Feeding the Fire

 

I've had a lot of fireplaces and fires in my life, and a lot of places, and a lot of houses. 

In the first place where Sandy and I lived together, I remember listening to the music of The Byrds while watching the flames and reminiscing about the 1967 Summer of Love. The fire helped to take me back to a precious time in my life.

In North Carolina, I had a cord of wood stacked up between two trees. I would brush the snow off the wood before carrying it into the house.

Our floating home in Portland, OR had a gas fireplace--not nearly as interesting.

When we lived in Martinez, CA, we had no real fireplace at all--just two fake ones (one of them made by the Amish), with electric heaters in them.

We were back on track, though, when we moved to Uruguay. There, we had to deal with all the logistics of leña, firewood.

Here I am, back in Uruguay. Firewood, though, is at least four times as expensive as it was when Sandy and I first came here. All of it comes from the northern, interior part of the country, far from the touristy coast.

Right now I'm in my friend's house in La Paloma, a couple hours drive from my own house. She has a big wood stove, and we do our best to keep it fed.

One thing that I've noticed is that I like to feed the fire. It's almost a meditative thing. You have a relationship with the fire, and it's a deep one if you build it from scratch. You know every step of its development, in which you had a hand.

I don't have a fireplace or a wood stove in my own house, just three electric "splits.". I'll probably have a pellet stove installed, in the interest of efficiency. It will heat well, but I'll be missing out on feeding the fire.

Copyright © 2024 by Donald C. Traxler.

Gospel of Thomas 102 in English and Udugi ꭴꮪꭹ

 

Saying 102: The Dog in the Feeding Trough

Jesus said, "How awful for the Pharisees who are like a dog sleeping in a feeding trough for cattle, because the dog doesn't eat, and [doesn't let] the cattle eat either."

tsisa hinegise, "gesvase ulosvstanv ani qualisi nasgihai na gesvase tsilv gili gelasdodi-unaditasdi hawina waga nasgihai, igvnisisgi gili tla agisdase ale tla alisgolvdodase wagane agisdi iyusdiquo.

ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᎶᏒᏍᏔᏅ ᎠᏂ ᏆᎵᏏ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ Ꮎ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏥᎸ ᎩᎵ ᎨᎳᏍᏙᏗ-ᎤᎾᏗᏔᏍᏗ ᎭᏫᎾ ᏩᎦ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ, ᎢᎬᏂᏏᏍᎩ ᎩᎵ Ꮭ ᎠᎩᏍᏓᏎ ᎠᎴ Ꮭ ᎠᎵᏍᎪᎸᏙᏓᏎ ᏩᎦᏁ ᎠᎩᏍᏗ ᎢᏳᏍᏗᏉ.

Gospel of Thomas 101 in English and Udugi ꭴꮪꭹ

 

Saying 101: Discipleship (2)

"Whoever doesn't hate their [father] and mother as I do can't become my [disciple], and whoever [doesn't] love their [father] and mother as I do can't become my [disciple]. For my mother […], but [my] true [Mother] gave me Life."

nasgiquo-yigi tla ganaquatisdase unatseli edoda ale etsi tsilv aya, tla yeliquase didolagi aqua adasdawadidohi, ale nasgiquo-yigi tla geyudase unatseli edoda ale etsi tsilv aya tla yeliquase didolagi aqua adasdawadidohi. yeno aqua etsi adanedise ayv didla aqua ayelv, aseno aqua udohiyu etsi adanedise ayv vlenidohvne.

ᎾᏍᎩᏉ-ᏱᎩ Ꮭ ᎦᎾᏆᏘᏍᏓᏎ ᎤᎾᏤᎵ ᎡᏙᏓ ᎠᎴ ᎡᏥ ᏥᎸ ᎠᏯ, Ꮭ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᏗᏙᎳᎩ ᎠᏆ ᎠᏓᏍᏓᏩᏗᏙᎯ, ᎠᎴ ᎾᏍᎩᏉ-ᏱᎩ Ꮭ ᎨᏳᏓᏎ ᎤᎾᏤᎵ ᎡᏙᏓ ᎠᎴ ᎡᏥ ᏥᎸ ᎠᏯ Ꮭ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᏗᏙᎳᎩ ᎠᏆ ᎠᏓᏍᏓᏩᏗᏙᎯ. ᏰᏃ ᎠᏆ ᎡᏥ ᎠᏓᏁᏗᏎ ᎠᏴ ᏗᏜ ᎠᏆ ᎠᏰᎸ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᎠᏆ ᎤᏙᎯᏳ ᎡᏥ ᎠᏓᏁᏗᏎ ᎠᏴ ᎥᎴᏂᏙᎲᏁ.

