dress a monday in february

many dresses in february

i had a little tea party today with some lovely friends.  here are a couple of pictures of us in all our dresses.  we drank tea, ate sweet treats, and played games.  harry potter clue wasn't as rousing as hoped.  curses ended in many laughs as usual (and i won, ha!).  but the poetry below the pictures is the result of our several hour long apples-to-apples.

(this one is a little dark, but i'm putting it up because jack is kissing Adelaide!)

Katy
we are slightly misunderstood
those in porcelain cups

appetizing each other's egos
with sweet compliments

coy with white smiles
tricking onlookers with snappy retorts


Adelaide
the radiant crossing of bridges
on white horses

splashing across great widths
of juicy tropical landscapes

halted by the cravings
of steeds for chewy snacks

amongst the shade of palms
and packs of cuddly critters

seen only in a dream
in the mind of George Washington


Liz
the sound of something like
"uSuperufluousu" slipped

through the keyhole of an old door
in an almost nasty tone

as if it were something
other than normal being said

behind scenic wooden doors
of an old castle in the hills

stuffy with stone and cement
on every wall

no hint of inspirational design
or luxurious consideration

yet something magical
slips through the door with it

a scary rhythm to the voice
enchanting the listeners

into dysfunctional chaos
dimming and turning

each obtuse stone
turned


Erin
the curious sound
of leaf blowers in winter

mark the desperate type
of homeowner

fuzzy on snow etiquette
and clearing the drive way

trying too hard to look sexy
while shoveling and scraping

thinking unthoughtful thoughts
of legendary historians

with senseless abandon
for reality to the point of absurd

yet exciting transcendence
all the while clearing snow


Danielle
dead leaves fall from hearty trees
with dreamy affectations for the ground

stirring the balance of the ground
furious with pine needles

attended by oddly cute rodents
with puffy tails and cranky dispositions

running from peek hole to peek hole
with a sense of cosmic urgency

confused by the deviation
of regular weather patterns

Cat
risky big business
taking on starlets

with eyes that glow virtuous
against mirror glass

the mold is too twisted
to adjust for profits

no matter how dirty
the bathwater

it's never hot enough
to make right

the sting of a sensual
encounter with lawyers
 

a dress a day in february on saturday with tired girl

a true story

i would like to dedicate this post to my lovely husband who has taken my picture for me the last two nights and who cleaned the living room so beautifully and so thoroughly it deserved to be the backdrop for this picture.

solid colors, squishy body, soggy weather

am feeling rather large this morning.  trying to embrace it with bright, solid colors.  this cardy definitely helps brighten me up in comparison to the weather at the moment, which is tediously wet and grey.

baker in a dress in february

it was one heck of a day.  busy morning, busy work, then highjacked the husband for a walk at the canal while it was still warm out.  evening rolls around and on either side of fixing dinner, I've been baking macarons and panettone for my tea party on sunday.  look though!  i have done all this in a red scarf and red skirt with my favorite sparkly grey/silver cardigan.

huzzah!

p.s. new phone on Monday, expect higher quality picutes!!!!

p.p.s. this is rowdy...

 

 

 he's a genius. 

young

http://heartbeforebody.tumblr.com/post/25598628485

the tour of chaos is balanced
by the beauty in her form

wrapped in layers of soft and sweet
she lashes out, gives verbal queues

and glances sideways at those
who she pretends not to adore

but too much is true of what she says
that others find her poison fatal

dormant

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fireflyworkshop/

ring the base out to turn
white covering to color

patches in front of local shops
let bulbs bud from dormant

lives hidden under layers
we all emerge pale and cool

tidal



the tide breaks over our backs

washing away languid memories,

wishing away scars of trials

failed, though fought with the valor

deserving in war.

 

 

blue dress in february

someone needs a hair cut...

black dress, gold and pink scarf in february

i didn't feel like going into the basement to use the full length mirror this morning.  and the sun in the bathroom was happy. 
happy Monday. 

