TILL THE SOIL

Love, like all things, has to be nurtured. 

Without nurture, love can die.

What is preferred, love that is dry and wilted or love that produce fruits at their very best?

 In the mountains, there are two farms, both on opposite sides of the highway.  
One appears to be on higher ground and the other lower.  However, they are level.

The farms are owned and run by two families and for a laugh they agreed to name their farms thus:  The farm on the Western side of the highway is called 'Upson' and the farm on the Eastern side of the highway is called 'Downs'.

Now, this may seem humorous and many family jokes made but in reality, the names of the properties reflect the nature and mental attitude of their individual owners.

Generally, in small towns everyone is well known but because these two related families have very long and difficult to say names they came to be known and called the Upson or Downs.

The Upsons are a happy family.  Mr and Mrs Upson are generally rather ‘up’ and rarely ‘down’.  Their farm produces rapidly growing crops and the quality of their produce is excellent.  The soil is rich and dark teeming with organic life, holding much nutriment and is well irrigated.  Every morning Mr Upson rises early has breakfast, reads a bit of the newspaper with his coffee and he is ready for his day of ‘soil toil’ as he calls it.  He kisses and hugs his wife regularly and plays many games with the kids.  They are a very amenable and happy family.

The Downs are rather different.  The Downs are generally ‘down’ and rarely ‘up’.  Their farm has slow growing meagre crops and the quality is very poor.  The soil is mainly heavy almost rock hard clay with little nutriment for growing anything and the soil is not well irrigated.  Every morning Mr Downs rises early, grumbles to his breakfast, eats it sullenly and growls to anyone nearby but to no one in particular. He does not give hugs but does condescend to patting the kids on the head.  Mr Downs is not a happy chappie; his wife is miserable and a bit scared of Mr Downs.  In fact, Mrs Downs has tried everything.  At appropriate times, to gain some attention, she has even dressed in stockings, suspenders and brief see through panties and bra, to no avail.

The Downs family are a miserable bunch with both husband and wife often having heated and argumentative ‘discussions’ which end in much yelling and abuse.  As for the kids, they are a bunch of whiners who whinge and carry on about anything.  Not a very happy household.

One day, Mrs Downs was in the local Italian bakery buying fresh bread.  As she entered the store she could not help but feel warm and wonderful inside her being.  It was the fresh baked bread yeasty smell of her childhood, the sweet smell of icing on her wedding cake.  It was the look of Mario lightly dusted with flour as he wafted through the store whistling ‘O Solo Mio’ that reminded her of early days when she would bake delicious cakes, buns, biscuits and bread for her family.

It made Mrs Downs wonder.  When did her luscious fruit loaf turn into sour dough?

‘Mario?’

‘Yes Signora?’

‘Mario, why so things in life change and we don’t notice?’

‘Because Signora, life moves so quickly sometimes we stop taking notice.  And when we stop taking notice, not paying attention, that is when life can go astray.

Look at my loaves of bread, my beautiful Vienna loaf. I have to take care of the yeast, the sugars, use quality flour, mix and knead in my own particular way, have the oven at the correct temperature and cook for the right time and remove before things go wrong.  In short, I have to pay attention to what I am doing.

But most importantly Signora, if I did not look after my oven and trays and show the flour and yeast I love them, you would not enjoy my bread so much.  Me and my flour Misses, we are a team.’

Now although Mrs Downs had heard all this before she never thought it related to her.

§

Co-incidentally, that day, Mr Downs was in the local pub.  He ran into his brother, Mr Upson.

‘George...’ Mr Downs began.

‘George...how come your crops and ground is so good and you have so much money?’ he asked.

‘Mate, in quiet times I often think that of you.  Why is your soil, crops, happiness and life so poor.  It bothers me.'

Mr Downs was quietly becoming upset.

‘It really does bother me.  I hate to see you folks across the road suffering.  But you know what mate?  It is all very easy to fix.  With a bit of effort, in no time at all you can have a life like mine.’

