Thursday, January 31, 2013

Theme Thursday--The State of the Blog

Theme Thursday this week is about blogging, and since I have been at this about 7 months now, I thought the prompt was a good reason to take a bit of a look back at my blogging experience thus far.

Most of my life I have done some kind of writing. As a teenager I wrote lots of poetry, frequently on topics I knew nothing about. As I got into high school and college, I frequently wrote essays and speeches, some of which had promise according to my teachers. In college I majored in theatre, so of course I wrote plays. Four of them were performed during my student years. I married a musician, so I wrote lyrics for him. During the years he worked as a choir director, I often adapted Bible texts for him so he could set them for the choir. Meanwhile I was always jotting things down in notebooks, making starts on books, coming up with couplets, most going nowhere but into a pile of notebooks. I also was carrying on lengthy and literate correspondences with several friends Here is what I learned from all this: most of us can't be Emily Dickinson, throwing masterpieces into a shoebox writing for herself alone. We need an audience to write for. The audience we are writing for then shapes what we write. When I was in college and had access to a theatre and actors, I thought in lines of dialogue. When my husband needed something, I wrote in poems. I was creativity in search of a medium.

Then my dear friend Mod Mom started her awesome blog, and suggested I would enjoy blogging as well. I watched what she was doing, read what a lot of other bloggers were posting, and realized that a blog would be a good solution to my problem, since it would give me a reason and an audience to write for. So with a lot of help for Mod Mom walking me through the process, I launched my blog. I had a couple disadvantages, the first being that  I didn't have a computer at home to write on,at least not one that worked and accessed the Internet properly. I decided that if I waited for the working computer to happen I would never get started  and so  relied on the kindness of friends and trips to the library to begin with. Now I have a pad that I do most of my writing on. (This is the place perhaps to apologize for the occasional typos that I don't always catch. Blogging on a pad is a little like writing a really long text on an over sized cell phone. Someday soon the tech issues will be resolved I hope.) My other disadvantage is that I do not write a humor blog. I wish I could. I am told that I have a great sense of humor, but it somehow just does not  translate well in written form. for  I know a lot of folks are looking mainly  for laughs, and who can blame them?  But there is an audience for the thoughtful tearjerker as well.

 For a long time I had 4 followers, bless their hearts. A lot of what I wrote got no comments at all. But I kept writing because I was sure sooner or later the traffic would come, and at least some of them would look at the archives as well, which is exactly what has happened. Every time I have a really well received post, I see people going through the older posts as well.

I had been posting for a couple of months before I got up the courage to start joining challenges and blog hops.  This of course drew far more traffic, greatly increased my numbers.  I found they stimulated my creativity even more than my numbers, giving me both ideas to write on and an audience to read what I wrote. Moreover I learned so much from the writers who were posting along with me.

The biggest surprise I have had is how universally kind everyone has been.  One hears so much about nasty trolls hitting the blogs, but so far I have been lucky. Nothing but compliments and insightful suggestions. Last month Jenn at Something Clever, who also hosts this blog hop was kind enough to promote my Blog although I'm not sure how well the "Meg promises not to make you cry if you follow her on Twitter" thing is working out.  Even the spam has been more amusing than anything else. 


My posts  seem to have fallen into three areas so far. There are posts I have written in direct response to events like when our dog died or when I went with the boy on a college visit. There were posts written for the various challenges and blog hops that I have participated in. Finally there are the ones that I have been carrying around for ever and finally got around to writing, like  Beautiful. Sometimes they will merge. I had been thinking for a long time about how my husband and I did our wedding on the cheap, and then Theme Thursday had a prompt for Weddings  and there we were.

I  have been trying to work on my faults, especially my tendency to go on too long and give way too many examples of everything.  But I notice I am becoming a bit less long winded.

I find that after a little more than half a year, that I am really enjoying this blogging journey, and I glad to have found my way to this wonderful community. Getting to know all of you has been a great pleasure.

Now what do I write about tomorrow?



This post is part of the Theme Thursday blog hop.  To see more great bloggers write about blogging click on the button below.


dog died

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Dealing with Dementors in the Workplace

If you have read the Harry Potter books or seen the movies the you are acquainted with the dementors, wraith like creatures who control people by sucking every bit of joy out of their souls and leaving despair in their wake. Ms. Rowling is said to have based these characters upon her personal experience of clinical depression, which I can believe because her description of their effect does indeed sound just like a depressive episode.

I have come the conclusion that dementors can take human form as well. When they are in our private lives we can usually control how much and under what circumstances we deal with them. It's more difficult when we confront dementors in the workplace.

The issue is not their depression, if that is in fact their problem, it is their insistence upon inflicting their negativity upon everyone around them. These people do not see the glass as half empty, but as broken beyond repair. And they like it that way. They want everyone else to be just as miserable. Whereas most persons I have known with depression want to be well and happy and wish everyone else to be as well.

I work with a dementor. No matter how good one's mood is upon arrival to work, he will respond with a well rehearsed rant that will send one searching for the Prozac.

Nothing ever pleases him. If management does something nice for employees it is just to make up for some awful thing they have done in the past. He then proceeds to recount in excruciating detail, the previous infraction. If its a bad day he will say "This is just like the time management did..." and then again rant about past injustices. Moreover they have the memory of elephants, so that current management is blamed for the faults of those who have retired long ago, and coworkers are still being tagged with 10 year old mistakes.

