Wednesday, March 31, 2004
" The real meaning of enlightenment is to gaze with undimmed eyes on all darkness. "
--Nikos Kazantzakis
Apple blossoms have started to burst forth. Lilacs nearly complete in their blossoming... the fragrance intoxicating. My Vincae ( Periwinkle ) beds aswarm with blossoms of blue. Oak leaves are still in their infancy.
Overcast Tuesday... Wednesday had puffy cumulus clouds sailing through an ocean of blue only to butt up against the Sierras en-mass. Recently we've had downpours, drizzles, warm and sunny... the weather's been on a roller coaster ride !
Took some time off from being online much... allergies bad... medicine tires me out... little sleep due to congestion and apnia mask conflict... bleeeaaah !!!
Gail has acquired a few new pains... probably a stretched muscle in her chest and an injury to her knee when her Mother's monster of a Malamute knocked her over. Grandkids and my daughter Chrissy and her husband fine.
Short e-mail from Debi... Mandy, my eldest niece, is getting married ! May 8th... cool !
Finally got to watch " Finding Nemo " with the family on the VCR Wednesday last. Cute movie... awesome !... totally !!! The Grandkids have 'prolly' seen it (100) times by now and do not tire of it.
Some Haiku created whilst about:
Spring Oak Leaves Forth
Leaves emerge, unfold
from limbs dormant through winter
Hued salmon and jade
:Bobby Nichols 3-25-2004
The Bamboo Bush
Prim bamboo bush trim'd
Red berries clustered, aglow
Delicate, long leafed
:Bobby Nichols 3-25-2004
Palm
Grey-brown bearded palm
Green fronds slapping in the wind
Long, thin, coarse trunk sways
:Bobby Nichols 3-25-2004
Dogwood 1
Butterfly jewels
Flowers of the Dogwood cling
Ivory wings wide
:Bobby Nichols 3-25-2004
Dogwood 2
Broad shell-pink blossoms
lined with thin light-maroon veins
adorn the Dogwood
:Bobby Nichols 3-31-2004
My entries... " Poetry in Motion" daily contest:
Devotion
Crystal clear
my desire...
I will love
You always
... beyond end
:Bobby Nichols 3-31-2004
Balance
Verdant meadow grass
hides both predator and prey
Nature's scheme balanced
:Bobby Nichols 3-31-2004
Prairie Orison
Wizen'd old groundhog...
appears in deep prayer, devout
'Thanks, Lord, for green grass...'
:Bobby Nichols 3-31-2004
" Devotion "... ad infinitum.
" Spring Oak Leaves Forth "... a Haiku: We have an Oak tree whose branches overhang closely to our bedroom deck... making for easy observation. The "Poop-Deck", I so name it, because Gail quarters the dogs there often.
" The Bamboo Bush "... a Haiku: A beauty of a bush found in Citrus Heights, near Sacramento.
" Palm "... a Haiku: Palms are abundant in Sacramento and it's environs.
" Dogwood 1 & 2 "... a Haiku: The dogwoods aren't as prolific here as they are in the Paradise/Magalia foothills, but I come across some, now and again, between home and Sacramento. The varieties, probably Cornus nuttallii (Benthamidia nuttallii; Pacific dogwood), seem to be limited to either white flowered or pink flowered. The painting my Mother gave me of a Dogwood Tree by N. Taylor Stormington, procured in Juneau, Alaska, depicts a white flowered variety with a yellow puffed 'button' in the center.
" Balance "... a Haiku: Picture depicted a red fox searching the meadow grass for a bite to eat.
" Prairie Orison "... a Haiku: Poem pretty much tells the story. " Orison " = petition to God.
It's nearing mid-night... time to post !
Later... y'all !!!
C'ya.
Thursday, March 25, 2004
" Concerning God, freewill and destiny: Of all that earth has been or yet may be, all that vain men imagine or believe, or hope can paint or suffering may achieve, we descanted. "
--Percy Bysshe Shelley ( 1792-1822 )
" descanted "... talked or dwelled upon enthusiastically and/or at great length.
More by Percy Bysshe Shelley: " The soul's joy lies in doing. " and " Death is the veil which those who live call life; They sleep, and it is lifted. " I haven't read his " Prometheus Unbound " yet... must put it on my reading list. Accomplished greatness in his (30) years alloted to him on earth... what might have been ?
