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By: KatherineS,
on 1/25/2016
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"�I may say, of myself and Copperfield, in words we have sung together before now, that
'We twa hae run about the braes
And pu’d the gowans fine'
'—in a figurative point of view—on several occasions. I am not exactly aware,' said Mr. Micawber, with the old roll in his voice, and the old indescribable air of saying something genteel, ‘what gowans may be, but I have no doubt that Copperfield and myself would have frequently taken a pull at them, if it had been feasible.'"
Over the years since it was written, many millions must have sung ‘Auld Lang Syne’ (roughly translated as ‘days long past’) while sharing Mr Micawber’s ignorance of what of its words actually mean.
The post The truth about “Auld Lang Syne” appeared first on OUPblog.
Happy New Year to you! I hope yours is starting off nicely.
Mine started off with a bang! a few days in. One evening I had just turned off the computer (early) and was minding my own business, quietly knitting, and bang! something exploded or blew up in the back yard, and the most blinding bright light lit up the back window. I dashed out to see a raging fire in my flower bed by the back fence! and had absolutely no clue as to what was going on. I could tell it was an electrical fire (it was making "zzzzzt" noises and sizzling), but I was baffled (and panicked).
911 was called, firemen came, and we figured out the overhead power line had come down. How or why is still a mystery. The power company turned off the power - to the whole entire neighborhood - for hours, and men with big trucks came and climbed telephone poles to fix it all up.
Long story short, it was put right eventually and no one (or kitties) were hurt. A nice big rose bush is completely fried, as is part of my Japanese Maple. Some paving stones have holes burned into them, and fence boards are blackened, but all in all, we were very lucky. It remains a mystery as to what this was all supposed to accomplish!
In other news - I'm still coloring, and making drawings of knitting, and doing actual knitting.
This is a work in progress in colored pencil of my baboushka kitty. I started her in watercolor, then decided to go back to my pencils. She has a ways to go, but will be a riot of patterns and color when finished. I'm doing a lot of burnishing to get the colors really saturated on this one, as opposed to my softer look I do with other drawings.
Drawings of Knitting is now a
shop on etsy and a
page on Facebook. I'm still doing all the 'behind the scenes' set up duties and all for the shop, but hope to have some actual listings up in the next few days. I think I'll start with downloadable pdf files of coloring pages from my coloring book, then go from there. I have so many ideas for cool things to make with my drawings! I am in serious need of a clone, because I just can't do everything I have in my head. (I'm still trying to get arCATecture back in gear after its big debut, then sort of fizzle.)
And then there's real knitting. Working with yarn and needles is a nice relaxing 'brain rest' thing to do in between drawing and coloring and computering. One of the things I make are these old-fashioned hand knit cotton dish cloths. People really like them and I've been selling a lot and getting custom orders for them. So lately, if I'm not doing art of some kind, I'm probably knitting a dish cloth.
I'm really glad Downton Abbey is back and look forward to 9:00 Sunday evenings. Its the only night I can manage to be sitting down ready to go on time for a show! I'm always finishing up working or doing 'one more thing' and then finally sit down in time to get the last 5 minutes of Charlie Rose (and always on a night when he's had someone really good on).
Lots of ideas for things for this year, as usual. I should do an inventory of supplies and do a good sorting out of stuff. I will probably do a 'good enough' attempt. Does anyone ever really do that properly? Really?
Well I've prattled on about not much for long enough. Just thought I'd check in and wish you well for the new year. We're having RAIN, real honest to goodness, almost too much now, RAIN, so I think our drought may finally be over. I hope that's a sign of good things to come for us all.
Happy New Year! My wife was asking me for a New Year’s baby– so this one is for her.
The 2015 retrospective I promised on Thursday should be up on Monday morning. And hopefully by that time I will have decided what I’m going to do on this site for the next year.
The post Happy New Year 2016! appeared first on rob-peters.com.
by Sally Matheny
|
When Life Isn't Going the Way You Expected |
Are you discouraged because you thought things would be different by now? While many people reflect on their accomplishments of the past year, we also may focus on our unmet goals. How do we avoid disheartenment when life events didn’t go the way we expected?
