Haiku poems inspired by winter.
snow falling at night
a hush covers the city
enchanting my walk
waking up to white
the first snowfall of winter
magic overnight
bright spots in the dark
twinkle, twinkle little lights
winter starry sky
humming Christmas songs
as I walk on ice and snow
sliding! falling! ouch!
A couple days before the Thanksgiving holiday, I was working on writing a haiku poem. Maybe it is the time of year, but I kept coming back to words like Thankful and Grateful.
I feel thankful to have had a better year. I am thankful that I am able to go outside and see friends. I am grateful that my friends and family are all doing well.
I realized that I am hopeful… for many things… but mostly for possibilities that each new day brings. I am so blessed to have my four-year old niece in my life on a daily basis. She teaches me to be patient, kind and live in the moment. I am hopeful for her future.
I will try to remember to be kind to all those I meet. A simple act of kindness may change someone’s day in a positive way.
One must not forget the importance of love and remember to be open to the possibilities and blessings that love brings.
I had many ideas of how words work together to invoke the feelings of Thanksgiving. Below is the haiku poem inspired by my thoughts.
Words of Thanksgiving
Hopeful, Blessed, Loving and Kind,
Thankful and Gratitude.
Two years ago, this month, I flew to Belfast, Northern Ireland to see the band a-ha play in concert. It often amazes me when and where the universe chooses to teach me life lessons.
You see, I have been a fan of a-ha since I was eleven years old. To see a-ha live, had been a dream of mine my entire life. Living in a rural community of North Central Montana, there were not a lot of people who were into the books, movies or music that I was into. I often felt very different and excluded by my peers, because I did not have the same world view that they did.
In fact, had I quite telling people that a-ha was my favorite band because I was tired of being teased about it. I just quietly kept listening and loving their music. And finally after all of these years, I got to see them in concert. And it was amazing!!!!
Here comes the life lesson. Don’t let anyone make you feel ashamed about the things that you love.
The stadium was almost completely full and everyone there was singing and enjoying the music as much as I did. I even met an amazing woman from Brazil who had seen a-ha in concert dozens of times and met Morton Harket.
My “a-ha moment” was that I had allowed people to make me feel ashamed of my love of this band and their amazing music. I had allowed it. It was my choice. But no more! And I let those feelings go.
Now I eagerly tell anyone who asks about my favorite band a-ha, as I proudly wear my concert t-shirt!
skill of hand writing
the pen glides over the page
lost art from the past?
Indian summer
a glorious time of year
blessed with warm fall days
meteor shower
shooting stars through crisp fall air
natures fireworks
the apple orchard
bursting with fresh fruit to pick
its time to harvest
the old harvest moon
hangs in the inky black sky
lighting up the night
I recently watched the documentary “Between the Folds” from filmmaker Vanessa Gould. When I reserved the film I knew it was about Origami. What I was not prepared for was how much more than just Origami this film is about.
The documentary was released in 2008 and runs for 55 minutes. Less than an hour long, this film is full of interesting information and beautiful images. Like the origami polar bear above.
Archival footage of Akira Yoshizawa shows the grandmaster of origami working on his art. He is credited with the elevation of origami from a craft to a living art. Akira estimated in 1989, that he had created more than 50,000 models of which only a few hundred designs were presented as diagrams in his 18 books.
The film talks to artists about the fine art of origami. One of the artists makes the paper that he uses for his origami creations. Others talk about the evolution of the art over time and their inspiration. This documentary features the following notable origami artists: Erik Demaine, Martin Demaine, Tom Hull, Eric Jeisel, Satoshi Kamiya and Robert J. Long.
“Between the Folds” talks about how the art of origami inspires teachers and helps their students with mathematical challenges and creative solutions. Several very cool math teachers, who use origami in their class rooms were featured in the documentary as well.
One portion of the film that I found incredible and fascinating, was how the art of origami enabled scientists to solve problems not only in mathematics but other areas of science like physics and medicine.
Between the Folds was given the Peabody Award in 2010. An award that I feel it greatly deserved.
An amazing illustration of creativity over vast areas of the human experience, I highly recommend the documentary “Between the Folds.”
The newest novel “Fugitive Telemetry” by Martha Wells is another wonderful exploration into the world of Murderbot, the part human, part robot security unit. The following is from the book cover:
“No, I didn’t kill the dead human. If I Had, I wouldn’t dump the body in the station mall.
When Murderbot discovers a dead body on preservation station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people – who knew?).
Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans!
Again!”
-Jacket cover of Fugitive Telemetry
At Preservation Station, Murderbot is hanging out watching media, protecting his humans and hoping that there isn’t an attack from GrayCris. When a body is found, SecUnit is contracted by Station Security to assist in the investigation. The story takes off, pun intended, from there.
One of my favorite parts of these novels is the conversations that Murderbot has with himself in his head.
“The weapons scanner (which I was not allowed to hack, and which I wasn’t hacking) alerted on me, but it had my body scan ID on the weapons-allowed list so it didn’t set off an alarm. (I have energy weapons in my arms and it’s not like I can leave them behind in the hotel room.) (I mean, my arms are detachable so theoretically I could leave them behind if I had a little help but as a longterm solution it was really inconvenient.) I was sure the weapons scanner would alert Station Security that I was in the area.”
Chapter Three, Pages 45-46 of Fugitive Telemetry
The relationships that Murderbot has developed with the humans through the course of the novels continues to delight me. The quote below is about Murderbot determining who to call when he wants to break into a damaged transport.
“That left me with the human most likely to want to drop everything and come watch me break into a damaged transport and the human also most likely to come watch me break into a damaged transport but only so he could argue with me about it.
So I called both of them.”
Chapter Three, Pages 47-48 of Fugitive Telemetry
If you follow the novels in the order that they were published “Fugitive Telemetry” is sixth in the series. But if you follow the novels as they happen in the storyline, “Fugitive Telemetry” is fifth in the series. My recommendation for reading the novels is to read them as they happen in the storyline which is as follows:
If you would like to read my reviews of the other five novels, click on their titles here: All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy and Network Effect
I can’t stress enough how well written these novels are. Martha Wells captures the balance between the robotic and organic sides of SecUnits personality. She also tackles questions and issues that pertain to planet on which we are living. For example, what does it mean to be human? Corporations verses human rights. And many other thought provoking topics throughout the series.
Creative, fun and an enjoyable read. I highly recommend “Fugitive Telemetry” and the entire series of Murderbot novels. I haven’t heard if there are more books planned for this series. I am hoping Martha Wells will continue to writing about Murderbot’s adventures well into the future.
every shade of blue
not a cloud in the big sky
it feels like summer
heat is stifling
ice tea, sunglasses, cool pool
help take the edge off
asleep in the sun
red as a boiled lobster
yep, that’s gonna hurt
standing by the gate
waiting for your arrival
summer light fading
scent, colour, sound, touch
my mother’s flower garden
feast for the senses
outline of mountains
across the perfect clear sky
oh! to be outside
Last year was tough. I think most people would agree with that statement. It wasn’t just one thing. It was watching the surrealistic events unfold all over the world. It came to a point where I just could not process it anymore. I had to pause writing my blog while I watched and worked through what was happening.
In December, I started blogging again. Slowly, with one blog post a month and most of them being book reviews to get back into the rhythm of writing.
I want to thank everyone for their support and encouragement as I continue to stumble through writing my blog this year. I’m still not sure where things are going with my blog and writing. As with any creative endeavor, it will continue to evolve and change.
I am looking forward to another year of blogging and creative explorations. Thank you for joining me on this adventure!
mountains silent, still
what was white is now pale pink
the winter sunset
the earth awakens
gentle rains, warm spring sunshine
flowers are blooming
summer at the lake
endless blue – sky and water
mountains peeking through
silently dancing,
whirling, twirling all around
leaves fall to the ground
“As the ash and Chaos from Mount Rainer’s eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined…. until now. The journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the towns bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing – and too earth-shattering in its implications – to be forgotten. In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate’s extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it. Kate’s is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity’s defiance in the face of a terrible predator’s gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death.Yet it is also far more than that.Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us – and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity.Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it – and like none you’ve ever read before.”-Book Cover “Devolution” by Max Brooks
Some stories really get under my skin. I think about them long after I have finished reading them. Devolution by Max Brooks is one of those stories. I was very excited to receive my copy of the book last August and finished reading shortly after I received it. I have wanted to write a review of the book; but, needed time to process the story.
I want to put in a reminder that this is a book of fiction. So much of this book is written as if it just happened. Much like Max Brooks other novel World War Z.
Devolution starts with an introduction by the author explaining how he came to write the story of the firsthand account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre. Written primary through the journal of Kate Holland found at what was left of the eco-community, Greenloop when rescuers finally were able to reach it. Also included are interviews of the community founder, Tony Durant taken from NPR. Interviews from Frank McCray, the journal writer’s brother, and Senior Ranger Josephine Schell, who was first on the scene. These interviews add a sense of urgency to the story and validate the experiences Kate writes about in her journal. Quotes from scientific journals, myths, zoological texts and other sources lend credibility and interest to the story. Everything meshes together to tell the story and leave the reader to ponder the ultimate outcome. Like any good disaster story, I was left wondering if things had been handled differently, would the ending have changed?
What I enjoyed the most about this novel was the character development of Kate Holland. How the reader gets to know her through her own words. When she arrives, Kate goes on a walk and writes in journal the wonder she experiences of the natural world. Through her own words I saw her as a very timid. By the end of the novel, Kate has strength, courage and a will to survive that transcends through the horror.
The interactions of Kate with the other citizens of the small community and the development of those relationships is all documented in her journal. Mostar was another favorite character. Maybe because she was an artist, but more likely it was her no bull-shit attitude. Everyone in that community tip toed around the very serious situation that was starring them in the face. Only Mostar had the nerve to call it out.
There are some truly terrifying parts to this novel. The following happened fairly early in the book. Kate felt the urge to go for a walk down the road that had been washed out. At one point she thought she saw a boulder on the road. But then it moved, stood up and walked into the woods. The following exert is what happened next.
“When I looked again, the road was clear. The boulder was definitely gone. Then, as the wind shifted in my direction, I smelled it. Eggs and garbage.
I didn’t consciously consider what to do next. No internal debate. this was reflex. I turned and started walking back. My eyes kept scanning back and forth in a shallow arc, like they teach you on the first day of driver’s school. I tried to keep my pace steady, my breathing constant. I tried not to dwell on what I’d seen. An animal, a deer. Maybe that ‘boulder’ was just a speck in my eye.
But the smell was getting stronger, and I couldn’t keep from speeding up. I thought I saw something move off to my right, a sudden space opening between two trees.
I quickened again.
Silly. Irrational. Tired. Information overload from the news mixed with memory flashes of the bloody, butchered rabbit.
A light trot, at first, long controlled breaths. That feeling. The back of my neck. Being watched. My trot became a jog, my breath thundering in my ears.
I could not have imagined the howl. I definitely heard it, just like the other day. Deep, rising pitch, echoing off the trees. Lightening kicked up my stomach.
I ran.
Sprinting, gasping, the world shaking in front of me.
And fell. Just like in one of those stupid, cheesy horror flicks when the dumb blond eats it just before the knife-wielding psycho gets her. At least I had the presence of mind to close my eyes, hold my breath, but after face-planting in the ash, I couldn’t help but inhale.
Coughing, chocking, eyes blurry and stinging, I tore forward.
Don’t turn! I remember that clearly. Shouting in my brain. Don’t turn! Don’t think! GOGOGO!
Thighs burning, lungs.
I ran until I saw the roofs poking just above the driveway rise. The endorphins hit. Made it. Home. Safe!
Dan!
He was coming toward me, Mostar behind him.
Pages 88-89 Devolution by Max Brooks
This book is a cautionary tale about forgetting that nature can and is dangerous. Just recently there was an accident locally where some downhill skiers went out of bounds. One of them skied into a tree well and died. We hear all the time that visitors to Yellowstone and other national parks are injured because they tried to pet a bison or feed a grizzly bear. I blame Disney for this with the way it anthropomorphizes inanimate objects and wild animals. Wild animals are wild. Even the cute ones.
And just because you can make a call on your satellite phone doesn’t mean that bad things won’t or can’t happen to you when you are in the wilderness. The characters in this book thought technology would save them. They didn’t consider the idea that they wouldn’t be able to depend on it. None of them, with the exception of Mostar, had any idea of what it might take to survive the situation they were in.
I did not feel like this was a horror story. There were horrific events. To me, Devolution, felt like a survival story. Catastrophic natural event caused a series of things to happen. I enjoy a good survival story and this was no exception. Not a book for everyone. But if you like disaster stories or survival stories, this book has all of those components and a mysterious ending.
Cats Out of the Box 