Monday, December 20, 2010

The End of A Decade

2010 is coming to an end, and along with it, the first decade of the new millennium. Seems like it wasn't too long ago we were worried about the Y2K bug, and at work, we were trying to describe exactly how much a million was. (In pennies, it is a block the size of a refrigerator.)

My children have gone from high school students, to college students, to graduates and working adults. There has been one wedding with another one being planned, and in 2011 the vocabulary of infant care will return to family conversations.

I've ridden a wild roller coaster in both my personal life and my professional life, and may finally be reaching a smooth place where I can once again enjoy the ride instead of just closing my eyes and hanging on. At 55, I think I may be justified in saying,  "About time!"

I want to thank all of those friends and relatives who have alternately supported me, mourned with me, struggled alongside me, and laughed with me. We may not see each other as much as we would like, but we know how to jump in the boat and row together when needed. And for that I am eternally grateful.

As we enter the new decade together, may we all experience more joy than sorrow,  more gains than losses and more sunshine than rain. And may we always have each other in our hearts, in our minds and in our dreams, because it is through sharing with friends, family and loved ones that we truly experience life.

Happy Holidays to All and to All a Great New Year.









Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Have You Shared Any Good Books Lately?

Most writers would agree that the urge to put pen to paper is inspired, at least in part, by an intense love affair with books. Sometimes it is one book that excites the passion or it can be the accumulated influences of hundreds or thousands of books. It is a solitary journey along a well-traveled path, but occasionally there is a serendipitous meeting with a fellow traveler.

The sharing of a book can be one of the most profound and intimate acts two people can engage in. Every day, books are given as gifts, recommended by friends, panned by critics. All these are legitimate ways to share a book but there is nothing special in the transaction. Books are consumed for entertainment, for knowledge, for distraction and for help. All those books hold their own special places and exist for their own special reasons.  But there is another kind of book - the book that speaks directly to the soul, the book whose very presence in a room can serve as a source of courage, inspiration and comfort.

This is the book that someone hands to you with the words "this is a favorite of mine." It is not an easy admission, for in that brief sentence, one becomes vulnerable and exposed. When you read someone's favorite book you touch his essence, reach that hidden place where even lovers are seldom allowed.

It is a weighty responsibility, then, to be on the receiving end of such a gesture.  Rejection, dislike, even a lukewarm response can alienate friends quicker than any pedestrian disagreement. The relationship one has with a favorite book is so intense, that it can feel like a personal renunciation.

Yet, the risk becomes worthwhile when you give someone a book and find out that it speaks to her, too. Suddenly there is a spiritual connection, a shaft of brilliant light that encompasses you both. Both intellectual fulfillment and emotional surrender, it pulsates more intensely than a quasar, providing a potent insight into the heart. The word "soulmate" was created to express just such a relationship, reflecting a union that can be as binding as love.

It may only be a fleeting link between acquaintances, or a sign of a deep, enduring devotion between partners; whichever it is, the feeling that can come from sharing a special book is testament to the power of the written word, and validation of the efforts of everyone who has ever pursued the craft of writing.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Serious Facts about Water for Blog Action Day

