Porthole

July 22 - 23

61 cool degrees with an AQI of 83 at 8:30 a.m.

Want to stay in bed.

Didn't. Put on clothes and went across the bridge to visit friends. Bought a sticky bun, picked up mail, bought a book.

Home.

Post-operation Angie is back... with her cattle prod. I was thrilled to chat with her. She has lots of catching up to do with Billie Jo.

Response to Bryan...

Soul Sister

grey ash
this 'thing' just ash
the life within released —
reduced to smoke — fleeing cooling
embers

© Copyright 2021 Kåre Enga [178.191] (22.juli.2021)

76 degrees with 77 AQI at 12:45. That's not too bad. I put a light jacket on earlier because it was a tad cool and because the jacket had pockets.

Just a stray thought of how ungrammatical this is: "A friend from Tainan went to the mountains alone." Taiwanese do not exist in the singular, do not go places alone.

To Tina:

"An adult blog may be the wrong way to characterize it. It's not that I need to read XGC... most writers reserve that for fiction; however, if someone needs to go there because their cat was just squished... so bi it. Folks shouldn't be afraid or ashamed to share (with the caveat that what they share may become public). [Stik] sums it up for me, "Honestly, the move toward escapism and away from controversy breaks my heart." in "Community reflection"  Many taboo topics cross the line into 18+ while newsletters are limited to 13+ or E. Lots of E rated unicorns running around WDC. I'm not 13. I'm not a [unicorn in a] fluffy bunny [suit].

SEX... biological, gender, dysfunction, prostitution, gratification, cultural, religious, legality... not all go past 18+ but it's hard to talk about orgasms and FGM in a 13+ limited group.
POLITICS... some would prefer to write about sex... less messy. Democracy, human rights, autocracy, multiple versus two-party systems, voting rights, consensus, one-party-rule, partisans.
RELIGION... for some the ultimate taboo... exclusivity, inclusivity, dogma, core beliefs, brethren, control, support, community, family, individuality, interfaith, us versus them, black/white thinking, superiority.

Grade school prompts that are White Christian Middle Class America circa 1955 may be safe but frankly? I was a mere babe in 1955 and sheltered, but looking back I can vouch it wasn't all nicey-nicey. Plus, I'm not a member of the Texas Board of Education trying to dumb down Amerikkka (that's not a misspelling).

Storytellers and Poets can be friends (thinking of the musical Oklahoma) but that doesn't mean they should be reviewing/rating each other (some are both... or neither). Comments? Hell yeah! We all love pats on the back and an OMG! when they are sincere. And if a piece doesn't connect... we need to hear that too. It's not always the wrong poem; it can be the wrong audience."

4 p.m. High Fire Hazard with a stiffening breeze, low humidity, 86 degrees (not expected to go higher). An AQI of 71.

9 p.m. 75 degrees and 63 AQI and breezy. It will hopefully be a good night to sleep. It's already bearabble inside and it might go down to 50. I really needed a break from the smoke and heat. This may be it. The worse day forecast is 95/63. That will change of course.

JULY 23rd

62 degrees at midnight and 72 AQI. My eyes can still feel the smoke.
54 degrees at 8 a.m. and an AQI of 89. Eyes stinging. I can feel the dryness.

QoTD regarding bread pudding and rice pudding:

"What no one has mentioned yet is that both can be poor man's food in some parts of the world. Or for children and old people with sensitive teeth.

Arroz con leche (rice pudding) was more common in Costa Rica years ago. Associated with a children's song and easy for children to eat.

My mother made a baked custard with leftover rice, not Greek style on the stove. I like both.

Bread pudding was made with leftover bread or bread that was going stale. We often added raisins.

Many working class people tried not to waste food ... not for 'political' reasons ... simply because there wasn't enough. Food was expensive and fresh food unavailable out of season. At that time (50s) the rationing of WW2 and the Depression was a well-remembered recent event.

I don't consider either nostalgic. To me they are regional, ethnic, related to poverty, or 'making do'."

83 degrees and 101 AQI. Glad I took the garbage out and saw friends earlier. Market tomorrow morning becomes iffy.

chouse: to herd roughly.

nonsense:

Yee-haw!

Like a louse riding
a field mouse herding wild cats,
Sal's collie cornered her kids,
grinned — began to chouse.

© Copyright 2021 Kåre Enga [178.193] (23.juli.2021)

On hold

Posting...
posting...

ten till midnight
the poem's not finished
the bed's not made
the day's not done
nine till...

my time runs out.

© Copyright 2021 Kåre Enga [178.194] (23.juli.2021)

Also wrote this: "What I remember [195]" 

It's 5:44 and I'm wiped out. Heated a bag of gemelli. Didn't like it. I'm quite depressed. It's only 86 degrees and the AQI came down to 60, so it's not the heat nor smoke.

Fortunately I wrote a blog for today much earlier. I have no energy now.

@9: 77° and AQI 73 but the skies look white to me, rosy at the horizon.

Seems smokier than 73, very fragrant inside.

Took nap. Do I feel better? Not really.

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