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In our language, the meaning of 'hag' has been distorted. Among the Kells (my mother was Irish), it is the final stage in the life of a woman. There are three: The Maiden/Virgin, untaken, untamed, wild and free. She's full of fire, dreams, visions and kinetic energy. She is the Waxing Moon. The Matron, in the full maturity of her child-bearing years. She is the great earth mother, the lover, the comforter, the healer. She is the Full Moon. The Hag. Seasoned and wise in the ways of the world, she holds her blood and sometimes her tongue. She enjoys honor and respect among those who hold her favor, and fear/caution among those who have earned her ire. She is the Waning Moon. I take The Hag for Hag Struan, a character in James Clavell's novel Tai-Pan, my favorite of his works. The Hag was born a Brock, which made her marriage into the Struan clan a Hatfield-McCoy heresy. The Brocks and Struans were rival shipping magnates in Scotland during the early days of China trade. The Hag was widowed young and stepped to the helm of Struan shipping, to keep them on top of her birth family. She was a tough, clear-minded, straight from the shoulder kind of lady. I admired her strength, her dignity and her dedication to her family against all odds. I'd have a very long way to go, indeed, before I could be in her league, but the name inspires me and I aim to do her proud. *************** For God sent NOT his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [JOHN 3:17] Peace to All. The Hag ......................................  .......................................... |
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OPEN LTR TO TH4
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Jul 28, 2006 12:08 pm
Mood: happy,
527 Views
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Thank you for the lovely compliment:
treasurehunter4: "you must really,really be a fast reader..... thank u for taking the time to comment on my post. it's true aspiring authors do crave feedback. take care and God bless. aaron."
That's set the wheels turning, counter-clockswise. I'm a transcriptionist by trade. Production moved from paper to the screen about 30 years ago. In transcription (where I work, anyway) we always work against a deadline and have a daily quota that must be met. Beyond that, there's incentive pay for production over the quota. I've spent about 10 hours per day, say, what? 45 weeks per year? on the keys, in front of the screen. Each report has to be proofed for ACCURACY OF content, spelling, form and punctuation before you hit that "send" key. If you let a report get through with ANY KIND OF MISTAKE in it, you'll hear about it - personally, in detail and at great length. (I can't stop wondering about the quality of the reports that are being submitted from the outsourced offices in India and other parts of the third world - and what could be done if a mistake cost a person's life? 'nother blog.) Anyway, the proofing and navigational skills grew with the job and you can't turn it off because you switch from 'job mode' to 'personal mode'. It's a perq that comes with the territory. "Work is love made visible. It is to charge all things you fashion with the breath of your own spirit." - Khalil Gibran
All human souls crave feedback, Friend Aaron. You're a very wise and brave one to be able to say so! God Bless.
NOBODY EVER GETS TOO MUCH APPROVAL.-John D. MacDonald
Peace and Joy, All!
DO VISIT AGAIN.
Elsie/The Hag
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Inspiration from Ola
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Jul 26, 2006 11:40 pm
476 Views
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Mood: Inspired (It oughta be IN THERE, but it ain't!)
"Every experience GOD gives us and EVERY PERSON HE SENDS INTO OUR LIVES is the perfect preparation for that future that ONLY HE can see." - Corrie ten Boom [Emphasis mine.]
THE LAW OF THE CORNFIELD
By The Hag
For my grandfather [1892-1968]
"Now, there is no law on a cornfield," that's what the old man said. "Laws are made among people," and he nodded his wise, white head. The clear, brown eye twinkled at me, then came that slow, warm smile, that told me this was a lesson that would last a good little while. So, I curled up in the corner of the gently moving swing, down at the end of the big front porch, shaded by his running butterbeans.
"Do you see the gentleman walking yonder (he indicated with his cane)? He came here to talk to me about a field of grain. The ground it's planted on belongs to him, but the crop was worked and raised by his friend. Now, how much corn should go to each has started an argument they can't seem to end."
"As I explained to that gentleman, 'you must know to what you've agreed: you gave your word, then you shook hands - and you must make good the deed. You'd take thirty percent, that's the bargain you've struck, plain and clear - do you think it's right that you demand more because this has been a dry year? You folks don't need a lawyer to tell you the right thing to do. He's labored hard to feed his family and also to provide for you."
And there he left the issue hanging, as he so often did, then he sat patiently awaiting the questions he'd raised in the mind of this kid. Verbally I grappled with concepts far, far over my head as, with eyes half-closed, he listened INTENTLY to every single word that I said. Gently, he'd ask me for reasons, then quietly give his own in return. All the while he was diligently teaching - not what HE knew, but HOW I COULD LEARN - what was valuable, worthwhile, important in my life yet to come.
Our discussion finally ended, he said, "Hon, it's gettin' late. The missus'll have our supper ready and folks won't want to wait." Reluctantly I followed, not ready to share him just yet, for our time together was precious - and I knew it! Even as a child of eight.
_______________
As we struggle on our journey through this experience we call life, we never can be certain of whether we will be accepted in any given situation. We know that we each are blessed with strengths and talents, as well as weaknesses and imperfections. Each has self doubts and fears, as well as vivid hopes and dreams. It's extremely human to compare ourselves among ourselves, but when we do this, we can lose sight of our own unique value. No one person is any more valuable or treasured than any other. He has equipped each of us with the talents and abilities to fulfill His purpose for us. No one is any 'better' than any other, we just have different experiences to draw from and different forms of expression. When we bring our talents, strengths and skills together, we form FRIENDSHIPS!
"Jesus loves the little children..." And that's us, SFF friends. That's each one of US!
Peace, hope and joy!
The Hag
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Freeze Frame
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Jul 26, 2006 2:49 pm
Mood: peaceful,
470 Views
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We slipped away for a three-day weekend in Seattle last Friday. It wasn't solely a pleasure trip, as we went to help friends move - and teased them mightily about asking us on the hottest weekend on record! This entire area has been baking like a
pot in the kiln, though today is some better.
The trip was beautiful and brought back some of the edge of newness to my perspective. How wonderful it would be if that freshness of vision could be held on to, permanently. Already, I've noticed a tinge of sameness in my walks with Buddy, though I'm still trying to expand our territory, finding new areas
to explore. I so enjoy the rush of standing on a street corner, not knowing exactly where I am, with the lighter-than-air freedom of complete anonymity. I'm peculiar that way. New places, new experiences, the feeling of exploration is electric. It
inspires wild, creative impulses that I can't possibly act on quickly enough to capture them all. When I record them and listen to them later, many of them lose their flavor - the thrill isn't gone, but is dimmed, so that the idea doesn't seem
as original or inspiring. I'd like to be able to pop in a disc, like those fragance players have, that would bring back that feeling of derring do whenever I fell into the summer doldrums or winter molly-grobs.
Settling in again at home, getting caught up with work, chores and massaging tight, sore muscles kept me away from playing at the keyboard for several days. I did finish the crib afgahn I've been working on for my friend's new great granddaughter.
It's a bit smaller than twin-bed size, but large enough to be serviceable until she's about half-way through grade school, anyway. If the pastel pink and white design was acceptable, it'd make a nice sized lap-throw for an adult. Now, I have to
write a poem for the baby to go with the afghan and both will be ready to mail.
I've missed my SFF friends and am glad to be back on 'board'. Have a wonderful week, All, and thanks for visiting!
Joy in Jesus!
The Hag
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DON
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Jul 15, 2006 7:15 pm
Mood: amused,
580 Views
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Woman asks 911 to send 'cutie pie' deputy
Fri Jul 14, 4:05 PM ET
ALOHA, Ore. - A woman who called 911 to get "the cutest cop I've seen" sent back to her home got a date all right — a court date.
The same sheriff's deputy arrested her on charges of misuse of the emergency dispatch system.
Washington County Sheriff's Sgt. David Thompson told KGW-TV of Portland it all started with a noise complaint called in last month by neighbors of Lorna Jeanne Dudash. The deputy sent to check on the complaint knocked on her door, then left.
Thompson said Dudash then called 911, asking that the "cutie pie" deputy return.
"He's the cutest cop I've seen in a long time. I just want to know his name," Dudash told the dispatcher. "Heck, it doesn't come very often a good man comes to your doorstep."
After listening to some more, followed by a bit of silence, the dispatcher asked again why Dudash needed the deputy to return.
"Honey, I'm just going to be honest with you, OK? I just thought he was cute. I'm 45 years old and I'd just like to meet him again, but I don't know how to go about doing that without calling 911," she said.
"I know this is absolutely not in any way, shape or form an emergency, but if you would give the officer my phone number and ask him to come back, would you mind?"
The deputy returned, verified that there was no emergency and arrested her for misusing the 911 system, an offense punishable by a fine of up to several thousand dollars and a year in jail.
Thompson said Thursday it was the first case he knew of in which someone called the emergency line for such a personal reason.
"That's taking up valuable time from dispatchers who could be taking true emergency calls," he said.
_______________
Now, I ask y'all, is that desperation or just plain ol' laziness?
Ponderously,
The Hag
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What May Be The Longest Blog You
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Jul 14, 2006 1:45 am
Mood: melancholy,
654 Views
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I AM A WELL-INTENTIONED DRAGON
"...There are sincere, well-meaning people, who leave ulcers, strained relationships and hurt feelings in their wake. They don't
consider themselves difficult people. They don't sit up nights thinking of ways to be nasty. Often they are pillars of the community - talented, strong personalities, deservingly respected - but for some reason, they undermine the good they are trying to achieve. They are not naturally rebellious or pathological; they are loyal, caring, faithful individuals, convinced they are serving God, but they wind up doing
more harm than good. ... Known by the burning words they utter, their words and attitudes wound, destroy, cause stress and anxiety for those around them." From WELL-INTENTIONED DRAGONS by Marshall Shelley
(One of the great books I'm trying to replace because it was destroyed when a storage facility I was using caught fire
a couple of years ago. Sprinkler system failed. NO INJURIES TO ANY LIVING CREATURES.)
* I am an authority (self-appointed or otherwise) on absolutely
nothing and despertely do not wish to be taken as such.
* I am not running for office, public or private.
* I am not in the employ of any organization, corporation, publishing house, activist/pacifist group or other entity whatsoever to sell, promote, endorse or advertise their wares.
* I do not proselytize.
* All opinions, concepts, ideas, musings, creative works and other bizarre notions expressed herein and throughout SFF are absolutely my own. Quotes that inform my thinking, inspire, encourage, or hopefully further illustrate my point will be used,
probably ad nauseam. Where possible, quotes will be attributed to their authors. When the source is unknown (due to Old Timers or lack of info), quote will be marked with question of origin noted.
* Any time I relax my guard and don't ride heard on it, I speak exactly as I write - even in the grocery store check-out line. In
large part, I attribute this to my grandfather, who turned 65 in April before I was born in May, and who was Justice of the Peace, in his beloved small Arkansas township, for more than 40 years. He was a very learned gentleman and I spent an incredible amount of time with him. Mama said he taught me to talk before I could walk. More's the pity I haven't stopped.
* Further damage has been done by the 8-12 hours per day I've spent transcribing dictation from doctors, lawyers, business
professionals and college professors for the past 34 years. That ads up to a bit of time and one helluvan education, not mention the social interaction.
* I'm a pedantic, didactic, ruler-tapping pragmatist. When I was younger, it was far worse. What I've tried to do over the years is learn to say how I feel about what I think, instead of just giving the bare facts alone. Sometimes, it helps to know how a person came by their understanding, but it takes time to find the right balance.
* I've got a thick skin, a strong stomach and a skull made of pigiron. I work to understand where my thinking is off-track or where my mis-programmed emotions are deceiving me. Anytime, anywhere, I can look anyone straight in the eye and say, "I was wrong about that," then go to work to set it right and grow to the place where it won't happen again.
* Not only do I 'trust' the wrong people, I also distrust the right ones. What really messes with my head is that, when one of the toxic people flattens me like a steamroller, I'm always blindsided and stunned that they could/would do that, and I don't understand why. That's a big thing with me - the 'why did it happen?' The 'what did I do?' I genuinely don't know and will spend weeks/months trying to understand it, hurting, grieving, NEEDING. Needing so very badly. No insight, only questions and deep confusion. This is like fighting an octupus with 1000 tentacles - Tolkein's "Watcher in the Water." A friend was consoling me once, a long time ago, and she said, "It's like we're toasting marshmallows at the beach. Most people put a
marshmallow onto the stick and hold it over the fire. You put the marshmallow onto the stick, then throw that, the whole bag of marshmallows, and yourself into the fire all at once. You never hold anything back. You're too out there all of the time, and that's not good."
* With great respect for your experiences and thankfulness for your willingness to give of the goodness gleaned from them, I ask for your tolerance when I have too forcefully expressed ideas and feelings of my own. I ask you to believe in my good will and in my sincere desire to comfort and support wherever possible, even as I grow and learn in my own way.
*"O, Lord, be merciful to me, a Fool."
Joy in Jesus!
The Hag
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Did Anybody Else See the Tornado...
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Jul 7, 2006 11:19 am
Mood: grateful,
458 Views
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That wrecked the INSIDE of my house? It has been an incredible week. Most significantly, I've been converted. I'm now quite firmly in Regis Filbin's fan club, stunned and stymied though I am to see those words in print. He was on with Larry King some time over the week-endless, but I don't know when. Maybe it's the season (losing Linda last year, Daddy 20 years ago on the 3rd), maybe it's just Regis' getting older. Whatever the cause, he made me think so strongly of Jackie Gleason, with that rich, open laughter, the willingness to just roll with it - when he was
talking about the demise of "Millionaire", I could only see Jackie sitting on that black, empty stage in the director's chair, cigar in one hand, drink in the other, after the colossal failure of his attempt at a game show, saying, with point-blank honesty, "Ladies and Gentlemen, last night, we laid a goose egg - the biggest goose egg in the history of entertainment!...We're going to come up with something to fill this spot next week. I don't know what, just yet, but it'll be something and it'll be a lot better than what we did last night, I can promise you that." His
"Something" was the variety show that became the highlight of my very young life at the time, and that I never missed. Now, a half-century later, I sit with a tall, cold drink, my feet up, dog at my side, crochet on my lap and that same, infectious laughter rolls out of the screen, across my mind and into my soul. It is for
joy...and anybody who's that free, that secure in themselves, is someone I can respect and admire. "How sweet it is!", indeed.
One night when I was chanel surfing after work, I hit upon CMT's offering of the JOHNNY CASH LIVE AT SAN QUENTIN concert from 197(??). I hooped, whooped, cried and prayed my way through that, then was treated to STAGECOACH with Cash, Kristopherson, Nelson, et al. A complete pot-boiler with every cast member a 'name.' Well, I laughed until my diaphragm ached (the one GOD GAVE ME, tyvm. Please consult Grey's
Anatomy, the medical text, not the drama-com.) People periodically passed through the room, lingered about 5/sec, concluded that I was crazy and best not interfered with (That's Who? He did what?? When???). Afterward, Buddy took me out for my walk. We came home and I went to bed.
Sunday night, I spent two hours in Heaven Itself, as Garrison Keillor performed The Prairie Home Companion Live from Tanglewood on PBS. I had tickets to the show when he brought it to Tennessee, but on the day of the one performance, my back-up transcriptionist at the hospital quit without notice and I had to go to work instead. This is the second time, since I began wallowing in the program at its inception, that I've seen it on PBS. That alone would have been celebration enough for me.
But NOT! Wednesday night, there was Part II of the Bob Dylan documentary. More whooping, shouting, stomping and carrying on. That, of course, left me fired, wired and inspired, so I was busy writing til the wee hours. Shortly after Part I of this documentary had aired, I heard someone on NPR say, "Bob Dylan is going to have a talk show on NPR in the fall. Each program will
run for three hours but there'll be no celebrity guests. Dylan will come on and talk for an hour. Then, there'll be a commentator who will spend the next two hours explaining what Dylan just said." LOVED IT!
MEANWHILE, IN THE REAL WORLD, it was a merry-go-round: We all were working different shifts, different days, coming and going, with visiting/entertaining sandwiched in between. We'd laid in a supply of cold cuts, salad makings, chips/dips, favorite varieties of 'Little Debbies', sodas and the like, threw some
ice cream bars into the freezer. The cell phones rang like wind chimes with people calling to drop-by or get-together before/after work. It was wild, crazy and most DYNAMICALLY AMERICAN! Some went to see live fireworks, while others watched on TV and played pretend.
J.'s family was here from last Wednesday (?) until Monday morning, when they went back to Modesto, CA. We met at Denney's for a 6:AM breakfast send-off. [Don't ask me. I never woke up.] We had become comfortable together and it was a good visit. E-mail addresses were exchanged so that we can get better acquainted over the months to come. I think that's a good starting point. My kids are happy so, of course, I am.
Both S. and J. were off work yesterday, so we had our first cooked dinner in almost a week. We grilled steaks, cooked vegs in those aluminum pouches, did a spinach salad and there was still ice cream for dessert.
Doing it bit by bit each day, we've just about got the house liveable, now here's the weekend, again. Do you realize (or even want to contemplate the fact) that we've got two more years of these week-long celebrations for the 4th? Next year, it's on Wednesday, which is going to knock out two weeks for lots of folks. In '08, it'll be Thursday, which means Sunday should be the wind-up, by my calculations - but, that's the election year. Anybody want to start planning a mass expedition to South America to study the ancient Incan architecture, and look for gold or aliens, The Ancients themselves? Starwomyn, you'd be the perfect guide!
Enjoy a great weekend, SFF. Maybe this can be the one we use to recuperate. Be safe and enjoy. (I wonder what's in the kitchen that I could make soup out of?) I'm glad you visited my Blog.
Joy in Jesus!
The Hag
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Lord, Lay The Sword Across My Heart ...
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Jul 2, 2006 2:21 pm
Mood: thankful,
485 Views
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Dear Lord,
You know, I'm new in Blogland, and in this space I'll see
A world of unique people, all searching, just like me,
With diffferent thoughts and feelings, different hopes and dreams,
Please grant that I remember, Life's not always as it seems.
All here are YOUR CHILDREN, not a single one unwanted,
Though we struggle with our loneliness, and long to be rewarded
With one hopeful word of kindness, one simple, tender smile
That lets us feel we're cared about, if only for awhile.
This WORLD is all confusion, fear and hate and raging pain,
So that, every day, we question, "Is it I or they who's gone insane?"
The answer is, "It's neither. We're all wandering in the fog."
Please bless with healing laughter EVERYONE who reads my Blog.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [JOHN 3:17]
Peace to All.
The Hag
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LINDA
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Jun 30, 2006 6:04 am
Mood: contemplative,
533 Views
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On December 23, 2004, my friend of 30 years was diagnosed with lung cancer. She died on June 29, 2005. Linda was 42.
Linda's Light
by The Hag
It was a simple thing, yet, not easily defined. As they'd say of 'starlets' in the old days: "She lights up a room, just by walking into it." With Linda, though, it was much more than that. She had such genuine openness, such sincerity. When Linda asked, "How are you?" She wanted to know...She wanted to know about your day, your week, how your life was going. She wanted to know and she listened to your answer. She'd sit down, make eye-contact with you and respond both verbally and with the most graceful body-language I've ever seen. When you were happy, she rejoiced with you with her whole soul. When you were angry, she was ready to do battle for/with you, When you were sad or hurt, she was there to comfort and to hug the hurt away.
She was a wonderful, amazing friend, and until I see her again,
I am deeply thankful that my life has been blessed with the glow of Linda's light.
"There is a future, O Thank God,
Of life this is so small a part,
For here on Earth it's face to face,
But there, up there, it's heart to heart."
-- Unknown
Please, dear SFF friends, have a safe, joyful, very long weekend.
Happy Indepedence Day! God Bless America
The Hag
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"Where did you get that Handle?"
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Jun 24, 2006 8:26 pm
613 Views
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The Hag is for Hag Struan, a character in James Clavell's novel TAI PAN, my favorite of his works. If memory serves, The Hag was born a Brock, which made her marriage into the Struan clan a Hatfield-McCoy heresy. The Brocks and Struans were rival shipping magnates in Scotland during the early days of the China trade. The Hag was widowed young and stepped to the helm of Struan shipping, to keep them on top of her birth family. She was a
tough, clear-minded, straight from the shoulder kind of lady. I admired her strength, her dignity and her dedication to her family against all odds. I'd have a very long way to go, indeed, before I could be in her league, but the name inspires me and I aim to do her proud.
Joy in Jesus!
The Hag
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Before I was so UNCEREMONIOUSLY interrupted ...
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Jun 24, 2006 8:21 pm
Mood: relaxed,
504 Views
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I was about to expound on the fact that I'm a "transplant" to the great Northwest ... As was mentioned, I'm living with my Goddaughter and her fiance. I've come to spend an indefinite few months helping to plan and participate in their wedding this fall - somewhere around Thanksgiving. Arrived on May 4, and have thoroughly enjoyed the trip, the area, the reunion with the kids, their friends - all of it! It had been three years since they made their last car trip to Tennessee. J. has family in California, Texas, and somewhere in the midwest, so they always opt to drive in order to maximize control over their route and the time spent at each stop along the way. They also like the flexibility. If they want to make spur-of-the-moment changes, it's doable.
This is my last day as a Slacker. Will finish the last of the antibiotics at bedtime tonight (You betcha! Sweet Pam, I've taken every one of 'em jes like the doctor ordered!) and will get back to work tomorrow, PM. Energy level is good but I'm not pushing it. I've freshened the bedroom so that it doesn't feel like a "sick room", done a bit of laundry, made another pot of soup (cubed pork in vegetable stock, with rice, pearl onions, carrots, peas, two bay leaves, a little sage and garlic. When I have it on hand, I add white wine, but I wasn't about to go out for it.). This was accomplished over the week, not all in one or two days. I've also slept, read and added a few rows to the crib afghan I'm doing for my friend's new great-granddaughter. I've been so good, my halo hurts.
Thanks to all of you for the concern, prayers, compliments, words of encouragement, and sharing your own thoughts with me. I wanted to get involved with SFF because I don't know anyone out here and knew it would take awhile to start moving about to meet people and make friends my own age. The kids are the light of my life but they're in the hectic heyday of their own world, and my avowed intention is to simplify the agenda, not complicate it. I knew this would be a good way to meet great people, but I had no idea it could become this rewarding this quickly. I really feel as if I've become a member of a huge, incredibly close-knit, sorority. I love all of you so much and feel that I've actually known you much longer than the time would indicate. Great minds, huh ??? I look forward to the time I spend on SFF with great delight, and appreciate so much the joy you've brought into my life. This past week would have been painfully lonely, indeed, if not for you.
OK, enough of this before the keyboard turns to mush. Y'all take great care. Thanks for visiting my blog. Until next time,
Joy in Jesus!
The Hag
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To link to this blog (TheHag) use [blog TheHag] in your messages.
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