Looking at past posts

This was posted close to when I began this blog in 2005. Hard to believe it's gone on this long. True to the header, it's been a little bit of everything. Turn up your sound for this one.

Blog post from February 2005

The new Moonset Journal is out!

Click to enlarge.

Photo haiga is expanding in Moonset and I'm grateful to have mine selected for three issues in a row now. Since it's a black and white print journal I can't share a link, but if you're into haiku, haibun, tanka, rengas, haiga, sum-e...more...from some of the finest international poets/haijin, go to their website (google Moonset) and subscribe. It's a fantastic journal.

John Sweet does it again!

Go to the Whistling Fire to read a short short story that'll knock you off your feet. It did that to me. I've read and admired John Sweet's poetry for years now, but not his short fiction so it was a special treat to see that he write it, too, both elegantly and powerfully. He writes it like...well, John Sweet.

Take the time. You won't regret it.

Pris

moonchild haiga

Click to see fullsize.

This image, with a different haiku is in the current Sketchbook Journal, May 2009.

Delayed grief reactions

When I was in my thirties, I did what Diane Keaton tells Woody Allen about a couple of years later in Annie Hall. I would imagine the death of my parents, cry, and think it would somehow prepare me for when it really happened. As any of you who have lost parents you loved already know, it doesn't work. I found that out when mine finally did die. My next really dumb thought was that once the worst had happened...I'd lost parents, all aunts and uncles, my older cousins...I could handle whatever life had to throw at me. As those of you who follow my blog know, I lost my cousin a few weeks ago. I cried at the time. I thought I'd gotten it all out, but it's been rebound time. My grief for her is suddenly immeasurable. I've started having the old grief dreams I had about my mother. Yes,it's still mother in them, again needing me to 'save' her from what is inevitable for us all. Dee has triggered them, though. So...I struggle along, try to get through this, knowing that stuffing grief doesn't work. I know that keeping busy does help, too. I'm doing that, as much as I can with an illness that limits 'busy'.

I don't need advice. I just needed to say this. So thanks.

a new blossom
opens in my garden
buzzing bee

More from the now infamous Susan Boyle

Link to Susan Boyle singing Cry Me A River on youtube. (I removed the embedded youtube since it was wider than my posting column.


This is a recording that was made by her in 1999~~ Isn't she fantastic??

Pris

The Glory of Love Lou Reed

I've really been getting into his music lately. Here's a nice one. Opinions? Anybody out there a Lou Reed fan? What's your favorite?



Lyrics:
You know, man, when I was a young man in high school
You believe in or not I wanted to play football for the coach
And all those older guys
They said he was mean and cruel, but you know
Wanted to play football for the coach
They said I was to little too light weight to play line-backer
So I say I'm playing right-end
Wanted to play football for the coach
cause, you know some day, man
You gotta stand up straight unless youre gonna fall
Then you're gone to die
And the straightest dude
I ever knew was standing right for me all the time
So I had to play football for the coach
And I wanted to play football for the coach

When youre all alone and lonely
In your midnight hour
And you find that your soul
Its been up for sale

And you begin to think bout
All the things
that you've done
And you begin to hate
Just bout everything

But remember the princess who lived on the hill
Who loved you even though she knew you was wrong
And right now she just might come shining through
And the -

- glory of love, glory of love
Glory of love, just might come through

And all your two-bit friends
Have gone and ripped you off
They're talking behind your back saying, man
You're never going to be no human being
And you start thinking again
bout all those things that you've done
And who it was and what it was
And all the different things you made every different scene

Ahhh, but remember that the city is a funny place
Something like a circus
or a sewer
And just remember different people have peculiar tastes
And the -

- glory of love, the glory of love
The glory of love, might see you through
Yeah, but now, now
Glory of love, the glory of love
The glory of love, might see you through
Glory of love, ah, huh, huh, the glory of love
Glory of love, glory of love
Glory of love, now, glory of love, now
Glory of love, now, now, now, glory of love
Glory of love, give it to me now, glory of love see you through
Oh, my coney island baby, now
(Im a coney island baby, now)
I'd like to send this one out for lou and rachel
And all the kids and p.s. 192
Coney island baby
Man, I'd swear, I'd give the whole thing up for you

Visit with an old friend

For my third 'away' in these 19 years of CFIDS, I had the pleasure of spending a long weekend with a friend of 30 years who lives north of me in Mt. Dora, FL. My husband dropped me off on his way to a Savannah wedding. We rested, talked and had a small outing each day. The first day we went to this beautiful restaurant for lunch. Mt Dora is filled with charming little places like this. The food was delicious!



