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Lf.: Ohio winter
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Poetical Journal © by Bob Casey
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Mission: To provide poetical and thoughtful comments on life
Welcome to the 101st Issue. Next month starts our ninth year!
The pictures below were taken at a display created by master ice carvers
from China. Over 2 million pounds of ice were produced at a plant in Ohio and
shipped to National Harbor, Virginia where the sculptures were created. The display
area was kept at 9 degrees (brr...). Visitors were issued blue parkas to wear upon entering.
VOLUME VIII – Issue 12: Sunday, January 31, 2010 (101st issue)
CONTENT
- Welcome & Online Version
- Opening Comments from Bob: A New Decade & A Special Issue
- Two Poems: The Meditation Room. . . and Meditation 1
- My Latest Book -- An Oasis in a Cluttered World is available.
- Vignette: Messages from Doug
- Guest Vignette: How Not to do Bird Watching by G.L. Rush
- Recommendations
- Quotable Quotes
- A Bit of Humor
- Calendar Contest 2010
- Contest Winners
- Pay It Forward 2009 – Final Report
- PJ Forum
- Reminder: If you are filtering...
- PJ Demographics – All 50 states and 72 countries
- PJ Online
- PJ Policies
- Subscription information
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Welcome
I am pleased to have you as a reader. If you enjoy the PJ, please encourage others to subscribe. If your country is not listed in the demographic section at the end, please let me know so I can update the list.
The next issue starts year nine of the Poetical Journal. It will be out on Sunday, February 28, 2010.
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What greeted us at the entrance.
Almost everything in the display is ice.
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Opening Comments from Bob – A New Decade & A Special Issue
(A special issue of the Poetical Journal will come out in early February. It will go into more detail about Journeys Publishing that is only touched upon in the below short paragraph. Of course, the traditional end of the month issue will arrive on February 28.)
As we enter a new year and a new decade, there are many changes that are occurring in my little business world. There are now four websites under my domain. The first, Poetical Journeys is one with which you are familiar and under which this newsletter is published. The second, Journeys Publishing, will take on a larger role during the future, if all goes as planned. It will allow more interaction with readers and permit budding and known poets and writers to submit their works to you, my readers. A recommendations segment by members will be added later. A third site, Journey 4 Health Now, focuses on my Tai Chi for Health instruction and related topics. The parent site through which purchases are made is RKC Journeys Enterprise, LLC. Yes, "journey" is a central theme as that is what I believe life is all about. I encourage you to visit these sites, especially Journeys Publishing. While it is still in its infancy, in the months ahead you will find out how you can participate.
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Surprise: If you begin checking my NEW blog starting February 1, you might be surprised. Also, if you haven't visited my old blog yet, you can still read more regarding my European river adventure.
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Two years ago, I implemented "a pay it forward" type of membership called "premium subscribers." The first year generated thirty-six members while last year only nine. I realize that almost all of you choose to give to charities and also choose not to have them noted on my site. However, I must say that the nine last year did a yeoman's job with a financial impact of $20,400 and 1020+ charitable hours. Thus, I will give the concept another year. If you would like to be a premium subscriber, then please click on this link, and read more.
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Two Poems this Issue
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The Meditation Room –
...............Last Day of 2009
My first day in this place of refuge
....where the bubbling fountain and the purring heater
....erase intruding sounds
....and become rhythms that comfort me.
Sitting in a rocker,
....feeling the coarse texture of cloth against my neck,
....I read from a small handmade booklet of wisdom
....given to me
....by my yoga teacher a decade ago.
Joy floods my soul
....over the vibrant words
....leaping from the small delicate pages.
Hafiz, Dillard, Oliver, Cummings,
....writers present and past
....become immortalized in my mind.
Simple pleasures permeate my senses,
....hinting of days to come.
Comments: After our son Craig vacated his room and moved to the D.C. area three years ago, I decided to use it to create some private space, a "formalized" meditation room, to escape, write, read, and yes, meditate. The transition took almost three years and was completed, as promised to him, just before he and his wife returned for the recent holidays. December 31 was the first day I took some time to enjoy the quietness that the room allowed. The above poem came from that experience. Have you considered creating a sacred, quiet place in your home?
