“To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common – this is my symphony.”

~William Henry Channing

As you know, I’m an avid movie buff and, truth be told, I especially favor films that are shown on Masterpiece Theater. For you anti-nerd types, that’s a Sunday evening program on PBS. A high percentage of the features have been produced in England by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), and for a self-proclaimed Anglophile like me, they are a treat not to be missed.

I am presently entrenched in one of the Masterpiece Mystery programs titled “Foyle’s War,” starring Michael Kitchen. Mr. Kitchen plays the part of Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle and the series has been shown on the BBC in England for seven seasons.

Compliments of the public library, and Netflix, I am just completing season five, and will launch into season six when Bonnie, my faithful post person, delivers it through the mail slot in my front door.

The show is set during the World War II in a small city on the south coast of England. The artistic quality is beautiful and the acting is superb. DCS Foyle is a study in British reserve and sparse conversation and always solves the crime. It’s a very interesting study of the hardships the British people endured during the war, and how they coped with extraordinary adversity and heartbreak.

The sacrifices that were made by the British population were tremendous, and their little gem of a country emerged forever changed. We could learn a lesson from their way of life to this day; they make do with what they have, with little excess. They still shop daily for their food, keeping cold items in refrigerators that are little bigger than the vanities beneath our bathroom sinks.

I’m already dreading the time when I reach the final episode, but I’m sure I’ll find another series that, if not as engaging as “Foyle’s War,” will keep me entertained.

Cheerio!

Here’s an ancient tale that applies to relationships some of us have experienced:

“A young girl was trudging along a mountain path, trying to reach her grandmother’s house.
It was bitter cold, and the wind cut like a knife.
When she was within sight of her destination, she heard a rustle at her feet.

Looking down, she saw a snake.
Before she could move, the snake spoke to her.
He said, “I am about to die.
It is too cold for me up here, and I am freezing.
There is no food in these mountains, and I am starving.
Please put me under your coat and take me with you.”

“No,” replied the girl. “I know your kind. You are a rattlesnake.
If I pick you up, you will bite me, and your bite is poisonous.”

“No, no,” said the snake. “If you help me, you will be my best friend.
I will treat you differently.”

The little girl sat down on a rock for a moment to rest and think things over.
She looked at the beautiful markings on the snake and had to admit that it was the most beautiful snake she had ever seen.

Suddenly, she said, “I believe you. I will save you.
All living things deserve to be treated with kindness.”

The little girl reached over, put the snake gently under her coat and proceeded toward her grandmother’s house.

Within a moment, she felt a sharp pain in her side.
The snake had bitten her.

“How could you do this to me?” she cried.
“You promised that you would not bite me, and I trusted you!”

“You knew what I was when you picked me up,” hissed the snake as he slithered away.”

~Author unknown

I woke up Saturday morning with a headache and a sore throat. Is there anything more annoying than a sore throat? Oh alright, there are quite a few things, but still, I really find it hard to deal with. I trust my daughter Kristin’s advice from her doctor to drink very hot water with lemon and honey as frequently as possible. I also gargle, which was always my mother’s advice and, I have to say, I was the very first in my family to make use of a Neti pot when I have a cold and/or sore throat.

My little Neti Pot looks exactly like the one in the picture, however, you can also purchase very adequate ones at Walgreen’s for a small investment. It’s a little difficult to get used to, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be impressed by the results. (Well, maybe impressed isn’t the right term, but anyway, you’ll feel better.)

If you’re still not sold on the idea, can I just say that both Oprah and Dr. Oz recommend the Neti? Now, I ask you, are there two more credible experts in the world on any subject?

I’m not actually sure if Spring is here or not. Saint Louis has had some pretty interesting weather in the last few weeks, but that seems to be the refrain just about anywhere you look on the map.

This time of the year always reminds me of my childhood on the farm in the far southwest portion of Missouri. The forsythia, mock orange and lilacs would be blooming and the dogwood trees would be glorious. Mom would be watching the peonies and iris very closely to see if they were coming up because they would be called into duty on Decoration Day. (In “Ozark speak” that means Memorial Day.)

I haven’t blogged in a long time, but now I’m back and will share a few thoughts from time to time. Thanks to my faithful friends and family and a few folks who have dropped by for a visit.

Be good to yourself … you deserve it!

“Some succeed because they are destined, but most succeed because they are determined.”

Do you recognize that beautiful lady? That’s Lauren Hutton, and on November 17, she will celebrate her 67th birthday.

