2016: It Was Full of Awfulness, But...

Me and my Mom, circa 1960

The first thing that let me know this was going to be a rough year is that we lost my Mom in January.  She had dementia, and had been difficult to have current conversations with (you could share past memories all day long, she remembered the past.  Just not the last few minutes) for quite some time.  Still, knowing your Mommy isn't there anymore when you just want to hear her voice is really hard to get used to.  Especially when you were her baby, and spent a LOT of time alone with her in your early years.

There were some good moments this year, though, in spite of all the beloved celebrities we have lost.
I got to meet THIS little sweetheart, even if it was while I was in Los Angeles for my Mom's burial service. 

That's me and my grand niece walking on the pier.  I got to see the ocean again this year, as well.

In February, I got another year older.  This can be both a good thing and a bad thing.  Aging is not for the faint of heart, especially if you're a woman.  I decided to own this gray hair, but I refuse to be a fat, flabby old auntie.  I walk several miles every day,  and do the Zumba class with the library sponsored crowd every other week.  (When it's my turn to facilitate the program , that is, set up and  clean up, I participate in the class.  Not required, but encouraged, because they want us to be as healthy as possible!)

I remember I had a lovely birthday. 

Tweet I received from Ron for my birthday.  He's such a sweetheart.

I also got flowers from friends, and from my hubby.

Flowers from my wonderful husband Matthew

Flowers from Fi, gifts from other wonderful friends far and near!  I am so spoiled!

My friends, near and far, made sure to let me know I was thought of and loved on my special day.  The fact that this happened is one of the best parts of 2016.  I have people I care about who care about me, too.  That is a priceless treasure.

Memorial Day weekend was also a great high point of 2016.  I got to meet some online friends for the first time, and I got to hug a bunch of my wonderful thoughtful friends who've been there for me for several years now.
Matt and I went to Space City Comic Con, both to see Ron, and Michael Ornstein, and to meet our favorites from Star Trek Continues, and also to see our friends Mary, Jana, Kelly and Mal again. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hugging on Doug

 

 

 

 

There were problems with the con that messed it up for a lot of folks, fortunately for us, we didn't have many issues.  A lot of the celebs had issues, though, and that was very sad.  They want to do the best they can for their fans, but it's hard when the con organization lets you down. Typical of 2016.  Mess things up for as many famous people as possible...

We got to meet Doug Jones for the first time, that was definitely a good thing that happened.

We also got to see and speak with Ron Perlman again.  My "spare" big brother.  Love that guy, he's the best.

Me and my buddy.

 We got to see, and Matt bought me a painting by Michael Ornstein. 

  Michael has always been so kind to me on Twitter, and he encourages my writing.  He's a very talented and very nice
guy.

We also met a few of our favorites from Star Trek Continues at that con.  We got to see the newest episode on the big screen before it was released online. 

Me and Michael Ornstein.

The painting by Michael that Matt bought for me is shown at the right.  We have it hanging in our entry hall here at home.

This is the poster for Come Not Between The Dragons, that the Star Trek Continues cast signed for us.

Later on, in the summer, we got to meet Vic Mignogna, and he added his autograph to the poster as well.

There's us with Vic at Soonercon.


Summer was far too hot, but I got to participate in a library event on July 4, and again in October.

These jack-o-lanterns are the Perlman themed ones I made for our house.  They were a big hit, even if some of the trick or treaters weren't sure who exactly they were...








Of course, early November was a big disappointment for some of us, and we are still trying to be hopeful about the after-effects of all of that.

There was ONE good thing; a new grand nephew.  Jackson joined the family in early November as well.

Christmas, however, was wonderful, as it always is, a celebration of the coming of light, and the restoring of hope.

I got a new cocktail shaker for Christmas.  Mostly because I have tried a lot of cocktail recipes this year, and Santa knew my "shaker" was two mixing glasses one inverted into the other. 

This was my favorite among the cocktails I learned to make this year.  The Lemon Chiffon Cake Martini.  SO tasty!

I have gotten a new journal for writing set up.  Gotta close out this year's , then I shall post some entries I have made lately.

Just wanted to remind myself that there were SOME good things about this year.  It has still been one stinker of a year, full of much sadness, and at least one major health scare.  (Matt had to have an appendectomy, and it was rather an emergency.)

May the year to come be less sad, filled with fewer frights and losses, and even more full of the the love of friends and family.
Many blessings to you and yours!

 

 

 

Merry Christmas

A very foggy Christmas Eve,
And I  was hoping Santa had Rudolph with him
For none of the tall buildings downtown
Could be seen at all
Through the fog.

And this morning,  the wind has come up,
It tugs with relentless fingers at the fog,
And the darkness.
It sets the skies to clearing a bit
And gives us a chance to see the light.

Oh, could we but keep the joy
And goodwill of this day
In all the dark times
That are sure to come
In this life
In a world still broken
In spite of all that has been done
In the name of healing
And love.

So blessed
Spent time with people who mean a lot
To me
To be able to sing, to worship,
And to share the joy
That bubbles up in my heart this day.

Replete.  Full.  Content.
The day has been a good one,
I have perhaps eaten too much, but it is a season for feasting.
I have yet to drink, and I could do so in style,
As I  was given a new cocktail shaker for Christmas.
So many good friends seen, hugged, and heard from this last two days, and the texts from the siblings,  too.
Such a joyful holiday.

