Book Review: The Book of Common Prayer, "My carry-with-me copy is this size, and I recommend it for traveling places..."
by Peter Menkin


Here I am daring to comment on this wonderful book, used by Episcopalians and one of the prayer and rubric publications that unite Anglicans worldwide. (There are about 77 million Anglicans in the world, and most have their own "version" of this wonderful and inspired book, though perhaps this specific size of which I write and this specific American version, may not be familiar to them all.)

My copy that is this size, and at a similar good price as this one (take advantage of a good offer, by the way), has been used by me for about ten or so years. It's been a durable book, though worn now and the leather cover warped, despite my treating it from time to time. But then I carry it in my car, and sometimes leave it on the seat where the sun hits it. Nonetheless, it has proved durable.

There are so many personal uses for the prayer book, and touching on some of them, it is important for me to note in this recitation, that the primary purpose of this issue of The Book of Common Prayer for me is taking it to nursing, hospital, and similar places (including home visits), to administer home Communion. It is an excellent size for traveling, and as I may not have mentioned, also offers the complete book with all the prayers and this includes, "Communion under Special Circumstances," used in the Episcopal Church for bringing home communion.

As a licensed lay Minister in my Church, and as an Oblate, I am always moved and informed by the same words from that shared, intimate service. To give you reader, an idea of the character of the book, here is a quote from the beginning prayer of the section "Communion under Special Circumstances."

"Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrement of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen."

There is flexibility in the prayers, and the rubrics allow the lay minister or clergy administering the Eucharist to do the following: "After the reading [found before the opening prayer quoted above], the Celebrant may comment on it briefly." Also, "Suitable prayers may be offered, concluding with the following or some other Collect."

My opinion is the book, both a religious, spiritually literary, and inspired work, encourages spiritual discussion of a religious nature after or before the words of the service. In this way, the Eucharist is a community or communion activity, where the idea of sharing the Church experience is enlarged in the presence of God and man.

When I visit the elderly, especially the frail elderly in my visits, I sometimes share Psalms. The book contains all 150 Psalms, its own translation, of course. This one is a favorite of mine, not only because of its familiarity, but as well because it is a kind of statement about the journey and ministry with which I am engaged in this pastoral relationship:

Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures
and leads me beside still waters.

He revives my soul
and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me;
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.

Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.


This is a good place to end the review.

(This review appeared originally on Amazon.com.)




Notes on review: A friend tells me via email the review is "Too long and too much about your personal ministry. You might try reading other reviews (if any) or looking at what Church Publishing says about it."

I am happy for the critique and suggestions. Here is my response, in part, "As you can tell from the review, my intent was not to take on the book itself for review, but a part of it relevant to me and specific to that particular 'version' (inexpensive, small, portable, and useful for a specific purpose and kind of ministry).

"I also wanted to speak to Episcopalians themselves, as well as Christians, mostly, in a way that would engage them in the review based on experience, rather than expertise. To do that, I thought I needed to use my own personal (though personable might be a better term), than expert opinion.

"For me, dealing with so awesome and holy a work has more validity and genuineness by the stance used. Certainly, there is a kind of authority in this kind of review by testimony (granted that is an important focus of the review, by intention).

"There you have an explanation of why I wrote it as I did, and part of the rationale for the conception of the approach."

I add as of the posting of the review here: I do hope readers will find the review both interesting and able to inform them of some merits of the holy prayer book for Episcopalians in America, The Book of Common Prayer.

It is many things, and contains instructions for worship services including Eucharist, Daily Prayer, Burial, and other rites and sacraments of the Church. As a literary work, it is a marvel and famous as well as admired in that regard. I cannot say how much I have found in this book, and others have found, too.

It does bring one closer to God in Christ and reveals a central part of worship for Episcopalians. An indispensable book for so many Christians of that denomination, and good reading for others who may be interested.

I hope my added notes help the review satisfy some of my friend's objections.

Photo notes: "Exotic Bali 10" is a photograph by amateur photographer Terry Peck. Terry lives North of San Francisco, California USA.

