Earth Healing: Daily Reflections by Al Fritsch, S.J.

Click on date below to read reflection:

January 2004

Time moves on continuously, yet we are prone to break it down into events such as anniversaries and birthdays and the spans in between. We find these celebrations helpful in stabilizing our world and giving us a sense of control over our lives. New Years Day is not cast in stone in the continuum of time, but in our minds it does have a special significance that cannot be disregarded. We can start afresh with a new year.

Beginnings. Given our western world mentality, our very psychic health can flourish by periods and spans which are cut so distinctly that we can fully recognize and celebrate them during the continuous flow of time. Other cultures and regions begin their calendar year at different seasons or set their celebrations according to the seasons of the year. Our Christmas is established as the full week after the first recognition that days are getting longer in the northern hemisphere, and thus the growing light makes us more joyful and willing to celebrate. We need to put things into bite-sized morsels, and thus we divide and apportion our "calendar year." But we do even more; we talk about sports years starting at different months, garden years, fiscal years, liturgical years, and a mental exercise is finding a new year occurring each month.

Holiday. We need to pause for more than physical rest. We need new starts in our lives and periods for the resolutions which come with a new year. Starting afresh is part of the human condition and is done to some degree at each new rising of the sun, or the start of the week or month. But to start anew on a yearly basis has a more emphatic character. If we take advantage of the event, and not use it as a period of drying out after a rather moist old year celebration, we will find that it becomes a time to organize household and family matters for 2004, to take stock of what has gone right or wrong during the past twelve months, and to make one, yes, just one doable resolution for the coming year.

Holyday. Within the Catholic Christian tradition is a holyday, a day to pray for peace, a day when the name of Jesus is given at his circumcision, a day to give special devotion to Mary as Mother of God, Theotokos. It manifests a reminder of our spiritual past in our sacred Jewish traditions of physically marking a person for God. Jesus is so designated in his life. But in the coming of the God-man we need to see that his mother, Mary, plays a key role in the grand coming which we celebrate during each Christmas season. Mary's title of God-bearer is the most illustrious honor ever given to a mere human being. Yet we know full well that she is a transparent and pure soul, and that this transparency is so perfect that we are invited to enter in and become bearers of divinity in our own calling and life. And this is part of the holy day we celebrate today. On this new beginning of secular matters we superimpose the greater sense of nobility of calling -- which gives us the vital encouragement needed to carry us through 2004.

We tend to have unfinished agendas, unkept promises, unstored or underused items, unresolved problems, and uncompleted works of every sort. The average person enters the year with a housecleaning duty hanging heavy over the beginning of the year. What a way to start! Actually, one suggestion for uncluttering our lives is to plan for the time ahead -- a general annual plan which will take certain unfinished projects in a more logical order, and sub-plans of shorter lengths of time to help in a systematic uncluttering process. No doubt, in the course of 2004 unforeseen circumstances will require modifications, but such is life.

Tithe Time for planning. We should have daily plans, weekly plans, monthly plans, yearly plans and then longer term ones involving change of life itself. The tentative nature is more pronounced, the longer the expected span of the time ahead. We more than likely are able to make fairly consistent daily plans for all but a few days this coming year -- though a massive snow storm could disrupt those totally in wintertime. Now, I take along extra reading matter or work in that season since the unexpected will occur and we should not lose our composure when it happens. A basic supply of personal items in the car has proved invaluable when traveling for just such unforeseen eventualities.

Entertainment. Some testify that planning removes our spontaneity and turns us into slaves of our own schedules. That is quite likely if we see the task of planning as a chore. If it is fun, then we are willing to be more flexible, and the plans help organize our days ahead and allow for more systematic handling of routine matters. A more rigid person will not see the fun and thus regard such planning as a straight-jacket. We really could say that we bet against the future happenings and try to allow for the twists and turns of our lives. Yes, plan trips but also need to plan total free time, that is, time not taken up with one or other task and open to what comes. Such times are most memorable.

Realistic goal setting. We are unsure of the future, but we can set some goals as to what can be achieved. I would like to compose an essay a day, but I do not have the time to create a year's worth at one sitting. Instead, one can think ahead of what life may most probably be like a month ahead and each day plan for the moods of that period about 30 days hence. Economic and social changes make live a year from now less predictable, and so setting near-term goals for short essay composition is possible. A book takes years and so we set aside ample long-term time to develop this or that idea. And then pray that within the range of possibility, we have to both work and hope for an achieved goal.

