Hey all

 My bad I didn't post an update on Matthew. He is up and a round (being a typical 17 year old). The cast is off and he running around. He still has to repeat the 11^th grade but hey he can still go to school! Thank you for all your energies for his recovery. I Know Phaedra appreciates it as well!

 

I don't know what happened when I tried to "message all" may not have gone through, so I'll post here since we don't have a bulletin board. So I'm posting this for Phaedra and my grandson.

"As a few of you have already heard my son Matthew was in a very serious accident yesterday.

Matthew and his brother Daniel were walking to the bus stop yesterday morning and were hit by a car. Daniel is fine just a few scrapes and bruises on his hands.

Matthew on the other hand was seriously hurt. He is a Gwinnett Medical in Lawrenceville Georgia, ICU room 220.

He has several skull fractures, a bruised brain, bruised lung, a broken rib,
and two breaks in his leg. He is on a ventilator, and sedated. They are hoping to wean him of the sedation meds today and see how he reacts. He has been running a fever but they say that is normal due to his injuries.

Right now Matthew needs everyone's prayers. My number for those of you that have asked is 770-601-4990. I am attaching a few pictures of him in the hospital, because I know several of you know him personally. Thank you again for your prayers.

Phaedra"

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Battle of the Trees
Translated from the Original text, the Kat Godeu
Welsh, 12th century
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The Battle of the Trees, Cad Goddeu, is attributed to Taliesin, who partook of a most unusual battle when Gwydon the enchanter summoned up the plants and trees of Britain against an otherworldly force marshaled by Peblig the Strong, and ultimately led it against Arawn, King of Annwn. This encounter is sometimes called the Battle of Achren.
The poet Robert Graves put forth the idea that the trees represent alphabetical concepts that were related, as in Irish oghams, to musical notes, seasonal cycles, and various other correspondences. It has also been put forth that the garbled text of the Cad Goddeu contains the remains of pre-Christian druidic beliefs about sacred groves. This can, of course, only be guessed at because Celtic druidism was transmitted orally in the form of story and song.
In the complete version of the Cad Goddeu there appears to be an intermixing of several poems, and several speakers as well, including Blodeuwedd (Blod eh weth), the maiden composed of flowers.
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When plants and trees were sent to war
Warriors against Peblig's power.The Alder tree was at the fore,Willow and Rowan, tardy both
plum sharp, starved for death.Briar scarred a host in wrathbramble's rampart spared no foes.
Ivy snared, bean-fostered ghosts.Sea gorse was a source of woes.
Cherry mocked, Birch armed late a foreign tree wore foreign shape.
Fir was foremost, royal by right
before kings, Ash took the field.Loyal Elm would never yield.Hazel, there for war, was steeled.
Hedge plants fought like bulls of battleGreen Holly showed its mettle,Hawthorn was not gentle.
Fern and Broom, trodden and plundered
manner less gorse made foes surrender.
Heather, a handful, pursuing a hundred.
Mighty oak, doom's door, heaven and earth before him cower
but chestnut shamed the princely fir.
This battle was said to have been fought to obtain three creatures from the underworld. These three creatures were a dog, a roebuck, and a lapwing. The dog was the guardian of the secret, the roebuck hides the secret, and the lapwing disguises the secret.Dark of darkness, leveled craigs
fire of wood, force of waveit was then the Great Shout was made
Within the ranks of Arawn's forces were a number of mighty warriors, and one of these was invincible as long as his name remained a secret. It was the clever Gwydion who finally guessed it, saying these words:

Sure-hoofed my spurred horse
on your shield alder sprigs
Bran is your name, Bran of the branchessure-hoofed my horse of waron your hand are sprigs of alder
Bran you are, by the branch you bear

Thus the battle was won by Gwydon the enchanter and his army of the trees.
tips of beech sprout anewgreen again whatever grew
and oaks from the Gorchan of MaeldrewRegarding the secret powers possessed by the otherworldly dog, roebuck, and lapwing, it is said in the Triads:

Three primary essentials of genius
an eye that can see nature
a heart that can feel nature
and a boldness that dares follow it."

Children Learn What They Live

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child learns to feel shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement he learns confidence
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
He a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world.

by Dorothy Law Neite

Grandmother Spider Steals the Sun

(Cherokee)

In the beginning there was only blackness, and nobody could see anything. People kept bumping into each other and groping blindly. They said, "What this world needs is light."
Fox said he knew some people on the other side of the world who had plenty of light, but they were too greedy to share it with the others. Possum said he would be glad to steal a little of it. "I have a bushy tail;" he said. "I can hide the light inside all that fur." Then he set out for the other side of the world. There he found the sun hanging in a tree and lighting everything up. He sneaked over to the sun, picked out a tiny piece of light, and stuffed it in his tail. But the light was to hot and burned all the fur off. The people discovered his theft, and took back the light, and ever since, Possum's tail has been bald.
"Let me try," said Buzzard. "I know better than to hide a piece of stolen light in my tail. I'll put it on my head." He flew to the other side of the world and, diving straight into the sun, seized it in his claws. He put it upon his head, but it burned his head feathers off. The people grabbed the sun away from him, and ever since that time Buzzard's head remains bald.
Then Grandmother Spider said, "Let me try!" First she made a thick walled pot out of clay. Next she spun a web reaching all the way to the other side of the world. She was so small that none of the people there noticed her coming. Quickly Grandmother Spider snacked up the sun, put it in her bowl of clay, and scrambled back home along one of the strands on her web. Now her side of the world had light, and everyone rejoiced.
Spider Woman brought not only the sun to the Cherokee people, but the fire with it. And besides that, she taught the Cherokee people the art of pottery making.

-From a tail reported by James Mooney in the 1890's