Word & Question 23 -- better late than....

This is an entry in the Word & Question game -- also known as "Crambo"???-- hosted  by Enbrethiliel at Shredded Cheddar. It was supposed to be the July entry, but, well, summer is busy in a different way from the rest of the year.  So here you go:

Reunion

The tempting invitation shows up decennially.
Its latest iteration is here in front of me:
"Come back and see your hometown! 
Meet up with those you know.
Have dinner with your classmates from not-all-that-long ago.

The fee's not high -- I spend as much on many 
Friday nights.
The trip is relatively short; I ought to go, by rights,
But I am very different now, and maybe they are too...
Do you think you could come along?
At least I would know you!


Word: decennially

Question:  What's the worst that could happen?

For some reason this set of prompts made me think of Dorothy Sayers' character Harriet Vane, when she is deciding whether or not to revisit Oxford in Gaudy Night.  The poem didn't come out with her solution, but at least it gave me a place to start!

Daybook -- 7/9/12

Outside my window... green, sunshine, trees -- and cool air.  Finally.

I am thinking... that life is full of ups and downs and ins and outs, and sometimes it's a lot to keep up with.

I am thankful for... the productive day I had today.  Nothing out of the ordinary, but it all went smoothly.
 
From the kitchen... let the deep-fryer do it!  Popcorn chicken and shrimp, tater tots, and a veggie tray as our nod to healthy.  Tomorrow: grilled chicken salads and blueberry pie.

I am wearing... navy cotton pants, a light blue cotton tee, and flip-flops.  I NEVER used to wear flip-flops, and these actually belong to Tirienne, but having something between my toes seem to help with my weird foot problems.  So as long as I'm just sitting around, flip-flops it is.

I am creating...  well, I worked a little bit on a dishcloth after supper, but mostly, I am FINISHED with Miriel's scarf, and I am so excited I can hardly stand it!

I am going... to the grocery store tomorrow to buy more blueberries for the pie.  I've frozen 11 pints, and they're still on sale, so fresh pie it is.  Roger will be happy.

I am reading...  a variety of things, fiction and non-fiction.  My current non-fiction is Coming Apart by Charles Murray, and as I have only finished the preface, I don't feel like I know much about it yet. But on Wednesday I am going to pick up Intruder, which is the newest Foreigner book.  I can't wait.

I am hoping... that "the plan" for the next few weeks will go smoothly.  There's a possible (BIG) wrinkle, but hopefully it can be ironed out.  (Did you see my completed figure of speech?  I'm awesome!)

I am hearing...  fans, and Miriel entertaining her BFF's baby in the living room while his Mama washes her hands.

Around the house... nothing much new.  It does stay tidier when none of the kids are here.  And Miriel is naturally tidier than I am, so having her home is no different.

A few plans for the rest of the week:   On Friday we're going to Arwen's, and from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon Roger, Miriel, Tirienne, and I are going to watch ALL FOUR children so that Arwen and Bryan can get away -- and probably sleep the whole time.  ;-D

Words I'm pondering : 
      "This is my Father's world:
       O let me ne'er forget,
       That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
       God is the ruler yet!"


Part of an old hymn that I'd forgotten about till about ten days ago.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...   never mind. I can't get the one I want. This is annoying...


ne

 

Happy Father's Day!

Grandpa works his magic on Father's Day -- note sleeping toddler!

Place and Question -- W&Q 22

This is my June entry in the Word and Question/ Playing Poetry game started by Enbrethiliel at Shredded Cheddar.  The rules can be found here. This month there was a special wrinkle; the word submitted had to be a place.

The Journalist's Mother's Lament


Where are you now, my darling child?
In Marrakech, or Rome, 
Or Zanzibar, or Nhulunbuy??
I wish you were at home!






Word/place: Nhulunbuy
Question:  Are you lonesome tonight?

I had a much longer (and rather maudlin, probably because I find the song, of which the question is the title, so) idea in mind, but when I sat down to actually write it -- and I have to use paper; brain to keyboard doesn't work for poems for me -- this is what came out, and declared itself done.  So be it!

 

Daybook -- 5/14/12

Outside my window... blue sky, a lot of green -- trees and grass and bushes and (sadly) weeds -- and sunshine on the tops of the trees.  If I were on the other side of the house it would still look like daytime, but here it's definitely evening.