Plan to be, not do. A good argument against excessive planning is that we reduce live to a series of projects, none of which are as important as being who we are. True, and part of the uncluttering process is to become a deeper, more self-assuring and peace-making person who is not detoured by possible clutter.

The new year is a time of many fresh starts. If a resolution has not yet been made, consider one of keeping a "day Book." My great uncle Louis Burke kept a day book with gardening information for sixty years. While it seems somewhat routine and uninteresting, a deeper look into this series allows the insight into his life and ordered manner of living.

Differences. This suggestion is not for a diary, which involves the thoughts and feelings of a given period. Diaries always were mysterious to me. For whom are they written? I guess if there was a clear reader in mind the mystery would be lessened. If a diary is your cup of tea, do it. It is known to lead to recorded spiritual growth and affords a way to process one's inner feelings and reflections. And day books are definitely valuable records for future projects. My problem is that I do much writing through homilies, reflections and letters, and so find that there is little more to say during the course of busy days. In other words, these become an ongoing diary.

Day Book. On the other hand, we do need to keep good records of what occurs on a day-by-day basis. This is a valuable source that I refer back to many times, especially in the latter part of the same year when memory slips a little. Certainly, with all the word processing done, day books could be written electronically, but I find that somewhat tedious for I make entries several times a day. First, I put the plans for the day and note the hour period that they are planned. Since plans will change, the very deletions and crossed out entries prove good records for future reference.

* Major activities of the day which are starred and along with actual time performed. This includes liturgical services, talks, meetings, travels, or projects attended during the day;

* All communications such as letters written, phone calls (or e-mails) sent or received, and major discussions with people which could be abbreviated (confessional materials are excluded);

* Market activities of any sort with prices and code telling what the money is taken from (this has immense value at end of month accounting);

* Major reflections or change of direction in life (rare except during annual retreat which sometimes I record in a day book. Observations for future reference may be included.

Note: Day books are not meant for everyone, for some may find it burdensome or overly disciplined. Believe me, it helps those of us who are starting to suffer from loss of short-term memory.

Rock as symbol of security: Rock does not crumble or erode very quickly. A photo at Little Devil's Den at Gettysburg shows the rock in almost the same cracks and indentations as the one we can see first hand over a century later. We know that rocks turn to soil with time, but that is over such a long period that for all intents and purposes rock are considered stable, secure, firm and unmoved. Thus God as our security is seen as rock of the ages, as our rock and security, our anchor, our stepping stone, our point of refuge. In God we trust.

Rock as base of operation. Jesus tells us to build a house on the rock and not on an insecure sandy foundation. What is interested is that we are see God as rock and us as building on the rock for ultimate security. We depend on God and we must work ourselves. The two go together and are not separate: God working and we working together with God's actions. We have to build a household that is secure. Generally two parents are called by God to build such a home and act as rock. Sometimes single parents must perform the task which becomes somewhat harder. In still other cases of breakup or death of parents a third group or the children themselves must construct such a house, a rock of refuge.

Daniel and Danielle. A missionary tells about an impressive team of home-builders in South Africa on a continent with 11 million orphans. They were hardly older than middle school students and yet they were able to do what many in the region were unable due to the many adults deaths caused by AIDS. They had seen their parents die one at a time and were left with only a promise made to their dying mother to stay in their simple little house and hold their family together. This they did with lessons taught them patiently by their parents just before their final sickness and death. First, they were freed of the painful task of going long distances for firewood which was the only source of heating water and cooking for the poor. Instead, they used solar energy in the form of solar cookers to do two things taught by their parents: to cook their soup each day and to heat the water so that it could be drunk by the family.