Meditation 1
Calmly waiting,
....the tea is brewing,
Waiting for the quiet voice
....to arrive.
The tea is ready.
Don’t be impatient
....for you’re on eternal time.
The stringent taste
....from the rich red leaves
Caress and excite
....the taste buds.
Quietly waiting
....no voice
But calmness arrives.
Comments: No additional comments needed.
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This is how it all starts - though this picture was
taken in the village where I live. |
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Drinking at the frozen pond
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Ducks on the pond
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Going down the ice slide
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My Books and Products are now purchasable online.
An Oasis in a Cluttered World, Wisdom from the Journey, and The Wanderer: A Poetical Journey can be purchased from me online. Also, there are other products on the page that offer unique gifts for that special someone or for yourself. Enjoy the convenience of shopping online.
If you wish to support the efforts of the Poetical Journal, there is also a donation option.
To view the product page, please click here.
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Except for the nonslip carpet and the lights, all the rest is ice.
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Exchanging cold kisses
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Vignette: Messages from Doug
I am at the age where I am beginning to dread messages from Doug. First, Doug is a great guy. We have been friends since childhood. In fact, he is godfather to my son. Then, why the dread? During his senior year Doug made a fateful decision that would alter his life, he ran for class president and soundly defeated several opponents including myself. In hindsight, I am thankful that I lost that election.
Over the decades Doug, along with his childhood sweetheart Mary whom he wed shortly after high school, has faithfully carried out the responsibilities of the office of organizing class reunions and keeping members informed regarding class news. However, recently these updates, now in email form, have tended to be messages of sadness, announcing the passing of yet another classmate.
A most recent notification hit me rather hard. Barbara had never met a stranger. She always had a smile and treated everyone with respect. Though our friendship was not close, I always thought the world of her. According to the obituary, Barb went on to become a nurse, to serve her nation in a variety of humane capacities, and to raise a loving family. My, how life’s journeys take us in so many directions.
Being one who has attended very few class reunions, these notices flash me back to faces that are wrinkle free and do not bear the imprints of life’s tribulations. Instead, I see the vibrancy and innocence of youth. I remember the person that was and not what he or she became. But after reflection, I mourn the loss of both, the youth and the adult, and again face my own mortality.
Guest Vignette by G.L. Rush
After a long absence G.L. returns with this humorous vignette. G.L. always generates positive comments. May you have a good chuckle. She may be contacted at g_larraine43@yahoo.com.
How Not to do Bird Watching
On the first Monday of the new year my husband is dressed and ready for work by 7:00, giving himself an extra forty-five minutes to read the paper while having breakfast. I had stayed up late the night before finishing a good book and am still upstairs snoozing. Suddenly, through a sleepy fog I hear my name being called from the bottom of the stairway.
"I have a problem down here and need your help." Oh boy, just what I want to hear first thing in the morning!
"What," I mumble none too cheerfully from the top of the steps.
"When I opened the door to get the paper, a bird flew in. Got any ideas how to get it?"
A bird! This is not good! I suggest throwing a big towel over it so we (or should I say he) can gather it up and throw it out the door. "Hey, Mom once killed a bat with a broom," I add.
"Well, I don't want to hurt it," That makes him much more merciful than me. I just want it out of my house!
"It's on the back of a chair in the dining room right now." Later, he passes me with a towel muttering something about this not being so easy. I agree. That's why I'm staying in the foyer clear of anything with wings.
Suddenly, I hear him yell, "It's coming your way. Open the door!" I do, letting in a blast of freezing 10 degree air. A problem, the bird is heading right towards me. I yell something about being dive-bombed as I hit the floor. It must have heard my earlier comment about the broom. The bird ignores the open door and circles around for another tour of the house.
Jerry asks if it went out. I yell, "No!" but that he will be seeing it very soon! A few minutes later I'm told once again to open the door and stay out of the way. I do what he says and the bird thankfully makes its exit.
While I am walking around checking for bird droppings, I tell Jerry that it was a female cardinal. I had noticed the light red feathers before diving to the floor.
