Poetry in Life
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04, 2019
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04, 2019
Poetry Reading Yeah or Nay?
April is National Poetry Month.
According to Cynthia R. Green, poetry is a good way to keep our brains challenged and vibrant because
- Poetry engages our minds. “By its very nature, a good poem asks us to delve a bit deeper to best discern its intention.”
- Poetry gets creative juices flowing. “Whether we read or even choose to write verse, poetry forces us to think out of our own box or experience.”
- Poems fit anyone’s time constraints because they come in all sizes-long, short, and everything in-between.
A study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) goes a step further saying that reading or writing poetry can be critical to maintaining our mental acuity and potentially reducing our risk for dementia over our lifetimes.
Now I’d say that gives poetry reading a resounding YEAH.
To help you jump-start your poetry reading, here’s one by Shel Silverstein who wrote children’s poetry.
I often used “Listen to the Mustn’ts” from Where the Sidewalk End in my classroom. I love its message about chucking conventionality and negativity, and embracing the power of imagination and possibility. It’s a lesson for everyone.
If you want to keep charging your brain, Poets.org will send a Poem-a-Day via email free of charge. You can register here .
Poem graphic taken from Pinterest.
19
04, 2019
Bees and Bluebonnets
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
Being true Texans, Beekeeper Brian and I have bluebonnets in our yard. These came from seeds handed out at the funeral of Brian’s step mother. Each year the patch gets larger. It makes me smile.
This year Brian noticed the bees on the bluebonnets. He watched as the flowers opened what seemed like a doorway to allow the bee to collect pollen. It was fascinating.
He was able to get some great pictures. (Did I mention Brian has a degree in photography from the Art Institute of Houston?) He is a man of many talents! 
The only thing better than bluebonnets in our yard is our own bees on the bluebonnets.
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04, 2019
15
04, 2019
Easter and Hot Cross Buns
Easter time brings hot cross buns to bakery shelves. I love hot cross buns, almost as much as I love fruitcake at Christmas.
Fruitcake I can find year round. Hot cross buns, not so much.
Traditionally, the spicy, sweet buns made with currants and raisins then marked with a cross on the top are to be eaten on Good Friday to mark the end of Lent.
The frosting cross on top represents the crucifixion of Jesus, and the spices inside signify the spices used to embalm him at his burial.
Me, I can’t wait that long once I spot them in the bakery.
I do try to ration myself to one bakery package a season.
I don’t think I’m going to make it this year.
My first package of nine buns is down to one.
12
04, 2019
Perspective
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
I cut this comic out of the Sunday paper recently. 
I have quite a collection of comics. Some are about dogs or chickens or music. This one is about perspective.
It has made me think differently.
My students at school are always getting excited about ordinary things – like butterflies or flowers. One brought several rocks to me this week and said, “aren’t they smooth?”
Until that moment they had just been rocks to me. But now I’ve decided to trade places and let my students teach me about perspective and finding the wonder in life.
Maybe it will make “adulting” easier.
11
04, 2019
Boredom Busters: Keep Fido Entertained
A Blog by Guest Blogger Brandon Butler
Photo By: Pixabay
Snow, sleet, rain, or shine, when your pooch follows the same monotonous routine day in and day out, boredom is bound to creep in. Unfortunately, along with that boredom might come some unwanted behaviors. Rather than fuss and plea with your pooch, why not fight the boredom and enjoy some quality time with man and woman’s best friend?
Is Your Pup Bored?
Last time you checked, your pooch wasn’t able to verbally express his boredom, unless of course you are Dr. Dolittle. However, there are several signs to look out for that point to a restless pooch.
You may notice your dog using his words in the form of barking at everything and everyone. Perhaps your pooch is suddenly misbehaving such as getting into the garbage, turning over food/water bowls, ripping into treat bags, or suddenly engaging in a behavior that he has been trained not to do. Pay attention to how your dog reacts when you get home, too. He is excited to see you, of course, but all the energy that has built up throughout the day is being unleashed upon you.
