The Rabbit Hole

a happy New Year

2012-01-02T18:15:00.001-05:00

from Poem-A-Day on poets.org

The Angel that presided 'oer my birth
by William Blake

The Angel that presided 'oer my birth
Said, "Little creature, form'd of Joy and Mirth,
"Go love without the help of any Thing on Earth."

------------------

To welcome new baby Alvarez. We can't wait to meet you, little darling! Welcome to this beautiful world.

~Aunty Ally

Poem

2011-12-19T11:55:00.001-05:00

Fork with Two Tines Pushed Together
by Nick Lantz

It's fast and cool as running water, the way we forget
the names of friends with whom we talked and talked
the long drives up and down the coast.

I say I love and I love and I love. However, the window
will not close. However, the hawk searches
for its nest after a storm. However, the discarded
nail longs to hide its nakedness inside the tire.

Somewhere in Cleveland or Tempe, a pillow
still smells like M_____'s hair.
In a bus station, a child is staring
at L____'s rabbit tattoo. I've bartered everything
to keep from doing my soul's paperwork.

Here is a partial list of artifacts:
mirror, belt, half-finished 1040 form (married, filing jointly), mateless walkie-talkie, two blonde eyelashes, set of acrylic paints with all the red and yellow used up, buck knife, dog collar, camping tent (sleeps two), slivers of cut-up credit cards, ashtray in the shape of a naked woman, pen with teeth marks, bottom half of two-piece bathing suit, pill bottles containing unfinished courses of antibiotics, bank statements with the account number blacked out, maps of London, maps of Dubuque, sweatshirts with the mascots of colleges I didn't attend, flash cards for Spanish verbs (querer, perder, olvidar), Canadian pocket change, fork with two tines pushed together.

Forgetfulness means to be full
of forgetting, like a glass

overflowing with cool water, though I'd always
thought of it as the empty pocket

where the hand finds
nothing: no keys, no ticket, no change.

One night, riding the train home from the city,
will I see a familiar face across from me? How many times
will I ask Is it you? before I realize
it's my own reflection in the window?

Inspired by Fresh Food Grown with Love

2011-12-15T22:56:00.008-05:00

(image from Web)

"There's a nobility to growing food and allowing people to share it."

A Deliciously Resourceful Town Aims For Total Food Self-Sufficiency Within 7 Years

Fantastic article on a town in the UK growing food all over public locations...for each other! A must read.

~Ally

Wise Encouragement from Andy Rooney

2011-12-15T08:31:00.003-05:00

This was passed on to me through one of the countless email fwds, but I decided to read it as I recently saw a sweet show about Andy Rooney's life and legacy. I am glad I read it - true words from a wise man. Enjoy!
_______
Andy Rooney's death was announced recently. This little piece could well serve to honor one whose last few years evidenced great wisdom, though, at the same time he became something of an ornery old dude. If you will take the time to read these, I promise you'll come away with an enlightened perspective. The subjects covered affect us all on a daily basis. They're written by Andy Rooney, a man who has the gift of saying so much with so few words. Enjoy.......

I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.
I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.
I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.
I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with now and then.
I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.
I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I've learned.... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.
I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.
I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
I've learned..... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
I've learned..... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Rick Perry...wow, scary.

2011-12-02T09:07:00.006-05:00

Interesting article from the Washington Post on Rick Perry's comments re: federal employees who refuse to submit...

Excerpts:

"Federal worker union leaders responded angrily Wednesday to Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s suggestion that he would reassign subordinate federal employees to “a God-awful place” if they failed to implement policy changes he would make as president.

"In response to a question at a town hall meeting in Derry, N.H., on Tuesday, Perry said he planned to employ advisers and officials “that understand my core philosophy that government should do a few things, but do those few things really, really well.”
.....

"Perry then delivered a warning to career federal staffers, using a hypothetical scenario at the Department of Health and Human Services as an example: “If you have Health and Human Service bureaucrats who try to block our being able to [send] block grant dollars back to the states, so you all can decide how best to deliver health care in New Hampshire — I don’t think you can fire federal bureaucrats, but you can reassign them. So, but, reassign them to some really God-awful place.”

"The line earned laughs from some in the assembled crowd but angry, personal retorts from union leaders.
....

"William R. Dougan, president of the National Federation of Federal Employees, said Perry “sees a political opportunity in painting federal workers as a symbol of big government, and he is exploiting it to the fullest.”

"“If Governor Perry wants to know what ‘a God-awful place’ looks like, he should imagine Texas without thousands of dedicated federal employees defending its border, staffing its VA hospitals, and extinguishing its wildfires,” Dougan said in a statement."

--------------

Get your head out of your a**, Perry. Or rather, just keep it in TX and leave the presidency to someone who knows the meaning of the words "diplomacy" and "cooperation."

~Ally

St. Nicholas' Day is just around the corner! Now where did I put those wooden shoes?

2011-11-28T08:52:00.005-05:00

My Mom always celebrated St. Nicholas' Day for us, and it has become a very sweet and special holiday for me, and I want to pass it down to Lucy and my family. It falls on December 6, and you can read about it here. Also, this is a link to another special bit of info, which talks about the children in Milwaukee celebrating the day, which must be part of Mom's roots...

Happy St. Nick's Day! Hang out your wish lists, and I hope you get a little treat (to be shared), not a lump of coal in your wooden shoe or stocking or under your bed (where our gifts always show up).

I wonder what St. Nicholas will place under Lucy's cradle...

~Ally

Lucy's Picks ~ First Trip to the Library

2011-11-24T06:26:00.009-05:00

Lucy made her first trip to the Concord Public Library the other day - what a treat to lay her on the floor and read a million books to her while she smiled and played. These are her first choices for take-home books (all wonderful!):

Autumn Leaves, by Ken Robbins - such a beautiful book, teaching us all about identifying different trees by their leaves (and Lucy loves it)

Let it Fall, by Maryann Cocca-Leffler - I loved this very dear family story; worth a read

Candy Corn: Poems by James Stevenson - fun poems for children (and their adults)

Sylvia and Bird, by Catherine Rayner - a beautiful book about a dragon who discovers loyal friendship with a tiny bird; with magical and dreamy watercolor illustrations

The Crow (a not so scary story), by Alison Paul - a fun book with great illustrations, but it really is a wee bit scary

Mouse's First Fall, by Lauren Thompson - sweet story about the joys of Autumn

Chamelia, by Ethan Long - such an enjoyable story about a chameleon who loves to be different and unique (like a certain childhood Allison...) who learns how to fit in while still keeping her flamboyant identity

Lucy's Picture, by Nicola Moon - how could we not get this one? a charming and sweet story about a little girl with a flair for artwork and creativity, with a surprising plot twist at the end

A Bird or Two: A Story About Henri Matisse, by Bijou Le Tord - beautiful illustrations, of course, about the famous artist

Farm Animals, by Eye Openers - fun facts about animals, designed in a charming way

The Singing Hat, by Tohby Riddle - how can you not love a story about a man with a bird's nest on his head?? (who quits his corporate job to care for the bird who lives there...)

Le Petit Prince, by Antoine De Saint-Exupery - a little French for Grandma Char, who is loving reading it again and will read it to Lucy

Hope you and yours can enjoy some of these wonderful books too.

~Ally

Little Girl Reads Some Poetry

2011-11-23T23:24:00.001-05:00

An excellent way to pass a quiet Friday afternoon, with Mama and Grandma Char (and Gina the Giraffe).

Fevering and Teething

2011-11-17T07:52:00.004-05:00

Baby's home with slight fever and swollen legs from her four month injections yesterday - damn Western medicine and its healing ways - and teething, to top it off. So we are reading a few poems by James Stevenson. Mama likes these:

Coming or Going

The screen door screeches.

The screen door slams.

Coming or going,

Going or coming,

The sounds are the same.

But what a difference

It makes to me --

Your going away,

Your coming home.

Dawn

When the moment comes

When you can tell

The sky is blue, not black,

You'll see torn bits of it

Scattered through the trees,

Fallen like confetti,

As if to say

Night is not forever--

In fact, within one hour,

A grand parade is coming

With white clouds marching.

-------------

Wishing you will feel better this morning, Darling, as Mama goes off to work and you slip off to dreamland at Christine's. I love you.

Lights of Life 2011

2011-11-16T08:54:00.006-05:00

Remember my work with hospice and Concord's Lights of Life ceremony from last year? Well, it's that time again. And damned if I don't have new names to memorialize. [Looking forward to celebrating the year when I just donate money and not a new name for the list.] Anyway, Lights of Life is a wonderful celebration of those whom we have loved and lost, who have gone before us and continue to shine in our hearts. Electric candle lights are placed in town businesses and restaurants to actively remember each soul, and they are a visual blessing to the rest of us still traveling this earth.

This year, we will memorialize:

Dr. Arthur "Pete" Snyder - Scott's father, a wonderful, generous man and highly skilled surgeon who healed and touched the lives of so many in his 78 years. We will celebrate the Christmas holiday with his wife of 55 years, Scott's mom Fran.

Dorothy Alma "Ann" Holman - My maternal grandmother, and the sweetest, silliest, and most fun grandma I've known, mother to my darling mother. We were blessed by her memorial service in Wisconsin and the ensuing family reunion last month.

Judith Schaeffer - Scott and my previous boss and dear friend from Vermont. She was an incredible beacon in our book publishing industry, with so much knowledge and a pure love of the craft. She was a longtime and faithful best friend to Jessee and surrogate mother to Jennifer (and Kira), some of our other Vermont "family" members. She died suddenly and will be sorely missed.

And of course,
my beloved father, Larry Cox, who continues to live heartily and joyfully, if not sarcastically, in my heart. I feel your presence all the time, Dad; and though I am pissed you are not here to play with and utterly adore Miss Lucy, not to mention take her for special pancake breakfasts and fishing outings and camping trips, I know you are watching over us. I don't know much about the likelihood of a heaven, Dad, but I do know the absolute truth of your enduring spirit. I love you very much.

Please celebrate with us. Feel free to use the Comments button below to add your special loved ones' names. When I see the candles lit downtown, I will remember yours as well.

~Ally

Pre-licked? Get the vaccine people!

2011-11-10T09:19:00.001-05:00

http://news.yahoo.com/insane-mail-order-chicken-pox-lollipops-craze-053000448.html

We will not be buying Lucy any chicken pox lollipops. Don't be stupid, people.

~Dr. Mom

Lucinda: illuminated

2011-11-04T16:05:00.006-04:00

photo by Scott Snyder

Lucinda: illuminated
by Allison Snyder

You are asleep on my chest,
your tiny body laced onto mine.
You are a mysterious traveler from a foreign land.
A halo of fluff covers your head;
in your delicate, lavender eyelids,
I can see the past, the future.
When your eyes open, light shoots through me.

Your heavenly bits are wearing thin, my darling,
now four months in this world.
You stir when a shiver of life runs through you.
You smell more of Dreft than of the ether.
Soon, your otherworldly memories and magic will disappear.
By the time you can speak, you will no longer be able to tell me
where you've been, where you were going.

"I love you!" I whisper urgently:
it's all I can think to say,
yet it encompasses everything.
"You're mine," and immediately
I know you never were,
but what I mean is: You're home now,
and I claim you.

Rockport

2011-11-03T08:39:00.004-04:00

Postcard from Rockport
by April Lindner

Cold as a slap, this indigo sea,
where we clamber on blonde-fringed rocks,
where someone's tarted up the fishing shacks
with red paint and artful nets.

The sun floats like ice in a highball.
Condos train their plate-glass gazes
on the horizon, amnesiac
to past conspiracies of cloud,

storms that shook homes and swallowed boats.
Just north, a granite wall's etched with the lost—
decades of their half-remembered names.

Imagine waking always to this spread—
each day the ocean swelling
to loll at your feet, exotic pet.

The galleries glow, ripe with impasto,
sunsets we could be bite into:
raspberries, marzipan, seafoam like cream.

Their artists shoot for the numinous,
overlook the jagged and impermanent:

barnacles overtaking the dock,
clustered mussels, tangled kelp
and the steady lament
of pebbles tugged senseless from shore.