  • A Human Right: In July, to address the water crisis, the United Nations declared access to clean water and sanitation a human right over. But we are far from implementing solutions to secure basic access to safe drinking water. More Info »
  • 40 Billion Hours: African women walk over 40 billion hours each year carrying cisterns weighing up to 18 kilograms to gather water, which is usually still not safe to drink. More Info »
  • 38,000 Children a Week: Every week, nearly 38,000 children under the age of 5 die from unsafe drinking water and unhygienic living conditions. More Info »
  • Wars Over Water: Many scholars attribute the conflict in Darfur at least in part to lack of access to water. A report commissioned by the UN found that in the 21st century, water scarcity will become one of the leading causes of conflict in Africa. More Info »
  • Cell Phones vs. Toilets: Today, 2.5 billion people lack access to toilets, but many more have access to a cell phone. More Info »
  • Food Footprint: It takes 24 liters of water to produce one hamburger. That means it would take over 19.9 billion liters of water to make just one hamburger for every person in Europe. More Info »
  • Technology Footprint: The shiny new iPhone in your pocket requires half a liter of water to charge. That may not seem like much, but with over 80 million active iPhones in the world, that’s 40 million liters to charge those alone. More Info »
  • Fashion Footprint: That cotton t-shirt you’re wearing right now took 1,514 liters of water to produce, and your jeans required an extra 6,813 liters. More Info »
  • Bottled Water Footprint: The US, Mexico and China lead the world in bottled water consumption, with people in the US drinking an average of 200 bottles of water per person each year. Over 17 million barrels of oil are needed to manufacture those water bottles, 86 percent of which will never be recycled. More Info »
  • Waste Overflow: Every day, 2 million tons of human waste are disposed of in water sources. This not only negatively impacts the environment but also harms the health of surrounding communities. More Info »
  • Polluted Oceans: Death and disease caused by polluted coastal waters costs the global economy $12.8 billion a year. More Info »
  • Uninhabitable Rivers: Today, 40% of America’s rivers and 46% of America’s lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life. More Info »
  • Building Wells: Organizations like Water.org and charity: water are leading the charge in bringing fresh water to communities in the developing world. More Info »
  • Technology for Good: Do you want to measure how much water it took to make your favorite foods? There’s an app for that. More Info »
  • Conservation Starts at Home: The average person uses 465 liters of water per day. Find out how much you use and challenge your readers to do that same. More Info »
  • Keeping Rivers Clean: We can all take small steps to help keep pollution out of our rivers and streams, like correctly disposing of household wastes. More Info »
  • Drop the Bottle: Communities around the world are taking steps to reduce water bottle waste by eliminating bottled water. More Info »
  • Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools: Students in developing countries lose 443 million school days each year due to diseases associated with the lack of water, sanitation and hygiene. Repeated episodes of diarrhea and worm infestations diminish a child’s ability to learn and impair cognitive development. More Info »
And as a reward for reading through these important messages about water, here is a link to my own humorous troubles with water through the years:  Treading Water

Friday, September 24, 2010

Fall is here, although the hot weather today belies that. Still, my yard is filling with dry, brown leaves that remind me; time for creative writing!

Friday, July 30, 2010

Testing my ability to blog from my cell phone. If you are reading this, it worked.

Monday, July 26, 2010

New, Doggy Play Date Site for Dog Owners

For all you dog lovers looking to connect to other dog lovers and maybe finding a playmate for your pooch, a friend of mine has just created the DoggyPlayDate Site. find out more at this link: Join

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

$5 off any poster

Society6 is running a special for a limited time. Enter the site through the following link and get $5 off a poster in your shopping cart. Search "Noreen Braman" to find mine!

Society6 Special Discount

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Please help me to get out of clutter hell! Vote for my California Closets contest story here:

Vote for Me! 

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Ok, You Hacked Me, Are You Happy?

Right now my web host is hard at work, bringing my website back to life. Well, actually, bringing  it back to MY life. Apparently, some low lifes with nothing better to do but exploit webpage software weaknesses chose my page to make the world aware of their existence. And here is the most arrogant part, they have the nerve to put a copyright notice on the page! It makes me want to take their graffiti-style artwork, morph it into something disgusting and embarrassing and pass it all around the internet. It also makes we want to send them an “Independence Day”-inspired computer program that will blow them up. Figuratively, not literally. ... I think.

Monday, May 03, 2010

NAPOWRIMO April 30- En Route

 En Route

The incessant waves are never satisfied
with the appearance of the shoreline
constantly retouching their work
with gentle nudges and fierce upheaval
churning the shells and the sand and the seaweed
in an unending dance of transference.

©2010 Noreen Braman

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Ever Since Eve

For every generation born since the gods became male,
some suddenly enlightened cleric
declares discovering the source of the world's hardships
and lays blame at the feet of women.
Cover her, silence her, hobble her
the mere fact of her sex creates danger,
her temptation too great to resist.
Yet by virtue of bearing all she has endured,
all sordid attempts to conquer and control,
for every generation born since the goddesses reigned,
women still stand in the light, sacrosanct.

