Message from a Guardian Angel by Dorothy Herbert

Dear Dorothy,

         I am glad to hear that you are still trying to make the world a better place, a formidable task! One note of caution: are you sure what you envision as a better place would also seem so to others? Or are you selfishly forcing your concept on others? You are safe at the moment as so few are persuaded by your rhetoric on the subject, but as your guardian angel, I advise you to look into yourself and your values and evaluate their worth first.

Lovingly,

       Your G.A.

Blessed am I by Dolores Fruiht

Blessed am I
To sit beside you
     and call you friends
To be nourished
     by the sprouts of your deep-rooted seed,
To be renewed
     by your constant flowing springs,
To be warmed
     by the rays that reflect your spirit filled hearts,
To share and care
     together in love and prayer
All the powers and limitations of one's finite life.
To Gaze
     And sometimes feel with awe and wonder
     the wisdom of God--
Blessed am I and grateful
To sit beside you and call you friends.

The Turkey and the Chicken by Nancy Humphriss

Here's a selection from our upcoming Varenna Writers Anthology, just in time for Thanksgiving!

 

It seems to me that the world is getting more and more angry, threatening, chaotic, disturbing and violent than I ever remember it being before. The news continues to emphasize our need to be more tolerant of those with whom we may disagree, more understanding of other’s ideas and viewpoints, and, in general, more civil. This little vignette I am about to relate is no great expose or even “big deal,” but it spoke to me in its small, rather simple way.

I was sitting in the chair in my beauty salon, awaiting a haircut, gazing out the side window at the sidewalk, when suddenly a magnificent turkey gobbler came into view. Alongside him, trotting to keep up with the long strides of the turkey, was a beautiful black and white feathered rooster. Stopping to look around, something interested them and they ambled over to a glass door on the other side of the sidewalk. They peered together into the glass door, appearing to wait for someone. Obviously they were together in the sense of companions or friends, and while I may be assuming more than was actually happening, they looked as if they were enjoying each other and were somehow communicating as they stood there. One of the hair stylists had granola she had brought for her lunch. She grabbed a handful, carefully opened the door, and gently scattered the food along the sidewalk. The poultry couple lifted their heads, not at all alarmed at the sudden appearance of a human, and considered the idea of eating the granola. Evidently they agreed to go for it, and they both began to peck, more or less taking turns. Someone in the salon took out her cell phone and photographed the scene.

It was an episodic minute that somehow shouted the much needed point, to quote the clichés of the past: “Make love, not war;” “Opposites attract;” “Celebrate diversity,” etc.

I know turkeys and chickens are not mortal enemies like mountain lions and deer, but this little scene, sweet, unusual, and very, very pertinent considering the current state of the world, seemed to speak to those of us witnessing it. It saddens me to think how different the world would be if we could only learn from the turkey and the chicken.

Words From the Wise: Success

"Success is when you want to pat yourself on the back--in private."

Shirley Johnson

"Success is doing what you love and getting PAID for it!"

Karin Gendron

"Many people can help me succeed, but I'm the only person who can decide if I'm a success."

Susan Bono

October Fest 2011 by John H.C. Riley

At Varenna's celebration of October Fest,

The food and beer ranked with the best.

The celebrants were happy but strictly sober,

Because the only falls

Were the leaves of October.

Where is the past located? by Dorothy Herbert

Where Is The Past Located?

            On an old calendar?

            In my mind?

            In the collective mind of friends and family?

            In the great void before I was born?

            It has no one location, but oozes in and out of our memories.

            It has no one location 

            but floats in and out of the back of our minds 

            wherever those  are located.

            Some neurons seem to have captured it,

            but too often they fade away before we can establish it.

            The past floats like a leaf on a pond or stream.

DISMAY, DISGUST, AND DEPRESSION! by Nancy Humphriss

Here I sit at my computer, gazing out at the rain, the soggy hillside, and my storm-swept balcony. I am attempting to regain my equilibrium after hours -- I kid you not, hours -- of working with due diligence to send a cut-and-paste e-mail to Susan with my writing contribution for our book.

“There is nothing to it” declared my tech-savvy friends. That should have been my first “can’t do it” clue.  After several attempts to complete my mission and failing, I made a phone call to a sympathetic friend, asking to take me through this, step by step, while I was actually on my computer. This phone call resulted in not one, but two friends (husband and wife), both giving me directions but not agreeing with each other’s method. I listened to a mild but lengthy discussion about which way is better. Finally one helper hung up, and I followed the steps.

I got the cut and paste done, only to find to my dismay I did not seem to have Susan’s e-mail. So a phone call to Shirley, a member of the writing club, who finally answered the insistently ringing phone. Shirley, in a slightly sleepy voice -- I managed to awaken her -- helpfully gave me the address I needed. Onward I went, sending the info to Susan, and feeling somewhat successful. I then proceeded with my normal day, going down to dinner with friends, and playing cards for a few hours after dinner.

This morning I confidently checked my e-mails, only to find the message to Susan had not gone through -- wrong address! Back to my screen I went, checking Susan’s number. To my disgust, I realized I had neglected to put the hyphen in the address, this in spite of Shirley’s warning not to forget that! 

I started again from scratch, calling up the articles I wished to send, cutting and pasting, correcting the address, and clicking “send.” But somehow, somehow, the articles were pasted onto the address spot and therefore no sending is possible. I then exited my computer, started again from the beginning, and once more the paste was put in the wrong place. Now my self-esteem is crashing, at least that which is connected to simple "everyone-can-do-this" tasks on a computer. I am computer depressed. But onward to other things.

Other things is the attempt to connect with Amazon on my new Kindle. This could be a long and rather boring continuation of more of the same, since after several hours, discussion with knowledgeable Kindle owners, phone calls to the “help” numbers given in my how-to directions, and attempts to “type in my problem” on the internet help section, I have made no progress. My solution, I’m afraid, is to go back to Best Buy, dragging my tail, and confess that I can’t do it -- again, another “nothing to it” failure.

Am I ready to give it all up? In spite of my current defeatist attitude, I do realize, in the larger scheme of things, all this is wasted energy. I will prevail, and actually, I am about to yet again attempt to cut and paste this very piece of writing and send it to Susan. Good luck, Nancy!