CLARE'S SUNFLOWER SKY

TAKING A BREAK

2008-05-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

Since this past winter, I've been away from blogging
a lot. I've been out of town a huge amount, and each
time I go out of town, I get further and further behind
in blogland, plus all the other things that I'm involved
in. Last week, I returned from Israel and London. I
realized on the trip that I need to stop blogging for
awhile, and I'm not sure when I'll start again. Often,
I feel like the person in the circus who is spinning a
whole row of plates on sticks and needs to keep
running frantically to keep them all from crashing
to the floor. I can't keep doing this. And my spirit
has been deeply craving quiet time. Trying to come
up with poems every day or so was feeling like
homework, and my heart wasn't in it the way it was
when I first started my blog. And in writing about
human rights, I started feeling bad about pointing
fingers at other countries' failures when the U.S.
is messing up in so many ways too. So, it's like
what do I really want to write about? What do
I want to say? I don't have any answers. So I
want to be quiet for a while and study. I want
to read and learn. Feed my soul. Then I can
come back and have something to give, to share.
Everyone I've met since I began blogging has touched
my heart in so many ways, and you all feel like real
friends to me -- not just distant internet beings. I'm
hoping to stop by and say hi every now and then, when
I can, even while taking this break.

10 x 10 Meme

2008-04-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

A while back, Crafty Green Poet tagged me
to do a 10 x 10 meme. The task is to write
10 verses about yourself and then tag
10 other bloggers to do their own. I
apologize that it took me this long to
get mine done. But here it is, and it
was fun to do -- thanks Crafty! This
was about a day I had not too long
ago:

To find the words or time
to say what's on my mind,
I have to step inside
my hermit's lair and hide.

My hermitage is bright --
no dark and gloomy room.
I want to see the sky
and watch golden hawks fly.

With notebook and green pen,
I doodle to invite
ideas onto page,
expressing joy or rage.

Sometimes my stomach growls --
creating is hard work!
So off to the kitchen
for an English muffin.

Brushing crumbs from my face
I return to my spot,
on the floor, back to wall,
and let distractions fall.

I write a few more lines,
reliving memories
of summer vacations,
childhood elation.

My schnauzer, Moose, walks in,
tilts his head to the side
giving me a big kiss.
This moment is sweet bliss!

Then off to the dog park
for daily canine fun --
the furry kids chase balls,
ignore us when we call.

Sun sinks low in the sky --
Moose and I head home.
"To Do" list still quite long (!),
I sigh and hum a song.

Hubby greets us with hugs
and tales of his own.
Too bad cute dog can't cook,
so in the fridge I look.

*****

OK, here are the 10 folks I am
tagging to do the 10 x 10 meme
if they so choose:

1) A. Decker
2) Gilson
3) Gel
4) Marie
5) Odessa
6) Marcia
7) Spacedlaw
8) Jo
9) Sister AE
10) Herb

And anyone else who would like to do the 10 x 10 meme is totally welcome!

More Thoughts on Tibet, China, and the Olympics

2008-04-12T08:24:00.001-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about politics and human
rights this week, especially since going to the
Tibet and freedom rallies in San Francisco. I
totally separate the Chinese people from what
their government is doing -- so many of them
are suffering too. And I believe strongly in
nonviolence. Hearing South Africa's Archbishop
Desmond Tutu speak on Tuesday night was very
powerful. He talked about the importance of speaking
out, participating in demonstrations and vigils,
standing for freedom, and that right and goodness
and compassion and freedom are going to prevail.
He urged all the leaders of the world to not go
to Beijing for the Olympics -- "for the sake of
the beautiful people of Tibet, don't go."
I agree with Archbishop Tutu. And each person
can make a difference.

More Photos From Tibet Rally

2008-04-12T08:11:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to add some more photos from
Tuesday and Wednesday's Tibet Rally in
San Francisco.

Tibet Rally in San Francisco

2008-04-11T20:40:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, I attended
the huge Tibet rally and Olympic torch relay protest
in San Francisco. It was an incredible experience.
Human rights was the focus, and in addition to
Tibet there was a lot of support for Darfur, Burma,
Taiwan, and East Turkestan, too. Among its many
crimes, the Chinese government is committing
cultural genocide in Tibet. Their repression, torture
and murder of Tibetan monks, nuns and civilians has
been an atrocity for more than 50 years, and it
is getting worse. The plan for the Olympic torch
to be paraded through Tibet is still scheduled,
which is a real f***-you to the Tibetans. Journalists
aren't even allowed in there now. This isn't about
disappointing the athletes. It's about humanity
and standing up for life, freedom and what is right.