I’ve always admired Lauren. One of the reasons she made my list of M. D.s(aka Magnificent Dames) is because she didn’t let anyone talk her into filling in the prominent gap between her two front teeth. Now don’t you just know some agent or producer was adamant that she’d never find work as a model without a dental overhaul?

When I spotted this recent photo of Lauren, I thought, “Wow – her photo hasn’t been airbrushed, and yet, she’s still gorgeous after all these years. I think her beauty has always shone through so vividly because she’s comfortable with who she is and how she looks.

We live in an age where we constantly hear how to avoid wrinkles, how to prevent wrinkles, how to erase wrinkles and on and on and on . . .

What we should be worried about is how to avoid skin cancer. Wear your sunscreen every day (even on the cloudy days) and let the wrinkles lie where they may. Each of us is beautiful, inside and out, and the wrinkles . . . well, they just symbolize a long and interesting life and the wisdom of the wearer.

Be happy!

Yes, that’s right, that is a photo of a water pump on a big block of concrete in the middle of a state highway. In fact, it’s the state highway that runs right through the center of La Russell, Missouri. It even has its own page on Facebook titled, “The Pump.” Check it out.

There isn’t a parking problem in La Russell these days, but back when I was a kid, what with the grocery store, the restaurant, the feed store and so forth, sometimes all the spots were filled. To solve this problem, the first person to come to town would park right behind the pump on the south side. The next car would line up behind that car and so on, continuing until there were several cars in a row and yes, they were right in the middle of the state highway.

My Uncle Roy Weihe married a lovely young woman, by the name of Georgia Van Buren, who hailed from Fulton, New York. One weekend when they were visiting his “home place,” something was needed from town and she volunteered to run that errand. He gave her directions to La Russell, which was only three or four miles from his parent’s farm, and off she went.

After she left, he thought of something else he needed and decided to go to La Russell. He parked in front of the grocery store, and as he crossed the highway to go into the feed store, he noticed his new bride sitting in her car, at the back of the line of cars lined up behind the pump.

He approached the car, asked her to roll down her window and said, “Honey, why are you just sitting here in the car?” She looked up at him and sweetly replied, “I’m just waiting for the light to change.”

City slickers – we love to laugh at them in La Russell. If you’re in need of a new t-shirt to wear this winter, you can order one from “The Pump” on Facebook. I particularly like the one that reads: Viva La Russell!

Hutzpah? If you’re like most people, you don’t recognize the word hutzpah (sometimes spelled chutzpah). It’s a Yiddish term meaning audacity. If the word audacity has you stumped, its definition is: fearless and daring.

As I sit on my back porch this evening, I’ve been watching a solo hummingbird feeding on the sugar and water mixture I put in the feeder, just so he or his kind will stop by and entertain me. What an audacious and almost arrogant little critter he is. He occasionally turns to look at me and his stare seems to say, “What? You’ve never seen eating before?” Now that, my friends, is a creature with hutzpah.

He’s just about the size of my pinky finger and yet he flits and whirs around like he owns the place. If another hummingbird approaches the feeder, he zooms in its direction and runs it off. (Not to worry. My next door neighbor is feeding the vanquished ones.)

However, deep down, I think the little bird knows his physical makeup is impossibly small and weak. I think he acts like a formidable foe so his vulnerability won’t be discovered. I’ve been guilty of that type of behavior. I think sometimes when we’re feeling really insecure, we come across with an extra helping of arrogance and determination, hoping all the while our fears won’t be uncovered by those around us.

I’m in a much different place now so I don’t have to be defensive or combative. I can just “be.” I admit to an extra inhalation of caution from time to time, but that’s about all. Life is good. Hummingbirds are safe with me.

I’ve avoided revisiting my (much too frequent) whining and complaining about the weather for weeks, but I just can’t hold back any longer. It is hot and it’s getting hotter. Look – my birthday is July 28 and it’s always one of the hottest days of the year. But this year, it was just one more of the incredibly hot and humid days we have endured this summer. People I run into speak of little else. Everyone says the same thing, “Is it hot enough for you?”

I’m working hard at finding other things to think about. Weather like this is a lot like winter in Iowa. You go outside as infrequently as possible and, let’s face it, we hunker down in the house and enjoy our climate controlled environment. While you’re cooped up, read those books stacked on your night table, write a letter with a pen and paper (remember those?) to someone you haven’t communicated with in a long time, snack on the beautiful fruit we have in the grocery store right now, and call those people you’ve intended to call for so long that you’re embarrassed to pick up the phone.

Fall will be here before you know it!