Even up the Playing Field. Turn that 9 upside down…

Been almost 3 years since Coach, aka Jellyhead, gave Girlie the 411 on contracts and such. And Girlie? Did she wind up getting signed by that other team? Rumor went ’round for months she was spotted on the field hours after midnight (the in-between time when shadows aren’t only shadows). As much as she respected Coach, she needed to find out for herself, who really writes the playbook.

Blizzards anyone? Forgive the cynicism but “bomb cyclone“? Really? There are some mornings I’m not listening to the Ramones or Metallica and instead listen to NPR on my morning commute. Like today. Oh my goodness. So let’s interview a female scientist of the weather/meteorology type and have her explain in her just dramatic enough, incredibly attractive, accented voice, what a jet stream is. Do we not know about the jet stream? Is this new science? Have we not had horrific winter storms ever before? And so she went on to explain about the awful impending bomb cyclone that would ravage our eastern seaboard. No doubt this has been a raging storm, but I so dislike the sensationlism associated with weather events.

Now that you have a sense of my mood this evening, lol, let us try to proceed with writing a 6 Sentence Story, a 6 Sentence anything, something! for inclusion in Zoe’s weekly bloghop, Six Sentence Story. I daresay our hostess is quite snowed in and maybe even working on a snowy 6 of her own. We can hope, can’t we? 🙂

“How the hell can I pitch with the wind screaming like that, let alone so crazylike it winds up hurling the ball way, way left of the plate?

If I told you once I’ve told you 5 million times, it’s all in the curve. You gotta know about the curve, when to use, how to use it, how to control it.. and ya got to have an eye.

Listen, they think you can’t pitch, ya have to make ’em believe you can. This is your last chance anywhere so let’s start again….and remember, too many balks, they’ll boot you like an empty can of chew. The winning or the losing is all about the pitch.”

 

Travel, Trials, Revelations. It’s a 6 Sentence Story.

Shawn Colvin sings to me, her voice velvety sweet,  a steady drip out of the earbuds into my head. I have Clark to thank initially for sending me this link. Then Kerry “commented” at my TToT. Her link was sufficient to send me on a discovery journey of an artist I was well aware of at the beginning of her career. While I had a friend who was a huge fan of Ms. Colvin back in the day, I simply did not listen to her music on purpose. Until now.

Life. It is about the journey, is it not? Past, present, blended like a vanilla and chocolate soft serve. (don’t believe the guy at the counter…jimmies are not mandatory).

So, it’s all of a Wednesday evening and I sit once again trying my hand at writing a Six Sentence Story. While the link is live now, tomorrow (unless it is already Thursday where you live) begins the official start of  our hostess Zoe’s bloghop. What say we tap out some words for Ms. Zoe. 6 sentences. That’s it. How simple. (no, no I did not say easy lol) But it is fun, so why don’t you try one your own self! This week’s cue word: MATE.

Carried by the years, buoyed by the knowing, the sharing, they stood all salty, crusted like aged barnacles, time puddling around them.

Elements, experience, travel, trials and tribulations, the stuff of which life is made reflected in their gaze, markers of the passage towards the inevitable, if one were so arrogant as to assume it was somewhere distant on the horizon.

“Momma, momma I’m comin’ home…hush now don’t you cry, wipe away the teardrop from your eye” are the echoes of sound waves smashing like atoms, bending time.

Matter conforming to the curve of space time or vice versa? Special indeed, who were you really, Albert?

You made the concept of time travel real and for that, I’m going to need a little more mate….

No. No Cannibalism at the TToT Today.

Good morning. Welcome to GirlieOnTheEdge. I almost, almost used words from a dustified partial draft, languishing backstage for another Ten Things of Thankful that never went live. Like walking a salvage yard, I couldn’t find the right year, right model for the parts I needed. No never mind. The yard is huge. Huge. I’ll keep walking…

I sit in the room of re-direction. (how much for a #1? cool. throw it in the wagon). Only I’m not alone. Scratching the inside of my cranium for a shred of creativity, I am distracted by another person. Sitting at his table, monitor front and center, his creative energies fully engaged, I hear his words tapped into life with each successive keystroke, his musical selection overdubbing any tracks I might think to lay down. But it’s Oh-kay.

This is at once a thankful, the room of re-direction, but the distractions of another person fully engaged in creative expression at the cost of mine? Should be an anti-thanks, non? But it’s not. It is appears as #2 on the thanks’ometer. I am thankful I call this person friend, mentor, family.

