Poetry Friday: Surprise

Another surprise word from MONA

You've got what it takes

You satisfy my sweet tooth-

well any tooth really

You're a real Cracker Jack, you are

A SURPRISE in every package

Take me out to the ball game

I always wondered where the ring came from!

And now that I'm thinking about them....

Cracker Jack

the original box

caramel coated popcorn crunch

and peanuts

glued together with the sweetest cement

a veritable dentist's delight

"Toy Surprise Inside!"

Whad ya get?! Whad ya get?!!

Simple fare this week but it's the first image that came to mind and I still love it. I was always a sucker for a free prize inside cereal and gumball machines. I can't really remember anything great but I sent away for all kinds of stuff like a Koolaid jug, Tony The Tiger Socks with padded paws and his neckerchief,a Cheerios mug and bowl, a Mickey Mouse Club hat, a Crystal Light T-shirt, Jello molds, and I don't know what all. I still scout for cool free things.

What's the greatest free prize or send-away thing you ever got?

Droppin' In

We had a great Easter dinner and visit at my sister's old farmhouse. Now you can see that I get my love for antiques from her! The old furniture is from my grandmother's house originally.



She must not mind polishing the silver tea service!!




I love the old pioneer type kitchen!

Mini-Update

Thanks, everyone. I will try to visit periodically...even if it's just lurking a little! (I never thought I'd say that!) I still do care about what's going on in everyone's life but I just need more time for mine and the things I need to do daily that I take so long to do. I am spending more time in our newly-renovated room where there is no computer. There is the gas fireplace to enjoy and the view of the outside world that we've never had before. My cats are slowly coming into the room more often to be with us so the cosiness beckons me.

The snow is finally melting and we are getting warmer daily temps, enough to get the maple sap running faster. It is a late start here for that. The muddy back yard is not something we're looking forward to cleaning up after the mess of the fall reno. We'd rather be getting the gardens going but that will have to take a back seat.

Within, the next few weeks, the kitchen counters,island,cupboards, floors, lighting and painting should all be done and new stove and dishwasher installed. FINALLY! Looking forward to "learning" how my new kitchen will work!

My health needs a spring tune-up! Sound familiar? I have gained some "winter weight" and need to take off 10 pounds. This is not an easy task for me. I have to take about 10 blood sugar tests a day, write down everything I eat, and the exercise I do. It totally consumes every hour of my life thinking about if I need to eat some carb and if I need to match it with insulin.

I have been trying to swim about 3-4 times a week in a salt water pool plus do some treadmill or nordic walking with poles twice a week. It is always dependent upon whether my knees and/or foot joints are painful or not. My downfall is that exercise makes me sore and HUNGRY! In order not to over-eat, I need to cut down my insulin prior to and after exercise which is the trickiest balancing act ever.

Looking forward to this coming Easter weekend when I'm visiting family. It is so early this year, it is the first year we've had snow decorations alongside the bunnies and eggs in the office!

Hope your spring tune-up is happening and if you celebrate Easter, have a happy one!

Blogged Up? Blogged Down?

By this time of year, we are all wondering how much more we can take of the snow and cold temperatures. This has certainly been year of the snowstorm. They think the 1939 snowfall record will be broken in Toronto! We just had a major storm last weekend but the positive upswing was that we have started daylight saving as well. It seems amazing to see the bright sunshine a little higher in the sky and to have the sun set at 7:20 p.m.!

I have to apologize to all those bloggers whom I have not visited regularly for the last while but for some reason I just can't seem to stay seated at the computer and spend the amount of time I used to spend doing the blog thing. I don't know whether the whole experience is losing its appeal, if I have the winter blues, or if I just feel the need to do other things and simply can't fit in as much blog time. It is difficult for me to accomplish as much as other people can in the same time for various reasons. Maybe the Blogging Thing has run its course? Don't really know what will happen from here...

Here's something I wrote the first year I was blogging when I felt at loose ends:

All bloggers feel this way at times ....

getting de-blogged

takin’ a break

brain’s getting clogged

startin’ to ache

it ain’t no use

if no one reads

don’t have the juice

nowhere does it lead

why I need to share

don’t really know

and I try not to care

but then, where does it go

my ideas are sunk

right on the page

my writing’s defunct

locked in a cage

my words stay with me

static and still

and no one will see

the pages I fill

So,who knows, I may find some spark again!

Two Views

Absolute Vanilla

posted this picture and wrote this about it with a somewhat sad tone. When I saw it, I pictured the possiblities of the open gate which inspired me, with her encouragement, to write and post my poem below. Go have a look and see how the same image evoked such a different take. I'd love to see what others might write about it...open or closed. Funny how I so wanted it to be open, that I actually made it open up in my mind's eye just for me!

the open gate

unlatch the padlock
throw off the heavy chain
that binds my gate so tightly closed
so that I may freely
invite you in
to share all that I have seen
for I have seen beauty that knows no bounds…..

enter and behold
my story -
everyone's story
who has ever passed
through this threshold
beyond the lazy vines
that creep and wrap themselves around me
and have been awestruck at the sight
of strong billowy white clouds sailing in a brilliant blue sky
and a gigantic orange globe of fire sink in seconds beneath the horizon –
I beckon you -
your own story awaits