My journal has been a bit neglected lately. So, it's taken awhile to collect enough things to post from it.
As always, these are random observations, poems in progress, or just ideas for poems that got jotted down, or even just impressions from my reading of song lyrics or poetry.
May 2
Many tasks
Accomplished
List checked off -
Yet I feel
The day
Has escaped
So quickly
Gone
Not savored
Not enjoyed
And when a Spring day
Is warm
Bright
And not too breezy,
It SHOULD be
Savored.
Appreciated
Reveled in.
One lonely bloom
On the new peony
Opens
With show
And splash
And panache
For the other
New ones
We must wait
'till next year
They are still
Working on things
They need to grow roots
Before they'll be given wings
To zoom
Into bloom!
May 10
So much time lost
So many images past
The weather begins
Making threats
That may not be idle
The political circus
Becomes ever
More strident
And as I search
For calm
And balance
I upset
My own
Equilibrium
By finding
A new coffee
Too much caffeine
NOT conducive
to calm
Contemplation.
Disappointment
With an author/artist
Sadness for
All of us fans
And my friends
Overlooked,
Abandoned,
In order to pursue
The almighty
Dollar.
I guess he fits in
With the current
Political mood
though his writing
Would indicate
Otherwise.
As I age
My body
Makes its displeasure
Apparent
When I try
To do too many
Of the heavy tasks
That need doing.
It tells me with
Aches
Stomach upsets
Keeping me awake
Until I find
The correct combination
Of things to appease it.
It also punishes me
For over indulgence
Much more than
Used to be the case.
Oh, this process
Is not for
The faint of heart...
Cohen lyrics for today:
Joan of Arc
"I saw her wince, I saw her cry,
I saw the glory in her eye.
Myself I long for love and light,
but must it come so cruel,
and oh so bright."
A much more traditional sort of poetry than usual. Very tightly constructed, and the message very powerful.
Random Thoughts:
Coffee is like beer- you can't buy it, you can only rent it. (Archie Bunker, I believe, about beer, anyway.)
The probability of rain is directly related to how badly our lawn needs mowing.
When you work in a library, reading a book at the public service desk is a way to draw customers to you. It NEVER fails.
Dear dithering driver ahead of me: It's been a long time since coffee, and it's a long time before wine. Please stop pissing me off!!!
The Friends of the Library's ongoing book sale is a way for the library to get all the staff's spare change...
If your mind is weary and wants sleep, your body will find ways to keep you awake.
If your body is weary and wants sleep, your mind will rant on and on about everything in the universe and refuse to shut up and let you sleep.
May 21
Monday
You will not
Thwart me
I have a list,
And I have coffee!
May 26
I have a new vice;
Cold Brew Coffee
And almond milk
Oh, my.
So good, so easy to make
cold brew coffee...
Gravity still works alarmingly well.
Found that out on Tuesday.
Yard work makes my
Arms weak and numb-
Especially when I have to use the string trimmer.
Spring
The weather can be SO lovely
And also so ugly.
We have some warning
About the ugly bits, but
Not often a lot
Some days it threatens
But never blows-
Other days it starts out happy
And then,WHAM!
Tornadoes.
Oklahoma
Is schizophrenic
In spring.
Tablet battery ran out
Time to dig Mophie
Out of my purse.
The sound of the beads on her braids,
Making a glorious accompaniment to her
Joyful skipping.
Thank you, beautiful child
For brightening my day.
May 27
Out of sorts
Out of place
Even among those
I love best
Feeling misunderstood
Afraid I've offended
Or will offend
Because I know
I'm odd.
I don't fit.
It's just an INFJ
Kind of day.
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Monday, March 6, 2017
Further Excerpts From The Poetry Journal
Starting back a bit, since I interjected a birthday post between the last set of journal bits and this set.
February 15, 2017
Work
By C.K. Armistead
2/15/17
Sometimes the words
All fall in line
And dance along
And everything is fine
Other times they stumble
Through my brain
And haphazardly tumble
Like a derailed train.
There is no art
No science here
It comes from the heart
And I hope it is sincere
It comes, or it doesn't
I have no say
I'm at the Muse's mercy
Every single day.
A messy business
This writing is
Changing your mind
And crossing out lines
Rewordings and
Rephrasings
Edits
And corrections
Creativity
Is
Nothing
If
Not
Messy.
So.
All the poems I got today seem to be about writing and the fickle nature of the muse.
Better check my Cohen book and see what the song lyrics are for today...
"Heart With No Compassion"
By L. Cohen
"I greet you from the other side
Of sorrow and despair
With a love so vast and shattered
It will reach you everywhere.
And I sing this for the captain
Whose ship has not been built
For the mother in confusion
Her cradle still unfilled
For the heart with no compassion
For the soul without a king
For the prima ballerina
Who cannot dance to anything.
Through the days of shame that are coming
Through the nights of wild distress
Tho' your promise count for nothing
You must keep it nonetheless.
You must keep it for the captain
Whose ship has not been built
For the mother in confusion
Her cradle still unfilled
For the heart with no compassion
I greet you from the other side"
Supposedly this is commentary on his Buddhism and the compassion central to the faith.It is a message for any faith, really.
"Though your promise count for nothing
You must keep it nonetheless"
That strikes me as central. Even if you feel worthless, like you cannot live up to your promise, if the point is moot, even, you must STILL keep your word.
There are some in power today who need to learn this.
February 16, 2017
Today's Cohen lyrics:
"Here It Is"
Never heard this one that I know of.
The part that stands out:
" Here is your cross,
Your nails and your hill;
And here is your love,
That lists where it will.
May everyone live
And may everyone die.
Hello , my love,
And my love, Goodbye."
We are all always coming or going in this life -
and usually going, as we are all caught in Time's web, and can only go forward...
Such a lovely day
But I am stuck indoors.
At least I had a walk
This morning.
It's cold out there
But that's to be expected
In Winter
Though it is much warmer
Than one would expect
For February.
February 17, 2017
I still have a couple of hours of work, but I am already in vacation mode.
I went to Dick's Sporting good and got my traditional new sneakers - Ghost 9s this time, by Brooks. Wearing a pair here at work
They are pretty comfy.
Today's lyrics are
"Hey,That's No Way To Say Goodbye."
A lovely, lyrical, sweet and sad piece- some beautiful lines in there-
"I loved you in the morning
our kisses deep and warm
your hair upon the pillow
like a sleepy golden storm."
and
"I'm not looking for another
as I wander in my time,
Walk me to the corner,
Our steps will always rhyme
You know my love goes with you
as your love stays with me,
it's just the way it changes,
like the shoreline and the sea
but let's not talk of love or
chains and things we can't untie,
Your eyes are soft with sorrow,
hey, that's no way to say goodbye."
Somewhat made me think of certain episodes of the 1980s version of Beauty and the Beast. Vincent was so connected to Catherine, told her she was always with him, and yet kept trying to send her away - for her own good. Yet, though they should have, they never shared the joys of that first verse.
The birthday revels continue -
I have a new fountain pen
Another Cross - a quite lovely polished stainless with golden accents.
It writes very smoothly and sweetly, too.
My husband spoils me, indulges me terribly!
I had too much caffeine and sugar before work.
I was very happy and full of energy
at least for awhile.
Hoping I can calm down enough to sleep -
I AM tired.
This ink is quite a jolly shade of blue- looking rather dark and ordinary until it dries -
My handwriting is suffering because of my haste -
I must slow down so that my letters have their proper shapes -
February 19, 2017
The birthday revels continue unabated in spite of thunderstorms tonight.
Thunder grumbles in the night
Sets my drowsing thoughts to flight
It's too soon to have to be wary,
Come on, it's only February!
Outside
The wind howls
The rain pours
The thunder growls
But inside
I am safe and warm
Wrapped up
In dreams
Of you.
Storms will come
And storms will go
In the end,
One thing I know
In all Above
And all Below
Nothing will
Destroy
Our love.
Time, thou most frustrating beast
Always running out
Or plodding endlessly on
Give us a chance at least
To laugh and shout
Beneath the sun.
And rain like a fire hose
Swept the land
Rushing rivers close
To where I stand
Alone upon this
Darkened plain
Not frightened
But alive
Excited
Not in pain.
Mother Nature seems quite angry
She has been crashing, rumbling and howling
Around here
For at least an hour.
Better pay attention.
February 24, 2017
I had hoped to write more this week.
Instead, I have written less.
Dealing with service people,
Doing my birthday week
Self-indulgence
Just not set up to sit and listen to the Muse.
After a beautiful, unseasonably warm day yesterday -
Today has also been beautiful, but it is cold, and very windy.
Today as I walked
I heard the symphony
Of impromptu flags
Made of plastic bags
As they crackled and snapped
And were wind- slapped
In the almost bear branches
of the trees.
February 27, 2017
The air conditioner is broken
The door is propped open
And the wind is moaning
A low-voiced dirge
Of doom
During this meeting.
The weather gods
Are informing us
Of the gathering
Doom.
Or at least the wind
Is singing
A very convincing
Song of gloom.
March 1, 2017
Lyrics today are Humbled In Love
"You will never see a man this naked
I will never hold a woman this close."
This statement comes at the end - the end of the song about the end of a relationship.
It's true, those we drift away from may still be the ones who see us at our most vulnerable.
Far opposite of yesterday,
Our air conditioner today
is at full freezing capacity
As I sit here
Being very grateful for
My sweater! #LibraryLife
March 4, 2017
This journal is too often neglected
This pen is a bit leaky for some reason.
Today it was sunny and breezy for my walk-
but by the time I came to work (my half-Saturday)
it was cloudy, and the wind was very strong out of the south.
Today's Cohen long lyrics are : "Hunter's Lullaby"
Some say the hunger is seeking the carnal world, leaving the spiritual world behind
Perhaps he is hunting his lost and responsibility-free youth -
That is something all of us would be tempted to do,
But the joys that come with some of those adult responsibilities are far too precious to let go.
On such a day
I would rather stay
Curled up on my settee
With a book and some tea
Instead, here I stand
In library land
At the Customer Service Desk
To assist in library quests.
