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

Return of the Haiku Hustle

Dear Reader,

After a 3 year hiatus, it is with great pleasure that we welcome back the Haiku Hustle: A Haiku Invitational and Challenge.

An Invitation
Please (using the Comments section) submit a haiku (a series of haiku, multiple entries, are welcome). Please review the guidelines at the end of this post.

A Challenge
I will award prizes to the best haiku (best = the ones I select for any reason I choose) in the following categories:
(1) Best September Haiku
(2) Most Humorous Haiku
(3) Best Haiku Series (containing at least 3 haiku)
(4) Most Creative Haiku
(5) Best Haiku about a place
- You are welcome to include an introduction or a note along with your haiku to assist in the judging.

Guidelines
1. Entries must be posted as a comment in order to be considered. Multiple comments, posts, submissions may be made.
2. Poems must be in haiku format. They must have 3 lines in 5/7/5 syllabic form. They do not generally rhyme (no extra points for rhyming. In fact, I may dock you points).
3. Poems do not have to be traditional Haiku, but there are awards in that category. Please note that traditional Haiku are minimalist and nature-themed.
4. You do NOT have to know me to make a submission! :)
5. Rated G please.
6. Deadline = Friday, September 11th. Awards will be issued on Monday, September 14th.

I WILL NOT BE POSTING AGAIN UNTIL THE CHALLENGE IS COMPLETE! Good luck!!!

My sister the magnificent!

My sister Laura just turned 30 on Wednesday and is, impressively, a neuropsychologist, mother, and authoress. Seriously. She writes murder mystery parties, and now, apparently murder mystery novels!

In fact, you can read one of her mystery novels on textnovel.com - which is currently in a contest to win something-or-other. In hopes that you'll go read her novel and help her win, I now introduce you to:

Seller of Soles by Laura Lyle...

Clickitty Clack is the most fashionable shoe shop in San Francisco and November Cole, the owner, enjoys every minute of her success. But when one of her wealthiest clients is murdered for a pair of blood red sandals, November begins to wonder about the mysterious designer who made them. When a second client is killed for a pair of red high heels, the police get involved and November becomes the prime suspect. Who is after the heels and why are they worth killing for?

Mmm, shoes and murder in San Francisco... delightful!

The House by Richard Wilbur

Sometimes, on waking, she would close her eyes
For a last look at that white house she knew
In sleep alone, and held no title to,
And had not entered yet, for all her sighs.
What did she tell me of that house of hers?
White gatepost; terrace; fanlight of the door;
A widow’s walk above the bouldered shore;
Salt winds that ruffle the surrounding firs.
Is she now there, wherever there may be?
Only a foolish man would hope to find
That haven fashioned by her dreaming mind.
Night after night, my love, I put to sea.

Stake Mission Rules

My friend Jennifer gave me these rules that her Stake Mission has outlined. I think they pretty much cover all the bases:

• Get up early; go to bed at a reasonable hour
• Offer regular, frequent and fervent prayer
• Engage in daily scripture study
• Write in your journal
• Exercise
• Look the part
• Keep the commandments
• Freely give service
• Go to the temple
• Don't waste time
• Share the gospel

I am toying with the notion of doing a blog post on my attempts to do each of these with consistency. But we all know how that went with the stress busters..

Isaiah 63:7-9

I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.

For he said, Surely they are my people: so he was their Saviour.

In all their affliction he was afflicted, in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

A special friend!

Dear friends,

Today is my friend Peter's birthday. Let me tell you a few things I love about Peter:
1. Peter is always generous and includes others - he is always nice and friendly to everyone.
2. Peter has a hilarious giggle and is quick to laugh. It's always fun to be with him!
3. Peter fills his life to the brim with good things (okay maybe overflowing, because I don't see him enough...) For instance, right now Peter is acting in community theatre as a cowboy Bo. (hee hee. that's funny to me.)
4. MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL! Peter loves his family. His sister Kate suffers from a condition called hydrocephalus and Peter has organized a fundraising event to raise money for medical research.

Therefore, in honor of Peter's birthday and his amazing sister Kate, I'd like to invite you all to donate to http://teamhydro.org (no donation is too small! AND it's tax deductible, of course). If you do not have the means to donate, I invite you to spread the word! At the very least you can link to this blog post or Peter's web site http://teamhydro.org

Happy Birthday, Peter! I know there is nothing you want more than help for Kate :)

<-- Peter and Kate

The Spiritual Gems of Life by Jordan Cox

You use virtual reality in your lives all the time: video games, computer animations, virtual relationships through the Internet, virtual entertainment through TV and the movies—to name a few of the many forms of virtual reality. However, if you wish to win your bid for eternal life, you will need to put away the virtual reality of your life and develop real relationships and real friendships. You will need to build eternal realities.

These gems sparkle on my dreary plain, and I have discovered them only as I have kept my eyes focused on the Son of God. I have collected them in my collecting bag—my journal. You have your own plain to explore. Unique and beautiful gems are there. I hope you will find them. Remember, keep your eyes toward the Son of God. Pray always in your heart. Look for spiritual parallels. You will see them. At first they will be tiny sparkles scattered upon the plain, but then you will notice that they are really more organized than you thought. I think that one day we will all collectively discover that they are part of an amazing sea of glass hiding under the dusty soil of this earth life. And this sea of glass will tell us all things about the kingdoms we have been living in (see D&C 130:7).

Read the talk here.

Quote of the Day

If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No, I will lift them up and in their own way too, If I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do, only by the force of reasoning, for truth will cut its own way.
Joseph Smith

Quote of the Day

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty.
JFK

Quote of the Day

We identify the flag with almost everything we hold dear on earth, peace, security, liberty, our family, our friends, our home. . .But when we look at our flag and behold it emblazoned with all our rights we must remember that it is equally a symbol of our duties. Every glory that we associate with it is the result of duty done.
Calvin Coolidge

Quote(s) of the Day

It takes a long time to turn a big country around. Just be of good cheer and keep working on it.

There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.

Bill Clinton

My dear Readers,

I am going to formalize what you may have already noticed - I am taking a vacation from blogging. I have a lot of things I need to focus on, and sadly, blogging has not made the list.

I will be back from time to time, or not.

much love to you,
kt

Doogie's Obituary

here.

I'm back

I got back last week, but -WOW- it has been busy!

- back to work
- moved to a new house (!)
- family tragedy

I am grateful for a wonderful extended family that is such a great example to me of faith and trust in the Lord. I am grateful for the promise of the resurrection made possible through Jesus Christ. It gives hope where otherwise there would be none. I am grateful for temples where families can be sealed together forever - so that death need not part.

Much love to you all, I'll be posting again soon.

Greetings from Vienna

Hello, my lovelies.

Turns out I missed my flight to Norway. I won't go into the tears and frustration, but instead will tell you I salvaged my weekend by flying to Vienna to visit the family of my dear friends Becca and Benj. It's been glorious weather and I still got to visit continental Europe for the first time. {Can I also tell you that Saturday night was the first night I slept in a bed since Tuesday? Fantastic...}

As for visiting my friends Inki and Robert, I will be in Norway May 17th next year ... I'm committed!

love to you all,
kt