The semester is winding down, just as summer is beginning. For the first time in years, I'll be taking a summer class. I haven't yet had this particular professor, although I hear from others that have had him that his classes are wonderful. I hope so, because poetry isn't one of my strong suits, but I'm hoping it'll let me grow and become a better poet. So far most of my professors have been wonderful and encouraging, the kind of professor I hope to be.
With only three semesters remaining until I graduate, time seems to be racing in front of me. I see the end of this phase of my college career and have come to think of IUSB as home, it'll be hard to leave the nest. If I had my 'druthers' I'd take one of each class in the English department, one in each of the speech department and probably one of every other department I could slide my way into. I love being in class, I love learning and yes, some will call me sick, but I even love homework. Once I complete the BA degree and move on to my Masters degree, the end will really be in sight. I won't have a real 'reason' to continue my formal education once I've attained the Masters but I'll probably always be taking one kind of class or another just to keep my hand in the role of student. I don't ever want to forget what its like being a student, because I've found that those professors who have forgotten tend to be the ones that I don't mesh as well with.
Writing short stories this semester has allowed me to work through some personal issues using my characters as the bridge between fiction and reality. It's given me the chance to relive cherished memories, work my way past some painful ones, and let my imagination fly on a child's wings. I have adored every moment of the writing fiction class I've had this semester and I hope it's made me a better writer. I know it's allowed me to look at my stories in a new light. I'd always just written them, saved them to a disc and went on from there. But now I take a look at the reasons behind why my characters do what they do, I take a harder look at my locations and settings and how they help or hinder my characters, and I pay more attention to the interaction between my various characters and how that propels the story along.
I've learned a lot about my writing so far, and I hope to learn even more as I go on. Life is a learning process and if we're smart, we learn from it as we go. I may finish my formal education but I'll be learning things the rest of my life.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Let your fantasies unwind
Spring has sprung, well somewhere it has at least. Not here and not today. It's a blustery 34 degrees on the last day of March. I have a ton of homework to do and no motivation to do it. So I thought I'd just write here for a bit.
I dreamed of Spock last night, not unlike Dr. Sheldon Cooper did as well this week. My dream, however, was a lot more fun than Sheldon's. Spock and I were at a flea market looking for Star Trek stuff. Nobody seemed to recognize him as Spock, perhaps because he had his Leonard face on. Either way, we were able to shop and converse and get to know each other without anyone interrupting us. It was amazing!!
I love my imagination, it takes me all kinds of nice places like flea markets with Spock. My dreams are always in color and I can usually hear, smell, and sometimes even taste things in them. I'm told that not everyone dreams this way and that's a real shame. My dreams at night are a bit like a vacation from reality and every now and then, one is good enough to write down into a journal for a possible story idea in the future. I haven't figured out how I'll use the dream of taking a city bus to the moon yet, but I will. :-)
I'm betting that my favorite authors dream in this way too, or at least they allow their imaginations to run wild at times during the day, which is pretty much the same thing. I frequently go back and re-read favorite books, sometimes whole series by favorite authors. This lets me revisit with old friends and get to re-learn the stories that way. I'm currently re-reading everything Anne McCaffrey. I was introduced to her "Dragonriders of Pern" series by my older sister when I was 16 (Thank you Lin!). I've been revisiting Pern on a regular basis since then. Right now I'm on Petaybee and enjoying the adventures of Sean and Yana and the sentient planet. Maybe I'll dream myself into one of those stories as well, and wouldn't that be fun?
Some of us are a little closer to our inner 6 year old than others and I'm definitely in that group. I keep my imagination going and encourage it to take little trips into fantasy realms just to see what will happen. Everyone should do this, exercising our imaginations might just allow us to find a way to the stars faster and then we'd have a whole new universe to explore. To quote Andrew Lloyd Webber, "Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind."
I dreamed of Spock last night, not unlike Dr. Sheldon Cooper did as well this week. My dream, however, was a lot more fun than Sheldon's. Spock and I were at a flea market looking for Star Trek stuff. Nobody seemed to recognize him as Spock, perhaps because he had his Leonard face on. Either way, we were able to shop and converse and get to know each other without anyone interrupting us. It was amazing!!
I love my imagination, it takes me all kinds of nice places like flea markets with Spock. My dreams are always in color and I can usually hear, smell, and sometimes even taste things in them. I'm told that not everyone dreams this way and that's a real shame. My dreams at night are a bit like a vacation from reality and every now and then, one is good enough to write down into a journal for a possible story idea in the future. I haven't figured out how I'll use the dream of taking a city bus to the moon yet, but I will. :-)
I'm betting that my favorite authors dream in this way too, or at least they allow their imaginations to run wild at times during the day, which is pretty much the same thing. I frequently go back and re-read favorite books, sometimes whole series by favorite authors. This lets me revisit with old friends and get to re-learn the stories that way. I'm currently re-reading everything Anne McCaffrey. I was introduced to her "Dragonriders of Pern" series by my older sister when I was 16 (Thank you Lin!). I've been revisiting Pern on a regular basis since then. Right now I'm on Petaybee and enjoying the adventures of Sean and Yana and the sentient planet. Maybe I'll dream myself into one of those stories as well, and wouldn't that be fun?
