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So here we go:
1. Where is your cell phone? Purse.
2. Your hair? Troublesome.
3. Your mother? Loving.
4. Your father? Feisty.
5. Your favorite food? Dessert.
6. Your dream last night? Don’t remember.
7. Your favorite drink? Coffee.
8. Your dream/goal? Illustrated journaling.
9. What room are you in? Family room.
10. Your hobby? Horseback riding.
11. Your fear? Economic collapse.
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Elsewhere.
13. Where were you last night? Home.
14. Something that you aren’t? Bored.
15. Muffins? Sure!
16. Wish list item? Travel.
17. Where did you grow up? California.
18. Last thing you did? Emailed.
19. What are you wearing? Cotton (you said one word!)
20. Your TV? Sharp.
21. Your Pets? Wonderful.
22. Friends? Necessary.
23. Your life? Full.
24. Your mood? Mellow.
25. Missing Someone? Several.
26. Vehicle? Green.
27. Something you're not wearing? Shoes.
28. Your favorite store? Bookstore.
29. Your favorite colour? Purple.
30. When was the last time you laughed? Today.
31. Last time you cried? Tuesday.
32. Your best friend? Kerri.
33. One place that I go to over and over? Library.
34. Facebook? No.
35. Favorite place to eat? Seasons 52.
I'm new to blogging, and I don't really "know" many bloggers yet, but the blogs below are ones I enjoy visiting, and you might also:
1. Kelly Riccetti at Red and the Peanut, a lovely blog about birds.
2. Elizabeth Patch’s More to Love Sketchbook blog. Her blog focuses on positive self-image, and her charming illustrations complement her writing.
3. Alicia Paulson’s blog, Posie Gets Cozy. Cozy is the perfect description.
4. “The Expatresse” writes about life in Moscow in “The Beet Goes On”, a blog I discovered through SheWrites.com.
5. Crazyauntpurl.com—This blog’s combination of humor and introspection blow me away. And the cute kitty photos don’t hurt.
Enjoy!
Poetry. Do you like it? I do. I wish I could say I have a deep understanding of all poetry, but I admit I like poems that are readily understandable, that resonate with me emotionally. I find that to understand even a simple poem, you have to slow down. Read each word and savor it, turning it over in your mind like you’d roll a smooth stone in your hand. Poetry enriches language, helps reader and writer forge an emotional connection, even if only for a moment.
I can’t remember how I discovered American Life in Poetry http://www.americanlifeinpoetry.org/, but it’s one way I add beauty and pleasure to my daily life. Every week, ALP emails subscribers a poem. Each poem has a short introduction by wonderful (and understandable) poet Ted Kooser, who was American Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006. Check it out—it’s a good way to dip your toes into the ocean of poetry out there. (Subscribing is free.)
Here is a recent poem I enjoyed, and Mr. Kooser’s introduction (quoted with permission):
American Life in Poetry: Column 244
BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE
Love predated the invention of language, but love poetry got its start as soon as we had words through which to express our feelings. Here’s a lovely example of a contemporary poem of love and longing by George Bilgere, who lives in Ohio.
Night Flight
I am doing laps at night, alone
In the indoor pool. Outside
It is snowing, but I am warm
And weightless, suspended and out
Of time like a fly in amber.
She is thousands of miles
From here, and miles above me,
Ghosting the stratosphere,
Heading from New York to London.
Though it is late, even
At that height, I know her light
Is on, her window a square
Of gold as she reads mysteries
Above the Atlantic. I watch
The line of black tile on the pool’s
Floor, leading me down the lane.
If she looks down by moonlight,
Under a clear sky, she will see
Black water. She will see me
Swimming distantly, moving far
From shore, suspended with her
In flight through the wide gulf
As we swim toward land together.
American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation (www.poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2009 by George Bilgere, whose most recent book of poems is Haywire, Utah State University Press, 2006. Reprinted by permission of George Bilgere. Introduction copyright © 2009 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.
This week marks the lull between Thanksgiving and Christmas preparations. I’m enjoying the cooler weather we’re having (it’s not unusual here to be wearing shorts on Thanksgiving—sometimes even on Christmas!) and planning to make some potato cheese soup this week. Soon, we’ll take down our fall decorations in preparation for putting up our Christmas decorations. The Christmas cards and wrapping paper will get pulled out and evaluated. We will have houseguests over the holidays, so menus and activities must be planned. Any gifts we want to order and have shipped should be taken care of while we won’t have to pay extra for shipping. I’ll buy some poinsettias, decide which cookies to make for our wonderful neighbors and put the holiday collar on the dog. The pace of life will speed up, as I remember someone I should have a small gift for, or my son will suddenly grow three inches and require new jeans right now.
But for now, it’s enough to remember the turkey was juicy, the champagne was cold, and we had warm beds, and a fire, and each other to keep us warm. Hope your Thanksgiving was just as lovely.
There’s lots of cooking and cleaning going on at the Johnsons as we prepare for Thanksgiving. (Mmmmm, pie…) In between being thankful for the big things (good health, my family and friends, etc.), I’m thankful for the little things—those simple pleasures and everyday adventures that make up the details of my life. Here are five little things I’m thankful for this year:
Cranberry orange scones from my favorite grocery store’s bakery. I discovered these this year and I’m totally addicted. I break off a little piece to eat with my coffee every morning. Kind of makes waking up bearable.
A fire in the fireplace. Yes, in Florida. Now that it’s not 900 degrees outside, we WILL have a fire on Thanksgiving (even if we have to run our air conditioning at the same time).
Glider Rockers. There’s something so soothing about the rocking motion of a rocking chair—and gliders are the smoothest. We just refinished the one on our front porch and I’m looking forward to spending some time in it.
Water brushes. Laure Ferlita of the Painted Thoughts blog introduced me to these little wonders. Using them is like a hybrid of painting and drawing, and so much fun! I’m practicing with them so that I can take one of Laure’s Imaginary Trips next year.
My iPod nano. My husband gave it to me for Christmas several years ago, and I love it! My car is so old it only has a cassette player, so I use a cassette adaptor for my iPod to listen to music while I drive. (And I admit, I sing along. Sometimes loudly.)
Wishing you all a pleasure-filled, Happy Thanksgiving! And pie. Lots of pie.