I am thinking... that this last six weeks have been wonderful, but tiring.  So much going on!

I am thankful for... the so much that was going on! In order: Holy Week/ Easter (with 25 people for breakfast and 15 for dinner).  Keeping Branwen and Larry's kids for the weekend so that they could go to Stratford.  Singing with the choir for Confirmation.  "Reading Camp" with Daniel and Camilla, to help them get more ready for first grade at a new school.  Brandon coming home on leave.  Kelson's graduation from boot camp, and the 1300+ miles in 48 hours of driving that went with it.  Kelson and Brandon at home for a few days; lovely!  Singing with the choir for First Communion.  Miriel coming home from her first year of grad school.  Linus' and Ambrose's first birthday party. A visit from Roger's mom and sister. Deep breath/sigh.   Done!

From the kitchen... leftovers tonight AND tomorrow.  I sort of forgot again how to cook for just two...

I am wearing... tan cotton pants, a pink cotton tee, and a crocheted ecru short-sleeved sweater.  And my fuzzy slippers.

I am creating...  knitted dresses for Camilla and Lauren, dishcloths for Brandon, and a scarf for Miriel.  Which is one of her presents from last Christmas, but it's lace-weight yarn and very slow going.  I have made a commitment to knit at least one pattern repeat on it every day, so it should be finished before she starts school again in August.

I am going... nowhere before knitting group tomorrow night.  This is awesome!

I am reading...  Turn Not Pale, Beloved Snail which is "a book about writing among other things" by Jacqueline Jackson.  My roommate when I lived in Ohio in the late seventies had a copy, and I got the urge to read it again.  It is still delightful!  I got this copy on inter-library loan, because the last time I checked Amazon the only copies were running close to $50.  When I checked the page to give the link, it appears that one can buy used copies for considerably less.  I think that's what I do when I finish this post.  It's definitely worth owning if it's in your budget.

I am hoping... to sleep well tonight.  I've had less-than-stellar sleep the last few nights, but it's cooling off, and I have no pressing reason to get up early tomorrow.  Wish me luck.

I am hearing... Roger puttering about the kitchen.  The clink of ice cubes, and a blurbling that means carbonation.  Probably soda water, because I also heard the door to the cabinet where he keeps the Scotch.
(I just asked him, and he says it's cranberry juice and pineapple rum.  Apparently I was mistaken about the carbonation.)

Around the house... we now have an actual guest room.  Kelson took pretty much everything he owns to his new duty station in Duluth, which is where Brandon was stationed before he went to Alaska.  Lose a son, gain a guest room.  My emotions on this one are very mixed.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Knitting group. Grocery shopping.  Choir practice.  Blessed, blessed routine.

Words I'm pondering : Americans have a range of moral concerns: caring for the weak, fairness, liberty, loyalty, respect for authority, and sanctity.  Studies suggest that hard-core liberals are animated only by the first three. (From The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt, via First Things.)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing.... actually, I'm not. I had a nice cartoon all picked out, but I can't make it work in the new Blogger set-up.    Fooey!!

Word and Question 20 - now with added apologies

 Here, ma'am, try this tasty wine sample.
The portion, you'll find, is quite ample.
Do you like... Holy smokes,
Here come dozens of folks!
For free wine upon you they may trample!


Word: ample
Question: Should I tell someone about this?


I am entirely late with this one (marvelously hosted by Enbrethiliel at Shredded Cheddar), and it's all my own fault for trying to play at all in the kind of month I knew I was going to have.  And even now, I'm only good for a limeric...  

The scene, for those of you who may not have such things where you live, is a table or small kiosk set up inside a supermarket or warehouse store where customers are offered samples to induce them to buy products they might otherwise ignore. (Although I'm pretty sure that free wine isn't legal.)


The first time I published this, I forgot to also apologize to my (two) readers for not posting anything for a month.  Mea Culpa!

 

Word and Question 19

How did I end up here? If I can be
Completely truthful, I don't even know
Quite where this is, but I am fairly sure
It isn't Dune, or Pluto, or Barsoom
Or anywhere on Earth I've read about...

Why am I in this cage? If you ask me
This whole thing must be some psychotic joke!
The last thing I remember from before
Was feeling "punk", and sitting on the couch
Watching some crazy preacher on TV.

You want to know how nuts he was? He said
Smart folk like me, who don't believe his myths,
Were in for trouble here (I guess that's "there")
And afterward. But I maintain that I
Know more than he did: "after" can't exist.

And how do I know that? My textbooks state
That "mind" is just a function of the brain,
So when the body dies, the mind goes too.
I don't expect to live on after death.
That's just a fairytale for foolish folk.

Say, do you think it's getting hot in here?...

Word: cage

Question: Have i been reading all the wrong books?

I Haven't Done a Daybook in Ages, or ..................... I Guess it's Time

Outside my window... it is still daylight! I hate changing over to DST, but once it's here I appreciate the long evenings. AND it's warm. I don't believe in "global warming" (at least not man-made), but I kind of like this "local warming" thing.

I am thinking... about how long it's been since I posted. Over a month. Shame on me.

I am thankful for... the fact that I am at home. I spent last week helping Arwen with the kids while Bryan traveled for work, and I love them all, but I'm not as young as I used to be, and being home again is relaxing.

From the kitchen... "real" reubens, made with the corned beef leftovers from St. Patrick's Day.

I am wearing... blue cotton pants, and a pink cotton tee and socks (which don't quite match each other.) Earlier I had on a sweatshirt that matched the socks, but I got too warm.

I am creating... the VERY last knitted cotton dishcloth for Roger's stepmother. Before Christmas she gave me a commission and sent me a check, and I have been working at this quite regularly. But I'm on the last one, and the next dishcloth I knit will be for me. Which is good, because mine are wearing out...

I am going... to go and do my exercises in a little while. With any luck I will be done with both this post and the exercises before Roger gets home from leading his Bible study.

I am reading... well, I'm finishing a non-memorable libray book, but one that's done I'll be starting on Dune, because I've been telling Kelson for years that I'd get around to it someday. So no more library (or other) books until I finish it.

I am hoping... for good weather this weekend. Branwen and Larry and their kids are coming up, and there is a LOT of outdoor work that needs to be done, especially burning the brush piles, which is a big thrill for Daniel and Matthew.

I am hearing... all the outdoor noises much more clearly since we took the plastic film off the windows. Of course, every time we've done that in March before, we've had a good solid snowstorm later...

Around the house...everything now stays relatively tidy. Kelson is at Coast Guard boot camp, and I never realized just HOW MUCH STUFF he would regularly move around and/or abandon somewhere. I'm betting that he's learning tidier habits!

A few plans for the rest of the week: just the usual, which unfortunately means that either Roger or I (or both) has a meeting every night. But on Friday a friend is coming to dinner, and then Branwen and her family arrive. That will be nice!

Words I'm pondering : "For the fate of Lothlórien you are not answerable, but only for the doing of your own task."--Galadriel. My brother-in-law tweeted this today, and I know that I can learn from it. It doesn't ALL depend on me...

Here is a picture thought I am sharing.... this picture is from several years ago, but Kelson's boot camp graduation will look a lot like this. Assuming it's a sunny day, of course.

A repost, because it's important.

and because I am neither as smart or as wise as Karina...

Government Pork, by Karina Fabian

Once there was a wonderful town full of people who loved to eat, and many wonderful and varied restaurants that served excellent food: Italian and French, Japanese and Mongolian, Middle Eastern and even a kosher delicatessen. Not everyone liked every restaurant, of course, and some people even thought particular restaurants were odd, but they appreciated the variety available to all.

There were also a lot of pig farmers in the area, and people enjoyed the fresh pork. One year, they had a mayor who loved fresh pork. He thought it was the right of everyone in the town to have pork at any meal they wanted. “Why,” he’d say,” if there was only one meal I could give my kids, it’d be pork chops!” Of course, lots of the people loved pork as well, and they applauded his enthusiasm.

One day he sat in his office, thinking about how much he and others liked pork, and he decided that every restaurant should serve pork, at every meal. Oh, maybe not every individual would want to eat pork, but they deserved the right to have it on their plate so they could choose! And so, he set out a decree that all restaurants would serve some form of pork in every meal.

