Monthly Archives: March 2012

Patio menagerie

Did you ever hear the song, or read the book, There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly?

The birds are at my feeders this morning. (This is a west coast day, so it’s the apartment patio, instead of the house deck.) A pair of red finches, a pair of yellow, two grey doves, an assortment of sparrows, and the occasional blue jay have appeared so far.  It was difficult to achieve!

A neighborhood squirrel noticed the bird feeders.  The squirrel scared away the birds, so I added a huge abalone shell full of bird seed on the ground at the bottom of the feeders for the squirrel.  Happy squirrel. Happy birds.

Then came the cat. A neighbor’s white cat was hiding under the patio table one day.  My husband thought it was watching the birds, until the cat leaped for the squirrel! Hmmm.

I’ve invited my friend’s dog over for a “play date”. He can’t wait to meet the cat.

Live Poetry by Billy Collins

Sometimes, when I read one of Billy Collins’ magnificent poems, I wonder why I even try. But then I think, he started somewhere, too.

I’m sharing this because Billy Collins always makes me smile.  May you smile today, as well! 🙂

Ted Talk: Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins

John Stewart on Health Care for Women

It seems only a man with a sense of humor can present this so convincingly to men, (and reassuringly to women!)  Thank you, John Stewart, for inviting an actual female, Cecile Richards, onto your program to discuss health care that affects females, and the males they love (or at least find attractive :-D).


Oh, and the economy. 

Sometimes it feels, lately, like the Taliban has sneaked into our country, not in beards and caps, but debates and ClearChannel Radio! 

Bravo.  I’d ask John Stewart to run for President, but not until he’s found someone equally able to cover the issues in such an intelligent, yet humorous manner. Any suggestions?

John Stewart on Women’s Health interviewing Cecile Richards

Well done 🙂

Broken $%!# – my new theme song

…and where in Sacramento to hear live music:

I recently wrote to my favorite Sacramento storytelling musician, Justin Farren.  I couldn’t really tell my story properly without the soundtrack of one of his songs.

Once I shared with Justin Farren the highlights of my arrival in Sacramento, including

  • being hit by a car while riding my bike;
  • getting a 911 bill for being hit by a car;
  • receiving, by mail, a ticket for being hit by the car, since the driver said it was my fault;
  • successfully demonstrating to the judge through overabundant pictures and video of the intersection that my story was the true version;
  • finally, discovering that my wobbly, car-crash bicycle had been stolen,
Justin agreed to let me post this link to his song, Broken Shit.  It’s my new Sacramento theme song. He said “that’s a crazy story!” But every time I play his song on my ipod, I laugh, thinking of the crazy irony of that thief somewhere when the wheel falls off my bike.

Justin tells great stories. Just listen to “Where did I leave my sweater?” or “Shade Tree”, two of his other funny songs, or any of his more contemplative material.  When you see some sorry times, you more deeply appreciate the juxtaposition of humor that floats around the edges.

So even though I’m not particularly grateful for the thief with the cable cutter, or the driver who hit me and fibbed about it, (but turned out to be getting married the following week, so I forgave her), or especially, the various agencies that attempted to take advantage of me after I’d been hit by a car, I  am grateful for a sense of humor, persistence, a cheap little camera, and especially, a new theme song.

Thanks, Justin.     Justin’s website (I wish I had a guitar icon here!)

Oh, yes – a couple of little places to hear live acoustic music in Sacramento: