#117

I don't know the name 
of this flowering tree but 
it is spring at last. 

catherinenglish 04-28-2013

#116

The birds are incredibly loud this morning,
but who can blame them? 
Spring has finally arrived.
The sun just increased its intensity,
trying to burn away
the morning fog. 
I breathe in the scent of fresh grass 
and mud; it's a scent
I have loved  my whole life.

Writing Marathon excerpt
Grand Island Senior High

catherinenglish 04-27-2013

#115

It finally felt like Spring today,

sitting on my patio,

a cardinal pecking in the gray dirt of my neighbor's garden,

an oriole in our redbud tree,

the blue metal wind chimes

singing in unison 

with all of the other warblers, 

full-throated with joy. 

catherinenglish 04-26-2013

#114


I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. 
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; 
so I love you because I know no other way than this: 
where I does not exist, nor you, 
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, 
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep. 




Whenever I read Pablo Neruda, I want to shout to the universe,
"This man knows what love is!"  I want to repeat his poetry over and over and over in my mind, capturing love in words is so difficult, but he 
did it so precisely and gorgeously and sensuously.  

catherinenglish 04-25-2013

#113

Today, we read Max  Apple's "Bridging"
in English 4, and I'm reminded how baseball
is such a simple sport 
that can save even a small girl
and her father from the pain 
of loss, and Nolan Ryan's 
fastball is an aspirin, and even 
though he was old, 
he  could still throw nothing but smoke. 

catherinenglish 04-24-2013

#112

Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh

what a relief to my sore 

nose it really is!

catherinenglish 04-23-2013

#111

Anniversary dinner number 34; 
Jerry's favorite, Mexican, a cloudy and cool
Sunday evening, a quiet time at Cesar's,
talking about the weather, baseball, grandkids,
kids, siblings, and a whole lot of nothing. 

catherinenglish 04-22-2013

#110

I know they try to make the photos look
like it's a nice place, 
but the Nebraska Correctional 
Center for Women isn't
 as nice as the picture appears, 
and the women who come to write 
with us, do it for their sanity and soul and 
wholeness, and today, I discovered a new word:
"Jammin'" and I'm happy to say 
one of the girls is leaving, 
but I don't know if she
even has a place to go.

catherinenglish 04-21-2013

(Happy Anniversary #34, Jer)

(Impri Lue, Douglas Martin, 1974-75)

#109
I need more than thirty minutes to browse around the museum! I am glad I brought my iPad so I can take some photographs. I really found myself drawn to some of the pieces. I've lived here my whole life but I still find the photos of the plains to be the most breathtaking of all! And I'm still attracted to large paintings that look like Jackson Pollack wannabes. I love the texture of the paint. It is just so much fun to be absorbed in a painting and the fascination of color choice and the manipulation of the paint. Why did the painter add a bit of bright brick red in the lower left hand corner, looking like blood in a sea of various shades of blue and beige?


excerpt from writing marathon...
catherinenglish 04-20-2013

(Summer Nebraska, Dan Howard, 1979)

#108

A glorious day spent writing with my friends,

writing marathon in Kearney,

Flash mob tango on the Hilltop,

Museum of Nebraska Art,

Thunderhead Brewery,

Blast from the Past Antique Store,

and Bob and Dorothy's for ribs,

wine, and a read around out of this world.

catherinenglish 04-20-2013

 #107

My favorite designer made it to

Fashion Week

with a very cool jacket, 

wolfie sweater and a silk dress

covered in quilted armor. 

catherinenglish 04-18-2013

#106

I'll never forget the day I finally 
got to see the Big Green Monster,
Fenway's claim to fame,
to the tune of "Sweet Caroline." 
One of my favorite moments of life,
so I am saddened that such a friendly
town has suffered such tragedy. And I ask,
"Why?"  

catherinenglish 04-17-2013

#105

Teaching in rural

schools has its challenges and 

rewards, thankfully.

catherinenglish 04-16-2013

#104

I just charged more
on my credit card
than ever before, 
and I'm happy to say,
Bank of America inspects
"irregular activity" 
so I feel pretty good 
about my credit card 
security and the fact
that I'm flying home via
Istanbul, Turkey. 
catherinenglish 04-15-2013