Some of us are a little closer to our inner 6 year old than others and I'm definitely in that group. I keep my imagination going and encourage it to take little trips into fantasy realms just to see what will happen. Everyone should do this, exercising our imaginations might just allow us to find a way to the stars faster and then we'd have a whole new universe to explore. To quote Andrew Lloyd Webber, "Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind."
Monday, March 5, 2012
Catching up
Wow, it's been almost a year since my last post. That simply will not do. I resolve right here and now to post more often. As this is supposed to be a blog of my journey through school and life, I suppose it's kinda fitting that I haven't had the time to update it more often, but I have to make the time.
Life has been challenging health wise but I continue to plug along in school. After this semester, I have 9 classes (or 27 credits) left to take. That works out to about 2 semesters of class, depending on what's offered. I will be taking summer classes, but might just take 'fun' stuff to keep my study habits up until fall semester starts. If I do five class in the fall and four in the spring, that's my 27 credits. So that puts me on track to graduate in the Spring of 2013. Once graduated, I hope to find employment as an adjunct English professor at a community college (Ideally here in South Bend, but that'll depend on where hubby's job takes him). While working as an adjunct, I will take Masters level class working towards my Masters in Fine Arts (Creative Writing). That's the plan. I see it very clearly in my head. I see the steps I have to take to attain my goal and I can very easily see myself teaching. Nothing is going to stand in my way; not my heart, my hips, or my back. They can just learn to behave and let me do what needs to be done.
And now, since this is updated, on to studying for my last midterm exam. Can't believe Spring semester is already half over, where does the time go?
Life has been challenging health wise but I continue to plug along in school. After this semester, I have 9 classes (or 27 credits) left to take. That works out to about 2 semesters of class, depending on what's offered. I will be taking summer classes, but might just take 'fun' stuff to keep my study habits up until fall semester starts. If I do five class in the fall and four in the spring, that's my 27 credits. So that puts me on track to graduate in the Spring of 2013. Once graduated, I hope to find employment as an adjunct English professor at a community college (Ideally here in South Bend, but that'll depend on where hubby's job takes him). While working as an adjunct, I will take Masters level class working towards my Masters in Fine Arts (Creative Writing). That's the plan. I see it very clearly in my head. I see the steps I have to take to attain my goal and I can very easily see myself teaching. Nothing is going to stand in my way; not my heart, my hips, or my back. They can just learn to behave and let me do what needs to be done.
And now, since this is updated, on to studying for my last midterm exam. Can't believe Spring semester is already half over, where does the time go?
Sunday, May 15, 2011
I survived it!
I did my first ever poetry reading today. I was so scared I was sure everyone in the audience could hear my knees knocking. I seriously considered not even going to Fiddlers today to do the reading but that would have meant I chickened out and I couldn't do that. So I went, and I read, and when I got off the stage my hands were shaking like a leaf, but....I Did It!!! My god what a rush that was! The audience even applauded my poems, something I never expected to happen. I was asked if my poems were here on the blog and I had to admit they weren't. It seems like such a logical course of action to put my stuff here, I'm embarrased to say I never thought about it. So, in order to rectify that, here are some of my poems. It's another way to store them I guess...this will be here long after this particular computer is gone. I guess I'll have to write some new ones, since I've read almost everything I have so far.
You showed me I could once again care
Partners in love and partners in fun
Holding hands, together we took the dare
A hot summer's day, our new life had begun
Merlin
Yellow eyes stare at me, commanding me to notice,
His body tense, every tendon waiting for the command to action.
Tail rigid, anticipation evident in its twitching from side to side.
I shift in my chair, his head snaps up.
The promised land awaits, if only you will go!
His sigh is heavy as he realizes his ploy has failed this time.
Yellow eyes stare at me, commanding me to notice.
Yellow eyes stare at me, commanding me to notice,
His body tense, every tendon waiting for the command to action.
Tail rigid, anticipation evident in its twitching from side to side.
I shift in my chair, his head snaps up.
The promised land awaits, if only you will go!
His sigh is heavy as he realizes his ploy has failed this time.
Yellow eyes stare at me, commanding me to notice.