Well, the delicatessen and the Middle Eastern restaurant were upset by this. They couldn’t serve pork—it was against their religions. So they went to the Mayor and asked to be excused from this rule. “After all,” they said, “people know we never serve pork.”

“But you should. People have the right to pork. Some of you customers eat pork. Even some of your employees enjoy a good ham!”

“And if they wish to, they may–but not in our restaurants,” the owners said. “It’s against the kind of restaurants we are to serve pork. And we have customers who do not want pork, who would be offended and do not want to pay for pork.”

“Well, I’m offended that you won’t serve it—and I’m sure other pork lovers agree that your attitude is most disagreeable.”

“Our customers and our employees know where we stand, and they continue to frequent our restaurants and work for us. We serve them well, but we do not serve them pork. We have the right to our own menus. We should not be forced.”

But the mayor stood firm. “No,” he said. “Everyone has the right to have pork, and it’s my duty to make sure it’s always available, whether you agree or not. It’s healthier than beef anyway. If you don’t like it, you can pay a fine and stop serving food—or you can close down.”

The restaurant managers refused to change their menus. Many people stood by them—because they, too, would not eat pork and didn’t want to pay for it; or because they agreed that restaurants should choose their own menus; or because they didn’t like the mayor telling people how to run their own businesses. The movie theaters stood by him, because they were afraid if the Mayor could change menus, he might also start dictating what shows would be played.

The pork lovers, however, were incensed. How dare the restaurants not give them pork if they wanted it?

“I can’t eat beef; what should I do then?” one demanded. “Do you just want to send me away to starve?”

“We have other dishes,” they said. “Our menu and service would be no different than before. We can feed you many things; just not pork.”

Nonetheless, the press, too, said that the two restaurants would rather let people starve rather than eat pork.

Despite the outcry of the pork lovers, more and more people said, “Let them choose their own menu!”

One day, the Mayor called the restaurant owners into his office. He had a compromise, he said.

“I won’t make you buy pork. You don’t have to prepare it, or touch it. Instead, all restaurant suppliers will have to supply pork to every restaurant, free of charge, and for those that don’t want to serve the pork, suppliers will cook it and put it on every plate themselves.”

“But there would still be pork in our restaurant!” the owners cried. “Besides, they will increase the price of meat to cover their new expenses.”

“Oh, they wouldn’t do that. I’d tell them not to. Besides, the point is you wouldn’t be actually serving pork. See how well that works? Everyone gets pork and you can say you never provided it. And if your patrons don’t want to eat it, they don’t have to; it’s enough that it’s there for them.”

So, problem solved?

A note from Karina: The HHS compromise is no compromise—it’s an escalation, making it impossible not only for the Catholic Church to live according to its beliefs, but any small business that may also believe as the Church does. I wrote this parable to try to put the debate out of the “contraception/women’s health” light and show the other issues at stake. Feel free to copy this story and use it on your own blogs. If you do, please include this link to sign a petition to stop the HHS mandate (or if you know of another petition, include it)

Karina Fabian is the author of a number of books, including non-fiction and horror genres. She came to my attention as the co-editor of Leaps of Faith, an anthology of Christian science fiction.

February Snowy (!!) Daybook

Outside my window... sunshine, blue skies, and SNOW. We've had snow on the ground for three days now, which is the longest it's lasted all winter so far. Of course, it's supposed to be 40 degrees on Wednesday...

I am thankful for... a "normal" week, for a change. No major events until Saturday.

From the kitchen... Meatloaf, boiled red potatoes, and broccoli. Tomorrow I will bake a cherry pie as part of Roger's Valentine present.

I am wearing... tan cotton pants, a red/rust long-sleeved Tshirt with more-or-less-matching cotton socks, black loafers, and a tan/navy/green/rust shawl/scarf that I got in Stratford many years ago. I'll change into hiking boots when Roger gets back and we go to walk the dog.

I am creating... flannel blankets for a baby-shower gift. Nice, big, ones (45 inches square) because the ones you can buy are only useful for about three weeks.

I am going... to a workshop on Saturday "Celebrating the Triduum with the New Roman Missal." I hope to learn something useful.

