Collide

Collide

Eyes, blue as August sky,

imagination ripe.

Relationship gone dark,

lost in the squeeze and grasp

of grandiose design.

Started too soon

to decree and demand,

lost, lost, all lost

in his head, deep adrift.

Life dictates dream.

Unmoving and angry,

small stamping child.

Goal imprinted on steel.

Went home with the marbles,

imagination, rules--

then lost all in the grief.

His own mind, he destroyed.




 

April is National Poetry Month.   Poetry web sites encourage poets to write a poem a day in April.  This is one of my poems. 

First Crocus

First Crocus

This morning, flowers cracked open
the earth’s brown shell. Spring
leaves spilled everywhere
though winter’s stern hand
could come down again at any moment
to break the delicate yolk
of a new bloom.



Christine Klocek-Lim has a blog at http://novemberskypoetry.blogspot.com/This is the first verse of the poem First Crocus by Christine Klocek-Lim.  She is amazing.  If you'd like to know more about Christine, click here, or to read the whole poem, click here.

Death Called We Spoke

Sunrise April 11, 2011

It’s been a year since I nearly died.

So close, the doctor told me later, that a few more hours without medical attention and I would have been gone.

But, I didn’t go.

Death beckoned.  Made very appealing offers: peacefulness, freedom from pain, and shedding my sick physical body.  It was tempting, the lightness, the cessation of incredible pain, the floating free. 

I remember the Chief of Emergency shouting into my face, “You, my dear, are a medical emergency.  Stay awake.  Stay with us.”  I remember thinking, “Please, let me sleep.  Don’t yell.  Please, just let me rest.  Let me leave this pain and this heaviness and this fever.  Please…”

I’m still here a year later, reflecting on what I’ve learned from this extended illness, the stabilization period, the serious surgery and the oh, so slow, struggle through recovery.  Death altered my life.

Averting an abrupt end intensified the brevity and the fragility of my life and the necessity of doing what I want now, not next week, not next month, not next year.  Now…now…now.

I could create a list of what I want to do before I die permanently; feels like a gigantic “To Do” list, almost task-like, useless.  Now, I am simply living each day as it comes.  I am more patient, less angry, more loving and less judgemental.

Now, I write every day, and we bought a used Harley.  Strange combination of lifestyle changes?  Gary accompanied me through this experience; we are both acutely aware of the evanescence of our lives and of the fleetness of time for doing what we most desire.

I write; he rides.  When I buy a helmet, we’ll both ride and I’ll still write every day.

Not to say that one shouldn’t look ahead to the future and save and plan and prepare; but what good is that if one never gets to the future?  I’m simply saying that I’m grateful to be alive now and am living more and more in the present moment.

Death called.  We spoke.  I declined.

I’ll keep you posted.

Easter Cards

I made Easter cards.  Didn’t follow directions nor use diagrams and templates.  That hadn’t worked well before anyway, when I made Valentine’s Day cards.  My blog entry dated February 8, 2011 explains that little learning process.

I’ve been “busy inside my head” for the past few weeks and needed to do something creative and easy to “blow the knots” out of my brain.  Easter cards …perfect solution.

I like the nubby textures and bright, pastel or sparkly shades of card stock papers and the challenge of mixing those to create pleasing visual combinations.  I cut out a few basic shapes, used them for patterns. And felt quite free to use commercially produced stick-on-thingies for decorations.

I suspect that those of you who actually do make gorgeous handmade cards with some degree of skill and artistry are now saying, “Tsk, Tsk…” to yourselves, in despair over my lack of proper card crafting.  My cards are not works of art, definitely not perfect in any way, but I did have fun making them.

When my grandchildren receive them this Easter season, they won’t care that the edges are crooked and that the design work is at best, amateurish.  I expect the card will get a two-second appraisal before being tossed aside in favour of candy eggs and chocolate bunnies.

And wouldn’t we all do the same thing?   Straight to the good stuff!

I enjoyed making the cards and happily thought about each particular grand child as I worked on their individual card.  That’s all that counts! 

Perfection, be damned. 

And my head feels lighter, less full of knots.

Decadent Dinner

We ate a decadent dinner.  She had taken a day and a half to prepare the meal; loves to do that sort of thing as it relaxes her and provides a complete change from her work responsibilities.  The potato gnocchi and sauces, she made ahead and refrigerated or froze.

The delightful meal began with a bright and delicious salad:  balsamic strawberries, orange maple vinaigrette with goat cheese and candied pecans on a bed of baby spinach and arugula.  So scrumptious!

The main dish was potato gnocchi with roasted red pepper and oven dried tomato sauce, garnished with basil and Parmesan cheese.   A perfect match for the grilled asparagus with lemon vinaigrette and toasted pine nuts, and the succulent prosciutto wrapped halibut.

Molten Chocolate Cake with Bumble Berry Sauce and Whipped Cream, ah... dessert made in heaven.  All the other dishes came from the mind of our capable hostess.  This dessert was her version of a recipe  from Chef Craig Flynn's cookbook Fresh and Local.  Chef Flynn is the owner of Chives Canadian Bistro in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Learn more about the restaurant and the cookbook at  http://withbite.blogspot.com/2008/10/fresh-local-at-chives-canadian-bistro.html

Not only did our hosts provide a wonderful meal and great company, they wowed us with an eclectic array of music.

Thank you for the decadent and delicious meal, the laughter shared, the delightful musical variety and the generous spirit of the evening.  You two make a meal and a visit so extra special.  Thank you!

Detailing a Car

Have you detailed your car lately?

Gary first cleaned and detailed cars at Lounsbury’s Automotive during his high school summer holidays.  He learned how to detail a car from a boss who knew what he was doing, and who had rigid, lofty standards about the quality of work that goes into all the phases of detailing from the first wash to the last polish.

Do you know the difference between a wash/chamois dry and detailing? 

A wash/chamois dry can make your car look better; detailing can make it feel, smell and look like a brand new car.  It’s a difference created thorough hand cleaning with concentration on every detail inside and outside the car, and it takes time.

For Gary, spring cleaning means being outside doing a job he loves; being outdoors, in the warmer weather, washing and detailing a car. 

He loves to gather the piles of microfiber towels, trim treatment, spray-on detailer, car soap, wax, applicators, clay bars, vinyl and leather cleaners, upholstery cleaner, carpet cleaner, varsol, window cleaner, vacuum cleaner, power washer, tire cleaner, polisher plus a multitude of indispensable supplies. 

Once he has all his “stuff” gathered, he can transform a vehicle into a fresh smelling, shining thing of beauty.

Did I mention that this is a time consuming process?  He works meticulously and steadily, taking about 5 hours to detail an already fairly clean car, and up to between 7 and 8 hours to detail a car that hasn’t had much attention…quite dirty and stained inside, faded and dull outside. 

Gary has detailed cars for family and friends, for over 40 years, in his spare time outside of his paid employment with Nav Canada.  He certainly knows how to utilize work, effort and the skill of those years of experience, coaxing out the very best shine, the very best cleaning and the very best detailing.

Up to now, he’s given detailing as “gifts” to family and friends.  He’s now decided to start charging fees for his work, though he’ll still be giving detailing “gifts”, too.

How clean is your car?  How clean would you like it to be?  Step it up with detailing.

For fun, there is a YouTube video about Costly Car Detailing *Crazy*.  It’s about a detailer in England who charges a $5000. fee to detail just one car.  Take a look.

Paint so shiny that it reflects clouds and overhead wires

Miracle of Flowers

If we could see
the miracle of
a single flower,
our whole

life would change.

~ The Buddha

From: “Word for the Day”

http://www.gratefulness.org/