What Lies Beyond

Lost and Found

Joan Ann Lansberry

January 1, 1999

Full Moon, ©JAL,1-1-99. . .

We were unhappy with all the choices of both our satellite TV and the local TV, so we headed off to Blockbuster's. On exiting our subdivision, I saw the full moon hanging low in the sky. We turned back so I could get the camera.

It is the moon by which the ancients measured their days. The ending and beginning of a year is arbitrary, and varying seasons have been chosen through out humanities history. But this moon has shown over us since our very beginnings. And thus it will be ever so, waning and waxing, waning and waxing over and over through the centuries to come.

January 2, 1999

Looking back through my journal sections, I see November 22, 1998 was the finish date of the last picture I drew. I quickly found another subject to draw, but it didn't inspire me very much, for it just sat unattended. I wanted to get drawing again, but felt unsure of subject matter. "Choose something simple," Laura advised. I brought out my new bird calender for 1999, and looked through it. I sure draw a lot of birds. Another one couldn't hurt. Thus, Western Tanager was born.

My Secret Something in the cracks, Something forgotten, Something left behind Will be discovered some day again. It was not then treasure, Save to the person who owned it. But years later, the golden thing will be brought forth. Underneath its flash, layers of substantial depth Will be found when it's examined closely. I know, for I have that jewel, 'Tis my secret. I hold it close. The cracks will not have it yet. JAL, 1-2-99

January 3, 1999

Our week of waiting over, the 'gang of five'* went to the "Splendors of Ancient Egypt" exhibit in Phoenix today. This is a touring show from the Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum in Hildesheum, Germany. It's been already to St. Petersburg in Florida, Houston, Detroit, Portland, and now we here in the southwest have our turn.

It was definitely worth the wait. Because of the Egyptian concern with death and the afterlife, much of their art has been preserved in their tombs. Stunning mummy portraits, and statues, big and small, of both the mighty and ordinary servants illustrate what their lives were like. Their passion for personal adornment was not limited merely to jewelry of gold and semi-precious stones and shells, but also facial cosmetics and wigs.

This pendant from 1300 BC would seem to the uneducated eye to be merely for purposes of ornamentation. Yet there is a deeper meaning to some of their jewelry. There were at least twenty gods and goddesses who the Egyptians petitioned for various needs of their lives. But their interests were not only in matters of the supernatural, for they also had a great deal of knowledge of engineering, mathmatics and astronomy. They were the first to divide the day and night into twenty four hours and to use clocks. We also owe our calendar of 365 days to the Egyptians.

I will treasure today's memories always. Laura and Julia also have in their memory files, the Treasures of King Tut exhibit, for they saw it when it toured here in the states back in the early 'eighties. Julia was able to identify the brass throne Laura encouraged me to buy as a memento. It's a small replica of King Tut's throne, which appeared to be solid gold. Can you imagine that, SOLID GOLD? Actually, the small book of Egyptian art we have describes it as carved wood, covered with a sheet of gold. Still it was quite awesome at that, with many-colored inlays in glass, majolica, silver and hard stone.

January 6, 1999

I finger my ear lobes, expecting reassurance each tiny hole will be filled. But as my thumb and forefinger close gently on my right ear, a flatness, except for piercing dimple, surprises me. I've lost yet another earring. I've done the usual, putting Laura and Julia on the look out. Have you seen this earring's mate?

No, I didn't really think you had. I was just checking all wild possibilities. It's likely another one "for the cracks" . . .

January 9, 1999

Saturday morning we agreed we'd tend to the oil changing needs of both our cars. So after a delicious breakfast of Mexican food,( cranberry juice, rice, chicken enchilada, chicken tamale, pinto beans and a muffin), Laura and I left. Laura led in the blue Ford, and I followed close behind in the White Pontiac. Turning on the soft hits radio station,"Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" inspired me to sing loudly. Another song, then Jewel's "You Were Meant For Me" had me singing to Laura, whose face I could see framed in her rearview mirror. "You were meant for me, and I was meant for you . . .", I serenaded her although she could not hear. Somehow she knew I was singing to her, and the mirror caught her beaming smile and sent it back to me. Joyous at her awareness, I, too, smiled all the way to the 'Xpress Lube.'

Once there, cars parked, and sitting in the waiting room, I asked Laura how she knew. "I could recognize the word 'you', because the motion your mouth made on that word is very definite."

January 11, 1999

Early this morning I was squirming in bed, when I heard a faint tinkly sound. My alertness aroused, I wondered, "Could that be my earring?"

It was!