Album of the Heart ~ Undated Entry

Dear Flora,

 

May you live in joy forever,

Naught from thee true pleasure sever;

Joys be many, cares be few,

Smooth the path thou shalt pursue.

 

From your loving friend,

Katie Rogers
 

 
Live Joy 365
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShawnPetite
 

The lines are from the poem "To the Unknown Donor of a Bouquet" by John S. Adams 1704-1740.

 

Richest flowers of every hue,
Lightly fringed with evening dew;
Sparkling as from Eden's bowers,
Brightly tinted-beauteous flowers!
Thee I've found, and thee I'll own,
Though from one to me unknown;
Knowing this, that one who'll send
Such a treasure is my friend.
Who hath sent thee? Flora knows,
For with care she reared the rose.
Lo! here's a name!-it is the key
That will unlock the mystery;
This will tell from whom and why
Thou didst to my presence hie.
Wait-the hand's disguised!-it will
Remain to me a mystery still.
But I'm a "Yankee," and can "guess"
Who wove this flowery, fairy tress.
Yea, more than this, I almost know
Who tied this pretty silken bow,
Whose hand arranged them, and whose taste
Each in such graceful order placed.
Yet, if unknown thou 'dst rather be,
Let me wish this wish for thee:
May'st thou live in joy forever,
Naught from thee true pleasure sever;
From thy heart arise no sigh;
May no tear bedew thine eye.
Joys be many, cares be few,
Smooth the path thou shalt pursue;
And heaven's richest blessings shine
Ever on both thee and thine.
Round thy path may fairest flowers,
As in amaranthine bowers,
Bloom and blossom bright and fair,
Load with sweets the ambient air!
Be thy path with roses strewn,
All thy hours to care unknown;
Sorrow cloud thy pathway never,
Happiness be thine forever.

 

He was born in Nova Scotia and graduated from Harvard in 1721 at the age of 17. He was published in two volumes of poetry: A Collection of Poems by Several Hands (1744), and Poems on Several Occasions (1745).

 

In "The Other John Adams 1705-1740" published in 1969, author Benjamin Franklin V, takes an in depth look at this significant American figure of the 1720s, a decade when culture was changing from primarily religious to secular. 



Open Eyes, Open Hearts ~ Sept 18, 2013

I have two shops on Etsy: ShelleyMDesigns and BeyondTime. The first showcases my own designs: one of a kind necklaces, and beaded serving, bar and desk sets. The second showcases vintage books, paper ephemera, and children's books published by my grandfather, John Sherman Bagg.

 

Recently I've been spending more time on Etsy for a different reason. I am part of the Brave Team, a collection of individuals who create beautiful treasuries, sixteen piece art collages, dedicated to those who fight chronic illness, their caregivers, and families. We aren't there to sell our wares, simply to create beauty, to brighten a day. I've been a caregiver and I am now a warrior so this seemed like the right place to be. This journey has allowed me to discover some incredibly talented artists along the way.

Here's a find from my latest treasury entitled ~ Brave: Weave a Rainbow.

 

Celestial Staircase Spiral

https://www.etsy.com/shop/kellydietrich

If you click on the link below it will take you to the treasury. If you want to see more click on "braveteam" in the tags section of the treasury and it will connect you to additional works from the team.

 

https://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTk2NTA5OXwyNzI1MDAwMDE0/brave-weave-a-rainbow?index=0&atr_uid=

 

Take a moment out of your busy day and do something special for someone. Little gestures, creative support and a smile can work wonders. Here a few other discoveries.

 

Salt River

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DaveDilliPhotography



The Time Traveler's Wife

https://www.etsy.com/shop/KayAdams

 

Emissaries

https://www.etsy.com/shop/goldenwolfart



Saturday Surprise ~ Sept 14, 2013

There are artists with vision and artists with true vision. Will Wagenaar's recycled materials creations are a shear delight. Visit his shop on Etsy.

 

 

Mystery, the Jewel Box Dragon

https://www.etsy.com/shop/reclaim2fame

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

https://www.etsy.com/shop/FineArtPrintsUK



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

https://www.etsy.com/shop/seanandrewmurray

 

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.

