De Touqueville in his classic work "Democracy in America" says the two most corrupt professions in America are politics and journalism. Both because they attempt to vilify the opposition in any way possible. It seems both the "presumptive" presidential candidates are at least talking about taking the high road and sticking more to the issues and altho the personal attacks between them have diminished it seems the blog world has once again stepped into the breech. We have been so indoctrinated into the rhetoric of personal attacks that bloggers are making the candidates contention look mild by comparison. Of course I don't understand why anyone would want the office of president, especially now, but I really think both candidates are honorable men who only want the best for our country and approach the common good from some different and some of the same political concepts. The thing we all must remember is that individual interests are strengthened by promoting the common interests and that even the best of us are have faults in our character and actions we are not particularly proud of (but I didn't inhale). The bottom line is that the Republican philosophy is promote the interests of the prosperous and they will in turn promote the interests of the less prosperous and the Democrats feel that the interests of the many are promoted by looking out for the less prosperous and disadvantaged. A bumper sticker I saw the other day said, "I don't have enough money to vote Republican". Personalities aside, that's the choice.

Turks Cap Lily

Lilum superbum

I suspect this is the smaller species of L. michauxii because of the fewer blooms on each plant.

Capable of reaching a height of nearly three feet tall, this gentle giant of summer is among the largest members of the Lily Family. With recurved petals colored yellow to orange and bearing reddish-brown spots, this flower can be identified from some distance away, growing on moist roadsides and meadows. Up to 40 flowers have been counted on just one plant of L. superbum, while a similar but smaller species, L. michauxii bears only 1 to 6 flowers per plant. Blooming time for both species begins in July and runs through September. This plant possesses no significant medicinal properties, although early American Indians used the bulbs in soups.

One of the joys of driving the Blue Ridge Parkway each day is watching the ever changing natural beauty. The Dogwood, Mountain Laurel, Azaleas to name a few of the flowering trees and shrubs have been particularly spectacular this year. Perhaps it's because we have had consistent rainfall. Yesterday I came across a stand of these Turks Cap Lilies. The butterflies were an added attraction.

I've written before about our little church down the mountain in Willis, Va. I've not written about e. e. cummings but he has been for a long time one of my favorite authors. I've been fascinated by his ability to get the poetic idea across using words to create a picture thought-feeling. "Balloon man and weee" and "anyone living in a little how town" are the essence of what poetry should be. Andy, he of "Older and No Wiser" fame posted this by cummings and it describes New Harvest Ministries very well even to the geography. It also gave me a greater appreciation of e. e. (the habit of his not capitalizing his name makes typing so much easier, not that I'm lazy or anything...) whose idea of church seems very close to mine.

i am a little church(no great cathedral)
far from the splendor and squalor of hurrying cities
-i do not worry if briefer days grow briefest,
i am not sorry when sun and rain make april

my life is the life of the reaper and the sower;
my prayers are prayers of earth's own clumsily striving
(finding and losing and laughing and crying)children
whose any sadness or joy is my grief or my gladness

around me surges a miracle of unceasing
birth and glory and death and resurrection:
over my sleeping self float flaming symbols
of hope,and i wake to a perfect patience of mountains

i am a little church(far from the frantic
world with its rapture and anguish)at peace with nature
-i do not worry if longer nights grow longest;
i am not sorry when silence becomes singing

winter by spring, i lift my diminutive spire to
merciful Him Whose only now is forever:
standing erect in the deathless truth of His presence
(welcoming humbly His light and proudly His darkness)

~ e.e.cummings ~

Last year there was a promise of orchid pictures. Then Stella put orchid on the menu. But plants are hardy things and this year for the first time since I brought it home shortly after Wanda and I were married only seven short years ago, it bloomed. Now I see two new shoots comming on and hopefully since Stella no longer has a taste for orchid there will be four blossoms come March.

March is not my favorite month since March 12, 2oo7 was the day Wanda was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Benning, who among others has remained steadfast asks, as others have, "how are you doing?" I seem to be doing fine. Wanda said I would be fine if she should be called home. I really don't know how "I" am doing because "I" am not "me" any more. When Wanda and I went to counseling with Rev. Smith who married us I was told she would become "bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh". And she did, so the "me" that was is no longer the "me " that is.

It's as if I have entered another dimension. A kind of placid twilight zone in which spirits become real and our loving heavenly Father gives the comfort He promised. Life as I knew it no longer exists. I have seen incredible courage and love while knowing that death was imminent. And when death came a grace beyond my understanding. Wanda and I would argue over who loved who more. She won that argument.

Only God, and now Wanda know why she was taken and I remain. Things should have been the other way around. Hospice should have been bringing the walker, shower chair and oxygen for me, not her.

So I'm like the orchid which waited untill it was healed from the gnawing and now promises to be even better than before. Perserverence comes from love and I have been given a greater understanding of what real love is and at the same time a knowledge of the unfathomable love that God has for us. For me, this world is very different.

HELLO

There is a comfort in the gentle rain. You hear it in the canopy before the first drops discolor the wood deck. Once the leaves become saturated it plays off the metal roof and then all together the various textures produce a variety of sounds. Seldom are our showers boisterous and violent. However there is a Thunder Ridge and a Lightening Ridge which give testimony to an occasional passing torrent.

Tonight the rain is welcome. It reminds me of other nights when we would lay in bed and fall asleep to the steady sound of imperceptible whispers from the mountain. The rain stops and the breeze releases onto the roof a brief patter surrendered by the trees.

"In quietness and in trusting confidence I find strength"
ISAIAH 30:15