September 23, 2007

the hunt is on...

Yep, job hunting. I start in earnest in the morning. Oh the joy. And since I find the whole topic rather depressing, here's something I do like. More poetry :) I gave the challenge to write a poem with the final line "because the heart of the plum is a stone". Thanks to Miss Pottenger for helping me come up with that line. And here it is...

The Core

Balance the knife over
the red belly- cut clean
to release the star-
“Fruit holds such mystery,”
you say as you hand over
the apple.

He bites into the crisp flesh without
noticing the hallowed points. “Granted,
some fruit doesn’t hide its enigma
at the core,” you continue- louder
to be heard over his crunching. “Like
strawberries- seeds on their coats
for all to see- a cave in the middle.”

He looks up from his breakfast
“Where is the mystery in a plum?”
he asks as you pull apart
the orange phases of a moon.
You shrug as he swallows the last
bite of apple and says,
“because the heart of the plum is a stone.”

(c) SDD 2007

September 22, 2007

for the want of a blowhorn...

The wilderness would be so much nicer if other people stayed out of it...

That sums up my feelings at the moment. I spent the entirety of last night awake, listening to the other people who chose to come to the woods. Not fun. There was the party just across the road who decided to blast country music until 3 AM. And then the people who drove up the road at midnight and another car at 3 and another at 5 (that one stalled twice, lovely grinding of the engine to keep you awake). Or we could talk about the people who drove OUT at 1 and 4. Honestly, these are not the sort of roads you should be traversing in the dark.

I may have fallen asleep a few times, but I never stayed asleep for more than a few minutes at a time.

Why do these people come to the woods? I mean, if you aren't going to enjoy the wild, why go? We (I'm talking humanity as a whole) are very bad about imposing ourselves. We take our noise and announce our presence. Maybe we all need a lesson in how to blend in to our surroundings.

September 21, 2007

adventures in camping...

So yes, I just recently returned from my nine day camping trip near Yellowstone. And yes, I'm going again. This time it is only one night and I'm taking my friend, Jake. He is 10 and he loves to camp. We are trying just one night because I've never been camping with him before and I've only ever camped on my own (i.e. without my super camper father) once. But Jake is up for the adventure so I'm willing to give it a try.

I'll let you know how it goes when I get back...

that is, IF I get back!

September 9, 2007

a turn to the poetic...

Because I want to post something... a poem for you to enjoy. I wrote this one about my experience in Namibia. It is in a form that was created by Billy Collins called a paradelle. I think you'll pick up on the structure :).

Africa, 2006

The quick streak of light echoes in my mind.
The quick streak of light echoes in my mind.
Drum beat of yesteryear reaches across time.
Drum beat of yesteryear reaches across time.
Streak of yesteryear, quick beat across my mind—
the reaches of light drum echoes in time.

Owl at dusk hurries to fly away.
Owl at dusk hurries to fly away.
Without power, all direction is lost.
Without power, all direction is lost.
All lost power hurries to fly—
direction is at dusk without— owl, away.

Old memories mingle with smiles and tears.
Old memories mingle with smiles and tears.
Scenes, once written, now burn in the fire.
Scenes, once written, now burn in the fire.
Once old tears burn with memories written
and now smiles mingle in the fire scenes.

With quick fire, memories beat in all tears
of light and power— mingle once in yesteryear.
Echoes streak, burn, fly without smiles.
Time reaches now across my old drum-
scenes of the mind, lost to direction,
written at dusk, hurries away. The owl is.

(c) SDD 2007

September 6, 2007

a little bit of dust...

It has been said that to fly, all it takes is faith and trust and a little bit of pixie dust. I'd like to put in my order for that dust right now. A tiny pinch should do the trick. Get it here so I can get on my way to Neverland (second star to the right and straight on to morning). I could seriously use the vacation from my life about now.

Several of you know that three weeks ago, as my family got ready for our annual fishing trip, one mishap after another bombarded us. My brother was one person away from being put on a jury that would have kept him from joining us. My dad's well quit working, leaving him without water. My sister's house situation was up in the air with the California buyers staling and turning in paperwork late. I kept praying that the assault would cease.

It didn't.

Thursday night (two weeks ago), on my way to Cheyenne, I had a run in with a raccoon. Yep, a raccoon. I guess it was technically Friday morning as it was 4 am. I was north of Fort Collins, about 20 miles from the state line when he appeared in my headlights. By the time I saw him it was too late and he met my bumper, then my compressor and radiator in a matter of seconds. It doesn't take long when going 75 miles an hour.

So there I am, 4 am, on the side of I-25 with a car that shouldn't go (the darn thing BENT my radiator). I called my brother and got no answer. I called my dad but he had turned off his phone. So I called roadside assistance and they were so kind and helpful. She kept asking for routine info over and over (which helped keep me calm). The nice lady arranged a tow for me. Granted, I had to sit on the side of the road for another hour and a half before they got there, but they came.

Now, I don't have much of a job (don't get me wrong, the work I do in the nursery is vital to the church and I know that I'm in a special position to influence kids when they are highly malleable, but it doesn't pay that great) which means paying for repairs is a bit tough. I had plans to get out and hit the job search hard when I got home, but without a car, that is kinda hard.

I'm not sure what God is trying to show me here. I have some thoughts but none of them pan out very far. Add that to the fact that every day is a teeter-totter about my future (PeaceCorps again, find a real job, try to get published, become a nun...) and, well, Neverland looks better every moment. I could hang out on a pirate ship... swim with the mermaids... sing songs to the Lost Boys.

Just please make sure there are no raccoons there, they are on my bad list right now.