Lapis Lazuli

Lapis is a beautiful royal blue stone. It is a rock and not a mineral because it is made up of various other minerals, including mostly Lazurite, Pyrite, Calcite and Diopside, along with possible inclusions of Sodalite, Huaynite, Noselite, Mica, Augite or Hornblende in small amounts. Lapis usually occurs in crystalline limestones as a result of contact metamorphism. Lapis Lazuli has a hardness rating of 5.5. Lapis Lazuli is often dyed to improve its color. Pierre Gilson Lapis is one of the better imitations. Lapis has been imitated by dyed Jasper and by paste with inclusions of copper. Lapis Lazuli can easily be scratched or chipped. Water will dissolve its protective coatings. When the blue constituent is attacked by Nitric Acid it has the odor of rotten eggs. When struck with a hammer, the Pyrite found in Lapis Lazuli will ignite sparks.

The name Lapis Lazuli comes from a variety of words meaning "blue" (azure) or "heaven". The Latin "lazulum", stemming from the Arabic "lazaward" (lazawam, or L'azulaus) meaning blue, heaven and sky, and the similar Persian "lazhward" constitute the Lazuli part. The first part of the name, Lapis, is of Latin origin meaning simply "stone".

Lapis Lazuli is rare and only found in a few places on earth including Chile, Baffin Islands, United States, Argentina, Canada, Siberia, and Afghanistan, where it occurs in large deposits. The best quality material contains less calcite and pyrite. An opaque stone, Lapis Lazuli takes a beautiful polish. It has always been fashioned as beads and cabochons, carved into exquisite articles of ornament, or used in inlays and mosaics.The most famous locality for fine quality lapis lazuli is in the remote Kokcha Valley of Badakhshan, Afghanistan. This is the same ancient deposit high in the mountains where it was originally mined at least 6000 years ago. It has been mined continuously at this location and is widely referenced in many ancient texts. The mines were visited by Marco Polo, in the year 1271 A.D. These mines still produce the best quality of Lapis Lazuli. The stone was exported to the ancient civilizations of Egypt, and Sumer where it was used as ornamental stone and in jewelry. It was later traded throughout the East and into Europe.

The mining of Lapis Lazuli remains quite primitive. Huge fires are built on the rocks, then water is thrown on them. The sudden cooling of the rocks causes them to split up so they can be readily be excavated. The yield, however, is small, and the price even for exceptionally fine specimens is low. With the market value rising, security is increased at the mines, where miners are routinely chained to the walls of the mineshafts while they work.

Lapis is not widely referenced as a birthstone. However, a 1912 list of birthstones created by a trade group lists lapis as one of the gems. Regardless of whether it is considered a birthstone, lapis is a gem rich in history

The celestial hue of Lapis Lazuli was thought, in ancient cultures of Peru, Egypt, and China, to be appropriate for use as a memorial offering, such as a scarab or talisman, to aid in their heavenward journey in the afterlife .

In the ancient world, lapis was considered as valuable as gold. For years Egyptians sent out legions of soldiers to accompany traders who collected lapis for amulets, scarabs and for their high priests, who wore images of Mat, the goddess of truth, around their necks.

Powdered lazurite was once the source of the pigment ultramarine, used by the ancient Egyptians since before 3,100 BC in medicines, paintings, and cosmetics. Ancient Egyptians used ground up Lapis Lazuli as an early form of eye shadow. In fact, powdered lapis was used as an eye shadow by Cleopatra herself.

In ancient Egypt blue lapis was a favorite stone for amulets and ornaments such as scarabs. The Egyptians used Lapis for seals and often carved it into vases and figurines. The 26th chapter of the Book of the Dead was engraved on lapis-lazuli, the 27th upon feldspar, the 30th upon serpentine, and the 29th upon carnelian, due to the association between the god principally invoked in the text with the precious substance upon which the text was engraved.

As inscribed in the 140th chapter of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, blue lapis, in the shape of an eye set in gold, was considered an amulet of great power. On the last day of the month, an offering was made before this symbolic eye, for it was believed that, on that day, the supreme being placed such an image on his head.