That's about it for this batch. A few really good bits in there, but not a lot. That's the way writing is sometimes.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
The First Week of 2017
Here are some excerpts from the writing journal for this week.
1/1/2017
An auspicious start
Church
Trying a new cocktail
A long walk
Finishing laundry
Reading
Writing
Singing, too
Listening also
To the musician and poet
Whose work I chose as
Writing inspiration
Reading for this year.
As I went about this day
I saw resolutions being worked on.
I did a 5+ mile walk
Saw a couple looping the streets on their bicycles
Saw a young man walking to the store instead of driving.
As we got out of the car at church this morning,
There was a man out jogging Downtown.
A Bunch Of Lonesome Heroes
Leonard Cohen Songs
This one is deep
But I have a hard time finding references
To bring out what it
Makes me see and feel.
I suppose the basic drift is that the urge
To tell your story before
It's too late is very
Strong in all humans -
Perhaps those "heroes" who
Run the risk of dying
Find it even stronger sometimes.
The line about no one really being able to hear the
one who wanted to tell his story
Sounds a lot like
Social Media to me.
So many can "hear " you,
So few, if any, will listen,
"I sing this for the crickets
I sing this for the army
I sing this for your children
and for all that do not need me."
Not sure exactly what he meant by that,
and I don't know about you,
but I often feel like I'm
"singing for the crickets"
Nobody responds.
But that's okay.
Not everything requires a response
often things must just
be released -
To go where they will-
and the words will
Eventually find
Those who need them.
January 2, 2017
A Singer Must Die
Song by L. Cohen
He has said it is "political in a certain way."
I believe it to be about the politics of a relationship between a man and a woman.
"I will ask for the mercy that you love to decline."
I hope it isn't about to be about our actual politics.
"A singer must die for the lie in his voice."
That SHOULD apply to those in power - but all too often, those who hold power accountable are the ones accused of the lie, when they do, in fact, speak the truth.
A pleasant day
Productive in its way
Though it was a holiday
A parade watched,
Exercise done
Bookkeeping chores dispatched
Practice begun.
The handwriting is part of
what I would practice.
And it is getting better
The piano is still quite rusty -
and I REALLY need to get it tuned.
Not trying to gain new skills,
Jut trying not to lose what
I already have.
My voice is still subject
To unexpected phlegm
Drops
Some scratchiness and cracking result.
But what works has SO much more depth and resonance!
Not taking sinus meds anymore.
Waiting to see if it helps the blood pressure if I don't take all that stuff.
January 3, 2017
Resolutions being kept -
But tomorrow is a true test
Work day -
Yesterday, it got warm,
Over 60 degrees F
Today it struggled to
Stay above freezing.
Gray and cloudy
The North Wind ripped
At the Trees
And any exposed skin
It could find.
It whipped
Wood smoke from fireplaces
And steam from dryer exhausts
Around the neighborhood
Creating a bizarre
Winter Incense
To hallow the air.
So cold and dark
I craved to be able
To spend more of this day
Curled up here with
My books and my tea
Alas,
Errands,
Chores
Time not my own,
Today's Song:
A Thousand Kisses Deep
Helps to know that it was written for a fan Mr. Cohen corresponded with who had cancer. She ended her own life, even though for the longest tine, she said Leonard's songs helped her hang on.
Line that struck me most:
"You live your life as if it's real."
Don't we all?
And just how sure are we of our reality?
I guess we kinda have to agree on a concept of reality in order to function as a society,
and perhaps that's part of the cause of our electoral woes.
One chunk of the country believes one concept of reality, and another big chunk has a different concept.
How we can solve this conceptual dilemma, I have no clue.
But we better figure something out SOON.
Also thought of the Velveteen Rabbit
and how it took being loved to make the rabbit "real".
I must be real,
For I am well loved!
And I wonder, if we loved each other more, maybe we could be more "real" to each other, and that would make it a lot easier to see both sides of an argument, and make decisions that really helped people, instead of dividing us even further.
January 4, 2017
Still cold today.
Even colder than yesterday.
Didn't walk this morning.
Did elliptical instead.
Today's Cohen song:
Ain't No Cure For Love
The line that most struck me is
"I need to see you naked
In your body and your thoughts"
How much more intimate
is the sharing of the mind and soul
Than the sharing of the body?
True, for some of us,
The physical requires a more visceral trust,
but
sharing thoughts can be even more visceral
if one wishes to truly be
"Naked in your thoughts".
January 5, 2017
Today the very air
Seems frozen
I could see my breath
Even in the insulated garage
Did my walking indoors
On the elliptical trainer
Afraid the air outside
Would freeze off my skin.
The sky looks leaden
And dark
The clouds perhaps harboring
Snow within.
The prognosticators keep changing
Their minds and disagreeing
About how much, where,
And when.
I really crave
My cozy home office,
My chair
And a cup of tea
But alas,
It is Thursday
So late day at work for me.
Today's song is
Alexandra Leaving
Cohen's take on a classic about being deserted by all the good things in life -
In this case,
A girlfriend.
He wrote a lot about lost loves.
"Say goodbye to Alexandra leaving.
Then say goodbye to Alexandra lost."
Sounds like a refrain that could work
even if you changed the name.
Life is often a series of both joys and disappointments.
So many choices of creative things
To engage my mind
And my hands
But those things
Are at home
And I am here.
January 6, 2017
Today's song is Anthem
I've always liked the chorus
"Ring the bells that still will ring
Forget your perfect offering,
There's a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in."
But reading the verses tonight, it seems to me this country needs to hear,
really hear, this song right now.
"I can't run no more with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places
Say their prayers out loud.
But they've summoned, they've summoned up
A thundercloud
And they're going to hear from me."
"You can strike up the march
But there is no drum
Every heart, every heart
To love will come."
These verses just really spoke to me today.
We need to be the response to that thundercloud
of hate that has been summoned up -
We need to be out there, turning hearts to love.
How we do this, I am not sure, except that I intend
To show love in the face of hate,
To stand up for those who need me,
To not accept misbehavior from our government.
Do NOT be hateful in my name!
I awoke to a snow covered world
White and sparkly
Cold
Fitting for the day
We pack Christmas away
For another year.
Epiphany
The day the 3 kings found
The Baby Jesus
In Bethlehem.
The day Christmas officially ends.
But that joyful
Giving spirit
Is supposed to live in us,
In our hearts,
All year long.
January 7, 2017
Avalanche is today's song.
And I must say, it doesn't much speak to me.
It seems to contradict itself.-
Speaking of longing and not needing-
"I have begun to long for you
I who have no greed.
I have begun to ask for you
I who have no need."
Maybe it speaks more than I thought -
makes me think of more than a few pairs of star-crossed lovers I have read about -
Another white-bright day -
But I cannot shelter here
I have to go and earn my pay
Time to library, my dear.
And will it be a quiet day
Except for the phone-
All wanting to renew, they say,
So they may remain snug
At home...
January 8, 2017
Today is Sunday
One full week in this
New Year.
The weather today is
A little warmer
A lot breezier
More snow melted, evaporated,
Gone.
Church done for another week
Wednesday will hold a rehearsal again
The Odd routine of Holidays
Ended.
We will miss the next
Great feast -
We will be away for Easter Day - traveling -
And will travel home on
The Bombing anniversary.
If our nation hasn't been destroyed
By then.
I know the idiot-elect will try.
Today's song is Ballad of the Absent Mare
and a long and involved thing it is.
Much like the relationships it alludes to.
Man and woman
Man and Nature
Man and God
All these are difficult
Almost as impossible
As a human's relationship
To him- or her- self.
We all have our moments
Of loss, anger, seeking, finding, rejoicing, reveling, mourning,
This is what makes us human.
This is what can unite us
If we but let it.
Stories,
Stories of how we got to where we are,
Why we feel the way we feel,
What we learned about ourselves and others
Along the way.
If we but sit still and LISTEN
To one another,
We can finally, finally
SEE each other.
Know we are all so much the same.
In the same boat
Afloat in a scary
Universe.
We can comfort each other
We can help each other
We can build a BETTER world
If we can only learn to LISTEN
To each other.
1/1/2017
An auspicious start
Church
Trying a new cocktail
A long walk
Finishing laundry
Reading
Writing
Singing, too
Listening also
To the musician and poet
Whose work I chose as
Writing inspiration
Reading for this year.
As I went about this day
I saw resolutions being worked on.
I did a 5+ mile walk
Saw a couple looping the streets on their bicycles
Saw a young man walking to the store instead of driving.
As we got out of the car at church this morning,
There was a man out jogging Downtown.
A Bunch Of Lonesome Heroes
Leonard Cohen Songs
This one is deep
But I have a hard time finding references
To bring out what it
Makes me see and feel.
I suppose the basic drift is that the urge
To tell your story before
It's too late is very
Strong in all humans -
Perhaps those "heroes" who
Run the risk of dying
Find it even stronger sometimes.
The line about no one really being able to hear the
one who wanted to tell his story
Sounds a lot like
Social Media to me.
So many can "hear " you,
So few, if any, will listen,
"I sing this for the crickets
I sing this for the army
I sing this for your children
and for all that do not need me."
Not sure exactly what he meant by that,
and I don't know about you,
but I often feel like I'm
"singing for the crickets"
Nobody responds.
But that's okay.
Not everything requires a response
often things must just
be released -
To go where they will-
and the words will
Eventually find
Those who need them.
January 2, 2017
A Singer Must Die
Song by L. Cohen
He has said it is "political in a certain way."
I believe it to be about the politics of a relationship between a man and a woman.
"I will ask for the mercy that you love to decline."
I hope it isn't about to be about our actual politics.
"A singer must die for the lie in his voice."
That SHOULD apply to those in power - but all too often, those who hold power accountable are the ones accused of the lie, when they do, in fact, speak the truth.
A pleasant day
Productive in its way
Though it was a holiday
A parade watched,
Exercise done
Bookkeeping chores dispatched
Practice begun.
The handwriting is part of
what I would practice.
