My poem “How Many Cats?” was published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul’s newest edition, “The Magic of Cats” The book is available online , on Kindle and in bookstores.
The Magic of Cats
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Blackberry Balsam
Blackberry Balsam
Blackberry Balsam, the scourge of my youth.
It was repulsive, my father uncouth
for presenting this mucous-like liquid most vile,
insisting I swallow the ghastly brown bile.
I gritted my teeth and went sullen and wild,
but how could I refuse? I was only a child.
Gagging and choking, I chased it with Coke,
expecting another dose when I awoke.
All these years later, its flavor unfaded,
its vomitous odor my memory invaded.
Blackberry Balsam? No taste could be worse,
proving sometimes the cure is worse than the curse.
Alstroemeria: FOTD July 6, 2020
Bill Maher on How Melania can Save the World
Worth seeing again! Oh, if only. . . .
At the end of Cee’s Friday Funny Finds is the most hilarious video of an ingenious obstacle course for squirrels. Don’t miss it.
Click on the red link below to see it.
Hibiscus/Moth Fusion: FOTD July 5, 2020
This huge moth seems a part of the hibiscus it rests against. That’s my hand under it, turning it to the camera.
For Cee’s FOTD
Birthday Bouquet
This bouquet of Gerbera daisies, baby’s breath and alstroemeria was one of the nice surprises to pop up on my birthday yesterday. Here are some others. Click on the photos to enlarge and read captions.
My sister and brother-in-law were the first to wish me happy birthday when they called to sing “Happy Birthday.” As we talked, Sergio and David next door asked me to meet them at my garage door where they greeted me with a dozen of David’s incredible chocolate cookies
As they handed me their birthday offerings, a butterfly flew in to continue David’s butterfly motif. I nestled on the concrete beside us the whole time we were there.
Mary Oliver is my favorite poet. How did they know?
It seemed appropriate to chase the birthday cake with one of David’s delicious cookies after a relaxing swing in the hammocks. A nice, peaceful birthday.
For Cee’s FOTD
Reaching for the Sky: FOTD July 3, 2020
Caterpillar Baby
This poem by Hoosiersunshine is so tender and heartfelt and lovely that I have to reblog. Please leave her a comment on her blog so she’ll know you’ve read it.
I can feel eyes on me in the dark, watching and waiting.
It is my baby, swaddled, from his bedside bassinet with bright eyes that reflect the glow of the nightlight, like two oil slicks on the pavement.
He is a caterpillar, tightly bundled, with his arms to his sides, wiggling and inching his way closer to me.
I watch the little bug with the face of a human, the sprout of a person, move and struggle against the confines of his swaddle, ready to break free and to unfurl his undeveloped wings.
Not yet, my little caterpillar.
His brother is made of stardust and this boy is of the earth.
Together, they are my universe.
Freedom Cafe–Where Everyone Sets their Own Rules!!
This wonderful Twitter essay by Libby Jones was sent to me by my friend Ken Salzmann.
Welcome to the Freedom Cafe! We trust you to make your own choices if you want to wear a face mask. And, in the same spirit of individual liberty, we allow our staff to make their own choices about the safety procedures they prefer to follow as they prepare and serve your food.
We encourage employees to wash their hands after using the bathroom, but understand that some people may be allergic to certain soaps or may simply prefer not to wash their hands. It is not our place to tell them what to do.
We understand that you may be used to chicken that has been cooked to 165 degrees. We do have to respect that some of our cooks may have seen a meme or a YouTube video saying that 100 degrees is sufficient, and we do not want to encroach on their beliefs.
Some of our cooks may prefer to use the same utensils for multiple ingredients, including ingredients some customers may be allergic to. That is a cook’s right to do so.
Some servers may wish to touch your food as they serve it. There is no reason that a healthy person with clean hands can’t touch your food. We will take their word for it that they are healthy and clean.
Water temperature and detergent are highly personal choices, and we allow our dishwashing team to decide how they’d prefer to wash the silverware you will put in your mouth.
Some of you may get sick, but almost everyone survives food poisoning. We think you’ll agree that it’s a small price to pay for the sweet freedom of no one ever being told what to do – and especially not for the silly reason of keeping strangers healthy.
HERE is her original Twitter thread.