‘How so George?’

'Your beautiful wife and the kids, they are all too miserable because you are too busy thinking about how rotten your life is instead of seeing the positives and getting on with it.

Mate, learn to love what you are doing.  Get off your bum and till the soil.  Unless the soil is tilled, fertilised and watered like you care, you will always have nothing'.

He continued....

'You know, they say the man who has everything loves what he does and does what he loves.  Unless you learn to love and nurture that love, you will continue to live in a world that is barren.

We all enjoy eating fresh luscious juicy fruit.  We we can’t enjoy the fruit unless we nurture the buds and blossoms and put in the labour.

However, if the fruits are not cared for, they wither and dry on the vine, fall off the tree or become rotten before they are either fully grown or harvested.'

‘Simple, you are in a rut.  You are a sour bastard who is too lazy to get off your backside and do the work.  Instead, you blame and make everyone else suffer.  Your beautiful wife and the kids, they are unhappy because you are spreading your self-induced misery.

Mate, learn to love what you are doing.  Get off your bum and till the soil.  Unless the soil is tilled, fertilised and watered like you care, you will always have nothing'.

He continued....

'You know, they say the man who has everything loves what he does and does what he loves.  Unless you learn to love and nurture that love, you will continue to live in a world that is barren.

We all enjoy eating fresh luscious juicy fruit.  We can’t enjoy the fruit unless we first nurture the buds and blossoms and put in the labour.

However, if the fruits are not cared for, they wither and dry on the vine, fall off the tree or become rotten before they are either fully grown or harvested'.

Show that you care.

Till the Soil 

VERDE

THE CHRISTMAS CHOOK

Dear Readers, 

   

  My Christmas gift for you...

'THE CHRISTMAS CHOOK'

  Enjoy.

Christmas is egg nog...but I still need coffee.*

A few years ago, an old lady lost her husband…well…it is not that he went out somewhere and she lost him, the old chap passed away.

The old lady was very sad as her husband was not only the only man she had ever loved but, he was also her best friend, mate, confident and life partner.

To be loving and cheeky, she called him ‘The Old Fuddy Duddy’ and, as he felt the same way, he called her ‘The Old Chook’ and so…that was what they were named thereafter.  The Old Chook and her husband had a wonderful relationship and put up with each other yelling all the time.  It was fine because they were both very hard of hearing, but not deaf.

The Old Fuddy Duddy and the Old Chook had an only child, a son. The son knew his mother loved animals and because he wanted to help his mother feel less alone, he gave her a tiny fluffy yellow chicken.  He figured it was an animal easy to look after and although his mother was poor she could afford chicken feed and water.  Besides, the chicken could keep her company.

The Old Chook loved the little chick and being very small, she would carry it around all day with her.  To help the chicken feel a part of the household she called the chicken ‘Little Chook’. So now there were two of them, the Old Chook and the other, newer and younger Little Chook.

The Old Chook was very good at looking after Little Chook who was provided with a nice bed in a box and cage with the door always left open.  Little Chook always had fresh water and seed and, a special cushion to sit on the lounge and watch television.  Not only that, Little Chook was often taken for walks.   It was pretty easy, although the Old Chook was deaf, she had excellent eyesight and daily took Little Chook with her on a ribboned leash.  They would perambulate regardless of the weather.  Though naturally, if it was too hot or cold they would stay at home.

However there was one issue, Little Chook was skittish about walking on the same side of the pavement as the curb and would often make a small kerfuffle.  Fortunately, the Old Chook was aware of this and mainly walked Little Chook on the side away from traffic.

**

Days, weeks and months passed as the seasons and the snows of winter began to drift silently to the ground and they walked less.  During this time the Old Chook noticed that with less walks and exercise Little Chook was becoming rather plump, soft and for a chicken, rather tender looking.  The Old Chook only realized this when she began to think about her coming Christmas Dinner. 