Treasures

I happened to remember this story the other day, and decided to have my husband unearth it from the archive of an ancient website.  It is one I wrote 10 years ago.  It is based on actual events, but details have been added to make it more entertaining.   My family really did gather at my Uncle Dick and Aunt Clara's house every Christmas Eve until 1971.  That was the year we lost Uncle Dick, and Christmas was never quite the same without him.  He was such a sweet man, and I miss him AND my Pop every year about this time, more than usual.  
Family memories are a true treasure.  
The broken bottle of liquor I mention in the story was a real event, only it was a half-gallon of vodka that took the wax off the kitchen floor when Pop dropped it.  (My aunt and uncle were visiting, and Mom and Aunt Clara had been making vodka gimlets, I think maybe they got carried away a bit.)
This is my first Christmas without Mom.  I haven't spent Christmas with her or my family since about 1988, but she was always there to call and talk to.  (Though recently, it had been a challenge, as she had dementia.  She could remember the past quite well, though, and we shared many happy memories.)
There is a picture that I hope to find and include with this, of me with my dog in front of the Christmas tree, but I don't know if I'll have time to hunt it up!
Well, I couldn't find the photo. It is SOMEWHERE in the mess that is my office file cabinet.
Today we will share time with friends and with our St. Paul's family,  
Our wish for you is all the peace, light, joy, love, and hope of the season, and health, happiness, and prosperity in the year to come!
Please enjoy my little story. 




One Crazy Mixed Up Christmas
By Carolyn Kay Armistead, 1996

It started off like any other Christmas Eve. Mom made me wash my hair first thing in the morning, so it would be curled by time to go to Aunt Clara and Uncle Dick's house that evening. She set it for me as soon as I got it dry enough with my sister Susie's old hair dryer. I had to play all day with rollers in my hair. Not fun. They itched, and sometimes even pulled my hair and hurt me. But, Mom wanted me to have curly hair, so I wore them. (Why couldn't she ever accept the fact that all of us, except Walt, had straight hair just like Pop's? Walt never let his get curly, he kept it slicked down with "greasy kid stuff" as Pop called it.)
Anyway, things started off OK, like I said. Pop came home from work early, bringing the usual turkey AND a ham, and a bottle of liquor of some kind that would join the unopened multitudes on our highest kitchen shelf. (Someone at Pop's job always gave everybody a bottle of "holiday cheer". My parents weren't drinkers, so every year, the stockpile got bigger.) Mom then got after me to get dressed, she brushed out my hair, looked disappointed with its insistence on remaining fairly straight, and told me not to get into anything while she finished getting ready.
Walt showed up with his girlfriend, and we all got ready to go. That is when things started going nuts. We were going to ALL pile into Walt's Fairlane. Me, Mom, Pop, Walt, and his girlfriend. Well, theoretically, there was plenty of room. We loaded up the trunk with the presents for Aunt Clara, Uncle Dick, my cousins and their kids, and all piled in and got ready to go. The car started, no problem. Walt went to put it in gear, and the gearshift came off in his hand. I don't mean the knob came off, I mean the entire gearshift came loose from the floor of the car. Ooops.
Well, Pop said, we'll just have to take Mom's car. No, Mom said, there's not enough gas in her car, and besides, its been making that funny noise again. We all groaned. You couldn't go anywhere with Mom in a car making a "funny noise." She would spend the entire trip with her eyes clamped shut, whispering prayers under her breath. By the time you got where you were going, everybody in the car would be nervous.
So, we had no choice. Mom and Pop and I, and as many of our presents as would fit, scrunched into Pop's 1963 Volkswagen Beetle. Walt and his girlfriend had to take his Ranchero, which ran OK, but didn't have a heater that worked at the moment. Mom gave them an afgan or two, and told them to be careful. We started out in our weird caravan, down the crazy freeways from Compton to Placentia. We made it just fine, much to Mom's great relief. (Pop's driving in the VW always made Mom really, really nervous. She was always sure we were going to get squashed.)
There we were, at Aunt Clara and Uncle Dick's house, and already all the cousins were there. (I was hoping there would be some food left for us, until I remembered that Aunt Clara wouldn't let ANYBODY eat until everybody she expected showed up. Besides, with Aunt Clara around, you NEVER went hungry!) Uncle Dick met us at the door with his usual big smile and warm hugs for everybody. I usually didn't like huggy grownups, but Uncle Dick was different. He kind of looked like Santa without the beard and white hair. He was always laughing and joking, too. His eyes twinkled and his mouth was "drawn up like a bow" just like the Santa in "A Visit From St. Nicholas". (Which he read to us kids every Christmas Eve, by the way. ) Aunt Clara greeted everyone from the kitchen, where she was, as usual up to her elbows in wonderful smelling food preparations. Mom went in as always to try to help, and as always, Clara got her a cup of punch and shooed her out to the living room and told her to relax. ("After all, Sarah Gene, you'll have all that work tomorrow when we all come to your house." That's what she always used to get Mom out of her tiny kitchen on Christmas Eve. It always worked, too.) The usual round of cousins asking where Susie and Jim were came then, and they were answered as always: "They have Christmas Eve at Jim's folks' house." ( My sister and her husband didn't know what they were missing this year!)
Well, the cousins and I were just about done comparing Christmas lists, and getting ready to start bugging the grownups with the usual "When do we eat?" "Can we open presents yet?" litany that we observed every year, when there was a knock at the door. We were puzzled, the whole family was present, who could possibly be at the door? Aunt Clara thought perhaps one of the neighbors needed to borrow something, so imagine her surprise when she found Santa Claus on the front porch. Seems he'd been making the rounds of the neighborhood, "doing last minute checks for my naughty and nice list" as he put it. Well, Aunt Clara decided to be nice and let him in, she gave him some punch, and all us kids took turns sitting on his lap to have our picture made, and tell him what we wanted most of all for Christmas.
When my turn came, I noticed that "Santa" smelled a lot like that bottle of booze that got broken on its way home with Pop one year. I played along so as not to upset the littler kids, who really thought this was Santa. Once I had a chance, I went over and told Uncle Dick what I noticed about "Santa." About that time, "Santa" started singing German drinking songs, and my older brother Butch was about to join in because he knew the song. (Much to his wife's displeasure.)
Uncle Dick then suggested maybe Santa had better hurry on his way, after all, he had a lot of homes to visit that night. Uncle Dick offered to walk him out to his sleigh. He told all us kids to stay in the house, it was too cold to go out anyway. Uncle Dick left with Santa and was gone quite a while. When he came back, I heard him talking to Aunt Clara in the kitchen. "Yes, I got Hans home all right. Greta was worried that this might happen. At least they live right next door, so he wasn't out driving anywhere."
Aha! I knew that Santa had to be a phony. It was fun, though, to watch the littler kids get so quiet, and so determined to be on their best behavior. For the first year in ages, Kimberly and Joey didn't try to dismantle each other. The only bad effect was that Butch kept starting up that drinking song again. Oh well, Anne had a little talk with him and he was OK after that.
We had our usual wonderful Christmas Eve dinner with the whole family, and after dessert, Uncle Dick read to us "A Visit From Saint Nicholas", and we each got to open one gift. I got a really nice stuffed dog from Uncle Dick and Aunt Clara. I always liked stuffed animals. I held him all the way home. That trip home was pretty normal until we passed Walt's Ranchero pulled over by the side of the road. Seems the headlights had joined the heater in deciding not to work. Well, we just made sure they were following us all the way home, and Pop had his emergency flashers on so people would see us both. There wasn't much traffic at all at that time of night on Christmas Eve, anyway.
Every time I think about that crazy year, I remember how much fun it all was in spite of all the crazy things that happened. Christmas Day was almost a let down after all the excitement that Christmas Eve. Our Christmases were always a lot of fun. Mostly because of my Mom and Pop, and Aunt Clara and Uncle Dick and all the neat things they did for all us kids.
So my dear family, wherever you are, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! I miss you all very much.

