Summer 2006

 I was drinking coffee this morning, reflecting on times past. I'm not exactly sure what made me think of this memory in particular, but it surely brought a cheesy smile to my face :)

 June 2006, I was fresh out of high school; my family and I (when I say family, I mean the whole motley crew of about 16 of us)went on vacation to Itasca State Park (which is located at the very northern tip of Minnesota, bordering the land of Bon Iver). I was actually conned into going......I was not privy to the fact that our cabin was in the middle of nowhere.At 18, stuck in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with my entire family.....I couldn't think of anything more horrifying (Where we were located would be a perfect set up for a horror film). 

 I thanked my lucky stars that my cousin Alex (who is like a sister to me)also got conned (or was it forced?) into going. Being the rebellious jaded duo that we were, we decided to set off and explore the park. Alex had arrived earlier in the day and had set out a surveillance of the area. There was a bike trail and a lake nearby that she thought might be worth checking out. 

 My bike had a flat tire, and I being the lazy teen that I was, decided to not put air in it before setting off. The bike trail was surrounded with thick trees, and led to a lake (which turned out be a laugh, because the "lake" smelled like raw sewage and was a cesspool for mosquitoes) about 2 miles from our cabin. 

 In any event, we came, we saw, we conquered and threw rocks into the lake, watching with sick fascination as the gunk swallowed them up (which lasted all of ten minutes)before turning around and returning to the house on haunted hill....oops I meant cabin.

 The return journey was turning out to be as entertaining, not very. Halfway back I saw something moving in the bushes.It had not dawned on me what it might be, so I said "Alex what is some fat chick doing in the bushes?" It took Alex even less time, I looked back at her and her eyes had gotten big "Bear, bear, bear," she muttered and turned her bike around as fast as she could,headed in the opposite direction. I turned for one last look, confirmed,then followed Alex in hot pursuit. 

 We were all in a flurry about how we were going to get back, with there being a bear loose on the trail (honestly it probably ran off the same time we ran off.)Finally we found the main road which ran along the bike trail. By this point Alex and I were feeding off each others fear. We had convinced ourselves that if we got near the bike trail that this cannibal bear that ate obnoxious teenagers was going to jump out and eat us. 

 This is where I wished I had put pumped air into my tires earlier before heading out on this adventure. Alex sped ahead of me, with me shouting "Hey wait for me!" 

"No, no," she yelled over her shoulder "I'll go ahead and get help!"

"Over my dead body," I thought, so I had to pump twice as hard just to keep up with her. 

 We made it back to the cabin in record time. Throwing our bikes on the ground and ran into the cabin. My Grandma was sitting on the couch conversing with my Aunts (Monica and Melissa). To be honest I think she was quite frightened at the sight of us! She held out her arms and we ran to her, our hearts beating; about ready to jump out of our chests. 

 There was a lot of ridiculous wild hand waving and huffing and puffing before we caught our breath. "Bear", we said in solemn unison. I sure my Grandma was relieved that no one had died.

 The rest of the trip was rather uneventful. Well except for my Mom telling stories of Bigfoot, how each tree might conceal one, she was sure she would see one on this trip. Oh, there was also the consumption of S'mores.I never saw Bigfoot, only a bear with its big bulbous butt sticking out of the bushes. As Paul Harvey says "Now you know the rest of the story." 

Grab A Tiger By The Tail......

“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me ... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”

                                                 -Shel Silverstein-

     

Toccoa opened his eyes, The sparkle in them seemed to say,

"What kind of mischief can I get into today?"

The worlds so big, and I so small,

How can I ever hope to see it all?

Kisses and hugs for Mommy 
Kisses and hugs for Daddy
Heart so big, arms so small
Wish they were bigger so
I could hug you all.

Fast feet fast feet!
I move as fast as I can
Running to and fro
And all around
Will I ever slow down?

Oh brother!
Here comes that silly kitty!
Mommy says be gentle
Will she notice
If I grab it by the tail?
(Yep, Mommy noticed.)

Day turns to night
Lay me down to sleep
My soul so gentle
And sweet it will keep
However I cannot resist
Opening my eyes for
One last peep.

Dedicated to my nephew Toccoa

Celestial Sun

Faraway on the other side of the world

Where light beams dance

And velvet shadows are far-reaching

The Sun challenged the Moon

 “Who goes there?” Rumbled Sun

“‘Tis I, your old friend” slyly answered Moon

“Why have you come here?” questioned Sun

“I come bearing the boundless night,

Peaceful darkness.” Moon whispered

“Since the beginning of time, when the

Great trumpet sounded, it was decreed

That we each would cover one half of

The earth,” strongly held Sun

“You and I both know that a second

Sounding of the trumpet is coming,

And the world that exists will be

 Plunged into obscurity.” alleged Moon

The Sun passed over Moon

Stars in the heavens applauded

“On the day you speak of, the world

Will undeniably meet its end.