The Old Chook had to be careful with her personal finances and would sometimes see Little Chook differently as she considered her next Christmas dinner.  The Old Chook, in her mind, saw a plump, featherless, browned and stuffed chicken surrounded by baked potatoes and peas, whilst being covered in rich but lightly seasoned dark gravy and, the panic stricken kerfuffles during street walks would be silenced forever.

Poor poor Little Chook.  What was to become of her?

What WAS to become of her!

There were a few days break in the frigid cold and constant snowfall and the Old Chook felt it was time for a short walk with her companion.  Although the Old Chook did not feel particularly well or mentally ‘with it’ she felt a degree of cabin fever.  After all, they had been housebound for two weeks now and the Old Chook knew she would feel better by being outdoors.  Little Chook did not want to go outdoors but when she realized there was no point in complaining and putting up a fuss, she obligingly complied with the Old Chook’s insistence. 

They were both rugged up in their woollies to keep the insidious iced hands of frigidity at bay; even Little Chook had a vest as they strolled the sidewalk.  Unfortunately, Little Chook, who was hopping along the side near the curb was feeling rather unsettled, if not frightened.

Suddenly in the flash of a few moments...Little Chook became extremely agitated, going crazy squawking, jumping, flying doing anything she could to escape from her lead but as she tried to fly away she kept on bumping and crashing into the Old Chook.  Little Chook was indeed in a real panic that was very far past the stage of being simply kerfuffled.

The Kerfuffled Little Chook

Just as Old Chook herself was flustered, without warning, a crazy driver in a beat-up car came from behind, mounted the curb and crashed into a pole!  Right in front of the two hapless pedestrians being Little Chook and Old Chook!  They could not believe it!  They were not only flustered but now they were flabbergasted, stunned, mortified, horrified, aghast and, very very frightened.  They could have been killed!

The Old Chook, composing herself a little, tenderly picked up her hapless shaking, trembling, shivering, very frightened friend, bundled her underneath her cloak and together carefully made their way home.

The next hour, inside the warmth and refuge of her cage, Little Chook slowly recovered as she realized the Old Chook was preparing something in the kitchen.

The Old Chook came to the cage and carefully lifted her friend from her warm bed, carried her to the lounge and settled her into her favourite cushion.

Although Christmas was a week away, and...after all Little Chook and Old Chook had been through this afternoon, it was time for something stronger than tea.

As the Old Chook sat there thinking whilst enjoying her egg nog, she picked up the phone and dialled her son.

The phone answered.

“Hello dear…just wondering…instead of having my regular chicken dinner this Christmas, what say I buy a nice fat turkey, stuff it and come over to your place instead?” 

Her son was thrilled and they both excitedly looked forward to Christmas dinner.

The Old Chook sipped her egg nog, winked at Little Chook and smiled.

Merry Christmas,

Happy holidays all,

Take care,

Verde.

* Image courtesy of Coffee Drinker Cafe http://coffeedrinker.net/
** Image courtesy of livescience.com


© 2013-2015 CoffeeDrinker.net

This blog © 2013-2015 Val Verde

CHANGES OF LATITUDE

CHANGES OF LATITUDE ----

----CHANGES OF ATTITUDE

Changes of Latitude and Attitude are Constants in our Life

The above image depicts one who steps beyond personal time trod boundaries and dares to reach into the unknowable world to experience entertainment, pastimes, practices and new ways of thinking that are beyond the same old tired path of seeing the same kind of movies, theatre, music, art and books and, thinking the same old tired way.

Are you open enough to venture forth to seek and experience the unknowable?

What is ‘latitude’?  A dictionary or thesaurus may define or provide clarity on ‘latitude’ as being related to freedom, on the same line, i.e. parallel, or a longitude location either vertical or horizontal. 

As you know, geographically, maps or diagrams of Earth are lined with latitude and longitude which when interacting, are able to provide global locations.