Thoughts on an Advent Evening

There are Christmas Cards yet to be sent,
And laundry that needs to be done,
But the wind outside is Howling fit
To make a banshee run,
And I  would rather curl up here
In my cozy nook
And listen to it moan so drear
While I read my book.

As I walk the neighborhood lately, I can tell it is that time of year,
When Zombie 'toons lounge in yards by day
And cartoon characters cavort in those same yards by night.
At least the drunken snowman that graced one yard every year is gone,
And poor worn out "biker Claus" has yet to appear.
And 16th Street after dark looks like it could give
Vegas a run for its money.

Sunday Morning:

And still the weather is restless

And rather undecided.

Fitful sun through heavy cloud,

Air rather misty after all the dryness,

Wind still high, but shifting around here downtown

Amid tall buildings . 

the air is a bit warmer,

But this promises to change

As it is but early in December yet.

Many levels and layers of clouds above us

But yet the sun breaks through

Now and then.

The bells call.

Time for the service to start,

but we don't have clergy or acolytes yet.

And now we are all processed  and seated, at sermon time already.

Friday, Dec 16

I spoke too soon about Biker Claus! 

He has returned in all his fading, careworn glory 

To cheer our neighborhood up for the Holiday.

The weather has been cold, very cold.

Today it is warmer, but it is very wet.

I walked yesterday morning, but not today.  

When it is wet, I am too likely to slip and fall.

it is approaching Christmas very quickly.

I must finish the preparations

Even though my spirit isn't completely in it at this point.

I need to bake a few things, find Matt a couple of treats, get the tree up,

And it seems time and the weather are trying to thwart me.

I am hoping that Monday, the day I need to go to the base to shop,

Is not too unpleasant as far as the roads go.  

It is so difficult to ignore the political situation as much as I would love to.

We need to be vigilant against the abuses this incoming administration is likely to try.

It is my fervent hope that the Electors decide to call for a new election, or to vote for someone else.  

This man has too many questionable ties that are easily proven.  

I know the other side felt this way about our current President, 

But there was NEVER the kind of evidence and interference that is evident in this election.

God help us.  We're going to need His help to survive this.

For once

The library is more or less quiet.

Except for one unhappy child

Who is ready to go home and have their nap.

The weather is dreary, 

But not cold

In fact, it is quite mild.

Many seem to be out and about

The parking lots and streets

Exemplify it -

All full and busy. 

Though nobody appears to be in here.

Though the road ahead appears dark and stormy

I know You are there to guide me.

I know You will not leave us to the enemy

But the dangers seem so close and so real

Even though nothing is as real as You.

Your love that has always provided all we have needed.

Always supported us, no matter how bleak the prospects seemed.

Please strengthen us for this journey

And help us know what You would have us do

In every situation with which we are faced.

This third week of Advent is almost done.

A time to celebrate the Joy of the Lord's appearing.

Difficult though Joy may be to summon

Some days for me.

Sunday, Dec 18

The Lessons and Carols service
Was WONDERFUL
We were all in good voice,
It felt good, it sounded good,
And we had a pretty good congregation.
NOW I'm in the Christmas spirit,
And looking forward to next weekend
And the joy of singing some more with my
Choir family!

Trying to Count My Blessings

Today I am thankful for all the  usual things.  For our health, for a cozy home with a nice comfy bed, for enough food to eat, and enough clothes to wear.  For meaningful work, and the income it brings. 
I am thankful for these things, and thankful to live in a country where MOST people  have these things, while praying to see the day when everyone does.

I am thankful for the community I live in, for the friends and neighbors around me, for family, and for my online family as well.  So many of you are close friends now, people I would never have been  blessed to know otherwise.  Your kind words and shared jokes mean a lot.  I hope my words are also helpful to you.

I am thankful for our freedoms.  Freedom to choose which church to attend, or not to attend any at all.  Freedom to speak my mind, freedom to live where I choose to live, finances permitting. Freedom to be myself, even if I am sometimes unconventional.  (Though I will admit, they don't come a whole lot more conventional than I am...)

