I remembered this song from my youth, and think it's appropriate considering what happened in Orlando, and what is happening around the world at regular intervals. Why does it matter what color or gender we are? Why can't we live and let live?
Why Can't We Live Together?
by Timmy Thomas
Tell me why? Tell me why? Tell me why?
Umm, why can't we live together?
Tell me why? Tell me why?
Umm, why can't we live together?
Everybody wants to live together
Why can't we live together?
No more wars, no more wars, no more war
Umm, just a little peace in this world
No more wars, no more war
All we want is some peace in this world
Everybody wants to live together
Why can't we live together?
Can't live, can't live
Can't live together
Can't live together
No matter, no matter what color
Umm, you are still my brother
I said, "No matter, no matter what color
Umm, you are still my brother"
Everybody wants to live together
Why can't we live together?
Sunday, June 12, 2016
What's wrong with the world?
Credit: Photo posted by Lin-Manuel Miranda @Lin_Manuel on Twitter
Rest in peace, all the victims of the Orlando shooting. I really don't understand the hatred. I don't understand why we cannot 'live and let live'. I don't understand why there exist people who hate peace and will destroy it and love no matter the cost.
Thursday, June 2, 2016
The freedom of garden life
I've been working in the garden nearly every day this week after work. It's been very warm here, unusual for Oslo at this time of year, over 80 degrees Fahrenheit each day. Sunny and warm, perfect conditions for plant growth, but a bit exhausting to work in such weather. Our rescued rhododendron is now blooming (I cannot believe that our co-op complex had just tossed it onto the garbage heap--their loss), and last night I found a tiny bud in one cauliflower plant, but not in any of the others. My spinach plants have also taken off, and the corn plants and pumpkin plants are also doing well. I have learned something for next year already; I can plant a lot more vegetable plants than I did this year. I was afraid of crowding them, but that doesn't seem to be a problem. I've harvested a lot of rhubarb stalks already; my husband uses them in the smoothies we make each morning, and I will make pies and muffins with the remainder. The red currant bush is loaded with developing berries, and that will be an interesting harvest when that time comes. I've sown grass seed in some of the barren areas, but it seems that grass takes a while to grow, even though the package I bought said that I could see growth within four days. Highly doubtful.
The bird bath seems to be well-used by the birds, for bathing and pooping. I clean it out each evening when I am there and refill it with water. I rescued a honeybee from drowning in it the other day. I've made friends with the local cat who likes to frequent our garden (because of the bird bath, I'm guessing). He sneaks silently into the garden and makes his way toward the bird bath. I caught him the other night and he reacted the way cats react when you catch them doing something they know they shouldn't be doing--a bit startled and embarrassed.
There is a harmony in the garden that I like--between me and nature, first of all, but among the various insects, birds, and plant life. It's interesting to see the worms, ants, beetles, snails and slugs all move about at their own pace and in their 'habitats'. The natural order of things, without interference from man--that is a blessing and a lesson in how to leave the natural world alone. It carries on quite well without us. I am blessed to have this garden, but I want to coexist peacefully with all of the other creatures that live there, even the slugs, but we have been informed by the garden board that we must clear the garden of them, as they will destroy most vegetables they come across. I do it, but I must say that I don't enjoy doing it.
Being in the garden gives me a sense of peace and connection with nature that I haven't had in years, at least not in this way. I love being outdoors and always have, but I've been active in other ways--walking and biking. Gardening has given me a sense of freedom that I have longed for, for so many years--freedom from worrying and freedom from my computer. The hard work, the sweating, the dirt on my hands and knees and face, the tired back and stiff muscles are all worth it for the feeling I get when I enter the garden and when I leave it. I think about it during my workday and I want to be there. It's given me a purpose and a focus that I need now.
Here are some new photos:
The bird bath seems to be well-used by the birds, for bathing and pooping. I clean it out each evening when I am there and refill it with water. I rescued a honeybee from drowning in it the other day. I've made friends with the local cat who likes to frequent our garden (because of the bird bath, I'm guessing). He sneaks silently into the garden and makes his way toward the bird bath. I caught him the other night and he reacted the way cats react when you catch them doing something they know they shouldn't be doing--a bit startled and embarrassed.