And it is getting better
The piano is still quite rusty -
and I REALLY need to get it tuned.
Not trying to gain new skills,
Jut trying not to lose what
I already have.
My voice is still subject
To unexpected phlegm
Drops
Some scratchiness and cracking result.
But what works has SO much more depth and resonance!
Not taking sinus meds anymore.
Waiting to see if it helps the blood pressure if I don't take all that stuff.
January 3, 2017
Resolutions being kept -
But tomorrow is a true test
Work day -
Yesterday, it got warm,
Over 60 degrees F
Today it struggled to
Stay above freezing.
Gray and cloudy
The North Wind ripped
At the Trees
And any exposed skin
It could find.
It whipped
Wood smoke from fireplaces
And steam from dryer exhausts
Around the neighborhood
Creating a bizarre
Winter Incense
To hallow the air.
So cold and dark
I craved to be able
To spend more of this day
Curled up here with
My books and my tea
Alas,
Errands,
Chores
Time not my own,
Today's Song:
A Thousand Kisses Deep
Helps to know that it was written for a fan Mr. Cohen corresponded with who had cancer. She ended her own life, even though for the longest tine, she said Leonard's songs helped her hang on.
Line that struck me most:
"You live your life as if it's real."
Don't we all?
And just how sure are we of our reality?
I guess we kinda have to agree on a concept of reality in order to function as a society,
and perhaps that's part of the cause of our electoral woes.
One chunk of the country believes one concept of reality, and another big chunk has a different concept.
How we can solve this conceptual dilemma, I have no clue.
But we better figure something out SOON.
Also thought of the Velveteen Rabbit
and how it took being loved to make the rabbit "real".
I must be real,
For I am well loved!
And I wonder, if we loved each other more, maybe we could be more "real" to each other, and that would make it a lot easier to see both sides of an argument, and make decisions that really helped people, instead of dividing us even further.
January 4, 2017
Still cold today.
Even colder than yesterday.
Didn't walk this morning.
Did elliptical instead.
Today's Cohen song:
Ain't No Cure For Love
The line that most struck me is
"I need to see you naked
In your body and your thoughts"
How much more intimate
is the sharing of the mind and soul
Than the sharing of the body?
True, for some of us,
The physical requires a more visceral trust,
but
sharing thoughts can be even more visceral
if one wishes to truly be
"Naked in your thoughts".
January 5, 2017
Today the very air
Seems frozen
I could see my breath
Even in the insulated garage
Did my walking indoors
On the elliptical trainer
Afraid the air outside
Would freeze off my skin.
The sky looks leaden
And dark
The clouds perhaps harboring
Snow within.
The prognosticators keep changing
Their minds and disagreeing
About how much, where,
And when.
I really crave
My cozy home office,
My chair
And a cup of tea
But alas,
It is Thursday
So late day at work for me.
Today's song is
Alexandra Leaving
Cohen's take on a classic about being deserted by all the good things in life -
In this case,
A girlfriend.
He wrote a lot about lost loves.
"Say goodbye to Alexandra leaving.
Then say goodbye to Alexandra lost."
Sounds like a refrain that could work
even if you changed the name.
Life is often a series of both joys and disappointments.
So many choices of creative things
To engage my mind
And my hands
But those things
Are at home
And I am here.
January 6, 2017
Today's song is Anthem
I've always liked the chorus
"Ring the bells that still will ring
Forget your perfect offering,
There's a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in."
But reading the verses tonight, it seems to me this country needs to hear,
really hear, this song right now.
"I can't run no more with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places
Say their prayers out loud.
But they've summoned, they've summoned up
A thundercloud
And they're going to hear from me."
"You can strike up the march
But there is no drum
Every heart, every heart
To love will come."
These verses just really spoke to me today.
We need to be the response to that thundercloud
of hate that has been summoned up -
We need to be out there, turning hearts to love.
How we do this, I am not sure, except that I intend
To show love in the face of hate,
To stand up for those who need me,
To not accept misbehavior from our government.
Do NOT be hateful in my name!
I awoke to a snow covered world
White and sparkly
Cold
Fitting for the day
We pack Christmas away
For another year.
Epiphany
The day the 3 kings found
The Baby Jesus
In Bethlehem.
The day Christmas officially ends.
But that joyful
Giving spirit
Is supposed to live in us,
In our hearts,
All year long.
January 7, 2017
Avalanche is today's song.
And I must say, it doesn't much speak to me.
It seems to contradict itself.-
Speaking of longing and not needing-
"I have begun to long for you
I who have no greed.
I have begun to ask for you
I who have no need."
Maybe it speaks more than I thought -
makes me think of more than a few pairs of star-crossed lovers I have read about -
Another white-bright day -
But I cannot shelter here
I have to go and earn my pay
Time to library, my dear.
And will it be a quiet day
Except for the phone-
All wanting to renew, they say,
So they may remain snug
At home...
January 8, 2017
Today is Sunday
One full week in this
New Year.
The weather today is
A little warmer
A lot breezier
More snow melted, evaporated,
Gone.
Church done for another week
Wednesday will hold a rehearsal again
The Odd routine of Holidays
Ended.
We will miss the next
Great feast -
We will be away for Easter Day - traveling -
And will travel home on
The Bombing anniversary.
If our nation hasn't been destroyed
By then.
I know the idiot-elect will try.
Today's song is Ballad of the Absent Mare
and a long and involved thing it is.
Much like the relationships it alludes to.
Man and woman
Man and Nature
Man and God
All these are difficult
Almost as impossible
As a human's relationship
To him- or her- self.
We all have our moments
Of loss, anger, seeking, finding, rejoicing, reveling, mourning,
This is what makes us human.
This is what can unite us
If we but let it.
Stories,
Stories of how we got to where we are,
Why we feel the way we feel,
What we learned about ourselves and others
Along the way.
If we but sit still and LISTEN
To one another,
We can finally, finally
SEE each other.
Know we are all so much the same.
In the same boat
Afloat in a scary
Universe.
We can comfort each other
We can help each other
We can build a BETTER world
If we can only learn to LISTEN
To each other.
Saturday, June 18, 2016
More Notes From The Journal
6/7/16
I found the oldest of my Waterman pens and got it started A lot smoother than I remember it being. Alas, the green one has died and untimely death. I remembered that when I did not find it in the pen cup tonight. The blue one is performing beautifully. Too bad my handwriting is so awful - I am out of practice, I fear, and not writing in the best of conditions.
6/9/16
Trying not to cough- medicine hasn't stopped the insidious little tickle yet.
Hope it stops before the mammogram. Coughing and holding still don't go together...
All is well. God is good, and there was nothing to be seen on the mammogram, only the same things that have always been there.
6/13/16
Oh, hello Monday.
I thought that was you
Bringing me chores to catch up on
And even more things to do
Making life busy
Like a hamster in a wheel
Running and running
And never getting anywhere.
Laundry leftovers,
Ironing to do,
Dishes waiting in the sink -
House cleaning, too.
Must remember to
Take the trash out
Errands must be run
Oh, gee, isn't this fun?
All on a summer day
When the skies are grey
And storms threaten
I'd rather be curled up
With a book
And ignore you
And all your demands.
Monday.
6/14/16
So busy
No time to breathe
Not time to think
No time to write.
Time should be flying
Alas- it is not.
It is dragging itself along
Like a cricket who got
Left behind in the hot sun.
The weather has no mercy
Hot sun
And thick air
Summer is truly here
Making me grateful for iced tea
And air conditioning.
The sun is hot,
The clouds offer no respite.
They only add to the heaviness
This day has put upon my spirit.
At least this fountain pen is so sweet and so smooth
The new ink such a beautiful blue
Perfect for this blue Tuesday
I've been having today.
At least this pen makes me happy.
It's being good and helping my writing look better.
And when I returned home from work,
A nice surprise.
One of the Chinese fountain pens I ordered
Had arrived.
It is very nicely made, very smooth writing,
And started working with very little fuss.
Almost unheard of behavior from a fountain pen!
It's late and I'm tired,
but brain is not quite done,
and sinuses have joined the discussion.
This could get ugly.
Supposed to be hot again tomorrow -
But no rain.
6/15/16
Drowsy Summer Heat
Soaking the energy out of everything
And everyone
Except the children,
It would seem.
They are loud and energetic in the cool
Of the library
Adding mayhem to a day when
Most of us
Would love to just sit quietly
And disappear into a book..
I should avoid the Friends' book sale shelf
I keep finding things to bring home.
I have no more room!
6/16/16
Alas,
Another fountain pen has expired
Matt will have to buy a new nib assembly for it if he can.
That was one of the ones he made for me.
6/17/16
Another day in the inner circles of hell.
SO hot.
I wonder if the blacktop on the streets will
Stick to my shoes.
Again today one of the new fountain pens I ordered from China
Has arrived.
This one is very fancy, very heavy, solid, and also smooth writing and starts up with very little fuss. I am very pleased.
That's about it for now. The heat has put a real damper on my ability to concentrate well on writing or anything else for that matter.
Tomorrow the lawn MUST be mowed, so we must get up and get at that early before it gets too hot.
I found the oldest of my Waterman pens and got it started A lot smoother than I remember it being. Alas, the green one has died and untimely death. I remembered that when I did not find it in the pen cup tonight. The blue one is performing beautifully. Too bad my handwriting is so awful - I am out of practice, I fear, and not writing in the best of conditions.
6/9/16
Trying not to cough- medicine hasn't stopped the insidious little tickle yet.
Hope it stops before the mammogram. Coughing and holding still don't go together...
All is well. God is good, and there was nothing to be seen on the mammogram, only the same things that have always been there.
6/13/16
Oh, hello Monday.
I thought that was you
Bringing me chores to catch up on
And even more things to do
Making life busy
Like a hamster in a wheel
Running and running
And never getting anywhere.
Laundry leftovers,
Ironing to do,
Dishes waiting in the sink -
House cleaning, too.
Must remember to
Take the trash out
Errands must be run
Oh, gee, isn't this fun?
