Doctor Who 2011: The Almost People

Miriam Venetta Patterson Littlejohn: RIP Darling

Jan. 6, 1921 — Dec. 1, 2005

“Dignity” “Style” “Elegant”

“Sweet” “Gracious” “Charming”

“Classy ...”

. . .These are all words used by friends and loved ones when asked to describe this statuesque matriarch of the Patterson clan. Born 84 years ago to Marshall and Thelma Patterson, this woman, the 6th of 10 other lively sibling spirits has always stood out in a crowd.

Miriam was raised and educated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and won a wide array of friends; as an adult she spread her circle of influence to include not only family members and friends, but business collegues, fraternal organizations, social clubs, and of course, her Church, and its choirs, boards, and auxiliaries.

She was married to and then widowed by the late Luther Littlejohn after almost 30 years of marriage. And, although she was technically 'childless', anyone who had the opportunity to experience the flurry of activity (days of cooking, shopping, rearranging furniture, and cleaning an already *immaculate* house) that surrounded her frequent pronouncement, “Oh, this has *got* to get done; “The Children” are coming!”, well, you know that Miriam was "Mother" and mother-figure to a host of beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and play daughters; and as such, Miriam inspired an entire *generation* of Pattersons to love cars (and drive them fast!); to aspire to do *all* things well (and make certain everything is well *coordinated!*); and most importantly, to help others, even when they don't ask for aid. Miriam's vitality has lent spirit and strength to many a person in need, and as expressed by one admiring relative, “she could always brighten your day with her smile.”

This was a woman who could say, "Hey, baby!" to a room full of “The Children”, and each one would feel as though that greeting was "just for me"; and such was the warmth coming from her that each one would feel as though he or she was the most cherished, special creature to ever grace the universe! You just felt blessed!

Miriam lived her life; she didn't wait for life to happen to her: as my Aunt Fay said, "Miriam did everything she wanted to do in life; she got everything she wanted to have from life."
And I believe that Miriam *gave* everything she wanted as well--and many of us in here today can attest to that personally. We read in James that "faith without works is dead". Miriam made her faith real by the work she did. She transformed acts of duty and obligation into acts of worship and reverence. She gave unflinchingly of herself: she made a deposit in us with her gifts, her talents, her time, her kind words, her love; and we are all the richer for it, for this is how God works!

As I moved around the church during the family visitation hours, I saw the beautiful cycle of life: Miriam's body lay before us in the casket; she's gone on. But I saw a part of Miriam's *spirit* reflected in each of the several generations of “Children” who'd gathered to honor her life....and it was Glorious, because nothing ever really dies! I am Avis, daughter of Beatrice and Leon, but I am also one of Miriam's “Children”; and I will make sure that she'll live on in me.

"One of the deep secrets of life is that
all that is really worth
the doing is what we do for others;
So let the work I've done speak for me." -- Miriam Littlejohn

today's song

is brought to you courtesy of my pain and sorrow:
For Miriam:


This woman's work
(Kate Bush)

Pray God you can cope . . .

I stand outside
This woman's work
This woman's world
Oooh, it's hard on the man
Now his part is over
Now starts the craft of the Father

I know you have a little life in you yet
I know you have a lot of strength left
I know you have a little life in you yet
I know you have a lot of strength left

I should be crying but I just can't let it show
I should be hoping but I can't stop thinking
All the things I should've said that I never said
All the things we should've done that we never did
All the things I should've given but I didn't

Oh darling make it go
Make it go away
Give me these moments back
Give them back to me
Give that little kiss
Give me your hand

I know you have a little life in you yet
I know you have a little strength left
I know you have a little life in you yet
I know you have a little strength left

I should be crying but I just can't let it show
I should be hoping but I can't stop thinking
Of all the things we should've said that were never said
All the things we should've done that we never did
All the things that you needed from me
All the things that you wanted for me
All the things I should've given but I didn't
Oh darling make it go away
Just make it go away now

thanksgiving

didja miss me?

well, I've been involved for the better part of this month in some off-sides nonsense that never should have existed and have been reeling from several family health issues that still continue.

But the point is that I'm back now, and I'm better than I was, and if I keep my nose clean, I'll be better tomorrow than I am today.

I'm thankful that I'm in my right mind.
I'm thankful that I can see through the games
of the tricksters sent to engage me in useless
distractions.
I'm thankful for friends who really care and
who really know how to pray.
I'm thankful for the times when I can be the
prayerful friend to someone else.
I'm thankful for each one who helps me see God.

now, I'm gonna bake a cake...

Bush To Appoint Someone To Be In Charge Of Country

OK. you know I stopped sending my daily "Bushisms" a couple of years ago, and stopped publically ridiculing GW because it's just too easy, and what with my personal changes, well, it was slightly....unseemly.

However, some things are just too hard to pass up. This is one of them. Yes, it's absurd, but in this day, with this man, you could believe it to be true...oh, and I *totally* support him in this effort!

Click here to read the story

BaRosh Yitbarà Elohim

a recent reordering of the hebrew letters that make up the first words of the Torah leads one Italian bibilical scholar to redefine the title or description of what we now refer to as "the Bible".

Now, so as not to frighten any of my fundy friends reading this, and to clarify, it's not changing the words per se, ('cause remember, it wasn't written in King James' English, it was ancient HEBREW), but rather changing where the syllables/letters are broken up.

This particular combination of hebrew letters is usually read as "Bereshyt barà Elohim et haShamayim ve'et ha'aretz", and translated as "In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth."

This researcher is suggesting an alternate combination resulting in: BaRosh Yitbarà Elohim. (see how similar they are, yet different?)

Roughly translated, these letters could mean "In the head (or mind) God (will) create himself" or, in an even more Yoda-like translation, God Himself (the infinite imagination, the unnamable) creates (or created, since it was past tense). Now the problem with rough translations is that they're usually transliterations. And this (literally) is not how we tend to use our languages: we have lovely idiomatic expressions that have to be worked around to be understood by anyone unfamiliar with the original/common use of the language from which you are translating.

But I was excited by the prospects presented here. Now understand that I've spent some of my recent days looking at way too many documentaries on the Bible (babble) Code, and the use of mathematics to analyze hebrew used in the Torah to reveal/resolve/predict EVERYTHING. My little dinosaur brain may simply be on overload or so wide open you can drive a truck through it.

Anyway, upon first reading of this "new translation of the bible," I had an immediate brain flash (or brain fart, depending upon your own assessment) of the extraordinary possibility that this "In the Head God creates Himself" translation could mean that "in the minds of human beings the concept and construct of God and EVERYTHING is created", (lending some support to Voltaire's idea that "if God did not exist, it would be necessary to create him")

And then I calmed down...

...and started thinking--if you take "Head" to mean 'top of' or 'start' or even 'beginning', and "Himself" to mean "everything you see below/above/beyond" or 'the heavens and the earth', and 'Elohim' to mean 'God', just as we almost always do (rather than GODS, which the 'im' ending of the word reveals--but we know that's just sacriligious!); and if I further wanted to explain or translate this opening passage to JimmyJoe or Shanika, I might just end up saying: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth..."

and they shall know you by your fruit

So, my question for today is: "Who's eating from your tree?"

Over the last week I've had a number of challenges to my walk; some have bested me, some I've overcome. Things I'd considered inconsequential in the past have come back to bite me. Some things which were perfectly fine with me a year ago have become obstacles because I don't look at them the same way anymore. Choices I make today are very different than those I made earlier. And for some in my life, this is not a good thing...

oops. gotta do some actual work now.
look for more later today...