Celebrate our love Frolic late into the night Rainy Saturday
Since our anniversary fell on a Wednesday, Shawn and I did not go out to dinner until the weekend. I’ve been wanting to check out Barrio Queen in Avondale for a while and we finally had a good excuse. Then we went over to a friend’s house for a combined birthday and anniversary celebration.
Barrio Queen Avondale Oct 15, 2022
Toast – Salud Oct 15, 2022
This week one of my haiku is included in the Haiku Pea podcast – S5E20 In Depth. Thanks to Patricia for her continued hard work, sharing her love and knowledge of haiku.
My loyal readers will notice I wrote about the palo verde again. I do love how every April the green tree blooms yellow flowers of course the clean up is not so fun.
Good afternoon two weeks from today is my cataract surgery, and it seems even Twitter wants to remind me. Yesterday @SpaceLiminalBot posted a photo from an eye test. Back in April I discovered the Liminal Space account on Twitter for a #NaPoWriMo prompt and I followed the page. This was a photo they tweeted yesterday.
@SpaceLiminalBot photo Twitter 10/18/2021
Cataracts cloud lens My right eye has vision loss Hard pressed to see house
Today I used the #HaikuChallenge word – press to write a poem about my vision experience. I’ve been doing quite well with the challenge since returning from our trip. Of course I’ve been using photos from the trip as inspiration for my haiku, starting on my actual anniversary.
Just married 25 years pass What happened?
Weekend getaway Hotel room mirror selfies My super hot bod
Celebrate love Twenty five years of marriage Does it really show?
Repurpose glass box Old phone booth experiment Dial a poem
Anniversary Soft cries encourage him on Wine and strawberries
Long four day weekend Start celebrating early And carry on late
Press grapes to make juice Then ferment inside barrels Enjoy wine tasting
Shawn & Me on our honeymoon
Friday I get to go have more testing done on my right eye so they can make the best artificial lens to fit the eye. They try to get it as close to 20/20 as possible. Three weeks after the surgery I go back to have my eyesight tested and get new glasses. Since I’m not sure how well things will go between the surgery and vision check, I’m pretty sure my computer screen time will be limited. Even if my right eye will be able to see well there is the fact my left eye still needs corrective lenses. So my eyesight will still be catawampus until I get new glasses.
Since both girls were on fall break, my in-laws flew down to visit over the long holiday weekend, and I think we had a fun-filled time. Friday October 6 was opening night for The Monster Menagerie at Alwun house. We went and saw Shawn’s artwork. Then Saturday afternoon everyone went out to eat over at PF Chang’s. You know you frequent a place too often when the waitress walks over to your table, smiles and says, Oh it’s my friends one Bloody Mary and Virgin Bloody Mary. Sunday afternoon we had lunch at Denny’s and then spent some time at Barnes and Noble. Monday morning we got up bright and early to drive up to Sedona and spent the day there walking around and shopping. Tuesday it was off to the movies and then dinner at Oregano’s in Tempe for Mimi and Poppo’s last night in Phoenix. Wednesday they shuffled off to Buffalo and Rachael headed back to school. Gretchen has the rest of the week off until her college class Saturday morning. Last Saturday her professor was impressed with her essay and I posted it on Facebook. The evil twin replied, Umm… it’s Saturday. Is it really?! Yes, the poor child has school 6 days a week.
Today Shawn and I have been married for twenty-one years. For our big 20th anniversary we spent the day enjoying TheAles on Rails train ride at the Verde Valley Railway. It happened to fall a couple days before our anniversary due to when Rachael had fall break and the train schedule. When I posted the photo of our trip on Tuesday, I realized I was short one limerick for year 21. At Oregano’s I noticed they had Italian wedding soup and I ordered a bowl. Well Shawn seems to enjoy taking and sharing the most unflattering photos. I told him he has no one but himself to blame for this limerick.
Foolish husband holds up camera and peers
through its lens until his wife sneers
he snaps a quick shot
and being a twat
shares it on Facebook to haunt her for years
And no, I am not posting the photo here so unless you are friends with me on Facebook, you will just have to imagine how unflattering my facial expression is. 😛
On Saturday we spent the afternoon at the Phoenix Zoo to see the Nature Connects Lego Sculptures. It’s been awhile (over 4 years) since our last visit to the zoo. On the way in they had green screens set up for photos. This was new and of course I wanted to see what they photoshopped us into. Pretty neat picture and keepsake for the day.
Tired of 9 to 5
quits to build Lego sculptures
dare to be yourself
Lego Peacock at zoo entrance
Nature Connects will be up until January. Definitely well worth the visit.
Welcome to #WorldCPDay. Sunday Shawn and I attended the Bare It All Expo at 9 the Gallery. It was well attended and the women who spoke about self love when confronted with impossible body ideals to live up to were quite inspirational.
Me and My Poem 9 the Gallery
In honor of #WorldCPDay, please visit the website for the new United Cerebral Palsy center in the Garfield District, downtown Phoenix.
Last year, I wrote a set of haiku about our pumpkin carving here. As you can see, my oldest continued her skill and patience with Attack on Titan theme this year. While we carved the pumpkins Thursday night, Gretchen wasn’t sure how she wanted to proceed. When I carried hers outside to light up, I noticed it had two faces. I laughed and said, You went with Batman. Gretchen replied eerily, I am the night.
The other dilemma Gretchen had was a costume. She wanted to go as a character in the story she is writing, but she said there is nothing in her closet close to what her character dresses in. I told her, Go as a Betazoid wedding guest. It seemed logical to me. If you have nothing to wear there’s no excuse not to attend a wedding on Betazed. Well Mom’s suggestion didn’t fly and Friday after school, Gretchen raided my closet. I’m not sure how I feel about my 14 year old fitting in my clothes.
Gretchen and Rachael dressed for a party.
Gretchen came out of my closet victorious and proclaimed she would have worn the costume to school for the costume contest if she knew her mother had such a cool dress. May I introduce exhibit 1, Mom has worn this dress before. Really, I am NOT sure how I feel about my girls being able to raid my closet.
Anyhew on to today’s #haikuchallenge word fright:
Attack on Titan
Carved into Jack-O-Lantern
Gives amateurs fright
Fourteen year old raids
Mom’s closet in desp’rate search
of frightful costume
High school sweethearts trust
they will be together long
after senior prom
Yes that is my husband and me in my senior prom photo. Today may be our 19th wedding anniversary, but we have dated and known each other for over 24 years. I posted my anniversary limerick yesterday. When I logged onto Facebook this morning, the prom picture popped up in the share your memories with Shawn Hosking because of our anniversary. And everyone knows by now I like to do the #haikuchallenge on twitter. Today’s word is trust.
Also I’m participating in the platform challenge #platchal at Writer’s Digest. We are suppose to comment on and share another blog today. I went over to Steph’s Writing and enjoyed reading the interview she posted with another blogger. Despite it being Columbus Day, both my girls are in school. Gretchen was off all last week for fall break. Rachael’s school follows the college schedule no fall break or Monday holiday for her. Although last week she had an oral presentation in her American Religions class and her professor said her group set the standard and the handout for the presentation was on graduate level. She is doing very well her senior year of high school.
Well Shawn did take the day off. Maybe I should spend some time with him. 😉
There once was a happy couple redound
to silly antics and horsing around
all smiles at Oktoberfest
knowing they are truly blessed
for in nineteen years their love has abound
Nineteen years ago
Delaware Park Casino
Buffalo, New York
I’ve been perusing the ModPo MOOC and they will cover New York School. And yes folks, Buffalo is in New York not Canada. Although I do have to go to the post office to mail the RSVP to my friend’s wedding to Canada – no postage. Shawn said we could go Monday, but I’m feeling generous and I’m going to let everyone have a day off to celebrate my anniversary. In April of 2014, one of the napowrimo prompts was New York School. I wrote about all the lovely places we took photos on our wedding day. Then in October of the same year, Delaware Park was named one of the Great Places. Shawn and I were trend setters. 😉
October seven
Random acts of poetry
Hope to pass stress test
Today is Random Acts of Poetry Day @tspoetry and the #haikuchallenge word is seven. Also as I’m composing this post, my husband is taking his stress test. I don’t think he knew what he was getting into – no caffeine for 24 hours before hand, fasting for six hours before the test, and running on a treadmill. Yes, I would fail before the test even started. The poetry challenge @Writersdigest today is write a spooky poem –
Cut off from caffeine
for twenty-four hours! Stress
test spooky ordeal
I’m also working on the October #platchal which really is proving to be a challenge because my Internet has been temperamental the past week. Not good for children’s homework needs either. The modem and wifi are all green. We have no idea why the computers pick it up sometimes and say, No Internet connection, a lot lately. Shawn thinks it’s a problem with Apple since it is the computers and idevices not connecting. The PS4 has no problem connecting.
Gretchen is on fall break. I’ve had a leisurely week thus far. Yesterday was cold, wet and rainy. I put on sweatpants and Gretchen and I cuddled up and watched Doctor Who on Netflix. When Rachael came home, she said, I wish I could wear sweatpants and stay home all day. Well she only has a half day today so… actually we’ll be running errands this afternoon. 😉 Here is another haiku challenge I wrote this morning.
Seven minus two
Basic math shows five days ’til
Anniversary
Hosking's Blog 