Here's another blast from the past

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eadM_USLBkw

 

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Toradh caithimh tobac--ba`s

That's what it says on the Malboro Gold Originals I've been smoking for two weeks. I bought a carton at the Duty Free Shop at the Dublin Airport. If I'm doing the Euro-Dollar exchange anywhere near right, the ten packs of cigarettes cost about $4 a pack, less than half what they cost in Cheshire.

That I still have a pack plus some others after two weeks tells me I don't smoke nearly as much as I feared. Most smokers, when they count, are horrified that they smoke more than they thought. So, give me a break on that, OK?

Yes, I KNOW I shouldn't smoke. And I do. OK? Leave me alone. I'm a priest, I stand with the oppressed and the most oppressed people in the Western world are smokers. I'm just standing with my people....

But since absolutely everything in Ireland has both Irish and English on signs, notices, directions, etc., 'whatever', each pack of cigarettes has the warning "Toradh caithimh tobac--ba`s" on it. The English translation is below: "Smoking kills". You have to admire a language that requires 22 letters to say what 12 say in English. And such wondrous words! When I try to pronounce them (which I can't for the life of me) they sound like Klingon. But if an Irish speaker said them they would sound like a bird song, really. I've listened to Irish a lot and it is a language to be sung, not spoken. English is so mundane in comparison.

No wonder the Irish love song and poetry and story so much--it sounds like birds.

I'm listening as I write this to Maggie, our parakeet sing along with the classical music station we always have on beside her cage.

With a little practice, I believe, Maggie could speak Irish. All birds, it seems to me, are Gaelic in their bird souls.....

Something from the past

I didn't feel like writing a new post yesterday or today, so I thought I'd share something from the past. A post which, for reasons beyond my comprehension, was one of the top ten viewed posts of all time.
Here it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eadM_USLBkw 

Saturday, September 17, 2011

400th Post

I just realized this is my 400th post on Under the Castor Oil Tree. I'm too intimidated to go back and read the first one. Jeter got hit 3000 and Mo got save 600 a few days ago. Now I've got blog 400. Who knew?

Since I waxed semi-eloquent on the weather in West Virginia, I decided I'd do the 400th blog with my favorite West Virginia joke.

A Washington lobbyist grew tired of the fast lane and retired to a cabin in the mountains of West Virginia. He couldn't see another house from where he lived and he was delighted with his new life. He read and wrote and ate simply. He couldn't have been happier.

But on the very day he began to feel lonely for the first time, about three months into his wilderness retreat, there was a knock at his door.

When he opened the door he was confronted by a huge, hairy mountain man.

"Hey there," the man said, "I'm your nearest neighbor. I live over the ridge of that second mountain out there to the west and I've come to invite you to a party."

The city man thought that might just be the best thing to cure his newly arrived loneliness--a party in the mountains.

"I'd love to come," he said to the Mountaineer.

"I hav' to warn you," the native said, "there'll be some drinkin'."

"I like a drink from time to time," the city guy replied.

"And there'll prob'ly be some fightin'," his guest told him.

"Well alcohol will do that," said the man from Washington.

"And, last but not least," the West Virginian told him, "there will most likely be some sex."

The city guy wasn't ready for that but he knew he was a stranger in a strange land, so he agreed and said, "well, I understand that might happen."

The mountain man gave him directions to his house, just a mountain or two over.

"Well," the DC guy said, trying to fit in to the culture, "what should I wear?"

"Dudn't matter much," the huge Hill-Billie told him, "it'll jist be you and me...."

Happy 4th of July

https://youtu.be/n7gwVXk5JGY This will take you to my You Tube blog readings.

(All opinions here are mine and mine alone.)

We went to a backyard party with only 8 people and lots of social distancing. The folks doing the BBQ were even wearing gloves. They have a pool and several people went  in for a swim.

It was a great time with good friends.

I, as always, made deviled eggs. I am the deviled eggs king.

Lots of food and conversation and a good time was had by all.

Back here at 9 p.m. Cheshire is under fire from fire works in all directions.

I've never much liked fireworks so I don't get the attraction, especially by novices.