Across the street was this neat old book shoppe!



The next day, we sat by the lake at a park for a while, not far from my friend's house. Two lakes are in the Mt. Dora area. The crowded part was on the other side. We had this side practically to ourselves. As an added delight, we stopped at a fresh market stand on the way and picked up fresh vegetables for our meal, plus a watermelon and bag of Georgia pecans, IN THE SHELL, for me to bring home. I grew up with pecan trees and my home town was 'the watermelon capitol of the world' (don't tell other towns who make that same claim). That made the outing extra special. Photos from the park are below.

A Passing

We left our answering machine turned off at home while I'm here in Mt Dora at my friend's and my husband is in Savannah. My cousin's daughter in law tracked me down with a message on Facebook late yesterday. Since she had no other way to find me, I'm glad I decided to check my friend's machine. My cousin, my dear like-a-sister first cousin, died in her sleep night before last. She had emphazema and was on home oxygen, but I never expected her to go so suddenly and without warning. Apparently, it was a heart attack. I was grateful that I was with a good friend when I got that message. I suppose I also have to be grateful that she didn't go through that terrible end stage of this illness of being unable to breathe. I'm trying to be grateful, but my heart is sad. Her space is empty now and I'll miss her.

This note is for you, Dee. Since I don't have access to my photos here, the bottom link leads to a private photo blog I kept up for a while. My fifth birthday party with Dee to my left. We were in 'mama Jackson's' back yard, our neighbor. My house was in out background.

Photo of Dee and me

away

I won't be on the computer again until next Tuesday. Full report then:-) In the meantime, a great shot of Paul Newman and JoAnne Woodward when she won the academy award for Three Faces of Eve. I love this shot of them.

long title for short poems

I
i wanted to write you
a love poem for poetry month.
the page is still blank.

II
my heart has shrunk.
it is a betel nut

More on the Cowboy Junkies...Sweet Jane

Watch this full screen if possible. The visuals are just too good to miss. Hit the icon on the right bottom of the video screen. The exit key will get you back to normal view mode.

Lyrics for Sweet Jane

Standing on the corner,
Suitcase in my hand
Jack is in his corset, and jane is her vest,
And me I'm in a rocknroll band hah!
Ridin in a stutz bear cat, jim
You know, those were different times!
Oh, all the poets they studied rules of verse
And those ladies, they rolled their eyes

Sweet jane! whoa! sweet jane, oh-oh-a! sweet jane!

Ill tell you something
Jack, he is a banker
And jane, she is a clerk
Both of them save their monies, ha
And when, when they come home from work
Oh, sittin down by the fire, oh!
The radio does play
The classical music there, jim
The march of the wooden soldiers
All you protest kids
You can hear jack say, get ready, ah

Sweet jane! come on baby! sweet jane! oh-oh-a! sweet jane!

Some people, they like to go out dancing
And other peoples, they have to work, just watch me now!
And theres even some evil mothers
Well theyre gonna tell you that everything is just dirt
Yknow that, women, never really faint
And that villains always blink their eyes, woo!
And that, yknow, children are the only ones who blush!
And that, life is just to die!
And, everyone who ever had a heart
They wouldnt turn around and break it
And anyone who ever played a part
Oh wouldnt turn around and hate it!

Sweet jane! whoa-oh-oh! sweet jane! sweet jane!