Latitude is horizontal and longitude is vertical.

For example, Nice in Italy shares the same latitude of 39° North with Toronto Canada.

The location of the Mason Dixon line in the USA is 39.7167°N by 75.7833°W.

This was determined following a dispute to determine the official geographic/geometric location of the Pennsylvania, Maryland border.

The tropic of Capricorn is located at approx 23.26’14.0°”N and the Tropic of Cancer is approx 23.26’14.0°”S and the Equator is 90°N.

As mentioned above, latitude is also related to freedoms and those freedoms are not limited to the freedom of people physically moving around from place to place, from various latitude and longitudes and making their own decisions in life.

We all know that our lives can be transient.  We may be born in once house, the family moving to another house, city, state or country.  Many of us are not able to count on one hand where we have lived.

However, the mind is the same.  Our minds are able to change our latitudes and longitudes in the way we think about things such as holding the same faith, religions, political or life opinions from the beginning of our life to the end. 

I believe that people tend to favour the same thoughts and practices continually through life whilst not moving very far from their standard latitude or longitudes of the mind.  In other words, they often fail to change their experiences or the way they think.

Consider the following:

Below is a pictured example of our mind's latitude.  Following the same lines, we live, eat, dress and follow sports and recreational activities according to our experiences which are used after being garnered through years of adaptation from cultural and childhood practices.

As you can see, the latitudes are wavy as we remain on the same path but holding slight variation.  

The things that affect our latitudes are the various events and elements that cause us to alter our mindset and attitudes, these are the round elements that appear to be blobs.  Notice one prominent factor; the lines and round elements are fuzzy.  Why are they fuzzy?  The fuzziness represents the confusion, disillusion or unsurity of our minds at the time.

This is the representation of our subconscious lateral thoughts driven or being influenced by external stimulus.  The external stimulus may be others opinion, things we read and see and experience in our normal sphere.  This is a display of the lateral mind in action, degrees of latitude. 

Degrees of latitude all in the same place, going on and on…rarely diverting from our mental self or cultural programmed route.  

This is demonstrated by the lyrics from the song ‘Windmills of Your Mind’. from the film 'The Thomas Crown Affair.

Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman, music by Michel Legrand and sung perfectly by Noel Harrison. 

Noel Harrison

WINDMILLS OF YOUR MIND

Video - Noel Harrison

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEhS9Y9HYjU

Albeit the forgoing may have been a lengthy introduction to Changes of Latitude however it was necessary to make these highlights to emphasise the importance of Changes of Attitude.

As discussed, our minds tend to follow a continual and never-ending latitudinal path only altering to the external stimulus of others thoughts, opinions and of course, our experiences.  This can be limiting.  Consider what happens when we step away from the ‘…never-ending spinning wheel’ and adventure into the realms of a 3D ‘esque’ mind picture or journey through our mind as a sphere. 

Allow your mind to step away from the flat plane latitude and take a different tangent and cut through the centre of the sphere to the other side and make varying curves, circles, twisting and turning, drive or drill deeper to the core and emerge elsewhere with a vastly more experienced and knowledgeable viewpoint of the world.

By stepping away from the confines of longitude and latitudinal paths of thinking, the making changes of attitude to one’s mind will allow one to mentally and spiritually grow much fuller and faster than sticking to the norm, you will grow, become more worldly and appreciate what alternatives of enjoyment are on offer in this world.

For example, when thinking about planet Earth, try seeing not only the shape and the continents as a whole, try and focus your mind on what is below the soil, what makes the soil, what are the clouds doing, trees, grass, cats, dogs, buildings, cars, traffic, people i.e. wherever and, whatever.  

Try going to a different cinema, perhaps an Art House cinema, or attend a pop concert, attend an amateur play, go somewhere different on your holiday, eat food you have never tried.

Imagine what it would be like living on another planet in which case, how would you decorate the living room?