Gospel of Thomas 100 in English and Udugi ꭴꮪꭹ

 

Saying 100: Give to Caesar What Belongs to Caesar

They showed Jesus a gold coin and said to him, "Those who belong to Caesar demand tribute from us."

He said to them, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give to God what belongs to God, and give to me what belongs to me."

nasgidv unadvnelvdise tsisa didla dalonigei agvhalvda ale kanohedise atsvyv didla, "nasgidv na udotsalase kaisala atayosdase ayeli-aguyvdone itsulv nidvlenvda." atsvyai kanohedise nasgidv didla, "adanedu kaisala didla na udotsalase kaisala, adanedu deo didla na udotsalase deo, ale adanedu ayv didla na udotsalase ayv."

ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᎤᎾᏛᏁᎸᏗᏎ ᏥᏌ ᏗᏜ ᏓᎶᏂᎨᎢ ᎠᎬᎭᎸᏓ ᎠᎴ ᎧᏃᎮᏗᏎ ᎠᏨᏴ ᏗᏜ, "ᎾᏍᎩᏛ Ꮎ ᎤᏙᏣᎳᏎ ᎧᎢᏌᎳ ᎠᏔᏲᏍᏓᏎ ᎠᏰᎵ-ᎠᎫᏴᏙᏁ ᎢᏧᎸ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ." ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎧᏃᎮᏗᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᏗᏜ, "ᎠᏓᏁᏚ ᎧᎢᏌᎳ ᏗᏜ Ꮎ ᎤᏙᏣᎳᏎ ᎧᎢᏌᎳ, ᎠᏓᏁᏚ ᏕᎣ ᏗᏜ Ꮎ ᎤᏙᏣᎳᏎ ᏕᎣ, ᎠᎴ ᎠᏓᏁᏚ ᎠᏴ ᏗᏜ Ꮎ ᎤᏙᏣᎳᏎ ᎠᏴ."

Gospel of Thomas 99 in English and Udugi ꭴꮪꭹ

 

Saying 99: Jesus' True Family

The disciples said to him, "Your brothers and mother are standing outside."

He said to them, "The people here who do the will of my Father are my brothers and mother; they're the ones who will enter my Father's kingdom."

adasdawadidohidi kanohedise atsvyv didla, "nihi anadanvtli ale ulvdi ale etsi gesvase gadoganete doyegi." atsvyai kanohedise nasgidv didla, "yvwi ahani na alenidohase nvwadohiyadv hawina aqua edoda gvdodi gesvase aqua anadanvtli ale aqua ulv ale aqua etsi; nasgidv gesvase yvwi na ayasdose ugvwiyuhiyi aqua edoda vhnai. "

ᎠᏓᏍᏓᏩᏗᏙᎯᏗ ᎧᏃᎮᏗᏎ ᎠᏨᏴ ᏗᏜ, "ᏂᎯ ᎠᎾᏓᏅᏟ ᎠᎴ ᎤᎸᏗ ᎠᎴ ᎡᏥ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎦᏙᎦᏁᏖ ᏙᏰᎩ." ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎧᏃᎮᏗᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᏗᏜ, "ᏴᏫ ᎠᎭᏂ Ꮎ ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎭᏎ ᏅᏩᏙᎯᏯᏛ ᎭᏫᎾ ᎠᏆ ᎡᏙᏓ ᎬᏙᏗ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏆ ᎠᎾᏓᏅᏟ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏆ ᎤᎸ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏆ ᎡᏥ; ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏴᏫ Ꮎ ᎠᏯᏍᏙᏎ ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯᏱ ᎠᏆ ᎡᏙᏓ ᎥᎿᎢ. "

