Mis y Mas

Crochet is therapy. Forgot that.
It IS a time sink, especially since I add the control freak element of wanting to collect AND notate patterns, and how they develop from on another.

Think of it as taxonomy with yarn.

Will be in contact with folks later. Need to go and buy yarn now, while Michaels is quiet.
Buy another storage bin, while Big Lots or Target is quiet.
May drop off books, while I can get into Good Will.

(And I need to return books to people. Seriously. You can't hide.)

Will come back, pull new and old winter sweaters from the dryer.
Look up crock pot recipes (or buy a crock pot recipe book at Good Will--ahah!)
MAYBE start bread. Maybe.
THROW SHIT OUT.
Repair other shit, or THROW UNREPAIRABLE SHIT OUT.
Put up shelving for shoes: AND THROW OLD SHOES OUT.

Write. Or throw old ideas out.
Call therapist. And throw old concepts out.

On my way.

Edit at 12.30pm. Not entirely successful. Forgot to go to Good Will. But do have LOTS of Wools Ease yarn, a ball of size 3 navy thread, fashion finish. Large storage chest--but think I should take it back and get same thing with wheels. May be more--but to get storage this size and have to hoist it IF full--ouch.

Lunch first. Go out again when all the school kids have had theirs as well.

Got reading and some minor errands done.

Had considered a friends suggesting to attend queer contra in oakland, but will get tasks done. I'm enjoying quiet time and domesticity.

Next few weekends might be busy. If I get this long standing household-organizing and me-organizing tasks done, I might be able to attend the next contra in Oakland.

going out to look at more sale items, come back and clear out more clothes. Either organize/toss old papers, or cut fabric. (This sewing project is running too slow! This was supposed to prove that I could do this quickly. Hmmph!)

Organizing note to self: make sandwich-meal or burritos for the week.

Take aspirin for headache, then out the door!

Because when life gets boring, let's cover it in beige wallpaper and pull the drapes.

More poetry forms. Because it ain't a blog without lists.

We finished the couplets/the itty bittiests stanzas you can have. Which moves up to...well, three lines.

Now, M William's book doesn't include tercets as a "fully defined stanza pattern but under "loosely defined" patterns, which I find odd. I assume it is because his definition of tercet is that there is no meter or length applied to the term: just any three lines that rhyme "aaa"--same true end rhymes. You will often find tercets included in long poems of heroic couplets, usually highlighted with a large bracket to the right by the author/publisher--one of the ways to vary the heroic meter. Dryden's All For Love opens the prologue with a tercet:

What Flocks of Critiques hover here today,
As vultures wait on Armies for the Prey
All gaping for the carcass of a Play!

Well. That was cheerful.

I suspect that most poets would find long lines of tercets a bit much to listen to: but Williams included this one in his book:

To a Fair Lady, Playing with a Snake

Strange! that such horror and such grace
Should dwell together in one place;
a fury's arm, an angel's face!

'Tis innocence, and youth, which makes
In Chloris's fancy such mistakes,
To start at love, and play with snakes

By this and by her coldness barred,
Her servants have a task too hard;
The tyrant has a double guard!

Thrice happy snake! that in her sleeve
May boldly creep; we dare not give
Our thoughts so unconfineda leave.

Contented in that nest of snow
He lies, as he his bliss did know,
And to the wood no more would go.

Take heed, fair Eve! you do not make
Another tempter of this snake;
A marble one so warmed would speak
--Edmund Waller

*******************

There is Terza Rima, but that is better covered under whole poem forms--the pattern is established by the interlocking of one stanza to the next.

William's book does reference two Welsh forms that run in tercets: Englyn Penfir and Englyn Milwr. These don't ride on accentual syllabic feet, but in syllables.

I like the influence of Welsh and Irish verse traditions--syllabic, assonance and consonance instead of strict rhyme, and internal rhymes tucked in for sparks. The Englyn Milwr is the simplest: per this books definition, 3 lines of 7 syllables, slant rhymed. Unfortunately, the only example is a translation by Wesli Court (aka Lewis Turco), and it is from old Welsh battle praise poetry. Between the subject matter and Turco's translation...I'm not usually too fond of his work. But,

I carry a severed head
Cynfarch's son, its owner, would
Charge two warbands without heed

Englyn Penfir's a bit trickier. A triplet, but the first line is 10 syllables, and the next two 7 syllables. The rhyme is clearly on the end of lines two and three, but in that long first line, may be buried up to 3 syllables back from the end. Think of it this way: even it the longer 10 syllable line, the rhyming word hovers around the 7th syllable.

AND, the sound that does close that first long line must be echoed by true or slant rhyme at the start of line 2. So..

The handsome corpse is laid down today,
Laid under this earth and stone--
Curse my fist! Owain's sire slain!

"day" at the end of line one is echoes in "laid" at the start of line two. The repeating rhyme sound in all three lines is in "down", "stone" and "slain".