Perhaps we thought we’d be farther along in our work. Or we wonder why we can’t go back to the way things used to be. We expected barriers in relationships lowered, and our incomes increased. Our physical health, emotional condition, or social status are not anywhere near the levels of what we had hoped. Like the 1970’s singers in the cornfield on The Hee Haw Show we sing, “Gloom, despair, and agony on me…oh!”
Read more »
By: Shelley Workinger,
on 1/1/2016
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Ah, yes. A new year means new resolutions (or goals, amibitions, false promises - whatever you choose to call them).
I have all the standard personal betterment aims: more time with family, exercise, sleep, veggies...you get the idea. Heck, it's your idea, too!
I also make all the usual writer pledges: I will finish one (at least!) of my pending manuscripts, launch it to the literary masses and sell a gazillion copies, etc., etc., etc.
But, as readers, I'm sure you're really only interested in my TBR list for 2016. In the spirit of full disclosure-ship, I admit that I do not believe I will summit this mountain of text. However, if I can manage to carve out even a third of the great book behemoth, I am planting a flag in my front yard. Or perhaps my
back yard, right by the spot where a new hammock should go to help me devour more delicious reads in 2017. ;)
Here's the list I've put together in the past 10 minutes:
Jeremy Bates - White LiesRobin Benway - Emmy & OliverCarin Berger - The Little Yellow LeafKate Jarvik Birch - PerfectedCynthia Blair - The Banana Split AffairKiera Cass - The HeirSandra Cisneros - The House on Mango StreetLisa Colozza Cocca - ProvidenceJames Dashner - The Journal of Curious LettersRichard P. Denney - A Girl's Guide to Falling in Love with a ZombieRachel DeWoskin - BlindAnita Diamant - The Red TentAnthony Doerr - All the Light We Cannot SeeKathleen Duey - Sacred ScarsAlexandra Duncan - SalvageKate Forsyth - Bitter GreensE.R. Frank - DimeNeil Gaiman - The Graveyard BookBen Goldacre - Bad ScienceS.A. Harazin - PainlessCharlaine Harris - Dead Until DarkE.K. Johnston - A Thousand NightsMindy Kaling - Why Not Me?Clinton Kelly - Oh No She Didn'tJessi Kirby - Things We Know By HeartDarragh McKeon - All That Is Solid Melts Into AirRichelle Mead - SoundlessSusan Meissner - Secrets of a Charmed LifeFaye Meredith - Becoming EdwardStephenie Meyer - Life and DeathChristiana Miller - Somebody Tell Aunt Millie She's DeadEmma Mills - First & ThenBeth Moore - The Law of LovePaula Morris - RuinedMike Resnick - Witch FantasticCelia Rivenbark - You Can't Drink All Day If You Don't Start in the MorningDonald Rumsfeld - Known and UnknownSarah Elizabeth Schantz - FigRobin Schneider - Extraordinary MeansBen Sherwood - The Survivors ClubJackie Lea Sommers - TruestJoann Sowles - LaneyJames M. Tabor - Frozen SolidSabaa Tahir - An Ember in the AshesSuzanne Weyn - The Bar Code TattooNicola Yoon - Everything, Everything
Best Wishes for a fantastic 2016 to all my friends and readers!
By:
nicole,
on 12/31/2015
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thanks for a very productive year and an even bigger THANK YOU to everyone who purchased my art, as i am constantly humbled each and every time.
looking forward to new paintings, drawings and just a super creative 2016! oh, and if i could get SNOW in there....;)
MANY BLESSINGS TO ALL FOR A VERY HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!
As the earth spins past the final hours of 2015 and into the new year I’ve been thinking about bookish New Year’s Resolutions. Here’s what I hope will be part of making 2016 an exciting and stimulating story-filled year:
(1) Finally visiting The Ministry of Stories in London. The Ministry of Stories is a local writing and mentoring centre in east London, where anyone aged eight to 18 can come and discover their own gift for writing. It is hidden behind Hoxton Street Monster Supplies, London’s oldest supplier of goods for the Living, Dead and Undead.
