Album of the Heart ~ May 29, 1880

For a Friend 
from Leanna Johnson

Gilroy

In the good olden times, on the bark of a tree,

Friends would carve out their names, where smoothest it would be

On the rind of the bark, they would carve them so plain

The friends would depart, but their trace would remain,

When Spring, after Spring, would make green it's bed,

The names they had left, would continue to spread.

"If you can't find it here, you can't"

Yet better by far is the album I ween, 

where we scribble on white, to keep memory green,

The leaf is so large, we can write a whole song

And the book is so small, we can take it along.

We need not be roaming, our friends to recall,

But turn over the leaves, and we meet with them all.

I've been researching this entry in Great Grandmother Flora's Album on and off for months. Most of the poetic entries written in her Album are excerpts from published poets, but I can find no reference, no famous poet, no vaunted author associated with these wonderful words and clear imagery. Flora was 21 in 1880 so her friend Leanna was probably about the same age. Are these lines too world wise for a young woman? Who's to say, but regardless of who penned it, it was meant to be shared. If you know who the author is please let me know and I'll correct the attribution. 

The tree photo was taken on a walk at Maroon Bells in Aspen, CO in 1970's. I hope it's still standing tall in the forest. It would be interesting to see how the carvings changed with the growth of the tree. The pup in the background was my dog Charis, a black lab/golden retriever mix who never found a puddle he didn't like.  

Album of the Heart ~ February 27, 1871

To Sister Flora

 

We may write our names in albums,
We may trace them in the sand,

Or may chisel them in marble,
With a firm and skillful hand;
But the pages soon are sullied,
Soon each name will fade away,

Every monument will crumble,
And like earthly hopes decay.

 

But my friend there is an album,

Full of leaves of snowy white,

Where no name is ever tarnished,

But forever pure and light.

In that Book of Life ~ God's album

May your name be penned with care;

And may all who here have written,

Write their names forever there.
 

Sister _______

Research on the poem itself proved to be quite perplexing. I found it referenced in a number of (published on line) autograph books: Alice Rebecca Williamson from Bedias, TX 1890, Lizzie deBevoise from Jamaica, LI 1874, and Ida Jane Briggs Seely from Briggsville, PA 1885 to name a few.

Next I came upon a publication entitled "Poetical Selections for Autograph Albums" compiled by Marie Tomisetta for Sharps Publishing, Copyright 1881. The inside cover page states "Poetical Selections from Celebrated Authors, suitable for inscription in Autograph Albums". However, none of the poems were credited to their celebrated author.

Andrew Boyd

 

A new day dawns. Digging a little deeper I found "A Complete Military History and Record of 108th Regiment N.Y. Volunteers". The regiment fought many battles in the Civil War: including Antietam, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg. The untitled poem is attributed to Captain Andrew H. Boyd, from Company H, and was written in his Civil War Diary on March 15, 1863.

I can't explain the signature "Sister ______". I recently found out that Great Grandmother Flora had two sisters, but Sarah (Sadie) and Lillian, were too young at the time, so the writer of this entry remains a mystery for now.

Album of the Heart ~ March 25, 1881

To Flora,

 

Remember me how few, how strong

These touching words, that little spell

What thoughts up rise, what visions swell
It wakened fancy's holiest cell

They tell of many a change to come

May every change bring joy to thee

In pleasures light or sorrows gloom
In bliss or woe, Remember me

 

Johnnie R. Sitchen

San Jose, CA

The words above were extracted from a longer poem entitled "Remember Me" by Prosper M. Wetmore (1798-1876). It was published in the Atlantic Souvenir, Philadelphia, October 1, 1831.

 

General Wetmore was a distinguished author and public servant, who worked in the New York legislature, the governor’s office, and the state militia. He was the first colonel of New York's crack Seventh Regiment.

