Thought for the Day (Oct 12)

Subject: Thought for the Day (Oct 12)
From: Peter T.
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 10:12 AM

October 12 - 20 years ago, on a cold spring day, a friend and I planted rows of baby trees, that would one day grow into a sturdy apple orchard, mostly Macintoshes (some Cortlands and Russetts), on his farm. This past weekend, I went back, and got to pick some apples off those trees. The hills nearby were all orange and red, the air crisp, and every shade of muted brown could be found gathering around the hedgerows. I picked a basket full of apples, and we went back inside, chomping on a few, and a few hours later the lady of the house had made us all an apple pie. On bad days, I sometimes wonder if the only decent thing I have contributed to earthly betterment is those trees. On good days, with a slice of apple pie in me cooked from apples off my own tree, I sometimes think exactly the same thought.
(p.t.)

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Oct 12)
From: harpgirl
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 11:35 AM

...a poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it all away...harpgirl

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Oct 12)
From: Neil Lowe
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 11:41 AM

....(p.t.): I would politely disagree with your narrow interpretation of "earthly betterment." For better or worse, I am of this earth, and your thoughts, ruminations, recounts, poetry postings, and vividly- worded "mindscapes" have provided fertile ground in which to cultivate my own crop of ideas. So, the next time you take personal inventory, on good or bad days, I would encourage you to look beyond the apple orchard, to the fields of human enrichment, and ponder for a moment the abundant yield you will never gather from seeds you have planted there.

Regards, Neil

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Oct 12)
From: Peter T.
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 11:46 AM

Thanks Neil for your kind words, as ever -- at least as good as a piece of warm pie. yours, Peter

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Oct 12)
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 11:55 AM

Well, the obvious reply would be "As ye sow, so shall ye reap"...and a reminder, as Neil says, to not sell yourself short, Peter, the impact of your so beautiful and eloquent words, alone, is much greater than you will ever realise.

BTW, I missed you and your thoughts, yesterday.

luvyaKat

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Oct 12)
From: Bert
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 01:39 PM

When Lou (my second wife) died I planted 48 bristlecone pines up in the mountains. I haven't been back to check on them but I'm hoping that at least one of them lives it's full life and is around for a thousand years or more.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Oct 12)
From: Peter T.
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 02:45 PM

Sorry, kat, yesterday was Canadian Thanksgiving, so I was up in the hills and farmcountry, eating apples.
yours, Peter

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Oct 12)
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 02:49 PM

"Duh!", she says, smacking her forehead! Guess I shoulda gotten a clue from your first posting! I just wanted ya to know we missed ya, dearie, no problem.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Oct 12)
From: Peter T.
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 02:59 PM

No reason why you should know, kat. Canadians ridiculously pride themselves on having an earlier Thanksgiving so we can enjoy the fall (every Canadian thanksgiving dinner has some idiot make this obligatory swipe at our Southern neighbours) -- Canadians grab on to these tiny differences to keep the hope alive that we are not about to be completely overrun (HA!)
P.S. What ever happened to Columbus Day? Political correctness do it in?

I enjoyed your postings when I checked in on the past 3 days this morning.
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Oct 12)
From: sophocleese
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 03:35 PM

Peter T. Do you mean we Canadians CAN'T enjoy fall without having Thanksgiving first? Why didn't anyone ever tell me?

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Oct 12)
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 05:26 PM

Canada? Oh you mean the 51st state?!!**BG**

Columbus/Columbo is still big time in New England, at least he was a few years ago, everything closes down, etc. There's even a statue of him in New London, CT, near where we lived. But, there were others who were opposed to celebrating such an event, most notably those of us who felt ethically conscious (remember I coined it first here, on the Mudcat!) about what his arrival meant, in the long run, for the idigenous people of our continent.

Out here in the West, it is an unremarkable day, except that the federal offices are closed. Holidays have never meant as much as they used to since Nixon, I think it was, changed the calendar to make them always fall on a Monday, so everyone could have a three day weekend. Just isn't the same.

Thanks for your kind comment, Peter, but maybe you can tell me how I did a morning's posting in 3 days?(Hahaha) Just kidding.

I am kind of excited about today, as Morris Dees is speaking tonight. He is a leading civil rights advocate and one of the co-founders of the Southern Poverty Law Center. I am honoured to be one of the people who will have dinner with him beforehand and I am really looking forward to it!

TTFN,

kat