I'm headed Downtown for a much needed haircut.
This will take up most of the day....sigh
I missed my appointment about a week and a half ago
due to getting sick at a 40th birthday party at a bar
I'm too old for bars.....it was the food....not the adult beverages
for those of you laughing
But that extra week and a half
has left me at the point of disastrous hair
can't do anything with it
I wish I could cut my own hair....
We spent the weekend in Galena
...it was gorgeous
saw lots of turkeys and buzzards
and a little milk snake
The fields were beautiful with golds and purples
heaven...pure heaven
Let's hope Tom, my salon guy
cuts more , talks less
because then he will cut right
not more..... of the I'm never going back there again kind of cut
wish me luck

 

I've never seen a gray owl.

They are a  very large bird that some call "ghost owl"

There is poem I love about the gray owl.

Poet Ted Kooser likes it too. He says,

"To touch our hearts, a poem needs to rise above mere anecdote

and reach into something beyond, something greater, or, as the Chinese poets said,

'a poem must lift its eyes.'

A Sighting

by Connie Wane

The gray owl had seen us and fled

but not far. We followed noiselessly,

driving him from pine to pine:

I will not let thee go except thou bless me.

He flew as though it gave him no pleasure,

forcing himself from the bough,

falling untill his wings caught him:

they had to stroke hard, like heavy oars.

  

He must have just eaten

something that had, itself, just eaten.

Finally he crossed the swamp and vanished

as into a new day,hours before us,

and we stood near the chest-high reeds,

our feet sinking, and felt

we'd been dropped suddenly from midair

back into our lives.

Reading this poem I became part of the "we"

part of the experience

I think I will put spotting a gray in flight

on my bucket list.

 

I seek joy today in the smile of my grandson
so happy to be going to preschool
He's already showing signs of an independant spirit
like his pop
and that is a good thing

But just beneath my happiness for Maverick
is sorrow
 still
for all those innocent people
murdered by terrorists
on a beautiful blue skied sunny morning
in September eleven years ago
and I am certain, that I will always
carry this sorrow for them
it could have been any one of us
or our loved ones....as it almost was for my son in law
that day...that sunny day
But I wonder...what will they teach him in his school life about that day?
or will they even mention it.

Breakfast/Fernand Leger... Magpie tale #134

 

The usual breakfast of blacks and whites
a hint of daylight behind us
the warmth of old wood ajar to our left
the same beans ground at dawn's break
pepper, no salt...or no seasoning at all
it works somehow
this banality
of patinated love

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I had a wonderful time.
I met some interesting people..one lady from Viet Nam
who struggled to understand a monument that had the words
Tree Magie on it
The large headstone stood in a clearing with tall oak trees framing it
She thought it was a magic place of trees
...I think she was right...oh I adored her...so fascinating talking to her
And then there was this woman talking photos ...like me
only she had a real camera....she drifted my way and began talking to me about
what I took photos of.....what interested me through the lens
light-shadow-angles-art-light
this pleased her.....she actually invited me to visit her camera club
and encouraged me to join the one in my area
....ha....I wouldn't know a f-stop from the Elevated stop
It was very difficult to take photos while keeping up with the group
I will need to go to cemeteries alone.....wait for the light to be just so
look for the details.....so purposefully put there on every stone

Every big shot from old Chicago is there indeed at Graceland
poets architects mayors business magnates
big shots with big graves
except for Mayor Daley...he's buried in an ordinary catholic south suburban cemetary

The experience yesterday was peaceful...it is...
Like most big city cemeteries of this era
they are built like parks...big gorgeous parks
I loved every tree I saw...collected many acorns...for which I was laughed at
bah..who cares....some people have no magic in their souls
But I do....

I even tarried over a grave.....
..a story....came to me
I asked our guide...who is a history  prof...What do you know about the battle of Stone River?
He didn't know.....
.But this young man died of his wounds there
Battles are always horrific for those who fight in them
and there stories are forgotten...their pain, their sacrifice
the history
forgotten
I came away from my day at Graceland Cemetery
haunted.

