Hard Times Come Again No More

Here are the young Stella Sisters singing the Stephen Foster classic “Hard Times Come Again No More” in beautiful harmonies. The young Stella Sisters – Lennon and Maisy, appear on the TV series “Nashville.”

Entombment of Jesus

Good Friday - It is finished, but it is not over.

“And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave [him] leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.” (John 19:38-42 KJV)

Mural of Jesus from the Crypt at Washington National Cathedral The chapel that contains this mural is located on the crypt level of the cathedral. It contains New Testament imagery that show the promise of eternal life: Jesus’ birth, his death and entombment, and his resurrection. This somber mural tells the story of Jesus’s entombment following the crucifixion. I snapped the photograph at the CHAPEL OF SAINT JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA. Joseph was the wealthy man who gave his tomb for the burial of Christ's body after the crucifixion.

The image, Mural of Jesus, was originally uploaded by barneykin. It is posted here from Neddy's account.

The Easter Moon

Watch the Easter Moon of 2013 shine all night tonight, from Sundown to Sunup. Welcome Easter this coming Sunday. Wherever you live worldwide, look up to the heavens tonight for the brilliant full Easter Moon to illuminate the darkness from dusk till dawn. The moon will be low in the East at dusk and at its highest point in the sky around midnight. It will be low in the West before Sunrise tomorrow.

The Easter Moon tonight in Northern Virginia, March 26th, 2013.

  Moon FAQs

Saint Patrick Shipwrecked

Legend has it that about 1,500 years ago Patrick, a native Briton of Roman parents, was stranded on the tiny island of Ynys Badrig, also known as Middle Mouse, off the north-east coast of Anglesey, north of Wales. He then swam the treacherous one mile to Anglesey and lived in a cave before building the church of Saint Llanbadrig, which still stands today at Middle Mouse. The Briton is more familiar as Saint Patrick, one of the world’s most beloved saints and Ireland’s patron saint. He was said to have driven the snakes out of Ireland, and to have taught the Irish the mystery of the Trinity by using their own native shamrock. His legend is celebrated across the globe on March 17th each year.

In 2004, the tiny island where Saint Patrick was shipwrecked, Middle Mouse, was on the market for a mere £895,000. The island made history 1,500 years ago when the Irish patron saint was stranded on Ynys Badrig, off the north-east coast of Anglesey, off north Wales. He then swam a treacherous one mile to Anglesey and lived in a cave before building the famous church of Saint Llanbadrig. Since the Saint’s days Saint Patrick's Island - also known as Middle Mouse - has been much improved, with additional lands added to its holding making it to be a 160-acre estate. The island's rugged terrain also includes a six-bedroom country house, the ruins of a clay works, and a private beach. Real estate agent Elfyn Hughes, of Beresford Adams, said: "It is real one-off" in case anyone knows what that means.

Saint Patrick’s Benediction

Saint Patrick’s Benediction

According to ancient folklore, Saint Patrick lit the first paschal fire on the Hill of Slane in defiance of the druids and the pagan kings of Tara. When they saw the flames, the followers of Patrick were arrested, however Ireland's future patron saint spoke so eloquently to King Laoghaire that the pagan ruler pardoned him and granted him the freedom to preach across the Erin Isle. The rest is history, as they say, and today, more than 1500 years later, we celebrate Saint Patrick, as always, on March 17th. The future "Apostle of Ireland" was born as Maewyn Succat in Scotland between 387 and 390. At about the age of 16, he was kidnapped from his village on the British mainland and transported to Ireland as a slave. While shepherding in the mountains he spent his time in prayer until he had a dream commanding him to return to Britain. After escaping bondage, he studied abroad in continental monasteries, becoming a Priest and later a Bishop. Pope Saint Celestine sent him to evangelize England, and then Ireland. During his 33 year mission he effectively converted all of Ireland turning it into the "Land of Saints". During the Dark Ages, the Irish monasteries became the great repositories of Christian learning in all of Europe, all a consequence of Patrick's ministry. Patrick died 461-464 at Saul, County Down, Ireland.

