New Year's Eve 2012

New Year's Eve and I / eye each other, like cats who / could be friends - maybe.

Haiku du jour

Holiday cards flutter
in like snow, making my life
glitter and glisten.

Haiku du Jour

the holiday calms
the morning rush, the world stills -
my heart opens wide

Blackout - Haiku du jour

blackout tonight - no
noisy toys - now I can hear
the moon, see the wind





Life in Michigan involves power outages - a combination of trees, high winds, and downed power lines. It was startling to realize how many electrical gadgets get me through my day, but nice to just go to bed because there was nothing else to do.

Haiku 3 du Jour

daily office joke -
morning coffee, mid-morning
scramble, closed restrooms

Haiku 2 du Jour

the air grows colder,
noisy holidays draw near -
maple leaves linger

Haiku du Jour

chasing yellow leaves,
I bid farewell to summer,
to another year

Fall - Haiku du Jour

open skies over
a golden carpet of leaves -
endings and beginnings

Fall planting - Haiku du Jour

for lilies, I will
bury gnarled bulbs deep in fall
for sweetness in spring.

Going to a lily bulb sale on Saturday meant that I spent a lot of time digging, weeding, and mulching on Sunday. And I had to put up the varmint fence a second time. It will all be worth it in the spring. I know.

Fall Garden - Haiku du Jour

groomed and mulched,
brown earth settles in to sleep
and dream through winter

I took down the leggy tomato plants last weekend - a sure sign fall is here. Still deciding what to do with all the green tomatoes left.

haiku du jour

Uninspired, I
Gaze at my blog's empty space
And nothing happens.



Nothing personal, but I'm just not coming up with ideas. I may be just going through a fallow phase. Sheesh.

Film shoot - Haiku du jour

hats, gloves, cold night air,
no script, art is hard -
"it's a wrap", he says

An indie film maker has honored me with a role in a horror film, even though I have no acting experience. After many hours stumbling through the process of making art, it's very satisfying to hear the director tell us we delivered. I only got to bed at three, and the hoped-for campfire failed after several tries and much lighter fluid (damp wood), but it was worth it.

Hair toys - Haiku du Jour

transparent cream and beige -
once protection, the horn comb
hoists my hair skyward


Once you have long hair, the hunger for hair toys/accessories begins. Some new toys arrived from Vietnam via Etsy. So not plastic!

Victory Rolls - Haiku du jour

they cannot be small,
my victory rolls, my hair
demands opulence.

I dabble in retro looks, mostly to avoid falling into lazy hairstyle habits (the eternal frumpy ponytail, for example). My thick hair looks dreadful when I try small rolls, but suddenly turns cooperative when I twirl a large barrel. I look very Andrews Sister-ly tonight.

Blah - Haiku du jour

seeking elegance
and delicate images -
no luck, i'm just blah.

This is what happens when inspiration deserts me, even on a Friday.

Last lily - Haiku du jour

lily petals fall,
maple leaves curl up brown, yet
summertime lingers

Haiku du jour - Lilies speak

when a lily speaks,
sharp clove and soft vanilla
theads through the sweetness.

Haiku du Jour - Steamy Sunday

A steamy Sunday -
I want coolness; in winter
I will wish for heat.

But you can't always get what you want. In fairness, this has been the hottest Michigan July on record in 134 years, and the second wettest. I hope August is more balanced.

Haiku du jour - Grey Rain

rain waterfalls down-
flooding roads, drenching my shoes,
re-greening the world

Michigan blessed us today with a gullywasher, which I enjoy despite the stalled cars and non-functioning traffic signals. Walking to the building is like walking inside the dome of a grey pearl, and the air is fresh and damp, plumping up my skin. After hitting 100 degrees last week, we are so due.

Haiku du jour - 100 in Michigan

cool air comes at dusk,
like a slow tide on the shore -
A/C can rest now.

Michigan survived a heat wave - it reached 100 degrees Farenheit last week. 100 in a northern state? Crazy. Fortunately, Michigan is used to crazy weather.

Haiku du Jour - Coffee

In coffee's absence,
How much sleep would I need, how
Much life would I live?

As I fill Starbuck's coffers yet again, I wonder just how far I would have gotten in life if coffee had not been there to propel me through the boring, difficult, or just plain futile parts of life. A sobering idea.

Haiku du jour

like a friendly hand,
my hair drapes around my neck -
constant companion


It only took two and a half years, but my hair is past the ugly stage, and able to be good company. Decoration, blanket and pillow - three in one.

Haiku du Jour

the wall of heat that
leaves me gasping is the kiss
that unfurls the bloom

Just because I don't like the heat doesn't mean it's all bad.
Every year, Michigan gets a solid week of punishing heat. We cope. We're Midwesterners.

Haiku du Jour - Lilies and Fireflies

I stake my lilies,
heavy, fragrant - fireflies
gather and applaud.

Excuse the long break - I've either been out of town, or trying to get things organized so that I could be out of town. I'm back at work in the yard, heat allowing, which has run wild again. Two lilies have toppled under the weight of their blossoms, so I provide support. Around dusk, I like to watch the fireflies. They visit everything I touch, and seem to approve.

