What does this painting have to do with frogs?
A woman, possibly dead. Mystery. Sherlock Holmes as seen in the several BBC series with Benedict Cumberbatch. Study in Pink, (cleverly recreated from Arthur Conan Doyle’s Study in Scarlet), has inspired (I’m in love!) the above painting, which I tentatively am calling Murder in Pink.
Lotus blossoms. Narcotics. In both the new version and Doyle’s original book, the murder victims were presented with two identical looking capsules; one was harmless, and the other would lead to certain demise. In real life, there are plants that are life giving and others that kill. As lovely as they may be, consumed lotus fruits and flowers have a narcotic effect, leading to apathy and potentially death.
A gun. Suicide, or Murder. Pick your poison. We are eating food daily with results comparable to lotus. If you doubt this, please see the New York Times Magazine’s front page article “Is Sugar Toxic?” by Gary Taubs (April 13, 2011). The information is based on Dr. Robert Lustig’s research at the University of California, San Francisco, as well as on his 90 minute lecture called “Sugar: The Bitter Truth,” in 2009, which you can find on YouTube
In other words, sugar and spice are not necessarily categorized with everything nice.
On Second Saturday this month, our rosy table in suite 458 was spread with pink and red Valentine Candies, Powdered Sugar Donut Holes, Pink frosted brownies, and 3 kinds of cookies: Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chocolate Chip, and Molasses Cookies.
VERY hard to resist, and later those who partook felt sick, as well as frustrated with ourselves for even taking a first bite. Like nicotine and other components in cigarettes, the ingredients of these goodies are addictive. We don’t stop at one bite or even one cookie.
If we have any gratitude for life and care at all, let us confine our food offerings to, if not vegan or gluten free, at least healthy choices for all of us.
Let us be mindful, for the sake of the frogs, if for nothing or no one else, of the degree to which we can deny the harm we do to ourselves and others, PLEASE!
Speaking of these animals, can you find the precious threatened frog in this painting? Awake! Look! See!
Here’s to a Happier Valentine’s Day for him or her, as the case may be.