Foods. The two twins continued the family garden because their parents had taught them when to plant the root crops which could thrive on their soil and would supplement the handouts of flour/soy mix and oil by the local relief agencies. And they did more since they were taught that they could dry leaves of certain trees and plants and grind these up and add to the soup as a protein supplement. And all they while they prayed in a total fashion to the Rock "give us this day our daily bread." For them it meant so very much. And Daniel and Danielle taught the one telling the story a valuable lesson. They could hold the family together by taking turns going to school in the evening and then home school the three young ones at some periods doing the day. Amazingly, the family was holding together.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Epidemics have occurred often world history, but few have been so widespread and involved so many people as had the AIDS epidemic. Almost thirty million have died as of this writing with about five million new cases of HIV, any of several retroviruses that affect human T-cells and causes AIDS. Currently three-quarters of cases are in Sub-Saharan Africa but the epidemic is spreading rapidly to many lands including India, China and Russia. While only surfacing in 1981. there is yet no vaccine or total cure to date and only expensive treatments to arrest the deterioration of the body's defenses to the disease.

Attitudes. Like so many other outbreaks over the ages, the focus is often placed on the victims, with those stricken abandoned to fate or even regarded as the cause of the catastrophe. Since body fluid contact is the normal conduit of AIDS, all the more opprobrium has been rendered to those who have transmitted or received AIDS through sexual contact or use of drugs paraphernalia. Furthermore, fear of spread through accidental contact makes the victim treated like lepers of old and often ostracized and forced to live in almost inhuman conditions for the remainder of their lives.

Compassion. In a world of competition and disregard for others, this epidemic is a wake-up call for compassion, of suffering with others, of not judging them as to cause of their illness, of taking efforts to ease AIDS sufferers, of spreading the use of lower cost generic treatments for all the poor, and for campaigns of prevention and education such as the highly publicized abstinence campaign in Uganda. Some turn this education campaign into a safe sex campaign which is being hotly debated at this moment, with some saying it is the only solution and others that it is like playing Russian roulette with human lives at stake.

An overview. AIDS will not easily disappear, but a willing world could reduce the spread and impacts. If those who participate in the Trillion Dollar per year military enterprise were really seeking security, they would see AIDS as a weapon of mass destruction and concentrate on arresting its spread. Difficult challenges exist partly due to the size and mobility of our current world's population. If international trade and travel would virtually cease, the speed of AIDS spread would decline. A pessimistic fatalist says that world population stress gives rise to AIDS and this is a natural form of population control -- a horrible thought. Others on the other extreme would say that with proper and plentiful condom dissemination and knowledge, the epidemic would be controlled. That is hardly consolation for current AIDS sufferers and the eleven million African orphans with numbers bound to rise. A realist must pray for controls, for proper treatment of victims, and an educational program stressing the causes and means of avoiding HIV infection. Quo vadis?

As we consider this feast day we think globally while acting locally. The Epiphany, Christ presented by us to an eagerly awaiting world, is Good News which we must bring -- to refugees newly arrived in South Africa with four millions others from Zimbabwe, to undocumented workers seeking a living wage here; to people in Iraq afraid to journey to market. Just as the Matthew account tell how the wise men bringing precious gifts to lay at the feet of Jesus, so we are to do something which resembles such a journey of faith with a destination, with gifts, and with risks.

A journey of faith. What we do is something Catholic or universal for the gift we bring is to add to those of all people from the farthest reaches of the globe. the gifts were brought in the beginning of the day in far off Oceania and then to India and then Africa and eastern, middle and western Europe. Now it is our turn as Americans to arise and offer gifts. We go but the Earth itself is already going and we journey through space, not on the backs of camels but on the Earth itself. We must take care of this Earth for it is the only one we have.

Destination. Our goal is to reach the Lord and to take all means to do so. It is the holy name of Jesus pronounced by those who came before with such reverence that we seek to follow. In his name all will conquer. We find that name not out there in among the trees of North America on which the early martyrs carved the name Jesu. We find it in our hearts and the hearts of other people who we serve in some manner. Let us find that name and respect it.

Unique gifts. We each bring our own gifts to the altar of God and so often we forget that this is all we have. We do not have everything for we are limited people, and just as the little drummer boy brought his drum and that was what he had, it is the heart from which we give our gifts, and the Lord accepts this gift of mine as all what we have, even though it may not be as materialistic as someone else. Giving without a heart can be just doing an obligation.

Risks. To take a journey of faith is all it is said to be, namely, a journey and not a trip, a tour, an excursion, a hike, a sight-seeing venture, a travel bout, or a moving about. It is more than what these convey. A journey means a day's work "Diurnata" from the Latin "diurnum" or daily portion. Former travel by those coming to these shores involved great risk -- uncertain of lodging, food or security. Like the wise men we are subject to deliberate misdirections, being deceived by destructive human beings, or being forced to make abrupt change of plans.