Jerry laughs, "Well, you can go back to bed now." Right!...And dream about three-foot winged birds nesting in my hair. No, I'm up for the day!
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If you have a guest vignette you would like to submit, please do so. Not only will I enjoy reading it, but if agreeable with you and space permitting, printing it in a future issue. The vignette should be written in paragraph form and relate a personal story or event. Equally important, it should fit the overall tenor of this newsletter. Ideally, it should not exceed twenty lines. Please send to bob@poeticaljourneys.com.
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Recommendations
- Create a quiet place in your home or apartment: Some effort and conditioning of family is required to make this concept work. For example, early mornings before family are up and phone calls interrupt are what I find to be the best time for me.
- Take a look at the new online book and gift page.
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These sculptures were on display during the Christmas season.
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Included smaller carved items. Yes, the tiger was made of ice.
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Underneath the carpet are the ice stairs.
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The Capitol in Ice
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Penguins taking a break from the south
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"I can scarcely wait till tomorrow when a new life begins for me as it does each day, as it does each day." – Stanley Kunitz (1905 - 2006) American poet who was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress twice, first in 1974 and then again in 2000.
"Each day should be passed as though it were our last." – Publilius Syrus (Syrian writer of maxims who flourished in the 1st century B.C.)
"The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." – Joseph Campbell (1904 - 1987) American mythologist, writer and lecturer.
"You cannot avoid paradise; you can only avoid seeing it." – Charlotte Joko Beck (1917- present) Spiritual teacher.
"Knowing you are alive is feeling the planet buck under you, rear, kick, and try to throw you; you hang on to the ring. It is riding the planet like a log downstream, whooping." – Annie Dillard (1945 - present) Pulitzer Prize winning American author, best known for her narrative nonfiction.
A Bit of Humor
A bit of laughter is healthy for the soul.
A Pastor's Visit
A new pastor was visiting the homes of his parishioners.
At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door. Therefore, he took out a card and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the back of it and stuck it in the door.
When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message, "Genesis 3:10."
Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of laughter.
Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." Genesis 3:10 reads, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, for I was naked."
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Again, thanks to the A Quick Laugh.
Calendar Contest 2010
December Calendar Contest Winners: Elspeth from Montreal, Quebec; Lois from Fredericktown, OH; Pat from Howard, OH; Diane from New Zealand, and Anonymous from Ohio.
Sorry, the calendars are gone for this year, and the contest is over.
Contest Winners from the Past
By clicking on this link you can see winners from earlier contests. Anyone who has won a poet print in the past and would like to be pictured on the Grand Winners Page, please send via email a jpg of you holding the print.
Pay It Forward Final Update 2009 and the New 2010
Welcome to our premium subscriber section. Be the first to join the 2010 Page.
The final categorical amounts for Premium Subscribers for 2009 are as follows:
- Total Monetary: $20,400
- Total Volunteer Hours: 1020+
- Number of Premium Subscribers: 9
PJ Forum
If you have comments, recommendations, or suggestions for the PJ, please email them to bob@poeticaljourneys.com. While I often cannot print all of the comments, I respond to everyone's.
A special thanks to all who sent me holiday wishes!
"Congratulations Bob, 100 interesting, graphic, and educational journeys. I'll take this opportunity to wish all our readers a safe, peaceful and joyous 2010. Looking forward to next year. Always warmly" – Jerry from Victoria, Australia (Ed.: On behalf of our readers, the same sincere wishes to you.)
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"How exciting to open your newsletter this morning only to discover that I am a winner of one of your
beautiful calendars. I cannot wait to receive it! Wishing for you and your family, a happy, safe and memory making Christmas!" – Hollie from Galion, OH (Ed.: Funny the journeys that life takes. Turns out that Hollie was a former student of mine years ago and ended up recently subscribing to the PJ. By the way, she was a fine student and great human being.)
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". . . I have certainly enjoyed your travels, and I hope that 2010 will bring more great things from the Poetical Journal." – Bobbie from Texas (Ed.: Thank you so much for the kind wishes.)
