Mainely Write

Yesterday afternoon, I added to the header/title my photo of rocks taken a couple of years ago up at Portage Lake in northern Maine.  I also changed the text and text link colors at the suggestion of a friend who never ever comments ON the page, but comments on the page via email.  Right, R.G.?  I'm always tempted to add her comments myself, but haven't yet... I'm hoping the text and links are easier to read now colorwise.


I said I would post the "after" photos of decluttering de clutter - and so far I have a couple of pictures to share.  I changed gears somewhat, doing one bookcase I said I'd do, and a different one.  Then I moved them both to a new location, swapping out the second one with a different stand.  I did not take a cluttery picture of the substitute bookcase because I didn't think of it in the moment, but suffice it to say, it was equally bad!

The job was slowed by the fact that my husband came home early and wanted to go to Starbucks - so …

"Fa-da!" (as Oh says on "Home")

Yes, you are at the right place.  I changed looks yesterday.

Seemed about the right time.  Lost weight, learned to ride a motorcycle, got my license, finished writing all my poetry exchange partners, sent out my postcard exchanges... time for a new look here.  Again - Fa-da!

Let's start with the poem!  Yea, Poetry Friday at sweet Margaret Simon's Reflections on the Teche!  Lots of poetry going on over there, so take a trip to the Teche!

And yea, Summer Poem Exchange!
My second poetry partner was Joy Acey for the poetry exchange organized by Tabatha Yeatts.  If you haven't done this exchange in the summer before, certainly check out the short winter exchange and then next summer's exchange.  It is so much fun!

Joy's poem was written on a card designed by Eva Schmutter from Norway.  The image certainly isn't the same, but it does remind me of the ice/aurora borealis watercolor I did for SPARK inspired by a p…

Well, it's new anyway! I just thought, isn't it time? I'd asked myself that before, and the answer was "no". But this morning when I asked myself that, I didn't even ask myself... I just proclaimed it "time to change the blog look day". I think I have it down, but you never know. I may just turn around and do it again. I think I want to put my own picture as the background, so that will mean doing something at least.
Maybe this one, in a larger size, though you won't see most of it then.

I'm done doing this for the day, though.  I must get serious about culling stuff from our house.  I'm down 46 pounds now, and the house is up 46... or something like that.  I know there is just TOO MUCH STUFF here!

So, goal today:  by 5 pm to have 5 trash bags full for either the dump, the recycle, thrift store and/or craigslist.  I shouldn't add an "and", but... AND I'd like to have my two small bookcases dusted and organized again…

I was minding my own business...wait.  No, I wasn't.  I was actually snooping into blogs, catching up on current events, and came across Tabatha Yeatt's today, featuring the a cappella video of Steeley Dan.  Yes, I remember it.  I love a cappella groups.  When we get to sing a cappella in part of our songs at church, I just love the blending of the voices!
I then had to spend a couple of hours listening to lots of a cappella groups online, which then led to flash mobs (which I also REALLY want to do someday!)  Aside from the flash mob, I came upon a great a cappella group begun at David Lipscomb University, the college my daughter attended down in Nashville, TN:



They are amazing. Before they were Durant, they were X-Changed, and that is what I knew them as.
Enjoy!

Let's start with the poem!  Yea, Poetry Friday!
Today Chelanne is hosting at Books4Learning. 
And Yea, Summer Poetry Exchange!  My second poetry partner was Joy Acey for the poetry exchange organized by Tabatha Yeatts.  If you haven't done this exchange in the summer, certainly check out the abbreviated winter exchange and then next summer's exchange.  It is so much fun!

I wrote the poem below for Joy.  I searched her website and found that she had a beautiful photo of the westernmost lighthouse in the USA, Kilauea Lighthouse in Hawaii, where Joy lives:

I happen to live in the opposite corner of the world, where just up the coast is the easternmost lighthouse in the USA at Quoddy Head State Park in Lubec, Maine:

So I wrote about the lighthouse, and how what we do as writers, is like the job of the lighthouse.

The Lighthouse

As the lighthouse
Sending its beam
Across the waters
In the night
And through the fog
Reaching and
Forever changing
The lives
Of those it touches
At j…

I lost points on Wednesday.  For my landing.  I just couldn't stick the landing.  I think the freefall was right on the money.  Very good form.  Just the landing wasn't good.   It was painful actually.

Before you think "motorcycle", it wasn't.

I drove home to PA with my daughter so she wouldn't have to drive alone with the two children.  It's a long ride with a four year old and a two year old... so I went along.  The next morning very bright and early, she drove me to the SEPTA commuter train to catch Amtrak in Philadelphia.  I gave her a hug before my leap to the train.  I was not supposed to leap, but somehow in looking at the train door I was heading toward, I inadvertently neglected to look down and notice that there were two concrete steps leading down to the concrete platform.  I ended up on hands and knees about two feet from the train.  I'm not sure that I didn't do a pirouette before the landing.  Pirouettes are always good for extra po…

It's Poetry Friday, hosted over at Tabatha Yeatts' place, The Opposite of Indifference. 
I have just a bit of background stuff to put here to start out.  If you just want to skip down to the poem, you certainly may - I can't stop you and I won't even know.

For the past two days I have spent almost every waking hour learning about motorcycle safety and strategies for riding, and riding a motorcycle.  I am exhausted!  After my first unsuccessful attempt at the motorcycle safety class, I was disappointed in myself.  I posted about this a little while back.  But I had made another reservation in another class at LORE, a different school.  Instead of cancelling that reservation when I found the earlier class, I kept it in my "back pocket" just in case I didn't pass the first time.  It ended up being fortunate that I did.  Classes fill up fast, and I wouldn't have been able to get in until late July or August if I hadn't.  My second class was just what…