(2) Learning more about the work of Grimm and Co – where children and young people are encouraged to let their imaginations run wild and engage in new and exciting ways of writing such as song-writing, film and fiction. Rotherham based Grimm and Co is disguised as an apothecary supplying sorcery services & unnatural products to magical beings, and is supported by The Ministry of Stories.
(3) Talking with the folk at Storybarn (caldiessb) to learn more about their plans to create an interactive story centre where children can explore, share and discover the pleasure & imagination that comes from books.
(4) Using some of the ideas from visiting these inspiring places to run a FUN PALACE in October… I was so happy that in 2015 I finally managed to meet Matt Finch in person and he’s been my inspiration behind dreaming of a fun palace. Unfortunately he’ll be in Australia in October but if any of YOU are in the West Midlands (or willing to visit!) and would like to do something a bit crazy with me and stories and kids in October…. get in touch!
(5) Following on from my enriching visit to Hay, finding new books to add to my overflowing shelves by visiting Scarthin Books and Astley Book Farm, two bookshops relatively near to me which I’ve long wished to visit.
Scarthin Books (right), interior picture from Astley Book Barn (left)
(6) Continuing to read books which will change my life. Of the 41 originally listed, I’ve so far read 8. My favourite so far has been The Phantom Tollbooth (I just love the playfulness of it) though The Miseducation of Cameron Post also took my breath away. Brilliantly written, and likely a book I wouldn’t have found without asking Letterbox Library for their suggestion.
What are your bookish resolutions for 2016?
|
German soldiers of the 134th Saxon Regiment pose with men of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 'No Man's Land' on the Western Front in December 2014. Photo is in the Public Domain. You can read the article HERE |
I am returning for a third time to an earlier post about a film that still moves me deeply:
Joyeux Noel, the 2005 film that was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film. This has become my favorite Christmas movie, and I watch it each year.
The individual stories highlighted in the film were fictitious, but the over all story is based on a true happening on a Christmas Eve in 1914, in the theater of war: Scottish, French, and German troops agreed to a cease fire, and put down their weapons to celebrate Christmas Eve. Bonds were formed. The next day, troops even warned each other of planned shellings and offered refuge in each other's trenches when the shellings occurred.
On Christmas Eve, German soldiers began playing music familiar to both German and British soldiers. Soon an informal truce was struck. Troops visited each other, gave each other food and small gifts. Some played games. For a little while, Peace broke out. Afterwards, as in the movie, army generals made sure it would not happen again. In the following war years, at Christmastime, generals stepped up the fighting to ensure no one would even think of a truce.
For all three military groups, the only thing that saved troops from being tried for treason was the fact that 200 or so in each case would have to be tried. Instead, all the participants were transferred to other fronts to make sure such an event wouldn't happen again.
Joyeux Noel is a remarkable film--a reminder that we are human first, and that the human impulse is toward peace. It is the political impulse that moves nations to war.
So here it is, the New Year ion its way, the Christmas message hovering still. We still live in a troubled world, wondering how to meet the challenges.
Best wishes for a time of true peace, when people can be united again in their common humanity.
What is your favorite Christmas movie?
By:
Paula Pertile,
on 1/6/2015
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Drawing a Fine Line
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Happy New Year!
I'm starting it off by painting a lot of dark little paintings. You may be able to tell what I'm up to here, but I won't spill all the beans yet, and instead will talk about how I'm painting them, and how they're kind of giving me fits.
My plan was to do these with watercolors on illustration board.
So I went into my supply closet, where I knew I had a whole box of boards (Strathmore 500 Series). But when I opened the box, . . . it was empty! Somewhere along the line I'd pulled out the last board; but because the box is a sturdy, very boxy box, I didn't even notice there was nothing left in it except for some liner boards (and whatever they built the box with to make it sturdy enough to ship fancy illustration board across the country without it getting damaged).