However that is not this day,” declared Sun

Moon, defeated, slowly crawled

Shadows receded

Sun mounted on top of the earth, exulted.

 

To Change The World

William Shakespeare penned the words; "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts..."

Many men and women have had the privilege to dance across the stage Shakespeare spoke of. In fleeting moments of mortality, they used their voices to make them immortal. They set the bar, so that the ones that would come after, would strive for excellence. So that they too, could also be amongst the great men and women in history.

J.M Barrie wrote the well-known play “Peter Pan.” Which at first glance, many would say it is just a children’s story. However it has an underlying, deeper meaning which is this: Never give up your innocence. The world will throw many punches at you, some knocking you down, seeking to change you. Keep the purity that resides in you, guard it like a precious gift. Adventure, always seek to expand your boarders, in every direction possible. Never be thrust into one role that “defines” you.  One of the most memorable quotes to me from Peter Pan is : “To die would be an awfully great adventure.” Live your life to the fullest. Fit in as many adventures as you can. When the ticking time clock comes for you and me,  know that it is not the end, it is the beginning of another adventure.

Jane Austen has graced the literary stage more than once. Well known for romantic novels like Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. The fact is, at  heart every human has a yearning to love and be loved. A love unconditional, transcending time, that bears your entire soul. Being vulnerable and not caring. It is so easy to get caught up in one of her novels. She stirs up your hearts desires, you too begin hope and dream of a love like that, and wait for that person who will come and sweep you off your feet.

“Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed [Elizabeth] to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticize. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she hardly had a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware; to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.”

                                                                                                                    -Jane Austen-

Sometimes  major issues, many would rather avoid, are thrust into center stage. Harper Lee wrote ‘To Kill A Mockingbird.’ She presents before the reader, what racism was like in the deep south during the Great Depression. People come in all different sizes, colors, and creeds. That is the beauty of this world, everyone shining out as an individual. There is no tolerance for those who would choose to alienate an individual because of their racial background, religion, or be they tall, short, fat or skinny or any other reason, really. We also need to keep in mind that at one time we have run into a ‘Boo’ Radley, or know somebody who fits the bill. Gossip is a terrible thing. It is the recreational sport of tearing someone else down. Don’t feed into gossip, because more often than not, the information you heard was wrong, and you don’t know as much as you think you do. A person should be judged on their merit, the content of their character and not the package they come in.

Mark Twain. Well known for his wit, humor, and satire. He authored such novels as Huckleberry Finn and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. His work shows the ironies of life. Laughter is the music of the soul.  There are so many things in this world that are upsetting (this does not apply to everything) sometimes though you have to stand back and ask yourself, “ Is it worth it to be mad or laugh instead?”

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”

          -Mark Twain-

“Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.”
                                                                                           -Mark Twain-

“A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.”
                                                                                            -Mark Twain-

                Ok, so the point that I am getting at. Long after each of these authors have left the world, they continue to teach. What is listed above are things that these authors have taught me.  So this is what I say to you: Sing out, let your voice be heard. Do what you love to do most in this world. Life is too short to look back on and have regrets. We only have this one life, so live it. Who knows, one day you might find yourself listed amongst the great men and women in history.

A Kiss To End The World

Eyes lock

The whole world stops

Everything ceases to exist

Except for you and I in this moment.

So many things said

Not a word spoken

You lean in

And press your lips to mine

My world shatters

It is divine.

Ode To Coffee

Need a pick me up

I reach for a cup

Black Eye or Black Tie

Would suffice

Give it to me hot

Give it to me cold

Tall, Grande, Venti

Just give it to me bold

Café’ Au Lait as the French do

I could not exist without

This magnificent brew

Chocolate Dalmatian, Dirty Chai

Which to imbibe?

Taste for something exotic

Turkish Coffee

Is just the tonic

Splash of milk

Spoonful sugar

Smooth as silk

However you take it

Give it to me stat

My pulse is fading

I need caffeine fast!

An Indian Summer Dream

Summer takes one last turn

Fighting off winter’s cold grasp.

The sun filters through leaves of

Red, yellow and green.

Leaves fall to the ground with a

Whisper as trees shed their

Beautiful foliage.

