Frieda's Gotasong

Vexed and the like...

2010-04-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

I am what some folks might call a voracious reader. Every room in my home, with the exception of my bathroom (my towels have to go somewhere), have walls lined with fully loaded book cases. Even the kitchen has a row of cook books...not that I use them nearly enough.

With all my years of devouring literature (both great and poor excuses for story), I had never read Jane Austin. Sure, I like the movies made from Jane Austen books -especially Sense & Sensibility; but I think my desire to repeatedly watch Emma Thompson lose control of her emotions when she finds out Hugh Grant's character is not married is because I like Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant (even if I don't think they make a great couple). All that matters is that their characters - Elinor Dashwood & Edward Farrars - most assuredly belong together.

Earlier this week, Keira Knightly graced my television screen as Elizabeth Bennet, and I simply got a kick out of watching Mrs. Bennet lose control of her senses, as she put on extreme emotional tantrums whenever her expectations weren't met. It piqued my curiosity as to whether Jane Austen actually relayed such humorous scenes in her writing.

Finally! My Franklin Library volumes from my teen years came in handy as I promptly reached for my burgandy, gold leafed volume of Pride and Prejudice which had to date found its permanent home on my mantel.

By the end of chapter 1, I had become a Jane Austin fan, finding words like "vexed" and "fancy" (used as a verb not an adjective) come as easily to mind as modern colloquial verbiage.

So to Morgan - my daughter who has for years engulfed Jane Austin's writing - you have rightly chosen. Here is yet another topic we can joyously discuss. To my second daughter Meagan who would not voluntarily even touch a volume of Austin's work - you might actually find her writing quite funny as you are quite possibly the most entirely clever person I know. And to my youngest Michaela - you should expect to read and share Jane Austin as a school assignment. Please go ahead and pick your favorite title. Oh, and be prepared that our studies might possibly be shared in a very strong British accent.

So that is all for today. Now I must away, as I am certain I hear the Bennets calling.

Just a Tidbit Today, but Something...

2009-10-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it has been months since I last blogged. It seems impossible that so much time has passed. But that's how life is. We have time for some things and not for others. In time, our focus is shifted back to what has been ignored.

That's how our Christian walk can be sometimes, too...at least for me. It's so important to try to be consistent in that area, even making notes to remind ourselves to stay in touch with God. I find my life turns topsy turvy when my relationship with God has been mis-prioritized.

Honestly, I have to place scripture and scriptural books all around the house, so when I get sidetracked by life's daily tasks, I'll see something with God's Word on it or in it. I'm reminded to stop, read and relate...remembering that I need to stay in touch with my Father and my Friend.

Wow, am I ever thankful that God's Word is never void of his love lessons!

I am praying for you today. Yes, you.

Frieda

Quick Thought

2009-05-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

Though I haven't blogged much lately, I've certainly been thinking and praying a great deal.

One thing keeps coming to mind. If we were perfect, Christ would not have had to die for us; and still, He died knowing we would fail Him. But that great love continues to cover our sin.

The Making of a Man

2009-04-20T06:06:00.000-07:00

Ok...so I have absolutely nothing with the making of a man. I can influence a man by my words or actions, but as far as the making - that's all about God. My grandfather used to tell me that beyond our initial creation, there are three things that determine character - Heredity, Environment, and Will. Then he reminded me that Will is strong enough to overcome the other two in matters of our choices. I titled the blog as such and have written all of this, because I'm going to post another one of my favorite poems. Yes...Morgan, you probably guessed it.

If by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Now...here is a plug for an organization that is special to me....if you, your family or special group is considering child sponsorship, please take a look at Compassion International. Compassion Sunday is coming up this Sunday on April 26th. www.compassion.com Thanks!

Have a wonderful Monday! Thanks for reading.

Love Not Because, But Love

2009-04-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

There is much to be said for loving for the sake of love and not because of any quality possessed by another person. In fact, I would say that it is an art that only we can learn by following the personal sacrifice of God himself who loves us, not because of but in spite of...

Here is another favorite and poignant poem...

If Thou Must Love Me, Let it Be for Nought
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say,
"I love her for her smile - her look - her way
Of speaking gently, - for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day." -
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee, - and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry, -
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou may'st love on, through love's eternity.

