Good day (31)

I got into reading my book about the Mystic Women of Medeival Europe here an day or so ago. It's turning out completely different then what I thought it would be.

Wondering how many of you know your history enough to tell me "why" the French Royalty decided to coat their period furniture in gold guilting when they did...it took extreme measures to get to the gold  and the artisians to be able to do it... to say it was just an "whim" of the period.  I also wonder on the religious aspect of it all as well. Do you think they hid the "Ark of the Convent" along with it?...another story I'll have to tell you someday.

My book turned out what is called an story of the women... ladies called "Beguines"...which I find out is still on going and flourishing in their work in America today.  They were the widows of Templar Knights and the fallen Crusaders...Royalty that had in someway been disposed of politcally, or through divorce there of...but they were for the most part, ladies whom could not belong to churches because of thier husbands/father's dismiss...whatever his dismiss was...or daughters there of in some cases, or female family members.  They had thier own kind of faternal organization of ladies...which often tried to help thier country...political situation,  and the general public by their works. An simliar group of ladies we can owe our gratitude to by saving George Washington's home at Mt. Vernon for us to view as an historical home. They were religious women also. Persecuted by the church itself for their religious writings...some hung at the stake and burned for their religious views on prophecy.  Many had direct dealing with the monestaries of the time...though not religion of it...as being an ordained nun.. necessarily. The Benedictine order says of them..they were made by God to manifest his holy word and filled with an prophectic spirit. They apparently had not harden their hearts against the people as had the religious leaders of the church. Several of these women all are connnected to names over here in the early years of John Lawson...and I was able to trace them back to under the beginnings of King Edward II or III...when he visted Antwerp. Thier movement thereafter seems to been worldwide. Today they are teaching HIspanics "English" ..supplying learning by furnishing comptuers to various handicapped and other organizations to teach with, and still making an "quiet" kind of contribution in the world for those that need the help.They are women whom are NOT Lesbians.... in the list you can consider many of them top notch nurse's and doctors, professors and the high wealthy or or mid-income higher group of wealth. Ladies whom are carreer orientated. So I go an read this book... as much of it is out of sync with the days they were born... in the 1100 to 1300 era period in this book.  The church had an profound influence during the writing of the King James bible...and of course out of that was also an "Mary Madagelen" story that may not been the truth...but in all the bible ...women are considered "secondary" to mankind's rule in the world....I'll be reading an bit about that next. Marguerite Porete, one of these beguine women of her day,,,is also known as that of the court of Hanicut of European Royalty.  Hadewijch of Antwerp I wondered if the same as"Hardwick" surname over here and married an Susan Lawson in the New England area during the early 1700's. She was left an widow and later may be married to John Lawson, if not his sister/daughter...they went to what is now South Carolina and the first Govenor named "Calhoun" bought their house estate that was called "Redhouse" in other legacy charts I have of them. John,  I beleive,  to be affliated with the later lines of the Planegent family. But possibly also connected to the house of Boughton also in it's formation in England. I beleve this "John" the same one banished in my records because of his marriage over there to an Howard woman...later named the same as Henry VIII's wife Catherine Howard...but I don't know if the same at this time.  By the way...hubby's next oldest brother surviving (Tom Lawson) I am told just had an stent heart placement, as his oldest surviving sister (Louise) just had another knee replacement done on her...both are doing well from their surgery. I guess his sister will come down later on in the year to visit with us all...usually around July 4th Holiday.  Margarite Porete, in this book...last name may be "Porter" over here...one time nieghbors to us...Bill Porter heads one of the Lawson genealogical families...those connected to our Scottish branch...and the "Heritage Foundation" on line of geneaology work and massive historical library for others as well. This book should be an interesting reading to see how these lines took their "thoughts" into over here in early period days. There si no doubt in my mdn Susan was outfitting and Indians fro George Washington in supplies and goods during the pre-war period of the Revloution...may of had something to do with the Moravorian movement of "christainizing" the Delaware Indians...another long story. But no doubt why the Tennessee area later would see the "Masonic Lodge" in it's early memebers. I must go for now...have an good day everyone...we still have an snow alert issued for my area by Sunday night I must prepare for now.

