Thursday, April 30, 2009

A Good List, by Brad Leithauser

A Good List
(Homage to Lorenz Hart)

Some nights, can't sleep, I draw up a list,
   Of everything I've never done wrong.
To look at me now, you might insist
   My list could hardly be long,
But I've stolen no gnomes from my neighbor’s yard,
Nor struck his dog, backing out my car.
Never ate my way up and down the Loire
   On a stranger's credit card.

I've never given a cop the slip,
   Stuffed stiffs in a gravel quarry,
Or silenced Cub Scouts on a first camping trip
   With an unspeakable ghost story.
Never lifted a vase from a museum foyer,
Or rifled a Turkish tourist's backpack.
Never cheated at golf. Or slipped out a blackjack
   And flattened a patent lawyer.

I never forged a lottery ticket,
   Took three on a two-for-one pass,
Or, as a child, toasted a cricket
   With a magnifying glass.
I never said "air" to mean "err," or obstructed
Justice, or defrauded a securities firm.
Never mulcted—so far as I understand the term.
   Or unjustly usufructed.

I never swindled a widow of all her stuff
   By means of a false deed and title
Or stood up and shouted, My God, that's enough!
   At a nephew’s piano recital.
Never practiced arson, even as a prank,
Brightened church-suppers with off-color jokes,
Concocted an archeological hoax—
   Or dumped bleach in a goldfish tank.

Never smoked opium. Or smuggled gold
   Across the Panamanian Isthmus.
Never hauled back and knocked a rival out cold,
   Or missed a family Christmas.
Never borrowed a book I intended to keep.
. . . My list, once started, continues to grow,
Which is all for the good, but just goes to show
   It's the good who do not sleep.

---
Today, an homage to a great American lyricist. The poem falls in the "Curves" section of Brad Leithauser's latest collection, whose fascinating organizing principle (and title) is Curves and Angles—the curves being the curves of the body, the fluid shapes of human concerns; the angles, the cooler, less flexible lines of the inanimate world. - The Borzoi Reader, Poem-A-Day

Saturday, April 25, 2009

I'm sorry - how could I not?




Beware, you will possibly get sucked into multiple YouTube singing dog videos if you have nothing to do...especially if you are supposed to be going to the post office. (Ahem.)

Thursday, April 23, 2009

A quote on passion and beauty

from Marie's post called "Everyday Epiphanies":

“Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion, everything invites me to cherish it.”

~ Anne De Lenclos

Visiting the Llamas and Alpacas at Cicely Farm










Thursday, April 16, 2009

just checking in

i am . . .

i am: engrossed in reading I Know This Much is True, by Wally Lamb.
i think: working part-time is the best of both worlds...if one can afford it, that is.
i want: to have a baby, or maybe even twins!
i wish: Grandma Dorothy lived closer (or we lived closer to MN).
i miss: Lauren.
i feel: much better than a few days ago when I was really sick.
i hear: Jean Mackin telling us the news.
i smell: zucchini, tomato, and Swiss cheese pie, which I made for dinner.
i crave: pretzels and liquids.
i search: for the answer about whether Cymbalta is OK during pregnancy or not.
i wonder: how people first got their surnames (besides the Johnsons, Williamsons, Porters, and Carpenters, that is).
i regret: getting that crappy grade on my Humanities class - I did NOT enjoy that class.
i love: making CDs for people of music that will cheer them.
i ache: in my blasted knee! wish that would go away. don't have the energy to invest in figuring it out and fixing it.
i always: stay up too late.
i am not: getting headaches from wine anymore, and am rather enjoying it again!
i believe: God doesn't care if I go to church or not.
i dance: less than I would like to!
i sing: more than others would like me to! ha ha. Scott's always saying, "NO OPERA in the shower!!"
i write: much better than I speak. I am always getting tongue-tied these days. Very weird.
i win: the prize for best nieces and nephews in the world!!!
i lose: my train of thought often these days.
i confuse: the cats when I dart too quickly through the house.
i listen: to the kitchen clock ticking very, very loudly.
i can usually be found:
laughing, singing, or swearing.
i am scared: aren't you?
i need: someone to teach me how to use my sewing machine. and someone to teach me how to knit.
i am happy about: spring planting and Agway and potting projects!
i hope: the womens' group will succeed and be a good outlet for a few of us gals.
i resolve: to call or write the note to a friend when I think about doing it. (monumental!)

Saturday, April 11, 2009

How the Other Half Lives


This is a really fascinating article on celebrity mansions. You won't believe some of the stats, like Julia Roberts' "modest" 6,000 square foot home and Jerry Seinfeld's 22-car garage. Check it out.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Stimulate Us, Already!

(photo from article)

Those Stimulus Checks ain't coming, baby. Here's the scoop.

It would've been a hell of a lot easier if they'd just written us the checks.
~Ally

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Signs of Spring

1. Judy and O'Reilly want to go outside a million times a day.
2. The wind is blowing.
3. Dust flies in the windy streets.
4. My allergies are acting up.
5. I want to take walks.
6. The sun is shining!!
7. Townspeople choose to walk, rather than drive, to their destinations.
8. Flower buds are popping up through the ground.
9. Easter baskets have replaced Christmas wreaths.
10. New Englanders are griping about rain instead of snow.

Yay for Spring!

~Ally

Thursday, April 2, 2009

The Dinner Gals a wild success!

Our first womens' group meeting went swimmingly and was so much fun! Five of us met at a central location in Massachusetts. Two others couldn't make it but want to come to the next meeting.

We discussed our interests, stories from our lives, kids, husbands, etc. But not too much men talk, so chillax, guys! Mostly just girly talk plus ridiculous amounts of laughter, and it was delightful! The women have interesting things in common, like some are moms, some are career gals, all went to college - and almost all went to Christian colleges, which is unusual.

We talked about goals for the future, things we worry about, and what we would like to see out of this group. We hope to discuss several topics, like amazing things to do before we die (The Bucket List!), how to "green" our lives, how to find and nurture our spiritual selves, how women are viewed in the media and society, and gender roles. Yes, we are gonna talk about those Dove ads and if we can really believe them!

The topic for our April meeting will be: Greening Our Lives. What have you done to become more environmentally conscious? What kinds of habits have you already incorporated? What would you like to add to your life, or what do you want to know more about? So a past/present/future look at becoming more healthy and environmentally friendly. Looking forward to it!

~Ally