aikokitty

yellow-brown skies

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:34:36 GMT

We're a good ten or eleven miles from the Martin fire, but I guess close enough that it's turned the whole sky yellowish brown. It's a little too orange to be sepia and really quite eerie. The air doesn't smell like smoke even, I guess all the ash is trapped up in the sky somehow (I don't have the weather training to really understand).

Anyway, we're safe and well. ^.^

January Bardic news

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:42:08 GMT

Had a wonderful Bardic last night (sorry you couldn't make it theassassinnox!) though a fair portion of it devolved pleasantly into playing dreidel for chocolate. ^.^

This is just a note put out early that next month's bardic will not be on the first Wednesday, as is usual, but will instead be on the second Wednesday (Jan 9th) to accommodate winter travel plans. February will carry on like usual.

By the way, Happy Hannukah! (to everyone for whom that is a relevant holiday)

Bless!

-the redhead

old poetry

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:32:03 GMT

Found some old poetry on my computer the other day that I had completely forgotten existed. Kind of nice, in a "look, this coat pocket has a dollar in it!" kind of way. I think I wrote it for a class in 2001?

When traveling by an Autumn moon take care
and wandering the darker paths alone
remember that the dark may be aware
remember that the woods are not your own
(however often you may wander there)
and leave a bit of music, or a stone--
a gift, that they who listen and are near
may ask for nothing that you hold more dear.

Voting day

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:35:03 GMT

Today's been a little on the tired side. Didn't sleep well last night, and legal work stole my sweetie up to the East Bay and won't return him until Friday (with a small reprieve for the Bardic tomorrow). Baked a chicken, finished my homework for class tonight, and I'm heading out to vote soon. Not that much on the ballot, but it seems like a good idea to show up for all the "should we fund the library or not?" measures. And because my 12th grade Government teacher would track me down and beat me with the Constitution if she found out I didn't vote. Mrs. Harmon, wherever you are, keep up the good work. ^.^

coyote blessings

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 07:22:36 GMT

I'm not sure who all this will appeal to. A poem in praise of Coyote. ^.^

Coyote

Just when you think you've got it all handled.
Just when you've learned to get along as best you can,
and just when you've finished packing up all your hurts and neuroses,
           all your fits and bits and insecurities
           all the pieces that bleed and stink and wander
into perfect square boxes with matching giftwrap...

Coyote is here.

He is not afraid to mess all those pretty ribbons.
He is not afraid to dig down through all those layers
          through the piles of self-righteous lies
          and the steaming dank of your justifications
He is not afraid to throw away everything you have been working for
          and everything you thought you needed
to get down to the festering core of what is rotten.

He cocks his head, "you call this living?"

"Cause, little one, there is life out there, and you're missing it."

Oh Coyote! Oh sweet sarcastic savior!
He is here to free you
from the prisons you have made for your soul
here to pull down the walls
          you have put up
and piss on the crumbled bricks.

For you there is no life of quiet desperation--
If you're gonna be desperate, you're gonna shout it to the sky!
You're gonna run up and shake people
           and scream, "I'm desperate! Please God can you do anything to help me out!"

This is Coyote's way of taking care of you.

And just when you know that you're doing the best you can
           because you haven't thought about it too hard
           because your knuckles are white with holding onto your plan for your life
           because that Choice Grade A bullshit you been feeding yourself
                        is starting to taste like steak
and just when you start thinking that you've finally got everything under control---

           don't worry, sweet thing---

                        you don't.

Coyote is here.

flying cats!

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:46:13 GMT

in praise of the pounce:

http://onliner.ws/2007/04/07/letajushhie_koty.html

Good Equinox

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 06:20:49 GMT

And Fall is welcomed in again this year with a light rain and the first bit of wind we've seen in months knocking down some of the dead leaves and branches that have been caught up in the redwoods.

This afternoon I decided to sweep off the roof (the better to not have leaks when the storms really hit) and was treated to a view of little fluffy white clouds and blue sky all fresh and sparkly after the rain.

May you all enjoy the blessings of the dark cycle of the year: rest and reflection, beauty and space, quiet for grounding and for nurturing the birth of new ideas, time for renewing the bonds of closeness with family and friends.

Bless!

This made me smile ^.^

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 01:11:06 GMT

Stole this from corva's LJ- hope it brings some light to your day!

Sonnet Game!

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 01:25:57 GMT

For anyone, anywhere, who needs more sonnety goodness in their life! (feel free to solicit any other word people in your live, I'm not friended to very many people yet)

Here's the challange:
1. Write a sonnet (iambic pentameter) for either or both of the lists below, using the words given to end each line.
2. Send your sonnet to me at redwood underscore kitty at yahoo dot com.
3. When the entries have reached critical mass, I will post them all together so we can marvel at what each other thought up and try to guess who wrote which one.
Good luck!

P.S. Leave a comment and let me know if you're planning on playing so I can approximate how many poems to wait for before posting. ^.^

Sonnet 1

thrice, wheel, twice, steal

drowned, gate, found, late

willow, dear, pillow, fear

weft, deft

Sonnet 2

care, look, bare, book

water, slay, otter, may

marrow, lorist, sparrow, forrest

nook, crook

Piratey Adventure!

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:19:13 GMT

So after an extremely obnoxious migrane which knocked me out most of Friday, and a largely sleepless Saturday prepping the game, Sunday was the best pirate party ever!
We went down to Vasona Lake County Park, where I hid clues and created a scavenger hunt/ treasure map/ puzzle solving adventure for eight adults, two 12-year-olds, and a 5-year-old piratey mascot.
My favorite clue was the one hidden in a tree under a fuzzy black squirrel dog toy--it took the teams quite a while to find it, it was very realistic looking. Everyone raved, lizardmen were defeated, pixies were negotiated with, buried treasure was dug up, and our leaky inflatable boat didn't quite dunk anyone in the lake.

And I had the most awesome black lace edged pirate hat.

Today I feel so thrashed, but elated that it went so well. Hopefully I'll put one of these together again some time (maybe in the Spring?) and invite you all.

Who likes pirates?