betmo's corner

bone weary

2011-03-09T18:24:00.001-05:00

wishing and hoping
eagerly awaiting spring's
overdue debut

pre-morning cuppa

2010-12-25T07:34:00.004-05:00

sleepily awake
winter's icy hand awaits-
outside in the dawn

autumn's call

2010-11-19T17:09:00.001-05:00

howling, blustery
slamming rain against windows-
autumn's howl released!

it has been raining and storming here in upstate new york quite a bit lately :)

nature's slinky

2010-03-17T11:33:00.003-04:00

streams swiftly rushing
by sun bathed, mud covered banks-
fresh aired spring has sprung!

february

2010-02-15T18:45:00.002-05:00

doldrums settle in
as old man winter roars on-
snow on the 'morrow....

changed the format

2010-01-29T11:44:00.001-05:00

i had to forego the anonymous posters for now- i got spammed again. if you don't have a blogspot, feel free to email me if you want to comment- email is in the profile. i am sorry :( but spammers are annoying.

mmmm....guess i should post something

2010-01-28T19:53:00.000-05:00

i have been getting hit by spammers these days- and if it continues or gets worse- i may have to change the settings on the blog. but, we'll see. very cold here tonight and i have just had a nice hot shower and cocoa earlier. having some hearty goulash and perhaps tea later. already have the snuggly flannel sheets on the bed :)

this time of year doesn't do much for my creative juices but i hope to be out of the winter doldrums soon. although, nothing looks quite as mystical as a stormy, cold wintry twilight with the barren trees in silhouette- so, i can't complain too much :)

happy new year

2010-01-05T12:54:00.001-05:00

winter is in full swing :) cold and snowy here with ice underneath. i hope to feel a wee more creative this year- but who knows? here's wishing 2010 to be a better year than the last 9. happy new year!

frightful weather ahead...

2009-12-01T10:17:00.003-05:00

snow flurries air dance
steamy breath billows towards them-
winter solstice nears

thankful

2009-11-20T15:49:00.002-05:00

i am certainly not a poet of robert frost caliber- but i will do my best for thanksgiving :)

roasting turkey browns
exciting conversations
on whose leg it is ;)

circling the drain?

2009-11-07T10:38:00.004-05:00

swirling whirlpools dance
ebbing, flowing in rhythm
with life's tidal flow

remember, remember....

2009-11-05T08:25:00.000-05:00

one of my favorite movies of all time- i am sure i would have loved the comic too.

one of the best voices

2009-10-29T16:33:00.000-04:00

life's journey: brandi carlile- enjoy

and songwriters i have heard in a long time. trust me take the time to take a listen.

how thrilled am i?

2009-10-26T19:27:00.002-04:00

i am switching between books right now. i started' the orestian trilogy' by aeschylus and moved on to' the aeneid' by virgil and found i wasn't in the mood for tragedy- so i moved on to yeats ;) he tends towards flowery and it's tough reading- so, i moved on to wordsworth.

yeah- i know. old style poetry is tough to read. but i feel i must in this case because 1) it's nice to focus on real language for a change and not twitterspeak and 2) i have a 1904 cambridge student's edition of his complete works. yep. snagged it on amazon for a song. it smells like an old book. :) love it.

1904- way before isbn and whatnot- so, the cover on the sidebar isn't accurate. not even close :)

loved this line:

In thoughtless gaity I coursed the plain,
And hope itself was all I knew of pain;
For then, the inexperienced heart would beat
At times, while young Content forsook her
seat,
And wild Impatience, pointing upward,
showed,
Through passes yet unreached, a brighter
road.

mmmm.... autumn and poetry tend to go hand in hand :)

autumn showers drench
colored leaves that tumble down
creating carpets

best i could do- having yummy comfort chili :)

autumn leaves

2009-10-17T23:29:00.002-04:00

this song always reminds me of the autumn- memories and the fading of one season into another

memories

memories pressed between the pages of my mind
memories sweetened through the ages just like wine
quiet thoughts come floating down and settle softly to the ground
like golden autumn leaves around my feet
i touched them and they burst apart with sweet memories

of holding hands and red bouquets and twilights trimmed in purple haze
and laughing eyes and simple ways and quiet nights and gentle days
with you

of ancestors and roots

2009-10-03T17:47:00.002-04:00

just some autumn musings about being a human being and wondering what your place is in the grander scheme of things. have been reading various books written during the 19th century and the turn of the last- on iroquois, new york state history, and walden pond. also had a family meeting with nuclear family intact- and as always, it made me think and feel and think and feel. i have been taking a peek into who i am and where i came from and parts of me that resemble my parents and my other ancestors on both sides and it has given me much to think about. still not coherent enough to do anything other than think and feel and think and feel....

reading is an art form

2009-09-27T15:23:00.003-04:00

i guess you could say that i have been immersing myself in early american history and poetry. i wanted to get a feel for what it must have been like at the dawn of our culture here in this beautiful part of the world. i finished 'the complete poems of walt whitman' and am working on 'walden' by henry david thoreau right now. i had no idea one could write so many words about a pond ;)

i also updated my library card and took out a few books on the iroquois league and their history here in new york state. it all ties together you see- iroquois and whitman are native new yorkers and thoreau is from new england :) thoreau and whitman are pretty much contemporaries and i intend to start reading wordsworth when i put thoreau down. i think i am going to have to get some emerson as he was thoreau's compatriot.

there is something about the smell and feel of an old book- and the library has plenty. i have a feeling that the iroquois don't get checked out as often as oh, i can't even think of any modern pop authors- you fill in the blank. i have books in my hand from the beginning of the 20th century. 1904 and 1905- the 1920's and 1940's. it's a beautiful experience and one that has to be experienced to understand. ironically, words can't express...

i am a native new yorker and i have lived within 50 miles of my birthplace my whole life- and i have never really felt a part of it. it's strange to have a feeling of not really belonging anywhere while not belonging anywhere else. some folks have a tribal sense of belonging- almost like superfans at a football game- but i don't. my fanciful imaginination conjures up the thought that perhaps it's the seneca in me :) not really nomadic but ready to move when needed. perhaps my new found love of gardening can be traced back to their tilling of corn, beans and squash hundreds of years before i was even a twinkle in their eye.

my father's family is seneca and i find it interesting that for the most part, he has spent his entire life within 100 miles of his birthplace. for years he has split his time between new york and florida but the extended family is near the epicenter of the seneca nation- canandaigua, ny. much dilution has occurred in my 'bloodline' and i doubt i would be considered seneca today- especially since it is my father and not my mother who is seneca. he actually looks seneca- dark hair even now in his 70's and eyes and complexion. i got the german genes- fair skin and hair and hazel eyes. my sister got lucky though- she inherited dad's side looks.

i know how thoreau felt about walden- and whitman about manhattan and long island- because i feel the same way about my neck of the woods. there is simply no place on the planet as beautiful as upstate new york. unless you travel to new england :) or wyoming :) or oregon.......

stunning photography

2009-09-18T18:22:00.001-04:00

nature and landscapes that are simply breathtaking- photosbylinda on etsy

currently reading

2009-09-16T11:43:00.002-04:00

walden- and i just got a gorgeous 1904 edition of wordsworth's poems. i have greek classics and frost by the bedside- this autumn is looking good... oh, i pretty much finished walt whitman. more on that later...

dancing with the seasons

2009-09-16T11:36:00.003-04:00

chautauqua creek, ny

father time spins 'round
mother earth decides upon
an autumn hued gown

found a fantastic artist

2009-09-12T17:53:00.001-04:00

her photography is amazing- take a moment and check her out

anide photography

foggy morning chapeau

2009-09-05T09:47:00.003-04:00

mother earth changes
her green mantle for colors-
attending autumn dance

that's that

2009-08-18T19:57:00.002-04:00

keep it simple- van morrison

They mocked me when I was singing the songs
Trying to get back to something more simple than we have
They mocked me 'cos I told it like it was

Wrote about disappointment and greed
Wrote about what we really didn't need in our lives
Make us feel alive and whole

Illusions and pipe dreams on the one hand
And straight reality is always cold
Saying something hard edged is off the wall
And it might seem too bold

Mocked me when it got out of hand
Nobody tried to understand
Now we got to keep it simple and that's that

Illusions and pipe dreams on the one hand
And straight reality is always cold
Saying something hard edged is off the wall
And it just might be too bold

Well I'm down here on the running board
Where I've been many times before
But we got to keep it simple to save ourselves

Mocked me when I tried to get back
Said the train was completely off the track
And we got to get back to something simple to save ourselves

Whoa we got to get back to something simple just to save yourselves
Well got to get back to something simple just to save yourselves
Well you got to keep it simple, keep it simple just to - and that's that

Whoa you got to keep it simple nowadays and that's just that
Whoa you got to keep it simple nowadays and that's just the way it is
And you got to keep it simple these days 'cos that's the way it is

Well you got to keep it, keep it simple and that's that

what happened to lazy summer days?