And so onto Plan B. I wanted to get these started, and didn't want to wait for new board to arrive, so I dug out some Arches watercolor paper. Which is really beautiful paper. But its very bumpy. And kind of rough. And I'm trying to get used to painting on it.
The piece above has several layers of different blacks, but still isn't quite what I wanted the finished 'look' to be.
With this next one, I did a bit less, and somewhere along the way figured out I will still need to add some colored pencil to get the final look I want.
So then I started doing just a base layer of color, without worrying so much about modeling the form or any details, which let me relax a little and enjoy just putting some paint down. The 'splotchy' look is driving me crazy though. I wet an area, then apply the paint (see, I do know how to do this properly), but am still getting uneven-ness. It wouldn't kill me to use a larger brush, which would probably fix the problem. But like I said, I now know I'm going to go over it with pencil, so that will even it all out.
I can see I need to fix the buttons on this one, because they're not lined up right. (How did that happen?)
The paper warps, which drives me insane. I am too lazy to stretch it, and don't want to tape it down either (these are really small little pieces.) I learned all that stuff in art school, and remember running whole sheets of paper under the tap in the bathtub, then taping them down to a board to dry overnight. !!!!! I just don't have the patience for that anymore (but do have the patience to fiddle endlessly with a 00 brush or needle sharp pencil point - so go figure).
Anyways, that's what I'm up to. And I'm not complaining, really! I'm just sharing. I'm actually having fun, and am looking forward to getting these finished.
I hope the new year is starting off well for you. So far so good here. I confess I was happy to get back in the swing of things after the holidays. Its all fun, and emotionally uplifting, but also exhausting. There comes a point when you just can't eat one more cookie or fat-laden thing, and anything red and green and sparkly makes you twitch, and you know you're done. Amirite?
I did have one bit of drama for Christmas, involving a kitty. I'll copy it here as I recounted in on Facebook, if you're interested (and haven't already read it). It has a happy ending, and won't even make you cry or anything, so its an easy read. And with that I'll say good night, and go back to my little black paintings. Good night!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
* * Christmas Miracle * *
On Christmas EveEve, Tracy kitty got himself stuck in a Barnes & Noble plastic bag, with the handle around his body. He freaked out because he couldn't get away from the crackling bag noise, and although hysterically funny to watch at first (just because it was only a stupid plastic bag), it quickly turned serious as he dashed madly around the house, knocking stuff over, then out the cat door. I heard him and the crackling bag whoosh past the front window and off down the street, poor thing, madly trying to run away from the bag.
So I put on shoes, got the flashlight, and even though I was trying to hurry, felt like the slowest moving beast on the planet - he was long gone, down the street who knows how far and to who knows where? I went to the end of the block, but how did I know which way he turned? He could be blocks away already. I trudged home, simultaneously thinking "Oh, he'll be alright", and "I'll never see that cat again".
A long evening, then sleepless night passed, with me imagining every awful thing that could happen to a cat with a plastic bag attached to himself, and listening for any sound of him coming in the cat door, and getting up more than once to check to see if he'd snuck in. All his beds were empty, and in the morning there was still dry food in the bowl, (its usually totally empty), so I knew he hadn't been back and gone out again.
A long Christmas Eve day of Christmas prep and worrying - no Tracy. Then out to dinner, trying to keep a brave face and smile, and be entertaining to my Mom who was spending the night, doing Christmassy things and just saying "Oh, he's outside somewhere" when she asked about him.
Did I mention I was praying to everyone and anything who might be able to help? Jesus, guardian angels, cats on the Other Side . . . .
Mom turned on "Its a Wonderful Life", and I sat in the kitchen, listening to George and Mary and Mr. Potter in the other room, feeling completely miserable.
