Ultrasound

Just in case you don't check the other blogs on here, check this out!

Word to your mother!!!

Happy Mother's Day this Sunday!

Here is a poem I wrote about Mom:

My first memory, or as far as I can tell, I was reaching out for you.
And you came.
I had a bad dream and your smile comforted me. It was home.
Home,
A place where we had picnics in the living room with homemade lemonade,
cheese tortillas and
frosted animal cookies; the ones with sprinkles.
A place where we played games and you never went easy on us,

And a time when you were my hero, the smartest person I knew.
It's true.
I wrote it down in my journal when I was 8.

You used to wear a fuzzy pink robe in the morning when you sat in your special chair.
With your bowl of germade
and glass of milk.
I watched you a lot then. You used to cry with your copy of Reader's Digest.
But you laughed a lot, too.

Your spirit is one of adventure and child-like innocence.
You ride a scooter down our street in your apron, just for fun.
You have water fights with your grandkids and their friends.
You see each season as if it was your first time;
playing in the snow,
walking in the rain
and holding butterflies in your hands.

Remember the time when you gave me a piggy back ride on the hill behind our house?
Well, you did.
Despite: your weak heart, my weight,
our laughing.
(I promise to bring shoes next time)

Dearest you! You who,
tucked me in at night
sang me lullabies
and wished me sweet dreams.

Thanks and more thanks
This is for you, too. xoxo

Why I am happy. right. now.

I don't have school tomorrow! No High School teaching. No sitting in a class at UMass Boston.
Good friends are coming into town.
My students don't hate me. And they're not swearing in my face. AND they are turning in their homework.
I ate rice and quinoa for lunch.
A water bottle is in my possession. Finally. I can stay hydrated at school.
People are laughing.
Party tonight.
I don't have homework.

And I get to see you all in less than two weeks. Heeheehee!!!

(I have just found out that in order to cut down on costs here at the H.S., we're not turning up the heat in a Boston Winter which according to the Farmer's Almanac is to be the worst yet. And I'm still happy. For now at least.)

This is the Curtain-Time USA group with Willi Unsoeld, first climber to scale the steep west face of Everest. He and his companion got caught in a winter storm on the way down and had to spend the night in a hammock 2,000 feet above the valley floor. In the cold night, all of Willi's toes got frost bitten. But he saved his buddy's toes by placing them in his arm pits. In 1965, he was the Peace Corps director for Nepal, where this photo was taken. I'm on the back row to the left of the distinguished, gray-haired ambassador. Several years later I read an article in the Reader's Digest that Willi, while skiing in Colorado, was killed in an avalanche. He was a cool guy!

This is the Curtain-Time USA group at the U.S. Ambassador's home with our royal guest, King Hussein of Jordan and his Australian wife. The only two things I remember about the evening is that the ambassador was drunk and the King's younger brother was a very strange fellow. I think he had mental problems after talking to him for some time. But it was a rare occasion to rub shoulders with a world figure like the king, a very nice man, who for years helped keep a lid on the animosities between the Israelis and Palestinians. I'm again hiding, this time behind Norm Neilsen, our director, who later became the head of the Scera Theater in Orem. His wife, Rosanne Tueller Neilsen, was runner-up to Miss America in 1965.


A few years ago our dear neighbor, Mel Marion, got me in touch with Roy Rogers, because Mel sold him and Gene Autrey cowboy hats. He arranged a meeting with the two of us at the Roy Rogers Museum in Victorville, CA one time when I was in southern California attending an academic conference. Roy was my boyhood hero. In all of our games of cowboys and Indians, I always wanted to be Roy Rogers and use my golden six shooters. So, this was a great opportunity to relive my youthful fantasies. He was very kind and showed me around the museum. The most interesting display was a full-size stuffed figure of his famous palomino horse named Trigger.

Autumn in New England

This post is dedicated to Mom. I was talking to her on the phone today and we were talking about Fall colors. I was afraid I was going to miss them when I went to Jordan and Amanda's wedding two weeks ago. Well, they're still 'blooming' gorgeous!

I was going to post pictures of my hike up in New Hampshire overlooking Lake Winnepesaukee (in homage to my love for Bill Murray and Bob Wiley for that matter) but those will have to wait.

These beauties are from the cemetery across the street from me. Yes, I live in celestial realms. Ok, so, the colors didn't come out as vibrant as they really are because it's an overcast day today. My apologies in advance for not being able to adequately transfer the beauty across cyberspace.

I actually run through this here cemetery every Monday, Friday and Saturday.

If you were here with me, we'd be interdigitating while walking through this cemetery. Then we'd go to a farm near the North Shore for apple cider donuts and apple cider to dip said donuts into. These places exist and they've revolutionized my taste buds.

I love these trees. So. So. so.

hey all. i haven't said a word since all this started so i will commence to, now.
bright with the sense of change, this fall and moving from the doghouse in the next couple months, aw yes, you heard correctly, and having been able to walk better than i have in the last four years is all exhilarating! i am making music with friends and learning to speak this new language of song. also, i love you and laugh with eager delight to see y'all again soon. just want to let ye know. that's all, for now.
love, natty

Rock Canyon

My favorite picture!


These were taken way up at the overlook in the late afternoon.



Why is this picture so small?




Looking south from the overlook. The golds don't come in great in the picture. Looked really gold in person.