Back Once Again

2008-04-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

See the guy asleep in the top photo?
I shot this on a train in Japan last month.
I couldn't resist and just hoped he wouldn't
wake up as I was doing it. His expression
is pretty much what I resembled, more or
less, this past week with a really bad flu
and strep throat. The second photo is of
cherry blossoms in Kamakura that had
drifted into a large pot of water -- the
official cherry blossom season was still a
few weeks away, but there was the
occasional gloriously pink tree that didn't
want to have to wait for the rest. The
third photo is just a sign outside a sushi
restaurant in Tokyo, and I liked the splash
of orange paint on the cute little fish. The
last photo is a sign I spotted at the Narita
airport, while we waited for the bus into
Tokyo. I thought the phrasing and the
drawing were very sweet. I had a
FANTASTIC time in Japan -- it had been
20 years since I was last there -- and I
was so excited to be back and to have
a bit of extra time for sightseeing,
since I thought work would take up
all our time. When we got home,
some family arrived from out of
town -- we had a blast and went
on a road trip to Los Angeles.
Within half an hour of getting home
from L.A., my flu hit and I crawled
into bed. So here I am. A wild
and crazy multi-tasking hummingbird
who misses all her blogging buddies
and is happy to be back again!
:)

Gone Again

2008-03-07T23:01:00.000-08:00

Back in a couple of weeks -- again!
It's a really busy time. But I plan
to return with photos, poems,
and all that good stuff. And, again,
I apologize for not being around
very much lately -- I really couldn't
help that, but hopefully things will
settle down.

Awards!

2008-03-02T13:45:00.001-08:00

Recently, I was awarded with several
awesome awards from some of my
blog pals. I really appreciate each
one. But I emailed Herb and told him
that I always get anxious about this,
because I hate leaving anyone out
when passing on the awards. I
really struggle with this. But I
decided to try to get out of my
own neurotic way. So, this time
around, here are the awards and
their new recipients:

Herb Urban gave me the "I Can Go For That!"
award. I chose to pass this on to the
following people:

1. Yoga Gal, because I really like her spirit
and the spirits she often writes about.
:)

2. A. Decker, because he has a very cool
way of looking at things and his drawings
are amazing.

3. Bone, because he is an awesome writer
and inspires me so much with
Three Word Wednesday.

4. Chicklegirl, because I really enjoy her blog and
her poetry. She recently added audio recordings
of her poetry, and this is way cool.

5. Sister AE, because she has the most beautiful
voice and heart that shine through in her
incredible poetry.

Chicklegirl gave me the Excellent Blog Award.
I chose to pass this on to the following folks:

1. Jo, because she totally blows me away
with her poetry and the utterly beautiful
way she brings words and images together.

2. Self-Taught Artist, because she is one of
the most gifted artists I've ever seen, and
she expresses herself in a way that always
moves me so deeply.

3. Tumblewords, because Sue is the coolest
artist and writes awesome poetry that always
leaves me shouting "Bravo!"

4. Herb Urban, because he makes me laugh,
and I love his wildly talented range as a writer,
poet and photographer.

5. Crafty Green Poet, because her writing
and crafts are phenomenal, and she cares
so deeply about the planet and its resources --
and she teaches us how to conserve and create,
too.

Crafty Green Poet gave me the Best Blogging
Buddies for Global Communities award,
and I chose to pass it on to the following
folks:

1. Kate, in Canada, because she is such a
sweetheart, and an incredible artist,
writer, musician, and gardener
extraordinaire. "Hi" to Lytton!

2. Gilson, in Brazil, because he is an
amazingly talented writer, artist and
musician, and his work instantly
connects me to my heart, my
soul.

3. Marja, in New Zealand, because
I love her blog, with its wonderful
photographs, brilliant poetry, and
the beautiful way she shares information
about learning disabilities. Marja is
completely and delightfully awesome!

4. Linda, in the U.S.A., because her
paintings always make my day with
their bright, beautiful colors, and her
dog paintings are the best I've ever seen.
"Hi" to Maisie!