Cat's Eyes
Cat's eyes, cat's sighs
kneading into my lap
Cat's purr, cat's fur
internal smiles, felt and heard
Cat's eyes, cat's sighs
kneading into my lap
Cat's purr, cat's fur
internal smiles, felt and heard
Cat's stand, cat's demand
food dish never full enough
Cat's eyes, cat's sighs
five pounds of unconditional love
food dish never full enough
Cat's eyes, cat's sighs
five pounds of unconditional love
M118
I enter; uncertain, hesitant, a little afraid.
I sit waiting; butterflies have flocked to my belly.
Looking around, anxiety on the faces of others, mirrors my own,
hope and fear mingle into one.
All is ready, laid out in neat rows,
books, pencils, paper, calculator.
The tools of my trade until May, I am ready I hope.
Like an actor hitting his mark on cue,
he strides in, confidence radiating out to each one of us.
He smiles out to the sea of uncertain faces,
as if to say "Don't worry, we will succeed."
I enter; uncertain, hesitant, a little afraid.
I sit waiting; butterflies have flocked to my belly.
Looking around, anxiety on the faces of others, mirrors my own,
hope and fear mingle into one.
All is ready, laid out in neat rows,
books, pencils, paper, calculator.
The tools of my trade until May, I am ready I hope.
Like an actor hitting his mark on cue,
he strides in, confidence radiating out to each one of us.
He smiles out to the sea of uncertain faces,
as if to say "Don't worry, we will succeed."
Reflections
Reflections of a day filled with fear, images seared into my brain as if etched by acid.
What was once whole and strong became brittle and shattered.
The mirror of my self laying in shards upon the floor.
The pieces, jagged and sharp, cutting into my soul, leaving pieces of me in tatters.
The multitude of reflections show images best left forgotten
What was shattered cannot be made whole, but from the pieces new reflections give hope
In dreams, I live it, past and present mingle.
Wishing to banish the old reflections for the new
Anger flows freely, only damped by the denial that still springs to my lips.
Someday dreams will not bring fear.
Someday memories won’t produce jolts of pain.
Someday I’ll forgive him.
But not today.
What was once whole and strong became brittle and shattered.
The mirror of my self laying in shards upon the floor.
The pieces, jagged and sharp, cutting into my soul, leaving pieces of me in tatters.
The multitude of reflections show images best left forgotten
What was shattered cannot be made whole, but from the pieces new reflections give hope
In dreams, I live it, past and present mingle.
Wishing to banish the old reflections for the new
Anger flows freely, only damped by the denial that still springs to my lips.
Someday dreams will not bring fear.
Someday memories won’t produce jolts of pain.
Someday I’ll forgive him.
But not today.
My Bill
I hadn't ever been lucky in love
Had in fact, given up on men
Then into my heart you flew like a dove
You came at first as only a good friend
I hadn't ever been lucky in love
Had in fact, given up on men
Then into my heart you flew like a dove
You came at first as only a good friend
You showed me I could once again care
Partners in love and partners in fun
Holding hands, together we took the dare
A hot summer's day, our new life had begun
Standing under a tree, we took our oath
Hand in hand we'll walk for the rest of our lives
Friends and family were there, watching us both
Love came fast, took us both by surprise
Hand in hand we'll walk for the rest of our lives
Friends and family were there, watching us both
Love came fast, took us both by surprise
I love you now as I always will
You are my life, my love, you are my Bill
You are my life, my love, you are my Bill
Insomniac Tempest
Lying in bed, the night’s darkness surrounding me
Sleep, occasionally elusive, floats just out of my grasp
Occasional flashes and grumbles hint at the coming storm
Lightening streaks across the sky on forked legs
Thunder rumbles and growls like the warnings of a beast
To this strange melody, I drift at last into sleep
Lulled by the frenetic energy of the tempest
Puppy Love
Large brown eyes that are filled with love look up at me
Complete and total trust resides in those orbs of soft brown
Affection shows in each slurpy kiss he gives me
There is nothing quite like puppy love
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Bountiful Chronicle
This was originally done as an assignment for my English Lit 1600-1800 class. This is in the style of a mock epic and is written in Iambic pentameter. This was the most fun I've had doing an assignment so far. I include it here as part of the portfolio of my work.
The Bountiful Chronicle
I sing of maids and of warriors both,
Trav’ling far off lands in search of the proof.
That new born chalice, long thought of as tale,
Of cleansing, pure and simple is this grail. 4
Many have heard, but none have yet found,
This magical grail, guarded by the hound.
This beast, so fierce, its eyes appear to glow,
Its name, known but not spoken is Alpo. 8
Twill take a hero; one strong, brave and true,
This quest to complete, his lady to woo.
Our hero known to all in his county,
Handsome, gallant, is our own Sir Bounty. 12
His lady, sweet and fair, begged of his aid,
A quest to start, the use of shield and blade.