Prose Poem: All the gods
on the front lawn
by Peter Menkin

The blue truck is discernible now as part of the front yard garden. An old Ford with simple carburetor called a farm vehicle from 1965, the all steel monster filling the end of the driveway against the sidewalk and white picket fence is adorned with gods, figures, wicked and mean creatures of plaster and perhaps sculpted elves.

Mixed among the flowers by the walk, and towards the west where the mountains stand before the ocean begins is a line-up of gods like headstones for memory of previous tenants in this rooming house among the redwood trees. Are these the past lives, the left behind religious artifacts and special spirits and saints of residents gone sometime during the 30 years this house has been hospitable to people on a journey? Tiki is in stone, (white, black and white about three feet high). St. Francis and Cross is near the gate, about two thirds down the walk way (he looks just fine and there is more than one saint in beige like marble with or without cross).

No Benedict. Mary and maybe another Mary and a Martha and unknown but probably carried with them women of deep conviction seem planted like additional memories of gods and past lives adorning the local flowers as remembrances, and left behind items similar to forgetting a suitcase (these with hands in prayer and pink or light pink in color).

Inside the front porch is the last supper, a scene from the Upper Room (festive and in muted respectful blues and gold with grey).Right outside the front door, within the sun porch, sits a crucifix, like a real cross one would find in a small chapel somewhere stowed in a cabinet and left there with its presence reminding a past owner that the relic is a testimony of faith embattled, still giving hope and reminder of genuine faith (nearly brown with white, like wood, but made of some cast mix).

Are these the grateful dead monuments, leavings of discarded distractions worn away and dropped from site, waiting like patient reminders that somewhere in the grape vine bush growing along the side of the blue Ford truck is a God I recognize familiar and known. Along the side about four feet up is a shelf holding on it like a boy’s room holds favorite objects of sport and adventure for growing up with future promise sits aside other magical creatures a brown frog (ugly mud of clay) with bow tie, series of overlarge pine cones still complete side by side, and some places plastic flowers from like an Easter the culmination of reminder that something passed this way before and went on elsewhere.

Forever with Easter. Simple rooming house resident gods and things of faith, maybe like an angel.
Unlike a grove of Redwoods, gathered together in a field or among a series of trees in a setting that the eye can discern as park like and ancient with resting spirits and reclining peace, these are remnants of the Saints and gods, spirits of the woods, and adornments of virgin games on large lawns and private fields, in small houses, escaped private disasters, desperate moments, hurt times, terrible love affairs despaired, last dollar in the pocket, place to rest and save money, just a good room with security and some peace, injured and aged or disabled in pain, come to rest and be dropped behind as collections that really make no rock garden and portend little of a gold fish pond with exotic fish.

An amalgum of spirits, an amalgum of some powerful presence, these adornements and sacred objects to someone also held in disrepute and disgust, stand with the knowledge that a jaundice of doubt has come upon some who are here with a strong hand. Maybe not so, for they seem to live as planted stones.

Are these the grateful dead of the past lives, question. I wonder, and I approach, and I recognize every now and then the quiet of the graveyard and the heart of memory that is a small thing of collections that makes the rooming house a home for the man who keeps the rooms available through the years.

There is a sundial against the big front room window, elegantly classic. And overgrown near the always open in the summer screen door to the sun porch patio is a series of dolphin sculptures like found in expensive tourist gallery shops in Sausalito for visitors to spend much money on and take as a statement of the male and female neptune , living gods within the pods of the ocean near the edge of this western area.

Magic, gods, saints, crosses, religious statements, funny creatures, many wicked, and a large mannequin with a hard hat reading across the front peace, wearing work gloves and a slinky evening dress, short like a sexy dancer about to rave or do the twist is another of the gods of a venus who was resident, or worshiper of same.

This is an unusual entryway of front yard within the confines of the neighborhood block, patiently alive and awake, sometimes asleep and reminding one that the angels cheribum white with copper dragons above the front door intend to say the god of the Old Testament is here, too. Who could know the zen of followers of Jerry Brown, or a guru, or a struggling Catholic with a lot of love, or other mysterious statements about our only security is peace. One needn't subscribe to all these manifestations, elements, and quiet waiting memories that engage the passerby with the character of the rooming house since the front yard is always watered well and the statues of gods and saints seem well cared for in a distracted way of attentions.