I am thankful for all those kids in the military, putting their lives on the line for us all, and for their families who wait anxiously at home, and dread late night phone calls, and really dread seeing somebody in dress uniform on their porch.  I have been there.  I've spent birthdays, Thanksgivings, Valentine's Days, Easters, and many other special days without my husband when he was active duty.  He was an aircraft Loadmaster, and he was gone a lot when we were first married.  During the first Gulf War, I spent our Anniversary and Thanksgiving without my husband.  I was alone in Germany, living off base on a farm.  (Our landlords were wonderful people.  They checked on me just about every day.) 
Matt got to come home for Christmas, only because his crew drew the lot for the plane scheduled to come home for maintenance that week.  He was gone for New Year's and my birthday, and Valentine's Day. 
So, I can relate at least a little to those families who are gathering around tables with an empty spot reserved for a loved one deployed.  We are so very grateful for their sacrifices, and for the service they so willingly give.  Proud to be part of the military family.  And we ARE a family, no matter which service, active duty or retired, we are family.  We look out for each other.  I still shop on base because my surcharge money supports the commissary system worldwide, keeping it open and healthy for the kids who need it today.  The BX supports Morale, Welfare, and Recreation services, so when I need something, I look there first. These  privileges are not just benefits my husband earned, they are a way to keep the facilities going for the kids who depend on them now.  Very thankful that we can do that.

So, as we prepare to overindulge in our plentiful food, with family and friends, we remember those who don't have enough food, or who are far from family and friends, and we pray that they may soon have enough and/or soon be home with their loved ones.  As we enjoy our good china and the cozy house, we remember those with no home, and pray they will soon have one.  We promise ourselves to continue to contribute time and money to groups that help bring those desired outcomes about.

My dear readers, I am thankful for you, and I pray the year ahead sees us all continue in good health, with everything we need, and at least some of what we want.
Blessing to all!

Poetic Ghosts

Poems found in old journals.

From 11/2/2005

The subtle process of poetry
Is lately rather lost to me.
I scratch a few pathetic lines
Wishing for more inspired rhymes.

Always interrupted by dog or cat
Or by laundry, or supper, or such as that
My work has dwindled down to naught
Or exists merely in the realm of thought.
-CK Armmistead

March 21, 2008

Oh glorious temptations
Oh bright forbidden fruits
Why do you call me constantly
Away from nobler pursuits?

Why make me dream of chocolate,
Of caramel and peanut butter,
Why tempt me with the evil fat
That causes my heart (and thighs!) to flutter?

Away, away oh fattening things
Do not dance before my mind's eye
Do not lead me to overindulge
For I must diet until I die!

-CK Armistead

Trying To Hear The Muse Through All The Noise

It's been one hell of a week.  I will be honest, I am disappointed with the election results, and disappointed in the stories of racially motivated violence I have seen.  We should be better than this, America.  Remember the Golden Rule.  It applies to EVERYBODY.  Don't be hateful, and don't stand by and let someone who is vulnerable be intimidated or possibly injured.  Be the real American, be kind, stand up against injustice, and remember that everybody is your neighbor, and you may need their help one day.
On top of all that goodness, Leonard Cohen died.  I know, he was 82, and by all reports, ready to go.  Still.  He was a poet and singer/songwriter of immense talent.  Not always the most pleasing voice, but an important one.  His words are often wafting through my brain.

11/9/16
By C.K.Armistead

And through this land of sorrows I stumble,
Lost, cowed, and humble
Wondering where to turn in my trouble
For God seems so far away
And it is dark
Though it is day.
And added to this grief I bore
Was the news that the troubadour
 Is no more.
And though the night seems endless long
I find myself surrounded by his song.
Its melody rises over the din
And through the cracks in my broken heart,
It lets the light of hope shine in.


Good night, Mr. Cohen. May light eternal shine upon you.




11/14/16

I weep not for you who have gone from this life,
I weep for those of us left behind
To try to make sense of a world without you in it.
So much loss.
So much pain.
So many cracks
In this broken heart.



On the upside,
The weather has finally begun to cool,
 The days are crisp
And the skies are blue
But not many leaves have turned
For all that they are starting to fall.

And my own music has worked out better than I thought it would.
My voice, though a bit strained, worked well.
Recital was successful.

Life must go on
We must be aware, though
Of those among us who feel
Vulnerable and as though
They are hated.
We must never let a few hotheads
Define all of us.
We must stand for justice
And mercy
For kindness
And inclusion.
Because there is enough in this land
To go around.
 If we work together
If we share
There's enough for all of us
And there is more than enough love
If we allow ourselves to feel it
Love is the only thing that multiplies
The more you spread it around.
So please, my fellow Americans,
Remember love.


That's about all I got right now.

Adventures In Pumpkin Carving - Or- How I Spent A Long Time Getting Ready for Halloween

This year, I decided to be bold, and try doing some fancy pumpkin carving. This was my husband's forte in the past, back when he had two steady hands.  He has some dental tools that a friend gave him for use in fine scale modeling.  They work very well for finicky pumpkin carving, too.

First challenge was to find pumpkins.  The first two I did, I did far too early, and did not do any preservative measures with, and they got very dry and brown.  The ones in the photo above are the first two I made.

SO, on the day before Halloween, we had to trek all the way down to the Homeland on Robinson in Norman to find pumpkins of sufficient size and quality to use for new jack o' lanterns.

Pumpkins acquired, I now had to clean them off. Most pumpkins will have some dried mud on them somewhere.  Always best to wipe them down with disinfecting wipes before you carve, or wash them as you would any other vegetable.

After that, it was time to open them up and scrape them out.  I used a small plastic scraper that was included in a set of "pumpkin carving tools" I had bought.  They are all useless, except for the scraper.  It makes it much easier to get all the stringy stuff loose, and to thin the wall behind your carving if, like me, you don't pierce all the way through the wall of the pumpkin when making your design.