Yet, apparently since so many communities cancelled them because of Covid, the sale of fireworks to individuals was the highest in history.

Just hope no one gets hurt--as often happens when they aren't pros.

I'm sure it's wet enough to make fires unlikely.

But I don't get it.

July 4th to me is good food, great conversation and loved friends.

That's all I need.

Happy 4th to you all.

 

I forgot to mention

https://youtu.be/n7gwVXk5JGY  This link will take you to me reading my blog on You Tube.

(The opinions here are mine and mine alone.)

I forgot to mention in the last post that it was Calvin Coolidge who was President when Mount Rushmore was ceased from Native Americans.

One of the few things I know about Coolidge is a great exchange he had with a reporter as he was leaving church.

"Mr. President," the reporter respectfully asked, "What was the preacher's sermon about?"

"Sin," Coolidge answered.

"And what did he say about sin?" the reporter responded.

Coolidge replies, "he's a'gin it."

Not a man of many words.

Evidence to the contrary

https://youtu.be/n7gwVXk5JGY will take you to you tube reading from my blog.

(All the opinions in Under the Castor Oil Tree are mine and mine alone.)

In spite of evidence to the contrary, I don't set out to be political here--it's simply too hard to avoid.

The President's visit to Mount Rushmore for fireworks with a huge crowd not required to social distance or wear masks, has too many things wrong to explain.

The celebration of the 4th of July should honor America and Americans. Instead, this rally is putting Americans at risk of contracting Covid 19 and possibly dying and will doubtless add to the already disgraceful failure of this nation to contain the virus.

Plus, fireworks have been outlawed in the Black Hills for over a decade because of the danger of forest fires that wreck havoc on the area.

And Mount Rushmore was Lakota Indian land that was taken from them with less compensation than should have been given. It took 50 years for the Supreme Court to order the government to give four tribes more compensation for the land grab.

Two of the Presidents depicted (Washington and Jefferson) owned slaves and all four were seen as enemies by Native Americas. The descendants of those people will be protesting at the rally.

And, few people know this, the sculptor who did most of the work was from Atlanta, Georgia and a major organizer for the KKK.

He also sculpted the likenesses of Confederate heroes in a huge monument in the South--during that time encouraging the growth of the KKK to provide more funding for his project.

Lots of things to ponder about the President's actions today.

It's truly summer today

We cool our house with three air conditioners and fans. The huge AC in my office, helped by a fan at the bottom of the stairs cools the whole downstairs. There's one in the bedroom and our TV room.

It works well. When I stepped outside this afternoon, I realized how well. It was like going into a sauna. 

We have others for bedrooms, but no one is going to be staying over any time soon.

There were fire-flies tonight. First sighting this year.

I love them, but they remind me of the serial murder my parents let me commit.

I would catch them in my Uncle Russel's front yard--our back yard since his house was behind our apartment.

I would put them in a jar with holes punched in the top.

But I never let them go.

The joy I felt as a child, catching them, is replaced by sorrow and regret as an adult for killing so many of them

Every time I see one, I feel delight--but also that sorrow and regret.

l hope the fire-fly god forgives me.

Russia

https://youtu.be/n7gwVXk5JGY

This link will connect you to my reading blogs on You Tube.

(All the opinions are mine in this blog and do not, in any way reflect on the churches I serve.)

If there is truth (which I believe there is) on the Russian bounties on American soldiers in Afghanistan. then not only is the President damaged, his White House and administration is in shambles.

Something like this deserved action at the highest levels of intelligence and the military.

It is unbelievable that such a threat to our military and our nation was not front and center since February.

What can it be?

His press secretary told a news conference the other day that "the President reads".

Would any other President need a spokesperson to announce that?

I watched President Obama's eulogy for John McCain on You Tube today.

Lordy, lordy, how I miss him.

Eulogizing a man he ran against for President at McCain's request.

It was beautiful and moving and powerfully about what American should be about--opponents respecting and admiring each other. The current president was asked, by the family, to stay away. And he did, to his credit, though he lied that he had 'approved' the funeral. He did no such thing.

What ever happened to politicians who disagree on many things, respecting each other?

We have to get back to those days.