Viva, the Sun Maid, gown frayed and dirty,
Begged the aid of her Lord, true and sturdy. 16
To her honor a stain, twas on her skirt,
Horrid and brown, this evil smudge of dirt.
I can’t live with this she cried out in pain,
Only the new Wisk will take out this stain 20
Tis in the new ad, I’ve seen this for sure,
You must find me this Wisk, tis at the store.
I can’t live without this wondrous soap,
To clean with this Wisk is my only hope. 24
To thee I beg, my dear, wise Sir Bounty,
Twill be a long quest, out of this county.
Past the Pepper Ridge and Hill Shire Farms,
Is where you must go to take up these arms. 28
Viva my one love, have you no fear,
This quest will I take, so be of good Cheer.
First I seek the aid of heav’n above,
And send my prayers on the wings of a Dove. 32
Of grail of cleansing, and machine of clean,
Eer in my thought, to thee, this I do sing.
This quest must I do, though it be hard,
And so tis to you I pray, Master Card. 36
I sing praises to thee, my lucky charm,
Give me strength of mind, body and of arm.
Spinach I offer, the food of Popeye,
May it give me 9 lives and a Birds Eye.. 40
Aid he prayed for and twould soon to him show,
Appear’d to him the Sprite of Co. Co. Co.
This quest you seek, and are to honor bound,
You’ll need help so companions have I found. 44
To you I will send the 3 Musketeers,
Each brings his own talent, this group of peers.
Each brings a diff’rent weapon to aid you,
How each will help thy quest I canst tell you. 48
Sir Duncan of Hines, smiles like the sun,
Carved on his shield, there can be only one.
His weapon of choice, one long and sharp blade,
Off with their heads twas the cry he had made. 52
The next, though salty, came’st from a good clan,
A dash of flair has the brave Kiko Man.
His wit tangy, his sword arm strong and true,
No better comrade could I find for you. 56
The last of the trio, one you canst lack,
Is the one known simply as Hungry Jack.
Jack’s heart is true and twould never forsake,
The quest till done, then rewards he’ll partake. 60
One last group will I send, these find yourselves,
They are known simply as the Keebler Elves.
Thy quest shant be won if their aid thee nix,
Their weapon of choice, known as Club Snack Stix. 64
Off the sprite did go, Vanish’d in a flash,
Leaving behind nary a sugar sweet splash.
Sir Bounty gathered his arms, shield and sword,
His steed, one strong like steel, he did board. 68
To his fair lady he bid fond farewell,
Gather’d his comrades and left with a yell.
To the plaza we go, we must away,
There dwells who we seek, the sage of Parkay. 72
Passage they booked, on the ship Brillo Pad,
The skipper, Captain Crunch, was a strong lad.
Amid the Ocean Spray they sailed bravely,
Capri Sun shone on the Vitamin Sea. 76
Early noon Tide, made the ship run aground,
The captain passed Lifesavers around.
To the near isle they all swam away,
Crunch smiled at them and pointed the way. 80
Tis the isle you need, he now smiles,
The elves live there, just ahead ten miles.
Shouldst take you a day to make this journey,
To find the head elf, the one called Ernie. 84
The heroes Bounty, Duncan, Kiko, Jack,
Trekked towards the elves, thru night gone to black.
Ernie met them at the edge of his land,
And said yes I will join your merry band. 88
The heroes trek back to the ship repair’d,
Just as the captain, he loudly declared.
Gather your things lads, tis time to deploy,
We are not alone, I see Chips Ahoy. 92
Ready for battle, my friends and ship mate,
Twould seem there is one here who does hate.
Ernie spoke, his sad eyes downward glance,
I thought we’d escape, hope’d we had the chance. 96
Bounty most concerned, urged Ernie to speak,
Tell us who we fight, who is this strange freak?
This foe slays for fun, he is a thriller,
Count Chocula, the serial killer. 100
The battle begun, was fought long and hard,
At battle’s end the count remained unmarred.
The count gave orders, don’t stop, press ahead,
Soon his men were either dying or dead. 104
His infantry, many men were cut down,
To lay on the field, a sea of dark brown.
Those that lived yet, Bounty cleaned with a swipe,
Their skill and training was not yet quite ripe. 108
Seeing defeat, to the west the Count fled,
To his lair he ran, filled with a deep dread.
The lair lay atop of the Ice Mountain,
There he remained, not to be seen again. 112
Our heroes, to the quest they returned,
With a desire to finish, they burned.
Eastward they sailed, to the Nature Valley,
Past this they must go fast, they canst dally. 116
Thus bidding Captain Crunch a fond farewell,
Our heroes trekked on, not one was unwell.