At one time Lapis jewelry was only worn by royalty. It was believed by some that wearing Lapis Lazuli would protect the wearer from evil. A powerful Sumerian bull god had a lapis beard, and those who carried the gem had the power of that god. A saying of the ancient Sumerian priests states. "He who carries with him into battle an amulet of Lapis carries with him the presence of his god."

Assyrian tablets refer to the gem as an article of tribute. In the third millennium, BCE, Puabi, a Sumerian queen, dressed in a robe of lapis and gold. Innini, also known as Isthar, a Babylonian goddess of love and sex, adorned herself with ornaments of lapis lazuli, including a great lapis lazuli necklace, in preparation for her descent into the underworld

Lapis Lazuli was also one of the stones set in the 'Breastplate of Judgement' worn by Aaron, brother of Moses and great High Priest, as described in the Bible in Exodus 28:15-30. Ezekiel 1:26 describes God's throne appearing to be Lapis Lazuli. Lapis was used in ceremonial robes of Hebrew patriarchs. Lapis Lazuli is further related to Archangel Zadkiel, whose name means, "Righteousness of God". It is said an angel gave King Solomon a lapis ring to control demons.

In ancient times, Lapis Lazuli was also known as Sapphirus, which is the name that we use today for the blue corundum variety of Sapphire. Greeks spoke of an ancient sapphire which was streaked with gold, and this is unmistakably Lapis. Pliny refers to Sapphirus as a stone sprinkled with specks of gold. A similar reference can be found in Job 28:6. Tradition has it the Ten Commandments were carved on tablets of Sapphire, and, as mentioned, it is believed that this and other references to Sapphire in the Bible are actually Lapis Lazuli.

The Romans even believed it to be an aphrodisiac. Some believed that dreaming of Lapis would foretell love that would be forever faithful. It is supposed to bring spiritual love and is also known for enhancing love and fidelity within marriage.

In the Middle Ages, it was thought to keep the limbs healthy, and free the soul from error, envy and fear. It was once believed that lapis had medicinal properties. It was ground down, mixed with milk and applied as a dressing for boils and ulcers. It was also mixed with oil to create an exquisitely intense blue paint which served as a pigment for illuminated manuscripts.

Lapis was also used as for Tibetan tankas - the sacred iconographic chronology of deities which form the basis for visualizations during meditation practices.

Up until the 19th century, ground Lapis Lazuli was mixed with oil and used as a pigment and paint to create the colour ultramarine, which literally meant "beyond the sea" as it was brought from far away by ship. This semi-precious mineral was usually used for artworks of great importance, such as the funeral mask of Tutankhamen and the decoration of the Taj Mahal. The grand old masters of the Renaissance chose it to color the garments of Christ and the Virgin Mary, despite the fact that the Lapis Lazuli cost more than gold. It wasn't until 1828 that a substitute was made for this costly pigment. There are castles which still have columns and wallpanels covered in this lustrous stone.

Today, lapis is common, carried out of the mines of Afghanistan in tin trunks from which it is exported all over the world. Lapis was much more expensive decades ago than it is now. That the gem has become fairly easy to obtain does not diminish its beauty or its value.

What's my cat's favorite stone?

Lap-is.

Mary Stewart

I wonder if it’s a coincidence that my favorite author of all time was born on my mother’s birthday?

Mary Stewart
Mary Florence Elinor Stewart (née Rainbow; born 17 September 1916) is a popular English novelist, best known for her series about Merlin, which straddles the boundary between the historical novel and the fantasy genre.

Mary Stewart was born in Sunderland, County Durham, England and graduated from Durham University. She was a lecturer in English Language and Literature there until her marriage in 1945 to Sir Frederick Stewart, former chairman of the Geology Department of Edinburgh University. Sir Frederick passed away in 2001.

She also taught at the John Norquay elementary school for 30 to 35 years, but has now retired. If she’s still alive, she is 92 this year.