God is with us. Our journey of faith is one in which we are protected by the divine power in ways we do not always recognize. God is with us as Emmanuel and we can take this journey with a friend and companion, and with others who are on the road together with us. We need to pray for travelers whoever they may be.

Life is precious to each of us, and part of that vital life is our health -- a true divine gift. When present we need to practice our stewardship in two ways: to be thankful for what we have and to see it as not lasting but a precious temporary condition. Thus our health stewardship will be more responsible. Before talking about health checkups in the plural because portions are not inspected by the various specialists in our lives (internal medicine, dentistry, eye examinations, hearing, etc.) and thus multiple appointments need to be made. The "annual" designation is also a consideration especially at the start of the year. With each passing year the frequency becomes all the more important.

Internal medical checkup. I do not like the idea of returning for those annual reviews of my heart, nerves and blood condition. But by writing and hoping that both writer and reader will be able to take the effort to see the doctor on a routine schedule. I do not like the idea that something might be found wrong that I least expect, but how else do we preserve and retain the gift of health?

My sympathy is with people of limited income and lacking in health insurance (about 35 million Americans) for the annual checkup will only remind them that they do not have the resources if something serious is discovered.

Dental examination. Many of us do not have dental coverage in health insurance coverage. For those the dental work is a luxury which can mount up if some chipped teeth needs tending. The bills can mount even if we are not looking for a more perfect smile.

Optical care. We all want to see the best we can and so the annual visit is another way of finding out our continued condition. Those of us with on-going eye problems must visit on a more frequent basis.

Frequent blood pressure checks. Machines exist for checking blood pressure in drug stores and supermarket places. That is a good way of finding out whether we are tending to high blood pressure and risk of a heart attack.

Infrequent hearing examinations. It is good to know whether we are accumulating a hearing loss over time. I have found out that I have such a condition in the high frequency. We can take some steps to counter this with proper amplification.

Personal practice review. This does not need a specialist and will cost far less than some health examinations. It is that annual series of questions which need to be answered in the affirmative:

Why? How can the second largest land mass on the Earth go overlooked. In part, it is because of its distance from our shores and thus farther away than the Americas. It is of less economic importance than our trading partners in Asia and Europe and thus perceived as not needed for our security and well-being. It is not like Europe and the Middle East as the origin of our more prosperous citizens. Africa has been regarded as the dark continent, a play of rain forests and wildlife and the unfortunate people who were enslaved before being brought in horrible conditions to America centuries ago. And the problems of those people are so formidable that we prefer to look the other way.

African problems. We turn across the seas to the vast continent and find that through television, jet aircraft and Internet those lands are really not that far away. We find that several key ingredients to our economy depend on African sources and that we take these resources pretty much for granted, playing one country off against another to obtain the lowest prices to the detriment of the farmers and workers in Africa. Three-quarters of the AIDS victims are Sub-Saharan African and most have no access to cures that could retard the advance of the disease. A host of tropical diseases plague Africans more than others as Western drug companies spend the billions on pain killers and diet drugs for the wealthy lands. Africa is besieged with millions of orphans and tens of millions of refugees as tribal wars continue unabated. And the problems go on and on.

Afro-American problems. As we prepare again for the annual celebration of Martin Luther King's birthday we are reminded of the need to address both African and Afro-American problems. Some would say that a color blindness is in order and that keeping racial statistics is out of date. Head-Start cutbacks have affected Afro-Americans more than other groups. Affirmative programs which are needed to correct the accumulated injustices of hundreds of years are being challenged and discarded. True the people of that group has made great economic and political strides, but health wise much more needs to be done. A higher proportion of that race has diabetes, AIDS and heart disease, and die (males), at a younger age on the average. Furthermore, a claim now emerging is that more black Americans are incarcerated between the age of 18 and 35 now than were enslaved from that age group at the start of the Civil War; and, these prisoners work at near slave wages for internal industries, many of which are profit making enterprises.

Actions to take. Few plead for a turning of Federal and charitable support in greater amounts to Africa. While tourism is low in many of those countries, a public awareness through film and literature would make the continent far more inviting. The added music and art of the continent has and will continue to inspire many at this time. We have much to learn by looking more over the African human resources and their people could well become missionaries of better life for our heavily materialistic culture.

