how to harvest a cranberry bog

step one: flood the bog

step two: help the berries loose from the bushes by churning the flooded bog with an air boat thing

 

 

 

step three: collect the berries with floating nets

 

step four: feed the berries into a big truck

 

step five: use the big truck to wash the berries

step six: let Jack inspect the results

 

and bonus step seven: leave the bog flooded for a while so the ducks can eat all the frogs left in the bog.

i am grateful for... (21/31)

running.  that i can run.  if you've ever run, then you understand.  it's a beautiful alone time. time for my body to work. time for my mind to wander and wonder. and a time for my emotions to recalibrate and level out.

i am grateful for my brother (20/31)

saturday, my brother mike came over and we developed a comic book idea together.  he's going to draw it.  because he's an artist.  he's also funny and cool.  i am really proud of him.  it's not quite grateful.  well, not as straight-forward as all the rest.  but i am grateful that he asked for my creative help.  grateful that he thinks i'm worthy ^_^

today i am grateful for... (19/31)

technology.  because of the internet and my laptop and my cell phone, i can listen to bbc radio 1 all around the house while i do laundry and bake bread.  that's a rather wonderful thing, is it not?

 

friday morning

we are called together
the hour is dawn
the clouds are many
and we are so few

we, birds.  we, children.
we, aliens. we.

i am grateful for (18/31)

pasta.  in particlar the pasta ryan is boiling for me right now, because i don't feel well.  my husband is great. 

i am grateful for ... (17/31)

i have narrow ear canals.  i am not grateful for that.  what i am grateful, however, is the fact that there are solutions sold at most grocery stores and pharmacies that i can pour in my ear and it helps me clean them and, therefore, hear better.  and without any pain.  i am grateful for ear cleaning solutions.

i am grateful for ... (16/31)

the fact that their making a marvel shield tv show and that agent coulson will be in it - and not dead any more.  thank you.

i am grateful for... (15/31)

today, after my normal thursday morning work, i dropped off six big bags of food to the Falmouth Service Center food pantry.  weight watchers members collected food at two meetings and i got to take it to the pantry for them.

 

there were a few older people collecting food from the pantry.  but there were also some women my age, and some of them with one or two kids each.  i was really happy to see that the food is going to young families who are obviously struggling to make ends meet.  and i am grateful for the fact that Ryan and i can afford to eat.  that we can buy all the food we want.  in fact we could do with less if we had to. 

 

i am grateful for slippers (14/31)

yesterday (sunday) i got to wear my slippers around the house all day.  it was cool out, and we had no where we needed to go.  it was a good way for my feet to spend the day.

 

i am grateful for good bras (13/31)

tmi?

the bog up close

check out those cranberries!

the bog

 

and our house!

today i am grateful for Jack (12/31)

i mean... just look at him!

how could anyone not be grateful for a cat with a belly that white and pink and fluffy, who purrs ALL the time, and has the most adorable tail/paw action?

^___^

adventuring

with adipose figures ♥

i am grateful for chris (11/31)

my brother-in-law and friend.  for he is generous enough to lend us his skills as a car doctor over and over and over and over without asking for anything in return.  i owe him at least three cars.  and i hope to repay him in macarons.  THANK YOU CHRIS!!!

the shape and colors of things

in the woods out back.

color and life around the bog...

 

 

 

i am grateful for ... (10/31)

the way leaves swarm in protest against the cars that drive too quickly past.

i am thankful for jumper cables (9/31)

because my car is not very good at being a car.  i told ryan, it's more like kirby the elf who would rather be a dentist than make toys.  my car would rather be a porch or a sofa than a thing with wheels that moves.

i am grateful for bluejays (8/31)

i saw a bluejay this morning, amidst the grey and damp.  it made me appreciate the full spectrum of life, of color, of emotions, and possibilities.  it made me feel good that i could identify it easily.  the bluejay gives us all this gift.  it sacrificed camouflage to make me feel smarter (okay, maybe not, but it felt that way in the instant i saw the bird).  and it made me smile at the audacity of a bird so bright, in a surrounding so dull.  thank you bluejay, for brightening my mind, heart, and day.

routine

we wake up to rain
the sound of it drowning out
the drip of the coffee machine
set on a timer.

his hair is dishevelled
the sweat from a humid night
dried and stained our skin
begging to be shed.

cats swarmed my feet
alerted by the sound
of cans of food
being opened and emptied.

i dropped him off
outside the front door of his office
with a departure kiss
to last all day.

the smell of sweat,
the taste of coffee,
the warmth of purring cats,
the sensation of a dry kiss

last all day
until our routine together
continues into the night
and next day.

i am grateful for sunday morning lie ins (7/31)

most sunday mornings, ryan and i get to sleep in.  no alarm clocks.  kitties snuggling and cuddling.  simple happy.

i am grateful for my mom (6/31)

i am grateful for my mom every day.  she is my inspiration, my drive, my motivation, my cheerleader.  she is always proud of me for whatever i accomplish.  and i, in return, am forever grateful for all that she has given me and done for me.  i love her so much.  as cliche as it sounds, she is the best mom anyone could ever ask for, ever.

 

i ♥ my mom

 

Happy Birthday, Linda

yesterday was Linda's brithday.  we threw a little surprise party in the back room at Gustare Mashpee for her.

 

naturally, i was put in charge of desserts for a secret gathering of yummy foods and happy people.  i made some chocolate cupcakes, filled them with dulce de leche and salted them (yum), but i also made a new thing.  a fun thing.  a yum thing... this thing...

 

 a galette.  which i discovered via foodgawker.  my excellent instruction came from www.melissahartfiel.com, though i changed the fruit from blackberries to figs and added a little Gustare balsamic vinegar in there to sweeten things up even more.

 

my galette was good hot, good cold, good reheated. 

so Linda had a happy birthday party, and i made a successful new thing!  i think i might attempt an appley one for thanksgiving.  ^___^

i am grateful for sunny days (5/31)

although i spent an awful lot of today in doors, it was stellar to have all the windows and the screen door to the deck open.  the house feels fresh and cool.  and the time i did spend outside was the most pleasant it's been in ages.  i didn't run today, but so far all of my baking has come out of the oven in splendid form thanks to the weather.

 

the sun lifts my spirit.  and i am looking forward to mall beautiful fall days.  hopefully i can convince some friends to hike with me over the next couple of weekends.

 

so sunny days, yay.

i am grateful for quiet nights in (4/31)

yesterday i was in a rather grumpy mood.  but liz was due to come over to catch up on doctor who.  her being her cheered me up, even though we didn't all get to have dinner at the same time.  her, ryan and i sat for hours together drinking hot tea while watching all of season 7 so far.

 

tonight, i made bread and lasagna for the boys.  matt e. came over to watch the newest episode of red dwarf.  even though my mood was better today anyway, both nights have been relaxed and cheerful.

 

it's especially nice to have good television, yummy food, and kind friends around you when it's getting cooler and the weather is grey.

 

i am grateful for rowdy (3/31)

i have had two nightmares within the last week, both featuring my baby kitty Rowdy.  they were nightmares because he was bleeding.  i am grateful that he is alright.  i think he, out of all the pets i've ever had, loves me the most of all of them.  maybe he needs me the most, but it feels like love. 

 

he tucks me in at night if ryan stays up after i get in bed.  he jumps up and cuddles on my pillow.  he waits for me to fall asleep.  in the morning he meows for breakfast.  sometimes when i get home in the afternoon, he meows hellos at me.  we have conversations in the bathroom every time i take a shower.

 

i really love him.  his little ways, although some times naughty, make me laugh and smile.

 

he's my baby.  and i'm grateful for feeling so well loved by him.

i am grateful for my weight watchers family (2/31)

four years ago this month, i joined weight watchers.

 

since then, i lost 30 pounds.  i got a job.  and i have made so many beautiful friends.

 

everyone has been open and warm towards me.  every member and staff person has made me feel welcome, comfortable, and accomplished.  i hope i do the same for some of the members i see week to week.

 

extra special gratefulness towards my mom, my ww mom Barb, Jackie, Pat, and today, Darragh (for our nice long walk and talk).

i am thankful for ryan (1/31)

i am thankful for Ryan, my husband.
he is patient with my faults.
when i am sad, he lifts me up.
when i am angry, he calms me down.
when i am happy, he is there with me.
he helps me grow.
i learn from him.
and he never gets upset with me when i steal the covers at night.

