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Weekend Coffee Share, Thanksgiving Edition
November 26, 2016
— 11 Comments
Govinda’s Thanksgiving
holiday buffet
holiday buffet
Friend for lunch
Govinda’s Thanksgiving
If we were having coffee today I would tell you our week was almost perfect here. Welcome to my home this lovely mild weekend in Tucson. If you are living up north I hope you packed your bathing suit so you can go in the jacuzzi and get some sun on the deck before you head back home. These are the perfect weather days that make Tucson so popular as a winter destination. Help yourself to tea or coffee, and please enjoy a snack from the sideboard laden with food. I know many of the Americans will be weary of even seeing food, but for those of you who live in other countries we are serving pecan sweet potatoes, mini-croissants, green beans almandine, homemade spicy cranberry ketchup with chunks of ginger to compliment a large cheese tray. In the center of the table is a mega plate of raw and pickled vegetables, olives, pickled peppers of every kind, and 20 different sauces in which to dip them. If that does not overwhelm you with the colors and flavors of the fall season, there is nothing more I can do. Please make yourself at home and eat as much or as little as you want. Tell me what has been going on in your life. Pull up a chair and stay a while.
If we were having coffee I would tell you about our day on Thursday. We went to Thanksgiving lunch at our local vegetarian buffet run by the Hare Krishna community. They have a great selection, beautiful outdoor patio, a band, and a live turkey. This is the perfect place for our celebration. We ran into an old friend we had not seen for years and ate our meal with her. That was pleasant surprise. I chose not to overeat at lunch because I could take the leftovers home in a box and keep going later. It all tasted great cold, especially the green beans mixed with mashed potatoes and gravy. I dump the carrot gravy on all my food because it is the thing that pulls the whole meal together. I could drink this gravy as a beverage. We write down what we appreciate most on a piece of paper to enter a drawing to win a free lunch. It is not important if you win the lunch, but writing your gratitude and putting it in the jar with the other papers completes the group intention. It is simple yet effective. They would love to encourage participation in their religion, but never solicit or recruit patrons of the restaurant. The old days of aggressive Hare Krishnas chanting in airports are gone. Now they make fabulous food and finance their temple feeding Tucson. They announced a new delivery service they are launching which I will surely use, even though I live right up the street. They will bring me delicious food as well as any clothing, incense, wall hangings, or books I might need in the future.
As we drove to Govinda’s we were stopped at a red light when we observed two cop cars and two cops running around in a shopping center next to us. One cop approached a Native American man who was waiting at the bus stop on the corner. We rolled down the window to listen to the conversation between the two men. The cop asked the native man if he had seen anything in the area. We did not clearly hear his response, but he seemed to indicate the he had seen someone enter one of the locked, closed businesses. The cop asked him for ID. The man asked why he had to show ID. The cop told him “I don’t know who you are…” The light turned green and we drove on thinking that must have been some Twilight Zone Thanksgiving re-enactors back at that bus stop. Why should a Native man at a bus stop have to show ID to Tucson Police Department employee? I thought about Standing Rock and the military vets who are self deploying to protect the sovereign rights and water quality of the First Nations in the Dakotas. The violence being used at Standing Rock reminds me of the Indian Wars, and that reminds me of Harvard being founded to convert the local Native Peoples to a particular brand of christianity. All that reminds me of Wounded Knee. Our history is highly genocidal. The irony is wildly significant on our “how we bonded with the Indians” holiday.
On a lighter note, my Thanksgiving cactus started blooming right on cue, on the very day. I am proud of her. Please check out her rapidly unfurling flowers next to the front window. Thanks very much for visiting on this busy weekend. Please check out our other coffee sharing friends who gather at Diana’s site, here. Post, comment, or just enjoy the coffee.
Nicholas Atwood, 11th Great-Grandfather
November 25, 2016
— 1 Comment
St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church
My eleventh great-grandfather was probably born in Sanderstead,Surrey, England in 1539. He died in Surrey May 10, 1586. He married Olive Harman at St. Martins, London on 30 Jan 1569. (Olive Harman was born in 1548 in Sanderstand, Surrey, England,81 died in 1603 in Elstree Church, Herefordshire, England 81 and was buried in 1603 in Elstree Church, Herefordshire, England.)
Nicholas was baptized at All Saints’ Sanderstead. His parents were John Hewson Attewood and Margaret Grenville.
