"Friends. Romans, countrymen lend me your ears."

 How are your memorization skills? Lots of folks, as they age, say that they can't or maybe won't memorize anything anymore. But, as my reader, you have no doubt suspected or perhaps decided that I am rather quirky. I love to memorize certain things....not passwords or important stuff, just crazy poetry and nonsense.

For instance, I recite memorized poetry to relax and put myself to sleep, most nights. I also recite memorized verses when I am on hold, waiting, or when I am nervous or frightened. It works for me 90% of the time.

Unfortunately, on occasions, this bizarre hobby backfires. The other night, while trying to go to sleep, I got stuck in the middle of The Gettysburg Address. Right after "above our poor power to add or detract.", I forgot the next line. Well, I couldn't go to sleep, so I started on another favorite, "Whenever I walk in a London Street..." and I went to sleep, probably about half way through.

The next morning, I couldn't get to the computer screen fast enough. I had to get the full Gettysburg Address, back in my memory and get on with my life. The heck with showering, getting dressed and breakfast. I knew what my priorities should be. So, I quickly found the very short, just over 3 minute speech, and gave it a few quick recitations and I was back in business. My mind was quieted and calmed. 

Just remember folks, those strange people that you see talking to themselves, might just be reciting poetry. It works for me, and maybe more people than I think. Tonight, I might do my favorite RLS poem, "The Swing". "How I do like to go up in a swing. Up in the air so blue......."

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 Lord: Help us to remember You Grace and Power are forever. They are constant.

Home on the Range

 My new abode has given me a totally different outlook on the changing of the seasons. I now live on a hillside overlooking what we call the pond. Actually it's a small lake, fed by a creek that meanders down the hillside, to the West. The creek then empties into the Blue River. 

So, what was a cold mass of water surrounded by bare trees, a month ago, is now a completely different place. The native Red Bud Trees are blooming. The Bradford Pear Trees, purposely planted ones and the bad, bad rogue ones, have been stunning. Next will come the dogwoods.

Daffodils or Jonquils, whatever you call them, are blooming everywhere. Some of them are recent plantings and others remain from what was a homestead, on the edge of the Kansas prairie, settled decades ago. Those brilliant yellow blossoms are incredibly hearty.

The grass around the pond is all bright green. Wild turkeys are strutting their stuff, along the banks, and some of our days have actually been warm enough for us to wander around without a sweatshirt or jacket. The landscape seems to change daily.

While walking though the woods surrounding the pond, I've spotted numerous tiny flowers breaking though the carpet of dried winter leafs.  There are white, blue, yellow and pink blooms. A deer carcass has been lying on the North side of the pond for several weeks now, food for turkey vultures and other scavengers.

Autumn used to be my most favorite season, but right now it's coming in a distant second, to Spring.