This is bad enough when you only have to hear about workplace issues, but the dementor doesn't stop there. For example this person hates sports. Now there's nothing wrong with that, I married a man whose sole interest in things athletic is his son's batting average. But when coworkers cannot have a a casual conversation about last night's score without inciting a lengthy tirade about overpaid athletes and wasted tax dollars, it is all too much.

Slowly the black cloud that surrounds this person creeps across the room until everyone else in the place in drinking the negativity Kool-aid right along with the dementor. A happy job place becomes a drag. An already troubled job place becomes a nightmare.

So what can do about these toxic wonders? The first step is simply realizing what sort of co-worker you are dealing with. Recognize that the bilge they spew is only their reality, its not yours. Remember that every job has its ups and downs. In the Harry Potter books, the Dementors are banished by a spell that requires the recalling of happy memories. And actually the best cure for dementors in the workplace is similar. Find something positive about your job and hold onto it through your toxic coworkers rant. Remind yourself why it is you do this work. You may not be able to banish this workplace scourge, but you can shield yourself from the gloom.

And if all else fails, think happy thoughts of retirement. Yours or theirs.


e

Monday, January 28, 2013

View, Rewind, view again

I love movies. Boy do I love movies, and movies that I really love I watch again and again. Here are some of my favorite repeat films, along with some favorite dialogue. WARNING:potential spoilers.

Raiders of the Lost Ark When I bought my first VCR I also wanted to pick up a video that would stand up.to a lot of repeat viewing, and picked Raiders. It was a great choice. I still have that original video (and yes I have a VCR/DVD combo.) I have a great fondness for Last Crusade as well. (Indiana Jones movies apparently are the opposite of Classic Star Trek movies, the odd numbered entries are the good ones.) Favorite lines that often get quoted are "I don't know, I'm making this up as I go" and "Its not the years honey, its the miles."

The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  No other set of films is as loved and re watched in our house as Peter Jackson's massive adaptation of J R R Tolkien's masterpiece.  There are several DVD sets floating around the house, but just to be safe we have all three movies in the director's cut versions on the DVR as well.  Fellowship doesn't get quite as much love as the other two around the house that the other two get, due to a lack of battle scenes (the Boy) and the fact that Eowyn isn't in it (the Girl).  It is not unheard of on days off from school for the whole thing to spool out over the course of a day.  The Girl's favorite line is Eowyn's  "I am no man" as she lops the Nazgul's head off. The Boy can recite Aragorn's speech before the gates of Mordor by heart.  My favorite speech is Sam's at the end of The Two Towers.  It is actually based, in part on one of my favorite passages in the book:
Sam:It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?
Sam: That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for.h:l

I don't think there is another film I have had so much pleasure watching over the years with my kids.

Young Frankenstein It's not a big favorite of the kids, who don't appreciate the old Universal films enough to get most of the jokes, but its hugely popular with the adults in our house. (in fact my daughter doesn't like black and white films at all.) With the possible exception of another film listed below, no other film has given so many reliable laughs as this one.  The highest tribute to this film is that I now cannot watch  certain scenes in the Karloff Frankensteins without laughing in terribly wrong places, on account of this film.

The Wizard of Oz  I could write a whole book about this film and multi generation traditions in watching it, but suffice to say it has always been popular in our house.  One of the biggest thrills of the Girl's first trip to Washington DC was seeing the ruby slippers at the Smithsonian. My personal favorite line, one I have had many chances to quote in my workplace is "Some people without any brains do an awful lot of talking."  .

Ghostbusters This is the other reliable laughter film, the kind you sit down to with pleasure after a really bad day.  I love "Its the StayPuff marshmallow man", "I find  her interesting because she sleeps above the covers--4 feet above the covers"  and "Your girlfriend lives in the corner penthouse of Spook Central" are among the many many favorite lines, but my kids have heard me say "If a creature asks you if you are a god, you say 'YES' " so many times they had it put on a button for me.

Men In Black OK, one more reliable comedy.  This is probably my kids favorite comedy, and I'm pretty fond of it myself. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are both darn near perfect in this movie, the special effects are spot on, and the script is great.  Although I often have a chance to quote "Congratulations, you are all we have come to expect from years of government training", "this is going to replace  CD's soon, guess I'll have to buy the White Album again", "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it " and "we at the FBI do not have  a sense of humor that we are aware of.", my very favorite line is serious:" Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow. "

For myself, when the kids aren't around, my favorite films to rewatch include the original version of Psycho, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Thing From Another World, Jason and the Argonauts, and a number of Universal Horror films, especially those starring Boris Karloff. 

Because new movies are nice, but getting to curl up on the couch with an old friend is even better.

This post is part of Express Yourself Meme.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Traumatic Teen Tech Deprivation Disorder

Last week we went through a horrifying period of deprivation and denial around our house, one that demoralized everyone under our roof. Our 17 year old son went without his computer for a whole week.

Ever since we, the parents, went halves with the Boy three years ago to purchase the device, the computer has been his baby. His games are on it, his social activities are on it, it is his primary entertainment source. He also does his homework on it (a lot of his teachers actually prefer the students to email their essays), conducted college application correspondence on it,and this year is actually taking one of his AP classes on it. Another recent project has been cataloging every Magic The Gathering card he and his father ever purchased. (Yes there is an App for that.)


The power jack however has been behaving erratically for some time now, necessitating much rearranging of the power cord to get it just right. The Boy had just finished the first semester of school, which meant there was a little leeway before he would have a pile of homework to complete again. They had a 4 day weekend for Martin Luther King Day. It was the perfect time to go to the computer hospital.

The night before he had prudently back up everything of value and deleted all his browser histories. We dropped the computer off at the repair shop and as we walked back to the car he said, "Now I know how you felt when you left me at school the first time, Mom."

