It may Surprise You Why I like Four-Leaf Clovers

Summer around here will have fields of clover, humming bumble bees, and fluttering butterflies.

Why am I fascinated with the four-leaf clover? The answer may surprise you. I am not looking for a lucky charm, nor an addition to my bouquet of wild flowers to put in a glass vase on the dining room table.

What I love about it, is that  something that is actually a mutant or gene anomaly, is known as a bringer of luck, a positive good-doer.

So how to find one? You have probably scanned fields, country road ditches, and back yards as a child, looking for the lucky plant. The fun in bringing it back to show your  mother, maybe pressing and drying it to keep for years, maybe forever.

They are actually not as difficult to find as one may think. I have found many. Just this summer I found the specimen on the photograph shown on this blog. I bent down to look for one, and lo and behold, there it was, right away.

Four-leaf clovers are mostly found in patches of white clover, genuine mutants are where the red clover grows. Don't let the 1 in 10 000 number discourage you. It's totally possible to find one or more.

Hope - Faith - Love - Luck.
You guessed right. Those are the symbolic blessings of the four petals.

But traditionally, there are many blessings connected to the four-leaf clover, as it will bring you luck in love, games, sports, war, and business.

Put it in your wallet and it will bring you economic posterity.
Put it in your shoe to help you find the way.
Have a four-leaf clover in your pocket when you look for fairies (Medieval times).
It will be a power to protect against evil and bad omens.
You may carry one for magical protection and to help ward off bad luck (Druids in old Ireland).
Bring one along as a lucky charm (Celtics).
Present one as a wedding gift to bless a young couple's union; it is a symbol of eternal love (Ancient Egypt).

And if you are eager to marry -
If a young woman desires marriage, she should go looking for a four-leaf, clover. If she is lucky enough to find one, she should eat it. Then, the first man she meets after eating it - he's the one!
Another lucky trick is to put the four-leaf clover in your shoe in the morning and you will soon thereafter meet the one you should marry.

There are also divine symbols to the plant, as well as the tradition that its magical powers will turn on you if you don't respect it, if you give it away, or throw it out.

It's not only among the emerald green hills of Ireland that you may find a four-leaf clover. Although, they claim to have more than anywhere else. Clovers are found in many areas.
So get down on your knees, peruse the area, and see how lucky you get.

http://snl.no/firkl%C3%B8ver
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-leaf_clover
http://www.unexplainedstuff.com/Superstitions-Strange-Customs-Taboos-and-Urban-Legends/Superstitions-Four-leaf-clover.html
https://online.bingo.com/en/online/online-bingo-news/20091218/superstitions-7
http://www.lucky-four-leaf-clover.com/what.html

What Can Nature Do For You?

I have been fortunate in my life. Happy and fortunate. I have spent a lot of time out of doors, in the woods, in the mountains, by the sea--in Heavenly Father's beautiful nature.
I don't fret over weather, there's nothing I can do to change it anyway. And nature is lovely any time of year and in all kinds of weather.

Last night we had the most ferocious thunder storm I have experienced whilst living in the Duck and Cherry. The grounds outside shook, the house seemed to move as thunder bellowed through the thick woodlands and lightening over a period of four hours lit up the sky. There was power and majesty in the storm. I went outside with Hector, the Wheaten Terrier, between 2 and 3 am and watched and listened. I have never felt that way before during a storm--and I have been through snowstorms in cold countries and several tropical typhoons in Okinawa, but it was as if being in the middle of the unmeasurable strength of earth and sky, the roar of clouds crashing together, and the knowledge that the God I believe in can calm any storm, made me feel both humble and excited. I was part of the storm, still I felt safe.

I went back to bed, brought a worried Wheaten Terrier with me, and listened to the pounding thunder while thinking about relatives on my family tree with named like Thor, Thora, and Thorine. Mighty names.
Arnfinn pretended to sleep. I knew how impossible it would be for him to get the needed rest as we were right in the middle of Thor's ruckus, and tried not to disturb him.

What can nature do for you? Whenever I go to quiet mountain areas, or sit alone by the sea listening to waves roll in, I keep thinking that nature must surely be a healer, a medicinal remedy, a refuge from sorrow and pain. If people living in large cities could experience a day on a snow capped mountain or hike through bush and greenery, far away from bustling streets and noise, taking in the colors and scenery--I believe tension can be replaced by calm, negative feelings by love of the creation, and gratefulness and love fill a heart and mind.

It does that to me.

Photos from a trip to the Norwegian mountains in last week.

If you take the time to look, evidence of critters are everywhere. This moss covered rock (above) had at least five entrances to hiding places and homes for little animals.

A Mowgli in Our Midst

Mowgli is the protagonist of Rudyard Kipling's fictional story, The Jungle Book. During a tiger attack in his small village, Mowgli is lost. His parents' are unable to find him, not knowing that their son is alive and well and being brought up by wolves in the Indian jungle. The energetic little boy is called Mowgli the Frog by his adoptive wolf parents because of his his lack of fur and problems sitting still.

The story has fascinated us through decades. Mowgli first appears in a story collection in 1893 and The Jungle Book was introduced a year later.The happy, carefree child who lives and speaks with animals and understands their ways is a fun, adventurous story. It was introduced on stage already in 1899 and has been been filmatized several times. Many of us remember the Disney classic from 1967, a joyful, colorful musical version, enjoyed by both young and old.

We have a little guy in our family that I occasionally, but lovingly, call Mowgli. He is approaching his third birthday, but already has a way with animals that many adults could envy him. His mother brought him horseback riding before he could walk, lets him play with farm animals and teaches him how to treat any animal with respect. He has always had dogs as his siblings. Sometimes he puts his plate of food on the floor next to the dogs' and even pours his drink into a bowl and laps it up. Walking was on all fours until he went to visit his cousins and saw them up on two legs.

He may be found around the house training one of the dogs all on his own. He plays fetch, encourages, and praises the dog for being obedient.

But what I especially like, is how gentle and self-confident he is around animals. He treats them as equals, laughs with them, plays with them and simply loves them. It's a joy to watch.

Horrible as it is to hear of animal cruelty, I wish we as humans could treat animals as God's creations, and learn to respect and honor them for their purpose in life. As Arnfinn and I hiked the wild mountain terrain above our cabin yesterday, we discussed what we would do if we met a brown bear on our way. In my mind, I wished we could say hello and then walk in opposite directions, both respecting the other. I have seen this in a photo. A fisherman and a great bear on either side of a river, both out to fish for food, both resp
ecting the other.

One day. One day it will be like that. That day I will cuddle those big furry animals. For now, my grandson and I will enjoy animals--at home or at a distance.

Today's photo: beautiful little munchkin, Dean.

Why I Want Bees and Butterflies in My Garden

I read recently that bees are very calm insects, not out to get people, but only sting when threatened.
I suppose, hysterically swinging arms feel threatening. Many tend to get a little excited when a bee comes summing, too close for comfort.

And why is that? A bee sting hurts. I have had my share. From a painful sting behind my ear as a little girl, stepping on bees - to the night spent as a 5 or 6 year old and I slept in my grandmother's loft, not knowing there was a large beehive there. That night I acquired more than what was good for a little munchkin.

I have studied at a university in the Beehive State, love listening to the musician Sting, and had The Sting as one of my favorite movies as a teenager.

So, why write about bees? Lately there has been much talk about the extinction effect of bees.

Scientist are alarmed as bumblebee numbers plunge worldwide:

Dire implications for food production: “In fact, about one-third of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Even cattle, which feed on alfalfa, depend on bees. So if the collapse worsens, we could end up being “stuck with grains and water,” said Kevin Hackett, the national program leader for USDA’s bee and pollination program. “This is the biggest general threat to our food supply,” Hackett said. -Fox News

Whole colonies of bees and bumblebees collaps and scientists have not been able to figure out why. The import of bumblebees to the US in the 1990 caused two species died out, another is about to. In South America the import of bumblebees to greenhouses have caused problems as the insects escape and cause imbalance and competition as they mate with other local bumblebee species. Bees can also suffer serious effects from toxic chemicals in their environments. Pesticides actually kill them.

We are dependant on these little creatures for pollenation. They also make excellent honey, a yummy treat that can be used in so many ways and is wonderful to have in one's food storage supply.
Without honey bees, 80% of the plants will disappear. We need certain plants so that butterflies won't extinct. We need fruits and vegetables not to diminish.

