Apr7
Wordless Wednesday: Mystery Plant
Apr6
NaPoWriMo Day Six
Today’s prompt is Go to a book you love. Find a short line that strikes you. Make that line the title of your poem. Write a poem inspired by the line. Then, after you’ve finished, change the title completely.
The line I selected is:
The sun hovered near the horizon in a final kiss before sinking ever lower. ~ from End of the Road by Karen Michelle Nut.
The Final Kiss a busy but uneventful day ends a fatigued me watches the sparse clouds turn golden and pink and red against the violet sky as the sun sinks lower a sliver of moon appears Venus (or is it an airplane) shines like a beacon a swarm of stars like fireflies twinkle across the fading purple of the heavens and the corona lingers against the horizon delivering a good-night kiss before sliding out of sight
©ARHuelsenbeck
Apr6
April is Jazz Appreciation Month
And what better way to celebrate than to listen to some great jazz music.
Dick Cavett interviewing Oscar Peterson:
The Robert Glasper Trio:
The great Ella Fitzgerald scatting:
John Batiste:
Bobby McFerrin and Chick Corea:
Miles Davis (and is it my imagination or is that Carlos Santana playing guitar?):
Andrea Motis, Joan Chamorro Quintet, and Scott Hamilton:
Duke Ellington:
Ahmad Jamal:
Dave Brubeck:
Apr5
NaPoWriMo2021 Day 5
The official prompt for the day wasn’t working for me, so I chose to use the one from Writer’s Digest, The First (blank).
The First Time I Ever Laid Eyes on You I couldn’t not notice you in your Andean striped bell-bottoms and floral shirt and your long sideburns when we went around the room introducing ourselves you said you were Greg and you were gregarious your laugh was infectious afterward, some of us planned to meet at Friendly’s for an ice cream cone you invited me to come with you I’d just gotten my first car and wanted to drive myself but you insisted your car’s passenger side door didn’t latch so you tied it to the steering wheel with a length of rope and told me I had to sit right next to you on the bench seat so I wouldn’t fall out not the most auspicious of beginnings but within two years we were married and we remain so 47 years later
©ARHuelsenbeck
Apr5
Monday Morning Wisdom #304
“Writing is always a process of discovery—I never know the end, or even the events on the next page, until they happen. There’s a constant interplay between the imagining and shaping of the story.”
~Kim Edwards
Apr4
NaPoWriMo2021 Day Four
Today’s prompt is to “select a photograph from the perpetually disconcerting @SpaceLiminalBot, and write a poem inspired by one of these odd, in-transition spaces.” This is the photo I chose:
When Tumbleweeds Took Over the Town Where do I go from here? How can I navigate the barrier That separates me from the mountain? The obstacle is taller and wider than I. I can’t see its boundary. Does it stretch for feet, or miles? Who will free the houses’ inhabitants? Are they forever trapped? Are they doomed to perish? Will the trash cans ever be emptied? Or when the truck comes, will it be forced to back out, beeping warnings to ears that can no longer hear? Must we wait for these thorny balls of twigs to crumble like cathedrals made from toothpicks? Is this how it ends, humanity smothered by dead vegetation?
©ARHuelsenbeck
Apr4
Happy Easter
I just had to share how pretty my neighbor’s yard looks:
Apr4
From the Creator’s Heart #301
Apr3
NaPoWriMo2021 Day Three
Today’s prompt is to make a Personal Universal Deck, select two cards, and use the words to construct a poem. The words on the two cards I drew were sour, chaos, sharp, and clap.
staff meeting sarcastic responses to my suggestions for improvements not the applause I expected for my incisive analysis of the chaos that besets our production processes i detest business politics that obstruct any progress that threatens the status quo repeating the same actions produces identical results insisting otherwise is madness once again my proposal will optimize our manufacturing procedure creating enhanced quality with greater productivity at lower cost no down side sour expressions sharp criticism the sound of one hand clapping
©ARHuelsenbeck
Apr3
When to Squelch the Impulse to Buy
It’s happened to all of us—we go to the mall, or to a website, to buy something for a special occasion. Maybe it’s a dress, or maybe it’s a gift. The first thing we see is a viable choice, but we think maybe we’ll see something nicer or less expensive if we keep looking. Hours or days later, we’ve not found anything better, so we go back to that first thing we saw, but it’s now sold out. Or maybe it’s still available, but you wonder why you wasted so much time hunting for the elusive unicorn.
At this point in my life, I often buy the first acceptable thing I see, just because it’s expedient. But not always. There are situations when you shouldn’t trust your first impulse:
- When your budget is tight. If you’ve had a few large unexpected expenses recently, like replacing a major appliance or getting a costly repair done, it would be irresponsible to choose the first shiny thing you see. Research and see if you can find a better price someplace else.
- If you’re a shopaholic. If your default mode is retail therapy, there will come a time when you’ll have to operate like an accountant rather than a free spirit. Is this purchase really necessary? Do you (or the intended recipient) already have something like it? Where will you/he/she put it? Is it a good value?
- When the item has an obvious design flaw. This should be a no-brainer, right? But sometimes our hearts get in the way.
Ten years ago, I wanted a blazer. Other women I knew looked so professional in blazers, but I’m short and heavyset, and I looked like a stuffed sausage in one. The blazers I tried on always felt tight at the buttons. So I kept looking. For months.
One day I found a black velour jacket with no buttons. I put it on, and it just draped beautifully on my body. My wardrobe at the time was mostly black; it would literally look good with everything I owned. It was $50, which was a little more than I wanted to spend, but I decided it would be worth it because I’d been looking for sooo looong.
There was just one thing. Along the opening, there were loose facings. And the facings kept shifting and showing.
I know just enough about sewing garments that I knew facings could be sewn down. However, tinkering with that facing in velour was beyond my skill. I didn’t think I could do it without making a mess of it.
I tried that jacket on again and again, and as I moved in front of the mirror, the facing kept sliding into view. I knew the facing would drive me crazy and detract from my pleasure wearing the jacket, but it nearly killed me to put it back on the rack.
Unbelievably, in the very next store, I found another black velour jacket, but this one had been constructed so that the facing was enclosed in a seam. Brilliant! And it was only $20! And I also found a black wool buttonless blazer for $20! So I both them both! I still wear both of them to this day.
There are times when buying the first thing you see works out well, but sometimes restraint is called for. How do you know when? Think things through carefully.
Now it’s your turn. Have you missed a good deal because you were holding out for something better? Was there a time when waiting turned out to be a better strategy? Share in the comments below.