There is a harmony in the garden that I like--between me and nature, first of all, but among the various insects, birds, and plant life. It's interesting to see the worms, ants, beetles, snails and slugs all move about at their own pace and in their 'habitats'. The natural order of things, without interference from man--that is a blessing and a lesson in how to leave the natural world alone. It carries on quite well without us. I am blessed to have this garden, but I want to coexist peacefully with all of the other creatures that live there, even the slugs, but we have been informed by the garden board that we must clear the garden of them, as they will destroy most vegetables they come across. I do it, but I must say that I don't enjoy doing it.
Being in the garden gives me a sense of peace and connection with nature that I haven't had in years, at least not in this way. I love being outdoors and always have, but I've been active in other ways--walking and biking. Gardening has given me a sense of freedom that I have longed for, for so many years--freedom from worrying and freedom from my computer. The hard work, the sweating, the dirt on my hands and knees and face, the tired back and stiff muscles are all worth it for the feeling I get when I enter the garden and when I leave it. I think about it during my workday and I want to be there. It's given me a purpose and a focus that I need now.
Here are some new photos:
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| red poppies |
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| rhododendron in bloom |
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| baby cauliflower?! |
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Our garden in late May
After a few days of humidity and rain, the sun reappeared today, which meant that we walked down to the garden tonight to see how the vegetables and fruit bushes are doing. Everything looked fine, and there were not a lot of slugs in the garden as we had been led to expect. We've been informed by the garden board that slugs are a real pest. They eat a lot of the vegetables, and since the garden does not permit the use of pesticides, the only way to deal with them is to drop them into a salt solution or to cut them in half. Our garden plot gets a lot of sun, which slugs do not like. If you want to find them at all, they tend to congregate in damper and darker areas, preferably under stones, at least during the daytime.
This past Saturday my husband planted ten more raspberry bushes, and I assembled and installed a garden arch that will serve as the formal entrance to the garden. I had to dig deep into the earth to insert the arch so that it would sit firmly and not blow over during the first major storm. I was pleased with the result. I planted two climbing rose bushes (white), one on either side of the arch. Hopefully they'll take off and start climbing. I've noticed that plants do not like to be uprooted from their original planting pots and replanted; they tend to sag when replanted and it takes a few days for them to recover. But luckily they do.
This past Saturday my husband planted ten more raspberry bushes, and I assembled and installed a garden arch that will serve as the formal entrance to the garden. I had to dig deep into the earth to insert the arch so that it would sit firmly and not blow over during the first major storm. I was pleased with the result. I planted two climbing rose bushes (white), one on either side of the arch. Hopefully they'll take off and start climbing. I've noticed that plants do not like to be uprooted from their original planting pots and replanted; they tend to sag when replanted and it takes a few days for them to recover. But luckily they do.
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| green garden arch |
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| strawberry plants blooming |
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| strawberry plants flowering |
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| rhubarb plant seed pod |
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| red poppy flower |
Friday, May 20, 2016
Another good song
Another song that's getting some airplay here on MTV.....love the song, and it's a sweet video........
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Celebrating the 17th of May
Today is a national holiday here in Norway. As we do each year, we'll go out to eat at Morten's Kro in Gjelleråsen, about a twenty minute drive from the city of Oslo. And then we'll come home. If the weather is still nice (blue skies and sun right now), we'll go down to the garden for a while. Nice to just relax today........
Friday, May 13, 2016
Update on our garden
My last post about our garden was on May 1st, almost two weeks ago. A lot has happened since then. The entire garden has been raked clean of leaves and twigs, filling almost five large garbage bags. I've been doing a fair amount of weeding to get rid of the dandelions that have spread throughout the garden. I've also cleaned up both strawberry patches, removing dead vines and leaves and giving the plants some breathing room. Along the way, I've gotten to know the insects that live in our garden--a lot of earthworms, several kinds of snails, spiders, centipedes, silver-brown beetles, and bees. I'm fine with all of them, although I know I'm going to have to kill some of the snails when they start to devour the vegetable plants, because we're not allowed to use any kind of insecticides in the garden. We'll see how many snails invade the garden when the vegetable plants start to bloom. I've heard from the other gardeners that the snails love pumpkin plants. but that they also go after squash and other vegetables as well.
