Thoughts and ramblings from a writer, poet and armchair philosopher.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
A Great War?
I came across a Civil War website (http://www.civilwar.com/) with a sentence I found a bit disturbing. "The American Civil War was the greatest war in American history." HUH?!? The reason this disturbs me is because someone out there wrote this thinking war is great.
Today we have soldiers fighting a "war" in Afghanistan and Iraq. They have been there over 5 years, with no end in sight. Is this a "great" war?
Two Sides of War (All Wars)
"All wars are planned by older men
In council rooms apart,
Who call for greater armament
And map the battle chart.
But out along the shattered field
Where golden dreams turn gray,
How very young the faces were
Where all the dead men lay.
Portly and solemn in their pride,
The elders cast their vote
For this or that, or something else,
That sounds the martial note.
But where their sightless eyes stare out
Beyond life's vanished toys,
I've noticed nearly all the dead
Were hardly more than boys."
~Grantland Rice
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Times they are a-changing....
(Hey, is my pretend bread done yet?)
Remember metal toys? Tonka dump trucks? No plastic when we were kids, and we turned out OK. Well, I think I'm OK anyway. Have to ask my husband about that one...
Looking through old pictures is a good way to get story ideas. I've discovered a couple stories hiding out in these old images. I may not remember all the situations I'm looking at, but what the heck...I'll just start from scratch.
Monday, July 21, 2008
There were also some pretty white ones, but I couldn't get to those. But the blues were so nice on their own.
Good Morning Monday.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Animals That Touch Our Lives
Pets have a way of touching our lives, leaving their little footprints across our hearts and souls. And they don't even have to be our own pets. I've written about my cats before, but my neighbor Steve's cat, Tango, is also my little buddy. He hangs out at our house a lot and sometimes keeps me company when I sit on the swing and read or write. He has a habit of yelling as he's coming from where ever his wanderings have taken him. It's kind of funny hearing his voice echo around as he crosses the neighbors' yards. Like he's announcing his arrival.
(My favorite picture of Max.)
Max had bad arthritis problems and ended up unable to walk. He had to be put down on May 19th. I miss finding the big lug laying on the porch against our front door.
(One of the few times Rastas sat still for a photo)
Steve's other dog Rastas was a bit slower about getting friendly. At first, he would come as far as the edge of the yard and just bark at us. If we tried to approach, he would turn around and head back home. When he finally started coming to visit, I would give him a doggie snack, which he would gently take from my hand then carry back home to eat. At some point, he started hanging out on the porch with Max. He turned out to be a fairly friendly dog.
Rastas died about a week or so before Max. He had been sick for a couple days, and we found him one morning in our yard; curled up like he had just gone to sleep. He and Max are buried in Steve's yard near the property line. I visit once in a while and take them a flower or two. I think I will always miss them. I think Tango does, too. He used to walk up to them and rub against them the way cats do and hang out with them.
Sometimes, we don't realize how an animal has affected us until they're gone.
{One of my writers group members recently lost her wonderful Golden Retriever. I set up a small memorial on our group's blog: www.maylandwriters.blogspot.com.}
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Gardening on the Small Side
And here it is. A very small patch in my yard with seven corn plants and a scraggly tomato plant. I put in the tomato plant that isn't doing too well. I figure there's nothing to lose that way. The other one is doing so well in the container, I'm afraid to move it.
I have to say, getting down on the ground and digging through the dirt was very therapeutic. This has been a hard month so far, and I have really been feeling down. But, when I started pulling apart that patch of earth, loosening up the soil with my bare hands, I felt so much better. It was as if all my troubles were put into perspective, and I realized there are things going on much bigger than my little issues. I knew in my heart...my soul...everything would be OK in the end. The feel of the dirt under my nails, the smell of the fresh soil, even the sight of all those earthworms burrowing back into the earth...it made me feel renewed.
Now, if I can just keep Muffinhead out of there... :-}
Friday, July 11, 2008
Mountain Wonderland
Mrs. Fuller has a beautiful vegetable garden, with some huge cabbage. I would love to get hold of some cabbages that size. This area is fenced and had a "guard" standing duty to ward off wayward rabbits and such.
Mrs. Fuller told me the names of some of her flowers, but alas, my memory isn't what it used to be. And, I forgot to bring a notebook along with me. Some names I know, but for the most part, I just "know what I like." Names or no, it doesn't really matter. What matters is the beautiful tableau of color...and the fact that they make you feel good when you see them.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
What Rain?
Monday, July 7, 2008
Coming Up On 16 Years
(I know, this is a mushy post. What can I say? I'm happy.) :0}
Sunday, July 6, 2008
My Garden?
Well, it may not count as a "real" garden, but here it is. My two tomato plants were planted at the same time, in approximately the same size containers and for some reason one just isn't doing too well. Funny thing is, it had the first tomato on it. Now, it's dying and the other is growing taller and getting some little flower buds. Go figure. The only difference in the two is the one in the blue container has some rotting leaves from a gutter cleaning mixed in with the soil. Next year, I'm mixing lots of rotting leaves in with every tomato plant I grow.
Then there is the old, out-of-date canister of wildflower seeds I found earlier this Spring. It was one of those you are supposed to just be able to sprinkle around and they grow. I bought it years ago, then forgot about it. When I stumbled across them this year, I decided what the heck. I put some soil in one of my containers and poured. Well, no flowers yet, but lots of green coming up.
And here, growing in a pot of soil that was just sitting on my deck...corn. Squirrel corn actually, from the dried cobs I put out for them. I'm going to dig up a small section of my yard and put them in the ground, just to see what happens.
And then there is Muffinhead, self-appointed guardian of my little "garden," such as it it. :-)
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
My Poetry Part I
Gathering Home
I sit in awe of the women around me.
Poets, authors,
beautiful people all.
I come here to write, communicate,
commune
with others like me,
yet different.
I come here to listen, to read, to learn,
to feel.
I am a part of something much larger
than my everyday life.
I am a part of something strong, loving,
freeing.
In my life I have looked for, longed for
strong women to lead me, guide me
push me.
I find these women here, surrounding me,
accepting me.
Without question, my writing, my dream
has found
a home.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Summer Cold
One of my favorite treatments for a cold is Hot and Sour Soup from one of our local Chinese restaurants. I love this stuff. It has just the right amount of spiciness and really opens up the sinuses. I have found some mixes in the grocery store that I've used to make it at home, but nothing beats the restaurant-made version. (And no, I've not tried to make it from scratch. I'm just not that good.)
Good news is I'm feeling better today. Still not fully recovered, but getting there. Did I mention that I hate summer colds?!?!?