She likened him unto the moon
‘at first light’ storms and a dark side
electrifying, magnetic, intimidating
impact craters, devilishly dapper
she quite overlooked his failings
that there were times when apathy
prejudiced her come hither games
Finally adversity eclipsed cajolery
only then did the she-moth spurn the
come hither charms of dark celestial
and instead, back on terra firma fell
head over heels for an incandescent
quite bare lightbulb, she paid the price
for infidelity, a betrayal of constancy
lost herself within the white lightening
Later
Stiff collared the know all therapists
crippled thinkers the specialists
xenophobic the nursing staff
limping invalids the lot of them
in a place serving to mend the
‘from the outside looking in’
plausibly ‘fit as a fiddle’ inmates
Her only family now a dog-eared overcoat
the powers that be entrusting her a
rambling mastermind, one who juggle with her wounded notions on…
Love handles,
Spare tire,
Thick around
the middle.
A muffin top
by any other
name is still
my clothing
nemesis.
I tried on jeans today. Hence the poem. The jeans I loved fit just low enough on my hips to produce the dreaded muffin top. The jeans that hid my muffin top produced the dreaded mom jeans look. I’m thinking about embracing the bulge and decorating it with sparkles and sequins. Might start a new trend.
My Fitbit is a hungry little piece of technology. Every day it coaxes me to walk just a few more steps, then more, and if I make it to 10,000 steps it rewards me with a happy little buzz buzz buzz. I’ve become fond of the buzz. So fond, in fact, that I’ve been exploring places in and around Tallahassee to get my steps in.
One day this week I visited the state capitol building. It’s another one of those places that I’ve driven past many times, but never stopped to inspect, in large part because I never could figure out where to park. Heaven forbid that I stop and ask someone. Armed with my Fitbit, though, I figured I’d park at a distance and get in some steps on my way to and from the capitol building.
This is not a photo that I took, but I found it on Pinterest and that’s almost the same as me having taken it. The historic capitol in the foreground is now a museum, while the high rise directly behind it is the current capitol.
One entrance into the new capitol features a family of sculpted dolphins frolicking in a fountain. It is totally captivating, and a sight I wouldn’t have seen if I hadn’t parked where I did. Thanks, Fitbit!
Inside the high rise, I took an express elevator up to the 22nd floor where one can see literally for miles and miles. This observation floor also includes a gallery featuring portraits of children awaiting adoption in Florida.
The chambers for the House of Representatives and the Senate are located on the fifth floor. Both were locked, but at least the curtains covering the senate chamber’s windows were open and I could see the beautifully appointed room.
The main floor houses offices for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and a variety of other state officials including the Secretary of Agriculture and the state’s Chief Financial Officer.
Lobby floor of the capitol.
Sections of the wall on the main floor are dedicated to recognizing leaders in the Florida Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Suffrage Movement. There is also a wall honoring firefighters and police officers who died in service to the people of the state of Florida.
This gigantic marble seal in the center of this floor is impressive:
After visiting the new building I walked the short distance to the Historic Capitol Museum and strolled along the halls and chambers where interactive exhibits invite visitors to learn more.
Inside the historic capitol museum
The historic capitol was in danger of being torn down after the new building was completed, but the citizens of Florida came together to preserve this magnificent building as a museum. Thank goodness!
If you ever venture into Tallahassee on your way to Disneyworld, make sure to visit the capitol. It won’t cost you anything unless you park in a metered space, and even then it’s only a couple of dollars. A great bargain!
And if you’re feeding your Fitbit, you’ll get all of your 10,000 steps in by noon. Buzzzzzz!
Have you ever looked at an ordinary word for so long that it just doesn’t seem right anymore? That happened to me yesterday afternoon as I was looking for an over-the-counter medicine to calm my incessant sneezing, itchy throat, and watery eyes.
The word:
ALLERGY
The more I looked at the word the stranger it appeared. Was it ALL ERGY? Or perhaps AL LERGY?
When a helpful clerk at CVS asked if I needed assistance I mumbled something along the lines of, “Yes. Yes, I do.”
I hope this product helps with word fixation, as well.
My second shift as a volunteer at Tallahassee Animal Services went well. We were really busy this afternoon with a great many potential adopters coming through the cat lobby.
So far, I have resisted the urge to begin adoption procedures, but I find myself being a cheerleader for certain cats. There are several who’ve been at the center since I first signed up to volunteer.
One of my favorites is a pretty adult female named Kandy. She’s got such a sweet personality and loves to talk. Another is Margarita. What a gorgeous darling! She’s also an adult cat with a friendly nature.
Then there’s Peter Parker. He was surrendered by his owner who became too ill to care for him. Peter loves to be petted, but is nervous about coming out of his kennel. He needs a loving, stable home.
Of course kittens are all the rage, and they’re awfully cute. One sibling pair, Paul and Newman are so playful. I doubt if they’ll still be at the shelter next Wednesday. And that’s a very good thing.
Remember, adopt, don’t shop!
I’m a really lousy cat photographer, but this is Newman. he liked me. He’d love going home with his very own human.
Most Saturday mornings I spend at least an hour wandering around the weekly farmers’ market in downtown Tallahassee. The Downtown Market boasts much more than just local produce. There are usually Tallahassee area artisans with their wares for sale as well as informational booths.
A couple of weeks ago a display at one of the booths caught my eye and I spent a bit of time visiting with the volunteers manning the exhibit. The display was an enlarged copy of a hotel’s registry. On it were the signatures of several famous African Americans: singer Ray Charles, author James Baldwin, and Academy Award winning actress Hattie McDaniel of Gone with the Wind fame, among others. They had all stayed, at various times, at the Tookes Hotel in Tallahassee.
The Tookes Hotel began in the late 1940’s as Tookes Rooming House, when Dorothy Nash Tookes added three rooms and a bathroom to her home to provide a place for African Americans to stay when visiting the state’s capital. At that time segregation prevented people of color from staying in other Tallahassee hotels.
Ms. Tookes’s grandson, Ronald McCoy is currently planning to operate the former hotel as a museum, bed and breakfast, and luxury function facility, preserving as much of the original furniture as possible. Even the original Tookes Hotel sign, one of the first functional neon signs in Tallahassee, will be refurbished and put to good use.
I can imagine what a welcoming place the Tookes Hotel must have been to weary travelers during the days of segregation. We all just want to be welcomed, after all.
The restoration of the Tookes is an exciting project with great historical significance, and I am eager to see the finished project.
Want to know more? Go to Tookeshotel.org.
The Tookes Hotel as it stands today at 412 West Virginia StreetThis original neon sign will used once it has been restored.
Dorothy Tookes earned degrees in both education and nursing and was Leon County’s first certified teacher. She also founded and served as principal of Bond School.
Dorothy attended nursing school at Florida A&M in the 1920’s.
I ran over a snake this morning.
Ewwwwwwww!
It made me think about other things that bring an ewwwwww to my lips and face and mind:
Things That Make Me Say “Ew!”
(To the tune of My Favorite Things)
Spiders in thick webs and
Baby poop in diapers,
Roaches in corners and
Squished bugs under wipers
Moldy foods in Tupperware
And stinky gym shoes
These are the things that
Can make me say ewwww!
Snakes underneath tires
And hair in my salads
Stepping in dog poo
and John Tesch’s ballads
Splattering sneezes with
Snot infused goo
These are the things that
Can make me say ewwwww!
When the kid pukes
When the farts smell
And I hold my nose
I simply reflect on these
Grossest of things and
All I can say is Ewwwwww!
Praying for Eyebrowz 