Monarch butterflies flitter

To and fro, dancing one last

Time before they depart.

St. Martin’s summer has arrived.

 

The forest floor is a burst of

 
Activity, as small creatures

 

Prepare for the biting winter that is

 

Just around the corner.

 

On the wind is the dry spicy smell of

 

 Fall. Seasons come and depart, Fall

 

Brings an end to a fruitful, glorious

 

Summer.

O'Gloriana

Come lay your uncertainties down.

Take comfort knowing that you

Have a friend near and shoulder

To lean on. No harm will

Befall you, for the flaming sword

Of Justice belongs to me.

I will cut down those who

Seek to harm you.

We all have the power

To cast away shadows

Triumph over the darkness

Your heart shines out like

A beacon of light

Banishing evil from our sight.

Pain and hurt are dissolved

From this world.

Peace and love reign true.

Taurus

Gently grazing on the hill

One with nature

Moving at its own pace

Seemingly immovable

Moving with grace.

Taurus may seem

Slow and plodding,

When the whole

Galaxy resides inside

The Bull, patient

And thoughtful is the

Way to be.

Samhain Night

Bonfires dance, licking

The velvet night sky.

Now is the time, when

The dead travel between

The world of the living.

Tumshie Lanterns are

Lit to keep the drifting

Souls of the deceased away.

Goblins roam the night

Waiting to steal away

Unsuspecting victims.

Mummers dance to

Haunting melodies.

Will you live to see

The New Year? The

Stones hold your fate.

Caught In A Dreamscape

Slip on pajamas

Snuggle down into bed

Drift to another time,

Another place, sleepyhead.

The Ethereal dream is large

Supremacy over the mind.

Trapped in a web of dreams,

Tangled, intertwined.

Nightmares? Oh dear.

Time to stand up, gather

Courage, battle subconscious fear.

Smokey phantoms fill the air,

Scenes of what could be,

Compared to what is actually there,

Leaves you hollow, wanting, empty,

Life is not fair.

When dreamers wake,

They return back to what is theirs,

Molding life into a dreamscape.

Soul Music

Pulsating, moving

Toe tapping, grooving.

Dancing, goofy prancing.

Expression of human doing.

Music is living, breathing,

A state of being.

Expanding, reaching,

Conveying feeling.

Chancing, believing,

Bouncing off the ceiling.

All encompassing,

Loving, maddening,

Touching, saddening.

Making, breaking,

Core shaking, exploding.

Deep longing, heart calling.

Wanting, relieving,

Soul singing.

Junkfood Thanksgiving Day!

What's he that wishes to eat? My brother Jordan? No, my fair brother; If we are mark'd to die, To do our liver loss;and if to live, The fewer men, the greater share of cake. God's will! I pray thee, wish not one slice more. By Jove, I am not covetous for carrots, Nor care I who doth feed upon my plate; It yearns me not if men unbutton their belts; Such outward things dwell not in my desires. But if it be a sin to covet sweets, I am the most offending soul alive.

     No, faith, my brother, wish not a man from Minnesota. God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour As one man more methinks would share from my plate For the best food I have. O, I cannot eat more! Rather proclaim it, Jordan, through my host, That he which hath no stomach to this feast, Let him depart; his passport shall be made, And skittles put into his purse; We would not dine in that man's company That fears his fellowship to dine with us.

    This day is call'd the feast of Junk Food. He that outlives this day, and comes safe home, Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd, And rouse him at the name of M&M’s. He that shall live this day, and see old age, Will yearly on the vigil binge with his neighbours, And say 'To-morrow is Junk Food Day.' Then will he strip his sleeve and show his coronary scares, and say 'These wounds I had on Junk Food Thanksgiving Day.'

     Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember, with advantages, What things he ate that day. Then shall the sweets, Familiar in his mouth, Snickers, Doritos, Kit Kats. Be in their flowing cups of Pepsi freshly rememb'red. This story shall the good man teach his son; But we in it shall be remembered- We few, we happy few, we band of siblings; For he to-day that raises his cholesterol with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so fat, This day shall plumpen his condition; And gentlemen in Minnesota now-a-bed Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That ate with us upon Junk Food Thanksgivings day!

Phrontistery Omphaloskepsis

Mellifous lullaby, serendipitous dalliance.

Susurrus lilt, ethereal evanescence.

Murmurous  halcyon, sempiternal summer.

Eloquent epiphany, felicitous laughter.

Loquacious effervescence, efflorescent missive.

Radiant panoply, scintillating rhapsody.

Passionate paradox, exquisite simplicity.