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Friday, May 8, 2009

Friday Five: Bugs


From RevGalBlogPals:

As I was walking the beach today, I was surprised and delighted to find it swarming with ladybugs. The sweet little red beetles are one of my favorite insects and also my daughter's blogname--though as of this morning she was thinking of changing it to Butterfly. I'll keep you posted.

This got me thinking about spiritual insect trivia: Did you know that medieval mystics and theologians esteemed the bee for its dedicated work and transformation of ordinary ingredients into sweetness? That Spider Woman is an important creator Goddess to many Native American tribes? Or that Francis of Assisi was reminded of Jesus not only by lambs being led to slaughter, but also by worms (think "I am a worm and no man" from the Psalms)-- so he picked them up and took them out of stomping-vulnerable spots?!

In that spirit, this week's Friday Five is a magical mystery tour through God's garden of creepy crawlies!

1. Ladybugs or ladybirds? Pillbugs or roly-polys? Jesus bugs or water skeeters? Any other interesting regional or familial name variations?
Ladybugs and water skeeters. There aren't any pillbugs or roly-polys where I grew up, so I don't know what to call them!

2. Stomp on spiders, carry them outside, or peacefully co-exist?
Depends... but usually stomp on them. Though I once had one living on my window sill that I didn't mind--but I knew where it lived, and it didn't wander around the house scaring me.

3. Favorite insect?
I'm not a big insect fan. But maybe a ladybug or a butterfly. We had a ladybug wandering around the choir at church one Sunday. We kept putting her to the side, and she kept coming back to hang out on our clothes. We were all a bit amused.

4. Least favorite?
Almost anything else! I have to say spiders and cockroaches top the list.

5. Got any good bug stories to share?
One very weird one. I was at an odd Catholic celebration of Mary--I don't remember exactly what it was (it wasn't a holy day or anything), but there was a speaker, and the church was really packed. I was there alone, sandwiched in a pew between people I didn't know. And I was tired and feeling a little sick. At one point, I think I fell asleep, which I never do--so I was really exhausted. But the buggy part freaked me out. I felt something on my head, and so I scratched it, and found a bug on the very top of my head! I didn't know what it was--not huge, and sort of like a beetle. So, I grabbed it and flung it away, somewhere under the pews. But then, it happened again, another bug, same spot! It was very surreal, and made the whole experience very uncomfortable for me. I left as soon as I could, but I had to wait for whatever it was to finish because I couldn't easily get out. And another strange thing (not buggy) happened on the way out--a lady handed me a pin of Our Lady of Guadalupe and said that she just knew I was the one to give it to. Huh.

Bonus question: share a poem, song, quotation, etc. about insects.
I got nothing! It could be the early hour...

7 comments:

Processing Counselor said...

Eeewwww. A bug in your hair. Just spent a weekend in the woods of Connecticut and I kept checking for ticks in my hair-Lyme disease in rampant in that neck of the woods!

Sister Juliet, RSCJ said...

Eeeww is right! But fortunately, no diseases attached.... Ticks creep me out too. At least most bugs don't want to be attached to you....

Dorcas (aka SingingOwl) said...

Yah, tics are the worst. We lived up in the north woods of Wisconsin and our poor dog ended up with Lyme's..fortunately not any of the people in the house.

And the church bug story? Eeewwwww is right!

Dr. Laura Marie Grimes said...

Second (third) the eeewwws!

Word verification is blest--which seems to be how you are feeling. So glad for you.

Jane said...

I hadn't thought about tics either. yuk
mind you I didn't write about having nits which was a challenge as my hair was very long at the time - your story reminded me of that!
Thanks for your bugs and have a great weekend!

Jan said...

I'll say "yuck" instead.

Sister Juliet, RSCJ said...

I grew up in Montana, and have a few interesting stories about ticks--one including my whole family having to strip by the side of the road after checking out an old house and inadvertently walking through a nest!

Yes, Sophia, I feel very blest right now!