A Vagabond Song by Bliss Carman

THERE is something in the autumn that is native to my blood—
Touch of manner, hint of mood;
And my heart is like a rhyme,
With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time.

The scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills
To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills.

There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir;
We must rise and follow her,
When from every hill of flame
She calls and calls each vagabond by name.

Wordy Thursdy: Felicity

"Is there any felicity in the world superior to this?" - Marianne, Sense and Sensibility (1995)

use it instead of these words: happiness, joy, contentment, pleasure.

variations: felicitous (use instead of happy), felicitate, felicitation (use plural instead of congratulations)

I felicitate you! He offered his felicitations. The felicities of summertime. There is no greater felicity than chocolate cake.

It's felicity. (Not just an American Girl, people!)

------

Update:

gchat status 9/17/2009

"leads a felicitous life"

Wordy Thursdy: Loath

I don't mean, who do you loathe more than [insert loathed object here]. I mean, what are you loath to do?
It's a state of mind, not a verb. It's sans 'e.'

Also the vowel sound is similar to 'loaf''

use it instead of these words: unwilling, reluctant, disinclined, averse.

I'm loath to do that. I am loath to do so. She is loath to come with me. He is loath to do his homework. ad nauseum.

It's loath [or loth].

------

Update:

Email 9/17/2009

"If we change this to Tuesday instead would you be able to join? We had
someone else asking, so we just wanted to check before revisiting the date
(which we are generally loath to do)."

Vocabulary Challenge

I realized last night that I have many words in my vocabulary that I rarely (if ever) use in written or spoken word. I have decided to start integrating these delightful words here and now!

So starting now, Thursdays will be Vocab day! (do I ever stick to my "day of the week themes"? Let this be the first!)

Please feel free to take on this challenge with me. What I will do is report the 2-3 words for the week and provide updates from time to time on my usage. Please share your experiences!

2009 Haiku Hustlers (AKA Winning Poets)

It is with great pleasure that I announce this year's winning poets:

The Haiku Hustlers

Winners should email me via f r a n n y k t (you can direct it to a gmail account) with his or her mailing address to receive their prize. The prizes for the winner of each category are as follows.

Best September Haiku - wins a song about September sung by KT
Most Humorous Haiku - wins a (FUN!) surprise
Best Haiku Series - wins a serial story by KT
Most Creative Haiku - wins a work of art by KT
Best Haiku about a Place - wins at least 1 postcard (maybe more!)

And now... the winning haiku poets!

Best September Haiku: "Gayle"
September brings a
fresh start at the year's waning:
a birthday and school.

Most Humorous Haiku: "Whits"
facebook, gchat, tweets:
what would I do without you?
work? non-existent.

Giants break my heart
Please start hitting the baseball
Can't let Rockies in

Best Haiku Series: "Heresiarch"
Murder is elementary

Agatha Christie
Gives you a cup of hot tea
laced with arsenic

Blimp enthusiast
Has enemies. One lit match:
Death by hydrogen

Helium-filled room
Is inert, as you are--trapped
With your squeaky screams

Swimming late at night
Sodium plus H2O
Explosive moment

Trapped in a peat swamp
Compressed for one million years
Crystalline carbon

Tungsten filament
Saboteur, exploding bulb
Placed to pierce my heart

Ununquadium
Half life 2.6 seconds
How long will yours be?

Orange krypton light
Illuminates Lex Luthor as
Superman is killed

Twenty-one ponies
Die, selenium overdosed
Foul play is involved

Cancer struck quickly
Must be the plutonium
You slipped in my drink

Silicon circuit
Tampered with in robot's brain
Inventor's life ends

"Sweetness shows presence
Of beryllium," he says.
He omits "It's toxic."

My pet is smiling
(My chromium manticore)
As he leaps at you

Zeus hated Al's golf
Sent bolt to strike head of Al's
Titanium club

Most Creative Haiku: "LRH"
One more souvenir
A collection most esteemed
My fake credit cards

Best Haiku about a Place: "Alli"
Let's go to the moon
There is no gravity there
Good for dance parties