He had a scout camp out Friday night, and didn't get home till late Saturday, so it wasn't until Sunday morning that full TTTDD (Traumatic Teen Tech Deprivation Disorder) kicked in. Even with 2 football games that day on TV, he had gotten out a 1000 piece puzzle his aunt gave him for Christmas and tried to assemble it.

In fairness to the Boy I should add that during the summer, when he  works at the scout camp, he goes without his computer from Sunday afternoon to Saturday morning. And he wasn't completely deprived of all diversions, he still had his smart phone and his PlayStation 2, not to mention a TV with lots of cable channels and a house containing thousands of books, including several hundred in his own room. The problem was, he was used to having his computer in front of him and his hands on the keyboard, and without that nothing felt right.

On Monday night he was fervently hoping there would not be a snow day the next morning. He was actually looking forward to the diversion of school.

By Tuesday he was lecturing us on the uniqueness of his deprivation. (I must add here that at this time neither the Girl or myself have laptops at all, but only Nook Pads) His "suffering" (and I use the term oh so loosely)was greater because everything he wished to do was on that laptop.  He wasn't in the mood to read, nor is he  a writer like his sister and myself, both of whom could keep the makers of spiral notebooks in business. Not one of the 100 + cable channels had anything worth watching.

By Wednesday he actually borrowed my pad to play games for a bit. He also took another stab at that maddening puzzle.  He was even crankier with his sister than usual.  By this time we all wanted his computer back. 

Mercifully the long vigil ended on Thursday, when the computer store called while he was at school.  The Boy came through the door carrying the laptop like a child being borne to its christening.  The sun shone, the birds sang (at least the Girl's parakeet did) and balance was restored to the universe again.

Till the next time.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Film Anticipation--Express Yourself Weekly Meme


I love movies. Love to watch them, read about them, write about them. But actually I don't get out to see them  in the theatre very often.  Witness the fact that it was just last weekend that I got to see Les Miserables,   movie I  have been anticipating for years. Moreover I haven't gotten around to seeing the Hobbit, a movie I have been anticipating for even longer. Be fore Les Miserables, the last movie I saw in the theatre was The King's Speech. Before that, the last movie for grownups that I saw in the theatre was Schindler's List.  In between it was mostly Disney films and Harry Potter movies, with an occasional diversion into American Girl and Pixar.  So maybe this list should be movies I anticipate reading about in Entertainment Weekly but probably won't see till the DVD comes out or it gets to HBO.

I guess number one on the list would be Part 2 f the Hobbit (even though I haven't been to part 1 yet). The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is so popular in our house that all 3 films in their directors cut versions are on or DVR so that we don't have to try   to use the well played and much scratched DVDs. 
My husband and son have been to see The Hobbit and liked it very much, so I know I will be planning to see it.

Other movies that look good to me include two films with George Clooney: Gravity and Monument Man. Mr Clooney is also directing the latter film. Since Good Night and Good Luck is one of my favorite movies, and since I would happily watch Mr Clooney watch paint dry, these movies will both be on my to see list.

Another film I will look forward to is the next Star Trek movie.  I have always been a sucker for any version of  Star Trek and see no reason to change now.  Go ahead call me a Trekkie, but there it is. The first movie was excellent, so I  will give this one a try also.

A film that is tops on my daughter's viewing list is the next Hunger Games film.  Last year, in what may be her last year trick or treating she went as Katniss, and that will be one movie we will almost surely go to.

I should also add that this will be the first year we do not have a Twilight film to look forward to.  This may be a more exciting fact than anything I look forward to seeing. The absence of sparkly vampires will be a highlight of my year.

This post is part of Express Yourself Meme.

Banned Books Challenge-Les Miserables

We often hear about books that have been banned or challenged without being read. But Victor Hugo's Les Miserables was banned before it was written. In 1850 Tsar Nicholas I, displeased with Hugo's depictions of monarchy and Church hierarchy banned all of Hugo's works,published or yet to be published. Hugo's works were also on the Catholic Church's Index of Forbidden Books until 1959. (To show how much some things can change, in the late 70's I attended a Catholic High School and wrote a paper on "The Christian Message in The Hunchback of Notre Dame", a book that would have been a sin to read 20 years before.) Victor Hugo was in fact in exile in England when he wrote this book, having incurred the wrath of Napoleon III, Hugo makes several references to not knowing what certain places look like at present.

Recently I sat down to thoroughly reread Les Miserables, as preparation for going to see the movie. I have dipped into before, but never read it straight through. The book is daunting to look at. On my Nook it runs 4188 pages. I chose use my e-reader though because print copies are either huge, or employ tiny print.

One reason for the great length is the huge cast of characters and their back stories. We learn a lot about just about everyone in the book. Valjean, Cosette, Javert, Fantine and Marius are only the beginning. By the end of book we know all the characters intimately. Because of this we never feel a character has been stuck in the book only to make a speech.

Another reason is the Hugo's lengthy discourses on a variety of historic topics, including several historic locations, convents and the Paris sewers. This information always relates to the narrative, though its not always clear how at first. To cite the most famous example:  Hugo devotes 19 chapters to an account of the battle of Waterloo, only to inform the reader of the chance meeting of two characters during the battle.

If you are reading the book for the first time I have a few suggestions. Younger readers might actually consider an abridged edition.  This isn't a suggestion I would normally make, but I know from experience having read an abridged version of Hunchback at about 13, and the full edition at 17, Hugo can be very daunting for a young reader.  I  recommend aquiring Cliff Notes, or an annotated edition. so you have help keeping everyone straight, and can understand the more obscure references.

