I really am experiencing Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's five stages of grief. I think I'm somewhere in the depression/acceptance range, though every once in a while I revert to anger. Yesterday I wrote a letter to the public editor at The New York Times, expressing my frustration at the massive fail in their news coverage. I have never taken an election so hard.
But I can't just sit around here numb with depression. We have to move on. Right? So let's talk about something else...
...like our hydroponic lettuce, which has grown quite a bit since my last picture. It's still not enough for a decent salad, unless you're Barbie, but I'm not sure how big we can reasonably expect it to get. I'm impressed it's lasted this long.
Or how about my annual shipment of candy corn, sent by my brother in Florida? This is his idea of birthday humor, because we both loved candy corn as kids and used to eat it by the bag. I'm sure I could buy it in England, if I wanted it, but he insists on mailing it to me as a reminder of our childhoods.
It's so sweet that, as an adult, I can only eat about one piece a day. It's amazing how much sugar kids can consume.
Finally, this is the time of year when we in the UK wear paper poppies on our jackets to honor veterans. Today is Remembrance Day -- the counterpart of Veterans Day in America -- and this Sunday, ceremonies will be held in Whitehall and all across Britain. The two world wars still resonate deeply in British culture as events that transformed the country.
The cold weather has continued to linger and I think it may be here for the duration of the season. We've only hit freezing once, as far as I know, but we're not far above it at night. A few nights ago I brought our plants in from outside, and a huge earthworm was huddled beneath one of the pots, apparently seeking warmth. So I put him in the pot and brought him in too. An earthworm vacation in a balmy locale! I'm sure he was thrilled -- or would have been, if he had a cerebrum.
With no cerebrum, was the worm called Donald?
ReplyDeleteI haven't moved beyond incredulity yet, although I suppose you could call that denial.
ReplyDeleteI keep going back and forth between stages as if there were no membrane between them at all.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the idea of the worm having a balmy place for winter. Thank you for that image. It's sweet and silly and damn but I need some of that.
Poppy Day! You just brought back a sweet memory from my days growing up in post colonial Jamaica. I loved tucking those red poppies into my uniform tunic. I loved seeing the entires school walking around adorned with exactly that paper flower you show in that photo. Maybe there's a stage of grief called nostalgia. Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteI used to sell poppies with my grandfather who was a veteran of WWII. I cannot resist buying poppies from old men in uniform! :)
ReplyDeleteI re=shared a blog post about him and his service in the great war today.
(http://www.rickandlynne.com/lynne/index.php/lynne/more/a_veteran_salute)
I have moved to anger. I am so angry, especially at my family of Trump supporters. Who are these people?!
ReplyDeleteYou are kindness itself moving that earthworm in for the winter. Just what we need-gentleness.
ReplyDeleteI love that you showed kindness to an earthworm! So sweet!
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of sweet, I love candy corn but like you, a piece or two a day is plenty!
All of these photos and the stories with them made me smile so they have worked their magic. When I visited London three years ago it was in November and I remember seeing those red poppies everywhere. It's an impressive sight. I wonder why that tradition didn't take hold in the US. When I was a little kid, I remember my grandmother and grandfather both sold poppies on the street this time of year. They were both members of the American Legion. I never see people selling poppies any more.
ReplyDeleteI think I will be stuck at #4 for quite some time.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that kids consume more sugar now by the time they are 2 years old than a person did in their whole life say 100 years ago. I forget what the time span was exactly but it was the not too distant past.
ReplyDeleteFive stages of grief is a good way to put the election for those who lost. I'm not sure what will be replaced when those stages are complete. Anyway, enjoy the sweets!
ReplyDeleteI've been remiss in not recognizing the deep grief, not just disappointment, that people are feeling, and I apologize for that. I do believe that we need to do a whole lot of talking, not just in the USA but in every part of every country, to try and understand how these things are happening. Thank you for thinking of the earthworm - I love that you are the kind of person who does that. Ours get through the cold season just fine, if you choose to put him outside again, and he might need food in that plant pot. I'm thinking about composting worms, that need fed, and assuming it's the same for any old worm, but I'm not sure of that.
ReplyDeleteThank your for your welcoming space, Steve; a place to debate civilly, to see beauty in your photographic handwork, and to enjoy everyday silliness.
I love the photo of the candy corn. And I'm like you. Can't eat much of it these days.
ReplyDeleteCheers to the earthworm, may he find a quiet corner in your pot plants or maybe behind the bathtub. How do they reproduce again?
ReplyDeleteI love the earthworm saga. It makes me happy to know that little worm is all tucked in for the winter. I had a friend in grade school who had a worm farm. It was so interesting, and almost as much fun as eating bags of candy corn.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness! Barbie would never entertain eating such a huge amount of lettuce. It would ruin her figure totally!
ReplyDeleteWe have Remembrance Day here and yesterday during my time in the city I saw only 4 other people wearing a Poppy apart from myself. All older people. There is a large population of immigrants from other countries who may or may not know, or care, about how this country came to be what it is today.
I'll stop there, otherwise it will be a post not a comment.....
Alphie
Well, your last sentence made me smile. I wish I were that earthworm without a cerebrum.
ReplyDelete