The Whipping Man, Seeking Justice Here on Earth

My folks have had Rep season tickets for years and this visit Natureman and I were fortunate to be able to accompany my Dad to Little Rock's powerful production of  'The Whipping Man' written by a new talent Matthew Lopez.  In the "Whipping Man" both Master and slaves share a past and its secrets. 

Its story deals with issues of race, religion and freedom as it takes place in a Jewish Virginia home owned by the DeLeon family after the Civil War has ended. 

The son of the DeLeons, Caleb, a Confederate officer has returned home badly injured to discover his home in ruins, his family missing and two former slaves, Simon and John, now 'newly freed' who also have been raised as jews within this very household. 

The year is 1865, Lincoln has been shot and it's Passover when Jewish families are celebrating the annual holiday of freedom from bondage. The question of why is this night different than all over nights takes on even more ironic significance as asked by Simon, a newly freed slave. 

Slaves whether living in Christian/ Jewish homes  adopted the religion of the oppressor. My book group just reviewed the "The Invention of Wings" which spoke of the mandatory church attendance where slaves had benches in the back of their master's church and Sunday school for the slave children taught by the master's older children. I had always assumed the master and slaves had their own places of worship. I had never even thought about a Jewish household during this time... How does a once enslaved people own slaves? 

If this play comes to your area, treat yourself to an emotional theater piece with sharp yet humorous at times dialogue. Most performances have post show talk backs.  The play certainly sparked a lot of conversation between us regarding the psyche of these 2 groups who experienced slavery in the histories of their people as they establish justice here on earth. If you've seen it and want to discuss, do share your impression. One critic wrote, "Slavery and war warp even good men's souls."

In the Rep's foyer were fascinating informative historic displays regarding slaves in Jewish households and Reconstruction.

Reconstruction in Arkansas

I listened to an interview which you might also find interesting. 
Here's the link:Author/Actor Interview




 

Moments of Clarity and Advice

A good day for my Mom depends on the previous night's amount of sleep. Many evenings she is put to bed by 7:30pm so consequently she awakens in the wee hours of the morning not realizing it's still dark outside. Her nights and days tend to get mixed up a lot which makes for really long, confused days. There were days she was really out of it.  Gee, who wouldn't be?  Then there are others where she is more alert and not dozing off constantly.

Dialogue can be very creative as the listener needs to not deny but allow the stories to unfold and repeat sometimes more than others.
There were a couple of conversations during our visit that were spot on and all the more meaningful. A very special one was initiated by Natureman as my brother Marc, Mom, Natureman and I sat around  a commons room table one afternoon while Mom enjoyed a good cup of coffee and a special snack of chocolate cream pie. She loves her sweets.

Anyhow you have the setting and here's the conversation about relationships between Natureman (N) and my Mom (M).

N: So Hildegard since we are talking about relationships, tell me what do you think it would take for your daughter to marry me?

M: Well, (long pause), the physical part is important, if you know what I  mean, (we all smiled)  but the emotional part is equally as important. 

N: What should I do to meet her emotional needs?

M: Of course you should do things together - but not just things you like to do.  You need to know what she likes to do and do them.

N: How do I know what she likes to do?

M: You need to ask her if you don't know and make a list of all these things . 

N: You are suggesting that I make a list?

M: Yes, definitely make a list. 

N: Then, do you think she'll marry me? That's up to her.

Priceless advice from a lady who has been married for 62 years.

I certainly am cherishing the moments of clarity when I know they are limited...

VACAY, Kind of, Not Exactly...

I did something I don't usually do, I took a self paid week's vacation from writing my blog. You know it's the same pay I get when I write my daily entries. Alas, I found little energies at each day's end to process the day's events and I am still processing to tell you the truth...

As 'charming' as it may sound to you city dwellers to have farm animals, it's not easy for both of us to leave as those animals need to be fed. Fortunately for this trip South Natureman could accompany me, thanks to son Simon having a concert nearby enabling him to housesit with the End of the Rainbow Valley animals. Natureman's calming way, moral support and presence was so appreciated in this difficult visit home.

If you caught my last entry I had written about my anticipation of an emotional journey home to Arkansas to visit my Mom in her new environs, a nursing home on an Alzheimer's floor. The initial step off the elevator was not really much different than the gloom my brother had painted. The floor's residents were sitting in their wheel chairs in front of the nurses's station each in their own worlds. There too sat my Mom but she was facing the wall talking to no one, moving her hands reaching for her non existent cup of coffee. I pushed back the tears as I approached, forcing an extra chipper tone of greeting "Hi Mom sorry we're late."