5. Dick Jones, in Great Britain, because he
is fiercely bright and writes spectacularly
well.

6. Blondie, in Australia, because she has the
biggest heart and so much love to give -- and
I admire her spirit in all she is going through
on her path to adopt children from Ethiopia.

7. Spacedlaw, in Italy, because she has the
most wonderful visual sense, and
her writing so beautifully captures
nature's essence.

8. Gautami, in India, because I love each
and every poem she writes. She is truly
amazing!

Writers Island -- Empowered

2008-03-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

This week's Writers Island topic is
"empowered". Here's my poem:

Some days, you just
have to wear daisies
in your hair and not
care what others
think. And while
you're at it, roll
on your back in
cool, fragrant grass
with sweet abandon,
making friends with
the fleas. Leashes
and chains are simply
an illusion, a fence
to leap over.

Gutter Art #4

2008-02-21T17:58:00.000-08:00

this is why
I look down when I walk
by a gutter

Here I Am

2008-02-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

I just realized I've been in Blogland
for about a year now. It's been an
AMAZING experience, and I've been so
lucky and blessed to meet such fantastic,
kind and creative people. For the past
few months, I've been away a lot and
very busy and haven't been able to keep
up as much with blog reading/commenting.
I feel really bad about that. But I will
stop by and say hi as often as I can. And
as far as my own blog goes, for a while
I'll be hanging out a bit more on my
other 2 blogs. Come on over -- these are
just 2 more rooms in the same house!
I'll still post stuff here, now and then,
too. Anyway, my other blogs are:
Form and Emptiness in a Sunflower,
and a new one I just started called
One Cup Poetry. I just set up
One Cup Poetry last night -- feel free
to come hang out and share a cup of
coffee, tea, hot chocolate or anything
else and jot down a few words or lines
of poetry. I'll see you all soon!
And I want to thank Herb Urban
very much for recently awarding me
with the "I Can Go For That! Award".
And I want to thank Chicklegirl very
much for awarding me with an
"Excellent Blog Award". These are
very cool and I really appreciate it!!
And Crafty, I will be doing the
verses soon that you tagged me to
do! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO
M., J., AND M.!!!! Three birthdays
on one day -- how cool is that!!!

Back on Monday

2008-02-08T08:48:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! I will catch up with comments
and blogging on Monday -- this has been a
super busy week with work, and the weekend
will be even crazier. So I will see you all in a
few days!! Hey, we're actually getting some
sun here after weeks of rain!! I might actually
get to wear real shoes instead of my yellow
rain boots.
:)

3WW -- Bridge, Disturbed, Still

2008-02-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

For this week's Three Word Wednesday,
Bone chose the words "bridge, disturbed,
and still." We are to write anything, in
any style, that includes these 3 words.
Here is my poem:

Disturbed and deranged,
clouds crash into each other,
darkly, thunderously, trying

to trigger a fight, a flood of
tears and new turf rights. Vast
sky teases, like a schoolyard of

overinflated water balloon
bullies. About to get soaked
are a frilly outdoor wedding

and the mayor's ribbon-cutting
ceremony at the new suspension
bridge. Perplexed and chagrined,

a balding weatherman flushes
red on the morning news, as he
tries to explain his previous forecast.

But, before he can finish stammering,
the sun arrives, with dazzling rays
streaming behind it. Sizzling heat

shrivels the startled cloud gang,
evaporating the still-smirking, lightning-
zapping, puddle-filling troublemakers.

Moose's Meme of Five

2008-02-04T22:26:00.000-08:00

Kate and Lytton, over at Kate Smudges
in Earth, Paint and Life, tagged me to
answer some very cool questions about
myself. My mom, Clare, is typing for me,
so blame her for any mistakes.

Here are the questions:

A) What are your five favorite songs?

1. Dean Martin singing "That's
Amore" -- because he mentions
pizza, and I like his voice.

2. The old song from the Oscar Mayer
Bologna commercial -- it's a catchy
tune and I like bologna, though I
almost never get any.

3. "Stray Cat Strut" by Stray Cats.
Hey, it's peppy and feline.

4. "Born to Be Wild" from the
movie "Easy Rider". My collar
is from Harley-Davidson.

5. The sound of a fire truck's
loud siren going past very
close to me -- it's the only
time I howl (I've only
done it about 4 times in
my life).

