Widow's Endorphins: The Scottish Casanova

Widow's Endorphins: The Scottish Casanova: Have I told you the story of Jean, and her Scottish Casanova?  Poor Jean.  She fell in love with him, and before you know it, she's ...

The Scottish Casanova

Have I told you the story of Jean, and her Scottish Casanova?  Poor Jean.  She fell in love with him, and before you know it, she's pregnant.  The guy already had at least two illigitimate children.  Her Dad fainted when she told him.  He was a big stonemason.  Dad, not the playboy.

Have a wee drop of whisky, it's single malt scotch.  Have some shortbread.  No, I didn't bake it.  I hunter-gathered it.  Picked up the Heather while I was at the market.  Lovely, at this time of year.

Where was I?  Oh, yes.  Poor Jean.  She saw him when he was out walking with his dog.  She had her laundry drying on the lawn, the way they sometimes do out in the country, and the dog walked all through it.  She met him again, at a dance.  He wrote stuff.  What is it about these sweet talking writers?

He'd already gotten Elizabeth, who worked on his parent's farm, pregnant.  His Mum, who was widowed the year before, raised the baby girl.  He and Jean were already having an affair, when the baby was born.  Next, there was Meg, who either miscarried or delivered a stillborn baby, I'm not sure.  Somewhere in there, there's Mary.

The guy offered to marry Jean, but her parents wouldn't allow it.  They sent her away, so that none of the neighbours would know she was pregnant.  They found out anyway.  So, Jean returned home.  She gave birth to twins - a boy and a girl.  She and Romeo lived apart.

The truth is, he was in love with Mary!  He wrote a famous piece about her.  Mary was going to go to Jamaica, but that didn't work out.  She died in childbirth...giving birth to his baby.

About that time, Jean's Dad was afraid that the playboy would run off to Jamaica.  He put a warrant out for him!  So, the guy takes off, and spends the Summer hiding out on his Auntie Jean's farm.  He writes, and writes, and writes, and gets another book published.  He's super famous, like a Scottish rock star.  As famous as Rod Stewart.

How's the whisky?  More shortbread?

So, the big star is touring the country, and in his travels, meets up with Jean.  Again.  Poor Jean.  She gets pregnant.  Again.  Jean's parents kick her out.  Again.  She's destitute.  So, Mr. Superstar finds her and their twins, a place to stay.  A few weeks later, Jean gives birth to twins.  Again.  Sadly, the baby girls both died when they were a few weeks old. 

After all that, Jean's parents finally gave their consent for marriage (the fact that their future Son-in-Law is really famous may have had something to do with it).  Under Scottish law, their twins, and the two previous twins are not considered illigitimate once Jean and Loverboy get married.  If you look at the marriage document, it says, "irregularly married some years ago".  Irregulary!

In the meantime, the Scottish Casanova is travelling back and forth to Edinburgh, where's he's a big celebrity.  He's got this married woman, Agnes.  She's separated from her husband, who lives in Jamaica.  The Scottish Casanova writes her passionate poetry.  Some of that gets published, making him even more famous.  He also gets Jenny, her maid, pregnant!  Jenny gives birth to a baby boy, but she gets sick, and gets fired from her job.  Casanova sends her some money. 
   

Not that he had a lot of money.  As famous as he was, he signed away the copyrights to all his work!  He had to take on work as a tax inspector.

That's how he met the barmaid.  She worked in the town where he and Jean lived.  Ann was ten years younger than him.  You guessed it, he gets her pregnant too.  She dies in childbirth.  Guess who raises the little girl?  Jean.  The woman should have a statue in her honour!

The guy had 14 children, by six women!  He died really young, at the age of 36.  Heart disease.  On the day of his burial, Jean was giving birth to little Max, their last child.  Poor Jean.  She was only 31 years old, and had lived more years than someone three times her age!

I didn't tell you her name.  Jean Armour - great name for a warrior, who has, as Shakespeare wrote, "suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune."  It would have been Mrs. Burness, but hubby changed his family name when he was first climbing to fame.

By the way, there is a statue in Jean's honour.  She is afterall, the long suffering wife of Scotland's most famous poet, the Bard himself, Robert Burns.

Around the world, on January 25th, Scots and those who love them, raise a glass to Burns.  This Robbie Burns Day, give a thought to Jean, who loved him with all her heart.  She lived another 35 years after Robbie died, and there never was another man like him in her life.

Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.

Widow's Endorphins: Martin Luther King, the Blood Moon and Stargazers

Widow's Endorphins: Martin Luther King, the Blood Moon and Stargazers: The first time I saw my Dad cry, was when Martin Luther King died.  The assassination of the civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize w...

Martin Luther King, the Blood Moon and Stargazers

The first time I saw my Dad cry, was when Martin Luther King died.  The assassination of the civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner on April 4th, 1968, shocked the world.  The next morning, in our family kitchen, my Dad spoke a few brief words, and tossed the newspaper onto the counter, before turning and leaving the room.  My Mum whispered, "Daddy's crying".

"Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.  Darkness cannot drive out darkness;  only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate;  only love can do that."   - Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love (1963)

Photographers live in a world of light and dark.  I spent the afternoon photographing these Stargazer lilies, named for the upright tilt of their blossoms.  Tonight, on the eve of Martin Luther King Day, and the night of the lunar eclipse of the Super Blood Wolf Moon, a few thoughts...

It sounds ominous, but Super Blood Wolf Moon is not a scary thing.  A lunar eclipse - the time when the moon is exactly on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun - can only occur during a full moon. Tonight's moon is the closest to Earth in it's orbit, so it will appear extra big, which is why it's called a Super Moon.  Every full moon has a name, and the January full moon is called Wolf Moon, after hungry wolves howling at the moon in the dead of Winter.

The Blood Moon is what so many astronomers and photographers are excited about.  When the moon crosses into the Earth's shadow, it will darken, and sunlight will turn the moon a rusty colour, or even blood red.  That's because red light is more dominant than blue light, which scatters.  You may be lucky enough to see what's called the Japanese Lantern Effect, inwhich the moon will display a large area of red, a smaller blue band, and a sliver of white.

Astrologers say this Super Blood Wolf Moon is very powerful.  It's all about having the courage to step out, and begin something new...and it's about creativity.  In astrology, lunar eclipses are portals, or open doors into a new beginning.  This one, is seen as a breakthrough event, which will culminate sometime this Summer.  Dream big. 

The most powerful speech ever written, was Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech given during the March on Washington, in 1963.  It moved a nation.  Take a moment now, or tomorrow, during Martin Luther King Day, to read it:  https://www.archives.gov/files/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf

The world is desperately crying for a new vision.  A world that works for everyone.  Great visionaries, it's time to go courageously forward.


Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.

Widow's Endorphins: WE Is Four!

Widow's Endorphins: WE Is Four!: Another milestone for Widow's Endorphins!  This little floral photography blog is now four years old, and nearing 38-thousand view...

WE Is Four!

Another milestone for Widow's Endorphins!  This little floral photography blog is now four years old, and nearing 38-thousand views!  WE did it...and I mean that in every sense.  Thank YOU for reading, and sharing.

It's been an amazing year of personal growth, moving outside of my comfort zone to enjoy new and wonderful experiences, and explore places I had not discovered.  For the first time in nearly three decades, I journeyed back to the Westcoast of Canada - my true home - and hugged old friends who are forever young in my heart.  I travelled to a small town in Ontario, to meet a big hearted family, and wandered down the back alleys of Toronto's Kensington Market district.  

In this age of social media, I challenged my own anonymity, posting photographs of myself on Facebook and other on-line pages.  The kid who dreaded annual school pictures, forced herself to take selfies, over and over again. 

This was the year of a new face for my floral photographs too!  Thanks to the fashion forward women of Vancouver-based Stolbie Brand stolbiebrand.com, I have expanded my line of floral clothing to include the elegant and graphic cannabis leaf motif. 

Thank you all, for your encouragement over the years.  Here are a few of your favourite blogposts from 2018...

http://widowsendorphins.blogspot.com/2018/02/im-not-afraid-of-my-shadow.html

http://widowsendorphins.blogspot.com/2018/08/marijuana-in-abundance.html

http://widowsendorphins.blogspot.com/2018/08/home.html

http://widowsendorphins.blogspot.com/2018/03/fifty-shades-of-pink-if-lipstick-could.html

http://widowsendorphins.blogspot.com/2018/03/time-is-gift.html

Here's to a brilliant new year of adventures and beauty!

Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.