The beginning of 2004 is perfect for making remote travel plans. These don'ts should encourage the corresponding do's.

They will be the first of a series of ways we can cease being Ugly Americans when we travel. Reduction of anxiety is a way to being good world citizens.

Copy your passport number and place in one among personal effects and one with a contact person back in the states.

Travel plans: Don't neglect to plan well for lodging and internal travel. Having said this, don't overplan so that it becomes a hectic schedule. Leave a copy with stateside contacts so they can reach you in case of necessity.

Knowledge: Don't forget to do some basic reading about the country you intend to visit. At least learn the words for "greetings," "thank you," and "good-bye" in the host nation. Carry along both general and detailed maps.

Packing: Don't overpack or underpack. Remember you must lug the materials through customs and try to fit them under seats or in small overheads bins. Lay out the clothes before hand. What is unnecessary? What about warm or cool clothing for climatic changes? Some like to pack so that they can lift a bag with their little finger.

Early Bird: Don't neglect to firm travel plans early. Not only are there often substantial cost savings, but it allows for readjustments in the itinerary with little necessary recontacting hosts in other lands.

Personal items: Don't forget to make a list of essential personal needs. It may be hard to replace medicine in the course of the trip. Lay out needs for the duration and carry items with less weight (partly filled toothpaste or small mouthwash bottle). Think about carrying a "fanny pack" with basic items, though some find it bothersome.

Arrangements: Don't expect last minute help when it comes to airport rides or other travel assistance. Those at home may find it stressful awaiting returning flights more than merely taking someone to the airport at the beginning. Returning flights can be delayed.

Literature: Don't take just any old book. Choose wisely. You may wish to consider literature related to the land being visited. Take along a handy dictionary and basic travel guide materials.

"They also grew behind my house, and one large tree, which almost overshadowed it, was, when in flower, a bouquet which scented the whole neighborhood, but the squirrels and the jays got the most of its fruit; the last coming in flocks early in the morning and picking the nuts out of the burs before they fell."

Remembrances: I have written previously about the sad state of the Castanea americanus or "American Chestnut" blight which decimated all but the few remnants of the magestic tree of Eastern United States. the ghost tree trunk that my father would not allow us to remove was the last memorial to a tree which in his youth was such an important part of our mixed hardwood forest. But apart after deaths we find new life or restoration.

Decimation. In 1904, a fungus disease, Cryphonectria (formerly Endothia) parasitica, believed imported on Asian chestnuts in the 1880's, reached the New York Botanical Gardens. For the next half century it continued a slow progress of destruction which killed millions of Eastern U.S.'s grandest tree.

Few remain today though the roots were not affected and continued to produce sprouts for years, though each dies before maturity.

Fighting back. Early efforts to develop a blight-resistant strain of pure American chestnut failed and were all but abandoned by mid-twentieth century. However researchers found a weaker form of chestnut blight fungus which consists of a virus which is transmitted to virulent strains under certain conditions and allow the trees to survive (hypovirulence). A second method is to backcross American and Chinese chestnut hybrids to breed for resistant chestnuts and by this process to develop a forest from trees with blight resistance. A third method is obtaining resistant chestnuts by transferring to them resistant genes.

Chestnut restoration. Several groups work on this (the American Chestnut Foundation, American Chestnut Cooperators' Foundation and the American Chestnut Regeneration Effort. Paul Gallimore sponsors the American Chestnut Restoration Project (CRP) at Long Branch and regards the group's mission to be returning the American chestnut to its niche as a wildlife provider in the Southern Appalachians. The CRP grows and distributes seedlings to interested growers for forest restoration and edible landscaping, and regards each act of planting tress as an act of hope for the future. CRP uses a backcross of the American chestnut with the Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima).

Activities. People seek and discovering American chestnut survivors; they plant new stands of chestnuts (at least two per setting); they encourage local conservation groups and national and state parks to embark on major chestnut restoration efforts. Join the new crusade and look on the Internet for groups which are research and promoting the return of the American chestnut.