"I came to the Irish people to preach the Gospel and endure the taunts of unbelievers, putting up with reproaches about my earthly pilgrimage, suffering many persecutions, even bondage, and losing my birthright of freedom for the benefit of others. "If I am worthy, I am ready also to give up my life, without hesitation and most willingly, for Christ's name. I want to spend myself for that country, even in death, if the Lord should grant me this favor. "It is among that people that I want to wait for the promise made by him, who assuredly never tells a lie. He makes this promise in the Gospel: 'They shall come from the east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' This is our faith: believers are to come from the whole world." ~~from The Confession of Saint Patrick

Happy Saint Paddy’s Card

Saint Patrick Shipwrecked

Saint Patrick's Blessing:

May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields and, Until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

The statue of Saint Patrick is located at the top of his mountain in Western Ireland. The image, The Benediction of Saint Patrick, was originally uploaded by starbeard. It is posted here from

Delicious Irish Soda Bread

One year, I resolved to make Irish Soda Bread for Saint Patrick's Day, but before I got it made, Easter had arrived. This bread actually tasted a lot better than it looks in the photograph, and it sliced beautifully. Oh, was it ever easy!

I cannot remember if I ever made this before, so I went to my favorite on-line Recipe Book - Elise's and sure enough she had a nicely illustrated recipe. Then I got to pondering myself: "how authentic would it be to use a recipe from a Californian?" So off I went seeking something a bit more authentic, ... meaning Irish. The first I found claimed to be the "world authority" for "authentic" Irish Soda Bread. All I could find at that site, besides the pop up ads, were warnings of what ingredients NOT to use. No nuts! No raisins or even currants! No orange rind! No sugar, honey or treacle! What's treacle? No eggs! No shortening! No whiskey! NO Whiskey?? And, ... if you dare to use any of those forbidden ingredients  - you will be making CAKE  not bread!  So there! Since I never did find Any recipe at all, I got bored and a bit rankled. Let them eat soda bread! I tried another Irish site, and it was the opposite -- too many recipes using too many ingredients, most of which I did not have on hand, especially the hot peppers. And again it was so full of advertising that I felt myself in a maze. So it was back to Ms. California Elise's and I kinda followed her instructions and all went well. Of course, as always, I improvised. I halved her recipe and since I didn't feel like hunting to see if I had any pastry flour, I just used what was in the flour bin. I used table cream with vinegar instead of sour milk. I used a whole egg, instead of a half, since I halved the recipe. Yes, I used the sugar, even though the Irish site said it was verboten. And just to be extremely devilish, I tossed in some freshly grated orange rind. I think that made the bread extra tasty. HA! Next time I go for the whiskey. After-all, it is IRISH bread, isn't it?

I cooked it in a Corning ware dish instead of cast iron and used a much lower temperature - 325 degrees, as I was in no hurry, and I didn't want it to come out as brown as the one in Elise's picture. Here's Elise's recipe: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/004338irish_soda_bread.php

 The image, Irish Soda Bread, was originally uploaded by barneykin. It is posted here from Barneykin's account. Visit Neddy's Archives for more of Edna's writings.

Irish Blessings

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.

History of Saint Patrick's Day

Raglan Road - A Poem

Lyrics:
On Raglan Road of an autumn day
I saw her first and knew
That her dark hair would weave a snare
That I might one day rue
I saw the danger and I passed
Along the enchanted way
And said let grief be a fallen leaf
At the dawning of the day

On Grafton Street in November
We tripped lightly along the ledge
Of a deep ravine where can be seen
The worth of passion's pledge
The Queen of Hearts still making tarts
And I not making hay
Oh I loved too much and by such by such
Is happiness thrown away

I gave her gifts of the mind
I gave her the secret signs
Known to the artists who have known 
The true gods of sound and stone
And word and tint I did not stint
I gave her poems to say
With her own name there
And her own dark hair
Like clouds over fields of May

On a quiet street where old ghosts meet
I see her walking now
Away from me so hurriedly my reason must allow
That I had loved not as I should
A creature made of clay
When the angel woos the clay
He'll lose his wings at the dawn of day

The poem "On Raglan Road" was written in 1946, by the great Irish poet, Patrick Kavanagh, of Inniskeen In County Monaghan. Kavanagh's poem was set to music using the traditional air "Fáinne Geal an Lae" composed by Thomas Connellan in the 17th century. Patrick Kavanagh died almost penniless in Dublin, Ireland.  