In response to this poem, the following scripture comes easily to mind...

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 (KJV)

Bit of Lit

2009-04-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

So...tonight I'm not feeling like writing too much. I've read so much lately that bears repeating, but I was thinking over the weekend about poems that have influenced me throughout my life.

Perhaps you've seen this one but it warrants reviewing. It's one of my favorites. I was reminded of it as I trapsed through the Croatan National Forest over the weekend. I'm guessing you'll figure out why. Try reading it out loud. I think good poems deserve to be read aloud.

Here is hoping all is well with everyone! I'm praying for all of you. (Oh...and am super excited for the TARHEELS! Congrats UNC!)

The Road Not Taken

by Robert Frost, 1916

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Maybe this poem has encouraged you as it has always encouraged me. Permit me, if you will (as if you had a choice), to also leave you with this thought from the Bible..."And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. " Galatians 6:9 (KJV)

Better to Have Worn a Body Cast

2009-04-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

Ok...this is one of those days when I have a lot to say but don't feel like spending all night on the computer. So...as warned in my very first blog, I'm going to post a short essay that I wrote c. 1996. How is that for you? In my 2009 blog, I'm resorting to posting stories that are more than 13 years old! Oh...well, if it is too much like reading Reminisce or The Good Old Days, then so be it. Hope you at least smile. Thanks for reading.

Better To Have Worn a Body Cast

Okay, so I had to wear a body cast for nine months. While it wasn't the dream of a lifetime, it was most definitely a learning experience. I tried to remember how much character I was building every time someone bounced a racquet ball off my chest or my best friend pounded on my back to carry out a not-so-funny knock-knock joke. And how can I forget falling over backwards in my chair during a home economics class? When I couldn't get up without assistance, I became the best joke in high school. But somehow I survived the playful taunts of my friends, while learning to treasure them. In fact, I don't remember much from my sophomore year in high school except the funny incidents involving my cast.

When I say, "Body cast," I am referring to a plaster of paris cast extending high up under my arms and the top of my chest near my neck to just below my hip bones, leaving enough room for leg mobility. Oh, and I can't descriptively omit the round hole right in the middle for stomach expansion and contraction. I looked like the newest super hero. It was the only time I could actually get by my father without a shirt and not have him pass out. He also didn't mind my going to the beach, since wearing a skimpy bathing suit was an impossibility. Any bathing suit was out of the question, for that matter.

My mother, on the other hand, did have reason to worry. I tended to be a bit too daring. Anyone who knows what happens to plaster when soaked in water would appreciate my mother's qualm as she watched me bounce up and down on a diving board over 8 ft. of water. Now as a parent, I, too, sympathize with her.

The summer that year was memorable for more than one reason. My trip to Florida with a youth choir, consisting of twenty-six teenagers and five very brave adults, during three of the hottest days of the year remains etched in my mind as one of those reasons. While in Florida, we visited Walt Disney World. I can't blame thirty of the thirty-one travelers for not wanting to enjoy the park with me, the Living Stiff. However, I was able to maneuver my way into the middle of a group of four, making two couples and a sore thumb. Needless to say, they lost me "by accident" at one of the rides. Due to my confined status, I waited to ride the carousel, while they lined up for the roller coaster. Afterwards, we were to meet back at a specific location. I was there. I'm still waiting for them.

After walking and riding alone for an hour, I caught up with a few adults from the larger group. It was lunch time. They ate. I passed out. When I awoke, I was being wheeled down the middle of Main Street, U.S.A., heading up a parade of Disney characters. My thought: "Should I wave and pretend that I'm employed by Disney?" I doubted if anyone would have noticed. Well, maybe they might have suspected something was amiss; after all, my plaster costume wasn't the best. My friends took pictures of me with Goofy, Pluto, Mickey, and the Infirmary Sign just to prove even to me it really happened.