Called Mom and had a nice chat... her voice a bit raspy... but all is well. Said my sister Peg is ill, but the other siblings are fine.
Two visitors from the Priesthood quorum ( LDS ) for discussions this evening. A continuation of my education. A bit clearer on " agency "... now, and in the here-after.
Da Boards (briefly), BLOG, a bit of TechTv viewing on TV, news, Gospel study, fed the horses. Tried, again, to get the bloody music cassette that is stuck in Gail's van's player... no luck !... gave up before any great damage done.
Set alarm? for 6:00 a.m. PST... better hurry up and post !!!
My entries... " Poetry in Motion" daily contest:
Jupiter
Vibrant orb jewel
Turbulent mystique fills view
Ganymede's delight
:Bobby Nichols 3-24-2004
" Jupiter "... a Haiku: Ganymede... a link !... the point of origin I envision the photo set for inspiration. The photo actually terrestrial in nature of an incredible sunset of striated cloud layers... running the gamut from dark hued purple to light rose-orange; but still appearing to me as the largest crown jewel of our local system, Jupiter, from the vantage point of one of its moons.
Bedkee yertam hima !!!
C'ya.
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
" Children have neither a past nor a future. Thus they enjoy the present - which seldom happens to us. "
--Jean de la Bruyère 1645 - 1696
Ah, to be innocent as children again. A day lasts forever... seemingly, and nearly every experience new...
More Jean de la Bruyère quotes: " Everything has been said, and we have come too late, now that men have been living and thinking for seven thousand years and more. "... quite the optimist !!! Kinda' like Bill Gates saying that: " 640K memory should be enough for anybody "... a little short-sighted. and still more !!!... a link ! On translating a page about Jean de la Bruyère, his name is translated from the French to English as " Jean of the Heather "... rather poetic, non ?
Corrected a typo ( wodland/woodland ) in my latest poetry collection... need to scrutinize more and not rely on the spell-checker so heavily.
Felt tired all morning... a bit out of sorts... took a long n--a--p before feeding the horses.
Missed the deadline for another poem due to the 'dial-up online thing when the phone is needed'... plbbtbtbtbtbtt !!!... but then every-thing's been said/written already anyway, non ? Here's what might have been:
Rhyme ? No Reason !
To rhyme
a rhythmic
conformity
a lyrical madness
The rhetorical prose
:Bobby Nichols 3-23-2004
My entries... " Poetry in Motion" daily contest:
Easter Island
The ancient
tongue unfamiliar
Coarse stones
of island
ancestors capped
A humanness found
wide-eyed shadowed
Their spirit waiting
unhurried long
:Bobby Nichols
3-24-2004
Ben
Bandit fur ball cite
Gail's loving pet raccoon... missed
Heavenly Benners
:Bobby Nichols 3-23-2004
Rhyme ?... No Reason ! ... The 'tiles' were most unkind. " The rhetorical prose "... a delightful oxymoron. I find the need to rhyme annoying. The openness of prose seems to allay ( not ally ) the doggerel from appearing... not that I haven't been guilty in a creation or two.
Easter Island ... I tried to make my entry 'tiles' arranged in the manner of a hatted Easter Island statue... with dubious results. Looks more like a toy " Weeble " ( " Weebles Wobble... but they don't fall down ! "... PlaySchool/Hasbro Toys ). I'll try centering the poem and see how it comes out in this posting. Nope, won't work... I'll try none breaking spaces strategically placed.
" Ben "... a Haiku: The inspirational photo shows a young raccoon at night with a spotlight shinning on him/her while in the crook of a green sapling. My wife Gail had a pet Canadian raccoon named Ben ( or Benners, or sometimes Beeeeaaannnners ! ), who passed ( 5 ? ) years ago, that was very long lived for any raccoon, pet or wild, nearly ( 20 ) years old. I thought to use the word 'cite' ( brings up, make reference to, mention ) instead of 'sight'... because the sight of a raccoon evokes the memory of Benners... always, in Gail's mind... as well as the rest of the family's. Perhaps 'cites' better with a comma added before or use 'sight' after all. In retrospect... the poem is clumsy, albeit evocative. The final form yet to be decided for further posting... " Bandit fur ball pet / Gail's loving raccoon... sore missed / Heavenly Benners "... one thought.
