When Your Hut's On Fire

We’ve read and viewed numerous photos of the tragic damage caused by 
Hurricane Sandy along the Atlantic coasts of New Jersey and New York states…
 and we ask ourselves, “Why???”  … but answers we do not have.

A personal friend, recently engaged to be married, was diagnosed with
terminal cancer. “Why???” we ask, “does this afflict such a
person in the "prime of his life!"

A few days ago, when driving home from an appointment, I inadvertently turned
at the wrong intersection.  My car and I both knew that this was not the correct
street upon which to turn.  The question I asked, “Why did I make such a foolish 
driving error?” On the 6 pm TV news that evening, the “anchor man” reported 
a tragic accident that had occurred on the street, along which I should have 
driven…this at about the same time as I drove a few extra blocks.

When Your Hut’s On Fire

The only survivor of a shipwreck 
was washed up on a small, uninhabited island.

He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him.

Every day he scanned the horizon for help, 
 but none was forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to 
protect himself from the elements, and to store a few possessions he gathered.

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut
in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky.  He felt the worst had happened 
and everything was lost.  He was stunned with disbelief, grief and anger! 

He cried out,”God!  How could you do this to me?”

Early the next day, he was awakened 
by the sound of a ship approaching the island!

                                                        It had come to rescue him! 
                 “How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers.

                                             “We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.

Moral of This Story:

It's easy to get discouraged when things are going badly, 
but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives...
even in the midst of our pain and suffering. 
Remember, that the next time your little hut seems to be burning 
to the ground...it just may be a smoke signal 
that summons the Grace of God!

(Thank you, Carolyn, for submitting the foregoing  to me...a wonderful message.)

Merle Baird-Kerr . . . written November 17, 2012

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If I Had a Million Dollars

"IF I HAD A MILLION DOLLARS"

The “Bare Naked Ladies” ( a group of male singers from Toronto)

have popularized many songs that they have written and sung.

I love the melodious lilt and the words of this song

(which you can hear on Internet).

So, with some plagiarism, I sent this special greeting

to my son for his 15^th day of November birthday last year.

Today, I have updated it with a further experience

we had in October of this current year.

If I had a Million Dollars

I'd purchase you a car ~

unlike the Mazda

that “zoom, zoooms, zooooms”.

Neither be a fancy Ford

even tho' you'd love a Mustang.

I'd not buy Alpha Romeo

to cruise Italy's streets.

I'd splurge on a Porsche...

so Sleek, so Racy, so Spirited

in any colour you prefer!

If I had a Million Dollars,

my very elaborate yacht

would take you deep sea fishing.

Watch whales in Bay of Fundy

or spear a Marlin, big and blue

(a trophy upon your wall).

With a trap for salty waters,

you'd catch a tasty crab.

Your preference is a Lake?

Then you hook a lengthy trout.

Wouldn't that be exciting!

Perhaps a travel card

would greatly interest you.

You've driven many States

relating to your jobs.

I'd arrange destinations...

Siberia...even Tim-buc-tu!

Safaris on savannahs;

and Amazon's tropics explore.

Your ticket's good...anywhere!

Be sure to take life jacket

and trusty camera to “shoot”.

However...I don't have

one...million...dollars.

Perhaps I'd give a Sudoku puzzle

to challenge your numerical mind

or even a jigsaw puzzle

with a thousand pieces or more.

I'd recommend car rallies

to interpret directions

and win the destined goal.
Or...I might...contact you

for personal computer assistance.

In early October, 2012, you accepted a job

in downtown Manhattan.

We drove to New Jersey, staying a week at the Hilton.

On Saturday, we escaped Newark's dense population

to drive the Atlantic coast.

Through Sea Bright to Pier Village

(beautiful and  architecturally sited

with wonderful ocean views).

Then southward to Seaside Heights

...where families oft' go for summer vacations.

A short distance south we drove

and observed the plenteous sand dunes.

We “stair-ed” to the boardwalk

to capture the views

of ocean so placid and far-away ship.

The ocean was so blue on this sunlit day.

A “beach bum” or two lazed on the sand

reading a novel or “girlie magazine”.

