Musical Monday

Silent Sunday

An Invitation

I have another blog that is a journal of my eating & exercise. Until today it's been restricted so that only a few people could read. For a number of reasons, I've decided not to keep it private any longer. You're invited to read, comment, threaten, encourage, laugh. Whatever. We all have things that are hard for us to deal with & food is one of mine. I'm trying everyday to eat better and exercise and I'd appreciate all the support I can get!

The blog is called And Again and you can click on the name to view it. The title is from a little book I found a number of years ago in a used bookstore. Called Always We Begin Again, it's about the Benedictine way of living. It reminds me that everyday is another chance to start again no matter what happened yesterday.

One of the reasons I decided to share this is because of something I read. While I won't go into that now partly because I'm still feeling kind of emotional, what it comes down to is it made me realize that everyone does have problems and things that are hard to deal with. Even people whose lives may look perfect have the same kind of struggles. I've had this idea for years that I could hide being overweight. Ok, I never said I was particularly rational! But it's the idea that if I don't say I have a problem, there is no problem. While I'm better than I was a few years ago, I still have a long way to go. One of the things I've (partially) learned is that support is crucial. I've had tremendous support from a small group of people who I can't thank enough. But I really need all the help I can get! So take a look if you have time and please comment if you feel like it. Thanks!

Poetry Day

Charles Bukowski is one of my favorite poets. His poems are generally pretty straight-forward, often raw and sometimes scary. I like a lot of different poetry and can be nauseatingly fond of overly romantic stuff at times. But in a way other poetry doesn't, his speaks to me. It occasionally worries me that many of the poems that hit home hardest for me were written by a slightly mad, alcoholic lecher. Then again, of the people I like best many are slightly mad. A few drink more than they should and one or two are probably lechers, so I guess it isn't surprising!

Nobody But You

nobody can save you but
yourself.
you will be put again and again
into nearly impossible
situations.
they will attempt again and again
through subterfuge, guise and
force
to make you submit, quit and/or die quietly
inside.

nobody can save you but
yourself
and it will be easy enough to fail
so very easily
but don’t, don’t, don’t.
just watch them.
listen to them.
do you want to be like that?
a faceless, mindless, heartless
being?
do you want to experience
death before death?

nobody can save you but
yourself
and you’re worth saving.
it’s a war not easily won
but if anything is worth winning then
this is it.
think about it.
think about saving your self.

Charles Bukowski

Mellifera

A couple of weeks ago I posted about one of my cats, Pippin. I've been meaning to share a couple of pictures about my other cat and am finally getting around to it. Mellifera (her name is from Greek and means honey-bearing) makes me think of that old nursery rhyme about the little girl with the curl, when she was good she was very, very good and when she was bad she was horrid.

She can be the sweetest, lovingest cat in the world. She'll curl up in my arms and give me kisses and reach her paw up and gently pat my cheek. Then she'll sit on the couch next to me and hiss and scratch me if I move or turn the page of my book! I'm a little prejudiced but I think she's a really beautiful cat and deserves her own blog post!

Summer?

Well it isn't quite summer but it has been hot today! I did walk this morning, mostly on streets with lots of shady trees. The sad thing is this isn't really that hot a day. Last summer I was in Sacramento for a few days when it was about 110. Now why did I move here??? Ah well. Nights are nice though. I'm a night person and I love summer nights when you can sit outside and it's cool and still. Hmm, maybe I'll sit on my patio tonight and read for awhile. The cats would like that! The other thing I like doing is going for a drive late at night in the summer with all the windows down and Johnny Cash in the CD player! Well maybe summer won't be so bad. . .

May Wrap-Up

Well I didn't blog everyday so I'm feeling a little disheartened about that. I think I'm going to wait a few months before I attempt the blog everyday challenge again. I'm feeling kind of overwhelmed with life right now and don't want to make that commitment.

I read 15 books and went to the library 6 times in May. Four of those were new library visits so I'm making great progress on visiting all the libraries!

Almost French - Sarah Turnbull
A Thousand Days in Venice - Marlena De Blasi
The Case Has Altered - Martha Grimes
A Thousand Days in Tuscany - Marlena De Blasi
The Old Wine Shades - Martha Grimes
The Winds of Change - Martha Grimes
Dust - Martha Grimes
On My Own - Florence Falk
The Library: An Illustrated History - Stuart A.P. Murray
Deception - Jonathan Kellerman
The Blue Last - Martha Grimes
Lion of Ireland - Morgan Llywelyn
The Lamorna Wink - Martha Grimes
The Grave Maurice - Martha Grimes
Ruined By Reading - Lynne Sharon Schwartz