Nicholas Atwood was assistant of the Queens Carriages. Due to the estate being left to Nicholas eldest son Harman, the younger brother John (Jonanem) sued Harman for the Estate but lost. (See Generation 10 for details of how the estate
passed to Harman)..
Here lyeth Nicholas Wood thirde sonne/ of John At wood of Sanderstead Corte who
served/ Queen Elizabeth sens the second year of her/ rayne & deceased the XIIIth
of May 1586 and left/ behind him a wife & children ix vii sonns HARMON/JOHN
NICHOLAS THOMS. JAMES JOHN RICHARD ALLIS & SUAN.
Olive Harman was born in 1548 in Sanderstead, Surrey, She was the daughter of James Harman. She also Married William Marleville and John Buck.
Nicholas Atwood (1539 – 1586)
11th great-grandfather
John Atwood (1582 – 1644)
son of Nicholas Atwood
John Thomas Wood (1614 – 1675)
son of John Atwood
Margaret Wood (1635 – 1693)
daughter of John Thomas Wood
Elizabeth Manchester (1667 – 1727)
daughter of Margaret Wood
Dr. James Sweet (1686 – 1751)
son of Elizabeth Manchester
Thomas Sweet (1732 – 1813)
son of Dr. James Sweet
Samuel Thomas Sweet (1765 – 1844)
son of Thomas Sweet
Valentine Sweet (1791 – 1858)
son of Samuel Thomas Sweet
Sarah LaVina Sweet (1840 – 1923)
daughter of Valentine Sweet
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Sarah LaVina Sweet
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
son of Jason A Morse
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
son of Ernest Abner Morse
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse
A Chancery suit includes a statement that the Court Roll in 1547 show Nicholas Atwood to have then been the heir of Sanderstead Manor. Nicholas Atwood, was born before 1539, most likely at Sanderstead Court. He served Queen Elizabeth after the second year of her reign, as Assistant Sergeant of the Queen’s Carriages with his cousin, John Ownstead as Sergeant.
At St. Martin’s, 30 Jan 1569, he married Olive Harman (1548-1603), daughter and heiress of James Harman. Most of their children were baptized at St. Martin’s. When in the country, they resided at Court farm and here one night, when roads were especially bad, the Queen returning from one of her trips, spent the night at Court Farm.
Nicholas died 10 May 1586, in Sanderstead and was buried in St. Martin’s, 14 May 1586. His wife, Olive married for a second and third time. Her monument in Elstree Church names her Atwood children.
~Ye Ole Atte Wode Annals, pp. 3, 5
• Background Information. 179
~History of the Atwood Family, in England and the United States: To which is Appended a Short Account of the Tenney Family, p. 4, Nycholas Wood, died 1586, was the third son of John Atwoode, who died in 1520, and the father of Harman Attwood, also written Attwoodd. Harman Attwood is called Harman Woode until the entry of the baptism of his third child in the Saunderstead register. The Atte Woodes or Atwoods had many different spelling for their name in the records that can be found.
• Epitath. 110
“Here lyeth Nycholas Wood, the third son of John At Wood of Sanderstead corte, who served Queene Elizabeth seus the second yeare of her rayne, and deceased the 14 of may, 1586, leaving behind him a wyfe and children, – 7 sons, Harman, John, Nicholas, Thomas, James, John, Richard, Allis, Susan.”
~History of the Atwood Family, in England and the United States: To which is Appended a Short Account of the Tenney Family, p. 6
Visit To Plymouth Plantation
November 23, 2016
— 6 Comments
cannons above church Plymouth
Pilgrims
Pilgrim
miller’s take
mill pond
When I visited Plymouth Plantation to see how my ancestors had lived the Mayflower was out of town being repaired. That did not bother me. I filled my day visiting at the museums of the living culture, including the grain mill extension in town. The details are fabulous and the actors doing the recreation are very knowledgeable and professional at their work. My personal ancestors were not on hand the day I went, but I did see the recreations of their homes. I also spent time in the cemetery and the church. The whole town is kind of preserved, with a definite Mayflower Pilgrim theme.
I was most interested in the Wampanoag section of the display. I thought for years I was a descendant of Quadequina, a member of the first Thanksgiving party. I was thrilled to be a Wamp, but later my first cousin discovered an error in my research. I had to cut that branch from the tree and begin again in the 1700s in South Carolina. I was super distressed at this news, which at first I was unwilling to accept. I was furious at my cousin, but had to face the reality that I had based my conclusions on specious data. I had mistaken one John Taylor in South Carolina for another, and that was all it took to lead me astray. It was a bummer. I was just a wanna be Wampanoag after all. It was a sad day when I had to admit that.
