Susiej

This best shot is a Sun King Mirror, which we made during our visit to the art museum to see Great Expectations – Aristocratic Children in European Portraiture. To a real mom, the portraits of Louis XIII of France, Louis XIV of France, Charles I of England, and Charles II of Spain display a baffling era when children played a heavy role in the country’s kingdom, diplomacy and bloodline preservation. Girls were forced to marry and bear children at early ages to forge a protective bond between kingdoms. These children wore heavy robes, jewels, feathered gold-rimmed crowns and amulets, to protect them from harm. I’m sure these heavy garments made it tough for the miniature royalty to run around, climb cabinets for the good stuff, and catch toads.

As I struggled to keep my older boys engaged in this most “boring” of endeavors, looking at art, while preventing my four-year-old from depositing the oil from his fingers on the priceless artwork, I read about the five-year old who became King.

Horror instantly filled my mind. What kinds of tragedies would befall a nation if one of my children, at the age of five, were forced to be King? My kids, and as it turns out, Louis the XIV (1638-1715), did run France into the ground. The real tragedy, I later discover, concerns the control-issues this kid-king had over the the royal bathtub.

Born September 5, 1638, King Louis XIV, also known as King Louie, was the official King on May 14, 1643, a few months before his fifth birthday. Of course, he did not have total control until he was 23, with the death of his First Minister, the Italian Jules Cardinal Mazarin, in 1661. Still, don’t you think this tiny kid-king wielded consider power over what came out of the royal kitchen?

King Louis was also known as the “Sun King” (Le Roi Soleil). Like all narcissistic children, King Louie believed the universe revolved around him. So, he believed that just as the planets revolve around the Sun, so too should the people of France and the Court revolve around him. The Sun King’s mirror is a symbol of King Louie’s Hall of Mirrors that he had built in the Palace of Versailles, which the King transformed from what was once an old hunting lodge.

The hall of mirrors features seventeen mirror-clad arches that reflect the seventeen arcaded windows that overlook the gardens. Each arch contains twenty-one mirrors with a total complement of 357.

So, what became of the country, ruled by the child King, who had immense wealth at his disposal and commanded the mightiest army in Europe?

• King Louis took three baths during his entire 77 years of life. Once when he was baptized. His second bath happened when his mistress requested that he take one. (Can’t even begin to think about that one.) Third, when a doctor lanced a boil on his bottom and he was ordered to soak in the tub.
• At the end of his reign, he had successfully exhausted the country to the verge of bankruptcy, resulting from his wars and his own personal extravagance. And Toys R Us wasn’t even invented yet.
• It has been said about him, that “there was nothing he liked so much as flattery, or, to put it more plainly, adulation; the coarser and clumsier it was, the more he relished it. “His vanity, which was perpetually nourished, for even preachers used to praise him to his face from the pulpit, was the cause of the aggrandizement of his Ministers.” Just a tad bet narcissistic… as any child usually is.
• Yet, there were some bright sides to King Louie’s reign: He did strengthen the country, and placed France in a preeminent position in Europe.
• Still, even Napoleon said, described Louis XIV as “the only king of France worthy of the name” and “a great king.”

Does anyone find it a bit ironic that after living a good, long life of 77 years, King Louis, the child King, died of smallpox?

King Louis XIV, with his brother.

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Filed under: Laugh, Life, Science, best shot, boy by SusieJ - 11 Comments →

My Mother began telling me about you the summer before I enrolled in first grade at WLS. She was preparing me for what she knew would be “the best time of my life” at the place where I would meet the “best friends I would ever know.” She treasured her years with you, and these reunions were a sacred event she wouldn’t dream of missing. I doubt she expected not to make it here with you tonight; the night of your 50th.

