Just a hick

Who's playing .....

Terri's tells us that today is National Haiku Poetry Day.

"Observed annually on April 17, National Haiku Poetry Day encourages all to try their hand in creativity.  Haiku poetry is a form of Japanese poetry that is non-rhyming and normally consists of 3 lines with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5.  Haiku poems are usually inspired by an element of nature, a season, a moment of beauty or an individual experience or event."

OK, I'm game.  Care to play along?

* * *

Haiku poetry is actually pretty easy to write.  Give it a try right here.

Haiku I don't get

It's beauty escapes my soul

Guess I'm just a hick

Haiku poetry aside, have you ever written a poem?  Will you share it with us?

In another season of my life, I tried.  Most were destroyed, save something called '16 Candles.'

In part ...

Rummaging through a childhood chest,

I retrieve your letters lying in state 

My private archives

Wizened rubber bands break open in shock

and stacks of blue airmail envelopes collapse

Scattering their patriotic shrouds bordered in red, white and blue

Torn envelopes, bent and brittle as dead moth wings

guard the contents respectively

But flag-draped coffins and postage stamps don't stop grave robbers. 

Do you have a favorite poet, or does poetry usually make you yawn?

Authored by fellow blogger, Jon.
Another blogger's review expresses it a lot better than I might:
 … "This book isn't meant to merely touch the heart.  What these poems do is more along the lines of ripping it out of your chest and giving it a good wake-up squeeze.... the gut-wrenching pains of lost innocence, lost loves and lost dreams."

- Susan Flett Swiderski  

April 17 is National Ellis Island Family History Day, too.  Did any of your ancestors or relatives immigrate through Ellis Island from another country?

From my father's archives:  

"Born in Rothenhuettel, Hannover, Germany on May 6, 1816 …..  the Rev. Adolph Biewend arrived at New York on the sailing ship "Isabella" on July 5, 1843." 

While there's no specific mention of Ellis Island, I suppose that's a given.  

We also celebrate National Cheeseball Day on April 17.  Do you have a favorite cheeseball recipe to share with us, or have cheeseballs basically disappeared from parties today.

I'm not exactly a party-goer, but I'd never turn down cheese -- in any form!  Here's one of my mother's favorites:

Smoky Boardwalk

2 lg. pkgs. cream cheese

2 tsp. Accent

2 T. chopped onion

2 lg. pkgs. chipped smoked beef

1 heaping T. white horseradish

2 cloves garlic

(Fashion into a ball -- or, add milk to make a spread or a dip)

If you want to share, please tell us something random about your week.

Day before yesterday, Pastor Janet (left) drove us to Montgomery to experience the Tabernacle … yes a replica of the one from the Old Testament.  Wow.  I didn't expect it to be so interesting; nor, realize how ignorant I am of scripture.

Then yesterday, I spent (too long) butting heads with Verizon Wireless.  In brief, my old trade-in phone (think $175 potential credit) went missing via UPS.  

ANYway!  VW's customer service was nothing short of amazing.  Because I have the UPS drop-off receipt, I'll still be credited.

What rocked my socks?   When I mentioned how sad I was to have had to trade in my Samsung S8, the service rep responded:

"You know, from personal experience, Samsung devices seldom live longer than 2 years.  If they do, you would obviously see deterioration on the phone's processing."  

(This has been a Public Service Announcement.)

Happy Hump Day ... stay safe out there!

Hugs, Myra