Two weeks later, Sandy came ashore

crumbling homes like matchsticks

and devastating...this fine resort!

The mighty force of winds

shovelled the dunes

and buried many homes

to a sandy grave!

If I had a Million Dollars

I'd donate it to these people

to rebuild their homes,

to rebuild their Sea Heights resort,

and to rebuild their lives!

Happy Birthday, My Dear Son,

although you are afar.

As per my philosophy...

“You're another year younger and another year wiser!”

May this bring you a happy and successful year!

May, YOU win a Million Dollars!

Mom...XX

written November 14, 2012

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In Flanders Fields

A war poem (in the form of a rondeau)

was written during World War I

by Canadian  physician and Lieutenant John McCrae

from Guelph, Ontario.

He was inspired to write it on May 3, 1915,

after presiding over the funeral of friend and fellow soldier,

Alexis Helmer, who died in the Second Battle of Ypes.

In Flanders Fields was first published on December 8, 1915

in the London-based-magazine, Punch.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

                                                  In Flanders fields, the poppies blow

                                                  Between the crosses, row on row,

                                                  That mark our place, and in the sky

                                                  The larks, still bravely singing, fly

                                                  Scarce  heard amid the guns below.

                                                  We are the Dead.  Short days ago

                                                  We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

                                                  Loved and were loved, and now we lie

                                                  In Flanders fields.

                                                  Take up our quarrel with the foe;

                                                  To you from failing hands, we throw

                                                  The torch; be yours to hold it high.

                                                  If ye break faith with us who die

                                                  We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

                                                  In Flanders fields.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be;

we shall fight on the beaches;

we shall fight on the landing grounds;

we shall fight in the fields and in the streets;

we shall fight in the hills;

we shall never surrender!

(Winston Churchill)

The object of war is not to die for your country,

but to make the other bastard die for his.

(George S. Patton)

War does not determine who is right...

but who is left.

(Bertrand Russell)

A soldier will fight long and hard

for a bit of coloured ribbon.

(Napoleon Bonaparte)

In modern war...

you will die like a dog for no good reason.

(Ernest Hemingway)

In peace, sons bury their fathers.

In war, fathers bury their sons.

(Herodotus)

War will exist until that distant day

when the conscientious objector

enjoys the same reputation and prestige

that the warrior does today.

(Robert F. Kennedy)

Mankind must put an end to war

before war puts an end to mankind.

(Robert F. Kennedy)

There is always enlightenment…in any deep subject…and when this occurs,

a ray of hope usually lightens the load of what might become depressing. 

My son forwarded to me this appropriate brief story …Innocence is Priceless!

A boy, dressed in a pale green long-sleeved shirt and wearing a royal blue

backpack, pensively studied something that hung on a building wall.

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex standing in the foyer 

of the church staring up at a large plaque.  It was covered with names and 

small American flags mounted on either side of it.  The six-year old 

had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, 

stood beside the little boy, and said quietly, “Good morning, Alex.”

“Good morning, Pastor,” he replied, still focused on the plaque.

“Pastor, what is this?”

The pastor said, “Well, son, it’s a memorial to all the young men and women

 who died in the service.”

Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque.  Finally little Alex’s voice,

barely audible and trembling with fear, asked,  “Which service, the 9:00 or the 11:00?”

Merle Baird-Kerr...written October 31, 2012

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Colours of the Rainbow

Colour adds pizzazz to our world which would fade into bleakness…

                                if we could not see the spring’s early tree foliage,

                                if we could not see the daffodils as they poke through the last snows,

                                if we could not see the lilacs of May,

                                if we could not see the first rosebud,

                                if we could not see the rippling waters of rivers and lakes,

                                if we could not see the autumn leaves of deciduous trees,

                                if we could not see the Christmas lights and holly,

                                if we could not see the frosty branches & sparkling snowflakes.

We decorate our homes in various hues and textures.

Our automobiles would be “boring” if only in black, gray or brown.

We wear clothing colours that compliment our skin tones, hair and eyes.

Our woodlands and treed urban areas would be bland without colourful birds.

We women use colours in our cosmetics, nail polish and hair tints.

Even our fruits and vegetables add table appeal,

                                               inviting us to savour their luscious goodness.