When she met many of you in 1946, back when you were known as either a red or a gray squirrel at the stone elementary building, you were some of the first friends she knew. Growing up on Couchman road, out in the country, as the youngest of seven children who were many years her senior, there were few chances for play dates. No car was available, yet she did have her horse, Spring Design, and a brand new saddle that came for her 16th birthday from Aunt Edith. She fell and broke both arms during a race, and undaunted, got back in the saddle again.

When you were the top of the heap at WLHS, the high school had recently opened its new wing, Elvis Presley served in Germany for the Army, Great Balls of Fire and Tequila were number one on the charts. Color TV sets were the rage, and girls still wore dresses, below the knee, to school everyday. High school trips were fashionable. How many of you remember that Janet developed her aversion to cottage cheese during your trip to New York City? And by the way, which one of you wrote in her class autograph book, “I like it when you wear low-cut dresses… just kidding,”?

Your high school science teacher, Mr. L., was still the head of the Bunsen burners when I arrived in the classroom some 20 years later. So both of our generations knew the best way to get out of science any day was to get Mr. L. to talk about his good ol’ days in the military.

The Latin teacher, Mr. W., became a life-long family friend, dropping by every so often around 3 o’clock in the afternoon to visit, with candy and black zebra chewing gum for my brother and me. He sent her anniversary cards, birthday cards, and as he got older and a little senile, sent her an anniversary card on the day her divorce was final.

She kept track of each one of you over the years. In the back cover of one of her senior year albums, she recorded the dates of your weddings, and when your first children arrived. A newspaper clipping I found shows Mrs. K holding the first citizens of 1960 in the county: twin boys.

She married Roy, from Westfall, soon after graduation. She never wanted to move far from this village that sits in the valley. Her two children, came in 1962 and 1964. When she found the house at 225 White street in 1967, she never had a desire to live any other place, and never did. She returned to WLS in 1969, when she was the home room mom to the second grade class for Mrs. D. She arrived again for her son’s broken arm on the playground in 1970, along with Mrs. S. and Mrs. Y. She also popped in on numerous occasions to deliver holiday cookies for class parties.

Although she took piano lessons throughout her school years, and played the clarinet in the band, she later learned to play the organ, and was one of the regular organists at the the church for many years. Together with Roy, they planned many
of the church’s youth group outings, and she also directed some of the church’s Christmas plays.

Janet was always an avid gardener. Some years she planted food, and spent countless hours in the August heat canning beans and corn. Some years she simply grew flowers. I hope you had a chance to see her roses; they were spectacular. She filled her yard with the trees she planted to memorialize significant events in her children’s lives.

If you stopped by to visit her at 225 White Street, you would have found needlecraft magazines on her book shelves beside her Kinsey Millhone mysteries and her other favorite reads, historical novels. Baskets with balls of yarn and needles sat on the floor containing her latest “in-process” creations. This was before she had discovered her life-long passion, quilting. In her kitchen, you would have found her collection of roosters, hand-written recipe cards, and the computer loaded with the on-line scrabble games she played with her son. Her screen saver was the ever evolving collection of pictures of the most treasured souls in her life, her six grandsons.

Alan gave her two grandsons. Many years later, Susie gave her four more grandsons. She was present for the birth of every one of her grandchildren. She rocked them to sleep when they were teething, challenged them in checkers, taught them to fish, and sewed super hero capes and costumes for them to play with. And, she always showed up with candy at their doorstep.

In 1993, Janet discovered quilting. Once her passion kicked in, Janet put her crochet books, her knitting books, and her sewing patterns away for good. She once told me that “quilting gave her more satisfaction than anything she had ever done in her life.” Now, her quilts cover her loved ones at night, one of the few tangible remnants we have left of her love.

She traveled to Alaska with her family, and even on that trip, she ran into someone from WL, as it’s still such a small world. Even a broken pelvis didn’t stop her from taking her “dream trip of a lifetime” to the Grand Canyon.

I’m sure, as a Mother, she kept some of her “best stories” from her daughter, as these are the private, and the most fun, shenanigans, that you don’t dare share with your children. I’m sure I only know half of your stories. Still, I want to thank you for sharing, and creating, some of the greatest moments my Mom ever knew. And yes, I miss her too.