All on a summer day
When the skies are grey
And storms threaten
I'd rather be curled up
With a book
And ignore you
And all your demands.
Monday.
6/14/16
So busy
No time to breathe
Not time to think
No time to write.
Time should be flying
Alas- it is not.
It is dragging itself along
Like a cricket who got
Left behind in the hot sun.
The weather has no mercy
Hot sun
And thick air
Summer is truly here
Making me grateful for iced tea
And air conditioning.
The sun is hot,
The clouds offer no respite.
They only add to the heaviness
This day has put upon my spirit.
At least this fountain pen is so sweet and so smooth
The new ink such a beautiful blue
Perfect for this blue Tuesday
I've been having today.
At least this pen makes me happy.
It's being good and helping my writing look better.
 |
| Rosewood Chinese Fountain Pen |
And when I returned home from work,
A nice surprise.
One of the Chinese fountain pens I ordered
Had arrived.
It is very nicely made, very smooth writing,
And started working with very little fuss.
Almost unheard of behavior from a fountain pen!
It's late and I'm tired,
but brain is not quite done,
and sinuses have joined the discussion.
This could get ugly.
Supposed to be hot again tomorrow -
But no rain.
6/15/16
Drowsy Summer Heat
Soaking the energy out of everything
And everyone
Except the children,
It would seem.
They are loud and energetic in the cool
Of the library
Adding mayhem to a day when
Most of us
Would love to just sit quietly
And disappear into a book..
I should avoid the Friends' book sale shelf
I keep finding things to bring home.
I have no more room!
6/16/16
Alas,
Another fountain pen has expired
Matt will have to buy a new nib assembly for it if he can.
That was one of the ones he made for me.
6/17/16
Another day in the inner circles of hell.
SO hot.
I wonder if the blacktop on the streets will
Stick to my shoes.
Again today one of the new fountain pens I ordered from China
Has arrived.
This one is very fancy, very heavy, solid, and also smooth writing and starts up with very little fuss. I am very pleased.
 | ||
| Red Dragon fountain pen. |
Tomorrow the lawn MUST be mowed, so we must get up and get at that early before it gets too hot.
Saturday, April 9, 2016
More Bits That Dribble Out Of My Head
I don't know why it is so, but waiting for news in a hospital is horribly exhausting.
The weather is most definitely changing. Every joint in my body that might possibly be arthritic is achy and/or sore to the touch.
The wind out there tonight is roaring and whining, and playing all manner of tunes on our wind chimes. The weather is having quite a jam session...
Making birthday cards seems to take forever. I enjoy it, but I never find a good time to do it, and I feel like I'm shortchanging my friends by not being painstaking enough over it.
Poetry will sneak up on you, smack you over the head, and sometimes reduce you to tears,
all AFTER it has forced you to sit down and write.
Poems you read will also catch you unaware.
That delicious, comforting knowledge
That you aren't the only one
Who feels that way...
After a very out of sorts week last week, this week still feels
wrong and out of order.
The order of the liturgy always puts my mind in order, and helps me focus my thoughts on things spiritual.
I keep thinking about one line from a song written by a local newscaster about the bombing of the Murrah Building. "That's the way with April, warm and then so cold..."
It's true, in many places, but especially here that year. The day it happened was such a beautiful warm Spring morning, and the very next day was cool and cloudy and gloomy.
All these years later, and thoughts of that day can still make me cry. The day I became an Oklahoman. The day that broke so many hearts, but showed a whole community reaching out in love to one another to heal the hurts.
Dog behavior is directly related to the way the owners treat them. You can always tell a happy, well loved dog. He'll be the friendly one. If he's older, he may be a bit cranky, but still. His overall demeanor will be positive.
all AFTER it has forced you to sit down and write.
Poems you read will also catch you unaware.
That delicious, comforting knowledge
That you aren't the only one
Who feels that way...
After a very out of sorts week last week, this week still feels
wrong and out of order.
The order of the liturgy always puts my mind in order, and helps me focus my thoughts on things spiritual.
I keep thinking about one line from a song written by a local newscaster about the bombing of the Murrah Building. "That's the way with April, warm and then so cold..."
It's true, in many places, but especially here that year. The day it happened was such a beautiful warm Spring morning, and the very next day was cool and cloudy and gloomy.
All these years later, and thoughts of that day can still make me cry. The day I became an Oklahoman. The day that broke so many hearts, but showed a whole community reaching out in love to one another to heal the hurts.
Dog behavior is directly related to the way the owners treat them. You can always tell a happy, well loved dog. He'll be the friendly one. If he's older, he may be a bit cranky, but still. His overall demeanor will be positive.
Those trees that produce the winged seeds ought to be outlawed! We have a positive plague of those God-awful seeds this year. They clog up gutters and ruin your downspouts.
Poetry some days just pours out of me. Sometimes (usually) it's pretty much drivel, but sometimes, oh, sometimes, I hit a streak of getting a lot of good poems out one right after the other. It's so odd. I can't control the process, I just have to go with it and see what I get. They usually don't follow any kind of set scheme, they are as random as the mind that generates them.
Toying with the idea of reading at the library's upcoming open mic poetry night. Of course this quote comes to mind : "A poet who will read his verse in public may have other nasty habits. " -Heinlein
The specter of losing my memory plagues me some days. Like this evening, trying to tell a young coworker about the arias I have sung, when suddenly the names, the melodies, the words, just all evaporated. They came back, but it was a struggle. Frightening.
And why should it be so that my mind always waits until nearly midnight to let loose any idea worth toying with? Why is my choice always my sanity or my health?
Poetry some days just pours out of me. Sometimes (usually) it's pretty much drivel, but sometimes, oh, sometimes, I hit a streak of getting a lot of good poems out one right after the other. It's so odd. I can't control the process, I just have to go with it and see what I get. They usually don't follow any kind of set scheme, they are as random as the mind that generates them.
Toying with the idea of reading at the library's upcoming open mic poetry night. Of course this quote comes to mind : "A poet who will read his verse in public may have other nasty habits. " -Heinlein
The specter of losing my memory plagues me some days. Like this evening, trying to tell a young coworker about the arias I have sung, when suddenly the names, the melodies, the words, just all evaporated. They came back, but it was a struggle. Frightening.
And why should it be so that my mind always waits until nearly midnight to let loose any idea worth toying with? Why is my choice always my sanity or my health?
Just spent a few minutes enjoying a visit with a young man who has returned to town after being away for college. I think I enjoy such visits not only because it's good to see our young people come back, but also because some of these young people remind me of the nieces and nephews I almost never get to see.
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Poems du Jour
By C.K. Armistead
12/27/2015
That Vandal, Banshee wind
Charges down the plains
From the North
Roaring its displeasure
Rattling fences,
Overturning suburban trashcans
Making the steam rising
From the neighbor's heating vent
A ragged banner, flung violently
Southward,
As if issuing a challenge to Texas.
The sparrows huddle in the
Lee of the house
Popping out now and then
To steal seed from the feeder
And return to the shelter
Of the small evergreen shrub
Beneath my window.
Breathless in the face
Of the wind's onslaught.
And here I sit, behind double-paned windows
Cozy in my room, cup of hot tea
In my hand
And books to warm my soul
Insulated from
That howling Banshee's roar
Though I can feel it,
Yes I can.
An ache, a twinge of warning
In my joints, in my very bones.
Winter has arrived
In his noisy chariot
Behind his howling steeds.
Second Wave
By C.K. Armistead 12/27/15
Now Winter's most insidious minion,
Cold
Picks and pries and seeps his way
Into our homes, into our bones.
All our modern comforts cannot
Completely banish him.
He finds the loosely fitted window,
The poorly insulated wall,
The edge of an aging floorboard
And flings his icy darts at us
As we read, or rest.
At night, only the warmth
Of many blankets-
And our bodies -
Keeps him at bay.
But when you must get up,
He waits to nip at your toes,
And breathe chills down your neck.
There is a warmth in our hearts, though,
That can thwart him.
Love.
Thoughts of those we love
Can send warmth spreading
Outward from our hearts
And can stop Winter's true cold
From harming us.
Oklahoma: 12/27/15
C.K.Armistead
Grey
So dreary and dull
The Oklahoma sky that usually
Sparkles the bluest blue
Cold
So cold that the North wind comes
Screaming down the plains
Freezing the puddles
Trapping the fallen oak leaves there
Like flies in amber
Snow
Not pretty, not yet.
Just a hardscrabble
Central Oklahoma frosting
So far-
of snow and fallen sleet
Dead grass, dry leaves
And bare branches
Still plain to see.
Pop's Pen
CK Armistead 12/27/15
Fountain pens are living things
Tools with a soul-
Closely associated
With the one who uses them
Many have I collected,
Some very fine
And a joy to use,
But this one,
This one is special.
It's been to War
And back.
It's written letters I've never read.
It has languished long years
Saved in a drawer
Unused.
Its song stilled.
I have inherited it,
Cleaned it,
Refilled it,
And given it a chance.
Now it sings for me
Helping me tell my stories
And remembering
My Pop for me
By the wear of its nib,
The wear on its body,
And the fine accuracy
Of its point.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Dribbles of Poetry
Rainy Thoughts
CKArmistead 2015
Today I saw as I passed by
A large rain puddle full of sky.
The majestic clouds and hints of blue
All on the surface of the water flew.
I have to be mindful of the ground I tread,
But Nature still showed me the wonder above my head.
Time Flies
CK Armistead 2015
The young man standing there
So tall of stature
And dignified of mien,
Was only yesterday, I swear,
A sloppy, slouchy,
Happy go lucky teen.
When did he learn to stand so straight?
When appeared that calm confidence?
Time seems to have a galloping gait,
And to have left me behind long since.
Proud I am to see him so,
Intelligent, and kind
Sure of where he wants to go,
And with a thoughtful turn of mind.
Well I remember the bright young scamp
That asked for a sticker at the desk
Who sat close at reading time,
Said he liked our stories best,
And long ago stole this teacher's heart of mine.
That's what's been rambling around in my head wanting to be written down lately.
Hope you enjoyed them.
CKArmistead 2015
Today I saw as I passed by
A large rain puddle full of sky.
The majestic clouds and hints of blue
All on the surface of the water flew.
I have to be mindful of the ground I tread,
But Nature still showed me the wonder above my head.
Time Flies
CK Armistead 2015
The young man standing there
So tall of stature
And dignified of mien,
Was only yesterday, I swear,
A sloppy, slouchy,
Happy go lucky teen.
When did he learn to stand so straight?
When appeared that calm confidence?
Time seems to have a galloping gait,
And to have left me behind long since.
Proud I am to see him so,
Intelligent, and kind
Sure of where he wants to go,
And with a thoughtful turn of mind.
Well I remember the bright young scamp
That asked for a sticker at the desk
Who sat close at reading time,
Said he liked our stories best,
And long ago stole this teacher's heart of mine.
That's what's been rambling around in my head wanting to be written down lately.
Hope you enjoyed them.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Just Playing With Words
CKArmistead
May 2015
It fell first in drops,
Then in streaks,
Then sheets,
Then torrents,
And then a continuous
Deluge,
As if someone were
Spraying the world
With a giant fire hose.
I wish it would stop,
For the ground is squishy,
The plants are looking sickly,
There are mosquitoes everywhere,
Though for years we prayed for rain,
It occurs to me that
There CAN be too much
Of a good thing.
Rambling Thoughts
June 2015
I may wish I still looked young
But I know I don't.
So I leave my photos alone.
I put that saggy neck and those crepe-y arms out there
For the world to see.
Soon, I'll let my hair go gray
And find out how that will be.
On the inside
I am still the geeky fangirl
I was in my teens.
Maybe a bit more mature,
But still silly sometimes.
The older I get
The more I learn
That what's on the outside
Isn't who I am,
Except for the sparkle in my eye,
The dimples in my smile,
Put there by the brightness
In my heart.
Part of me has always felt older than my years
I feel like the rest of me is finally catching up.
There are times I feel I've heard an ancient song
Playing down the years
That nobody around me hears.
Places in my heart that bagpipes speak to,
When I've never been to Scotland,
Visions of mountains and lochs
That my eyes have never seen.
Fiddle tunes and banjo pickings
That stir my heart and set my feet to tapping.
When I have spent little time
In those places that my family lived
In this country.
Transplanted to California,
When the family was all from the South,
And the Appalachians.
Still, mariachis and flamenco guitar
Make me happy
Because they are the sounds I heard often
In my environment in my youth.
As well as Gospel songs,
Motown music,
And playground clapping chants.
Life has been so rich, so full of laughter, music, and friends
I've had the love of a good man
For many years now
We've seen good times and bad,
Been separated by thousands of miles
But still close
In our hearts.
He's taught me to trust myself
Taken me to live in a foreign land
Vexed me something awful,
Made me laugh,
And loved me even when I was being completely unlovable.
Wherever my mind rambles,
It always wanders back to him.
My knight in smelly flightsuit,
My loadmaster,
My Matthew.
Summer
June 2015
Sticky, mosquito laden air
Makes me glad I cut off my hair
Busy, child filled library days
Make me glad I keep in shape
But the sun is so very welcome
After all the rain
Calm weather
After all the storms of May
In Oklahoma,
We are always glad to see the end of May
Too many sad anniversary days
Come around in May.
June is usually hot and dry
And that is a blessing this year
That we are thankful for.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Greetings From the Tornado/Flood/Earthquake/Loose Wild Animals State...
To say that this has been QUITE an evening in Oklahoma is an understatement.
Since about 3pm, when I returned from my shift at the library, we have been in the midst of an ongoing weather circus of the bizarre.
First, a very slow-moving, undecided tornadic storm that EVENTUALLY produced several tornadoes. Thankfully none were as huge and voracious as the May 3, 1999 tornadoes that this storm was compared to, but they were bad enough.
I got the "tornado closet" set up early. It's really just our master bedroom closet, but it's the place with the most walls around it in this house. (No, we don't have a certified shelter. We have too many other expenses right now for that. Someday. When we get some things paid off...)
I clean out some of the things that normally live in the closet, and put folded blankets down on the floor to sit on. I make sure the small electronics, their chargers, and the hand-crank emergency radio are in there. Also flashlights, medications, and our bicycle helmets.
This time, for the last round of tornado warnings, I had my hydration bottle with a margarita mixed up in it. (Thanks for a great suggestion, Michael Ornstein. It made the claustrophobia LOTS easier to get over!) We keep a VERY close eye on the television coverage and the radar scans. Tornado warnings are given for the whole county, and quite often, the storm in question has already gone south and east of our location by the time the warnings are given. (For which circumstance may God be praised, and may our good fortune continue!)
During all these multiple tornado- producing storms, we received a record amount of rainfall. This caused flooding in many areas, including many roads in Moore. Far as I know, our neighborhood is OK, but I have wisely chosen not to leave the house. There was also a small earthquake reported tonight. If that wasn't enough fun, the animals at a small wildlife park west of the metro got loose in the storm. (Lions, tigers, bobcats, and BEARS! Oh, my!) The animals were quickly rounded up and safely returned to their enclosures. But still. Wow. All on the same night in central Oklahoma.
That's just more "fun" than one state ought to be allowed to have!
Our poor little French drain pump is working overtime. Glad the power stayed on, or we'd have a permanent lake in the back yard! I just hope my plants survive. Poor babies didn't need quite so much water! Most are well drained, but some may have an issue. Especially some of the "drought tolerant" roses...
Good thing we gave choir rehearsal a pass tonight. There was a tornado that crossed the highway we'd have been on at about the time we'd have been on it. NOT a good thing!
Through all of this, social media has been very useful, both to keep track of the weather and our friends, and to keep us from going nuts. Being able to share jokes and information with friends is a wonderful relief in the midst of so much angst.
So, now I am going to head for bed and hope and pray that the weather shuts the hell up so we can sleep. Thanks to all my friends for being there and for keeping us laughing! We love you all!!
Here's hoping there are no storms tomorrow. Tomorrow is #ThursdayNightAtTheLibrary ! I have to be there from 12:30 to 9pm! Please, God, no more storms. We've had enough fun for this season.
Since about 3pm, when I returned from my shift at the library, we have been in the midst of an ongoing weather circus of the bizarre.
First, a very slow-moving, undecided tornadic storm that EVENTUALLY produced several tornadoes. Thankfully none were as huge and voracious as the May 3, 1999 tornadoes that this storm was compared to, but they were bad enough.
I got the "tornado closet" set up early. It's really just our master bedroom closet, but it's the place with the most walls around it in this house. (No, we don't have a certified shelter. We have too many other expenses right now for that. Someday. When we get some things paid off...)
I clean out some of the things that normally live in the closet, and put folded blankets down on the floor to sit on. I make sure the small electronics, their chargers, and the hand-crank emergency radio are in there. Also flashlights, medications, and our bicycle helmets.
This time, for the last round of tornado warnings, I had my hydration bottle with a margarita mixed up in it. (Thanks for a great suggestion, Michael Ornstein. It made the claustrophobia LOTS easier to get over!) We keep a VERY close eye on the television coverage and the radar scans. Tornado warnings are given for the whole county, and quite often, the storm in question has already gone south and east of our location by the time the warnings are given. (For which circumstance may God be praised, and may our good fortune continue!)
During all these multiple tornado- producing storms, we received a record amount of rainfall. This caused flooding in many areas, including many roads in Moore. Far as I know, our neighborhood is OK, but I have wisely chosen not to leave the house. There was also a small earthquake reported tonight. If that wasn't enough fun, the animals at a small wildlife park west of the metro got loose in the storm. (Lions, tigers, bobcats, and BEARS! Oh, my!) The animals were quickly rounded up and safely returned to their enclosures. But still. Wow. All on the same night in central Oklahoma.
That's just more "fun" than one state ought to be allowed to have!
Our poor little French drain pump is working overtime. Glad the power stayed on, or we'd have a permanent lake in the back yard! I just hope my plants survive. Poor babies didn't need quite so much water! Most are well drained, but some may have an issue. Especially some of the "drought tolerant" roses...
Good thing we gave choir rehearsal a pass tonight. There was a tornado that crossed the highway we'd have been on at about the time we'd have been on it. NOT a good thing!
Through all of this, social media has been very useful, both to keep track of the weather and our friends, and to keep us from going nuts. Being able to share jokes and information with friends is a wonderful relief in the midst of so much angst.
So, now I am going to head for bed and hope and pray that the weather shuts the hell up so we can sleep. Thanks to all my friends for being there and for keeping us laughing! We love you all!!
Here's hoping there are no storms tomorrow. Tomorrow is #ThursdayNightAtTheLibrary ! I have to be there from 12:30 to 9pm! Please, God, no more storms. We've had enough fun for this season.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
The Week That Just Was
This week just passed was certainly not typical. First of all, we got a new water heater, BEFORE the old one died, for once! We had it installed on Tuesday. Nice to have REALLY hot water again, and the gas bill should also be lower...
As soon as possible, we will be getting the doors reinstalled on the "mechanical closet".
The install went well. We were happy. That was Tuesday.
Wednesday, the weather got ugly, and there were tornadoes in Moore again. Only little ones this time, and all on the other side of town again. The worst damage seems to have been done by 80 mph straight line winds. We had no damage, but unknown to us, during the night, the wind blew out the pilot light on the water heater.
Matt was faced with a very cold shower Thursday morning. He went out, thinking to relight the pilot light, but found the catch pan full of water, and water dripping down the water heater. Seems a joint in the newly installed pipe had leaked. So, back comes the plumber and gets it all fixed up.
Friday the city inspector came, and ok'ed the install, as long as we get the doors back up asap. (Since we are in the process of getting the drywall in the garage restored, we got a pass.) It won't be too much longer before we get the doors back up.
The weekend was actually pleasant. Hard work all day Saturday, but pleasant. Beautiful weather, and we got BOTH yards completely cleaned up and ready for Spring.
The front yard.
The herb garden out back. Still lots of oregano, some sage, parsley, lavender, mint, and thyme. And garlic chives. Garlic chives are in BOTH herb gardens.
Even the front porch furniture got a wash.
Today I did laundry, and read, and goofed off a lot. We caught up with our Bosch binge watching, and now Matt is watching Falling Skies. Tomorrow is another Monday, and I hope this week is less eventful than the last week was!
This coming week is also Holy Week, which means a Friday evening service for us. So grateful the Parish Choir does the Holy Saturday service. That one's a real marathon. I am hoping to get some more stories recorded this week, and some more storm prep done, so I won't feel so insecure if the weather turns on us again. Mainly scanning documents to my Survivor Drive, getting the first aid kit up to date, and cleaning out the closet a bit more. Time for the seasonal clothing swap outs anyway, and time to purge some stuff that's way too big now.
So here's to the darling days of Spring
When warm winds blow,
and all the birds sing.
When storm clouds billow
And wind chimes ring.
We pray the days will all be calm
With pleasant airs
And sweet scents of balm
To ease our cares
Like one of David's psalms.
As soon as possible, we will be getting the doors reinstalled on the "mechanical closet".
The install went well. We were happy. That was Tuesday.
Wednesday, the weather got ugly, and there were tornadoes in Moore again. Only little ones this time, and all on the other side of town again. The worst damage seems to have been done by 80 mph straight line winds. We had no damage, but unknown to us, during the night, the wind blew out the pilot light on the water heater.
Matt was faced with a very cold shower Thursday morning. He went out, thinking to relight the pilot light, but found the catch pan full of water, and water dripping down the water heater. Seems a joint in the newly installed pipe had leaked. So, back comes the plumber and gets it all fixed up.
Friday the city inspector came, and ok'ed the install, as long as we get the doors back up asap. (Since we are in the process of getting the drywall in the garage restored, we got a pass.) It won't be too much longer before we get the doors back up.
The weekend was actually pleasant. Hard work all day Saturday, but pleasant. Beautiful weather, and we got BOTH yards completely cleaned up and ready for Spring.
Today I did laundry, and read, and goofed off a lot. We caught up with our Bosch binge watching, and now Matt is watching Falling Skies. Tomorrow is another Monday, and I hope this week is less eventful than the last week was!
This coming week is also Holy Week, which means a Friday evening service for us. So grateful the Parish Choir does the Holy Saturday service. That one's a real marathon. I am hoping to get some more stories recorded this week, and some more storm prep done, so I won't feel so insecure if the weather turns on us again. Mainly scanning documents to my Survivor Drive, getting the first aid kit up to date, and cleaning out the closet a bit more. Time for the seasonal clothing swap outs anyway, and time to purge some stuff that's way too big now.
So here's to the darling days of Spring
When warm winds blow,
and all the birds sing.
When storm clouds billow
And wind chimes ring.
We pray the days will all be calm
With pleasant airs
And sweet scents of balm
To ease our cares
Like one of David's psalms.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Let The Wild Revels Begin!
 |
| Me and my best friend, lover, husband: Matthew. Long ago and far away. |
Friday, February 20th
My work week is done, that means that my Birthday Vacation Week has officially begun! Not much exciting stuff planned, but some fun stuff. Friends coming over tomorrow for braised short ribs, got an early birthday present in the mail today, Contemplating whether or not to make a birthday cake this year.
Saturday, February 21st
Got up and cleaned house this morning. Still have to work out and start laundry before friends arrive at "5-ish". Matt is busy cooking.
Got another birthday present in the mail today. The other Perlgirls are spoiling me. Now I have to figure out how to spoil them back.
The dinner this evening was FABULOUS! Dear Husband has outdone himself! Beef short ribs braised in wine, with carrots and onions, butternut squash soup, roasted cauliflower, Gratin Daphinois (of potatoes with Gruyere). SO good! Also, had the company of very good friends, and poundcake and berries for dessert.
Had a Mustang Brewing Co. Washita Wheat Beer before dinner, and some very nice Shiraz from our friends at Canadian River Winery and Vineyards with dinner. Had some herb tea with dessert, and used the birthday gift my friend Kelly sent for the tea. (A mug covered with pictures of my favorite actor's mug!)
They are threatening us with nasty winter precipitation starting tomorrow into Monday. I sincerely hope it doesn't come on very strong. I would like freedom to travel around the area on my birthday week. (Also, I'd really prefer to do the commissary trip on Monday if I can, but since I'm off work this week, I could easily go another day.)
Even though it is Birthday Vacation Week, I will still need to do laundry tomorrow. Sigh. Laundry never sleeps. It just keeps sitting there piling up on you until you run out of clean underwear.
Getting ready to close this out and head for sleep. Before I go, a little poem:
Treasures
As time goes by
It seems to me
That though I try
To let you all see
How much I care
I cannot express
Or easily share
The happiness
The laughter,
The joy
You bring to my life.
Dear friends,
Know that no
Material things
Can ever mean
As much to me
As the joy of your
Friendship does.
Your kindness
Overwhelms me
The fact that you
Are there when I
Need cheering up
That you let me
Cheer you up, too,
The give and take,
The laughter
And the tears
Are things I will keep
In my heart
And treasure
For YEARS.
All my love to my wonderful Matthew, our dear friends Mike and Nancy Rogers, and Mary, Kelly, Fi, Mallory, Jana, Linda, Paulette, Patti, Chloe, Anna, Marie, Amy, and Brina (the Perlgirls),
and of course, Julie D, Megan, Grace, Aaron, Darrin, Sally, Emily, Annette, Heather, MaryM, Molly, Shannon, and all the other wonderful, talented, and dedicated people I work with. Life is good.
Katie
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Christmas Day Reflections
I wonder what it is about this day that makes me want to wander out on windswept moors, or through winter bare woods. Every year, I find myself wanting to walk through nature on Christmas Day, finding evidence of God's peace and the new light born into the world even in desolate places.
I just looked at a long term weather forecast. Snow on Tuesday and Wednesday. Seriously? Good grief.
I took a little walk around the neighborhood. Here's some photos.
 |
| Early part of sunset from corner of 12th and Foxfire |
 |
| Some neighborhood lights. |
 |
| More neighborhood lights. |
 | |
| Lights again. |
 | |
| Stars in the tree look suspiciously like July 4th decorations. |
 |
| Lots of dead toons in this yard. Rumor has it they reanimate like Zombies after dark. |
 |
| One of the more enthusiastic decorators in the neighborhood. |
 |
| Go Home Frosty! You're DRUNK!! |
 |
| Looking North, believe it or not. |
 |
| Sunset almost back to corner at 12th and Foxfire |
 |
| The welcome lights of home. |
 | ||||||||
| A blurry view of my reading nook. I had just gotten up from it after a wee snooze. |
All in all a pretty quiet Christmas. We had a few gifts, since we had gotten each other things all year that we really wanted, we only had small things for Christmas. The best gift was being together, being with our church family, and having tomorrow to look forward to. Our good friends will join us for the Feast of the Festive Leftovers. It will be EPIC!!
Topping it all off was a nice greeting from a special Twitter friend, and lots of other nice tweets and messages from far flung friends. We love you all and are so glad we were able to share a bit of this day with you!
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Poetry Happens
In The Dead of Winter
By C.K. Armistead
December 21, 2014
Even in the dead of winter
There is warmth
In the smile of a friend,
The hug of a loved one,
The laughter of children.
Even in the dark of despair
There is light.
Prayers heard and answered,
A kind word when needed,
A smile from a stranger.
Even on the longest night,
There is hope
Of dawn's coming
Of the return of warmth,
The return of light.
Even on the coldest day,
There is the reminder
That we are each other's warmth
We are each other's hope,
We are each other's light.
Carried On The Wind
By C.K. Armistead
December 23, 2014
Today as I was walking
The wind was strong and cold
And sounded like the talking
Of the wise ones of old.
Telling tales of mystery
Tales of wonder and joy
Tales we know of history
Of the fate of a special baby boy.
And also on that insistent wind
I heard the old songs so sweet
Sung low and soft from around the bend
Their glad tidings to repeat.
And upon the wind was borne
The scent of woodsmoke and memory
Of places and faces that make you warm
In spite of the world's harsh harmony.
Then the wind made my mouth water
With scents it carried past me
Of sugar, flour and butter
Becoming cookies and candy.
Tomorrow night the wind will bring
The sound of many bells a ringing
And my voice among thousands will sing
Songs of hope and joy fit for a King.
So today, as I was wandering
I was thankful for the wind's wild voice
That set me to pondering
The many reasons we have to rejoice.
That's about all the poetry I've got right now. Time now to bake the pies. Time to put some flour, sugar, butter, eggs and other good things to work becoming Christmas treats to share with friends. May you all have a joyful and beautiful Christmas, whether you celebrate or not, you are wished a day of love and joy.
By C.K. Armistead
December 21, 2014
Even in the dead of winter
There is warmth
In the smile of a friend,
The hug of a loved one,
The laughter of children.
Even in the dark of despair
There is light.
Prayers heard and answered,
A kind word when needed,
A smile from a stranger.
Even on the longest night,
There is hope
Of dawn's coming
Of the return of warmth,
The return of light.
Even on the coldest day,
There is the reminder
That we are each other's warmth
We are each other's hope,
We are each other's light.
Carried On The Wind
By C.K. Armistead
December 23, 2014
Today as I was walking
The wind was strong and cold
And sounded like the talking
Of the wise ones of old.
Telling tales of mystery
Tales of wonder and joy
Tales we know of history
Of the fate of a special baby boy.
And also on that insistent wind
I heard the old songs so sweet
Sung low and soft from around the bend
Their glad tidings to repeat.
And upon the wind was borne
The scent of woodsmoke and memory
Of places and faces that make you warm
In spite of the world's harsh harmony.
Then the wind made my mouth water
With scents it carried past me
Of sugar, flour and butter
Becoming cookies and candy.
Tomorrow night the wind will bring
The sound of many bells a ringing
And my voice among thousands will sing
Songs of hope and joy fit for a King.
So today, as I was wandering
I was thankful for the wind's wild voice
That set me to pondering
The many reasons we have to rejoice.
That's about all the poetry I've got right now. Time now to bake the pies. Time to put some flour, sugar, butter, eggs and other good things to work becoming Christmas treats to share with friends. May you all have a joyful and beautiful Christmas, whether you celebrate or not, you are wished a day of love and joy.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Wait! It's Not Supposed To Be Winter Yet!!
Early Winter
By C.K. Armistead
Nov 16, 2014
Freezing air that greets
My reluctantly waking feets
I pull them back under the sheets
While the alarm clock uselessly bleats.
Seeking warmth, I hit the shower
Hot water seems to take an hour
Before it gets to its full power
Helping sweeten my mood so sour.
Joints that normally don't pain me
Today rebel and seek to blame me
For the cold that seems to contain me
Making them all inflamed, you see.
Oh, the joy of my cozy nook
To curl up and read a book
A window to help me look
Upon the trees by cold winds shook.
Winter Signs on A Fall Afternoon
C.K. Armistead
Nov. 2014
Swirling, falling drifting
Lightly dusting and sifting,
Flakes flying on north winds
Coating shrubs and ground again.
Fluffing, chattering, then still
Sparrows huddled on my windowsill.
Waiting for a decrease in the wind
So they can go after the seeds again.
The singing kettle, the bubbling pot
On the stove, making a lot
Of good things to drink and eat
To take our minds off of snow and sleet.
To keep the cabin fever away,
Time on the elliptical to bob and sway
Also burning as much as I should
Of all that good and hearty food!
So, it isn't even Thanksgiving yet. It is usually nowhere near this cold here this time of year. Fall is usually the nicest time weather wise in Oklahoma. I'm glad they switched from "Global Warming" to "Climate Change", because Climate Change is more descriptive of what happens as the earth has these temperature cycles. It has happened before. With or without man, our planet goes through changes. Oh, we probably make it worse, but it isn't ALL on us. The geological record upholds that fact. The problem is, we ARE putting more chemicals, particles, etc into the air than would otherwise be there. It DOES do nasty things to the planetary environment. So, we do our little part to help curtail some of it. Walk to the store instead of drive if I can, recycle everything I can. (But I have to drive to the recycling center. That kind of rankles...)
My plans for today include making some more home made applesauce, and a batch of shortbread. I also want to try to make some little meat pies with the egg roll wraps we have left. (Not as fattening as pasties, but maybe ALMOST as good. We'll see...) The laundry is almost all done, including the towels. I need to make out a grocery list and pay some bills. Also praying for the weather to not leave us with a real mess on the roads in the morning. (I'd like to do my shopping and get it all put away before I have to leave for Voice.)
Looks as though the roads will be iffy for quite a bit of tomorrow. The schools are going to be closed. (Oh, joy.) May have to shop Tues before work.
Just feel so run down and tired and vaguely irritable during this weather. Never fails to show up when I have other stuff to do!
Here's the dessert I made tonight:
So, now that I've put my big, cozy sweater on, and had a bowl of this, I'm full and I'm SLEEPY! Catch you later!
By C.K. Armistead
Nov 16, 2014
Freezing air that greets
My reluctantly waking feets
I pull them back under the sheets
While the alarm clock uselessly bleats.
Seeking warmth, I hit the shower
Hot water seems to take an hour
Before it gets to its full power
Helping sweeten my mood so sour.
Joints that normally don't pain me
Today rebel and seek to blame me
For the cold that seems to contain me
Making them all inflamed, you see.
Oh, the joy of my cozy nook
To curl up and read a book
A window to help me look
Upon the trees by cold winds shook.
Winter Signs on A Fall Afternoon
C.K. Armistead
Nov. 2014
Swirling, falling drifting
Lightly dusting and sifting,
Flakes flying on north winds
Coating shrubs and ground again.
Fluffing, chattering, then still
Sparrows huddled on my windowsill.
Waiting for a decrease in the wind
So they can go after the seeds again.
The singing kettle, the bubbling pot
On the stove, making a lot
Of good things to drink and eat
To take our minds off of snow and sleet.
To keep the cabin fever away,
Time on the elliptical to bob and sway
Also burning as much as I should
Of all that good and hearty food!
So, it isn't even Thanksgiving yet. It is usually nowhere near this cold here this time of year. Fall is usually the nicest time weather wise in Oklahoma. I'm glad they switched from "Global Warming" to "Climate Change", because Climate Change is more descriptive of what happens as the earth has these temperature cycles. It has happened before. With or without man, our planet goes through changes. Oh, we probably make it worse, but it isn't ALL on us. The geological record upholds that fact. The problem is, we ARE putting more chemicals, particles, etc into the air than would otherwise be there. It DOES do nasty things to the planetary environment. So, we do our little part to help curtail some of it. Walk to the store instead of drive if I can, recycle everything I can. (But I have to drive to the recycling center. That kind of rankles...)
My plans for today include making some more home made applesauce, and a batch of shortbread. I also want to try to make some little meat pies with the egg roll wraps we have left. (Not as fattening as pasties, but maybe ALMOST as good. We'll see...) The laundry is almost all done, including the towels. I need to make out a grocery list and pay some bills. Also praying for the weather to not leave us with a real mess on the roads in the morning. (I'd like to do my shopping and get it all put away before I have to leave for Voice.)
Looks as though the roads will be iffy for quite a bit of tomorrow. The schools are going to be closed. (Oh, joy.) May have to shop Tues before work.
Just feel so run down and tired and vaguely irritable during this weather. Never fails to show up when I have other stuff to do!
Here's the dessert I made tonight:
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Poems From My Travels
Ruminations on A Storm
By C.K.Armistead
Oct. 2014
Rumbledy thumps
Bumps and crackles
Mutter, moans, and
Ghostly cackles
The storm is getting
Some practice in
Before Halloween
Comes again.
Cloud music
Static crackling
Low grumbling
On it goes
A symphony of
Noise and light
Lasting all night.
Grumbling thunder
Flashes of light
An Oklahoma melody
On an Alabama night.
So it kept you awake,
and anxious perhaps:
But I slept just fine
Though the sky was alive
The song that it sang
An Oklahoma Lullaby.
How I Felt After I Read Your Book
(For Ron Perlman, on his book, Easy Street (the Hard Way)
C.K. Armistead Oct. 2014
Searching now for ways
To share the love,
The care I've received
From others
Back into the world
To help the world
Be a little better, kinder,
Easier for others.
Because that's what you do
You give back more than you know.
Have made days brighter
Hearts lighter
Just by doing what you always do
Making fictional people come alive
And making us care about them
Giving back the love
Your fans give you.
Cause love just grows
The more you give it away!
Inspiration
By C.K. Armistead
October, 2014
And so sleep once again
Proves an elusive beast.
Just when I think my brain will give in,
Words come in a poetic feast.
The loud clamoring words
Demanding to be put down
Saying rest is for cowards
Writing the way to win the crown.
By C.K.Armistead
Oct. 2014
Rumbledy thumps
Bumps and crackles
Mutter, moans, and
Ghostly cackles
The storm is getting
Some practice in
Before Halloween
Comes again.
Cloud music
Static crackling
Low grumbling
On it goes
A symphony of
Noise and light
Lasting all night.
Grumbling thunder
Flashes of light
An Oklahoma melody
On an Alabama night.
So it kept you awake,
and anxious perhaps:
But I slept just fine
Though the sky was alive
The song that it sang
An Oklahoma Lullaby.
How I Felt After I Read Your Book
(For Ron Perlman, on his book, Easy Street (the Hard Way)
C.K. Armistead Oct. 2014
Searching now for ways
To share the love,
The care I've received
From others
Back into the world
To help the world
Be a little better, kinder,
Easier for others.
Because that's what you do
You give back more than you know.
Have made days brighter
Hearts lighter
Just by doing what you always do
Making fictional people come alive
And making us care about them
Giving back the love
Your fans give you.
Cause love just grows
The more you give it away!
Inspiration
By C.K. Armistead
October, 2014
And so sleep once again
Proves an elusive beast.
Just when I think my brain will give in,
Words come in a poetic feast.
The loud clamoring words
Demanding to be put down
Saying rest is for cowards
Writing the way to win the crown.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
A Few More Poems...
Promises, Promises
By C.K. Armistead
June 2014
(For Michael O., because he loved it so)
Early Spring is a lovely promise.
New shoots,
Young leaves,
Tender blooms.
But early Summer
Is a promise fulfilled
Thick, green grass,
Deep, dappled shade,
Beautiful blossoms.
Cloud Fleet
C.K. Armistead
June, 2014
After their midnight Battle
Filled with cannons of thunder
And bomb bursts of lightening
With fusillades of water
That drenched the thirsty land
All day Nature's vast armada
Has sailed past
Giving teasing glimpses
Of ocean-blue sky
Between the great grey ships
Casting shadow patterns
On the sparkling land.
Perhaps their majesty
We should heed
As a reminder this day
That we live perpetually
Beneath Nature's
Daunting sway.
Little Makeshift Girl
By C. K. Armistead
June 2014
Just a makeshift girl
Good enough to pass the time
Until you find
The one you really want.
Forlorn lonely girl
Knows she isn't really
In anybody's heart.
She tries not to mind
But when no one's around
The makeshift girl
Falls apart
Can't make do
With part-times and
Promises forever
With almost-love
And not-quite-right
She cries herself to sleep
Most nights.
But somewhere
There's a love
Just for her
Even though she doesn't know it.
Hang on, makeshift girl,
Don't blow it
He'll soon come 'round
And then you'll know it
You deserve a love
All your own.
Compton 90221
By C.K. Armistead
June, 2014
Once, it was a good place.
We had block parties
Lots of different colored faces
Having fun
Sharing food and laughter.
And then the others came.
The ones with guns and cruel hate
Drove all the smiling ones
Away.
Left our block, our whole town,
Seedy and weedy
And full of bullet holes
And the profound sorrow
Of lost Hope.