Each missed his fair lady, wife or lover,
Though each sought out quests, each was a rover. 120
Trekked on did they, through night and through the day,
At last they camest to the sage of Parkay.
Bounty asked thumping his fist to his chest,
What else must I do to finish this quest? 124
Parkay replied, his voice loud and shaking,
Ernie can help you, he brought his baking.
A snack soft and round, to him you must show,
You must feed to the hound, the fierce Alpo. 128
This snack, light and sweet, a treat most soothing,
Twill make this fierce hound fall into snoozing.
Past the hound, now lying within a dream,
By him you must go, without being seen. 132
Once past the hound, your goal, it will be near,
One last mission to do, then you are clear.
Tis easy said Parkay if you have heart,
Get thee to town, to the brand new Wal-Mart. 136
Finished then with the sage, the quartet head out,
They head to Wal-Mart by the shortest route.
Companions four, their final goal in sight,
Prepared for what would be their final fight. 140
The huge hound they saw, guarding the closed door,
Ernie went forth bravely, this is my chore.
The hound growled, but Ernie did him entice,
With a cookie made from sugar and spice. 144
Yon hound lay down in one sweeping motion,
The sweet, twould seem, was just the right potion.
Past Alpo they went, on into the store,
Row upon row of fine products galore. 148
Down the lane of cold, the quartet must go,
Blocking their way stood one green, giant toe,
This toe, a bright earthy color of green,
Twas on the foot of the giant so mean. 152
Hungry Jack stepped up, to fight off this foe,
But Bounty said nay, I’ll give it a go.
Drawing his sword, the famed BicStick of prose,
With one clean slice he sheared the giant’s toes. 156
Howling in pain, the giant moved his foot,
Quickly past they went, the blockage he’d put.
The Kiko man stayed, to deal with the lout,
In case they would need another way out 160
Into the aisle, one sparkling and clean,
With products, many more than they’d ee’r seen.
Bounty faced one last hurdle to his quest,
A tall bald man posed a new mental test. 164
Riddle me this, Sir Bounty if you’re able,
Answer me true this question from fable.
What is green and goes to a summer camp,
Answer right, of this quest you will be champ. 168
Bounty pondered, then laughing he burst out,
The answer tis easy, a Brussels’ Scout.
The man grinned, on his mop he was leaning,
You’ve won your prize from the God of cleaning. 172
Take this then, your prize, home to your wife,
This should cure all her trouble and her strife.
Wisk I give to you in this fair chalice,
Take it home to your wife, to your palace. 176
One last thing that must always be followed,
Don’t forget to use the little bar code.
Vanishing into a sign of rollbacks,
Jack exclaimed, that was the great god Ajax! 180
The four then head, to the front, the way out,
But first they must pass the straights of chequeout.
In order to pay the price they now owed,
They needed to use Ajax’s bar code. 184
The young lass they paid, asked for this relic,
Which bag do you want, paper or plastic?
Bounty’s quest, he sighs, is now nearly done,
He must get home with the prize that he’d won. 188
Crunch’s ship they found, was still to be had,
So once more they boarded the Brillo Pad.
A few days journey brought them to the shore,
Farewell they bid Crunch and his crew of four. 192
The four found steeds, at the stable they pay,
Riding them home, along the old highway.
Nearing home, the four, at last parted ways,
Each to his own house, where his lady stays. 196
At Castle Towelracque Viva waits her lord,
And prays he brings home new Wisk, her reward
Without this Wisk, the chalice of cleaning,
Her life over, it will have no meaning. 200
With a Shout of Joy, she leaps to her feet,
And out the door races, her lord to meet.
Viva my love, give me big smiles,
I have your Wisk after many miles. 204
Oh Bounty, you did it, you won the day,
Tis just what I need, tis what they all say.
Wisk is the answer, its color is blue,
Belinda told me, and she eer speaks true. 208
Later that day, Viva shows off her skirt,
Marred no longer by the stain of the dirt.
Taking his hand, she says lets go have fun,
Bounty nods and grins for a job well done 212
The End (for now)
The Bountiful Chronicle
I sing of maids and of warriors both,
Trav’ling far off lands in search of the proof.
That new born chalice, long thought of as tale,
Of cleansing, pure and simple is this grail. 4
Many have heard, but none have yet found,
This magical grail, guarded by the hound.
This beast, so fierce, its eyes appear to glow,
Its name, known but not spoken is Alpo. 8
Twill take a hero; one strong, brave and true,
This quest to complete, his lady to woo.
Our hero known to all in his county,
Handsome, gallant, is our own Sir Bounty. 12
His lady, sweet and fair, begged of his aid,
A quest to start, the use of shield and blade.
