Saturday, April 10, 2021

Where have I been this week?

This week has been unlike April! Temperatures in the high seventies. Blue skies. Mild, mild breezes. All week every window is open, creating a notable current of that air in every room. 

If I were outdoors, I'd throw myself to the grass and succumb to the soporific effect. It's like my first spring in college, falling on the green like all those other bodies, and giving way to...spring.

But I'm indoors, and certainly not near any patch of grass, from which I could not rise unaided, in any event. I will not throw myself on the bed; I surely would not rise until someone said it was time for dinner. Dinner, alas, from my own hand. 

So I give over weaving and retreat to my easy chair, between two open windows, to watch the news for a bit and then back to the loom. And when I open my eyes, and again make words of the voice of news, it's two hours later. I make a late lunch and return to the easy chair, feeling spring air on all my exposed skin.



I've moved the tiny Gerbera daisy to the porch. It fascinates the cat. I brought in a Gerbera to overwinter a couple of years ago, and flowers and all, it had no attraction for the cat. Not so this Gerbera, the identical color as the overwintered plant. No mind they are not toxic, dear Mr. Cat's stomach finds them intolerable. 

I find cleaning the morning mess intolerable, especially as Toby does not appreciate he could help by selecting tile over carpet. The Gerbera is out, but cannot take its appointed place in front of Pig until I put it in a heavy clay pot. So, the Gerbera is tucked in a safe corner (barring a big storm).

The smell of gardening is in the air. Laura brought my bag of potting soil and trowel from the shed on her last visit. I didn't think to include the watering jug. I just added it to my running list of light bulbs that need replaced, and other things I cannot reach.

Back inside, I'm still following the progress of the second declining amaryllis leaf. Less and less chlorophyll in that leaf, but still resistance to my finger, so it remains on the job. 

I've spent my afternoons, on awakening, with Netflix. My algorithm has enough building blocks now to hold my interest in the row of suggestions along the bottom of the screen. I've watched some amusing trash, and have left as much dangling. I did watch Philomena with great interest.

Well, Judy Dench and Steve Coogan and why would I not watch it!  

Over the last very few years I've followed the unfolding of the Irish mother and baby hospitals scandal (for want of a better word), always hoping for a clue to the marriage of my Irish paternal grandparents and the fate of five orphan children abandoned by the church of their mother. 

Of course, my story of interest unfolded in this country, but, The Church remains The Church for much of its time in this world. Its solution to mothers and children it found improper was living as penance for unworthiness of existing. My grandmother, it also advised to sue her husband for child support, a radical idea in 1914.

She did so, and at once her Presbyterian husband jumped bail and went west, where he died, under an assumed name, without paying any support. His family and hers made little or no effort to assist the mother and five children, though some effort was made toward the three girls. And The Church did nothing. Involuntary penance.

The breeze through the window is light and sweet. I have two paperwork problems to work through, and then I will see what Netflix has on offer this afternoon.


36 comments:

  1. churches are patriarchy and know nothing. So sorry for all of the ignorance of religion and the power it had over women yesterday. A new breed today and they aren't buying it! Progress. Still some major smashing to do but headed in the right direction- finally.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Christian in name only..
    It is amazing some of the family history that is there to be found.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Church. In the context you mention here, I want to spit. They did terrible, terrible things, and not just the Catholic church, either.

    Your daisy is pretty! The spring air is like a tonic, isn't it? :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Enjoy your Spring weather for it is truly a wonderful joy!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Alas I have nothing good to say about the clergy, with a few shining exceptions.

    Warm weather, now, is different and great and sleep inducing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Enjoy your spring.
    I often worry about the authority of religion and am grateful to have never known it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You're certainly keeping yourself busy.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It's wonderful to see spring coming. The sad story of children and sometimes mothers of the not so past is abhorrent. Because they were not considered to be people they could be cast off by the self-righteous. Unfortunately remnants of this archaic thought.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sadly, identifying as Christian often means little to some people. I do not see churches supporting children at risk. Biden does seem to be looking to provide more assistance to children. Your green thumb works wonders.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hari OM
    ...oh for spring... still a long way off round the Hutch... sigh... YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
  11. Joanne, I just watched "I am woman" on Netflix. I forgot how much I really like Helen Reddy's songs. If you haven't seen it, you might check it out.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I think the story of your Irish paternal grandparents and all they went through could be a book.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Philomena is an interesting movie and an even more interesting book. The Church has been adamant in its refusal to help the poor and the needy.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
  14. What lovely April weather you are having. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I had to laugh at your dry humor. I, too, cannot rise unaided from the grass, or tile, or driveway! But I PICTURE myself doing so, and running, and turning quickly. The mind is slow to catch up to reality, I guess!

