What Color is Your Homeland?

A colleague and I attended a conference several states away. It was a valuable conference, but by the time it was over, we were ready to come home. Looking out the plane window after 30 minutes of flight, I saw green. The next time I looked, I poked my colleague and said, "Look! It's brown!" Hooray! We were getting closer to our arid home!

Now I've moved, and my eyes are adjusting to green, green, green. At first I was thrown by the lack of colors in the pallette here. I still love my desert reds and browns. But now I'm getting acclimated. Green is no longer boring, but fresh, lush, verdant, and full of promise.

What color is your homeland and what does that mean to you?

Synapses Afire!

Experts say that to keep the brain alert, active, and creative, we need to keep challenging it and trying new things. If that is so, you might see smoke coming out my ears, my synapses are firing so fast!

Since I last wrote, I have (with the assistance of dear ones--THANK YOU!) packed up my household of 10 years, left my job of 17 years, moved two states away, gotten married, taken a honeymoon to a place I'd never been, merged two households, met new in-laws, and remember where I put the things I've unpacked. I've changed my name, address, phone number, drivers license and license plates, hairdresser, medical caregivers, church, grocery store, and umpteen other things.

Though I was familiar with my new city, I still need to concentrate on what route to take to my destination and back, mindful that Hansel & Gretel's breadcrumb method didn't work. So far, I haven't gotten hopelessly lost or needed more than two tries to get where I was going. But I do allow for extra time, and my usual efficient self feels stymied by having to try so hard to do the basics.

If the brain experts are right, all this mental exercise will result in excellent mental health and acuity into old age and happily ever after.

To keep your brain sharp, see the puzzles at Brain Metrix: http://www.brainmetrix.com/index.htm

What's Your Motto?

It's graduation time, and you are probably receiving announcements from the Class of 2008. Class officers no doubt labored over choices for class colors, flower, and motto, offering selections for class votes.

My class had a choice of three, each of which had its fans who offered impassioned pleas to choose their favorite. In the end, we chose "The world will stop to let anyone pass who knows where he is going." The words were strung in two lines across the top of the stage the night of graduation, and we proudly sat beneath them in our caps and gowns. Not until the yearbook came out did we discover something perhaps more truthful. The page showing the graduates on stage had cut off the top line of the motto. The words above us in the photo were "Who Knows Where He is Going?"

Never Enough Poetry

Don't say goodbye to poetry just because National Poetry Month is over! Enjoy poetry year 'round by visiting poetry sites. A few favorites are listed below:

Poetry for Children blog http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/ features new poems and poetry books for children.

Representative Poetry Online http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/display/ is sponsored by the University of Toronto, Canada, and holds a large, searchable catalog of poets and poems.

Children's Haiku Garden http://homepage2.nifty.com/haiku-eg/ offers original haiku by children from around the world, many with accompanying artwork.

Giggle Poetry http://www.gigglepoetry.com/ is a fun site for humorous children's poems written by such favorite kids' poets as Bruce Lansky, Kenn Nesbitt, and Eric Ode.

Poets.org http://www.poets.org/ has poetry and a wealth of information about poetry. This site also sponsors A Poem a Day, which sends you a poem a day via email. Sign up here: http://www.poets.org/poemADay.php

These are just the top of the iceberg. Get online or go to your library to find more poetry.

Hail, Poetry!

It's National Poetry Month AND prom season!

Here'a a little something to honor both:

Hail, Poetry,
My high-falutin’ friend.
You dress the ordinary in organza
Like a tomboy at her first prom,

Bedazzled by her beauty.

Challenge:

How does poetry enhance your life? What would you compare it to?

Happy Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month. To T.S. Eliot, April was "the cruelest month" but around here, we are rejoicing in the first spurts of spring.

Here is some ancient poetry from the Song of Songs celebrating spring:

For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;

the time of the singing of birds is come,

and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

Live in the Moment

“Live in the moment.” Surely you’ve heard that before and discovered living in the moment is easier said than done. Our pasts color our present and future with memories and experiences. Our futures are unknown, leaving our presents fraught with anticipation or anxiety. If we think too much about the past or future, we will miss out on the here and now. Yes, memories can give us joy, and experiences give us lessons. Planning for the future is good and responsible. But thinking too much about either leaves us without a present.

Karina Sabac http://www.karinasabac.com/, a concert pianist, says that music is one thing in the moment. If you think about anything else for a second, you miss playing or hearing the note, detracting from the piece as a whole.

Stop right now and notice the sights, sounds, and smells around you. During what activities do you concentrate solely on the activity and nothing else? What activities make you feel most alive?

This year’s Easter sermon reminded the congregation that because of the resurrection, we need not fear death. The pastor’s main message, though, was that we need not fear life.

Dare to live in the moment—one moment at a time.