What can we do? I am not the kind that wave my arms around when bumblebees approach. I plant herbs that I know they love. My herbal patch is enchanted come late summer with bumblebees and butterflies. A beautiful sight and I laugh when I think of how noisy they are, never able to sneak up on anyone. As soon as they move around, they buzz energetically.

Which herbs and plants should we have in our garden or in planters on the terrasse to attract bees and butterflies? What can we do to help out? There are two things they look for in our garden, nectar and pollen. Nectar is the bees sugar and energy diet, pollen provides them with protein and fats.

Here are some tips from About.Com Gardening:

1. Don’t use pesticides. Most pesticides are not selective. You are killing off the beneficial bugs along with the pests. If you must use a pesticide, start with the least toxic one and follow the label instructions to the letter.
2. Use local native plants. Research suggests native plants are four times more attractive to native bees than exotic flowers. They are also usually well adapted to your growing conditions and can thrive with minimum attention. In gardens, heirloom varieties of herbs and perennials can also provide good foraging.
3. Chose several colors of flowers. Bees have good color vision to help them find flowers and the nectar and pollen they offer. Flower colors that particularly attract bees are blue, purple, violet, white, and yellow.
4. Plant flowers in clumps. Flowers clustered into clumps of one species will attract more pollinators than individual plants scattered through the habitat patch. Where space allows, make the clumps four feet or more in diameter.
5. Include flowers of different shapes. There are four thousand different species of bees in North America, and they are all different sizes, have different tongue lengths, and will feed on different shaped flowers. Consequently, providing a range of flower shapes means more bees can benefit.
6. Have a diversity of plants flowering all season. Most bee species are generalists, feeding on a range of plants through their life cycle. By having several plant species flowering at once, and a sequence of plants flowering through spring, summer, and fall, you can support a range of bee species that fly at different times of the season.
7. Plant where bees will visit. Bees favor sunny spots over shade and need some shelter from strong winds.

Save the honey bees is another site with good advice:

What you can do

1. Check your closets for poison against ants and other crawling insects. These products can also contain the pesticides described above. Ant killers from Maxforce, Pokon, Admire, HGX and GAUCHO may contain the harmful pesticides. 
2. Use eco friendly alternatives. For example; lavender expels lice. Plant mint between the cabbage and the caterpillars will not eat the leaves. 
3. Bees love plants and herbs like showy stonecrop, catmint, New York asters, bee balm and many more. Help them strengthen and feed themselves and the colony by planting those plants in your garden or at your balcony. 
4. Subscribe to our newsletter on the right site of this page. We will inform you on a regular basis about the honeybee friendly alternatives and what you can do to protect the honey bees. 

The Buzz about Bees site suggest the following herbs:

Borage, Catmint, Chives, Comfrey, Hyssop, Lavender, Sage, Thyme Marjoram/Origanum, Mints, Lemon Balm, Fennel, Angelica, Wild Bergamot, Woundworts, Betony, Myrtle, and Rosemary.

Lemon Balm is also used as an insect repellant. Rub some of the leaves on your hands to prevent bee stings.

In the past, beekeepers would rub a handful of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) inside the hive after hiving a new swarm, in order to help the swarm settle and to encourage them not to leave the hive. Rubbing hands with the leaves is also claimed to help prevent bee stings!

I have had many of these herbs in my garden and therefore enjoy both butterflies and bees close by. I have notoce that they especially love the peppermint, spearmint and lemon balm.

A who does not pick up a dead bee to check it out? Where is that stinger? What does it actually look like? I am as curious as the next person and like to learn.

A sleeping bee would be nice, too. Barbra Streisand sings about A sleepin' bee. A love song. But if you appreciate Miss Streisand's wonderful voice and ability to interpret music into stories, you should click on the link listen to it.

Today's art is a bouquet of flowers from my mother's garden and a photo from my herbal patch at the Duck and Cherry. The three photos of bees and butterflies sitting on the Echinacea purpurea, were taken in Finland on a business trip learning about that wonderful medicinal flower.

Sources:

Nytt Norge - Bier og sommerfugler: Dør insektene dør vi

Norske humler og andre bier trues - Aftenbladet.no

Scientists alarmed as bumblebee numbers plunge worldwide

Bees and toxic chemicals - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Why are the bees disappearing - Pan-Europe.info‎

http://gardening.about.com/od/attractingwildlife/a/Bee_Plants.htm

Herb Planting For Bees - Buzz About Bees

Mimmi, may I borrow your clothes?