Thank you Josie for hosting this bloghop. It is one of 2 bloghops that have served as life support for my creative self  lo these fleeting years. TT #3? Why the hostess of the other life support system, Zoe who links us weekly to Six Sentence Story Thursday. I ain’t ready to pull the plug ladies. Not yet.

Hey, lookee here! It’s 7:13 pm the same day and guess what? No time to finish. (not again!) I have to leave shortly to ride shot gun with Clark while he drives through Wakefield hosting the Wakefield Doctrine Saturday Night Drive Call In. A perfect #4 while #5 is the Wakefield Doctrine.

Guess what? It’s Sunday morning so I can now say I am thankful that Cynthia called in last night and filled us in on her recent adventures. She is a busy woman with many creative projects in various forms of development. I am thankful to know her. And so, #6.

I do not write the thanks in any particular order and so must not overlook thanks for an uneventful (as in safe!) and rather quick drive to RI a week ago yesterday. My expectations were to be driving for much longer because of holiday travel. It was not so. A pleasant 7 hour trip. Thankful #7 🙂 Does a wish for the same on my return trip count as a thankful, lol?

#8. The weather has been great. A tad cold but it is winter in the northeast afterall.

#9. Time spent with my sister-in-law carrying on our tradition of decorating the tree house for Christmas 😀

#10. Always for the day, this day. My only day.

Woke up again. Now what?

“Morning people. Welcome to GirlieOnTheEdge. (It’s now afternoon of the following day. More to the point then, I guess, no?)

So how does that manifest for you? Do you ever wake with that thought?
“…woke up, another day, now what?”  Of course. It’s a given. We all have the “things” to do, that’s part of life. But what about that other part, the “hey, my life is counting down, so let’s make this one be the best, could be the last day…” Naah, no pressure there! lol

I suppose it is a part of the aging process that we become more conscious of the no future out in the distance like we once took for granted. The one where we do everything “then” when we get there. Life procrastination. We’re all guilty of it.

Yup. Woke up yesterday morning in quite the contemplative mood, all with dark opaque shades occluding the light of positive thought. Well, not completely opaque. There was enough light to shine on the “wtf are you going to do today to make a difference in the outcome of life as you know it now, huh??”

Now that, my friends appears to be my segue into this week’s Ten Things of Thankful. My contribution to the bloghop hosted by our most gracious of hostesses, Josie.

1st place goes to the Wakefield Doctrine. Without it, I wouldn’t have the ability to figure out why people behave the way they do, appreciate another’s personal reality. If you are familiar with the life tool, the perspective, that is the Wakefield Doctrine, then you know what I’m talking about. If you’ve not heard of it, check it out here. Browse the site, read some comments, ask a question! Clark will answer with his typical enthusiasm. After all, he is the creator of the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers.

Alrighty then! Let’s crunch those other numbers shall we? No. 2 only because it comes to mind is, weather, season. The time of year I love and don’t love at the same time 😀 I love the fall colors, the witnessing of nature changing her clothing. (ew! that didn’t come out right! not what I meant!)

No. 3. Witnessing and enjoying youth. More specifically, that of my 2 young nephews, great-nephews to be more precise. Hopefully, I have a special placement along their timeline when one day, as adults, they will recall fond memories of “Aunt Denise”. Our nature walks, Saturday movie nights, riding in my car, the Ramones playing. (the 8 year old is fond of the Ramones 🙂 )

No. 4. While it is not my chosen profession, my job. I am most thankful to work with a great group of people and be afforded the opportunity to learn a lot. I can honestly say, it is always a challenge. And that is a good thing.

No. 5. My health. I recently attended a “send off” dinner for a co-worker who will soon be undergoing a bone marrow transplant. While these operations are never guaranteed, I have confidence she will recover, come back to work, return to her life, her family. Her spirit has been tremendous, her attitude phenomenal. She truly is an inspiration.

No. 6. I’m thankful for the inspriration of those I’ve come to know through the internet. Through the telling of their stories, events from their lives, their accomplishments and even their failures. A special shout out to Josie each time she leaves a comment on one of my posts. She never fails to stop by and while I am guilty of not always recipricating in kind, she should know that her comments are always thought provoking and always give me food for thought.

No 7. A new apple! That’s right. It’s called Sweetie Crispy. No, it’s not a Honey Crisp. It is my new favorite for however long it is in season.

No. 8. I cannot not list music as a thankful.

No. 9. My laptop. That’s right. I have yet to purchase a new one. I have difficulty letting go of her. She is still functioning. Sure, she takes spells, has momentary lapses but who doesn’t? I will know when it is time to let her rest.

