Star Light, Star Bright

“The amazing thing is that every atom in your body came from a star that exploded. And, the atoms in your left hand probably came from a different star than your right hand. It really is the most poetic thing I know about physics: You are all stardust. You couldn’t be here if stars hadn’t exploded, because the elements – the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, iron, all the things that matter for evolution – weren’t created at the beginning of time. They were created in the nuclear furnaces of stars, and the only way they could get into your body is if those stars were kind enough to explode. So, forget Jesus. The stars died so that you could be here today.”

• “A Universe From Nothing” by Lawrence Krauss, AAI 2009 (16:50-17:23

My backyard led right onto a golf course, a golf course with the loveliest woods I’ve ever seen in all my days; this bias comes from hundreds of nights spent traipsing about  them  during my childhood.  Many a night I would sneak out, from the ripe age of about 6 until I moved from there at 18, plunk myself down on the velvety grass and star gaze.  I felt such a longing, such a desire to just jump as high as I could and touch the stars. To be completely honest, I jumped quite a bit…

When I read the above quote from Mr. Krauss, it suddenly made sense…in some sub-atomic (not sure that’s the right word, but it feels right so let’s roll with it), some primal aspect of the me thats me right now…that the littlest bits of me felt the pull home…that the stars that made up me were reaching out to the grounds they knew, grounds that reached as far as the universe could go and then some…Is it any wonder that humankind has looked up to the stars for guidance? For beauty? For a sign that we aren’t so alone? That home still glimmers, second star to the right and straight on til morning.

A Patchework Quilt of Favorite Tales

 

For $1.00 I could not turn this book down (I also seem to be unable to use contractions, choosing instead to write like Data speaks on ST:TNG…*sigh).  Why, you ask?  Well, let me tell you from tip to toe:

1. The opening illustration is of a man in hot pants and high heels with the caption, “And then men were all so gallant and tall”

2.  The author dedicates the book to every boy and girl. Within the dedication is the gentle reminder that “Lovable, humorous, whimsical stroies each one teaching its own lesson to the children who appear in them and to their animal friends who behave, after all, a great deal like you and me.”  On page 52 the author relates the tale of the three little pigs and how the last piggy boiled the wolf to death and ate him for supper. Lovable and whimsical indeed.

3.  The little small red hen is an ode to vigilante-ism, finally tired of the bullying foxes in her neighborhood she breaks down and kills them by scalding water..”scalding water that spalshed in every direction”…she left them lying there and the hen…”But the hen lived happily, just as before…” Makes me think of Michael Douglas in “Falling Down”

4.  If anyone says the 30′s were a gentler and kinder time, where people were innocent and better behaved…that people treated eachother with respect…those golden days, happy olden days…they’ve not read ‘Little Black Sambo’…Oy what a strange and questionable story.  For gracious sakes, his mother is named Black Mumbo and his father Black Jumbo.  Apparently if I had been worthy of a tale in the 30′s my name would have been something like Pasty Lumbo…I did however like the fact that the story highlights pancakes and the eating of hundreds of them.

5.  The introduction of character names that are just plain silly; Goosey Poosey, Ducky daddles, Gander Pander.  BY the way, Foxy Loxy takes a bite out of Henny Penny…it did not kill her, just snapped a bit off…so in the end, the fox gets the last laugh.

6. There is something infinitely attractive about a book that straddles the line between cloyingly sweet and macabre, where pigs eat wolves and tigers steal satin lined slippers…it’s like a lost pacifier in a puddle.

 

Star Trek Voyager

It’s funny how one thing can lead to another…a few weeks ago I discovered the TV show “The Big Bang Theory”. The show is hilarious and the characters make oodles of references to Star Trek, as they’re much like my IMps and I…Geeks. Proud geeks.  Once Star Trek was firmly stuck on the brain I searched about on Netflix and found Star Trek Voyager, one of the shows I never really watched (I was/am a huge ST:TNG fan) when it was on the the air…I tend to be the sort that is very late on the bandwagon of shows, falling in love with them well after the final air date.  Voyager is no exception, I love…love…love this show.  It may have to do with the fact that I’m also a huge fan of Kate Mulgrew’ from Ryan’s hope all the way to Heartbeat. She has not disappointed in Voyager.

My Winged Helm, Mr. Puddentater

I’m not a big ribbon wear-er, they’re like crack to my fears and my anquishes.  But this ribbon, this is one I think a lot of us wear on the inside…it’s about being aware that few of us get to wear the satin sash of Mr. or Miss Normal.  Some of us cut ourselves…some of us have days we can barely crawl off the couch and greet the new day and yes, some of us shake and cry and throw up…but we also do what we have to get by. Some days are easier than others, days like the one that The Bloggess posted this posting (what the heck do you call a posted posting, but a posted posting I suppose) this was a good day…a day where I think oodles of us heard ‘Flight of the Valkyries’ as the day’s theme song.

 

The Bloggess

 

Once Upon the Needles

 

 

I’m knitting ‘Kimono Shawl’ from  Folk Shawls by Cheryl Oberle.  This is a beautiful shawl that has caused me quite a few froggings, thankfully I’ve completed 3 of the 24 row pattern repeats and only have 21 to go!