I found myself weeping

I found myself weeping this morning as I read a couple of articles about Israel and Lebanon and how it's affecting Christians, Jews and Muslims alike. For example, Hezbollah is firing its rockets from between Christian homes in southern Lebanon forcing Israelis to return the fire and destroying those Christian homes in the process. That's just one example. It breaks my heart.

And while quotes about peace are all but useless, it makes me feel better to know there are like-minded people out there.

The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.

Black Elk (1863-1950)

In some ways, the challenges are even more daunting than they were at the peak of the cold war. Not only do we continue to face grave nuclear threats, but those threats are being compounded by new weapons developments, new violence within States and new challenges to the rule of law.

Kofi Annan

There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they grow up in peace.

Kofi Annan

And finally:

Peace is the only battle worth waging.

Albert Camus (1913-1960)

Hot Hot Hot Friday Five

FIRST, THERE IS NOTHING COOLER THAN IONA (picture)

1. What's the high temperature today where you are?

105 with the heat index (93)

2. Favorite way(s) to beat the heat.

a nice breeze at the beach, a long cold drink (read "beer") on the beach or air conditioning

3. "It's not the heat, it's the humidity." Evaluate this statement.

Heat is heat, but humid heat is like walking under a hot, wet, wool blanket; dry heat like having the moisture sucked from your body.

4. Discuss one or more of the following: sauna, hot tub, sweat lodge, warm-stone massage.

I've never had a warm-stone massage but it sounds nice nor have I been in a sweat lodge; I enjoy saunas and own a hot tub.

5. Hottest you've ever been in your life

One day, while through hiking the Appalachian Trail, the heat in Pennsylvania was too hot to hike in but it was nearly more miserabale sweltering in our backpacking tent and trying to eat our newly purchased cheese before it melted.

Non-temperature related bonus: In your opinion... who's hot?

Well, my husband is the obvious answer! But . . . I can't resist adding Gerard Butler to that short list.

Sometimes My Sister Makes Me Laugh

Just as she did today with her "Tombstone Generator." I found this tombstone in the cemetery at Christ Church Frederica. Today, it seems particularly appropriate.
Certainly, there has been much laughter in our lives - from when we were children and stuffing our Panamanian purses full of cool junk so that we could play show and tell to playing Marine Boy and Neptina. As we got older, we started telling each other a "Henny for a Penny" and later found ourselves creating imaginary wild cats with our friends Emily and Hilda Stambuk.
And, despite the fact we nearly came to blows in college over whether children are born "tabula rasa" or with some genetic instincts, we still found ourselves cracking up, as we sang into our pens at McDonald's, "grab a bucket and mop . . ." as we closed the restaurant.
These days, we have years and years of humor to build on and once again, we often found ourselves laughing during her all-too-brief visit to St. Simons Island.
So . . . "Kikaida . . . changee, changee, go go go go! Go! Go! Go!


Kikaida

Kimba and Kitty

Marine Boy

Oh, Maggie...

You stole my heart but I love you anyway . . . Actually, what it's really about is this:
Everybody wants to be a cat, because a cat's the only cat who knows where it's at. Everybody's pickin' up on that feline beat, 'cause everything else is obsolete. Now a square with a horn, can make you wish you weren't born, ever'time he plays; and with a square in the act, he can set music back to the caveman days.

There's just something about a p.t. cruiser that makes you feel like a "swingin' cat."

What doesn't kill us . . .

Only makes us stronger, right? I really did not mean for a week to pass before I blogged again. But, since I started this job, each new issue has presented a new hurdle. From losing my administrative assistant to shortened deadlines and holidays, I've had to deal with new problems. In addition, we've added three more "editorial" pieces, which means, essentially, three more interviews to set up, take photos of and write. But, this issue takes the cake. My editorial assistant, Leila, is in the hospital with heart problems (but doing significantly better THANK GOD!) so not only am I doing my work, but hers as well. Can an editor edit herself? Meanwhile, our deadline is a day early and my publisher tells me Monday that I need to do a "back to school" issue. I must have looked shocked because he relented and said, "can you add some back-to-school" articles?" I had already planned a day trip to Cumberland Island issue. But, I am trying to pull all this together.
So, as Mrs. Potts says in Beauty and the Beast, "Don't worry my dear, it will all turn out right in the end."

Love our Mother

The Earth is what we all have in common. It is what we are made of and what we live from, and we cannot damage it without damaging those with whom we share it. There is an uncanny resemblance between our behavior toward each other and our behavior toward the Earth. By some connection we do not recognize, the willingness to exploit one becomes the willingness to exploit the other . . . It is impossible to care for each other more or differently than we care for the Earth.

-- Wendell Berry

War. What is it good for?

This image from Dachau is similar to one I took while there in 1983. The following poem reminded me of this sculpture:

"What should I do if in fretful sleep
the ghosts of the slaughtered were to appear,
bloody, pale, and wan, and weep
in front of me, what should I do?"

That's the question the 18th century writer, Matthias Claudius asks in his poem, "Warsong." Looking back on our wars and the people we have slaughtered, this is the question we still have not answered completely. That distant, looming war which is already under way and which never stops, poses his same question yet again.

"Alas, it is war, and I don't wish to carry the guilt for it."

--Gunter Grass

From turtle walks to fire works

I spent a pleasant Fourth of July weekend with my family learning about sea turtles and relaxing. We saw two movies: "The Devil Wears Prada" and "The Lake House;" went on both an early morning (7 a.m.) turtle patrol (no new nests but 5 false crawls) and a late night turtle walk (10:30 p.m.); again no turtles but it was a wonderful beach walk even if we didn't get home until 12:30 a.m.!






On the 4th of July, we slept late and made our way to St. Marys. Once there, we relaxed and had a "traditional" 4th of July meal of hotdogs, roasted corn-on-the-cob, potato salad and watermelon. We also ignited some of the obligatory fireworks although my favorite will always remain the sparklers.