I am reading... Behind the Seams, by Betty Hechtman. It's a crochet mystery, pure fluff, but fun.

I am hoping... that the weather report is wrong, and the snow stays around. But I'm not optimistic.

I am hearing... the refrigerator running, and the cat scratching in the litter box. I need to deal with that tomorrow: trash day, and the litter definitely needs to be changed. With only one cat, I get away with leaving it just that little bit too long. :-(

Around the house... things are calm and tidy. Did I mention it's a NORMAL week? I actually just washed all the cookie-storage cans from Christmas, and will pack them away as soon as they're totally dry.

A few plans for the rest of the week... NORMAL! Enjoy normal!

Words I'm pondering : "You fear too much." Roger tells me this quite regularly. I am convinced that it's true, but I need to work out a plan to change it. Hopefully before I'm 80.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... Nerd humor. Because I can. (Click on the image if it's too small for you to see.)

A to Z

This is shamelessly borrowed from Manda, because I will do anything to avoid the thinking required to do a "real" post.


A. Age: 61, minus three weeks. Well, 20 days, if you have to be exact.

B. Bed size: King. When we got married our bedroom only had room for a double, and Roger -- who is taller and larger than I am -- tended to take his half out of the middle. We are on our third king.

C. Chore that you hate: Mopping the floor. I've done it less than 50 times in 30+ years of marriage. But that is because Roger, who is AWESOME, does it himself/trained the kids to do it.

D. Dogs: My family has had two. I tolerate them.

E. Essential start to your day: Tea. From loose leaves, in a preheated pot, with freshly boiled water. Or from a bag, if I can't pull that off.

F. Favorite color: Blue, or possibly pink..

G. Gold or silver: Gold. I wear silver, but gold.

H. Height: 5'6"ish. I always thought I was 5'8", but when my daughters hit that, I wasn't anymore. Only Branwen is still shorter than I am.

I. Instruments that you play: Flute and guitar. But not very often anymore.

J. Job title: Organizer-in-chief. Otherwise known as Mom/Grandma.

K. Kids: Arwen: 29. Branwen: 27. Miriel: almost 25.
Brandon: 23. Tirienne: 21. Kelson:19

L. Live: Fort Gratiot MI

M. Mother's name: was Mildred/Millie.

N. Nicknames: Hon. (My dad used to call me McClee. I miss it.)

O. Overnight hospital stays: Tonsillectomy in third grade, and Arwen and Branwen's births. (The other four kids were born at home.)

P. Pet peeves: Misplaced apostrophes. Grammar and vocabulary sloppiness, such as using "phased" for "fazed" or "mantle" for "mantel."

Q. Quote from a movie: "Nobody is as handsome as David. Even David."
Sabrina;1995 (Actually, pretty much anything from this or You've Got Mail. My family are memorization nerds.)

S: Siblings: My brother Patrick.

T: Travel favorite: Stratford Ontario.

U. Underwear: Yes, I wear it.

V. Vegetable(s) you hate: Beets. If I had $10 for every time my dad tried to persuade me that Harvard beets were good, I could put all my grandchildren through college. And don't even get me started on "redbeet eggs!" (hardboiled eggs pickled in beet juice and vinegar.)

W. What makes you run late: It would have to be a disaster. I am perpetually, habitually early.

X. X-rays you've had: Teeth. The time I didn't break my elbow. The time I DID break my elbow. The time I broke my nose. I'm a klutz.

Y. Yummy food that you make: Check the "tasty Tuesday" labeled posts.

Z. Zoo animal: The neurotic polar bear in the Louisville zoo. (My kids had better get this reference...!)

Daybook --1/23/12

Outside my window... Warm and wet and squishy. OK, 45 degrees isn't WARM warm. But it is for January in Michigan. Yesterday there was more than an inch of snow on the ground. Tomorrow ... who knows? This IS Michigan.

I am thankful for... our upcoming long weekend in Stratford. We weren't sure the budget would go there this year, but it did, so we are. Four days of pure relaxation!

From the kitchen... Pork Sausage Casserole. Tomorrow will be leftovers, and Wednesday tacos. I am going for easy for our dinners, because for most of those two days Roger and I will be in a large church kitchen making 300+ servings of chili for the local Pregnancy Care Center fundraiser in February. He's the chili chef; I just chop whatever he tells me to.

