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Personality and Style, Ruby Lea Taylor Morse

May 11, 2014 — 1 Comment

I was raised by party animals who also had a very strict sense of discipline for children. There was a substantial conflict of interest, but it was the 1950’s when conflict, cold war, and paranoia were in fashion.  My mother was a housewife who worked all the time in her house and garden to create an impressive environment.  She garden clubbed, bridge clubbed, and PTA’d.  She made herself matching pill box hats for her outfits, and generally tried to make the perfect impression.  Since I was part of that public impression I had to be dressed and groomed in ways that I found to be truly abhorrent.  I struggled to free myself from the little white sock dress code and, most of all, from permanents in my hair, until I was about 10.  My parents meant no harm, and today I can thank them for teaching me at a very early age the value of rebellion.  They were progressive for their era.  They just never thought their era would come to an end.

Ruby Lea Taylor was an orphan from Humble Texas who married my dad and escaped poverty.  She never intended to look back or return to her roots.  She visited her siblings, but retained distance both geographically and philosophically.  She was ready to go anywhere at a moment’s notice, and adventured into anything my father proposed.  They were world travelers and jet setters before there were jets.  I always thought my parents were heavily repressive when I was at home, but in retrospect I know they came a long way, baby.  They even tuned in turned on (with alcohol) and dropped out in the 60’s to travel around the Caribbean.  They surprised me when they moved to Texas so my father could take up computer science before there was really any computer science.  Ruby was a pioneer environmentalist while my father was busy perfecting fracking.  She had a very green thumb, and followed first lady Ladybird into the Clean Up America campaign.  Her love of gardens, botany, and flowers lasted a lifetime.  When she was near the end of her life she adored spending time in her garden, and all other gardens.  She died at home in Tucson, right around the corner from where I live now. The college aged girls who live in her house now told me they have a ghost, and that she is friendly. They say she likes to dance and party.  That would definitely be my mother.  I am pleased she has those college girls to keep her entertained.  She doesn’t visit us because we are probably not lively enough for her.

John Parmenter, Essex to Roxbury

May 7, 2014 — 1 Comment

Flagon and Trencher Society

Flagon and Trencher Society

My 11th great-grandfather was a tailor who sailed to America with his family in 1639.  He was a tavern keeper and a deacon in Sudbury, MA.  His tavern, licensed in 1653, was operated continuously as the Parmenter Tavern until 1880:

John PARMENTER Dea. was born about 1588 in England. In a publication (ParmenterStory) by Roland A Dahir, at the 400th birthday of Dea. John Parmenter he writes that, according to a Parmenter descendant, Marjorie J Parmenter and George M Parmenter, Dea. John was born in Sible Hedingham County Essex, England on 12 Jan 1588; he m Bridget in Little Yeldham on 12 Jun 1609; she was born at Bures St. Mary, Country Essex on 12 Feb 1589. He was buried on 1 May 1671 in Roxbury, Suffolk, MA.2,15
John and both children are mentioned in his father (William) Will in 1613, but he inherited no lands or tenements from his father. Following his father’s death in 1617 John moved to about eight miles from Little Yeldham into Bures St. Mary. John’s connection to Bures St. Mary can be seen in his association with Philemon Whale and Herbert Pelham, residents of Bures St. Mary who emigrated to Sudbury [The Puritan village, Sumner Chilton Powell, Appendix I, Wesleyan Univ. Press, 1963] A comparison of the signature of John Parminter as a witness in the original will of Henry Loker of Bures St. Mary with an autograph signature of Dea. John Parmenter as a commissioner of Sudbury, MA, 6 Jan 1639/40 shows that the two signatures were made by the same hand. [Suffolk Co. Court files, Boston, NO.162004]
In 1639 John Parmenter emigrated to New England with his wife Bridget and children Mary and John Jr; in his party were the widow Elizabeth Loker and her children. The name of the ship or port of departure is not known. John Parmenter was one of the original proprietors of Sudbury, and was assigned lands May 1640 by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay colony [Suffolk court files, vol. I, No. 304, microfilm #A360, Univ MA, Amherst]. John was chosen early as a Selectman; then Deacon, and Commissioner; he desired to be made Freeman 13 May 1640 [NEHGS Reg. Vol 13, 261], and made freeman 10 May 1643.
Following the death of his first wife, he married Annis (Bayford)(Chandler) Dane and relocated to Roxbury where he died on 1 May 1671; his will was dated 25 Mar 1671, and proved 25 Jul 1671.
John PARMENTER Dea. and Bridget were married about 1609 in England.2,3 Bridget was born before 1599 in England. 2,3
Found on http://www.parmenter-fam-assn.org/PPA2%20Cln%20090105.PDF

