Thursday, April 30, 2009

Poem In Your Pocket Day

Put a Poem in Your Pocket Day
Put a Poem in Your Pocket Day

This is Rachel's Selection:
Terence, This Is Stupid Stuff
To hear such tunes as killed the cow! Pretty friendship 'tis to rhyme Your friends to death before their time Moping melancholy mad! Come, pipe a tune to dance to, lad!" Why, if 'tis dancing you would be, There's brisker pipes than poetry. Say, for what were hop-yards meant, Or why was Burton built on Trent? Oh many a peer of England brews Livelier liquor than the Muse, And malt does more than Milton can To justify God's ways to man. Ale, man, ale's the stuff to drink For fellows whom it hurts to think: Look into the pewter pot To see the world as the world's not. And faith, 'tis pleasant till 'tis past: The mischief is that 'twill not last. Oh I have been to Ludlow fair And left my necktie God knows where, And carried half way home, or near, Pints and quarts of Ludlow beer: Then the world seemed none so bad, And I myself a sterling lad; And down in lovely muck I've lain, Happy till I woke again. Then I saw the morning sky: Heigho, the tale was all a lie; The world, it was the old world yet, I was I, my things were wet, And nothing now remained to do But begin the game anew. Therefore, since the world has still Much good, but much less good than ill, And while the sun and moon endure Luck's a chance, but trouble's sure, I'd face it as a wise man would, And train for ill and not for good. 'Tis true, the stuff I bring for sale Is not so brisk a brew as ale: Out of a stem that scored the hand I wrung it in a weary land. But take it: if the smack is sour, The better for the embittered hour; It should do good to heart and head When your soul is in my soul's stead; And I will friend you, if I may, In the dark and cloudy day. There was a king reigned in the East: There, when kings will sit to feast, They get their fill before they think With poisoned meat and poisoned drink. He gathered all the springs to birth From the many-venomed earth; First a little, thence to more, He sampled all her killing store; And easy, smiling, seasoned sound, Sate the king when healths went round. They put arsenic in his meat And stared aghast to watch him eat; They poured strychnine in his cup And shook to see him drink it up: They shook, they stared as white's their shirt: Them it was their poison hurt. --I tell the tale that I heard told. Mithridates, he died old. Alfred Edward Housman

This one comes from Amy:
Annabel Lee


It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Edgar Allan Poe



This is from Joey, she likes Shel Silverstein and didn't choose a special one, but I remember her liking at least two of these and I think all three.
Boa Constrictor


Oh, I'm being eaten
By a boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor,
And I don't like it--one bit.
Well, what do you know?
It's nibblin' my toe.
Oh, gee,
It's up to my knee.
Oh my,
It's up to my thigh.
Oh, fiddle,
It's up to my middle.
Oh, heck,
It's up to my neck.
Oh, dread,
It's upmmmmmmmmmmffffffffff . . .

Shel Silverstein

It's Dark in Here


I am writing these poems
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.
So please excuse the handwriting
Which may not be too clear.
But this afternoon by the lion's cage
I'm afraid I got too near.
And I'm writing these lines
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.

Shel Silverstein


Where the Sidewalk Ends


There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.

Shel Silverstein

And I think this is one my Gran Mitchell loved.

Crossing the Bar


Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For through from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

This is the one Gran taught me when I was very young and I always loved it and we read it together many times.

Little Orphant Annie





1 Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,
2 An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,
3 An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,
4 An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;
5 An' all us other childern, when the supper-things is done,
6 We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun
7 A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,
8 An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you
9 Ef you
10 Don't
11 Watch
12 Out!

13 Wunst they wuz a little boy wouldn't say his prayers, --
14 An' when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs,
15 His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl,
16 An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wuzn't there at all!
17 An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press,
18 An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'-wheres, I guess;
19 But all they ever found wuz thist his pants an' roundabout: --
20 An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you
21 Ef you
22 Don't
23 Watch
24 Out!

25 An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,
26 An' make fun of ever' one, an' all her blood-an'-kin;
27 An' wunst, when they was "company," an' ole folks wuz there,
28 She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care!
29 An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,
30 They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side,
31 An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about!
32 An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you
33 Ef you
34 Don't
35 Watch
36 Out!

37 An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,
38 An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!
39 An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,
40 An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away, --
41 You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an' dear,
42 An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,
43 An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about,
44 Er the Gobble-uns 'll git you
45 Ef you
46 Don't
47 Watch
48 Out!

James Whitcomb

And this is my favorite and I have lived by it all my life.
Believe in yourself!

Believe in yourself!

Believe you were made to do any task without calling for aid.

Believe, without growing too scornfully proud,
that you, as the greatest and least are endowed.

A mind to do thinking, two hands and two eyes
are all the equipment God gives to the wise.

Believe in yourself!

You are divinely designed and perfectly made
for the work of mankind.

The truth you must cling to through danger and pain;
the heights others have reached you can also attain.

Believe to the very last hour, for it is true.
That what ever you will, you've been gifted to do.

Believe in yourself and step out unafraid.

By misgivings and doubt be not easily swayed.

You've the right to succeed;
the precision of skill which betokens the great
you can earn if you will!

The wisdom of the ages is yours if you'll read.

But you've got to believe in yourself to succeed

So everyone have a wonderful Poetry Day and thanks.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Thunder

Well, the thunder and the rain has finally arrived. At long last we are getting a good rain. I think it has been everywhere but here. Of course, like everyone else, it all comes at once. Used to be April showers meant May flowers and that was true. I am sure I remember April being very wet, but only a little at a time. It was indeed a month of showers, not thunderstorms. And the flowers bloomed in May, not in Jan or March. I remember May Day, picking flowers from the gardens next door and making baskets and then putting them on the door handle and ringing the doorbell and running away to watch the people come for them. It was a joyous delight to make the baskets and then go across to cut old fashioned roses from the Shultzes hedge and maiden hair fern from the back alley. My, they made pretty baskets, all wet with dew and smelling good. That was a fun old tradition. Spent days before weaving paper baskets. I remember being really put out if it rained that day and the baskets sat wilting waiting for the storm to pass. I do remember we had storms in May, but not April...just showers. Today it is May and we are finally having rain and I am very glad to see it. Perhaps it isn't too late for the farmers and hopefully there won't be any hail to go with it. Now, I think I will go out and splash in the puddles.
Well, I spoke too soon. It seems the tornado sirens went off and as they are only 2 blocks away, you would think I could have heard them, but the wind was blowing so hard and the rain so heavy that we did not hear them. Fortunately we have a perfect storm shelter in the shop, the old vault, but it won't do much good if we don't know when to go to it. Probably should have realized from looking out the window that it would be a good idea. Maybe later I will go play in the puddles.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Weather

Weather, that is a title that will surely grab your attention. It seems to me that living in tornado alley has taken on a whole new meaning. Our alley has been thankfully ignored by tornados of late. It has been a long time since we have had a real scare. Not that I am complaining, but each time the telly guys start going on about the bad weather, I almost don't pay attention. It is always hail, high winds, flood rains and twisters...coming right for you..but they always veer away from us. Other people get it pretty bad, Wichita, Ks had 6 inches of rain last night in a short time and Enid had a tornado a few days ago. But while we used to be in the alley that had several sighted tornados each spring, we have been blessed and the tornados must have found a different path they prefer. I should know what makes that happen, but I don't. But I am thankful for their absence.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Learning

It is no secret that we learn new things every day and for me it is often learning dozens of new things each day. Last night, visiting with Rachel, she said she had decided on her favorite poem. I will post them all on the 30th so I won't ruin it by doing it now. But the last line of her poem sent me to Wickieworld (and other sources) to find the real meaning of 'Mithridates'. I have seen it used in old poetry and it usually means the same as "O God" since Mithra was commonly referred to as a deity, but I did not know that the Mithridates of old specifically referred to the King of Pontus in the 50'sBCE, who was an arch enemy and at the same time friend of the Roman Empire. He seems to have been an unenviable person as he was given to matricide and a paranoia of being poisoned while still a child.
It makes the poem take on a whole new meaning for me...so thank you for the learning experience. My grandchildren are so good to me, they keep me on my toes and present lots of learning experiences for me...and I appreciate it. Well, my children are pretty good about this, too. I also learned a lot about Emily Dickinson that I did not know when I had the privilege of reading the term paper written about the poet.
I think I will know when I get OLD..it will be when I am more concerned with just me and quit learning. So keep it coming, children, keep me from myself and decline.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Good morrow, fine fellow

I missed yesterday's Talk Like Shakespeare Day. It was apparently in honor of his 445th birthday, but I can't quite figure out his real birthday. He was baptised April 26, so maybe yesterday was the real day.
I always liked old Will. Macbeth is perhaps my favorite, but I also liked his sonnets. I think it remarkable that his works have lasted so long with the popularity they have. When I was but a young lass, I liked Lady Macbeth and would dress up in a white sheet and perform her speeches in my bedroom. Thespian that I am. So, Happy baptism day on Sunday, old Will. I beseech ye to give my soul rest for leaving from my mind the especial day on which ye be birthed.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Happy Earth Day

Today is Earth Day and we should all pay attention to it and the reason for it.
But this month is another significant month and April 30 is the big day...so everyone get ready.

This is Poetry Month and the 30th is Poetry Day. So Everyone begin to think of your favorite poem and send them to me and we will share them on the 30th.
Or your favorite poet if you can't think of a poem.

Save something on the planet today. I will drink from glass cups and eat from re-usable things today. I went off and left the back door open for Ghost today since no one will be home all day, but I did turn off the air and heat so that won't be going off. Tonight I will turn off all my computers and unplug the chargers. Who knew that leaving a computer turned on and a cell phone charger plugged into the wall would use so much electricity. I think we need to install those electrical outlets the Brits use and I always made so much fun of. They are up higher on the wall so you can see and reach them easily and they all have a switch, so you flip the switch when the outlet is not in use, thus saving the bit of electricity that leaks out all the time. Do your part and try to keep it up all year until it becomes a habit. I am trying, but 72 years of waste is not an easy habit to break.

Don't forget your poem!!!!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Windows


Way back in 1951 or so, the FPC in Duncan had a wonderful pastor, Pat Easterling. The church remodeled and in the process installed 16 beautiful stained glass windows, mostly depicting the life of Christ. I have read the booklet that he produced to describe the windows many times. When our new interim arrived, she saw the booklet and thought it a good idea to update it and reprint it. So we have a new book, nothing has been changed in the original book, but there are now some colored pictures and the Fellowship Hall window and the Chapel window has been included. Also, some history. It is very nice and how pleasant to see the proper use of the English language as I know it.
We had a walk through the sanctuary yesterday and read the book as we looked at the windows and I am always impressed when I look at them. They are quite traditional and the colors are so beautiful and they have a very serene look to them. No wonder people want to get married in our church, it is lovely.
Nothing will ever touch my heart quite like the painting in the front of the church in Guthrie, because I grew up looking at it every Sunday. But these windows come close.
The windows in the blog are the Trinity window on the left and the one on the right is the Bible, the Central Faith of Protestantism. That is one of the two that do not depict the actual life of Christ and the other one is the Assurance of the Triumph of Christian Faith.
Enjoy

Saturday, April 18, 2009

big day

It is a big day downtown, or not so big, depending on how you view it. The street is closed for 5 blocks east to west and 2 blocks north to south. Car and motorcycle show. I would like to be enthused, but I fear I am not. It will be a fine event for those entered, but there will be few people coming downtown for the party because all the parking lots and the streets are unavailable for parking. We came at 8am and had to park two blocks away, so I imagine the shoppers who might like to come will find parking closer than 4 blocks difficult. It is hard to accommodate the needs of the event and the needs of the merchants and shoppers. I hope it is a good day for them. I plan to get some much needed paperwork done and some personal sewing and some reading completed. At least it will be quiet and I have good lighting here. Well, not so much quiet...the guys sitting out on the sidewalk by their cars are having a wonderful time and talking and laughing. SO...does that not make it a success? And I think I see smoke blowing this way which speaks of bar b q so that must also contribute to a successful day. Maybe I will go have a walk around and readjust my attitude. Thus trying to assume a position of grace instead of oneryness.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Busy Busy Busy

This is a busy time of year. Today Becky is off to S. Korea to spend a week with Jason. I hope she has a wonderful trip and the North Koreans behave. I will be anxious to see her when she returns. As Jason will be sent to Fort Hood when he returns in August, I wonder what she will do.
Amy is finishing her sermon for her tri-service this weekend. Boy, they get their moneys worth from a preacher at that church. She does the 8:30 and then rushes to another service where she is escorted to another service before that one ends. I think I would always go the the 11 am service as they would be well practiced by then. But on the other hand, they may be bored with their sermon by that time. Should be an experience. She still hasn't told me if she is preaching on the Psalm or the 1st John scripture.
Rachel is gearing up for finals in early May and then a trip to Ok, if she can be parted from her new doggy friend, Sig.
Amy is about to go into finals, so after the sermon prep she has reading week and a busy schedule.
Tim is preparing sermons for the coming year and who knows what else.
I don't know about Jo, except that she will be headed for Ok in the next week or so..I would imagine she is busy at work and keeping NYC going. I will be very happy to see her.
Bill is busy with church finances and just stuff in general. As busy as he would like to be.
Doug is in the midst of umpiring school ball and gearing up for summer ball and will go for census training next week so he will have a busy summer. Confirmed the Denver tournament for the summer schedule and he will enjoy that week.
Me, I am trying to keep up with the shop and the church. About all I can manage, but am looking forward to a trip to NJ in the next couple of months. I will wait and go when Amy is out for the summer so I can enjoy a visit with her and be at Stillwater with them all.
So, thankfully, we are all doing what we do and grateful to be able to do it all.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

HAPPY EASTER

Lots of rain to quelch the fires.
Lots of people in church this morning.
Lots of flowers trying to bloom.
Lots of love to all and a very Happy Easter.
He is Risen!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Easter's On The Way