*Let me digress: Yep, the previous day's supposed 5 hour travel started with a mechanical difficulty(translated canceled flight) which ended up sending us cross country: a 3 hr bus trip north to Minneapolis, eastward flight to Atlanta and a final leg back westward to Little Rock. Too bad the 14 hour journey didn't have a longer lay over in Atlanta to visit daughter Lori!

Anyhoo, the beauty of being late a day didn't faze my Mom as she smiled as I kissed her, she added "Well, it's good to see you." Ironic for a woman who has lost her sight completely. Yet as I would come to realize this past week, a blessing for her present circumstances. She couldn't see what I saw. Surrounding us were many, mostly women just shells of their former selves. One just doesn't know what is being internalized and not verbalized. 

Throughout the visit there were good/lucid moments and not so good days. One is thankful for those better days/moments because who knows when/how often they might occur... 

One highlight was when my high school friend Chris insisted on meeting me at the nursing home. Her Mom had spent her last months on the very same floor with many of the same staff. During our visit together we heard piano music. Since Mom was up for some music we wheeled her down the hall and there at the piano sat one of the residents, a woman whom I had observed always dozing in her wheel chair clutching her red purse. But she wasn't sleeping now, in fact, when she noticed she had an appreciative audience, she asked for requests. 

the red purse lady

There atop the piano besides her red purse was a 100 Favorite Pop song book and after Chris opened it to a page, not only did the resident proceed to play but kept playing each page thereafter as we and others sang along for almost an hour. Mom hummed, sang a bit and tapped her feet.  Research says 'music' is not forgotten for those suffering Alzheimer's and fortunately there's daily musical programming, planned/not planned as in this case at this nursing home.

One morning my Mom repeatedly spoke of playing Russian music in the previous day's concert. Hmmm. Folks had congratulated her for playing so well and she didn't think she was 'that' good. Now since my Mom learned to play 6 instruments as a child whether or not this was a real past memory, who cares? It certainly gave her conversational material.  

And any conversation even if not a lot is something to be thankful for right now, a window into what my Mom is thinking.

               Important conversation to follow. Stay tuned... 

As Michael Buble Croons, I Wanna Go Home...

It's time.  I wanna go home, home to 'Da Rock. 

It's only been a month since my last visit home, BUT and there's that but, a lot has changed in a month. And I am not just talking foliage as winter will be on its way out in Arkansas with pansies planted and daffodils emerging... 

You see this visit I won't be heading to the house on Grant Street but rather to the nursing home which is my Mom's new home. It's with mixed emotions as I know this is the best place for her to be, yet, I know this is not rehab and a temporary visit but rather really is her home. She won't be moving back to Grant Street.

My brother painted the older, yet very conveniently located facility, Alzheimer floor as depressing with a description right out of the movies. "The nurses were visiting in the common room and the hallway was lined with its patients sitting in their wheelchairs."  I've decided I'm just going to expect that scene and then be thrilled to discover anything different.

Perhaps when I arrive my folks will still be enjoying one of the nursing home's daily programs of an afternoon musical concert. My Dad made some comment that he was going to go back to take her. And I inquired, "wouldn't someone there take her over? " Oh sure," he replied, "but this way I can roll her over and sit with her and hold her hand." That picture is pretty sweet. 

I'll be fine. She's fine. They are fine...

Here's Michael Buble's I Wanna Go Home 

It's More than Exercise

Good conversation always come with our endeavors

There's one activity that has moved with me 7 times over the years and it's my exercise program, Jazzercise. Jazzercise has more than just exercised my body in the different locales, it has also broadened my friendship base. Good health involves not only the body but the psyche as well. :)

This week our class shared more than just coffee as one of the class members, Carol, shared eating healthier with us. She had printed off healthy recipes from the Sanoviv Institute she had visited in Mexico. 

If interested, we could choose a recipe to make and share with the others. Yesterday we got to sample these healthier recipe options. Nowadays many folks have diet related health issues.

Any how not everybody might have the necessary ingredients in their pantries but most items could  be found in the local grocery store although some of us needed to visit our local food co-op/ a health food store. There were some "unique" concoctions such as Lime Pudding Shake which Jeanne blended up fresh for us with ingredients like stevia, lime, avocado and almond milk. 

