Reflection and Resurrection

The sun shines bright on an Easter morning. The garden calls to me – I can hear it screaming. Will the local nursery be open today?

I’m alone this Easter morn, me and two cats, with just a few wisps of memory. I’ll jiggle the webbing, that electronic contrivance that we all share, T-messages and E-mails and even Ma Bell. Bacon and eggs for breakfast.

Prod the memory forward through the years. By my friend Paul’s example, I’ll call myself middle-aged now. They say that sixty is the new forty. So eighty is what? Let’s settle for that.

Coffee and I’ll creep over to the bookshelf. Not the poetry shelf, not this morning. The shelf of favorites, those special books that left you wanting more; demanding that you open them again. Fourteen of them.

I’ve added a new one to the favorite shelf – The Disappearing Spoon, by Sam Kean. It’s a history of the periodic table of chemical elements, told with wit and fable. Remember the periodic table from high school chemistry? We learned the second row of elements with the mnemonic:

“Nena m’gal sips chlorine.” That’s Ne-Na-Mg-Al-Si-P-S-Cl.

Ha ha. Some things you never forget. Kean’s book takes me back to King High. I will reread it.

I’m tempted to add Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time to the favorite shelf but it wouldn’t be fair. I re-read that one because I hope, some day, to understand it.

Happy Sunday to all. The sun shines bold. Cast a long shadow.

Dac Crossley
April 8, 2012

“Old age is like climbing a mountain. The higher you get, the more breathless you become, but your view becomes much more extensive.” – Ingmar Bergman.

Comments

[Eileen Obser]

Love your title, Dac! Reflection and Resurection -- perfect for a sunny Easter Sunday here on the South Fork of Long Island and, I guess, for most anywhere. Love the Bergman quote and the thought of you spending the day among your books. Happy springtime...

[Bre]

I spent a portion of Easter Sunday trying to teach my chicken to jump for a potato chip. Turns out she only jumps for ham.

Glad you had a good day, Dacaroo!

[Mike Draney]

Dac,

Thanks for the tip, I will add that Sam Kean book to my wishlist. Funny, I had the same experience with Hawkings' book...I read carefully, and then decided I did not understand the damn thing. Its on my "to reread" list as well.

Take care, and happy spring. Mike D.

[Janice Pulliam]

Re the quote, I will quote back at you some lines from Lee Blessing's play Eleemosynary that I was just in.
"Life is a swift ascent, followed by an endless, dreamy downward nutation. One only hopes that one has risen high enough that the sights on the way down will be worth the looking."
As for eggs and bunnies, they're symbolic of new beginnings and spring. Bunnies seem to come out and be more visible when spring arrives (where are they all winter long?) Fat men can't fit down chimneys carrying bags of toys either, but we see plenty of pictures of them in a certain season. Reality is not part of holidays, except symbolically.

[Art]

"The Disappearing Spoon" by Kean could well be the best piece of non-fiction I've read since Quammen's "Song of the Dodo" Both set very high standards for how to make science accessible. Have a great Easter, Dac.

[Patricia Gligor]

Dac,
I love the quote you posted. Also, I'm happy to know that I'm just a tad past "the new forty." Heartwarming news on a beautiful Easter day! Happy Easter!

[Jan okey]

Happy Easter Dac. Chickens lay the eggs - who does the decorating ???? Rabbits are in
charge of distribution because they are ever so much faster than a chicken. A wonderful
system that has worked well for years & years.

[Sarah]

Hey Dac, Good day of sunshine to you too! Your garden sounds like mine (and yard with broken lawnmower) this year. Happy reading and happy Easter.
Sarah

[Dave]

Hey Dac,

I'm spending Easter watching the snow melt, finishing The Return of the Texas Ranger, and starting some sour cherry juice (frozen since last fall)-raisin wine. Well, maybe it will become wine, the first batch with just cherry juice turned out to be drinkable.

Happy Easter from Heather and I.

Dave