The Effects of Cookies on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds

So many of us women in the blogosphere have been struggling with the way we feel about food, and its effects on our minds and bodies. I’ve read a couple of posts in the last two weeks – Sharecropper and Jan, for sure – whose doctors have told them things they didn’t want to hear, and then there are the comments threads. Food and my weight and resulting health issues have been part of my struggle for the last 40 years.

I’ve been thinking about posting about it for some time. God comes into it. And I’m getting very close to writing that post. In the meantime, I leave you with some expert commentary. I have to say, the first time I heard this was over 20 years ago, and the phrase, “with nooooo- body watching …” rang in me like a gong. That had so often been my pattern – eat for comfort as soon as I was alone and nobody was watching.

Turn the sound up loud!

It's Bedtime -- Dream a Little Dream ...

It’s a night for love songs. It’s not that there’s anyone to be playing love songs to. I’d consider volunteers though. It’s just one of those nights. It’s beautiful out – hot and we’re not yet having the forecast thunderstorms. And I’m deeply happy tonight. That makes a nice change.

My plan was Frank Sinatra singing “I Took a Trip on a Train (and I Thought About You)”, but there’s no YouTube of it, and I don’t have an mp3 file of it yet either. This is so high up on the list of second-best that it’s practically a tie. Cass Elliott sounds just lovely on this. I’ve never heard anyone sing it better, and I’m not sure I ever heard her sing anything else better. There’s just a still of the album cover by way of video – close your eyes while you listen and dream a little dream of someone special.

What Famous Work of Art Are You?

I went to read poetry over at After the Bridge, and wound up playing silly, happy blogthings as well. I love this painting. I was visiting friends at L’Arche tonight, and they showed me certificates they’d been given with this on them.

You Are Best Described By...

Petite Fleurs By Pablo Picasso

What Famous Work of Art Are You?

Happy Birthday!!!

It’s Dennis’ birthday!!! Since he reminded me, a few months ago, of something I’d loved and lost, I’m posting it again, for a present.

Help Wanted: Quantum Physics Theology

Sometime last winter, around Christmas when I was holed up in solitude, I started thinking about quantum physics. That makes it sound like I understand something about quantum physics. Just enough to start speculating. The thing I understand best is that a quantum particle affects other quanta. What happens to one, happens to many, somehow, even the ones on the far side of the universe. I don’t understand that. I don’t understand even how scientists believe they’ve proven that. But, I accept it.

I was thinking about God a lot too, and people. Sometime in there, I decided that perhaps it would be helpful for me, for my behaviour (which wasn’t great at the time), if I thought of myself as a single particle in a larger whole. And you as another particle. And a sheep in Australia as another. (I know what you’re all thinking, especially the Mad One …) Plankton in the Antarctic. The third moon of Jupiter. Everything is a particle in a wholeness.

What that would mean is that my behaviour isn’t just my behaviour. It would affect the behaviour and well-being of all those other particles, in some way I don’t understand. And it would affect the entity of which we are all particles. I keep thinking of that entity as The Singleness. God is The Singleness. At least, that’s what I’ve been trying to keep in my mind and my heart. I’ve been trying to align myself with the well-being of The Singleness, and to act and pray in a way that would increase the innate goodness of it. Heaven knows, I’ve sent enough bad action and energy into it, over the years. And will continue to do so. Even Paul said, “I do not do the things I want to do …”

Since the winter, I’ve learned that there are brilliant scientists and theologians who have been writing about quantum theology. (Hah! Maybe I wasn’t just out there in La-La Land!) There are more books than I can read, and I don’t know enough about the field or the authors to be able to separate the sheep from the goats. If anyone’s got any suggestions, please leave them in the comments box.

Canadian Cultural Icon Night -- Jane Siberry, now known as Issa

This is for Fran, Jan and Pagan Sphinx.

Jane Siberry’s my age, almost. She’s got this sweet, sweet voice, and her songs are as lovely and complicated and interesting as they come. She’s kind of a cult hit.

A couple of years ago, she changed her life radically – sold all her stuff, changed her name to Issa, which she says is a female variant on Isaiah. As Kate Morningstar, I know that reaching 50 and changing my life and name, the new choice is intensely personal.

For today, for this post, I’ve put Jane Siberry, because it’s also her choice that the music she recorded when that was her name be sold with that name.

Love to everyone. Enjoy. And, good night.

Tracy's Mom Update

Tracy’s Mom had her surgery today – they started at 8 a.m. The news is all good so far. The surgeon said that chemo had shrunk the tumour, so there was no need to resect any of the bowel. And there was no spread to the stomach or liver. Her Mom’s tired and sore, and they were having trouble finding a bed on a ward to put her in. So they’d kept her in recovery, and the family aren’t allowed to visit patients in recovery in that hospital. Frustrating.

She said thank you for all the prayers. And I say so too.