Did I ever grocery shop yesterday!...but I left my house and my grandkids house with food enough to last out any storm...just inc case they run into some days wthout school.  Most the kids now are eating breakfast and lunch at school over here now. But I left them frist fruit, canned fruit, and juices, snacks, breakfast items, soups, and milk, bread an butter, and all the basic things, plus microwave items like chicken strips, breakfast sausage, eggs...I feel content to not worry about them. I did some for our house also...so we all got fresh batteries in our flashlights, some alternate source of heat in the house if the electricity goes out, food, for the animals also, back up battery radio's. It's raining out there now....and they all left me here by myself to go to White River Glacier with the Scouts today...should be home before the main storm hits late tonight. Not really happy about that as to many people have died in going up there preparedand unprepared thinking they can make it back by nightfall...but being there are an huge group of people there today helps an bit. They rented tubes to go tubing. I'm glad I bought the ski pants at " Target" as part of the boy's Christmas presents earlier.They kided me an lot about how I make preparations when I was with my son in Scouts....they remarked that I could feed the troop with what I gave my son to eat...but he's always been skinnier then an rail growing up pretty much....and I always worried about him having enough to eat and being warm enough. I have an small teryaki pork loin to bake here soon and plan on putting it around an plate of  herbed angel hair noodles tonight for dinner. I bought me an coat on sale yesterday...everything is 70 per cent now at all the stores. I got this one for an excellent price...and it's got an "Parka" type hood on it...though I need to lose some weight, I can zip it up with no problem but I could use to layer it some in warmth and need to lose the weight to comfortably do that. Keep working on that and the 1,000 piece puzzle we started will most likley be done before the weekend is out...and good for that one, as the table needs some Valentine Roses on it here soon. Plus our 46th wedding anniversary...I didn't know you could be so "married" and never see the person you married much as is my hubby. He has to retire some day so I can see him. Out of the last 14 days...he's been gone the last two weekends and now today..plus Tuesday nights with the Scouts. Nice he has the Scout master and his family involved also...Vickie being an ICU nurse.... works weekends now and then...so I guess you know where the guys are at..."Scouts"....with kids and grandkids...everyone else in the troop. But I'm not into it all as of yet to tramp through the snow...I can cross country "practice" ski outside the kid's house when it snows...that is coming in tonight...for the next several days. Hope it's goen before I go out to do the "babysitting" bit next week. Have an good day everyone...I'm going to go look up Cathryn's Highveld area..it's got my curiosity..

You have, as always, been so busy looking after everyone - you are such a kind soul!  Shirley

Did you find the Highveld??

Yes, I did...it sounds like an very nice place to live...I don' t know about the 10 million people...but at least your probably assured of good medical services and communications. I like the sounds of your weather temperatures and the thunderstorms should be going in the not to far future as you slip out of the season. In our area we would call the Highveld..central Oregon....but with hardly that many people or urbanization. It's pretty over there also....Bend, Oregon has become an back room bedroom community to California retirees...though it has much hotter temperatures then does your area in the summer. Someone owns an house over there I think every U. S.President we have had since Reagan.. goes over to vacation at sometime in thier presidency. People like the horse ranches and wild deer that often  freely roam the pristine golf courses also. As to your gold and diamonds in South Africa...much better then the pythons and crockadiles, if you even see any of them for the people there. Over all...sounds like an nice place to live.

I am sure glad I got those groceries delivered yesterday...they are showing Sandy tonight with snow on the highway going into town and my kids live 8 miles further away toward the mountain. I bet they got all kinds of it out at their house and I have their oldest son staying here tonight...storm is just now hitting good...but my area is an 2 mile stretch in all four directions of rain...no snow...everyplace else it's snowing all around...Portland is getting some also now. Got to see my son on the " news" tonight...followed by our Scout Master into the ski shop in Sandy.. as they were returning the equiptment they rented today for thier outting. Little news article on how brisk the business was today for the owners. I would like to go to sleep but my ears are ringing to high heaven as the pressure drops and the storm comes in..guess I grab my portable radio and try to see if I can drown it out with what's going on there. Have an good weekend. The majority of this is tomarrow...and Monday thankfully is an holiday...daughter in-law is home Monday. Maybe over by Tuesday?...we can only hope... will see what will be going on by then with the schools and the kids.