Ramblin' RET: April 2020

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Painted Rocks (Earth Day Easter?)

Greeting from CCSU (see yesterday's post).

The picture above in front of the Administrative offices for CCSU was taken at the end of today's walk. As I mentioned yesterday, the closure of the campus forced me to explore other areas in the vicinity. The weather today was gorgeously sunny and I walked for a couple of hours.

A babbling brook along the way.

After nice hike chatting on my cell phone with my son, Richard, I decided to explore a park with a sign advertising a nature walk. Of course, there was a warning sign at the start of the paved trail (see below).

Better practice Social Distancing or the virus will get you (maybe).

I soon came upon a pretty lake/pond. Due to the weather, there were lots of people out and the efforts at "social distancing" weren't particularly rigid. The sunshine is a subversive force.

Map of the park. I started down in the lower left and went north clockwise.

As I walked along the path (1.5 miles), I noticed small painted rocks alongside the trail...like an Easter Egg hunt almost. I think it was done for Earth Day (which was April 22nd).

There were a LOT of painted rocks. They made the walk all the more delightful. I had to stop several times to admire and photograph some of them.

Moss

If you click on the pictures above, a larger image will pop-up so that you can see the details on the rocks. The white and red rock with bird is the Polish flag (bc there is a large Polish contingent in this area).

Panoramic view from the little dam at the south end (see map above).

Just as I was taking the picture above, I heard a bird nearby (see below). Sun, birds, rocks, people, outdoors, walking. Wow.

Watch out. Be inactive (passive). Don't question.

So we started the pictures above with a Covid-19 warning sign and will end with another one.

Nonetheless, it was a great time: sunshine, outdoors, walking, talking with my son (via cell phone), enjoying the park, the painted rocks, birds singing, people living.

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Links:

https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2020/

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Written Sunday May 24, 2020.

Friday, April 24, 2020

The Campus is Closed

Keep Out! This means you!

I like walking through the campus of a nearby state university. At least I did until "they" (our public servants) closed the campus using the excuse of the Covid-19 pandemic (when will the t-shirts be for sale? "Covid-19 World Tour" with a map of the world showing the statistics. Got to hurry because before you know it, it will be time for the Fall tour).

Recently, sandwich board-type signs went up at the primary entrances to the campus. (I can understand no dog walking.) "No unauthorized Entry"? For heavens sake, the school is owned by the public, the taxpayers.

On the plus side, this has got me to explore the neighborhoods adjacent to the campus.

But what a waste by closing the school grounds. No one is there anyway since school is out. I wonder if it will ever reopen?

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Written Sunday 24 May 2020.

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Impressive Clouds

Looking South on the Fastrak.

So often we are captivated by blue sky, sunshine, and soft fuzzy (or misty) white clouds. But today I was equally impressed with gray. almost October-like clouds. It was such an ugly weather day that it was a peaceful walk. No one was around but the birds were really chirping up a storm.

I wish I could've recorded the song. I stopped each time and listened and occasionally joined in. I didn't have binoculars so I had to really look keenly and carefully in order to spot the singers.

Weather and the world around me today heighten my awareness of the Creator. The complexity, variety and dynamics overwhelm my senses with the wonder of it all. As a result I shake my head sadly at the institutional religious who think they know everything (there is we can know) about God. It is so BIG and I (we) am so small and temporal. "All is vanity."

Looking North.

Walking along the Fastrak path is neat because there is a bit of everything: woods, birds, factories, commercial buildings, the buses, people, bikes, and nearby is the train tracks with an occasional train. The other day I had to wait for a skunk to waddle off the path (at least I thought it was a smart thing to wait).

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Written Monday 25 May 2020.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

My Helpers

Due to the Covid-19 (corona virus), I have been working from home for several weeks. That has resulted in some new helpers and "office" mates (see below).

They like to help, especially around 4 pm when they start walking along the table looking for me to pet them. Also, if I put down a notebook or binder, they automatically assume it is for them to sit on.

So if one of my emails looks odd, it probably was due to the cats. Really!

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Written Monday 25 May 2020.

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Happy Easter

Happy Easter (Boggle style-sort of).
[Did you spot my name too?]

My sisters, Carol & Tina, collaborated on using texting to play Boggle and sent a holiday oriented challenge. This inspired me to create a Boggle Easter Greeting (see above). Unfortunately, I forget the rules so I messed up with the word "Easter." My sister Carol later straightened me out. Still, I think you get the gist of it.

