Ode to Frost

In honor the unusually high mold and ragweed levels this year: Poems by Clifford Leap, Lord Endall (Scott Russell). Thanks, Scott! You are the only person who has ever written a poem for me and I am honored.

An Ode to Frost

The human head can hold a lot of stuff,
Magnificent cassava whose ripe seeds
Have launched a fleet of rockets at the moon
And named the alkaloids in certain weeds.
But my poor head has finally got enough.
What thoughts may enter it when air cannot?
What music when I can’t hear the tune?
All useful space is taken up with snot!

It is that time when leaves begin their turn
From life to afterlife, from green to fire;
As though a devil claimed them on the limb,
Igniting them before they could expire.
Most people like me, in September, learn
How leaves must burn and suffer for their crimes
Before their gold can tarnish and go dim:
Hay fever is like Hell in autumn times.

One morning dawns, though, when my tears are gone;
As if the dying of the year became
That resolution born of suffering
By nurse and patient both, and both can claim
Relief now that the mortal ill has won.
-- ‘tis John Lennon’s Lucy tumbled down
And dust of diamonds covers everything:
The first frost shines like crystal on the lawn.

I breathe the silence in, the silver air!
As when the mobs of Paris woke one day
Without a king, last August’s stench and heat
Replaced by death and chill. Like them, I lay
In liberty’s embrace, maternal care
That soothes the sickly child back to its health.
The old regime, a miser in defeat,
Now suffocates beneath excessive wealth.

And though I was a royalist last spring,
And welcomed summer days with open arms,
Despite oppression in the heady shade
Or rainless weeks that taxed the poorest farms,
I now renounce the autumn of that king!
The flag I wave in publican belief
Recalls the time when I wept and obeyed.
It is a clean, white, linen handkerchief!



Paroxyismos (An Ode to Sighing)

The tempest in my bosom rose to fall
As once that city on the seven hills
Ploughed round about by those two wolf-weaned brothers
Didst arise; though ‘twas for-told by some
That it would crumble after Christendom.
Thus was my breast to sink in brief repose
As breath once drawn absconded through my nose.
What sound! Unlike a multitude of others.
Sweet air is needed; moaning each lung fills
Until the biggest, saddest breath of all.

Then blow, great billows, blow against the end
That like the ruins on the Turkish shore
Make Heaven’s breath to howl defiant song.
As seaward, coughing oar-strokes brought their horde
Of gruff Achaean warriors heaped aboard,
I heave against the ribs along my flanks.
Did they, knelt on stout timbers, murmur thanks,
Though all their aspirations came out wrong,
And most would not sail homeward evermore,
Once they exhaled upon that dismal strand!

A New Look

I decided to try a new look for Citadel of Stars. What do you think? Besides the colors, the only difference is that readers can now access a list of all the Labels (below the Archive on the bottom right side of the screen). Labels are a quick way to search for entries by topic.

I've been wanting to add the list of Labels since Blogger made it available last year. To do so I had two choices: add them individually to the html of my old blog or upgrade to a new template that automatically updates the list of Lables. I had customized the colors of my old blog and was quite fond of them, but upgrading was much easier and faster than html-ing (if that's a word! :) all those Labels.

I've been including Labels on my posts since Blogger added that feature and am now going back and slowing adding them to all my old posts. Someday you'll be able to sort through all my posts by category. I'll probably be the only person who looks at my blog that way, but I think it's a pretty neat feature.

I'm think I like the new look but I saved my old template, just in case.

UPDATE: I just noticed that the template has changed the layout just enough that pictures and captions in old entries no longer line up. SIGH. I just fixed the entries for July-Sept 07 and it only took a few minutes. It's annoying but still easier and quicker than creating/maintaining the list of Labels manually!

Michigan Redeemed!

Yesterday Michigan beat Notre Dame 38-0. Whew! Both teams had no wins when they faced off and that has never happened before.