 

Photo by Matthew Brady, 1857

 

I bring no chain of rarest worth,

No coral from the deep sea-cave,

Nor gem, long hid, within the earth,

To shine where now those tresses wave;

A gift more precious far is mine,

Than sparkling gem from earth or sea,

This treasury of thought ~ 'tis thine

The boon it asks ~ Remember me!

 

I may not here usurp the page,

To court the breath of fleeting fame;

Enough for me in after age,

If in thy memory dwells my name:

In after years, in distant climes,

Whate'er our future fate may be

A spell to call back by-gone times

Still dwelleth here ~ Remember me!

 

Remember me! How few ~ how strong

Those touching words, that little spell;

What thoughts uprise, what visions throng

In waken'd fancy's holiest cell!

They tell of many a change to come

May every change bring joy to thee!

In pleasure's light, or sorrow's gloom,

In bliss or woe ~ Remember me!



Album of the Heart ~ October 1, 1880

"As gold more brilliant from the fire appears,

Thus friendship brightens by the length of years."

 

Yours Constantly,

Adelaide Breen
San Juan, CA

 

Gold Fire

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This short poem written in Great Grandmother Flora's album is attributed to Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881). He was a Scottish philosopher, satirist, historian, teacher and controversial social commentator. He had a lifelong friendship with Ralph Waldo Emerson.

 

His first major work, written in 1831, was Sartor Resartus. It was intended to be both fact and fiction, serious and satirical, speculative and historical. Ironically it forced the reader to confront the problem of where the truth was to be found. Sounds a bit like today's media machine.

 

His most well known work was Frederick the Great. Emerson considered it the wittiest book that was ever written. James Russell Lowell wrote "The figures of most historians seem like dolls stuffed with bran, whose substance runs out through any hole that criticism may tear in them; but Carlyle's are so real in comparison, that, if you prick them, they bleed."  Might be time to revisit history with a more experienced perspective.

This portrait of Thomas Carlyle was done by James McNeill Whistler in 1872-73. I'm also doing research on Adelaide Breen and may have found a connection to her family tree, the quest continues.
 

 

Album of the Heart ~ January 7, 1882

To Flora

 

"Tis education that forms the common mind,

Just as the twig is bent the tree's inclined."

"Do good by stealth

and blush to find it fame."

 

Yours truly, L.G White

San Francisco

 

Tree Spirit

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The quotes above are from Alexander Pope (1688-1744). He was an 18th-century English poet and satirist best known for his poem The Rape of the Lock and his translation of Homer's Iliad. His epigrams are some of the most frequently quoted passages in the English language.

 

I don't know if L.G. White was part of Flora's family or a friend. I've found nothing so far, but will be digging further into the family tree this winter so perhaps another mystery will be solved. Half the fun of this project is the research involved: the love of the chase, a chance to learn something new, and finding insight into my Great Grandmother's 19th century world.

Album of the Heart ~ May 27, 1880

From me you want something original

I'd write it if I could with vim

But there's nothing original in me

Excepting "original sin"

 

Unsigned

Royal Honor Guards Dancing School

San Juan, CA

Artist Lover

This unsigned entry leaves much to the imagination. I can find no connection to a published poem. Perhaps these are the words of a young man, who may have been a dance partner or a friend from school, too shy to sign his name. Flora was 21 at the time. Sometimes the magic is in the mystery.

 

Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.

Albert Einstein

The lithograph "Artist Lover" is from the Album of the Heart. There are two names: De la Roche and J. A. Rolph inscribed on the bottom of the page.

 

J.A. Rolph or John A. Rolph was the engraver of the lithographed artwork. He was born in Essex, England in 1799 and emigrated to NY in 1833. His varied subject matter spanned the globe. Many canvases of American artists were preserved in black and white lithographs done by Rolph and his brother engravers. He died in Brooklyn in 1862. De la Roche may have been French painter Paul Delaroche (1797-1856) but I can find no direct connection between the two.

Album of the Heart ~ June 18, 1880

To a Friend

When years have passed away

And change is brought to thee,

I'd have this slight memorial claim

A single thought for me,

And as you glance this album o'er

Where fond thoughts are enshrined,

Let memory's voice in whisper low,

Speak to thee of friends and time.

Your Friend

Ella E. Burnett

San Juan, Cal.

 

The lithograph is from the Album of the Heart. The actual title is "Bridal Wreath" but I saw two friends, old and young, sharing some moments in time. The beauty of art is that it is always open to interpretation. I researched the poem and could find no reference to an author other than Ella. 

Album of the Heart ~ May 21, 1880

 

On the broad highway of action

Friends of worth are far and few

So when one has proved his friendship

Cling to him who clings to you

Lines to a Friend, Eva Wheaton, Soquel, California

Many of the entries in Great Grandmother Flora's Album of the Heart are not original writings, but rather excerpts from poems and songs. Here is the original poem:

Cling to Those Who Cling to You  

There are many friends of summer

Who are kind while flowers bloom

But when winter chills the blossoms

They depart with the perfume

On the broad highway of action

Friends of worth are far and few

So when one has proved his friendship

Cling to him who clings to you

 

Do not harshly judge your brother

Do not deem his life untrue

If he makes no great pretensions

Deeds are great though words are few

Those who stand amid the tempest

Firm as when the skies are blue

Will be friends while life endureth

Cling to those who cling to you

 

When you see a worthy brother

Buffeting the stormy main

Lend a helping hand fraternal

Till he reach the shore again

Don't desert the old and tried friend

When misfortune comes in view

For he then needs friendship's comforts

Cling to those who cling to you

 

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What I find interesting is that ownership of the poem is attributed to a number of authors. And, it's been printed in an interesting array of books and journals. Eva's entry was dated May of 1880 so the earlier citation seems the most reasonable.

• Utah Magazine, The Home Journal of the People, Volume 3, Oct 1869 ~ poem attributed to Dexter Smith
• Standard Book of Song for Temperance Meetings and Home Use, National Temperance Publication Depot, London, Editor T. Bowick, 1878 ~ poem attributed to D. Smith
• Poems for Odd Fellows and Rebekahs, editor W.J. Slater, 1898 ~ Poem attributed to D.M.G.
• Historical Sketches of the Royal Highlanders, author Reverend J.B. Sharp, Volume 1, 1901 ~ poem attributed to or "clipped by" Della Rohrer
• The Railroad Telegrapher, Volume 31, Part 2, published by the Order of Railroad Telegraphers, Jul 1914 ~ poem attributed to Harold C. Keyes
• Boilermaker's Journal, Volume 27, Jan 1915 ~ Poem attributed to Harold C. Keyes

Though the poem was written in the 19th Century, the message is as timeless today as it was then. Flora and Eva were in their early twenties at the time and may have known each other since childhood.

Album of the heart ~ October of 1873

Power and wealth and fame

Are but as weeds upon Life's troubled tide;

Give me but these, a spirit's tempest-tried

A brow unshrinking, and a soul of flame,

The joy of conscious worth, 

It's courage and it's pride!

This entry in Flora's Album of the Heart was by one of her school teachers, Mrs. Ida Sutherland. With some research I found the lines were excerpted from a poem by Robert T. Conrad called the Pride of Worth, cited in an article in Graham's Monthly Magazine, Volume 25, Philadelphia, June 1844, No. 6.

Robert T. Conrad

 

He was a man of many facets: attorney, judge, editor, poet, and playwright. He was elected the first mayor of Philadelphia in 1844. In 1852 he published a volume entitled Aylmere, or the Bondman of Kent, and other Poems, the principal poems being “The Sons of the Wilderness,” a meditative poem on the wrongs and misfortunes of the North American Indians. 

Doors are to be opened, lands are to be explored; destinations are but second fiddle to the journey. Talk to your elders and celebrate your history, you never know what you'll find along the way. 