Having said all that, I still highly recommend the book.  It is probably one of the most compassionate works ever written, and indeed compassion as a force in the world is a large part of what the book is about.  Compassion for the less well off (Victor Hugo knew all about the 47%), compassion for those we may be in authority over, compassion for those in our daily lives.

It is also a story of redemption through love.  Jean Valjean spends 19 years in jail for stealing a loaf of bread. He was stealing the bread to feed his sister's children, but was caught.  When he comes out of jail he is housed by a bishop, whom he by stealing his silver.  When Valjean is caught again, the bishop astonishes him by telling the police that the silver was a gift, but tells Valjean he must use the silver to make an honest man of himself. "Jean Valjean my brother, you know longer belong to evil but to good.  It is your soul I buy back from you.; I withdraw it from bad thoughts and the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God. " Unable to find employment because of the strictures against convicts, Valjean jumps parole, changes his name, becomes a factory owner noted for his kindness to his workers, and later mayor of his town.  But he is forever pursued by Inspector Javert, a man who knows only the rigidity of the law, and has no sense of compassion at all. He is truly a man who sees the world in black and white only without a single shade of grey even, let alone color. Javert takes advantage of Valjean's compassion by following accounts of unusually generous persons. He track s him down just as Valjean is trying to help a dying prostitute named Cosette retrieve her daughter from abusive caretakers.  When Cosette dies, Valjean takes custody of her, and in caring for her learns the meaning of human love.  In essence, the bishop saves his soul, and Cosette opens his heart.

But always they must stay one step ahead of Javert. Cosette grows up and falls in love with a young revolutionary named Marius.  Stories intercut back and forth, until Valjean is placed in a position where he can kill Javert, but sets him free instead.  Javert is so unable to reconcile the conflict between mercy and compassion that he kills himself.  In the end, with Cosette  and Marius united, Valjean is able to die in peace. 

And the musical? I enjoyed it hugely, finding it did justice to both the stage show and the book.  The actors did amazingly well, the technique of filming the songs live (not lip synced) added much quality to the acting.  Songs that moved me to tears in the show (Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, Bring him Home, and the finale were even more devastating seen in their context on film.  I attended it with my daughter, a huge Anne Hathaway fan, who enjoyed the film but didn't think it was that sad, and a dear friend who is a voice teacher and felt the musical performances excellent.

Can I see why Nicholas I and the Catholic Church banned this book? I certainly can.  The book is still an uncomfortable read for those who prefer privilege for a few over compassion for the have nots. Even now Hugo's emphasis on personal faith over church hierarchies and the ultimate communion with God through loving one's fellow man would disturb some.  This is one of those great works written for a specific time and place but relevant for all times and places


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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Dear College Admissions Director




Dear Admissions Director

Sometime soon, you and your counterparts at several other colleges will be reviewing my son's application for admission to your institution. As his mom I have few thoughts I would like to share with you.

First let me say that I know you have a difficult job. You literally can't take everyone. Ironically, if you did take everyone, then you wouldn't be a school that everybody wants to attend. But there are a few things about my son's application I wish to point out to you.

Your website and recruiting materials all claim that while grades are important they are not a sole determining factor. Please remember that when you look over the boy's transcript. He's an excellent student, but not brilliant. He is especially not a good test taker. He had a hard time with some of his classes early on but did better the last two years. He attends an urban school whose prime focus is on getting kids to finish high school and graduate. They have limited resources for the kids who pass all the graduation tests their freshman year. But he has taken the AP and honors. classes where offered. His teachers love him, even when he doesn't do well in their class.  He only needed to take 2 classes this year to graduate, but he is taking 4 AP classes this year, partly to show he can do college level work.

Here is what your transcripts won't tell you:

He is compassionate (Well except maybe to his little sister).  He is drawn to help people.  He allowed himself to be dressed up as a purple dinosaur (Not Barney) for a breakfast for former patients of our local children's hospital.   He likes doing these things.

He is a natural leader.  Other kids follow him by example.  He has taken leadership training in Scouts and then come back the next year and helped conduct the course.  He teaches others well, with an enthusiasm they catch. He wants to do the right thing.

He is curious. He wants to learn new things.

He's a good worker. He's an average athlete, but he is a 4 year letter man in baseball because his coaches respect his work ethic and sense of fair play.  He has been a team captain since he was a sophomore.

He is applying for your college's history program. He has a gift for it. I don't just mean the gift of keeping all the names and facts in order, though he has that too.  I mean the ability to put himself in a particular moment and fell he is there, and communicate the feeling to others.  It's a gift I don't want to see wasted. 

He has a great feeling for places too. He carefully researched your school before applying, not only the programs, but your locations, your alumni, the history of the area around you.  He wants to attend your school. 

So I hope I consider all this when you look at that application.  Look beyond his ACT score (remember what I said about test taking?)  and his great but not tops in his class grades.  Try to see the potential he has, what a great person he could become at a fine institution like yours.

On behalf of my son, and all the kids applying for schools this year, I thank you.

His Mom


Monday, January 21, 2013

Thoughts on Inauguration Day

I love watching Presidential Inaugurations. Naturally I like them better when the guy I voted for won, but I like them even when my guy lost. I like what they represent, the peaceful transition of power-the sense that the government works only by the consent of the people. It is us at our best.

Some of the greatest speeches in the history of our country were made at such times, from men like Jefferson, Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, John F Kennedy and so many others.