I discovered that I could follow the game with the Internet feature of my new phone! I can track any team and when I added Michigan to the list, it gave me instant updates during the game including the score, statistics, etc. I never thought I needed to access the Internet on my cell phone but that is a pretty cool feature.

Never Forget

Take a moment to look at the memorials, photo essay, and videos on Fox News today and remember 9/11/01.

My university is having a memorial today including a Walk of Remembrance from the University Center, where there will be 3,0000 miniature flags (one for each victim), to the Patriot’s Grove, a collection of trees that represent historical locations and events from our nation’s history. The interim chancellor and students will join in planting a Sweet Gum tree (the same trees have been planted at the 9/11 Memorial site in New York City). Follow the link for pictures and the text of the Chancellor's address.

More Bees!

Do you remember the character Rob McKenna in Douglas Adams' So Long and Thanks for All the Fish? Rob could never figure out why it always rained, no matter where he went. Unbeknownst to Rob, he was a rain god; rain loved him and wanted to be with him wherever he went. I'm beginning to feel like that, but with bees. Remember the secret elephant graveyard in Tarzan? My living room is like, but with bees.

Yes, every day I find still find dead bees on the floor of the living room. Almost every day I find live ones crawling on the sliding door. My phobia is getting better: I can now pick up the dead ones with my bare hands and shoo the live ones outside with a paper towel (and most of the time I no longer panic and kill them). I am awfully tired of bees and still concerned that they will sting the cats, since I inevitably find the right next to the cats' favorite spots. At least fall is in sight and I won't have to deal with this once the cool weather gets here. I can hardly wait!

UM Game: Worst Loss in 39 Years

In case you missed yesterday's Michigan Game: Michigan fares no better this week. They lost to Oregon 39-7.

Hear that whirring sound? It's Bo Schembechler, Michigan's beloved "winningest" coach ever, spinning in his grave. The Wolverines have not won a game since Bo died last fall. That's only three losses (four, if you count Bowl games), but these last two were so embarrassing that Coach Lloyd Carr must be ashamed.

Come on, Blue, your fans know you are better than this. Get your act together and start winning for Bo!

RIP Madeleine L'Engle

In yesterday's news: 'A Wrinkle in Time' author L'Engle dies.

Now I feel really sad. I loved her books when I was a kid. I didn't realize how much A Wrinkle in Time impressed my husband until he blogged about it yesterday. Now I want to read all the books in that series again, including the "new" 4th book which I've never read. (Yes, when I was young this series only had three books.)

UPDATE: Oct. 3. I just visited her official web site and found that there are five books in the Wrinkle in Time series!

The News section of her website includes this memorial info:

The memorial service for Madeleine will be held on November 28th at 4pm at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. That is the day before her 89th Birthday--come help us celebrate Madeleine!

NPR Features a tribute to Madeleine and the tesseract here!

Madeleine McCann's Parents Prime Suspects

Today on FoxNews: Portugese Police to Name Parents as Suspects in Madeleine McCann Disappearance.

I'm not surprised. I've wondered all along why the parents weren't accused of neglect at the very least. What kind of parents leave a four-year-old and two-year-old twins alone in a hotel room while they go out to dinner?

Good-Bye, Luciano

Today on FoxNews: World-Famous Tenor Luciano Pavarotti Dies at Age 71.

I'm not into opera but feel so sad after hearing this news, like a great light has gone out.

Mastodon in Traverse City?

Today in the news: Possible mastodon carving found on rock in Grand Traverse Bay. The Traverse City Record-Eagle included this caption with the picture above: "Mark Holley explains what he thinks is an ancient carving of a mastodon carved into a rock recently found in 40 feet of water in Grand Traverse Bay. The red lines follow etchings made in the rock, he said."

This is interesting because Mastodons didn't live that far north (or so we've always thought) and because it's underwater. I wonder how they're going to get petroglyph experts, who usually aren't divers, to examine it?

Compare the Mastodon to the Sanilac petroglyps near Bad Axe:

















I have no idea what the petroglyphs depict, but to me the Mastodon does look similar.

