An old birthday party tradition
The blindfold over eyes is placed
Small hands tightly grasp the stick
A pause before swinging
Lucky poke cascade
Candy gold coins
Piñata
Birthday
Loot

They have been selling the Mardi Gras piñatas at the grocery store. There are usually 3 or 4 available year round but right now there seem to be a multitude perched on top the produce displays done up in the colors of Mardi Gras - purple, green and gold. As a child I was fascinated by the concept of a paper mâché creation filled with candy and small toys and sometimes even coins! By the time I actually was able to participate in a birthday piñata bashing I was no longer enchanted. I discovered the truth. The candy was not only the cheapest kind but stale and the toys were little better than what passed as prizes in a Cracker Jack's box. Still this tradition lives on.

I cringe ever since the fiasco at a Cub Scout meeting. Imagine 30 young and eager boys crowded around a blind-folded boy swinging a baseball bat as if her were in the major leagues. The more wildly he swung the closer the spectators leaned in. Finally he connected. The piñata exploded on impact. The assembled Scouts literally dove into the area. The boy with the bat threw it away as if he was racing to first base. He was knocked off his feet. It was a miracle that no one was injured. But I digress. The point is that today is Fat Tuesday. The day before Lent begins. As such is a day when all the decadent items are removed from the house mostly by cooking cakes and cookies and pies and other delights which must be consumed. Lent is supposed to be a time of prayer, fasting and alms giving - when we deny ourselves to join in solidarity with those less fortunate. The piñata is the very symbol of greed and gluttony in my mind. It is no wonder it has been co-opted into the Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) revelry.

By the way this is my Winter Scavenger Hunt offering for prompt #8 - Use the words poke, cascade, pause, and gold. I wrote a Nonet which is a poem with 9 lines where the first line has nine syllables. Each following line has a syllable less and the last line has one syllable.

For Sparky's birthday I planned a dinner out and a movie. We decided to go to his favorite shopping spot - E&S Sales and then to Goodwill since it was half price day. When I contacted our sons to see when they could go to dinner they informed me that they were both working full days. They were going in at 10:00 AM and working until 9:00 PM which left no time for a meal out. As I searched for some activities for Sunday, saintvi suggested we go geocaching! We managed to find 23 caches!! Granted they were all what are called park and grabs (PNG). The PNG is usually a very small cache container that is usually hidden close to a parking spot or in an area that you can drive up to. We spent the afternoon tooling around back roads in Southwestern Michigan and finding the caches on sign posts, fence posts, and in trees along the road. The weather was miraculous for February - sunny, dry, and warm. When I say warm I mean it got up to 62 degrees. Sparky shed his coat and his sweatshirt. We drove with the car windows down in February! It was surreal. We took a group photo at our last cache. It was of the 4 of us. Sparky took the picture (because his arms were the longest) and saintvi and I leaned away while the opossum smiled - or maybe it was a grimace - in the background. Who says you can't have adventures in your own backyard? All you have to do is go looking for them and you will surely find them. Especially when you are with friends!

Sevenling Blue Sky

Blue sky novelty
Winter heat index
Snow melt merit

Aardvarks in South Bend
Flying elephants
February ticks

Global warming comes

This poem is a sevenling. This form consists of 2 stanzas of 3 lines each of which contains an element of 3 (3 details, 3 names, 3 possibilities, 3 statements, etc.). The 2nd stanza may be connected or contrasting the 1st stanza. The final 7th line should act as a narrative summary. There are no metrical rules but because it is a short poem it should have some meter, rhyme, or rhythm. The tone should be offbeat or disturbing.

The weather is unseasonably warm. The plants and animals are confused. My immune system is confused. The sap in the maple trees is running and will soon stop because it is too warm. If that happens the price of real maple syrup will become so high it will be out of the reach of the common man. We don't use maple syrup (aka "toxic ooze") but others do. I feel for those pancake connoisseurs out there. The cherry trees are preparing to flower. If that happens and we get a frost there will be no cherries this year. I can only imagine that many of the cherry orchards will be put to the torch and go out of business since they are still trying to recover from a couple of years ago when the crop was destroyed. I like my cherries. I will be very sad if we lose the tart cherries. The thought of no cherry pies this year brings a tear to my eye. Perhaps I'm just in the dumps because the weather has been so fickle this month. We go from mild to hot to cool to hot to cold... I am ready for spring and February has been nothing more than a big tease!

We have had unusually mild weather in Northern Indiana. There isn't any evidence of snow. In February we mostly have mountains of snow piled along the boundaries of the parking lots. Often there is a glacier like pile of ice sitting in the center of the mall parking area taking up nearly a whole row of parking spaces. No snow. With the lack of snow we have also had warmer than usual temperatures. The balmy weather has confused the plants and the wildlife. The little crab apple tree in the front yard has started to put out buds. I have some daffodil bulbs that think it is time to sprout. The last time that happened I ended up with daffodils with stumpy leaves due to frost taking the ends off. The amount of road kill is reminiscent of late March. All the critters seem to think it is time to mate making them stupid in love and willing to dash across the road to find their lover. It is so warm that I saw college students in flip-flops. It is so mild out that my heating bill was a paltry $62.81. Usually in January and February the bills hover around $200. It is unseasonably warm.

