Speeding Back into the Unknown
Aug 03, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
It looks like I’m back on that speeding roller coaster carrying me on a crazy ride to destinations unknown. While this change was something I’ve been looking for, now that it is here I feel overwhelmed with the speed and the unclear destination at the end. Will I crash into a brick wall? Will I be flung off the track into the icy waters lying below? Will I pull safely into a station and be welcomed with open arms? Only time and the ride will tell.
Okay, time to leave this metaphor behind and be specific. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XWYefe9EzI] At the end of August, we are going to leave Kansas and move to Massachusetts as Nathan has accepted a position as technical director at Worcester...
Okay, time to leave this metaphor behind and be specific. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XWYefe9EzI] At the end of August, we are going to leave Kansas and move to Massachusetts as Nathan has accepted a position as technical director at Worcester...
Pompous Verbosity for Fun (100 Word Challenge)
Aug 02, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
For this weeks 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups, we must incorporate the following words into our post: Ripple Brood Evocative Lilt Untoward. These five words come from the list of "103 Most Beautiful Words" posted by another blogger. I, in my state of (I'm making up a word here) frustratedboredommixedwithwriter'sblocktiredofwaitinglimbo decided to extend my own challenge by using as many of the beautiful words as I could in my post, knowing--of course--that I would come off sounding like a pompous jerk who uses big words when simple ones will do. The red highlighted words are from the challenge. The purple highlighted words are from the list. Enjoy, join the challenge, and visit some of the other participants.
As I sit in limbo brooding...
As I sit in limbo brooding...
Lost in Limbo
Aug 01, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
I am so tired of waiting. It seems like I am consistently lost in limbo, waiting for someone or something to happen so that I can take the next steps that I need to take.
I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Well then, don't wait. make things happen on your own. Take action."
I'd love to, but sometimes the next step, the next action is dictated by something outside yourself. So, here I am stuck waiting.
And the clock ticks slowly . . . tic tic tic tic.
There is no speeding up time. There is no making days move faster either, and sometimes the waiting depends on days rather than minutes.
Waiting for bureaucracy. Waiting for returned phone calls. Waiting for the next...
I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Well then, don't wait. make things happen on your own. Take action."
I'd love to, but sometimes the next step, the next action is dictated by something outside yourself. So, here I am stuck waiting.
And the clock ticks slowly . . . tic tic tic tic.
There is no speeding up time. There is no making days move faster either, and sometimes the waiting depends on days rather than minutes.
Waiting for bureaucracy. Waiting for returned phone calls. Waiting for the next...
To Help Us All Relax . . .
Jul 29, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
In response to all of the wonderful comments on my previous post, and recognizing that many of us seem to be in the world of the frazzled today, I offer all of you wonderful people a little bit of this:
and maybe some of this:
Or perhaps you prefer this:
Tori suggested this:
Or maybe we simply need a little bit of this: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIb6AZdTr-A]
Or this: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-8DO6k3HJ8]
and maybe some of this:
Or perhaps you prefer this:
Tori suggested this:
Or maybe we simply need a little bit of this: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIb6AZdTr-A]
Or this: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-8DO6k3HJ8]
Too Scattered to Write
Jul 29, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
Have you ever had one of those days when your mind is going a mile a minute and you cannot accomplish a single thing because of it?
Today is one of those days for me.
The list of things I could be doing or might be doing grows, and yet I fritter around like a hummingbird in a field of flowers, unable to rest, to calm, to think, to breathe or to write. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzCG-MNx590&feature=related] And, in the typical irony of fate, today seems to be the day that I should be producing a high-quality fabulous post to thrill the masses. Why? Well, yesterday I had one of those randomly successful days on the blog, with the most visits ever for me--and today, without me...
Today is one of those days for me.
The list of things I could be doing or might be doing grows, and yet I fritter around like a hummingbird in a field of flowers, unable to rest, to calm, to think, to breathe or to write. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzCG-MNx590&feature=related] And, in the typical irony of fate, today seems to be the day that I should be producing a high-quality fabulous post to thrill the masses. Why? Well, yesterday I had one of those randomly successful days on the blog, with the most visits ever for me--and today, without me...
