Cold Winter Nights

Remember the good ol’ ... Saturday ... days?  


There was usually a western on the movie screen at the theater in town ... and, best of all, another installment of the “serial” ... that continuing adventure ... in short takes which always ended with the hero about to go off the cliff ... or about to be hit by a rumbling freight train ...


Oh, how I looked forward to seeing those. I guess I always knew the hero would escape somehow ... there were lots more “chapters” to come ... but I looked forward to seeing if he did, and how he did it this time.  


I couldn’t help thinking about that as I started on this week’s installment of “Squiggles.” 


-S&G-


But this first: The coveted magical, mystical, mythical GOLD STAR goes to LOREE, Kansas, for being the first to respond to last week’s posting ... about, you may recall, our thinking ... just thinking, mind you ... about, well, maybe ... putting The Little Red Car out to pasture ... and getting a younger, but slightly used, replacement.


-S&G-


LOREE’S E-MAIL BEGINS: Now, how do I tell you this ... since I want to be honest, yet tactful in doing so?


First of all, I am mad as an old setting hen, disturbed by what I see, hear, and in my case, read.  I guess there is no way to make this painless, so let me be blunt ... 


AND CONTINUES:


How DARE you think of replacing Little Red!  That is totally unthinkable, considering the way she has been there for you, made your trips possible, and yes, being blunt, PUT UP WITH YOU!!


You appear ungrateful ... uncaring ... as you SNEAK AROUND and chomp at the bit for a new car!  Shame on you!  Nuff said ... but just wanted you to know how I felt about that idea ... not a good one at all, and I thought more of you! 


(Just kidding, for when did a man ever listen to a woman's GOOD ADVICE?!  Practically NEVER!  Oh I know ... the old excuse that a 'man's got to do what a man's got to do!'  Well, I never did buy into that one, and still don't:-)  Gee, if I don't watch out, I'll be upset all over again!)


-S&G-


AND CONCLUDES: Have a good one Bob, and you do know I was teasing you about the car, I hope.  Actually, it may be time to retire The Little Red Car ... as much as I'll miss her adventures!   – Loree.


-S&G-


AH, BUT THEN there was sort of a post script which I found delightful, too: “Since I wrote my e-mail to you earlier today, I had a brainstorm, and I am planning a ‘march’ (rally) to show support for Little Red. So far I have three signed up to take part in it ... myself and my two dogs! Hey, it’s a start anyway! And I figured if there were any way to impress you at all, that ought to do it. See you next week ... Loree.”


-S&G-

WHAT CAN I SAY? I never thought there would be such a reaction to the idea of turning loose of Little Red. 


True, we have had a lot of adventures ... good times and bad ... with Little Red. And it’s true, too, that Little Red has put up with a lot from me (I’ll spare you the details of that ... and I’m hoping Little Red won’t talk about it, either). 


But I guess my tactics did seem a little sneaky ... partly because I didn’t want to hurt Little Red’s feelings about maybe being traded in ... and partly because Little Red has entered those difficult teen years (you know how teens react to situations sometimes).


Rest assured, however, Little Red, as we speak, is still with us ... in fact, is loafing ... waiting patiently ... in the driveway right now, for Phyllis to slide in behind the wheel, flick on the lights ... and steer toward the garage.


We’ll keep you posted as major ... or minor ... developments occur ... like the next "chapter" in the Saturday serial. 

-S&G-


TODAY’S QUOTE: “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” - Benjamin Franklin


-S&G-


WHY, WHY? ... Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him? (courtesy of WALT, Ohio)


-S&G-


THIS courtesy of HELEN, Florida ... A grandfather was delivering his grandchildren to their home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog’s duties.


“They use him to keep crowds back,” said one child.


“No,” said another. “He’s just for good luck.”


A third brought the argument to a close. “They use the dogs,” she said firmly, “to find the fire hydrants.”


-S&G-


PROFESSOR SQUIGGLEE: I’ve sometimes thought that we should replace STOP signs with ROLL ON THROUGH signs, since that’s what most drivers seem to do ... but somebody would probably get rear-ended because they’d stopped ... actually STOPPED ... to read one of the new signs and figure out what it means.


-S&G- 


TODAY’S POEM: I know, I know. It’s too early to be thinking about winter ... especially cold winter nights. But I can’t help it. I’ve already started shivering on these cold autumn mornings.


Just the other day, for example, I participated in an outdoor program in which we set up our easels, folding stools, etc., and got to work painting watercolors of the autumn scenes before us. 


There was a tiny bit of sun peeking through the clouds at the time ... a promise of better/warmer things to come ... but there was also a frisky wind that kept rustling the leaves, threatening to grab pieces of paper that weren’t carefully anchored and fly away with them.


And ... just my own personal opinion, of course ... it was COLD. So cold, in fact, that I believe I heard myself muttering, “Maybe we should be painting with our mittens on.”


But today’s poem isn’t about that. It’s more about writing ... touching on a process that remains something of a mystery to me ... but also reaching the heart of the matter, I think, the satisfaction that comes from putting thoughts on paper.


The poem:




COLD WINTER NIGHTS


I have dreamed
that my poetry
might go like
wildfire lighting
the emptiness
of night, dancing
ahead of the wind,
smoke of creation,
furious burning,
rising to join
the lingering clouds,
drifting, drifting.


Ah, but a smaller
fire it is,
burning within,
chasing nothing
before it, raising
no alarms, warming
only me on these
cold winter nights
with a lamp
keeping me company,
and these scratchings.


(originally published in ByLine)


-S&G-


COMMENT? Feel free ... below, if you like. 


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 rbrimm@peoplepc.com


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-S&G-


If you’d like to see what’s up with my other, DAILY blog (no, this is not my “Home Page”),  here’s a link to it:


http://rbrimm.blogspot.com/


Thanks for paying a visit.


-S&G-


UNTIL NEXT TIME ... take care ... see ya!


-S&G-


©  2010