Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Behind The Scenes Preparing for the UN International Day of Peace 2011





Earlier this week Mother Lightning's Peace Garden was at the Putnam Library continuing to facalitate in the making of peace & harmony flags, before gathering for our annual June potluck dinner & meeting of the Greater Putnam Interfaith Council. Group members met at our fella member's Pam's home, along with some of our spouses, & extended families too. Everything was perfecto, not only in regards to the various dishes each one of us had decided to bring, but the sincere caring of our growing friendships, one human being to another, as we have planned & worked together over these few short years which has been a blessing in the creation of new friendships.

We are in the midst of planning our hometown event's addition of the United Nations International Day of Peace, for this coming September 18th, in downtown Putnam, Ct. On the program for this very special day, will be music, speaker presentations, craft projects, a community art show, & prayers for peace offered from the different faiths, of the various faith based communities that we all come from.

We know we all live in a far from perfect world, as the reality is that human beings, are far from perfect people. But, we also know that there are more good, than not in our species, & our wells continue to abundantly fill with those who care.

So as much as this Peace Day event will be fun, we are in the process now of pulling together, to help create this special day, that by doing so, & listening to one an other's positives & negatives, in regards to trying so very hard to weave it all together, that in our own small way, helps to make this a better world, putting forth the continued message of- tolerance, acceptance & peace.

May peace be with you, & also with you..


The following e address takes you to Utube, of which you will find the International Prayer For Peace. I am in hopes that the follwing link will work when you go to click on, if not just go ahead & type in the lettering, it should hopefully bring you there. If only World Peace, were as simple.

















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Monday, June 27, 2011

Tying One On, In The Garden..

The apron here for our opening act, brings to mind a story from The New Yorker Magazine, can you just picture a hostess with the most-est serving the Horderves, or Sushi wearing this stylized apron over her outfit of basic black with leggings...

& next we have...
Our artist of the day, truly tying one on...
Many of Sharon's designs are researched back to the era, of when our grandmas were cooking up a storm, with many of these creations made of fabrics, from near & far...
Getting the table just right, as the tea cozies made from handmade felt, really did bring a welcoming touch to this corner of the garden...
The basic apron, brought to a whole new level of design with function...
Three good friends on the lawn of this wonderful herbrary, so very proud our favorite artisan, who does the stitch in time thing with perfection.
Our friend Sharon can be reached by contacting her at~
Creative Cloth Designs at


A perfect day in the garden as we move into summertime...

This past Saturday a dear friend, was exhibiting & selling her designer aprons at an Artisan Fair, on the grounds of Martha's Herbary. Sharon our friend the fabric artist with flair! I've decided to let the pictures speak the thousand words, so I hope you enjoy the visual tour of this annual summertime event.











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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Thursday, June 23, 2011

On Yuccas, Potatoes, People & Thee

Meet our new characters to the Peace Garden, of whom arrived late last night, to quite a bit of fanfare, this is still their first draft, or dress rehearsal, as they are still being nipped, tucked & refined.

The amazing stalk reaching for the sky is one of our original yuccas, given to me by a dear Gemini friend, many years ago.

Still working out the details with this cast, with a few more ideas in the wings...
On the evening of our forty-first anniversary, we traveled into Niantic, Ct. for a light dinner & a movie. The view shown here of the Long Island Sound, doesn't show the view to the far left, of which sits the Millstone Nuclear Power Stations, of which by NRC federal law, is required to store all their nuclear waste on site.
On the grounds of our favorite used book store in Niantic, on this hazy overcast evening & you know me, when it comes to the simplistic beauty, & complex messages of-
the ancient prayer flags
never it seems do I ever get enough photos or views of...
our prayers for health, & peace, & all that aids, comforts & heals humanity..


The weather has been wet, wet, wet- so like a rain forest as we await the bloom of our yuccas. Here in the Peace Garden even among all the weeds, & having pushed through a really hard winter the stalk of one of these ordinary, yet magnificent plants could rival any upscale sapling & here you will see her, reaching up to the sky, to eventually burst forth in small white orchid-like blossoms. Every summer at this time, as we await these blooms, my heart goes out to Yucca Flats, we are one with you Yucca Flats, for we don't want it in your backyard either, never ever. No Nukes.


On 6/24/11 , additional related information has come forth on this topic-



*********

On a completely different note, the topic I've decided to mull over is; what does one do on the rainy days, here in these here hills...

My solution the past couple of days, since it has been rather wet & wild & not quite suitable for the kind of outdoor activities that I have been yearning for, what to do, what to do....
Da..da... Yes here they are, as they have only arrived the other evening, a new character has been sown/sewed, yes literally sewed, & glued too for, they are,

The
Peace Potato Peeps
& Friends

It really brings me back to several winters ago, when my husband & I were staying with our grandchildren for a good part of a week. Our very talented daughter in law, who does an incredible job in her area of sales, had been awarded a trip to Mexico for herself & our son.
Sooo, when Poppy & Nana were asked to stay with the grand kids, you can be sure we didn't hesitate to do so, as who best to watch & care for young ones, when the parents were to be away we figured, but us. It was a challenging experience to say the least, as our grandson was in first grade, & our granddaughter then a preschooler, but we worked their schedules well, & got into a rhythm. I found that former Brownie Scout/Girl Scout person that I am, did the best when there was a craft, & a story or a song to fill the day.

The Peace Potato Peeps, are a true inspiration of that week we all spent together. They're only in the first phase of course, but they're not due out until September 18th, for our United Nations International Peace Day event, for by then they will be duly ready for harvest.











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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Monday, June 20, 2011

With the Summer Solstice Soon to Arrive, Good Morning World


Above is a constant scene that greets one, coming & going from these here hills. The manikin in profile, is forever pondering;
what in the world, have we done to this world...

The roses, of which are named Mr. Lincoln, were given to me by our son Mike when he was a high school student, for Mothers Day. They grace the garden amongst; St. Francis, Mother Mary, & even one of Mark Twain's book faeries, & are mere symbols of some of our differences in the views & beliefs, of which the Peace Garden, gives each image the respect of the people it represents, their honor & due...
Which includes all sentient beings, of whom my dog Dolly is of course amongst..
Sitting when told, & taking a good directional from out in the woods of-
listening with a good sniff..



Good morning everyone, here it is Monday, Monday & here we are at another Monday through Friday on this side of the globe. Midway in June, that's where we all are, & with the Summer Solstice edging it's way to arrive tomorrow, we will experience the longest day of the year on the northern hemisphere. In truth, I never knew about any of this growing up, just shows one how lacking a secondary education was back in the day, for me anyway, for not even knowing the significance of June 21st, for it was on that date, that my husband & I married, some forty-one years ago tomorrow. Quite a span of time for any earthling's narrative. It must have been the date, with it's unique cosmic connections, that helped enable us to get through all the waters that a relationship can fathom, as we too, as any couple, are ourselves unique individuals, truly; a couple unique in our relationship with one another, as any bit of stardust in the sky.

Wishing everyone a starry Summer Solstice, & look forward to talking to you again soon.


With Love & Peace Always,

Mother Lightning

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For more information on the Solstice here's a link you may enjoy-










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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Fathers Day 2011


Fathers Day, always an honored tradition. The photo of todays' posting is of my beloved father, Samuel Myron Kapelner, & moi' during a family visit to the Bronx Zoo, some twenty three years ago. Our trips into the Bronx Zoo, were always a delightful adventure, of that we were never, ever disappointed.

My father was born in Yonkers, N.Y., eventually moved with my grandparents & his sister to the Lower Eastside, of New York, of which I do recall so many travels, & gatherings, visiting our grandparents there. We traveled by bus & by subway to visit when we lived in the Bronx, & when we moved away to Connecticut we traveled by train out of Union Station in Hartford, to Grand Central in NYC. The trips into New York became most challenging once my father got his first car, as my parents didn't need one, living in N.Y. I remember sitting in the back with my brother, it was comfortable enough with the big upholstered seat & all, but it was the motion of the highway drive that caused many of those long trips to engulf me in some pretty good bouts of motion sickness. To this day, I still prefer the train.
My father was self made as so many of his generation were, & became a well educated, & respected scientist. He was a true Renaissance man, loved sports, & the arts, even played football for Kansas State while serving in the Army. He always shared his time with me, & taught me all about family, love, acceptance, tolerance, & all aspects of what goes into creating an upstanding person. Today on Fathers Day 2011, as our three sons, & two grandchildren, make the calls, & come to visit, their dad, my husband, we honor all the fathers who have given their sons, daughters, & grandchildren so very, very much of themselves, not only on Fathers Day, but every day, as they are with us in our hearts for always.

A wonderful Fathers Day, you Dads & Granddads, you are certainly Grand to us!











