That's All She Wrote

All things must come to an end, and so must this blog which I originally titled Transitions2Ny. Like its name suggests, I started the blog to describe the trials and tribulations my family and I experienced as we transitioned back to upstate NY. We're here.  The transition is done. It's time to move on. The focus of my writing future will take some other shape and its my goal to figure that out.

A huge THANK YOU for reading and commenting in this space these two years. It meant A LOT to me that you'd take time to read it and it meant as much to keep you informed of our little lives. And when/if I resurrect another blog I'll direct you to it.

I will leave you with two thoughts...

First, a quote that's been on my wall for some time now:

Let us remember that in the end we go to poetry for one reason, 

so that we might more fully inhabit our lives 

and the world in which we live them...

(Christian Wiman, editor Poetry Magazine)

My wish for you is to go to anything, whether it is poetry or hiking or painting or reading or singing or listening or belly dancing, which will help YOU more fully inhabit your life and the world around you. We only have one shot. Do it now.

I'll end with a song of hope sung by Annie Lennox for my favorite trilogy. Not a dry eye in the, um, office right now. The tune gives me chills.

What do YOU see on the horizon?

Merry Christmas To All

A Debtor Nation

Ever hear a deeply intellectual conversation on television and find yourself nodding your head and staring in wonder because the person articulates everything you've thought and felt about your own society but couldn't find the words for?

PJ and I caught one such conversation on PBS last night.

Bill Moyers talks with author Benjamin R. Barber

The issues this guy discusses plague me day and night. He gets it. 

Here's how it is described on the PBS website, though the PBS web editor did not do a good job of condensing this guy's main point, so the parenthetical quotes are mine.

The transcript is here.

Bill Moyers sits down with author and professor Benjamin Barber to discuss how he believes (our own brand of) capitalism threatens American democracy (and our future capitalistic success).

Courts: check out the mention of PBS episode of Word Girl in this segment.

Shatner

Today in my Internet 101 class (You Tube Explained) I learned that William Shatner's career in speaking musical performance started long ago, perhaps with this uber-melancholic gig on the Dinah! show. He's "singing" Taxi, originally done by Harry Chapin. It's funny at first, then it becomes a gooey, icky mess. Exactly what you'd expect from old Bill.




But Bill has improved (I use that word loosely) with age. Common People, featuring Joe Jackson, is so pithy in a pro-working class sort of way.

you'll never live like common people
you'll never do whatever common people do
you'll never fail like common people
you'll never watch your life slide out of view
and then dance and drink and screw
cuz there's nothing else to do...

Paco y Toro

Frivolity & Irony

Today's Yahoo Headlines:

What Else Ya' Gonna Do With Shrimp Pasta?

Steamy, the Potato Man
Was not a jolly soul
With no--o face and
Shrimp for arms
And a leaf instead of pants

Steamy the Potato Man
Had spaghetti on his head
He wasn't magic and
was overcooked
and prob'bly tasted bad

lyrics by Paul

Slow Reindeer Home

The Christmas Ball

Just when I thought this village couldn't get any more quaint

...I saw the County Sheriff patrolling our neighborhood: