Category Archives: Uncategorized

Get Up!!

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The sun has not caught me in bed in fifty years. ~Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States

Red sky at morning is indicative

Of bad weather to come, so they say.

But oh, what beautiful sky scenes

Such reds, golds, and purples bring!

Who can lie still in bed

When beauty abounds?

Not me! No way!

Phone in hand

I snap

This

Shot

Looking

To the east

At a sunrise

That was so gorgeous

It took my breath away.

Everything was bathed in pink —

Houses, fences, trees, lawns, and more

Glowing a shimmery shade of rose.

Making me glad I was up to see it.

Note: Poetry form is a Double Reversed Etheree. You can find out more about this form here.

Gone But Not Forgotten

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We do not remember days; we remember moments. ~Cesare Pavese, Italian poet and novelist

Dog-eared photographs,

Awards and certificates.

Remnants of my past.

 

Movie stubs, medals,

Report cards and recipes.

Moved across country.

 

Stuffed animal friends,

T-shirts, toys, and some trinkets

Preserved, so I thought.

 

Snatched from my clutches

By a cadre of critters.

Can’t steal my memories.

 

Note: This is a series of Haiku. On a personal note, the nasty shed has been hauled off (along with the pesky interlopers) and once again, Dallas is master over his yard. Now, to research what I can plant in its place next spring, keeping in mind the site gets only morning sun — any suggestions?

Wacky Wednesday

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Milton (on left): I’m not moving.

Otis (on right): But I want to go north, and you’re in the way.

Milton: Too bad.

Otis: C’mon, bro, humor me. I’d move for you.

Milton, snorting: Yeah, right.

Otis: Really. Don’t you remember I moved yesterday so you could tightrope south?

Milton: I don’t remember that.

Otis: Well, I did. Now, move!

Milton: Nope. Not happening.

Otis: So how can I get over you to the pole?

Milton: Hm, let’s see. Pole vault?

Otis: You’re kidding, right?

Milton: Guess you’ll have to wait til I decide to move.

Otis: Oh, bother. I’ll just drop to the ground then.

Milton: Wait, there’s a dog down there!

Note: No squirrels were harmed here. Otis dropped to the evergreen, then went on his merry way. Milton left when he felt like it.

Handling Change

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When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. ~Viktor Frankl, Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, and Holocaust survivor

We got a new symphonic band director this semester, and to say the transition has been smooth would be stretching it.

A lot.

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How Rude!

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Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you — not because they are nice, but because you are. ~Author Unknown

We’ve all come across them — boorish human beings who can’t interact with others without stepping on toes or leaving behind uncomfortable feelings.

Too often, these folks never even realize they’re making life hard.

For themselves and others.

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A Red-faced Moment

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You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm. ~Colette, French author

Have you ever done anything so insanely stupid that you cringe at the thought of telling another person about it?

Well, they say confession is good for the soul, so here goes:

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Unwelcome Guest

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Hospitality is making your guests feel at home, even if you wish they were. ~Author Unknown

Come listen to the tale of a woodchuck pest
Who used my back yard shed as a nest.
He dug a deep hole,
Went out for a stroll,
And returned just in time for a much-needed rest.

Now Woody, or Chuck, or whatever his name
Probably decided I was onto his game.
He lay flat out
There was never a doubt
He was dead. What a shame, What a shame.

But hanging out clothes one Sunday fair
I heard a clink from the fence over there.
It was Woody, I know.
Or maybe her beau,
Dash into that lair with nary a glare.

I can only assume this rodent I dread
Was faking all along when I thought it was dead.
Didn’t mind all the flies,
Never opened its eyes.
Just knew it was safest underneath my shed.

 

Note: True story. Poetic form is a Limerick.

Sharing the Music

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Play the music, not the instrument. ~Author Unknown

We’ve nearly completed our summer Community Band season, and it’s time to take stock of our progress.

Concert #3, the cold one. I’m in the first row.

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Thrift and Order

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I believe that thrift is essential to well-ordered living.  ~John D. Rockefeller, American industrialist, business magnate, and philanthropist

If John D. is correct, then that explains why I’m so naturally organized.

My late dad used to say he could send me to the store with a dollar, and I’d come back with 95 cents!

Some would argue I just didn’t find anything to buy. Truth is, I pinch pennies until they holler.

Always have.

My parents were little kids during the Depression years, and they passed along to me the value of thrift. As American religious leader Boyd K. Packer said, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”

So this weekend — when the stormy weather forced me off my computer — I tackled a long-overdue project and came away feeling pretty pleased.

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A June Wedding

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We need beauty because it makes us ache to be worthy of it. ~Mary Oliver, American poet

She arrives at the chapel, her heart in a flutter.
Today, at last, is her wedding day.
Her bouquet is a medley of cream and butter;
Her gown a snowy vision in applique.

Her best friend approaches, tears in her eyes.
“Things will be different, you’ll see.”
She shakes her head, denying such lies
And pledges lifelong friends they’ll always be.

The music swells, her dad takes her hand
And together they step down the aisle.
This day is going just as she planned
Her lover awaits with a radiant smile.

When sacred vows join a couple in love
It’s a union of bliss blessed from above.

 

Note: My first Sonnet — Woo Hoo!! June is traditionally the most popular month for weddings. Nothing like that is going on here! I simply took a photo of the Popcorn Drift (R) Rosebush in my front yard and was stunned at how much it resembled a bride’s bouquet. I guess the weather conditions are perfect for it this year because it’s a mass of blossoms.