Rango Meets the Renaissance Faire ~ Aug 19, 2012

I wish I could record my dreams as they are unfolding. Sometimes I remember the essence of having had a dream, and other times I remember vivid details for little awhile. I jumped out of bed this morning and bounded into the living room where Rod was trying to read the paper. I forced my way into his consciousness with a sort of verbal speed read of the dream to help me remember details. He looked up from the paper and just smiled.  

It never ceases to amaze me how our brains put seemingly unconnected experiences together in the world of dreams. We watched Rango Friday night, a delightful animated story with Johnny Depp as the lead character, out to find the "Spirit of the West" and save the town of Dirt. 

Rango

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Yesterday we participated in a fully costumed, mini version of the Much Ado About Sebastopol Renaissance Faire at La Bodega to help raise awareness of the upcoming Faire in September at Ives Park.

2011 Faire

I'm walking down the dusty main street of an old frontier town. Two other travellers join me along the way and we move from the prairie to high desert, to forests dense with foliage and streams. We start to climb and move into a steep canyon. We hear a soft noise and look up to a shelf on a canyon wall and see a small cabin with no front (like a shadow box). Watching us from the perch are an owl, a griffin and a cat who are no doubt guardians of the realm. Though no words are spoken we seem to have permission to proceed.

Verdantis, Keeper of the Earth

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Balancing Act

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Further into the forest we come upon a large manor house. The front door is open and we step into the doorway to see if anyone is home. A man and woman in Elizabethan costumes are laughing and chasing each other around the great room with goblets in hand. They see us and invite us in to join the revelry. Once we are inside, the house appears to be high in a tree. It slowly rotates on a geared apparatus and stops at seven different points. 

The Castle of Morgan

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Looking over what could be described as a porch railing there are herds and flocks of grazing, flying and swimming beasts, the likes of which we've never seen. Each stop on the rotation reveals a different world, all of which seem to be quite peaceful.

The lord of the manor offers us a libation and slices a small piece from a very strange looking fruit or mushroom to brew some tea. The remaining portion starts to grow and change into weird shapes as we watch. At that point we decide it's time to move on, so we thank our hosts and continue the journey.

La Source

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Though I still don't know who my fellow travellers are, the surroundings are looking more familiar. We come upon a spring that seems to flow from a large water pipe in the middle of nowhere. As we follow the creek I realize I'm close to home. It flows through our neighbor Susi's yard, then moves underground down the slope of our land to the neighbor's below. Aha, now I know why the ground is always wet at the bottom of the property.

We are all travellers on these hidden highways. My dreamscapes are often unexplainable but I always enjoy the ride. Many thanks to Etsy artisans who always seem to be able to help me illustrate my journeys. 

Breast Cancer Journey ~ Post Script III

My husband came with me yesterday and waited while I met with my oncologist. It was my first appointment since surgery and radiation treatments for breast cancer 10 months ago. Joyous news ~ there are no signs of cancer in my left breast.

Jump for Joy

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When I came back out to the waiting room to let Rod know, the only thing I could think of was Usain Bolt's classic pose after winning his Olympic races.

Never one to be embarrassed by spontaneous acts of joy, I dropped my purse on the floor and struck the pose. I did get a few sideways glances but Rod, and several others waiting on appointments, burst out laughing. They knew without words what it was all about.  

It's important though, to remember the five year rule of thumb on being considered cancer free. My five years will coincide with the next Summer Olympics so here are my medal goals, 2012 is already in the bag so to speak:

2012 ~ Year I ~ Iron

2013 ~ Year II ~ Copper

2014 ~ Year III ~ Bronze

2015 ~ Year IV ~ Silver

2016 ~ Year V ~ Gold

If you find yourself a member of this club that no one wants to join keep these things in mind. It is important to be your own advocate and believe you will succeed. A cancer diagnosis is only a small part of your life window. Take responsibility for your actions ~ eat well, stay positive, write or talk about it, and exercise. Your friends will fill your sails and provide the occasional kick in the butt as needed.