---------
I am remembering many amazing moments spent at Halibut Point State Park, walking through the brush maze, peering over the crystalline quarry ledge, viewing the stunning ocean with its crashing waves and majestic rock outcroppings. I love this poem.
~Ally

Lucy, Sweet Lucy

2011-10-30T23:00:00.004-04:00

(certainly helps to have a world-class photographer as a husband, and a miraculous beauty as a muse...) all photos by Scott Snyder

Today's Inspiring Quote

2011-10-27T08:24:00.001-04:00

"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do."
~Edward Everett Hale

An Autumn drive for you who are far away...

2011-10-22T18:10:00.002-04:00

Barack Obama...by poem

2011-09-15T14:16:00.001-04:00

The Day I Saw Barack Obama Reading Derek Walcott's Collected Poems
by Yusef Komunyakaa

Was he looking for St. Lucia's light
to touch his face those first days
in the official November snow & sleet
falling on the granite pose of Lincoln?

If he were searching for property lines
drawn in the blood, or for a hint
of resolve crisscrossing a border,
maybe he'd find clues in the taste of breadfruit.

I could see him stopped there squinting
in crooked light, the haze of Wall Street
touching clouds of double consciousness,
an eye etched into a sign borrowed from Egypt.

If he's looking for tips on basketball,
how to rise up & guard the hoop,
he may glean a few theories about war
but they aren't in The Star-Apple Kingdom.

If he wants to finally master himself,
searching for clues to govern seagulls
in salty air, he'll find henchmen busy with locks
& chains in a ghost schooner's nocturnal calm.

He's reading someone who won't speak
of milk & honey, but of looking ahead
beyond pillars of salt raised in a dream
where fat bulbs split open the earth.

The spine of the manifest was broken,
leaking deeds, songs & testaments.
Justice stood in the shoes of mercy,
& doubt was bandaged up & put to bed.

Now, he looks as if he wants to eat words,
their sweet, intoxicating flavor. Banana leaf
& animal, being & nonbeing. In fact,
craving wisdom, he bites into memory.

The President of the United States of America
thumbs the pages slowly, moving from reverie
to reverie, learning why one envies the octopus
for its ink, how a man's skin becomes the final page.

----------

from Poets.org

Buddha Mudra

2011-08-07T00:04:00.002-04:00

from the Mudra Gallery

Buddha Mudra - Receptivity:

The Buddha symbolizes being humble and learning to be grateful. Palms are open to receive gifts.

100 times = beginner status: thoughts on breastfeeding (and poetry)

2011-07-14T15:15:00.008-04:00

I had the wonderful good fortune about two years ago to be invited to the intimate living room of Donald Hall, multi-award-winning poet and writer, and poet laureate of New Hampshire from 1984-1989. His wife, Jane Kenyon, also a poet who died way too young, could be felt in the house as well, her spirit saturated into every wall and room, decoration and memory, clinging like a ghost.

Mr. Hall spoke of his writing and revision process, explaining how he edits his poems a minimum of 100 times before considering them good and on the way to finished. I could not believe it when I heard this - 100 times! I can't say I have edited my own poems more than a handful of times, if that. His reworking speaks not only to his commitment to writing and refining his craft, but also to the process of a poem's birth itself...how it emerges in stages sometimes, and becomes its own animal whom you must get to know bit by bit.

Two days ago, I realized it was Lucinda's "day 10" in the world. I was thinking if we practiced the breastfeeding together about ten times a day, that would make 100 times already finished at the process. (Generally, methinks it is best not to tally these things, especially when one is lacking sleep and feeling like a veritable prisoner in one's own house, at the whims of a tiny little queen who only just days ago appeared out of nowhere...) And suddenly I remembered what Donald Hall said about his poems. And I thought, "Practice, practice, practice, and now I am only just a beginner"...which was strangely comforting.

We - Lucinda Grace and I - are getting the hang of this new job we share (me in feeding, and her in eating and processing the food). Breastfeeding is hard work and does not - contrary to popular myth - come naturally. You have to learn how to do it, and figure it out with your baby, and then work at it until it becomes natural. It gets easier every day and we both feel more confident now that we will be able to accomplish our goals.

I am thinking about practice in many contexts now. And realizing that 100 times at practice are just the start.

Let us give ourselves a break as we learn new ideas and activities. Let us consider ourselves both babes to this world and struggling poets, who will one day be discovered for our genius, but in the meantime, we will do the toil of practicing. It will pay off, I just know it.

Blessings to you Donald.

~Ally

---------------------------

An old life

by Donald Hall

Snow fell in the night.
At five-fifteen I woke to a bluish
mounded softness where
the Honda was. Cat fed and coffee made,
I broomed snow off the car
and drove to the Kearsarge Mini-Mart
before Amy opened
to yank my Globe out of the bundle.
Back, I set my cup of coffee
beside Jane, still half-asleep,
murmuring stuporous
thanks in the aquamarine morning.
Then I sat in my blue chair
with blueberry bagels and strong
black coffee reading news,
the obits, the comics, and the sports.
Carrying my cup twenty feet,
I sat myself at the desk
for this day's lifelong
engagement with the one task and desire.

A Birthday

2011-07-14T15:10:00.002-04:00

by Christina Rossetti

My heart is like a singing bird

Whose nest is in a water'd shoot;

My heart is like an apple-tree

Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit;

My heart is like a rainbow shell

That paddles in a halcyon sea;

My heart is gladder than all these

Because my love is come to me.

Raise me a dais of silk and down;

Hang it with vair and purple dyes;

Carve it in doves and pomegranates,

And peacocks with a hundred eyes;

Work it in gold and silver grapes,

In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;

Because the birthday of my life

Is come, my love is come to me.

Mombie

2011-07-07T14:57:00.003-04:00

Mombie: Zombie mom, ala Night of the Living Dead; wandering soul who cannot distinguish night from day, complete simple sentences, or recall if teeth were brushed; state that leads to inability to remember baby's name, puffy eyes and frequent bouts of crying (the baby cries too), and ironically, the inability to sleep.

~Note to other Mombies: Do NOT attempt to assemble helpful electronics or install batteries at this time...can lead to throwing away of said electronics and random thoughts of hatred.

~Note to Non-Mombies: Frequent bouts of crying may also be joy related. There's really no way for you to tell. Keep a few feet between you and Mombies at all times for safety. And if approached by one, feed it before proceeding.

Ally

My best news all year!

2011-07-07T14:54:00.003-04:00

See Scott's post...

Love, Ally

True Love

2011-05-04T22:57:00.001-04:00

A love poem from the very center of life—from that mid-stage that is so often rushed and undefined, but is memorably chronicled in the poems of Sharon Olds.

True Love

In the middle of the night, when we get up
after making love, we look at each other in
complete friendship, we know so fully
what the other has been doing. Bound to each other
like mountaineers coming down from a mountain,
bound with the tie of the delivery-room,
we wander down the hall to the bathroom, I can
hardly walk, I hobble through the granular
shadowless air, I know where you are
with my eyes closed, we are bound to each other
with huge invisible threads, our sexes
muted, exhausted, crushed, the whole
body a sex—surely this
is the most blessed time of my life,
our children asleep in their beds, each fate
like a vein of abiding mineral
not discovered yet. I sit
on the toilet in the night, you are somewhere in the room,
I open the window and snow has fallen in a
steep drift, against the pane, I
look up, into it,
a wall of cold crystals, silent
and glistening, I quietly call to you
and you come and hold my hand and I say
I cannot see beyond it. I cannot see beyond it.

Surprising - guess it's only us old ladies propagating the myth that everyone's waiting to have children...

2011-04-21T23:11:00.001-04:00

Poll Results from PlanningFamily.com

How old were you (will you be) when your first child was born?
Under the age of 20
33%
21 to 25
35%
26 to 30
19%
31 to 35
9%
36 to 40
3%
Over 40
1%

Beauty

2011-04-19T22:51:00.003-04:00

Snowy Night

by Mary Oliver

Last night, an owl

in the blue dark

tossed

an indeterminate number

of carefully shaped sounds into

the world, in which,

a quarter of a mile away, I happened

to be standing.

I couldn't tell

which one it was -

the barred or the great-horned

ship of the air -

it was that distant. But, anyway,

aren't there moments

that are better than knowing something,

and sweeter? Snow was falling,

so much like stars

filling the dark trees

that one could easily imagine

its reason for being was nothing more

than prettiness. I suppose

if this were someone else's story

they would have insisted on knowing

whatever is knowable - would have hurried

over the fields

to name it - the owl, I mean.

But it's mine, this poem of the night,

and I just stood there, listening and holding out

my hands to the soft glitter

falling through the air. I love this world,

but not for its answers.

And I wish good luck to the owl,

whatever its name -

and I wish great welcome to the snow,

whatever its severe and comfortless

and beautiful meaning.

oh, good times

2011-04-18T18:12:00.001-04:00

babymama in a field of Alabama clover

2011-04-15T22:06:00.001-04:00

Electronic quiet time, anyone?

2011-04-03T18:18:00.000-04:00

Saw this on Planningfamily.com:

"On average, children two to five years old spend 32 hours a week in front of a TV and they will have watched an average of 8,000 murders before they finish elementary school. Is this replacing healthy activities such as playing outside, eating dinner as a family, reading, and building family unity? Well-planned family time can be a foundation for joy and influence to last a lifetime. Family time provides your children with feelings of love, security, stability, and support.

"If you are trying to conceive, or are pregnant, the TV could still be getting in the way of your relationship. The average adult watches more than 28 hours of TV a week (that's two straight months a year)! If you're stuck in a rut, if TV has taken over, or if you aren't sure what activities will keep everyone happy, here are some helpful hints for fun family-time activities. Put the remote down and play on!"

Wow - disturbing stats. Do you think that's true? Needless to say, I promptly printed out the "backyard games" list, so Frisbee, here we come!

~Ally

Reading for us gals, especially

2011-03-29T20:02:00.001-04:00

Good, quick read for those of us bogged down by too much to do and no idea where to start.

Reminds me of focusing on the important things I most love, and not frittering away my time - and more importantly, my energy - on things I "should" do (as deemed by myself or others).

Enjoy!

~Ally

kissy lips

2011-03-28T23:33:00.003-04:00

(photo taken at Cicely Farm by Scott Snyder)

a face you can't help but love

Prayer

2011-03-20T16:17:00.000-04:00

Prayer for Our Daughters

by Mark Jarman

May they never be lonely at parties
Or wait for mail from people they haven't written
Or still in middle age ask God for favors
Or forbid their children things they were never forbidden.

May hatred be like a habit they never developed
And can't see the point of, like gambling or heavy drinking.
If they forget themselves, may it be in music
Or the kind of prayer that makes a garden of thinking.

May they enter the coming century
Like swans under a bridge into enchantment
And take with them enough of this century
To assure their grandchildren it really happened.

May they find a place to love, without nostalgia
For some place else that they can never go back to.
And may they find themselves, as we have found them,
Complete at each stage of their lives, each part they add to.

May they be themselves, long after we've stopped watching.
May they return from every kind of suffering
(Except the last, which doesn't bear repeating)
And be themselves again, both blessed and blessing.

"Prayer for Our Daughters" by Mark Jarman, from Bone Fires: New and Selected Poems. © Sarabande Books, 2011.

loving this baby-to-be

2011-03-13T22:59:00.002-04:00

3/13/11 - day one of month six. baby growing and kicking and doing little gymnastic feats every day. she loves Mexican food and fruit and taking naps on the couch. or wait, is that Mommy? she also loves Daddy, who sometimes will read to her or poke her and she thinks that is so funny. she also likes coming fully awake at 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., unfortunately, just like her mama. :)

so happy.

~Al

(both photos by Scott Snyder.)

A Lullaby Me and the Bun Just Love

2011-03-10T17:21:00.003-05:00

There is Only One

by Twila Paris

There is only one person like you

In all of this great big world

And you are just who God made you to be

Whether a boy or a girl

Whether you are black or white

Or some beautiful color in-between

No matter your shape or size

You're as perfect as anything I've ever seen

You Mom and your Dad

They are so glad

You are part of their family

There is only one

Who loves you more

He is your Father in heaven

He is the Lord

Early Spring

2011-03-08T20:03:00.003-05:00

Lines Written in Early Spring
by William Wordsworth

I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.

Through primrose tufts, in that sweet bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And 'tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopped and played:
Their thoughts I cannot measure,
But the least motion which they made,
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.

