Saturday, April 2, 2022

Goodness, Gracious


 It's been a good day to stay in, sew on the dolly and watch Call The Midwife. Oh, those wacky nuns! 
No, really, I love that show. Not only does it take me back to the days when I helped women give birth and the days when I gave birth myself, it's just a good show. I do love how as the seasons have progressed, the times that are portrayed have changed appropriately from just post WWII to where they are now in Season 10 which is the sixties. As you all may know, one of my very favorite things that ever happened on the show was when a young character wanted to go see a group called The Rolling Stones one night. 
Ah me. 
I think the overriding theme of the show has been and is love. Simply love. And the premise of a show that features Catholic nuns as some of the midwives is rather genius, in my opinion. Midwives not only deal with a woman's most private parts but also with the issues that surround birth from sex to relationships- two things that most nuns never experience and yet, they cannot shy away from discussing them, from having to deal with the issues surrounding them frankly and knowledgeably. 
The show has covered cultural shifts and medical advancements. It has dealt with homosexuality, domestic violence, abortion, adoption, child abuse, racism, immigration, alcoholism, drug abuse, poverty, aging, death, incest, sex workers...
It goes on and on. 
Some of the episodes over the years have affected me deeply and I will never forget them. 
And as I said, there is always love there somewhere and there is always the representation of birth as usually a normal and natural act, often best managed at home with caring, supportive, and well-trained midwives. 

Mr. Moon and Vergil made it safely to New Orleans in a very timely manner and have sent pictures of a delicious lunch involving gumbo. I am sure they are already at the Superdome. I saw the Rolling Stones there once but this was long before I was truly in love with them. It was one of their massive shows with a cherry picker and every sort of pyrotechnics and so on and so forth and I was with a man whom I was trying to convince myself I was in love with. 
Thank god I did not. 
A few years later I was in New Orleans with another guy, and he had a ticket to see the Super Bowl in the Superdome but he was so loathe to leave me for the time it took to watch the game that he didn't. 
Sigh. 
That was Mr. Moon. I did indeed fall in love with him which is the smartest, best thing I've ever done. We bonded like crazy on that trip and I will never forget it. 
And now, when I think about the Superdome, I think of those things but I also think of the days and weeks following Katrina and the horrors that happened there when those who had been forced from their homes were sheltering in that space. I cannot imagine the suffering, the feelings of helplessness, the lack of any sort of comforts, the grieving for those lost in the hurricane, the stark fear for the lives of loved ones whose locations were unknown. 
All of it. 
But tonight will be a different story and although I do not pretend to understand the attraction of sports watching, I do understand that it is a very real thing and probably as old as humanity. We choose our knights and send them into battle wearing the colors that represent us. Gladiators. 
As I have often said, I think that the sports gene, the religion gene, and the patriotism gene are probably all linked. It makes sense to me. And you either have it or you don't. 
I don't. 

Oh well. 
My flame azalea is blooming! 


I remember my friend Kathleen and I going to a local annual native plant sale one early Saturday morning when I bought it. It has grown so very slowly but it is still here and this year it has more buds than I've ever seen on it. There used to be gorgeous one growing in the yard of an empty house on Main Street but a nearby church bought the property to use as an office space and cleared the lot and in doing so, extinguished that particular flame. I wonder if they even knew it was there. Probably not. But if they had, would they have cared enough to save it? 
Who knows? 
Not me. 

Love...Ms. Moon

40 comments:

  1. Interesting thought about sports and religion etc. I think sports are a way of channeling aggression, and probably a good thing. I rarely take much interest outside of a bit of tennis, women's golf and figure skating. Not team sports though. But I do see people identifying, for life it seems, with their team.

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    1. People DO identify with specific sports team for life and I have to realize that it has meaning for them. I may not understand it, but it's real.

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  2. Those flame azaleas are gorgeous! I'm normally not a big fan of azaleas (those massive hedges of bright fuschia are pretty from a distance but too garish up close for me to really love them) but I like those. Everything in the south is so pretty this time of year. I love the soft colors-new green, lavender, pink, white, purple--Easter egg colors, I call them.

    I should probably try Call the Midwife. Until I read your recommendation it didn't really sound very interesting to me, but now I think I may have been missing out!

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    1. Yes! The south is awash in Easter colors right now for sure! I hear what you're saying about the fuchsia hedges but I can't help but sort of love them. And you know- there are so many different varieties and colors of azaleas. There is a very pale pink that absolutely delights me.
      I think that "Call the Midwife" is worth watching on many levels. It's one of the few very woman-centered series for one thing. Also, the actors are very fine.

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  3. Well that is a surprise! You are a fan of "Call The Midwife". Shirley loves it too but I have rarely watched it. On the few occasions when I have been drawn into it, the sugary sweetness and innocence of it all has brought a few tears to my eyes. That is because I am as soft as Fred played by Cliff Parisi.

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    1. I am so glad to hear that Shirley loves "Call the Midwife" too! I do like Fred Buckle so much. He reminds me so much of John Candy though that it's almost uncanny. His appearance, at least. It's a very much character-driven series and there are some amazing characters.

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  4. LOVE the header Ms, Chicken!! LOVE even more the GREAT face of dolly Dear. I have watched "Call the Midwives" at least three times- preferring the earliest ones and that time period the most.Parts of London still look the same!
    I do not understand football- American football especially- It is dumb.Everything about it. Dumb. We went to the Rose Bowl once- that was cool only because it was a week long flower party but the game was...dumb.