(c)2010 Noreen Braman

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

NaPoWriMo - April 28 - Ruins

Ruins

A year’s orbit has ended,
a full range of seasons completed,
the time spent in the quiet dark has ended
and the debris field comes in view.
No longer in flames but more horrible to see
are the charred remains once fled in despair,
revisited now with still mourning eyes
and a barely beating heart.

(c)2010 Noreen Braman

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

NAPOWRIMO April 27- Deer Crossing

Deer Crossing

at the bottom of the hill, remnants of mist and shadows
give false security for their crossing
as the morning cars have no reluctance
to travel this back road at high speed.
tawny shadows, single file
stepping gingerly on the pavement,
heads turning in tandem at the approaching sound.
then, leaping triumphantly into the brush
at the far side, a safe haven
where they fade into themselves
like smoke.

(c)2010 Noreen Braman

Monday, April 26, 2010

Day 5 - and the NAPOWRIMO Site is still down

I don't know what happened, all I know is, since April 20th I have been unable to access the discussion forums at www.poets.org in order to post to the NAPOWRIMO thread. I've emailed twice, but not gotten any response either, so don't know if it is being worked on or not. 

So, I will try to soldier on, make up for the lost days, and post the rest of my poetry here on the blog through May 7. 

And remember, April 29 is Poem in Your Pocket Day, so start thinking about what poem you'd like to carry around with you and share on that day.

At this time of year, I am always drawn to "Casey at the Bat," but I'm still mulling it over. :)

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

National Poetry Month - 2010 NAPOWRIMO - April 21 Poetry Podcast

Poetry Podcast

What is
this odd
rhythm
they use
to read
their poems
aloud?

(breathe)

I can't
enjoy
the work
at all,
each line
ends like
a question?

(scream)

(c)2010 Noreen Braman

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

NAPOWRIMO April 20- The Conversation

The Conversation

“All I know of love,” she said,
“is lust and learned behavior.”
He gazed into her acquiescing eyes.
“Then let us just be students.”


©2010 Noreen Braman

Monday, April 19, 2010

National Poetry Month - 2010 NAPOWRIMO - April 19 Tea Time

Tea Time
I’m having tea with Flaming June and Shakespeare,
he is blathering on about Hamlet, as usual
and God forbid she should try to stay awake for once.
Can it be she is dreaming of sleeping
in a field strewn with roses and cherubs?
For if he says another word about
not knowing what we may be,
I’ll be plugging my ears with the tea leaves
And joining her in artistic repose.

(c)2010 Noreen Braman

Sunday, April 18, 2010

National Poetry Month - 2010 NAPOWRIMO - April 18 Adorateur

Adorateur

Delicate strokes from her finest fountain pen
spun out the letters in blood red ink
each ornate extender flowing into curlicues and flourishes
reticulated arms thrown wide to the heavens
resting on bowls overflowing with droplets and tears
enclosed with windswept waves of lines
fading off to either side.
She took the mark upon her willingly,
drawing the scarlet of her own blood
in sacrifice, in homage, in the holy pain of worship,
she embraced the fire of his adornment
her secret surrender complete. 

(c)2010 Noreen Braman

National Poetry Month - 2010 NAPOWRIMO - April 17 Word Shares


Word Shares

By putting these words away for safekeeping,
have I guaranteed a future return
with a constant reinvestment to create growth poetry,
gathering power with time,
or should I spend my words on income poetry,
paying small but steady dividends?
I haven’t the heart to short my own words,
to buy into their failure even just as a hedge,
my emotional attachment increases my risk,
after all words are a commodity not only
enslaved to the changing tide of supply and demand
but battered by a fickle marketplace
whose prices cannot be charted
with any semblance of certainty.

(c)2010 Noreen Braman

Friday, April 16, 2010

Echoes


Those once belonged to me,
as much as anyone can really possess words,
their echo still hangs, like breath on a cold morning,
whispering undercurrents flowing through the day
going downstream and out to sea.
I cannot swim without your arms
To hold me up.