As usual, lots of texts on the family mass text list (boy, do I find mass texts annoying). The favorite was a picture of my Mom's (fake) Easter Tree. Again, the work of Carol and Tina. Mom likes having the artificial Xmas tree up (with the lights) so Carol and Tina came up with decorating it for the seasonable holiday.

Mom's Easter Tree 2020.

For Easter, Tina requested that each of the kids send a picture that could be posted on the tree. It's rather difficult to make out which picture is who's in this photo but I know where mine is.

Photo I sent to Tina to use for "Easter Tree."
Selfie taken Apr 6 during a walk (CCSU campus).

The weather today was disappointing. Yesterday, the forecast for Easter was for more clouds than Saturday but warmer. However, as it turned out, the sky was completely overcast and gray and the temperature was distinctly cool. Didn't feel very Easter-ish; felt more like a "Good" Friday.

Nothing special today since we're all under "house arrest" due to the threat of the corona virus.

After doing the weekly laundry, I went for a walk. Walked the perimeter of the CCSU campus and then reversed course and headed toward St. Mary's Cemetery and looped back towards home but went on the Fastrak path for a bit while on the phone with my son, Richard.

I had a nice chat with my Mom and then my sister Carol. My mom confirmed what Aunt Denise told me yesterday: that she was influenced by the 1949 movie of Little Women to change her nickname.

Movie poster for the 1949 movie of "Little Women."

My sister Amy reports that she is reading the book in preparation for watching the recent movie version. I have a copy of the book (and the sequel, Little Men) and it is on my list.

But first I need to finish the one I am reading, With God in Russia. It is the story of a Jesuit priest, Fr. Walter Ciszek, who was captured by the Russians in Poland at the start of WWII and was imprisoned for years as a spy, finally being returned to the US in 1964. During these days of mandatory quarantine and social distancing, I am finding it difficult to read about being imprisoned.

Near the end of the day, Amy shared via text a picture of some beautiful flowers. That inspired me to text in reply a picture of some daffodils I saw on the CCSU campus a few days ago.

This was captured a few days before Easter.

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Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogglehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter
http://ricketwrite.blogspot.com/2020/04/a-holy-saturday.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Women_(1949_film)
http://www.ciszek.org/WithGodInRussia.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Ciszek
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Written Sunday 19 April 2020.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

(A) Holy Saturday

Today is Saturday. In the Western Christian (Gregorian) Calendar, today is Holy Saturday this year. My dad died on (a) Holy Saturday 24 years ago.

The weather turned out to be very seasonal today: sunny, blue skies, a bit chilly and somewhat breezy. This morning, I did my weekly grocery shopping. Almost everyone is wearing a mask 😷 to protect against the corona virus. The frozen food freezers were nearly empty by noon-rather disconcerting. Bottled water seems to be back to normal but paper products are almost non-existent.

However, as I was checking out, an announcement was made that a shipment of paper towel and TOILET PAPER had just arrived. After I paid for my groceries and put them in the car, I went back into the store and scored a bulk size package of Angel Soft Toilet Paper. Kind of appropriate for the day-the angle part, I mean; a blessing from heaven.

After lunch, I went for a walk to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and fresh air. As usual, I took the path along the Fastrak bus way, heading north. I took a brief diversion to see what the traffic situation was at Starbucks Coffee. Due to the corona virus, they have limited to drive-thru pickup and takeout only (I have heard. I don't usually get coffee there). Earlier, on the way home from the grocery store, I noticed a huge line of cars waiting to buy coffee. Ironic, the churches have been forced to close but the Starbucks is open -how essential is that?

This picture does not even begin to capture the scale of the line of traffic that
was waiting to purchase coffee at Starbucks.

During my walk, I had a nice chat with my son, Richard, and later my Aunt Denise. What a blessing to be able to be outside and converse with loved ones even when we are apart.

Richard is spending the weekend in Virginia Beach, VA because that is where his driving mentor (Andrew) lives. Richard is stuck at a Red Roof Inn and was ordering Dominos Pizza when I called. It was interesting hearing about the ordering experience and how the phone app(lication) could track the status and route of his order. Kind of scary when you think about it. Who needs privacy, right?

The sky at the start of my walk.

The sky was phenomenally gorgeous today. I realize the temptation is to scroll quickly past the picture above but I highly suggest pausing a moment to ponder the beauty that the image only hints at. For me, the sky (night or day) with its immensity and dynamics is a sign of God at work and creation. Its majesty and strength and beauty are much more awesome to me than a book of words written by human beings with an agenda. The sky demonstrates clearly to me that God is in charge.