Adiós !!!
C'ya.
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
" The value given to the testimony of any feeling must depend on our whole philosophy, not our whole philosophy on a feeling. "
--C. S. Lewis... a link !
More C. S. Lewis quotes: " It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to men. " --Reflections on the Psalms... and still more !!!... a link !
Added another collection of my poems from my past postings to the sidebar ------------------------------------------------>
( More Poems2... a collection )... this should get me somewhat up to date. Also added my 9-12-2003 poem
" Passings " to this collection ( never did get the time to set the poem by itself with artwork and music like I wanted to... for another time, perhaps ). Took me the better part of the afternoon to get the formatting/editing done.
Noticed all my links to a certain quote sight are coming up empty. Hmmmmmmm... their site/server must be doing a job on the links. You can still cut and paste the name into the " Author " search to accomplish the task... don't know why they'd do such a thing, though.
Also added the copyright do-hickey just case. Doubtful anybody will heed, since a copyright was always implied... but ya never know ! Permission for reprint is just an email request away !!!
Gail's bar-b-qued chicken tonight for dinner, with potato salad and corn on the cob... double-yum !
Beautiful warm sunny day... getting to sound like a broken record every day... literally. Change due soon, though, with a cold front starting to 'weasel in' on us.
My grandson David was on art spree... drawing pages of sports scenes, as only a (7) year old could. I was presented with a picture on green paper with a golfer pulling his golf bag on a golf course between two flag sticks... beautiful in its simplicity. A collection is going to Ms. Allen, his teacher. I framed my picture for posterity. He was a terror on his motorcycle for the better part of the late afternoon.
My entries... " Poetry in Motion" daily contest: I print-screened the 'tiles' for the main contest to ponder upon tomarrow... eyes heavy, but managed the Haiku in quick fashion:
Conflagration
Cows caught in headlights
Day turned to night from ash fall
Horizon on fire
:Bobby Nichols 3-22-2004
" Conflagration "... a Haiku: Poem pretty much tells the tale of the photo... barring one stunted bare tree. The cows just discernible at the vehicle's headlights farthest range. Volcano ?
Ñakum ñiway !!!
C'ya.
Monday, March 22, 2004
" To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization. "
--Harriet Beecher Stowe... a link !
More quotes by Harriet Beecher Stowe: " The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone. " and... " Mothers are the most instinctive philosophers. "
Walt's Shoe Repair in Placerville did a wonder on my new/old shoes I just picked up.
Returned late library books... grrrrr. Could have been worse... the Placerville branch library is closing for two weeks for renovation. Didn't get to finish the collection of Sci-Fi short stories, nor crack open the HTML book... where's all the time been going ?
Dinner by myself again Saturday... chili and flour tortillas... yum ! Gail and Chrissy out with the children until 8:00 p.m. - they had hooked up with my in-laws for dinner and brought me a doggy-bag from the new Mexican Restaurant in Placerville that used to be an " Eppies " restaurant. The Elders ( LDS ) dropped by for a bit. Richard went camping over-night with family and buddies.
Sunday... beautiful warm sunny day. The Wadsworth's picked me up for church. Wonderful service and thought provoking discussions thereafter in Sunday School and Quorum. Again... walked home from the Wadsworth's afterwards. Don't remember if I mentioned it before, but Brother Wadsworth was the one who Baptized me a few weeks ago.
" March Madness " reigns on my TV ! Stanford, UOP, and Gonzaga all eliminated... only the University of Nevada remains as a contender from the " Left Coast " in making the " Sweet Sixteen ". UAB ( Univ. Alabama, Birmingham ) in quite a shocker over Kentucky !
(5) visible planets in the night's sky... a link !
My entries... " Poetry in Motion" daily contest:
Canons
Vigilance
Humility
Love and Prayer
of earthly souls
His will
... our desire
:Bobby Nichols 3-22-2004
Dawn Fancy
Near dawn light inspires
Evokes distant trees afire
'neath cloud dappled sky
:Bobby Nichols 3-21-2004
Path to Reason
Enter yon path's sway
Cleanse aside thy deep despair
Muse still... thoughts perplex'd
:Bobby Nichols 3-21-2004
" Canons "... Weapons against evil...
" Dawn Fancy "... a Haiku: Inspirational picture of a few trees off in the distance below a sky erupting with golden light on the horizon. Above all was a blue sky bedecked with a series of small pillowy clouds in an interesting formation.
" Path to Reason "... a Haiku: ... Photo of a bridge entrance over what appears to be a creek - being part of a bike or walking path leading into a wooded park setting... not unlike the path I used to jog/walk/bike at Bidwell Park... a link !... that Big Chico Creek went through in Chico ( Northern California ). Much sad thought alleviated in this beautiful urban park setting... one life-time ago.
Endani bwino !!!
C'ya.
Saturday, March 20, 2004
" You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose. "
--Indira Gandhi... a link !
No Debi... I never did get the info about Uncle John Ray Nichols, Jr. ( My 3rd response sent by e-mail that is yet to be acknowledged to an aging e-mail sent by my sister Debi ).
Absolutely gorgeous weather again today. The 10 day forecast, however, shows a cooling trend approaching with good chance of rain next Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Still... low to upper 70° Fahrenheit through Tuesday likely. Spring here Saturday ( today ) !!!
Loaded up on generic Claritin ( 60 count ) and eye drops for allergy eyes... $25 USD. My allergies bad this past week making it extremely difficult to drop off to sleep with the apnia mask on.
BLOG, poetry, Da Boards, updated anti-virus and spyware detection programs, fed and grained horses, rub eyes, blow nose, sneeze, blow nose, sneeze, blow nose, sneeze...
Gail had a workout at her chiropractors' on Thursday and is barely hobbling along today. I tried the stair-stepping contraption she was tormented on after her workout and believe me - it's much too intense to just wham-bang start on for too great a length of time when one has not been exercising much.
Chrissy off from work today with Ashley in tow. They went to David's school to watch a Yo-Yo assembly... cool !
Dinner Friday: Chrissy and kids to pizza... Gail with her Mom and Dad to Chinese Restaurent... I cooked pork chops and rice and spinach for myself... yum !
Our washing machine took a dump ( third used one in about (3) months ) so Chrissy did the coin op washing thing with her family's cloths. Don't know what Gail and I are to do... 'prolly' wash at the in-laws until they tire of us. I've taken to hand washing my newer whites in the sink and letting them air dry.
My entries... " Poetry in Motion" daily contest:
Love Demeter
Gentle spirit
Her face
soft and furrowed
from laughter
Tender passion burning
... love
... desire
:Bobby Nichols 3-19-2004
Sunrise
Multi-chroma hues
paint the sunrise sky of home
God's glory affirmed
:Bobby Nichols 3-18-2004
Muse
Autumn colors fuse
Scarlet to yellow-green hues
Calm reflection pools
:Bobby Nichols 3-19-2004
" Love Demeter "... Demeter... a link ! Pay special attention to the next-to-last paragraph for Demeter's passion. The title also my toned down homage to Led Zeppelin's " D'yer Mak'er " ( pronounced " Jermaker " ) of English ( and, of course, dubious ) origin.
" Sunrise "... a Haiku: Fantastic photo of a sunrise in the hills for inspiration. My typo in the entry... " afirmed "... oops !
" Muse "... a Haiku: ... to ponder or reflect. The photo of an Autumn scene reflected in a vast reflection pool... serene and lovely. Appears I'm getting hung up on color ! Looked like a great place to meditate.
Ak morolung !!!
C'ya.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
" Thoughts are but dreams till their effects are tried. "
--William Shakespeare
... and some more of my favorites by Shakespeare: " The object of art is to give life a shape. "... and ... " How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world. "
Weighed myself the other day... on the only scale here abouts that can at the health clinic in Georgetown ( CA ). Down to a svelte 160... kilos. O.K. I cheated ! Still about 352 lbs. ( avoirdupois ). Still... I thought I had done worse over the winter months. Time to retire the baked potato again.
Picked up (3) pairs of shoes at the thrift stores for less than $9 USD... (2) dress and (1) athletic. However I commissioned to have the nicer pair of dress shoes for a bit of re-pair for about $17 USD. The pair of dress shoes I had before is no longer a pair... but a single.
Groan !!! Gail and I took (2) of (3) kittens in for neutering/spaying from a litter a while back for $25 USD for the two. We recently discovered another litter of two(?) by a cat, "Spooky", who Gail and I thought not only was male... but was already 'fixed'. Spooky indeed ! HELP !!!
My entries... " Poetry in Motion" daily contest:
Love Blossoms
Silent float
the cherry blossoms
softly on
lovers clinging
Their souls
a oneness together
:Bobby Nichols 3-17-2004
Tenet
Follow the Son
Heaven our reward
All of us
Peace... Love
His will be done
:Bobby Nichols 3-18-2004
Shoreline
Tidal ejecta
strews shore... washed of gentle waves
Driftwood bleached sun-kissed
:Bobby Nichols 3-17-2004
Sundow'n
D' bass dey hide now
leav'n dem d' shallows be
nite-time he'ya soon
:Bobby Nichols 3-18-2004
" Love Blossoms "... Cherry blossoms as Love blossoms... or Love blossoms for the lovers... or ...
" Tenet "... My best attempt at a definition: a religious belief that is held true based on faith.
" Shoreline "... a Haiku: a shoreline... sigh !
" Sundow'n "... a Haiku: I thought to have a bit of fun with this piece. The photo for inspiration was simply a lake setting with a shoreline of trees off in the distance... with clouded sky at dusk.
Laso lok je ge !!!
C'ya.
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
" The disunited mind is far from wise; how can it meditate? How be at peace? When you know no peace, how can you know joy ? "
--The Bhagavad Gita
... also from the Bhagavad Gita: " Little by little, through patience and repeated effort, the mind will become stilled in the Self. " An axiom in any endeavor... re-iterative study/practice AND discipline combine to create a result: which satisfies the psyche while remaining constrained by social mores, or more definitively... the super-ego. One way this is shown to be true is by way of the " Kata " used in martial arts especially, but by no means exclusively. As the article in the link says, however, a rigidity of form may expose one's weakness from the unexpected, again, in any discipline. So maybe: patience, repeated effort, and that intangible 6th sense one might acquire through experience to complete the equation... or as my thoughts splay... HUH !!!
My brother Robin forwarded a picture of my cousin Steve, son of my Uncle John, taken with the sunset in Iraq in the background. I hope cousin Johnny, Steve's elder brother, is back from Iraq by now. I rarely get any news about the cousin's, and then usually from Mom. The last time I saw Steve was in 1985, when my Grandmother passed. I think he was in high school then. God grant Steve, and all involved, safety... and his/their families comfort.
More pitch, hit , and grunt today with David.
My entries... " Poetry in Motion" daily contest:
La(o)co(o)nica
Mephisto... soul seeking
wings grimly with vigor
Success found
of Faustian desire
New-claimed dead spell-bound
his persistence never ending
:Bobby Nichols 3-16-2004
Island Tryst
Tropic dusk of rose
I embrace she scented of
Gardenia musk
:Bobby Nichols 3-16-2004
" La(o)co(o)nica "... short and to the point: beware of demons bearing gifts ( sic ). The title somewhat of an entwining of " laconic " ( brief and to the point of rudeness ) and " Laocoon "... the priest at Troy warned of the impending Greek treachery with the Trojan Horse. I apologize for any English syntax errors that may appear... " wings grimly with vigor " comes to mind. I tried to deal with what 'tiles' were given, and yet paint the 'minds canvas' with demonic fervor... my English composition never being my strong suit ( with apologies to teachers Ms. Hart and Ms. Korman ). In researching " Faust ", by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, I noted that he, Faust, escaped Mephistopheles' net with Divine intervention, hence " Faustian desire " or a desire to gain truth and worldly pleasures through the selling of one's soul, as Faust ( or Faustus ) himself nearly consummated.
" Island Tryst "... The inspirational photo was of a tropical setting with one palm tree and other exotic flora at sunset, the sun not in view, but the sky and reflecting waters a rose hue. I thought to convey as many sensory images as I could. By the by... I inserted a link to Nordstrom's for Trish McEvoy 4 Gardenia Musk Spray ( $60.00 ) in the 3rd line of the poem as a lark ( Trish / Tryst ). Gardenia mon préférence pour le parfum d'une femme.
Da boch chi !!!
C'ya.
Monday, March 15, 2004
" The great critic must be a philosopher, for from philosophy he will learn serenity, impartiality, and the transitoriness of human things. "
--William Somerset Maugham, English writer 1874-1965
Beautiful weather... light breeze and warm.
I took a short walk on Sunday after Church/Sunday school/baptism for the " Waters' ". I've been getting a ride from the Wadsworth's ( pardon the spelling ) and asked them to drop me off at their place, about half a mile ( close to a kilometer ) from home. Great day for a short walk.
Amusing e-mail from Mom... a re-iteration of an e-mail sent to her about the lighter side of the English language... example: " A backward poet writes inverse. " and " He often broke into song because he couldn't find the key ".
E-mail from Robin on his progress with his backyard landscaping project in pictures... lookin' good.
I went to the Temple in Oakland on Saturday. Very beautiful grounds and the Temple itself is breathtaking. The temple sits in the hills of Oakland, CA and on this sunny day was just above the fog/smog layer. The view looking down upon Oakland showed the homes and buildings to be in a dingy light from the before mentioned fog/smog. I was able to see a portion of the Golden Gate in the distance, and later Sutro Tower. The San Francisco downtown skyline was very visible. It was a small misfortune that the visitor center was closed for renovation.
The feeling I had when inside the Temple was one of awe and serenity... a humbling of the soul. Performing the rights I was able to perform brought me closer to my family who had 'passed' before me than I had thought possible, giving me a warm feeling of love. Brother Duane and Sister Carole Hallford, again... pardon the spelling , who were kind enough to take me with them, were most gracious and helpful and guided me gently through the experience, as I was quite overwhelmed... a beautiful experience I will cherish.
Poetry, BLOG, e-mail, fed the horses, walk. Elders coming by tonite.
My entries... " Poetry in Motion" daily contest:
Genealogy
The desire... deep
to continue
ancestral histories
Very important... indeed
to our
family passed
:Bobby Nichols 3-15-2004
Dragonfly !
Iridescent wings
ablur... harlequin body
reposed... Dragonfly !
:Bobby Nichols 3-15-2004
" Genealogy "... Work to be done !
" Dragonfly "... Beautiful dragonfly shown at rest, except for its wings, as if ready to pounce on its prey.
Shibuyé ba !!!
C'ya.
Thursday, March 11, 2004
" Irony is the gaiety of reflection and the joy of wisdom. "
--Anatole France, French writer (ps. of J. A. Thibault) 1844-1924
... another: " The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which will last forever. "... I think he's missing the point of why we're here on this earth in the first place.
Weather is breaking heat records... near 80° Fahrenheit ! David and I are able to play pitch, hit , and grunt. The grunt part is me dodging and shagging his hits. Spent some time with little Ashley, too, playing with her "sticker" book and dollies of late. The "sticker" book was given to her by "Mamu", my mother-in-law, and is full of self-sticking figures and items that are put in scenes elsewhere in the book... kinda' cool !
Anticipating a trip, soon, to the Temple in Oakland. It's always impressed me from afar how beautiful the Temple is. Now I'll have an insider's view !
Daughter Chrissy and her husband off the other night to a " Metallica " concert. Many years ago I took Chrissy to her first concert, " Metallica ", at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. She mostly wanted to go because her new boy-friend, now husband, went with his friends. My favorite part of the evening was stopping in Belmont/San Carlos on the El Camino at a place that served the best hot fudge sundaes in the world that I used to frequent in the '70's. The only music number at the concert that I really enjoyed was " Nothing Else Matters "... a link ! Actually quite moving. The structure of the song brings to my mind a baroque ballad or melody brought up to date in the best of ways.
My entries... " Poetry in Motion" daily contest:
Ethereal Being
Awake I am
... seemingly
Floating patiently
beyond time
A peace found
like no other
Heaven in sight
:Bobby Nichols 3-10-2004
Morceau Celestial
Of transcendental poetry
one composes
of love unpretentious
... exquisitely fashioned
as a sculpture
conceived of a
suspension of glass...
:Bobby Nichols 3-11-2004
Winter Tableau
Powdered snow abounds
the stream wending lazily
through woodland dream-scape
:Bobby Nichols 3-10-2004
Desert Yearnings
Fingers point skyward
from cacti scapes long searching
aching for rainfall
:Bobby Nichols 3-11-2004
" Ethereal Being "... Being: either verb or noun... bliss.