(c)2010 Noreen Braman

Thursday, April 15, 2010

NaPoWriMoApril 16

They Still Call it the Suburbs




This is how the days end in April


Sitting outside with birds flying like bullets


Children screaming like banshees


A phone rings and rings and isn’t picked up


And from inside the house the sound of a dryer


Turning over and over with something stuck inside


That rattles and rolls and tears at the evening


This is how the days end in April.





This is how the nights start in April


Heat retreating as fast as the light


Cats slithering along the fence line


Eyes fixed on distant prey


Dishes clink from inside kitchens


At least in some of the houses.


And later the shades fall against the night


To hide them that crave the dark pleasures


The kind that come with needles or bottles


As children put themselves to bed.
 
(c)2010 Noreen Braman

National Poetry Month - 2010 NAPOWRIMO - April 14

April Eyes

Each morning tears - of sadness?
of joy? of spring fever?
Blurred vision begins the day.

(c)2010 Noreen Braman

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

National Poetry Month - 2010 NAPOWRIMO - April 13

I Can’t Tell You the Name of this Poem

Before I even started I was already half-defeated knowing it wouldn't be too
Long before the words collapsed into a hopeless tangle that
Obviously would take me all night to unravel, that is, if I didn’t go
Crazy trying to get them skyward, up into the wind like a dragon-shaped
Kite that dips and swoops and thrills the beached onlookers who don’t need a poem
Everyday because they are way to busy to read, never mind write, besides who can
Decide what a poem is really, so why even start.

©2010 Noreen Braman

NAPOWRIMO April 12 - Mockingbird

Mockingbird

How different the songs are at night
a solo performance of each bird of the day
who so often are only background noise
competing with mowers and engines and children.
The mockingbird has no such competition
Warbling and chirping and calling in the dark,
master of mimicry, performer extraordinaire
but talent tinged with sadness,
for in this perfect performance of reflected melody
Is no note of the mockingbird’s own.

©2010 Noreen Braman

Monday, April 12, 2010

NAPOWRIMO April 10 and 11- The Lost (Poetry) Weekend

The Lost (Poetry) Weekend

Do my two days of silence even leave a space
in the worldwide tsunami of creative words?
the unspoken verse a tree fallen silently in the woods,
a silent scream frozen in oil paint.
Mute witness to the storytelling fossil
thrown to the surface by the explosions of mining,
did the space I left allow bodies of heroes to fall from the sky,
adding their blood to an unholy place,
my unused words used to form a vile prayer
in the mouths of the learned?

©Noreen Braman

Friday, April 09, 2010

NAPOWRIMO April 9 - Spring Song part IV

IV

Finally, a gentle rain falls in the night
caressing the bent and battered yew
whose only sin was standing up
to the icy blast of wind and snow.
She fared better than her sisters
now reduced to sticks and debris.

Thursday, April 08, 2010

NAPOWRIMO April 8 - Barefoot in the Bookstore

Barefoot in the Bookstore

At the bookstore my foot itches uncontrollably
I can hardly believe a mosquito got me already
its so early for biting and stinging and scratching
please give me at least a couple of weeks in the yard.
The crows are taking over the mockingbird’s tree
between them and the squirrels the racket makes the dog insane
and I can’t even finish a line without leaning down
and unbuckling my shoe and exposing to air
the flaming insult already scratched raw,
I am tempted to pour hot coffee on it
scalding is better than this ungodly skin crawl.

Someone across the bookstore is staring as if
a bare foot was somehow obscene
and I wonder if he has a yard full
of dappled sun and gentle breezes
that turns into The Planet of Bugs.
Even the bats wheeling overhead at dusk
grow fat but barely make a dent
in the population,
and now their numbers further reduced
by the white nose disease and broken hibernation.

I know the hostas need thinning
and they would fill in that bare spot under the tree
but there are slinky, slimy things in the earth,
I am sure my yard holds so many more
than anyone else’s.
After all, when we moved in, we had to spend weeks
battling legions of spiders whose webs
enclosed every doorway and window each morning
no one wanted to be first starting the day
and the dog stood whining by the back door
Knowing the squirrels were getting away.