Go the ballet, opera or go and see a crappy B grade movie it does not matter, just step from limiting confines that deter you from growth.

Life is not only about excellence, because for excellence to exist there must be the opposite i.e. in-excellence or sub-standard.  These are examples of thinking differently and freeing up the mind to other opportunities. 

Changes of Latitude – Changes of Attitude leads to deeper thinking, understanding, knowledge and, widening of mind.

Cheers,

VERDE

RAJAH AND THE SNAKE

Young Rajah and his journey of wisdom. 

Once upon a time, long ago in a far away kingdom, a very wise old Rajah lived in his palace with his family.

As the old Rajah knew his life in this time was drawing to a close. 
He summoned his son who would become the next Rajah of the Kingdom.

When the son, the future Rajah was summoned, the young man knew it was time for his father to ensure safe passage and pass his kindness, compassion and understanding but most of all, his wisdom gained over many years, to his son, the future head of the Kingdom. 

Young Rajah looked forward to gaining the deeper wisdom of age and sharing compassion.

Time passed and young Rajah had learned much from his father.  The old man shared his life lessons and stated that in order to learn wisdom, it is of great benefit if it is experienced, it must be lived.

The old Rajah asserted that it was time for young Rajah to journey into the larger and wilder areas of his kingdom, from the coast to mountains all consisting of villages and forests populated with people, animals and nature.  Young Rajah had to learn by listening, observing and to offer assistance to those in need.  However, to ensure he heard the true and honest messages being offered, the young Rajah had to go in disguise as a poor man of little means.

Young Rajah journeyed north from the city, through villages, farms, lowlands, mountains, plains and jungle forests.  It took him a very long time, months in fact and although he was learning how people live, their struggles, achievements, worries, fears and things that made them happy, Young Rajah felt he was missing something.  He pondered to the extent that he was not only agitated by not knowing what was missing but he was worried that time was wasting as he felt in his bones that his father’s strength and health was fading. 

Young Rajah did not want to go home until he had learnt the most important lesson  but, what is it?

§

Early one evening in the forest as the sun was about to set, Young Rajah was settling down into his blanket for the night.  His thoughts on the unknown lesson through each day and night, constantly plagued him.  Certainly, he had learnt much from people from all walks of life in the Kingdom yet he still knew the most important lesson was missing.  He still did not understand or even begin to understand what the lesson was, but he knew it was missing.  He could not return home until he discovered and learnt the extremely important lesson.

As he rolled over to rest before he welcomed sleep he heard, and saw something move across leaf litter. Normally Young Rajah would remain very still and quiet waiting for the threat to pass but this time he was not fearful.

‘Are you a snake?’ he asked.

‘Yessss... I am,’ hissed the snake as it continued on towards Rajah.

‘Snake... what am I missing... what it is my father wants me to learn?’

‘I don’t know... why learn things anyways?’ the snake asked.

Rajah replied; ‘Because in learning things we can understand and improve our lives.’

The snake stopped moving, looked at Rajah and asked;
 ‘And if I know how I can improve my life, what good will it do me if I can’t change things?'

‘Well snake, how do you think your life can be improved?’

‘Legs would be good.’ Snake quickly and hiss-pissedly, crossly, replied.

Rajah was surprised, a snake wanting legs... this is a new one.

Snake continued... 

‘Yes, legs!  Do you know how it feels to slide along on your belly all the time?  Look at it from my lowly point of view. Us snakes spend all our time on our bellies, eating slow moving stuff on the ground, sneaking around for a feed, sometimes down holes in the ground.  To see any distance we have to slowly slither up trees.  The worse thing is that we look creepy.  A lot of us are safe creatures yet, humans and other animals are terrified of us.  We need legs.  If we had legs we could walk and get places faster.  Besides we could walk over the tops of rocks and twigs and things.  I reckon it would be a vast improvement and make life much easier if us snakes had very long legs.  Besides, it would make us look less sneaky’.  Snake had obviously thought it through.

