What kind of miracle are you?

In reading a brief passage today from The Backyard Beekeeper I had one of those epiphanic moments we all occasionally have. A bee spends the first three days of its life as an egg, about the size of a grain of rice sliced in half, and after that "the egg dissolves, releasing a tiny grublike larva." From there depending on whether it was fertilized or not it becomes a queen (if the workers decide that), a worker, or a drone. Yeah, yeah, to beekeepers this is nothing special. This is what most novice beekeepers learn early on. My question is where does that bee essence come from? Sure, there's the sperm and ovum, that's true for nearly all living things, but think about it--all living things are composites of their forebears. The individual bees, bears, and humans didn't exist before conception--and yet, here they and we are! What a miracle is this! Skip the genetics lecture, I get it; where did we (that's you and me) come from? How is there bee essence and oak essence and perch essence and you essence to bring these about? In other words, genetics doesn't explain the first of anything because where did "that" come from? From what repository are we drawn? God, in his infinite love, has crafted a world, nay, a universe, before which was a void. And now, here I am, typing with fingers that, while far from perfect, function reasonably well. How am I here now?

Wow, if there is no god someone's got some serious 'splainin' to do.

(Non-sequiter alert): Only twenty minutes ago I finished watching Wes Craven's Red Eye. A worthwhile rental. The violence wasn't vengeance, merely self-defense. I'm so tired of the unnecessary bullet(s) to the bad guy.

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Good reads of 2009

I haven't made a list like this in a while, and I believe I discussed most of these on the blog as I finished them, but I thought I'd make a handy short-hand list for you and me. These are only in the order I read them and do not indicate any preference. The Open Door * Frederica Mathewes-Green The Children of Hurin * J.R.R. Tolkien The Omnivore's Dilemma * Michael Pollan Agrarianism and the Good Society: Land, Culture, Conflict, and Hope * Eric T. Freyfogle Wonderful Fool * Shusaku Endo Up the Rouge: Paddling Detroit's Hidden River * Joel Thurtell and Patricia Beck Johnny Cash and the Great American Contradiction: Christianity and the Battle for the Soul of a Nation * Rodney Clapp (I started the following in December, but I haven't finished them--so far they are excellent: Love and Hate in Jamestown * David A. Price and The Picture of Dorian Gray * Oscar Wilde) Try one of these--let me know.

Worth Quoting

There are but three social arrangements which can replace Capitalism: Slavery, Socialism, and Property. --Hilaire Belloc ...

The Completely Unsexy Adventures of Constructing a Driveway

Yesterday marked the third phase in our attempt to create a homestead at the Martin Hollow. We now have a gravel driveway. Does this mean wild bacchanalia there? In a word: no. It simply saves me about 400 feet in walking when I'm carrying various tools designed to destroy decontextualized organisms, e.g. autumn olive and garlic mustard. It is also the beginning of our footprint on the land and it helps us to visualize where the house and garage will eventually be placed. The above are two views of the approach from our road which ends in a cul-de-sac (and a large pond just beyond that) to my right (north). Here's a closer view after the gravel has been added (above). This view is from the road facing south. Notice the culvert next the shovel? I told you this wouldn't be sexy. Just below is another view from the road looking northwest. You can see the bobcat tractor in the distance. This (to the left)...

I Am Not Hamlet

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