If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature's holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?

I love this poem and its sentiments, though it is nothing like Spring here. Still deep in the throes of winter, it seems. But I can imagine. I do wish Wordsworth had not ended on the dismal note though. I love the line, "I heard a thousand blended notes."

~Ally

It's a Girl!

2011-03-06T09:35:00.003-05:00

Sugar and spice and everything nice. And EVERYTHING NICE! I am a lucky little mommy.

~Ally

Swimming

2011-02-20T23:59:00.002-05:00

While Bun Bun practices her/his backstroke in my baby belly, I took to the pool across the parking lot. Oh what wonder to have an indoor pool (and hot tub, though I can only put my feet and ankles in at this point) right at home. As I floated in a sea of blue happiness last night, Bun Bun floated inside me. We were happy and calm together. Lovely.

~Ally

Every little thing

2011-02-15T17:08:00.007-05:00

Every little thing now feels like a miracle. Today I got the news that my second genetic blood test came back negative, which means no sign of risk for neural tube defects. For those of you not in the baby world, this means, no big chance of having a child with severe developmental problems or physical and mental defects at birth. I breathe a sigh of relief, but it is so much more than that.

How could this baby not have a major life-threatening problem? How could this baby be so healthy and growing at a perfectly steady rate? How could there be a baby inside me??

It is a miracle every time I think of it.

You might say these thoughts are morbid or pessimistic, or even creepy. But these are the true thoughts and fears of motherhood. The books warned me about it. What they don't tell you about is the sheer joy and elation when your baby seems to be coming along fine! It puts everything else in perspective.

I am feeling good and also grateful. I am achy, yes, and growing a huge belly and boobs at an alarming rate. Things hurt in places I have never felt before. I'm not even sure what all is in there, even after the informative and beautiful National Geographic video I watched called "In the Womb." I have trouble sleeping and wake up at 4 a.m. for an urgent trip to the cereal bowl with three Charlie horses in my leg at once! My clothes don't fit; I can't move the driver's seat back far enough so I don't have to worry that a sudden airbag deployment will crush my tummy...

BUT THE BABY IS HEALTHY. Ahhhhhhhh. Thank you Jesus!

All is well.

I have not experienced morning sickness. This is incredible in itself. I am doing okay with pain management, despite not being able to take most of my helpful pain meds that usually quell my fibromyalgia. I am really enjoying all foods, without heartburn, and still able to put my leg up on the bathroom counter every morning to stretch. Though bending down for the damn soap, which I drop EVERY DAY in the shower is getting a little challenging.

Scott and I are in midst of a several-month cleanse and purge of the house. Calling all garage salers - come May, there will be one big-ass yard sale on Mom's front lawn in Laconia. The only things that will survive the purge are items of rare beauty, blessed practicality, or deep love. Oh, and the baby warehouse I have amassed over the last 14 years.

Baby will get his/her own room. The rest of us will jam ourselves and our belongings into the other two rooms of the house.

BUT THE BABY IS HEALTHY!

Oh, and we thank God and the universe, and all the well wishes and cosmic goodness being sent our way from you and all you represent.

Coming soon into our future: maternity jeans; the dreaded putting together of the crib and IKEA bookshelves; carpet cleaning ala a rented Rug Doctor; finding out the sex of the baby (hopefully!) next week; the need for an old-lady shelf grabber thingy so when I can no longer bend over and get back up, I can still retrieve everything I've dropped; soap-on-a-rope!; an expected spontaneous purchase of a little outfit in pink (or blue) after finding out the sex; and as "What to Expect..." predicts, "continued absentmindedness." Niiiice.

Oh, did I mention I can feel the little booger moving around now? It's week 19 and I feel him/her every day. Not kicking or anything like that, but just moving. My little rock. My little fishie. My little Bun.

I am singing to him/her every day and also playing the lullaby tapes that will one day lull him/her to sleep (God only hopes).

So that's me and the Bun, in a nutshell. "Where he kept her very well..."

Love, Ally

Happy Valentine's Day, folks!

2011-02-13T22:50:00.002-05:00

Got any romantic ideas for an old married couple, one of whom is getting uncomfortably large and pregnant??

(image from www.valentine-clipart.com)

Happy VD to all! (heh heh)

~Ally

my great family

2011-02-05T15:10:00.003-05:00

This is my new niece Reese...

and her brother Grant...
.

They live in Atlanta, where it's been snowing! They could not be any cuter! How wonderful to have a new baby in the family. Can't wait to meet the new family.
~Aunty Ally

Sharin' the burrito lovin'

2011-01-25T19:08:00.001-05:00

So I decided to "pay it forward" today, when I saw a homeless man with his hand-scrawled cardboard sign saying, "Anything will help. God bless" standing outside on the coldest night of the year. It has been between -15 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit for the last few days in Concord, and it is bitterly cold.

He stood bundled up in the coats he had, at a busy traffic intersection by a strip mall. I did not have any cash - I rarely do anymore, now that most places take a credit/debit card. I rustled through the car looking for my pregnancy snacks - which at this point, consist of a mostly-eaten bag of trail mix, a frozen solid granola bar, and a few frozen water bottles. Not exactly helpful. I thought, "Do I hand him my emergency pair of socks or Dad's IOWA sweatshirt to keep warm?" What is the right thing to do in these situations - I never know. I do know that doing nothing is rarely an option, and I would rather err on the side of gullible and taken advantage of than cold-hearted and blind to the suffering around me.

So you give a 'bum' $20 and he spends it on alcohol. Well, what if he spends it on food to feed his freezing children who are huddled under the bridge in a cardboard box, and likely will not make it through this cold night? That's a chance I am willing to take.

This man is my community, my neighbor, in my town. He is 'my people.' And there are plenty of homeless folks in Concord, all quite chilly tonight. There are a few homeless shelters, and yes, not everyone takes advantage of them. It is statistically true that many homeless people suffer from various forms of mental illness. Does this make them not worthy of warmth, shelter, clothes on their back or food in their bellies? If their pride or insanity keeps them from going to a shelter, does this mean that freezing to death is justified?

So what I did, misdirected or not, was swing around the block, get Scott's and my dinner at Boloco as planned, and pick up a $10 Boloco gift card for the homeless man. I thought, burrito: sustaining rice, fresh vegetables, hearty meat - hot meal that can be eaten with the hands and without utensils (or pretense)...what's not to love? This whole process took about 5 minutes.

I drove back through the previous intersection, snow piled high on both sides, and he was gone. This has happened to me before, and I don't know (karmically) what it means.

But now I drive around town with my Boloco gift card, ready to be handed out the window the next time I see one of my Concord neighbors suffering in this blistering cold winter weather. I encourage you to do the same.

burrito gift card: $10. minutes spent getting a gift card: 5. saving a life (or just warming a heart for a minute, showing someone you care about their existence in this world): priceless.

Pass it on.

~Ally

p.s. Tonight we tried the Bangkok Thai burrito with chicken and the Classic Mexican with pork - yummmmm-tastic! Scott wanted to drive back to town to get more, though he was full! He especially loved the Thai, and so did I.

Boloco, or, my favorite new mid-morning stop

2011-01-20T17:22:00.007-05:00

Thanks, BOLOCO!

Mama got a wicked craving today at yes, 9:15 a.m., a mere two hours into my workday.

Must. Have. Burrito. NOW.

Where can one find a burrito, or any Mexican food, in Concord at that time of the morning? Well, FYI, nowhere...except the kind-hearted goodness of the chefs at Boloco on Fort Eddy Road (see link above).

I know because I googled every Mexican joint in a ten mile radius. And they all open at 11 a.m., or 4 p.m., or some other ridiculous, not-friendly-to-preggos times of the day. Except for Boloco, which opens at 10.

So at 9:15 I called. He picked up. I said, "Here's the situation: I am pregnant and I need me some Mexican food RIGHT NOW. I know you don't open until 10, but you think you could make me a burrito...pleeeease?" And the response I got was: "When could you get here?" "Fifteen minutes." "I think we can make that happen."

Oh how I love you..... (I think I might have even said that out loud.)

When I arrived, they had unlocked the doors for me (nice touch). I walked in. He said, "What size?" "Uh...LARGE!" And within moments, I had a piping hot, beautifully prepared Classic Mexican burrito with chicken. Oh YUMMMMM. And some blue corn chips and plenty of sour cream for the side.

~*~*~*~

Ne'er has a burrito tasted so delightful, so full of love, so gracious, so "ay mami, mi amore!"

Thank you!!

~*~*~*~

"We try to help out in any way we can," said the cook/manager. Well you did, and I will be back. Gracias~!

~Ally

the most perfect last two lines e'er written in a poem

2011-01-19T22:44:00.001-05:00

Her First Calf

by Wendell Berry

Her fate seizes her and brings her
down. She is heavy with it. It
wrings her. The great weight
is heaved out of her. It eases.
She moves into what she has become,
ure in her fate now
as a fish free in the current.
She turns to the calf who has broken
out of the womb's water and its veil.
He breathes. She licks his wet hair.
He gathers his legs under him
and rises. He stands, and his legs
wobble. After the months
of his pursuit of her, now
they meet face to face.
From the beginnings of the world
his arrival and her welcome
have been prepared. They have always
known each other.

Snapshot of Today

2011-01-10T17:43:00.009-05:00

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY, January 10, 2011

Outside My Window...is that perfect blue night-approaching sky, the color you can only see between dusk and darkness. The world is illuminated in beauty and possibility.

I am thinking...that many of you may not know yet that I am pregnant. And happy to be so. And finally content.

I am thankful for...having a job and going into my second year there. My boss is wonderful and I have learned so much in the past year.

From the kitchen...I really ought to be making something tonight. I have done so little cooking, as I have been sooooo tired. I think tonight will be taco night, with a side of rice with corn in it.

I am wearing...one of the few pairs of pants I can still fit into. They are stretchy. Oh, the power of the drawstring.

I am creating...human life, as I like to remind Scott. ;) Well, I am merely the vessel. But it is pretty amazing to think of a real living being inside me, akin to Sigourney Weaver in "Alien"...or maybe something more beautiful than that.

I am going...to really purge this house of unneeded stuff. We gotta make room for another person in this life of ours, not to mention this condo. I have too many knick-knacks (yes, Laurel), and books, old clothes that don't fit and bags of projects I might do SOMEday. When IS this someday and how on earth will I have time for all those projects??

I am reading...

well, I WAS reading "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius," by Dave Eggers, when the news hit and the hormones came on, full force. And then I hibernated for three months. And here we are, week 14, and I am getting a semblance of energy back, ever so slowly, and now all I can seem to read is "Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy" and "What to Expect When You're Expecting"! So cliche. But, mama's gotta conserve her energy. And Dave Eggers isn't gonna tell me what the hell a tilted uterus is! But I really do need to get back to that book...

I am hoping...that Michele will know how much I love and respect her and not have to stop talking to me because I got pregnant (though I would totally understand if that is the case. We have both been through the ringer...).

I am hearing...ick, and SMELLING, the cat going potty in the catbox. Damn supersonic sense of smell!

Around the house...I still have my Christmas decorations up, and this weekend - yes - they really are getting packed away until next year.

One of my favorite things...is spending time with friends, and I really, really miss them all. So many dear ones too far away. I need some girl time, some coffee time, some gay best friend time, some walk and talk time, some drinks after work and laughing our heads off time.

A few plans for the rest of the week...include some horrible dental work - expensive and painful. Good times. Me on Wednesday and Scott too, on Friday. But then a hopefully relaxing three day weekend with Martin Luther King Jr's Bday on Monday.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

cranberry bog

flowers in Kashmir

(both photos from the Web)

And there you have it, my Simple Woman's Daybook. View other entries at The Simple Woman's Daybook. Try writing one yourself if you feel inspired.

~Ally

something to look forward to

2011-01-02T11:22:00.003-05:00

At Twenty-Three Weeks She Can No Longer See Anything South of Her Belly

I'm painting my wife's toes
In Revlon Super Color Forty Nine.
I've no idea what I'm doing.
She asked me to get the bottle,
then crashed on our bed,
muscle-sore, pelvis-aching.
Lifting the brush, I skim
the excess polish across the glass,
daub a smidgen on her nail,
push it out in streaks
over the perfect surface
to the cuticle's edge.
I'm painting my wife's toes.
I've no idea what I'm doing.
The smell of fresh enamel
intoxicates. Each nail I glaze
is a tulip, a lobster,
a scarlet room where women
sit and talk, their sleek,
tinctured fingers sparking the air.