Viva, the Sun Maid, gown frayed and dirty,
Begged the aid of her Lord, true and sturdy. 16
To her honor a stain, twas on her skirt,
Horrid and brown, this evil smudge of dirt.
I can’t live with this she cried out in pain,
Only the new Wisk will take out this stain 20
Tis in the new ad, I’ve seen this for sure,
You must find me this Wisk, tis at the store.
I can’t live without this wondrous soap,
To clean with this Wisk is my only hope. 24
To thee I beg, my dear, wise Sir Bounty,
Twill be a long quest, out of this county.
Past the Pepper Ridge and Hill Shire Farms,
Is where you must go to take up these arms. 28
Viva my one love, have you no fear,
This quest will I take, so be of good Cheer.
First I seek the aid of heav’n above,
And send my prayers on the wings of a Dove. 32
Of grail of cleansing, and machine of clean,
Eer in my thought, to thee, this I do sing.
This quest must I do, though it be hard,
And so tis to you I pray, Master Card. 36
I sing praises to thee, my lucky charm,
Give me strength of mind, body and of arm.
Spinach I offer, the food of Popeye,
May it give me 9 lives and a Birds Eye.. 40
Aid he prayed for and twould soon to him show,
Appear’d to him the Sprite of Co. Co. Co.
This quest you seek, and are to honor bound,
You’ll need help so companions have I found. 44
To you I will send the 3 Musketeers,
Each brings his own talent, this group of peers.
Each brings a diff’rent weapon to aid you,
How each will help thy quest I canst tell you. 48
Sir Duncan of Hines, smiles like the sun,
Carved on his shield, there can be only one.
His weapon of choice, one long and sharp blade,
Off with their heads twas the cry he had made. 52
The next, though salty, came’st from a good clan,
A dash of flair has the brave Kiko Man.
His wit tangy, his sword arm strong and true,
No better comrade could I find for you. 56
The last of the trio, one you canst lack,
Is the one known simply as Hungry Jack.
Jack’s heart is true and twould never forsake,
The quest till done, then rewards he’ll partake. 60
One last group will I send, these find yourselves,
They are known simply as the Keebler Elves.
Thy quest shant be won if their aid thee nix,
Their weapon of choice, known as Club Snack Stix. 64
Off the sprite did go, Vanish’d in a flash,
Leaving behind nary a sugar sweet splash.
Sir Bounty gathered his arms, shield and sword,
His steed, one strong like steel, he did board. 68
To his fair lady he bid fond farewell,
Gather’d his comrades and left with a yell.
To the plaza we go, we must away,
There dwells who we seek, the sage of Parkay. 72
Passage they booked, on the ship Brillo Pad,
The skipper, Captain Crunch, was a strong lad.
Amid the Ocean Spray they sailed bravely,
Capri Sun shone on the Vitamin Sea. 76
Early noon Tide, made the ship run aground,
The captain passed Lifesavers around.
To the near isle they all swam away,
Crunch smiled at them and pointed the way. 80
Tis the isle you need, he now smiles,
The elves live there, just ahead ten miles.
Shouldst take you a day to make this journey,
To find the head elf, the one called Ernie. 84
The heroes Bounty, Duncan, Kiko, Jack,
Trekked towards the elves, thru night gone to black.
Ernie met them at the edge of his land,
And said yes I will join your merry band. 88
The heroes trek back to the ship repair’d,
Just as the captain, he loudly declared.
Gather your things lads, tis time to deploy,
We are not alone, I see Chips Ahoy. 92
Ready for battle, my friends and ship mate,
Twould seem there is one here who does hate.
Ernie spoke, his sad eyes downward glance,
I thought we’d escape, hope’d we had the chance. 96
Bounty most concerned, urged Ernie to speak,
Tell us who we fight, who is this strange freak?
This foe slays for fun, he is a thriller,
Count Chocula, the serial killer. 100
The battle begun, was fought long and hard,
At battle’s end the count remained unmarred.
The count gave orders, don’t stop, press ahead,
Soon his men were either dying or dead. 104
His infantry, many men were cut down,
To lay on the field, a sea of dark brown.
Those that lived yet, Bounty cleaned with a swipe,
Their skill and training was not yet quite ripe. 108
Seeing defeat, to the west the Count fled,
To his lair he ran, filled with a deep dread.
The lair lay atop of the Ice Mountain,
There he remained, not to be seen again. 112
Our heroes, to the quest they returned,
With a desire to finish, they burned.
Eastward they sailed, to the Nature Valley,
Past this they must go fast, they canst dally. 116
Thus bidding Captain Crunch a fond farewell,
Our heroes trekked on, not one was unwell.
Each missed his fair lady, wife or lover,
Though each sought out quests, each was a rover. 120
Trekked on did they, through night and through the day,
At last they camest to the sage of Parkay.