2009-07-28T08:49:00.002-04:00

traffic rushes by
continuously nonstop-
summer vacation?

guilty pleasure

2009-07-23T20:05:00.000-04:00

imo- two of the hottest guys on the planet- love them!

lemonade and bumble bees

2009-07-22T13:10:00.001-04:00

warm breezes blowing
blue skies stretching forever-
lazy summer days

musical poetry

2009-07-17T14:47:00.000-04:00

I have seen peace. I have seen pain,
Resting on the shoulders of your name.
Do you see the truth through all their lies?
Do you see the world through troubled eyes?
And if you want to talk about it anymore,
Lie here on the floor and cry on my shoulder,
I'm a friend.

I have seen birth. I have seen death.
Lived to see a lover's final breath.
Do you see my guilt? Should I feel a fright?
Is the fire of hesitation burning bright?
And if you want to talk about it once again,
On you I depend. I'll cry on your shoulder.
You're a friend.

You and I have lived through many things.
I'll hold on to your heart.
I wouldn't cry for anything,
But don't go tearing your life apart.

I have seen fear. I have seen faith.
Seen the look of anger on your face.
And if you want to talk about what will be,
Come and sit with me, and cry on my shoulder,
I'm a friend.
And if you want to talk about it anymore,
Lie here on the floor and cry on my shoulder,
Once again.
Cry on my shoulder,
I'm a friend.

summer rain

2009-07-15T08:12:00.002-04:00

chilly summer nights
reminiscent of autumn
corn is not 'knee high'

a little bliss

2009-07-14T10:37:00.000-04:00

tag, you're it

2009-07-06T20:09:00.002-04:00

ms. lisa over at lisa allender writes has tagged me along with many other fine folks- so do take a peek at her place. so- 7 things folks may not know about me

1. i crochet. yep. and will be starting a new etsy business soon....

2. i hate to fly. i loathe airports and tiny planes and people who insist on wearing too much cologne in them.

3. i am a cat person- i love them. except when i hate them :) which is not often.

4. i really do enjoy life. as much as i complain and remain critical of everything and everyone at any given time- i love my life.

5. i am extremely gullible. my husband takes advantage of this sometimes.

6. as crotchity as i am- i still go out of my way to help folks. it is difficult for me to be mean to folks who are genuinely in need. the others- not so much.

7. i never really know what to say. generally, i just open up the blogger box and hope for the best :)

solidarity

2009-06-18T08:38:00.004-04:00

i don't often get political over here- but hearing the news about iran, iraq and other parts of the world with loved ones being killed- this song touched a nerve for me. i think quite a bit about my own family- the closeness of my sister and my mom- the fact that mom's health is poor and life is so fragile. husband's youngest sister just gave birth to a healthy daughter- it really brings everything around so that i realize i can never take family for granted.

van morrison- irish heartbeat

Oh won't you stay
Stay a while with your own ones
Don't ever stray
Stray so far from your own ones
'cause the world is so cold
Don't care nothing for your soul
That you share with your own ones

Don't rush away
Rush away from your own ones
Just one more day
One more day with your own ones
cause the world is so cold
Don't care nothing bout your soul
That you share with your own ones

There's a stranger
And he's standing at your door
Might be your best friend
might be your brother
You may never know

I'm going back
Going back to my own ones
Come back to talk
Talk a while with my own ones
'cause the world is so cold
Don't care nothing bout your soul
You share with your own ones

Oh won't you stay
One more day with your own ones
Don't rush away
Rush away from your own ones
This old world is so cold,
Don't care nothing for your soul
You share with your own ones

billy connolly

sounds of suburbia

2009-06-09T08:14:00.002-04:00

children shrilly shriek
mowers whine incessantly
suv summer

needin' some vitamin c

2009-06-04T08:09:00.003-04:00

sunshine welcomed here
after rainy days camped out-
long lost friend returns

(thanks to my lovey isaac for sleeping)

thornie's meme

2009-06-01T08:12:00.006-04:00

thornie challenged me to write about me in 7 lines of poetry- it's the best i could do with only one cuppa :)

sharp sarcastic whit
couples with soft tender heart
crosswords done in pen

determined, stubborn, focused
meets scattered thoughts- in- the- wind

musical poetry

2009-05-29T08:52:00.006-04:00

van morrison- wonderful remark
(from the philosopher's stone)

How can you stand the silence
That pervades when we all cry
How can you watch the violence
That erupts before your eyes
You can't even grab a hold on
When we're hanging oh so loose
You don't even listen to us
When we talk it ain't no use

Leave your thoughtlessness behind you
Then you may begin to understand
Clear the emptiness around you
With the waving of your hand

That was a wonderful remark
I had my eyes closed in the dark
I sighed a million sighs
I told a million lies to myself, to myself

Now, how can we listen to you
When we know that your talk is cheap
How can we never question
Why we give more and you keep

How can your empty laughter
Fill a room like ours with joy
When you're only playing with us
Like a child does with a toy

How can we ever feel the freedom
Or the flame lit by the spark
How can we ever come out even
When reality is stark

That was a wonderful remark
I had my eyes closed in the dark
I sighed a million sighs
I told a million lies to myself, to myself

Listen, how can you tell us something
Just to keep us hanging on, yeah
Something that just don't mean nothin'
When we see you, you are gone

Clinging to some other rainbow
While we're standing waiting outside in the cold
Telling us the same sad story
Knowing time is growing old

Touch your world up with some colour
Dream you're swinging on a star
Taste it first then add some flavour
Now you know just who you are

That was a wonderful remark
I had my eyes closed in the dark
I sighed a million sighs, oh yeah
I told a million lies to myself, oh yeah, to myself

Wonderful remark
And that...

That was a wonderful remark, yes it was, right on
I had my eyes closed in the dark, right on
I sighed a million sighs
I told a million lies to myself, alright, to myself

summer flowers

2009-05-25T08:19:00.000-04:00

john william godward

des fleurs pour georg

2009-05-13T21:33:00.004-04:00

hope that was correct- my french is non existent :) these are daffodils and tulips from my front yard:

settling on temperature

2009-05-01T08:17:00.003-04:00

april showers fall

ushering may in with chill
tulips anyone?

summertine in april

2009-04-28T18:54:00.009-04:00

blistering hot sun

buds wither under it's glare-
springtime dysfunction

blog meme

2009-04-21T20:24:00.005-04:00

from the pagan sphinx to me :) i guess i am supposed to come up with 7 honest things about me. mmmm..... introspection time. not easy. we'll give it a go... honesty

1) i am highly opinionated and i usually share it too much.

2) i talk more than i should- and then realize i have said too much.

3) i have never really not gotten what i have wanted eventually. yes, that was awkwardly phrased.

4) i have a low tolerance for stupidity- or more accurately- ignorance.

5) i am highly emotional and sensitive- but i can also be practical and stubborn when i want to.

6) i am generous with people unless they steal- and i am usually in a fight for the underdog in any situation.

7) i am a pretty conventional person- traditionalist, worker bee type- and i am guessing i could have been a republican in a different universe :) except for the fact that i fight for the downtrodden and needy and i think that life should be fair for all- not just the rich.

please feel free to pick this meme up and run with it- and/or you can leave your seven in the comments if you want. or visit the pagan's blog to get the rules and comment over there. namaste.

spring equinox

2009-04-13T08:48:00.003-04:00

bird choirs sing loud
wet ground no obstacle to
spring fertility

surreal

2009-04-07T21:48:00.003-04:00

h/t to enigma

mad world- tears for fears

All around me are familiar faces
worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for the daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very very, mad world, mad world

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
And I feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very very, mad world, mad world
Enlarging your world, mad world

hippity hop

2009-04-04T10:55:00.003-04:00

tulips opening
budding branches turning green-
oestre comes- spring has sprung!

blackbirds singin'

2009-03-26T09:58:00.003-04:00

warbling, trilling
a cacophony of sound-
springtime bird chorus

blackbird

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Black bird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
all your life
you were only waiting for this moment to be free

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise,oh
You were only waiting for this moment to arise, oh
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

the state of me

2009-03-23T08:30:00.004-04:00

sneezing, sniffling, aches
runny nose, watery eyes-
must be spring head cold

it's the best i could do with a stuffy head :)

bird on a wire

2009-03-16T19:59:00.005-04:00

the neville brothers

bird on a wire
leonard cohen

Like a bird on the wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.