Words from DaVinci

Quotes from Leonardo da Vinci:

•  "Once you have flown, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been, and there you long to return."


•  "As every divided kingdom falls, so every mind divided between many studies confounds and saps itself."


•  "Anyone who invokes authors in discussion is not using his intelligence but his memory." 


•  "As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death."


•  "Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art." "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

The Groundlings

I know I am really ancient now because, even as my eyesight diminishes, I see Groundlings everywhere. Groundlings have conquered our American culture. They appear upon movie screens, home televisions, tablets, adorned in fancy tattoos and skimpy clothes, spewing four-letter words, singing of once unspeakable acts, and preaching inclusive diversity for all, except for those whose faiths condemn the base behaviors that the Groundlings enthusiastically celebrate.

Don't be a Groundling! And don't be a Gudgeon either!

George Washington at Age 19

“A good moral character is the first essential in a man.” ~~George Washington

Very few Americans today appreciate the indispensable role played by George Washington in the formation of the United States of America. Without General George Washington, there probably would not be a United States of America today. George Washington was America’s First Great General. He was an indispensable leader of the American Revolution.

I snapped this photograph of a nineteen-year-old George Washington at the museum at Mount Vernon Plantation, Virginia.

Highly Effective Mediocre People

Sometimes we can feel good about ourselves ... but not now:

The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective Mediocre People - The Rumpus.net

therumpus.net

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Mediocre People By James AltucherFebruary 13th, 2013I’m pretty mediocre. I’m ashamed to admit it. I’m not even being sarcastic or self-deprecating. I’ve never done anything that stands out. No “Whoa! This guy made it into outer space!” or, “This guy has a best se...

“I thought being mediocre was supposed to be bad,” one might think. “Shouldn’t we strive for greatness?” The answer is: “Of course we should! But let’s not forget that nine out of ten drivers think they’re above the median in driving skill.” People overestimate themselves. Don’t let overestimation get in the way of becoming fabulously rich, or at least successful enough that you can have your freedom, feed your family, and enjoy other things in life.

Being mediocre doesn’t mean you won’t change the world. It means being honest with yourself and the people around you. And being honest at every level is really the most effective habit of all if you want to have massive success.

Audie Murphy, Medal of Honor Winner

2LT Audie L. Murphy, USA

Audie Leon Murphy, son of poor Texas sharecroppers, rose to national fame as the most decorated U.S. combat soldier of World War II. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for bravery given to any individual by the United States for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.” He also received every decoration for valor that America had to offer, some of them more than once. He was awarded five decorations by France and Belgium.

Audi Murphy became a legend within the 3rd Infantry Division and quickly rose from Army Private to the rank of Staff Sergeant, and was then given a “battle field” commission as 2nd Lieutenant. He was wounded three times, fighting in nine major campaigns across the European Theater, and survived the war.

This Memorial is on display at Collingwood Library, Alexandria, Virginia. You may sign the Audie Murphy Presidential Medal of Freedom Petition Drive at Petition Drive for Audie Murphy. Thank you!

The image, Collingwood Library, was originally uploaded to the Internet by Edna Barney. It was posted here by Neddy of .

Growing Older with No Regrets

"Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege that many never enjoy."