The Colours of the Rainbow present another venue, that of…

Associated Idioms

The six colours of the spectrum have contributed significantly

to expressions and turns of phase that are themselves

often quite colourful.  Here's a sampling

of idioms employing the words for colours.

RED:  Because of the association of the colour red with danger and deficits, most

idioms that include the word red...for example “in the red” (meaning 'in debt');

“red tape” (referring to bureaucratic complications) and “seeing red” (being so

angry that one's vision is blurred)...all have negative associations.

However, they overshadow a few positive ones:  “paint the town red” (enjoying

oneself dining and drinking); “a red letter day” (an occasion for celebration) and

“red carpet treatment” or “roll out the red carpet” (referring to paying special

attention to someone, based on the colour of carpeting usually seen at the

entrance to a gala event for celebrities or VIPs).

A “red herring” is a deliberate diversion;  a “red-eye flight” is a late-night

airplane trip (from bloodshot eyes and tired passengers) and to have a

“red face” or to go “beet red” is to be embarrassed.

ORANGE:  Among the colours of the rainbow, orange is curiously absent.

Although it is a bright, cheerful colour, often found in nature, the only common

expression that uses the word orange employs the plural form referring to the

fruit of that name....”apples and oranges”, meaning unrelated subjects or issues

to emphasize irrelevance.

YELLOW:  The few idioms incorporating the word  yellow have negative

connotations.  To have a “yellow belly” or a “yellow streak down one's back”

(the reasons for the choice of locations is obscure) is to be a coward and

“yellow journalism” based on an early comic strip character named the

“Yellow Kid”, is that which is sensational and/or biased.

GREEN:  The phrases “green-eyed monster”, an epithet for jealousy and

“green with envy” are perhaps based on the idea that one's complexion turns

a sickly hue when feeling these emotions;  similarly, to say that someone

looks green or is “green around the gills” means that they appear to be sick.

But green also has positive connotations:  To give someone the “green  light”,

based on the universal traffic-signal colour to indicate Go, is to approve a

proposal.  If you have a “green thumb” (or in British English, green fingers),

you are adept in gardening...probably because successful gardeners are

apparent from the green pigmentation that rubs off from healthy plants

to their hands as they handle the vegetation.

Because US paper currency is green, in American English, the colour is

associated with money and wealth.

BLUE:  Because it is the colour of the sky, blue is associated with idioms such as

“out of the blue”  and “out of a clear blue sky” and “like a bolt from the blue”

that refer to a person, thing or idea that arrives as if from nowhere.  “Into the wild

blue yonder,” meanwhile refers to a venture into unknown territory.

“Blue collar” connotes people who work at a trade or as labourers, because such

workers at one time commonly wore durable shirts made of blue cotton (as

opposed to “white collar” referring to dress shirts worn by professionals and

office workers and “pink collar”, a later now frowned-on reference to women

in clerical positions, so labeled because men rarely wore pink).

Two idioms generally negative in sense include “blue-blooded”  meaning

aristocratic, probably because during an era in which the term was coined,

nobility tended not to spend time in the sun and their veins showed blue

under their pale skin and “blue-eyed boy” referring to a favoured protégé;

this phrase likely stems  from the fact that fair-skinned and fair-haired people

who at one time had a social advantage over their swarthier counterparts,

are likely to have blue eyes.

Other negative idioms include the use of blue to refer to a sad or bleak mood,

as well as “black and blue” meaning bruised from the colour of bruised

skin, and “blue in the face” referring to someone trying (in vain) to persuade

another until, from lack of breath, they attain this state.

PURPLE or VIOLET:  Purple, also called violet, like its colour-spectrum

counterpart yellow, has little  representation in idiomatic language.

“Purple prose” is that which is overwrought or overly  complicated and

a “shrinking violet” is a shy person, though the usage is usually employed

in such phrases as “not a shrinking violet” to refer to someone who is

anything but shy.

The colour purple, because materials for dying fabric in that colour were

rare and therefore expensive was reserved for royalty or the wealthy in western

cultures and still has an association with nobility.  This association resulted in

another idiom, “born to the purple” meaning someone born to royalty during

their reign and by extension, referring to children of prominent people.