" Morceau Celestial "... Morceau meaning a small work either literary or musical. I had thought to use 'Celesta' for 'Celestial'... but seems that a 'Celesta' is a musical instrument played by using a keyboard that in turn allows a series of metal plates to be 'hammered'. I had hoped to bias more toward the literary than the musical, but then it brought to mind that exquisite musical instrument that Benjamin Franklin invented... the Glass Armonica... a link !... truly ethereal musical-poetry as sculpted of a suspension of glass !!! If you try Franklin's " Virtual Armonica ", please be advised that it takes a while to load with dial-up. My apologies for the multitudinous number of "of"'s.
" Winter Tableau "... a Haiku: Inspirational photo of a slow moving stream in the middle of a forest setting... the banks and trees and shrubs blanketed in snow. I like the word wending over winding... more poetic.
" Desert Yearnings "... a Haiku: Photo of a number of cactuses/cacti with the shadows long under clear blue skies.
Well... I'm getting kinda' long winded... so better post this puppy... quick !
Vastomazonok !!!
C'ya.
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
" The proud make every man their adversary by pitting their intellects, opinions, works, wealth, talents, or any other worldly measuring device against others. "
--LDS President Ezra Taft Benson, Saturday Morning Session, 1 April 1989
An interesting reflection by President Benson on the topic of "Beware of Pride"... one of the seven deadly sins: gluttony, lust, avarice, sloth, anger, envy and pride.
Da Boards, poetry, fed the horses, study, BLOG, helped Gail with some yard work. Mowed the lawn until we ran out of gas... which is just as well since we had to jury-rig the "dead-man lever" to get the bloody mower to start.
Almost forgot... packet for genealogy last Wednesday from the LDS ! More info to continue family history search !! Cool !!! Baptized ( immersed twice ! ) and confirmed and...
ALS ( Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ) Accessibility links : Rev. Douglas Kibbe's ALS site and from ALS Digest ALS material ( dated )... but interesting. ALS Googled and ALS News Googled. I hope to glean some info for my Accessibility Links help page.
One of my transplanted plum trees is bejeweled with blossoms. Planted from a sucker about (3)? years ago and growing strong.
" Nescient "... cool word, I wonder what it means ?
My entries... " Poetry in Motion" daily contest:
Affront
Nescient offspring...
children of the moment
thinking but of themselves
complacency obviates
His great love
:Bobby Nichols 3-8-2004
Enraptured
A delicious muddle...
... love
Lessons mastered
found through desire
Exploring joy
co-mingled
of mind and body
:Bobby Nichols 3-8-2004
Storm at Sea
CRASH... the breakers spray
Surf roils from onset nigh
Heaven and shore tried
:Bobby Nichols 3-8-2004
" Affront "... made the deadline of 9:00 p.m. PST by less than (1) minute !!! Started a wee bit late in the day. Nescient=ignorant, obviates=prevents, complacency=smugness ( I had to look all (3) up !!! [ nescient me !!! ] )
" Enraptured "... A light view of the mystery of mature love.
" Storm at Sea "... a Haiku: Inspirational photo showing jutting rocks in the surf where the breakers cavort - fronting an unsullied beach... with streamers of light as from Heaven passing through the breaks in the dark clouds offshore. Roils: two syllabibbles or one ? Dictionary says (2)... roils... roy-ils... royls... roi-'ls... ?
Dovidjenja !!!
C'ya.
Friday, March 05, 2004
" Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. "
--Marcel Proust
Gail and I voted on Super-Tuesday ! Proposition(s) 57 & 58 most on our minds... both for.
Daffodils !! Full moon before sunset ! Sierra's shining with snow... 134% of normal snow pack and/or water content... or something. Weather in the upper 60°'s Friday... with the forecast for 70°'s and higher for the next (5) days. Beautiful !!!
Gail and Chrissy to go to the Bay Area ( Union City, CA ) to pick up my sister-in-law Geri in the early a.m. on Saturday. I warned them not to worry about missing my Baptism, but rather to drive safely and sanely. My grandkids will be with them, too.
Spent the last of my meager savings on new underwear, a shirt, and tie. Gail repaired two pair of black slacks that still fit me ( 54" waist... groan ! ) We also picked up two desk chairs for sitting upon while computing ( with ample room for our derrières ) for $5 USD each at a thrift shop.
My entries... " Poetry in Motion" daily contest: A rather interesting SNAFU while contending for the phone. Both my daughter Chrissy and I with 9 p.m. PST ( 12 a.m. EST ) deadlines to accomplish a task... both computers needing online access, except she needed my line to talk while she was also online with Gail's computer, as I sat offline completing my poetry entry. At what I was soon to find out as about 9:01 p.m. PST, Chrissy finished and I submitted my poem that I had been laboring on for the better part of (4) hours and was rewarded with a confirmation of gobblety-gook for the NEXT day's entry. My coherent entry somehow tile-for-tile swapped with random tiles from the next day ? Go figger ! Better to have been informed that the entry was late and start afresh on the next offering... but noooo !... I'll print both. Gail said " who knows ?, maybe the ( SNAFU ) poem will win ! "
Secrets
Secrets
are as a
tympano
beaten
ever
cascading
lest silence
found
:Bobby Nichols 3-5-2004
SNAFU
Moaning
groanIIl toes
it is
at has delivery
This now
beginni-l
done something's
my
:Bobby Nichols 3-5-2004
Daisies
Light-orchid daisies
Sun kissed, they're faces gladdened
Butterflies cavort
:Bobby Nichols 3-5-2004
" Secrets "... this poem was late by maybe (1) minute - missed the deadline of 9:00 p.m. PST ( not 9:00 p.m. EST as I stated erroneously in a recent BLOG ). Just trying to get back into the " swing of things ". The tiles were predominately French words or bits of French words. With only (3) years of French study... many years ago with no practice since, I wasn't up to the challenge by far. So... I gleaned what I could from the remaining meager supply of tiles and did as best I could. Would have preferred tympani over tympano ( singular form of tympani/timpani ) but couldn't arrange the tiles in that direction. I may edit the poem further, prior to re-introducing on the new poetry page in the works.
" SNAFU "... This is a poem ??? - Actually, it's better than some of my offerings done by purpose, LOL !
" Daisies "... a Haiku: I toyed with " their " and " they're " back and forth and decided " they're " gave more feeling to the poem; though in retrospect, if the poem were to be 'read to' one rather than 'read by' one, the effect would most likely be lost... sigh ! Some ambiguity also may arise re: the butterflies, but hey... it's not the bloody " Epic of Gilgamesh " !!!... a link !!!
E liya gbamu !!!
C'ya.
Monday, March 01, 2004
" Do you think that you shall enter the Garden of Bliss without such trials as came to those who passed before you ? "
--Qur'an / Koran
Cold or something... ( Flu ? ) almost gone. Perhaps a bit of sinus problems left and a little difficulty breathing and ears stuffed up. Terrible when one needs rest but one's back keeps one out of bed... rather tortuous actually. No real help from without when it came to needing some peace and quiet.
The rest of the family has been pretty much spared any full-blown illness... though my grandson David did miss a couple days from school with perhaps a 24 hour maladay... his illness not too apparent when home. Gail still getting along with her numerous aches and pains.
Felt so bad I rarely used the computer, and then only to keep the e-mail from overflowing... still lots of e-mail to read through. My Spam seems to be on the increase too.
On 2/23 I briefly went outside... saw my first Bumblebee since fall. Plum trees in the Sacramento area have been blossoming, as have some of my vincae. Rain has been off and on for days. Temperatures to be in the mid 60°'s Fahrenheit with clearing skies for the next 5 days or so.
Spiritual update... Baptism on the 6th ! When announce at Sunday's service I was asked to stand. I did... barely, with all the blood rushing from my face from anxiety. Studying " The Book of Mormon " and " Bible ", and trying to become worthy... a large step for me.
Reading Lockergnome newsletter gave me this link... e-bility.com... with more accessibility links for enabling software. About time to update my accessibility help page soon. Another link from TechTv's 'TSS' for XPress_It... an $850 USD custom Speech Engine for people with Cerebral Palsy.
My entries... " Poetry in Motion" daily contest: No poetry done since becoming ill... feel really bad about that. I will try to ease back into my routine as soon as I feel a bit better.
Ser deg senere !!!
C'ya.
... digg.com