Fourth of July - Haiku du Jour

fiery flowers
hurl themselves across the sky -
dancing stars and smoke

Even if I only peek at other people's fireworks, I try to see some every 4th of July. Fireworks seem to capture the cheeky exuberace of the holiday best, and seeing them over the lake near my house is icing on the cake.

Haiku du Jour

The soft morning light,
grass, water, flowers, and earth -
the scent of summer.


Michigan puts us through some rough winters, but spring and summer can be angelic. There is nothing like the balmy smell of a beautiful summer day coming your way - it sweetens the morning commute.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Perfume du jour: Carnation (Mona di Orio)

Named not after the flower but the bloom on a maiden's cheek (the French word carnation), this deliciously creamy and mildly spicy Floriental has top notes of bergamot, clove and geranium; middle notes of ylang ylang, violet, jasmine and precious woods; and base notes of musk, amber and styrax.

I am an unabashed perfume junkie who has just realized that her perfume decant stash is off the charts. New plan - perfume sample a day until I get down to the French's girl's number - one scent for day, one for night. We'll see how this goes. This is a lovely blend - a rich floral, but not cloying. Happy time!

Haiku du jour

warm, wet wall of heat
under a cloudless blue sky -
summer is here now.


Michigan summers begin so abruptly that spring seems optional. It made for a beautiful Memorial Day weekend.

38G - Tanka du jour

i can't find pretty
in 38G, she said
no lace, no colors, no pearls -
why less for the bloom,
and more for the bud?


At dinner, a friend of mine not only revealed her bra size, she also revealed that if she finds her size, the underpinnings are boring and dull. I was shocked. Girls need pretty, bras are for girls, why on earth make a bra that isn't pretty? Why condemn the buxom to blah, industrial stuff while the lesser blessed get Victoria's Secret? Another great cosmic wrong in women's wear.

Gray rain - Haiku du jour

a gray rain washes
clean green grass and black asphalt
to start a new day

Lilies - Haiku du jour

my lilies stretch tall
eccentric and demanding-
divas-in-waiting

The lilies look like alien pod creatures or jungle plants - spikey leaves on still squat stems in the not-quite-tidy bed. One - horrors - has been nibbled on. The protective fence is now up - this is war.

Haiku du jour

i miss the classic
corsages mothers once wore-
banners in the breeze.

I hope all your Mother's Days went well. Mine did. And, once again, it only took fifteen minutes to eat. A family talent, I think.

Haiku du jour

a ragged pine bough
tossed by the rough, endless wind-
calm on the green ground


A friend of mine lost a relative this week. My thoughts and prayers are with her and her family.

Haiku du jour

my dough rises up
as round as a mushroom cap,
fragrant with promise



There's a lot to be said for bread-making. I don't have to get in the car, and it's more than an edible napkin. No preservatives needed

Haiku du jour

the ducks come with spring -
stepping lightly on my lawn,
being neighborly


An adorable pair of mallard ducks come to town in the spring. It's fun to see them walk around with their orange feet, sometimes the brightest objects on a rainy day. The male was curled up in a nice puddle the other day - the one in the middle of the road. I'm glad I live in a quiet subdivision.

Haiku du jour

blooms grace every branch
gasoline prices skyrocket -
new love for my bike


SS - sticker shock. I don't want to be a whiny American, but I do have sticker shock.

Michigan madness

April snow cuts our
flip-flopped feet like crystal blades
geez - it's Spring, dammit.

If you're somewhere in Michigan sometime after February, and you see someone dashing across a store parking lot in shorts and flip-flops, no, we're not crazy. We're just defiant.

Spring is springing

Green fresh wet earth smell,
the world unfurls its blossoms -
I pick up dead twigs


Spring is both pretty and horrendous. Beautiful blooms are mixed with the demands of yard work. So much to do, outdoors.

My film debut

one half hour on film -
I speak my lines, take my cues
wow, it's happening


I, a non-actor, was invited to act in a locally-produced horror flick. My director shared a clip with me on Saturday. The story is interesting, and I want to see more - film to be released soon. I still can't believe I didn't end up on the cutting room floor.

Haiku du jour

princess bride in white
a lacy drift of jasmine -
the world celebrates.

Congratulations to the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Rant du jour - Birthers are Racist and Annoying

Birthers - you know who you are - enough. Enough with ragging on the President of the United States about whether he's American enough to be President, or is even an American at all. Stop it. No other President has been so harassed. You sound like a blast from the late 1950's, when racism passed for sophistication in certain circles. No, thank you.

Don't think, however, that I don't support the right to free speech. I do. I think the case of an out-of-town jerk who wanted to "protest" at a mosque (against the right of Muslims to be Muslims, as far as I can tell) may not necessarily have required jailing the guy. So, you're entitled to voice your opinion.