Isaiah speaks of the Servant of Yahweh, and that voice of so long before has been applied to Jesus and his public manifestation or new epiphany. He is committed to a life of bringing about change in the people, upsetting an established order, announcing justice for all the people, a light to the nations, a liberation of captives. In a very real sense, this is a call to revolution, for the old order is no longer valid. It is time for someone to ignite a fire, and Jesus' baptism is the beginning event.

(ACTS 10:34-38). Peter comes to a realization about his own ministry as a continuation of the ministry of Jesus, now being further extended to all God-fearing nations and peoples. The ramifications of this obedience to the call are hardly known, yet we return over and over to our original call, to the point of a beginning, to the catalyst that sets us on our way. Peter recalls the beginning of Jesus's call to ministry when the Spirit came down upon him in the form of a dove and the voice came from the clouds giving a divine stamp of approval. Here Peter speaks in the name of all of us in the Church in saying that our mission is linked to that of the revolutionary call of Christ to begin a process of liberation of the entire world. Peter advances in awareness as part of this liberating process, and the people say "Amen" to this.

Jesus' Call. Jesus goes into the wilderness to be baptized by John, and thus the wilderness is the place for radical change. John is a radical and known to be such, and Jesus forms an association and sides with him so that the establishment of that day would take notice of both radicals. Jesus does not need to be baptized except to fulfill the moment's call. This is not a cleansing as we are cleansed in baptism, but he is seeking to set right the things that are wrong, or bringing justice to the world.

Jesus is led by the Spirit (Matthew 3: 13-17) and springs to life out of the water with the Spirit of righteousness hovering overhead. The divine Godhead speaks. Jesus, the revolutionary, is initiating a response to a call in the springtime of his ministry.

Our Radical Call. We need to enter the spiritual wilderness to associate ourselves with Jesus. We need to divorce ourselves from the connections with the world around us, open ourselves to be led by the spirit to take up the issues of justice in this day so that peace can come to our world divided between the haves and the have nots; that people will have the necessary health benefits needed for a good life, that all workers have proper pay and a fair wage, that youth have proper schooling, that those in prison may soon be liberated, that the many forms of terror be replaced by a sense of hope, and that people everywhere have enough to eat and decent housing. To put these hopes into effect and thus extend the saving power of Christ to others requires us to be true revolutionaries and willing to suffer the consequences.

World trade would seem to be grouped with such universally acceptable concepts as motherhood and apple pie, but is it? I grew up as a free trade person to the degree I could understand it throughout much of the 20th century. We need to have access to products from another at reasonable costs and without paying tariffs and duties. This makes sense and would allow for a freer flow of goods and services across those artificial boundaries which have so plagued the world for the past few centuries.

Equality. In the back of my mind all through those years were the words of Paul VI who said that unequal partners (economic) may not be free to negotiate together; the lesser one would be at the mercy of those with more power. The establishment of equality comes first or else the transactions would be a mere sham. When it comes to world trade that insight has begun to take root. How could the poor farmers in a small country compete in any meaningful manner with a multinational corporation with immense holdings and an ability to manipulate the economic market for the same goods?

Cancun. We all realize from the news broadcasts that the World Trade Organization met in Cancun, Mexico in early September to discuss trade with the so-called undeveloped and less powerful nations. However, spokespersons from those nations including Guatemalan Nobel peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu called for fair trade as a necessity in this climate of international agreements and negotiations. Demonstrators were again present and showed by their presence and action that they did not want the rich countries to dictate the terms to poorer ones. The skepticism led to open revolt and what was a failure to the ones who came to dictate policy was a victory for the voiceless and under-represented. For once the issues had become global -- even though much of the American media regarded the "breakdown" in talks to be tantamount to a failure on one more political front in 2003.

A new look. Our basic principle in the past is that bulk items should be produced close at home and we should not be shipping water, basic food or fuel great distances. It costs resources and is a source of insecurity. Luxury items are different and could come from other places. Many Americans drink coffee and are even willing to pay quite high prices for it at Starbucks and like places. Yet we know that fluctuating coffee bean prices may hurt small growers who work long days and hardly have enough return to buy bread for their families. Besides advocating herbal drink substitutes, we could acknowledge the legitimacy of coffee drinking and help promote cooperative systems where many small farmers can have a power of organized strength and can obtain a living wage with a minimum price for their beans. Thus we affirm fair world trade, not trade which benefits the few corporate profit-makers. Catholic Relief Services is promoting just such a cooperate program among coffee growers.

