Monday, March 24, 2014

The ROBINS have come back

A couple of weeks ago  saw some robins. That means Spring to me. Then no more until today.

I looked out in the yard and there they were. On the bird bath, in the bird bath and flying around the bird bath.

Great big Robins strutting in the yard with one keeping an eye open for the bad guys.

I always think of soldiers when I see robins. They march around the yard with their necks stretched out and their backs straight.

Always letting us know that they are important too. They are leaders--because they are the first to make a big showing in the world around our house. They are what they other birds follow.

So I have decided to copycat the robins. I am going to be confident, in charge and the one that all the other birds want to follow.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Hair and Oklahoma

I may be old and cranky
And have to carry a hanky
          because of the pollen
That comes in the skanky
Spring!! Makes my hair lanky

And it won't stay put at all
Not like in the fall
        when the wind doesn't blow
Well, we do live in OK after all
So it doesn't bother at all?? AT ALL!!

I put on the hair spray and the mousse
I back comb and tease- hair is too loose
        This time of year there is only one certain
And that is that hair is  GONNA look worse

Than at any other part of the year.
Summer is HOT and sticky--oh DEAR!!!
        hair just is hot and grungy!!
Winter is bad I have to cheer
Because hair stays put. CHEER-CHEER-CHEER!!!

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Creating

When I was in college at Farmington I took a poetry class one summer as I needed a literature class to graduate.

This is one of the poems I wrote. We found the folder when we were going through things to clear out the back room to make into my MK room.  I still like this one. And yes I got chills a while ago when I read it again.


Creating
I like the feeling I get
When wet paint
            Slides together to form
A new combination of colors

One color adjoining another
In harmony -- or not
To achieve that chill
             That starts at the hair
And crawls down the back

Writing is a challenge
To find the right word
The right way to put a phrase
            Commas, semicolons; and
And the rest
Fascinate me

Words on the page
Lovingly screaming at the writer
And reader -- stop! -- go!
            Continue on your way
Leading to the conclusion

Pictures in words
Words in paintings
Achieve the ultimate scene
            A release -- a tension --
An excitement -- that's the goal

written by 
Linda Gowan
July 8, 2003

let me know what you think.

More later, Linda


            


Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Snow in LA? Yes

Back in whatever year it was, there was snow in Los Angeles. I was there. We had a SNOW day in LA!

Of course the North Eastern parts of the US are having a LOT of snow days this year and I suppose that's what has me thinking about being out of school for a whole day and it wasn't EVEN summer vacation!!

Brother Phil and I got up and made a snowman. We put rocks for eyes and a carrot nose. Phil got his sailor hat and put on him and we put twigs for his arms.

And he melted by the time we had dinner.

BUMMER!!!

That was in the 40's -- had to have been because we went to Dallas in 1951.

YEARS later -- like in 1973 -- Jerry took time to go through training to work in the field operations of Halliburton Services. His first assignment was England. We found ourselves in Great Yarmouth. On the East coast. Home of David Copperfield. The writer of Black Beauty. and the starting off place for some of the Pilgrims.

And other Americans who were waiting for their assignments to other countries. I remember lots of  people. But there was one man who remembered the snow in LA too.

Harold Porter and his family were in Yarmouth with us. And one night, after it snowed, they came to our house for supper and a sit around the fire.

He begins to tell us about when he was in the Navy.  A young seaman who was gonna get to spend some time in LA.  But -- it SNOWED in LA and he didn't get to go for as many days as he thought.

"I remember that I said" rather proud of myself because we had something in common.

Well,, he looked at me like I was crazy.

"We didn't have to go to school that day." I said. " Think I was in third grade."

Needles to say, Harold was very unhappy. It made him feel old, because he had small children and some that were about to make him grandpa.

All I could do was apologize to him.

I really DIDN'T want to hurt his feelings.

HONEST!!

More later, Linda

Sunday, March 2, 2014

I was a real mouthy kid!!

We were just watching a movie about china town in San Francisco. That brought my thoughts back to LA. And THAT brought my thoughts to when we would go downtown to Graumann's Chinese Theater and the suppers we would have before going to the theater. 

One night I saw this really nice looking soup at a table next to us. A cute little mug-cup or whatever it was. A really cute little spoon and clear liquid and 3 peas in the bottom of the cup. I asked for some of that soup.

It was so good. Warm with a chicken flavor. I have learned how to make egg drop soup. And I make a killer chilli.

But I've never tried to make that soup. Probably because the name just didn't sit well. 

Of course, by this time, my dad knew not to tell me the name until I was finished and then he left the bomb fall. 

BIRD'S NEST SOUP!!

Do you know what is ON a bird's nest?? Well, you sure don't want to put that in your mouth. 

NO!! 

NADA!!

NEVER!!!

And then he said -- but you liked it didn't you. You said you did. 

And I did like it--- I had said so---and it didn't make me sick. So, why haven't I made any bird' nest soup??

You wanna know why??

I really don't want to climb those trees to get the nests!!

Well, it sounds like a good excuse to me!!

More later, Linda 


Saturday, March 1, 2014

Me and Pea Soup

Memories!! Tonight Jerry and I went to Carl's Jr. to have hamburgers with our friends Dwayne and Charlene

Charlene asked me if we had ever had pea soup with Mr. and Mrs. Moore. 

That reminded me of the first time I ever had split pea soup--well, I didn't have pea soup. NOT ME!!!

I looked at that bowl in front of my mom and said to myself, "There is NO WAY I am gonna put that GREEN GRASS in MY mouth!!

NEVER!!!!!"

And then I grew up and became a person of discernment. I decided to, at the VERY  least, TRY pea soup.

And as everyone knows------I had to eat my words.

So I looked to heaven and said, "Sorry Mom. You were right. It is wonderful"

I still like it and have some weeks that I make a big pot of pea soup and eat it all myself.

It just goes to show that parents know what's good all along---it just takes the kids a little while to figure it out.

More later, Linda