Waiting for the Equinox

Sophie is awaiting the fall equinox, when the afternoon sunshine will return to the bed where it belongs.

Saffron Update: Two Steps Forward

Good news! After a rough night last Wed., Saffron clearly feels better. She's acting like her old self: talking to us, purring a lot, and eating everything in sight (her food, Sophie's food, and our food).

Even better news: Saffron's blood test today showed that one of liver enzyme levels has dropped (improved); it has dropped enough that's nearly in normal range. The other enzyme went up such a tiny bit that the change is not significant. This is wonderful news! I expected the results to be the same as the last test; I never dreamed that we'd see this much improvement.

I did ask Dr. Amy if the fact that Saffron is still alive and actually improving means this is more likely to be liver disease than cancer. She said that IS likely and it's also gone on far too long to simply be from the weight she lost when she had gingivitis.

The regular doses of fluid, Reglan, and B12 are obviously helping and Dr. Amy said we should continue to encourage her to eat. I can do that!

Lunar Eclipse

Don't miss the lunar eclipse Tuesday, August 28.

According to Sky and Telescope "A total eclipse of the Moon occurs before and/or during dawn tomorrow morning for much of the Americas. The farther west you are the better. (For Hawaii the eclipse happens during the middle of the night. For Australia, New Zealand, and much of the Far East the local time is Tuesday evening, perhaps around sunset.)"

Scottish Fest

This is a picture of one of the many pipe and drum bands I saw yesterday at the Kalamazoo Scottish Festival.

The festival was held at the Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds, so there was lots of room but, unfortunately, the rain kept many people away, including some of the vendors.

Speaking of vendors, we really liked the t-shirts by Got-Kilt? (Follow the link to pictures of the t-shirts on his web site; there you will also find a link his blog with a Celtic joke every Monday.)

After a rainy start, the day turned out to be sunny and breezy -- perfect weather for all the activities, and there were quite a few:

Event Attractions For 2007

* Ceilidh
We are host a traditional ceilidh again this year at the Kalamazoo Fairgrounds. Friday night, please bring a dish to pass. Join us for an enjoyable evening of storytelling, singing, piping, and dancing.

* Pipe Bands
Enjoy on-field performances by area bands and two massed band demonstrations. Talk with band representatives about piping and drumming and, maybe, give it a try!

* Clans
Visit the clan tents to trace your roots, meet “family,” and join in the parade of tartans!

* Dancing
See demonstrations of highland dancing given by the award-winning Kathleen McMahon Dancers. Watch or join in with the Kalamazoo Royal Scottish Country Dancers.

* Heavy Events
Cheer the regional amateur athletes competing in such highland games events as the stone put, hammer throw and caber toss. You could test your skill in the renowned haggis throw!

* Children’s Games
Kids of all ages may participate in the children’s parade and games.

* Artisans
Watch artisans demonstrate ancient crafts. Marvel at spinners, weavers, and a blacksmith.

* Re-enactors
Walk through the encampment of Grant’s Company of the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment. Visit the History Tent and join in the activities with Elliot MacFarlane.

* Vendors
Shop for Scottish and American food, clothing, jewelry, books, music and more.

* Animal Exhibitions
See rare Highland cattle and watch border collies in herding demonstrations. Visit Clydesdale horses, Jacobs Sheep and see the greyhounds.

I didn't see the Clydesdales or greyhounds, but enjoyed the herding demos and visiting with the Border Collies and the longhorned Highland cow and her calf.




















Lots of people bought their dogs, so I got meet and pet lots of beautiful dogs. Here are a few:




















A cute Dachshund in a kilt.




















Just a few of the 16 Border Collie puppies.



















Connery stopped by our booth to visit and enjoy the shade.

The people who didn't attend due to the threat of bad weather missed a good festival and lots of fun. Hopefully this year's Irish Fest will have equally lovely weather (unlike last year's monsoon).