I've invested a fair amount of money already in the garden and garden accessories--weeding tools, a spade, a claw-like tool, a water pistol with eight different shower functions to water the plants (very useful since it means I won't have to carry heavy watering cans back and forth), pruning shears, and knee pads (I recommend them highly). I've also purchased a parasol and a heavy stone foot to hold it in place; they've found their place in the garden along with the bird bath (the little birds are using it--yay!) and the table and chairs. I also bought a garden arch to demarcate the entrance but that hasn't arrived yet. Today I bought some irregular flat stones to make an entrance path, and placed a few extra stones at other locations so that it is easier to water all parts of the garden without standing in muddy soil.
I've planted corn, pumpkins, spinach, cauliflower, string beans, and beets. My broccoli plants that I grew from seeds did not survive, nor did my pumpkin plants (they grew too quickly and were too spindly). So I had to buy new pumpkin plants. My husband got eight raspberry bushes from his friend, and planted them last weekend. He also planted a rhododendron bush that he rescued from the garbage pile generated by our apartment complex's annual cleanup. Why they decided to throw away a perfectly good bush is beyond us. So we're hoping it survives. The garden already had a cherry tree, two rhubarb plants that are doing well, a black currant bush, a red currant bush, and a gooseberry bush. It will be interesting to see what produces fruit this year and what doesn't. It will also be interesting to see how we manage the harvesting should there be an abundance of vegetables and fruits.
I've also planted three lavender plants (for the bees) and a lot of pansies that are also doing well. This past week has been very warm (close to 80 degrees Fahrenheit), so the plants took off. The warm weather has now given way to cooler temperatures, so it will be interesting to see how the plants tackle the cooler weather during the next week or so. I've read that pansies like cooler weather, so it's mostly the vegetable plants I'll be worrying about. I'm hoping that there won't be any night frosts.
Here are some photos of our garden:
I've invested a fair amount of money already in the garden and garden accessories--weeding tools, a spade, a claw-like tool, a water pistol with eight different shower functions to water the plants (very useful since it means I won't have to carry heavy watering cans back and forth), pruning shears, and knee pads (I recommend them highly). I've also purchased a parasol and a heavy stone foot to hold it in place; they've found their place in the garden along with the bird bath (the little birds are using it--yay!) and the table and chairs. I also bought a garden arch to demarcate the entrance but that hasn't arrived yet. Today I bought some irregular flat stones to make an entrance path, and placed a few extra stones at other locations so that it is easier to water all parts of the garden without standing in muddy soil.
I've planted corn, pumpkins, spinach, cauliflower, string beans, and beets. My broccoli plants that I grew from seeds did not survive, nor did my pumpkin plants (they grew too quickly and were too spindly). So I had to buy new pumpkin plants. My husband got eight raspberry bushes from his friend, and planted them last weekend. He also planted a rhododendron bush that he rescued from the garbage pile generated by our apartment complex's annual cleanup. Why they decided to throw away a perfectly good bush is beyond us. So we're hoping it survives. The garden already had a cherry tree, two rhubarb plants that are doing well, a black currant bush, a red currant bush, and a gooseberry bush. It will be interesting to see what produces fruit this year and what doesn't. It will also be interesting to see how we manage the harvesting should there be an abundance of vegetables and fruits.
I've also planted three lavender plants (for the bees) and a lot of pansies that are also doing well. This past week has been very warm (close to 80 degrees Fahrenheit), so the plants took off. The warm weather has now given way to cooler temperatures, so it will be interesting to see how the plants tackle the cooler weather during the next week or so. I've read that pansies like cooler weather, so it's mostly the vegetable plants I'll be worrying about. I'm hoping that there won't be any night frosts.
Here are some photos of our garden:
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| new stone path between the strawberry patches |
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| a view toward our neighbor's garden, with the rhododendron bush in the foreground |
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| corn plants |
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| rhubarb plant |
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| pansies and the bird bath |
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| green (string) bean plants |
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| bird bath |
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| parasol, table and chairs |
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| cherry tree with pansies planted in front of it |
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Hey, No Pressure by Ray LaMontagne
This song has been getting a fair amount of airplay here in Oslo. I really like it; it's a bit of a throwback to the music I grew up with. Great guitar playing--a bit psychedelic, as is this video.
