The Clemstead

A place heavy with history and screaming for new thoughts.

Mag 37: Reflection Contemplation


Is it the reflection that is damaged or the real image?
Is it my perspective that is skewed or is it me?
How do I trust the reflection if what I see is not real?
How do I trust the real image if I do not see the flaws?
How do I fix the perspective if it is wrong?
How do I fix me?

WI 25: Unleash

Remove one link and you flood the land, while draining the sea.
Unleashed, the balance is skewed, tilted, and torn.

Nature and the force behind it, try to repair what you do not see.
Unleashed, you are the catalyst skewed, tilted, and torn.

Focus and move or be bound forever to your deeds.
Unleash, but act with control and not your selfish needs.

Mag 36: Come hither…

Come hither and play for you have no school today.
Come hither and see the leaves are more than green.
Come hither and smell the smoke from banked fires.
Come hither and feel the late season sun ebbing.
Come hither before fall ends and winter begins.

WI Prompt #24: Then and Now

I remember that tree so long ago;
I climbed it at age five.
It seemed so big and safe then;
now it looks all alone.


I remember those leaves so long ago;
vivid, green and alive.
They seemed crunchy and fresh then;
now they look all alone.

I remember that blue sky so long ago;
I’d watch soaring birds dive.
The clouds were white and vibrant then;
now they look all alone.


I remember color in my life so long ago;
before the adult crushing drive.
Life used to be safe, fresh, and vibrant then;
now I look dull and all alone.

Calling All Woolly Bears

ground-alapaca.jpg
Woolly Bear found on the Internet :)
I was sort of hoping that we would get a break this winter only to stumble onto woolly bear caterpillars that are ALL black fuzzy and fat. We have yet to find one that is banded.

While researching the black woolly situation I also found out that our extra large crop of acorns this year is also an indication of a hard winter. Say it isn't so!

If you come across this blog let me know about your woolly bear and acrorns discoveries. In the meantime, it's time to buy a Farmer's Almanac and test out how well acorns burn.

Mag 35: Kinderfall

The fourth-generation granddaughter skips into my kitchen.

“Grandma you promised we could do a project this week! What are we doing? Are we going to back pumpkin bread with chocolate chips? Are we going to string cinnamon sticks or pine cones?”


I smiled at her but inside I was groaning. Instead of an answer I really wanted to ask her if her other grandmother ever attempted any of these things with her.
Looking back at my childhood I remembered a project. Quickly I looked around my craft area and my kitchen.

“We’re going to make a leaf stain-glassed pumpkin!” I proudly announced.

“Yippie! What do we do first?
“Go outside and start looking for the prettiest leaves while I gather all of the things we need to have for this.”

Locating the orange construction paper I drew a pumpkin with an inside section that was to be cut away. Out came the wax paper, glue, iron and ironing board to go with the scissors and other tools I had out already


By the time I plugged in the iron and it was hot she was back with her booty. “OK, come over here mind the iron and we’re going to arrange your leaves between two pieces of wax paper. While Grandma makes the wax melt with the iron, you’re going to cut out the pumpkin over there on the outside and the inside.”
Oh the concentration on both of our faces as we bent to our tasks. Soon we were both done.

“Get the glue…” I directed. “Now glue the pumpkin to our leaves. When the glue is dry we can cut out the extra paper so it doesn’t show. I’ll get you a snack why don’t you put your project on the radiator in the hallway so it dries faster?”


One snack later, some TV watching, a few snips of the scissors, and the project is done just in time. Her mother has come to pick her up.


“Look Mom, look what I made! It’s a pumpkin with stain-glass leaves. I found the leaves all by myself… and” she chattered as she skipped back out of my house and to her home.



Mag 34: Wickless Ages

Only two hours and I need to get this assignment done. Music on check, text book check, questions set for class check.
Down to business… the questions.



  • Assume you are a humanities instructor tasked with explaining the social role of the arts in the Middle Ages.
  • What are three relationships between the arts and Early Middle Ages culture you would want your students to know?
  • What are three relationships between the arts and Late Middle Ages culture you would want your students to know?
  • Why did you select those relationships?
Guess there is no answering without reading. Is that the last ray of sun going down already? I still have 30 pages left and no closer to answering. [sigh] POP!


“What happened to the lights?”
“Dunno!”
“Where are the candle?”
“Burnt them.”
“When??!!”
“You don’t want to know”
“Well… I need to get school work done can you light the emergency lamp and bring it up here?”
“Um…can’t. [pause] there’s no wick”
“I bet the stinking people in the middle ages would have had a wick!”
“Probably”


Reading by laptop computer light in the hopes that the lights come back on or I find the best torture technique to try out for extra credit. [evil grin]


About Me

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I come from German (Mennonite/Brethren) stock with bits of Norse, Celtic, Native American, and some mysterious unknown combination from an adopted grandparent. Not an uncommon blend for most of us who settled early in Pennsylvania. This type of diverse heritage left me ripe for the genealogical bug. I make a pilgrimage once a month and attempt to trace all the branches of my family tree. Unearthing facts that were never documented previously always brings excitement.

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