Not much to be done on street in a neighborhood
where a junk car in the backyard is required
and feral cats without tails, and missing legs and eyes
brazenly yowl under the windows and sleep on the patio,
their scent drives the dog crazy and she can smell them
through the walls, following them with her nose
from driveway to yard - we put up barricades
to keep her from jumping through the windows.

And finally, this litany of wild kingdom complaints
has tamed the sensation in my foot just enough
so I can drink my coffee and read my magazine
still feeling a little cheated because
it is too early for mosquitoes
and I know, back at home the dog is barking
incessantly from deep in the house, at the crows.

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

National Poetry Month - 2010 NAPOWRIMO - Birthday Calculus

Birthday Calculus

Some coincidental
mathematical interplay today,
April’s Rule of 5s.

Is it enough to number the years
or must they also be counted?
Because the sum of life is an irrational number
Still bound by the laws of physics.

The higher the total
The faster time goes.

©2010 Noreen Braman

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

NaPoWriMo April 6 - part 3 Song of Spring

III

Sudden warmth so early for April

bursts the trees into bloom so quickly

careful listeners might hear the pop

of buds along the branches,

squirrels darting in and out of pastel popcorn balls

festooning the awakening trees.

Monday, April 05, 2010

NAPOWRIMO April 5 - Sensible is as Sensible Does

Sensible Is as Sensible Does

In a sensible suit wearing sensible heels
she drives to the office in her sensible wheels
has lunch at her desk eating sensible meals
no one guessing how horrid being sensible feels.
But she keeps her own counsel and never reveals
That this sensible woman making sensible deals
Has under her clothing, a zebra brassiere.

© 2010 Noreen Braman

Sunday, April 04, 2010

NaPoWriMo April 4 - part 2 Song of Spring

II.
Overnight, once barely visible hostas

push their purple shoots upward

suddenly tall enough to cast shadows

On warming soil that not long ago

still slumbered, enshrouded in snow.

©2010 Noreen Braman

Saturday, April 03, 2010

NaPoWriMo April 3 - part 1 Song of Spring


I.

Another spring lays its gifts at my doorway

the budding blooms of leaf and flower

slowly filling in the faded landscape

with color upon color upon color

a promise made and a promise kept.



©2010 Noreen Braman

Friday, April 02, 2010

National Poetry Month - 2010 NAPOWRIMO - Trouble With Tennis Terms

Trouble With Tennis Terms

I still can’t understand
how love meaning nothing
and mastering a backhand
are considered good things,
since I have been backhanded
by a love that meant nothing
And I didn’t win the set.

©2010 Noreen Braman

Thursday, April 01, 2010

National Poetry Month - 2010 NAPOWRIMO - Here we go!

April Moon


Who will chase the moon with me
on a clear April night where
the barest hint of springtime grass
Glistens damply, still sodden
from days and days of rain.

but who will chase the moon with me
April’s night stretches long and empty
her springtime silence masking
the life within her stirring.

And who will chase the moon with me
and share the starlit sky with me
before the night is over run
with the fair weather friends of summer.

©2010 Noreen Braman

Sunday, March 21, 2010

On the First Day of Spring



The Hyacinths

The hyacinths have raised their heads
above my muddy flower beds
their optimistic growth will bring
my garden to the brink of Spring.



(c)2010 Noreen Braman

Sunday, March 14, 2010

National Poetry Month - 2010


April is fast approaching, the month that T.S. Eliot called "the cruelest month" and the source of the title of the collection of poems I wrote last year during April - which is national poetry month. I'm looking forward to challenging myself to do it again this year, and I am inviting everyone to come on and give it a try with me. Or, sign up for my blog's RSS feed, because I will be posting them here also.

To get involved, go to http://poets.org/forum/index.php and follow the directions for setting up your posting area. It is a great place to share and get feedback from other writers. My experience last year was just delightful - even if it was during the cruelest month.

