-blond scruff of
couch grass: notwithstanding
the interglinting dregs

of wholesale upheaval and
dismemberment, weeds do not
hesitate, the wheeling
rise of the ailanthus halts
at nothing--and look! here's

a pokeweed, sprung up from seed
dropped by some vagrant, that's
seized a foothold: a magenta-
girdered bower, gazebo twirls
of blossom rounding into

raw-buttoned, garnet-rodded
fruit one more wayfarer
perhaps may salvage from
the season's frittering,
the annual wreckage.

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This is your open thread, so feel free to change topics, direction and your minds!

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Lookout's picture

Another wild weather day here in Alabama. Tornadoes are likely (mainly in west Alabama, but we are in a four out of five warning zone too. My departed neighbor could only remember one tornado that made it over the mountain to our area in his 80 years here. So chances are we'll be fine.

I don't know whether it was food insecurity, or just that I had so many good looking seedlings, but I've sure planted lots of food crops...cabbages, broccoli, collards, Brussels sprouts, spinach...and that's in addition to turnips, mustards, and lettuce which were direct seeded (and growing). I need a big kraut crock...need to keep an eye out at trade day.

Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants have sprouted and started growing under lights inside by the water heater. So growing, growing, gone!

Your poem reminded me of this one.

Weeds
Edna St. Vincent Millay - 1892-1950

White with daisies and red with sorrel
And empty, empty under the sky!—
Life is a quest and love a quarrel—
Here is a place for me to lie.

Daisies spring from damnèd seeds,
And this red fire that here I see
Is a worthless crop of crimson weeds,
Cursed by farmers thriftily.

But here, unhated for an hour,
The sorrel runs in ragged flame,
The daisy stands, a bastard flower,
Like flowers that bear an honest name.

And here a while, where no wind brings
The baying of a pack athirst,
May sleep the sleep of blessèd things,
The blood too bright, the brow accurst.

Thanks for the OT. Y'all have a good one!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

I am envious of your vegetable gardening.
I'm new to this craft, so have started small.
Two raised beds and two ground beds for now.

We do mostly tomatoes, sweet peppers, cukes, squash, eggplant and green beans.
Tried onions, carrots, beets and cabbage last year with little success.
Still learning.

I do small batch fermenting, but bought a 2 gallon Stoneware crock
from Zanesville, OH a few years ago -- never used. You are welcome to it
if it will fulfill your needs.

Cheers!

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Raggedy Ann's picture

Change is in the air. I just caught up on Ranting Rooster's dilemma. I've been moving into my own place this week - what a chore but I'm so grateful to have a place of my own - finally after four months in a situation much worse than my failed marriage!

My son came to help me get settled and I couldn't be more grateful for having him here. He did so much I'm still in awe of his ability, but then again, the boy (man, actually) has moved himself and his wife three times in four years, but they are now pretty settled. He told me he only has one more move (for himself and wife) left in him. Hopefully he's right. I don't know how many more I have in me, but this one was big - going from a large house to a smaller one. Why am I dragging dead people around with me - that's the dilemma, heirlooms!

But I digress.

Enjoy the day! Pleasantry

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

@Raggedy Ann

It is good your son could help.
Good luck settling in!

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Granma's picture

In the Pacific Northwest. We need the rain. But we get little bits at a time and have days of gray skies to end up with a tenth of an inch of water. I guess we are used to it here, but it has been a hard winter and everyone is longing for some days of sunshine. Daffodils are blooming and plum trees are starting to bloom so the promise of spring is here.

I finally got an appointment to be vaccinated, and helped an 89 year old in-law get set up with an appointment too. Made me happy. It was impossible to get an appointment for months. Suddenly there are large vaccination clinics popping up all around this area. Our state must have received a big delivery of vaccines.

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Jen's picture

Changes are happening all over here. The woods behind my house are changing from brown to green. My flowerbeds are changing from dead to full of life. My granddaughter is learning to walk and is changing every day, growing so fast and getting so smart.

There's going to be another big change in my household in June. I've been holding back from saying anything for almost a month now. My sweet little granddaughter will soon have a little sister. I just found out on the last day of February even though my daughter had to have found out back in October or November. I think she only told me when she did was because she's started to show. I'm still in shock a bit.

I'm still not used to the time change either. I'll get used to it when it changes back, I suppose.

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Is it great yet?

Granma's picture

@Jen your daughter is going to need help, lots of help though.
Isn't it great to see things greening up? I'm looking forward to that.

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Jen's picture

@Granma Although I'm not sure how much more help I can offer. I already watch my granddaughter 12 hours a day, 4-5 days a week while they work. That wears me out so much, I know I could not handle 2 for that same amount of time. I just don't have the energy that I did over 20 years ago when my 2 were little.

I'm really looking forward to seeing things grow this year too. I didn't pay much attention to my flowers last year. Between the virus and my granddaughter being born premature, I just didn't care or have any motivation to do things like pull weeds. So this year I'm having to clean 2 years of weeds out. It's hard work, but seeing how much better it looks when I'm done makes it worth it.

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12 users have voted.

Is it great yet?

Granma's picture

@Jen There is a reason young women have the babies. We don't have the energy for them when older. I hope things work out for you and for your daughter's family.

I have a feeling many of us are enjoying spring's arrival this year. It has been a hard winter.

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dystopian's picture

but I don't know what to do...

Leo Lyons says it is the only song Ten Years After or he recorded playing a Rickenbacher bass. He also says during their original run, Alvin Lee refused to play it live(!). I would guess the switch from acoustic to electric was not doable to Alvin's satisfaction, as he was mostly a plug and play guy with no tapes, etc.

Hope all are well!

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

@dystopian

Haven't heard that in eons.
Thanks dysto!

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