Monday, March 19, 2012

People & Names gone by


A few things have occured to me lately.
The first is that I have so many beautiful journal books and notepads that I really should keep one in every room of the house, for the dual purpose of recording those fleeting thoughts and ideas and for putting them to good use.

ôô

Even in the bathroom


ôô

Anyway, I had a thought last night while in bed
There was no booklet, no pen
So I took my hairtie out and tied it around my finger
So I'd remember to remember what it was


ôô

Which I did

ôô

The thought
that I had was
Wouldn't it be interesting to use up some of those beautiful journal pages



And fill them with the names of everyone who has even crossed the path of my life
Along with a sentence or two
About how they crossed it?


It kinda sounds like one of those projects that gets started with enthusiasm
And then gets left in a drawer

But it sounds kinda neat
and I might have to make a go of it.



Thursday, March 15, 2012

The real empty nest syndrome

My oldest son has started a new phase in his life
and by default, so have I.

He got himself a job in a construction camp
North
in Fort McMurray Alberta
5 hours or so norther and 5 hours easter from here.
In another province altogether
Manufacturing screw pilings
(Not quite sure yet how that works)


He'll be working 12 hour shifts, 14 days in a row, then 7 days off
in which he can come home, flight paid, if he chooses
So he's not gone for good

But it's a big step for him
A step up and away



We took him to the airport in Kamloops,
the nearest city to here, 2 hours drive.
To the teetsy tiny airport with one arrival gate and two departure gates


He checked his bags in, went through the security arbour
and was gone
There was another flight boarding just before his
and I watched the passengers walking single file out to the tarmac,
Worried that he'd be in the wrong lineup for the wrong plane.

I watched out the window as he boarded the little baby plane
(I'm not a hero when it comes to flying
and when the pilot walked by me out to the tarmac, I told him to fly safe,
cause he had my boy in there)



I took a picutre as he boarded the plane,
He's just stepping in
The sun was shining right off the plane and through the window
And I only had my cell phone camera
So it was point with your eyes shut and click
And hope for the best,
Didn't quite work out so well.

The worker in front of the plane gave the thumbs up to shut the door
Then waved his orange light sabers to direct the pilot.
He made a sharp turn
Went to the end of the runway,
Turned around again,
And quickly gathered speed
But not as quickly as my eyes gathered tears.



One minute he was there,
The next he was gone


Off into the horizon
To build a nest of his own.

My boy.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Empty Nest Syndrome??

Said Mrs Bird to Mr Bird while sharing a meal one chilly March day
"I've had enough of this already
Let's get away.


 
Let's go south like our friends the Robins
They've got their heads screwed on right,
We were the wrong ones."

Mr Bird thought long and hard
"You know, you may have something dear
maybe we should leave this yard.


This winter's been a cold one, that's one thing that's sure
I'd like to take off for a while
We'll go see a travel agent
And pick up a brochure."

"But what about our nest?"
The Mrs cried out
And she suddenly became quite distressed.


 
"We can't just leave it to the forces that be
We can't abandon it,
High up in the tree!"

"Well now that's a fact"
the Mr agreed
Wait just a minute, I have an idea."

As the Mrs watched, her amazement grew
For Mr Bird pushed the nest from the tree
and into a snowbank it flew.


 
"I know the human that walks her dog here
Three times a day
she'll see the nest
She'll know what to do.

She'll bring it home
And keep it safe for us too
And we can bid old man winter
A hearty adieu!


 
When we come back in the spring,
It'll be waiting for us,
We won't miss a thing!"

So the Mr and Mrs flew away to the south
And the human kept the nest safe
For that's what friendship's  about.






Thursday, March 1, 2012

So The Saying Goes......

Whan the sunne shynth make hey.
[1546 J. Heywood Dialogue of Proverbs i. iii. A4]

 
Yt is well therefore to make hay while the sunne shines.[1583 B. Melbancke Philotimus 24]


Well, the sun has been down for the last 3 hours
I don't think it shined  um, shone ah,
I don't think the sun was out today anyways


and the hayfields are buried under 2 feet of snow


And I'm no farmer
(I'd be a lousy farmer.....I'm too lazy!)


Nevertheless, I find myself working overtime
to make hay while the sun shines



Not my favourite way to do it,
but hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.