Both Young Rajah and Snake said nothing else as the snake slithered away.

‘This could be it,’ thought Young Rajah.  ‘My lesson could be to learn the difficulties that animals and plants experience, and understand how I may help them.’

Dear reader, what is unknown to others, is that both the old and Young Rajah have supernatural powers.  Before Young Rajah went to sleep that night, he performed his magical powerful deed and gave the snake long legs.

§

In the morning, Young Rajah packed up his meagre belongings and continued his journey through the jungle and up into the mountains far beyond the tree line until the only thing that was present was snow, rock and moss.

Young Rajah spent much time in the mountains sitting in the open at the top, the pinnacle, enjoying the solitude and contemplation. 

The seasons changed from winter to spring and Young Rajah knew that with the passing of seasons our lives shorten and some lives pass.  He knew the time for the passing of his father was closer and it was imperative he return to the palace as quickly as possible.

Young Rajah moved very quickly on the most direct southerly route and did not waste any time.  It was only a matter of days when he reached the place where he met the snake that wanted long legs.

On the way back, Rajah placed his pack at the base of a rock and sat down.  ‘Snake, snake... you here?  Hey snake... are you here?’

The response came very quickly with anger.

‘Yes.. I’m bloody here... did you do this to me?’ Snake was continually pissedly, hissedly and sissedly as he revealed himself from behind a tree.

Rajah laughed and laughed and laughed so hard he fell off the rock.

‘Well... did you do this to me?’ as Snake angrily hissed asking in a very threatening manner.

‘Look at these... things...’ He hissed and sissed with disgust indicating his legs as he struggled and kept falling off and over logs and rocks.

Young Rajah was trying to be serious.  It was difficult because snake had four of the longest legs he had ever seen on a forest creature.  Hilarious, a snake four feet long had six feet long articulated legs.  No wonder he was angry!

Snake tried to calm himself down and explained the situation to Young Rajah.

‘I don’t know who you are but I reckon you are the one who gave me legs!' Snake began.

'I know I said having legs would help us snakes but you have no idea of the difficulty!  No longer can I slither up trees, go down animal holes, slide through logs or even sneak up on prey.  I can no longer slither!’

Snake continued.

‘To make matters worse, as people see me they attack me with sticks because I can’t slide or run away... because legs are impossible to use!  
I have no shoulders or hips and no muscles to support them.  
All I seem to do is wobble around and fall over all the time! 
I thought having legs would be good, but I can’t hunt and have been starving all winter!  
Do you have any idea how hard it is to back out of a rabbit hole with these darned long things?' He said indicating the long skinny ungainly legs.

'Can you please return me to how I was, long and skinny... with NO legs please.’

It was at that moment that young Rajah realised he was on the path of his father’s wisdom.

§

It was only a matter of days when young Rajah returned to the palace and was holding his frail father’s hand at his bedside.

‘So my son, before I go, what wisdom have you learnt about people, nature and the kingdom?’ Old Rajah asked.

Young Rajah shared his experiences with the wise old Rajah.

‘Father, thank you for encouraging me to tour our kingdom and learn.  I journeyed much, saw many people and experienced many things.

To answer your question, there is much to wisdom; the first is there is never a limit to becoming wise, it takes many lifetimes and experiences.

The second is that regardless of who people are or their status they all have opinions on what would improve things, but improvements need to be tested.

The third is that it is folly to improve on nature, snakes are happier and exist better without legs.'

The old Rajah's laughing eyes lit up.

Young Rajah continued; 
'The fourth is to recognise that just because we have power it can be used unwisely with poor results.

The sixth and biggest lesson of all father, is to accept yourself as the being you are... oh... and be careful what you wish for.’

The old Rajah smiled, chuckled and kissed his son’s hand.

Verde

© Val Verde (2015)

Note:  All works and intellectual property in this blog are under copyright.