Once the pumpkins are gutted, you can start marking the design.
 I printed out my desired designs, a "Vincent" face (from 1987's Beauty and the Beast TV series) designed by Claire Sieffert,

 and a Hellboy design based on artwork by Jonny Gillard. 

 Trim the design so you don't have an overabundance of extra paper to deal with.
Tape the design over the chosen surface of the pumpkin.  (I advise choosing the side with no little bumps or other things that might make it hard to see your markings when you go to carve the design.)
Make sure to smooth the design over the surface to that it sits as flat as possible.  This will mean making very small folds in places, usually just on the outside edges of the design. 
Once the design is in place, take up your chosen puncturing tool, and begin marking the areas to be carved.

Once you have pierced the surface to mark all the areas to be carved, use a marker (I prefer a chalk marker, as it is easily cleaned from hands and the surface of the pumpkin later) to darken the punctured areas.

Once that is accomplished, you can carefully remove the paper, saving it to use as a visual reference in case you get confused about which areas are being carved out.  (Believe me, it's easy to be confused on these complex designs.)

Once the marking is done, you are ready to start carving.  I didn't get an "in progress" photo of Hellboy, so here's Vincent in progress:

You will notice I am working outdoors.  There is a good reason for this.  Little chips of pumpkin go EVERYWHERE when you carve this way.  (The voice of bitter experience, that had to mop the kitchen, and clean coutertops, cupboard doors, and the backsplash clear across the room, speaking!)

Much careful carving and patience later, you will have a finished jack o' lantern.

(See all the bits of pumpkin around?  I wasn't kidding.  Do this OUTSIDE.)

Canned air (see it on the table, there?) is useful to get tiny bits of pulp out of the finished carving.  (Trust me on this, you're going to want to do it.) 
One thing I did not hear about until after I finished was that if you want the pumpkin to last a LONG time, coat all the cut surfaces and the inside with Vaseline, then spray with Clorox spray bleach (light blue bottle).  Wipe the shell that is still orange  dry, and let the bleach dry well before you put any light source in or the lid back on. 
I DID do the Clorox water bath immediately after I finished carving the second two pumpkins.  You fill your sink with about 5 gallons of water and add 3 tablespoons of bleach.  Mix it around, then dip the pumpkins in the bleach water, being sure to swirl it around inside the pumpkin as well.  Don't forget the tops, and drain well and let air dry thoroughly before you add your light source and your lid. 

Here are my two, on display Halloween night, lit with LED puck lights, so that the light would be strong enough to show through the designs.  If you like the flickery effect, you can use LED candles, but they may not be bright enough for use with pumpkins carved in this way.

SO, for those of you who wondered how on EARTH I did that, this is how.  It isn't really hard, just requires patience and being careful.

Also, I am sorry that I am so nerdy that most of my neighbors didn't know who my pumpkins were.  Hellboy is a comic book character created by Mike Mignola, that Ron Perlman portrayed in Guillermo Del Toro's film versions.  Vincent is the "Beast" from the Beauty and the Beast television series that ran from 1987 - 90, a role which won Ron Perlman a Golden Globe award.    Ron Perlman is my favorite actor, and these two are my favorite of all the characters he's played.  I've met the man a few times, and he is a genuinely nice guy. 
So check out the Hellboy movies and the Beauty and the Beast (1987 version) TV show and see what great stuff you've been missing!

Still Longing For Autumn, And It's The Middle Of October

Looking back at the journal again.  It's what you do when you write.  You try to salvage something from the bits and pieces your muse gives you every now and then, when it's feeling generous.
So far, I haven't had anything very long, but I have had a few bits I like very much.  I shared the previous gleanings, and now I'm taking a stab at the more recent words.

10/16/16

Some days Summer seems as relentless
In its grasp upon us in Autumn
As Winter does in Spring
As though reluctant to release its prize
To cooler days and chilly nights.
Much as Winter hates
To let us thaw in Spring's
Delights.













On delicate orange wings
The souls of the departed
Overcome many things
And soothe the broken-hearted
As they Southward wend their way
Getting to Mexico
By All Saints Day.

Or, as it is celebrated
 Dia De Los Muertos.
Day of the Dead
When graves are decorated
With favorite flowers and foods,
And even some small items
Depicting favorite activities
The families come
And have a picnic
And remember those gone before.
Life is celebrated,
It is not a mourning of loss
But a celebration of having
Had that person in their lives.
And the butterflies come
In their thousands
Every year
Souls coming home
To share the celebration.

10/17/16
Invisible
A poem about Beauty and the Beast (1987) For Cindy
 By C.K. Armistead
Often he feels invisible
The man inside the beast 
The soul behind the visage
Is human.
If any cared to look
A few loved ones know
They see him
They love the warrior/poet
In his soul.
But only SHE sees him
REALLY sees him
The noble poet
The ferocious warrior
The sum total
Of his burnished
Beautiful soul.
Only SHE sees it ALL
And loves unconditionally.

10/18/16

"Listen! The wind is rising 
and the air is wild with leaves,
We've had our summer evenings,
Now for October eves!"
-Wolfe

The above is one of the best  quotes I have ever seen about Fall

If only our weather would catch up-  
The wind rises all right,
But the temperature is too high
And not many leaves
Are aswirl on the wind as yet.


Bits of arias stuck
In my head
A throat too gunky
Yet to sing
Trying to loosen
Things up with medicine
And herbal tea
Don't know how successful
It will be
Hoping this is all
Finished before recital
Only singing one little
Aria
But I DO want it to
Come out as well
As I possibly can sing it -
I fear I sound far worse
Than anyone lets on
I don't think my pitch sounds right
When I listen to
Recordings - I sound flat.
At least to myself.


Yet another warm day
As if Summer is trying to say
I will not go- I refuse to budge!
Though Autumn stands ready
And Winter is a solemn judge.