 

 

I'm going on a field trip
with my mother's senior group......
you know...she said.....you're a senior
!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My girlfriend said to look at it this way:
You'll be the hottest chick there
.....some friend
We are going to Graceland Cemetary in Chicago
where the who's who of Chicago's history are buried
I'll bring my camera

 

-May Sarton

summer night #133 magpie tale

sit in a summer night

 your head tossed back

 into the given light of the moon

and listen to the creatures speak

the cicada, the coyotes,the owl

lift your head to the silent flight of the bat

whose sillouette you see against the evening sky

while sweat beads over your body

sweltering in season

the air thick with moisture

 and lightening bugs

signaling silently for love

and you become

part of it

as a salty drop hits your lips

and you close your eyes

let spirits of the summer night

beguile you to sleep

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Miss Kitty O'Shea

has a new bed

She's been limping a bit on her front paw and won't go upstairs....doctor visit soon

She seem very happy, eats well

too well.....roast chicken

She hogs the patio door with her entire bod

forcing Boo to sleep on the hard floor

about 4 ft away from her

as she growls at him

She can't stand the wipper snapper

LEAVE ME ALONE....she tells him all the time

But Boo just wants to play

all the time

I really have an appreciation for her attitude
It seems the older I get, the less I choose to tolerate
It is my time to have fun and dabble in delight
....and having a few extra bucks that we don't have to spend on tuition
makes it all possible
But we enjoy the fruits of our life
knowing that our children went forward in life with no debt
...and good jobs
and they also rewarded themselves with excellent spouses
like their mom and dad
hmmmm.....funny how that works

She's started kindergarten

all day kindergarten

No more nap rugs

I wonder if they still play?

She is organized like my youngest daughter, sarah

This shall serve her well

and, she is athletic and a budding artist

and loves numbers and letters

how you make things ....important things

out of them.......smart girl

I wish I could be in California to see her

see all of them......the heart is a lonely grandma

right now......

Maybe I can talk grandpa into flying

flying out there for her birthday

roll the dice grandpa...I"ll say

surely a-fib won't happen again

It's not California's fault

or the airplanes

and you are on meds now

and your veins are whislte clean

Go.....or maybe I'll go by myself

ohahoahoh.....can't believe I said that

: )

132 magpie tale

warm winter sunlight
two apples left in a dish
clock ticked toward midnight

big stone fireplace
 my dreams held in lonely room
I knew he would come

 his bag filled with  gifts
cold and dampness forgotten
 Father slid down hearth

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A Finn Day

I'm spending the day with Dennis the Menace
aka Finn
wish me luck
He might kiss me to death

:

Ah, Galena
At the last minute we decided to head for it
Blue skies, puffy white clouds, sunshine
80 degrees

The landscaping is in pretty rough shape
no water for quite a while
but good golly...the weeds didn't get the memo
they are everywhere
but the house always says home as we pull in the driveway

 

 

This vine keeps growing..and I keep pulling it
I think it is a grapevine...but different than the one at home
that is taking over my familyroom window
Chipmunks live in this rock wall
and I adore seeing them..rascals

 

We visited our favorite shopkeepers...they said they were glad to see us
now that was nice...
I bought some new red readers and  jar of Amish dill pickles
yum
I had a caprese salad...didn't think they knew about caprese salad here
in the country....:)
I shopped on my own a bit while hubby chewed the fat a bit
political fat......ugh...with some locals
and I found two gifts for a few friends.had their names on them
Red......I hope I can find your address...boy did I find you a hoot of a gift
and April....you'll love him
It was a gorgeous day..just me and hubby
just wandering around..taking in the views
Bought some farm stand...real farm stand...tomatoes...
some Wisconsin sharp Cheddar
peppers, apples...heirloom ones
and we had filet for supper
oh my goodness....now that is how meat is supposed to taste
...don't tell me it came from an animal..or I'll cry
sometimes one needs to be ignorant to get through life
We bought a bottle of California wine
and we plan on sitting on the deck and watch night fall
...it sort of a joke between my husband and myself
He loves saying night fell
....did you hear it?

goof

Magpie tale # 130

 

You've got to be kidding
This time she has really gone over the edge
The challenge to
  push the envelope in costumes at the annual staff Halloween Ball
 - didn't mean showing up
like some exhibitionist sex starved nymph
holding her needs like some damn conch shell
Put your ear here...she just about begs
Really,that's no way for a Principal to act
Her aging deflating breasts out there for all the world to see
fool
wait till she sees herself onYouTube


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Tonight is my writing group
sigh...not good sigh
I have been having computer problems..again
but it doesn't really matter
I have brain freeze, brain drain
My story is about an obsessed man
a stalker, a killer
Nice topic , huh?
But I had it going a bit..and then my computer froze
and I hadn't yet saved what I had written....gone
stupid,careless
I am not given to fits of anger, but today I wanted to
heave the computer out of the window..for good
Now, here is the important thing
I think I have lost my writing brain
really...
ever since I went wheat free...my brain won't write
my creativity is down
and so am I
So what did I do.?....I went to the grocery store
and tortured myself...past the bread aisle
past the pretzels
past the spaghetti
Now I am back home ...the computer is unfrozen
but my brain still doesn't want to go back to John Sloane
and his obsession
only mine-
wheat.