Bounty asked thumping his fist to his chest,
What else must I do to finish this quest? 124
Parkay replied, his voice loud and shaking,
Ernie can help you, he brought his baking.
A snack soft and round, to him you must show,
You must feed to the hound, the fierce Alpo. 128
This snack, light and sweet, a treat most soothing,
Twill make this fierce hound fall into snoozing.
Past the hound, now lying within a dream,
By him you must go, without being seen. 132
Once past the hound, your goal, it will be near,
One last mission to do, then you are clear.
Tis easy said Parkay if you have heart,
Get thee to town, to the brand new Wal-Mart. 136
Finished then with the sage, the quartet head out,
They head to Wal-Mart by the shortest route.
Companions four, their final goal in sight,
Prepared for what would be their final fight. 140
The huge hound they saw, guarding the closed door,
Ernie went forth bravely, this is my chore.
The hound growled, but Ernie did him entice,
With a cookie made from sugar and spice. 144
Yon hound lay down in one sweeping motion,
The sweet, twould seem, was just the right potion.
Past Alpo they went, on into the store,
Row upon row of fine products galore. 148
Down the lane of cold, the quartet must go,
Blocking their way stood one green, giant toe,
This toe, a bright earthy color of green,
Twas on the foot of the giant so mean. 152
Hungry Jack stepped up, to fight off this foe,
But Bounty said nay, I’ll give it a go.
Drawing his sword, the famed BicStick of prose,
With one clean slice he sheared the giant’s toes. 156
Howling in pain, the giant moved his foot,
Quickly past they went, the blockage he’d put.
The Kiko man stayed, to deal with the lout,
In case they would need another way out 160
Into the aisle, one sparkling and clean,
With products, many more than they’d ee’r seen.
Bounty faced one last hurdle to his quest,
A tall bald man posed a new mental test. 164
Riddle me this, Sir Bounty if you’re able,
Answer me true this question from fable.
What is green and goes to a summer camp,
Answer right, of this quest you will be champ. 168
Bounty pondered, then laughing he burst out,
The answer tis easy, a Brussels’ Scout.
The man grinned, on his mop he was leaning,
You’ve won your prize from the God of cleaning. 172
Take this then, your prize, home to your wife,
This should cure all her trouble and her strife.
Wisk I give to you in this fair chalice,
Take it home to your wife, to your palace. 176
One last thing that must always be followed,
Don’t forget to use the little bar code.
Vanishing into a sign of rollbacks,
Jack exclaimed, that was the great god Ajax! 180
The four then head, to the front, the way out,
But first they must pass the straights of chequeout.
In order to pay the price they now owed,
They needed to use Ajax’s bar code. 184
The young lass they paid, asked for this relic,
Which bag do you want, paper or plastic?
Bounty’s quest, he sighs, is now nearly done,
He must get home with the prize that he’d won. 188
Crunch’s ship they found, was still to be had,
So once more they boarded the Brillo Pad.
A few days journey brought them to the shore,
Farewell they bid Crunch and his crew of four. 192
The four found steeds, at the stable they pay,
Riding them home, along the old highway.
Nearing home, the four, at last parted ways,
Each to his own house, where his lady stays. 196
At Castle Towelracque Viva waits her lord,
And prays he brings home new Wisk, her reward
Without this Wisk, the chalice of cleaning,
Her life over, it will have no meaning. 200
With a Shout of Joy, she leaps to her feet,
And out the door races, her lord to meet.
Viva my love, give me big smiles,
I have your Wisk after many miles. 204
Oh Bounty, you did it, you won the day,
Tis just what I need, tis what they all say.
Wisk is the answer, its color is blue,
Belinda told me, and she eer speaks true. 208
Later that day, Viva shows off her skirt,
Marred no longer by the stain of the dirt.
Taking his hand, she says lets go have fun,
Bounty nods and grins for a job well done 212
The End (for now)
Friday, December 10, 2010
Snow Days
I remember a time when I was a lot younger that seeing snow fall excited me. There was the possibility of snow days. A day off from school and/or work, a day filled with the promise of many adventures to come. Whether it was going from neighbor to neighbor asking them if they'd like their sidewalks shoveled (and earning more money than my brother because I just told them to pay me 'what they felt it was worth') or building a snow fort so the rest of the kids in the neighborhood could have snow wars, snow meant a freedom of sorts. We were all freed from the pressures to do well in school, to earn that almighty dollar, or to just be 'grown-ups'.
I shocked my kids when they were little by getting out in the snow and playing with them. Parents weren't supposed to do that. Parents weren't supposed to act like they loved to play in the snow. That's exactly what I did though and after a few shocked moments, the kids joined in with me and we all had a blast. Snowmen grew out of the yard, snowballs came flying out of nowhere and after, there were steaming mugs of hot chocolate waiting to warm us up with.
