What do Mustard and Grapes have in common?

Well, we all know, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know, they both begin in the ground, that is one thing. We have the mustard plant and the grape vine and we’re going to get back to this in a little while, but first deviate and take a walk, the long way around it, until we finally circle around the wagon and return to these two unusual commodities.
You’ve heard the best things in life are free, haven’t you? Yes, I know, this subject makes it easy to rally around the flag together, especially when you haven’t any money. The jury has brought the verdict in and the sheer unadulterated truth is: the best things in life, really are free. Oh so free! When was the last time you got up early and watched a breathless sunrise? You can’t pay for that service, you know. Although the way our legislature is going, we could be taxed for it any day now. I have yet to see, any of those colors we see in the beginning of a day, on a canvas. As great as a genius as Picasso may have been, he cannot be compared to the sunrise. The sunrise is forever changing and actually celebrates the promise of a another new day, for us. Those ravishing colors literally, explode in the sky, every morning and some of you, miss it all, by staying in bed. Remember, this is a free gift from the finger of God!
When was the last time you looked at all the different shades of greens outside of your window? Every color of the rainbow goes with green. Interior Designers talk about beige being thee neutral color, but, look at all those flowers that are connected with some unique shade of green. Never take green for granted. Green embraces our eyes and gives life to everything around, and it is a freebie!
When you go for that walk, do you take the time to pay special attention to how it feels to have a lovely breeze blow through your hair? How does that feel? For me, I stand up more straight and walk taller, because I am suddenly 21 again and the world has become my oyster. I can climb mountains with energetic vigor, swim for miles, toil happily for hours in my garden and dance around with my parrots. It is all free folks! Just because a delicious breeze flowed through my hair, and I didn’t have to pay a penny for it.
Watching your pets play their nonsensical silly ways with each other, will bring a bubble of joy inside of you that is so much better than television! You pay for television, but not when you are watching your pets. When a cat and dog snuggle, start nurturing one another or act out their dippy and muddleheaded antics, all that laughter that was bottled up inside of you, will come roaring and I mean, detonates, out into the airwaves. Laughter is healthy for us and happens to be very contagious. Nope! No charge card, no debit card or checks allowed ! Not even cash accepted. Another free service.
Friends! Real, true, blue friends are free. You can pay for a therapist or you can cry on your understanding friends shoulder while she listens to all of your woes and refuses to judge you, but just loves you anyway. I am talking about someone who really cares! A therapist won’t love you like that, after an hour, you have paid for that service and they file your information away, until your next appointment. We cannot pay for someone to love or care for us like that. This comes free, throughout our whole lifetime. Are we not to freely nurture those who love us this much? How many ”caring friends” can you count on your fingers?

This brings me to the mustard plant. The mustard plant is so pretty with its dark green body and leaves. When we look at a field of mustard, it is like seeing an unforgettable sea of bright yellow with undertones of green. We use it to spice up our sandwiches, make curry, barbeque, spice our lamb, you name it. In the olden days they would apply a mustard plaster on the chest to help get rid of a chest cold. The uses of mustard seem endless, when you begin to think about all of the ways to prepare this plant. The tantalizing taste of mustard is a tangy, hot, sharp savor that brings instant gratification to the ole taste buds, that says, “more, please.” There are 50 indigenous types of the mustard plant in the United States and without getting too technical is very beneficial to your health. Hey! In some places they have a national mustard day! Raising my glass, I make a toast to mustard, “here’s to that sizzling and pungent paste, that grabs you right where you need it!”
Ok, you might say, what about the grape thing?
Slow down, I’m getting there.
Grapes! Oh those luscious, fruity tooty, small oblong shaped pieces of irresistible temptations. We picture a reclined Caesar, being fanned by his slave and has his handmaid give him one grape at a time. You can have the car honey, I’m keeping the grape vines! Grapes are nurtured all over the world, and we make raisins, jam, jelly and WINE from it. Did I mention wine? Grapes have antioxidants too, but it is sweeter and more of an elegancy than good ole mustard.
Mustard is like a farmer who you know works from sunrise to sunset and is as faithful as the sun. He is also like a friend, who will not only be listening to your heartfelt pain, but will help find you a remedy; so you will be feeling better before too long. Who knows, maybe a little mustard plaster would be just the thing. Sometimes, because mustard is so strong, the words your friend could say might be potent, given time and understanding, your healing will come.
Grapes help soften the strength that mustard brought. Friends are like that too. They give you the words like mustard, but then, soften it up a little bit with a lush glass of red wine. There you have it! Mustard and Grapes!
It just doesn‘t get much better.
williams@2007

Who are these People called "They" anyway?

Who are these people called “They” anyway?
Ok, I give up, who are these people called “they” anyway? Me thinks, they are like ants and are everywhere we go and look. Some are obviously in the media and “they” are always telling us things “they” feel we should believe, even if it is true or not, because, after all “they” said so.
Haven’t we heard, “well, they said so,” please do tell me, what makes “they” so important and why do we put such a high value on “they” anyway?
The Doctor said, “they” feel it would be better if “they” did it this way instead of the other way. There! I’ve said it again, the dreaded word “they.”
I must paint my walls a haze gray or a blah beige, because if I do it a wild and happy violet, “they” won’t like it. Good grief, what would “they” say anyway, if I wore jeans to church? Older women shouldn’t allow their hair to grow down to their knees because “they” wouldn’t like it.
If I say the wrong thing, boy, I could get into big trouble, because, “they” sure wouldn’t like me then! In fact, I am certain, “they” would misunderstand me completely.
Here’s the scoop. I’ve decided to take the word “they” out of my vocabulary and throw “they” into the gulf for safe keeping and just let the fish have a free feast. And you know what? It doesn’t matter if “they” like it or not, because “they“ won‘t be around to grumble at me anymore.