Seriously, when you start to write the name of your blog---that THING you've written for almost four years, and sweat and cried over, trying to find just the right poem, just the right picture, and just the right words to make your post as good as it's gonna get---and you can't REMEMBER THE NAME OF YOUR BLOG you know something's wrong.  As in, I need to write more posts (I've been really slacking off lately!) OR...I'm growing older and hence more forgetful. 

Oh right, that's the name!!

Let's go with slacking off, shall we?  Because the subject of birthdays is just a tad TOUCHY this week.  January is a lovely month for birthdays---three of my very dearest friends in the whole wide world (no exaggeration!) have January birthdays.  They are all amazing women.  One started a new career in the last few years, studying in Italy and becoming an expert bow rehairer and restoration specialist.  She and her sister have opened their own studio and work is steady and satisfying.  I am in awe.

Just in case you have a violin bow that needs rehairing, you can check out her work at Con Brio Studio

Another friend is incredibly talented and turns out amazing creations with her trusty sewing machine.  She is so creatively brilliant, and wickedly funny,  that she boggles my mind.  I am in awe.

Cloth elephant created for a client in memory of the her mother.  The mother loved elephants and this one was made from a piece of her mother's clothing.  What a treasured keepsake!

My best friend is an amazing mother.  We both read, and re-read, and then read yet again, The Family That Nobody Wanted by Helen Doss in junior high and dreamed of being mothers.  I dreamed big (4 children) but she dreamed bigger (6 children), three of whom she and her husband adopted out of the foster care system.  Every time I'm tired or frazzled, I think how she still has to face slumber parties, birthday parties, middle school, the teen years, dating and college with her youngest three, I. Stand. In. Awe.

Celebrating my 18th birthday with my siblings and my best friend, 1974. Check out our cool shoes!

I have a special uncle that shares my best friend's January birthday.   I also have a cousin that celebrates her January birthday in style---teaching zumba classes in a tutu!  Whoo-hoo, that's the spirit!

Happy birthday to a seriously cool cousin!

And to make January even sweeter, we can also celebrate some of my favorite writers' birthdays!  JRR Tolkien, Carl Sandburg, Edgar Allen Poe, Jack London, Lewis Carroll, and last, but certainly not least, AA Milne.  Does that mean it's Winnie the Pooh's birthday too?

I would much rather celebrate Pooh's birthday than face the fact that not only am I turning a year older later this week, I am turning a new decade.  That sounds rather daunting. Dang, truth be told, that just sounds rather old.  How on earth did that happen?  Wasn't I turning 14 just last week?

Egad. The saving grace in this picture is my adorable pink skirt...I loved that skirt!!

I'm all for celebrating my friends' and relatives' birthdays but turning another decade?  As Scrooge would say, humbug. But if I must age, I'll try to do it with grace, and of course with profound gratitude that I am alive and able to blow out the candles and make a wish...

For K.R., On Her Sixtieth Birthday

Blow out the candles of your cake.
They will not leave you in the dark,
Who round with grace this dusky arc
Of the grand tour which souls must take.

You who have sounded William Blake,
And the still pool, to Plato's mark,
Blow out the candles of your cake.
They will not leave you in the dark.

Yet, for your friends' benighted sake,
Detain your upward-flying spark;
Get us that wish, though like the lark
You whet your wings till dawn shall break:
Blow out the candles of your cake. 

~~Richard Wilbur 

Let's all find something to enjoy today about our "grand tour" and always remember...
Today is a good day for a good day!

Eek...there's a mouse!

I know it's almost mid-January, but since I was sick part of December I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to all the holiday fun.  I thought you might enjoy peeking in on an adventure I had right after New Year's Day, that combined a mansion, two lovely girls, and more than a few mischievous mice.  Here's how the story goes...

 

Ever since my daughter started college in Oshkosh, WI, we have planned to go to the special holiday exhibit of The Nutcracker at the beautiful Paine Art Center.  But December always got so crazy busy that each year we'd end up promising each other that "next year" we'd squeeze the exhibit in.  "Next year" finally arrived the day after New Year's Day and my daughter and my son's girlfriend and I set off to explore the exhibit. The Paine Art Center is a beautiful building with special memories--my daughter and I enjoyed a Norman Rockwell exhibit a couple of years ago, her wedding photos were taken in the beautiful gardens there, and this past fall my husband and I thoroughly loved its special Downton Abbey costume exhibit this past fall.

 

We weren't quite sure what to expect with this special holiday exhibit, although we knew based on previous visits that it was sure to be spectacular!  The Nutcracker has very special memories for my whole family, and I'll write more about those sugar-plum sweet memories later this week.  I can't wait to show you some of the stunning displays!  I thought it might be fun in this post to focus on all the little mice that were displayed so cleverly throughout the house.