SusieJ

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Filed under: Life, Tears, memories by SusieJ - 6 Comments →

For some people, spring, and fall, means one grave thing: allergy season. Sniffing, sneezing and watery eyes are not just a nuisance, they can lead to those dreaded sinus infections, and then work their way through to bronchitis. Do I sound as if I’ve been there? I have. My doctor has several names for hay fever, including nasal allergies, sinusitis, pollinosis or seasonal allergic rhinitis. Hay fever remedies should start sooner, rather than later. Many of these have the best impact if we start them before the symptoms start. Here are 13 to try:

1. Chamomile Essential Oil. Simply add a drop (so strong, one drop is all you need) of pure Chamomile Essential Oils, or Melissa Essential Oils, to a tissue and sniff often. Simple, but powerfully effective remedy.
2. Clean, clean, clean your nasal passages with a Neti Pot.
3. Horseradish. Peel horseradish root, and place in food processor or juicer to create a pulp. Add the juice of 2-3 lemons. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Take half a teaspoon at a time between meals, until the sinus and mucus area is cleared up.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar. My favorite remedy is back. Even before hay fever season starts, mix vinegar with 1-2 teaspoons of honey in a glass of water, three times a day. Continue this through the entire hay-fever season.
5. Eucalyptus. Add two or three drops of eucalyptus essential oil to a bowl of hot water, put your head over the bowl, and make a tent out of a towel. The Eucalyptus will move right into your sinuses to loosen the mucus.
6. Thyme, Rosemary and Peppermint. Pick the leaves off the plants you’ve picked up at the grocery store and throw them into a bowl of hot water and follow the instructions above, making a tent of the steam. No leaves? Raid your spice rack. A tablespoon of each herb should do the trick. Or, you can always use one or two drops of the essential oils. Thyme has always been very good to me when I’m suffering… somehow this herb gets right into the chest and heals deeply.
7. Echinacea. Health food stores usually have echinacea tea available. Drink the tea, six times per day.
8. Oregon Grape. This tincture is also available in health food stores. Take one teaspoon of the tincture three times per day.




9. Garlic. If you can stand it, eat three cloves per day to help fight a sinus infection.
10. Quercetin is an antioxidant, called flavonoids. You can get capsules at health food stores. The dosage for hay fever is 200 and 400 milligrams three times a day.
11. Omega-3 fatty acids. Fish oil capsules are one source. (Not for those who are on blood thinners, or for those who will or have had surgery). Or you could take one tablespoon of flaxseed oil two to three times a day. Or, one ounce of walnuts.
12. Vitamin C has antihistamine properties. Take at least 500-1000mg per day.
13. Homeopathic Remedies, include Euphrasis, NuxVomica, Allium Cepa, Gelsemum and Pulsatilla

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Filed under: Life, Thursday 13, health by SusieJ - 23 Comments →

Yoga can “turn back the clock” my yoga teacher likes to say. So as I come to the end of my 45th year in this world, I look in the mirror to see what the last 12 years of my yoga practice has brought me. People tell me I look young, yet who’s to say what I would look like if I weren’t doing yoga? Who knows?

Still, I may have overlooked something. There’s another vital factor in the youthfulness scale I never realized existed until now. I’ll show you what I mean.

At the lake this past weekend, we were blasted with another 8 inches of snow. The next day, the sky was blue, no wind, and the air was a balmy 50 degrees. Nothing to do but play in the snow. It was the best “summer” day in the winter I’ve ever known… we actually got hot climbing up the hill all day.

It was tough, I admit, to wrangle one of our only four saucers from my four boys. I spent most of my time sitting at the top of the hill with my camera taking shots of them impressing me with the cool moves they made over the snow ramp they built.

I admit, they were impressive.