And then. Twenty four hours after this story began, in the shadows near the cat door, the next room over, I see a little body. At first I thought it was one of my other cats, but then realized they were all accounted for somewhere else in the house. "Tracy?" . . . He'd popped back outside . . . "TRACY?!" again, and he popped back in, and ran right to the 'treat station' (here, next to the computer) and was perfectly fine! Not a scratch on him! Hungry, but not starving, just his regular self, pretty much. Joy! Relief! There was lots of thanking god, jesus, all the others who'd helped bring him back! In the living room, George Bailey was just starting his journey with Clarence, and so I watched and appreciated George's joy at getting his life back, and it really felt like Christmas.
Tracy slept tucked in next to me, right by the pillow, all night, which he's never done before. Santa brought him a new cat nip cigar, and he's been enjoying that and some Christmas sun all morning.
It does feel like a wonderful life today. And I will never let the cats play with plastic bags again. Especially ones from B&N.
Merry Christmas everyone!!
By: Angela Muse,
on 1/6/2015
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It’s been an exciting end to 2014 for 4eyesbooks. We found more readers for our ebooks and paperbacks than ever before. Our Christmas Owl was featured on Bookbub which gained us some valuable exposure and over the winter holiday break we started writing our next children’s picture book to be released sometime this spring.
We are so grateful for all of the support we have received and feel really lucky to be able to create imaginative, colorful stories for kids and parents to enjoy. There’s nothing quite like that quality time of sitting down with a little one and a good book. That time is precious and important. The curiosity of a child is a wondrous gift and so often that quality gets buried as we grow older. Adults become so busy with school, work, errands, raising a family, etc. that we often forget how to be curious. We start to ask How? and Why? less and less.
I’m not sure what 2015 will bring to us, but we hope to create more precious moments of curiosity, of silly laughter and of quiet quality reading time with lots of new little readers.
Happy New Year!
Wishing everyone a healthy and peaceful Year of the Sheep!
Happy 2015… wishing you an inventive and effervescent new year, full of reasons to celebrate the whole year through. Champagne's on me!
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Donna Earnhardt,
on 12/31/2014
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From my heart to yours… May your year be glorious and may you find where you belong May your steps all have a spring and may your lips be laced with song May you always see the good and may your days be filled with grace May your love be overflowing… as you seek the…
By: Mark Myers,
on 12/31/2014
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When life throws you down a crooked track, hold close your family, latch onto new friends, throw up your hands and find something to smile about.
While 2014 was definitely a crooked track for us, I want to close it with a look to the good. Shortly after our diagnosis, I had a friend reach out to me amidst his own health crisis. My advice to him was, “Hear the negative, focus on the positive and know that God has both covered.”
Good advice? I think so – but much easier said than done. This world screams negative. We are bombarded with the bad. The nightly news covers everything wrong with our world first and longest before they throw in one human interest story just before saying good night. (If you missed Kylie on the news, you can watch it HERE)
While sifting through the ruins of this broken world, how do we see what is good? I have seen a lot of things in my 47 years. To borrow the movie title, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have driven a man out of the slum of Port ‘au Prince, Haiti and watched as he was given the keys to his new home. I have been fortunate enough to help put a roof on a hut in Swaziland for a family decimated by HIV. Beauty plucked from ugly, good snatched from bad. Both started with a choice to engage.
Despite my experiences, never in my life have I seen the good side of humanity than from the day Kylie was diagnosed with cancer. The flood of well-wishes, prayers, and support for our family has been as overwhelming as the diagnosis itself. When you hear the words, “Your child has cancer,” the temptation is to curl up in the fetal position, shut out the world and cry. When I was at my weakest, I found an abundance of arms to hold me.
Friends, family, our school and church rallied to our side.
The nurses, doctors, childlife specialists, and staff of the Aflac Cancer Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta became dear partners in this journey. We also found great care at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte.
Organizations came alongside to help navigate and let us know we aren’t alone: 1 Million for Anna, Make-A-Wish, Cure Childhood Cancer, The Truth 365, Rally Foundation, Melodic Caring Project, The Jesse Rees Foundation, Along Comes Hope, 3/32 Foundation, Blessed Beauty, Open Hands Overflowing Hearts, Kingdom Kids, Lily’s Run.