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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Taking Nothing For Granted, Walking The Walk


Taking Nothing For Granted, Walking The Walk


To walk with rhythm
smooth with grace
a goal that's set for me

To walk this earth
is simple yet
presents complexities

The fall was fast
was hard, and flat
was down there very quick

Must learn again
to walk the mound
and slip not,
or to crash

It's simple, hard
a basic move
of this I strive to do
and I do pray
to practice well,
and listen, to the clues--

it's body speak,
and body talk
an ergonomic phrase
that we preform
our efforts paced
in bodies, mindful ways

********************************************************************************

And so concludes today's addition of our ongoing Poetry A Muse In Motion project.











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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden












Friday, June 17, 2011

The Sphinx, His Riddle, & Life's Oasis


From a time before us, to the present here & now...
Creatures, on the desert, or creatures in the sea...
Just one of the numerous ways in which we continue to test life's waters...
And a little imagination goes a long, long way, as it not only amuses, but helps us to continue to think creatively... which is also our ability to problem solve...
As we allow ourselves a good balance of sport & fun...
Perfect, perfect, perfect, yes balance is the key...

Many of us I'm sure can recall a discussion that includes the Riddle of the Sphinx, which goes something like this-
What begins life on all fours
then next goes to two,
and back to all fours...

da, da,... That's us of course humankind, beginning life crawling & exploring our world on all fours, eventually we learn to stand, & next to walk, & many times, end life once again with an inability to walk, therefore the phrase back to all fours...

Strengthening tendons, muscles, & bones in a non gravity atmosphere of a community's pool oasis is an excellent way to rehabilitate from all sorts of orthopedic mishaps & injuries. Swimming is also an excellent activity for many individuals with respiratory problems such as asthma, as the basic fundamentals of swimming allows the body get into a natural & healthy breathing rhythm.
So if this sounds right for you, check it out with your doctor, or health care provider to see what their take would be, as it may very well offer a whole new opportunity of enhanced well being, & if you don't know how to swim, no matter your age, the Red Cross offers swimming lessons to people of all ages, in most communities.

Today, I was finally able to match my schedule with that of our local community pool. I went the other evening, but there was a schedule change, so that was a disappointing "no go", but this morning despite the showers & all, I seized upon the day, which was a good decision as the exercises, walking & swimming I was able to accomplish in the water felt so very beneficial. My goodness, no Sphinx to ponder just then, just the clear blue nature & fluidity of good ole; H2O all very peaceful, clear, healing & just, so right.

If I could I'd invite you to join me, but for now, check out the hours of your favorite swimming location, & I'm sure once you test the waters too, it will all feel, just right for you too, of which I certainly hope so.

Today's posting will end with a bit of an additional post script-

As my family, & Peace Garden friends know, it was on May 8th of this year that I took that unforgettable tumble off my bike on the paved cycling path in Rhode Island. My recovery & healing from the ordeal has been slow & steady. These types of incidents tend to replay themselves in the mind of the participant, staying actively involved in my recovery is an essential aspect on this journey, of which I am trying to be very careful as to not to kvetch myself into a corner, but to get out there, staying involved with family & friends, & using this time as a necessary opportunity to even clean up my diet, by eliminating, dessert type baked goods, as a major first step before the measured caloric intake mode is to be put in place. So in the long run, I have once again become wiser in readjusting my future cycling skills, as to not follow too closely, & to also make time for some long over due reading, such as some of the works by our dear friend Leo; Leo Tolstoy, of which I must click off this computer soon, as I'm almost done with his novella, A Landowner's Morning, & would so like to finish it, before this day is through.

Enjoy your gardens, & the beauty of what springtime brings, it's been a cold wet one here, so wherever you may be, if you're able to make the time, take out an older classic, or a modern one if you so choose, & enjoy the peacefulness of your oasis, as the waters that we sit by, swim & play in, return us to, whence we first came, the oceans & sea of life.

My physical therapy processes has gone from land-gravity mode, to aqua anti-gravity mode, it has all been helpful & it will all take patience, time & determination, but that is what is intended, swimmingly & real on a molecular level, as always.

**************************************************************

If per chance you too are fascinated by the origins of The Riddle of the Sphinx, go to-


for a really good explanation of this ancient, & mysterious legend.











