Out Walking

My dad is out for a walk

like he does every day

exploring a new corner

of the world in his vicinity.

I wish he were a poet.

I wonder what he would say.

I hear that poets go for walks.

What new thing has caught his eye today?

How would he express the greatness

or the finite little line,

the fissure in the rock,

or the great green pine.

The scent on the breeze

warning him to turn and head home

with some subliminal message,

“You have exactly one hour before I storm.”

My dad is out for a walk

like he does every day,

an amiable man of much thought,

but little to say.

by:  Paula D. Nevison 

Happy Birthday Dad.

Sparkly Tatting

Three more motifs from the same book. I'm using Aunt Lydia's Metallic size 10 crochet thread in color white/pearl. It gets kind of twisty, so I have to stop and let my shuttle dangle and unwind. Also need to be careful to catch the sparkle thread, not just the white, when joining, but I love the way it looks.

Catching Up My Tatting

I am seven days behind in my tatting, so today I tatted three motifs from the book, New Tatting Modern Lace Motifs & Projects, by:  Tomoko Morimoto.

Left to right:  Christmas Rose Motif, Small Flower Motif, & Marigold Motif

Tatted Snowflake

I tatted this pattern, Snowflake 2000, today.

Tatting Finished Today

Dreams of Lace pattern by Editha. I used a sparkly white thread.

Beginnings of Tatted Snowflake

I don't want to do it,

and I don't want to care,

but I can't give up now.

I'm one third there.

 2 of the 6 spokes finished = 1/3

and 8 of 24 ornaments is also 1/3

I am not a quitter.

Tatted Snowflake

I tatted this one today. It is called Take 5 Snowflake.

Rainy Day to Starry Night

The storm clouds are moving west,

sky clearing as the sun sets.

Our pretty day returns in time for night,

and Christmas lights to twinkle bright.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Tatted Star

This is the star I tatted today.
The pattern can be found here.

Tatted Angel Pattern 4

That was the last angel in that little book. I started making the head with a gold halo, but I ran out of white on my shuttle. Since I had to wind a new shuttle, I went ahead and left the ball thread attached and tatted a the halo with the same thread so as to have two less thread ends to tie. Tomorrow I'll tat a snowflake or star.

Tatted Angels, Patterns 3 & 5

Yesterday I babysat my until late, but I was awake, so I tatted angel patterns 3 and 5. I skipped 4 because it looked complicated. I'll work on pattern 4 today.

Angel Pattern 2

This is the angel I tatted today. It is from the same book as yesterday's tatting.

Tatted Angel Pattern 1

Today I tatted pattern number 1 in this book.

Two Dozen Ornaments by Christmas

I'm trying to tat at least one ornament a day until Christmas, so I can have some new tatting for my tree. I started on the last day of November because I know I won't have time to tat on Christmas Eve day. Yesterday I tatted this Angel.

Today's Tatting

Knobby Bud Medallion (2 shuttles)
 © 1998 Lisa C. Trumble
I used size 10 crochet cotton

Broccoli "Leftover Turkey" Roll-Ups

A recipe I got from my mom, who got it from her friend. My kids love it, but tonight I'm going to make it with leftover turkey instead of tuna.

Broccoli Tuna Roll Ups

Combine 1 can cream of mushroom soup with ½ can milk.

Mix together:

1 can tuna (drained)

10 ounces broccoli (stems & pieces, cooked & drained)

1 Tbsp. Chopped onion

½ cup slices mushrooms

½ – ¾ can Durkee French Fried Onions

½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

¼ cup soup mixture

Spoon dabs onto tortillas and roll up.

Cover with chopped tomatoes.

Pour over remaining soup mixture.

Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Top with shredded cheese & more french fried onions & bake 5 minutes more (or until cheese melts).

Relative Weather

Green and gold grass in the bay,

icebergs float overhead in the sunny light blue sky

as I cross the bridge into Mobile in November.

I'm wearing a sweater. Only 60 degrees, it's cold.

I think of my dad in Minnesota snow at two below

laughing at me for proclaiming it's cold.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Fall Craft Show 2014

Sitting behind a table at the craft show

tatting the hours into moments,

reminiscing with strangers

while demonstrating tatting.

Tatting the hours into moments,

making snowflakes and angel ornaments,

cross bookmarks and wreaths laying on the table

being looked at and sold to passersby.

Reminiscing with strangers

about grandmothers who tatted,

the special pieces saved and lost,

and how they never learned.

While demonstrating tatting

to my visiting friend from Pennsylvania,

making new, and seeing old friends,

sitting behind a table at the craft show.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Be Bold

Learn to Tat

Next weekend, November 21-23, I will be sharing a booth at the Abba Temple, Mobile, Alabama, in the Port City Craftsmen Fall Show with a friend of mine from Pennsylvania featuring my tatting and her crochet blankets. I will be teaching her, and anyone else who wants to learn, how to tat.

Fall Craft Show

Port City Craftsmen Fall Show at the Abba Temple November 21-23.
I will have a booth featuring and demonstrating tatting. Come join the fun.

http://www.portcitycraftsmen.com/gpage1.html

Phantom Pleasure: My Body Remembers

When I look at you

my body remembers

the feeling of your lips pressed against mine,

the feeling of your tongue in my mouth,

the feeling of your hand on my breast.

the feeling of you inside me.

Your scent fills my lungs.

The taste of your mouth is on my tongue.

I am right on the edge.

All I need is your actual touch

to make me cum.

By: Paula D. Nevison

Old Christmas Stockings Copied for New Babies

Two families with new babies needed new stockings. No, I don't have a pattern. Yes, I knitted the new stockings to match the old ones with the new names on the front, and new dates on the back.

Procrastination

Procrastination is not the elimination of frustration,

but abdication of responsibility, now a liability.

The stagnation of creativity and productivity,

procrastination kills motivation, replacing it with trepidation.

Get off the computer, and get to it.

Don't delay it. Do it.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Dance of the Sleeping Dogs

To get up in the middle of the night

is the dance of the sleeping dogs,

heel turn, de côté, open turn, adagio.

Tiptoe around and through them,

trying not to step on them,

five big black dogs sprawled out

on every inch of the bedroom floor,

an obstacle course, in the dark,

from the bed to the bathroom.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Dill Pickle Soup

My husband found a recipe for Dill Pickle Soup.

Eww, but my daughters both love pickles.

The younger always asks for extra.

The older likes to drink the juice.

The recipe looks like potato soup,

if you omit the pickles and their juice.

I'm a fan of potatoes (bake, boil, or fry),

so tomorrow night we might give this a try.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Here's the link to the recipe

http://noblepig.com/2013/03/dill-pickle-soup/

Retiring Summer Shoes

My flip flops have seen better days

(It's time they retire to the garbage.),

and so have my feet

after this long southern summer.

My heels are all calloused and dry.

Some pampering is required,

hot bubble baths, lotion, socks, new shoes.

It is finally getting cold outside.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Greater Gulf State Fair

For a three year old

waiting in line at the fair

— lesson in patience

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Heaps of history homework on homecoming Halloween weekend,

no other teacher assigned any.

Happy Halloween

Tall Girls Rule

giddy girls painting

matching custom pink t-shirts

— twinsies day at school

by:  Paula D. Nevison

giddy teenage girls 

heard 5 Seconds of Summer

— autumn radio

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Sun Rise Driving

Early morning sun

shining low in the sky.

Difficult to drive

every direction but west,

the One Direction (on the radio)

that I don't have to go.

Finally risen high enough,

it's not shining in my eyes

while pulling in my drive.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Fresh Pumpkin Instead of Canned

 

Two pumpkins,

both baked.

Was going to boil one,

but was hard to cut up.

Husband halved them.

Three bags two cups,

one bag one cup,

baked, mashed pumpkin

in the freezer

ready for pies,

and pumpkin bread.

How to cook pumpkin

http://allrecipes.com/howto/baking-with-fresh-pumpkin/

 

Roasted seeds, fun snack.

How to roast perfect pumpkin seeds

http://ohsheglows.com/2012/09/17/how-to-roast-perfect-pumpkin-seeds-easy-crunchy-addictive/

Pumpkin Pie

How do you make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving when the stores stop selling pumpkins after Halloween? This year I bought one early. The goal is to cook it, mash it, and freeze. Make a pie at Thanksgiving. Make a pie at Christmas. Roast the seeds and eat them now. But how?

How do I cook a pumpkin? I looked it up on the internet. Some sites say to boil or steam. Some sites say to bake. I have to decide what I'm going to do. Last year I missed the pumpkins, so I made a sweet potato pie. I know how to cook sweet potatoes. That pie turned out fine. I will buy a second pumpkin. Boil one, and bake the other. This year will be my experiment.

Bicycling

I ride my bike every day.

I don't worry about being hit by cars.

I always have the right of way.

Sometimes I let go of the handle bars.

The weather is never a problem,

whether it's raining or sunny, hot or cold,

no matter what's blooming, not allergic to pollen.

I don't wear special shoes or clothes.

The scenery is always the same.

It's exactly as I designed it.

My living room doesn't ever change

when I ride my stationary recumbent.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

moon, stars, street lights shine,

children wait for the school bus

— dark winter morning 

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Lavender and Fuchsia

Lavender, a pale tint of violet.

Violet, the color of amethyst.

Amethyst, between purple and blue.

Blue makes lavender a cool color.

Fuchsia, sometimes the same as magenta.

Magenta, between red and violet.

Violet, opposite on the light spectrum from red.

Red makes fuchsia a warm color.

Both, the color of their flowers.

Both, have multiple known species.

Lavender, two variations, both from the lavendula.

Fuchsia, many variations; the color, and the flowers.

But lavender, more blue; fuchsia, more pink.

So lavender and fuchsia, not the same thing.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Mom's tatted earrings,

pearl beaded lace wedding dress

– covered in white cake

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookies,

and this reminds me of long curly strawberry blond hair.

Backward Halloween

My teenage daughter want to dress up like Santa Claus

and go trick-or-treating with her little princess niece.

She wants to give out candy to every house,

ring the doorbell and hand each answering person a piece,

like Santa gives out toys, a backward Halloween.

Is this her take on antiestablishmentarianism?

No, she is a humanitarian.

I like the subliminal message,

makarion estin didonai mallon ê lambanein,

it's Greek to me.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

http://www.biblepages.net/mm02.htm

A great resource, and 

a terrible time waster

– the internet

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Purple Plastic Rain Boots

Purple plastic rain boots, I wore them to school.

Torrential thunderstorms were forecasted.

It sprinkled a little, but the rain never lasted.

The dirt never got muddy. No puddles to splash in.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Hippocampus, The Horse – Sea Monster

I texted a friend of mine,

“What color is a seahorse?”

While I waited for her response, I googled seahorse images.

I was thinking I would find orange, of course.

There was a couple sort of orange ones, but

yellow, they were predominantly yellow.

I was surprised. Hmm, I like yellow.

I got a text back, “Colors that are mellow,

like pink, light blue, lavender.”

Was she thinking of cartoon seahorses?

I asked my daughter, who happened to walk by,

the same question. She said yellow.

“Did you take marine biology?”

“No, I took genetics instead. Why do you ask?”

“I thought maybe that's how you knew about seahorses.”

“Everybody knows that. Why do you care about seahorses?”

“I have a pattern that I want to tat.”

by:  Paula D. Nevison

 

Tatted seahorse pattern can be found here.

The dwarf seahorse (H. zosterae) is the slowest-moving fish in the world, 

with a top speed of about 5 ft per hour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seahorse

An Annoying Squeak in Joey's Room

After turning off the fan, and checking all the electronic gadgets,

I said, “Maybe it's a cricket.”

We checked around the window, and under and around his bed.

Nothing in here. Must be outside instead.

Outside in the dark with our flashlights, we found a little bug on his window.

Knocked him off. Problem solved. Went inside.

Now the noise is intermittent.

We looked and looked, to no avail, and sat down on his bed.

“There it is.” Joe said.

It was hiding in a fold on his comforter.

How can something so small be so loud?

And was the comforter cricket singing to the window cricket?

by:  Paula D. Nevison

4th Annual Dauphin Island Art Trail

We saw a lot of paintings,

and hand made jewelry,

photographs, and ink drawings,

we viewed with much scrutiny.

We bought a couple small things,

but first ate at the Lighthouse Bakery.

I went with my daughter.

She has conservative taste.

I value her opinion.

And she's in good shape.

I'm glad we didn't get there at the beginning,

or she'd have convinced me to walk the whole thing.

Dauphin Island is so pretty

when the weather is nice.

Today it was sunny.

There was a breeze, just slight.

But it's nice to come home without sand in my clothes.

The beach on the island is the one place we didn't go.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Math is Important

When I'm shopping, I compare prices,

but the boxes are different sizes.

Divide price by number of ounces,

and the answers sometimes surprises.

When I have limited cash,

I add up as I shop,

so I don't get caught at the checkout

with less money than what I've bought.

When something is on sale,

and the sale price is not stated,

math will avail

to figure out the sale.

Don't be like the dumb shop owner I know,

who divided instead of multiplying by the decimal,

and ended up with an answer higher than the original.

He charged the higher price. That's not a sale, duh!

Calculators are dandy,

but to avoid a terrible mistake,

common sense will come in handy.

Math is important, not penny-ante.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Making Pancakes

My recipe never makes enough.

Always need to double it,

triple if I want some to freeze.

My nephew is over playing X-Box with my son.

“If my recipe calls for 1½ cups of flour,

and I double it, how much do I need?”

(I used to ask my kids, but they're almost grown.)

I know the answer. Does he?

“Huh?”

Math word problems,

moms deal with these every day.

We shouldn't be annoyed when teachers assign them.

He's a bright kid in 6^th grade.

He thought a minute, and answered, “3.”

Yes kids, moms can, and do, actually multiply and divide fractions.

Get your kids involved in your everyday things. They can learn much from you.
They might even teach you something.

by: Paula D. Nevison 

When My Family Plays Peanuts

Shuffle the cards.

Count out thirteen.

“One, two, three, Go!”

Frantically slap cards down in the center of the table.

“I'm out!”

Separate the decks.

Count and subtract.

(Make the youngest player the scorekeeper.)

Tell the scorekeeper your points.

Shuffle the cards.

Count out thirteen.

“Mayonnaise, Go!”

(Not sure where that came from.)

Hysterically slap cards down in the center of the table.

“I'm out!”

Separate the decks.

Count and subtract.

Tell the scorekeeper your points.

Math practice for the youngest.

Repeat until someone's score reaches 150.

Get silly while you play.

Put the cards away.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

My List of Lists

A list of groceries that I need to buy.

A list of errands that I need to run.

A list of chores that I want to get done.

A list of home improvements that I'm working on.

A list of recipes for each holiday.

A list of Christmas cookies that I bake.

A list of people to invite.

A list of presents I want to buy.

A list of crafts I need to finish.

A list of crafts I want to start.

A list of birthdays to remember.

A list of emergency phone numbers.

A list of clients.

A list of appointments.

A list of bills to pay, and their due dates.

A list of things I want to write about.

A list of most misspelled words for which I should watch out.

A list of sights I want to see.

A list of things my wardrobe needs.

A list of future goals.

A list of things to do to attain them.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

What I did last weekend

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q0lWmvMCu0

Phone book roses are not something I am going to make any more of. It took four tries to get this one. I burned my fingers with hot glue too many times, plus that yucky newsprint all over my fingers. I had to wash the dishes to get rid of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFHun3tgZ0M

So then I made one of these rolled book paper roses. I used phone book paper (because I don't have any old books I want to cut up), so I had the same newsprint problem, but otherwise it was fine. I would make more of these, except by the time I made it, I was so annoyed with the other ones that I just wanted to quit and tat instead.

 I made a pair of tatted pearl earrings.

A Poem a Day

I want to write a poem a day for all of October.

It's not poetry month, but I don't care.

I'm sure some of them I will not share.

Some will be my reality, some simply fantasy, and some a bit of both.

I hope you find fun, or pause for thought, in the ones I decide to post.

My Favorite Little Boss

My granddaughter is the boss at my house,

even though I know she shouldn't be.

I give her everything she wants.

After all, she is only three.

Her requests are simple and straightforward.

They border on demanding.

But her squeals of joy when she gets her way,

her smiles, and her hugs; they are outstanding.

Her mommy has taught her manners.

She is difficult to resist when she says please.

She usually asks for things that are okay, so

I enjoy fulfilling all her wants and needs.

She likes to sing and dance and play.

She's so joyfully animated when she gets her way.

Her excitement is contagious.

She brightens up my day.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Confidant

The man in the moon and I are friends.

All I have to do is look at him.

He reads my mind and knows my thoughts.

He listens patiently to everything I say.

Occasionally, the clouds get in the way.

I give him one day off each month.

In return, he gives a night of full attention.

The clouds are jealous, and oft' put up a front.

The wind keeps them in compliance.

He and I formed an alliance.

We have an audience of stars

who've been attending us for years.

They gather around us every night.

The stars keep all in strictest confidence,

everything discussed in our evening conference.

Unlike those chatty little crickets

proclaiming all my secrets,

yammering on all through the night.

The stars twinkle up above

with the secret knowledge of my fears and love.

The man in the moon is the quiet type.

He gives me the best advice.

He is always quite concise.

His glance leaves me feeling nice

even when he's just a slice.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Wedding Thoughts

She wants a summer wedding,

but she doesn't want it to be hot.

Her favorite flowers bloom in Spring.

I don't know if they can be bought.

I suggest September,

On the Gulf it still seems like summer.

The leaves will still be green.

We just need to pick a number.

The dress is our next challenge.

Should I make it, or should we shop?

I knit, crochet, tat, and sew.

Here's a pattern for the top.

We've looked at lots of pictures.

I think she's found her style.

What about the bridesmaids?

Lavender will make her smile.

She made a list of who to invite

to get an idea of how big this might be.

She's always wanted small and simple.

That makes it easier for me.

We have a year to plan and pay.

I'm sure it will go by quickly.

We'll see if the groom's family cooperates.

That's where this could get real tricky.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Cookbook Conundrum

I have a lot of cookbooks

that fill and decorate my shelves.

Yet when I want to bake or cook,

the internet is where I look.

Some of them are very old.

I keep them because they're odd

with strange ingredients, and measurements,

and preparation methods from abroad.

Some are from a place I lived

when I was growing up.

One is from my grandma.

One got chewed on by my pup.

Some are specific to my gadgets,

like five little bread machine cookbooks.

There's one for my old microwave,

that I got when I was learning how to cook.

Some are for the holidays.

Some are for when I'm on a diet.

Some are for serving children healthy foods.

But please don't tell them. Keep it quiet.

Some are from the famous chefs

I watch on Food Network.

One is autographed by Alton Brown.

My husband met him at his work.

I need a Paula Deen cookbook,

whichever one contains that recipe

I found myself drooling over

(The Lady's Brunch Burger)

that I watched her make on my TV.

(I think it needs a slice of cheese.)

I have a vegetable encyclopedia,

a book all about edible flowers,

one with recipes for eating Raw,

and one with recipes that cook for hours.

Every time I buy one

I aim to get rid of one I never use.

But when I'm going through those books,

I find it very hard to choose.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Upcycled Egg Carton Rose Heart

This was my fun project last weekend.

Mine is actually purple. Somehow my camera turned it blue.

This is what they looked like before I glued them together and painted them.

 

 Here's the link to the How To video. 

Baby Wants the Same Thing

Lavender's blue, dilly, dilly,

Lavender's green,

Her fav'rite color, dilly, dilly,

Now she'll be queen.

Mommy Princess was proposed to.

Baby Princess wants a ring.

Mommy's picking out dresses.

Baby wants the same thing.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

The Wedding

proposal

acceptance

engagement

dreams

reality

planning

shopping

budget

dresses

flowers

friends

enjoining

detaching

bonds

changing

forming

breaking

tears

joy

sorrow

anticipating

reminiscing

empty nest

daughter

grown-up

gone

end

beginning

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Painted Jeans

I dropped a brand new bottle of fingernail polish on my tile floor. It broke (of course) and splashed up the leg of my jeans. This is how I fixed them.

Dance with me, Oma!, part 2

Now she has 100 % of my attention.

That was what she really wanted.

She loves to dance, and color, and play with Polly Pockets.

She knows how to keep me involved and busy with only her.

She'll hand me a crayon, then trade crayons with me.

She'll have her doll ask my doll questions that I must answer.

She'll want me to dress them, then change their tiny rubber clothes.

She doesn't want me to sit beside her and play Candy Crush on my phone.

She doesn't want me to be looking through Facebook, while she plays alone.

She doesn't want me to be cooking supper, or washing dishes.

She wants my undivided attention, my hugs, and my kisses.

“Dance with me, Oma!”

All of it's a dance.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

Dance with me, Oma!

“I want to dance.

Turn the music on.

Awwwh, Zeus is on the stage.”

(The two-foot, puzzle-edged, black, workshop floor pad square,)

I shew the dog off, and put the four squares together in a long line.

“Dance with me, Oma!”

We ballet-jazz-modern-I-don't-know-what dance across the stage together,

switching sides, back-and-forth,

to the old Dean Martin songs Pandora plays on our Grace radio.

Now she has 100 % of my attention.

That was what she really wanted.

by:  Paula D. Nevison

My Excuses

All these poets I read about

going for walks in the countryside.

I don't want to walk.

I want to stay inside.

It's too cold. It's about to rain.

The sun is shining in the sky too high.

It will burn my translucent skin,

and that is why I must stay in.

by:  Paula Dean Nevison

Daddy-long-legs

Every time I walk into the dark bathroom at the office,

I worry that I'm going to be attacked by a spider,

Daddy-long-legs is going to be waiting by the light switch

to jump on my hand and bite me when

I touch the wall trying to find it.

To my relief, he is still over in the corner

in his web, and hasn't moved at all.

I really should sweep him away, but

I like the idea that he might be eating other bugs.

Uh-oh, now there are two spiders. Maybe he's a she.

by:  Paula Dean Nevison

Annoying Bug Turned Lady

A bug flew by

the corner of my eye.

It made me blink. I flipped my hair

in hopes that it would disappear.

A ladybug lit upon my chest.

It quietly crawled across my breast.

I slowly placed my hand in front of it.

Up on my finger, then away she flit.

What began as a trial

left me with a smile.

Though I was in a hurry

she was a pause to my flurry.

By: Paula Dean Nevison

What are you actually doing?

“Passion isn't something that lives way up in the sky, in abstract dreams and hopes. It lives at ground level, in the specific details of what you're actually doing every day.”

Marcus Buckingham

In Awe of Clouds

Clouds in the distance

growing up from the ground,

mountainous stalagmites

like white eruption columns

over a plinian volcanic eruption.

Cumulonimbus clouds?

Are we driving into a storm?

Or cumulus congestus clouds?

I didn't study weather.

I guess we'll find out when we get there.

by:  Paula Dean Nevison

Airplane

way up high,

dark night

firefly.

by:  Paula Dean Nevison

Little Fish

Little fish swimming around this tank,

do they know they are safe

from predators? Are they afraid?

Is this a race?

Are they concerned

around the next corner that they turn

there will be another fish

waiting to make them a dish?

By:  Paula Dean Nevison

Robins

Sprint a few steps.

A froze pose.

Stand erect, peck.

Sprint again.

A crook'd look.

A brief stay,

and fly away.

Am I watching them,

or are they watching me?

By:  Paula Dean Nevison