A March Snow

Snowflakes by Emily Dickinson

I counted till they danced so
Their slippers leaped the town,
And then I took a pencil
To note the rebels down.


And then they grew so jolly
I did resign the prig,
And ten of my once stately toes
Are marshalled for a jig!

It snowed on March 1. Transformers going out, trees releasing snow from their branches, and lights flickering all kept me awake. These photos were taken the next morning. Not sure how many inches fell.

Daffodils Blooming in February

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.


Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.


The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:


For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

A day with the feeling of spring prompted me to take the photos of these daffodils blooming. I thought the poem reflected the happiness I felt with the promise of warmer weather.

"Dead Man's Cell Phone"

I participated in a reading of "Dead Man's Cell Phone" by Sarah Ruhl. What fun to read the part of an espionage spy as the other woman and the stranger using different accents. You can almost hear the film noir music as Jean (the girl that finds the dead man's phone) gets herself into an adventure that might be in a Hitchcock film. The theme of the play deals with the ability of the phone (and the people who use it) both to unite and isolate. The phone becomes another character in the play -- reminiscent of the use of the phone in a Neil Simon play "Chapter Two”. The commonplace phone that we are asked to turn off in the movie, theater, and on an airplane becomes a character of transformation. There are several references in the play to “Carousel” in this oddball comedy. The song "You'll never Walk Alone” is mentioned several times and the idea that if there is one person on earth who remembers you then it isn’t over. The author reflects on the question of how will you be remembered after you're gone by entrusting the memory of a not-so-dearly-departed man to a woman he never met.

Christmas Joys 2008

"Christmas Joys" By Joanna Fuchs

Evergreen boughs that fill our homes

With fragrant Christmas scents,
Hearts filled with the loving glow

That Christmas represents;

Christmas cookies, turkeys stuffed,
Festive holly berry,
Little faces bright with joy,
Loved ones being merry;
Parties, songs, beribboned gifts,
Silver bells that tinkle,

Christmas trees and ornaments,
Colorful lights that twinkle;
Relatives waiting with open arms
To smile and hug and kiss us;
These are some of the special joys
That come along with Christmas.

This poem sums up the joy of the holiday season. I enjoyed visiting with family and friends during the holidays and loved my Christmas tree and decorations.

Dust of Snow in Banner Elk, North Carolina

"Dust of Snow" by Robert Frost (1923)

The way a crow Shook down on me The dust of snow From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.