… That is the way I’ve come to think of “ttstark,” the person who posts flames on this blog that have zero to do with either the topic under consideration or the general tone of mullentown.

I’m probably insulting wolves by saying that. Wolves are known for their strict social order and for being good parents to their young. “ttstark” simply comes across as a boor with a poor upbringing. Also, I have the distinct feeling he’s drunk when he writes these posts. And a bitter drunk at that.

I hadn’t even checked in this weekend, mostly because I took a dream bicycle ride halfway to Big Mountain (at the Salt Lake/Morgan County line) on Saturday and truly enjoyed Mother’s Day on Sunday. My family gave me time — the best gift of all. I planted my tomatoes and then sat on the porch drinking pinot grigio from a box while reading Barbara Kingsolver’s new book. I’ve always been a fan of Kingsolver, and this new non-fiction work is a cross between her fabulous essays and a journalistic foray into how we get the food we eat.

So, I called up mullentown this a.m. and found yet another flame by this character (See “Girl and Fire,” May 9 post). I saw all your kind efforts to defend me. I’ve also received a couple of e-mails from readers encouraging me to somehow shut off his access to the site. I guess that decision is partially up to all of you. What do you think?

I’m naturally anti-censorship. But as my brilliant Webmaster Joey pointed out to me a few minutes ago, I’m paying for this site and I should have some power over who uses it. He compares it to owning a restaurant. My blog is open to the public and it benefits from varied opinions. But I wouldn’t sit by and allow someone to come into the restaurant, throw trash all over and scream insults at me, the proprietor, or at the patrons. Joey suggests if ttstark has a problem with me kicking him off the blog, maybe he should pay to keep the domain name — and all the others costs associated with the site.

Of course, shunning him the way many of you already have might work. I tried ignoring him, but that didn’t work. If you would like to take up this topic on mullentown, go ahead. Right now, I’m inclined to kick him off, but I can be swayed the other way with a good argument.

Peace out.

Even if you’ve never had the good fortune of visiting the World Wonder Taj Mahal in Agra, India, you may know the story behind it.

The Taj

Seventeenth-century Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj as a mausoleum for the remains of his favorite wife, reportedly the greatest love of his life, and mother to 14 (!!) of his children. Not too surprisingly, Empress Mumtaz Mahal died in childbirth.

Some 20 years after her death, the Persian-inspired wonder was completed, with marble cut from the hardest limestone in the world. And then there are the thousands of precious and semi-precious stones inlaid in intricate detail within the stone. No human vocabulary can every properly describe this edifice — a breathtaking testament to eternal love.

Taj Mahal detail

So, here’s the “promise” I was able to extract from my dream husband and best friend, Ted, as we sat on a bench admiring the Taj from a humbling distance:

Me: “Tell me something. Do you love me enough to build me a Taj Mahal when I’m gone?”
Ted: “Absolutely.”
Me: “You would do that for me, wouldn’t you?”
Ted: “Absolutely.”
Me: “I can count on that?”
Ted: “Yes. Even if I have to get a paper route to help pay for it.”
Me: “That’s what a woman wants to hear.”