A to Z Blogging Challenge: Z is for Zippity Do Dah

Z is for Zippity Do Dah

The sun was shining through the window this morning, and I could hear the birds outside singing. SAM asked me what I was going to post for Z today. This is the first Z thing that popped into my head and out of my mouth. It's not that I'm ecstatic because the Blogging Challenge is at an end :>)

I hope your day has been a Zippity Do Dah one!

A to Z Blogging Challenge: Y is for Yclept Yeager, Dr. Robert

Geoffrey Chaucer, 1343-1400

Y is for Yclept Yeager, Dr. Robert

I like to give credit where credit is due.

That the credit is late doesn't (shouldn't?) matter to you.

You taught me from texts with English archaic

My papers, at first, you considered prosaic 

The poets you said you admired were dead,

But you brought them to life with a nod of your head

The books that you held in the palm of your hand

Transported the class to Ye Olde England

It was magic you did, to this day I will claim

"Chaucer, Shakespeare, Sidney"--You invoked them by name

And the words that they wrote were revealed to me

As though they were living and fluid and free

No longer confined to the books that were bound

Their words that you spoke from your lips became sound

And the poetry written all those centuries ago

Could reverberate now in tones high and tones low

It was quite like a dance or a symphony or play

And the students were part of the show every day

We were not just your audience to admire your teaching

But expected to act and with our own words be reaching

The high expectations you set then before us--

They were never forgotten, though they now need a chorus

Of voices reminding to make those words written

Daily on keyboard and not intermittent

If now I complain there's too much on my saucer

I know you would say remember Geoffrey Chaucer:

The Knight "bigan with right a merye cheere

His tale anoon [meant now, not soon!], and saide as ye may heere..."  

Please visit A to Z Blogging Challenge for links to more "Y's" posted by Challenge hosts and other writers.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: X is for Railroad Crossing Sign

 X is for Railroad Crossing Sign

Just about anywhere in the world, you will find railway crossings. They are a sure sign of progress, or at least they used to be, in the United States. Now we have automobiles to ride in and roads on which to travel. Once upon a time, there were just railways to bring goods and carry people across vast distances. They opened up new territories to the settlers who built this country's small towns and big cities.

Those parallel lines--a sign of the changing times--laid across hills and valleys, tunneled through mountains, and suspended high above rivers and bays inspired writers like Stephen Crane to describe a special milieu. It was instantly recognizable to anyone who traveled by train and paid attention to what was happening around him. Certainly, majestic vistas caught the eye, but a sense of being hurtled into the unknown, which could be dangerous, was for many people also part of the experience. The old, familiar way of life appeared to be vanishing right before their eyes:

The great Pullman was whirling onward with such dignity of motion that a glance from the window seemed simply to prove that the plains of Texas were pouring eastward. Vast flats of green grass, dull-hued spaces of mesquite and cactus, little groups of frame houses, woods of light and tender trees, all were sweeping into the east, sweeping over the horizon, a precipice... (Stephen Crane, "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky," first published in McClure's Magazine in 1898.)

Anymore, we don't usually associate trains with something bad happening like falling off a cliff since most of us rely on other modes of transportation. And therein lies a real danger. Is it a lack of sensibility or too much complacency that's the crux of a potential problem? Railroad crossings--where the modes intersect--and motorists who fail to pay attention to signs are not a good combination. It can't be that the warning signs aren't recognizable. They really haven't changed much over the years. A simple crossbuck or crux decussata (the Roman numeral ten) with the words "Railroad Crossing" clearly lets you know that there could be a train about to cross your path. You would be smart to stop, look, and listen for it, especially if there are no warning lights or mechanical arms descending to block your path.

It's estimated that a 150-car freight train traveling 50 miles per hour takes 1.5 miles to completely stop. So why do people ignore the warnings and take chances? I found an interesting site developed by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) that chronicles with video some near-misses. Some of them will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. They'll make you wonder if those drivers got their licenses from Cracker Jack boxes.