Further to the foregoing is the colour commentator (colour analyst) who
assists the "play-by-play" sports announcer...often filling in any time when play
is not in progress.  The colour commentator provides expert analysis and
background information...such as statistics, strategy and information about
other teams and athletes related to the sport being broadcast. These colour 
commentators are often former athletes or coaches.

“Words of Wisdom”

As the Indians say,

“When anything strengthens

a bond of friendship,

the friends have walked

in the “shadow of a rainbow”.

Merle Baird-Kerr...written October 23, 2012

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Month of November

The name November is believed to be derived  from “Novem”

which is Latin for the number nine. 

In the ancient Roman calendar,

November was the ninth month after March.

As part of the seasonal calendar,

November is the love of the “Snow Moon”

according to Pagan beliefs and the period ascribed

as the Moon of the Falling Leaves by Black Elk.

Birthstones ~ Topaz and Citrine

Flower ~ Chrysanthemum

Noteworthy Days

November 4 ~ Daylight Saving Time in countries of the Northern Hemisphere's

northern latitude ends Sunday evening on this date. Our clocks are to be set back

one hour.  Remember the cliché:   Spring Forward...Fall Back!

November 11 ~ Remembrance Day (also known as “Poppy Day”) or
Armistice Day as a memorial day observed in the Commonwealth countries
since the end of WWI to remember the number of armed forces who have died
in their line of duty. This day commemorates the armistice signed between
the Allies and Germany at Compiegne, France (for the hostilities on the
western front of WWI) taking effect at 11 o’clock in the morning…
                                                           the 11^th hour 
                                                           of the 11^th month of 1918.

The day was specifically dedicated by King George V on the 7^th of November
1919. The red poppy has been a familiar emblem or Remembrance Day due to
the poem, In Flanders Fields.

                       ~ Veterans Day is an official US holiday honouring armed service

veterans.  It is a federal holiday.  (Memorial Day is day of remembering the

men and women who died while serving their countries.)    

November 22 ~ Thanksgiving Day in US is a secular holiday celebrated annually

the fourth Thursday of this month.  The First Thanksgiving was  celebrated by the

Pilgrims to give thanks to God for guiding them safely to the New World.

November Musings

                                                                  November comes

                                                                  And November goes

                                                                  With the last red leaves

                                                                  And the first snows.

                                                                  With night coming early

                                                                  And dawn coming later

                                                                  And ice in the bucket

                                                                  And frost by the gate.

                                                                  The fires burn

                                                                  And the kettle sing

                                                                  And the earth sinks to rest

                                                                  Until next spring.

                                                                 (Elizabeth Coatsworth)

November always seemed to me,

the Norway of the year.

(Emily Dickenson)

If it is true that one of the greatest pleasures of gardening lies in looking forward,

the planting of next year's beds and borders must be one of the most agreeable

occupations in the gardener's calendar.  
 This should make October and November particularly pleasant months, for then
they begin to clear their borders, to cut down those sodden and untidy stalks,
to dig up and increase their plants by moving them to other parts so they will show
to better effect.  People who are not gardeners, always say that the bare beds
of winter are uninteresting...having no beauty. Gardeners know better and take
even a certain pleasure in the neatness of the neatly dug, bare, brown earth. 
For them...the anticipation of a new season.

(Vita Sackville-West)

Merle Baird-Kerr … composed November 1, 2012

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Challenge Your Brain

Neirobics...means “challenging your brain with 
new and unexpected  experiences!

It can help keep it stronger into old age.

“Breaking with routine and using all your senses

is like having your brain cells lifting barbells,” says Manning Rubin.

Make life your “gym:  You don't need to use a computer or puzzle book 
or schedule a specific time to sharpen your brain.  Instead, think of ways you can 
break your usual habits throughout the day.

Close your eyes:   Listen to sounds in the park, take a shower, navigate around 
your house or try to identify objects by touch.

Use your non-dominate hand:  Eat, brush your teeth or write with the hand 
you don't normally use to give different  parts of your brain a workout.   
Or try to button a shirt, tie a shoe or get dressed using just one hand.