    ReplyDelete
  16. We saw "Philomena" a few years ago at the Cineplex and enjoyed it too. Judy Dench is always good in every movie she's in.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Mild , gentle spring weather brings a lot of happiness.

    ReplyDelete
  18. "The Church did nothing" Time and time again and still it happens even now.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I watched Philomena and was so sad at the end. I truly felt for her. The church is such a nightmare of wrongs done to people. All in the name of what's holy. I wonder why your cat wants to eat things that are obviously not 'food.' Bizarre--but then most cats are, come to think of it! Enjoy your spring weather -- nice mental image of you in your chair with the light breeze blowing through... excellent napping weather!

    ReplyDelete
  20. It seems to me that I am among the few in the world who do not yet have Netflix. Maybe it's time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are not as alone as you may think, Yael. We don't have it either.

      Delete
  21. I've just watched "Red Joan", another Judi Dench movie. She keeps going in spite of her age. I latch onto my daughter's Netflix subscription, but she is threatening to cancel. I'm trying to watch what I can in the next month.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I don't mean to sound unappreciative, but I don't understand how Judi Dench became a national treasure.

    ReplyDelete
  23. As regards the Church, give me a week or two and I am sure I will find something good to say about it.

    ReplyDelete
  24. The RC has horrible influences on my family rippling down through the generations. So sorry to hear about yours. Always follow the money on this evil cult.

    Philomena was brilliant. I love Judi. Remember as Time Goes By?

    I have days like yours Joanne, useless, moany and pointless. You seem to get more done than I do on such days.

    XO
    WWW

    ReplyDelete
  25. We have chilly, damp weather this week, Joanne, so it is good that you took the time to open the windows and enjoy the warmth of last week. Spring weather can be so up and down through April.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Great weather! We're getting it this week, so I'll need to mow my lawn. We've read a few books in BC about children being sold/given away by various entities, many of them pillars of their communities. Sickening.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I finally placed all my amaryllis in the dirt next to the garage door. one I thought was very dead, but two have blossoms now. Very encouraging. The biggest plant has two. Surprised me.

    ReplyDelete
  28. We have an odd cat who never pukes. Never. It is, perhaps, her most endearing quality. :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. I am glad to see you here. Glad you checked in. Glad that spring is finally coming to you, that you can see and feel it. Enjoy it. Take care, dear woman.

    ReplyDelete
  30. So many stories of this toxic relation between people and the church they believed cared for them.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Young people are avoiding the church these days. The church is longing its power over the people and it's about time.
    Enjoy the nice weather,

    ReplyDelete
  32. Books out of Ireland tell about the treatment of unwed mothers. Hell, it was ill.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Philomena was a good, but sad movie. Another one like it is The Magdalene Sisters about the Magdalene Laundries which was mainly in Ireland but, surprisingly operated here in the US, one being in Philadelphia till the late 60’s. The ones in Ireland closed in 1996. The first time I heard about them was on 60 Minutes when they did an expose on them and followed the story of two women looking for what happened to their children. Cruelty and evil lived in those asylums.

    ReplyDelete
  34. We enjoyed Philomena. One of our family stories is how one of our great-grandfathers, who happened to be an immigrant from County Kerry in Ireland, left the church after his mother died because the priest came to collect their only cow to pay for masses for her soul. It seems that Great Grandfather felt he needed the cow more than his dear mother needed so many masses.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I remember asking my zen priest grandfather what was the best religion. He said it's not the religion but the people practicing it that make it good or bad. And so it is.
    I saw Philomena too. I do love Judy Dench. It was so very sad, but gripping from start to finish.

    ReplyDelete