Please visit A to Z Blogging Challenge for more "X's" posted by Challenge hosts and other writers.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: W is for Wee Ball

 W is for Wee Ball

When winter waxes into spring

With warmer days a curious thing

Will take its place in center ring

Wielding a bat, waiting for a turn...

We find a young'un eager to learn:

  What do grownups do when they've time to burn?

When work is done at end of week,

Why grandparents through a fence will peek

While young'un takes a swing not meek

Walking up to stomp home plate,

Where years from now, if allowed by fate,

We'll cheer him on at faster rate

While taking time to contemplate

    

When young'un did play Wee Ball

Please visit A to Z Blogging Challenge for links to other "W's" posted by Challenge hosts and other writers.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: V is for Viticulture in Florida

V is for Viticulture in Florida

When we lived in southern Illinois, one of our favorite weekend activities--besides hiking--was visiting various vineyards and wineries located throughout the region. Viticulture has burgeoned into a vim-and-vinegar enterprise in Illinois over the past few decades. Here's a link to a YouTube video that explains some of the history behind the phenomenon. Quite a lot of the credit for the tremendous growth goes to partnerships established between industry leaders and university researchers. A great deal of public funding in the form of grants and low-interest loans has been made available over the past several decades for entrepreneurs to try their hand at winemaking. You might say it's a vin-vin situation for everyone concerned, including consumers like us.

Once we moved to Florida, I began to miss our weekend visits to the countryside to sample the fruit of the vine. Our first home in Florida, a rental place on Anastasia Island, afforded us a chance to stop by San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine. There we discovered fine wines, yes, but a vineyard with rustic ambiance? No.

Grapes obviously flourish here in Florida. You see wild vines thriving in just about any patch of woods you care to explore. And cultivation is certainly not a problem. There are vast resources available to help someone grow a business. One of the local universities in Tallahassee, FAMU, even has a Center for Viticultural Sciences and Small Fruit, which has been in existence since 1978.

So why is there a veritable vacuum or void of any viable vineyards close to Tallahassee? The consumer base is here, believe me. The student population alone could drain a thousand casks an hour or more if given the chance.

I guess lately the economy has placed public funding in peril or over a barrel. The think tank is in place. It's just missing someone with the vision to make it all happen here like it has in southern Illinois. A certain joie de vin--along with vast amounts of cash--is all that's required. So is anyone out there interested in vineyard investing?

Please visit A to Z Blogging Challenge for links to more "V's" from Challenge hosts and other writers.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: U is for Uxor

A rare uxor recently spotted at Torreya State Park

U is for Uxor

When SAM and I were teenagers, the word "wife," from the Latin uxor, was well on its way to becoming a dirty word. Marriages that lasted more than a few years were considered unusual by most of our peers. And an uxorious man would have been (and probably still is) considered unworthy of the term manly.

What, specifically, is so wrong about a man who--according to Webster's definition--dotes upon or is affectionately submissive towards his wife? Does it make him less of a man to treat her as he would like to be treated? As long as one partner in a marriage doesn't take advantage of that affectionate submission and expect to always be on the receiving end of it, there should be no problem. A marriage that works--most of the time--and lasts may seem mysterious, but it doesn't have to be.

The day these pictures were taken at Torreya back in late February, we celebrated our 31st anniversary. SAM graciously insisted that I should choose how we would spend the day. Even though his foot frequently bothers him (podiatrist says it's a neuroma), he was more than pleased and understanding when I chose a hike through the woods. Many of our first and most memorable dates were spent walking the hills of Southern Illinois. Walking and love go hand in hand for us. He delighted in letting me plan our day together. Guess who delights in giving him foot rubs?



Tupelo honey, the Cadillac of honeys, always stays smooth and never gets grainy

 Maybe love and marriage are supposed to be mysterious. If we knew exactly what makes them tick, then we probably wouldn't be so eager to want them. It's kind of like honey. Just think. It's really not much more than bee spit. But, oh, is it ever sweet and delicious!

I've been thinking a lot about relationships, specifically marriage, in the fiction that I write. Common practice these days has marriage either not making an appearance at all or winding up dead on arrival. Is it wrong to want to portray it in a good light? Maybe a few examples of it actually working despite the odds against it wouldn't be so bad.