Heavenly wine and roses
Seems to whisper to her when he smiles
Heavenly wine and roses
Seems to whisper to her when she smiles
La lala lala la, la lala lala la
Sweet jane
Sweet jane
Sweet jane



The PopReckoning site writes about the early Lou Reed version and the Junkies' version. Two quotes from the article follow:

“Sweet Jane” is memorable to many people for myriad reasons. Maybe it’s the washes of guitar sounds in the intro? Maybe it’s Lou Reed’s cool delivery? Or maybe it’s the emotional intensity during the song’s lyrical breakdown that is too powerful to be forgotten (Anyone who ever had a heart / They wouldn’t turn around and break it! / And anyone who ever played a part / They wouldn’t turn around and hate it!). And then there’s the great mystery about what the heck this song means. Who is Jane? Does she exist? Is this a love song about a girl? Is it a rock n’ roll song about anti-commercialism? Are the rumors true that “Jane” is code for heroin and this song is about Lou Reed’s addiction to drugs? Did he just want the opportunity to write a song so he could brag that he was in a band? Who knows and who cares. It’s just a sweet song that never gets old.

second quote:

High on my list of best cover songs ever created, Cowboy Junkies could teach a seminar about harnessing the magic of a classic song, allowing it to marinate with one’s own creative energy, and then standing back to let the sublimation put out something fierce (and arguably better). They reorganized the lyrics, laced in some seriously gorgeous guitar riffs, and produced some very sexy results. Inspired by Lou Reed’s slower live version, Cowboy Junkies mimicked his altered tempo and created almost a brand new song that Reed himself has described as “the best and most authentic version I have ever heard.” Wow! In such a bare-boned interpretation, I love how the original lyrics that are washed out by Velvet’s heavier guitars are actually able to shine beautifully in the Junkies version. Particularly, when Timmons sings “Heavenly wine and roses seem to whisper to me when you smile,” I fall in love each time I hear that. And each time I hear this song.

Misguided Angel..Video of the Week

Watch this in full screen for the full experience. I love this song. The video does it justice.




I said mama, he's crazy and he scares me
But I want him by my side
Though he's wild and he's bad
And sometimes just plain mad
I need him to keep me satisfied

I said papa, dont cry cause it's alright
And I see you in some of his ways
Though he might not give me the life that you wanted
I'll love him the rest of my days

Misguided angel hangin' over me
Heart like a gabriel, pure and white as ivory
Soul like a lucifer, black and cold like a piece of lead
Misguided angel, love you til 'm dead

I said brother, you speak to me of passion
You said never to settle for nothing less
Well, it's in the way he walks,
Its in the way he talks
His smile, his anger and his kisses

I said sister, don't you understand?
He's all I ever wanted in a man
I'm tired of sittin' around the t.v. every night
Hoping I'm finding a mr. right

Misguided angel hangin' over me
Heart like a gabriel, pure and white as ivory
Soul like a lucifer
Black and cold like a piece of lead
Misguided angel, love you til I'm dead

He says baby, don't listen to what they say
There comes a time when you have to break away
He says baby there are things we all cling to all our life
It's time to let them go and become my wife

Misguided angel hangin' over me
Heart like a gabriel, pure and white as ivory
Soul like a lucifer
Black and cold like a piece of lead
Misguided angel, love you til I'm dead

Rumors of my abduction...

...have been greatly exaggerated. The big computer install began Saturday with my angel-in-disguise tech friend spending the day here getting my new Dell put together, attached to every gadget I had in the room and installing several of the major programs I use.

Norton Antivirus
Front Page 2000 (ancient, but it works and I like the version)
Office 97 (yes, it works with Vista)
Paint Shop Pro X2
Itunes (for my Ipod, but it's not great in Vista, so took it back off. The music on my ipod already will do just fine for now)

The week before I'd backed up obsessively to my second drive (which was to become an extra external hard drive) and my existing hard drive, but , so far, seem to have lost one of my favorite plug ins for Paint Shop and can't remember its name!

Since Saturday, I've added more programs. One small one crashed the machine. Forget that one. Another tiny utility CCleaner, which I use to free up my computer, froze on install even though the latest version is supposed to work on Vista. I'll try it again later.

The rest of the time has been spent in learning the new mail system, deleting triplicate copies of addresses imported to it, and adding some in that didn't get imported. Next came finding where things were in the control panel. Yes, I go in there a lot to fix things or find programs and why Vista changed the name of add/remove programs is beyond me. A challenge to the brain cells?? Google became my new best friend in locating things in the system.

Today was crash day. The few remaining programs and utilities can wait. I have a functioning computer now. Time to relax and enjoy it. Thank goodness for external drives. I had all of my files onto the computer in less than half an hour. (My MP3s took over 15 minutes of that...yes, lots of music!)

A bit more r & r and I'll actually start visiting blogs again.

Pris

an old adobe six