Happy New Year!

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a post. At my three week post-op, they found the new lens was clouding over so I got a free laser treatment to break up the calcification on the lens. Yay to my overactive immune system, my antibodies were attacking the foreign body in my eye. The laser treatment was on December 22 – they were pretty booked up and that was the soonest I could be seen. Well the calcification on the lens made it hard for my eye to focus well which is why I haven’t spent much time on the computer or reading. Hoping I can start enjoying books again in 2022.

At the end of 2021, we were all in quarantine. My mother-in-law came over on Christmas, not feeling well, and two days later tested positive for Covid. We were so careful for almost two years and then it walked right through the front door. Needless to say no one was very pleased with Nonnie but after 5 days no one in this house showed any symptoms and Robin was able to fly back to Oregon on the first. Gretchen has started her spring semester. She just looked at her major map yesterday and told me it looks like all my requirements are completed or in progress (this semester’s courses) what does that mean? I told her if she doesn’t have anything in red it should mean you’re eligible for graduation. She may be able to graduate early. She retorted, It doesn’t say I’m eligible for graduation. It won’t you can still take classes. Robin took some extra classes because he fulfilled his requirements early but wanted to take all four years. He had a full scholarship and mom and dad covered the extra expenses. A full scholarship does not cover all fees as different degrees accrue different costs. Science classes are more expensive than humanities courses.

The other thing Gretchen looked at last night was her GPA she’s only earned Magna Cum Laude. I told her there’s nothing wrong with that (mom graduated magna cum laude), but she told me she’s going to steal Robin’s summa cum laude. The rest of the night we were regaled with how Gretchen was chasing Robin and Robin kept evading her efforts. Then Gretchen said, I’ll kidnap Burke. I laughed and told her, I think you’re a proud new parent then because I don’t see Robin giving up the summa for the return of his cat.

My muse lies quiet
Writing haiku – a reflex
Long out of practice

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Extended Scoring Season Finally Wraps Up

Hello to all my readers! Long time with no post from me, sorry. I didn’t keep up with #NaPoWriMo this year very well either. I started my seasonal employment again back in April, and in the past two years scoring wrapped up a couple days after the Memorial Day holiday. They received more tests to score this year so I worked all the way through yesterday. Not that I’m complaining, it does mean bringing home more money with my seasonal gig, but I did lose motivation on the poetry front.

And in other big news, Gretchen graduated from high school on May 18th. She also completed the ACE program at EMCC on May 11th.

Gretchen Pre-K graduation May 17, 2006

Gretchen Dress Rehearsal May 17, 2019

Gretchen and Agua Fria Principal, Mr. Molina May 18, 2019

ACE Certificate of Completion May 11, 2019

School years disappear
Tell me how she became a
High school graduate

Earn a diploma
Four years go by in a flash
So long to high school

I was so preoccupied with work and day to day housework, I wasn’t even trying to write haiku for the #haikuchallenge on twitter. My response to the challenge on Thursday was the first tweet I sent out in over a month! But now that work is complete for yet another year, I’m hoping I’ll get back into writing more poetry.

#NaPoWriMo 2019 Day 7

My Bed

What could I achieve
If I had motivation
to get out of bed

Possibilities
abound if only one can
find what motivates

What profound wisdom
I could impart, if only
Someone would listen

NaPoWriMo Prompt Day 7 – Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem of gifts and joy. What would you give yourself, if you could have anything? What would you give someone else?

Good morning and welcome to the one week mark of NaPoWriMo and no your eyes do not deceive you there is no day 6, poem of possibilities on my blog. I really had very little motivation yesterday. The above 3 haikuish poems were written from the #haikuchallenge word, what. I wasn’t completely devoid of poetry. I did share my golden shovel poem posted on silver birch press on Facebook because they haven’t blocked Melanie’s site.

Today’s prompt – if I could have anything? How about Facebook telling me why my blog is in Facebook jail?

Poetry presence
I cannot tell my story
no more confessions

“A poem is a private story, no matter how apparently public. The reader is always overhearing a confession.” — Jorie Graham

I start remote reading this week, so my poetry and blog posts may become a little erratic. I saw We Olive  is hosting a fundraiser for autism awareness on Thursday April 11. Thankfully it is after my work hours, so I’m hoping to go over and check it out.

 

 

#NaPoWriMo Day 2 2019

Gretchen as a German teacher

Piecing the Mess Together

Sleep in for a second day
put on a pot of coffee
share Shakespearean sonnet
in German
and read about #redinstead
Arrange puzzle pieces
stress out about finding jeans
to bring your outfit together

Finally alone in the house
How long will it last?

NaPoWriMo Prompt Day 2 – Today’s prompt (optional, as always) is based on this poem by Claire Wahmanholm, which transforms the natural world into an unsettled dream-place. One way it does this is by asking questions – literally. The poem not only contains questions, but ends on a question. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that similarly resists closure by ending on a question, inviting the reader to continue the process of reading (and, in some ways, writing) the poem even after the poem ends.