Can you see the Creator in this picture?

After talking with my son, I had a very pleasant time chatting with my Aunt Denise. She updated me on the news of her family. Among other things, my Uncle Jim, who lives in a nursing home, had to be relocated to a new room due to someone in his building catching the c-virus. She told me how my mom was influenced by the movie, Little Women (1949) to change her nickname. That was news to me. She also told me about how she and Uncle Jim met and got together.

Altogether my walk was about 5 miles and took a couple hours. I was not in a hurry. Other people were out but not as many as one might think because it was a bit chilly. Still, nice to be out and about.

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Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Saturday
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Women_(1949_film)
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Written Sunday 19 April 2020.

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Corona Virus Massacre

Doesn't this remind you of a pepperoni pizza? Or a spicy omelet. Sunspots?

I think several in my family must have been struck down by the dread corona virus. Yesterday I called several of them to see how they are doing. To my surprise, none of them answered. I was surprised because everyone is supposed to be staying at home to "flatten the curve" and prevent the spread.

I got nervous when they did not answer the phone and the call rolled into voice mail. Taking a deep breath, I left a message for each as their greetings instructed, several indicating that they would call "right back." But no calls came. As time passed I figured it best to wait 24 hours. Surely, if all was okay they would respond (phone, email, text) within a day, just to be polite.

I called Susan at 3:13 pm and left a VM.
I called Carol at 3:17 pm and left a VM.
I called Amy at 3:18 pm and left a VM.
I called Lisa at 5:28 pm and left a VM.
I called David at 5:32 pm and left a VM.

Oh my Gosh!!!!! It's been over twenty-four hours later and nothing from any of them. Perhaps they are sick, lying in bed with the dreaded fever. Perhaps they are in the hospital or, worse, waiting outside a hospital to be admitted. Maybe they got in an accident going to the store for an elderly neighbor. Maybe they got lost trying to find a store that has toiler paper for sale. Please help; Please have mercy on us.

Perhaps I am over reacting. They might be praying, praying for deliverance, praying for the mercy of God, praying for forgiveness, praying for a miracle. Oh Lord, please help us.

On the other hand, perhaps they're just lazy, selfish shits who can't be bothered. I wonder....

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Written Sunday 5 April 2020.

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Thus saith the Lord

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Phil 4:4 NASB

The Word of the Lord.
(Can you see God in this picture?)

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of people who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world, God's invisible nature, namely God's eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. [Rom 1:18-20]

Being cooped up at home for the past two weeks, the weather today was too nice to stay inside. I went for a 2-hr+ walk along the Fastrak path (and more). Quite a few folks out-typical for a sunny Saturday in the Spring-but most everyone was good about keeping the proper social distance.

Social distancing mechanisms.

For the past few weeks the news media (mainstream and alternate) has been blaring doom and gloom. Its worse than the fire and brimstone preachers. But those have been out too (looking for donations after urging prayers are what's needed to save the world).

But today as I was walking outside and soaking up the sunshine and feeling the soft breeze and hearing the birds chirp and sing and seeing people happy to be outside and enjoying this grace of God, I was reminded that despite all the paranoia, God is still in charge. And God is not locked away in some far off land: God is everywhere.

Despite all the fear and worry, the World Keeps Going Round. Despite our evil, we cannot hinder God's plans.

LYRICS: You worry 'bout the sun

What's the use of worrying 'bout the big ol' sun

You worry 'bout the rain

The rain keeps falling just the same.

You worry when the one you need has found somebody new

But the world keeps going round

The world keeps going round

You just can't stop it

The world keeps going round.

You worry 'bout yourself

What's the use of worrying now you're almost grown

You worry 'bout your own

What's the use of worrying 'cause you'll die alone

Times will be hard, rain will fall

And you'll feel mighty low

But the world keeps going round

The world keeps going round

You just can't stop it

The world keeps going round.

(INSTRUMENTAL INTERLUDE)

Times will be hard, rain will fall

And you'll feel mighty low

But the world keeps going round

The world keeps going round

You just can't stop it

The world keeps going round

The world keeps going round.

Songwriter: Ray Davies

Speaking of the sun, last night I was browsing the web and watched a bit of the old Teletubbies show. I was too old for this when it first aired (and it was not something we watched when Richard was a toddler). But how weird is this show: it is like Sesame Street on acid. Why pay for drugs when there is stuff like this?