10/19/16

When did personal responsibility
become a thing of the past?
Why do so many seek always
To blame someone else
for their mistakes instead of admitting
and learning from them?

Not my job
Not my fault
Always excuses
Never responsible
This generation
Accepts mediocrity
Instead of striving for greatness
Our parents felt
Obliged to sacrifice
For the benefits they enjoyed
Their generation
Survived Depression
Fought WWII
Won the Cold War
 Made the way
For all the good things
And Freedoms we enjoy
That we are busy
Squandering
By not being willing
To think of others
Of the greater good -
The needs of the Many
As Spock would no doubt remind us.



Cold quality to the late evening light
Soon our clocks will be set back an hour
To reflect this new reality.
The sunlight is golden, but pale
There are heavy clouds
But they do not cover the sky
They rumble with thunder as they
Sail by
While yet the sun
Does shine.

10/20/16

So long sitting
Need to move-
Alas, meetings.

  










10/23/16

I do hunger for food
For my body
But more so for my soul-
My spirit.
Something is lacking
Some voice needs
Strength
In order to sing.
A swarm of words
Batting around inside my head
Like moths around a light fixture,
Hitting the barrier,
But still striving,
Knocking into each other
Causing disruptions
Disconnects
Lost ideas
Fluctuations in the
Brightness
Of the light
That tries to shine
Through
To guide me out
Of silence
So unproductive
And into bounteous,
Joyous song.


That brings us to today.  When I sat in church, enjoying the liturgy as always, feeling part of something greater than myself, something ancient, ongoing, alive and vital still. 
Words and ideas battering my brain,
When I was constrained to remain
Silent
And listening.
Listening is good
Many times you hear what you NEED to hear
In that silence.
The silence where God speaks.
If only my mind would quiet down enough
To listen.



 

Gleanings From the Poetry Journal

The Current Poetry Journal and one of the ubiquitous fountain pens.

9/24/16

I am still not adept at reading subtle changes in the seasons.  I grew up without them.
It is a new art for me to pick out which details I see, and discern what is to come.
What can I learn from the fact that
The south wind today is both warm and cool
The caterpillars I see
Are all well covered in thick wool
The pecan tree out back
Is generously throwing nuts around
Which squirrels are both eating and hiding
With frenzied abandon
The sycamore trees
Seem out to get me
Throwing pollen laden
Ball bearing bombs
At me
To roll my ankle
and/or make me sneeze
As I walk through
The changing land.

9/27/16

Cool air again at last!
I have longed for this
The crispness in the air
That makes the sky look
Even more blue.

10/5 / 16

The sunlight is beginning to take on an Autumn cast
The angle changed, the quality less glaring and more golden
It should look about like Spring
But it does not
As there is so much more vegetation about now
To filter it, alter its colors,
Change what it can access.

10/ 6 / 16

Frustrations. Changes.
Sometimes change is good
But sometimes it just brings
Massive frustration with it.
I love the cooler weather,
But I don't like the
Fact that this cold front
Is kicking up thunderstorms
Ahead of itself
Like a bored kid
Kicking a can down the road.

10 /7/16/

A day wherein nothing
I need to do got done
The way I meant to do it
Such is life

10/10/16

Crunchy bits beneath my
Walking feet
Scuttling dry leaves following
Along behind me
Cloud ships a-sail on a
Clear deep blue sky
Ah, Autumn. 
Welcome back.

Am I invisible out there in the world?
Maybe.
I've gotten very good at it-
Being invisible.
I do know a few
Who
Always seem to see me
And seem glad that they do
A few that I love don't seem to see me
Until they do or say something
To let me know they do.
Perhaps it seems that I like being left alone.
I don't know.
Sometimes, that is true.
But others,
It is just sad
And lonely.

10/14/16 

It's October

The sky is grey and cloudy

The wind is up

There's a bite in the air,

 The crows are gathering

And calling to one another

Spooky,

And cool.

In more ways than one!

Pitter - patter of little feet

On my roof,

Little squirrel feet

Darting from acorns to pecans

Storing up good things to eat.

Knock, knock, knock

Over my head

Crow on the roof

Working to be fed

Trying his best to crack

A pecan 

Held in a claw

Hit with a beak.

I think he lost one.

 

10/14/16

The wind is up
It's out of the North
There's nary a hint
Of summery warmth

The dry leaves
Scuttle along with me
The crows are calling
From rooftops and trees

Pumpkin faces appear
Flickering on porches
Prompting laughter or fear
As Halloween approaches

Summer is dead and gone
Save for a warm day or two
Autumn sings  us its song
Saying Winter comes soon.

-by CK Armistead October, 2016.

10/ 15/ 16

Autumn Morning Walk

-by CK Armistead October 15, 2016

Today I walked with silence
No music buzzing in my ears
So I could hear the brilliance
Of the real world here
The always moist breath

Of the south wind
Mumbled rumbly past my ears
Cooler than last week
Making the trees whisper
Of colder winds to come
While squadrons of clouds
Ride north
Laden with promise
Or threat
Which one, I cannot say
On this early Autumn day.
A lone Monarch
Drifting lazily,
Miraculously
Still southward
In the lea of houses and tree
Headed for Mexico
In spite of the wind
Pushing back toward
The north.
Following an even stronger
Of Nature's imperatives.
My foot strikes an acorn
Still wearing his little hat
A treasure lost
By a hurrying squirrel
Perhaps
The trees have not yet turned
There have not been enough
Cool nights
For Nature to get out her
Paintbox
And give the trees their glowing
Autumn coats
That we all adore
A few leaves
Here and there
When the coldest breeze nips
Have gathered glowing colors
But only on the tips
Of their branches
The very sunlight has
An odd cast today
An unfamiliar angle
An a filtered quality

Making everything feel out of sync -
Speaking of the worries
afoot
Both in Nature's world
And Man's.

The light and clouds today.