What do you think? Does the topic of marriage ever come up in your work, and how is it portrayed?

Please visit A to Z Blogging Challenge for more "U's" posted by Challenge hosts and other writers.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: S is for Springtime and Sale, T is for Trash or Treasure

S is for Springtime and Sale, T is for Trash or Treasure

I know I'm probably breaking the rules for the challenge here, but I'm going to combine S and T because they go together so well for this post. And I've been too darn busy the last couple of days to do one at a time.

Springtime in Florida is ideal for having a garage sale or moving sale or whatever-you-fancy sale. We fancy getting rid of a lot of stuff before we make the final move to Tallahassee. The house we're moving into is about 400 square feet smaller than our home, and there's no garage or barn for extra storage. Besides, what do we need with all of this extraneous stuff? It's not exactly trash to us, but it may well be treasure to someone else.

Microwave, anyone? Don't need it since the new house already has one. Christmas tree stand? Extra one purchased years ago for an extra-large tree when we were younger and even more careless with our money. Cookie tins? They're great for giving away homemade treats! In-line skates? Not mine, Daughter's. My ankles aren't that strong. Orthopedic boot? Now you see why I don't skate. Weak ankles.

SAM thought he could sell some of his surplus rocks, but no one seemed all that interested. Yard sales don't seem to attract serious mineral collectors. There were a few kids, though, who oohed and ahhed over pieces of fluorite, quartz, and pyrite. They got a great deal on some they picked out. SAM is such a sucker for kids who love rocks.

We found a buyer for one of our big-ticket items. The treadmill. Who hasn't had one or wanted one? This one was professional grade and logged several hundred miles for someone with weak ankles. I wish we could take it with us, but there's no room for it at the new place. Not to worry, though. We have plenty of places there to walk outdoors, and no fake hills are necessary.

The only item I wish we could have sold and haven't so far is the roll-top desk. No room for it either. I guess not many people use fancy desks anymore. Laptops and hand-held devices have made them almost obsolete. Today's trash may be tomorrow's treasure. I hope I'm not stealing some popular TV show slogan. If you see this desk netting someone big bucks on Antique Road Show 50 years from now, you can say you saw it here first. Of course by then, TV will probably be obsolete.

Please visit A to Z Blogging Challenge for links to more S's and T's posted by Challenge hosts and other writers.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: R is for Remember (Sign)

R is for Remember (Sign)

Rediscovering remarkable books and remembering the reason for buying them removes some of the pain of moving. I purchased this sign language book some years ago when Daughter and I took a beginners' course in sign language. It was one of those courses offered at a community college. Daughter had just begun her career as a licensed massage therapist, and one of her first clients was a young deaf-mute man. She had learned in school the importance of communicating with a client for determining his comfort level (enough pressure/not enough?) and likes or dislikes ("don't mess up my hair" or "oooh, my feet really need it today"). Intake forms are a good place to start understanding a client's history, but they're just not enough to realize all of his or her preferences, long or short-term. Maybe a client won't include minor details on the form and suddenly thinks of them during the massage session. At any rate, Daughter thought she needed to know sign language, and I wanted to learn right along with her.

I recall wanting to know just as much or more about the history of sign language and the reasons behind the signs as the signs themselves. For instance, what's the purpose of the thumbs in this particular sign for "remember"? As far as I've been able to determine, the thumb (pollex being the Latin word) stands for strength. We would be rendered powerless without our thumbs. The same thing could be said about memories. They help define who we are, where we came from, and why we choose certain paths in life. Remembering should be an integral part of any story. Is it part of yours?

Please visit A to Z Blogging Challenge for links to more "R's" from Challenge hosts and other writers.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: Q is for Quadratus Lumborum (the Reading and Writing Muscle)

 Q is for Quadratus Lumborum

If there's anything I've learned from all of the moving we've done over the years, it has to be: Quit expecting the back to do more than its fair share of the work. Lift with the legs. Don't carry more weight than you're capable of lifting without straining those back muscles. If you're like me, those muscles are probably weak anyway.

Take the quadratus lumborum (QL) for example. It connects the pelvis to the spine, adding stability to both regions. Its most important function is to hike the hip or laterally tilt it. I sure gave mine a workout this past weekend. We have steps from the parking area up to the house, and there are more steps leading to the bedrooms upstairs.

Can you guess what most of the heaviest boxes contained? Yes, I'd bet my books could outnumber Imelda Marcos' pairs of shoes. Do you think owning a Kindle would help? Fortunately, for this move, SAM hired a local moving company to do most of the heavy lifting. Now I just have to arrange the contents of the boxes among various bookcases located throughout the new place. That's no small task, I'll have you know. 

The QL has some hefty tasks of its own to accomplish. Besides hiking the hips, when it shortens or contracts it's also helping you bend to one side or the other. It also helps keep that old back straight when you're sitting in front of the computer and typing away or in your easy chair reading a book. And, since part of it is attached to the last rib on each side, it keeps it from going all over the place when you're breathing in or exhaling forcefully, as in huffing and puffing up the stairs.

If I used it more for its primary action, hiking those hips, and did less of those other activities--except maybe breathing--I'd probably have a really buff quadratus lumborum.

In the meantime, while I'm waiting for it to win prizes in one of those bodybuilding contests, I'll keep it nice and supple with some stretching. I found some good ones here (click link).

Please see A to Z Blogging Challenge for links to more "Q's" from Challenge hosts and other writers.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: P is for Putting Things in Perspective...but Which One?

 P is for Putting Things in Perspective...but Which One?

It's been a while since I last posted...or commented anywhere. Please forgive me!

Moving is a real pain. But that's just my perspective. It comes from experience. In the nearly 51 years of my lifetime, I've moved on average about every two years. You would think I'd be used to it by now. Nope.

I'm too much a creature of habit. I like for things to stay the same. It's comforting to have things in order. I can't stand chaos. All this talk of change--expect it, embrace it--makes me think that the people who insist on it for everyone else won't be playing by the same rules. Things will stay the same for them while the rest of us get moved around like pieces in a game of chess. 

I should let my thoughts lay down like the wind does almost every evening. Put the boxes aside for a while. Watch the game from the sidelines. Plan my next move. The first part is over. Now on to the next one. All work and no play...    

Please see A to Z Blogging Challenge for links to more "P's" posted by Challenge hosts and other writers.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: M is for Mockery and Mending

M is for Mocking and Mending

I should have read Charles Spurgeon's April 14th entry for his Morning and Evening Daily Readings before I wrote yesterday's post. Here's what he and the Psalmist had to say (in red) about mocking:

"All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head." -- Psalm 22:7

Mockery was a great ingredient in our Lord's woe. Judas mocked Him in the garden; the chief priests and scribes laughed Him to scorn; Herod set Him at nought; the servants and the soldiers jeered at Him and brutally insulted Him; Pilate and his guards ridiculed His royalty; and on the tree all sorts of horrid jests and hideous taunts were hurled at Him. Ridicule is always hard to bear, but when we are in intense pain it is so heartless, so cruel, that it cuts us to the quick...

SAM was dismayed about what I said regarding the jungle or mess we have to clean up. Was I muckraking where there really was no muck? This ain't no subdivision we're movin' to, ya know. Well, I never meant to mock the homeowners. I realize they must be feeling the pain of leaving their lovely home to sit empty for so long. They're not as fortunate as we are to live only a few hours away. We can make frequent trips home to keep things neat and visit family. They can't.

This malevolent maelstrom that so many of us are caught up in because of the madcap economy makes me mad as hell sometimes. Then I go and make a fool of myself and write something that might sound mean or judgmental to someone else's ears. Who knows? It might be cutting to the quick in someone's heart. I should mend my mind and my writing...

A to Z Blogging Challenge: L is for Lake Livin' and Lazy Blogger

L is for Lake Livin' and Lazy Blogger

If you've been wondering why I've been such a lazy blogger lately, here's why: Let the moving commence! No more apartment! SAM and I are once again livin' at a lake, only this time it's in Florida, not Illinois. I was surprised to learn that there are around 7700 10+-acre lakes in Florida. That's a lot of water to enjoy even if you're landlocked like we are in Tallahassee.

The rent at the house we've leased is not much more than what we pay for the apartment. The owners have been trying to sell it for a while with no luck. They've moved on, and we're moving in. Our home in Santa Rosa County will have some tenants too. This move is going to be a two-stage deal for us. What fun!

The dock you see in the picture isn't in our yard. In fact, I can't even walk down to the water's edge from the house without walking through a jungle. SAM and I are going to be busy for the next few weeks clearing up an overgrown mess. Maybe he won't notice if I sneak away now and then to visit you and leave you a comment. Please don't be alarmed if my posting lapses for a while. I may have to miss a letter or two. Hopefully, they (the challenge hosts) won't kick me off the list.

Please see A to Z Blogging Challenge for links to more "L's" from Challenge hosts and other writers.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: K is for KnockOut

Pink KnockOut Rose planted to hide unsightly things

K is for KnockOut Roses

The first time I saw a KnockOut--rose, not boxing match--I was smitten. I think it was in 2002. We visited the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis late that summer. Most of the roses in the fabulous garden were on their last legs of the season, but the KnockOuts were still kicking up their heels. Nothing fazed them, not the heat, humidity, smog, bugs...I couldn't wait to add these beauties to my own yard. Of course, I had to. I had already exceeded my budget for roses that year in our West Kentucky garden, and SAM and I pulled up stakes the next year. Florida called, and we answered. 

An example of the original red KnockOut rose, a William Radler creation

It wasn't until the spring of 2004 that I was able to plant my very first KnockOut, the original single red variety, and here it still is, blooming its heart out near the northeast corner of our northwest Florida home. It survived Hurricane Ivan that year and the one named Dennis in 2005. Katrina gave us a scare, but we were spared any serious damage. You might think I'm crazy--I probably am--but sometimes I think of it as a member of the family. It's helped me keep my chin up, and that's not an easy task at my age.



David Austin's "William Shakespeare" rose still thriving in a pot, two years later

KnockOuts aren't the only roses to make it through harsh growing conditions in Florida. Remember that William Shakespeare I planted in a pot a while back? A David Austin creation, it's still growing and blooming, although it doesn't make quite the bold visual statement that KnockOut does. In the scent department, it wins for sure. KnockOuts don't deserve any kudos for smelling great, pretty as they are.



"Iceberg" not yet melting in my Florida garden

Iceberg is another sweet-smelling winner in my Florida garden. It does tend to knuckle under to the heat, which starts getting intense in late May or early June, but it keeps coming back every spring--six years so far. I love the way it brightens up an otherwise drab flower bed, and it lights up the landscape at night when the moon is shining.

KnockOuts are probably the most versatile roses I've ever grown. They thrive anywhere I plant them, even in mostly shady locations. Blooming is more intense where they receive more sunlight, especially in the morning. They're bred to resist black spot, a fungus that attacks and weakens most other roses, but plenty of Florida sunshine really helps them knock it out. And that old sun has kept the katzenjammer from KO'ing me a time or two.

What helps keep you from feeling kaput?

Please see A to Z Blogging Challenge for links to more "K's" from Challenge sponsors and other bloggers.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: J is for Jerkwater Jaunt

J is for Jerkwater Jaunt

It doesn't take long for newcomers to Florida to realize that summer is not the best time for a jerkwater jaunt. What's a jerkwater? It's an American term for a place that's "insignificant and out-of-the-way; so called from the jerking (drawing) of water to fill buckets for supplying a steam locomotive."

By the end of April or beginning of May, it's no fun to spend a lot of time by the water's edge. The air gets steamy. The insects start biting. In early April, you still have time to check out a few trails in the Bear Creek Tract of Lake Talquin State Forest. It's not uncommon to see irises jutting out from the earthen dam.

The chance to capture native azalea beauty justifies a strenuous walk up and down steep hills.

Daughter journeyed a few hours east to spend a few days with her not-so-juvenescent parents.

After a couple of nights tossing and turning on the spare-bed air mattress, she didn't mind joining SAM in a low-back stretch or two.

By early June, the great blue herons inhabiting the area will have this jerkwater jaunting spot all to themselves. This one (a juvenile?) was curious about us but decided to fly away as soon as he noticed my jinks with the camera. It's just as well that the heat and bugs are cranking up and will drive us away. The herons don't need to hear humans jouncing about in the woods all summer long. It's peace and quiet they want--not jarring noises--while feeding, breeding, and nesting in the trees.

Please see A to Z Blogging Challenge for links to more "J's" from Challenge sponsors and other writers.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: I is for Indian Bloggers

I is for Indian Bloggers

Mention the word "India" to me, and you'll notice my eyes taking on a dreamy, faraway look. The very thought of the place transports me to a sensory-rich world of imagination. In my mind, I see vivid colors, smell fragrant flowers and spices, and taste savory food prepared to delight the palate.

How and where did I form these notions of a place where I've never been? Brit lit provided my first impressions: E. M. Forster's A Passage to India, Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden, Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. All of these works and more made me wish for my own passage to India. I considered the possibilities. Train to be a nurse, missionary, foreign correspondent...?

Over the years, responsibilities here at home have kept my feet firmly on American soil, but my thoughts still drift to that place I once dreamed of visiting. Movies made of the aforementioned novels only made the longing worse. Then I found an amazing thing. Blogging. I could step aboard a flight to India without having to spend a fortune on airfare or endure the indignities of airport security. There were friendly hosts available 24/7 to take me on a tour of famous ruins, bustling marketplaces, and modern cities. They share their own experiences in these places, illuminating how many gaps there are between what fiction has revealed and what reality exists in India. My initial impressions of their home have been challenged and changed for good.

Here is a list, in no particular order, of some of my Indian blogging friends. I hope you take some time to pay them a visit. Prepare to be delighted and inspired:

Encounter with a Super Star
Vanity Moments
A Corner of My World
In Art Lies My Heart
This 'n That
The Holy Lama

Please see A to Z Blogging Challenge for links to more "I's" from Challenge hosts and other writers.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: H is for Hindbrain



Alligators in H2O at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge



H is for Hindbrain

Hindbrain thinking isn't a hot topic, I'll wager. Everyone these days seems to know what left- and right-brain thinking are all about. You've probably seen that image of a dancer spinning around. Supposedly, if you see her spinning clockwise, you're more right-brain oriented, meaning that your imagination rules your thoughts. You're also more impetuous and not opposed to taking risks. Yes, I can see that. But thought can't be that simple. And the brain isn't political. It's not one side or the other.

The brain, after all, isn't composed of just two halves. It has other lobes, other parts which affect thought and reason. Here's a document that explains much better than I can what all the parts do for you and where they are located. Take that hindbrain, for instance. Pons, medulla, and cerebellum. Together, these structures keep us moving, staying upright, sleeping when it's time to do so, breathing, and carrying on all those other bodily functions necessary to life that we're not usually aware of, like digestion. So what about emotions and feelings of love, hate, aggression...?

You've probably watched that scene with Adam Sandler and the professor in The Waterboy:

Contrary to what the professor says about the medulla oblongata (maybe the waterboy was justified in tackling him), and according to medical experts, it's what's happening in the amygdala and limbic system that makes us happy, sad, or whatever. We're a bit more complicated than alligators and maybe more than what those experts claim.

If thinking isn't dominated by just one lobe or the other but comes from a combination of activities going on simultaneously throughout the brain, then writing must do the same. It should be as automatic as breathing, as hidden and mysterious as blood cell formation, as simple as sleeping, as complicated as playing the piano. Or acting the part of a hilariously funny, swamp-dwelling football player in a comedic film. How many alligators--or medical experts, for that matter--can do that?

Please see A to Z Blogging Challenge for links to more "H's" from Challenge sponsors and other writers.