John Parmenter (1588 – 1671)
is my 11th great grandfather
Mary Parmenter (1610 – 1690)
daughter of John Parmenter
John Woods (1641 – 1716)
son of Mary Parmenter
Lydia Woods (1672 – 1738)
daughter of John Woods
Lydia Eager (1696 – 1735)
daughter of Lydia Woods
Mary Thomas (1729 – 1801)
daughter of Lydia Eager
Joseph Morse III (1752 – 1835)
son of Mary Thomas
John Henry Morse (1775 – 1864)
son of Joseph Morse III
Abner Morse (1808 – 1838)
son of John Henry Morse
Daniel Rowland Morse (1838 – 1910)
son of Abner Morse
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Daniel Rowland Morse
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

John and Bridget Parmenter
John – b. about 1588, probably at Little Yeldham, Essex, England; d. June 1, 1671, Roxbury, MA. Son of William PARMENTER and Margery. John, a tailor by trade, arrived with his family in New England from Great Yarmouth in 1639. He became freeman May 13, 1640 and served as a deacon and selectman of Sudbury, MA. By 1654, John PARMENTER was authorized by the town of Sudbury “to keep a house of common entertainment and that the court shall be moved on his behalf to grant a license to him” (Colonial Tavernrkeepers, Vol. 5, edited by Harriet Stryker-Rodda, 1982, page 19). His will, dated Mar. 25, 1671 and proved Jul. 25, 1671, names his second wife, son-in-law John WOOD, grandson John PARMENTER, and cousins CHEEVERS and John STIBBINS. John married second Aug. 9, 1660 at Roxbury, MA, Annis BAYFORD (d. Mar. 15, 1682/3, Roxbury, MA; bur. there Mar. 17, 1682/3), widow of William CHANDLER and John DANE. John and Bridget were married about 1609, probably at Bures St. Mary, Suffolk, England.
Bridget – b. probably at Bures St. Mary, Suffolk, England; d. Aug. 6, 1660, Sudbury, MA. She was probably the sister of Elizabeth, wife of Henry LOKER. Bridget and Elizabeth may have been daughters of William PERRY or of John SIMPSON, who both had daughters with their names baptized at Bures St. Mary between 1585 and 1593.
Children of John and Bridget Parmenter
Mary – b. about 1610, probably at Bures St. Mary, Suffolk, England; d. Aug. 17, 1690, Marlborough, MA. Married John WOODS.
John – b. about 1611, probably at Bures St. Mary, Suffolk, England; d. Apr. 12, 1666, Sudbury, MA. Married about 1638 in England to Amy. Son: John married Anna CUTLER.

Goddess Archetype

May 5, 2014 — 1 Comment

Our own characters often resemble mythological beings in classic stories. Do we portray one myth more than any other? Are we stuck in a certain drama until we finally understand the meaning of it?  The study of archetypes is a study of mythology.  Metaphor and symbolism create stories that resonate with meaning in our lives. The admirable goddess qualities include wisdom, physical grace and strength, sensuality, beauty, and guidance.  In our world today there are many shadow goddesses. The overly indulged celebrities can reflect the shadow goddess.  There is commercial pressure to imitate the unhealthy, perfectionist, unkind diva.  It may be helpful to learn more about the positive myths.

Do you know the stories of any of these goddesses?

  • Quan Yin- Chinese, embodiment of pure compassion
  • Isis-Egyptian, motherhood diety
  • Oshun-Yoruba, water goddess of beauty, love, and pleasure
  • Athena-Greek, patroness of war, politics, and crafts

The associations with female power and myth have been twisted in some modern contexts.  Some study and meditation on the energy of these female figures in mythology can bring us closer to understanding our lives.  Our relationship with Mother Earth could use some work.  Do you bring the goddess concept into your meditations, gentle reader?  Do you have a favorite goddess?

