Hooray! It's National Pencil Day!

 

 



I heard on the news this morning that it is "National Pencil Day!"
I am a huge pencil fan. I like that:
a. you can erase your mistakes
b. pencils never run out of ink
c. If a pencil lead breaks it can be sharpened, even with a pocket knife.

The news person also shared that John Steinbeck wrote in pencil
and used 60 per day.My guess is that he swapped them out and
sharpened them by the batch before he set to writing.

Years ago I wrote my first novel in pencil on yellow tablets.
A few years later the pages were smudged and some almost
unreadable. That's the only downside I can think of.

As much as I adore pencils and keep several at the ready,
I have discovered erasable ink pens, which are so cool!
However, erasable ink pens eventually run out of ink and
that is why I always have a pencil nearby.

In case you're wondering, pencils ain't going away
any time soon. They are needed by engineers, architects,draftsmen,
fine artists and poets ( I wrote the first draft of this in pencil on
a yellow tablet.) and especially youngsters learning to write.
I have such fond memories of my first big fat pencil!

So, I say: HAPPY NATIONAL PENCIL DAY!!

Peace out,
raintreepoet

Music, Ants & Rain

The ants come marching one by one
Hoorah! Hoorah!

The ants come marching one by one

Hoorah! Hoorah!

The ants come marching one by one

A little one stops to have some fun

And they all go marching down

To the earth, to get out of the rain

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

***************************

And on it goes by two, three, four

through ten as I recall.

I remember this childhood song as

the little black ants cluster on my

counter, creeping me out.

I reach for the ant (& roach) killing

Spray, which is EcoSMART and safe

around children and pets. Since I

have cats, it is very necessary.

What’s even better is it’s pleasant

Minty odor.

My father probably knew hundreds

of songs that Weird Al Yankovic

would revel in

And at least a few dozen children’s

songs such as the ant song. Pop was

a dairy farmer, so there was always

work to be done, which he often

accompanied with song and for

that reason I spent a lot of my

youth as his sidekick

I sing to this day: in my car, while I

clean house and even when I am out

on walks.

Pop’s instrument was his voice; a

Lusty baritone. I suppose that is why

I am still attracted to deep voices.

All four of his children learned to play

instruments; piano, guitar, banjo, mandolin

 and even the concertina… There was always

Music at holiday family dinners. Later this

extended to cousins, too. Some of us still

get together and sing and play at family

reunions…

It’s spring! There will be rain! No reason for

The Blues (unless you’re singing them) when

you can, sing in the rain…Let me hear it now:

Can’t you just imagine Gene Kelly bursting forth

With “Singin’ in the Rain?” (The footwork ain’t

too shabby, either.)  

Happy Spring! Enjoy the music, ants and rain

among all of  its other gifts.

Raintreepoet 

Mama’s Red Cabbage

Red cabbages stacked carefully above the green,

Fairly priced, call out to me: Buy me, cook me up by

the Bohemian recipe…and eat me!

I realize at once from whence that

Siren’s song comes…my own mother’s spirit

I am not unaccustomed to my mama’s (and also my

Papa’s) spirits impelling me to eat their favorite foods

I, being their carnal connection of remembered pleasures

from their lives when they were here among the living

I’ve heard it said that angels don’t eat

Perhaps they don’t miss what they never had

but dearly departed spirits still have

fond soul memories and mama’s voice

convinces me that her red Bohemian cabbage

would really hit the spot at supper tonight

And that is how that red cabbage propelled itself

into my grocery cart and I feel her presence

and it comforts me…

raintreepoet

Whoops! Almost forgot, here is a recipe that comes close:

Bohemian Red Cabbage

1 medium red cabbage (shredded or chopped)
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
1 small onion (chopped, fine)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar 
1 tsp. caraway seed (optional)

Bring water to a boil, turn down and steam cabbage and onion, 10-15 minutes.
Combine sugar, vinegar & salt * and toss with cabbage, coating well.
Cover and let steep about 5 minutes. Serve with chicken or pork loin.
* Add caraway seeds for the Bohemian touch!