I stayed on Cape Cod where many of my ancestors moved after they had had it with the Plymouth bureaucracy and religious police. The whole area is filled with history. Even though my dreams of being a Wampanoag were dashed I enjoyed learning about the tribe and their struggle today. My relationship to them is purely intellectual, but I still love the People of The First Light. I love them more than I love the Pilgrims, who turned out to be pretty religious crazy. That whole story about religious freedom and Plymouth has been stilted quite a bit. They had no use for religious freedom other than their own specific brand of religious practice. They forced everyone to go to their church and obey their church’s rules. That is why many of my ancestors left for Cape Cod and later for Rhode Island. Those oppressive Pilgrims were just too intrusive to have as neighbors.
I hope to go back to Plymouth some day. I now have done more research and more people to find in the vicinity. I also hope I will revisit Williamsburg, VA because many of my ancestors were living down there in the 1600’s too. If you have a chance to go see the exhibits at Plimouth Plantation Thanksgiving will never be the same for you. You will see a clearer picture of what really happened in history.
DNA For Hipsters
November 20, 2016
— 7 Comments
brother’s estimate
my estimate
The subject of DNA testing has become more and more popular since Ancestry.com directed some television programming at discovering the ethnicity of celebrities. Many folks are surprised to learn their DNA reveals a different or much more complex ethnic background than they had assumed. It is particularly poignant for black people to trace their ancestors back to slavery and find out how much non-African DNA they have. The show and the advertising have increased the number of people sending samples to the database at Ancestry.com. This has the effect of defining all of us in the database with more precision. I think that this is one way to eradicate racism. Our connections are much more complicated than any of us have been thinking.
The more DNA they have to compare, the more specific they can be. When I first took the test the program was new and not well known. My profile initially told me I was 98% from the British Isles, and trace elements. I was not very impressed. As the database grew my profile showed more specificity including western Europe. Recently my brother sent in his saliva in order to help a man find his birth father. He has distant DNA links to our family and asked us for some help with his own research. Male DNA reveals more than female, so my brother complied with his request. I had heard this before, but when I studied my brother’s DNA results I was surprised to see he had more detail than I did. We had the same parents for sure. My partner said it is because my brother is a later model, but this makes no sense. I think it is because he is a male. I will get to the bottom of this. In the meantime I have started to investigate some of the 550 DNA matches that Ancestry has compiled for me over the years while I basically ignored this feature. It is really interesting and fun. They send me new connections all the time with charts about the lineage. I am into it, and have made progress on my tree. I have confirmed some sketchy connections in my research, and found many new ones. DNA is where it is happening for my investigations right now. It is yielding progress. I paid my annual subscription fees this month, but feel really good about all the value I get from Ancestry.com. The more DNA they collect the better it is for me, so send your spit to my database, please.
DNA testing for the public is a huge growth market. It is also the talk of the town. When I ran into my friend who is a doctor and knows she has Swedish ancestry did the test at 123 and Me recently. She did it because it is possible to test for genetic predisposition to disease as well as for contraindicated medications. She wanted to know which meds are going to harm her. I did not know that was part of the information being shared, but that does sound incredibly useful. I need to check back with her to see what she learned beyond what she knows from that old family bible in Swedish that tells part of her story. Everyone finds surprises. Have you done any DNA tests yet, gentle reader? What have you discovered? What made you decide to do it?
Dorothy Parker, Queen Of Swords
November 18, 2016
the queen of swordsOne of my favorite authors of all time is Dorothy Parker who lived from 1893-1967. Her career included writing poetry, journalism, drama criticism, and screen writing. She is best known for her wit and satire. As a public figure she was both well-loved and controversial. Her political statements got her listed on the Hollywood black list during the witch hunt for communists. When she died she bequeathed her estate to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Her stance on civil rights was progressive long before it was socially accepted. I admire her for the way she used humor.