31 things i'm grateful for

this october i am going to take a moment every day to appreciate something in my life.  i know thanksgiving isn't until next month, but it's never too early to start saying thanks.

end (poem 30/30)

the end of the day
the weekend
the end of the effect
of the catnip on Rowdy
the end of the show
the end of the joke
the mile
the meal
the end of the sale
and the end of the drive home
the end of the bag
the end of the bottle
the end of september
the begining of some other thing...

tucker (poem 29/30)

he used to sit there --
under the dying apple tree --
picking bark off the trunk.

pumpkins

not a poem, a picture of pumpkins

pumpkins (poem 28/30)

we adopted nine pumpkins
but three of them are too small
to be left outside at night
with the bigger, stronger ones
so they sit on the kitchen table
with the chrysanthemums
i bought on sale a the grocery store
on the friday night it rained

three names (poem 27/30)

we call her alli
butterscotch
princess

we call him jack
jackie
jacko

we call him rowdy
rizzle
pumpkin

they call her george
and pretty lady, but
i call her ringo

under the dream tree (poem 26/30)

a cat curls up under the dream tree
his pink-toed paws flick and twitch
as he imagines he's chasing a mouse

seeking happy (poem 25/30)

what makes happy?

 

cats' paws. candy coated chocolate. a compliment from a stranger. a green light. dishwasher tablets. sea salt. soft blankets in winter. recycling. the little sayings on yogi tea bags. newly applied paint. the *tink* *tink* sound the play station 3 makes. snuggling. a brand new tube of tooth paste. friends. friends with apple pie. time for bed. a bright morning. breakfast smells. tea with honey. mom. pictures of books. turning the pages. watching tv shows with friends. laughing. purring. smiling.

 

the list goes on and on. 

 

[add to it in the comment section if you feel so inclined.]

the old orange ship (poem 24/30)

tied on two ends
to one of the remote docks

is an old orange ship
rusty in most places

old and creaking
against the waves

created by the lively wake
of living boats and ships and yachts

no one goes out
to the old orange ship

her name is worn
off the side of her hull

no one knows the name
of the old orange ship

she just sits, rocking,
rotting and acting

as the secret home
of stray cats and seagulls

the travelling band (poem 23/30)

the travelling band
play travelling songs

for traveller across
all lands and scapes

the travelling band
know so many songs

from all the countries
they have travelled

the travelling band
travel heavy and slow

with all of the instruments
they need to perform

so if you ever see
the travelling band

stop and listen to their songs
as one of them might be yours

a truth about turkey (poem 22/30)

you never see a turkey alone
but in gangs spread across two sides
of a back road pecking at the grass

Red Bog Begining

The bog behind our house has started to turn a pretty red color.  I will be watching closely and taking pictures as the harvest begins within the next month or so.  

 

 

The kitties will also be watching out for cranberry harvesting.

planetary (poem 21/30)

the alignment of planets
has nothing to do with how many halos
can be found around the crown
of a cat

tango bravo alpha (poem 20/30)

little anthony taught himself morse code
and the NATO phonetic alphabet

in preparation for an alien invasion
like the one he saw on the television

he converted his multiplication table index cards
to new symbols and methods of communicating

he packed an emergency back pack
and kept it stocked with the best survival tools

but when it came time for his maths test
he couldn't remember, or figure out, the answer

to 4 x 7 and wondered how important math would be
if he ever had to fly a plane or helicopter

in guessing it might be, little anthony
reapplied himself to multiplication

but gave all his answers in arabic, chinese,
and roman numeral answers.

cover story (poem 19/30)

the creeping of carelessness
over the cast of clouding skies

on the crest of a loveless night
caressing our memories

creating a cold plaster cast
locking in the century old cries

of a creature still unclassified
by the collectors and colleges.

lost kodama (poem 18/30)

 

 

 

Kodama

once upon a long time ago
an old tree continued to grow

in it lived so many little spirits
protected by the tree's big trunk and thick bark

but one day came, not too long ago
in comparison to the life of the tree

on that day, the tree was torn from its roots
in a great flood that swept the forests

and the all the kodama were washed away
towards the towns and cities

today, the kodama find shelter
in the most peculiar places

lost as they are, away from the forest
and the trees they grew up knowing best

ritual (poem 17/30)

every morning

 

penelope and snowy share breakfast
across the table set in the kitchen

 

where penelope could watch her older sisters

as they fuss over rising agents and local hear throbs

 

and where snowy the elder cat

can avoid the bother of all the other family pets.