~Thom Ward

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T18:27:00.004-05:00

New Year's quote from my darling aunt Doris:

"Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats." ~Voltaire

Perfection.

Christmas trees...priceless

2010-12-28T23:23:00.002-05:00

Christmas Trees
by Robert Frost

A Christmas Circular Letter

The city had withdrawn into itself
And left at last the country to the country;
When between whirls of snow not come to lie
And whirls of foliage not yet laid, there drove
A stranger to our yard, who looked the city,
Yet did in country fashion in that there
He sat and waited till he drew us out
A-buttoning coats to ask him who he was.
He proved to be the city come again
To look for something it had left behind
And could not do without and keep its Christmas.
He asked if I would sell my Christmas trees;
My woods—the young fir balsams like a place
Where houses all are churches and have spires.
I hadn't thought of them as Christmas Trees.
I doubt if I was tempted for a moment
To sell them off their feet to go in cars
And leave the slope behind the house all bare,
Where the sun shines now no warmer than the moon.
I'd hate to have them know it if I was.
Yet more I'd hate to hold my trees except
As others hold theirs or refuse for them,
Beyond the time of profitable growth,
The trial by market everything must come to.
I dallied so much with the thought of selling.
Then whether from mistaken courtesy
And fear of seeming short of speech, or whether
From hope of hearing good of what was mine,
I said, "There aren't enough to be worth while."

"I could soon tell how many they would cut,
You let me look them over."

"You could look.
But don't expect I'm going to let you have them."
Pasture they spring in, some in clumps too close
That lop each other of boughs, but not a few
Quite solitary and having equal boughs
All round and round. The latter he nodded "Yes" to,
Or paused to say beneath some lovelier one,
With a buyer's moderation, "That would do."
I thought so too, but wasn't there to say so.
We climbed the pasture on the south, crossed over,
And came down on the north.

He said, "A thousand."

"A thousand Christmas trees!—at what apiece?"

He felt some need of softening that to me:
"A thousand trees would come to thirty dollars."

Then I was certain I had never meant
To let him have them. Never show surprise!
But thirty dollars seemed so small beside
The extent of pasture I should strip, three cents
(For that was all they figured out apiece),
Three cents so small beside the dollar friends
I should be writing to within the hour
Would pay in cities for good trees like those,
Regular vestry-trees whole Sunday Schools
Could hang enough on to pick off enough.
A thousand Christmas trees I didn't know I had!
Worth three cents more to give away than sell,
As may be shown by a simple calculation.
Too bad I couldn't lay one in a letter.
I can't help wishing I could send you one,
In wishing you herewith a Merry Christmas.

(both photos by Scott Snyder)