They all called us to be the best people we were capable of being: "We are all Federalists, We are all Republicans", "The better angels of our nature", "Nothing to fear but fear itself", "the torch is passed to a new generation".

And this year it takes place on a day honoring a man who called for America to live up to to live up to its promise for everyone.

There is one more thing I think about on Inauguration Day. I once read an interview with the late great politician Daniel Patrick Moynihan, in which he observed that the most important date in American History was March of 1801, when the losing candidate, John Adams, yielded the presidency to the winner Thomas Jefferson. Never before had such a thing happened. One party peacefully allowed the other to come to power. It was that moment which proved that the Constitution would work, and the country would be governed as the founders intended. It has happened that way ever since.

So good luck Mr President, may you have a strong and productive 4 years.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

On the Brink You Stand #365 Poems


On the brink you stand
Not quite grown and yet
Clearly no longer a child.
Dancing on the tightrope twixt
Between girldom and womanhood.
Keep moving forward-don't look down.


#365poems at Schmutzie.com

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Workplace-a haiku

We re-arrange chairs,
Dance band on the Titanic.
Icebergs straight ahead.



#365poems at Schmutzie.com

Unreality Stars

What I have to say is hardly original, but as so often happens in the blogsphere, I just have to say it. Simply put I am tired of being snookered by Snooki, bothered by Honey BooBoo and have no interest in keeing up with the Kardashians. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good guilty pleasure reality show as much as anyone else,but I prefer it to revolve around some sort of talent, whether fashion design, dance, running a pawnshop, driving a truck long distance. The people I am talking about have no talent for anything except self-promotion.

I am of two minds about the celebrifacarion of America. Part of me hates the fact that i even know about the likes of Paris Hilton or anyone on earth whose last name is Kardashian. The other part of me can't stop watching the train wreck.

Celebrities who are famous for being famous are nothing new. At one time they were members of high society and most noted for their skill in spending inherited money. There was the likes of Barbara Hutton and Jimmy Donohue,all sorts of Vanderbilts and Astors and most of the people travelling First Class on the Titanic. At one time their moms hustled them off them off to Europe to be married to impovrished noblemen. Now they get shows on E! or Lifetime.

When I'm killing time at the dance school I often amuse myself by looking over the lastest issue of OK or Star, magazines that frequently make People look like the New York Times. On any given day it is covered with stories about people with no discernable abilities whatsoever. The excessive coverage of single teenage mothers from shows like 16 and Pregnant are probably the worst. These girl are on tv for no other reason that getting pregnant in highschool. They are not celebrities, yet their relationships and legal woes are all over the tabloids. Just absurd. Then there are the exspouses who are celebrities only for whom they were formerly married to for a week or two. Frequently they are the person they celebritly left their previous spouse for, yet they are shock if their other half turns out to be career obsessed, distant, or unfaithful. Then, oh yes, there are Kardashians. Recenly Kim K's little sisters were featured on the cover of Teen Vogue and my daughter was expressing admiration for them. I nearly lost it, but restrained myself, but suggested she was better off following her usual crop of Disney Teen Pricesses and young country singers. They annoy me, especially in large doses, but at least they sing or act for their suppers.

Even more annoying is when these celebrities are interviewed on serious subjacts as if they're opinion mattered on anything, even entertainment. Think of it: people complain that Oscar winning actors and champion athletes are taken too seriously, and then we ask the opinions of the a woman who has no claim to fame except being yhe daughter of a man who became famous for helping a heinous murderer get off.

Kim Kardashian is at present the most aggrevating of all because she is so blatently working the system. She was engaged and then married to a man, to huge ratings, then put him the door in less that 3 months. No wonder he thinks he may have been used and is holding out for an annulment. This brings me to another complaint. The media often refers to her 77 day marriage. But they are still married. Recent articles about her and her new love mention Kim is still "technically married". Well if you are technically married you are technically committing adultry. And the husband you havem't shed yet is technically (and legally) the child's father. Now I don't really carebif people are married or not. But once you decide you want the ring you take the responsibilities that go with ig. (By the way, as omnibus couple names go, Kimye stinks like Korean Sauerkraut, which is what I think of every time I hear it.) The other morning she was on the Today show, whose standards have really fallen, and mentioned that it was unfortunate that she got pregnant with someone else before her divorce went through. No Kim its unfortunate you couldn't finish one business transaction before you went to the nexr one,

The good news is that every form of entertainment runs its course eventually. At some point people will again clammor for scripted plots and professional actors on TV. We eill want genuine laugh lines spoken by experienced commedians in front of live audiences. A director will stand next to the camera, telling the actors what to do.
And it will be a good thing.

Because there is a fine line between realism and reality.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

A Blogger's Appeal to the Muses #365poems


(Historical note:the Greeks had a set of 9 sister goddesses who looked after the arts and sciences. They were: Calliope-epic song, Clio-history, Euterpe-lyric poetry, Thalia-comic poetry, Melopomene-tragedy, Terpsichore-dance, Erato-erotic poetry, Polyphymnia-sacred song and Urania-astronomy.)

Urania, I ask only that you keep the stars in their courses, that they may inspire us.
Erato, I have naught against you, but your gifts are not for me.
And Terpsichore, I ask nothing of you, you are too busy with my daughter.

But as for the rest of you, I could use some help.

Melopomene, we know each other well, help me keep the tears hinest ones.
Gracious Thalia, I lack the gift of inspiring laughter, help me to find the humor in things and convey it to others.
Calliope, help me hold interest when the story is long.
Polyphemia, inspire me to find the Truth and Spirit at the heart oh things.
Clio, another old friend, help me to take the long view and to rememember all the lessons history teaches.
Euterpe please help me to find, all the rhythms and the rhymes.