Math 911

I got this from a friend and couldn't resist sharing. I think the title should be "When NOT to Call 911!":

Summer Flowers

After weeks of heat and humidity, it's cool and rainy. Despite the weather change and attacks from Japanese Beetles, my Hibiscus is thriving. It has 10 flowers today! Unfortunately, you can't quite see all of them in this picture.

Rowling Writing a Mystery?

Today on Fox News: Report: 'Harry Potter' Author J.K. Rowling Working on Crime Novel

Rowling demonstrated how good she is at misdirection in the Harry Potter books, so I'm sure any detective novels she writes will be very well written. I just have one question: she's the richest woman in Britain and she still writes in cafes? How the heck does she avoid being continually interrupted by her fans?

At Last, Camelot

In the early '80s, I fell in love with the Broadway version of Camelot with Richard Harris and Meg Bussert. Unfortunately, we didn't own a VCR at the time, so although I watched it countless times on HBO, I was never able to tape it.

I've been hunting for the tape for several years without success. A few years ago I even e-mailed Meg Bussert who is an instructor at NYU Steinhardt. At that time all she knew was that the rights had been sold to A&E. When I contacted A&E they had no idea when it would be available.

Now, quite by accident, I found it was released on DVD May 1, 2007. (At last!) I've already ordered my copy from Amazon.

If you haven't seen this version, I must say I like far better than the 1967 movie with Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave (which looks very dated). The performances are fresh and entertaining. Bussert plays Guenevere with a charming mix of innocence and cunning. Richard Muenz portrays Lancelot as confident but a bit naive. These interpretations make the tragic ending all the more poignant. Harris is, of course, superb as the idealistic and forgiving Arthur. I can hardly wait for my DVD to arrive so I can see it again after 24 years. (Man, does that make me feel old! I was about 20 the last time I saw it.)

UPDATE Aug. 22: It arrived today and I watched it immediately. It's a good as I remembered: beautiful costumes and staging, wonderful music, and Harris was so good I didn't think of Dumbledore once. :) There aren't many special features on the DVD (not even closed captioning), but I don't care. I'm so glad to finally own a copy of this version!

Damn Bees!

According to NPR and National Geographic, bees are disappearing by the thousands -- and I know there they are. They are in my living room!

Every day I find a dead or dying bee near the sliding door and kill at least one live bee that's hanging around the door. I can only assume they are attracted to the flowers on the porch and come in to enjoy the air conditioning any time we open the door. Unfortunately for the bees, coming in here is a death sentence.

I'm rapidly overcoming my bee phobia because I'm so afraid they will hurt my cats that my instinct is to kill the the bees. Is that an unrealistic fear? Maybe, but Saffron is so sick she doesn't need a bee sting to add to her problems. Sophie likes to eat bugs, and has found several feeble bees for me, so she's even more likely to get stung.

My husband tells me these bees don't even have stingers, but I don't care! I'm not taking any chances. Bees, be warned: enter at your own peril!

Davison Election has 10 Candidates

According to this week's Davison Index, the Nov. City election has 10 Candidates, the largest number in years:

Mayor Fred Rappuhn has thrown his hat into the ring for another four years. Rappuhn has served as mayor for four years.

Rappuhn has some competition though, with three other candidates in the running: Jim Hansen (a former city councilman), Charles Purdy, and Fred "Mac" Fortner, who has also served on council in past years.

Mayor Pro Tem Ralph Arceo and Councilman Don Csutoras, are running for re-election. Newcomer Gordon Winther, who was choosen to fill Kevin McKague’s vacant seat on Monday June 25, has also turned in his petition.

Three other residents running for city council are Tim Bishop, Jim Hershberger and Tom Lesnock.

Future issues facing the city council include looking at building a new municipal center, continued infrastructure needs and economic development.

I'm not surprised. I think many residents are annoyed about the canopies, scheduling major downtown work just before this year's Pumpkin Festival, and the idea of a new "municipal center" (i.e., city hall and library).