Good morning and welcome to day 2 of NaPoWriMo also #NationalAutismAwarenessDay. Gretchen has asked everyone to wear #redinstead today. Also if you click on the link to the NaPoWriMo.net site, you’ll see the poetry video is in German today. Naturally I had to share it with my little German teacher. As it was another late start today, my peace and quiet will not last long.

AZ Matsuri Honorable Mention

AZ Matsuri 2019 Haiku ebook

So far I have not written too many new poems in 2019. I’m slowing up too early in the year, but back in February I did write a “sportku” for the poetry pea podcast (look at my only February entry for the link to listen) and I wrote a couple for the Arizona Matsuri Haiku contest. The festival was the last weekend in February; it seems even they are running a little slow this year because I just got the link to this year’s ebook today. And I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my haiku made honorable mention again this year. After I submitted the haiku they included on page 58, I recounted my syllables – oops… I didn’t think the haiku would be chosen. I put eight syllables in the second line, but maybe due to the fact it’s 17 total syllables and English and Japanese syllables aren’t equivalent, it works. My haiku in the 2018 ebook.

Meanwhile Shawn and I had our 2018 taxes done yesterday. Today’s #haikuchallenge word is ghost.

Tax season haunts me
as I watch my refund shrink
face pale as a ghost

At least we did get a refund but it was significantly smaller than previous years; still better than owing. My return to work paperwork was accepted so now I’m just waiting for the invite to grade essays. Then my afternoons will be busy reading though it hasn’t impeded my poetry writing before this year I just seemed to have lost momentum.

#PoetBlogRevival Part 2

March also happens to be Cerebral Palsy awareness month and through the #PoetBlogRevival, I met Bekah Steimel, who was interviewing poets about their work as part of her blog. My interview appeared in March so I shared my poem Escape with her readers. And this brings us to April, National Poetry Month or better known to my readers as #NaPoWriMo where I insanely write a poem a day from the prompts at napowrimo.net

In 2017 I also got a job as a remote reader, grading the essays on standardized tests and I returned to this work in 2018, making April even more insane. Near the beginning of the month my poem. Pedernal, was published on ekphrastic.net. It was written back in 2011 when Shawn and I visited Ghost Ranch in New Mexico as part of our 15th anniversary trip. For anyone discouraged by rejections I can tell you your poetry will find a home somewhere. I actually got a rejection a couple weeks ago the same day I made the submission; and the editor said they send out quick replies so you can find the proper fit for your poetry. I know it’s meant to soften the blow of the rejection, but less than a day! Oh well, the poem went back in the queue.

Also in April, Patricia had a breakfast themed haiku podcast and despite the insanity of the month, I made a contribution. She also include a piece from my evil twin. Then we entered May and remote reading wound down for another year along with the school year. Rachael had a birthday – TWENTY; no longer a teenager and someone shared a quote by Sylvia Plath I found rather apropos. In July Patricia’s podcast focused on women; so you know me, one Sylvia Plath quote turned into haiku. The day the podcast was posted, I made my children listen to it while we were eating dinner. Hey, your mother’s a poet and you’re going to learn to like it.

AHHH… August the start of a brand new school year. Gretchen is now a senior in high school! How did that happen? It also happened to be the month I started not feeling well. One issue being the Cerebral Palsy, doing everything with one hand is catching up to me. My left arm/shoulder decided to spasm on me. I’m used to spasms on my right side due to the CP, but the left?! Come on I need that hand to work. A trip to the ER and explaining where the pain was located, the doctor swept his arm back and forth, Do you do this motion very often? Hmmm… let me think, yeah vacuuming,sweeping, mopping; chores I do everyday! So it was off to a physical therapist to learn exercises for my left hand. Ok that was new and different; I’ve only been to PT for CP related exercises.

At the end of the month three of my poems appeared in the summer issue of Unstrung. Then September, October and November were filled with doctor appointments I could have done without. I did not keep up with weekly blog posts for the poet blog revival 😦 But tomorrow begins a brand new year filled with new possibilities. And on a positive note, I do like my poetry short. It isn’t a huge strain to type out one-handed. Today’s #haikuchallenge word is place. And tying part 2 into part 1, I bring you another poem about the cold weather.

Freezing desert temps
Someone turn the sun back on
This place is too cold

My WTForecast app told me it was 31 this morning. Fortunately we had a bone-in ham for Christmas and split peas were set to soaking last night. I am off to make the split pea soup to keep us warm on the last day of 2018. Happy New Year!

#PoetBlogRevival

#PoetBlogRevival 2019

At the beginning of 2018, a bunch of poets came together and decided it would be great to blog at least once a week about poetry, life, writing acceptances and rejections. The previous year my poetry writing hit a slump so I thought this would be a great way to revive it. For most of the past year, my poetry moved ahead well. Since the start of 2018, AZ Matsuri Ebook I had a haiku chosen as honorable mention and published in the ebook (FYI to AZ haiku writers 2019 contest is now open). Another haiku of mine appeared on the pure haiku website in February as well.

If you click on the link above and notice the post’s title, I want my heat back; the end of 2018 is no different than its beginning. The last weekend of the year we have had freeze warnings and with the possibility of rain in the forecast on the 31st, if it starts early enough it may deliver SNOW! So today I had fun with the #haikuchallenge word – sense and the forecast.

Phoenix may get snow
Precipitation likely
Forecast makes no sense

Temperatures plunge
Makes sense to stay warm in bed
Do not mention snow

Continuing through 2018, Patricia over at Poetry Pea included several of my haiku in her haiku podcast, beginning in March where I talk about snow in the desert. Yes, dear readers on rare occasions snow has been seen in my hot desert. Shawn just came home with groceries and tonight’s dinner, so my #PoetBlogRevival 2018 review will have to be continued later. Thanks for reading and joining me on this strange trip through life with poetry.

Winter Solstice

Sunset December 20.2018

Sunrise December 21, 2018 Gretchen Hosking photographer

 

Sunrise too early
Take photos of sun setting
Nice end to the day

Yes, I am still taking photos of the evening sunset. The evil twin has complained I do not take any sunrise photos. Well Gretchen took the sunrise picture when she arrived at school this morning for her last day before winter break. Meanwhile, I was still in bed and Shawn brought me coffee this morning. ❤ I took my own “sunrise” photo as it was a lovely view from bed (I told Katryn my window faces Southwest and doesn’t have a view of the sunrise), but this morning’s view was also a good opportunity to tease my sister. As my coffee mug was placed down by a righty and offered the opposite side of my ASU Mom mug.

Teasing my sister
Remember to fear the fork
There’s no end in sight

Of course this is not the first time I have mentioned forks in poetry. I do have to remind the twin how she “took a fork to the foot” every once in a while. 😉

Halloween Haiku

Happy Halloween! Last weekend, we went to the Enchanted Pumpkin Garden in Carefree, AZ. Gretchen wanted to visit a real pumpkin patch, and Shawn saw a blurb about the festival in Carefree. We kinda thought it would be more of a pumpkin patch than it was; it was also very crowded. They had a cool old west village inhabited by jack-o-lanterns and live music, food and fun merchandise, but no place to buy pumpkins.

On Sunday Rachael, Gretchen and I went to Wal-mart; we needed to get the weekly shopping done and the past few years it is where we picked up our pumpkins. Well there were none to be seen there either, so I sent a text to Shawn to make a trip over to Sprouts for our carving pumpkins. His trip was a success!

Mom’s and Gretchen’s (cat on bottom) jack-o-lanterns

Carve jack-o-lanterns
Halloween is tomorrow
Never give mom a knife

But by the time we all got home Sunday night and cooked dinner, we were too tired to carve. Gretchen and I worked on our pumpkins Monday night. Gretchen was a little uncomfortable with the sharp knife Mom handed her and had me cut the top off the pumpkin. She backs away pretty far whenever I have hold of a sharp knife. But once I got the pumpkin open for her, she gutted it and while I was busy working on mine apparently she lost her fear of sharp knives or figured Mom wasn’t good at detail carving, because she cut out the outline she drew on her pumpkin without any issues.

 

Rachael and Mom at Carefree pumpkin festival

Pumpkin festival
Fun night of mischief making
Famous duo framed

 

Shawn at Carefree Pumpkin Festival photo effects Facebook

Infamous prankster
Enchanted pumpkin garden
Famous Shawn Hosking

Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday #101

 

In Need of a Kickstart

Good morning! Over the weekend I had my poetry journal out trying to write poetry. Nothing happened – my thoughts are all jumbled and neither words nor syllable count wanted to cooperate.

Thoughts a jumbled mess
still rusty from long absence
where shall I begin?

I guess it’s a start. I managed the first two lines on the weekend; the last line finally worked out as I’m typing this blog post. I am also catching up on housework too many things have piled up with me not feeling well. I am thankful autumn is almost here; though you would not know it by the temperatures in Phoenix. The highs are still well over 100! I love the fall. Shawn and I will be celebrating our 22nd wedding anniversary and then November marks another birthday for me.

Check out episode 43 of the Haiku Chronicle – rain seems to be a common theme this week. Since I wrote my contribution near the beginning of August, I still had monsoon season on my mind. And now nearing mid September, the desert is returning to its dry heat. Humidity and I do not get along very well. I am sitting in my air conditioned home still trying to write and waiting for monsoon season to come to a close.

Summer will end soon
vision to write poetry
is not going well

The #haikuchallenge word today is vision, fitting right in with #synonymsonly for Colleen’s poetry challenge.