A neighbor was working in his garden when he was startled by a late model car crashing through his hedges and settling on his front lawn. He rushed to help an elderly woman from the vehicle as he exclaimed: "My goodness, You appear quite elderly to be driving." The woman proudly replied: "Well, yes, I am young man. I'll be 97 next month, and I am now old enough that I don't even need a driver's license anymore." The neighbor was astounded and questioned her about it. "Why yes, it is true. The last time my doctor examined me, he asked if I had a driver's license. I said yes and showed it to him. He took his surgical scissors and cut the license into a dozen pieces, tossing them into the rubbish bin, saying, 'You won't need this anymore.' So I thanked him and drove home!"

Silent Night, Holy Night by Joseph Mohr

This is a beautiful full length movie of the story of the beloved Christmas carol "Silent Night" and Father Joseph Mohr, its composer, filmed on location in Austria. Is is a testament to the power of beautiful music to influence our lives.

Mitt Romney Victory Rally at Patriot Center

I wish you could have been there yesterday at the Patriot Center in Fairfax for the Romney Victory Rally! It was an inspiring day. Mitt Romney is a great man. Our nation is blessed to have him. Ann Romney was there too, beautiful and wonderful. We waited in line for more than an hour and when we finally got into the auditorium, the 7-8 thousand seats were almost filled. The seats soon filled to capacity and when Ann Romney arrived she announced that there were as many people snaked around the building as were inside. All of Virginia's top Republicans were there to introduce Mitt and Ann. America is fortunate to have Mitt Romney willing to serve as our President. He is an inspiring man and all day today millions will be praying for him to become our new President. His family will be a model for the nation. God Bless America forever.

Genealogy on a Wall

“Family faces are magic mirrors … we see the past, present and future.”

In August 2008, I was visiting a lovely Virginia home and espied this sepia portrait collection arranged upon a wall next to their staircase. So I made a poster with my portrait of their “genealogy wall.”

Buttered Eggs Wait for No Man

I really splurged this morning on Fathers' Day breakfast - Old English Buttered Eggs. My neighbor gave me some butter and heavy cream last night as she was going away on vacation. I already had eggs, potatoes and raspberries, so it all went together. She even gave me Mascarpone, something I never use. I spread that on the English muffin. Cliff wouldn't go for it, spreading the butter instead. Mrs. Charles Darwin's recipe for Buttered Eggs is VERY filling!

“Time, tide, and buttered eggs wait for no man…”* he must have been thinking, as he began eating before the cook had even seated herself. *John Masefield

Hardy Begonias

These lovely, seemingly wild flowers begin blooming in September. They thrive in shady spots in the garden or woodland and reseed themselves year after year. I found them at Old Londontown, Maryland, some years ago. They are truly hardy and can tolerate a lot of shade and still bloom. They are supposed to tolerate the cold between zones 6-9, Northern Virginia is zone 7, so they do fine here. They get quite tall, sometimes about three feet if exposed to sunshine. Those in deeper shade stay shorter. They produce bubils so if you don't pull them out of the ground, the clump will get wider every year. They die back to the ground in winter and come up in the spring. During mid-summer they display their begonia leaves. The species name is "Begonia Grandis." Their pink blooms appear at the end of summer. The flowers rise about another six to eight inches over the foilage. This is when the bulbils form. You will find them in the crook where the leaf attaches to the main stem. Let them fall to the ground and you can collect them and scatter about to increase your clump for next year or to transplant.

HAPPY SQUIRREL APPRECIATION DAY

Mr. Squirrel, a photo by Edna Barney on Flickr.

RECIPE: Fried Squirrel and Gravy

1 Squirrel cut into 7 pieces
1 Cup Flour; seasoned with Salt and Pepper
1/2 Cup Crisco for frying
Chicken Broth

Melt Crisco in cast-iron skillet. Place seasoned flour in a paper bag. Add squirrel to the bag, one or two pieces at a time, and shake to coat with flour. Carefully add squirrel pieces into the hot Crisco and brown on both sides. Reduce heat, cover skillet, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until done. Remove fried squirrel to rack. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, SLOWLY adding flour from the bag - one tablespoon at a time - while whisking the mixture, until gravy thickens.

Save this recipe so that when Squirrel Week rolls around, April 8th through 14th, you can celebrate again.

Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day. May you find yourself surrounded by nuts.