Wednesday, March 13, 2019

With Apologies, from your Absentee Friend

Somehow my brain has been in a fog lately, and I feel like a hamster on a wheel - nothing new to tell. Mostly I'm painting, reading a little bit, and napping during the day. Anne Morrow Lindbergh's diary/letters is still fascinating. I'm to the part where she and Charles are visiting Germany in 1936. 
Image result for charles and anne lindbergh
Everyone wanted to avoid another war. The last world war was only 18 years in the past! They were also pulling through a worldwide depression. Most nations would struggle to amass a fit army. Placating Hitler sounds like lunacy to us now, but at the time? It seemed like wisdom.
Image result for map of germany in 1936
Germany, 1936-1939, as she pushes her borders for more room
One of Germany's biggest complaints was overpopulation; they felt it was unfair that other European nations had more land for each citizen than they did. This fear of overpopulation, of being squeezed in the middle of Europe with poor sea access, fed their desire to be rid of socially undesirable people and their devotion to eugenics. Today, eugenics is a filthy word, a racist, hateful term. But in 1936 even Anne Lindbergh lists it as one of Hitler's favorable accomplishments for Germany. 

It's often shocking to Americans to discover how quietly committed our own state governments were to sterilizing wards of the state, if it seemed best to do so - prisoners, the mentally ill or deficient, or anyone deemed undesirable for reproduction. Eugenics was often discussed as a managing of the human breeding stock. Many states are now settling lawsuits regarding forced sterilizations, including my own North Carolina.

So, Lindbergh is a strange read, that's for sure!

If you're still reading ... well, we've been outdoors, turning garden beds, watching the peas grow. It's still a wee bit cold, but the greens are peeking out and the basil is up in the greenhouse. I'm working on my herb beds too. They are pretty awful-looking after winter.

And painting? If you want to see, here are some cards I've done lately:









 Both of the "Dancing Girls" pieces were inspired by a piece of art given to me years ago by a Korean student.
 These floral ones have sold well, so I painted more of them.


 This one below I just did before dinner, and it was so fun I think I'll do more -- pure whimsy!

If you care to view the cards I have for sale right now, click here. I hope your spring is springing, and snow is melting, and the birds are singing!

11 comments:

Granny Marigold said...

You sure have been busy painting. Your paintings are lovely.
You have peas growing already? I noticed today that my sage plant has lots of new growth and lots of yucky aphids!! Out came my spritzer of soapy water. I will repeat the spraying again tomorrow because no doubt I've missed some.

M.K. said...

Yes, our peas are up and asparagus too. The first flower bloomers are nearly passed also. GM, I've never had any luck growing sage. It just dies on me. I think our soil here is too wet? Good luck killing your aphids!!

Pom Pom said...

I love them all, especially the dancing girls! You should rest. You don't do that often enough.

Ida said...

Sounds like some interesting books. - Also you are lucky to be working in your garden. We are still waiting for all our snow to melt but it's getting there. Lots of great paintings here. I loved the colorful tree.

GretchenJoanna said...

Hamsters don't paint nearly as well. If you can paint and read when you are still not out of hibernation, you're doing great!

happyone said...

My favorite painting of yours is the one of the tree with the leaves falling off.

M.K. said...

Pom Pom, Adam agrees with you :) He says I need to RELAX. I do try, but I don't relax very well. Thank you!

M.K. said...

Ida, I've seen so many BIG snow photos on facebook! I'm very thankful for our springy weather right now. I had enough snow when we were younger.

M.K. said...

Haha, you're too funny, GJ :) I want to be a napping hamster these days!

M.K. said...

Thank you, Karen. I like that one too - kind of fallish.

Kezzie said...

I LOVE your paintings! I can understand how much they wanted to avoid another war back then- the loss was so huge in the WW1 that they wanted to hope it couldn't happen again as it was the war to end all wars.x