Cosmic Dance
Jul 28, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
This post comes from the inspiration of three different women, which just shows the power and complexity of this magnificent world I call the "Blogosphere". Today, Darla at She's a Maineiac wrote the lovely poem called "Radiance at Last" in response to a challenge made by Val Erde who provided inspiration in the form of this magnificent painting by her
A few days ago, Priya at Partial View wrote "Dismissed too Soon"a magnificent post that incorporates photography and poetry to explore issues of life and death. She used the form of etheree, which she also explains: An etheree comprises of 10 lines. It begins with a one syllable line, increasing one...
A few days ago, Priya at Partial View wrote "Dismissed too Soon"a magnificent post that incorporates photography and poetry to explore issues of life and death. She used the form of etheree, which she also explains: An etheree comprises of 10 lines. It begins with a one syllable line, increasing one...
Simultaneous Stories
Jul 26, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
I wake up and somewhere a child falls asleep. I turn on my computer to start writing a blog post, and another blogger starts typing hers. People dance in one part of the world while people die in another.
I walk outside to answer the call of the moon, and elsewhere others see the same moon as I do, while still more rise to worship the sun.
We all live simultaneous stories.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT_UmBHMYzg]
This movie intrigues me for a number of reasons. One is simply that one of my high school friends contributed to it. But, the idea of simultaneous stories intersects all of my writing lately.
Stories are what connect us and what divide us. As a newborn takes his first breathe in one...
I walk outside to answer the call of the moon, and elsewhere others see the same moon as I do, while still more rise to worship the sun.
We all live simultaneous stories.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT_UmBHMYzg]
This movie intrigues me for a number of reasons. One is simply that one of my high school friends contributed to it. But, the idea of simultaneous stories intersects all of my writing lately.
Stories are what connect us and what divide us. As a newborn takes his first breathe in one...
Following Intuition and Learning from Oprah
Jul 22, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
I have Nathan well-trained. When we go through the check-out at grocery stores he goes ahead to take care of paying while I get my fix of the headlines on all the magazines lining the aisles. I particularly love to read the trashier headlines because they either make me giggle or cringe out of share absurdity. I rarely, if ever, purchase an actual magazine (except for the inevitable holiday cookie one that always entices me with alluring new cookie possibilities).
Yesterday, however, O: The Oprah Magazine caught my eye as it often does, because the covers are always gorgeous. I admit to the occasional purchase because O always includes articles that speak to things I might be going through.
"Let Your Intuition Be...
Yesterday, however, O: The Oprah Magazine caught my eye as it often does, because the covers are always gorgeous. I admit to the occasional purchase because O always includes articles that speak to things I might be going through.
"Let Your Intuition Be...
I'm Not Old Enough
Jul 21, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
This is my response to the fabulous Tori Nelson's post called "old enough."
I'm Not Old Enough . . .
. . . to give up my dreams in the face of other people's sense of
what is appropriate;
. . . to sit in a corner gathering dust
while younger generations act like my time has passed;
. . . to fade quietly into an existence defined by other's
and yet society wants to make that so.
I'm not old enough . . .
. . . to live without the joys of childhood
like ice cream on a sunny day
or conversations with stuffed animals.
. . . to live without singing and dancing
for the pure joy of song and movement
. . . to be afraid of getting dirty
with paint...
Bizarre Twists of Fate
Jul 15, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
"Fate, or some mysterious force, can put the finger on you or me, for no good reason at all." (Martin Goldsmith)
Fate twists a strand of curly blond hair around her finger and laughs a wicked little giggle.
"Sisters," she says. "It is time to push buttons for our favorite playthings. They have become a little complacent, and need to be nudged. "
"But not delicately," the red-headed sister adds. "Let us shove rather than nudge. It is so much fun to watch them squirm as we throw the unexpected in their way."
"Let's do it!" The raven-haired sister calls out and begins to dance.
All three sisters spin and twirl, moving slowly at first. Then...
Fate twists a strand of curly blond hair around her finger and laughs a wicked little giggle.
"Sisters," she says. "It is time to push buttons for our favorite playthings. They have become a little complacent, and need to be nudged. "
"But not delicately," the red-headed sister adds. "Let us shove rather than nudge. It is so much fun to watch them squirm as we throw the unexpected in their way."
"Let's do it!" The raven-haired sister calls out and begins to dance.
All three sisters spin and twirl, moving slowly at first. Then...
Struggles in a Storm
Jul 14, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
Kaboom!