Top of the Fourth ~ August 30, 2013

We drove down to SF the morning of the 20th for my TACE procedure rather than going down the night before. Let's face it SF is a noisy place, especially when the only night sounds you're used to are crickets and the occasional owl. We left about 5:15am and got to UCSF with time to spare. Rod headed home that afternoon and came back late the next morning to pick me up. TACE IV is in the books. This one was to take care of the small spot that had been seen on CT Scan in December. They weren't sure it was a tumor but were going to treat it as one. 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/snowdrop88

I had no idea where this little gremlin was located but when the pain medication began to wear off I had a general idea. I love elephants and all I could think of was a little circus elephant doing a handstand in the middle of my chest. It's taken me 10 days to get back to almost normal. I'm still getting a residual twitch every once in while, but have started walking again.

Devine Jubilee

https://www.etsy.com/shop/lucycalhoun

The great news is that this was my last TACE, at least for the time being. We'll meet with my doctor in November. The earliest I can expect to reach the top of the liver transplant list is September 2014. As long as my liver continues to function well and Audrey II remains in check it's okay to wait.

However, if the tumor continues to grow, TACE's are not the solution. My doc
has asked us to consider a "non-ideal liver" so that I don't have to wait so long for a transplant. If I opt into the program and don't feel ready to take a higher risk at the time, I can decide to wait for another liver. Doing so will not affect my status on the waiting list. The risks and benefits of this decision may change over time if my liver gets sicker.



Off the leash for awhile and looking forward to blue highways and camping under the stars. We're planning to take off September 25th (Happy Birthday Rod) for a couple of weeks. It's time for us to wander. We've definitely earned a time out.





A Step Forward ~ Aug 17, 2013

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, it's important to be your own advocate: to continue to ask questions, take notes, and do research. The reality is you need to watch out for your own ass.

Grinning Donkey

https://www.etsy.com/people/GreenTreeJewelry

  

On August 12th I met with my doctor at UCSF for the first time since the initial interview in early April. It was an encouraging and informative session. I did my homework beforehand and had a list of questions for her.

We were initially lead to believe that TACE (transarterial chemoembolization) treatments were to keep the tumor under a certain size so I could remain on the liver transplant list. What we found out was that the tumor was within parameters on the pre TACE CT scan and that's the measurement they go by. The TACE treatments are to exterminate the tumor. It's not a cure, but a bridging therapy to buy time until a transplant organ is available.

Singing Hallelujah

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtOfAndrewDaniel

After looking at the latest CT and MRI she was encouraged by the progress made against the tumor (Audrey II). Because the chemo is directed at a small, targeted area, there is no cumulative toxicity.

We won't know if I'll need another TACE until after the one next Tuesday, but the Doc is optimistic we can take a break and go on a maintenance schedule of monitoring every three months.

We have the Much Ado About Sebastopol Renaissance Fair on September 14-15 and then we should be able to hit the road with Ruby and the R-POD in late September. 

Amber Glass Adjustable Scale

https://www.etsy.com/shop/QuaintEstate

My liver works well, but tumors are as tenacious as junk yard dogs and will continue to try and find new sources of nourishment. The break will give us a chance to start weighing options.







Back to the Future ~ Aug 18, 2013

In my February 9, 2010 post called Wild Blue Yonder, I retold a story from one of my journals. In May, 1970 I packed up my pup Charis and headed off on an month long adventure. No promises to keep, no particular place to be. North was the general direction. Should I turn right or left was my morning mantra.

I found myself in British Columbia headed east on the Trans-Canadian Highway. At Yoho National Park I met Robert Glendenning and James Johnson. We spent a couple of weeks exploring British Columbia and Alberta together.

Camped at the base of Mt. Edith Cavell

 

Jasper, Alberta

 

A year or so ago I received a phone call from a gentleman asking if I was "the girl in the green VW bus with the black puppy he'd travelled around Canada with in 19 ought 70 something". It was Robert. Come to find he's lived in Petaluma for years.

 

Flash forward 43 years. I received a message that Robert and James wanted to meet for lunch at Sushi Hana in Sebastopol. Turns out we live within a 100 miles of each other. We had a great meal, caught up on our lives and swapped stories about our trip. Funny how you forget some things and remember other things differently.

 

James and Robert

 

“For my part,

I travel not to go anywhere,

but to go.

 I travel for travel’s sake.

The great affair is to move.”

 

Robert Louis Stevenson

The Boys of Summer ~ August 7, 2013

Today we made our first trip to AT&T Park to see the Giants. The game wasn't until 7:15 but we took off from home around 2pm so we could amble down the back roads of Sonoma and Marin and pick up Hwy 101 near Corte Madera. There was traffic once we got on the freeway, but all in all it was pretty easy to get there and parking was right across the street.