B) What are your five favorite toys?

1. I love my basketball the best. My folks
bounce it towards me, and I jump up
and use my cold nose or my front paws
to hit it back to them -- I am really
good at this. I also like to push the
ball into the pool.

2. At the park, I love playing with my
purple frisbee. When I'm not looking,
mom puts it on my tail and everyone
laughs at me.

3. I have lots of stuffed toys. My
favorite one is the big stuffed cow
which is my girlfriend -- I chewed
her horns off on our first date.

4. I also really like the small
stuffed cow (next to the big cow
in the photo). I found this at the
park one day and wouldn't let
any other dog near it. I brought
it home for my girlfriend -- she
likes it a lot.

5. My friends in France bought
me a stuffed chocolate moose,
and it really smells like chocolate.
Yummy!

C) What are five things you love to eat?

1. Being a Standard Schnauzer, I love food,
any time, all the time. It's so hard to pick
just 5 favorites, because I love everything
except lettuce and avocados. But, ok,
number one is: chicken -- my folks have
to spell it, but I know what they mean.

2. French fries. I only get a couple of
them now and then. They are divine.

3. Pizza. I only get a taste of the
cheese. Pizza gets me drooling all
over myself. Heaven. That's Amore.

4. Watermelon. It's sweet and juicy
and tastes like summer.

5. Carrots. I get a whole one all
to myself several times a week --
nice and crunchy -- tastes like
candy, but no cavities!

D) What are five of your favorite activities?

1. Going for a ride in the car is so much fun,
because it usually means a good time and
lots of exciting adventures.

2. Swimming!!!!!

3. Playing with my buddies.

4. Eating -- that should be #1.

5. Hanging out on the bed with
my folks and being told what
a good boy I am.

E. What are five of your bad habits?

1. Selective hearing.

2. Hogging the bed.

3. Chasing squirrels.

4. There are a couple people I
like to bark at, and this makes my
mom mad because she doesn't
understand why I like to do it.

5. Tracking wet paw prints
through the house if my folks
forget to close the screen door.

*****

Now I'm supposed to tag some others
to do this -- but I can't remember who
has pets and who hasn't already done
this. I'm tagging Orso and Alex and Fern
if they want to do it. I had fun doing this.
And if anyone else wants to join in, you are
very welcome!!

Writers Island -- Magic

2008-02-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

This week's Writers Island topic
is "magic." I wrote a poem:

Sometimes magic
is an illusion, a
sleight-of-hand
abracadabra.

Conjuring,
convincing, the
art of deception,
Ricky Jay is the

best: magician
extraordinaire.
Scholar and
performer, he

knows and
respects the
secret tomes
studied, and

endless cards
shuffled, that
make magic look
so effortless.

Nature, too,
is a master
magician, with
tricks up trees

and hatless
white rabbits
appearing out
of thin air. One

of life's most
dazzling feats
is (drum roll
please!) how

lizard tails and
human livers
grow back when
a piece is cut off.
:)

Writers Island -- Desire

2008-01-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

This week's Writers Island topic
is "Desire." Here is my poem:

Growing up, I learned a lot
about desire from Rod Stewart

and jelly donuts. It's not as
kinky as it sounds. The

donuts were frozen and
filled with a heavenly sweet

grape jelly. The entire
confection was coated

with the finest grains
of sugar outside of a

royal bakery. Best thawed
and warmed, but not

tongue-burningly hot,
these were delectable.

I, however, could rarely
wait. Passionately tearing

the cardboard box apart,
I feverishly ate the

ice crystal covered
donuts in between

studying for the next
spelling test. Snowman

cold was fine, until I
discovered Rod Stewart.

His lyrics were sizzling
hot, so different from

the songs of my youth
just days before. He

taught me the facts
of life, introduced me

to glass-steaming
sexuality. Desire

was no longer
just in the freezer.

3WW -- Breath, Scattered, Tomorrow

2008-01-24T23:04:00.000-08:00

For this week's Three Word
Wednesday, Bone chose the
words "breath, scattered, and
tomorrow." We are to write
anything, in any style, that
includes these 3 words. Here
is my poem:

10 Years Old

Holding my breath, I sink
below the surface, chlorine
burning my eyes. Noises
warp, time slows down. Blue
and white tile morph into
an underwater sky, where I
float along, pretending to
fly. At some point, lungs
I never remember even
having, begin to be the only
thing I can think about. Other
thoughts have scattered,
searching elsewhere, frantically,
for oxygen. I crouch, then
LEAP up out of the water,
gulping warm air like
a newborn for the first
time. I can't wait to do
it all again tomorrow,
and the next day, and all
summer long!