 

 



http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=big&illust_id=29997672

fellows (poem 16/30)

long ago blue, green, yellow and orange
were four fellows, all friends, and sat awaiting
the on-come of storming angst
as it bubbled and boiled up over the edges
of a small pot with twin braids and penny loafers
sent away from home by ill equiped parents
in a time of economic weather and sunshine.

it wouldn't be long before the fire in her eyes
grew so strong and hot that lasers would be born
and directed at four friendly fellows
all helpless to save themselves under any attack
especially one of such magnificent array
of color and texture with spices from all seven
of the major continents on earth.

our last adventure (poem 15/30)

on our last adventure
you gave us away

tweeting like a bird
on the limb of a tree

telling the whole world
about the little deer

we found hiding
under the piano bench

that had been abandoned
by the woodland pirates

in the last hurricane.

no moon (poem 14/30)

the chirps and croaks
of little bugs and little frogs

huddled in the folds
of the cranberry bog

under the blue black sky
of a night without a moon

pancakes (poem 13/30)

marry the guy
who makes pancakes

without having to ask
what you want

when he wakes you up
at 9:30 with warm syrup

and a cup of sweet warm tea
to go with your breakfast

A Cat Called Home-Buyer (a drawing)

i have never actually played monopoly with a cat.

jacqualine (poem 12/30)

a winter spirit
trapped in other seasons
can't wait in comfort
for the cooler days
and the twinkling
of frozen dew
on cool-green blades of grass.

unseen (poem 11/30)

she wasn't there that day.

she missed the rainbow.

so he took pictures of it
to show her when she returned
but the difference between humans
and cameras

is that one can see rainbows,
while the other cannot.

so she never saw the rainbow
through the camera
that couldn't.

bear (poem 10/30)

brown and big and wet
she charges through the river water

thrashing around the rocks
to catch salmon in her mouth

feeding herself before she feeds her cubs
before leaving the river just as she found it

less a few fish.

two poems behind

but i have more time and space to catch up later this week.  do not worry.  ^__^

garage dog (poem 9/30)

whitney is a black lab
with white chin hairs
that the people call greys

whitney waits outside
the Mystic Motors Auto Shop
for people to come by and pet him

someone once called him eli
but most people call him "good dog"
unless they are his friends

his friends call him whitney.

the trap (poem 8/30)

she built a trap
to trap him in

made of colorful
colors of all shades

with twists and turns
that puzzle the mind

and puzzles that twist
your fingers in two

and she caught him in it
this man she would trap

someone who she feared
could not be outwitted

her foe from a long time past
had hunted her down

through universes
and galaxies

and time and events
across the seas of earth

to this floating palace
of confusion and beauty

and she watched him
from the safety of her tug boat

which pulled the palace
of puzzling shape

across oceans and seas
and bays and the  breeze

http://zaionart.blogspot.com.es/

beach music (poem 7/30)

for Tina Toran

1.
a great beast approached the women
who laid on the dunes in summer
to let the sun darken their skin

its sides were deeper brown than skin
with flags of great, cloud like white
and beams that moaned with every turn.

the women, from fear of the great sea beast,
ran to their children and ran to their men
to warn them of the oncoming threat.

2.
the mighty sea baron took anchor in hand
and lobbed it overboard at the first sight
of grassy foreign land he came across.

he did not notice the women yelling
as they ran away from his anchor
failing to land on them, although it tried.

his roar was mighty and demanded his crew
to saddle up and prepare to explore
this bountiful new world he had discovered.

3.
it took the baron's crew six hours
to ready themselves for their magnificent landfall
because the band's piano needed tuning

and no man dare make a great discovery
without a full orchestral soundtrack
to accompany  his triumph, especially the baron

a man of grave pomp and opulent circumstance
that would make the very queen of the empire
weep in admiration for his efforts and ruffled collars.