Enough. Moving up to 4 lines stanza, the quatrains. Back to English accentual-syllabic, and all the meters and feet and other OCD countables.

Because there's nothing better for empty space than a meme or a list.
Let's see. When last we left our intrepid space...at least on 27 Dec, I was ticking away through samples of meter. Nope, it hasn't gotten any more interesting. e

Lines at Four in the Morning--Clement Long

A book is coming out I wrote somehow.
I could not now.

The new Buck Rogers bores me. I prefer
the way things were

in rocket ships of my youth. So I look,
book by book

forward toward my past, as also I'm
(to bend time

further out of shape) nostalgic about
the future, I doubt

this sort of thing is good to think a lot.
Probably not.


And a variant by Gordon Osing (well, just turned around)

The Python

Glassed in
what is, if not chagrin

despair
he blunts the fetid air

the zoo
contains and scarcely moves.

He'd seem
a root, our sourest dream

with eyes
that one hates in suprise.

How few
the things he lives to do.

How wise,
elaborates his disguise.

******************

Meh. I think Clement wins on this one.
*************************8

Anything else in couplets? Well, beyond five feet...an alexandrine is six feet, but is tacked on to the end of a heroic stanza. The Miller William's book lists Poulter's measure. It's called Poulter's measure after the poulter's old practice of giving an extra egg with the second dozen. Two rhymed lines of six feet, then seven feet, with a caesura (pause) in the middle of the first line. (Frankly, I don't see how you can't have a pause in the middle of the second line at that length.) Usually iambic. They give an example by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey; I'll be damned if I see a balanced caesura in the sample given. I'll give you just the first four lines--I'm not that cruel. (Yes I like Tudor/Elizabethean poets; I find this one a bitch to wrap and tongue around.)

Good ladies, ye that have your pleasures in exile,
Step in your foot, come take a place and mourn with me awhile;
And such as by their lords do set but little price,
Let them sit still, it skill them not what chance come on the dice.

oh, what the hell

But ye whom love hath bound by order of desire
To love your lords, whose good desserts none other would require,
Come ye yet once again, and set your foot by mine,
Whose woeful plight and sorrows great no tongue can well define.

*******************
Two other forms of couplets referenced in the book: elegaic couplets, a Greek form (and I'd rather poke at classical later), and lovely Ghazals---and they give the god awful modern American style. No, that one is for another time.

And I need to sleep. Thanks for the space.
Feh. I had bigger things to write about. Must learn: when getting on the LJ this late---write first, browse the web later. And no more comics.
And don't censor the self. I find I can give great vent to moods and opinions while soaking in the bathtub--and find myself editing all the words out, thinking of what others say/think/want.

I really need to get back to my own LJ. I really need to get back to my own life.
It's been fun, kids....but I feel like I've lost myself 'round here.

Or, Miso Salad.

1. I still say Student Vegetarian Cookbook is the best gift you can give anyone. Do yourself or a friend a favor.

2. Rick Steves travel is having a sale. $4.95 for single DVD of past episodes (usually 6-8 episodes on a theme disc). I'm getting two Irelands/Scotlands (one for Storyteller), one England, one France and Benelux. Maybe European History 101. Anyone want something thrown into the order? Otherwise, sale lasts through 21 Dec.

3. Why does Magical Trevor remind me of Tobias the Adequate? And I've got to remember to start reading his LJ.

4. And missed this one for your Thanksgiving Table:
Sushi that can double as your waiter

5. Reason to have cheap steak knives: Best instrument in the world to fillet the pith outta citrus fruit.

6. We're having a nice simple dinner. But I keep looking at the small bits of leftovers and thinking: I can make something out of that.
I may be eating leftovers, and nosh on T-day work tomorrow.

Seems to have been a cold with headache--and was slept off.
At THAT Chicken Soup for late breakfast, with a corn muffin.
Not much appetite.
Then sinuses dictated what they wanted: sushi. Went for Trader Joe, indulged in wasabi pack. (Dip, bite, hold in mouth and breathe in as if wine tasting. Hold morsel to roof of mouth. Sinuses say hello, then swallow.)
Hot green tea, sudaphed, back to sleep.

Yes, "Non-drowsy" sudaphed and green tea are no match for my headaches.

But am awake, feeling better....
and starting homework because I can't focus at the computer well. I can't free write, anyway.

Can't watch the food channel; I keep making mental notes on the preparation.
Marxist critique of a monologue from Mambo Mouth (John Leguizamo).

So I'm about to load music or P&P1995 into the player (because dammit, I've seen it so often even Jane cannot break my focus). Actually, I've found that good jazz or classical, or good-but-well-watched movies with good dialoge help the writing.

Oh, must start wash; later make the coleslaw and fruit salad.
Not for thanksgiving: for me, now.

Tomorrow: to be seen.

And took the train.

Been fighting (gently) a bit of a bug since I got drenched on Monday night, so will see about dance class tonight.