3WW -- Gossip, Naive, and Station

2008-01-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

For Three Word Wednesday this week,
Bone chose the words "gossip, naive, and
station." We are to write anything in
any style, that includes these 3 words.

I came up with a bit of prose, in the
voice of a teenage girl who recently
moved to a new town, and she's
emailing her friends back home.

Hi guys!

This is not high school -- it's
hell school. I HATE it here.
Did you hear me? HATE.
HATE. HATE. Gossip seems
to be everyone's favorite subject.
My life has become a reality freak
show, but, unfortunately, I can't be
voted off the island. I have to
stay here until I graduate. Or
until some kindly alien beams
me up to its distant planet,
hopefully during trigonometry.
Wanna know what my new
nickname is? The "cool girls"
give everybody one. Mine is
"naive" because my name's Eve
(yeah, original, I know), and
because I don't see the point
of spending $200 for a pair of
jeans (not that I could afford
them if I wanted t0). I'll keep
wearing my favorite Levi's,
with the holes in the knees, just
to horrify them. Hee hee. Hey,
I'm just glad they haven't figured
out (yet) to call me "gas," like I've
been known since kindergarten.
Oh well. I happen to think "Station"
is a lovely last name. My dad's
never minded being called "radio".
And yes, he does like his new job --
the head announcer said Dad's got
the best voice ever for the morning
show, so I'm happy for him. I guess
it was worth the move. Anyway, today
I'm trying out for the theater club.
That's the only kind of drama I'm
looking for. I think the acting teacher
is ok. Wish me luck -- I'm going to
recite the monologue I did last
spring -- the one you all liked. Will
somebody please remember to
send photos from opening night????
I bet you guys did great. I'm so sad
I had to miss it. What's your next play?

-- E

Writers Island -- Over the Horizon

2008-01-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

I'm late posting this for this
week's Writers Island, but I've
been wanting to get back into
writing poetry -- and the topic
of "over the horizon" got me
thinking about the things we
miss, over the horizon, when we
stay stuck in our ways. So here is
my poem, called "Winter Night."

Winter Night

Come play outside
and whisper love
songs to an owl, or
listen as the wind
sighs arias. Chant

and twirl, deliriously,
as beeswax candles
burst into wickless
shooting stars. Of course,
you can stay inside with

your obedient remote
control, drink aged, rare
sherry in antique etched
crystal, again. Hum Dee
Dum. Bore-Dumb. You'll

miss the sweet tops
of crocus greens as
they peak through the
icy ground, in an amber
slant of moonlight.

Aren't you the least
bit curious to see this
wondrous sight -- to
dance and howl and
be awestruck?

Elephant Tales

2008-01-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

In Northern Thailand, we decided
to spend a day training and riding
at a really cool elephant conservation
camp, where the elephants are VERY
well cared for. We each had our
own to ride. Did I mention that this
is done bareback???? Like with no
saddle or anything to hold onto (other
than the elephant's ears!). In the
morning, I was on a huge 20 year
old who was really sweet and very
patient with my occasional panic. I
balanced high up on the neck with
my bent knees on his ears and my
hands resting on top of the elephant's
head. The sky looked so close!
Professional mahouts taught us
several different ways to climb on
and off. We also learned a number of
different commands to direct the
elephant to go forward, turn left or
right, slow down, stop and walk
backwards. I got good at saying the
"slow down" command! After lunch, I
was given a frisky 16 year old who
always wanted to be first in line and
liked to walk especially fast. He also
made these deep, scary rumbling
noises. Just my luck. He kept plowing
ahead of all the others when we went
trekking up and down the hills -- steep
hills! I kept thinking of survival plans,
like how I'd grab a branch and swing off
if Mr. Frisky started running for the
river to take his nice refreshing bath.
Going downhill was especially frightening.
The only way not to fall off was to lean back
as far as I could and clamp my shaking
knees around its neck. Leaning forward
to hold the ears didn't seem like an option
since I was convinced I'd roll right off
and down the hill. But even though it
was a little nerve-wracking at times,
it was an AWESOME experience. I
loved feeding him bananas as we
walked along. And the scenery was
unbelievably beautiful -- there were
actually times when I could relax and
soak in the fragrant air and enjoy the
leathery sound of the elephant's footsteps
on the path. When we got to the water,
the elephants bathed with us on board.
Mine sat right down, which meant I
was immersed to my waist. So I grabbed
handfuls of water and scrubbed the top
of his head. This was great fun. And I got
showered when trunkfuls of water came
raining down on me. Riding after the
bath was quite a bit easier, because my
elephant was content and didn't seem in
as much of a hurry. We meandered through
a forest. Birds sang, and the sunlight was
luminous in the trees and grass. This was
pure bliss. As we walked along, I patted
him and thanked him for sharing his
world with me. The above photo is of
a 3 month old baby who was so incredibly
cute and sweet -- and he tried to put my
husband's whole hand in his mouth.
In this picture, he's rubbing his trunk
on the log for a good scratch. The
day we flew home, I went by to visit the
elephants one last time and feed them
some more bananas. I miss hearing their
trumpeting calls in the morning and
the feeling of swaying back and forth
as we strolled under the hot sun.

