Thank Goodness it's Over!

This is the end of Spring Break. Emmer had been up 48 hours from Sunday thru Monday night. His buddy who came over went straight to the golf course for 9 holes! They had two days off and then an overnighter at Walter's house. Emm came home and wanted to start reading a book, John is holding "The Subtle Knife" to the right. Both Emm and Augie fell asleep instantly. They were ready to go back to school on Tuesday. As soon as I get it cleaned up, I will take pictures of the new paint job in my room. I started a new job this week and also decided it was time to paint. What was I thinking?

Bombdoggie!

That is Augie's name for her. She did it again! Olivia finally threw our her halloween candy in February. Who saves Halloween candy until Valentines day? Anyway, after the first two episodes of candy theivery, Olivia tossed her slobbery Easter candy in her trash can. I think our problem is that I ran out of can dog food and started a new job this week. Blossy is out-of-sorts. We went to Emmerson's 8th grade recognition ceremony and out to dinner. John and I were putting our bedroom back together after painting for 6 days and I realized Blossom was quiet and not in the room anymore. I went down the hallway and found her like this, looking up at me as if she knew what she did was wrong. She hung her head low and gave us a very reproachful look. Olivia was very mad -- for about 2 minutes. Blossom's adventure was not without reprocussion, however. All night her tummy was gurgling and groaning. And it's too rainy to walk it off this morning.

Carl Sandburg - "Our National Poet".

At least that is what one famous writer calls him. I am ashamed to say that I lived my whole childhood in Illinois, just 40 miles from Carl Sandburg's birthplace of Galesburg IL and never read any of his poetry. I have even visited Carl Sandburg College. After reading "The Brain that Changes Itself", I have been reading Augie poetry at bedtime -- puts him right out. Then I got a few books for myself. I never realized how cool Carl Sandburg was, for being a poet with no serious mental illness:

Bricklayer Love, by Carl Sandburg

I thought of killing myself because I am only a bricklayer and you a
woman who loves the man who runs a drug store.

I don't care like I used to; I lay bricks straighter than I used to and I sing
slower handling the trowel afternoons.

When the sun is in my eyes and the ladders are shaky and the mortar
boards go wrong, I think of you.

This made me laugh out lout, read it twice to my family. Sad, you just want to tell this fella to move on and find a nice "honky-tonk" gal or something. sheesh! Clearly not his best work, we all have bad days.

Circles of Doors, by Carl Sandburg -- (my favorite)

I love him, I love him, ran the patter of her lips
And she formed his name on her tongue and sang
And she sent him word she loved him so much,
So much, and death was nothing; work, art, home,
All was nothing if her love for him was not first
Of all; the patter ofher lips ran, I love him,
I love him; and he knew the dors that opened
Into doors and more doors, no end of doors,
And full-length mirrors doubling and tripling
The apparitions of doors; circling corridors of
Looking-glasses and doors, some with knobs, some
With no knobs, some opening slow to a heavy push,
And some jumping open at a touch and a hello.
And he knew if he so wished he could follow her
Swift running through circles of doors, hearing
Sometimes her whisper, I love him, I love him
And sometimes only a high chaser of laughter
Somewhere five or ten doors ahead or five or ten
Doors behind, or chittering h-st, h-st, h-st, among corners
Of the tall full-length dusty looking-glasses.
I love, I love, I love, she sang short and quick in
High thin beaten soprano and he knew the meanings,
The high chaser of laughter, the doors on doors
And the looking-glasses, the room to room hunt,
The ends opening into new ends always.

I like it because it's not so obscure that I can't understand it. There are poems about Neponset IL, Joliet, IL, Keokuk, IA and other small towns in Illinois and Chicago; many places I've lived or visited. I only wish I had read Carl Sandburg earlier! These came from "The Complete Poems of Carl Sandburg Revised and Expanded Edition".

What I am looking for now is audio book of poetry. I'm sure all this would sound better if read by someone who knew how to read poetry aloud. I usually read shel Silverstein to the kids at night half tired and trip up a lot of the lines. Some of Shel's poems freaks Augie (and me too) out!