Healing
By C.K.Armistead
June 2014
More than a year
Has come and gone
Since the storms
Chewed up our town.
Still, many empty lots
Many businesses gone
Lives still rebuilding.
Yet,
Many homes are rebuilt.
Many new people have
Come to live in this little city
With the great big heart.
New plans are in place
To keep us all safe
As can be
If Nature decides
Again to be nasty.
Folks are still
Quick to smile
Glad to see their neighbors
And I am so proud
To be part of this
Community.
Small Miracles
By C. K. Armistead
June, 2014
For Butch and Walt
I hold in the palm of my hand
A gateway to knowledge
All the knowledge
Held in common on this planet.
With it, I can interact with people
On the other side of the country,
Or the world, or even
In orbit around it.
This little gizmo
So common that we
Take it for granted now
Was unimaginable
When I was a child.
My Pop said
Machines like this were
"impossible."
Not so
Said men like my brothers
Who built smaller,
More powerful circuits
And smaller, smarter
Machines
Men who read Asimov
And Bradbury
And dared to dream
Dreams.
Thank you for dreaming
And waking to build.
By C.K. Armistead
June 2014
(For Michael O., because he loved it so)
Early Spring is a lovely promise.
New shoots,
Young leaves,
Tender blooms.
But early Summer
Is a promise fulfilled
Thick, green grass,
Deep, dappled shade,
Beautiful blossoms.
Cloud Fleet
C.K. Armistead
June, 2014
After their midnight Battle
Filled with cannons of thunder
And bomb bursts of lightening
With fusillades of water
That drenched the thirsty land
All day Nature's vast armada
Has sailed past
Giving teasing glimpses
Of ocean-blue sky
Between the great grey ships
Casting shadow patterns
On the sparkling land.
Perhaps their majesty
We should heed
As a reminder this day
That we live perpetually
Beneath Nature's
Daunting sway.
Little Makeshift Girl
By C. K. Armistead
June 2014
Just a makeshift girl
Good enough to pass the time
Until you find
The one you really want.
Forlorn lonely girl
Knows she isn't really
In anybody's heart.
She tries not to mind
But when no one's around
The makeshift girl
Falls apart
Can't make do
With part-times and
Promises forever
With almost-love
And not-quite-right
She cries herself to sleep
Most nights.
But somewhere
There's a love
Just for her
Even though she doesn't know it.
Hang on, makeshift girl,
Don't blow it
He'll soon come 'round
And then you'll know it
You deserve a love
All your own.
Compton 90221
By C.K. Armistead
June, 2014
Once, it was a good place.
We had block parties
Lots of different colored faces
Having fun
Sharing food and laughter.
And then the others came.
The ones with guns and cruel hate
Drove all the smiling ones
Away.
Left our block, our whole town,
Seedy and weedy
And full of bullet holes
And the profound sorrow
Of lost Hope.
Healing
By C.K.Armistead
June 2014
More than a year
Has come and gone
Since the storms
Chewed up our town.
Still, many empty lots
Many businesses gone
Lives still rebuilding.
Yet,
Many homes are rebuilt.
Many new people have
Come to live in this little city
With the great big heart.
New plans are in place
To keep us all safe
As can be
If Nature decides
Again to be nasty.
Folks are still
Quick to smile
Glad to see their neighbors
And I am so proud
To be part of this
Community.
Small Miracles
By C. K. Armistead
June, 2014
For Butch and Walt
I hold in the palm of my hand
A gateway to knowledge
All the knowledge
Held in common on this planet.
With it, I can interact with people
On the other side of the country,
Or the world, or even
In orbit around it.
This little gizmo
So common that we
Take it for granted now
Was unimaginable
When I was a child.
My Pop said
Machines like this were
"impossible."
Not so
Said men like my brothers
Who built smaller,
More powerful circuits
And smaller, smarter
Machines
Men who read Asimov
And Bradbury
And dared to dream
Dreams.
Thank you for dreaming
And waking to build.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Stumbling Around on a Saturday Night
Some random, rambling observations:
1) It is odd that you can be jealous of a friend's good fortune, and yet genuinely happy for them,too. It DOES happen. I am jealous that two of my friends got to chat in person with Ron Perlman in Austin last night, but I am very happy for them too! He was very sweet to them, and it is nice to know that he does remember us.
Here Mary delivers a smooch from Fiona (and the rest of us #Perlgirls, of course.)
And here he sends one back.
He really does care about us. Astounding as it seems sometimes.
2) Laundry you are waiting for will never get dry, no matter what the autodry setting on your oh-so-smart dryer says.
3) A properly made Tequila Sunrise will give you a buzz without you realizing it has done so. They taste SO good, and they sneak right up on ya!
4) You can instantly identify a movie as being made in the 1980s just by hearing the music, if it is a contemporary setting.
5) Some silly, cheesy 1980s action/comedies are still fun to watch all these years later.
6) Music really does bring back memories. Listening to a Greatest 80s Hits album today, and remembering college and my first year teaching, and dates Matt and I went on both before and after we got married...
7) Cold, dreary weather makes me want to hole up in my office and read. No serious reading, but light mysteries, fan fiction, anything light and fun. Guess I'm trying to counter the gloom.
This weather, only wetter, is plaguing SXSW in Austin. South By Soaking Wet is it's new nickname.
8) Voice practice may go very well. Then the snot will fall in. And you will sound like a bullfrog, even if you ARE a lyric soprano.
10) Husbands who cook and then do dishes are the sexiest men on the planet. I mean it. Wow.
11) Wearing mostly black tomorrow. First Sunday in Lent. Guess black is appropriate.
12) I keep finding fellow Episcopalians in odd places. Found another one on Twitter. Robert Patrick. Always fun to find another person who answers "And also with you." when someone in the Star Wars movie says "May the Force be with you."
13) Watching my husband watch me, and sometimes I can almost hear him thinking "God, I love it when she stretches." Nice to know I still get to him after all these MANY years! (We met in '83.)
14) Just because some idiot decided we have to lose an hour tonight, it does not mean my internal clock will willingly reset. Hence, I am sitting here at what will feel like 00:20 later on, but feels like 23:20 to me!
Time to shut this down. I do have to finish a few things and then get ready for bed. Gotta sleep so I can look at least mostly human tomorrow.
Thanks for reading. Sometimes feel like I'm talking to myself here, but the stats say the pages get hits. One never knows.
1) It is odd that you can be jealous of a friend's good fortune, and yet genuinely happy for them,too. It DOES happen. I am jealous that two of my friends got to chat in person with Ron Perlman in Austin last night, but I am very happy for them too! He was very sweet to them, and it is nice to know that he does remember us.
Here Mary delivers a smooch from Fiona (and the rest of us #Perlgirls, of course.)
And here he sends one back.
He really does care about us. Astounding as it seems sometimes.
2) Laundry you are waiting for will never get dry, no matter what the autodry setting on your oh-so-smart dryer says.
3) A properly made Tequila Sunrise will give you a buzz without you realizing it has done so. They taste SO good, and they sneak right up on ya!
4) You can instantly identify a movie as being made in the 1980s just by hearing the music, if it is a contemporary setting.
5) Some silly, cheesy 1980s action/comedies are still fun to watch all these years later.
6) Music really does bring back memories. Listening to a Greatest 80s Hits album today, and remembering college and my first year teaching, and dates Matt and I went on both before and after we got married...
7) Cold, dreary weather makes me want to hole up in my office and read. No serious reading, but light mysteries, fan fiction, anything light and fun. Guess I'm trying to counter the gloom.
This weather, only wetter, is plaguing SXSW in Austin. South By Soaking Wet is it's new nickname.
8) Voice practice may go very well. Then the snot will fall in. And you will sound like a bullfrog, even if you ARE a lyric soprano.
10) Husbands who cook and then do dishes are the sexiest men on the planet. I mean it. Wow.
11) Wearing mostly black tomorrow. First Sunday in Lent. Guess black is appropriate.
12) I keep finding fellow Episcopalians in odd places. Found another one on Twitter. Robert Patrick. Always fun to find another person who answers "And also with you." when someone in the Star Wars movie says "May the Force be with you."
13) Watching my husband watch me, and sometimes I can almost hear him thinking "God, I love it when she stretches." Nice to know I still get to him after all these MANY years! (We met in '83.)
14) Just because some idiot decided we have to lose an hour tonight, it does not mean my internal clock will willingly reset. Hence, I am sitting here at what will feel like 00:20 later on, but feels like 23:20 to me!
Time to shut this down. I do have to finish a few things and then get ready for bed. Gotta sleep so I can look at least mostly human tomorrow.
Thanks for reading. Sometimes feel like I'm talking to myself here, but the stats say the pages get hits. One never knows.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Tuesday Trials
I had a little time to read, got my email and other computer housekeeping done, did my walk, and then it was shower, get ready for work, and boogie!
Once I got to work, I had to tackle a stack of ILL returns. (ILL is short for Inter Library Loan.) These are the books our customers are done with, and need to go back to our service center and from thence on to their owning libraries. That wasn't bad, then I did the items that needed their RFID tags replaced. After that, it was work the sorter until 3, when I had to go out to the desk for two hours. Oh, my. There was a children's program today, and there were lots of little kiddos in superhero
I had to answer lots of phone calls about taxes, tax assistance, tax forms, etc, too. ALL of us do. Library people get REALLY sick of tax questions this time of year. I think there ought to be prizes awarded if we conduct a conversation involving tax forms without sighing.
On the positive side, my wonderful husband is cooking dinner again tonight, so I was able to go out and have a nice, relaxing walk around the neighborhood before it got dark. It is nice and warm here right now, very odd for February, and I was able to go walking in my capris and a t-shirt. (My lucky t-shirt from Michael Ornstein, with the Blue Sweater painting on it. Needed the Power of the Art today!)
After my walk, Matt discovered he was too low on soy sauce to do the recipe he was working on, so I walked up to the market and bought some. (Extra steps, now I'm over 11K steps for the day, WooHoo!)
I think I am going to go put my feet up and read some more before supper. I think I've earned it!
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