For myself and all who blog
Whisper in our ears
When we face the blank page.


#365poems at Schmutzie.com

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Traces #365 poems


I moved the rug to vacuum
And found a few short black hairs
Clinging there still.

Its been 3 months since she left us
To chase squirrells on another plane,
Or maybe find old friends among
The cats she used to chase.

The room no longer smells of dog.
Its a quieter house now.
I no longer clip coupons for dog food.
Except for a few pictures
There's no sign a dog lived here.

I lay the rug back down.
I'll vacuuum there another day.


#365poems at Schmutzie.com

Saturday, January 12, 2013

The Lighthouse (round3) #365poems


If you have been following the journey of my poem "Message from the Lighthouse Keepers" from free verse to rhyme to lyric, I thought you might like to see the final version. The music has been finished by my wonderful husband, and hopefully at some point I will have a recording to share.

On the shore of our hearth
And hearts you washed up.
And our home became your home
And kept you safe for awhile.

Chorus:
When you're lost out in the storm
The light will still be on
Through high winds and tide and foam
Till you are safe again.
When you're lost out in the storm
The light will still be on
Through high winds and tide and foam
Till you are home again.

It was nothing that you did
Storms crashed around you,
Washed you away from us
Nothing we could do.

Chorus





#365poems at Schmutzie.com

Friday, January 11, 2013

Spam I Am (Not)

One of the biggest hassles bloggers have to deal with sooner or later is spam. In a way it's a sign you have arrived, or at least acheived enough internet presence that search engines are hitting on you.  It took a few months but the spam has hit the filter.  Courtesy of that well known Blogger Anonymous, here are some of the more interesting ones I have collected so far, and my thoughts on them.
Malaysia & Singapore & Brunei ultimate on-line blogshop for wholesale & supply Korean accessories, earrings, earstuds, locket, rings, bracelet, bangle & hair add-ons. Deal 35 % wholesale rebate. Ship Worldwide My website: Funny Onesies

At least this spammer simply dropped his commercial pitch and moved on..clearly he didn't look at my page much or he would realize that I am long past the Onsie purchasing age. On the other hand it is free of the fake flattery other comments feature. I should add that this bit of spam gave my spellcheck indigestion, but I am printing it as I received it.I give it a 5. "Better" things lie ahead.


Wow, fantastic blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your site is magnificent, as well as the content! Also visit my web page - Travel Info on My Biggest Vacation Disasters

This spam post for vacation info turned up on a post I had written about, you guessed it, vacations.  So I give this person credit for at least knowing how to use a search engine. I love the pitch for how well I employed a standard Blogger layout, as well as the suck up "How long have you been blogging?" Allow your eyes to travel to the column on the left where my archives are listed. You'll figure it out. I give him a 7.

This last one is my favorite so far:

Just wish to say your article is as astounding. The clearness on your publish is simply great and i could suppose you are an expert on this subject. Well together with your permission let me to grab your RSS feed to stay up to date with drawing close post. Thanks a million and please keep up the rewarding work. Here is my homepage : gift ideas for men on Express Yourself--favorite Christmas Gifts

Once again Mr Anonymous demonstrates use of a search engine, posting about gift ideas on a column about gifts I have given.  But what I really love about this one is the incredibly fake compliments, not to mention the atrocious grammar.  Either this person never made it out of Freshman English, or this was written in a different language and run through a translator program. If the latter is the case, they need a new Babel fish."The clearness on your publish is simply great" and "grab you RSS feed to stay to date with drawing close post" are both classics of incomprehensibility.
My favorite part though is "I could suppose you are an expert on this subject." Well yeah, it is MY vacation disasters." For the high quality insincere flattery, I give it a 9. (They need something to strive towards.)

In the end I realize this is an occupational hazard. But if I could leave one thought with my "devoted" anonymous fans it would be this:

Hey there Sam
Drop the sham
Please don't clog my
Blog with Spam.

 

Thursday, January 10, 2013

#365poems--We Live Two Lives

We live two.lives, most of us;
One without and one within.
The one that goes to work,
Talks to other parents at the school,
and clerks at the grocery store.
You cannot be just this person
Or your soul will die.

Then there is the life
That is inside your heart and mind:
The books you read,
The poems you write,
The thoughts you have.
You can be just this person
But you will be alone indeed.

But perhaps if you are lucky
You cand find that safe space.
Those special few who uunderstand,
Who see beneath the outer you
And understand it too;
And will help the inner life
See the light of day.

Theme Thursday--Some Favorite Cats I Have Had


I already did the gut wrenching dog story, so I don't want to go there again. If you missed it or would like to revisit the subject go to Dog Gone and read about our much missed Lab Shade.

But the truth is I personally am really more of a cat person.  I have had cats off and on ever since I got my own place in college (my parents were not cat people, so I had to wait.)

Cats of course are different critters than Dogs. ("First your memory I'll jog, and say a cat is not a dog" advises Mr Eliot.)  Dogs attach themselves to you and stay. Cats come and go as they see fit, and over the years many have wandered in and out of our lives.  ("I am the cat who walks by himself and all places are alike to me" according to Rudyard Kipling)

I  should add my regrets that I lack pictures of all these adorable cats to share with you, unfortunately their pictures exist only in photo albums and at the moment I am lacking the technology to get from there to here


When my husband and I were in college we adopted a pair of kittens, brother and sister. There was a black cat that we named Bast and a mostly grey with tan patches girl named Morgan. No 2 cats were ever more different. Bast was (as befit his name) one of those cats born into the world knowing cats were worshipped in Egypt and the rest of us needed to catch up. He was dignified at 8 weeks, never really a kitten at all. My husband adored him (as much as he would any pet) the only mammal we've owned that was really his pet.