Finally, I scored a sled. When I hit the ramp, I pulled back, and completely on accident, I did a backwards somersault, which is what I like to call “my 360.” No, it didn’t hurt. When my boys began asking me repeatedly, “How did you do that Mom,” I began to realize I may be onto something cool.

From then on, I really had no trouble getting a sled, as they asked to see me do that “one more time.” So, I started doing “my 360″ on purpose, time and time again.

I have never been one of those “flexible talented gymnastic” types in my youth. I flunked cheerleading. But here, right before my eyes, everything just fell into place.

Now here is where you’ll just have to use your imagination a bit, as my husband was behind the camera and didn’t quite get the shot I need here. But in the picture you can’t see I am skillfully tucking my head, so that I can begin my big roll… This is where my yoga teacher’s favorite phrase, “you’re as young as your spine is flexible” really begins to resonate some truth.

No, I can’t believe I’m showing you this either. But, I’m trying to make a point… and if this doesn’t convince you to start a yoga practice now, I doubt nothing will.

You can see from these photos below, just how much I am impressing my boys… all of them.

Still, I keep rolling, and I end up again, right back where I started. Thrilling.

The kicker, and my crowning glory, was when my 12-year-old said, I can’t keep doing this, because I think I’m hurting my neck. Meanwhile, I kept rolling and tumbling down the hill.

But just between you and me, my neck was tiny bit sore the next day; a few yoga stretches took care of that. But, I was definitely the Queen of the hill that day… thanks to yoga.

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Filed under: Laugh, Life, Yoga, the lake house by SusieJ - 19 Comments →

More snow came for Easter. I think the effect was quite beautiful.

Thanks JC, for the Easter Bunny’s arrival.

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Filed under: Life, boy, holidays, wordless wednesday by SusieJ - 14 Comments →

Photo from ShowBizSpy

When I look at Nigella Lawson, I think, “how can I put on some extra pounds and get the fat to go in exactly the right places so that I can look as voluptuous as Nigella?” I wouldn’t hesitate to eat fried bacon sandwiches, snickerdoodles and Carmel sundaes everyday if I knew the pounds would miraculously pad my breasts to give me that elusive cleavage I’ve never managed to grow. Sadly, as my past pregnancies have indicated, my extra pounds fill in that most unattractive spot, right above my backside, and stay there, forever hiding that elusive feminine hourglass shape.

She’s adored by men and women alike (is it because she’s NOT thin that we don’t hate her), glorified the-everyday-kind-of-food that we all love to eat, and has authored brilliant books like, How to Eat. (A necessary read for all members of the human race who plan to survive.) Millions of people watch Nigella Lawson cook on the food network, just to watch her, not because they want to learn how to cook. Yet, in another move of the media’s anorexic-laden attraction, there’s a rumor from the New York Post that the Food Network Channel directors are trying to get their cameras to show less of Nigella Lawson’s voluptuous backside. They’re concerned that people don’t think fat is beautiful. Message to the Food Network Directors: Your audience recognizes passion and beauty. We’re starving for it. Perfection is impervious to the very elements you’re trying to hide.

Do I see beauty in Nigella because she’s not afraid to combine the words domestic and goddess in the same sentence? Ahhh, the freedom that combination brings. (Sure, this does involve large doses of chocolate: How to Be a Domestic Goddess.)

When I look into her eyes, I see not just joy… but pleasure. I can’t help but think of her tragedies: Her mother died in her 30s from cancer. Her sister died of breast cancer. And her husband, John Diamond, died of cancer.

Yet, she smiles. She knows what my former neighbor Margie knows. Margie, with her gray hair, always stylishly cut, used to say, “Don’t you just love normal days when nothing happens?” Those days are free of tragedy. Never a drama queen be. Nigella says it perfectly, in her own words:

“I suppose I do think that awful things can happen at any moment, so while they are not happening you may as well be pleased.”

So, eat up.

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Filed under: Life, eat, household, news by SusieJ - 13 Comments →