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    1. I'm struggling with the header, trying to get "Bless Our Hearts" above it. I have tried everything I know. Well. Tomorrow is another day.
      The game that Vergil and Glen are watching is basketball which I can actually abide watching as they do not have all that padding on and also, there are a very limited number of players on the court so I can see each one of them doing their amazing athletic things. But I still can't get excited about who wins.

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  5. I do believe that will be a treasured dolly. She is beautiful.
    I'm a front row fan of Call the Midwife, too. Some episodes have remained with me. At first I was impressed because the series faithfully reproduced the stories in the book. And then it took off from there, and was faithful to the times.

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    1. I would love to see if the same episodes have affected you so strongly as have affected me.

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  6. OMG ... I have loved Call the Midwife since it started. It seems I cry with every show ... It is one of the best shows on PBS.

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    1. I can only watch it on Netflix now but thank goodness that I can!

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  7. We unfortunately cannot receive Call the Midwife here....but have watched and loved it at a friends house on occaision. Glad Mr Moon and Vergil have arrived at their destination....... dollie is looking GOOD! And lovely that you can think of Kathleen when the flame azalea is in bloom........ memories. Love the new header pic! Liberace is quite a specimen!
    Susan M

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    1. Oh, I wish you could watch the show! It's a truly good one. Not perfect, of course, but so good.
      Yes. I have many plants that remind me of Kathleen. She gifted me so many.
      Liberace is one fine rooster.

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  8. I don't get the fanaticism for team sports either. I did love playing intramural basketball, softball, and volleyball but can't imagine why anyone would want to watch.
    I am a big fan of azaleas!

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    1. It is so much easier for me to understand why people play sports than it is for me to understand why they watch them. Azaleas are lovely, aren't they?

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  9. I love Call the Midwife! I think it’s incredibly well written! -Jenn

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  10. A well written show which I enjoy too. I also like your new chicken header.

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  11. Wow,I think we were at the same Rolling Stones concert. December 1981. I will have to see if we get the midwife show.

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    1. It runs on Netflix and PBS I think.
      We may well have been at the same concert!

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  12. Wow. I did not know that Vergil went to Duke. Too bad for him! Go Tar Heels! In all honesty, that was an amazing game -- and a bit too close for this old woman. Have you ever read Will Blythe? He's a wonderful southern writer who's explained the Duke Carolina rivalry better than anyone: https://gardenandgun.com/articles/why-the-duke-vs-north-carolina-rivalry-makes-hatred-easy-to-love/

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    1. Yes! Vergil went to Duke for undergrad and then University of Colorado for his masters. He's a smart boy, that one.
      I'll have to check out that link. Thanks, lady!

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  13. I also wanted to add on to your extolling of "Call the Midwife" -- they've treated disability in babies/children better than anyone else in the history of television, I think, with an extreme sensitivity and like you said, so much love and acceptance without the usual treacle and disability porn.

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  14. Love Call the Midwife! I'm constantly amazed about the topics they (dare to) deal with so honest, respectful and knowledgeable. Love the new header too, they're such a pretty flock!

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    1. They absolutely deal with the most difficult subjects. And like Elizabeth said above, without the usual treacle.

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  15. Call The Midwife is one of my favourite series and I have watched it since the beginning.
    I love the new header.....the watery one was getting a bit " old hat" !!
    You have done a great job on the doll face....has she got any clothes yet?

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    1. I think Dolly is getting some clothes in the mail! I'm pretty excited about that.

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  16. I don't have those genes either. I have never seen a flame azalea, it's really beautiful.
    I lost track of Call the Midwife somewhere in season two or three, our TV network stopped showing it and when they picked it up again I just didn't bother. I had no idea they were into season ten!

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    1. Oh my gosh! Yes! They are still running it and it's still very good.

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  17. I enjoy watching Call the Midwife too. Women have had it rough for so many years and that show touches on that a lot.
    I hope Mr. Moon and Vergil had a good time even tho Duke didn't win.

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    1. Women still have it rough and so many of the issues they tackle on that show are still very troublesome.
      The guys did have a good time, I think. They sure sent some nice pictures of gorgeous meals!

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  18. I've never seen Call The Midwife but then we've only recently gotten hooked up with streaming services. We've been watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel which is pretty good.

    I love your flame azalea.

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    1. You should give it a shot, Ellen. Call the Midwife, that is. I like Mrs. Maisel too. The costumes and sets alone are worth watching it for.

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  19. I love Call The Midwife too. I particularly remember the episode about a poor family with six children living in one room and the wife fell pregnant again. She took what little money they had and went for a back street abortion which failed - nearly killing her in the process! I won't spoil the ending in case someone hasn't watched it but seeing their poverty and them knowing they couldn't afford another mouth to feed hit me really hard. It's a brilliant show, isn't it! Oh, and I love the new header picture - Liberace at Speakers' Corner!

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    1. Yes! They have dealt with the abortion issue for a long time. In fact, in season 10 they gave it another view and perspective.
      Liberace is definitely giving the word to the ladies. I do not think they are listening, though.

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  20. Yeah, I don't have that gene (or genes) either.

    If a man is willing to give up a Super Bowl ticket for you, that's true love!

    I've never seen "Call the Midwife." I hope it's not sexist for me to wonder how I would respond to it as a man. Apparently YP liked it the few times he watched it -- based on his comment above -- so perhaps that's an indication that it works for everyone. (I guess it must, being a hit show.)

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    1. True love or true...something! Yeah. That still makes me smile to think about it. Nothing like young love, is there?
      I think you should give Call the Midwife a try. I mean- women watch shows that are quite blatantly male-oriented all the time! But if you don't like it, it's okay.

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