Vary your commute:  Get off at an earlier bus stop or drive down different 
roads on regular errands or trips to and from work.  New sights, sounds and 
smells will take your brain off “autopilot”.

Mix things up:  Have people sit a different spot at the dinner table, trade chores 
with another family member or rearrange dishes in a cabinet so you'll have to think 
about where you're reaching.

Try something new every day:  This can be something small ... tasting a 
different food or using chopsticks at dinner ~ or bigger, such as picking up 
a new hobby or tackling a new skill such as a foreign language.

Combine your senses:  Read a book while burning a scented candle and pay
attention to both.  Or close  your eyes and try to identify a food by the smell alone.

(from the Daily  Press)

Tips for Remaining Positive

Reframe:  Rather than labelling your situation as a disaster or tragedy, see it

as a challenge, an experience, an important part of your journey.

Let your feelings come, all of them and then move through them...again and again.

If plan  A has not worked, don't stop; begin plan B and then plan C'.

Be forgiving of yourself and others...not always scanning for flaws or imperfections.

Love yourself in spite of your shortcomings and love others in spite of theirs.

Appreciate little things each  day and do something to nourish  yourself:

read a poem, have a cup of good tea, listen to music, take a walk, watch a movie,

sing a song, hold a child.

Ask for a helping hand when needed and be grateful for whatever is offered.

When you feel struck emotionally... move your body; take a walk, exercise, 
dance or hug a loved one.

Pause and appreciate something beautiful around you.

Recall how you have made it through hard times in the past 
and remember your strength, capability, faith and resources.

Take one hour at a time; one day, one week

and pat yourself on the back for making it through.

(New York Times)

Implementing the foregoing “tips” will build a stronger character

and challenge your brain to react positively.

Is Perfection Possible?

“You  can't have perfection in an imperfect world,” says Elliot Cohen.   
“When someone demands perfection, either with themselves 
or with others, they create frustration for all involved.  It's important to realize 
there are some things you can control and some you can't.   
Our logical mind knows this, but our emotions step in and we think, 
'But I can be the exception to the rule.'  That demand for control is typically 
what creates anxiety about the future.” 

“When we try to perfect too many things, we lose the ability to go all out 
on the things that are really important to us,” adds Becky Beaupre Gillespie.  
 “Other people lose sight of their passions and deepest desires when they try to be 
the best at everything!

High achievers have a strong need to be the best, at everything;

others, that being best was not as important 

as being happy at work and at home.

Here are some tips:

Switch from being the best to doing your best.  This isn't settling or 
slacking off; it's honing in on the priorities and being realistic.

Never compare yourself to others.  Women have a tendency to look around 
at other women and compare themselves.  There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach.”

Embrace serenity. Cohen states, “Serenity is the middle ground between 
perfectionism and indifference. Once you find this, you will feel the difference. “

(Chicago Tribune)

“Pearl of Wisdom”

It's funny about Life!

If you refuse to accept  anything but the very best,

you will very often get it.

(W. Somerset Maugham)

Merle Baird-Kerr . . . composed April 1, 2012

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Intelligence of Non-Humans

 The Bee-Engine

There was a crowd of bees flying around one day.   
These bees were most peculiar.

They were powered by gasoline,

rather than the allergenic goodies that bees usually eat.

As the crowd flew along, periodically a bee or two would start to sputter; 
it would fly down to a gas station...drink up the gas spilled in fuelling a car, 
and then fly up and rejoin the crowd.

One bee began to sputter a little, but flew right by an open gas station.   
As he passed the second station, he was coughing badly, but still he flew on.

Finally, as he was on his last fumes, he dove  down to a station and gassed up.

When he rejoined the  crowd, his neighbour challenged him:  “Look, you passed

right by an open station when you started to get low.  You passed another station

when you were perilously low.  And finally, you  ran out of gas just in time to glide

into that last station.  Are you crazy???”

He replied, “Well, it's like this.  The first station was a Gulf station.  
I really don't like Gulf at all! The second station was a Texaco station!  
That's even worse.  But the third station was an Esso station!!!   
Let me tell you...Esso is my brand of gasoline!”

Now you know what they say, don't you ... ???

“There's an Esso Bee in every crowd!”