To get us into a poetry reading and writing mood, as well as to encourage the spring weather, here is a poem of mine from a few years ago. Enjoy!


Spring Enters the City

High over the Hudson spired aeries
gleam in the sunset, casting long shadows
below in the streets
where scurrying commuters
follow prescribed paths.
At a sidewalk table rich coffee steams
delightful for so late in the day
and a woman with red shoes pauses to savor
the gift of spring in the city
hands wrapped around her cup.
Daylight lingers at the corners
shining through the scaffolding and posters
that hide the skeleton of the Russian Tea Room,
just two doors from Carnegie Hall
where families laden with flowers
await their children's debut performance
on the hallowed ground.
Later, they pour from the edifice into a night
bursting with light and sound
from city doors flung open to the warmth.
Travelers taxi to the river, ferry-bound
and turn their faces to the skyline
now enrobed in strands of light
a great lady of night, bejeweled, becalmed,
as spring enters the city.

© 1999 Noreen Braman


Monday, March 08, 2010

Here's to Your Health (Insurance) - 2010

As the healthcare debate rages, and reforms are STILL not forthcoming, I reprint here, for you reading pleasure, an updated essay from several years ago. I am sorry to report that not much has changed since I wrote it.

Here's to Your Health (Insurance)!

Recent debates over health care remind of how little things have changed in the past few years. It makes me think back to a time when doctors in my home state of New Jersey and other states conducted work stoppages because they wished to protest their ever-increasing malpractice insurance premiums. Many claimed that these high fees were jeopardizing their ability to practice medicine. Personally, my gut reaction was to say I think it really interferes with their ability to play golf, but that would certainly be unfair. Lots of doctors play tennis.

Oh I sympathize with the beleaguered medical profession. No one can continue to pay ever-increasing fees, especially in today’s economic climate. What bothered me, then, and still bothers me, was that patients were expected to support the doctors in their actions, under the threat of thousands of doctors fleeing the state or abandoning the practice of medicine altogether. Somehow, the patients were dragged into the fight and placed squarely in the middle between the doctor and an insurance company. This is a bad habit that the whole medical insurance system has gotten into, and it still goes on today. 

It all started with HMOs, those “health maintenance organizations” who sold us a bill of good disguised as affordable health care. What we really got was a draconian system of delay and defer tactics, reams of paperwork, and a bill from the doctor stating that he can’t wait any longer for your insurance payment and besides, you signed a form stating that you would pay any balance due. Of course, the HMO, who has lost the original paperwork, then denies payment based on the 30-day rule — if they can lose your paperwork for 30 days, they don’t have to pay the bill.

So you call the doctor about the missing paperwork, and suggest that someone from the doctor’s office call the insurance carrier and discuss it. The office staff refuses, claiming that only patients can call the insurance company, they are much too busy sending out bills and they remind you that YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE if the insurance company doesn’t pay. So you call the insurance company who reiterates, WE DO NOT HAVE THE PAPERWORK. Meanwhile, a lovely collection of weekly billing notices begin to pile up in your house, each one in a more vibrant color than the previous one, each one demanding payment, from YOU – THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY. Eventually, a letter comes from the insurance company. They have gotten the bill! Unfortunately, the doctor’s bill and mysterious diagnosis code is insufficient, could I please send a written explanation of why I (or my child) required this doctor’s services? This, of course is followed by the requisite losing of the letter and remailing of the letter procedure, followed by a repeat of the THIRTY DAYS HAS GONE BY letter — the end result being, the bill is unpaid, and the doctor has now turned it over to his lawyer. No one stages a protest, has a work stoppage or even writes a terse letter over YOUR insurance troubles. You are left one your own, smack dab in the middle between the medical profession and the insurance company. 