Wings of Steel

May 2, 2014 — 1 Comment

This is how steel is turned into feathers.  Jerry W Harris is a sculptor in Tucson Arizona with a special affinity for  birds.  His realistic aviary is not only anatomically correct, but also portrays action and interrelationship in every piece. He is working on a sculpture in which one quail will be taking off to fly.  It is fascinating to see the process of making the heavy metal appear to be as light as feathers.  It requires awesome skill, and as he explains, some knowledge of worthy shortcuts. He has perfected his realism by study of bird anatomy.  He is serious about details, including realistic behavior.  I think it is fun to watch the detail as it takes shape.

LumenArt Class

April 26, 2014 — 1 Comment

Yesterday I enjoyed making art in a new way with Jeanne Fellow at Blue Raven Art School.  I had visited her studio and purchased a couple of her beautiful pieces and learned about the LumenArt class.  My classmate Jeannie Gentry had done exactly the same thing.  We both were very excited to try our hand at making one of these very special lamps.  Our 5 hour class went by very quickly.  Everything was set up for us on the shaded patio.  Each of us had our own work table and basic tools.  After a thorough demonstration of the basic techniques we chose colors and started our own experiment in color mixing. Some of the inks are iridescent, but those also block the light from within when it is a finished LumenArt. The fun of it all is that you don’t know how it will really look until you light it.  Jeanne encouraged us to feel free and confident to play around.  Both students created three possible candidates for lighting.  The class materials include two sheets of incredible paper that allows all kinds of layering and special techniques without tearing.  We each bought one extra sheet because we had enough time and were seriously into it.  When dry we selected one to become our lamp. Choosing color for the base and tearing the final design we had supervision and plenty of encouragement from our teacher.  This project is practically impossible to do badly.  The materials guarantee that the finished product will be thrilling.  She teaches a class in using these techniques on fabrics that will also be fun.  If you are an experienced artist/craftperson you will love this class.  If you think you are not creative and have no talent for art you will be blown away by your own amazing abilities when Jeanne shows you how to release them.  My LumenArt is now making me very happy and proud in my living room at home.  I also have two other fabulous pieces of art that I made.  I even love my scraps.  I would encourage anyone to investigate creativity and find your own inner light in one of Jeanne’s classes.  She rules.

Class Wars

April 19, 2014 — 5 Comments


Americans have trouble understanding the whole British royalty and fancy person hierarchy. My own British family has been fairly fancy in their time, but I have nothing to show for it except my family tree. In history brutal repression of common people, or peasants, was the way commerce was conducted. The United States is returning to a system of government that separates the elite in a special world of privilege and security while the majority of the population is loosing security of every kind.  Our country goes around bullying other nations about lack of democratic systems that protect the population.  Who will come to the United States and reprimand us for this recent class and income discrepancy we are growing?  Since many around the world are already hardened against the United States for our politics about war and violence, the facts about our upper crust citizens will cause more disgust for our economically bifurcated culture.  In an odd twist of fate, Americans who often use Brit accents and royalty to make fun of snooty class struggles, are making big strides creating inequity of our own.  What do you think will happen to our reputation abroad, gentle reader?

 

Lyft on Vacation

April 18, 2014 — 4 Comments

I will visit  Austin, TX in the middle of the summer. I look forward to spending time downtown where I have rented a fabulous vintage Airstream from Air BnB as my abode. I will attend a reunion party for which I will need a car, but I am investigating the choices and prices I have while I am in the city. Car rental at the airport for the entire time would cost about $1000. Since I like being driven more than I like to drive, especially in a city, I am trying Lyft as a way to buy one ride at a time.  My Airstream home is near public bus lines, and I can rent a bike for $10 a day.  I like to go on foot to see the detail around me when I visit a new area.   I know Austin has a system of bike taxis that are fun to use, especially when traffic is jammed for cars. When we went to Austin City Limits Music Festival we made use of the bike taxis, water taxis, and took a sunset party cruise on a well equipped floating live music bar.  Considering all these choices renting a car and finding parking for it wherever I go sounds less appealing than biking, floating or being driven.