 

Cleaning out a dresser drawer, I came across this picture
of me and Amelia
The daughter who has been through so much this year
Soon, in a few weeks, it will be her 39th birthday
Where did those years go?
How did they slip away so quickly?
Back then I thought I could protect her from everything
or die trying
I still would like to spare her from life's unfairness
life's lessons
life's heartaches....she's my little girl
But, she is doing fine...so I guess those lessons
are worth learning
must be learned
As I learned mine

Love, the glue that holds it all together
binds us still


lesson today: don't start the week cleaning out drawers

 

It's rained a few times lately, stormed
lighting, thunder...the angels bowling kind of sounds
Oh, I enjoyed remembering that from childhood
I believed it
Took away the fear of storm

The garden earth soaked up the rain eagerly
the trees lifted their leaves again
like in prayer
So needed was this rain

I have been writing all week
working on flash fiction for an upcoming workshop in September
Working on my memoir.....not my favorite
Working on short stories for my writing group
taking the stories to some dark places
writing to the edge.....seems our leader likes 'em dark
likes them gritty, likes them topical
Not sure I do.....when you I write like this it stays with me too long
disturbs my thinking...sticks to me like spilled syrup
explores territory within me that I know
either directly or indirectly...hurts like walking on glass
The only thing that helps this sticky stuff is reading
other's work...I get lost in their sticky stuff
The current issue of Glimmer Train Magazine
has a few good stories....that stayed with me over my own thoughts
had that power of a good story


Last Saturday, Finn came over and we went to a restaurant that delivers your food
by train....What fun
This Saturday, it will be quiet
I dug out some poetry books.....I forgot how much I love poetry
Poetry delivers it like no other kind of writing
I bow to good poets (that be you, Brian)

I am eager for autumn...me
autumn has always been dreaded by me
for winter soon comes
winter..that season of emptiness
no color, no green especially
dark gray skies mostly
icy street and drifting snow in my driveway
and we are getting too old to clear it ourselves
and good reliable workers are hard to find
even in this terrible state of our country's economy
So I usually dread winter's coming
But not this year.
I am eager for the cycle to go onward
I need this rest period, this warmth from hearth and home
Though I am eating a low carb lifestyle
I still think I can make meals comforting
I need comfort in all its forms
So reading through an anthology
I found this wonderful poem that graced me,
by Nikki Giovanni, called -

Winter Poem

once a snowflake fell
on my brow and i loved
it so much i kissed
it and it was happy and called its cousins
and brothers and a web
of snow engulfed me then
i reached to love them all
and i squeezed them and they became
a spring rain and i stood perfectly
still and was a flower

I had a discussion with someone about baggage.
As she was talking about traveling items,
my mind wandered off to another kind.
These thoughts would have been lost on her...
but I rather like sharing my thoughts with myself....
so I continued to think about baggage into the night
and I even dreamt about it
Going somewhere....with.my baggage
and as I walked through the airport my legs got heavier and heavier
until I could hardly walk so weighed down were they
hmmm
I think I am focused on the suffering
and resisting healing
I thought I was traveling light
but yesterday I started to cry for Isla Maeve
Such a beautiful summer day it was
that I thought of her as I watched my neighbor's daughter
walking with her grandmother

luggage of the heart filled with lead
I am heading to the airport of days
carrying every bag I ever had
I need to travel light
need to have dog mind
Isla is with the Lord and her mother and father loved her
to the point of letting their hearts break to let her live
as long as she could...
Holding her was a moment I will never forget
and yesterday she came to me in a summer breeze
and I remembered her
But I cannot stay here
I must let go of my sadness..

not of her.....she is in glory
and  drop this suitcase of tears
and walk on ...

 

Animals can teach us this
today my arms are free
I can move within myself
twirl around and settle in to the joys that are my life
turn my suitcases into a resting place
of quiet places


images from google

#128 MT

 

lad commands the dog to sit
dog mind is still chasing squirrel
both have tails tucked

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