Gospel of Thomas 98 in English and Udugi ꭴꮪꭹ

 

Saying 98: The Parable of the Assassin

Jesus said, "The Father's kingdom can be compared to a man who wanted to kill someone powerful. He drew his sword in his house and drove it into the wall to figure out whether his hand was strong enough. Then he killed the powerful one."

tsisa hinegise, "ugvwiyuhiyi edoda vhnai gesvase ginitloyi asgaya na aduladise tsiluga ulanigidv yvwine. atsvyai asesihise utseli hayelasdine ganvhida utseli galitsode hawina ale ayilegise nasgine asoyv nahnai gowati iyuno utseli uwoyeni gesvise nulinigvgvhi yeliquu. nahiyui tsilugise nulinigvgvhine."

ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯᏱ ᎡᏙᏓ ᎥᎿᎢ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎩᏂᏠᏱ ᎠᏍᎦᏯ Ꮎ ᎠᏚᎳᏗᏎ ᏥᎷᎦ ᎤᎳᏂᎩᏛ ᏴᏫᏁ. ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎠᏎᏏᎯᏎ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎭᏰᎳᏍᏗᏁ ᎦᏅᎯᏓ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎦᎵᏦᏕ ᎭᏫᎾ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏱᎴᎩᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ ᎠᏐᏴ ᎾᎿᎢ ᎪᏩᏘ ᎢᏳᏃ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎤᏬᏰᏂ ᎨᏒᎢᏎ ᏄᎵᏂᎬᎬᎯ ᏰᎵᏊ. ᏀᎢᏳᎢ ᏥᎷᎩᏎ ᏄᎵᏂᎬᎬᎯᏁ."

Gospel of Thomas 97 in English and Udugi ꭴꮪꭹ

 

Saying 97: The Parable of the Jar of Flour

Jesus said, "The Father's kingdom can be compared to a woman carrying a jar of flour. While she was walking down [a] long road, the jar's handle broke and the flour spilled out behind her on the road. She didn't know it, and didn't realize there was a problem until she got home, put down the jar, and found it empty."

tsisa hinegise, " ugvwiyuhiyi edoda vhnai gesvase ginitloyi ageya awidvdanete gugutsulvsadane utsalesda vhnai. nahiyui nasgi aisvise ganvhida nvnohi na hna, guhalv gugutsulvsada vhnai ayogise ale utsalesda atsewasdise doyegi nasgi oniditlv nvnohi na hna. nasgi tla unvtise, ale tla unvtise na gesvise agasesdo gvni ulutsise owenvsv, wadiyise eladi gugutsulvsadane, ale awadvdise nasgine usiwa.

ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, " ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯᏱ ᎡᏙᏓ ᎥᎿᎢ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎩᏂᏠᏱ ᎠᎨᏯ ᎠᏫᏛᏓᏁᏖ ᎫᎫᏧᎸᏌᏓᏁ ᎤᏣᎴᏍᏓ ᎥᎿᎢ. ᏀᎢᏳᎢ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎠᎢᏒᎢᏎ ᎦᏅᎯᏓ ᏅᏃᎯ Ꮎ Ꮏ, ᎫᎭᎸ ᎫᎫᏧᎸᏌᏓ ᎥᎿᎢ ᎠᏲᎩᏎ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏣᎴᏍᏓ ᎠᏤᏩᏍᏗᏎ ᏙᏰᎩ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎣᏂᏗᏢ ᏅᏃᎯ Ꮎ Ꮏ. ᎾᏍᎩ Ꮭ ᎤᏅᏘᏎ, ᎠᎴ Ꮭ ᎤᏅᏘᏎ Ꮎ ᎨᏒᎢᏎ ᎠᎦᏎᏍᏙ ᎬᏂ ᎤᎷᏥᏎ ᎣᏪᏅᏒ, ᏩᏗᏱᏎ ᎡᎳᏗ ᎫᎫᏧᎸᏌᏓᏁ, ᎠᎴ ᎠᏩᏛᏗᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ ᎤᏏᏩ.