Sign Me Up: Rah Rah

 

= Happy Wednesday =

Keep calm and carrion

Remember my new friend Anne?

I met her near the Snowden monument during my visit to Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis earlier this month.

She was brandishing a camera similar to mine and doing the same thing as me -- gawking, taking pictures, smiling in wonderment and complete joy -- so naturally, each instantly recognizing the other as a fellow taphophile, we struck up a conversation.

And in the shadow of an exquisite monument to two American war heroes who lost their lives in France during World War II, a friendship was born.

I am invited to visit Anne in Swampeast Missouri, from whence she hails, to walk and photograph a completely awe-inspiring Victorian-era St. Louis cemetery: Bellefontaine.

My daughter Erica -- who is keen to behold the arch, Gateway to the West -- and I hope to make that trip later this year.

In the meantime, Anne gifted me with a creation from her art studio: an okra-pod vulture named Veronica.

Isn't that something? Vultures are fascinating if a bit on the odd and scary side. You should read up on them.

The idea of okra-pod vultures originated with Anne. She had a vision and she brought it to life.

She also makes extremely fetching fairy shoes and sells them at a very reasonable price in her Etsy shop.

You never know when you may need a pair of fairy kicks and when you do, best get them from a bona fide Cobbler to the Fae.

Me? I'm just hanging out with Veronica, admiring my yellow bearded iris that somebody else planted.

I'm ever in the debt of those who had a vision. Have a vision today. Where there is no vision, the people perish.

=0=0=0=

Look alive. Here comes a buzzard.

~Lady Stella Reading (1894-1971)~

=0=0=0=

Happy Monday ~ Happy Week

Nothing could be finer

To be or

That is the question.

Happy Birthday to the Bard. And Happy Death Day to the Bard.

William Shakespeare was born four hundred fifty years ago today.

He shuffled off this mortal coil three hundred ninety-eight years ago today, on his fifty-second birthday.

History did not record the cause of his demise.

He is considered by most to be the greatest writer in the English language.

And who's to argue? 

Rest in peace, bright star among playwrights, most productive of poets, most worthy of pirate wordsmiths, consummate lover of our exquisite mother tongue.

With the sole exception of the King James Bible, nothing could be finer.

=0=0=0=

Then let not Winter's ragged hand deface 
In thee thy summer, ere thou be distill'd:
Make sweet some vial; treasure thou some place
With beauty's treasure, ere it be self-kill'd. 
That use is not forbidden usury, 
Which happies those that pay the willing loan;
That's for thyself to breed another thee, 
Or ten times happier, be it ten for one; 
Ten times thyself were happier than thou art,
If ten of thine ten times refigur'd thee: 
Then what could Death do, if thou shouldst depart,
Leaving thee living in posterity? 
Be not self-will'd, for thou art much too fair,
To be Death's conquest and make worms thine heir.

=0=0=0=

Happy Wednesday

=0=0=0=

Crittercam :: The cupcake birds

One fine day this week, Erica and I were out and about, enjoying an adventure.

While stopped for coffee, we saw something that got us all tickled.

No; we did not drop either the cupcake paper or the red jellybean.

But whoever the litterbug was, they scored big with two peckish birds.

The little cake-eaters were unfazed by cars and people.

They didn't even look up from their scavenging.

We stood watching, then I got my camera and walked as close as I dared.

Ignoring the red jellybean, they zeroed in on the feast of sweet soft crumbs.

Tasty morsels were plentiful. Beaks were loaded again and again.

I guess given the choice of cake or jellybeans, I'd take cake too.

Or maybe they saved the jellybean for dessert.

Erica was highly amused at the way they put one claw on the paper to steady it as they grazed.

And they took turns, all polite-like.

There was no bickering or hogging the spoils.

One would march around the perimeter of the area while the other tucked in.

When we left, the little fellows were still charging that cupcake paper as though it contained all the answers to the mysteries of life.

Brown birds be like, hallelujah! This is good y'all.

Little risk, big reward.

As it should be on a beautiful day in springtime.

=0=0=0=

Happy Friday ~ Happy Easter

=0=0=0=

Four fourteen fourteen :: A date which will live in romantic memory

Miss Meghan Kathryn Smith has said yes to that all-important question:

Will you marry me?

Which was asked of her on Monday by our son, Andrew.

Congratulations, Andrew and Meghan.

We love you both and we wish you every possible happiness.

x o x o x o x o

=0=0=0=

I want to tell you a

gentlest thing. Like light

to you. Like old faces

being fed a good memory

from inside themselves.

Like eyes that do not

watch but slowly meet

across a room in which

everyone is, and no one

need hurry to what he is

sure of. I want to say

before we run out of

rooms and everyone

that I am slowest,

surest, gentlest, too,

across whatever room

I look at you.

=John Ciardi=

Oh. In all the excitement I almost forgot. The ring is beautiful.

It's exactly what she wanted.

Andrew presented it to Meghan tied to the ribbon of her own brand-new leather-bound Bible with her soon-to-be new name imprinted on the front.

She expressed everlasting love for both the gift(s) and the giver.