During my career as a travel agent I was always grateful and happy to stay in hotels and use suppliers on the commercial market.  I made extra effort to rent private flats when I traveled.  Now that the market has changed drastically I am pleased to be able to rent with assurance from Air BnB, and now ride with assurance provided by Lyft, Uber, and probably other apps I have yet to discover.  I just joined Lyft and have received a message that the first ride is on the company as my gift for being a Lyft pioneer.  What is not to like?  We plan to go out this weekend, so I will give that free ride a trial when we want to come home after happy hour.  I will find out if they are active in Tucson and test the service.  I prefer the free ride home to any chocolate bunny.  Thanks, Lyft.

Poets and Education

April 15, 2014 — 1 Comment

From the time we learned our first Dr Seuss rhyme we were being educated by poets.  Nursery rhymes and fairy tales are used to teach morals and ethics to children.  There is value in the use of language to enchant and stick in the memory.  Poets are feeding the artistic as well as the language skills of readers.  Our own stories can only be told by our own voice.  To develop a voice as a writer or a poet one simply needs to start. Children are ready to rhyme and laugh at almost any word.  Adults often loose enthusiasm for word play as they grow older.  Since poetry stimulates creativity, and is a tool to jog the memory it makes sense to read and write poems.  Often hidden meaning can be found in song and story, as it is in Calypso.  Political protest can be carried out in a rhyme using allegory to mask the obvious.  Some of our nursery rhymes today were once hot treason against authorities.  What kind of symbolic words would you use to write a poetic protest today?

Blood Moons and Prophecy

April 14, 2014 — 4 Comments

Prophecies are made all the time about the end of the world.  I am not very interested in the end of the world because it is such a relative term.  I noticed the blood moon tetrad news was of interest to astronomers and astrologers.  Now I see it is being discussed by those who see at as a sign that Jesus is returning.  Tonight is the first night of Passover which will begin at sunset.  After the seder in the middle of the night the moon will be seen as blood red during the total lunar eclipse.  This is the chance for everyone in North America to witness this unusual spectacle of a full lunar eclipse appearing as a red full moon.

While I agree to a certain extent with the end of timers, I am not sure if we have 4,000 more years or 3 more weeks.  Facing mortality is fine.  That doesn’t mean we need to be morbid. If we are realistic we have to admit that Mother Earth is in dire straights.  I plan to go out tonight and enjoy floating around while the moon turns red and listen for a message.  I am not expecting prophecy, but I do think this is a special time.  Those of use who have clear skies and a clear schedule can be bathed in the light of this auspicious blood mood whatever it may mean.  What do you think the blood moons mean, Gentle Readers?

Cocktails in History

April 11, 2014 — 6 Comments

The word cocktail originally meant a drink made with bitters and distilled spirits, but this has changed over time.  There are many versions of how the name was derived, including a drink that was served with a garnish of feathers from a rooster.  The bartender was more of a pharmacist, and the elements of the drinks were medicinal in the 1800’s.  Morphine and heroin were sold on the open market and included in patent medicines in the early 1900’s, so mixed spirits were hardly the most dangerous potions one could use at that time.  Bitters were concocted by bartender/pharmacists with the herbs and fruits they had on hand, with whatever knowledge they possessed about the healing qualities of those plants.

Today Angostura and Fee brothers are still producing bitters from ancient recipes while other new producers are entering the commercial market.  It is easy to make your own bitters with flavors that work for you. I made a citrus vanilla infusion using an Alice Waters recipe and our organic grapefruit and Meyer lemons this winter which is delightful and has inspired me to dabble in bitters.  The process is simple.  Add flavors to vodka which is stored in the dark and shaken regularly for two weeks.   Strain the herb/fruit/flower mixture and boil it in water to create a strong tea.  Store both the vodka infusion and the strong tea for another two weeks, shaking the herbal tea frequently. Combine the tea and vodka after removing the solids and you have bitters.  There are several mixtures  of flavoring and bittering agents that appeal to me.  I think I will make peach bitters when my peaches get ripe just to get started.  The bitters can be used in non alcoholic drinks as well as in cooking.  I often use Angostura bitters in food.  It adds depth of flavor with great subtlety.  I did not drink or make cocktails until about 3 years ago but I have become a student of the history and resurgence of the art of mixology.  I enjoy seasonal fresh ingredients and the creativity of trying new combinations.  What is your favorite cocktail, Gentle Reader?