Cee asked us to post photos that displayed different principles she’s been teaching over the past many months. Let’s see if you can tell me which principles these photos display:
As usual, click on photos to enlarge. I keep writing this reminder for those new to blogging!!! Or, those as forgetful as I am. Ha.
Froggy Weather
Fog reaches out its fingers and reaches out its toes
to prod and follow everywhere the British nation goes.
Then when it gives up teasing them, sun does not come again.
Fog merely slips aside a bit to make room for the rain.
So button up your raincoat. Invest in rubber boots.
During rainy season, fog and rain are in cahoots
to confuse your direction and make your going tough
and dampen down your spirits if your wet clothes aren’t enough.
Pea soup in November moves in thick and tight––
not solving any hunger. Feeding no appetite.
And when rain comes to join it, they make a dismal pair––
soaking up your stockings and limping down your hair.
So if you live in London in Knightsbridge or Picadilly,
it isn’t very practical, in fact its downright silly
to go without galoshes or a GPS when walking
when rain commences soaking you and fog takes up its stalking.
If you’ve set your mind today to visit Scarborough Fair,
it will not be enough to wear some flowers in your hair.
You’d better wear a rain bonnet and tie it good and tight
So parsley sage and rosemary don’t share your soggy plight,
take a big umbrella to protect your provender
lest paper bags you carry prove too soggy and too tender
to serve the use they’ve earlier served in months less wet and boggy.
There’s no other solution when London life turns froggy!
You’ll mow down little old ladies and run into a rector
while wandering lost through rain and fog in an unknown sector.
So though you seek to sightsee or merely walk your Lab,
believe it when I say to you, it’s best to take a cab.
When my new husband and I moved from L.A. to the redwoods of northern California, a feral cat appeared from the forest and after a week or so of hide-and-go-seek games, deigned to move in with us. A month or so later, she had three kittens—like their mother, all grey Burmese with chartreuse eyes, but each with a differently-shaped tail. The mother’s was curved at the end with a dip to the right. One of the female kittens had a similar dip, but to the left. The other female had a zigzag tale. The sole male, Bearcat, was the only one with a perfect tale—unbent, long and expressive. He was also the biggest, the most talkative and the only one to survive for fifteen years—long enough to move with me to Mexico.
back-lofter
tail-wafter
gray-bearer
drape-tearer
ball-loser
lap-chooser
bunny-slayer
shoelace-player
sofa-climber
sleep-mimer
shadow-springer
dragonfly-bringer
lizard de-tailer
spider-nailer
basement-searcher
window-ledge percher
tree-dweller
mouse-smeller
dog-chaser
bug-caser
door crack-peeper
sunbeam-sleeper
woods-walker
squirrel-stalker
rail-balancer
prey-glancer
shadow-catcher
love-hatcher
body-spinner
heart-winner
NaPoWriMo prompt: Kennings were riddle-like metaphors use in Norse Sagas. Basically, they are ways of calling something not by its actual name, but by a sort of clever, off-kilter description — for example, the sea would be called the “whale road.” Today, I challenge you to think of a single thing or person (a house, your grandmother, etc), and then write a poem that consists of kenning-like descriptions of that thing or person.
Here is an earlier poem written to this same prompt:
https://judydykstrabrown.com/2014/04/13/napowrimo-day-13-wish-wagon/
Our girls’ dance class has metamorphosed into a kids’ yoga/self-awareness class. The girls seem to love it and we plan on adding a boys’ class as well. Cynthy, the 20ish teacher, is a bit of a kid herself and the perfect one to work with the children of our village.
I love the picture of this group of pelicans and gulls flying off after clearing the beach of the castoff fruits of the sea shed on the beach by fishermen clearing their nets.
This group of young boys from our summer camp mugging for the camera is one of my favorites. What sweet kids they are. Hope to repeat the experience this summer.
Please click on the first photo to enlarge all photos for viewing.
https://hughsviewsandnews.com/2016/04/19/hughs-weekly-photo-challenge-week-22-group/
Jake
First thing you think of when you wake
are his fingers scraping like a rake
over your shoulder–sure to make
your toes curl up and fingers quake.
You rise to bake his birthday cake
and choose to pack it up to take
it to him there out on the lake–
your fear of water faced for his sake.
The weight of oars. The sun’s cruel bake
revealing two sure truths as fake.
And oh the pain and oh the ache
of what he’s chosen to forsake.
The boat you row to shore and tether,
foretelling wind and stormy weather.
Love vanished like a plucked-out feather
when you saw your friend and love––together
The one-word WordPress prompt was “Fake.”
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/fake/
How to Mend a Broken Heart
Pop a really big bowl of popcorn.
Don’t think of calories.
Just ignore the old maids in the bottom—
this is not a fortune-telling experience.
Lots of butter.
Locate chocolate.
If none is to be found,
there is likely a 7-11 within driving distance
no matter where you happen to be.
Get the biggest bar.
A bite of popcorn, then a bite of chocolate.
Locate an old Ma and Pa Kettle movie somewhere online and watch it.
Ma Kettle is you in ten years if your love affair had worked out.
Pa Kettle is who your lover would have turned into.
Find an old Sophia Loren movie online and watch it.
Sophia Loren is who you are now.
Don’t worry about the popcorn.
Sophia Loren wouldn’t.
Imagine Paul Newman eating popcorn
off your bare back.
Flip over.
Flash on making love to Pa Kettle.
Quickly flash back to Paul Newman
now eating popcorn off your bare clavicle.
Imagine your ex in a movie theater
watching Paul Newman make love to you
up there on the big screen.
Don’t worry about who your ex is with.
Well, maybe just one little peek.
Your ex is with Ma Kettle!
Too young to know who Ma and Pa Kettle are? Watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_PkDGwoleA
or this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC1QxZ7htOQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTQiT58AbE0
The prompt from NaPoWriMo was to write a “How To” poem. I appealed for more of a prompt from forgottenman, who suggested, “How to Mend a Broken Heart.” That happens to be something I am an expert at, so this is what transpired.
Click on photo to enlarge
I photographed these flowers at the lovely Chantli Mare Beach Hotel near La Manzanilla. I used to grow them in California and I believe they are pentas star flowers.
See Cee’s and other flowers here: https://ceenphotography.com/2016/04/18/flower-of-the-day-april-19-2016-dandelion-gone-to-seed/
Audrey’s Easter bash included confetti Easter eggs (to be broken over the head of whomever was closest when you found it) hidden in her lush garden in addition to a personal egg for each attendee with his/her name written on it and five special eggs that earned prizes, music, a ham and scalloped potato buffet, birthday cake and plenty of wine in addition to surprise Mariachis who serenaded us for 15 minutes before we started questioning each other regarding who had arranged for them and determined that no one had and that they were at the wrong party. (In fact, when I call the number they gave for the “right” party it turns out it had been cancelled and that they just hadn’t received the message.) No problem. We passed the hat and they were happy, as were we. The birthday girl was as ecstatic over their rendition of the Mexican birthday song, “Las Mananitas” as she was over the birthday cake. All in all, a great party, great company, great music. There are lots of pictures below, so please click on the first one and it will enlarge them all. Click each arrow at the right of the screen to proceed through the photos. To return to this page, click on the X on the upper left of the screen.
(Click on photos to enlarge.)
Please go here: https://judydykstrabrown.com/2015/12/06/uncornered/ to discover what I’ve had to say on the topics of closets!
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 