One dead beetle, hold the cheese
May 25, 2009 By: almostgotit Category: Abbey of Gethsemeni, Thomas Merton, Uncategorized, humorAlmostgotit spent the weekend with three professional medievalists. These are the kind of people who not only are compelled to read all the little plaques at every historical site, but become truly apoplectic when they get inside an old church.
And no one, including the tour guide, stands a chance if they spot a Latin inscription somewhere.
Anyhoo–Plato, Dante, Aquinas and I went to the Abbey of Gethsemeni today (author Thomas Merton’s hood, yo).
We went to see the Abbey’s church. I was all “wow — 1960’s!” while the three weirdos were all “wow –12th century Romanesque and Cistercian influences!”
See what I mean?
You aren’t supposed to talk anywhere near the church, so I looked at things, instead. There was a large dead beetle on the front stairs. I have to admit I felt a certain kinship with it.
Since I couldn’t talk, the voices in my head began to compose a little poem instead. A Monastic chant, probably. Dead beetle on the stairs to Gethsemeni, it began.
The Gethsemeni Farms’ gift shop was inexplicably closed for Memorial Day — as in, that time of year when everyone is travelling to visit places like Trappist Monasteries. I can only assume the brothers have come into an enormous fortune, stimulus money probably, and no longer need any customers.
But that meant no bourbon fudge or Trappist cheese, either. Damitol.
As we were leaving, Plato spotted a bluebird. They’re really rare, and none of us had ever actually seen one before. Nor could any of us see this one either, except Plato.
Bluebird on the wires to Gethsemeni.
Plus also, the malfunctioning “tire pressure warning” light on Plato’s Toyota minivan was miraculously cured.
I got two ticks. And I try not to be a bitter person, really I do.
May 25th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Oddly enough, I had a bird in the house last week. Can’t really figure out how he got inside with all windows and doors shut, but there he was (definitely he — flashy, ya know.) At any rate — after a moment of shock, I realized it was a bluebird. I’ve only seen one before in my life, for real — and here was another one. I figured it was an omen.
May 26th, 2009 at 2:48 am
You know what? I love you to pieces, Cyn — you know I do — but either shut up or hand over the damned bluebird.
May 26th, 2009 at 7:11 am
Have you ever seen the movie K-Pax? Everyone in the mental institution gets deleriously happy at the sight of a bluebird in the quad — even though, as the doctor points out, it’s actually a Blue Jay. Nolite te aves carborundorum.
May 26th, 2009 at 9:32 am
What? Ticks and no sweets! You’d think there would at least have been cheese! The nerve! What a crap Abbey! lol
May 26th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
@Waterjay: I’ve seen millions of blue jays, but can’t remember if I’ve seen K-pax. ERGO: maybe only people with photographic memories who also read Latin can see bluebirds?
@S. Le: **sigh** That’s it, exactly: two ticks and no sweets. What’s a poor, cheese-less girl to do??
May 26th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Perhaps Plato only saw the form of a bluebird. You know, like, a shadow on the wall of a cave.
May 27th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Plato has just informed me that she came home with two ticks, also. No comment, however, on the vision of the bluebird.
May 28th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Hey, now. You just got mad if us kids tried to complain. We aren’t medievalists either, you know.
May 28th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Get over it, I’ve seen lots of bluebirds; seen two this year. They’re not rare, they’re reclusive, shy, maybe even sensitive. They eat ticks for breakfast lunch and dinner.
Inidigo Buntings are rare.
May 28th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
One of my other blogfriends has just posted two photos she took of bluebirds in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Go here for a peek at them: http://huckleberrydays.blogspot.com/2009/05/bluebird-fest-in-fields-of-okanagan.html . She doesn’t mention whether they eat ticks.
June 5th, 2009 at 4:09 am
[...] does it help that Dante, one of my weird medievalist friends, has been spreading heinous rumors about me: namely, that I stole a fossil from a certain [...]
June 11th, 2009 at 11:35 am
[...] weeks ago when she got out her Food that Really Schmecks Mennonite cookbook and made it for me. Remember Plato? She’s the one who can see bluebirds when I can only see dead beetles. But *I* have this [...]