 

If you brought children to the exhibit, they could go on a "mouse hunt" to see if they could discover all the little figurines.  I can't wait to introduce Lily to this wonderful holiday exhibit! Today's poem features a few of the verses from Wong Herbert Lee's delightful book, Eek, There's a Mouse in the House!  And at the Paine Art Center, that was Eek! many times over!!

There's a mouse in the house!

EEK!

There's a mouse in the house!

EEK!

Send in the cat

To catch that rat!

Uh-oh, the cat 

knocked over a lamp

Send in the dog

To catch that scamp!

Dear me!

The dog has broken a dish

And now the cat is after a fish!

Send in a hog

To shoo that dog!

Oh my!

The hog is eating the cake

Sending the hog was a big mistake!

And to top off our very special tour, we ended up in the Sugar Plum Fairy cafe (aka the Garden Conservatory) with an extra special treat!  

May your day be as scrumptious as this beautiful cupcake!

And please remember...

Today is a good day for a good day!!

...the guest sits smiling and sips her tea

And unbelievably, somehow it is January.  Fall is now nothing but a blur, and December was definitely a whirlwind, with a visit from my mother, a nasty bout of food poisoning, and all of the Christmas preparations on top of work.  The holidays were lovely and the memories are sweet, but I must confess to looking forward to this new year.  So far it holds only happy plans and the year is sparkly new and full of promise.

One of the very best things about January is, of course, the return of Downton Abbey!  Oh my, how I've missed this series.  And oh double my, what am I going to do once it ends??!  I am glad that its creator, Julian Fellows, is wrapping up this delightful series before it runs out of steam, but I know I'm going to miss it dreadfully.  Last week when the opening credits began with that distinctive piano music and the camera zoomed in on the house (mansion? abbey?) I must confess tears sprang to my eyes.  I get a little over-excited sometimes...

...because everyone serves tea and sherry during Downton Abbey, right??

And since I've been adrift since the finale of the British Baking Show, lost at sea without any baking inspiration, Downton Abbey couldn't have arrived at a better time!  I turned eagerly to my shelves of cookbooks and chose a new one, English Tea & Cakes, to provide a lovely repast during opening night.  So far I'm really impressed with this cookbook--the recipes are easy to understand and fairly simple.  The author was kind enough to provide UK to USA conversions and definitions in the glossary, which is really helpful.  Since I discovered I can't buy "mixed spices" here, I made my own for last night's tea bread---it's a lovely mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, ginger, cloves, mace and coriander.

My first try was a Manchester tart, with a pie crust bottom spread with apricot jam and a tasty filling, and then topped with meringue.  My family all agreed it was a keeper!

Last night I tried another two recipes from the same cookbook--this time we enjoyed Florentine slices, which have a chocolate layer on the bottom (instead of a flour based crust) that is then covered with a mixture of eggs, sugar, spices, dried fruit and coconut.  Baked and then chilled, the slices were delicious!!  Along with the Earl Grey tea I also served a yummy blackberry tea loaf, flavored with molasses and my special mixed spices.  

And to make the night even more festive, I used the beautiful Blue Willow  tea cups my husband chose when we were visiting Harrods a few years ago.  What a great way to finish the weekend--special memories--delicious food--and wonderful entertainment!!

Since I seem to be stuck on all things British with this post, a nice English poem seems just the cup of tea  today (I know, I know, but I couldn't resist!).  Considering all the twists and turns of love at the Abbey, both upstairs and downstairs, this poem by Thomas Hardy seems rather apropos...

At Tea 

 

THE kettle descants in a cozy drone,

And the young wife looks in her husband's face,

And then in her guest's, and shows in her own

Her sense that she fills an envied place;

And the visiting lady is all abloom,

And says there was never so sweet a room.

 



 

And the happy young housewife does not know

That the woman beside her was his first choice,

Till the fates ordained it could not be so....

Betraying nothing in look or voice

The guest sits smiling and sips her tea,

And he throws her a stray glance yearningly.

Have a lovely start to your week, and please remember...

It is a good day to have a good day!!

ease on down the road...

Sometimes the holidays bring extra stress instead of extra comfort and good cheer.  Memories of loved ones who have passed are especially poignant at this time of year, and I think we can all agree the news around the world hasn't been uplifting the last few months.  Political diatribe, violence all around the globe, terror abroad and at home...it's all enough to make me want to crawl back into bed with an old familiar book and escape through fiction back to a less troubled time.  

So today I'm just sharing a happy memory from the past--nothing heavy, nothing serious.  Just a moment of lighthearted fun, because sometimes that's what we need to keep a smile on our face and our feet pointed in the right direction.  I think every family has their favorite movies--the ones you watch over and over, play the soundtrack in the car until you know all the lyrics, and certain lines become part of your family's lexicon.  Such a movie for us is The Wiz, a 1978 urban re-imagining of The Wizard of Oz with an African-American cast including Diana Ross, Nipsy Russell, Michael Jackson, and the indomitable Lena Horne as Glinda, the Good Witch.  

We love the infectious, toe-tapping music and the amazing choreography--no matter what you think of Michael Jackson's personal life, he was an amazing dancer and never better than as the naive and enthusiastic scarecrow that accompanies Dorothy on her quest to return home.  When the kids would start to squabble, I would find myself telling them sternly "Don't nobody bring me no bad news..."

No bad news
No bad news
Don't you ever bring me no bad news
'Cause I'll make you an offer, child
That you cannot refuse
So don't nobody bring me no bad news

When a vacation trip seemed extra long you could usually count on one us starting to hum "ease on down, ease on down the road...."

Come on and
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down the road
Don't you carry nothing
That might be a load
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down, down the road

In fact, my husband loved the movie so much he used it in his orchestra curriculum.  Students watched the movie, discussing themes about home and believing in yourself and courage and resilience, and then performing the songs in class.  We've heard from so many of his students over the years how much they enjoyed watching this production and all the discussions about the magic within each of us--the magic to be our very best, to find our own path, to find our own happiness that is buried deep within each of us.  

If you believe
Within your heart you'll know
That no one can change
The path that you must go
Believe what you feel
And know you're right, because
The time will come around
When you say it's yours
Believe in yourself, right from the start
You'll have brains
You'll have a heart
You'll have courage
To last your whole life through

So when our good friends who threw spectacular Halloween parties announced a few years ago that the party theme for that year would be The Wizard of Oz...oh man.  We. Were. Pumped. Up.  Of course we had to watch the movie again and then the kids all created their own costumes.  We practiced a family dance routine to Ease on Down the Road and set off to the party, giggling in anticipation.

 
We rang the doorbell, and then eased on in the house with my husband's boombox blaring out the music while we all jived our way into the living room... 

Cowardly lion, Glinda the Good Witch, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Dorothy and the Emerald City gatekeeper!

where we were met with confused faces by the all white crowd, who had clearly never seen this version!! Oops!  We quickly filled them in and a good time was had by all.  A great memory--one that always makes me smile.  

With our party host, the flying monkey...

And tonight NBC is presenting The Wiz in a live production with a new all-star cast, including Queen Latifah, Mary Blige and Stephanie Mills.  We may not be in costume, but we will definitely be watching, singing along to the beautiful song Home...

When I think of home
I think of a place where there's love overflowing
I wish I was home
I wish I was back there with the things I been knowing
Wind that makes the tall trees bend into leaning
Suddenly the snowflakes that fall have a meaning
Sprinklin' the scene, makes it all clean

And I've learned
That we must look inside our hearts
To find a world full of love
Like yours
Like me

Like home... 

Have a good day, my friends.  God bless you all.

What a wonderful weekend!  Thanksgiving at my son and daughter-in-law's, complete with all my family.  One big circle of love--my heart overflowed with love and gratitude for all our blessings.

And now today my husband and I celebrate thirty-three years of marriage...I am truly grateful, thankful and and blessed!  

Such a special day calls for a very special poem, and poet Mary Oliver comes through again with words that may come from her pen, but resonate forever in my heart...

I Have Just Said

I have just said

something

ridiculous to you

and in response,

your glorious laughter.

These are the days

the sun 

is swimming back

to the east

and the light on the water

gleams

as never, it seems, before.

I can't remember 

every spring,

I can't remember 

everything---

so many years!

Are the morning kisses

the sweetest 

or the evenings

or the inbetweens?

All I know

is that "thank you" should appear

somewhere.

So, just in case

I can't find

the perfect place---

"Thank you, thank you."

And with the final poem found on my thankful banner, we bid adieu to the lovely poems of autumn, as winter is scheduled to arrive later today!  William Blake's To Autumn personifies autumn as a newborn, the offspring of summer.  The poet invites the season to recount the glories of its maternal summer--the lusty songs of fruits and flowers. But even though young, autumn's time is fleeting and as winter approaches the beautiful season of fruit and grape must prepare for the arrival of winter, fleeing over the bleak hills and out of sight. 

Oh Autumn, laden with fruit, and stain’d
With the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit
Beneath my shady roof; there thou may’st rest,
And tune thy jolly voice to my fresh pipe,
And all the daughters of the year shall dance!
Sing now the lusty song of fruits and flowers.

“The narrow bud opens her beauties to
The sun, and love runs in her thrilling veins;
Blossoms hand round the brows of Morning, and
Flourish down the bright cheek of modest Eve,
Till clust’ring Summer breaks forth into singing,
And feather’d clouds strew flowers round her head.

“The spirits of the air live in the smells
Of fruit; and Joy, with pinions light, roves round
The gardens, or sits singing in the trees.”
Then rose, girded himself, and o’er the bleak
Hills fled from our sight; but left his golden load.

My garden sang this song all summer...while feather'd clouds strew flowers round her head.

but oh, what a difference a few weeks can make, as autumn prepares to flee!

While I was putting these pictures together, taken in July and again in November, Robert Frost's poem My November Guest came to mind and seemed apropos...

My Sorrow, when she’s here with me,
     Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
     She walks the sodden pasture lane.

Her pleasure will not let me stay.
     She talks and I am fain to list:
She’s glad the birds are gone away,
She’s glad her simple worsted gray
     Is silver now with clinging mist.

 

The desolate, deserted trees,
     The faded earth, the heavy sky,
The beauties she so truly sees,
She thinks I have no eye for these,
     And vexes me for reason why.

 

Not yesterday I learned to know
     The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow,
But it were vain to tell her so,
     And they are better for her praise.

The very last rose of "summer"...November 2015

But even as autumn's breezes turn into wintry gales later this afternoon, I remain thankful for all my blessings!  And please remember...

Today is a good day for a good day!

...will lead my steps aright

“November is the most disagreeable month in the whole year,” said Margaret, standing at the window one dull afternoon, looking out at the frostbitten garden.  (Louisa May Alcott, Little Women)

View of my backyard this morning from my bedroom window...

Blech.  I think I'll let the picture speak for itself...it's definitely the type of morning where I'd rather still be in bed!  But I was able to eventually crawl out from under the warm comforter and face the day, thanks to a nice hot cup of coffee and a cheerful phone conversation with my daughter!  Hearing a loved one's voice is a perfect start to the day--it even makes the cold rain more bearable.  

I was also eager to get up and share this story with you today about my recent visit to my uncle's home in Indiana--I love it when a story goes full circle.

 

 My grandparents with my Uncle Phil

While we were visiting with my aunt and uncle I was recalling some of my favorite memories of my grandmother, and how I loved listening to her recite a poem that fit the day or mood.  I was so impressed with how many beautiful poems she had memorized and could recite at the drop of a hat.  My uncle laughed and told the story of how he expressed his frustration over his studies one day, confessing to her that he was struggling to memorize all the lines of the poem To a Waterfowl.  My uncle recalled that my grandmother looked at him, smiled, and then recited the whole poem on the spot.  The cool thing was...my uncle was then able to recite the poem to me.  No wonder I love poetry so much! 

 My grandmother with my Uncle Phil and Aunt Freda on their wedding day--I'm sure she had a special poem ready!

But of course the story doesn't end with my uncle's recitation--impressive as that was.  No, in a beautifully serendipitous circle when I returned home and decided to blog about the poems I chose for my thankful banner I took another look at the "u" page, which I had chosen because it had Thanatopsis on it, my grandmother's favorite poem.  But wait...what poem was printed just above Thanatopsis, also penned by William Cullen Bryant??  You guessed it, and here it is for you today.  Sometimes, even in spite of raindrops and gloomy weather, life is just about perfect.

 

To a Waterfowl

   Whither, ‘midst falling dew,
While glow the heavens with the last steps of day,
Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue
   Thy solitary way?

   Vainly the fowler’s eye
Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong,
As, darkly painted on the crimson sky,
   Thy figure floats along.

   Seek’st thou the plashy brink
Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide,
Or where the rocking billows rise and sink
   On the chafed ocean side?

   There is a Power whose care
Teaches thy way along that pathless coast,--
The desert and illimitable air,--
   Lone wandering, but not lost.

   All day thy wings have fanned,
At that far height, the cold, thin atmosphere,
Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land,
   Though the dark night is near.

   And soon that toil shall end;
Soon shalt thou find a summer home, and rest,
And scream among thy fellows; reeds shall bend,
   Soon, o’er thy sheltered nest.

   Thou’rt gone, the abyss of heaven
Hath swallowed up thy form; yet, on my heart
Deeply hath sunk the lesson thou hast given,
   And shall not soon depart.

   He who, from zone to zone,
Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight,
In the long way that I must tread alone,
   Will lead my steps aright.