The Queen of Swords in tarot is a symbol of independent thought and judgement. She is professional, perceptive, analytical and sharp witted. She beckons to the future and is looking at it in the card, but we can’t see what she sees. Her intellect is mature and her discernment and ability to judge impartially make her a royal. She does not beat around the bush, but comes directly to the point without emotional investments. She uses logic and facts to make good decisions. When this card turns up reversed in a reading the shadow elements of the archetype are indicated. When she is upside down it means her normally clear vision is being clouded by emotions. Rather than clear and precise independent thought, she is influenced to preserve status quo in relationships. Her goals are compromised by fear of what others think. Dorothy Parker had a lot of tragedy and failed relationships in her life. She played both sides of the Queen of Swords, famously doing quite a bit of drinking. Like her buddies Hemingway and Fitzgerald she spent a great deal of time in bars. She suffered from alcoholism which consumed her last years. Her work endures.
Here are some of my favorite quotes attributed to this sharp and sassy sword queen:
“That would be a good thing for them to cut on my tombstone: Wherever she went, including here, it was against her better judgment.”
“A little bad taste is like a nice dash of paprika.”
“The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.”
“I think that the direction in which a writer should look is around.”
Dorothy ParkerFinding The Center
November 15, 2016
— 4 Comments
There is a long history of contemplative practice in Christianity. In the 1970’s three monks from Massachusetts created modern instructions for centering prayer. This form of meditation is close to Yoga Nidra. It teaches the mind to rise above the normal thoughts that inhabit our thinking. A jolly attitude is recommended toward the thought forms that casually intrude into one’s session. By gradually improving the ability to concentrate and fully focus on the selected subject or word, those pesky internal discussions cease and desist that constant chatter. All forms of meditation are aimed at this goal. If we have control over our thoughts we have control over our reality.
Lectio Divina is a way to use scriptures as the focus of the silent contemplation. Since journaling is a valuable way to amplify the lessons learned a company is producing lectio divina journals with recommended scriptures for each day with plenty of space to write down any impressions or ideas that spring from the session. These guys are monks, so they always use Christian texts, normally the Bible, for the inspiration. They refer to this as a centering prayer, which is a perfect way to describe the experience. Asking for divine inspiration at the outset is the way to invite holy blessings. Writing down journal impressions creates a bridge between the contemplation and everyday life. Insights gained are captured in the writing practice.
I think anyone can do this kind of meditation. You don’t need to use Christianity or any other specific religion to do it. Time spent quieting the mind and discovering the power of meditation and journaling is a wonderful way to simply deal with stress in the modern world. Simple Abundance, or gratitude journaling are secular ways to include contemplation and writing in our lives. There are many variations on this theme. I think now is the time to develop practices that increase our joy and comfort in the world. We are our own best medicine when we join forces with all that is. We will all drive ourselves mad without some well tended personal space and time dedicated to centering. I hope you will discover a method that soothes your soul and raises your happiness quotient. You don’t have to be a monk to like it.
Simple Abundance
Garbage In, Garbage Out
November 14, 2016
— 5 Comments
Selfish ignorant politicians are the product of a selfish ignorant population. Have we considered how co-dependent it is to re-elect the congress we love to hate? The United States is a highly dysfunctional family with generational beliefs about a common enemy that may not exist. We make the sovereign powers of the world pay attention to us while we display our lack of mature thinking. I did vote this year, and always have, but I appreciate this joke by the late, great George Carlin. Our attachment to politics is a very negative and fruitless folly. The video includes graphic language and gestures that may not be appropriate for everyone. When I think about how long this video has been in existence it makes it all the more poignant to me. Pardon me, gentle reader, if this is not your kind of joke. This joke is on all of us.
Weekend Coffee Share, Plot Twist
November 12, 2016
— 7 Comments
#WeekendCoffeeShare
If we were having coffee today I would tell you that I am dedicated to simple pleasures like coffee with you right now. I have some spiced cider, a selection of teas, and we still have lots of nuts to go around. Please help yourself and take the load of your feet for a few minutes. As I told you last weekend this friendly digital drink downing party between writers is a welcome safe space to hang without exposure to crazy political hoo ha. This rare and exotic privilege to hang out and share personal thoughts is very valuable to me. The trauma of the political season has exhausted everyone. This is a time for healing by sincerely listening to others.