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"First, let me say thanks for another beautiful calendar. I try to spread joy wherever I go, and therefore, I have lots of joy within. Just wanted to tell this little story to someone who would understand the importance of setting an example of kindness to everyone me meet. . .May we all keep the Spirit of Christmas alive all year long. . ." – Bev from Ohio (Ed.: Thank you, Bev. She shared a touching story about making a difference in someone's life.)
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"A note to wish you and yours all the best for Christmas and 2010. This past year has been a rather hectic one, and I have not been keeping up with writing notes to you from Montreal. We have had a couple of snow storms here but nothing like the scenes of Washington and the east coast on the news for the last few days. . .An update on Nick's, which was the subject of your contest and which is still my favorite restaurant. . .How they manage to do all this and keep the price so reasonable is beyond me." – Elspeth from Montreal (Ed.: Thank you for the greetings and updates. Elspeth provided much more tantalizing details. To my readers who go to the Montreal area, you may want to check Nick's out. She had me wanting to make the trip there. By the way, in the near future my new site Journeys Publishing will provide complete details when readers submit their suggestions about a favorite place or location. MORE later as the site evolves.)
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"Thank you Bob, for the beautiful Journal!. . ." – Steffanie from Vancouver (Ed.: My pleasure!)
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"I finally sat down tonight to read the PJ and clicked onto the web version. Wow, what a great opening picture for the Christmas issue! Enjoyed it all" – G.L. from Cinci (Ed.: Thank you and glad that you appreciated it.)
Reader Demographics
Geographically, subscribers reside in all U.S. states. Subscribers also live in Albania, Argentina, Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, & Western Australia), Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, & Quebec), Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, England, Estonia, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica - W.I., Japan, Kenya, Korea, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad - W.I., Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wales, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
If your state, province, or country is not mentioned, please let me know.
PJ Online
To read or copy back issues of the PJ, go to.
The next issue will be out on Sunday, February 28, 2010. It will focus on the third portion of cruising the Rhine & Mosel.
Until next time - joy and peace,
Bob
PJ Policies
Guest Poetry: Often readers send me a poem stating they would like it included in the PJ. Many of the poems are well written. Although I enjoy reading them, at this time I do not include guest poetry as part of this newsletter. Instead, I suggest that they submit them for inclusion in the Guest Poet section of my web site. A number have chosen to do so. However, time limitations and quality govern the number that will be accepted. I currently am not accepting poetry from minors.
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Guest Vignettes: On occasion, I publish guest vignettes submitted by one of my readers. If a guest vignette is submitted and selected, the author understands that there is no remuneration provided; the vignette will be included in the e-mailed and web site versions; and will remain posted until I choose to remove it from the site. In all cases, the guest vignette remains the property of the guest author who has given permission for its usage as described in sentences one and two.
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Privacy: I take it very seriously. Your name will never be sold to a third party nor will we disclose at any time your subscription information.
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Unsolicited Mailing: The PJ is never sent unless requested. If you believe you received the PJ unsolicited, please notify me. I will unsubscribe you.
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Reproduction and Forwarding: While the material is copyrighted, you have permission to forward all or part of this newsletter. You may also quote from it. Out of common courtesy (We will forget all the legal jargon and requirements.), I would appreciate at least a mention or a footnote. -- Much appreciated!
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Recommendations: All recommendations are personal ones offered for your information. I receive no remuneration of any kind from the sources or individuals being recommended – other than when I recommend purchasing my books. Actually, many are never aware of their listing. One may ask, "Why do you provide recommendations for specific establishments or locations, especially since many of your readers are worldwide and may never be able to use the information?" The key word is "may." When I travel, I plan much of the itinerary myself. This planning includes reading and listening to recommendations from professional and personal sources. My wish is that any suggestions provided will assist some readers as they make their plans. (Incidentally, I have already received feedback that readers use them.)
Subscription: To unsubscribe click on your individualized unsubscribe e-mail at the end of this newsletter. (Not appropriate for this web page.) Or send a BLANK e-mail (Be sure not to write anything in the subject or body) to
leave-poetjournal@pro.netatlantic.com
Bob Casey
Poetical Journeys
P.O. Box 319
Fredericktown, OH 43019
bob@poeticaljourneys.com
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