Explore Indoor Options
The weather isn’t always cooperative, which means you’ll have to find some ways to entertain your pooch indoors. Have an epic game of hide-and-seek by hiding treats, tennis balls, or other toys around the house to not only get your pup up and moving, but give him some mental stimulation, too. You can even take it a step further and hide yourself. Call out to Fido and suppress the giggles as he sets out on a mission to find you.
Perhaps you could set up an indoor agility course, or play a game of fetch using a soft toy. Since you are already stuck indoors, why not spend some time preparing for future outdoor fun by brushing up on your dog’s public etiquette, leash walking, and basic commands.
Get Out When You Can
Once the weather starts to cooperate, it’s time to head outside for some outdoor fun. There are plenty of dog parks in the area, offering Fido an opportunity for an off-leash romp as well as some canine socialization. Make it a day or overnight trip by heading out for a beach day, hike, or camping trip. If you’re going camping, make sure you’re prepared and that you bring along a pet first aid kit and collapsible water bowl. You can even have your pup help shoulder the load with dog backpack (read reviews before making a purchase).
You could bring some of the indoor activities mentioned above outside by playing hide-and-seek in a fenced-in area or play fetch in a wide-open space. The truth is, there are plenty of dog-friendly activities in your area. If you aren’t sure where to start, sites like BringFido will point you in the right direction.
If Fido is bored, it’s time to do something about it. Entertainment options abound no matter what the weather is like outside, giving both of you an opportunity for fun and bonding.
10
04, 2019
Mother Goose Daffodil Rhyme
I do love the fun of Mother Goose rhymes. Every Spring when a field of daffodils sprang up behind our house in West Virginia, I envisioned daffodil ladies dancing about. Not so many daffodil fields in Texas, but I still think of this illustration whenever I see a daffodil.
8
04, 2019
Spring and Piddlin’
Spring brings out my lackadaisicalness. I’m not lazy, but something about a warm spring day has me doing a lot of piddlin’ around and not staying on task.
I find myself staring into space or watching a cardinal bathe in our water fountain instead of attending to what needs to be done. Or, I’ll wander outside randomly pulling weeds and hours will pass.
Last night I pulled an invasive weed from one of the boxwoods at the back of the yard. Not a bad thing, in fact something that needed to be done, but that led to trimming the Brunfelsia, better known as yesterday, today and tomorrow plant.
SOURCE: B.navez – Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org
The shrub lives on the neighbor’s side of the fence, but hangs over into our yard. The blooms start out purple, fade to lavender, and finally turn white over days. Hence the name yesterday, today, and tomorrow. A plant can have all three at once, which makes it lovely to look at.
Unfortunately all parts of the plant (flowers, leaves, berries, and seeds) are considered toxic to animals.
If one of my four legged boys were to eat a seedpod or branch, they could die. That’s why I trim it to the neighbor’s side of the fence.
Again, my piddlin’ led to a very necessary thing, but not what I was supposed to be doing. I should have been inside fixin’ supper.
Who wants to eat when you can enjoy the outdoors? Too soon it will hot and humid and we’ll be huddling inside in the air conditioning. You have to piddle and take the spring days while you can.
I tried to explain this to my hubby and doggies. They weren’t particularly sympathetic.
5
04, 2019
Duck Containment
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
In our quest to reduce the number of chickens we have, we sold the Welsummer flock (one rooster and four hens) to some friends who are starting over with chickens after building a more secure coop.
That left an empty space which I decided was perfect for the ducks. I moved the “pond” into the new locations and Rachel helped me corral the ducks.
Before I could even close the gate, they had escaped through a loose spot in the fence. They were getting along fine with the chickens so it was not a big problem. I simply wanted to separate them so they would only make a mess of their own waterer.
I secured the fence and decided to wait until dark to capture the ducks and put them in their new home. I learned that ducks do not roost at night like chickens do. I ran around in the dark chasing ducks until I remembered the turkey incident — I fractured my ankle when I stepped into a hole in the chicken yard while chasing a turkey.
I gave up and decided to try in the daylight.
After about a week, I was able to coax Lucy and Ricky into their new home. I filled the “pond” with fresh water and they immediately splashed in.
Everybody is happy – especially me. I like everything to have its own home – including the animals.