Thankful 10. Today. And each day I can call “today”. It is my gift, it is my opportunity. It is my responsibility.

Sometimes it’s OK to Break the Rules. It’s a TToT.

Summer’s still hanging around these parts. Came out of the gym this yesterday afternoon around 1:45 into beaming, screaming still summer sunshine and humidity. A bit of a contrast to the fall foliage changing color thing going on. But hey, no complaints. No sir. It may look like you should wear a sweater but I can wait 🙂 [didn’t have to wait long! I needed, but did not wear, a sweater today!!]

I realize I’m a tad really late in posting but time has taken on an entirely new characteristic. It has become evasive. Be that as it may, my first TF is for Josie Two Shoes for her gracious willingness to host this bloghop, the Ten Things of Thankful. Even when she is busy with life and travelling and such, she still provides us the opportunity to link up and share our thankfuls, our gratefuls, our not so ‘fuls each and every week. Thank you J.

TF #2. Ability to think outside the box. Yeah, let’s call it that.
So last Wednesday night driving home from work I was lucky enough to have an experience that got me thinking about stuff. Why yes! thinking of stuff in terms of the Wakefield Doctrine. Another lightbulb going on moment, another affirmation of the Doctrine. (I realized there were way too many words in my describing the experience for a TToT! Whatsay I write about it in a post all by itself!) 

TF#3. I bought myself some flowers for my desk at work this last week. They make me smile everytime I look at them. “Fun-fetti flowers” anyone? 😀 TF#4. I forgot this one! On one of my lunchtime walks recently, I walked by this tree. The bark, or lack thereof, looked really cool, almost surreal…  

TF#5. Possible new coffee shop stop? Sitting on the corner of University and Main, this little shop is within walking distance of my now, not so new office.          TF#6. Decided to enjoy a walk before dark. On my return trip, I spotted this black squirrel on the side of a tree, head pointing towards the ground. Tried to get closer for a better picture but didn’t want to spook him. He was way cooler looking in real life 🙂       

TF#7. New shoes! Always a thankful, eh? 😀

TF#8. I am thankful for the generosity of one of my co-workers. A couple of weeks ago she went apple picking. A few days later she brings into work home made apple crumble pie. Dee-ee-licious! The pie was gone before lunch. Once word went out, poof! Last week she gave me a mason jar of apple butter. Bliss in a jar 🙂

TF#9. YouTube gods! No, lol cuz it’s not really them I’m thankful. It’s for something else…something un-nameable. Youtube gods in this instance because it was through the youtube that I was reminded that there is power all around us, all the time. And sometimes, it tosses us a morsel or two as a reminder. How else do I explain, through no obvious connection from previous youtube searches, the musical suggestion made to me and which I’ve provided for you today. I had long forgotten Stanley, forgotten School Days, hell, forgotten Return to Forever. Forgotten a part of my past. This was my gift. Memories that had tumbled out of my consciousness into the vast repository for all things loved.

TF#10. Each day. Reminders. Glimpses. Moments out of time.

Runnin’ Down a Dream…

Hello. Welcome to GirlieOnTheEdge. It is a TTofThankful. So, how do you thank dead people? How do I thank Tom Petty. I don’t own Tom’s full catalog of music.  In fact, there’s a lot of his music I don’t know. What I do know, is that when my “significant other” musicians die, it’s like a part of me has died. Tom became part of me in the 80’s with Damn the Torpedos. Did he know what a strong conduit his music was for me? For you? It’s a physical thing. It’s an emotional thing. It’s a body thing. To this day.

Many of us have favorites musicians, songwriters. Some have significant impact, some are pleasant backdrops and some… are lifelong accoutrements we hope will always be there. They are people we fall in love with at particular times of our life. They are people we love forever, regardless of age, circumstance. Because they were always there for us. In happy times. Not happy times. When others in our lives disappeared, drifted away, these people, these artists, were/are always with us. They never fail us. They never leave us.

Today’s TToT is a little bit different. Tom is my first thankful. I’ve left the remaining numbers open. For you. Tell me some of your musical “significant others”, dead or alive, who have impacted your life. Who are your Toms, Johnnys, Davids, Maurices, Glenns… Tell me in your comment, I’ll write them in. And they don’t have to be dead ‘cuz really? the music never dies.