Off tomorrow. Must make massive phone calls. Must buy socks, rain coat? Halloween leftovers---better yet, find Halloween patterns?

Supposed to be drawing in Stebbins on Sunday. Never heard back from them on reservations. Oh well.

O scrud. Forgot about coffee klatch on Sunday. O well.

Update at 11am: just received reply from Stebbins Cold Canyon--I did not make the reservations list, as it filled up quickly. But they will let me know about future walks. Buggers.

And realizing PRI is the refreshing break I need from NPR.

Or do more house stuff.

See a play?
Museum? If so, which one?
Road trip? To the coast again?
Do the BART excursion, and see how far I can get on BART**
Casino? Cache Creek, Thunder or Colusa? Buffet and gambling?
Maybe at least a lottery ticket. I will at least get a lottery ticket.

Organize a dinner out with friends for a non-holiday weekend--and BEFORE Thanksgiving. (That's going to be tricky.) I need a way to celebrate with friends, but...among other concerns, can't be this weekend.

Will do something.


**BART/Amtrak excursions: Whenever I've mentioned this, people always chide me and remind me that I could take Amtrak to Richmond, and change there.

Yes, I know. That IS the most efficient/fastest, but not always the most comfortable--or cheapest. It's cheaper to go as far as Martinez, and then get a shuttle to one of four BART stations.

I've wanted to see how far I could go, and how much it would cost in money and time. Would have to be day tripping, of course---returning in the evening has to be carefully timed.

Off to view 511, and see where I can go.

Midpoint essay is to be on one of the authors we've covered so far, and how their background influenced their writing.

However, due to the delays we've had in class, we've covered only Hawthorne, Melville, and Flannery O'Connor.

I'm leaning toward O'Connor--she's new to to me, she's strange enough for interest (you should have seen classmates last night: "He stole her LEG? WTF?"), and rather well documented. But it's going to require pulling her Catholic faith into all that. I'm a bit shallow---if the woman had not said herself that recognition of faith, and its redemption, were a big part of her stories, I'd have missed it. She read Aquinas almost every night: do I look for the Five Ways or the Double Effect in her work?

There is Hawthorne, also documented. His life is evident in his work; but I dread the misery of rereading pieces like the Black Veil or the Birth Mark. (Yes, I know, that's just lazy!). But he might be a far easier subject for further and deeper research, and easier access to more work. And I've grown to appreciate his satires, even if they aren't gigglefests.

Melville---I enjoyed his humor in Bartleby--but we had no other short stories as examples in class. (I've just gone through a Wikipedia article for further works and one LONG poem). The surface telling of his life does not offer a great deal to compare to his stories, other than mundane life experiences. The Wikipedia article does suggest there may be suprises in the man's emotional life , but it would take more than two weeks reading (I've one week to submit the outline), and it would require reading of his later novels. Not enought time---but I think I'd like to tackle Melville some day.

The teacher suggested after class that she might let us use some of the upcoming poets or Arthur Miller for other subjects---but she needs to discuss that with the whole class. I want to get started.

*************
AANND I need to get review notes for math--I need to take a placement test sometime. I don't see much point in taking science classes until I establish my math grades. Was hoping to have the placement test done part way through this term, but it may have to wait until Spring semester, so I can study during Christmas break. I can only get as high as basic geometry---but I want my high school brains back! I want my algebra brains back!

Back to work

1. Waltzing REALLY IS FUN. Yes, you knew that. Waltzing among other beginners who are giggling and just enjoying it is AMAZINGLY FUN!!!
1b. Found out I missed the Davis Contra (thought it was next week). Intend to do that.
1c. Someday SOON will attempt Swing.
1d. Considering Alameda on Monday just to watch happy Irish. Or, if it's going to be that packed, stay out of the way and go on a following Monday.
1d1. ziibminthalij make for happy Irish.

2. Since DCF with sillymesaysme, late evening nosh after waltzing now seems to requires burgers and fries. And Barqs. So much for the diet.

3. Going to toss out papers 'n stuff. I've got two days to clear out old crap, and make room for me. No, won't be done all in one weekend. But I've got that time to toss papers, and settle my head and write and study.

4. I think the paints are coming out this weekend. See if I still really like painting, or if these should get thrown out.

5. I think we need an alcove in the living room. The Craft Project Alcove. One corner where all the Crafty Stuff will be stored.
5a. Am now going to start a running list of things I will go out and buy tomorrow. Clean, get shopping ideas, put them on the list. Write, move yarn, get organizing ideas, put it on the list. Need storage tubs, bookends...shelving? Shall I attempt shelving myself?
5b. Clean out cookies, old temporary files, old files that refuse to be unintalled (Norton seems a bit like HAL from 2001 on that note...) and defrag this thing.

6. Just relax, write, crochet, enjoy a real 2 day weekend. MAYBE cook something (Snuffy made corned beef. Tender, lovely corned beef. With roasted roots.) Going to cook some rice.
6a. Sewing. Aha. Sewing....