4.
the women's men were ready for the beast
to attack them with what mythical forces
they knew it must possess, the way it hollered and sighed

they had never heard so many terrible sounds
coming from one such terrible creature
as the black beast form the sea that loomed off their shore,

they sent warning cries and beat their drums
to ward off the great threat that came form the sea
and scare it away with their traditional songs of war.

5.
upon reaching the shore the baron was greeted
with great hooting and howling and wailing
and drumming beats and stomping feats and whistling,

so enamored with the natives' sounds
the baron commanded his orchestra
to learn the rhythms and beats of these natives

so that he might bring beach music back to his queen
and be awarded the highest honor of all;
the balcony at the opera and a glass of sherry with her Majesty.

the development (poem 6/30)

where he read it, his head rested against the head board
with a floral-covered pillow for comfort

as she turned each page of the book he lent her
to read while he was away that day

her elbows turned red and itchy
from rubbing against the table top

he turned the pages faster than she did
soaking up the plot, letting his imagination fill in the gaps as he slept

she labored over every word
studying the language as if new to her

they read it all, every word, differently
and understood the story in different ways

one came away with morals
one with corruption

but they both held each other tight in the nights
following each horrific chapter

of their day to day struggles,
their life, reflected upon white pages in black printed ink

we had a lot of rain yesterday

i think it was called hurrican Leslie... and it looked like this:

 

 

but this morning, the sun was shining and many cats did enjoy its rays...

 

 

 

 



jack is gonna wreck it

jack got a new journal.

end of the world (poem 5/30)

at the very end of our world
there is a strong, old tree with a rope swing

put there so you can take a bigger leap
over the edge into the emptiness

and go deeper into the black abyss of space
so you can get more star dust in your hair

more, at least, than if you'd just jumped
straight off the edge without the swing

creeping socks

pages (poem 4/30)

the paper dries out the skin
on the palms of my thumbs
as i flick through the pages
of a book about bums.

(ryan wrote the last two words of this poem. please enjoy.)

song of my people for Nicole

i cannot, but i try.  and i think i conveyed my meaning here.  did i?

gentleman weeping (poem 3/30)

you sat side by side on the side of the bed
legs dangling off the edge with the cup of tea

he brought for you, made just the way you like
with sugar and milk to weaken the bergamot

and watched as he began to wept as he told you
that he wasn't sure if he could stay much longer.

braid (poem 2/30)

we are bound

three strands
twisted together

locked in

beautifully woven
back

long

down the length
of a woman

standing

tall and proud
her skin burnt

by the sun.

frozen table (a drawing)

i asked some people to give me titles without telling them what these titles were for (because most people would assume the titles were for poems).  and then i drew these... and i am no artist... as you can see...

wolf hunter (poem 1/30)

synthia silvershire
was a wolf hunter

born into a family
of infamous wolf hunters

they saved farms and families and cities
and towns from the threat of people eating wolves

from a very young age, synthia learned
to track and kill her familial foes

she wore a wolf skin hat, lined
with the precious fur

of a great white wolf
her father had killed

but synthia was still young
she still had a heart

and could not take the lives
of those cubs she found

alone and abandoned by their mother
who was killed earlier that night

she took them in and trained them on a sleigh
and soon synthia silvershire became known

as the wolf woman.  no longer a hunter,
no longer a killer, now a mother.

and for this, she too
was abandoned by her family.

breakfast on the deck

Dalek eats Dalek Cake

but at least it was made form gluten free swiss roll...

a little annoyed

 

Rowdy was a little annoyed
at how close the camera
got to his face.

a poem for James

I've just had a little something put up on The Great British Bard-Off to break the bottle on my Poetry in September attempt.

 

The Great British Bard-Off is an accumulation of many poets' work all with the same theme.  Baking.  In particular, a BBC2 television program called The Great British Bake Off.  

 

Thanks to Jenni B. Baker (appropriately named), I was introduced to this blog and, thereafter, the show in association.

 

Lots of love to Charlotte for accepting my submission ^__^   

Poetry in September

needless to say, i haven't written much poetry lately.  to remedy this travisty, i am going to attempt to write a poem each day in September (which begins tomorrow!). 