 

We watch the games on TV all the time but nothing prepares you for actually being there: the view from the promenade, the sounds, the sun on your back, the food aromas wafting along the walkways. People get all keyed up in traffic and their everyday lives and worries. The minute they walk into the Willie Mays entrance at the stadium you see the weights drop away, scowls turn smiles, inward to outward, silence to chatter. Grown ups out of their boxes, children in their element.

 

We were way early so we checked out where our seats were located. Our friend at Jeff's 4X4 gave us two of his season tickets: awesome seats about 25 rows back and just to the right of home plate. Oh Baby!

Stadium food is not health food, it's a day off from being good kids. It was hard to decide, but we settled on garlic fries, a brisket sandwich and a coke. Brown rice and salads for the rest of the week to recover our dignity.

Time for a few laps around the Promenade to check out the vendors and the view during batting practice. We have a Kaiser iPhone app called Everybody Walk that lets us track time and mileage with a map. Two laps around the promenade was a little under a mile. We were leaning on the railing looking down to where the ferry parks and checking out boats and kayakers. All of a sudden we hear the crack of a bat and someone yells "heads up".

A fly ball arced over our heads and plopped in the water about 15 ft. from the pier. A kayaker was stroking hard to get to it, but a man on the pier cast a small, weighted dip net out beyond the ball and gathered it in. My understanding is that he's there all the time, but the fans never get tired of the competition.

Before we left home we'd been briefed about dressing for night ball, what you could bring in and where to park. Right nice to have someone blaze the proverbial trail for you. We brought water and snacks, cushions and extra shirts. Plenty warm for evening fog and a breeze.

We've heard Kruk and Kuip talk about the seagulls during broadcasts but never really understood their comments until we experienced ritual. Unfortunately the Giants lost their grip in the 8th. A number of fans left and we started seeing seagulls circling the park and perching on the roof line like ornaments. In the 9th more fans left and the number of seagulls doubled. When the game was over we walked up the stairs to the landing and looked back. We were astounded to see hundreds of gulls on the field and in the bleachers. It appears they are the first wave of the cleanup crew. Humans are a messy bunch and sea gulls are opportunists ~ a match made in heaven!

 

Parking $30

Got have Hats $64

Food $35

Gift of Admission ~ Priceless

 

Thank you Jeff and Kathy for the tickets, the tutorial, and a grand adventure. 



Over the Back Fence IV ~ Aug 8, 3013

 Boogie Nights 

 

Bottom of the Third ~ July 23, 2013

Could the third time be the charm? Only time will tell. We're off to SF once again and back to our little aerie on Cole Street.

Steam Punk Spiral Time Clock

https://www.etsy.com/shop/diarmentcreations

It's kind of a damp and blustery day, otherwise known as summer in the Bay Area. Our hosts gave us a suggestion for a place to eat so we took off on a late afternoon reconnaissance mission to the Haight-Ashbury to find Magnolia. Unfortunately it's crowded, loud and just pub food ~ so not what we're looking for today. We did get a mile and half walk in and enjoyed people watching, window shopping and the street art. Conclusion was that it's a perfect afternoon to be curled up with a good book.

The City from the Marin Headlands 

Decided to dine in and went next door (literally) to Say Cheese to pick up goodies for an indoor picnic. We had hot apple pie for dessert ~ brought one of Rod's to share. Oh Baby!

TACE  III went well, my usual overnight in recovery was quite comfortable except for the fact my bed was a stones throw from the ice machine and one of the self closing, I can be loud if I want to, slamming doors. Oh well, my night nurse wakes me up every two hours to check vitals so it's really a non issue.

Vintage JJ Cat Broach

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/KIKItheCAT

I asked the attending physician to come talk to me before I was released on the 24th. I'd had my first MRI a few days before this TACE and felt it might be a good time ask some questions about progress. A good portion of the tumor is dead, but tumors are tenacious and will try and get other arteries to feed them so they can grow and not die. Think Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors.

He said "the whole process is akin to that kid's game called Whack-a-Mole". I hadn't heard those words in 30 years. I just burst out laughing, talk about lightening a load a bit, I get it now. 

I do need to return to UCSF for TACE IV on August 20th: for a follow up look at Audrey II and to go after a small abnormality first seen in January. It may not be another tumor but it's prudent to proceed as if it was. 

Aside: So I'm at the Post Office this morning to mail a package (August 6th) and start chatting with the lady in front of me in line. There was a really large and strange piece of equipment visible through the walk up window. I said "I wondered what that is?" and she replied "Must be a Whack-a-Mole". I rest my serendipitous case! 