Not long ago, I had a bill for services that has been ping-ponging between me, the medical provider, the insurance company and several layers of lawyers and collection agencies for FIVE YEARS. I was no longer employed at the company that provided the medical insurance, and that company no longer used that insurance company. Surprisingly, there were many complaints about unpaid medical bills. Another time, a bill for my daughter was paid on a timely basis; however, the check was sent to a hospital instead of the doctor. The hospital, not wishing to interfere, promptly cashed the check, and set up an account with a credit balance under my daughter’s name. The fact that my daughter had never been a patient at that hospital was apparently unimportant. When I finally tracked the payment down and called the hospital, they refused to refund the money. After all, the insurance company had sent it to them. Only a certified letter from the insurance carrier demanding the money back would result in the hospital issuing a refund. Do you think either the insurance company or the hospital would call each other to correct the error? HA! As the patient (or parent of the patient as the case was) I had to call each entity and transfer messages back and forth to them. I felt like the child in a dysfunctional divorce, carrying messages between parents who refuse to speak to each other. 

And of course, you know what else was happening during this time. The doctor was sending me bills for payment reminding me that I WAS THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY and that my failure to meet my obligation was going to result in the matter being referred to a collection agency.

All I can say is, get in line, there are ten doctors ahead of you.

Monday, March 01, 2010

Freaky Olympics Closing Photo

Kudos to the photographer who caught this image for Sports Illustrated at the closing ceremonies at the Olympics - on the other hand, it is just a little freaky. Here is the story it reminds me of - The Steadfast Tin Soldier

Friday, February 26, 2010

SnowDog Zelda and the Snowicane of 2010

7 AM – Snowdog Zelda wakes up from a dream about finally catching a squirrel. Her snowdoggy senses are tingling. She cocks an ear and lifts her nose. Yes, she is almost sure of it. She steps on her sleeping mistress’s chest in an attempt to rouse her.

9:30 AM Snowdog Zelda has been assessing the situation. Through the closed back door she can feel it. Not to mention what she feels in her bladder. She begins sighing and groaning in her mistress’s face. Finally she stirs! Snowdog Zelda jumps back on the bed, pawing at her mistress with joy.

9:45 AM – Snowdog Zelda bursts through the door, straining at her collar. When she hears the click of her chain and her mistress steps back, she bounds into the snow drifts, leaping them like a kid jumping waves at the beach. She races to the tree and looks up – could there be a squirrel there? Hard to tell with the snowdoggy senses on full alert. She hops across the yard to check under the shed – any cats hanging around? But she is distracted by the snowflakes that are falling on her and she chases them to the ground.

9:55 AM – Snowdog Zelda is in stealth mode, sitting very close to the deck, watching the yard. Suddenly, a bird flies across the yard and she is off like a bullet, barking and leaping into the air. At the end of her chain, her paws churn in the snow and she forgets about the bird and chases the snowballs she has kicked up.

10 AM – The mistress has had enough of the sound of barking. Zelda feels a tug on her chain and immediately runs full speed through the deepest snow drift, covering herself with snow. Finally, she heads for the door. Inside she stands impatiently while huge globs of snow are removed from her specially engineered snowdog feet. Then, she gallops off to the living room and settles into her bed, breathing in the lovely aroma of wet dog.

10:05 AM – Snowdog Zelda’s snowdoggy senses are again tingling. Could it be there is still snow outside? Or is she sensing something else? Something very basic, but very urgent? Snowdog Zelda realizes her bladder is still full. She finds her mistress in the kitchen still mopping up and starts the “take me out” dance all over again. The mistress rolls her eyes. But Snowdog Zelda’s powers are strong. Once more she bounds out the door into the snowdrifts. She remembers there was something important she was supposed to do, but, look at this, squirrel tracks in the snow! Snowdog Zelda launches into full snowdog tracking mode, burying her face in the snow and then emerges, barking furiously.

Her mistress sighs. It’s going to be a long, snowy day.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Transition Time

As I get ready to hit the double nickel, I realize that it represents, at least in an artificial way, a transitional time of life. It is the now or never moment, time to make that one great surge toward the finish line.

As I contemplate this, I do what I usually do in times of deep thought — I rearrange things, redecorate, clear away the cobwebs and dance as fast as I can.

Which reminds me, it IS 2010 (which I prefer to call Two Thousand Ten, thank you very much) and I need to head to the gym for continuation of that old "get more exercise" New Year's resolution.