Faded Beauty

Oh yeah, I know all about that! But leaving my decrepitude aside, I was rather struck by these scenes down by the river. Enjoy!

 

On Age

 

Notes on Virginia History

(I figure this is better than a post about insane shopping) 

 

As a clear date emerged for my move to Virginia, which happened in December 2018, I decided I should learn something about the state and bought a recent history of Virginia textbook. I have now finally got down to reading it (yes, it took me like 7 years). It's quite well written and very informative.  Some things I've gleaned thus far:

• As perhaps some of you will know, the legal case that made laws in states which banned interracial marriages unconstitutional was appropriately Loving vs.Virginia (Loving was the name of the couple involved); it was finally settled by the Supreme Court in 1967 (it took that long???) One would think that the laws were a straightforward case of white supremacy, racial superiority, and similar crap, but it was more convoluted than that. Such laws actually go back to colonial times. In 1662, the Virginia Assembly decreed that to settle issues of the status of interracial offspring, the status of the mother, slave or free, would determine the status of the offspring. The problem that emerged, as the Assembly saw it, was that children of a black father and white mother would be, according to the law, freeborn. The concern was the possibility of an increasing population of free "colored" people. The law did not produce the desired effect, and heavy fines and penal servitude were successively put in place. Finally 1691, interracial marriage was banned by law, and offenders were banished from the colony,

• Most of us are aware of the "Evangelical Movement" in the US which has been such a factor in social policy and conservative politics in recent years. Given my background, my thought was "where did these people come from?" Well, as it turns out Evangelicalism took hold in the the American colonies in the 1730's. In New England, it split the predominant Puritan and Presbyterian congregations into those who followed the new enthusiasm and those who did not. In Anglican Virginia it was different. Evangelicalism was deeply involved with status, with middling and lower-class whites embracing it in opposition to the formality, ritual, and class-structure of the established Anglican church. (Remember those governors' thrones inside the sanctuary at Jamestown & Williamsburg?) The Evangelicals refused to act as earlier religious dissidents; they refused to behave and keep quiet to themselves but preached to everyone and anyone. Unlike Lutherans or Presbyterians, the Evangelicals, called Separate Baptists, abjured a trained clergy, believing that anyone who was truly converted could spread the Word. They were determined to be religious revolutionaries. Wandering self-appointed preachers roamed the countryside preaching in fields, homes, barns, and taverns, vociferously proclaiming that their way was the only way. Sound eerily familiar?

Gratitude

For reasons I have yet to fathom, I can find gratitude--in the broad Thanksgiving sense--a bit difficult. I have no problem thanking people for a good turn or a kindness, and make certain to do so on every occasion. But the big "What am I thankful for?" tends to puzzle me. It was a custom in my family, when I was very young, to go around the Thanksgiving dinner table and say what we were thankful for. Even as a little, tiny hamster I had trouble, and mother would be irked by what I came up with. Age has only slightly improved the situation, but at this point I can always be grateful I've lived as long as I have. Anyway... as I said, I have no trouble thanking people who have done me good, so I'd like to thank you all for following my peculiar cyber-ravings, for the sweethearts who comment and have become friends, and those who silently come by to see what I'm up to. (Yes, I look at the total number of hits.) Life still remains generally better than the alternative. 

Supplemental

It was in the low 70's (21ºC) today in Alexandria.. at he end of November... the day before Thanksgiving... almost in December... what the...

The forecast for tomorrow is a high of 48º (9ºC). 

Flowers

David picked out some lovely roses for this week.  Very easy to arrange and a most handsome bouquet.

when I opened the bouquet wrapper from the store, one unfortunate stem was found beheaded, so it became a tiny little centerpiece

end of November and there's still color out the balcony window  

Since So Many of You Said...

you wanted more photos of Alexandria...

this one was actually a mistake taken as I put my phone back in my pocket,

 but I thought it was kinda artsy

stray corn

Well actually, none of you asked for more Alexandria, but I got 'em so you're gettin 'em.

Odds & Ends

David's Lady Justice clock shadowed on the living room floor