Friday Feast

Appetizer

Name a color you find soothing.  Lavender. The aroma is soothing as well.

Soup

Using 20 or fewer words, describe your first driving experience.  Mom: “There’s a car coming. There’s a car coming. THERE’S A CAR COMING!” I veered, avoiding giving Mom a coronary.

Salad

What material is your favorite item of clothing made out of?  Purple material.

Main Course

Who is a great singer or musician who, if they were to come to your town for a concert, you would spend the night outside waiting for tickets to see?  That’s tough to answer. The musicians I’m most likely to want to see aren’t likely to require spending the night outside waiting to buy tickets. OK, Regina Spektor sold out, but I had plenty of time to get tickets. If Dar Williams or The Weepies came, I’d be willing to spend the night in line to get tickets, but I don’t know that it’d be necessary. Ben Folds ditto. I’d stand in line all night to get Beatles tickets, but since half of them are dead, it’s kind of a moot point. Rod Stewart? No, ’cause Joe offered to get me a ticket but he was playing at American Airlines center and I have crowd anxiety. Sting? Maybe.  Now if you widened the field a bit, I’d stand in line all night to buy a ticket to hear J.K. Rowling speak, or Joss Whedon (please, Joss!) speak.

Dessert

What is the most frequent letter of the alphabet in your whole name (first, middle, maiden, last, etc.)?   a – 2; b – 2; c – 1; e – 5; f – 1; g – 1; h – 1; i – 4; l – 2; n – 2; r – 1; s – 1; t – 2; v – 1; w – 1. So E is the winner with 5 occurrences. That’s counting my given name, my preferred name, my maiden name, and my married name.

Poetry Month: Day 17

Today’s poem is rather a long one, so I’m going to put part of it after the divider. But do take the time to read it–it’s a good one. It’s been one of my favourites for years now. Goblin Market

MORNING and evening Maids heard the goblins cry: “Come buy our orchard fruits, Come buy, come buy: Apples and quinces, Lemons and oranges, Plump unpecked cherries- Melons and raspberries, Bloom-down-cheeked peaches, Swart-headed mulberries, Wild free-born cranberries, Crab-apples, dewberries, Pine-apples, blackberries, Apricots, strawberries– All ripe together In summer weather– Morns that pass by, Fair eves that fly; Come buy, come buy; Our grapes fresh from the vine, Pomegranates full and fine, Dates and sharp bullaces, Rare pears and greengages, Damsons and bilberries, Taste them and try: Currants and gooseberries, Bright-fire-like barberries, Figs to fill your mouth, Citrons from the South, Sweet to tongue and sound to eye, Come buy, come buy.” Evening by evening Among the brookside rushes, Laura bowed her head to hear, Lizzie veiled her blushes: Crouching close together In the cooling weather, With clasping arms and cautioning lips, With tingling cheeks and finger-tips. “Lie close,” Laura said, Pricking up her golden head: We must not look at goblin men, We must not buy their fruits: Who knows upon what soil they fed Their hungry thirsty roots?” “Come buy,” call the goblins Hobbling down the glen. “O! cried Lizzie, Laura, Laura, You should not peep at goblin men.” Lizzie covered up her eyes Covered close lest they should look; Laura reared her glossy head, And whispered like the restless brook: “Look, Lizzie, look, Lizzie, Down the glen tramp little men. One hauls a basket, One bears a plate, One lugs a golden dish Of many pounds’ weight. How fair the vine must grow Whose grapes are so luscious; How warm the wind must blow Through those fruit bushes.” “No,” said Lizzie, “no, no, no; Their offers should not charm us, Their evil gifts would harm us.” She thrust a dimpled finger In each ear, shut eyes and ran: Curious Laura chose to linger Wondering at each merchant man. One had a cat’s face, One whisked a tail, One tramped at a rat’s pace, One crawled like a snail, One like a wombat prowled obtuse and furry, One like a ratel tumbled hurry-scurry. Lizzie heard a voice like voice of doves Cooing all together: They sounded kind and full of loves In the pleasant weather.