I am wearing... tan cotton pants, an amethyst-colored ribbed cotton sweater with more-or-less-matching cotton socks, black loafers, and a fuzzy rabbit-angora shawl to keep my shoulders warm. Inside our house, the only difference between a 45 degree day and a zero degree day is how often the furnace runs. The thermostat stays at 70 in the daytime and 55 at night.

I am creating... Christmas presents for Miriel and Tirienne. I didn't have time to knit ahead before Christmas, so I gave them each a certificate good for one item, with a trip to the yarn shop for pattern and yarn. Tirienne's beret is done. Next is Miriel's scarf.

I am going... well, aside from the previously mentioned chili-making, this week I have knitting group and choir practice. I thought I was going to need to read for another Quiz Bowl meet, but the organizing teacher found enough readers closer to home (about 45 min. from here.) In this case, I really don't mind not "getting" to go and read.

I am reading... Twelve Drummers Drumming, by C.C. Benison -- a pen name of Douglas Whiteway. This is a mystery featuring British Anglican vicar Tom Christmas. It's not a bad read, at least so far, but it's fairly obvious that the author chose his character's profession so that he could be called "Father Christmas." The book is full of similarly punnish ideas and names, and apparently is the projected first volume in a series (Eleven Pipers Piping, and so on.) But although the protagonist is likeable as a detective and a man, he's not very believable as an Anglican priest. Jan Karon fans shouldn't bother.

I am hoping... to finish this post fairly quickly, since I have a couple of other things to do before bedtime. Which needs to be relatively early, since the chili-cooking begins at 8:30AM.

I am hearing... Bruce Springsteen singing Glory Days. Kelson has discovered the joys of vinyl recordings, and Born in the USA is spinning away on the newly dusted turntable.

Around the house... my weekly schedule is all jumbled up, because the church kitchen is only available to us for two days, and which two days they are has changed a couple of times. My day planner is full of scratchouts and arrows, but with any luck all the laundry and cleaning will get done at some point.

A few plans for the rest of the week... um, I think I've mentioned them all.

Words I'm pondering : "Sanctity of Human Life is about trusting God." This quote is from a blog I read regularly, and really sparked me to think more deeply about the root causes and solutions of this country's romance with killing our unborn children.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... Not a picture this time, but a link. You won't see this on the news, but go here to see Twitter's photo gallery with the hashtag #marchforlife. I went two years ago, and will go back as soon as I can afford something more than the red-eye bus. I can do the bus or the March, but not both.

Seven Quick Takes Friday : Yes, I'm still alive. Shocker.

--- 1 ---

Number of times I have thought about blogging in the past month: at least a dozen.
Number of times I have actually blogged in the past month: zero.
(I don't count that naggy little thing about Word and Question, which I probably needn't have bothered with...)

--- 2 ---

Topics I have considered for blog posts in the last month : Seven Quick Takes, Daybook, Seven Quick Takes, Daybook, Seven Quick Takes, Daybook,.........
Lather, rinse, repeat. As you can see, Quick Takes finally won. Because I don't even have to answer any questions.

--- 3 ---

Oh, wait. I lied in the last take. Because I also considered doing the "2011 in recap" meme. For about 17 seconds.

--- 4 ---

I am very tired today. On Wednesday we drove 5 hours each way to a family funeral (RIP, Dick...) Yesterday I changed beds and cleaned bathrooms, drove to a not-so-nearby town to serve as a reader for a Quiz Bowl meet, and went to choir practice. Today it all caught up with me.

--- 5 ---

Fortunately, I can say "Nine!" Which is counting down days until our Stratford visit. I intend to alternate reading in the jacuzzi with sitting in a booth sipping Strongbow. Bliss.

--- 6 ---

In preparation for Stratford, I just requested eight books from the library. I suspect that if they all come in, that might have been a little over-ambitious. But I couldn't whittle the 20+ books on my list down to a readable-in-a-long-weekend number. I'll just have to renew some of them.

--- 7 ---

Since I have now put together a (very rudimentary) semblance of a post, I think I'll go and take a nap. See you!