SOMETHING FROM THE 90'S

Remember these?

The Stereogram :



This stereogram is the work Michiru Minagawa, and was published in the book Stereogram (Cadence books.)

POETRY CORNER

Two of my favourite ee cummings poems:


i like my body when it is with your

i like my body when it is with your
body. It is so quite new a thing.
Muscles better and nerves more.
i like your body. i like what it does,
i like its hows. i like to feel the spine
of your body and its bones, and the trembling
-firm-smooth ness and which i will
again and again and again
kiss, i like kissing this and that of you,
i like, slowly stroking the, shocking fuzz
of your electric fur, and what-is-it comes
over parting flesh ... And eyes big love-crumbs,

and possibly i like the thrill

of under me you so quite new

ee cummings

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

somewhere i have never travelled

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully,mysteriously)her first rose

or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully,suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility:whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands

ee cummings

The Trouble of Oak

Yes it is spring in Joburg. Birds are mating, flowers blossoming and the sun is shining. Everywhere there is evidence of this beautiful fresh season full of sweet smells and vibrant colours replacing the bleakness of winter. At our little spot on the map though, we have shifted back from winter rather than forward. We are the not so fortunate receivers of an autumn décor to rest our spring eyes on. The magnificent oak trees in our garden have determined to cover the newly greening lawn with a blanket of their winter death. Every morning, we wake to layers of brown dry leaves spread across every nook and cranny of our garden – 7 refuse bags worth daily. And then there are the spring rains…. It is not the turning of these discarded leaves into mulch that worries us; rather it’s the return of the Parktown Prawn. This red terrorist awakes from hibernation to reclaim his reign of King of the outdoor creepies. It is their nature to lurch aggressively from cover at unsuspecting open-air activists sending them fearingly back inside. In a normal spring season one could see them coming and make an escape before their attack, however, in the autumn of our little landscape, they have the perfect cover. Now we watch as leaves rustle across the invisible lawn and wonder in horror from behind the safety of windows whether there is a spring breeze blowing or if the crusaders of dread are out at play.

The flora as at the start of day ... by day end, the leaves are the only visibile foliage!

GRRRR : IF IT AINT BROKE, WHY FIX IT!!!

My Cyan is an extremely particular eater. Her palate does not need variety and in fact will not accept any change of menu. The same food day in and day out works perfectly for her. This should make it a simple task to keep her appetite satisfied. Hmph, if only, but cat food companies have other plans for me.

The first feeding problem arose when after eating Friskies Fancy Feast Turkey in jelly for the first 10 years of her life, every day, our local importer decided that they would change their import menu by discontinuing this product variant in favour of a 'newly improved' sliced turkey in gravy.... after my little girl flatly refused to eat the new and improved flavour variant, I scoured the provinces many retail outlets taking up all their old stock of the original feast and even got in contact with an international stockist in preparation for future dinners as direct imports. But I was saved this last resort option when Cyan decided she actually quiet enjoyed the Whiskas chicken in jelly .... a huge victory for me.

So for the past two years it has been Whiskas chicken in jelly on her menu for dinner - that is until this week. My little angel is not eating ~ her usual dinner that is. She greats me with frantic hunger meows on my return home from work in the evening and has started pawing my eyelids in the morning so that I can wake to give her breakfast. I do naturally jump at her demands but to no avail - the saucer of food remains untouched and Cyan continues to behave like a kitty who has just arrived home from an animal shelter and really needs food.

Today I phoned the manufacturer of Whiskas, to be told that they had in fact changed their formula ~ improved on it ~ and that whilst they sympathised with my dilemma, they had naturally based the change on the results from a panel of kitties it was tested on who really did prefer the new formula..... so 'too bad' for me and Cyan. Mmm.... the panel obviously had no Siamese proof tasters on it, of that I am convinced.

And here begins my search for an acceptable Cyan meal.......

Birthday Photo's: The cake and the girls at lunch

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

Today is my birthday and I have been made to feel so very special. My day started with coffee and a bag of lovely and thoughtful gifts from my love, served to me in bed. I had a cake baked in my honor (by Jane), was taken for lunch, had friends phoning with birthday wishes and then dinner served to me in bed. I have been truly blessed and totally spoilt. Ah, I could get used to this.
A few photos of today’s keepsakes will follow soon.