This is the array of many protections invoked for privacy and retreat to the benefits of the roomers, who receive these gifts without additional charges to the usual rent and utilities.

Notes on photographs: "Pictures of Poppies" taken by Linda Shirado as a snapshot during a neighborhood walk in Mill Valley, California USA. Others below first "Pictures" snippets cropped from the same photograph. "Religious Candles" by Henry Worthy of London, England (Harry is a Benedictine Oblate of New Camaldoli).

Audio reading: Prose Poem: All the gods on the front lawn read by Peter Menkin

Conversation on Religious Poetry:
Two Statements made by Peter Menkin
on Eratosphere...

The discussion in full from 2006 can be found here:

http://www.ablemuse.com/erato/showthread.php?t=724

("Religious Poetry, How does it work?") My interest here is to again provide artistic and spiritual statement about my work as an aspiring poet. I say again, do go to Eratosphere and look under the link provided above to find remarks by many very good and knowledgeable poets on the subject. These are of course by their group of participants, and I do not post on that workshop anymore, and only for a short time. But I did find the discussion part helpful, and some of the other.

My side of the text only, provided here since I haven't permission to reprint the discussion in its entirety.

For a few years now I have been interested in both writing and reading religious poetry. Some I've written better than others, and some I've written I like more than others.

Some critics say the work needs a more personal voice and modern statement (as T.S.). So I read religious poetry both for devotion and to learn about it.

I've enjoyed a wider range of religious poetry (Christian in faith), much of it modern. An example, the poet named Ephrem:

"Lord, let Your day be like You for us.
Let it be a means a pledge of peace.
It is Your day that reconciled heaven and earth,
for on it the Heavenly One descends to the earthly ones."

Perhaps his more passionate, and Marian oriented are more interesting to readers, and religious Christians.

I have not come to the popular notion that religious poetry must evoke and reveal the personal experience and passions of the writer. Or that it needs to show some doubt or metamorphisis in belief. I have practiced praise and Thanksgiving, as I am able. My intent is to stay with the Anglican tradition, as I am an Episcopalian. So much for a statement of intent.

I think my attitude is fair game, criticism has improved my own efforts. Some religious poets show something of their attitude and interest.

William Blake is a popular religious poet, and I think he represents how such poets represent their time:

"And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?"

Unlike Blake, who was a spiritual man not so beholding to the views of the Church, though certainly an asset, his interest are more "free-thinking." There is a very nice (as in fitting series of poems) from which I took the quote in the book, "The Poetry of Piety: An Annotated Anthology of Christian Poetry."

In some important way, I have read the poems published by Immaculate Heart Hermitage in Big Sur, California (where I am received). I have enjoyed the monastic tradition that the Camaldolese offer. Because of this, I've tried my hand at the same kind of ethos.

I have a few examples of responses to quiet days at a monastery in Berkeley, California (being an Oblate, I do such things, visit a study house for instruction and education). One I have posted is a lengthy series on contemplation, and a statement by a monk put into "poetry). Taking great liberties with what is a poem, I made this verbatim(?) and copied poetic statement rather than an oral report. The monks liked it, as did some others. They posted it. One time I posted it for comment and suggestion, and gladly it was received as a centering prayer. Probably useful that way. If you'd like to check out some of my poetry, visit my blog: http://www.petermenkin.blogspot.com http://www.petermenkin.com

The first URL is the blog, the second my web site.

I find I have improved with time, even had a a few poems published in religious (Christian) magazines. This satisfies my ambition. Here is a very good poem by a favorite poet of mine, also a religious poet.

By Denise Levertov ("The Showings: Lady Julian of Norwich, 1342-1416):

"And you ask us to turn our gaze
inside out, and see
a little thing, the size of a hazelnut, and believe
it is our world? Ask us to see it lying
in God's pierced palm? That it encompasses
every awareness our minds contain? All Time?
All limitless space given form in this
medieval enigma?"

("Upholding Mystery: An Anthology of Contemporary Christian Poetry."

Forgive me my excesses in this post.



Katy:
About the monks of the Order of St. Benedict in Big Sur, California (USA), they express their interest in various poetic statements. One slim book I bought at their bookstore at the monastery is by Patrick W. Flanigan, M.D., a local of the region. ("Surviving the Storm" by Pacific Grove Publishing, Pacific Grove, California.)