I just think you give your opinion its proper name. You are not protecting truth, justice and the American Way, you are being racist. This is not a citizenship issue, this is a "how-did-this guy-who-had-an-African-national-parent-get-to-be-in-charge" issue. You got the birth certificate, and none of you are satisfied. What are you going to ask for next? Mitochondrial DNA, to make sure his mama was really from Kansas? I wouldn't be surprised.

Why not be honest, drop the "birther" moniker, and proudly raise the flag of racial bias? Just admit you only want someone completely from your gene pool to sit in the White House. Better for the rest of us, and better for you. Look - Donald Trump wants to be your new best friend. Lucky you.

Haiku du jour

waves of sideways rain -
wet, bright umbrellas crumple,
fragile spring blossoms

Haiku du jour

silky falling rain,
evil pounding sinuses -
shoot me, shoot me now.


(This grumpy haiku was brought to you courtesy of the failure of my favorite sinus cocktail - Advil chased with coffee. Grrr. They expect me to show up with a brain, ya know.)

Haiku du jour

it's apprasal time -
it gets boring really fast
to toot my own horn.

Haiku du jour 2

a field of flowers
erupts at the grocery -
my spring and Easter.

Yeah, I have a Michigan accent

It's true, I checked.

go to www.michigannative.com. There's a pronunciaton guide and everything. I'm not sure I agree that a Michigan accent sounds like a pirate from Kentucky with a head cold. Not quite buying it. But, yeah, I do say some of the words the Michigan way.

Haiku du jour

a gray, sullen sky
in compensation makes all
other colors glow.

Haiku du jour

a sullen gray sky
cannot hide a mild, sweet wind.
give it up, winter.

Haiku du jour

brave blades of green grass
thrust through dark peat and white snow
rippling in the wind.

Welcome to Michigan - April Snow Showers

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
No spring for us - it's spiteful.
April the calendar shows,
But it snows, but it snows, but it snows!

Haiku du Jour

A spring dilemma -
Turtleneck or polo shirt?
Life in Michigan.

Chartarum blog contribution

Frances - Playing Dead in the Road

Most good horror flicks kill off a few people before the credits. As an acting challenge, it sounds like a fun one – you get your big moment AND make the audience sorry for you. All you have to do flop over and feign stillness, right? No problem, dogs do it all the time. So when John said he wanted to get some footage of his intrepid cast both surviving and not surviving, it sounded really cool and dramatic. I was geeked.
Of course, it’s tougher than it looks. First, there was the environment. For me, that meant putting on the flannel shirt jacket as if the evening were cooling off (it wasn’t), smearing on sun block (a redhead thing), and topping off everything with a layer of Deep Woods Off (mosquitoes). Make up? Not needed.

Then, there was traffic. There we were, artistically laid out on the quiet country road, holding back on breathing and twitching, and a car came by. And another. Followed by yet another, towing a trailer with two ATVs. There was even a motorcycle or two that halted shooting because of the distant noise. Had we had this much traffic before? Never (quiet country road, remember?) On the upside, by the time the ATVs passed we could position ourselves pretty quickly.

Finally, there was the business of getting into a good death pose. I’m not trained. Actors are trained in fainting, fighting, dying, and giving birth while Atlanta burns. Me? Pure MSU – Make Stuff Up. So, I probably died very neatly each time - no scraps, stubs, or damage to the glasses. But when John circulated with his camera, I stopped all movement, even if there was a pebble in my shoulder blade, an insane itch, or the “Dead Skunk” song playing in my head (why?) I was going to be good and dead, and John would add the dramatic gore later through movie magic. Would half my face be gone, or would I just be eviscerated? Exciting stuff to think about as John carefully stepped around and through us.

My conclusion? Way cool, but dogs make it look easy.

See more at www.Chartarum.com

Haiku du jour

Lake flies mean it's spring -
Windows open, sleeves get short,
Garden tools come out.

Haiku du jour

Magazine arrives -
Now I dream of boxwood combs
And camellia oil.

Haiku du Jour

new snow this morning -
dotted with tracks of cat and
woodchuck - still winter.

Haiku du jour

A Michigan spring
Starts with skunk fumes and gray fog
Pungent, but balmy.

Haiku du Jour

Ice storm is coming
Crushing hopes for early spring
Trees glazed in crystal.

Haiku du jour

Not coffee today,
Yogurt, says my body.
I blame exercise.

Haiku du jour 3

Nick Cage's long legs
On the screen - fan mail won't do.
So inconvenient.

Haiku du jour 2

Latest fashion find -
Bright string bikini panties -
Decades overdue.

Haiku du jour

I am up at four
Such a strange event for me -
Dashing out the door.

Haiku du jour 2

The New Lunar Year
Promises secret romance -
Lucky Rabbit Year.

Haiku du Jour

A fog gray sky builds
A double armfulof snow
To blanket us soon.

Haiku du Jour

Another brilliant
manager, another bad
mood. Where's my trust fund?

Haiku du jour

My favorite perfume
flows over me like a veil
and lifts my spirits.

Haiku du Jour

Gee, I'm back to work -
Another friggin' day of
"Let's stump the intern"

This grumpy haiku was brought to you courtesy of the end of vacay.