Hey! So one of the things that has been surprisingly helpful during this quarantine time has been moving some color across the page or canvas. One of my circle sisters, Diane Sherman, has been hosting an Open Studio zoom class every Sunday since April. (She is taking the summer off of hosting Open Studio, but… Continue reading a little art by yours truly
Author: spokeanna
my friend Kristen wrote a poem for me (for Mother’s Day)
For Anna, Herself and Goddess Constructs and the Great Mother All and Endless CompassionI ask the force I will callThe Deep Compassionto join me in wordsas I voice love mingled with ache,as I seek to say it rightly The Deep Compassionheeds no call:we clap our hands,children begging favors I hold up my cupThis medicine is… Continue reading my friend Kristen wrote a poem for me (for Mother’s Day)
“It puts the skirt on the Jack,” and other cuckoo-bird, idiosyncratic sayings my family is fond of.
Speaking of other strange expressions during card games, my brother is quite fond of saying, "in the catbird seat." This is based on a short story of the same name by James Thurber, which appeared in the November 14, 1942 edition of The New Yorker. I remember reading this story at a young-ish age, possibly in high school, and having exactly no idea what it was about. The definition of the phrase, as narrated in the story, provided little insight: "'Tearing up the pea patch' meant going on a rampage; 'sitting in the catbird seat' means sitting pretty, like a batter with three balls and no strikes on him."
Ya Wan A Curry? & Scale of Spice Tolerance
I would like to propose a Spice Tolerance Scale:
- Blandy Boring Belly (1/10)
- Pansy Mild Spice (3/10)
- Hit Me With Your Best Shot (5/10)
- Bravebelly (7/10)
- Wild Adventurer/ World Traveler/ Bowel of Iron (10/10)
Review, The Last Hours by Minette Walters
cover, The Last Hours by Minette Walters I had some trouble entering into this novel because, initially, none of the characters are particularly likable. Once the plague kicked in, however, the most unlikable of the characters biffed it (he was quite despicable). Then the novel became a character intrigue about power, manipulation, and how people… Continue reading Review, The Last Hours by Minette Walters
The Cassandra: a review
The Cassandra by Sharma Shields This book is ostensibly about the nuclear development site at Hanford, WA: "Established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project in Hanford, south-central Washington, the site was home to the B Reactor, the first full-scale plutonium production reactor in the world.[1] Plutonium manufactured at the site was used in… Continue reading The Cassandra: a review
singles awareness day
Valentine's Day became a problem. All throughout my teens and twenties and well into my thirties, I bought into the idea that if I was single, I was in some way failing.
Happy New Year! Happy New Decade! Happy New Day.
Here's a few poems I like! The Journey Above the mountains the geese turn into the light again. Painting their black silhouettes on an open sky. Sometimes everything has to be inscribed across the heavens so you can find the one line already written inside you. Sometimes it takes a great sky to find that… Continue reading Happy New Year! Happy New Decade! Happy New Day.
A fine year for books!
I have read 42 of 40 books for the 2019 Reading Challenge! What should I read next?
Won’t you celebrate with me? & some grief
Remember how fear of Y2K was so dumb, even in 1999? There was this kitschy FB image with a caption that said something like, "Hey! Remember 20 years ago when we were all so worried about Y2K and the computers zapping all our money away!? Haha! We were so silly then!" In response, I wrote… Continue reading Won’t you celebrate with me? & some grief