This shift in the seasons is disconcerting to everyone! I think it is starting to affect the economy too. The snow removal folks (and I'm talking about the guys who put a plow on the front of their trucks and make extra money plowing the driveways of the older folks) are praying for snow. There was an article in the paper about how sales of sleds, skis, and winter clothing were down from last year. I was at Kohl's, Sears, and Penney's and they were all having giant clearance sales on sweaters, coats and the hat/scarf/mitten sets. They aren't at ridiculously reduced prices yet but they are heading that way. I was able to buy a Dana Buchman sweater dress marked down from $95 to $16. Now I only hope I can wear it before it gets too warm! (I thought I'd never say anything like that!!)

No one wants to be the ungainly one
When pressed into a preference
We desire the speedy fighter jet
The stealthy spy plane
And wishes are granted
We return to life an insect
Fighter jet wasps
Spy plane gnats
Zippy mosquitoes
And some are the ugly ones
The helicopter like dragonflies
That with awkward lines
Make summer skies safe
Make me a dragonfly

Every now and again I am struck by the dissatisfaction that so many have with their lot in life. Instead of accepting where they are and then putting in the effort to improve themselves, they wallow in self pity. All they can say is that life isn't fair and they deserve better. So many fail to see that they are worthy just the way they are. Not everyone is the Prom Queen. Not every person is a MENSA member. That doesn't mean they are failures. I have gotten so very tired of the moaning going on. Instead of being a moth and wishing to be a Swallowtail, why not be the best moth possible? Instead of complaining that they have drab wings, why not rejoice that they can fly? We are strange people. Never satisfied. Always comparing what we have with what our neighbor possesses.

The above free verse satisfies the Winter Scavenger Hunt 2017 prompt #3 - Include a dragonfly.

What therapy do you propose
To remove the thorns from this winter rose
Or stop the hawk in diving flight
Or pluck the peach before fire blight
You see the pain of comfort lost
Through the window those tempest tossed
Words and pithy parables spouting
Your only aid is sermonic shouting.

I have to admire some of my friends who do more than "talk the talk". I'm referring to those strong individuals who are willing to make a difference by their actions. There have been a few who have supported efforts at humanitarian aid whether it was local, national or international. And by support I mean they physically went and built schools or churches or hospitals. They volunteered their medical, veterinary, educational or engineering expertise. Some distributed food and water and others opened their homes to provide shelter. Sometimes it was temporary and other times it was permanent by way of adoption. I applaud them. They have a fearlessness that I do not possess. Because I don't have the courage to take that step toward giving of myself, I try to avoid being the other side of that coin. You know the type I'm referring to - the persons who have many criticisms but no solutions. They can tell you everything that is wrong but have no suggestions to make it right. Several years ago a decision was made to move me out of my office. I was not happy. Instead of "pitching a fit", I pitched an alternative solution to the problem that didn't involve displacing me. It was a win-win situation. My boss complemented me and told me that he always liked when someone had a problem and also provided a solution. He said it made his job easier.

This is for the Winter Scavenger Hunt 2017 using prompt #2 - Use the words - hawk, therapy, window, peach, comfort. I wrote this stanza in rhyming couplets. I hope you enjoyed it.

I had a friend in high school who was my best and most valued friend. She was a year younger but we had so much in common. We spent time at each others homes, had sleep overs, shared clothes, traded books and music and laughed so long and hard that we would both be in tears. I went to college, she went to college. In October of her sophomore year, she dropped out of school to marry an older man. She was 19 and he was 35. I attended the wedding. There weren't very many people as it was a very small and seemingly hurried affair. He dressed her in traditional Vietnamese wedding attire as her wedding dress. As soon as they said their "I dos" she was whisked away for a honeymoon - destination unknown. She literally disappeared. About 7 years later I received a letter from her. She was living in St. Louis, MO and working as a paralegal. She and her husband (a career military officer) had joined the L-5 society and were personal friends with Robert Heinlein. It was an odd letter and I did write back but that was the last correspondence I had with her. About 5 years after that while visiting my parents in Muncie, she called my mother to get my new address only to be told that I was sitting a few feet away. Within minutes she was at the door. We had a great visit. She was in town to visit her father. She and her family were on their way to Virginia where her husband was being assigned as the commanding officer of the ROTC program at a big college. I gave her my address and she promised to send me her new address as soon as she had one. Again silence. For years. Then came Facebook. She looked me up and friended me. We played Trivia Crack and Words With Friends. She never posts much on FB (and I never post much either). I know that her 4 children are grown and out of the nest. I have no idea what she looks like as she never ever posts photos of herself.

Out of the blue her older sister contacts my younger sister and asks for my phone number. There is a little bit of back and forth and I consent to let my sister give out my phone number. Curiosity did kill the cat and I decided that with the cat dead there was no danger to this mouse. OH MY STARS AND GARTERS! This woman (who I knew slightly and was never a friend to) texts me her life story. A story of woe. Her husband of many years died in 2013, her dad died 8 months later in 2014 (he was 99 yrs old). She was looking for a place to live and after talking to a friend of a friend ended up renting from her dead husband's old college roommate! You guessed it they fell in love and were planning to get married as soon as she turned 60 in a couple months. They were waiting so that she could still collect her 1st husband's pension. Seems this last Sunday she went to check on him in his room and he had passed away. So she is now homeless. Then she added that her sister (my friend) was divorcing her husband for some indiscretion that occurred 20 years ago! If my math is right she is 57 and he would be 73 years old. Her sister's comment was that my friend has never grasped the concept of forgiveness. At that my phone ran out of space for her text. I'm not sure why she is contacting me and what she expects me to do or say.

So xangans what am I supposed to do? Any words of wisdom from xangaland would be appreciated.

You will feel stronger every day
Laying in your sick bed resting
Yet your muscles wither away
The doctor assures you it’s so

Watching endless days fade to night
You will feel stronger every day
Is it a wish, a prayer or dream?
But hope fades and life turns to gray

The nurse brings the medicine tray
A bitter drink that tastes like poison
You will feel stronger every day
She states with a smile knowingly

Too weak to eat or force a smile
No pretense of a song that’s gay
Teary eyes as they chant the words
You will feel stronger every day

This is the first prompt in the 2017 Winter Scavenger Hunt (2017WSH): to use the phrase "stronger every day". I wrote this as a Quatern. Which is a French form of 16 lines in 4 quatrains (that is 4 line stanzas) where each line is 8 syllables. The 1st line of the first quatrain becomes the 2nd line in the second quatrain, 3rd line in the third quatrain and the 4th line in the last quatrain. There are no requirements for rhyme or meter. I did use a rhyme that shifted with the position of the refrain line, just for fun.

I still have a cough that is lingering. My sickness is going on 2 weeks now. I think the medicine did more harm than good. Anyway, unlike the poem I do think I'm getting better every day but it is when the sun goes down that my cough comes to life. I'm calling this the "vampire virus" since at night reappears but during the day I appear to be completely cured...

Today is Sparky's birthday. Tomorrow is a baby shower for Sparky's nephew's wife. Normally I'd be all over that baby shower. But it is in central Indiana, about 4 hours away, and it starts at 3:00 PM. So I am not attending. Even if, and that's a big if, it only lasts until 5:00 PM. I still would be driving home in the dark. Alone. So I opted not to attend. Besides it is Sparky's weekend. I'm treating him to dinner out, a movie matinee, I may even indulge him in stopping at his preferred fast food restaurant. We never eat there because I just don't like anything on the menu. But he sometimes craves a Frosty and a Single at Wendy's. I'll smile and have a baked potato and he can enjoy his meal. I told him that I'm willing to spend double what he spent on me so I'm waiting to see what he wants to spend his $1.40 on. Actually, I'm considering a flat screen TV that can hang on the wall in the family room. He has been talking about getting rid of the entertainment center and the big clunky TV that it holds. Maybe. Maybe not. I was looking and Sam's Club had a 40" Smart TV for $289. That seems pretty reasonable. But I need to explore some other places to make sure I've got the best TV for the price. We currently have a 32" TV so it would be a step up but maybe we should think ahead for when we are nearly blind and need the 60" to be able to see the picture.... Either way we'll be together and having a good time. (He LOVES to shop for big ticket appliances so letting him drag me around to all the places that sell TVs would be his dream date!)

I have to admit to a little vice I have. I read online comics. I'm not talking about the comics in the Sunday paper that become available online after publication. I read web comics that are only published online. Most of them attracted me initially by the style or skill of the artwork. A few have kept my attention based on the story. That said, I've noticed a trend in these comics. They almost all have one or more angst-ridden characters whose teeth gnashing is directly relate to:
1. Depression
2. Gender identity issues
3. Having failed at preventing or completing a suicide
4. Abandonment

I've read many of these comics/graphic novels over the years. It is starting to be very predictable. Although a couple have had amusing and comedic elements they all veer back into dark topics at some point. A couple of them have wrapped up and a few were completed before I started reading. I'm starting to lose interest. I don't know if it is because of the sameness of all the stories that I'm becoming bored or if I feel that there isn't anything more to be said in the medium. I hope I'm not becoming inured to the difficulties surrounding gender. I worry that in the polarized environment in our country that those marginalized groups may lose their voices or I may lose my capacity to care. These may seem like minor issues to some but to me it is a terrifying thought that I may lose my sense of empathy and sympathy, that I could become callous to the situations of others. I find myself tuning out the radio when the news come on. I've given up watching TV. I flip through the newspaper and slide the funnies out and sometimes the Community section avoiding the national news stories. And now even the internet has become a more hostile place. I want the bickering on Facebook to stop. I don't want to listen to angry music and violent outbursts but that seems to be what the internet is made of lately.