12.21: More Candy for Christmas

Butter and Sugar
More Caramels to Share with you
My new Christmas treat.

About Tonight's Full Moon

She quietly rises.
Enchanted by her mystery,
I'm under her spell.

Summer Daily 5: Now, think of the happiest things. It's the same as having wings.

I felt the magic
flying over London's sky...
Neverland exists.

Today I went to San Francisco with my SIL and MIL to watch an amazing theatrical performance of Peter Pan. It was a performance I've never experienced before, an amazing treat to all your senses. Here's a good quote from their website:
"What we have aimed for is a fusing of some very different theatre styles. This is still a theatre production. We have live actors to tell the story and we also have puppetry of a charming and surreal style, acrobatics, singing and sword fighting. What we also have is this other very special element. We take the audience up in the air and give them the feeling that they're soaring through the sky with these very familiar characters. It's a lovely feeling."



Sure I can say I felt like a kid again, but I couldn't help but imagine how amazing this performance would have been to a kid. There were a lot of them in the audience and I couldn't help but notice their eyes sparkle with the belief of the magic and even the fear of the pirates and especially the scary crocodile.

To say the least, lots of inspiration from this show...let's see where I'll take it.
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Welcoming November

a cherished season
breathtaking autumn colors
crisp, breathtaking air

I wrote this a couple of day ago when it was cooler, but it's since turned warm so the air hasn't really been crisp...in fact, it's suppose to be in the low 80s today and Tuesday. But the fall colors are still pretty amazing.
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desert haiku

A long desert drive.
In the Arizona heat.
Never ending miles.

Took this photo after about 4 hours on the road when we went to Arizona last May. We were on our way from Sedona to S. California for our niece's college graduation and still had at least 7 more hours of driving left. The road just seemed to go on forever. You probably know me well enough that I'm usually content for hours with my camera. But the desert scenery can be boring and monotonous.

There were a few interesting sights

Like a buzzard on the freeway:


Or a "forest" of Saguaro Cactus:
Even I have to admit, these cactus are pretty cool. Unfortunately, we didn't even have time to stop and take a closer look to take better photos.

But 6 hours later, we rewarded ourselves with dinner in California near Palm Springs at:
Bob's Big.to.the.Boy baby! Oh yea.
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Jaguar

I wouldn't want to
stumble upon her at night...
or anytime actually.
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National Poetry Month

Celebrating spring
So very happy to see
Beautiful blossoms

April is National Poetry Month...didja know? Me neither, till I read a bloggy friend's post. I've been needing a reason to write more poems and haiku. Got any poems you'd like to share?

old ones?
new ones?
favorite dr. seuss ones?
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Linguistically Challenged

I feel like my brain is spilling over but I'm incapable of putting any of it into words. This is often my problem. I've joked that I'm linguistically challenged. I could never be a teacher because I don't have the ability to express the ideas in my head in a clear way. What comes out of my mouth isn't the same thing that's going on in my brain. I can write well enough to get by, but that's because I can take the time to formulate the words. I'm wondering if that's why I like haiku, because the little snippets of verse in a 5-7-5 pattern and sometimes nonsensical word order is similar to how I think. LOL!

So here are my little soundbites, if you will, on the ramblings going on in my head.

On the election
Anxious. what will come?
November 4th will tell all.
Stomach tied in knots.
I know I'm not alone in this. Almost everyone I know feels very passionately who their candidate of choice is. And is afraid of what could happen if the other candidate is elected. I don't talk about politics much on my blog, but I haven't hidden what I believe and I'm sure most of my friends who read regularly know how I feel. California also has a few Propositions that are very important. And at this point, I really just want November 4th to get here already. I want the anxiety to end, hopefully in celebration and not in resignation.

On work
New ideas brewing.
The business plans are flowing.
Hope it will work out.
This is taking up a lot of my brain space otherwise I probably wouldn't even mention it. I talk about work less than I talk about politics. Jimmy and I work together in our business that we run and operate out of our home. Possibilities of ventures in 2 different avenues. Not sure where either one will lead, but wheels are in motion.

On art
Is it possible
to be overwhelmed by too
much creativity?
I took some great classes last weekend. The teacher came from Buffalo and is an amazing person as well as extremely creative. There are so many things I want to create. Minibooks, mixed media art, sewing whatevers, holiday cards...but with all the things I want to create, I can't concentrate on anything specific.
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Boyhood haiku

He's always climbing
Only stopping for a snack
Dirt mixed with Oreos

submitted to One Deep Breath Haiku Challenge
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The youngest

The youngest of three,
Left behind while the two swim.
Has fun on his own.
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Birds of San Ramon

Warmth. Yes, spring is here!
You can fly with all your friends.
After a small snack.

Solitary bird
Standing alone. Watching.
Will the others play?

Morning dove, you coo.
The cat chases you away.
But you are too fast.

I turned and saw you
Through my camera’s zoom. Click!
Caught you, mid jump!

Little orange bird
You look at me, curious.
Nope, I’m not a worm.

Blue
Jay
On guard.
Not playful
like the little birds.
He senses the trouble above.


Hovering, they see
Every detail from above
Birds of prey sense all.

Delicious Autumn

Children jump on piles
Of fallen leaves raked by dad
Delicious autumn

The deep golden hues
Combine with brisk cool breezes
Fall is in the air

submitted to One Deep Breath Haiku Challenge

Tea haiku

Have a spot of tea
Some crustless sandwiches, too
Perfect afternoon

A girlfriend's soiree
Let's talk about everything
Who what where when why

One small simple sip
Gives instant comfort - relief
Smooth satisfaction

Submitted to One Deep Breath Haiku Challenge: Tea/Coffee

Smores

A camp fire lends
The perfect environment
For sticky faced bliss

The boy loves his smores
I taught him the perfect melt
He ate four of them!

Don’t burn them too much
Take your time, roast it slowly
Gooey marshmallow

Take two graham crackers
A roasted marshmallow and
Chocolate – Yum! S’mores!

I'm entering a new art challenge: Mama Says Om. I've been lurking on their blog for a while and love the artists submissions and the inspiration I get from seeing everyones entries. This week's theme is "Camp" and...well...if you've been reading my blog for the past week or so, you know that I spent a wonderful week with my nephews and their parents in the Sierra Nevadas. We weren't really camping, per se, but enjoying nature, summer and family. But we really did roast the marshmallows over a wood burning firepit under the tall pine trees and star-filled sky. Does that count?

Here's one more photo along with a few haiku in honor of that sticky grin of his.

The Scenic Route

Famous Coast Highway.
Winding beauty; sea meets land.
California gem.

submitted to One Deep Breath Haiku Challenge: Scenic Route

Ritual

Native Rituals
Keep demon spirits away
Totems Guide the tribe

submitted to One Deep Breath Haiku Challenge 
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Journey

Listen to the wise.
Journeys speak her reverence.
Earth, spirit unite.

submitted to One Deep Breath: Journey
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One Bird

One
Bird
Waiting
Silently
In her nest of twigs
For her babies to emerge safe

Last week's haiku challenge was awesome and I'm sad I missed it. The theme was to create a haiku that followed a Fibonacci Haiku sequence with syllables of 1/1/2/3/5/8.
We just returned from our little cabin in the woods and there was a nesting bird in the tree in front of our deck. After reviewing my pictures, this Fib Haiku just flowed so easily off my tongue. So despite missing the submission deadline, I still wanted to share my poem.
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The Cows Path

"It's time to go in,"
said the lead cow to the rest.
"The farmer calls us." 
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Pathway Haiku

Follow the right path-
Longitude and latitude.
Found! Geocache there!

This week's theme for One Deep Breath's weekly challenge is Pathway. Last night, I was tucked in bed last night ready to bag some z's when a little 5-7-5 prose hit me and I had to get up and write it down before falling asleep because I knew I'd never remember it otherwise. However, after looking through my photo bank today, I decided to create a little haiku dedicated to geocaching.

If you're not familiar with geocaching, visit their website for more detailed information. But essentially, it's a scavenger/treasure hunt. On the website, they give you the coordinates, and with your GPS, you find the treasure. You can see most of our finds on our family website here.

This photo was taken a few weeks ago with our nieces, geocaching in Morro Bay.
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