Gardening observations. We marvel at the ingenuity of those who came before us in how they were able to make things work. Composting is one of those areas, and the genius of earlier gardeners was that they combined the heat produced by composted materials with sprouting and growing early seedlings for the spring. These gardeners knew that greenhouses were possible but required great care and that unless exceedingly warm by expensive fuel, such artificial environments were really beyond their means. They knew that the floors of animal barns with the manure covered with fresh straw bedding would stay reasonably warm throughout the cold winter nights. By conserving generated heat, the seed could be sprouted and have a jump start over spring sun warmed seeds.

Applications. Gardening with a hot bed perhaps has at least a thousand year practical application in the temperate zones of Europe and the practice can be traced to antiquity. It means the encasing or nesting a bed of soil with composting mature both on the side and the bottom. On our farm the hot beds were constructed by spreading a layer of partly composted cow or horse manure about six inches deep on bare ground and adding several inches of top soil. A series of eight foot long two-by-twelve-inch portable wooden frame were set on the manure bed yielding adjacent four by eight-foot beds around. In turn, these were banked with a plentiful supply of manure up to the level of the slightly inclined frame windows. The vegetable seed layer was thus surrounded by warm composting manure. Our hot bed equipment consisted of single--pane windows but double-pane ones do a more efficient job by conserving heat at night. On warm days the windows were placed ajar for air flow and excess moisture and heat escape. Some plant watering was required during the lengthy growing season.

Records. My great uncle, Louis Burke, (mentioned earlier at the sixty year day book recorder was a highly successful medium sized gardener near Lexington, Kentucky. He writes on January 2, 1922 that he and helpers he made fourteen hot beds using horse manure from nearby horse farms. He certainly had a plentiful supply which was regarded as a troublesome waste. He knew well that the heat of the bed did the work of starting the plants (cabbage, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and others) which would be ready by early spring planting.

Modifications. Many gardeners lack access to composting horse or cow mature. Certain composting materials such as chicken mature prove too hot in composting and could burn seedling roots. Layering with insulation below the hot bed could permit the use of a thinner layer of manure. Double-pane windows will conserved more of the compost generated heat along with heat captured by insolation on sunny winter days. Applying straw bales near the outer perimeter would permit a thinner siding of composting materials as well. Overly composted materials would not generate sufficient heat. Manure used was hot beds can be applied directly to the garden immediately after seedlings are transplanted.

I am writing this after a snow which has left a combination of ice and snow on the hill where I am residing. Yet in several hours I am to be four and a half miles away giving my services. My poor driving habits makes it better to walk. Under such circumstances I know no one can totally prepare for the worse, just make the best of it. That is partly true, for plans can make a big difference.

Stay at home. Keep the place stocked with a number of days of food and get a proper supply of fuel to keep reasonably warm and wait out the storm. That is always the best advice and works in most circumstances. The best is to honker down and rest indoors with plenty of drinking water and Vitamin C. With age and the degrees of health conditions the staying at home takes on new meaning. Many older folks simply shouldn't have to get out on the road on snowy days. They don't drive well or find the conditions dangerous to walk about.

When one must travel. That is when the snow storm becomes more uncomfortable. The "having to go" is a relative matter with some people more inclined to take unnecessary dangers in order to fulfill an obligation. The degree of necessity is generally found within a vast array of cancellations awaiting most of the local community activities. But that is the clear cut distinction. Sometimes the services are offered for the few most accessible, and many of us fit in the gray area of partial concern and partial incapacity.

Do the best we can. In case we brave the elements we should have a car with plenty of gasoline and a good heater. For longer trips a sleeping bag, change of clothes and flashlight are helpful. For the walking trip a small backpack should have some basic food for quick energy, a change of clothes and a good book to idle away the waiting time. At all times wear enough clothing with heavier than usual long underwear, proper gloves, cap and boots. What mama told us to do when young kids still applies. If we are in good physical condition we can weather the storm fairly well.

Extra considerations. If we can let's keep a sense of humor and accept the fact that winter is always winter and the unexpected is to be expected. I get some what dismayed every time snow enters a very tight schedule and forces public transportation cancellation or road closures. I prefer to blame the planners of places and events and this can wear upon me and make me anxious when there is little I can really do. But there is no one to blame but myself for getting to a point that we always expect good weather conditions for the many activities undertaken.