We have seen built a network of people who pray faithfully for Kylie. To be totally honest, I admit there are times when I cannot lift a word to heaven. Maybe a grunt, maybe an angry shake of the fist. Without a doubt, I know there are many people praying for my little girl when I can’t. That is incredibly humbling.
Then there is encouragement and love. Kylie gets cards and letters daily. At least a dozen young ladies have donated their hair in Kylie’s honor. People all across the country and literally around the world have been #SmileyForKylie. As of today, 87 countries have done it. Grown men have written it on their bald heads.
Between Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, we have received over 10,000 smiling selfies for Kylie. Unreal. We have gotten them from celebrities, athletes, and Kylie’s beloved Broadway performers. Idina Menzel made a video. Kristin Chenoweth made two pics and talked about her on a radio show. Laura Osnes posted a word of encouragement to her. She got a box of Broadway treats from Hunter Foster. She had pics from 9 out of 12 musicals nominated for Tony Awards, and the cast of her favorite show, Aladdin have reached out to her over and over again. Sometimes we can trace the web that led to the picture, but most of the time we have no idea how they happen – we have no line to these people. It’s just good. And it is out there – making a choice to engage with our little girl in a time when she so desperately needs it. A thank you will never be enough, but all I can offer.
Regardless of your view of the Bible, Philippians 4:8 gives us sage advice:
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
I’ll not be able to change everyone’s mind. You can remain a cynic if you choose to. But the things I have experienced in 2014 prove to me that there is good in this world. I choose to think about such things – it is what has kept me going.
In 2015, we look forward to hearing the words: No Evidence of Disease and watching Kylie resume a normal life. That will be something worth throwing up our hands and smiling about.
Happy New Year from Portsong, your humble mayor & Kylie
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Tomorrow is a New Year that brings amazing things: opportunity for a fresh start, renewed hope, possibilities, and even new beginnings.
Mark Twain said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.”
Make
EL BRINDIS BOHEMIO
Guillermo Aguirre Fierro (Mexicano)El Paso, Texas 1915
En torno de una mesa de cantina,una noche de invierno,regocijadamente departíanseis alegres bohemios.
Los ecos de sus risas escapabany de aquel barrio quietoiban a interrumpir el imponentey profundo silencio.
El humo de olorosos cigarillosen espirales se elevaba al cielo,simbolizando al resolverse en nada,la vida de los sueños.
Pero en todos los labios había risas,inspiración en todos los cerebros,y, repartidas en la mesa, copaspletóricas de ron, whisky o ajenjo.
Era curioso ver aquel conjunto,aquel grupo bohemio,del que brotaba la palabra chusca,la que vierte veneno,lo mismo que, melosa y delicada,la música de un verso.
A cada nueva libación, las penashallábanse más lejosdel grupo, y nueva inspiración llegabaa todos los cerebros,con el idilio roto que veníaen alas del recuerdo.
Olvidaba decir que aquella noche,aquel grupo bohemiocelebraba entre risas, libaciones,chascarrillos y versos,la agonía de un año que amargurasdejó en todos los pechos,y la llegada, consecuencia lógica,del "feliz año nuevo".
Una voz varonil dijo de pronto:- las doce, compañeros;digamos el "requiescat" por el añoque ha pasado a formar entre los muertos.¡Brindemos por el año que comienza!porque nos traiga ensueños;porque no sea su equipaje un cúmulode amargos desconsuelos.
- Brindo, dijo otra voz, por la esperanzaque la vida nos lanza,de vencer los rigores del destino,por la esperanza, nuestra dulce amiga,que las penas mitigay convierte en vergel nuestro camino.
Brindo porque ya hubiere a mi existenciapuesto fin con violenciaesgrimiendo en mi frente mi venganza;si en mi cielo de tul limpio y divinono alumbrara mi sinouna pálida estrella: Mi esperanza.
¡Bravo!, dijeron todos, inspiradoesta noche has estadoy hablaste bueno, breve y substancioso.El turno es de Raúl; alce su copay brinde por . . . Europa,ya que su extranjerismo es delicioso.