"Remember

you're braver than you believe

stronger than you seem

and smarter than you think"

Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed

is more important than any other one thing"

Abraham Lincoln

Just a Thought Series - Feb 1, 1976

He had such a sweet way of using her

Staying on just long enough

To fill his emptiness

He opened her with his honesty

Broke her defenses with a smile

Then so quietly he left her

With a feeling
Maybe
In awhile

Lady Rider

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A prisoner 
Of his own confusion

He found himself on trial

But it was easier to close the door

Than to compromise his style

Their paths may again cross one day
But she's not the girl 
He once knew
No longer easily disarmed
A wiser woman
Sure of self
Immune to reckless charm

Just a Thought Series ~ Dec 18, 1975

Seasons change

Winter comes to remind you

That your warmth

Your ultimate power

Comes from within

Journey to Within

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Clear skies melt into spring rivers

From mountain pass to valley marsh

Nourishment cascades

To awaiting life

Little Pigeon River

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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Startled by the rustle of wings

I'm awakened

From my sleepy solitude

To taste the sweet newness

Of another dawn

Another chance to grow

Breast Cancer Journey ~ Post Script II

It's been awhile since my last post. After completing four weeks of radiation in early December I decided to take the rest of the month off and just heal.

My oncologist was out of town most of January, but I had a chance to meet with him yesterday to further discuss my concerns about a 5 year course of the drug Anastrozole as a preventative measure. I am what is called estrogen positive and the drug is supposed to help reduce estrogen hormone levels (as if menopause wasn't enough). Conventional wisdom is that there is a 45% chance it may help reduce chances of re-occurrence but there is no definitive evidence to support it. The list of potential side effects is daunting and I already have a compromised liver and osteoporosis which this drug could further exacerbate.

He said "Look you are already under a microscope because of the breast cancer and we'll be watching tests and mammograms closely. I feel there is no need to take the Anastrozole if you don't want to." I cannot tell you what a weight off my shoulders that was.

Lightness Becomes You

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So where from here? You Really Are What You Eat ~ I'm working with a nutritionist to make adjustments to my diet. I don't drink or smoke and rarely eat red meat so that's a plus for me. However there are changes afoot and this is now the "No Excuses Tour"

• Drive by the Drive Thru
• No more processed foods ~ We grow a lot of our own, but will shop at local stores and farmers markets for fresh, organic, locally grown produce.
• Reduce fats
• Eat whole grains
• Embrace a plant based diet and seek out foods high in cancer fighting phytochemicals like kale, broccoli, tomatoes, onions and garlic. Check out: http://thechinastudy.com/
• For me it has been suggested that I stay away from soy products (no problem as I'm not too fond of them in the first place)
• For information and helpful tools check out: http://www.livestrong.com

More exercise ~ walking, weight bearing and/or resistance training. I visit my gym several times a week and take walkabouts in my neighborhood and local parks. I'm looking into Yoga classes and Zumba dance at my gym.

Education ~ Learn more about xenoestrogens, the estrogen mimickers that are rampant in our environment and everyday lives. Learn what to stay away from and make simple changes to avoid these bad boys. Start with this website: http://www.energeticnutrition.com/vitalzym/xeno_phyto_estrogens.html

The journey continues ~ It's up to me to further my education and make the right choices, to question authority and be my own advocate. It's a tough job but each of us has to take responsibility for our actions.

The Journey ~ Her Story

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Artisan and Travellers ~ Thank you to the amazing Etsy artisans who have given me inspiration and helped me illustrate my blogs. To my fellow travellers ~ thank you for keeping me company on the journey. I will continue posts as I find new resources and inspiration.

The Whole Story: If you type "breast cancer" in the upper left hand search box all the blogs of the series will come up starting with August 23, 2011.  