 

i have toyed with the idea of taking a picture of the view from our brand new deck every day also, but that might get a little boring?  i could mix it up and try taking more interesting little pictures to go with my poems.  no promises on this front.  though, here's a tiny little sun-bleached crab claw for you...

monday

i ofter bare the weight of monday badly
in the afternoon, alone and pondering

a cup of tea answers none of the riddles
the open book puts to us, even as the pages turn

from the kitchen table i watch the weather
changing from bright blue and blustery

to thunder, lightning, rain and yard work
accumulating in piles of fallen branches

24 out of 31 s'not that bad, right?

so i managed 24 drabbles out of the 31 days in may.  considering i also baked over 600 macarons in may, hung out with my niece, have been working on getting my business financed, worked my other two jobs, maintained my weight, have run an average of 12 miles each week, and kept the house relatively tidy and clean... that's not bad at all.

a drabble a day in the month of may was a success.  i wrote more than last year too.  go me!

drabble day 24 - white plain

the mountains here rise high and swiftly up. the cliffs are impassable by human foot. but goats, evolved from generation to generation, chew on the green moss that grows on the steep cliff sides. their hooves are small and their balance is perfect for climbing such dramatic inclining walls.

at the bottom of a cliff, balancing over the precipice of another ledge, is a small white house with clouds of smoke puffing up out of the chimney. there are not many houses among these cliffs. paths are narrow and winding and long. goats have a much easier time getting food.

drabble day 23 - birdhouses

there are six birdhouses nailed to the old scrub pine in the neighbor's back yard.  only two are painted.  the others are made of bare wood, and inhabited by chickadees. 

during the big storm last autumn, three of the houses blew down.  an old man nailed them back up onto the same tree before the winter started.  no birds lived in any of the houses during the winter.  it was too cold.

in the spring, birds moved into all the six houses.  they make soft nests inside, made of grass trimmings and pieces of plastic they find in trash bins.

drabble day 22 - apology

he remembered something about the flowers. they were expensive, but he hadn't noticed the price when he paid for them.

his socks didn't feel right. he took the red line.  he looked down at his feet he saw two different colors peeking out from the tongues of his shoes.

his palms sweat. he rehearsed what he'd say the whole way, losing track of the stops. and at every stop his heart also stopped until he read the sign.

he didn't recognize the scruffy hipster in the window's reflection. his reflection.

if she took him back, he could start eating again.

drabble day 21 - can't sleep

my eyelids are heavy. i can feel the blood shooting through them. the more tired i get, the harder it is to fall asleep. i can't keep them closed.

so i crawl out of bed. the duvet is in a pile, overflowing off the edge where my leg last parted with the fitted sheet.

the kettle is quiet. it clicks off without whistling so no one else hears me brew the tea. but the damn cat foils me, he meows for milk when i open the fridge.

no one wakes up. i drink hot tea, he laps up his milk.

drabble day 20 - plato's birthday

plato the little tan dog turned five years old today. his human people made him wear an irritating hat, but gave him a special dog cake in exchange for his discomfort. they let him eat it outside on the deck. plato loves being outside. the human people also took plato to the beach which made him happy.  there, plato met a new friend named daisy. daisy is a golden retriever. she was wet when they met. now plato understands why his human people don't like the smell of him when he is wet. It’s a pungent odor on another dog.

drabble day 19 - the house of cats

on one of his many walks through the neighborhood, plato observed a house with open windows. many houses have open windows, but this one was different. sat in the windows were small fury creatures like him, but different. two oranges ones and one with stripes like ... he didn't know what it was like. baffled, plato continued his walk.

later that night plato woke with a start. cats! they were CATS! plato could not fall back asleep. he longed for another walk so he could see these cats again figure out how to chase them like he was supposed to.

drabble day 18 - when it rains

when it rains, plato the little tan dog sits up on the back of the big green sofa and looks out the big front window. he watches the fat water drops fall on the glass and the puddles for on the street. he counts the cars that go by, notes how big a splash they make. in the summer kids go out in the rain and play.  plato wishes he could go outside and play with them. he loves being outside, even in the rain, but his human people don't like the way he smells when he is all wet.