Bebo y brindo, clamó el interpelado;brindo por mi pasado,que fue de luz, de amor y de alegría,y en el que hubo mujeres seductorasy frentes soñadorasque se juntaron con la frente mía.
Brindo por el ayer que en la amarguraque hoy cubre de negrurami corazón, esparce sus consuelostrayendo hasta mi mente las dulzurasde goces, de ternuras,de dichas, de deliquios, de desvelos.
-Yo brindo, dijo Juan, porque en mi mentebrote un torrentede inspiración divina y seductora,porque vibre en las cuerdas de mi lirael verso que suspira,que sonríe, que canta y que enamora.
Brindo porque mis versos cual saetaslleguen hasta las grietasformadas de metal y de granito,del corazón de la mujer ingrataque a desdenes me mata.¡pero que tiene un cuerpo muy bonito!
Porque a su corazón llegue mi canto,porque enjuguen mi llantosus manos que me causan embelesos;porque con creces mi pasión me pague.¡vamos!, porque me embriaguecon el divino néctar de sus besos.
Siguió la tempestad de frases vanas,de aquellas tan humanasque hallan en todas partes acomodo,y en cada frase de entusiasmo ardiente,hubo ovación creciente,y libaciones, y reir, y todo.
Se brindó por la patria, por las flores,por los castos amoresque hacen un valladar de una ventana,y por esas pasiones voluptuosasque el fango del placer llena de rosasy hacen de la mujer la cortesana.
Sólo faltaba un brindis, el de Arturo,el del bohemio puro,de noble corazón y gran cabeza;aquel que sin ambages declarabaque sólo ambicionabarobarle inspiración a la tristeza.
Por todos lados estrechado, alzó la copafrente a la alegre tropadesbordante de risa y de contentolos inundó en la luz de una mirada,sacudió su melena alborotaday dijo así, con inspirado acento:
-Brindo por la mujer, mas no por esaen la que halláis consuelo en la tristeza,rescoldo del placer ¡desventurados!no por esa que os brinda sus hechizoscuando besáis sus rizosartificiosamente perfumados.
Yo no brindo por ella, compañeros,siento por esta vez no complaceros.Brindo por la mujer, pero por una,por la que me brindó sus embelesosy me envolvió en sus besos;por la mujer que me arrulló en la cuna.
Por la mujer que me enseñó de niñolo que vale el cariñoexquisito, profundo y verdadero;por la mujer que me arrulló en sus brazosy que me dió en pedazosuno por uno, el corazón entero.
¡Por mi madre! bohemios, por la ancianaque piensa en el mañanacomo en algo muy dulce y muy deseado,porque sueña tal vez que mi destinome señala el caminopor el que volveré pronto a su lado.
Por la anciana adorada y bendecida,por la que con su sangre me dió vida,y ternura y cariño;por la que fue la luz del alma mía;y lloró de alegríasintiendo mi cabeza en su corpiño.
Por esa brindo yo, dejad que llore,que en lágrimas desfloreesta pena letal que me asesina;dejad que brinde por mi madre ausente,por la que llora y sienteque mi ausencia es un fuego que calcina.
Por la anciana infeliz que sufre y lloray que del cielo imploraque vuelva yo muy pronto a estar con ella;por mi madre bohemios, que es dulzuravertida en mi amarguray en esta noche de mi vida, estrella.
El bohemio calló; ningún acentoprofanó el sentimientonacido del dolor y la ternura,y pareció que sobre aquel ambienteflotaba inmensamenteun poema de amor y de amargura.
I’m going to be away from my blog for a short while but normal service should be resumed at the end of January. Thank you to all my loyal blogging friends and to all readers of this blog, I will miss you and will be anxious to catch up with your news when I return. Thanks for being such lovely friends.
By: Metin Seven,
on 12/9/2014
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Metinseven.com wishes you Happy Holidays and a pleasant 2015!
I'm on vacation until Monday when I will be (hopefully) energetic and ready to rock 2014!
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A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.