Few More Trip Photos

2008-01-05T13:25:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more photos I took. By
the end of the month, I hope to put some
more on my Flickr site (which I haven't
updated in months....sorry about that!).
I took the first 2 photos in Thailand,
and the last 3 in Cambodia.

I'm Back -- Finally

2007-12-29T22:51:00.000-08:00

I've been back from my trip to Thailand and
Cambodia for a couple weeks now. I saw a lot
of beauty in south-east Asia -- panoramic views,
stone and golden temples, delicate butterflies and
mischievous elephants, gentle smiles and soulful
muddy rivers. The food was incredible, with the most
succulent mango and papaya, spicy ginger and red chili,
fresh lemongrass and coconut milk. We even happened
to be in Bangkok during the celebrations for the King's
80th birthday -- we wore yellow shirts along with
everyone else and watched spectacular fireworks.
Later, we went to northern Thailand, up at the Golden
Triangle, where we could see Burma and Laos from
our hotel room -- I mean, they were right there, along
the Mekong River. I'd get up before dawn so I could
watch the sky turn pink with the sunrise, as mist
rose gracefully above the hills. Groups of white
egrets would settle on the tops of trees in the forest,
and I would be in awe of the peace and beauty all
around -- and I couldn't help but remember the wars
that were fought in the region. While on the trip, my
heart and mind often felt like a ping-pong ball
being bounced around between joy and sadness,
as life unfolded in every possible facet, moment
after moment. I know this is true anywhere, but it
seemed more intense there because of the extreme
levels of poverty in some of the places and also the
political situations. One day we spent a morning in
a border town inside Burma. We had to leave our
passports at the immigration office there, which
freaked me out. Their military dictatorship
government scares me and makes me angry. But I
wanted a glimpse of life there. I wanted to see the
people and children. And the monks. I felt powerless,
but I could observe and try to learn as much as I can.
We walked through one village there that was
desperately poor, with garbage everywhere. Near
it was a big, beautiful building. We were told that it
is a hospital, but that it is completely empty and
abandoned. A monk had helped get it built. But there's
no money to staff and maintain it. And of course the
government won't do anything to help. So there it stands,
unused, while people go sick. Education is also a big
empty dream there, too. We were told that very few
families can afford to send their children to school, and
that there really aren't any jobs anyway unless you have
connections with the government. It's in the interest
of the powers that be to keep people uneducated and
poor. Unfortunately, this is true in a lot of places in the
world. We also went to Cambodia. The history of this
country is staggering. The staff where we stayed became
like family to us and we had a fascinating time. One of the
things we did there was visit Angkor Wat and a number
of other temples, which really are beyond description.
There is still so much of south-east Asia that I hope to
see and experience someday. I was in southern Thailand
about seven years ago. Next, I especially want to go to
Vietnam. This trip gave me a lot to think about and feel.
World history and current affairs have been so much
of what I've been reflecting on lately -- trying to make
sense out of life and humanity or at least trying to hold
it all in my heart. The assassination of Pakistan's former
Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto deeply saddened me.
I hope her party can come up with someone to carry
on her vision. I'm not sure what direction I want my
blog to go -- I guess I'll have to wait and see what I
feel like writing about. I've had serious writer's block
as far as my poetry goes. I really appreciate everyone's
comments and for hanging in there with me even though
I haven't been around much. This means a lot to me. So
thank you very much. I'll be catching up with blog reading
soon. And I'll post more photos , too. Happy New Year to
all.