Morgan on the other hand was the dumb blonde of kittens. We called her the fluff-kit. She knew she was adorable. Had she been able to speak she might have said "Hi, I'm Morgan Piewacket. I'm the world's cutest kitten. I'm so adorable and so stupid. Bast would just sit around with an aura of bruised dignity. Bast and Morgan both eventually departed this realm, but not without producing some offspring: 2 black, 2 calicoes, and one bright orange kitten that we named "Gwydion". He grew up to he a huge and mellow cat, who could have made Garfield look hyperactive. He even liked baths.  He liked to lay on my lap for hours.  One day he just took off and didn't come back.  Cats are like that.

My favorite breed of cat, I should mention is Manx cats, because I am part Manx myself and also because they run like rabbits and I think its funny.   I have only ever had one Manx though, and I had to give her away because she didn't get along with other pets we had.

It was the spring of  2000, actually about the same time we got Shade, that we acquired our all time favorite cat. A friend gave her to us when I expressed a need for a reliable mouser. She was a small calico about 5 years old who was originally named Kelly, but the kids changed it to Callie. Not only was she a awesome mouser, but she was darn effective on pigeons (aka rats with wings) and squirrels (bushy tailed rats). In the summer she liked to go out at night, but in winter she liked to curl up on someone, usually me. She moved houses with house and continued to keep up the good work. Every morning she would be waiting for me to feed her when I got up. When I left for work she would follow me to the bus stop let me hold and pet her till the bus came. Then I would set her down on the ground and she would walk back home.

By the time she was about 12 she was slowing down a bit. But she was still affectionate, although she no longer followed me to the bus stop each morning.

One night she asked to go out in her usual way, and just never came back. Its not unusual behavior for cats. We miss her still.

Other cats have come and gone in our lives. Many decide they belonged somewhere else. Its like that with cats. Lately we have been adopted by a stray named Bootsie who comes by for food twice a day but doesn't really like contact.

Before I go, I want to share another favorite feline. His name is Gus, and he is one of the subjects of "Old Possum's book of Practical Cats" by TS Eliot. He also has one of the best songs in the musical "Cats" . Though my husband favors "Magical Mr Mistoffles" Gus is my favorite. This particular version features the late great actor, Sir John Mills at the age of 90, playing Gus. It is one of my all time favorite theatre moments.

Someday an older cat is going to turn up on my doorstep looking for a home and I am going to name him Gus.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Express Yourself--Looking Ahead to 2013

It's that time of year when we set plans and goals and make resolutions.

Resolution making is easy for me, because until that clutter dragon is under control, I have nothing else I am making resolutions about, as I explain here. My other resolution for the last few years, to start writing again, seems to coming along OK.

As for what I am looking forward to this year, there are several big events on the family horizon this coming year, the biggest being the Boy's graduation from high school.  A good part of the second half of last year was taken up with college applications and visits (Score so far: 1 yes, 1 no, and 3 still waiting) and the new year will be no different I am sure. Much of spring will be taken up with getting him ready for graduation, and much of summer with getting him off to college.  We mustn't overlook the Girl however, who will be leaving middle school and moving on to high school this year. She will probably get her nose a little out of joint this spring, since most of the time and resources will be going her brother's way, but she has 4 blissful years of being almost an only child ahead of her come fall.  She is already making plans for it.

As for me, my main hope for the next year is good health for everyone, and for me lots of inspiration from the writing muse, plus little  drama and lots of overtime at work (see above list of things to be looking forward to). I hope everyone everyone gets at least some of what they are hoping for this year as well.


This blog is part of Express Yourself Weekly Meme

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Trying to Whistle a Happy Tune

Anyone who has given my poetry and prose a good looking over knows that my writings run a bit towards the melancholy.  A lot melancholy. OK I could give Hamlet a run for his money. Moreover my poetry seems to be even more introspective than my prose.  Unfortunately I sometime get asked to write something
a little more cheerful.

Recently my husband and I were asked if we could come up something
cheery and optimistic and suitable for a middle school choir to sing at an assembly, Added pressure  comes from the fact that our daughter is in the choir so we need to please her director on one level and her on another, because everyone in the choir will know her parents are the ones who stuck them with the song.

I spent considerable time trying come up with something that was cheerful, optimistic, and yet avoided cliches, filling several wastebaskets with rejections, before realizing what anyone who was ever a valedictorian has also realized: This is not a time for originality, it's a time to tell people what they want to hear. After that the words came fairly quickly.

I don't know what we will wind up with, but here is attempt number 1:

On Our Way

Remember the good times
Remember the tears
The world is waiting
So banish your fears
Its time for us to go
We are moving on

New Chances for taking
'New things to be trying
We'll all get there someday

Whether walking or flying
Time for us to go
We are moving on.

We are the future
Time to prepare
We are tomorrow
Time to do and dare

We are all friends here
Sharing the load
But more lies ahead
As we move down the road.
It's time for us to go
We are moving on.






#365poems at Schmutzie.com

Saturday, January 5, 2013

what I Learned This Year #365poems

With thanks to morgandragonwillow.com for the prompt:


2012 Lesson

This year I learned
To find my voice again.
To use forms I had abandoned
Long ago.

To say the words aloud
Where others could hear
And not just to the bathroom mirror.

