Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Purple Cows, Puddles, and Pansies

"I never saw a purple cow, I never hope to see one,
But I can tell you anyhow, I'd rather see than be one." (Mr. Gelett Burgess)

Remember that ditty?
Ever hear of the Flylady?
Ever smile at the purple funny faces pansies have?

Flylady cries purple tears. Really. She passes on house hints and when she reads a touching response from a reader, she cries. Her hubby says she cries purple tears. Cute!

I'm not sure if there is a more regal color than purple. Else why would kings wear purple more than another color? Why did God choose to make purple pansies, irises, violets? Cause he knew there would be one female on this earth who likes them? Cause he wanted something gorgeous to go with all the other flowers on earth? Who knows? But I'm glad He did.

What kind of nonsense was the poet thinking of to write about purple cows? Was he having a silly day that produced a ditty that's gone the round for several years? Or was he being sarcastic about cows in general, putting them down with his satire for the creature?

Was he writing for his kids, making laughter for them? Or poking fun at the awkward animal? Did he despise them, or love them? Or was he like the writer who wrote one of the most touching books I've ever read about dogs, but couldn't stand them himself? (How could he do that?) Did Mr. Burgess understand cows or were they just there; something to help fill that day?

Purple is a mysterious color, associated with both nobility and spirituality. The opposites of hot red and cool blue combine to create this intriguing color. Because purple is derived from the mixing of a strong warm and strong cool color it has both warm and cool properties. A purple room can boost a child's imagination or an artist's creativity. Too much purple, like blue, could result in moodiness. (Ah ha, no wonder royalty can be both creative and moody!)

Purple has a special, almost sacred place in nature: lavender, orchid, lilac, and violet flowers are often delicate and considered precious.

The color of mourning for widows in Thailand is purple. It's also the favorite color of Egypt's Cleopatra. It has been traditionally associated with royalty in many cultures. Purple robes were worn by royalty and people of authority or high rank. The Purple Heart is a U.S. Military decoration given to soldiers wounded in battle.

I could talk about my purple elephant (one of the two smallest ones I have in my elephant collection), but I'll save that for another day. I could talk about the purple clouds or the purple haze over the Smokies. Ever heard of violet eyes? Or purple smoke? Purple bruises? Purple food?

Enough!


Hints:
Got any hot spots in your home? What I mean is: clutter attracts clutter.

Confession: mine is the dining room table (my sister-in-law is so fanatical about nothing but decoration being on her table that I feel guilty every time I look at mine).

We all collect. Yep, all of us. So my own writing stuff, stuff I bring home from work, mail, something hubby has to return to someone, things we need to remember to take with us the next weekend to wherever we're traveling to, papers I need to return to writing buddies, etc., etc. That's my hot spot. So much clutter I have to scoot paper over to make way to sit to eat. Shame!

Here's how to deal with our hot spots:
1) Take a trash bag and throw away five things. Don't look in it; just do it.
2) Then take a bag and put in it things to be given away, or returned--whatever. Close it and haul it out to the car.
3) Take 10 minutes and sort!
4) Next day 10 more minutes.
5) File or throw away what you don't want.
6) Find a place, basket, folder, corner, someplace to keep your not-needed-now-but-soon items. Stick to using it. Don't allow yourself to go back to your old habits.

If you'll try this, so will I. Ask me if I carried through. Sigh. Work tonight!


Quote:

I see in the stars, in the rivers, I see in the open fields, patches of heaven and threads of paradise. Let me sew the earth, the day, the way of my life into a pattern that forms a quilt, God's quilt, to keep me warm today and always. --Christopher de Vinck


Blessings. Have a right royal purple sunshiny day!

3 comments:

Yumanbing said...

... and grape popsicles taste purple to me :)

Caroline said...

Yep! How did I miss that one? Of course, kids (mentally or physically :) ) would catch it quicker than someone with my intelligent brain. Does that make sense or what? Love ya, bro

Caroline said...

Hey, did you get snowed in?

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