Sienna, a two and a half year old princess, asked me yesterday, "Mimmi, may I borrow your clothes?"
How many little angels that young ask their grandmother a question like that?

The clothing item she likes to choose, is a white, lacy top, very feminine and girlie, just like her.
So we go and fetch the blouse in my closet and put it on her little frame. To her, it appears to be a pretty dress, just the right length, but since it is too wide, we pull the material together in the back and fasten it with a safety pin or a belt.

She feels beautiful. And she is. Very lovely and sweet. And I don't care if by the end of the day, the lacy blouse will have raspberry jam or mashed potatoes down the front. Sienna is important, the blouse is not.

So I will use one of her energetic and positive sayings, "It's perfect!"
Children are a blessing. And they are perfect.

The Os of Life and Death

And O there are days in this life, worth life and worth death.
Charles Dickens

This saying means everything after the Pentecost weekend we have experienced in our family.
Saturday evening, watching TV with my beloved Arnfinn, he suffered what the doctors debated was a heart attack or not. He was rushed to the hospital in Oslo in an ambulance and went through extensive testing and treatment during the night.

Now he is home again. He is alive! And we are happy to have more time together.

Life is fragile. An experience like that is an eye opener for many, especially the younger members of our family, but also the older, as it makes you want to make the best out of the days we have together here on the earth.

To top it off, I went to the funeral of a good friend yesterday. Her children and friends praised her and reminisced on the many unforgettable, funny and unselfish acts of kindness and love this woman had shown throughout her life.

The variety of days in life, like Dickens mentions in the saying above, is important. There are moment when sadness, despair or pain may overcome us in a way, that we wish for a better life on the other side of the veil. Then again, the next morning, the sun is shining, the birds are singing - and here at the Duck and Cherry, I can add, the sheep are bleating - and we are grateful to be alive and enjoy another beautiful day under a Heavenly Father's watchful care.

So, on a personal note, I have a husband who is a pillar in my life. He encourages me to be better, and believes in me when I don't. He makes me laugh - a lot - and he strives every day to be a better man.

Below are a few words of wisdom about life.

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”― Dr. Seuss

“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, Love like you’ll never be hurt, Sing like there’s nobody listening, And live like it’s heaven on earth.”― William W. Purkey

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”― Oscar Wilde

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”― Dr. Seuss

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”― Albert Einstein

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”― Lewis Carroll

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”― George Bernard Shaw

“Where there is love there is life.”― Mahatma Gandhi

Photo today, Arnfinn as "Bestefar" and Aksel, one of our grandsons, at the cabin.



June 9, 1865: Charles Dickens was in a train derailment in England, 149 years ago today. He climbed out a window and saved the manuscript of Our Mutual Friend, but didn't leave the scene until he'd brought the victims water from a nearby river, which he ferried in his top hat. 

Why All The Questions?

When Linnea was four years old, she asked questions all day long. Just like many children, she wanted to know why, who, where, when, what over and over again. A new question would roll off her tongue almost before you had registered the previous one.

I taped her one time while she was watching Disney's Dumbo (or Dumbol as she called it, living in Austria where many words seem to end with the letter L). I remember having to muster up all my patience at the time, but it was adorable how inquisitive she was.

My husband is also a man of many questions. As a lawyer he is schooled in questioning. He can always see things from many angles unknown to me and asks zillions of questions about things I have never thought about. Still I have reminded him a few times that we are not in a courtroom.

On the other hand, he comes from Trondheim and claims that people from that region tend to answer a question with another question.

I believe in learning every day and that being curious and interested is healthy and wise. I want to probe and find out, strive forward and learn from life. It does not mean to be fans of Medieval Inquisition, but questions about life, religion, and God are vital for our eternal welfare. And when I find out what I believe to be best and true, I need to trust in that decision.

The Italian Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci was always learning. I read his personal note book many years ago and recognized how important he believed learning from personal experience was.

Still - some things are better left untried. There are pitfalls in life we don't have to jump into.

Today's art is an oil painting I did in 1982 of a lamb and lion. I believe it is possible that one day the lamb will lie down with the lion. When that day comes, my big wish is to cuddle with huge bears.