Lady Stewart's career as a novelist began in 1956 with Madam, Will You Talk? Since then she has published twenty novels, all bestsellers, including her Merlin trilogy about the legendary enchanter Merlin and the young Arthur and, most recently, The Stormy Petrel and Thornyhold. Her books for children include The Little Broomstick, Ludo and the Star Horse, and A Walk in Wolf Wood. She has also published a book of poetry entitled Frost on the Window.

She has 14 New York Times Bestsellers to her credit, including her famous Merlin trilogy: the Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment… and The Wicked Day… oops that’s four. A Quadrology?

She is also the author of many crime fiction, gothic fiction and romance novels, several of which have been adapted for television and/or film. Several of her books are set in Scotland; others are set in more exotic locations such as Damascus, the Greek islands, Spain, France, Austria, etc.

She was at the height of her popularity in the 1960s and 1970s when many of her suspense and romantic novels were translated into many languages.

Her interests included natural history, gardening, Greek and Roman history, music and art, the details of which often found their way into her novels.

Stewart is considered one of the founders of the romantic suspense subgenre, blending romance novels and mystery. Her novels seamlessly combined the two genres, maintaining a full mystery while focusing on the courtship between two people. In her novels, the process of solving the mystery "helps to illuminate" the hero's personality, helping the heroine to fall in love with him.

The Merlin Series
The Crystal Cave (1970)
The Hollow Hills (1973)
The Last Enchantment (1979)
The Wicked Day (1983)
The Prince and the Pilgrim (1995)
Others
Madam, Will You Talk? (1955)
Wildfire at Midnight (1956)
Thunder on the Right (1957)
Nine Coaches Waiting (1958)
My Brother Michael (1959)
The Ivy Tree (1961)
The Moon-Spinners (1962)
This Rough Magic (1964)
Airs Above the Ground (1965)
The Gabriel Hounds (1967)
The Wind Off the Small Isles (1968)
The Little Broomstick (1971) (children's novel)
Ludo and the Star Horse (1974) (children's novel)
Touch Not the Cat (1976)
A Walk in Wolf Wood (1980) (children's novel)
Thornyhold (1988)
Frost on the Window: And other Poems (1990) (poetry collection)
Stormy Petrel (1991)
Rose Cottage (1997)

A Whole Lotta Shaking Going On

A moderate earthquake occurred at 11:42:15 AM (PDT) on Tuesday, July 29, 2008.The magnitude 5.4 event occurred 4 km (3 miles) WSW of Chino Hills, CA.The hypocentral depth is 14 km ( 8 miles).
Magnitude
5.4 - moment magnitude (Mw)
Time
Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 11:42:15 AM (PDT)Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 18:42:15 (UTC)
Distance from
Chino Hills, CA - 4 km (3 miles) WSW (240 degrees)Diamond Bar, CA - 7 km (5 miles) SE (135 degrees)Yorba Linda, CA - 8 km (5 miles) NNE (16 degrees)Pomona, CA - 12 km (7 miles) S (184 degrees)Los Angeles Civic Center, CA - 46 km (28 miles) ESE (104 degrees)
Coordinates
33 deg. 57.3 min. N (33.955N), 117 deg. 45.9 min. W (117.765W)
Depth
13.6 km (8.5 miles)

This was not fun. It shook quite a bit for a good 10 seconds at least. It was initially posted as a 5.8 event and then adjusted down to the 5.4 above. As we are on the 3rd floor of an office building in Monterey Park, we got quite a bit of movement. If it had gone on any longer the ceiling tiles would have popped out and the windows might have broken - we are so lucky it didn't! I should have gotten under my desk as per instructions in our recent office earthquake preparedness seminar, but I was worried I wouldn't be able to get up again! So, I rode my office chair (the kind with wheels) around the office for a while, watching the drawers of the credenza open and shut and the door move back and forth on its hinges. It took me a while to stop my hands from trembling afterwards!

I'm always very glad when an earthquake is over. Phew! Made it through another one. Not as bad as Northridge or Whittier Narrows, but bad enough.