Feline Learning?

Did you hear the one about the cat that earned an MBA online?

No, it's not the latest water cooler joke.  It's actually the basis behind a lawsuit 
filed in early December against Trinity Southern University...a front for a 
school run by  two Texan brothers accused of selling fake degrees and prescription 
drugs using spam e-mail.

         The “school” which offered no classes, allegedly awarded a Master of Business 
         Administration degree to a Deputy Attorney General's 6-year old cat for $299!

(This is one “intelligent looking cat”!

A “head and shoulders” photo of a striped tabby

(as becomes a graduate)

with the usual black tasselled mitred hat!)

Kitten Wisdom

A pretty little girl named Suzy was standing on the sidewalk in front of her home. 

Next to her was a basket containing a number of tiny creatures; in her hand 
was a sign announcing FREE KITTENS.

Suddenly a line of big black cars pulled up beside her.    
Out of the lead car stepped a tall grinning man.  “Hi there, little girl, 
I’m President Obama.  What do  you have in the basket?” he asked.

“Kittens,” little Suzy said.

“How old are they?” asked Obama.

Suzy replied, “They’re so young their eyes aren’t even open yet.”

“And what kind of kittens are they?”

“Democrats,” answered Suzy with a smile.

Obama was delighted.  As soon as he returned to his car, he called his PR 
chief and told him about the little girl and her kittens.

Recognizing  the perfect  photo op, the two men agreed that the president 
should return the next day, and in front of the assembled media, have the girl 
talk about her discerning kittens.

So the next day, Suzy was again standing on the sidewalk with her basket of

FREE KITTENS, when another motorcade pulled up, this time followed by vans

from ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN.  Cameras and audio equipment were quickly

set up, then Obama got out of his limo and walked over to little Suzy.

“Hello, again,” he said.  “I’d love it if you would tell all my friends out there

 what kind of kittens you’re giving away.”

“Yes, sir,” Suzy said, “They’re Republicans.”

Taken by surprise, the president stammered, “But yesterday, you told me

they were Democrats.”

Little Suzy smiled and said, “I know.

But today, they have their eyes open.”

Patience Pays!

 A mirror-like lagoon and thick reeds fringed the marshy water. 

A blue heron on “stick legs”stood in the shallows.  Statue-still!

The bird was fishing...instinctively knowing...the most effective means to 
accomplish it was ...to do nothing!  It didn't even seem to be breathing...its heart 
racing...its beady eyes scanning the clear bay water...and then emerged...
a gleaming silver fish clasped in its beak.  The heron scarfed down the 
still-squirming  fish...and then took off like a seaplane...gathering speed...
and then soaring ...its great wings beating with smooth strength.

Halcyon Days

(meaning …calm, peaceful days)

The Halcyon is a bird of Greek legend and the name is now commonly given 
to the European Kingfisher.  The ancients believed the bird made a floating 
nest in the Aegean Sea and had the power to calm the waves while brooding 
her eggs.  Fourteen days of calm weather were to be expected when the 
Halcyon was nesting ~ around the winter solstice, usually 21^st or 22^nd of December.   
 The Halcyon days are generally regarded as beginning on the 14^th or 15^th of December.

The source of the belief in the bird’s power to calm the sea originated 
in a myth recorded by Ovid.  The story goes that Aeolus, the ruler of the winds, 
had a daughter named Alcyone, who was married to Ceyx, the king of Thessaly.   
Ceyx was drowned at sea and Alcyone threw herself into the waves in a fit of grief.   
Instead of drowning, she was transformed into a bird and carried to her husband by the wind.

        The myth came to the English-speaking world in the 14^th century, 
       when in 1398 John Trevisa translated Barththolomew de Glanville’s 
                         De proprietatibus  rerum into Middle English:

  “In the cliffe of a ponde of ocean, Alcion, a see foule, in wynter maketh her neste

           and layeth egges in vii days and sittyth on brood…seuen dayes.”

(May you and I always live in the "halcyon days")

 “Pearl of Wisdom”

You've got to Stay Alive

to Stay in the Game!

(James Patterson from his novel “Cross Country”

Merle Baird-Kerr . . . composed April 2, 2012

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