"no good deed..."

a dear friend just reassured me that "no good deed goes unpunished".  unfortunately, i have felt this too strongly twice already this year.

twice this year i have gone out of my way to do something good for others, something that didn't wholly benefit me, only to find out that my good intentions led to someone feeling upset by my doing. 

misunderstanding seems to be the biggest culprit in both instances. 

so must i go out of my way to express every action to every person before i do it?  must i chose not to do a good for one out of fear of upsetting another? 

it's hard.  frustrating.  confusing.

snow day dress in february!

repeat dress with different cardy. not very creative today.  but, hey, who else do you know when out shoveling in a dress?  ^_^

not a dress, but still not pants or trousers, and still february

valentine's day dress

i normally take a bunch of bad, blurry pictures before i get one that's alright enough to post... your valentine's day present is...?

 

yup, all of the bad pictures too!  enjoy!

 

chamber bathroom... bathroom chamber? dress a day and all that too.

woke up in a happy mood with jack purring at the foot of the bed.  was slow going, but nothing unusual.  then accidentally burned my mouth with hot tea and immediately dipped my whole robe sleeve in the lasagna pan that had been soaking over night in soapy water (basically, just gross).  

all was well, though.  i read about bitcoin in new scientist magazine and had a shower.  realized getting out of the shower, though, that it was pretty much time i should be heading out the door.  so i rushed around.  

i completely forgot to take my picture.  so i took one of my outfit today in the bathroom mirror here at work.  so silly.  but that's what i get for committing to things.  and being the sort of person who will put in all the effort she can to follow through.  

ruggers dress

and wet hair.
and what you can't see... I am covered shoulder to toe in orange cat hair.  because, you know, cat hair is the number on accessory for a crazy cat lady!

dress a day in february day 11

 

 



matching?  hmmn?  gold jewelry with grey tights and grey cardy, over a blue and red dress... that all... matches.  right?

good.

tea, biscotti, dress, scarf, cardy february

i had a relaxing monday morning.  a few cups of vanilla infused tea and some homemade orange and cranberry biscotti ryan brought home from seeing a now-retired co-worker made for a rather delightful breakfast.  a breakfast which helped me to focus away from the pain in my right pointer finger.  pain caused by Rowdy putting up a fight against taking his medicine.  he's obviously feeling quite a lot better now, after his dental work, and really doesn't want to be hassled by yucky tasting pills.  my hands look like I've run them through a paper shredder.   the attack on my pointer finger is by far the most painful though.  hopefully the pain will reduce and i won't find myself at the doctor's office getting rabbis and tetanus shots.

 

as for dresses, we might begin to see some repeats after this week.  even though I have another 10 or so dresses, they are rather fancy and/or light; therefore, they are not really appropriate or comfortable for day to day work.  there are still more scarves this blog hasn't seen, and the combinations abound.

 



 

 

a sunday in february, a second sunday dress

first post on my brandy new laptop ^_^

 

 

red dress day was a few days ago.  so i'm a little late.  oh well  making up for it with a pink hoodie.

dress from the side in february

I love this cardigan ♥ you can't tell in these pictures, but it's sparkly!

 

dress dress dress dress dress dress

 

picture taking failure this morning.

happy Fuzzy Friday.

quick thoughts on a poem by Stevie Edwards

Beast Chant by Stevie Edwards

 

 

this morning, before any tea, i read the second poem on the page linked above.  i read it twice in a complete loop; not stopping between the last word of the last line and the first word of the first line.

 

i find with most poems, the meaning doesn't sink in for me until I've reached the ending.  i focus so much on the words.  i focus on each individual word, and how it sits with its neighboring words.

 

Stevie has formed a Chant indeed.  it can be repeated in a loop over and over without diminishing in meaning or being confused by the absence of beginning or end.  in part, this is down to his constant, but not abused, alliteration of the "bee" sound.  in another part i credit Stevie with distinct and meaningful repetition.

 

as for the story, the meaning of the piece.  it could be an over reaction to a bumble bee in the room, or a dark ancient rhyme lost from Gilgamesh or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

 

worth a read and reread.

 

a dress/skirt a day in february

pink skirt, pink scarf, purple cardi, happy katy.

played violins

http://marcedith.tumblr.com/post/22843120671/stamp-designed-by-dick-bruna-1969-via

danielle and i played violins
with nick and natalie.

it was a long time ago now.
i fear i have forgotten how to

but i believe, the way we do
have faith in other things,

i believe i will one day
play the violin again

with danielle.

February (sort of) Dress (snow) Day

snow fell down heavy enough last night that i justified calling my own personal snow day.  had ryan gone in to work, i would have too, i suppose.  but because I've been working from home today, it's taken me until 2pm to get properly dressed.

while this outfit violates the no-pants/trousers law of the month, it is compensated for by my snow/rain excuse AND head to almost toe POLKA DOTS!!!

february dress day number four

 

blue!

another dress another day in february

 

i am in love with this scarf and these colors ♥

a dress a day in February

day two

no hair products.
no accessories.
no worries.
because I've got Rowdy and the power of the Galaxy (tights).

a dress a day in february (does not rhyme the way i want it to)

inspired by my lovely friend Cat, who regularly goes months without jeans or trousers, i am going to wear a dress every day this month and post it to my blog.  i have gone most of December and January without wearing pants to work, so this shouldn't be too difficult.

happy February!

 

 

new shoes

http://desenharts.tumblr.com/post/64539480673

 

everything in this house acquires the appropriate amount of cat hair
making it look neither worn in, nor new.

put a plant in a tea tin that liz gave me

truly, i did.

On "2 Poems" by E. Smith Sleigh on paperdarts.org

E. Smith Sleigh on paperdarts.org

it's been a while since i really delved into poetry.  sure, i've been dabbling.  and this might just be a spurt.  a sputter.  but i always like to pretend that i can put my poetess hat on at any given whim.

to help me feel better about poetry, about myself and poetry, i need to read some.

i've been involved with Vera Pavlova in the form of her book "If There Is Something To Desire" over the last week or so.  i may dare to share my thoughts on her work once i've read and reread it all a few times; although, i already have half of the pages earmarked.  i have a certain affinity, it would seem, with female russian poets.

if you know me on facebook, chances are high that you've received a message from asking for suggestions on more poetry books.  perhaps i'll start a regular (maybe monthly) poetry review here to go along with my mashpee chamber themed posts.

getting back to poetry... it's been a long time since i read chapbooks, e-zines, and other poets' blogs.  so a simple google search for online chapbooks lead me to a list of 12 beautiful online magazines.  first on the list... paper darts.  which is exactly where i found the two poems written by E. Smith Sleigh.

 

upon first reading the poems, in the format they appeared on my phone, i approached them wanting very much to like them both.  before i reread, i decide i like the first one much better, but i cannot decide why yet.

 

upon a second reading, i think the cherry pie mention is mostly what swings my bias, but i also realize that by the time i am mid-way through the second poem, i have figured out the alliteration game and find it less interesting than the first poem.

 

not to say i don't like the second one.  the first one, the second one, let's give them names.

 

E's first poem is called "medieval metal music".  in it, E breaks down structure with his own structure and with the content of the poem.  the format of the poem is an appeasing square, but within it the reader must rely on gaps without punctuation or line breaks for breath.  thus, emphasizing the content of the poem, the structure lends itself directly to the poem's purpose.  and leaving the structure of a stream-of-conscious style poem, cherry pie. 

 

where "medieval metal music" is unpredictable, with just enough new turns to keep me interested by not lost, "rising waters" strikes me as somewhat more childish with its "invisible dark matter   dark
matters   madder than a hatter  chic tam" ramblings.

 

however, this somewhat rambling predictability is in cool contrast with "medieval metal music" which relies on the reader's inevitable frustration with current music genre titles.  instead, "rising waters" is nature. 

 

structure vs nature.

 

i get it. i buy it. i read it again.

 

man makes cherry pie out of structures.  nature makes us go back inside where it's warm and dry and we can't be taken by the flood for our tribute to the structures we've created.  these two poems, the more i shift around inside them, become a debate between each other.  the value of human society in contrast with the natural order.

 

deep frost

http://www.artchipel.com/post/73608454419/louise-mcnaught-on-tumblr-wild-lupa

 

it's easier to level this town
in small chunks instead of breaking

our heart for the sake of an Australian dollar
converted to euros and back again

instead

take each value for bought
at half the cost of Alan Ginsburg

my wail is rubbed up and down
bloated from too many hours sat

comfortably

in the soft office chair surrounding myself
with the wind of ego boosting roses

wallpaper patterns that make us feel
fresh. retro. hip. cool. cold. frozen in.

two teas for one

http://bitemylipagain.tumblr.com/post/64806681033

tea bright morning
the pot is half full

someone left the milk out

dirty spoons piling up in the sink
because the dishwasher is on the fritz

waiting for the car to warm up
the ice to melt

she choses a mug
that she knows fits

in her car's cup holder
without spilling at the first turn

the mashpee chamber of secrets

i've been humming and hawing about starting a new blog specifically about my work at the Mashpee Chamber of Commerce.  in october of last year Mary Lou asked me nonchalantly if i might be interested in helping her out over at the chamber. answering phones, making posters, replying to emails and writing a weekly newsletter.  her previous executive assistant left the office in a bit of a lurch.  i don't pretend to know everything that happened, nor do i care to share what i do know because that isn't my story.

my story is happy.

i met Mary Lou, the executive director of the Mashpee Chamber of Commerce through a raffle drawing.  which i didn't even enter.  a lovely woman named Lisa over at woodruff's entered my name into a Chamber-organized drawing for a $1,000 shopping spree after i'd had a picture of ryan and i framed.  i had no idea i had even been entered, until i finally got a voicemail from Mary Lou telling me i'd won a contest.

so i got an awesome picnic table, some dresses which my sister has now taken full ownership, some whale watch tickets, flowers (of course), and some gift cards to some rather lovely restaurants in town.  best of all, though, i got to know Mary Lou.

since the spree, i've kept in touch with Mary Lou through my work at Gustare and at Weight Watchers; which is where, one morning, Mary Lou asked me if i'd be willing to help.

starting in october, i was putting in as many as 15 hours a week at the chamber on top of my full holiday-retail schedule at Gustare, nearly 20 hours a week of macaron baking, and seven meetings a week at weight watchers.  despite being so busy, though, i kept up with social affairs and apparently did good work at the chamber.

after my two week holiday in england, the Chamber officers offered me 35-hours a week, decent wage, year round work, as the executive assistant.  um, yes please.

as i happily conveyed to a friend via email, i'll actually be able to ride my bike to work in the spring, summer and autumn.  as soon as the snow melts, i am going out to buy a helmet and back pack.  my CO2 footprint will go down a bit this year, i think.

so i've been humming and hawing, like i said, about starting a blog about my adventures at the chamber.  but i have decided that i can do whatever telling i want here.  on my already-established blog.  if i could make tabs for somethingkaty, i would.  but maybe it's better that it's all here, in one happy space.    

ten things i know about snow

one, snow is made of water ice
two, snow can take on many textures, for example it can be fluffy or heavy, wet or dry
three, where i live, we get enough snow for snowmen building
four, building snowmen can be difficult if the snow is too light and fluffy, not sticky
five, it is snowing outside right now
six, where i live, people love to complain about the snow
seven, where i live, people secretly love the snow
eight, tomorrow is a "snow day" which happens when events are cancelled and schools and places of work are closed due to unsafe traveling conditions
nine, shoveling snow is good exercise
ten, never drink snow to rehydrate, always melt it first otherwise your body will have to work too hard to rehydrate and that could be harmful or fatal depending on the circumstances

little idea, little thought, big wonder, big deal

imagine you know here well
and pretend she wants to get to know you.

how does it feel?

big mirror

http://weheartit.com/entry/91110774/via/iheartthisfuckingworld

a heart is full and overflowing
when we don't need mirrors
to tell us who we are, nor what we need.

complex reflect

http://ninifuni-365.tumblr.com/post/64246794020/2-japanese-clover-2

 

some days are hardy
with mess and mulling

beginning as early as breakfast
when routines are established

or corrupted by weather
changed by a cat being sick

in the dully light hallway

ending in the unsatisfied
wanderings of tastes

from dislike to curiosity
to secure refreshment despite

the health of the kitchen
or the wealth of a book

in bed

light only be a single
baby sized bulb

under state

http://opaqueglitter.com/post/71197098039/ph-jo-duck

 

the me is in time, developing
alone without humor

the mother is still
awaiting change in the weather

they approach the middle
without moving their hearts

hearts that have never veered off course
despite ruptures in nature

every day a little

http://buddhabrot.tumblr.com/post/48881210546



 

Every day a little we learn
every day a little we grow
and change a little for the greater
the good in us is beckoned outward
every day a little more
our buds become blossoms
every day a little stronger
every day a little more
bright