Our Own Black Death

 During the Black Death, travelers arriving at locations on ships were forced to isolate in their ships for 40 days to prevent spread of infection.

The Italian word for 40 is quaranta, which is where the word ‘Quarantine’ originates.

This little flower is called a BlackBerry Lily.  Thomas Jefferson planted them at Monticello.  This Asian perennial, which Thomas Jefferson called "Chinese Ixia," is actually a member of the Iris family. Jefferson first received seed from nurseryman Bernard McMahon in 1807, during his second term as President of the United States. These were sown in an East Front oval flowerbed at Monticello. Today the blackberry lilies that are found naturalized throughout Monticello are believed to be descendants of Jefferson's original plantings.

The Blackberry Lily is a hardy, herbaceous summer-flowering perennial with red-spotted orange flowers on stalks, followed by unusual seed heads that resemble blackberries, but the seeds are not edible.

Our Governor Today

 As of today in AR.

96.39 percent of cases have not been vaccinated.  3.61 of the cases have been.

95.35 percent of the ones who have been in the hospital aren’t vaccinated and 4.6 have been.

97.4 percent of deaths no vaccination and 3.6 have.  

I have never been a player of odds, but made A’s in math.  You don’t have to be a brain to understand what Gov.  Hutchison said today.

New Pictures

Sigrid got my picture hung. I really like it.
 

Sigrid put my 3 pictures in a frame from her 16 birthday photos.  Laura chose the one larger for her wall.  They’ll come and hang them for me too.  

Walking In The Heat

Laura arrived at daybreak and it was already hot.  The Blue Heron was fishing on the pier as well as several human line casters.  I kept thinking as I walked that my brain was making new neurons. I

read on Musings Blog that exercise encourages brain cells to renew.  This morning, I was miserably hot.  When I passed the pier a second time the human fishermen had left but the Blue was still watching the water.  I guess fishing for pleasure and for survival aren’t equal.

 Brother still suffering.  Likely, if they can get inflammation down, he’ll have a section of his colon removed.  He’ll be in hospital a while longer.  He’s out of vacation days and sick leave.  We’re hoping he can return to work.  When one’s health fails, the dominoes start falling.   Just keep hoping for good news.

Home Again

 

Had a great visit.  Fleta and I walked.  Helen cooked great food.  Poor brother is in the hospital.

Supper at Momma’s house.  Helen found plates like Momma had at junk store.  She cooked the ribeyes and they were the best.  Vine ripe tomatoes were delicious. 

Brother very sick.  He is my only brother left.  I saw him Saturday!   Maybe diverticulitis!  Will know more Monday.   

Went to church Sunday with Ada and family  Bought material today at Rag Barn for another new church dress.

Ada

Attended church with Ada and family.  Helen’s dress was a little short so Ada wore shorts under it.  I crocheted her a cap for winter.  Erin had to hide it as she wanted to wear it.   

The sermon at Elmwood Baptist was really uplifting.  I was blessed to see Nolan and Billie Brisco.  Snowball, AR produced many great folks.

 

Fishing

Yesterday, when I walked the Blue Heron was fishing.  He ignored me taking his picture.  I hope he caught his breakfast.

 

New Day

Greg and Erin signed today and this house is gone.  They moved back to their other house.  This home proved to need too many improvements.  I searched my blog and I believe they bought it around September of 2016.  Ada is one of the big changes in their lives.  She is a blessing we never deserved.  I’ll get to see her Sunday and attend church with the family.  

It’s new chapter in the Jones life book.

Cedar Falls

 Sister took her two grands to Petit Jean for a few days.  Today they hiked to Cedar Falls. In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips.

Supper

 

My son-in-law Eric cooked ribs and fixings and shared with me.  I halved it so I have supper tomorrow night too!  It was delicious.

New Dress

 Going this weekend to stay with my sisters.  We’re going to make homemade ice cream in a freezer.  Helen made Ada a new dress.  It’s so pretty.

Kay’s Painting

 I have a good friend, Kay, I’ve know over 50 years.  She took up painting when she retired.  I took up sitting.  This is her last painting.  It’s so good.  

Yesterday, we traveled to northern Pope county to visit another good friend, Mary Bourne.  We only got lost a couple of times.  Mary’s a young 93.  We had made a pact to only stay an hour.  Before we knew it 4 wonderful hours had slipped by.  We traveled back down  the mountain, past Shannon Cemetery, past the old town of Treat, crossed over Piney—richer than before.  If you have friends you haven’t seen in a while, go visiting.

Where Am I

Ada’s new favorite trick is “hide behind the curtains”.  Erin tells her to not do it, but it’s still one of her go to entertainments.  Where am I ?

New dresses

Sister Helen is going to be a Great Grandmother.  She’s making little dresses with a sash like. momma made for our little ones.  The green is new born and the other 6 months.  Helen had a pattern.  Mom just cut them out.   

 

4 Score

 My baby brother, Gilbert, is 60 today.  I hope he has a healthy year.

Milk Thistle

 

This pretty bloom belongs to the Milk thistle.  I saw these on my walk near Galla Lake. The thistle is the floral emblem of Scotland and Lorraine, as well as the emblem of the Encyclopædia Britannica.  Thistles are valued for their high wildlife value, producing such things as copious floral resources for pollinators, nourishing seeds for birds like the goldfinch, foliage for butterfly larvae, and down for the lining of birds' nests.  Thankful Logan sprayed Galla Meadow.  It’s free of weeds.  Thistles represent sin in the Bible.

God spoke of thistles in Genesis when he told Adam—“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;

Cursed is the ground because of you;

In toil you will eat of it

All the days of your life.

“Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;

And you will eat the plants of the field;

By the sweat of your face

You will eat bread,

Till you return to the ground,

Because from it you were taken;

For you are dust,

And to dust you shall return.”

Sigrid Won A Photo Shoot

I am going to have a hard time picking just two.  I want one in jeans and one in the dress.

 

Tomatoes and Gravy

It’s all in your DNA.  Sister Helen sent me a picture of her first vine ripened tomato smothered in gravy.  Just a little later, cousin Frankie Powell sent me a picture almost identical.  They both know I love tomatoes and gravy.  I found a picture of some I fixed.  I don’t bother with any meat.   I guess this is a “Powell” tradition and others will think it’s looks very unappetizing. For the dish to be good, the tomato needs to be home grown not bought at the grocery store or a road side stand.  Most of those side of the road sellers get their produce from a distributor.   They don’t grow it.  I miss Pop’s garden and all the stuff he grew.  Guess I’ll never have tomatoes topped with gravy again.

 

Italian Arum

 

These shoots are from a lily called Italian Arum, also called Italian Lords and Ladies. It has thick foliage in the spring.  Then in summer all the foliage dies and these spring up.  They will turn completely orange.

Reading inBed

 

Looks like Ada is staying in bed late on Saturday morning.  She chose reading over Saturday morning cartoons.  I really don’t know if Saturday morning cartoons even still exist.  Now, it’s Disney Plus and such.  When Laura and Erin were growing up we let them watch cartoons on Saturday morning.  Now, there is a smorgasbord of choices available.