A prayer for guidance is a good thing. Should I go out or not. Just how important is my departure from the warmth of home. Seek light and thrust that spring is soon to come. Amen.

Somehow my thoughts in January turn to soup. I guess there are several reasons for this.

Soup is warm. Granted, cold soups are for helping us endure summer's heat, but it is the steaming ones on cold winter days that more perfectly hit the mark. Winter hikers and outdoor workers or those who had to dig out from a snow drift will testify to this.

Soup is easy. Whether we like to cook or not, we often do not have an infinite store of time. Soup is simply easy to fix but assembling the ingredients and cooking them. It can even be done in a solar food cooker. Here is when we need something warm and the easiest way is to warm a refrigerated soup mix or to create a new soup either from scratch or by adding ingredients to our standard dish.

Soup is creative. Like snowflakes no two soups need have exactly the same taste. Ideas of a variety of vegetables for a twelve ingredient soup are abundant. I once did a calculation and from the vegetables I have grown there can be different combination every day of the year, though some may have to be purchased or brought in from the storage place during the winter months.

Soup is nutritious. If not overcooked most soup will retain the vitamins and nutrients in the basic ingredients. We generally retain the cooking water, stock and broth in soup and thus have it all in one pot. What is a key is not to add too much salt and thus have excessive amounts present. Often commercial soups are simply loaded with salt and could be avoided by using non-salted puree as a basic ingredient for a number of the combinations.

Soup is perfect for the constitution. In one way the stomach is at peace in the evening for those of us who like to live like kings at breakfast, princes at lunch and paupers at supper. Many of us watch our weight and certain (not all) soups can fulfill this goal. Soup becomes a satisfying meal in the evening and allows us to retire without digestive problems when trying to sleep.

Soup is international. Actually many cultures have soups with their own particular flavors and ingredients. One may add the curry or the chili or the oregano or heaven knows what and think of a foreign land while preparing this culinary creation.

Soup is uplifting. We need to raise our spirits in the darkness and the cold of January, especially those of us who do not especially like snow and ice-covered roads. Snow is fine when observed from a resort room, but not when looked at through a windshield. A serving of soup will help up overcome the seasonal blahs and get through the bitterness of winter. It says "hope."

We so often take our religious freedom for granted that we forget that it can be eroded with time and lack of oversight. The early founders of our nation valued freedom highly in their way of seeing the world (though limiting slaves, women and Native Americans within their own cultural confines). The Bill of 'Rights guarantees that basic freedom to worship God as one sees fit. So far so good and in fact efforts have been undertaken to ensure that freedom through laws and court decisions for over two hundred years.

Intolerance. In Kentucky some religious intolerance has occurred but was generally forgotten. Know Nothings had a riot in the 1850s and killed Catholics in Louisville through fear of the increased German and Irish immigration numbers at that time. At various times in America Jewish people especially saw houses of worship smeared with paint and tombstones desecrated. Small groups of sectarians were driven out of one town or another and their churches burnt down. In fact, the religious practice of snake handling is forbidden in our and neighboring states. And on and on. But though many instances can be pulled from the historical records, still the basic thrust was towards greater religious tolerance. However, that trend is not inevitable.

Watchful protection. The founders knew better than we that expected freedoms could erode and had the experience of their own colonist past to vouch for it. State religious prevailed in the former colonies and some groups were not allowed to worship in one or other place. Thus under the umbrella of patriotism repression could easily occur. Some today believe that if efforts are not made, Moslems could be persecuted or highly restricted in our nation do to current conflicts in the Middle East.

Subtle erosion. A great effort is being made by American secularist and so-called liberal elements to force hospitals which are sponsored by religious institutions to perform abortions or engage in practices which they find against their ethical beliefs. If they get tax exemptions they must do this or that activity. Other groups must conform to new practices that they hold are objectionable under the guise of tolerance. The power of the predominant culture to propagandize the general public in the mass media is overwhelming, and this power is growing with the concentration of media in the hands of fewer and fewer groups. Some say that transportation or health benefits which could help citizens as citizens could be denied if equal opportunities for religious-based schools are not upheld.

Upcoming problems? Is there a new media strategy to picture religious institutions as somewhat unpatriotic for deviating from "acceptable