Exercise

I am reminded of something I recently read concerning the value of exercise:

Exercising the body and the spirit will aid in your climb toward health. Appropriate physical activity helps to combat depression -But spiritual exercise is even more crucial. This battle will be more easily won with fervent prayer. If we truly “counsel with the Lord in all [our] doings, … he will direct [us] for good.” (Alma 37:37.)

Strength comes from

• Uplifting Music


• Good Books


• Feasting From The Scriptures
  

Since the Book of Mormon was to come forth “when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth” (Morm. 8:31), study of that book in particular will fortify us.

29 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be heard of fires, and tempests, and vapors of smoke in foreign lands;
30 And there shall also be heard of wars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in divers places.
31 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity.
32 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be churches built up that shall say: Come unto me, and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins.
33 O ye wicked and perverse and stiffnecked people, why have ye built up churches unto yourselves to get gain? Why have ye transfigured the holy word of God, that ye might bring damnation upon your souls? Behold, look ye unto the revelations of God; for behold, the time cometh at that day when all these things must be fulfilled.
34 Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you.
35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

Exercise the Body
Exercise the Spirit
and choose to Exercise Faith in God.

Perspective

Lately I'm reminded frequently that my perspective is not God's perspective. In fact, I'm having trouble getting any perspective at all on my life at the moment.

I blame the media for some of my paranoia. I don’t know if I’m better off knowing all the terrible things going on in the world, or not. I’m starting to wonder how truly useful it is in your daily life to know the awful things taking place in the world at large.

I seem to spend all my time worrying over things I can’t do anything about, as if my worrying about them will somehow alleviate the problem or have an effect for the positive. I know this is silly, but it doesn’t make it go away.

I worry about climate change, earthquakes, illegal immigration (my mother was a legal immigrant and proud of it), the economy – including rising gasoline, food and energy prices, the plight of the honey bee, the genetic manipulation of our food sources, growing illiteracy among our schoolchildren, the cost of healthcare, declining water sources, corrupt governments, migrating birds and fish, and terrorism.

I worry about my Dad, who is quickly slipping away from us, a hapless victim of an ugly disease called Alzheimer’s. I used to joke about Alzheimer’s until I met it face to face and saw how truly terrible it is.

I worry about providing for my own retirement, in an age where banks are failing, stocks are up one day and down the next, and health care costs are soaring.

I worry about the young people I know. What kind of a world they are inheriting from us? It is full of deceit and immorality. I worry that they are not being taught anything useful in schools where teachers are too busy testing to teach and corrupt officials and administrators siphon off educational funds that never seem to reach the students. I worry that their role models have names like Brittany, Lindsay, Paris and Nicole, instead of Julia Ward Howe, Florence Nightingale, Susan B. Anthony, Eliza R. Snow, Abigail Adams or their own mothers and grandmothers.

I’m angered by recent t.v. commercials airing in California claiming that global warming is a “choice”. Mother Nature is a choice? Who writes these things? And, more importantly, who is benefitting financially from all this hysteria?

Let’s agree to be better stewards of the earth. Let’s be thoughtful in our choices. I’m onboard with that concept. But, seriously, is buying a weird light bulb or banning plastic going to do much good in the big picture? I doubt it, unless all the billions of people on the earth all get on the same page.

Don’t worry, I will do my part, like some obedient green lemming charging off a cliff into the increasingly polluted ocean, to be vigilant. I will recycle, reuse and, in the rhyme from another era of great change in the last century:

Use it up
Wear it out
Make it do
Or do without

Quite frankly I think the earth would be better served if everyone took one day a week – shall we choose Sunday? – to go to church and spend time doing restful, peaceful things and looking after each other. Let’s try feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, comforting those who stand in need of comfort, visiting the sick and the aged, teaching children moral values and maybe even teaching someone to read.

How nice a world it would be if we all took time out to thank God for the great bounty we still have? How nice to focus on our blessings instead of our challenges! If everyone said their daily prayers and took time to read the scriptures, if we really got on board with loving our neighbors and doing good in the world, if we ceased to fight with our spouses and children and treated them with kindness and respect daily, then we’d see a truly positive change in the world!