Like a worm on a hook,
Like a knight from some old fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee.

If I, if I have been unkind,
I hope that you can just let it go by.

If I, if I have been untrue
I hope you know it was never to you.

Like a baby, stillborn,
Like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me.

But I swear by this song
And by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee.

I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch,
He said to me, you must not ask for so much.
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door,
She cried to me, hey, why not ask for more?

Oh like a bird on the wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir, I have tried in my way to be free.

update:

leonard cohen's version

on hares and life

2009-03-11T16:29:00.002-04:00

i googled upon this fascinating, well written blog while searching for something to post for eostre. i hope you enjoy as much as i did. of heirs, hares and airs- judeness's weblog

late winter blues

2009-03-03T08:14:00.003-05:00

frozen, muddy ground
sunny skies suddenly snow-
covering up spring.

blogger friendship award

2009-02-27T08:32:00.000-05:00

naj at neo resistance has very kindly bestowed upon me this award-

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

i am delighted that she finds me charming :) i have made many great friends since i started my blog a few years ago and i continue to meet people who are warm and caring and kind. my constraint is 8- so i will do my best to narrow it down, but my regular compadres, i heart all of you.

blog of revelation- brother tim

lisa allender writes- lisa

not much but all mine- fjb

round circle- spadoman

the pagan sphinx- pagan

thorne's world- thornie

weezielou- weezie

south by southwest, making good mondays, behind the links- gee carol

oscars

2009-02-22T10:55:00.003-05:00

i don't watch awards shows and i rarely watch movies or tv. but pam wrote a great piece on race and movies and whatnot. i found it interesting as i had seen both movies she talks about.

pam's house blend- two hollywood snapshots of history

an fyi

2009-02-20T17:49:00.002-05:00

if you are interested in peace style poetry- my good friend the poetryman and i collaborate over at poets 4 peace. there's a link on the sidebar and i generally try to update over there once a month or so- i am proud of some of my work over there. take a peek and give peace a chance :)

one of my favorite songs of all time

2009-02-18T10:33:00.003-05:00

i am a sucker for a beautiful song- especially a beautiful love song. john denver was one of america's greatest poets.

annie's song

You fill up my senses like a night in a forest
Like the mountains in springtime, like a walk in the rain
Like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses come fill me again.

Come let me love you, let me give my life to you
Let me drown in your laughter, let me die in your arms
Let me lay down beside you, let me always be with you
Come let me love you, come love me again.

INSTRUMENTAL VERSE

...Let me give my life to you
Come let me love you, come love me again.

You fill up my senses like a night in a forest
Like the mountains in springtime, like a walk in the rain
Like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses, come fill me again.

this post is apropos

2009-02-16T10:06:00.003-05:00

the odd neighbor- a fluffy lap

i have 2 lap leeches :)

hearts a'fire

2009-02-14T01:22:00.000-05:00

loving companions
happily yoked together
sharing life's journey

happy valentine's day

2009-02-12T22:15:00.002-05:00

Perhaps love is like a resting place
A shelter from the storm
It exists to give you comfort
It is there to keep you warm
And in those times of trouble
When you are most alone
The memory of love will bring you home

Perhaps love is like a window
Perhaps an open door
It invites you to come closer
It wants to show you more
And even if you lose yourself
And don`t know what to do
The memory of love will see you through

Oh, love to some is like a cloud
To some as strong as steel
For some a way of living
For some a way to feel
And some say love is holding on
And some say letting go
And some say love is everything
And some say they don`t know

Perhaps love is like the ocean
Full of conflict, full of Pain
Like a fire when it`s cold outside
Or thunder when it rains
If I should live forever
And all my dreams come true
My memories of love will be of you

And some say love is holding on
And some say letting go
And some say love is everything
And some say they don`t know

Perhaps love is like the ocean
Full of conflict, full of Pain
Like a fire when it`s cold outside
Or thunder when it rains
If I should live forever
And all my dreams come true
My memories of love will be of you

irony indeed

2009-02-06T21:08:00.001-05:00

catnapping has a lovely post on irony at her place- do pop over for beautiful artwork

february finery

2009-01-31T11:07:00.003-05:00

bone chilling nights cause
romantic flannel wrappings-
more precious than silks

winter winds blow change

2009-01-23T21:43:00.003-05:00

weary souls take flight
joyfully soaring above-
coloring gray skies

president obama's inaugural poem

2009-01-21T10:32:00.004-05:00

'praise song for the day'

elizabeth alexander

Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others’ eyes

or not,

about to speak or speaking.