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Hard at work in the garden
It has been a mostly chilly and rainy April; I am hoping for a warm and sunny May so that we can get started planting our garden. My husband and I worked in the garden this past Friday evening; when we arrived and started working, it started to hail, but over the next several hours it cleared up and became a nice evening. We have in fact had hail three or four times this past week, despite having temperatures in the mid-forties. Weird weather; it seems to be chilly both here and in New York as far as I understand from my NY friends on Facebook. Go figure. The garden board had decided to cut down an old tree on our premises, so we spent Friday evening clearing away the cut tree stumps and large twigs that covered a large portion of the garden. The smaller twigs and underbrush went into the compost bin. We also turned the earth in several areas so that it is ready to be planted in a week or two, and discovered that the soil appears to be very good--there are a lot of earthworms in the earth and that's supposed to be a good sign. Today I spent several hours in the semi-sunshine raking the entire plot of land and turning the earth in two additional locations. The tree that was cut down must have been quite a large tree, because its leaves covered a large portion of the garden plot. So I had a fair amount of work in front of me, but it was enjoyable work. I enjoy the physical work; time passes without my being aware of it, and I like being outdoors in the sun and fresh air. My back muscles suffer a bit, but the pain passes and then I'm ready for the next round of work.
The pumpkin plants in our living room are now quite large and will most likely do well when planted. My spinach plants are doing well, as are the beet plants. The broccoli and cauliflower plants are taking their time, but will get there. My husband is looking to buy about ten raspberry bushes and we were at different garden centers yesterday to check out prices; I purchased some corn plants as well when we were at one of the garden centers called Plantation (Plantasjen in Norwegian).
I got a good deal on a table/two matching chairs; paid about fifty US dollars for the set. I've also purchased a birdbath online through Natur og Fritid AS; it's so beautiful and I can't wait to set it out for the birds. You can see it here if you want to see what it looks like: https://www.naturogfritid.no/614151/Hobby_og_hage/Foringsautomater/Fuglebad/Ekko+fuglebad
Lots of photos today, just to keep you updated on what's happening with our garden. I love garden life so far.
The pumpkin plants in our living room are now quite large and will most likely do well when planted. My spinach plants are doing well, as are the beet plants. The broccoli and cauliflower plants are taking their time, but will get there. My husband is looking to buy about ten raspberry bushes and we were at different garden centers yesterday to check out prices; I purchased some corn plants as well when we were at one of the garden centers called Plantation (Plantasjen in Norwegian).
I got a good deal on a table/two matching chairs; paid about fifty US dollars for the set. I've also purchased a birdbath online through Natur og Fritid AS; it's so beautiful and I can't wait to set it out for the birds. You can see it here if you want to see what it looks like: https://www.naturogfritid.no/614151/Hobby_og_hage/Foringsautomater/Fuglebad/Ekko+fuglebad
Lots of photos today, just to keep you updated on what's happening with our garden. I love garden life so far.
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| ready for planting |
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| the garden entrance, with strawberry patches on either side of the path |
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| the raked garden |
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| pumpkin plants grow amazingly fast |
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| corn plants |
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| beet plants |
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| broccoli plants |
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| cauliflower plants |
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| spinach plants |
Thursday, April 28, 2016
A nice surprise concerning my book Blindsided:Recognizing and Dealing with Passive-Aggressive Leadership in the Workplace
I have nearly finished writing a new book about modern workplaces, this time with an emphasis on what employees want. I will be publishing it very soon.
But for those of you who haven't read Blindsided, perhaps now is the time to think about doing so.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
This is how I feel more and more
http://www.gocomics.com/aunty-acid/2016/04/24#.VxyR00VnXK8.blogger
Ok, not 99 problems, but the idea of a longer weekend and fewer workdays, yes please!!
Friday, April 22, 2016
Probably my favorite song by Prince
"Some say a man ain't happy, Unless a man truly dies, Oh why, Time, time".
Rest in peace, Prince.
I remembered yesterday that my brother Ray, who died last year at the age of 54, loved Prince's music. So my heart got ripped open yet again (like after David Bowie died), because these artists remind me of my brother. I realized yesterday that this is how the rest of life will be defined--dealing with loss and letting go. The challenge will be to find joy in the midst of all the sorrow.
"Sign O' The Times"
Oh yeah
In France a skinny man
Died of a big disease with a little name
By chance his girlfriend came across a needle
And soon she did the same
At home there are seventeen-year-old boys
And their idea of fun
Is being in a gang called The Disciples
High on crack, totin' a machine gun
Time, time
Hurricane Annie ripped the ceiling off a church
And killed everyone inside
U turn on the telly and every other story
Is tellin' U somebody died
Sister killed her baby cuz she couldn't afford 2 feed it
And we're sending people 2 the moon
In September my cousin tried reefer 4 for the very first time
Now he's doing horse, it's June
Times, times
It's silly, no?
When a rocket ship explodes
And everybody still wants 2 fly
Some say a man ain't happy
Unless a man truly dies
Oh why
Time, time
Baby make a speech, Star Wars fly
Neighbors just shine it on
But if a night falls and a bomb falls
Will anybody see the dawn
Time, times
It's silly, no?
When a rocket blows
And everybody still wants 2 fly
Some say a man ain't happy, truly
Until a man truly dies
Oh why, oh why, Sign O the Times
Time, time
Sign O the Times mess with your mind
Hurry before it's 2 late
Let's fall in love, get married, have a baby
We'll call him Nate... if it's a boy
Time, time
Time, time
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
A new adventure--our city garden
I don't even remember what prompted me back in July of 2009 to apply for a garden plot in the community garden down the road from where we live. I suppose I had read about the garden in a magazine or newspaper, and just really liked the idea of having our own plot. Since we live in an apartment in the city, we haven't ever had the possibility to plant a real garden. So here we are at this point in our lives, about to become city gardeners. A new adventure.....
The community garden is called Egebergløkka parsellhage, and was started in 1917 as a community potato garden. One of the men who sits on the garden 'board' gave me the keys to the community garden tonight and gave me a tour of it. The community garden is a nice mix of Norwegians and non-Norwegian gardeners who grow everything from potatoes to raspberries. Two people keep bees, and sell the honey that the bees make at the end of the summer season. There are challenges in the form of garden snails (the Iberia snail being the most common) but it is possible to deal with them.
The seven-year wait was worth it, for several reasons. I took a look at the plot of land we've been allotted, and it's quite large, so we'll be able to really grow a few different kinds of vegetables. There is a lot of work to be done, but I can't wait to get started on clearing the plot and doing what's required so that we can begin to plant in mid-May. I will be planting broccoli, cauliflower, beets, spinach, and pumpkins. One of the nicest surprises was finding out that our plot has some fruit bushes already growing there--black currant (solbær), red currant (ripsbær), and gooseberry (stikkelsbær) bushes--which makes my husband very happy. Other garden plots have apple and plum trees growing there. Getting this garden plot has made me the happiest I've been in a long time. There has been so much stress and sadness this past year, that just knowing that I can be outdoors, in nature, in the sun, working in our garden, has given me back some of the joie de vivre that I seem to have lost. I am grateful for this blessing and privilege--to be near the earth and in touch with what is real and good.
The community garden is called Egebergløkka parsellhage, and was started in 1917 as a community potato garden. One of the men who sits on the garden 'board' gave me the keys to the community garden tonight and gave me a tour of it. The community garden is a nice mix of Norwegians and non-Norwegian gardeners who grow everything from potatoes to raspberries. Two people keep bees, and sell the honey that the bees make at the end of the summer season. There are challenges in the form of garden snails (the Iberia snail being the most common) but it is possible to deal with them.
The seven-year wait was worth it, for several reasons. I took a look at the plot of land we've been allotted, and it's quite large, so we'll be able to really grow a few different kinds of vegetables. There is a lot of work to be done, but I can't wait to get started on clearing the plot and doing what's required so that we can begin to plant in mid-May. I will be planting broccoli, cauliflower, beets, spinach, and pumpkins. One of the nicest surprises was finding out that our plot has some fruit bushes already growing there--black currant (solbær), red currant (ripsbær), and gooseberry (stikkelsbær) bushes--which makes my husband very happy. Other garden plots have apple and plum trees growing there. Getting this garden plot has made me the happiest I've been in a long time. There has been so much stress and sadness this past year, that just knowing that I can be outdoors, in nature, in the sun, working in our garden, has given me back some of the joie de vivre that I seem to have lost. I am grateful for this blessing and privilege--to be near the earth and in touch with what is real and good.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
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The Spinners--It's a Shame
I saw the movie The Holiday again recently, and one of the main characters had this song as his cell phone ringtone. I grew up with this mu...