We have been subjected to far too much hate speech and faulty logic. The big November surprise of the election of Donald Trump has twisted history. We will now change the narrative of our story along with the costuming, the moral values, and the judicial system. After I considered the facts, although I did not vote for him, I do share the frustration about dysfunctional government that his supporters claim to be able to remedy. I despise the wasted days and wasted nights we spend supporting the Congress while they bicker our money down the drain. My solution to this problem would be different, but we agree that there is a giant problem. I do fear and loathe what has happened, but I also have been upset about the government’s dysfunction for my entire adult life. As soon as I started paying taxes, before I could vote, I started freaking out. I have voted in every election since I turned 21, but feel that many of my choices have sucked. My taxes have not been spent in my best interests. I am not sure whose interests were served, but I can tell mine were not. My level of approval has not changed much over time. It hovers around 2%. There is no love lost.
Some people think he will not be able to deliver on any of the bombastic promises. Others think he will do wonders for the economy. He seems determined to roll back civil rights and health care legislation, but he has no experience in making laws. This is a volatile experiment being felt around the globe. It is explosive and pernicious. Nobody knows what will happen.
My focus is where is usually is, at home. My well-being begins and ends at my house. I have limited control over the way the larger cookie crumbles. Here in midtown Tucson I have purchased some perfect comice pears, some brie cheese, and some tangerines. I am shifting the menu to holiday specials without turning to sugar to create them. We are setting out on a gourmet journey into fabulous fall flavors. Eating delicious food at home can make up for a lot of terrible things out in the world. I have tiny solar lights all a twinkle outside. In a few weeks I will start to plant my fake poinsettias in the front yard. I bring them out a few at a time. The week before Christmas it goes into full coverage. I am amazed how long these fake flowers have held up, since they spend a month each year outside in the yard. I plan to pursue my own festive plans without taking on a burden of worry. Actions are of the utmost importance now. Just as we can’t be bullied by foreign terrorists, we can’t give up our own peace and quiet to worry about the government. I plan to keep a warm place for you by the wood stove all winter. Thanks very much for visiting today. Take a ripe comice pear with you for the ride home.
Do check out all the coffee sharing action here. Visit the contributors, leave comments or write your own weekend post to let us know what you’re thinking and doing.
home is where the heart is
Say It In Latin, Argumentum Ad Hominem
November 11, 2016
— 4 Comments
The practice of trash talking with personal insults rather than appeal to reason has dominated our political season. This kind of logic is known as argumentum ad hominem, or ad hominem for short. The personal attack is intended to discredit any statement made by the opponent. It is a logical red herring designed to distract from the business at hand. It is the full time occupation of the Congress of the United States.
Ad hominem tu quoque is to use the “I know you are but what am I?” line of reasoning. It translates to “You do that too.” There is a big difference between a persuasive argument and a statement of fact. In order to reach valid conclusions it is important to distinguish guilt by association or circumstance from cold, hard, empirical facts. All’s fair in marketing and politics. The emotional ad hominem is used freely and frequently to convince people to vote or buy something. We are all being manipulated, like it or not. In order to be an independent thinker one must consider empirical facts at face value, without prejudice. Conversely, if it is our goal to hoodwink or control our audience it appears that trash talking works very well. Next time you find yourself in an argument notice how long it takes for this tactic to be used. It is a very common weapon, gentle reader. Don’t be fooled by association fallacies. They are enormously popular.
Ad hominem tu quoque
To Live Existentially
November 9, 2016
orchids
“Everything has been figured out, except how to live.”
― Jean-Paul Sartre
From the post war philosophers and artists who created the existential movement to Woody Allen who made movies designed to parody the literary and philosophical culture, existentialism flourished. Jean-Paul Sartre coined the title. He was a French writer who is known for philosophical as well as fictional books. He and his contemporaries were concerned with the individual’s freedom and responsibility rather than social or political issues. They concluded that to understand the human nature science and morals were insufficient. They were obsessed with how to live life by taking responsibility for creating reality. They believed that every individual action taken changes the world to some degree. Each act must therefore be done in full awareness and with precision. Our acts, not particularly our thoughts, make the atmosphere we inhabit what it is. The personal power and responsibility to act wisely belongs to each individual. The sum of all these individual actions creates the entire world.
Existential therapy deals with the inevitability of death, freedom and its attendant responsibility, existential isolation, and finally meaninglessness. This remedy aims to answer the big questions such as “What is the meaning of life?” in each individual life. This is an extension of the philosophy focuses on helping clients make good choices and thorough evaluations of all the options available. I always liked this way of thinking. Now is a perfect time to take stock and evaluate how we are creating the world around us. This life is a limited time offer. We never know how limited until it ends…and then there will be nothing else.
“You are — your life, and nothing else.”
― Jean-Paul Sartre, No Exit
Sartre
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