All about us is noise.

All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din,

each one of our ancestors on our tongues.

Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform,

patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere

with a pair of wooden spoons,

on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.

A farmer considers the changing sky; A teacher says, “Take out your pencils. Begin.”

We encounter each other in words;

Words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed;

Words to consider, reconsider.

We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone

and then others who said, “I need to see what’s on the other side;

I know there’s something better down the road.”

We need to find a place where we are safe;

We walk into that which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain, that many have died for this day.

Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,

who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges,

picked the cotton and the lettuce,

built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean

and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle;

praise song for the day.

Praise song for every hand-lettered sign;

The figuring it out at kitchen tables.

Some live by “Love thy neighbor as thy self.”

Others by first do no harm, or take no more than you need.

What if the mightiest word is love,

love beyond marital, filial, national.

Love that casts a widening pool of light.

Love with no need to preempt grievance.

In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.

On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp --

praise song for walking forward in that light.

update: february 12, 2009

no more sugarplums

2009-01-06T09:18:00.002-05:00

yuletide tucked away
presents unwrapped 'nog drunk up-
spring visions begin

cold hard change

2008-12-31T21:11:00.002-05:00

icy winds blasting
naked trees crashing together-
january cold

settling my cap

2008-12-27T11:37:00.003-05:00

holiday bustle

settles into drowsiness-
'a long winter's nap'

for georg

2008-12-14T09:02:00.002-05:00

gooey confection
as hot chocolate's cupmate-
or fireplace toast :)

stuck in my head

2008-12-13T10:41:00.001-05:00

lights from arizona

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you "Be of good cheer"
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
It's the hap -happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It's the hap - happiest season of all

There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories of
Christmases long, long ago

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
There'll be much mistltoeing
And hearts will be glowing
When love ones are near
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories of
Christmases long, long ago

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
There'll be much mistltoeing
And hearts will be glowing
When love ones are near
It's The Most Wonderful Time
It's The Most Wonderful Time
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

winter solstice- december 21

2008-12-03T09:02:00.003-05:00

communal feasting

merriment, festivities-
facing dark winter

what thanksgiving means

2008-11-25T09:07:00.003-05:00

safe, warm home and hearth
life's basic necessities-
cherished family

thanksgiving

2008-11-11T10:14:00.002-05:00

thankful- josh groban

Somedays, we forget to look around us,
Somedays, we can't see the joy that surrounds us,
so caught up inside ourselves,
we take when we should give,
so for tonight we pray for,
what we know can be,
and on this day we hope for,
what we still can't see,
It's up to us, to be the change,
and even though we all can still do more,
there's so much to be thankful for,
look beyond ourselves,
there's so much sorrow,
it's way to late to say, I'll cry tomorrow
each of us must find our truth,
it's so long overdue,
so for tonight we pray for,
what we know can be,
and everyday, we hope for,
what we still can't see,
it's up to us, to be the change,
and even though we all can still do more,
there's so much to be thankful for,
even with our differences,
there is a place WE'RE all connected,
each of us can find each others light,
So for tonight, we pray for
what we know can be,
and on this day, we hope for,
what we still can't see,
it's up to us, to be the change,
and even though this world NEEDS so much more
there's so much to be thankful for.

a new day

2008-11-05T10:18:00.002-05:00

old, worn days behind
fog lifting above new earth-
springtime in autumn

beware!

2008-10-31T08:49:00.002-04:00

goblins, ghouls, and ghosts
roaming freely in the night-
on all hallows eve

'butterfly'

2008-10-17T19:30:00.006-04:00

'butterfly'- james blunt

You're A butterfly
and you want to be
in flowers
and you want to meet
Dalai Lama
reach nirvana

because I love you love me
I just want you to be
in flowers
with me

I'm A little child
and I want to be
held in your arms
any fool can see
that it's nothing new
that I need you

because I love you love me
I just want you to see
the little child in me

there's A butterfly that's in my heart
it lives in me when we're apart
but preferably you'll stay with me
because I love you love me
I just want you to be
the butterfly in me

scrap paper

2008-10-10T08:57:00.002-04:00

feel free to check out my social site- scrap paper- it's free to join- or you can just lurk and read if you want. things have been a wee slow over there for obvious political reasons (folks' minds have definitely been elsewhere) but if you need a restful place to just be creative- scrap is it. i tend to go there and just tool around but last year a few of us collaborated on some creative writing and there is the forum to just chat about whatever issues or topics out there.

