Friday, July 27, 2007

Friday Quote: On the Coupling of Words

"Every new poem is like finding a new bride. Words are so erotic, they never tire of their coupling. How do they renew themselves? In their inexhaustible desire for combinations and recombinations."

--Stanley Kunitz

I'd never thought of words as lovemaking when they join their separate meanings together in order to make a new one that is, nevertheless, derivative of each of their own. Of course, the metaphor breaks down if carried too far, but still, how beautiful.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Ooooh! Pretty!

Yesterday morning I was in the kitchen mixing up a batch of scones for the girls' breakfast when I heard, "Bzzzt! Bzzzzzt! BZZZZZTTTT!" Looking down, I noted bright golden light flashing through the oven window and then several showers of absolutely gorgeous sparks cascading down the inside of the glass. I have to confess, I'd never heard an oven make that noise before, but it didn't sound like a particularly happy oven-noise, so I turned it off.

After 15 minutes or so, I opened the door a bit and peeked in. The top element was glowing bright red around one spot, and while I watched, it threw some more sparks off. I shut the door again. Obviously the poor thing was having some sort of breakdown and needed some privacy. It seemed unkind to intrude.

Three hours later I gingerly cracked open the door again. No sparks this time, and the glowing red spot had burned three quarters of the way around the curving length of the element. I wasn't surprised to find this morning that eventually the element burned itself in two before giving up the ghost.

The appliance repair and supply shop we use had to call their supplier to see if the replacement element could even be ordered. The stove is that old. It also looks like I'll have to do some wiring to get this thing fixed, since the element is soldered onto the wires instead of simply plugged into something. Maybe there'll be more sparks! Ooooh, pretty!

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Contact

Yes, I'm still breathing. In fact, there's been quite a bit of breathing going on. There have been lots of other things going on, too.

1. Play practice twice a week, dress rehearsals for a week and then at last, opening night and completion of the first weekend's performances.
2. Finishing up another journal volume and beginning a new one.
3. Visits to the doctor and errand running with my grandmother.
4. Visiting a variety of churches. (We're looking. Again. Or, rather, still.)
5. Getting sunburned at the White Hart Renaissance Faire.
6. Celebrating the birthday of a dear family member.
7. Keeping theater and graduate student hours-- the girls, too.
8. Researching and finding mythopoetic literary venues.
9. Great Scott finishing up ENG 600 (Methods of Research and Bibliography) at MSU in 4 weeks instead of the usually scheduled 16 weeks.
10. Having The Older Niece (11 yrs.) over for a weekend.
11. Losing 10 pounds.
12. Walking down paths lined with field grasses higher than my head, many in bloom.
13. Taunting The Older Daughter with the newly arrived, seventh Harry Potter book while she was still in the shower just for the amusement of hearing her scream.

Friday, July 06, 2007

Friday Quote: On Poetry and Enticement

"What enticed me about poetry was being able to hold in my hands and in my heart these small pieces of meticulous and beautiful meaning. It was like reclaiming the soul, or giving the soul a voice."

--Joy Harjo