1. Tom Petty
2. Leon Russell, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Croce, Harry Chapin, John Lennon and more…thanks Rich!
3. Whitney Houston, Frank Sinatra and Simon and Garfunkel…Thanks!
4. Irish Rovers; Kingston Trio; Chad Mitchell Trio; Peter, Paul, and Mary. Thank you Kristi 🙂
5. Glenn Miller (and all those Big Band greats!) Thank you Mimi 😀
6. Cat Stevens courtesy of Josie!
7. Bjork is the first of 3 from Kerry. The younger generation listens to Bjork!
8. Cranberries
9. Cher

Copy that Zen Masters. The Edge’s got Nothin’ on You!

Hello and good evening. Maybe it will be evening when you read this. Maybe not. Perhaps it will be morning. Or afternoon. Irrelevant. Welcome to GirlieOnTheEdge, whenever you read this, my entry in Zoe’s sensational, Six Sentence Story bloghop.

I haven’t written a 6 in awhile. Funny thing happened on my way to the…amazing how ancient movie references still linger in our minds after, well, you do the math! Sometimes to get a boulder rolling somewhere in this stoneless quarry that is my creative head, I will google the cue word. And sometimes I’ll tack on an additional word. Tonight, instead of googling the cue word “fluid”,  I googled “fluid reality”. 

While I feel “fluid reality” is an inadequate descriptor of my 30 minutes or so of walking at lunch today, it was all I could think to google:) The search results were certainly in keeping with my assessment of my time out of doors this afternoon.

I made a deal with Zoe earlier. If she threw up, I’d throw up….a Six Sentence Story. So here she blows 😀

No cloud deigned to obscure the sun’s majestic rule over this day.
A day of simple, crystaline beauty, pregnant with immeasurable power.
No barrier, no film obscuring my vision of the reality that lay before me.
I was one with my surroundings, absorbed in a fluid landscape.
Blue sky blending with black asphalt, green, turning fall, trees dotted the crisply mown grass as I journeyed.
Time ceased in an autumn still life all my own…

The Edge. Still Got the blues for you…a TToT

Gary’s dead. Unusual circumstances notwithstanding, those of my generation will all succomb at some point. Death stands, red brocade rope on either side, hand extended waiting to take our ticket, tear it in half. But the popcorn is free, as is everything at the massive concession stand beyond those red ropes.

Good morning! Hm. I wrote the intro paragraph yesterday morning. What a difference a day makes. Or does it? Do we trick ourselves into thinking “today will be different”? How do we/can we measure, gauge, what I like to call, self-evolution?

Clark, the creator of the Wakefield Doctrine, the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers, and the blog of the same name, hosts the Wakefield Doctrine Saturday Night Drive Call in show. (necessary info is on the Doctrine’s home page.) Cynthia Sageleaf is a frequent caller and last night was no exception. It was an enjoyable call and, as is often the case when Cynthia calls in, the conversation extends well beyond the 8:45 pm “end” time. Last evening, while catching up on the most recent developments and acomplishments in Ms. Sageleaf’s life, we got onto the topic of “change” and “self development”. How does it manifest? When, can we, as the subject take note to it’s effects in our lives, other lives?

You may be scratching your head and thinking, “damn! what stimulating  conversation…not!” lol…and yet, it is! We always have a delightful, engaging, often humorous exchange of life’s observations. Since Clark, Cynthia and myself are clarks, the conversation naturally is centric to how we continue to learn the language and behavoir of the scotts and rogers in our world. As clarks, it is all about understanding. With understanding comes recognition. With recognition comes action. See how that works for a clark?

If you are a clark, no doubt this will resonate with you. If not, remember the basic principle: scotts act, clarks think and rogers feel. What is the Wakefield Doctrine? It is a perspective, it is a tool. It is, for me, indispensible.

Hey Josie! You still there? Order comin’ right up….10 Things of Thankful:

1. the Wakefield Doctrine. For the obvious, but also as the vehicle by which I made Cyndi’s aquaintance when she called in that Saturday night so long ago:)
2. The results show the osteoporosis in my spine can now be considered ostopenia. Break out the streamers and balloons. Good news:D
3. Music. Always a thankful. And not just music but the obvious! the artists who create the magic that provides escape, energy, motiviation, calm, sadness…the emotional engineers in my life.
4. I am thankful for the encouragement I receive to not give up on writing. To not give up on re-learning to play my bass.

5.  So the picture over there from the eclipse is supposed to be on this side of 5. What the hell. Someday, oneday, if I have some more of them, I will work on the whole inserting pictures into a post. The thankful? I’m not embarrassed by my seeming inability to manipulate basic blog features/functions!