national treasure

2008-10-09T18:15:00.002-04:00

there isn't much about american culture that isn't borrowed from elsewhere and 'americanized' and so, when you have something like jazz or bluegrass that is uniquely american- passing it along is important. dr. ralph stanley's career has spanned decades and he is highly respected in his home state and throughout the country for his singing and playing. i remember that my grandmother used to watch the country music channel on cable back in the 1980's- used to drive me nuts :) then i watched- 'o, brother where art thou' and i got some schoolin' on the great american music that came out of the early part of the 20th century. anyhoo- i respect ralph stanley for his contribution to history and to america- and for his endorsement for president. i try not to get too political over here because it's my place away from the ugly, but the world is an ugly place right now- and there isn't anywhere to hide away from it.

man of constant sorrow (lyrics in the link)

fall from grace

2008-10-03T12:43:00.003-04:00

michaelangelo

bleak, gloomy outlook
our 'autumn of discontent'-
america's fall

playing the game

2008-09-26T09:22:00.002-04:00

sitting here watching

busy bees drive to the hive-
no cares; unaware

early autumn days

2008-09-19T17:15:00.002-04:00

foggy mornings lift
crisp, chilly air remains-
changing leaves' colors

summer starts packing

2008-09-05T21:31:00.002-04:00

warm breezes still blow
twilight dances earlier-
late summer lingers

migration station now boarding

2008-08-26T09:20:00.001-04:00

rolling fog mists in
nesting birds huddle for warmth-
september morning

unknown to some

2008-08-21T09:39:00.002-04:00

but known to others- i have a neglected social site called scrap paper. it's free to join and it's a site where you can do your own thing or collaborate with others. i have done both. this summer, it has gotten short shrift and it's a shame but we all have had busy lives. feel free to check it out and/or join or whatnot. feel free to lurk and comment as you please. i hope to devote more time to the creative stuff when the summer slows down.

the big read

2008-08-14T19:22:00.003-04:00

h/t to jams o donnell for this meme- or should i say self meme? i only read about 20 or so on this list but i own a bit more and haven't gotten around to reading them. i have to say that i have seen some movies of books on the list- and doubt i will read the more victorian novels of which there seem to be quite a few. i have also read several of the authors on the list- not necessarily the particular novels picked for the list- but i do enjoy steinbeck and dickens. anyhoo- feel free to participate if you wish- and leave a link or a note in the comments saying you did so i can go and peek at your blog :)

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they’ve printed.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you love.
4) ~~Strike out~~ the books you have no intention of ever reading, or were forced to read and hated.
5) Reprint this list in your own blog so we can try and track down these people who’ve only read 6 and force books upon them.

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

spending time with fellow new yorkers

2008-08-06T19:24:00.012-04:00

i have always maintained that there is no place on earth more beautiful than upstate new york in the summer.

rod serling, i believe anyway, believed the same- as he had a cottage on cayuga lake.

even after achieving fame and fortune doing the twilight zone, he came back to summer close to his hometown of binghamton. yep, he was raised right here in my neck of the woods- his teacher, helen foley, has the school auditorium named for her. anyhoo, i am a big fan- i just think that much of his writing was so ahead of its time- and it also provides a window into the world of the mid 20th century. i watched 'the midnight sun' last night- and it struck me. watch the clips and then tell me if you know how it struck me:

'the midnight sun'- 1

'the midnight sun'- 2

'the midnight sun'- 3

walt whitman hails from my husband's neck of the woods- long island. my husband lived about 20 miles or so away- and his dad actually worked in huntington. anyhoo, i started reading my collection of walt's poems- and meditated for a moment on how words can span decades and reach out to future generations- whether we like it or not. whitman wanted his words to live and before his death in 1892, edited the last version of 'leaves of grass.' i also own 'voyages' and i love those poems also. so, poetry and literature have filled the last 2 days as i decompress from company and life. and what better way? still, life has a way of creeping in- and the more things seem to change, the more they really stay the same.

