Responding to NaPoWriMo Prompt #13

 

I just couldn't resist! The prompt today is: 

Now, try writing a short poem (or a few, if you’re inspired) that follows the beats of a classic joke. Emphasize the interplay between the form of the poem – such as the line breaks – and the punchline.

Don't know if this is what is expected but I had fun - what a great way to start a great day!

1)

knock knock

why ask who’s

there is not 

going to be 

a punchline…. 

i’ve installed a 

video 

doorbell

2)
the pun scores as  

words topple through

verbal coincidences

       

      *      *       *

my music nudges 

Handel 

          with 

                care!

joanconnor

04/13/2023

Poetry Each Day

I am currently participating in NaPoWriMo for the month of April. NaPoWriMo

I try to participate every day but have missed a few days along the way. I hope to play "catch-up."

Yesterday's Prompt #10 was to write a sea chanty. As I peruse what a sea chanty is I discover that it should tell a story. So Ahoy Mate - here is my attempt:

Kayak Chanty

Bought a kayak to float the river

Ahoy mate ahoy

Bought an inflatable kayak to float the river

Ahoy mate ahoy

Bought an inflatable kayak to take the dog to float the river

Ahoy mate ahoy

Used the kayak one time to float one lake

Ahoy mate ahoy 

Used the kayak dog invited one time to float one lake

Ahoy mate ahoy

Used the kayak sans dog one time to float one  lake

Ahoy mate ahoy

Bought a home near the Guadalupe to float the river

Ahoy mate ahoy

Beside the home near the Guadalupe rests an orange kayak to float the river

Ahoy mate ahoy

Asked the homeowner near the Guadalupe to leave the orange kayak to float the river

Ahoy mate ahoy

Now there are two kayaks to float the river

Ahoy mate ahoy

Now there are two kayaks to share to float the river

Ahoy mate ahoy

Now I shall invite friends to share to float the river

Ahoy mate ahoy

joanconnor
04/11/2023

Day After Resurrection Day

It is the day following Easter Sunday 2023 - I apologize for not touching base with you on a most blessed day in the Christian calendar.  And such a blessing it was ........ to be back in church! We attended the Hunt Methodist church, Hunt, Texas, We will be moving to that community the end of this May.

It was a wonderful worshipping experience and the music, the sermon, the physical church was beautiful and we plan to return.  My desire to be a part of a community is unfolding. Thank-you, Jesus!

To celebrate His Resurrection, His Salvation and His Loving Kindness in All situations I give you the following poem. I am currently, this month of April, celebrating poetry by participating in NaPoWriMo. This poem was written in response to a prompt that required twenty steps. I never made it past the first step seeking a metaphor.

Metaphorically Mesmerized

I went down a rabbit hole looking for a metaphor

and never found my way out, I shout

Hallelujah.

The number one item on prompt’s #8 list

I tackled with vengeance, trusting 

it wouldn’t take long, then found 

The Song.

I listened on YouTube to variations in verse

searching for the buried metaphors

I decided to immerse

myself in Hallelujah, its connotations,

variations, Cohen’s lyrics and voice as

hours passed, still down there

loving every upload, every interpretation

I finally threw in the towel, woke up  

this morning ….singing Hallelujah!!

                                                                                                                                                       Joanconnor

                                                                                                                                                        04/09/2023

And for your listening pleasure:

Andrea Bocelli - Hallelujah (Live at Teatro Regio di Parma) - YouTube

An Easter Hallelujah - Cassandra Star with background video - YouTube

 

Bringing You and Me Up To Date

 Good Morning!

What a whirlwind this past few weeks have been......

We signed a contract on a home in Ingram! It is not listed as we bought it from the owner within one week. I shall write more about the home after the deal is completed.

We listed our home here in Kerrville. Check it out: 178 Madrona Dr, Kerrville, TX 78028 | MLS #108575 | Zillow

I finished all writing courses. My only responsibility this week and next is the memoir writing class at the senior center which I am facilitating.

We are readying the Transcend travel trailer to spend a few days at the Llano Fiddle Festival.

Llano  Fiddle  Fest - Home (llanofiddlefest.com)

I am practicing my fiddle daily.

I wish I spent more time practicing my piano.

We celebrated Dave's 96th (!!!) birthday party on March 23rd with a few friends here in the home for a couple hours.

We are packing/cleaning closets/taking some items to Salvation Army/going through stuff.

We are relaxing and reading.

Life is good!

Picture Book Creating

 

What a joy giving children's books at our local farmers' market has been through my vintage travel trailer, my Little Free Library. The weather has been cool --- the acceptance and socializations very warm.

With all the shuffling and sorting and acquiring of picture books, I decided to create one.

I signed up with Susannah Hill's $150 online class. Making Picture Book Magic – Susanna Leonard Hill (susannahill.com) Susannah is thorough, responds quickly, very positive and has several published books.

I scratched my initial "feather duster"book and decided to "return to Mongolia" with my first children's  picture book. I was in Mongolia, Peace Corps (20011 - 2013), and have yet to finish my memoir of those incredible two years. I acquired a couple folktale books when overseas and am using them as inspiration and the main story line. Many of the folktales are quite gory, but I discovered, Four Friends to be a positive sweet tale that lends itself to whimsical illustrations.

Yes, I am illustrating it to the best of my abilities. I paid for a video to help me give the book the simplicity and quaintness that I desire.  Online Classes - Carla Sonheim Presents. More about this experience and specific teacher as I watch and scribble through the $72 video.

In the meantime, I am pumped to complete a book about Mongolia, one way or the other, children's or an adult memoir. Let's get with it and "just do it!"

Bookmobile's Maiden Voyage

An Interior View taken during Saturday's Maiden Voyage

JamaJoan's Vintage Bookmobile had its maiden voyage Saturday, January 28th, 2023, setting up "shop" five miles from our home. We pulled the trailer with our 1975 Chevy truck to the local farmer's market in the River Hills shopping center, Kerrville.

The results were very positive with ten children/adults visiting and thirteen books dispersed. Although I plan to give one book per visitor, exceptions will be made.

Graphic novels are popular with the upper elementary boys and my stash needs replenishing already. Off to the thrift store I trek as soon as this freeze ends. The library book store was on my list of places to go today but we are staying home. The porches are laden with ice as are the railings to hold onto. 

This is banner-making day for the bookmobile. I have acquired quite an assortment of oilcloth and am cutting triangles of polka dotted print, yellow stripes and blue gingham for my first banner. I use heavy twine and a glue gun to secure the triangles to the "rope." The banner I made this summer has been hanging by the 1956 vintage trailer and "weathers" very nicely.

Books and more books are my delight! One generous lady went home Saturday and returned with a box of many paper books. Remember "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs?"  It is truly like Christmas for me as I go through boxes kind folks have already given me

More organization is needed in the book mobile and I must know my inventory. Children come in and I ask then what they are interested in reading. The little ones need to be given choices. My familiarity with the books is necessary. I am delighted to be flipping through each and every book, wiping them down with cleaner, making sure the books are in good to better shape,reading as I flip the pages.

Here's hoping the ice on the wooden steps melts and I can spend an hour ot two in the bookmobile.

A Blessing To My Voice

                              

A Blessing To My Voice - 2023 

Dear Voice of Mine:

May you be silent as the leaves know when to attach, when to fall..

May you be a whisper like the kite pulling on its line.

May you be forthright as pebbles smoothed from the water’s ripples.

May you pause as the poised loon perches on a river’s log.

May you sing alleluia like the wind that comes from somewhere,

disappears everywhere.

May you gently close the door knowing one sleeps within, not knowing when

the spirit of appreciation awakens. 

Lastly,

May you continue to speak as pages turn to better ways, 

as rivers gently continue to flow,

as life becomes you.

Listening,

Joan

So much "I"

This blog has become a process in journaling for me. 

Do you like blogs where the writer just takes you through her activities, her family get-togethers, life's daily routines, the health and sickness aspect, travels and activities when staying home? 

I most like a particular blog I follow where an older woman, Pat Bean, thinks thoughts, contemplates actions, includes her drawings and paintings and commiserates about aging. She writes well, was a former journalist and is currently my favorite. Pat Bean's blog | Just another WordPress.com weblog

I also follow a blog that is written daily, includes photos of decorative items, montages about her apartment, cat antics, etc. Brenda is in the throes of including a book review page in her blog. I have enjoyed following her process in setting that up for her followers. She earns money from her blogging. Home · Cozy Little House

I am just hanging with my blog, but once the book mobile is on the road, I shall always include its whereabouts and the results therein. I hope my blog becomes more about jamajoan's vintage bookmobile and less about me!

I have no social media following. Last evening I zoomed with a published author and several others in a book review group centered on memoir reading and writing. She shared that she had to have 5,000 followers on her Facebook page before a particular publisher would even continue conversing with her. That is not enticing to me at all. If I finish my Peace Corps book, I will be hard pressed to market it. However, I understand that the validity in numbers is part of the process of being a successful author.

Have you noticed that all my paragraphs begin with "I"? How very "into myself" I am writing. Enough said - time to sew the curtains for the bookmobile and think about the children with whom I will be soon interacting.  Yeah!

Soon - Free books for all!

tanka - action - journeying

 

a tanka tribute to non action

1.

from start to (un)completion

the multipotentialite 

undertakes

to initiate

one more project

2.

as choices loom

the years dissolve

a decade remains?

to accomplish

or not

3.

does non action

spring forward?

perhaps backwards?

a sidelong glance

at shelved projects

5.

books are stacked

paint brushes left dry

enthusiasm declines

remnants remain

of possibilities

6

alas, she springs

Into non action

the rv awaits

one more journey

she inaugurates

01/14/2023

 

Springing into Non Action

I enjoy this blogging, even though there are no remarks nor responses from anyone.  How can that be? I continue to write my thoughts, my feelings, my confusions, my frustrations. I guess you could say this blog is definitely therapeautic journaling.  I'm ok with that.

Today I am contemplating "Springing into Action" - the topic that my Story Circle "True Words from Real Women" journal suggested for their March publication. I can submit a poem or piece of prose and if accepted, it appears in their collection of women's writings. I do not recall how many times I have been accepted or rejected. Quite frankly, the act of writing the "assignment" is my favorite part of this process.

Part 1: "Springing into Non Action." 

Is it because I am adding years to my life's journey that I desire to slow down, not chase my tail, pedal slower and more methodical?  Or is it because the signing up for classes, committing to lessons and then attempting to learn a new craft is just becoming too routine? I have been doing just that for years.

So to spring into non action I first must find and contemplate my goals. What could possibly be my first non action goal.

How about the non action of exercise? I have been keeping this behavior up pretty well with no bicycling, no walking, no gym attendance, no yoga. I definitely have kept this goal alive.

How about the non action of church attending? Since Covid I have not attended a church service. This non action is so unlike my previous behaviors where the church became a focal point for me in a new community.

How about the non action of dieting? I have tried periodically to be a Weight Watcher participant, to absolutely no avail. The program requires an app on the phone, consistently checking points, weighing in weekly and all this is possible without going to a meeting. I lead the pack for non acting in this reform.

How about the non action of weaving? The small looms sit on my closet shelf. I read about it and that is the extent of my learning this craft. I just recently subscribed to Little Looms magazine and drool over the beautiful possibilities if only I would commit to learning this craft.

How about the non action of roasting coffee beans, dehydrating meat for jerky and using the blender? These appliances are on the pantry shelf, items I thought I needed, items that would give me options in creating foodstuffs. I haven't used two of them ever, the roasting of coffee beans was easy, but I need to order green beans and haven't for quite some time.

And so the self-talk continues.

Next come my goals of action. There are some. I am continuing this conversation as I have "springing into action" reveals.

"Whatever will be will be...."

Doris Day was my favorite movie start in the 50's. I had her paper dolls and even framed them as an adult. But alas, all that is hanging (I hope) in someone's antique store as I downsized big-time in 2014.

Here she is singing Que Sera Sera: Doris Day - Que Sera Sera - YouTube

Does it get any better than this? As Doris' gorgeous voice entertains in the background I shall tell you that I must develop this "whatever will be will be" attitude.

Yesterday Dave and I signed the papers to buy a home in Kerrville. We offered a few thousand less than the asking price so someone could easily bid over us and this is frequently common in the recent years. 

Do we need this home? Yes and No!! The home we are in is on unstable soil. We are filing a lawsuit. Can it be fixed? Yes, but the past 1 1/2 years has been stressful. I would like to sell this manufactured home on its beautiful piece of property (5 acres) with a dynamic view and move into Kerrville, into a neighbood and into a solid home.

1) What if we get the house? Then we shall sell this current home and move. (The  stability situation will be determined next week as a civil engineer is coming to assess our current property and home's structure.)

2) What 'if we do not get the house? We will continue to explore possibilities and stay here until further prospects emerge.

3) Will we fix this home? That all depends on the lawsuit settlement, the realtor's assessment and the possibility of selling the manufactured home to be moved and the property separately.

I am praying that we acquire this new-to-us home because I really like it. The backyard is exceptionally large and tiered and has incredible possibilities. However, I truly believe that as I place my request before the Lord, He will control the outcome. He will finalize the best option for me. My faith has never been questioned regarding His Delight is providing for me.

Sometimes I question why he would be concerned about such a trite matter in the scheme of life. This is a constant nagging in my thoughts and emotions. I am seeking The Word and reading to give myself comfort in accepting His Love and Concern. I seek to be "the sparrow" in "His Eye Is On the Sparrow."

His Eye Is on the Sparrow [Live] - YouTube

The home for sale is currently in probate. Our realtor says he has seen homes in probate sold within twenty days to one hundred days. This is a plus for us! We are not in a rush and can wait it out. It is also a negative as other offers have time to evolve. 

And so we wait and sing with Doris, "que sera sera." and give thanksgiving for the good fortunes He has given us.