6. Second Chance Thrift store run by my local Humane Society.

7.  Rockin’ Rasberry Cheesecake Ice Cream.

8.  So this is going to sound weird but, I’m grateful that I still notice shit. Let’s face it, sometimes, we all kind of rush through the day without taking the time to remind ourselves to slow down, all the while not having a clue of all the cool stuff we missed out on. Observations of people, places, synchronistic events, weather, the hue of a sky, the timbre of light at a precise moment. We lose the sense of being in the moment.

9.  Dammit! Look at the form this post has taken. See! I should have put the picture at the very end. Then I would have a nice centered list with a fanning out at the end. OMG. What an old person I am. Or, is it the lack of patience. Or thinking that I should be doing something else more important. Higher on the scale of “stuff I want to accomplish”, the worrying about a future that doesn’t exist and won’t if I don’t take the damn time to turn off my brain and be in the moment right now. Enjoy it, take care of it and not look so far ahead. Afterall, there may not be a tomorrow. So, be happy with today. Funny, that also was a topic that came up in the call last night. The idea of time. How to better use it, what causes us to lose track of it in the first place and the helpful methods for staying “on track”

10.  Today. Not tomorrow. Today. I will not tire of reminding myself and you, that today is our gift. Let’s not squander it. That doesn’t mean it has to be filled with activity and “doing stuff”. It simply means we should engage and participate in “the moments that make up a dull day”.

Reaching the Edge, it’s a Six Sentence Story

OK, the rules say it’s not too late! It’s Thursday night, 8:37 pm and, while I could post tomorrow, it would seem anti-climatic if I did. It’s opening day after all! Thank you Ms. Zoe! for hosting this weekly bloghop, on this, Six Sentence Thursday.

Every week our estimable hostess reveals for us the “word of the week”. This week’s challenge word? Border. Use it however you wish just as long as your contribution is no longer, no shorter than 6 sentences.

Now, without further adieu (pun intended!)….

Bordering on the edge of insanity, Sr. Cedric decided today was the day her first grade students would either behave or suffer the consequences.

Her efforts to control her young charges appeared to have little to no residual effect as they were as rambunctious and noisy, unrepentant and precocious as ever!

Not one child believed her when she told them she was leaving until she instructed Peter Miller to pull the window shades halfway and then open a couple of the transom windows; then… it started sinking in.

The short, somewhat stout nun calmly walked the width of the classroom toward and out the door turning off the lights as she left, closing the door softly behind her.

As the shock began to wear off and the reality that our teacher had just abandoned us set in, many of us began crying as we realized this was the real deal, Sr. Cedric left, she was gone.

And then.. the sound of the principal’s voice sounded over the loudspeaker…

Even at the Edge, there’s a TToT

Welcome to GirlieOnTheEdge. I am your hostess, Girlie. As is my prediliction as a clark, I find myself in “transition”. Self induced. My body’s own reaction to…life. In it’s present form. We, the perenial journeymen (and women!) struggle always to find our way, our place in the world around us. LOL. Now if that doesn’t resonate, you know you’re not a clark 🙂

New readers, I speak of the Wakefield Doctrine, aka the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers. clarks, do yourself a favor and click on the Doctrine link. No thanks necessary. scotts, rogers? Please do the same. I will not be offended if you come back here and ask me, what for (rogers). I would be doing newcomers a disservice if I did not mention that there are scotts and rogers with a strong secondary clarklike aspect who will also find the Wakefield Doctrine….curious and helpful. Enjoy. All of  you.

I offer today, a 10 Things of Thankful post. In the tradition begun by it’s orginator Lizzi O’Ryan, née Lewis, and now presented under the administration of one Josie Two Shoes, I offer these 10 thankfuls.

1.  Thunderstorms. And the new sense of comfort I feel listening to them.

2.  the Wakefield Doctrine. (goes without saying, but doesn’t hurt to acknowledge)

3. Libraries.

4. Serendipity. While at the local library, I picked up a summer events calendar. Perusing the free upcoming concerts, I noticed this name, Eilen Jewell. I never heard of her until now. I will be going to the show on August 24th 😀

5. Discovering new music.

6. For sunshine after the rain. Here, I can’t help myself lol

7. New post at the Rag, the Secessionist Rag. Yep, the progenitor roger has re-emerged.

8. other clarks.

9. Speaking of! A clark with a wellspring of incredible writing projects, Claire Perez Ekman, has just published A New Season Revisited. Now available in paperback. Congratulations Claire!

10. Today. My only day. A day I began with a very particular schedule in mind and which has been altered tres drastically. The special thanks is my ability to accept and adapt and embrace nonetheless. Embrace people. Embrace.