To Thee Old Cause

by Walt Whitman
(1819-1892)

To thee old cause!
Thou peerless, passionate, good cause,
Thou stern, remorseless, sweet idea,
Deathless throughout the ages, races, lands,
After a strange sad war, great war for thee,
(I think all war through time was really fought, and ever will be
really fought, for thee,)
These chants for thee, the eternal march of thee.

(A war O soldiers not for itself alone,
Far, far more stood silently waiting behind, now to advance in this book.)

Thou orb of many orbs!
Thou seething principle! thou well-kept, latent germ! thou centre!
Around the idea of thee the war revolving,
With all its angry and vehement play of causes,
(With vast results to come for thrice a thousand years,)
These recitatives for thee,--my book and the war are one,
Merged in its spirit I and mine, as the contest hinged on thee,
As a wheel on its axis turns, this book unwitting to itself,
Around the idea of thee.

blog highlight

2008-07-10T09:04:00.002-04:00

i have a few artsy blogs in the ole' google reader and art & critique is one of them. the admin is not a professional art critic which makes his choices and observations nice to read. he is a guy who talks about art that moves him. anyhoo- check it out and enjoy!

art & critique

tiger lilies bloom for summer solstice

2008-06-20T18:36:00.004-04:00

bird choruses sing
a multitudinous throng-
in summertime voice

just another nut

2008-05-26T20:53:00.001-04:00

families exist
relationships forged by blood-
friendships shaped by life.

the seasons turned upside down

2008-05-23T09:03:00.001-04:00

gray, overcast skies
rain soaked chill seeps into bones-
june or october?

classical violin with a twist

2008-05-13T08:22:00.001-04:00

h/t to brother tim

mistress of none

2008-05-10T08:00:00.003-04:00

chauffeur, assistant
woman-of-all-trades at work-
needing vacation!

haiku inspiration

2008-04-30T09:16:00.002-04:00

steaming aroma
morning clarity cupful-
nectar of the gods

topsy turvy

2008-04-26T18:40:00.002-04:00

head's awhirl; spinning
garden plotting against 'thyme'-
un-tilling next year :)

planted beauty

2008-04-20T09:09:00.001-04:00

springtime flowers bloom
crocus, daffodils, tulips-
day lilies are next!

american poets

2008-04-14T19:59:00.000-04:00

pilgrim's progress- kris kristofferson

"Am I young enough to believe in revolution
Am I strong enough to get down on my knees and pray
Am I high enough on the chain of evolution
To respect myself, and my brother and my sister
And perfect myself in my own peculiar way

I get lazy, and forget my obligations
I'd go crazy, if I paid attention all the time
And I want justice, but I'll settle for some mercy
On this Holy Road through the Universal Mind

Repeat Chorus

I got lucky, I got everything I wanted
I got happy, there wasn't nothing else to do
And I'd be crazy not to wonder if I'm worthy
Of the part I play in this dream that's coming true"

listen here

things are coming up green!

2008-04-12T14:07:00.002-04:00

muddy, earthy work
daffodils, tulips, iris
poking up in spring

'april showers bring may flowers...'

2008-04-06T10:20:00.004-04:00

morning air smells 'green'-
daffodils poking upwards
usher in springtime

the lonely shepherd

2008-04-04T18:07:00.001-04:00

hope you like this one georg!!

circle of life

2008-03-29T10:19:00.003-04:00

smelling like springtime
dark, rich mother earth awakes-
ready for new life

scrap paper

2008-03-22T12:04:00.002-04:00

i updated over there today- i have been so neglecting that site. feel free to browse- i added some new music and ning added some new features- so i played around a bit. it's free to browse- but to add comments you have to join- i leave it open to the public- so all you have to do is get a username and password if you want to participate. scrap paper is my creative oasis from the ugly reality that is the world right now. i love the corner but i can really change things around over at scrap. feel free to join my in my oasis if you want- or just listen and look if you want.

wake up call

2008-03-20T10:30:00.004-04:00

spring blossoms burst forth
vivid color adorns trees-
ever earlier.

spring has sprung!

2008-03-20T10:25:00.003-04:00

out of snow and ice
bright colors mix together-
a spring tapestry.

march madness

2008-03-17T09:58:00.003-04:00

early sun shines bright
dirty snow melting away-
spring's arrival comes.

blossom and meadow

2008-03-08T11:34:00.000-05:00

eostre

2008-02-27T09:23:00.003-05:00

bunnies, lambs and eggs
with winter over, spring springs!
vernal equinox