Falling Thoughts

Such a beautiful morning.
Like that first one
Blue, blue sky
And bright, bright sun.
Small teasing breeze
Sifting through the trees
Children laughing, at play
Just as it was that day

That day before the loud
Shocking
Sickening sound
Of hate spilling over
The heart of our city
Wounding and killing
Evil without pity.

But this place
Defies that hate.
This place, like our city,
Is filled with love
And with pity,
Charity,
Mercy,
Peace.

It pours over you
As you walk
This quiet, lovely spot
Where once there was
Pain and destruction.
Finally I have the
Lovely image of this peace
Instead of the end of that
Ravaged building
In my mind.

I needed to see this,
Needed to actually walk here
To make peace with the sorrow
To no longer see
That ruined place
When I look up from the church cloister
So nearby.
Far too nearby.

Sleep well, dear beloved souls.
Dear little ones
Two of whom,
I knew their Aunt.
I still weep
Sometimes
For the potential lost.

This truly is the heart
Of this city,
Indeed,
Of the state.
The love poured out
On those who suffered loss
On those who came to help
On each other to see us through.
April 19,1995
Was the day I became an Oklahoman.

To See Changes
C.K. Armistead
9/24/16

I am still not adept
At reading subtle
Changes in the seasons
For I grew up without them.
Seasons, that is.
It is a new art for me
To pick out which details
I see and discern
What is to come
What I can learn
From the fact that
The south wind today
Is both warm and cool
The caterpillars I see
Are all
Well covered in  thick wool.
The pecan tree out back
Is generously throwing
Nuts around.
Which the squirrels are
Both eating
And hiding
With frenzied abandon.
The sycamore trees
Seem out to get me
Throwing pollen-laden
Ball bearing bombs
At me
To roll my ankle
And/or make me sneeze.
No leaves have turned as yet
No cool nights as yet have
Blessed us
But the calendar says
Fall has begun.

 Journal entry: Sept. 22, 2016

I stood this day upon sacred ground.
Ground where innocents were injured and killed
Where a community's innocence was lost.
I stood,remembering little ones I had never met,
but whose loss still made me weep.
I found the name of a friend on the Survivors list,
and offered a little prayer of thanks
That she survived,
That she is still here
To tell her story,
To be loved, to be my friend,
And my sister in Christ.
She, who stood with me at my Confirmation at St. Paul's,
Our church, just two blocks away.

The place is beautiful,
It is amazingly quiet
In spite of the city teeming all around it.
Every Sunday, and most Wednesdays for the past 21 years,
I have passed this place, spent time in its shadow,
In the shade of all that happened that day.
My church family survived a journey in the wilderness -
Worshiping in our parish hall for almost 2 years while our beautiful
Cathedral was rebuilt.
So much time has passed, but sometimes,
Especially when I walked into that sacred space of the Memorial,
It seems so fresh, I feel it all again.
There are children who have grown up, and new members of our church family, who do not remember that day, that time.
The horror, the hurt, the confusion is alien to them. The museum helps.  It makes that moring live again, gives visitors a sense of how ordinary the day was- 
Until 9:02 am, anyway, and how after that,
Nothing here was ever the same again,
Especially us.


My husband made his first visit to the Memorial today.  He hasn't been there since he worked as a volunteer with the contingent sent from Tinker AFB to help remove rubble.  I think he found some measure of peace with the fact that healing has happened in that place, that all the hands that came to help were appreciated and added to the love that surrounded our wounded heart that day, and in the weeks following.

A Little Time Off to Celebrate An Anniversary

I have taken this week off of work, mostly because I need to burn some leave, and I won't be going to Alabama this fall.  I also took the time because it is the week our 32nd wedding anniversary comes around.  (Tomorrow.)
Our anniversary is the first day of Autumn.  My husband picked the day, because we had to plan around when he could get leave from the Air Force.  I told him he better NEVER forget the anniversary, and so far, he hasn't.  We won't be doing a whole lot, but he took the day off also, and we'll go and play tourist downtown.  Maybe see the Memorial, walk across the Swallowtail footbridge, see what's new in Bricktown.  I will take photos, and try to remember to post them.

This week has not turned out much like I wanted it to so far.  Monday was a typical Monday for me, errands and voice lesson.  Tuesday, I did yard work, but was thwarted in my attempts to do all the work I WANTED to do by the fact that our extension branch loppers have a rotten rope, which broke when I tried to use them to cut a high branch.  Strange, they worked the last time I used them, guess the rope just reached the critical rotten point since then. It's only been a few weeks.

Today I just did a few errands and took a long walk, and goofed off.  Got a free cafe mocha at the Target Starbucks, because I had a coupon.  Bought a chocolate croissant to go with it.  Drove myself downtown for choir practice because it was Soprano and Alto only this week.

So, that's what I've been up to, besides bemoaning the heat and wishing for the end of summer.  Also wishing for the end of campaign season.  Praying for the victory of reason and inclusiveness over batshit crazy and hatred.  From what I've seen of some people lately, I am very afraid for this country.  Why on earth can't we remember that compromise is not a dirty word, and that democracy only works well when EVERYBODY has a voice?  Praying a lot.  We're going to need all the help we can get to survive this one.

I shall report on our wanderings tomorrow.

A Random Collection Of Journal Entries

8/28

Jinhao 159 fountain pen, purple

This is the new fountain pen I just got.  This purple pen is a big, fat cigar of a pen.  I found a purple cartridge for it.
Guess I'll just have to come up with some purple prose to write with it!

8/29

The faster I try to move, the more bogged down I get.  Life must be a glue board - keeping us trapped in the universe until we die...

So disorganized am I
These days-
I roam from task to task
& always get sidetracked.
At least, here at home I do.
Start one thing, finish most of it
Get called to something else - this house is out to get me!

I never really thought about it before today, but perhaps the reason teaching exhausted me so was the fact that I'm an introvert, and schools are VERY people-filled places.
I enjoyed small group interactions with my students, but all day in a place so full of people just exhausted me emotionally and physically.
I still have feelings of being overwhelmed sometimes even when home.
All the little things that need doing that pile up - I feel I shall never have the energy to get them all done.

8/30

A day with storm potential,
But I bet we don't see any
Again looking at my writing and thinking my teachers must've despaired of me ever being able to write legibly.  I know my printing was also atrocious.
My typing was also messy, until I got a modern word processing program.  My brain goes far too fast for my hands to keep up.  If I am copying something, it is usually better, but not by much.
And to think, they let me teach elementary school!
On the chalkboard, when I go slowly, my writing is much better, as long as there are lines.  My printing is also much better on the board.

8/31
Hooray!  Loud thunder!
I left the windows down on the car.  It figures.  OF COURSE it will rain!
No harm done, the windows were only cracked, and the wind was in my favor, so no water in the car!

9/1
A new month.   Hoping for a quiet desk shift, not turning out that way so far.  I have Zumba tonight, so as soon as I'm off the desk at 5, I have to set up and change.

Well, that's a new one.  Someone mistook the photocopier for the print vend unit.  It's quite distant from the public - use computers.
I keep itching to switch to a new journal, but this one isn't finished yet.  There are too many notebooks started and done with before they were filled.
So I guess I'll have to drivel along here for awhile.
After all, it's not like I have anything important to say...

9/2
A day off, but still plenty to do
Clouds, but no rain.
Slept in, so no real time to contemplate this morning.  Trying to function with a stuffy, achy , itchy head.
Hello, Ragweed
Who told you to come back early this year?

Tomorrow is Saturday, but it will be a busy day for me. My Saturday afternoon at the library, and there's an OU game, so Mike and Nancy will be here.
I get to leave about the time Mike will be showing up..

9/3
And the earth shook, and may voices of fear were raised upon the land...
That was the strongest quake we have ever felt here.
More like the ones I remember from California.
They can just stop it.  Can't have earthquakes AND tornadoes.  One or the other!

And so, now, to work.
For a wonder, no items were unshelved by the shaking.  Would we have had to check them in as "in-house use"?  After all, Mother Nature took them off the shelf!

Desk observations, or People are Funny Sometimes

Just helped a guy figure out how to find our new Community Center also called The Station at Central Park.  It's almost across 4th from us, just a block up.  We are next door to the OLD community center.

Helped distract a cranky baby so its mom could use the self-check.

Traded earthquake stories with a few people.

Bemoaned the loss of cursive writing with one customer.  Recommended "The Missing Ink" which I am now reading. 
Confessed that even still my own handwriting is pretty awful.

Greeted friend from church who was here to plan Girl Scout activities with another group leader.  I remember when SHE was a 3rd grade Girl Scout, instead of an adult leader!

Tidy patrons today compared with Thursday.  Only one self-check receipt left behind, and one basket not returned to the rack.

Got to see our Customer Experience manager when she came in with her young son to use the library. 

Talked up our ebooks and audio books on Overdrive. Mentioned our app, handed out a few flyers about the app.

Relieved a young lady's anxiety over an old book whose spine broke and spilled sections of pages.  We know about those.  It isn't a customer's fault.  That glue only lasts so long, through so many readings, before it dries out and cracks like that.

Directed yet another group of lost souls to the new community center.

Talked up the Friends of the Library's upcoming book sale, gave out flyers about it, pointed out the display in the lobby.

Reshelved several new children's picture books on our display wall after a little guy decided to "read" them while mom was checking out.

Toddler making a run for it - security officer stopped her.  Remember kids, you gotta leave with the grownup that brought you!

It's always fun watching new visitors trying to find the book return.  So far today, all three seekers have found it on their own!  Yay for reading signs!

Got birthday cake from a group using one of the meeting rooms.  Working the desk has its perks!

2/3 of the phone calls I answered were asking what time we close.

 __________________________________________

No friends came for football.  Matt has a cold and waved them off so they wouldn't catch the sinus crud.

9/4

Sunday, and as Matt is ill, he's not going to church.  I am driving myself.  It's been a long time since I drove downtown by myself.

All went well, and the service was wonderful.  Oakerhater Sunday, when we celebrate David Pendleton Oakerhater, our Oklahoma saint.  He was a warrior who converted, and came back to minister to his people as an ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Church.

 9/5
Early September.  That time when I hate to walk barefoot out back because of all the broken pecan shells that littler the yard.

Summer that lingers too persistently into September is a special  pain.  That hot wind needs to take itself elsewhere!

A tequila sunrise may not ward off a cold, but it sure couldn't hurt.

Unfortunately, one could make a compilation of Ron Perlman movie clips and call it "Ron Dies Before The End".  I really enjoy the movies where his character lives!  I enjoy all his movies, but the ones his character doesn't die in are best.  (Like City of Lost Children, and the Hellboy movies, and Alien Resurrection )

9/6
All kinds of out of sorts today.  Grumpy, achy, distracted, feeling that doom is waiting to fall on me.
Feel neglected and neglectful, feel left out and forgotten,

Even my usually agreeable pen is in a bad mood on the Tuesday that would be Monday.

Then, on my walk, a favorite song showed up on my random playlist, and made me think of people I care about, and made me smile, because THEY always make me smile.  Things are looking up.

Busy at work today.  People missed their library while we were closed for two days for the holiday.

If even I need to feel that I am, in fact, necessary to the continued functioning of the world, all I have to do is work a shift at the library on the first day we open after being closed for two days.  Oh, my, I had SO much to do!

Tomorrow is my husband's birthday, so I will be baking a cake.  It is also the first choir rehearsal of the season, so I will be taking the cake to share with the choir.  That way we don't get too much cake, and we make some friends happy.