~Author Unknown
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sketched out,
on 12/29/2013
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HoHoDooDa got a bit waylaid for me about midway. So completely caught up in the wonder the whimsey the crazy that is Christmas but now re-emerging from the holiday wackiness with a huge list of resolutions clutched in my fist.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come."
2 Corinthians 5:17
Rae's Thought: Every year, I have a theme or word to focus on for that specific year. 2011 was all about change; 2012 was all about living outside my comfort zone. So, I wondered what would 2013's theme be? After prayer, consideration, and confirmation, the word that came to mind was "new." "New what?" I asked God. His answer? "New mercies. New grace. New adventures. New relationships. New chances. New assignments. New."
Well alright then. "New" it is.
As soon as God gave me a theme, He gave me 2 Corinthians 5:17, more specifically, the last part of the verse: the old has gone, the new has come. 2012 was an awesome year for me. I did things I only dreamed of doing, went to places I only dreamed of going, and met and befriended some wonderful people. I stepped out of my comfort zone and survived. 2012 also brought challenges that took a lot out of me. Looking back, there are things I would've done differently. It's ok for me to reflect upon 2012; to remember the blessings as well as the challenges. Both the excitement and challenges of 2012 has helped mold me. But it's NOT ok for me to stay there. The old has gone (2012); the new has come (2013).I'm so glad I serve a God of new-ness. I know "new-ness" isn't a word, but I'm practicing my creative license and making it one. Haha! He doesn't leave me stuck with the old stuff. Once I became His, my old life passed away & I became a new creature. No longer am I the dirty sinner, doomed to spend eternity in hell. I am now a blood-washed believer, destined to spend eternity in heaven. Yes, I still sin. Yes, I still make mistakes. But, once I've asked for forgiveness, God casts those sins in the sea of forgetfulness, never to be seen or heard of again.And what about His new mercies and grace? Do you know what God's grace and mercy are? His grace is giving to us that which we do not deserve. We don't deserve His love, but He gives it to us anyway. We don't deserve his forgiveness, but He gives it to us anyway. We don't deserve His blessings, but He gives it to us anyway. God's mercy is Him withholding that which we do deserve. Because of sin, we deserve to spend eternity in hell. But He gives us the chance to spend eternity with Him in heaven. This year, I'm bound to disappoint God at some time or other. That's a part of being human. But with every new day, comes God's new mercies and grace. And He's got enough to go around for all His children, 365 days.2012, I didn't do all the things He'd asked me to do, I'm ashamed to admit. I'm not going to make excuses. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that I didn't do them. BUT, thank God this is the year of new chances. He's giving me more time to get things done. He's telling me to keep going. I'm disappointed you didn't do them last year, but I'm giving you another year to get it right. He's a God of second (and third, fourth, fifth, etc) chances. To me, this means He hasn't given up on me (even though sometimes, I want to give up on myself). Here's a new year, Rae. What are you going to do with what I gave you? My God is good. So, while I enjoyed 2012 and wish I could've done certain things differently, I choose not to dwell on the past. I plan to learn from it and move on. I'm excited about all that God has planned for me this year...the new adventures, relationships, assignments. I'm excited about experiencing God's new-ness.
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What a fabulous list of things to do. Just shows there is lots going on you just need to find it. Good luck and look forward to hearing all about these finds:-)
Oh! Such a magical list!
So, my bookish resolutions of the year:
1- I want to put my career in a more bookish way (if this sentence is correct). As we don’t have any of these fabulous places devoted to reading and stories in France, one of my resolution will be to create one. Perhaps not the kind you talked about, I must find my way to do it.
2- Read as much books reviewed by the English bloggers is like as I can. I discovered so much thanks to all of you during this year.
I wish you a wonderful new year, Zoe, and hope 2016 will be the best bookish year you wished!
Thanks Jayne Yes, lots going on, and I want to complement all my reading with a bit of more active, community doing too – that’s been behind some of my choices above.
Ah, thank you Anne. Great to read your resolutions and good luck with them. I look forward to hearing how they develop. In case you don’t already know it this is perhaps my favourite children’s book blog http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/