Breast Cancer Journey - Top of the Ninth

A little rain today, the air smells fresh and I'm on one of my inexplicable tears about the house: cleaning out drawers, rearranging my studio, switching pictures on the walls and delivering a Jeep load of cool stuff to our VNA Hospice Thrift Store.

I'll bet you're saying to yourself "What is she thinking she just had surgery on Wednesday?" Well the first couple of days I took care to keep my left arm close to my body. I'm mostly a "pullover shirt" kind of girl but I inherited some beautiful button up shirts, so like Napoleon (wrong arm, but you get the picture) I was able to tuck my left hand in between the buttons and be good, at least for a couple of days. 

I have felt really good, none of the side effects listed as possibilities ever showed up. For me it has been therapeutic to be doing what I've been doing, albeit very carefully. Ye olde sports bra was the best discovery of the journey: it applied pressure, shielded me from ice packs, protected the area from arm movement and kept my tatas from dancing around on my daily walks.

The highlight of my Saturday was a long hot shower ~ four days is a long time for this Pisces to be out of water, but I did okay. Camping has educated me on the art of the sponge bath. There are stitches and steristrips holding the incisions closed and then a huge patch of sterile gauze for cushioning and protection. The stitches and steristrips stay in place and you remove the pad to shower. The part they don't tell you about is that the tape to keep that pad in place is seriously akin to duct tape - Everyone should have a roll in their toolkit!  Ouchamaymucho!

Update: My surgeon called this afternoon to say that my lymph nodes and vascular system are clean as a whistle which is excellent, cool beans, and just plain outstanding news. 

However, though the pathology report doesn't come out and say it directly, she said there is some concern that the margin, the extra area around the tumor that is removed, was not clean, that some of the cancer cells could be at large. We talked about it and decided the best approach is to go back into the incision and remove additional tissue. Since I already have an appointment on Thursday we'll take care of it then. Get to skip the dreaded radio-tracer bee sting and needle localization and go directly pass go to surgery for a gentle sleep and a little more tuck and roll.

I will still need to follow up with radiation in a month or two, but feel I have been dealt an amazing hand. I owe a lot to the women who took this journey before me, including my mother and a number of friends. I stand strong with my sisters around the world who are now on the same journey. Remember attitude is everything and don't hesitate to ask questions or get a second opinion.

A Promise to Pay it Forward: 10% of all my Etsy and craft fair sales this fall will be donated to Susan G. Komen For the Cure. Their website at http://ww5.komen.org/ has a lot of helpful information and ways to get involved.

Inspiration Sometimes Comes from Odd Sources

I was looking over a section of my friend Trisha's library yesterday and saw a piece of folded, yellow tablet paper stuck between two books. One of her delightful quirks was that she was never without a pen and a yellow pad. She was ecstatic when she found out the "note pad" on her IPhone was also a yellow lined pad.

We talked often of travel and adventures. Some adventures we took together, some were shared stories of adventures with other friends. Losing her last Fall was a wake up call to all of us on just how tenuous a hold we humans have on this thing we call life.  

Trisha was the hub of an extraordinary wheel and her friends the spokes. Through her loss we have found each other. As we have talked, visited and emailed over the last couple of months we find we are all on a similar journey: one that has us re-examining priorities, not sweating the small stuff and making plans for adventures, a "just do it" state of mind has taken root.

"Wandering"



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Here in lies the serendipitous and intertwining nature of yesterday's library find, a quote from Ray Bradbury.

"Half the fun of travel is the aesthetic of lostness"

"The Road"

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I've always been fond of the bumper sticker that says "I'm not lost I'm wandering" and to quote Anatole France "Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe."

"The Happy Wanderer"



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No wonder my parents were on the road for a decade, they got it! How many wake up calls does one need? It may be a different truth or destination for everyone, but it is the journey that is important. Pass go, pick up your $200 and step off the Monopoly Board.