The thunderstorms started early this morning putting an end to my already disturbed slumber filled with dreams of burning houses and a search for something.
Now, don't get too interpret-y here. The burning house actually makes a lot of sense for a change, as I learned yesterday morning that the rental house we were planning on moving into at the end of the summer caught fire yesterday and there isn't much left. Luckily we hadn't started moving anything in and nobody was there to get hurt. I'm taking it as a sign of things NOT meant to be.
Anyway, back to the storm. Now the rain pours down in an unremitting deluge. A perfect day to read, write and watch movies. That...
The thunderstorms started early this morning putting an end to my already disturbed slumber filled with dreams of burning houses and a search for something.
Now, don't get too interpret-y here. The burning house actually makes a lot of sense for a change, as I learned yesterday morning that the rental house we were planning on moving into at the end of the summer caught fire yesterday and there isn't much left. Luckily we hadn't started moving anything in and nobody was there to get hurt. I'm taking it as a sign of things NOT meant to be.
Anyway, back to the storm. Now the rain pours down in an unremitting deluge. A perfect day to read, write and watch movies. That...
Random Thoughts from a Road Trip
Jul 12, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
I had another long drive today, this time without the benefit of a book on tape. So, as I let the radio scan in search of NPR stations to keep me entertained, my thoughts bounced around in a bizarre and random fashion to include these gems: Religion is really just about controlling when, how, and why we have sex. After catching part of a story about the randomness of the borderline between the US and Mexico: Lines connect but they also separate. If we could only erase all lines (even the invisible ones) maybe we would have more luck getting along with each other as an amorphous mass of living creatures. Why don't more people understand that...
Support or Encouragement?
Jul 06, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
"I love you and I support you."
I've heard this phrase a lot lately, and for some reason it makes me cringe. I'm not sure why. I thought perhaps I should explore my reaction in order to understand and break away from it.
Let's start with the dictionary definition of "Support". According to dictionary.com support means: "1. to bear or hold up; serve as a foundation for. 2. to sustain or withstand (weight, pressure, strain, etc.) without giving way; serve as a prop for. 3. to undergo or endure, especially with patience or submission; tolerate. 4. to sustain (a person, the mind, spirits, courage, etc.) under trial or affliction: They supported him throughout his ordeal. 5. to maintain (a person, family, establishment, institution, etc.) by supplying with things necessary to existence; provide for: to support a family. . . . " There are many more elements to this definition, but I think I can end it here as the two definitions that I've highlighted give a hint to my discomfort; particularly number 3. I don't want to be tolerated as I figure out my next steps in life. I don't need the support of anyone else. But what I do need...
I've heard this phrase a lot lately, and for some reason it makes me cringe. I'm not sure why. I thought perhaps I should explore my reaction in order to understand and break away from it.
Let's start with the dictionary definition of "Support". According to dictionary.com support means: "1. to bear or hold up; serve as a foundation for. 2. to sustain or withstand (weight, pressure, strain, etc.) without giving way; serve as a prop for. 3. to undergo or endure, especially with patience or submission; tolerate. 4. to sustain (a person, the mind, spirits, courage, etc.) under trial or affliction: They supported him throughout his ordeal. 5. to maintain (a person, family, establishment, institution, etc.) by supplying with things necessary to existence; provide for: to support a family. . . . " There are many more elements to this definition, but I think I can end it here as the two definitions that I've highlighted give a hint to my discomfort; particularly number 3. I don't want to be tolerated as I figure out my next steps in life. I don't need the support of anyone else. But what I do need...
A Life Collage
Jul 04, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
"And what is home, anyway, but what we cobble together out of our changing selves." (Abigail Thomas, A Three Dog Life) As I drove through the mountains last Friday, I found myself holding back tears. Tears from beauty, tears of loss, tears of the unknown.
I drove into Durango, CO with my heart singing, "Welcome Home!" but my mind screaming, "This is no longer home. You cannot come back."
And yet the people I visit want me to come back. My familiarity with the place begs for me to come back. My discomfort with my current home urges me to come back.
Yet, coming back is no guarantee that it would be the right choice. Too many things...
UFO Messages
Jul 02, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
In a vibrant aquamarine sky, tiny white spaceships drop down toward the earth, similar in shape and movement to the old Atari Space invaders game. (Yes, I am dating myself). But the sky was blue, and the UFO's did not have evil-looking faces.
