Only a Moment

Chaos, spun out like tires
spitting graveled wordy barbs,
sped away into the night.

“Life is nothing without a little chaos to make it interesting.”

~ Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, Demon in My View

Making Sunshine

Making your own sunshine

brushes clouds away

with a splash of warm water

“Sunshine is my quest.”

~ Winston Churchill

Author's Note: Edited January 02, 2024

Advancement

Newspapers
silently blare headlines inspired by news of the day
content whispered in columns of small font
information put out to the world.
good news tucked in safe places
newspapers divided into News, Sports and Weather

Radio news inspired by ‘hot topics’
headlines stated clearly and calmly, with just a touch of emotion.
content ‘to come later’……
good news shared after disasters.
ordered division of News, Sports and Weather

Television presentations inspired by 
headlines spoken clearly into the camera
make-up and wardrobe at the ready
content accompanied by seconds long camera shots
directors divide the set into News, Sports and Weather

Finally ~ the Internet
websites chop up the careful order
news channels, Sports channels, Weather channels and Social Media
for content just click on each link.
good news or tragedy, trauma or more good news - your choice.

“The Internet is probably the most important 

technological advancement of my lifetime. Its 

strength lies in its open architecture and its ability 

to allow a framework where all voices can be heard.”

~ Adam Savage

Book Review - Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín

This is an ordinary story, with no glitz, glamour or sensationalism. Eilis Lacey is an ordinary girl from an ordinary and small town in Ireland in the 1950’s. Shy, quiet and naive, the youngest in a family of five, she travels to America when the opportunity is presented to her. Eilis lives with  her mother who is recently widowed, and her older sister Rose. She looks up to this sister who quietly introduces her to the possibility of traveling to America. Although her brothers had gone to England to find work, Eilis was not inspired to follow, despite her own difficulty finding work. Her motivation often came from the suggestions of others. Eilis sometimes seems to wander through her own story, at the same time listening and learning from whomever she is around, and yet keeping herself to herself. I must admit that part of her character didn’t appeal, but Colin Tóibín’s writing kept me interested in her story. 

Eilis must decide between home, family and friends in Ireland that she's known all her life and returning to her new life in Brooklyn with a new job, education in book-keeping, and new and developing friendships ~ and independence.

Colm Tóibín's Brooklyn is an easy read, written from the mind of a young girl making decisions that need to be made, in a time when women were just learning to stand on their own.

“Until now, Eilis had always presumed that 

she would live in the town all her life, as her mother 

had done, knowing everyone, having the same friends 

and neighbours, the same routines in the same streets.”

~ Colm Tóibín, Brooklyn

Title: Brooklyn
Author: Colm Tóibín 
Publisher: Scribner ~ A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Publication Date: 2010 Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4391-3831-1 
ISBN: 978-1-4391-4895-2 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-4391-4982-9 (ebook)
Type:  Fiction

Overload

Media reports full of information about

health care, 

and the strength to recover, 

war and political struggles
and the courage to question.

The challenge remains

to beware

to be afraid

to know that danger is close

to mistrust others

and now

to mistrust ourselves

And yet

To trust the science because we are told to

To trust the science because of science’s track record

To believe in the science because the science is always right

To trust our governments

Technology

with sensors everywhere

globally and at home

In our phones

In our homes

In our vehicles

and now 

In the mattresses of our beds

Will all of this be inspiration for us

to regain belief in our internal sensors

of emotion

of belief

of intelligence

of wisdom?

Birth, life and death

Scientific

Politicized

Automated

Medicalized

“Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?”

~ T.S.Eliot

Translating Puppy Thoughts

Eva and Percy at Jericho Beach

My trip this weekend was to Vancouver to visit with my sons and love on my grand-dogs. I had not yet met my newest grand-dog, Percival - Percy for short. And right now he is short, but not for long! He is so sweet and lovable. Lots of great cuddles with him. What I know for sure about four month old puppies is that they are inspired to chase after anything that moves. Their motivation? Curiosity, playing and being puppies. If I were to be able to translate little Percy’s thoughts about this weekend it would go something like this:

“When the big dogs swim waaaay far away after a stick thrown way out in the water, it looks really  fun. But that swimming stuff is really different than racing around on the grass after the big dogs. Grandma had to wipe my face with a tissue once because I got all full of sand and slobber. She also took two videos - I’ve had to learn some really funny words to tell you this. One video was of Eva, my very best big sister, chasing a huuuge stick, swimming and splashing - and going too far away for me to follow - but I watched her all the way. Then another was me practicing to be like the big dogs - but very carefully. (And Eva took the stick from me sometimes.)”

(So sorry - I was unable to post my videos - I don't know what I could have done differently.)

“The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog.”

~ Ambrose Bierce

A Storied Painting

'The Old and the New'

A Storied Painting” is from the timed writing exercise at Writer’s Ink yesterday afternoon. We were given ten minutes to write a story or poem about the painting that accompanies this post.
The part in italics was written within the time limit - on my cell phone with one finger. I added the remainder that was my full vision, at the time of the exercise, to tell the story of the hard work and reward of many farmers and gardeners - but ran out of time. Each of our members had a very different, and interesting, perspective of these two people.

Here is:

A Storied Painting

Broad shouldered, their backs to us, they set off to the fields for the day. I had no idea how to prepare the evening meal but Gerda had given me instructions for the supper menu. Gerda had packed a substantial lunch - sandwiches made with her homemade bread. The sandwiches were filled with generous slices of delicious roasted tongue topped with thick slabs of cheese from their own dairy. For supper, I was to boil potatoes, cook peas and fry up a big pan of sausages. A simple meal but I did wish that I was the one to go to the fields and Gerda had stayed at home. 

Preparation included a garden fork and a large basket. The potatoes needed to be dug from long rows of wilted potato plants in the sunny garden - then washed, cut in quarters and put on to boil. The peas were to be picked, filling the basket completely. Sitting on the back step the peas were shelled, then washed and boiled. Gathering spices from the herb garden - tarragon, chives, garlic, rosemary  - were to be added according to Gerda’s recipes.

I had begun the day with no inspiration and only the motivation to return the kindness of my hosts. Gathering all the food for the evening meal, I had come to realize that all of the food in their home was truly the result of their many labours. After such a day, I was so very pleased to serve such a lovely meal.

“Agriculture and food is an area where everyone can 

begin today. That is why the garden is so important. It teaches

us that there’s something we’re all capable of doing.”

~ Vandana Shiva

Water colour painting titled:
The Old and the New
Artist:  Rosa Penzotti (unsure of last name spelling)