Gu Ma and Emily

姑媽 Gu Ma – that’s me. Father’s sister. I am lucky to be an aunt. I have enjoyed my brother’s children. It’s been great to watch them grow and develop into responsible adults. As for me, I have a cat child, Emily. Emily is an American Shorthair Domestic cat. She has the very typical short front legs and powerful back legs common to her breed. She also has beautiful, velvety black fur and huge, very round, golden eyes. The great thing about Emily is that she talks. She has a good vocabulary of words that have to do with her immediate situation – she says: Mom, Up, I want, Here I am, Out and a couple of other things. Of course, when she says these words her speech sounds more like: maaam, uh, ahwaa, eeww-ah-aamm, ow etc. She likes to announce the things she’s doing so I will look. She was born in 1990, so she’s experiencing many of the problems inherent in old age, particularly arthritis in her hind end. To help her get around, I have little stairs and boxes strategically placed so she can more easily jump up and down on things. Getting on the bed is particularly difficult for her. One day I heard her announce I want to (ah wahtu). I heard “I want to, I want to, I want to…. NOW” With the last word she painfully jumped up from the last step onto the bed. I am reminded of the “Little Engine That Could”. What a joy this little cat has brought to my life. She gives the best hugs and kisses, and her delightful commentary on the world, simple though it may be, has brought charm to my otherwise drab, everyday life.

Trip to Phoenix

Tuesday, July 22, 2008
It feels like Monday instead of Tuesday. I bet this week will drag by.It was a bittersweet weekend. I was so glad to be able to spend time with my Dad, although I don't think he actually knew who I was. He's very frail. His eyes are so glassy it looks like he has a fever. Saturday I thought he looked so bad he could die any minute, but Sunday and Monday he was responsive (for him) and following along with things. He actually laughed at one of my jokes! It was good to see him smile.We got to chat with the caregivers: the CNAs, the Hospice nurse and the sweet people who run the home he's in. It's a beautiful house, and so peaceful there. Daddy's getting good care and seems content there most of the time, although his Alzheimer's makes him restless. I noticed he can still walk on his own, but needs assistance up and down, but that is still good. However the Hospice nurse told me he'd likely have another decline after this, as he was so lucid over the weekend. I have no idea if he has days, weeks or months to go. Somehow I think it's weeks, but I suppose we'll see. I feel like my emotions are so close to the surface today, like I'm emotionally hung-over.

Thoughts on Writing

"As Colette advised, “Regarde!” She knew how to look at the world, particularly the natural world, with love. You can argue that the Beatles were naive to say, “All you need is love”; but I can’t think of a better place to start!"
- C.A. Belmond

C.A. Belmond is currently my favorite author. Her books, A Rather Lovely Inheritance and A Rather Curious Engagement, are everything I enjoy in light reading. They are charming, fun, and set in Europe. Reading them is rather like taking a little vacation with a friend. I heartily recommend them.

My Work

I went to work for KOA Corporation in January, 2008. They are located in Monterey Park, California. KOA is an engineering firm dealing exclusively with traffic and transportation engineering. It's a busy and productive atmosphere.

Happy Birthday, America

I'm proud and grateful to be an American. What an exciting election year this has been! Lots of firsts. It has been great to see the processes of freedom at work.

Neal A. Maxwell, speaking to the BYU law school Sept. 4, 2003:

“The United States Constitution remains a most remarkable document shaped by God’s hand. If pondered--both as to its substance and the miraculous process of its coming forth--the Constitution is deserving of our prolonged, spiritual applause…Certain of the Constitution’s central features--such as the vital separation of powers and the precious First Amendment, as conceived and intended--were needed to foster moral agency.”

