Perle Champion

Here’s to a wonderfully indolent weekend.

I at once enjoy and cherish spending time and

and reflect as the Italians do ‘dolce far niente‘

it’s a flip way to justify the doing of nothing which

has a place in our lives to be sure.

But I wonder, too, how many more days I have

that I can spend many more so out of hand

like so much loose change.

The Robins must know more than the

groundhog,

or they just want to prove him wrong.

There are robins everywhere these last few

mornings from the boughs of barren trees,

to the air and the noticeably greening ground.

I’m’ with the robins –

I’m ready for Spring, even if

I must image it leafing through

the pages of ‘White Flower Farms” catalog or

just watching robins from my aerie window.

Life is about balance.  You’ve given work its due all week long.  Now it’s time to set it aside and get your due.  Stack it all neatly, post-it notes attached, a quick to-do list perched on top, power down the computer, check your work mindset at the door; turn off the lights and leave.

It will all still be there on Monday

The weekend is for family, friends and fun or just plain lying under a tree or basking in the sun or walking in the rain considering the forecast for tomorrow.

There’s lots to do in Birmingham, Alabama if you just peruse the Black & White and the Birmingham Weekly.

I’ve got my itinerary for tonight.  First stop is Forest Park for their monthly “Third Friday in Forest Park”.  All the shops and restaurants are open.  Check out Naked Art’s site for details – – Vero keeps everyone in the loop about her neck of the woods.

From there off to Daniel Day Gallery at 3025 6^th Avenue S.  Melody and Daniel know how to have an art reception – Great art, food and music.

Well, soon as I post this, I’m powering down and I’m out of here – happy Friday y’all.

I love my old Dell Inspiron 750.  It’s barely 12 x 10 and goes easily from home office, to kitchen bar to balcony bistro, to couch.  But it’s 9 years old.  Yep, once upon a time they made things that lasted instead of programming to self-destruct in 2-3 years.  Alas, recently, he caught a serious bug.

I was reduced to my iPhone for answering all e-mails and worse, posting my blog.  Reading that tiny little screen and finding the tag and post buttons without inadvertently pressing something unintended was a nightmare.

The techs at Office Depot on Greensprings were amazed, not only at my Dell’s age, but that it had survived so long without catching anything.  I left him in their care on a Saturday morning and did not get him back until the following Monday.  Although I don’t log on all day everyday, I felt somehow unmoored.  It’s like you car in the shop.  It’s not that you want to go anywhere, it’s that you can’t if you wanted. Rough couple of days

When I picked Dell up, Andrew told me, “you know you may want to consider upgrading soon.  You’ve gone this long, but it is an old computer and it’s just a matter of time before we can’t resuscitate”. 

I thanked him and went home.  I’m not sure I’m ready to trade him in just because he’s old.  I can do everything I need to do just fine.

If an iPad were MS Word friendly for editing etc., that would be my first choice, but it’s not yet.  Couldn’t they ‘channel’ Steve Jobs – he could do it.

I hate it, but I’m looking. Sigh.

I want to know what madness is

and where the edge of its beginnings are

I have skirted its hem and felts its cold breath

raise the hackles on the back of my neck

each hair with a life of its own

a cat’s whisker sensing what

comes in stealth to

rob me of peace

of mind of

me

winter’s kiss lingers

spring’s breath freezes

tender buds born

too soon.

Organized? I’ve read all the articles; I know all the rules.  In some areas of my life, I succeed.  By the door are 2 terra cotta white wine chillers.  They were gifts from some people who know I drink wine, but didn’t pay attention to one small detail.  I only drink red wine.  I found that their absorptive nature makes them the perfect container for wet umbrellas.

Also by the door is a waist-high 3-shelf bookcase of sorts I found at a yard sale.  The top shelf has holds a carved wooden dish. This holds keys, sunglasses, outgoing mail and coupons, my hats…

The next shelf has two doors to conveniently and discretely hold my purse and anything else personal or messy hidden from view (the cat treats reside there- Jazmine’s toll charged each day before I’m permitted to leave for work).

The third shelf holds anything that needs to go out door with me the next day: library books to drop off, magazines to pass along, etc.  The big red bowl holds the smaller stuff.

The bottom shelf holds books I’m currently reading, and the small space beneath it is where I kick off my shoes on entering.

Each day, I open the little door, dole out a treat to Jazmine, grab my purse, toss anything outgoing into a carry bag and I’m out the door. Each day, on my return, I doff the hat, toss keys, sunglasses into the dish, tuck the purse behind its door, kick the shoes under the bottom shelf, pick up Jazmine and head toward the kitchen.

This part of my life is organized to the point of ritual.  But, other areas of my life just flat defy organization.  My studio is one of them.  My writing space is another.  Organization here is a carrot in the dangling just out of reach.  No matter how I try, I never quite reach it.  But I’m working on it.

© Perle Champion

I believe in continuity of life. That this world of flesh and blood is but a small part of who we are.  The greater part is a piece, or child if you will, of the universe.  At 4:15 a.m. a year ago today, fire took most of what I owned, but they were just things.  More importantly, it took  a friend that – that  sweet friend named Mark Roberts. I can intellectualize that we’ll meet again, but I truly miss him in the here and now.  The picture from his memorial service graces my home office vision board. For a while our once daily conversations will be one-sided.

Homage to a friend.

miles and miles i’ve

come

some walked

many run

alone and not too

and with you i’d walked

but just a few

but there was something

familiar in the pace

my mind recalls that

gentle face

somewhere, somewhen

my friend

we’ve walked in step

before

and somewhere, somewhen

we’ll fall in step again

and share a few

miles more

Roses,  Memory of Mark

The Smoke Detector Woke me…

Blue Skies and the Kindness of Strangers

dawn – and seems

the sun will never rise

always a beginning

no end in sight

always perhaps

what if

never for sure

i’ve the key

to all the beginnings

but where are all

those happy endings

too bad i wasn’t

given a script

what to do and

how to do it

what to say and

who to say it to

it’s all improvisation

and i have to muddle

through

make do

for me

for you

count the moments

til tomorrow

it will be here soon enough

count the days until

next summer

it will come in its own time

none the sooner

for your worry

if only i could

have back again

all the yesterdays spent

wishing for tomorrow

would i spend them

anymore wisely

recall the past

yes

call it back

no

change it

never