See You In Two Weeks

2007-12-02T06:28:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I'll be back to
blogging in a couple of weeks.
Hopefully I'll have some poetry
to post -- I haven't cranked out
much of that lately, but I will
work on that. And when I'm
back, I will definitely catch
up on all your blogs. See
you soon!
:)

Tagged -- 7 Random Things

2007-11-30T11:32:00.000-08:00

Michelle at Poefiti tagged me to
write 7 random/weird things about
myself. I've done a couple similar
kinds of these before. But it is a fun
thing to work on, so I decided to give it
another try. This time, I went with more
'random' instead of 'weird' things, even
though some of my random things might
seem weird! What came to my mind was
a random list of some of my favorite words.
So I started there and shared the facts of
why I like them. Here goes:

1) Radiance -- To me, this word
is like stepping into a star burst, a
dazzling mountaintop sunrise, or
a feeling of pure, light-filled bliss.

2) Forgiveness -- When I think
about, say, hear, give or receive
forgiveness, I imagine healing
and understanding. Mistakes,
even terrible ones, happen. But
allowing ourselves and others to
learn and grow, and come back to
the heart, is a beautiful thing.

3) Soar -- This word sets my
mind and spirit in flight, soaring
without inhibition or obstruction.
I imagine gliding beyond space
and time, between dimensions,
connected to the one and the
many. "Soar" also reminds me
of the sound of a trumpet or
horn when it hits a certain
note, like in Greg Adams' song
"Burma Road" or in the
theme song from "Star Trek:
Deep Space Nine". Songs that
speak to me of the amazing
adventure, beauty and poignancy
of life.

4) Stillness -- As much as I love
soaring, stillness is a word that
evokes for me great beauty, peace,
and presence. I think of calmness,
silence, and just Being. I think of
a Blue Heron, sitting motionless,
on a branch above a creek. Or of
watching a loved one sleep.

5) Dog -- Those who know me
have to put up with what a dog
fanatic I am. Dogs make me smile,
laugh and remember to live in
the moment. And to not take
myself so darn seriously.

6) Rain -- It makes my hair frizzy,
but I love the sound, smell and feel
of rain. I love the way light sparkles
on the drops. And watching it through
my living room window, as I sit in
my favorite chair, is really cozy. The
word 'rain' makes me think of reading
and writing poetry, too.

7) Buffet -- Breakfast, lunch or
dinner, I love a buffet. The word
fills my mind with such colorful
and tasty choices and makes my
stomach growl. Buffets also
remind me of vacations, which
conjure up all sorts of fun and
beautiful memories and dreams.

*****

OK, now I tag the following 7
folks to write 7 random or
weird things about themselves
on their blogs, if they want to:

1. Self Taught Artist
2. Quiet Paths
3. Patois
4. Marie
5. Tumblewords
6. Clockworkchris
7. Where is Orso?

I haven't let these folks
know they are tagged
yet, but I'll get it done
sometime today or
tonight.

4 x 4 Poetry Meme

2007-11-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

Sister AE at Having Writ tagged me to
do a 4 x 4 Poetry meme. I had fun with
this. Here are the rules:

List at least 4 things you think a
beginning poet should attend to,
and 4 mistakes you think a poet
should avoid.

I decided to do mine in haiku
form, and here they are:

Four things a poet should do:

dare to share
your thoughts, your words --
take a risk and LEAP!

*****

observe the world --
images and feelings rise
with the sun and moon

*****

choose an image
from a recent dream --
sit with it, then WRITE!

*****

play with different forms
of poetry -- find your groove
YOU are a poet!

*****

Here are 4 things a
poet should avoid:

don't beat yourself up --
it's not about perfection
or pleasing all

*****

don't get stuck
in your head --
drop into your heart

*****

don't be too vague, as
specifics count --
fierce dragon-shaped cloud

*****

know when to end --
let your spirit fly
but find closure

*****

Now I'm tagging Herb Urban and
Gilson to do this 4 x 4 Poetry meme.
Both are awesome writers and poets.