We sampled quite a spread. Drinks, breakfast items, salads, soups and desserts.

I chose to make the Breakfast Vegetable Pie which received compliments so I thought I'd share the recipe. You know me, I substituted in addition to making a recipe one and a half times the 4 serving amount  as we had 20 staying for the taste testing.

Here's the healthy recipe:

Ingredients:
(4 servings)
2 c chopped broccoli or cauliflower ( I did a combo)
1⁄2 c chopped onion
1⁄2 c shredded carrots (red pepper or red cabbage may be used)
1⁄2 c shredded cheese (suggest raw milk cheddar or Daiya vegan cheese for a non­dairy alternative)
1 1⁄2 c unsweetened almond milk (regular organic or raw milk may be used)
3⁄4 c Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking Mix/other wheat­free baking mix 
4 organic eggs
1 t unrefined sea salt (Celtic, Himalayan)
1⁄4 t black pepper

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease pie plate or square casserole dish using organicbutter,
coconut oil or ghee.
3. Mix all ingredients except vegetables (add chopped veggies
last).
4. Put into  greased pie plate.
5. Bake 35minutes. Cool slightly and serve.

OPTIONAL:
Serve on a bed of lightly steamed spinach or with lightly sautéed red cabbage and carrots. The idea is to present a very colorful plate.

Nutrition Information for one serving
Total Calories 230 Protein 14 g Fat 6g
Carbohydrate Fiber
32 g 3 g
Sanoviv Recipe Book: September 2012
www.sanoviv.com Page 16

Eating healthy is up to us. It's not easy to change eating habits but once one makes healthier choices, one's body is going to appreciate it.

The Stuff We are Made of/ Hear and Here

Arriving as strangers, leaving as friends

Hear, Here.

It was Show 'n Tell Time this past Saturday. 

Sitting around the 2 pushed together tables in McCaffrey's coffee house were about 2 dozen storytellers.

It's always fascinating to see what people have chosen to bring and to hear the stories behind each object... 

Once again you get to decide the stories you'd like to hear. Email, Facebook message me privately / on my wall, comment on the blog entry space and yes, now you can even text me in the End of the Rainbow Valley ( a story for another day).

paper weight with a famous rock inside

a lucky coffee mug

music box

Crewel Work

Chinese Colors art work

a lazy susan Scrabble game

The neighbor girl 

A youngster in Manchester

a boxelder made bowl

a miniature wooden Devil, a British made chapstick and Hear/ Here...  

So what tickles your fancy as to what you'd like to hear about? 

I will add the stories as the requests arrive... because as you know life is full of stories.

*The first story request came from Linda for the 'paperweight' story. Rita was given this by her son who as a journalist was in Berlin when the wall came down. He gathered little pieces of the rubble and made paperweights for his family members. How cool is that?  Seeing the world events this past week of "I am Charlie," " Je suis Charlie" and "Ich bin Charlie" reminiscent of Willie Brandt's "Ich bin ein Berliner" and the paperweight's importance.

*Next request came from Ginger who wanted to know about the snapshot of the neighbor gal. Lois, its owner, the other gal in the photo didn't like school. So much so her Mom enlisted Linda Olson, the neighbor gal, to walk Lois to school. Linda talked ad nauseum en route and didn't even care if Lois was part of the conversation. In fact, Lois used to hide behind a tree some days and Linda was so engrossed in her own talk she'd would walk right by her house still talking to herself.

*Kaye inquired about Terri's small music box. While Terri and her brother get along famously now, this wasn't always the case. Her brother seemed to have a knack for getting her in trouble when they were kids. One day as he pulled her around feverishly on a sled, she fell off and knocked herself out. To avoid being in trouble,  he urged Terri to get up and chase him around the yard to prove she was OK and nothing had happened.  Their Mom must have witnessed the entire thing and put Terri to bed. Although Christmas was a ways off, guilt got the better of Terri's brother and he gave her her Christmas present early. You guessed it, this small music box. It plays, Rock A Bye Baby. Sweet story, eh? 

FOTO FRIDAY: BUMPER STICKERS

FOTO FRIDAY this week welcomes your favorite bumper stickers. 

This Wisconsinite ice fisherman's caught my fancy this week . 

 Looking forward to seeing your submissions.

Cheryl, the eternal crafter is now situated with wifi in Mesa, AZ. Here's a bumper sticker she sent:  

Last week's :PET PICS