A quote from "Fog."

"Fog obscures color and detail,
muffles sounds,
keeps birds in their nests,
whispers, 'Stay in bed.'"

On the face, not a religious poem. But as those who follow The Rule of St. Benedict, this poem speaks of place (stability), creation (Biblical), and of quiet (contemplation). I think this implies a mystery about life.

Another, "The Basin":

"A metal basin
full of water,
smooth surfaced
and quiet,
sits on the rocky bank
of dancing,
babbling stream."

This poem says later, "just be" and that statement is like the Biblical quote, "Be silent and know that I am God."

There is another poetry book, even slimmer, that they sell and I suspect endorse. A visitor to their monastery (silent retreat only) writes of place with reference to its natural setting, making a statement of hallowed and holy ground. She is not a Christian, and finds the monastery a deeply spiritual place of holiness for herself and others. I haven't a sample, otherwise I would post it as an example of religious poetry. For though she herself doesn't interpret her statement as Christian or religious, but rather spiritual, I think that others do.

Peter

Notes on pictures used in this post: "Christmas Star" was taken by the Hubble Telescope. "Radiant Light" is a painting by Camaldoli Monk Father Arthur. "San Francisco Fog" is by Rick White, you can see tips of the Golden Gate Bridge. "Easter Flower" may be by my brother Michael Menkin of Bellevue, Washington. But I can't remember.

Conversation with Aged
by Peter Menkin

I recite a long Psalm,
119,
beginning as a confession
but lending my thoughts
and opening my heart.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,
And I shall keep it to the end

Give me understanding, and I shall keep your law;
I shall keep it with all my heart.

Be gentle to memory: of failure
to seek God, and desire good
creates a long list of weakness
and mindless concerns that ignore
God for so many years.

Let your loving-kindness come to me, O Lord,
And your salvation, according to your promise.

Old ones I talk with as I read, speak
of their youth, and I think
"Is this what is on their minds?"
So I soothe and open my heart
to let in healing to younger times
in my life. Even to childhood.

Happy are they whose way is blameless,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!

Happy are they who observe his decrees
And seek him with all their hearts!

I say words for them, these old people, and
for others:
in thought before words,
in mind before thought,
present in the heart, and I listen,
always desiring to hear.
This talk with old people
leads me to gentleness with myself.
This is their message.

They say to me, "I am living
so long. I hardly think about it."

I continue my reading
Psalm 119.

I am a stranger here on earth;
Do not hide your commandments from me.

Let my cry come before you, O Lord,
Give me understanding, according to your word.

These notes about poetry I write were originally made for The Academy of American Poets writers workshop. As artistic statements, they are more that than they are apology. Thank you in advance for reading them. One reason for posting them with this particular poem, which is new, is that the poem uses quotations from the Psalms. The poem about the presence of Christ, in the previous post, also references the Bible. As well, just recently, this last Sunday, yesterday, I talked with Deacon Betsy Rosen on some of my reasons for writing religious and spiritual poetry. In a way, these artistic notes and statements touch on my intention to write poetry of praise and gratitude.

Artistic notes, a series of statements (referencing "Christ's Presence"):
A Biblical set of words enlarges the meaning of the poem by providing a larger sense of "generation to generation," at least to me, and has a kind of finality. I do hope it does these things, and I am working on that still. As in the Psalms, used in this poem posted here, and the "Dust to dust" reference in the posting just before this one, they have resonance.

It is as a statement, for me as someone familiar with some of the Bible, a resonance of God, and emphasizes that this poem is religious and spiritual with a given discipline and basis of concern and point of view, expressing as well some of the insight of Christian living, and an aspect of the visitor's reason for visiting, implied as a visit to the sick, or the aged, or the dying.

This charitable act indicates a certain kind of stance, specific to practitioners of Christianity, and certainly of my denomination, and demonstrates a kind of compassion and mercy with which the writer believes we live in the light and life of a God of goodness.

This is a Christian poem, and a poem of religious and spiritual dimension, as much as it may need some help and may be lacking. That is the effort. To avoid the Bible would be to deny some of the authority, purpose, and strength of the statement. At least for this writer. I am not making apology in the work. The work may lack, but the intention of the writer is hopeful for the work.

