Whodunit

I can’t remember the last time I took the opportunity to sit down and read a book. I haven’t been a reader since my younger days and then it was Mickey Spillane detective stuff. Yeah I know; pretty ancient material at best. With the advent of the computer, you couldn’t tear me away from the screen, and so, has been the story of my life.

Many things happen to dictate the roads in life you will take. Health has been one of them for me and the challenge of survival. Picking up a book was not high on my list of priorities. Of course all that changed a short while ago, when my computer died an unnatural death! At first I thought it was the end of my world, for try as I may, I came up short in the fix it dep’t. Weeks turned into months and I could not accept that my baby was beyond repair, no matter what they told me. Eventually I was proved right, but that’s another story.

Over the winter months we have watched a lot of movies on DVD/blue ray. We get them from our library. One was a “Kurt Wallander” mystery video. It was taken from several novels written by Swedish writer Henning Mankell. What proved interesting about that was a second disc which covered an interview with the author. After listening to him and being so enthralled with the movie, I just had to read one of his books. That was it! He has written twelve books in the ‘Kurt Wallender series’. Since then I have read six of them and am part way through number seven! I can’t ever remember being so consumed by a book the way I have with this series. The books are about 400 to 500 pages long but I just seem to devour them. It’s been a long time since I had books that you just cannot put down. I recently went through a two week period where I could not get another book until more came in to the library. Can you believe I went through Wallander withdrawal symptoms!

If you like intrigue that you just sink into and become one of the characters, then this is a read for you.

C'ya

Subtle Things

I sat there waiting, watching and still wondering what to believe. Like millions of others we had followed the aftermath of the Japan disaster. Seeing such devastation left no doubt in anyone’s mind as to the size of the recovery task that lay ahead. Then came the nuclear reactors and radiation tragedy and the whole world reeled in horror at the size of the fallout.

I read a science article of the physical effect on the planet earth, and how the disaster had affected the axis of the world. One report stated that the axis had been changed by as much as eight feet. This revelation is staggering!

It was barely noticeable at first, but this last couple of days something didn’t seem quite right. That’s when it hit me. The sun wasn’t reaching across the room as it usually did, that’s why I was watching. I was up early this morning, for I wanted to test this theory. Slowly the sun crept up to the living room window and started its journey into the room. In the opposite corner we have some tropical plants that are flourishing very well. I watched as the sun rose a little higher, moving along the wall, and ever so slowly across the carpet. Eventually the sun would bathe the whole of the opposite wall, including the plants. They would reach out in all their glory for this daily treat, as short as it would be, then the sun would move on for another day.

I couldn’t believe it! The whole routine was different!

Now when the sun lights up the room, it comes in a little lower and only partially across the wall. It doesn’t even reach the corner with the plants anymore. Instead it travels across the carpet and stops short, roughly eight feet! Can this be possible?

So I ask you, have you noticed any small subtle detail in your life since the Japan disaster? If it wasn’t for the plants, I might have missed it.

C'ya

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is 'Please don't go'. by Barcelona)..

This song was in a trailer for the movie 'Water for Elephants', the book is a wonderful read, by Sara Gruen.

C'ya

Christmas

It’s that time of year once again, different people call it varying names but in our house we call it Christmas. When you get to a certain age there are very few surprises left, maybe that’s why the numbers get smaller as well. People come and people go, some move but most pass on and all you are left with are memories.

This morning the wife went to open the door ready to go out and almost stepped on a small package, tucked neatly up against the door so that you could hardly miss it. This is what Christmas is all about.



This is a very special gift,
That you can never see
The reason it's so special is
It's just for you and me.
Whenever you are lonely
Or even feeling blue
You only have to hold this gift
And know I think of you.
You never can unwrap it
Please leave the ribbon tied.
Just hold this package close to you
It's filled with love inside.

Love Madge


A Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

C'ya

How Old Are You ?

something I thought was cute to share...


Age is a quality of mind.
If you have left your dreams behind,
If hope is cold,
If you no longer look ahead,
If your ambition's fires are dead,
Then you are old.

You know your getting older when:

The gleam in your eye comes from the sun hitting your bifocals.
When the mind makes a commitment that the body can't fulfill.
You feel like "the morning after" but you haven't been anyplace.
Your little black book contains only the names ending in M.D.
Your back goes out more often than you do.
You get winded playing cards.
You look forward to a dull evening.
You know all the answers, but no one asks you the questions.
You sit in your rocking chair, but can't get it going.
Your knees buckle, but your belt won't.
You have too much room in the house, but not enough in the medicine cabinet.
You sink your teeth into a steak and they stay there.

have a Merry Christmas

C'ya

OLD AGE

These shriveled sinews and this bending frame,
The workmanship of Time's strong hand proclaim;
Skilled to reverse what e'er the gods create,
And make that crooked which they fashion straight.
Hard choice for man, to die -- or else to be
That tottering, wretched, wrinkled thing you see:
Age then we all prefer; for age we pray,
And travel on to life's last, lingering day;
Then sinking slowly down from worse to worse,
Find heaven's extorted boon our greatest curse.

by: Crates 470 BC

C'ya

Enigma/Sojourner

A few days ago I received the sad news that my friend in the states had passed on. Like myself, he too suffered with this COPD, but his case has been much worse than mine.

I first met James whose internet handle was Enigma/Sojourner, in a COPD thread. We became friends quite quickly because like me, he also was a writer. Believe me Enigma could make the English language stand on its head in his orations; he was that prolific with his words. No matter his topic, people would just hang on every word, such was his eloquence. He was also a very accomplished artist with his portrait painting; his work just took your breath away. He was such a talented man in so many ways.

In addition to his writing and painting, he built boats, was quite a fitness guy with his running, being an ex marine and had a way with the ladies that would charm the hair off a coconut. His heart though was lost to his wife a long time ago. Never have I ever read so much feeling in a poem, as when he opened the door to his soul, writing to Mary. Of course like myself, he had an insatiable thirst and knowledge of poetry. His passing has really come too soon for such a talented man, what a waste to the world. His contributions through his words already are sorely missed. Sleep easy my friend.

In closing I have written a poem for my friend, for he would expect it of me and I could not have it any other way.

Don’t bury me

Don’t bury me where the sun can’t shine.
But on a hillside treed and green
Where I could see the oaks and smell the pine
Where the birds once sang and preened.

I’d like to think, that my spirit can roam,
Hills and valleys that reach to the sea,
Where the smell of the brine, and the crisp ozone
Ships in sail ride the waves, sleek and free.

I have written my words and have sang all my songs,
I’ve worked on the beaches, and I’ve gazed upon sights
My journey’s all done, the lifes highway so long.
I rest, my eyes closed - under cool starry nights.

Eric Valentine June 7th 2010 ©

C'ya