Another reason for remembering that summer was my vacation with Dad. Let me politely say that he is a "would be" Hollywood director. He tried to reenact the opening to the movie Chariots of Fire - the scene where the men are running in the ocean surf. Let's see: heat, water; running. Three things vital for the effective scene. Three things taboo for me. While everyone was wearing all-but- too revealing swimsuits, I was fully dressed. I am sure I didn't look obvious on the beach! The running? Well, we pretended we were moving in slow motion. In thirteen years, I haven't been able to bring myself to watch the film. My sisters and brothers, however, have had no problem filling me in on what I've missed. Once again, I survived.

Finally came "The Backscratcher Incident," to which my two first cousins (both boys who loved to tease; now men who love to remind) were witness. Because I wore the cast for nine months, there were times when my skin itched so badly I could hardly stand it. In order to ease my plight, I would suck in my stomach and stick a backscratcher in the hole of my cast. While visiting my cousins, I chose to relieve my itching in this way. In doing so, the hand of the backscratcher broke off in the back of my cast. My uncle had to use pliers to manipulate the hand out. It was not an easy task. On the other hand (pardon the pun), it was not as difficult as living down the incident. What did I learn? Backscratchers aren't an abundant commodity. I spent days trying to find a new one.

As I look back at being 15 years old and having to carry that cumbersome weight around on my body, I am thankful for the patience taught by my circumstance. While I was unable to ride Space Mountain at Walt Disney World, as an adult, life for me has been a constant roller coaster ride. And I am better, to have worn a body cast. ©1996 FCE

If Someone Turned Me Upside Down and Shook Me, What Would Fall Out?

2009-03-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

Ok...so I'm posing the question - If someone turned me upside down and shook me, what would fall out?

Now...let's suppose what falls out is what is inside of me and nothing will be stuck or hidden...with the exception of my lunch. Now, that's something I have no desire to see or ponder.

Would empathy or apathy drop on the floor? How about joy or frustration? (I use frustration as an opposite to joy, because if I'm frustrated - I'm probably not joyful.) Compassion or disdain? (If I have disdain for someone, I'm probably not being compassionate, even if it is someone with whom I do not agree.) Optimism or pessimism? Faith or Fear?

How about my priorities? Where is my time being focused - on myself or on the things God suggests - things that are true, things that are honest, things that are just, things that are pure, things that are lovely, things that are of good report; virtue; and praise?

Wow, there sure are a lot of things that could potentially tumble out!

Most of me thinks I would be very embarrassed. Surely, there would be some good, but what about the things that had been stuck (maybe in the vicinity of my little finger or under my knee cap) - the things that aren't so delightful in God's eyes?

I tell you - I'm thankful for grace. But that grace doesn't mean I shouldn't be concerned about what's inside. It means I should make every effort to be in constant communication with God. After all, the more time I spend with Him, the better the content of my heart.

I'm just glad this is a "what if?" scenario and not reality. Not only because I'd be ashamed of how much interior cleaning I need to do, but also because I'm really partial to keeping my lunch traveling in the right direction.

The Newness of it All...

2009-03-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

Here is my blog. It is so close to journaling that I'm afraid of getting carried away and forgetting that it is all being written in front of other people. But then...I often get carried away in front of other people by just how I behave, that it would be nothing new.

My daughter (Morgan) asked me if I might consider blogging. She said she likes what I have to say. That is a mighty find compliment, so I the least I could do was listen to her.

I suppose if I don't have the time or energy to blog on some days, then I'll just post stories. Is that acceptable in the blog world?

I suggested to Morgan that if you really had something you wanted to say, "Why not write a book and earn a little $$ for the family?"

While she agreed that this is a true statement, not everything a person thinks is publishable. I suppose if one's blog is popular enough, publishing might be a suggested and the blog would have served a great purpose? (Yes...that is supposed to be a question mark.)

But here is another thought - perhaps a blog could serve as a regular encouragement to other people. That is perhaps a noble and in some ways a haughty thought. Just suppose though that every time someone is feeling overwhelmed, they turn on the computer and find something positive to encourage him/her.

Of course, I always say first and foremost, "Turn to the Bible." If the blog directs them to God's Word, then it is a two-fold encouragement.

Ok...I'm at the point of justifying having a blog. So, Morgan, for starters - how did I do on this one?

I need to go for a walk before it rains. Oh, perhaps that statement should be posted on my twitter. I wonder if all this means is that I'll never tear myself away from the computer.