To take ownership before the world
THESE ARE MY WORDS!

But the best part of all
Was finding other people
Finding their voices too.

We're all in this together


#365poems at Schmutzie.com

Friday, January 4, 2013

#365poems A Poetry Challenge

Poetry was actually the first literary form I ever took a stab at and I have several notebooks full of varying levels of rhyming competence. When my husband, a musician, and I first married he was working as a Church choir director and I wrote a number of poetic reworking of Scripture for him. Eventually he moved on to other jobs, we got busy with kids and life and for the most part I got away from writing verse.

Lately my spouse has been asking more lyrics.I found it hard to think of poetry again. When I was younger everything seemed to occur to me as lyrics first, but not anymore. I needed inspiration. I needed prodding.


Then last fall my good friend Mod Mom Beyond Indiedom   brought me onboard OctPoWriMo a 31 poems in 31 days challenge. It also introduced me to the Writing Poetry Group on Face Book.  (Mod Mom by the way writes some hilariously wicked song parodies, and some great serious stuff too. Check it out) Although I didn't quite get 31 poems written, I did write quite a few. Many were free verse, however, which prompted my husband to respond: something I can put to music please? I wrote a few that rhyme and rewrote one of the free verse poems as lyrics.  But at the end of the challenge the well of inspiration ran dry again. Since the end of October I had only written a couple poems. So clearly needed more prodding. Put simply I write better with a purpose to write for, preferably one that doesn't allow me to indulge in my well known penchant for procrastinating.

Just in time, Mod Mom alerted me to another challenge...this one to write (if not publish) a poem a day all year. I know I will never reach this point, but its great to strive toads. And after I told my husband of this he handed me a whole sheet of couplets that went nowhere for him.

Just for starters, and because I am still working on new poems, here is an illustration of what happens when I try to go from one style of poetry to another.  This poem I wrote originally for OctPoWriMo:

You washed up on the shore
Of our hearth and hearts.
We threw you a lifeline and took you in.

It was neither your fault nor ours
That the tsunami engulfed you again
And at least for now
Pulled you beyond our reach.

But should the tide reverse for you
We are still here, the safe port.
We keep the signal light burning in the lighthouse
Never knowing when you might struggle to our shore again.


Great,right? Everyone loved it. Everyone including my husband who said, of course, "Can you redo this in a format that can be set to music?"  I have problems with this. Once I think of an idea in a particular way, I find it hard to alter.  But I gave it a try:

You washed up on shore
and we threw you a line.
We gave you a home
And kept you safe awhile.

When you're out in the storm
The lighthouse is standing
We'll keep the light shining
Till you make safe landing.
Through high waves wind and foam
Till you find your way home.

It was nothing you did
The storm crashed around you
Washed you away from us
And nothing we could do.

When you're out in the storm
The lighthouse is standing
We'll keep the light shining
Till you make safe landing.
Through high waves wind and foam
Till you find your way home.

This is still undergoing tweaking, but you get some idea of what I mean.  My husband has already worked up a lovely melody. I am dissatisfied with it because I had it fixed in my head as free verse.  But if I had originally written it as lyrics I would be dissatisfied with free verse. 

Anyway it is in hopes of further inspiration that I am taking the challenge.  I may not get a poem posted everyday, but I will be working on them.

#365poems at Schmutzie.com




Thursday, January 3, 2013

Theme Thursday--Winter





I like winter, but only a certain kind of winter. I like the winter with the big fluffy flakes gently floating to the earth as I watch from inside my living room.

Unfortunately that's not the winter I usually get.

The winter I usually get involves watching nasty, sleety stuff blowing past the window at work, while my co-workers and I take endless calls about snowplows, salt, fender benders and inquiries as to whether or not schools are open.

The traffic accident calls can't be helped. When one passes an accident on the highway and the police aren't on scene yet there really is no way to tell if its already been called in, so calling is probably best. Just remember you are on the highway calling on a cellphone so unless you have a hands off device pull over so you don't join the pile up. And be patient while we ask all.the tedious questions about precise locations and make, model, and colors of cars. It's how we figure out just how many accidents are out there.

But when it comes to snowplows and salt trucks there's only so much that can be done in extreme cold or while the snow is still coming down. This morning, for example, its only about 10 degrees out, and the wind chill is even lower. Salt just doesn't work.
And when the snow is still falling the plows spend all the time clearing the main roads. They won't get to side streets till the snow stops. (At which time some folks are bound to call and complain that their driveway has been blocked in by the snowplow they were looking for the day before.

And folks...about the school closing calls. They're on TV. They're on radio. You can have the media text or email you. And a lot of school systems now, including the one my kids attend, have an auto dial notification system you can sign up for. But people still call the police department to find out if school has been cancelled, not only our school system but others as well. (The most annoying thing is that the people making these calls are the same ones who complain that we take too long answering their calls. Cause and effect anyone?)

And then there's that whole going out the door at 6:00am in the cold and dark and heading to the bus stop. And the at least 3 people in my house who suffer from SADD most of the winter. And the winter gas bill in this creaky old house.

Mind you, I'm not that big on summer either. Its hot, and really busy at work, and people get really cranky. I guess I am more of a spring and fall kind of girl.

And yet...when I go out the door early in the morning the snow has a pretty sparkle to it. And I enjoy watching the kids have as much fun as I once did with snow forts and sledding. And I would never wish to live in a place that lacked distinct seasons. It the constant cycle of change that makes the world so interesting.

So I guess Winter's not so bad.

This post is part of Theme Thursday, a group of bloggers writing writing on the same topic. To read more please click on the link.