Memes and Jack-o-Laterns

First off, we all know I'm a nerd. I might be a girly nerd, but I'm still a nerd. Therefore, I cannot help but point out that memes as I have encountered them in my limited blog existence have deviated significantly from the original theory put forward when the term was coined. Not that this is a bad thing. Language is fluid and evolves. But I am a nerd, therefore the distinction must be pointed out.

While I'm briefly on the subject of evolution, let me rant about cleaning out pumpkin guts to create a jack-o-latern. Now, lets assume that the *purpose* of the pumpkin is simply to hold and nurture the seeds. Have any of you (the wide audience of two or three that might actually read this) ever planted a pumpkin seed? Those bad boys must be planted many feet apart because the resulting pumpkin vine needs so much space. If the seeds are planted right on top of each other, the vines choke each other out. A few might actually live past the tiny stage, but they will not have sufficient rain or nutrients to produce flowers and fruits, because they will be in too close a competition with the neighboring vine. So, the whole, pumpkin rots and fertilizes the thirty seeds inside of it doesn't work for the propigation of the species. And no, being a nerd doesn't mean I can spell. Now, it could be that the pumpkin tries to spread its seed by being ingested and then 'planted' in an animal's excrement. That does occasionally happen with some seeds. Pumpkin seeds seem rather flimsy to survive the digestional track...but this is just an opinion, not based on scientific fact. Certainly the stubborn tenacity of the nasty goopey string to form permament, nearly inseverable bond would point to the latter approach to propigation. It was, of course, this devilishly impossible bond which started me contemplating the nature and function of the pumpkin.

Personally, I'm thinking pumpkins are proof of creation. Oh yes, yes. What plant puts forth the energy to make a pumpkin for really no good plant reason? hmmm? no, they are signs of a benevolent God who said, let there be pie. And the strings? Part of the curse when humankind fell from the Garden of Eden. Thorns, briars, and strings in the pumpkin that refuse to yield to knife, spoons, hands, threats, tears. Gourds fall into this same category. Are those things even edible? I think they exist to be dried and made into dippers and containers (and in late days, birdhouses and decorative items). Again, no evolutionary function.

By the way, stringy pumpkin guts do yeild to the Jedi.

Said pumpkin is now sitting on the table with a little candle shining out of the carved face of Ruff Ruffman. (drawn by Sweetling, carved by Mommy).

Sweetling sent 14 and 1/2 inches of hair to Locks of Love. I'd post a picture, but I'm a nerd, not a geek, and there's a big difference.

But memes.

I got a song today, so now I have to offer a "meme" to the first five people who respond (who then in turn have to put a "meme" on their blog...or do something nice for five people if they don't have a blog. Since, like I said, my readership is oh so small, I'm not anticipating anyone getting closed out. Except maybe the Smurf, who painted over Mammaw and Pappaw's painting and yet who refuses to send me a lousy five minute sketch when she was running a Meme on her blog. She's such a smurfing smurf that way.

So, I think I'm going to offer an acrostic poem made out of the name of the first five respondents. Let the mad dash begin.

Oh, and turkeys? Created for Thanksgiving of course.