Today is Good Friday, so Easter is only two days away. Easter is my favorite day of the year and Good Friday is my worst. We had a very nice Maundy Thursday service last night and stripping the church for today and laying the black cloth on the communion table and the baptismal font was moving. It just sort of brings an end so we can have a good beginning on Sunday.
I was most impressed with the iron wood cross Tim made for his church. It is big, probably 8' tall at least and it just overpowers the front of the church and makes you know how important it is. When he has it draped in black as it is today, it can't help but make you realize how important today is. It will be lovely when it has lilies around it on Sunday and I look forward to the lilies for our church with all the banners, paraments, candles and cross back in place.
I did not grow up with Maundy Thurs and stripping the church and draping the cross. Good old no nonesense Presbyterians have given way to Presbyterians who understand the importance of some drama in presenting the word. I do remember Dad going to Maundy Thursday at the temple for the Masonic Scottish Rite service and I think that is where he collected those red shot glasses that I always loved. I suppose they were not shot glasses, but that is what they look like.
I always wondered why the church did not do something special on that day and now we do. So I am always happy to take part in it and last night I draped the font and it was rather meaningful.
Hope you all have a good run up to Easter. Enjoy the day and the reason for the day.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Lost things

Things get lost and we just can't figure out how to do without them. I just had a call from the Church and they have lost one of the strips of fabric that has been used on the table to hold the hot cross buns (more like donuts) and how can we dress the table for Easter if we don't have that piece. Can I fix one like the one that is lost. NO, But I could make something different.
Maybe we don't have to do the same thing all the time, maybe we could make changes. Rev Tracy says we have many sacred cows in the church and if we melted down all the brass plaques we could pay the electric bill. We do get used to doing the same old thing and holding on to old things. I like tradition, but hope I am not so set in my ways that I can't see starting a new tradition or simply doing things in new ways. I suggested that, but don't think it will meet with much approval.
I wonder why we get so hung up on the past and how things were always done?

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Happy Birthday Again

Yesterday I wrote a birthday blog to Amy and ask for it to publish at 4:29 this morning, but something has happened and now I can't even find it. So.....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR AMY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You were our red headed joy and we have loved and enjoyed you all these years. You are all a daughter can be and we thank you for that. You have worked hard for your life and have made it count for something in this world, and that is all we can ask for. We hope you have a wonderful and happy birthday. Thank you for being our daughter.
Happy Birthday

Monday, April 6, 2009

Gracious

Since I have not been feeling very gracious this past week, I have not written. But shame on me. Today is Ghost's birthday..he is 10 and that is a goodly age for a Great Dane. So I should be grateful that he is still here with us. Tim has his Kizzy for company and now all he needs in his office is a pipe and a footstool. Rachel and Amy have Sig and it will take them awhile to find out how he operates, but apparently he is friendly and loves to walk and is well mannered. So, my dog family seems to be doing well and I am grateful for them. I think the rest of the family is doing well, too. And that makes me grateful.
It is almost time for Becky to go to S Korea to see Jason and I hope she has a good trip. I look forward to seeing them all in the next 2 or 3 months and perhaps then I will be feeling more gracious. I am beginning to miss them, I think. When that happens, I don't like much of anything.
But tomorrow is Amy's birthday and that will make me smile. So, happy birthday, Ghost and start thinking about yours, Amy.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

April Fool's Day

I always fall for April Fool jokes. Even when I am on the look out for them. When we lived in Scotland, I discovered that the British people love April Fool's Day and not in a small way. They didn't go in for small personal jokes, theirs was on a national scale. The BBC was usually in charge or one of the newspapers and no matter that you knew what day it was, they almost always were able to sneak up on you and pull off outrageous jokes. Quite often they started early, weeks early, setting up the joke.
The best they ever pulled off was the spaghetti shortage in Italy. They showed film of trees, stripped of the spaghetti crop and talked to people all over Italy about how they were coping with the stress of not having enough spaghetti. They talked to botanist and politicians and cooks and people on the street. I can't imagine how much money they spent on this hoax, but come April 1 they had a really good story going that was picked up by the press in other countries and they interviewed people on the streets of London and in the back washes on the islands. No one was immune. The spaghetti famine was genius. People believed it. Right up to the end, when they announced the hoax the next day. It was incredible, but it showed the power of suggestion and the power of the press. Intelligent people bought into it and had a good laugh on themselves for believing such rot. Spaghetti famine indeed!! But it was so believable.
So if you are going to do an April Fool joke, make it good. Spend some time and energy on it and make it worthwhile. I am still working on one, problem is, I have been working on it for a lot of years and haven't got it right yet.