Things are good, I'm back in the pink once again after TACE III. We've been making apple sauce, canning pears, and gardening. I'm spending a lot of time in my studio. Not off on any camping trips yet, but we have an invitation to spend a few days at Emandal Farm outside of Willits near the end of the month and we have a date for the Giants tomorrow. Think we'll take the Ferry out of Larkspur for a new adventure.





Over the Back Fence III ~ Aug 4, 2013

 

Her name may be Sorbet

 

Over the Back Fence II ~ Aug 2, 2013

Let me introduce you to Calvin Headlamp. He's as big as a dinner plate and when he comes to visit he gets his own vase.

 

Over the Back Fence I ~ July 29, 2013

 

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. 

More Homework ~ July 15, 2013

The morning of the 11th dawned with one message "make it up as you go". A few errands out of the way and off we went. First stop was Salvation Army thrift store complex on Lytton Springs just north of Healdsburg. It's one of our favorite haunts.

We found a couple of giant woks that will translate well into great container gardens for our growing family of succulents. We also discovered 20 bins of books next to the checkout kiosk. At bin 18 I uncovered a paperback called "Crazy, Sexy, Cancer Tips" by Kris Carr with a forward from Cheryl Crow. I read the first pages standing in the morning sun and started laughing out loud. This book definitely needed to be in my library.

Kris was diagnosed with a rare vascular cancer called epithelioid hemangio-endothelioma (EHE for short). Though our diagnoses were very different we both had the same reaction on being told we had cancer: Holy Shit! 

She documented her journey with humor and a no nonsense approach of taking charge that rang true with me. She reinforced a lot of what I was already doing: writing, creating art, taking notes and questioning authority. The book is a great road map for all glorious Cancer Babes. It opened my eyes to what more I could be doing. After all we are warriors and it's time to start training.

• Shake my ass
• Create a cancer posse ~ more on this later
• Rethink my diet ~ can you spell China Study?
• Drink more water
• Stretch more ~ Yoga
• List of 10 things you've always wanted to do ~ no jumping out of a plane isn't one of them

The body heals eight times faster with exercise: it floods the body with oxygen, helps rid it of toxins, and releases endorphins to make you feel good. What's not to like? Walking 6-8 miles a week is a start. Now it's time to start shaking my ass with abandon to one song a day on the radio. As serendipity would have this morning's random choice on XM radio was John Mellencamp's Paper in Fire. We open the doors and cranked it up.

http://youtu.be/myo9wXrNUP4

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

 

Spring Dresses and Hats

https://www.etsy.com/shop/FabianArts
 

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. 



Turn Left Go West ~ July 02, 2013

This morning was day seven of the heat wave that has been squatting on California. The only place to be has been indoors with the fans cranked up. However, by now we're both chomping at the bit for some exercise.

Bit by Bit

https://www.etsy.com/shop/WendyLeedyArt

Rod suggests the coast and walk on the beach. I worked in Bodega Bay for 33 years and one thing for sure if it's between April and August it's going to be windy and cold. Never ones to shrink from a shear possibility we throw layers and a picnic in the car, turn left and go west. It was 85 degrees when we departed Sebastopol at 11am.

First stop is Doran Beach. With our Sonoma County Park Pass we got to pull out of a long line and go right in. Well it was simply stunning, clear, 64 degrees and barely a breeze. Picnic on a beachside bench and then a 2 mile walk down to the Jetty and back.

Sand trees.

Jetty Boy 

About 1:30 we left Doran and headed north to Wright's Beach. In the mid 1970's friends lived in 3 cabins down by the old cypress at the south end of the beach. They were rented with the understanding they would one day be torn down. It was a sad day when it finally happened but there are tales that will never be forgotten.

One afternoon, when the tide was fairly low, several of us walked to a spot between these two rocks to watch the wave action. To our amazement a whale came up between them and looked right at us. We stood in stunned silence for a second or two. Too bad it was in the days before cell phones.

Death Rock, Wright's Beach

Rod took this picture of me to prove I was, in fact, in shirt sleeves, in July, in Bodega Bay.

North again and then east on Hwy 116 for the trip home. We stopped in Duncan's Mills for ice cream. It was 88 by the time we got to Forestville. Closer to Sebastopol we noticed wind in the trees. By the time we got home it was 72 and the wind was clocking 20 miles an hour. The natural air conditioner that graces us most summers was finally back. I got to sleep under a blanket last night.