Last night, I had a fun visit to Nights of the Jack, or as I kept calling it beforehand, Pumpkin-palooza. Then on the radio during my drive to work this morning, I was reminded that today, October 31, is the anniversary of Sean Connery's death. In his memory, I offer this mash-up of those two … Continue reading Live and Let Pie
Holiday
Happy New(-ish) Year!
Twenty-Twenty-One: Yay, it's over! Done. Twenty-Twenty-Two: Welcome. Cheers to you! Fingers crossed, the upcoming year goes great. Let's start right — (What? Uh-oh, already late...) ~ Camp Host Chad Didn't we just do this? Oh yeah, it's a tradition!
Holiday Greetings from California
The Joy of Halloween
Life knocking you flat? Feel you've lost your gloss? Things not going exactly as you please? Here's what you do: Disguise yourself as Bob Ross, Then go and paint some happy little trees. Everyone knows a happy little tree Will embellish a happy little scene. And seen at a frightfully good party, You might relish … Continue reading The Joy of Halloween
The Holiday Tree: Happy Easter!
There would be no Easter if there was no Christmas. ~ Gordon B. Hinkley When the time came this year to take down my Christmas trees (yes, "Christmas" is the correct term for why I had them up, and yes, there were two of them, small ones that don't overwhelm my living space, and yes, … Continue reading The Holiday Tree: Happy Easter!
Perfection’s Rough Draft
One of my few accomplishments during the quarantining last year (besides an epic four part poem about dust, and five poems about national park grief) involved creating a Halloween costume, buying all the parts, fitting it into a perfect storage container, and even labelling it. Then I put it in my closet, the quarantine never … Continue reading Perfection’s Rough Draft
Starting the New Year Right
Last night they fired the starting gun On the year Twenty-Twenty-One. Now with Twenty-Twenty a ghost, Raise your glass and let’s make a toast! May the year ahead soon restore Things ruined by the year before. May we not need to cry, "Undo!" Again in Twenty-Twenty-Two. ~ Camp Host Chad "Cheers!" "Release the balloons!"
Christmas Cheer
I promised to tell you about a Campfire Tales tradition. A few years ago, on a river cruise down the Danube during December, I discovered the joy of gluhwein at the Christkindlmarkt. (Translations: mulled wine; Christmas Market.) Once home, I sought out a recipe (this one, I think it was) and now I make it … Continue reading Christmas Cheer
A Dream and a Prayer
For those of you who celebrate this holiday, I offer this: Merry Christmas! And for everyone, no matter your beliefs, I offer this:
Tradition!
Remember "foreshadowing" from school? Every literature teacher I ever had (and I had a lot) loved foreshadowing like an elf loves sugar. What those teachers never got around to = discussing foreshadowing's counterpart, tradition. If foreshadowing is telling you the story through symbolism before you've heard the story, isn't tradition simply reminding you of the … Continue reading Tradition!
Campfire Tales 