December

2010-12-26T11:34:00.003-05:00

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

~~~~

I love this poem, friends. Sorry I have been out of touch - but it's for a good reason! I am finally pregnant! Scott and I will be expecting our first child together in July. I have been sooo verrrry sleepy these past three months. Hoping the energy will return soon, as well as my words. Thinking of all you readers and wishing you a very happy and special holiday season. Love, Al

The Lights of Life are Shining

2010-11-14T08:39:00.006-05:00

On December 1, something very special will happen in Concord, New Hampshire. Every year, Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association (CRVNA) and Hospice fills our town, and the surrounding towns of Contoocook, Penacook, Pittsfield, Henniker, and Hillsboro, with hundreds of electric window candles. Downtown businesses, shopkeepers, and restaurant owners light these candles in their windows, so that every evening in December, the memory of loved ones who have passed shines for all to see.

Anyone can make a monetary donation or simply add a loved one’s name to the Lights of Life Honor Roll. The list of names will be published in the Concord Monitor at some point during the week of December 5. You can visit http://www.crvna.org/donations/lightsoflife.php for more information.

CRVNA holds a ceremony on December 3 to celebrate life and honor the people we carry in our hearts from year to year. Mom, Scott, and I will be there.

These are the names I added to the list this year:

Larry Cox

Les Cox

Lee Holman

Kenny Cox

Katie Gober

Caralee Ladd

Anne Heine

Frans Amelinckx

Jack Savage

Tom Little

Casey Migacz

Pete Vanderboom

Tip Snyder

Mae Beck

You are among heroes, each of you ~ the most beautiful, most true, most loved, and we remember you fondly.

Celebrate these wonderful people with me, and if you have the chance to drive through Concord, enjoy the beautiful candles and pick one for your special person. Happy Holidays!

~Ally

The old familiar Celtic temperament...

2010-10-21T17:23:00.000-04:00

Drench
by Anne Stevenson

You sleep with a dream of summer weather,
wake to the thrum of rain—roped down by rain.
Nothing out there but drop-heavy feathers of grass
and rainy air. The plastic table on the terrace
has shed three legs on its way to the garden fence.
The mountains have had the sense to disappear.
It's the Celtic temperament—wind, then torrents, then remorse.
Glory rising like a curtain over distant water.
Old stonehouse, having steered us through the dark,
docks in a pool of shadow all its own.
That widening crack in the gloom is like good luck.
Luck, which neither you nor tomorrow can depend on.

A little bit of fennel, a lot of love

2010-10-13T20:07:00.007-04:00

Dear Sarah Barry,

After just fifteen years, Sarah, [I always was a late bloomer] I finally got my mortar & pestle. I remember watching you grind fennel seeds, releasing that blissful aroma, preparing onions and garlic (for every dish!), practicing the perfect rice, trying Indian recipes, stir fry's, and experimenting with exploding, fantastical rice noodles. Oh. Those were good days and I can still feel the warm glow from your living room, catch the hot and steamy scent of good food cooking in your wok, hand-oiled, in that tiny, run-down kitchen in the back of your mother-in-law's house, or other times, in our shared apartment. You taught me to love cooking food, and to relish health and creative artistry at the same time.

I burst my new mortar & pestle out of its box, without even washing it (and you know how I feel about germs), and threw in some fennel, ground the seeds wide open and tossed them into the tomato, onion and sausage quiche I am preparing for dinner. It's baking now, and I am thinking of you with fond and loving memories.

Thank you for teaching me to love, Sarah, in so many wonderful ways. And thank you for bringing me to a deep love of cooking delicious food.

Love, Ally

photos by Scott Snyder

I love you, my testy pony.

2010-10-04T13:34:00.001-04:00

Testy Pony
by Zachary Schomburg

I am given a pony for my birthday, but it is the wrong kind of pony. It is the kind of pony that won’t listen. It is testy. When I ask it to go left, it goes right. When I ask it to run, it sleeps on its side in the tall grass. So when I ask it to jump us over the river into the field I have never before been, I have every reason to believe it will fail, that we will be swept down the river to our deaths. It is a fate for which I am prepared. The blame of our death will rest with the testy pony, and with that, I will be remembered with reverence, and the pony will be remembered with great anger. But with me on its back, the testy pony rears and approaches the river with unfettered bravery. Its leap is glorious. It clears the river with ease, not even getting its pony hooves wet. And then there we are on the other side of the river, the sun going down, the pony circling, looking for something to eat in the dirt. Real trust is to do so in the face of clear doubt, and to trust is to love. This is my failure, and for that I cannot be forgiven.

'Shrooms...mmm

2010-09-24T21:52:00.001-04:00

Autumn ode

2010-09-23T23:24:00.001-04:00

To Autumn
by John Keats

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,--
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft,
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

The art of losing

2010-09-22T23:31:00.002-04:00

I heard this poem while rewatching "In Her Shoes" - great movie and even better book by Jennifer Weiner. Beautiful...

One Art

The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster,

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three beloved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

-- Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) a disaster.

~Elizabeth Bishop

a funny pic of the beloved fam at the airport

2010-09-17T00:16:00.000-04:00

Anna (8), Lauren and Caleb (2), Grandma, Benjamin and Emma (5)
August 26, 2010

Poem for the job weary ;)

2010-09-12T15:57:00.001-04:00

Vocation
by Sandra Beasley

For six months I dealt Baccarat in a casino.
For six months I played Brahms in a mall.
For six months I arranged museum dioramas;
my hands were too small for the Paleolithic
and when they reassigned me to lichens, I quit.
I type ninety-one words per minute, all of them
Help. Yes, I speak Dewey Decimal.
I speak Russian, Latin, a smattering of Tlingit.
I can balance seven dinner plates on my arm.
All I want to do is sit on a veranda while
a hard rain falls around me. I'll file your 1099s.
I'll make love to strangers of your choice.
I'll do whatever you want, as long as I can do it
on that veranda. If it calls you, it's your calling,
right? Once I asked a broker what he loved
about his job, and he said Making a killing.
Once I asked a serial killer what made him
get up in the morning, and he said The people.

Three of my favorite guys

2010-09-08T23:31:00.001-04:00

(can't remember who took these pics...)

Consider yourself invited!

2010-09-07T17:09:00.002-04:00

Don't forget to visit Rock, Water and Light from time to time, to see what we're up to. I've been trying to write again, and Scott has been posting the most fantastic photos of the most beautiful children. I'm thinking he should go into child portraiture...but he does love the quiet solitude of those hours traipsing the wilderness and beaches. Come visit! Be inspired.

~Al

Sweetness and light

2010-09-07T16:50:00.003-04:00

These are two sweet pictures I want to share from my good friend Marie's blog - two that cheered me up today. Her blog is always good for a cheering.

~Ally

Corporate America

2010-08-30T18:30:00.003-04:00

(image from questyoga.com)

Well, folks, I have worked for various forms of Corporate America now for about thirteen years. In bold are some of the principles I have learned about how to succeed in such an arena. Below each item is an alternate version of reality I have learned at the same time - in other words, what I know to be true about life itself. You will see my obvious dilemma...

1. Shut the fuck up and smile while doing it.
~ Use direct communication and conflict resolution, say what you mean, do not use false words, and be honest.

2. Put your head down and do your work.
~ Try to be engaged with your work and enjoy the learning process. After all, this is where you spend the majority of your waking time.

3. Don't do anyone else's work. [And if you do, you will suddenly be under a pile so big you will never get out!]
~ Pitch in where needed, help out, and do not let work go undone - have pride in your product!

4. Leadership qualities are simply overrated characteristics that will not get you to the top but rather piss people off.
~ Step up, show what you're made of, come up with new ideas and better business strategies. Be your best self and this will inspire others to rise to the occasion and become better themselves. Expect the best from yourself and everyone with whom you work. This motivates people!

5. Innovation and improvement ideas are not welcomed. [There is no such thing as a real open-door-policy.]
~ Life is short and you should streamline and improve whenever possible. Do your best work - double check and ensure that it is perfect. Everything you touch represents your company and its mission. Make sure you are contributing to excellence. Put your best foot forward and the company will prosper.

6. Accept whatever your boss says.
~ Offer ideas, be creative, and think outside the box. Many problems are solved by looking at the problem from a new perspective, taking time to "sleep on it," and offering multiple solutions from which to choose. Everyone can learn from each other.

7. Be on time. In many ways, this is more important than anything.
~ Well, you know how I feel about this one. There are so many things in life that are more important than an on-the-dot schedule. And yes, folks, being a harp about time and not being considerate about the chaotic lives people rush to leave in order to get to work is just as disrespectful as being five minutes late. Get a life!

8. Come in early; stay late. [There is no such thing as too much work.]
~ Cultivate balance in your life. Nurture friendships and family relationships. Pursue hobbies, artistic endeavors, culture, and self betterment through active, lifelong learning. Work on getting and staying in shape. Get your sleep and take vitamins. Your health and happiness is all you've really got.

9. Those at the top do the least work and can be the most badly behaved and disrespectful of others.
~ It is vitally important to treat others with respect. Every level of the company is comprised of valid, contributing employees who are doing their best to promote the company's goals. Each human deserves your undivided attention, active listening skills, kindness, and respect. No one needs to be the brunt of your personal problems, emotional upsets, or lack of digestive balance. In addition, those at the top should be leaders, beyond reproach, motivating and inspiring others through their goals, wisdom, knowledge, and strong moral character. Lead by example.

10. Managers make their own rules. Schmucks do the work and will never rise up.
~ There must be reward somewhere, somehow, for those who work hard. Having a strong and determined work ethic has inherent as well as outward value. Hard work pays off and helps you attain your goals. Doesn't it?...

11. Nice is not appropriate or necessary in the workplace.
~ EVERYONE deserves your kindness. Flexibility is a good thing, as well as patience, human caring, and general decency. No one will remember the report you stayed up all night completing, but they may remember that you asked how their son was doing in the hospital.

12. Work is not supposed to be meaningful. Some of what we do is to satisfy arcane regulations or simply keep you looking productive. When we don't know what to do with you, we'll throw a fun new title your way!
~ Meaningful work will keep you happy, productive, and living a long, fulfilling life. Humans were meant to work hard and to pursue goals of innovation, help build communities, and support beauty in all its forms. A major life goal of mine is to wake up in the morning happy to do what work is laid before me, pleased to apply myself to achieve something and leave a lasting impression on this earth. [Meanwhile, if one more jerk says, "Do work you love and you'll love your work," I will punch them in the face. Smug Happy Careerists are equal to Smug Marrieds. Try buying groceries on work you love, buddy. Unfortunately, some of us don't love the stock market.]

13. Attend lots of meetings and sign up for committees, even if you won't have time to complete your own work.
~ Your primary job is to master your job responsibilities and be the best at that work. As time allows, support others and continue learning new skills by participating in work-related education and joining associations. But these should not take away from the job you were hired to do.

14. Delegate whenever possible.
~ Share the load and bear your brother's burden when need arises - he will in turn bear yours when you need it. Show that you are working as hard as those who report to you. Take personal responsibility for the outcome of your tasks and the quality of your work. Live in such a way that you can be proud of what you contributed and your family can be proud of what you do.

15. Be prepared for changing rules.
~ Above all, flexibility and smooth work flow are worth seeking, both for your own personal growth and for the overall health of your workplace. Show a patient, bending attitude and learn to go with the flow. Allow goals and priorities to change, as this reflects true scientific learning. There is no reason to cling to "what we've always done." How then can one improve? That said, there is such a thing as too much change and sometimes you have to try one idea for a few minutes to see if it will really work. Allow people time to learn and adjust and you may be pleased with the results!

16. Whoever told you the computer age will eliminate paperwork was selling something.
~ You will never get away from paperwork, phone calls, follow up, and task lists. Even if you do most of them on your Blackberry. There is a reason for the paper-trail (I learned that in HR). Embrace the mundane and move on.

17. If you are looking for self-improvement or career enhancement, you've come to the wrong place.
~ Your job should be a stepping stone to greater self awareness as well as providing good for your community (on any scale). At the end of the day, you want to look back and see how far you've come. This will urge you onward and build momentum. Be honest about your mistakes, learn from them, and listen to constructive criticism. This is your one life. No one can take away your spirit or your combined experiences. Jobs will end, bosses will get re-orged, tasks will change; but your character and attitude will remain with you throughout the rest of your life.

18. Corporate America is not for the weak. Appreciation as well as monetary raises are not to be expected. Do your job and be grateful you have one (peon).
~ Make sure to actively and verbally appreciate the hard work people do each day. Take a moment to notice that the well-oiled machine not only got oiled, but also at some point got repaired, restructured, and improved. Every single person at your company contributed something. Noticing and praising these contributions help people develop pride in their work and strive to do better the next day. Every single person deserves to be noticed for showing up. Without them, the entire project would fail.

19. You will never be truly happy until you are working for yourself or are the CEO.
~ There will ALWAYS be another asshole boss, a demeaning and selfish employee, a slacker co-worker, and someone who makes everyone else routinely feel like shit. Absolutely the only way to try to avoid this is to quit the rat-race and work for yourself. But be aware, you will always have customers, contacts, vendors, and associates. There is an asshole around every corner! Learning to be your best self and deal with the conflicts and personality issues now will help you immensely down the road, no matter what you do. Even if you quit the world and stay in your basement until the end of your life...guess what, there's an asshole lurking right inside your own self!! So get used to it and rise above, honey.

20. I hate Corporate America and am not cut out for this type of work.
~ Being a creative, life-loving soul who wants meaningful work AND enough money to live on AND time for family and outside activities...does NOT a successful Corporate American make. I have been and will continue to be frustrated with the politics, endless meetings, mindless labor, bad decisions of bosses, and really disgraceful behavior of others in the workplace. I can envision working for myself, or being the (best) boss (ever). But for now, I have to look within and find the strength to change what I can about myself, learn the life lessons presented to me, give up worrying what everyone else thinks of me, and become my best self in my current job.

That said, if some venture capitalist wants to back me...I could really make some changes in this world of ours!

Thoughts, ideas, reactions?

(image from freedompoweryoga.com.au)

~Al

A ha ha ha - to wear!

2010-08-09T17:31:00.001-04:00

from https://www.snorgtees.com/

a poem for today

2010-08-03T21:52:00.000-04:00

Thread
by Dan Chiasson

I lack the rigor of a lightning bolt,
the weight of an anchor. I am
frayed where it would be highly useful—
and this I feel perpetually—to make a point.

I think if I can concentrate I might turn sharp.
Only, I don't know how to concentrate—
I know only the look of someone concentrating,
indistinguishable from nearsightedness.

It is hard for you to be near me,
my silly intensity shuffling
all the insignia of interiority.
Knowing me never made anyone a needle.

Oldies but goodies

2010-07-28T10:08:00.002-04:00

Some great photos I found while perusing through old files...

Scott snowshoeing in Franconia Notch, 2007 - isn't he handsome?

(taken by me)

Dad and me coming down the beach, heading to the wedding, 2003

(taken by Steven Johnson)

I loves my Daddy.

(taken by Steven Johnson)

Me and Laurel at Profile Falls, NH, 2007

(taken by Scott Snyder)

Matthew as a baby, curling up in Tip's bed! 2005

(taken by me or Scott)

Scott and me, just after our wedding ceremony on Ogunquit Beach.

(taken by Steven Johnson)

Ally in the Lupine, Sugarhill, NH 2007

(taken by Scott)

Allison & Scott coming down the aisle as a happy married couple, 2003.

(taken by Steven Johnson)

Me and Scott, kayaking at Grape Island, 2005.

With Tip's ears in the front corner!

(taken by Laurel?)

for Lauren and Happy, Happy Birthday, Girl!

2010-07-27T18:57:00.006-04:00

40 Things That are Great About Being 40!

(for Lauren on her 40th bday, July 26)

(photo by Scott Snyder)

1. No more dreading turning 40!

2. You still have more than 50 years to go.

3. No more school photos.

4. You can wear skirted bathing suits with no shame!

5. You won’t get carded for a glass of wine.

6. You can cry if you want to.

7. You know lots of things already.

8. You can braid your chin hairs into a warm, comforting winter scarf.

9. No more standardized testing!

10. You never have to worry about what brand of jeans you are wearing.

11. You can go grey or stay red - or try a whole new hair color!

12. Skeevy men will probably stop hitting on you.

13. New, older skeevy men will start hitting on you.

14. That whole “find your purpose when you’re 33” pressure is off.

15. Your best sex is still ahead of you (so they say).

16. You can gracefully call wrinkles “laugh lines.”

17. There’s no need to spend time tanning.

18. Shave. Don’t shave. Whatever.

19. You can start a new career and get scholarships for moms over 40!

20. You can have your cake and eat it too. (But you will probably have to make it yourself.)

21. You can blame tummy bulge on middle age.

22. You can blame your husband’s bad behavior on middle age (not that he would ever).

23. You can pretty much blame anything you want on middle age!

24. You can vote - whoop de do!

25. If you haven’t smoked by now, there’s no point in starting - good for you!

26. You can watch your children grow up while you still have the energy to enjoy them.

27. When your kids go to college, you’ll still be young enough to travel the world!

28. No one can tell you you’re being immature. It’s your right now.

29. Behold and embrace those laugh lines - you earned ‘em!

30. You can write a really long list of your accomplishments.

31. You can remember things from the 80’s which are now considered “from yesteryear.”

32. You can pull outfits out of your closet that your kids will wear to oldies costume parties.

33. You can say things like, “Back in the day.”

34. It is perfectly valid to start using that, “Uphill both ways” story with pride.

35. You am who you am and it’s high time to accept and love YOU.

36. You can feather your hair and wear high heels with skinny jeans because hey, you’re worth it! (And you waited so long that it’s now back in style.)

37. You have a family that loves you and gives your life meaning.

38. You’re not 50.

39. You can start your memoirs.

40. THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

Great things I did on my summer "vacation"...

2010-07-25T20:37:00.009-04:00

...and it's not even half over yet!

1) Went on a 3,008-mile road trip with Scott to visit friends, family, grandkids, and an old college buddy.

2) Had dinner in Andover with Kel.

3) Talked on the phone regularly with Robin in Canada.

4) Helped Laurel and Conrado (and Bumbers) move into their first new home!

5) Went surfing with Scottie and Mattie in Hull at the wonderful (and missed) Nantasket Beach...followed up by dinner at our favorite Indian restaurant, Punjab Cafe in Quincy.

6) Went kayaking on a beautiful mountain lake with Barb and Ted.

7) Planted flowers on Dad's pretend grave for Father's Day and introduced Scott to the Concord Beef & Seafood store. (And later, the quirky, strange and delicious Gas Lighter Restaurant, which has a Ms. Pac Man machine!!!...I am in heaven.)

8) Hiked up to the Canterbury Water Tower with Izzy and Tammy.

9) Doggie-sat for Dufus, our favorite canine neighbor.

10) Went to Beech Hill Farm (to visit our favorite goats and their new goat-lings, donkey, and ice cream barn), and to Dimond Hill Farm for incredibly fresh and delicious produce.

11) Started going weekly to the Concord Farmers' Market, and sometimes the Art Market and other local farm stands.

12) Went to the wonderful hidden treasure, the Mill Brook Gallery and Sculpture Garden.

13) Took photographic adventures with Scott, including Merrill Pond and Bear Brook State Park, to name a few.

14) Saw the hysterical musical, "A Year with Frog and Toad," and yes, I said Frog and Toad.

15) Had a great Fourth of July with Mom, Laurel and family, and Scott, including swimming at the pool AND Lake Winnisquam, and fireworks in downtown Laconia.

16) Swam in the Merrimack River with Mom and Scott on a lazy hot afternoon.

17) Went to warm and inviting gatherings with White Mountain Sangha.

18) Enjoyed backyard-neighbor barbecues and fellowshipping.

19) SWAM IN OUR NEW POOL!!!!

20) Just enjoyed a wonderful and too-fast weekend at Grape Island in Maine with Laurel & Co. and Laurel's family, including old summertime friends and Conrado's sister Shanti (whom we just love).

What am I missing? I'm sure I'll remember some other fun soon.

I am blessed and grateful.

~ Ally

(photo by Scott Snyder)

EPL: To know this world and God

2010-07-07T19:08:00.003-04:00

I am reading Elizabeth Gilbert's wonderful book, "Eat, Pray, Love." Every day, I feel inspired to write after reading some of her book. But the problem is, I am stuck in the middle of my workday and lunch is over and there ain't no way I can be blogging in this job! So I will spend a few posts giving you the highlights of her words which affect me. Today, I'd like to share this word image:

(excerpt from ch. 8, in which she asks a ninth-generation Balinese medicine man in Indonesia for the desires of her heart)

"...'what I want to learn is how to live in this world and enjoy its delights, but also devote myself to God.'

Ketut said he could answer my question with a picture. He showed me a sketch he'd drawn once during meditation. It was an androgynous human figure, standing up, hands clasped in prayer. But this figure had four legs, and no head. Where the head should have been, there was only a wild foliage of ferns and flowers. There was a small, smiling face drawn over the heart.

'To find the balance you want,' Ketut spoke through his translator, 'this is what you must become. You must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the earth that it's like you have four legs, instead of two. That way, you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way, you will know God.'"

2010-06-16T18:28:00.003-04:00

Well, kitties, I wrote something. You can hear about our road trip to the deep south on Rock, Water, and Light, and for those of you following the baby saga on Yahoo, you can hear a bit about that too. Sign in, check in, and tell me all about you.

Writing has been an elusive little monkey of late - no time or energy - but it feels good to be back in the saddle again.

Am reading "Julie & Julia" for all you readers and resident foodees. I highly recommend it. Even better than the wonderfully fun and inspiring movie.

Au revoir for now!

~Ally

grief

2010-05-17T17:57:00.008-04:00

It is so very complicated. Not unlike our other up-and-down relationships - years gone by, details forgotten, then remembered in an instant.

My friend Jean who works in hospice calls the sudden just-happened-yesterday moments "grief bursts." She is so right. Attending a funeral that feels a little too familiar. Insert my family members instead of these random strangers and we are at Dad's funeral all over again. The songs the choir sings - are they singing for you, Dad?

Dad seems to keep showing up in the form of great and majestic birds...not surprising, really. The other day, a Peregrine falcon flew alongside Scott's car, right at eye level on the drivers' side, looking at him while he drove. They beheld each other. It made Scott cry and opened up his heart in a big, momentary way. Earlier, there was the eagle that flew right over us and landed in a tree a mere twenty feet away, too low for an eagle to land, too close to not be some kind of sign of your presence. And the loon(s). And the hawks that circle above or the black crows, always flying in twos, that lead me on many days. I see you. I'm glad you are flying now. You waited a long time to fly.

About a week ago (or two now?), my friend died. Literally five minutes later, another friend's husband passed. The next day as my mother told me of both events, I felt them sit down in my heart and stay awhile. The heaviness of grief can be overwhelming. Our friend's husband's memorial was a few days later. Mom and I went and boy, if it didn't feel a little close for comfort. The wife, now widowed, gave a long message at her husband's service, attributing all his accomplishments and passions to his great strength of character, blessing his children by telling everyone how much she had loved him. It hurt, in a good way. The wife asked Mom to read a piece on grief. In it was the phrase, "grief is my friend." And Mom would not read that. She just couldn't. But I could have because I have become so entwined with that relationship, that "otherness" of Grief that it might as well be a member of the family.

It is not a friend in the sense of comforting - or maybe it is. But it is close to us, always present, showing its colors in different forms. Like the fact that at coming on two years past Dad's death, I am just about strong enough to finally read his fishing memoir. I loaned the book to a co-worker in hospice, a social worker, who wanted to read some stories to a patient who was basically unresponsive...except when a nurse showed him pictures of big fish he'd caught. So I passed on the stories. And maybe when I get the book back, I can actually read it without getting sick to my stomach and throwing it back on the shelf.

Dad, life is going on, but not without you. I am still pissed at you, don't get me wrong. But only because there is so much I'd like to be able to discuss with you. So many things we still have to do together. Like skydiving. And fishing up at Chazy. Going to the funeral of your best friend's daughter - I know you would never have chosen to miss it. And hiking up the correct side - the steep but MUCH SHORTER trail to the top of Locke's Hill. Mom showed it to us, and it wasn't so bad. We came down the back side, the longer trail you tried to ascend and I can see why you thought it was miserable!

We are making fajitas tonight and watching stupid TV. Want to join us? Wish you could.

I'll be looking for you in the sky, Dad. My Buddhist teacher (oh stop rolling your eyes!) says the sky is always there and all is well.

All is well, Dad.

Love, Al

Little girls singing

2010-05-08T16:48:00.005-04:00

There is a little girl who lives in the house behind our condos. Often when I am sitting outside on our patio, I can see her through the trees. She is dancing or bouncing on the trampoline. And she is singing at the top of her lungs. Today she is singing and clapping while pacing back and forth.

She reminds me of me, around age 8 or 9. I used to spend hours in our backyard growing up in Chicago, swinging on the old rusty yellow swingset, pumping fast and flying as high as I could. I would sing through all the songs I knew, especially the ones I learned in music class at school.

When we learned the patriotic songs like "America the Beautiful" or "The Star Spangled Banner," I loved singing those at the top of my lungs. That was probably my most patriotic time and I felt proud of my country. I knew in my heart that the neighbors must enjoy my singing. :)

I also really loved to sing this little Simon & Garfunkel ditty:

Hello Lampost,

whatcha knowin'?

I've come to watch your flowers growin'.

Ain't you got no rhymes for me?

Do-it-n-do-do, feelin' groovy!

I got no deeds to do,

no promises to keep.

I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep -

let your morning time drop

all its petals on me.

Do-it-n-do-do, feelin' groovy!

Da da da da--da--da--da, feelin' groovy.

~Ally

from www.photosearch.com

Aging

2010-04-23T17:55:00.006-04:00

It's exceptionally hard getting older.
It's hard to realize your body isn't working the way it used to, healing as quickly from injuries, rising to the occasion like it once did.
It's infuriating to be told you cannot (should not) drive anymore. To have your keys taken away, and not for the intoxicated party night, but for good.
It hurts when your friends - the same age as you! - begin getting cancer, or dying of headache-turned-brain-tumors. It's horrifying when a loved one drops dead of a heart attack.
You can't believe it when the thought of going up that damn driveway hill with the garbage bin is exhausting, or your just don't feel like watering all the plants in the garden anymore.
When you realize your clothes look like the outdated relics of your mother's closet...

Aging sucks.

This is what I am learning as our parents start to enter the age of grief, shocking diagnoses from the doctor, and visits from friends who are now widows.

These are the things I think on as I work to tend the sick and dying every day, albeit in my administrative, secretarial way, at my Hospice job. People are sick and dying EVERY SINGLE DAY. I find myself saying in my head things like, "If only someone would die so it would free up the schedule a bit." These are the sick thoughts you have when you work in Hospice. These are the blow-off-steam moments that get you through the day. You find yourself so, so tired and worn out at the end of the week (like tonight). Until you realize, you have been surrounded by various stages of death all day, and lending every bit of compassion you have to suffering and grieving families who need it. And I'm not even the nurse.

Last night I found myself at the semi-annual memorial service Hospice holds for families members who have lost someone they loved. On my name tag, I wrote: "Allison Snyder" and under In Memory Of, I wrote "Larry Cox." Because the one you've lost doesn't go away after a year of prescribed grieving time. They are with you always, every day, in your thoughts and frustrations, memories and laughs.

In the service sat several dozen families - some with other family members, some alone (a spouse, a brother, a daughter). Tears were shed and laughs were shared. A beautiful choir sang three songs, each bringing you just a bit closer to your loved one and God (though they were very respectfully not religious). Several people looked me in the eye and did not look away during the service. I made myself keep returning their gaze. In grief, you long to connect, even with a stranger. You find yourself in this unlikely and miserable Club you didn't realize existed - the Club of Those Left Behind. There should be a bumper sticker, key chain, and a membership T-shirt. Instead, there is just a knowing look between stranger-friends that happens every few months (or years), the stories of love lost just on the tip of everyone's tongue, no matter what time has passed.

Afterwards, Hospice offered cookies, cheese and crackers, and juice...as if that could help. But in some way, it did. It is so normal to share a snack with others. And normal is what you crave like the dickens when you feel so lost, your world turned upside down and inside out, never to return to its previous glory.

I talked (listened) at length with a man who's brother-in-law had died in the last few months. He told me endless fishing stories (the tall tales I have heard all my life) of 4 ft Stripers and the night the boys caught 60 sharks off the shore, etc etc. I think he was channeling my Dad, who might have been coming through saying, "I'm still here in every ordinary way."

Aging brings the shadow of death with it, and we all feel that chill and try to run. There's no fight mechanism in place - it's all flight at the start. I am not changing, getting older, slowing down! I'll be damned if I ever give up my (insert your favorite passion)! I don't need anything but the cool, sweet earth and my fishing pole.

Oh, and you. And your support and kindness. And maybe a wipe of my chin where the kernel of corn has stuck and won't let itself free. Remind me, what year was it that we took that wonderful trip? Have you seen my glasses (that rest on my forehead)? There's nothing wrong with my head! Oh, you said "bread"?

Grace. Compassion. For others. For ourselves and this ever-changing body and spirit.

Grace from me, to you.

~Ally

Poem

2010-04-14T22:25:00.001-04:00

A Remedy for Insomnia

Not sheep coming down the hills,
not cracks on the ceiling—
count the ones you loved,
the former tenants of dreams
who would keep you awake,
once meant the world to you,
rocked you in their arms,
those who loved you . . .
You will fall asleep, by dawn, in tears.

~Vera Pavlova

Good Things

2010-04-05T18:27:00.005-04:00

A list for Caralee, my dear friend who is sick in her body but not in her heart:

GOOD THINGS:

The first day of spring when you roll down the car windows to feel that whoosh of cool air.

Trading in your shoes and socks for sandals and painted toenails.

Getting a real letter in the mail!

Finding a fiver in your pocket from last year.

Not having to wait for the cable guy from 2-5 (that's as close as we can estimate...).

Cats rolling around on their backs on the patio because, oh, it feels soooo good!

Putting the plants back outside and hoping, waiting, for flowers to bloom.

Having an old friend come visit you with no agenda, just wanting to be with you a while.

Getting a compliment from your boss at work!

Getting a raise (even better...).

The first day of softball weather - you know what I'm talking about. Mmmm.

Homemade meals where you can actually taste the love cooked in.

A delightful surprise!

Daffodils - 'nuff said.

White birch trees standing like ghosts on the edge of the water.

Cooking out the first steak of summer (which we did on Saturday).

Walking in the woods with your mom.

Looking through old pictures that make you laugh all over again.

Campfires. Oh, that smell!

Snuggling up with a warm puppy dog who is so, so tired.

Cats with extra toes (believe me, and O'Reilly, this is a constant delight)!

Writing out your thoughts and feelings.

Time to sew.

The joy of waiting for someone you love to walk through that door.

Knowing you are loved.

Love you Caralee! Many blessings and hugs~

Ally

Back row: sisters Laurie and Jennifer

Front row: Kaylee (the pooch), dad Emerson, Caralee, and mom Doris

and this is Caralee's favorite muttsky, Kaylee

(photos by Emerson)

This Simple Woman's Day Book

2010-03-26T19:48:00.015-04:00

The Simple Woman's Day Book . . .

FOR TODAY, March 26, 2010

Outside My Window... it has turned to night. The sun stays out longer now and the air has been quite warm, though today, evening brought a chill with it. New Hampshire is officially in Springtime, as the snow and ice have melted, buds have begun on the bravest of trees, and the ticks, bees, geese, and even one sly black fly have returned. Don't they know it's only March? Ripe time for a blizzard. But our pool house opened today and we have forgotten our mittens and shovels altogether.

I am thinking... how amazing it is that a song, a scent, or the words of a stranger can evoke the strongest heart pulls toward an old friend. Last night, I heard a Little Song by Sarah Jarosz that made me long in my heart for my friend Molly, whom I have not seen in years. Today, the scented oil at the massage therapist reminded me of Amy - and now that sweet smell is on my skin, continuing to bring me back to my dear sister-like friend. Some moments in life never fade on the inside, and we are blessed by the unexpected reminders.

I am thankful for... the wonderful women with whom I work - who are kind, generous, and able to laugh at themselves. Today at work we celebrated Social Workers' Month. In Hospice, this is a particularly hard job, not for the weak of heart. I used to know a woman who worked with Aids patients. I wondered how she could endure such pain and suffering on a daily basis. Now I know that it is in helping people through their most vulnerable, frightening, and fragile times that our hearts are strengthened to love more fully, listen more deeply, and relax into the ever-present changes of a life.

From the kitchen... Scott and I will soon be enjoying the L&A Sausage Quiche, which I made again last night. Delicious! Will make some blueberry muffins - good ol' 50 cent Jiffys are still the simplest and best in my opinion - and maybe a salad to accompany the eggy pie.

I am wearing... jammies, since I am a) off work, b) home, and c) ready to enjoy a relaxing weekend! It's movie night here at Snyderville tonight - we are deciding between a scary one (Sixth Sense), a silly one (Boat Trip), and an interesting one (The Real Dirt on Farmer John).

I am creating... new habits of relaxation and de-stressing my body. Each day I work on stretching, sleeping, and bringing down my crazy by deep breathing, meditating, reading on my lunch hour, or taking in the natural world around me.

I am going... to a moving party tomorrow. Sarge, my 84-yr old friend is finally moving out of the big family house and into some more affordable apartment housing. It will be a big relief for those of us who do his finances and help with his complicated old man life. But it will probably be hard for him to leave that old house. He loves his yard projects, his gardening, his "home improvement" ventures, and most of all, his independence. How will we convince him that living in an apartment does not mean he isn't independent? And he will be right downtown, able to do all the walking and visiting he loves, shopping in his daily haunts and running up his tab at Madeleine's. All good things. His wife died in that house, and he has put in 50 years of love, sweat, and toil. I hope tomorrow he will be buoyed by friendship and laughter, and not too sad.

And FOR TODAY, March 29, 2010

I am reading...
The Elegant Gathering of White Snows, by Kris Radish

This is an amazing book that tells the stories of eight women who decide one night to take off from their lives and begin walking through the night, and then many following days. They are on a pilgrimage of sorts to think about and evaluate their lives, sharing sorrows and unraveling the tales of how they experienced life. I don't know how to put it in graceful words, but this book is very powerful and moving. Each woman's life is part of the universal story of women everywhere. It is definitely worth reading. I have been enjoying it bit by bit on my lunch hours, falling into the prose and not wanting to stop reading.

I am hoping... I have so many hopes right now I don't know where to begin. But I am also thinking on a principle from Donna Q. about how the combination of our longings and self loathing thoughts form a constant circle of frustration. Our attachments to wants and "shoulds" bind rather than free us. But meanwhile, a few of my hopes are: that Sarge can accept and delight in his new life in the apartment; that Caralee can have a break from her cancer pain and suffering and enjoy the many last days of her life; that Lauren will find a close woman friend in Mexico to share her joys, thoughts, and burdens; that my grandmas will feel loved and well taken care of in Indiana and Minnesota; that Kenda's wedding plans will bring her joy and turn into a wonderful day she will love remembering; that Laurel's new job will be a blessing to her; that my father and Grandpa C. will know they are loved and remembered, wherever they are; and that Dad will send a special blessing to Mom for their anniversary this weekend.

I am hearing... the hum of the noisy but comforting refrigerator. It is time for bed and I am avoiding the start of a new and exhausting week. But I am grateful to not be experiencing The Sunday Night Dread, as I have been lucky enough to find a job I like.

Around the house... are piles of tasks waiting to be accomplished - laundry, financial papers, my new pine cone project (from beautiful branches I gathered on our walk at the Pine Barrens on Saturday), library books to return, movies to watch and return, Pete's birthday present to mail and Easter goodies to be stuffed in baskets...the list goes on and on...

One of my favorite things... is cooking for someone else. Tonight I enjoyed making an Aztec Casserole for a dear friend and nurse with whom I work. I bribed her with Mexican food so she'd work an extra on-call shift tomorrow. I happily prepared her meal tonight, while listening to traditional mariachi love songs and cooking up a storm. I also made homemade cornbread for the first time, and it was yummy! Scott and I thoroughly enjoyed our Mexican treats before K. gets the rest tomorrow. I love cooking for my husband too.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week... I did a lot of my errands and appointments last week. So this week I will spend time with Scott, work on finances and budgeting, clean up the house, and get ready for Easter with Mom on Saturday and Sunday. I bought the eggs to be colored and the goodies to fill Easter baskets, and gathered some special pine cone twigs for decorating. What am I, Martha Stewart? I also desperately need a haircut, so maybe I can make that happen this week. Do the world a favor, right??

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

And there you have it, my Simple Woman's Day Book. View other entries at Simple Woman's Day Book. Try writing one yourself! It makes a lovely snapshot of your life, as it is - perfect in all its beautiful imperfection - today.

~Ally

Helped by the stranger

2010-03-06T20:14:00.001-05:00

I like this quote, posted by Attitude of Gratitude:

"All of us are influenced by somebody. Not to be influenced is to remain an ignorant person. Most of us hinder our thinking, particularly around spiritual things, because of pride. We don't like change. We find it hard to accept attitudes and opinions that differ from our own. Pride keeps us deaf and often stupid. However, the daily program of a lived spirituality encourages a variety of opinions and attitudes. We can learn from different customs, lifestyles and religions. We can be helped in our understanding of life by the stranger." ~Fr Leo

Daily Dose from Shoeboxblog

2010-03-06T19:58:00.003-05:00

All credits of hilarity go to Shoeboxblog

More New Academy Awards Categories

* Best Soundtrack Song by Gloomy Indie Band that nobody will ever hear from again
* Best Boy (What is that anyway?)
* Dog that most reminded everyone of that one dog, from that one movie with the dog
* Creepiest Creepy Kid
* Best Tolerance of Nicolas Cage
* Best telephone conversation when no one’s really on the line
* Best Boobs in 3-D
* Best Scene That makes you yell, “He would have so died from that!”
* Best Movie Poster that over promised laughter…by, like, a LOT
* Most Scientologistical

Even More New Academy Award Categories

March 5, 2010 3:53 pm

* Most critically lauded film that you saw and were like “What?”
* Best Movie directed by Gary Marshall (never presented)
* Best Performance by a hot actress playing a frump
* Best application of Duane ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s body make-up
* The Ed Begley Jr. Award for most self-righteous Prius driver
* Most bullets fired by a single character
* The “Ooh! It’s Indie!” for most pretentious piece of yuppie-bait
* Best Craft Table Hummus
* Best Performance by restaurant background couple

For your reading enjoyment and visual enrichment

2010-03-06T19:44:00.005-05:00

Just wanted to invite you to continue following the Rock, Water, and Light blog that I write, with my husband's incredible nature and art photography. I wrote a piece tonight on formative memories, life paths, and looking at the stars. If you're into stars and all.

Scott is also doing a year-long photographic exploration of Shaker Village, nearby in Canterbury, NH. His blog for this project is called Hands to Work, Hearts to God. The name is taken from a Shaker concept of living fully in the moment, with your heart dedicated to worship in all mundane tasks. Beautiful thought, really.

We want you to be part of our lives.

~Ally

Ack! No More Applebee's Salad for Me...

2010-03-05T20:32:00.002-05:00

Check out this article on the worst secret-calorie-bomb salads from your favorite eateries. I, for one, will miss the Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad. It was so good!

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/47832/the-unhealthiest-salads-in-america/

2010-02-12T20:45:00.003-05:00

A very insightful post which reminds me of the office today...

from Cheerio Road

http://mommazen.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-sayi-mean.html

Tootsie is so funny

2010-02-12T20:34:00.001-05:00

Her hysterical anti-V-Day-hype post...

http://vintagethirty.blogspot.com/2010/02/are-we-only-couple-waiting-for-their.html

I work with his mom!

2010-02-10T17:22:00.004-05:00

(photo from the Web)

New Hampshire's Kris Freeman is going to the Olympics! The Concord Monitor tells the story.

"It was as sure a thing as frost heaves in February.

Kris Freeman, the 29-year-old from Andover, would be going to Vancouver for next month's Winter Olympics.

After posting the best World Cup results of his career during the first period this season, all that was left was for Freeman to get the official nod. That came yesterday, when the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association unveiled its cross-country skiing Olympic team."

life

2010-01-18T22:15:00.001-05:00

American Life in Poetry: Column 252

BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE, 2004-2006

My grandfather, when in his nineties, wrote me a letter in which he listed everything he and my uncle had eaten in the past week. That was the news. I love this poem by Nancyrose Houston of Seattle for the way it plays with the character of those letters from home that many of us have received.

The Letter From Home

The dogs barked, the dogs scratched, the dogs got wet, the
dogs shook, the dogs circled, the dogs slept, the dogs ate,
the dogs barked; the rain fell down, the leaves fell down, the
eggs fell down and cracked on the floor; the dust settled,
the wood floors were scratched, the cabinets sat without
doors, the trim without paint, the stuff piled up; I loaded the
dishwasher, I unloaded the dishwasher, I raked the leaves,
I did the laundry, I took out the garbage, I took out the
recycling, I took out the yard waste. There was a bed, it was
soft, there was a blanket, it was warm, there were dreams,
they were good. The corn grew, the eggplant grew, the
tomatoes grew, the lettuce grew, the strawberries grew, the
blackberries grew; the tea kettle screamed, the computer
keys clicked, the radio roared, the TV spoke. “Will they ever
come home?” “Can’t I take a break?” “How do others keep
their house clean?” “Will I remember this day in fifty years?”
The sweet tea slipped down my throat, the brownies melted
in my mouth. My mother cooked, the apple tree bloomed, the
lilac bloomed, the mimosa bloomed, I bloomed.

i am

2010-01-17T00:15:00.003-05:00

i am . . .

i am: thankful for a peaceful Saturday night.
i think: and that makes my brain exceedingly tired...
i want: Lauren to get reliable high speed Internet at home.
i wish: i had more time to talk to friends.
i miss: having endless amounts of time to socialize like we did in college.
i feel: more than I let on.
i hear: that UPS is sending free aid packages for anyone to Haiti. But then I heard you should just donate money to the Red Cross so they can buy water immediately.
i smell: worse when I smoke.
i crave: that feeling of falling in love.
i search: for poetry that children can understand and be inspired by.
i wonder: when we will be able to buy a real house with some land.

i regret: starting up smoking again.
i love: my husband.
i ache: and need a professional massage...soon.
i always: double-check the locks before bed.
i am not: finished mailing the Christmas letters yet!
i believe: the trees feel it when you hug them and sometimes they hug back.
i dance: when I think about the theme song of "Fame"!
i sing: sometimes when I play the piano.
i write: in coffee shops - one of the great pleasures of all time.
i win: at Taboo but almost never at Scrabble.
i lose: at Monopoly, but still love playing it.
i confuse: myself when I try to get up in the morning while it's still dark. (argh)
i listen: to the stories of so many sad, grieving, and suffering people these days. my heart goes out to them.
i can usually be found: in bed on Saturday mornings.
i am scared: by rape statistics.
i need: time to breathe and relax.
i am happy about: going to visit the fam in Mexico in just seven days!!!
i hope: to live by the heart and not the head.

i resolve: to be honest with my mother-in-law about my feelings and decisions.

Tag - you're it.

~Ally

Good, good husband.

2010-01-17T00:13:00.002-05:00

Tip

2009-12-29T08:06:00.001-05:00

A good night's sleep makes everything feel better.

(So Mom was right after all!)

Poem from Bro Halff

2009-12-28T18:52:00.003-05:00

Joy

Every year
Christmas
pops up,
whether we are ready
or not:
inconvenient, unrelenting,
always too soon
to arrive --
bringing with it
its flurry
of demands,
and a snowstorm
of unfulfilled perfections;
it tumbles us
forward
into a new year,
and insists
that in the frigid
night sky,
we see
that both the stars
and we
move.

Happy Birthday, Mami!

2009-12-22T13:12:00.003-05:00

(photo by Scott Snyder on Mother's Day, 2009)

Today is mi madre's birthday and she is better than ever! Happy birthday to the greatest Mom in the world!

Love, Ally

oxxo

Three Hours of My Life I'll Never Get Back

2009-12-11T14:43:00.007-05:00

So apparently someone - we shall call her "JH" - has been using my debit card to purchase their credit report online, and the monthly fees have been coming out of my bank account for three months! [And Merrrry Christmas to you too!]

This resulted in me spending inordinate amounts of time on the phone, at the police department, and at the bank, trying to get the charges reversed. And in lovely holiday fashion, one of the charges this week sucked the last remaining scraps of life out of my account, so I also got a hefty overdraft fee. Ho! Ho! Ho!

When, at the police station, I told my little story to Officer Nice-n-Beefy, he said I would need to pay $12 to get the police statement printed out so I could send it to the online company (blah blah blah). I said, "But that's crazy!"

He replied, "I deal in crazy."

Well, JH, you missed your chance baby. You shoulda bought that flat screen TV or gone to Maui, or at the very least gotten a mani/pedi/wax for the holidays.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

~Ally

p.s. Officer N-n-B said petty thefts are very high this time of year, so hold on to your purses at WallyWorld, gals, and Scottie, don't leave your cell phone in the car!

Grace-full Day

2009-12-02T00:30:00.005-05:00

Had many moments of grace fall upon me today. Am grateful for:
1) Call early this morning to walk the two enormous and sweet dogs of our neighbor.
2) Good talk with co-worker.
3) Opportunity to work on and move forward a bankruptcy case I'd like to finish in the next week or so.
4) Good visit with OB/GYN and no new problems.
5) Dr.'s office being cool about me not paying my copay today.
6) Pharmacy coupon and the wonderful woman who let me pay for my prescription with a sad little baggie of rolled pennies and coins, even though what I had wasn't quite enough.
7) Good visit with Dad's "grave" at the cemetery.
8) Energetic and fun walk with the dogs, accompanied by another kind neighbor and two friendly dogs she had with her.
9) An email finally from my sister!
10) Wonderful husband who brought home much-needed groceries unexpectedly!!
11) Relieving talk with NH Unemployment who will probably process my claim without much delay.
12) Time to nap.
13) Free coffee from White Mountain Coffee (thank you TD Banknorth).
14) Beautiful full moon.
15) Sweet, loving family that will not change even as the trials of life continue to appear.

Good life and I am thankful for it.
~Ally

Haiku for Two Black Cats

2009-11-29T00:12:00.003-05:00

"Hello. I love you.
"Is there any kibble down?"
Out. In. And repeat.

Over the top and inside out

2009-11-23T22:47:00.007-05:00

Thank you Donna at DQ's Windmill for the award! The rules are: thank the person who gave it to you, answer the following questions in one word, and then pass it forward to five other bloggers.

*Where is your phone? CHARGING
*Your hair? WET
*Your Mother? AMAZING
*Your Father? MISSED
*Favorite food? FROZEN
*Your dream last night? FORGOTTEN
*Favorite drink? SODA
*Your dream? EASE
*What room are you in? LIVING
*Your hobby? READING
*Your fear? POVERTY
*Where do you want to be in six years? MOTHERHOOD
*Where were you last night? HOME
*Something you're not? PEACEFUL
*Muffins? BLUEBERRY
*Wish List Item? SECURITY
*Last thing you did? WORRY
*What are you wearing? FARGO
*Your pets? SNUGGLY
*Your friends? BUSY!
*Your life? CHANGING
*Your mood? DEPRESSED
*Missing someone? TIP
*Your vehicle? FAITHFUL
*Something you're not wearing? COMMANDO
*Your favorite color? RED
*When was the last time you laughed? TONIGHT
*Last time you cried? UNSURE
*Your best friend? KITTY
*One place you go over and over? PRAYER
*One person that emails you? BARB
*Favorite place to eat? INDIAN

I tag: anyone who wants to play. Let me know!
~Ally

Bumper Sticker

2009-11-11T23:34:00.003-05:00

Tonight as I drove home from Mom's, I was stopped at a red light when I saw the most honest and hilarious bumper sticker on a pick-up truck. It read, simply,

boobies!

Ahh, there are so many things in this world to be thankful for! :) So tonight, I give you my list:

1) boobies!
2) wide, graceful hips
3) sincere kisses on the back of my husband's neck
4) cat snuggling on my chest, while I sit in the cold night air in my leather jacket
5) the spot at the bottom of the spine, where the hand wants to caress
6) pudding in a cloud (thank you, Bill Cosby)
7) laughing at each other, together
8) a quiet house at 11 p.m.
9) my page-turner book that i will soon devour
10) and other sensual pleasures that keep us delighted day after day

This life is hard enough. Find some pleasure. Drink it in. And if all else fails, thank God for boobies. Everybody loves boobies.

~Ally

Opossum

2009-11-08T00:01:00.004-05:00

I saw a possum tonight, right at our neighbor's porch, a mere fifteen feet from me. Judy went to investigate (though I told her not to). He stood there for a while, then ambled, wobbly, away. He ducked under the part of the fence that's bent up, which our cats use many times a day to explore the neighborhood behind our condo. He was beautiful. These photos are from the Web. My possum looked most like the first picture.

What a rare sight and a blessing to me.
~Ally

For Donna

2009-11-04T16:03:00.006-05:00

I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid
and self-contain'd,
I stand and look at them long and long.

They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of
owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands
of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.

~Walt Whitman

(loon photo by Larry Cox)

New African Ocean?

2009-11-03T13:56:00.002-05:00

(photo from the Web)

From Yahoo News:

Giant Crack in Africa May Create New Ocean

Wow.

What we've been up to

2009-11-01T23:04:00.011-05:00

I processed some of my photos tonight and wanted to show you what Scott and I have been doing.

This is Bear Brook State Park, where we went in October. It's so beautiful there.

On the anniversary of our wedding, we went to the apple orchard in Canterbury, and saw these little chickens in the road~
At the orchard...

I saw this tree at Bear Brook and thought it was so stunning and comforting.
This is Sarge, my friend from Concord. We visited his sister's grave.

And you know this guy.
Here are a few great shots by Scott that you may have missed:

The spotted newt, New Hampshire's state amphibian~

Which was your favorite?

~Ally

Possibilitarian

2009-10-18T01:57:00.002-04:00

Marie, at A Year From Oak Cottage, encourages us all to be Possibilitarians!
Here's a short excerpt from her post...

"Well, the word possibilitarian was invented by a man called Norman Vincent Peale, who I am sure most of you will have heard of. This wonderful man rose from poverty to become one of the world's most loved and best selling authors, and this word means . . . A person, who, no matter how dark things are . . . raises his sights."

Read on...

~Ally

This Very Moment

2009-10-18T01:16:00.003-04:00

Things that are right and good in my life:

1) I am finally starting to get over this hideous cold.
2) Said cold caused me to decide, again, that I do not want to smoke.
3) The cold also caused me to lose 2 pounds. Go, cold!
4) I have a beautiful husband who is so good to me.
5) I have a warm home, with a well used guest room.
6) My mom is close by and did NOT, unlike my horrible dream this morning, have a stroke.
7) Lauren and Co. are doing okay and even have puppies!
8) Hillary and Matthew are over the swine flu.
9) I have one good job.
10) My freelance editing is turning up some jobs here and there.

For all of these things I am very, very grateful.
~Ally

A few of the MANY great things about New Hampshire

2009-09-28T23:28:00.007-04:00

1. First stop on the political campaign trail: our town!! (Yeehaw!)
2. The WOLF - 93.3 FM
3. Crazy big-draw events like Bike Week and Nascar Races
4. Multiple yoga studios to choose from in Concord

5. Shaker Village, Canterbury
6. Great children's museums in Meredith and Concord, plus the cool old-timey store for kids in the NH History Museum
7. The Krista McAuliffe Museum
8. Waterfalls, rivers, and hiking trails everywhere!

9. Franconia Notch
10. Trains that go up mountains in fall

11. Pine barrens and Karner Blue Butterflies
12. Eighteen miles of prime coastline with great swimming, rock hunting, AND surfing beaches
13. Polly's Pancakes and maple syrup making farms
14. Castle in the Clouds, Moultonborough
15. Lupine Festival every June in Sugar Hill
16. Mount Monadnock, our highest peak, that can be climbed by children and old people and experienced rock climbers
17. Mount Wantastiquet, Hinsdale

18. Pisgah State Park and Bear Brook State Park
19. Madame Sherri Forrest and castle ruins in Chesterfield
20. Spofford Lake
21. Winnisquam Lake
22. Pittsfield Balloon Rally
23. Sled dog races! Supposedly there's even a sled dog run you can pay to join for the day.
24. Snow, glorious snow
25. Concord's Audubon Society trails and nature center
26. Winnipesaukee!
27. Laconia, small town home of the greatest fireworks! (Though the Pittsfield Balloon Rally this year did the biggest, most dramatic show we have ever seen, second only to the sesquicentennial blowout in Lancaster, PA several years ago.)
28. The Flume Gorge
29. Mount Washington
30. Borders on Canada, Vermont, and Maine - what more could you want?

31. The capital is a mere hour from beaches, mountains, and Boston! And only 35 minutes from a great regional airport in Manchester.
32. Carter's Apple Orchard and country store
33. We live here.

I could go on and on. The Curious George Museum, a tram ride up Cannon Mountain, the Androscoggin River, fantastic and affordable antiquing, cottage industries of every sort, farms, great fishing and hunting, Harman's Cheese, camping, diners, Beech Hill Farm, outlet shopping, sacred Native American land (like Kearsarge Mountain and the wonderful Native Indian Museum), New England's Stonehenge in Salem, gemstone mining, moose! Come for a visit! There's something for everyone.

~Ally

Laurel & Ally's Sleep In Cafe: Sausage Quiche #1

2009-09-27T00:22:00.005-04:00

(photo by Scott Snyder)

L&A's Sausage Quiche #1

Ingredients:

1 Pillsbury pie crust shell
1/2 lb chicken apple sausage
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 cps grated cheddar cheese
2 T flour
2 t parsley flakes, or 1 T chopped fresh parsley if possible
3 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cps milk
1/4 tsp salt
coarse grated black pepper to taste
dash ground nutmeg
red and green pepper, chopped
olive oil

Directions:

Prepare pie crust: Line the unpricked pastry shell with double thickness of aluminum foil. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 4-5 minutes more until pastry is set and dry. Remove from oven.

Turn oven down to 350 degrees. Put in a cookie sheet on the middle rack to preheat.

Cook sausage, onion, and green and red peppers in pan in a bit of olive oil. Drain excess grease if any.

In large bowl, combine sausage mixture with cheese, flour and parsley. Mix well. Spread into pie crust.

Mix together in separate bowl eggs, milk, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Pour over sausage mixture.

Bake on a preheated cookie sheet for 30-40 minutes, uncovered at 350 degrees, or until eggs are set and top is golden.

Serving suggestions:

Breakfast - serve with toast and jam, orange juice, and fresh fruit like watermelon or berries.
Lunch/Dinner - serve with green tossed salad with balsamic vinaigrette, champagne or white wine, and crusty French bread with butter.

Enjoy!

And remember: Always cook with love and good music!

~Ally

"Just cut the moldy parts off...that cheese is fine!"

2009-09-26T00:25:00.003-04:00

Ever wondered how long you can leave that mystery meat in the fridge, or whether you should eat the week old pumpkin pie (I wondered both of these things just today!)...

Well check out Still Tasty.com a great website my faithful mom just sent me.

Thanks Ma!

~Ally

The Rabbit Hole

a happy New Year

Poem

Inspired by Fresh Food Grown with Love

A Deliciously Resourceful Town Aims For Total Food Self-Sufficiency Within 7 Years

Wise Encouragement from Andy Rooney

Rick Perry...wow, scary.

St. Nicholas' Day is just around the corner! Now where did I put those wooden shoes?

Lucy's Picks ~ First Trip to the Library

Little Girl Reads Some Poetry

Fevering and Teething

Lights of Life 2011

Pre-licked? Get the vaccine people!

Lucinda: illuminated

Rockport

Lucy, Sweet Lucy

Today's Inspiring Quote

An Autumn drive for you who are far away...

Barack Obama...by poem

Buddha Mudra

100 times = beginner status: thoughts on breastfeeding (and poetry)

An old life

A Birthday

Mombie

My best news all year!

True Love

Surprising - guess it's only us old ladies propagating the myth that everyone's waiting to have children...

How old were you (will you be) when your first child was born?

33%

35%

19%

9%

3%

1%

Beauty

oh, good times

babymama in a field of Alabama clover

Electronic quiet time, anyone?

Reading for us gals, especially

kissy lips

Prayer

Prayer for Our Daughters

loving this baby-to-be

A Lullaby Me and the Bun Just Love

Early Spring

It's a Girl!

Swimming

Every little thing

Happy Valentine's Day, folks!

my great family

Sharin' the burrito lovin'

Boloco, or, my favorite new mid-morning stop

the most perfect last two lines e'er written in a poem

Snapshot of Today

something to look forward to

Happy New Year!

Christmas trees...priceless

December

The Lights of Life are Shining

The old familiar Celtic temperament...

A little bit of fennel, a lot of love

I love you, my testy pony.

'Shrooms...mmm

Autumn ode

The art of losing

a funny pic of the beloved fam at the airport

Poem for the job weary ;)

Three of my favorite guys

Consider yourself invited!

Sweetness and light

Corporate America

A ha ha ha - to wear!

a poem for today

Oldies but goodies

for Lauren and Happy, Happy Birthday, Girl!

Great things I did on my summer "vacation"...

EPL: To know this world and God

grief

Little girls singing

Aging