There you have my rant on the subject, and I could go on with a statement of my own personal intentions in poetry of this kind, but I wanted to stick with this specific piece and the use of the Bible in it. Though I do use various words or phrases, ideas of Biblical kind, including the Psalms in my poetry. At least I try. You'll see in my poem about an aged person, also posted on the site at the same time, I quote hymns. I think that works, hopefully, and is appropriate to the work.

But I am grateful to you for commenting. For you are not the first to raise the issue, not only of the use of the Bible in a poem, but also the need and correctness of form of a poem containing a Biblical sense, or religious and spiritual one that makes a statement. Hopefully, I'm in the realm of the okay with this kind of work.

Another artistic statement (referencing "Christ's Presence"):
You've hit a nerve with that one, how a reader may pass over the words, "Dust to dust," (in the poem posted previous to this one with its references to Psalms, also Biblical), because they have little in them to catch their imagination. I am looking for a way in my response to say that may be a problem for me, and I would like to think in context of the poem a reader's problem. For "Dust to dust" brings up thoughts of death and burial, at least for me. Age is certainly a thought, but in the context of the poem the certainty of mortality. In other words, I hope that the context of the poem brings out some kind of unpacking of the few Biblical words.

I think what I am trying to prove in my comments, or at least convince myself of if no one else, is that "Dust to dust," and in this poem posted here with quotations from Psalm 119, are good in the context of the poem. I did not think it would be a larger issue, but because we enter what is for me a realm of Biblical and religious concern, the vision as it were, of the poem, I am willing to focus more on Biblical resonance.

In the event you are interested in the Bible, and I hope I am not turning you off, I've discovered a wonderful paper by a British Bishop named Tom Wright. The link to his sermon, really an address before the Anglican Lambeth Conference 2008, is below:

http://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/page.cfm?ID=334

I can't but help to advertise these wonderful remarks, which I find instructive, since my own work in Poetry is part of my relationship with God. I like to think, and do think, my motivation for writing religious and spiritual poetry is as praise for God, and in my wild imagination I think that others who write similar works are similarly inclined in their way to engage their spiritual relationship more fully.

Again, an artistic statement (referencing "Conversation with Aged"):
I did go with a number of other quotations than the one you suggested (from the dialogue on the poem), and they aren't in a particular sequence, as in sequence from Psalm 119. I chose to explore the text of the poetic statement, and maybe in its way, explore the texts I chose from Psalm 119.

I considered a number of translations: King James Version, Grail version, Vulgate, RSV, even the NSRV (because it is so modern). I decided to go with the Psalms as they are printed in "The Book of Common Prayer," the prayer book of the American Episcopal Church (Anglican), mostly because I use it when visiting the elderly. But also because the language seems more suited in its way of manner to the poem. I do use other sources when reading the Psalms, most often the second choice is King James, since the elderly I visit are more familiar with it. I think that is a good thing.

More artistic statement on the poem, "Conversation with Aged:"
This brief note is a response to my friend Jan Robitscher's comment that the poem seems to be two poems in one. Jan Robitscher was a teacher of mine when I attended The Episcopal School for Deacons. The School for Deacons is located in the buildings of Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP), an Episcopal seminary in Berkeley, California USA. Jan has been on the faculty there since 1991. She holds a B. Music (DePauw University), an M.A. in Liturgy (Notre Dame) and an M.Div. (Nashotah House Episcopal Seminary). She is my friend.

The response to her comment, sent to her home in Berkeley near the seminary, and UC Berkeley's North Gate area, by email today, Tuesday:

Hi Jan:
I am so glad you like this poem ["Conversation with Aged"]. Just recently, with this current poem just sent you, and the one previous ("Christ's Presence") I've been making more extensive artist's notes, in particular a statement on Biblical reference in the two poems. I did this as a result of discussion prompted on the Academy of American Poets writers workshop.

Your thought that I've two poems does strike a chord with me, and I thank you for taking the time to comment. It is helpful. In my same day response, not considering it longer (though I will consider your suggestion some more in days to come), I intend the poem to be a dialogue of sorts, as a statement of the relationship with the elderly, as well as a poetic dialogue of their own.