Orson Hyde, July 4, 1854--as quote in the Journal of Discourses:

“It was by the agency of that same angel of God that appeared unto Joseph Smith and revealed to him the history of the early inhabitants of this country…This same angel presides over the destinies of America, and feels a lively interest in all our doings. He was in the camp of Washington; and, by an invisible hand, led on our fathers to conquest and victory; and all this to open and prepare the way for the Church and kingdom of God to be established on the western hemisphere, for the redemption of Israel and the salvation of the world…Under the guardianship of this same angel, or Prince of America, have the United States grown, increased, and flourished, like the sturdy oak by the rivers of water.”

James Madison, Federalist No. 37:

“The real wonder is that so many difficulties should have been surmounted, and surmounted with a unanimity almost as unprecedented as it must have been unexpected. It is impossible for any man of candor to reflect on this circumstance without partaking of the astonishment. It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in it a finger of that Almighty hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the revolution.”

Benjamin Franklin, during Constitutional Convention, quoted in American Gospel, 88-89:

“In this situation of this assembly, groping, as it were, in the dark, to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the father of lights to illuminate our understandings?

“In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for the divine protection! Our prayers, sir, were heard; and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending providence in our favor.

“I have lived, sir, a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men! And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?”

The Father of Our Country

George Washington - noted many instances of divine guidance and protection. In a letter to his brother Jack, he states:
"As I have heard since my arrival at this place, a circumstantial acct. of my death and dying speech, I take this opportunity of contradicting both, and of assuring you that I now exist and appear in the land of the living by the miraculous care of Providence, that protected me beyond all human expectation; I had 4 Bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, and yet escaped unhurt."

- from The Battle of Monongahela - Washington’s God, p. 56
"A great Indian chief had watched the young Col. Washington in this battle near the Monongahela. He told Washington 15 years later: 'A power mightier far than we shielded you ...I had seventeen fair fires at him with my rifle, and after all could not bring him to the ground.'
From the book Revolutionary War--Escape from Disaster--Long Island - WG, p. 78:
The Americans were surrounded on Long Island, and what force was left, regrouped and huddled in a fort in Brooklyn. With night falling, the British officer pulled back to save casualties, confident the Americans would surrender or be broken come morning. Washington found what boats could be had and began getting his men across the East River throughout the night. A loyalist discovered their activities and tried to send a message to the British, but it didn't get through. And then came the dawn... "Washington realized with dread that he had only half his troops safely across the river. The British would surely discover their movement as soon as the sun rose! Yet, just as dawn began to stretch its colorful fingertips across the horizon, a heavy fog rolled in. Suddenly, all was gray and yellow, an unforgettable fog. No one could see far in front of him--movements ahead were entirely obscured. Within hours, still undercover of fog, Washington was finally able to step onto one of the last of the boats, his gray charger beside him, and set sail for the safety of Manhattan. Less than an hour after the last boat landed in New York, the last of the yellowish fog dispersed. Washington had not left one man behind. His army was secure. They had been spared an ignominious defeat. Washington and his men would live to fight another day."

Here is an excerpt from "Second Declaration of Thanksgiving" by George Washington:
"I, George Washington, President of the United States, do recommend to all religious societies and denominations, and to all persons whomsoever, within the United States to set apart and observe Thursday the 19th of February next, as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, and on that day to meet together and render their sincere and hearty thanks to the Great Ruler of Nations for the manifold and signal mercies which distinguish our lot as a nation, particularly for the possession of constitutions of government which unite and by their union establish liberty with order; for the preservation of our peace, foreign and domestic...and generally, for the prosperous course of our affairs, public and private; and at the same time humbly and fervently to beseech the kind Author of these blessings graciously to prolong them to us; to imprint on our hearts a deep and solemn sense of our obligations to Him for them; to teach us rightly to estimate their immense value; to preserve us from the arrogance of prosperity, and from hazarding the advantages we enjoy by delusive pursuits; to dispose us to merit the continuance of His favors by not abusing them; by our gratitude for them, and by a correspondent conduct as citizens and men; to render this country more and more a safe and propitious asylum for the unfortunate of other countries; to extend among us true and useful knowledge; to diffuse and establish habits of sobriety, order, morality, and piety, and finally, to impart all the blessings we possess, or ask for ourselves, to the whole family of mankind."