One of my recurring childhood dreams always began that way.
The scene would then shift, to a beautiful, crystal night sky sparkling with billions of stars. I sat on the front stoop of my childhood home, watching the beauty. The townhouses across the street sat quietly, waiting for something to happen.
Suddenly a giant rectangle forms in the sky, and a movie starts to play in bright and vibrant colorful display. This internal movie...
Ending, Pauses, and New Beginnings
Jul 01, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
June 30, 2011.
The last day of a jam-packed month that flew by at the speed of light while crawling at a turtle's pace.
How did it manage to do that? I have no idea, one of those tricks of time where you live simultaneously in two dimensions--or something like that.
Perhaps if I sum up the month of Lisa you will understand more: At the end of May I drove Nathan up to Okoboji, IA where he is working for a Summer Theatre Company. Sarah did not come, as she wanted to stay for the last few days of school. So, after an 8 hour drive up I stayed for a day and then drove 8 hours back to begin my stint of...
The last day of a jam-packed month that flew by at the speed of light while crawling at a turtle's pace.
How did it manage to do that? I have no idea, one of those tricks of time where you live simultaneously in two dimensions--or something like that.
Perhaps if I sum up the month of Lisa you will understand more: At the end of May I drove Nathan up to Okoboji, IA where he is working for a Summer Theatre Company. Sarah did not come, as she wanted to stay for the last few days of school. So, after an 8 hour drive up I stayed for a day and then drove 8 hours back to begin my stint of...
A World Sliding Backwards
Jun 29, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
I had a little wrangle with bureaucracy today and gave up in a fit of frustration (or maybe a temper tantrum).
I simply wanted to accept my current reality and change my driver's license from Colorado to Kansas. I admit, I clung to the Colorado license for a couple of reasons. Ostensibly, I held onto it because we owned the house in Durango, and I thought it would be good for one of us to still be considered a resident. In reality, though, I did not want to say good bye to Durango, and even more I didn't want to embrace my existence in Kansas. There was also the fact that they took a really cute license photo last time, and...
I simply wanted to accept my current reality and change my driver's license from Colorado to Kansas. I admit, I clung to the Colorado license for a couple of reasons. Ostensibly, I held onto it because we owned the house in Durango, and I thought it would be good for one of us to still be considered a resident. In reality, though, I did not want to say good bye to Durango, and even more I didn't want to embrace my existence in Kansas. There was also the fact that they took a really cute license photo last time, and...
A call for healers… | The odd ramblings of a mind that does not quite fit
Jun 28, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
Friends, please check out this post that my brother wrote to help out Tori's nephew. Trust me, I've seen and felt it work.
A call for healers… | The odd ramblings of a mind that does not quite fit.
The Balance of the Detail
Jun 28, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
When I created my little award the other day, I sparked an interesting discussion on the role of detail in writing.
So, for the sense of clarity, I'm going to go a little more into detail about what I meant. ;)
I'm not arguing for long, drawn out passages of purple prose that try to paint a picture for the reader that would be better done through a visual. Nor am I arguing for sentences that wrap words around each other in a complex convolution that ultimately has no meaning or does not move the story forward. I'm the first person to skim through those verbose passages as my inner vision never matches the description anyway. I will put down a book...
So, for the sense of clarity, I'm going to go a little more into detail about what I meant. ;)
I'm not arguing for long, drawn out passages of purple prose that try to paint a picture for the reader that would be better done through a visual. Nor am I arguing for sentences that wrap words around each other in a complex convolution that ultimately has no meaning or does not move the story forward. I'm the first person to skim through those verbose passages as my inner vision never matches the description anyway. I will put down a book...
Long Distance Loss
Jun 27, 2011 by Lisa A Kramer
Newspaper headlines capture my eye "Alzheimer's deaths soar, research funding lags" "Camp gives teens respite from Alzheimer's" I cry. I ache. I wish. Links to my family severed by time by distance by disease. Part of me yearns for proximity to help to connect to understand. But closeness will not stop a disease that shows not mercy. Money will not stop a disease of creeping time. Love will not stop the slow decay of inevitability. Guilt will not heal the broken connections of a family fragmented long before the invasive disintegration of memory, of hope, of dreams, of soul.