In short, the experience is two way, and I believe the relationship described in the poem, "Conversation with Aged" opens the way towards the generational experience. It also demonstrates that the visitor is also undergoing thought and expression, even if in a different way because of age, and yet in a similar way because both are human and engaged in what some call the "God experience." Christ is relational, one could say.

Is this a good answer to your comment, and it is intended as my considering what you've said rather than a conclusion? Thanks for the opportunity to make a return comment.

Yours in faith,
Peter

Poem about JO,
who passed away

The Redwoods is a retirement community located in Mill Valley, California USA and the result of efforts for the elderly by the local United Church of Christ (Community Church). For more than 6 years I've visited the elderly in their Health Care Unit, and I've been fulfilled numerous times in my volunteer work. This poem is really about a particular resident in her later years, about JO, who spoke with difficulty. Because her hearing was good, she let me do almost all the talking. Many times I read her the Psalms. I visited her from the time before this poem was drafted in 2004. She died before the poem was "completed" in 2008.

Christ's Presence
by Peter Menkin

A vision of creation.
And a moment of God's
need to have man. His ways
appeared to me when an old
woman ate soup.

She eats slowly this one time
again,
and her arm brought the spoon
to her mouth with meek vigor.
So I saw that we pass away,
for she was many years old
and her arm proved she was
a creature of God. Dust to dust.

There is the breath of life,
that is in us like this woman.
An inner dwelling, spirit of the Lord.



Artist's note and comment on the poem "Presence of Christ" as it appeared on the Academy of American Poets writers workshop ( www.poets.org ):
During the comments and suggestions made 2008 on the poem, this statement on the use of "Dust to dust" was made by me, Peter Menkin to another poet called "Gould."

Gould:
Many thanks for your remarks on my newly posted and recently revised poem, originally drafted 2004. I am concerned with the issue of what is cliche, and something like the statement "Dust to dust," appears so familiar to us, its use Biblical and religious as so many know. But I believe that much of the Bible, both Old and New Testament is familiar and sometimes a cliche or considered tired.

In one manner, we seek a new way to communicate the religious and spiritual sensibilities and understandings of faith, especially when one is in the "business" of writing poetry that is considered "faith poetry."

I think what speaks to one in the Bible, or in the religious and spiritual language of ones tradition and history as it is practiced, is fair and reasonable game for poetry, regardless of how familiar it may be to readers, or in its contemporary reading cliche like in its evocative imagery. I say this, with the understanding that in the religious life as it is reflected, and especially in the Biblical reflection of spiritual reality as it speaks to us as the word of God, that each of us needs to find our way. Selections and parts of the Biblical words do engage us as individual people and groups, denominations, more than others. I find this so. And so I reflect in my poetry this sensibility and searching for relationship with God as a living experience, in the Christ.

Recently, I've been watching YouTube talks by a Camaldoli, Benedictine Monk who is deceased, a holy man who spent his life in India, and a fulfilled man who reflects the way the Bible spoke to him. His name is Bede Griffiths, and perhaps you have heard of him. It is apparent in his talks caught and posted now on YouTube that he is a genuine man of God. In my poetry, I look to this genuine sense of what has meaning in the poem. Hopefully, in time, or even taken in my intended way, even a cliche like "Dust to dust" will be illuminated in a similar way of the genuine. This is a truth, I believe, or definition of one in the poetic way.

Here is a link to one of the Bede Griffiths' talks, that last about 11 minutes each. Father Bede is a Christian, one must keep that in mind. He is also a Catholic Priest. So he speaks from that perspective.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3BNQhWsPIZ0&feature=related

With thanks for raising the issue concerning "Dust to dust."
Yours truly,
Peter

Notes on the photograph: The photo accompanying this poem is again by my 78 year old neighbor Rick White, who has 9 children and 20 grandchildren. Rick took the photograph on the grounds of the apartment house we both live in, and so we are neighbors. Rick is a professional photographer who in his working life took many travel photographs, and when he lived in Chicago was an advertising agency art director. He lives in Marin County, North of San Francisco USA. He calls the photograph, "Ladies in the Shade." It was taken August, 2008 (Summer).