Soup Suppers and Songs

I had a GREAT IDEA last year and I told my friend, Kim, about it. Kim, knowing that I am the queen of procrastinators, took it upon herself to put the GREAT IDEA into action right away. She invited about four families over and had each of them make a pot of soup and bring it and Ta Da!! the SOUP SUPPERS (MY GREAT IDEA)were started. Now we, a loose gathering of 4-6 families, get together a couple of times a month, for soup. We talk and laugh, occasionally play a game or sing, but mostly just enjoy being together. Its great fun and cheap. {If you want to be invited, let me know--it's not an exclusive group}

As we were sitting around talking at our last soup supper, Sandy mentioned that she had been watching MTV (not because she's shallow and has no purpose in her life) and found out that Prince's song "Little Red Corvette" does not refer to a car. (I'm not going to explain it-but call me and I'll give you Sandy's number). Other song titles were brought up that were euphemistic, or as I like to say, downright misleading, including the Beatle's "Norwegian Wood", the Doors, "Light My Fire"--and others that I can't remember now. I have to believe some of Elton John's titles would be on the list as well as Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4".

I felt very naive but reassured that at least the country music people know how to title their songs; "Liked you better before I knew you so well" or "Her teeth was stained but her heart was pure" or "If I had shot you when I wanted to I'd be out by now".
It could be that my sense of humor is only getting more juvenile as I get older.

Supreme Court musings

I've been thinking a lot about the Supreme Court lately. My knowledge of it is minimal and as usual, my opinions are much stronger and broader and grander than my knowledge really should allow--but on I go.

As I understand it, the justices on the Supreme Court have a judicial philosophy that can either see the Constitution as a fairly rigid document that isn't meant to really stretch and flex to accommodate the changes in society and the writer's original intents are to be intuited and preserved OR the justices see the Constitution as a framework that our government and society were meant to grow up around. And then, of course, within that either/or philosophical bent you have the political leanings of the justices--conservative or liberal (there isn't much room for a moderate in Washington anymore is there?) I might have this all wrong.

At first I thought it would be fun to be on the Supreme Court--the cool robes, big chairs up high, everybody has to listen to you----those kind of things are important to a person like me, someone with lots of opinions--and summers off. But then I realized that mostly they read a lot of really boring legal stuff and then write a lot more really boring legal stuff.

Though I wouldn't want their jobs, I'd still like to meet Sandra Day O'Connor(retired) or Ruth Ginsberg--though I'm sure their intelligence would render me speechless. I wonder if Obama will have a chance to nominate a justice. A couple of the current justices must be thinking about retiring.

Easily Informed

C. S. Lewis, in one of his books (I can't remember which one) said this about his father, "He was not a man easily informed". What a great way to describe someone who just doesn't seem to listen to what you're trying to tell them. Not only have I met people like that, I've been that person.

I think we can categorically put teenagers on the list of people "not easily informed"--it'd be easier to include them all and them delete the few that don't belong. Creationists might be another category of people that could belong though I'm willing to bet they'd say the same about people who believe in evolutionary theory. Its probable that all extremists in any area are a bit difficult to inform. Mr. Wonderful would probably consider me not easily informed because every time he tries to show me something on the computer I just about run away.

There is an old axiom that says the more I know the more I know I don't know--and that is certainly true for me. So one of my resolutions for this year is to be more easily informed. That means I'm going to do a better job of listening to people and going to make a point to explore some new (for me) ideas and activities.

Cheryl Wheeler has a song titled, "Frequently Wrong but Never in Doubt". Let's hope I don't move in that direction with all my new learning I do with all my new improved listening this year.