So when did all this change? When did I go from the snow loving teenager and young mother to the...sigh I have to say it...Adult....that groans when she sees snow in the weather forecast? It seems that the older I get, the less I like snow. It's still lovely to watch falling, silently covering the world in a white blanket. It just doesn't create the same excitement in me anymore. Snow now means bundling up in layers to keep warm, cleaning off the car, and shoveling the driveway.
I saw a hint of my old self when I introduced the puppy to the snowball. He valiently chased the solid white ball I threw for him and was amazed when he went to pick it up with his mouth, it disintegrated! The expression on his puppy face was hysterical, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. I continued to make and throw snowballs and he continued to try and catch them. By the time I was tired (well before he was), he was covered in snow and I was ready for the mug of hot chocolate I had waiting in the microwave for me.
So the youngster that loved snow is still in me, it just takes a bit more to get her to come out and play because the adult me knows of the responsibilities I have now. The kids are grown, the grandkids are too far away to play with on a regular basis, so I have my puppy to play with my inner six year old. He should keep her going for quite some time to come. :-)
I shocked my kids when they were little by getting out in the snow and playing with them. Parents weren't supposed to do that. Parents weren't supposed to act like they loved to play in the snow. That's exactly what I did though and after a few shocked moments, the kids joined in with me and we all had a blast. Snowmen grew out of the yard, snowballs came flying out of nowhere and after, there were steaming mugs of hot chocolate waiting to warm us up with.
So when did all this change? When did I go from the snow loving teenager and young mother to the...sigh I have to say it...Adult....that groans when she sees snow in the weather forecast? It seems that the older I get, the less I like snow. It's still lovely to watch falling, silently covering the world in a white blanket. It just doesn't create the same excitement in me anymore. Snow now means bundling up in layers to keep warm, cleaning off the car, and shoveling the driveway.
I saw a hint of my old self when I introduced the puppy to the snowball. He valiently chased the solid white ball I threw for him and was amazed when he went to pick it up with his mouth, it disintegrated! The expression on his puppy face was hysterical, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. I continued to make and throw snowballs and he continued to try and catch them. By the time I was tired (well before he was), he was covered in snow and I was ready for the mug of hot chocolate I had waiting in the microwave for me.
So the youngster that loved snow is still in me, it just takes a bit more to get her to come out and play because the adult me knows of the responsibilities I have now. The kids are grown, the grandkids are too far away to play with on a regular basis, so I have my puppy to play with my inner six year old. He should keep her going for quite some time to come. :-)
Friday, November 5, 2010
Catching up
It's been quite a while since I last posted. A lot has happened. A few more catherizations, a few more stents, and finally triple bypass surgery that I almost didn't survive. I did survive and I'm recovering nicely. I'm back to work and in January I'll be back to school. I can't wait to start classes again. I miss homework. (And yes, I've been told that's sick.)
The other day the funniest (now it's funny) thing happened. I took the day off work to break a pain cycle. I took a pretty heavy duty pain pill and lay down for a nap. Sometime during that nap, my dentures began to bother me and I took them out and set them on the night table. During that nap, my 5 month old puppy Auggie grabbed my dentures. I found them...or what was left of them...later that night. All that was left was a piece big enough to hold 2 teeth. I wasn't very happy with the puppy at that point as you can well imagine. The next day at work however, we were flinging 'tooth' puns around wildly. I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time. The Learning Lab staff sure is good at finding the absurd in situations...lol.
So today I have an appointment with the dentist to see about new dentures. I am terrified of dentists and haven't been back to one since the last visit almost 11 years ago when the sadist doctor tried to use what looked like a wood rasp on my gums to get rid of bone spurs. So keep your fingers crossed I don't freak out and hit the dentist...that probably wouldn't be a good thing.
The other day the funniest (now it's funny) thing happened. I took the day off work to break a pain cycle. I took a pretty heavy duty pain pill and lay down for a nap. Sometime during that nap, my dentures began to bother me and I took them out and set them on the night table. During that nap, my 5 month old puppy Auggie grabbed my dentures. I found them...or what was left of them...later that night. All that was left was a piece big enough to hold 2 teeth. I wasn't very happy with the puppy at that point as you can well imagine. The next day at work however, we were flinging 'tooth' puns around wildly. I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time. The Learning Lab staff sure is good at finding the absurd in situations...lol.
So today I have an appointment with the dentist to see about new dentures. I am terrified of dentists and haven't been back to one since the last visit almost 11 years ago when the sadist doctor tried to use what looked like a wood rasp on my gums to get rid of bone spurs. So keep your fingers crossed I don't freak out and hit the dentist...that probably wouldn't be a good thing.
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