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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden












Sunday, June 12, 2011

Dickinson, Poe, Chicago & Thee / Thoughts About the Peace Garden


We so recommend the above film, Louder Than A Bomb for the bravery, artistry & the uniqueness of this film, it is now planted here as one of the Peace Garden's all time favorites-


About the Peace Garden


a garden,

known as a place,
where plants so grow..

our minds our thoughts
they too, we sow

to share ideas that they may seed
to blossom forth, the care they bring

so here amongst the photos shown
a line or two, an essay grown

with one idea there comes a poem
it may take time for it to hone

no, none of it will change the world
or even straighten out a curl

yet I do know, we need a voice
our precious world, oh such a cost

the artists, playwrights, poets too
it's what we say, it's what we do

so please express your deepest thoughts
it may just lessen, lifetimes loss

just one more word, and one more prayer
the artists soul
we just plain care

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Yesterday evening my husband, son & I got to see the film, Louder Than A Bomb, which is about a poetry slam held every March in the city of Chicago, one of my very young childhood cities, as I had lived out in Skokie [Sowkie, my first version misspelled] so many decades ago, so long ago that the proper spelling alluded me, but not my love for a precious hometown. This documentary filmed aspects of the event's eighth year of competition. The participants are teams from the various public & private high schools in the city. If I were to say that this movie totally blew us away, even those words would be inadequate, as there is something very special in regards to taking in a story of the blossoming of the precious young people in our society. The entire mix of us, all colors, all faiths, all shapes & sizes. All of us, you, & I meshed together in a large city, having the opportunity to connect, living & breathing, of what resides in the hearts of an individual, through the rhythming & the beat, of a poem.

Move over Emily Dickinson, & Edgar Allen Poe, yes, there's room for a few more!

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And so concludes today's addition to our ongoing--
Poetry A Muse In Motion project.











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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden







Saturday, June 11, 2011

A Rainy Night In Boston

Rain or shine, the T making it's way through Boston on this rainy night...
Leaving Coolidge Corner in a torrential downpour...
A rainy night in Boston, & though it was a wonderful day in the city along the harbor, it does feel like it's been "raining all over the world".


**************************************************

We just got in about twenty minutes ago, we're expecting rain throughout the night & into the morning perhaps, so for now we'll end the day drying out a bit, & will be ready to greet the new day, being sure to include a review of the movie we just saw at the Coolidge entitled,
Louder Than A Bomb, on my next posting.

Good night, & take shelter from the storm when you can.













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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Thursday, June 9, 2011

A True Rolling Thunder Review

Downtown Putnam, Ct. this morning, to celebrate with a fresh brewed coffee at Victoria Station, after being given the go ahead to ride my stationary bike for five minutes, & to increase it each day by two minutes if tolerated. Yes, happy, happy joy, joy with my slow, but steady progress.

Yesterday & today, but tomorrow's June roses here, may end up being a bit weathered after this evenings storm...
A few views from my tree house type perch, of the overall darkness at arround 5:10pm EDST.
This photo was taken through the screened window, but the winds were beginning to pick up, & there wasn't a chance of me going out there unless I had to..
Here she stands, my Japanese dog wood tree, with it's pink blossoms, a gift so many years ago from some very dear friends, standing out there with dignity & grace as the rains, rained on...


In the early 70's my husband & I went to see Bob Dylan, & the Rolling Thunder Review at the Hartford Civic Center. It was of course an awesome performance, & we loved every minute of it. Here it is now, our generation's fellow gemini, the genius troubadour poet, celebrating his 70th year on planet earth. Just had to mention that, being this evening the northeast experienced it's very own rolling thunder review, but of a different kind-


Control


We do not control nature
it controls us
all of us
big, tall, small, weak
we are all equal
before the forces
of nature,
I sat holed up
in a cellar dug halfway into the ground
north
west
they said to go
during heavy
violent
storms,
I saw the bolt
while sitting
thought I'd read
and
ride it out
big, tall small, and weak
not I,
I thought-

before nature
her power
her glory
her beauty too,
we are all
weak.


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This completes tonight's addition to the ongoing Poetry A Muse In Motion, project.












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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden


Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Interned Gardens



Interned Gardens


To make pretty
times of gold
the pharaohs taught so well

embalm the royals
embalm the rich
to travel onward still

death has it's own
a mask so still
unless the makeup's poured
so putty thick, to look not real
yet life-like, worn and torn

We so avoid the real, and true
it's ugliness at glance
yet quiet
still
and quiet more
not talking, there's no chance

we look upon this
what you think,
a most untimely death
we pass our way
and smile and say
what is it that we'll miss..

We never know, us human drones
our strollings on this earth
when is our time
forever
time
trying,
to make the most

so still he lies, not old, not young
a coffin there he lays
some knew him well, others did not
the stories they all tell

he was so loved, he was so kind
not small, not large, like most..
reception, party
honors,
a life
we do this, but no toast

the one we honor
miss them most
now buried on the hill

his time, our time
where did it go
the ceremony pleads
the family, friends a gathered group
a minister and more
our cries of love, forever now
these moments we will store.


****************************************

Thus concludes today's entry of Poetry A Muse In Motion project.












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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden