Haunted Halloween

How much do I love Halloween? Much, much, much. I thought I would share a couple of my favorite goofy Halloween pictures and jokes.

What do skeletons say before they begin dining?
Bone appetit!

What does a ghost eat for lunch?
A BOO-logna sandwich

Where do ghosts buy their food?
At the ghost-ery store

What does a skeleton order at a restaurant?
Spare ribs

What do ghosts drink at breakfast?
Coffee with scream and sugar

What do ghosts eat for dinner?
Spookgetti

What's a ghost's favorite fruit?
Boo-berries

What's a ghost's favorite dessert?
Boo-berry pie.

What do zombies like to eat at a cook out?
Halloweenies

What tops off a ghost's ice cream sundae?
Whipped scream

Do zombies eat popcorn with their fingers?
No, they eat the fingers separately.

What do you call a goblin who gets too close to a bonfire?
A toasty ghosty

Why don't mummies take vacations?
They're afraid they'll relax and unwind

Why don't angry witches ride their brooms?
They're afraid of flying off the handle

What's a monster's favorite play?
Romeo and Ghouliet

What's the ratio of a pumpkin's circumference to its diameter?
Pumpkin Pi

How do you mend a broken Jack-O-Lantern?
With a pumpkin patch

What is a ghost's favorite party game?
Hide-and-go-shriek

I try not to tell man-bashing jokes, but this one is cute!

Why Pumpkins Are Better Than Men

1. Every year you get a brand new crop to choose from.

2. No matter what your mood, pumpkins are always ready to greet you with asmile.

3. One usually makes a better pie.

4. They are always on the doorstep there waiting for you!

5. If you don't like the way he looks, you just carve up another face.

6. If he starts smelling up your place, you can just throw him out.

7. From the start, you know a pumpkin has an empty, mush filled head.

8. A pumpkin is turned on (lit-up) only when you want him to be.

Halloween Eve

I love Halloween. I think there's something in me that has always resonated with the pagan aspects of this holiday. Maybe it's my birthday being so close but I've felt as though it is my day. I love the ritual of getting dressed up and roaming through the streets at night, especially when I was younger. It was such a thrill to walk through the neighborhood after dark, even when "after dark" is five o'clock. It isn't so much about the candy because I didn't get much of the good kind that I really liked, it is more about the journey.

I remember my older sisters having to take me trick-or-treating and how they were patient and it was such a fun time. I remember going to Halloween parties sponsored by the Lion's Club where they would have costume contests and my sisters and I frequently won. I am glad I grew up when things were still fairly innocent--we didn't have to worry much about what kinds of tainted goodies would be in our sacks; neighbors regularly gave out cookies or homemade popcorn balls or caramel apples. It was safe and free. I don't remember it being overly cold or rainy or windy or anything like that, either. Funny how memory plays tricks on us. Tricks or treats, eh?

Tonight I wrote out a whole slew of Halloween Greetings for my friends. It was fun to sit and think of them personally and to craft individual cards for their personalities. Artsy-craftsy stuff like that is theraputic for me. I'm excited to see their faces when they open their cards. I hope the kids aren't tooooooo wound up tomorrow--or that they crash too hard Wednesday.

What if this is as good as it gets?

you say it's your birthday

1. as you get older, are you jazzed about your birthday? I was really excited about turning 40. Mostly because it is a major milestone--my mother died at age 38 and I truly always thought I would die then, too (hey it was one of those false thoughts you begin in childhood that stays with you. After thirty-two years it was difficult to not think I would die) When I realized there was nothing wrong with me and that in fact I would live, I began a weight loss journey to improve my overall health and well-being. 40 was a huge celebration by me, of me and for me. I celebrated for 40 days. Nothing major, not including other people, but I spent time every single day focusing on me, writing down three or four things that made me joyful, painting my fingernails, listening to one song in the midst of craziness at school. Very small moments in the day when I would celebrate who I am and how I came to be me. So... now I'm turning 41 and have survived a near-death health scare and I am underwhelmed to celebrate. Actually, it kind of reinforced my *wrong* childhood thinking. Uhm... yeah, therapy helps.

2. do people usually remember your birthday? Not especially. People remember/ed my 40th because it was joyful and infectious (in a good way). I don't equate acknowledgement of my birthday with how much my friends and family love me. Although, who doesn't like to be remembered on their birthday?

3. an ex-coworker used to begin 3 mos. before her birthday flat-out reminding us that it was coming up. it's amazing what no self-esteem does for you. anyway, do you know anyone who pre-announces their birthdays? I actually have a colleague who does this. It amuses me. Uhm... yeah, therapy would help her a lot.

4. what was your best birthday? why? My 40th birthday was a week-long extravaganza put on by my friends at school who had themed meals and parties every day. Every day I found a different invitation to celebrate and they would reveal part of the theme. It was good timing because things get stressful at a public high school. Everyone took part, even on Princess Day, when the men were wearing princess tiaras. I smile inside and out just thinking about that. It was the best birthday because other people planned and implemented the whole extravaganza, I didn't have to say what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. They had listened to some small things I had said (like I LOVE tomato bisque soup) and had all my favorites for me. I haven't had a birthday like that since my mother died. And it was a time when even for a moment, I believed that I deserved to be celebrated. Uhm... yeah, thereapy is helping with that.

5. what was your worst birthday? why? Wow, that's a toughie. I suppose the first birthday I had after my mother died would be it. Mum had always created the most magical, memorable day--from the wake up singing to the special cakes. I would have real parties with games, friends, party favors, decorations and all the stuff kids really love. Any year after that, though, they were underwhelming. And all of my answers tie in together--for so many years I just didn't do anything to celebrate my birthday, it was just any other day, and maybe it was highlighted by cake with Dad. So, I guess I'll answer by saying the first year after Mum died was a bad one, but all of them have majorly sucked since. Therapy... yup.

6. name your best birthday gift. Nothing particularly stands out... I did get a VCR for my 30th birthday from the whole family. I suppose the gift that lasted the longest was Teddy, Mr. Teddy Bear. My best friend for most of my life, until I got a dog when I was thirteen.

7. name the best birthday gift you've gotten for someone else. Hmmm... last May I helped throw a cool 30th birthday party for my very dear friend Amy. I don't know if that can be considered a gift, though. Let's see... I can't think of anything special-special. I put in a lot of time and effort buying all gifts I give people, so, I just don't know of anything that would be *the* gift.

8. as i age, i value SLEEP as a priceless commodity. i didn't get any for my birthday, however. what do you want this year for your birthday? I can't think of anything, other than world peace and that's not happening. Anything I do get will be great! What I want is a lot of really good hugs. Really, really good hugs. The really good kind of hugs.

What if this is as good as it gets?

I'm such a party animal.

Saturday8: sat8 :: you say it's your birthday!

My dating strengths & weaknesses

I can't remember where this link came from but it cracked me up. I love my dating weaknesses.

Dating Strengths	Dating Weaknesses
1. Financial Situation - 76.9% 2. Generosity - 73.3% 3. Open-Mindedness - 72.7% 4. Independence - 71.4% 5. Friendliness - 68.8%	1. Appearance - 66.7% 2. Vanity - 50%

Dating Strengths Explained
Financial Situation - You've got your financial situation under control, which is a very desirable quality. Be careful to avoid men who are only interested in your money. Generosity - You are a giving person by nature. Others will see this quality in you and recognize your kind nature. Take care not to let others take advantage of you. Open-Mindedness - You are open to trying new things and entertaining new ideas, and this widens your pool of available men. Independence - Your strong sense of independence comes in handy while dating. You are not held back or tied down; you are free to pursue your interests. Friendliness - Your friendliness makes you approachable and fun to be around. A wide circle of friends also works to your advantage on the dating scene.
Dating Weaknesses Explained
Appearance - Devoting a greater effort at making good first impressions is a must. Try to be fit and develop a style if you want to catch a man's attention. Vanity - Learn to put a lower priority on looks. Appearance is, of course, important, but vanity is undesireable. The only people you will attract are the superficial.
Dating Strengths and Weaknesses Quiz by Dating Diversions

Friday 5

1. How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning? Usually three times

2. How long does it take you to get ready in the mornings for whatever you have to do on a typical day? If I have picked out my clothes the night before... probably thirty minutes from out of bed to out the door

3. How many things that belong in the kitchen are in your bedroom? None, I really don't like having food or drinks in the bedroom... if they spill it's too much hassle to clean up

4. At what time of day are you most capable of producing your best work? I think the morning is best--up until lunch time; after that I'm too excited to go home. The WORST time for me is the half-hour after school gets done.

5. Do television and music help you or hinder you when you’ve got work to do? It depends on if there are a lot of other people around. If I'm alone, I prefer quiet; if there is noise from other people, I will put on music. I don't like to have TV going as background noise.

Free association...

1. Stuff :: n stuff
2. Block :: head (Charlie Brown)
3. Ingredient :: magic
4. Flagrant :: fart
5. Dandruff :: snow
6. Betty :: Beth (her nickname is Sister Betty)
7. Tide :: creepy guy at the laundromat
8. Judges :: Boston Legal
9. Take it easy :: the Eagles
10. Chef :: Boyardee

Hey, it's late Thursday night and... I'm wound up tighter than an 8-day clock. WTF?

What if this is as good as it gets?

Me--from A to Z

A If you were an ANIMAL, what would you be? I would like to be a giraffe

B BOOKS: What's on your reading list? 1491 by Mann

C COMPULSIVE about anything? yeesh, I have OCD, I'm compulsive about parking my car and lining the desks up in my room, about the chalk sitting on the eraser... so may compulsions, so little time

D DREAMS - Do you ... dream in color? remember your dreams? keep a dream journal? I do not usually remember my dreams, I dream in tones of color (sometimes sepia or grays) and I do not keep a dream journal

E EATING - what's your usual snack? fruit or a Kashi chewy granola bar

F A Few of your FAVORITE Things: a good cup of coffee and a few minutes to enjoy it, quiet time, music, snuggling

G GIGGLES! What (or who) makes you laugh? Do you have a good sense of humor? Several of my colleagues make me laugh--Alana and Steve... I have some students that always make me laugh, too. I have a good sense of humor

H major HOT Button: intolerance and war

I I am ______________ ... alive

K Also KNOWN As... Aliases? Screen names? A non de plume perhaps? Kwizgiver is my favorite

L I LOVE ... laughing and hugs

M How do you feel about MEETING people? Do it all the time? Rarely? Parties or 1-on-1? I like to meet new people when it's not too noisy. I meet lots of new people all the time.

N What's the story of your NAME? were you named after anyone? Do you go by a nickname? Any aliases? my mother's mother was Alice... but my parents didn't like Alice

O OBSERVANT - What's around you right now? What do you see? lots of papers that need grading

P Who are the special PEOPLE in your life? my friends and my students, my family

Q Any Little QUIRKs About Yourself: I can be very quiet, unnervingly so, as I've been told and I am VERY jumpy

R What do you like to do for RECREATION? read, watch TV, Snood, write, listen to music

S Do You SING in the Shower? In the car? For your friends? sometimes I sing in the car, I do not sing in the shower and I rarely sing for other people

T What's at the Top of your TO DO list?: school stuff, pick out what I'm going to wear tomorrow

U Any UNUSUAL Experiences: I would say my health crisis is unusual... bah!

V VEGAS, Vienna, Venice, Vladivostok... How far have you traveled? What's your favorite City? Dublin felt like home to me... I love Paris... hated Amsterdam

W WINTER, Spring, Summer, Fall... What's your favorite season? What makes it special? I love autumn, the crisp days with warm sun and the foliage

X EXes - Things You Don't Do Anymore (but did, once (would you, again?)) smoke, drink, date (ha)

Y Any secret/deep YEARNINGS? yup, but I can't say or it's not a secret

Z ZERO to ZENITH - Where are you in your life? Still growing? On an upward (or downward) curve? Just skating along? well... I'm still growing, I have yet to find my passion and I think I'm probably on an upward curve, although I have a very, very long way to go

On the drive to school today...

On the way to school today I saw Mr. Moose. Amazing how such a HUGE animal can be soooooooo dumb. Seriously, he wanted to get it on with my Ford Taurus. I mean, I always think I look especially cute in my car, but... this is a bit much.

Nothing like watching one of these gangly creatures run through a field and then abruptly turn into the path of traffic. And what a rack! He was HUGE! I suppose I should be glad I didn't get any closer than that, right?

Nature at its finest, I suppose. It was an adventure, to say the least. I donno, I think I prefer my moose in the chocolate variety.

What if this is as good as it gets?

Dear George,

Dear George,

I love you, too. I will marry you. Maine isn't so bad, just a little colder than the weather you're used to. And we Mainers know how to stay warm.
XOXO








PS. There's a crackpot who thinks she is a Princess Ladybug, feel free to stay clear of her.

27 questions...

27 questions...

1. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up? wow... that's a toughie, I can't choose just one. Perhaps the vp

2.You can flip a switch that will wipe any band or musical artist out of existence. Which one will it be? Paris Hilton (seriously, is she an "artist"?)

3.Who would you really like to just punch in the face? KennyBill

4.What is your favorite cheese? Fresh Irish cheese... any kind. Daily? probably cheddar in all its variations (mild, sharp)

5.You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your immediate disposal. What kind will you make? ahh... chicken salad. One day I'd have it with chunks of celery, another day with slices of apple, yet another day with curry...

6.You have the opportunity to sleep with the movie celebrity of your choice. We are talking no-strings-attached sex and it can only happen once. Who is the lucky celebrity of your choice? GEORGE CLOONEY!!

7.You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who do you pick? Larry Mullen

8. Now that you've slept with two different people in a row, you seem to be having an excellent day because you just came across a hundred-dollar bill on the sidewalk. Holy shit, a hundred bucks! How are you gonna spend it? smell good stuff, a CD or two, and books!

9.You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? Italy

10.Upon arrival to the aforementioned location, you get off the plane and discover another hundred-dollar bill. Shit! Now that you are in the new location, what are you gonna do? spend it on treats for my nieces

11.An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. It is...? fresh Bailey's Irish Cream

12.Rufus appears out of nowhere with a time-traveling phone booth. You can go anytime in the PAST. What time are you traveling to and what are you going to do when you get there? Since I can't change the past, I would go to 1972 and tell my younger self to be brave and to ask for what she wants.

13.You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you

14.You have been given the opportunity to create the half-hour TV show of your own design. What is it called and what's the premise? Laughter... something about laughter, it's contagious!

15.What is your favorite curse word? the F-word, the F-bomb... Fuck in all its derivations. I am particularly fond of fuckety-fuck.

16.One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren't really doing anything, they're just standing around your bed. What do you do? seriously? uh... after panic, I would ask them to tidy up the place

17.Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don't worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what's the item? purse (that would have keys and wallet and stuff)

18.The Angel of Death has descended upon you. Fortunately, the Angel of Death is pretty cool and in a good mood, and it offers you a half-hour to do whatever you want before you bite it. Whatcha gonna do in that half-hour? call my parents and sisters and tell them how much I love them, always have loved them and always will love them.

19.You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what's even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What's it gonna be? create peace on earth

20.You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again? that's a toughie... maybe the Eiffel Tower as the City of Lights lit up before me. That was truly spectacular.

21.You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? None, I can't imagine.

22.You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit... you can move to anywhere else in the world! Bitchin'! What country are you going to live in now? Ireland

23.This question still counts, even for those of you who are under age. Check it out. You have been eternally banned from every single bar in the world except for ONE. Which one is it gonna be? Doesn't matter as long as it's friendly and serves yummy food

24.Hopefully you didn't mention this in the super-powers question.... If you did, then we'll just expand on that. Check it out... Suddenly, you have gained the ability to FLOAT!!! Whose house are you going to float to first, and be like "Dude, check it out... I can FLOAT!"? Bethy's house

25.The constant absorption of magical moonbeams mixed with the radioactive vegetables you consumed earlier has given you the ability to resurrect the dead famous-person of your choice. So which celebrity will you bring back to life? Forever? Elvis For a little while? Chris Farley

26.The Celestial Gates of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn't think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person, etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back? Mum

27.What's your theme song? Tough to choose... right this minute it is probably I Don't Feel Like Dancing by the Scissor Sisters, deceptively peppy (an abridged version of the song is currently my MySpace profile http://www.myspace.com/kwizgiver).

Gossip, rumors and lies... oh my!

I have to say that teachers are some of the worst gossips. Worst in several different definitions. Some of the my colleagues live for gossip. It's their lifeblood. I get a visual of one teacher in particular who must just rub his hands together with glee knowing there is someone to talk about--someone to judge, someone to hold in contempt of his perfection. Salivating over mistakes made by others.

Now, it's one thing to talk about a situation... to ask for more information or clarification; but it's something else when judgment creeps in. There are some things we need to talk about, in terms of things going on at school. But sometimes it takes a nasty turn.

People make mistakes. There, it's been said.

To speculate about what the mistake is or how it's going to play out is just mean. And stupid. The rumors and lies and speculation are driving me crazy. Can't people just mind their own business?


On another note, we've been discussing school security and trying to figure out how to make the school more safe. Some of the suggestions are ridiculous. Seriously... how is wearing my ID going to make the school safer? Uhm... unless it's bulletproof and much bigger it isn't going to do anything other than make some of the students who are nervous more nervous. I think we, as a school, need to be sensitive to the fact that there really are students who don't feel safe at school. When we talk about security and get all excited about new procedures, we sometimes forget that these new things can add to the stress and anxiety of people who already feel anxious.

Having spent almost the entire past school year very afraid to go to school, I can attest to what would make me feel more secure: locking the outside doors. Limit where entry to the building is allowed. There are something like 45 entrances to the building, many of which really are not used, but are made available throughout the day. Having fewer points of entry will be a big step. But wearing my ID? It's not like the population at school doesn't know who should or shouldn't be there for the most part--even students I don't have in class certainly have seen me at school enough to know that I do belong there. So, what will it do to wear my ID? I understand wearing the ID, in the public--like at a bank or business that deals with a shifting population, but at school? They're already going to lock us in the building together. How is wearing my ID going to prevent someone who means harm from doing what they are intent on doing? Also, what if they are looking for a particular target? With my ID badge they will know who's who.

I don't know... I just don't' know. I'm upset with myself for spending almost an entire school year being afraid. What a waste of energy. I gave away my power. I did, however, fight to get it back. I have been fighting the anxiety and fear. I've had some real progress, too. The recent school shootings have been all over the news and I have watched it all unfolding. I have empathized and sympathized but I have not internalized what has been happening. That's such a big step for me. I know I will never again feel fully safe, anywhere, ever. But I know that I can distance myself from what's happening.

Gossip, rumors, and lies... oh my.

What if this is as good as it gets?

the long of the short of it

I don't know why the weeks with four work days seem the longest. Why is that? School has been full of ups and downs this week. The students were so annoyingly obnoxious at first, they seem to be starting to settle into routine again. I have to keep telling them to settle down and have even given out a couple of detentions. Yikes! I really hate to have to be like that. Every day has its ups and downs... classes I look forward to more than others.

This week it's definitely been Sociology that I look forward to. We're working on norms and sanctions. Today I had them individually make a list of five norms in their friend groups. I haven't done this activity for a while and my own five included:

1. Under no circumstances date a friend's ex.
2. Never wear sweats in public.
3. Do not troll bars looking for a drunken slutty tumble.
4. Never dumb yourself down.
5. Give help/support even when your friends don't know how to ask for it.

After the whole class talked about their lists, they broke into smaller groups to talk about what happens in their friend group when someone violates the norms. And finally, they had to talk about how people can move into or out of friend groups. Seniors in high school have such clearly defined ideas about all of this, it's interesting to get them going on an informal discussion.

When school was done, I handed in my reaccreditation committee's report. I can't even explain what that felt like. And it looks like the Steering Committee will have remarks ready for revision by Friday so I can edit before distributing to the faculty as a whole. I just can't believe it's done.

I really wish people who aren't educators could understand what it actually is like to teach. I mean, there are so many people who think all we do is hand out worksheets or assignments and then sit back and watch the students work away. It just isn't like that at all. One class today had twenty-something students in it at a time and as I am introducing them to World War I and the alliances which caught more countries in the momentum of war, one girl bursts into tears and then silently sobs--her whole body racked with silent sobs--for about twenty seconds before I just casually walked over with a tissue, talking about what an Arch-Duke is, and gave her a little shoulder pat and left the tissue with her. I tried not to disrupt the whole class and draw more attention to her than she had already done to herself... it just is surreal. Forty-three minutes with twenty-six hormonal people having twenty-six different reactions to what we're doing. And each class has a dynamic and a rhythm and so forth. Learning styles that are more dominant and so forth. How can I make it interesting for each one at all times every moment? Huh? How? Yeah, so that's one of the big lessons: enjoy success with one student at a time. If I can hook one kiddo during a class and know they are in the palm of my hand, it's the best feeling!

So here we are cresting the hump of the week. Ahhh, yes, it's a slide to the weekend now. The short weeks really are the longest.

What if this is as good as it gets?

All good things must come to an end...

It's the end of Break. Time to get back into the grind--I mean groove--of school. Break went so fast I'm not sure I even enjoyed it. Lots of workshops and work at school which was productive... but I kind of resent doing it during a vacation. I suppose there really are just so many hours in the day and work needed to be done and all that happy horse crap.

It'll be interesting to go back. I wonder if the recent incidents of school violence will impact our own school security? And I wonder how the students feel about the recent violence. I had a bit of a breakthrough in therapy during this time. I was able to watch the reports and sympathize and empathize but didn't internalize what was happening. Such a big deal even though it sounds small. With my OCD issues, I didn't have obsessive and compulsive thoughts about my own safety or my ability to keep my students safe. I watched the stories and felt so terribly sad for all the families and victims. When I watched the Colorado incident I focused more on how orderly the students were loaded on the busses and how things seemed so calm during the storm. It made me think of how I hold myself together so tightly and then collapse later.

But the main thing is that I am not afraid. I am not ruminating on harm coming to our school. Not feeling the tense anxiety that a year ago almost crippled me. I feel like things happen and things happen and more things happen and I can only do what I can do. And it comforts me to know I will do what I can do. And I am not afraid.

I tried to explain this to someone the other day and they just didn't seem to get it. I felt like I was being dismissed. I mean, here I'm being vulnerable and talking about one of the biggest issues in my life that left me with a serious case of post-traumatic stress disorder and I say I don't feel afraid anymore. You'd think there would be some acknowledgement... some... something. But I felt dismissed. And it made me not want to confide in anyone anymore.

Hard work and more hard work, patience and hope are making me feel better. I almost feel like I enjoy what I do. Almost. It's been such a long time since I enjoyed anything that this is a big unfamiliar. But, I'll get there.

What if this is as good as it gets?

October is Domestic Abuse Awareness Month

Tonight was the annual Domestic Abuse Candle Light Vigil and Walk in Caribou. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate--it was cold and raining hard.

Lately, I've had several conversations with friends and acquaintances about Domestic Abuse--about what makes partners stay in relationships that aren't healthy or are dangerous. I guess there is no one answer. And it seems easy to say, "I wouldn't put up with that shit," as my friend Nicole says. But when you're within the confines of a relationship it isn't always that easy to say. I've learned a lot about domestic abuse in the past nine years that I have been active with the Civil Rights Team. I think our October activities for raising awareness are some of our best efforts. Probably the biggest lesson I've learned is never to judge people who are in abusive relationships. Don't judge. Offer support and kindness.

Knowing that confronting someone who is an abuser could cause worse consequences for the abused. Keep quiet but offer support, friendship, concern and options.

The following video is from Canadian TV and it has VERY STRONG language.

By The River

By the river stood a tree.
A strong solid oak rooted deep.
One day it heard the cry of a wounded sparrow
that had clipped a wing in a vicious fight.
The predators of the night were circling below.
Looking for prey.
The solid oak reached down with a branch
scooping up his new found friend
carrying her into the safety of the sky.
For days they played.
Until the sparrow's wing healed.
And she tested flight and flew away.
Never to return?
The tree felt sadness.
And then betrayal.
And then incredible shame,
as it realized.
The little sparrow could give nothing
that it hadn't already given.
It was the tree
who was in debt.

~Author unknown

Leaf peeping

It was a much nicer day than I was expecting... no rain, lots of sunshine, the perfect autumn day for leaf peeping. I'm still not sure if Big Rock is running the lift to the top of the mountain, I'll have to find out because it's one of my favorite fall activities. I took a nice country ride today and enjoyed the scenery. I even took my camera with me. It's not digital and I can't decide if it would be worth my while to get a digital. Would I take more photos? I donno.

Anyhow, it was a lovely day for a hike and hike I did. I wandered around a couple of different places because I just didn't feel like mountain climbing today. Instead of climbing, I wandered around the ski trails: flatter but longer.

It felt good to move. I need to move more. Now I want a massage. Perhaps I'll see if I can get an appointment for one this week.

Autumn is my very favorite time of the year. The crisp days with enough warm sunshine to keep the shivers away and crisp nights so clear you can see all the stars. Last night's moon was beautiful, even if not a full one. Today reminded me why I love living here. There's something so peaceful being able to wander through the woods enjoying the scenery and feeling the last energy of the earth burning itself out before the long winter nap.

This year I am definitely going to snow shoe. I think I might get myself a pair for my birthday... oh, wait, I bought myself an expensive ring for my birthday... hmmm... I'm sure I'll dream up another occasion for the snow shoes.

I love how I smell right now--kind of woodsy and natural. Ok, sweaty too, but beyond that... it's a clean Northern Maine scent. It's clinging to my sleeves.

What if this is as good as it gets?