#103

Eight years ago, Jerry tried to dig up 
the Harry Lauder's Walking Stick plant,
(Corylus Avellana Contorta), much to his 
sister, Cindi's dismay, but thankfully, it is 
a hearty plant that came back in all its 
contorted glory the following year.  

catherinenglish 04-14-2013

#102

April 13, 2012 

was the day we heard the news

that Knox Thomas Lewis was diagnosed with 

the horrible "R" word: rhabdomyosarcoma, so

I write to honor his memory, the so few 

precious days his family got to see his smile,

look into his deep brown eyes,

and know his presence. 

catherinenglish 04-13-2013

#101

Today, finally, after a 
ten year self-imposed exile from
the music of Hank Williams, 
I listened to my dad's 
favorite singer, 
songs on YouTube, 
original broadcasts 
from the Grand Ole Opry,
"Your Cheatin' Heart,"
"Hey, Good-Looking," 
"Cold, Cold Heart,"
"I Saw the Light," and 
"I'll Fly Away," 
and I cried and cried, 
because this afternoon, 
Dad reminded me, "God is with you."

catherinenglish 04-12-2013

(if you click on the songs, the link will take you to YouTube
and you can have a listen). 

#100

This 64 page manuscript has taught me
the value of being in one sacred spot,
holy in its worth, if only we take 
the time to notice, listen, educate,
cultivate and care for all who inhabit 
this place. 

catherinenglish 04-11-2013

#99

April ice is not what I was expecting this morning,

nor the 6:20 a.m. call that school was cancelled due 

to inclement weather and no electricity. I had just settled in

with a warm cup of tea, when the followup phone call came:

"Power restored, teachers report." 

catherinenglish 04-10-2013

#98

'a woman must have money 
and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.'
--Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own.

I gave up the notion of writing fiction
when I realized I would never have the money
nor the room of my own to do so; 
with the freedom to write daily, the best pieces,
because it's a luxury afforded to so few. 

catherinenglish 04-09-2013

#97

--for Anna

One of my greatest joys of earth
is sending flowers to people I love
when I know that life has been
difficult;
it's such a simple, loving gesture.

catherinenglish 04-08-2013

#96

A quick Tagxedo,

my curriculum vitae,

a jumbled hot mess.

catherinenglish 04-07-2013

#95 

It's April 6; the Christmas cactus
is blooming,
bright pink against the lily white 
and sunny yellow,
a contrast of holy days--
holidays representing 
birth and death and rebirth. 

catherinenglish 04-06-2013

#94

Oh, how I despise Nina Garcia, 

the royal witch with a "b" 

of Project Runway, 

how dare she boot off my favorite designer! 

It always has to be Nina's way,

or the highway!  

Nina, get a clue: you're old!

and out of touch. 

 

catherinenglish 04-05-2013

#93

Little boys love 
rough-housing,
tickling, tackling, 
zibbits, and a 
nice head rub from 
grandma's hands
every once 
in a while. 




catherinenglish 04-04-2013
(photo courtesy of Anna English)

#92

My web presence has had many incarnations

and A Room of One's Own is the latest

mind-numbing, time consuming space I 

have taken up in Cyber-World.

catherinenglish 04-03-2013

#91

Whenever our grandchildren smile at us, 
or look at us with those innocent eyes,
our hearts melt into a love so deep, 
we can barely stand it or believe we 
are so lucky. 

catherinenglish 04-02-2013

(photo courtesy of Anna English)

#90

Rory Marie is 

the cutest drooling baby

in the whole wide world.

catherinenglish 04-01-2013

(photo courtesy of Anna English)

#89

Who knew shaving cream and corn starch

could be so much fun, fake snow, after so much 

snow and wind and cold  this spring; 

what were these guys thinking?  

(Fake snow in the spring is a lot more fun!)

catherinenglish 03-30-2013

#88

The look of amazement on a two-year-old's face

when the white of a boiled egg becomes a particular

shade of green, blue, yellow, violet or red,

is a joy to behold and a reminder

that all new life and youth is what spring is all about. 

catherinenglish 03-30-2013