RAIN

i  hear rain falling
from the clouded sky
it reminds me tonight
of tears falling
from the eyes
of one hurt and
lonely, broken from pain
and weary with  life
But soon the rain
will stop, like the tears
Blue sky will appear,
the sun will shine
bringing hope and
renewal to our land,
and to the soul
of troubled man

ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Tis a day to be Irish
and a wearin' of the green
Lookin' to the rainbow
for your pot o' gold dream
St. Patrick's Lorica, and
Celtic song; Shamrocks, a
shillelagh and  the wee leprechaun

WIND

Like a thief in the night
it comes unexpected
moving fast and furious
Like a mountain lion
ready to attack its prey
You can't see it, but
you feel its power
and hear its howl
as it slashes through
trees,  breaking branches
and twisting limbs
The mighty March wind
Like the sound of ocean waves
crashing against a sandy shore
doesn't relent, but presses on
until it meets the calm
on the other side
of the storm

An Author's Name

 Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of The Frugal Book Promoter and   guest blogger  for  Writing North Idaho -  a Web-Retreat for Writers in the North Idaho Panhandle wrote  To Pseudonym or Not to Pseudonym  listing  reasons why authors like Nora Roberts, author of more than 150 romance novels  choose a pen name .

Number one is  marketing, and branding. A simple defintion of branding is when a writer becomes well known for the genre they write, i.e. romance or horror, then decide to write another genre i.e. children's stories - the author  will often use a pseudonymn to help brand it for the reader, and to broaden  readership.

Howard-Johnson  got me thinking about other authors who chose to use a pseudonym - Mark Twain first came to mind.  I wondered  if  his The Adventures of Tom Sawyer  and Huckleberry Finn  would have found less success and popularity published under his given name, Samuel Clemens. And what about George Eliot (aka Mary Ann Evans) and George Orwell (aka Eric Arthur Blair )?  How would their famed novels, Silas Marner and Nineteen Eighty-Four have fared if   they hadn't used a pen name ?  I guess we'll never know.

Then, with whimsical pondering,  I considered what pseudonymn  I might use if my book was to be  published, and  thought about the cards and emails my friend Phyllis and I exchange, and the letter writing pen names we have used over the years;  Heckle (aka Phyllis), Jeckle (aka Kathy) or sometimes   Calamity Jane (Phyl) and Annie Oakley (me). My cousin Shauna and I have done the same, Shauna aka Shaunneaqua Warrior Princess,   and I'm Kathiawatha. While those pen names make me smile , and are fun between friends and cousins, I doubt they'd work for an agent or publisher. So,  guess I'll  stick with my own name, Kathy Cooney Dobbs.  Now, just to write that novel !

Spring Ready

Not  fully awake, I was  still laying
cozy and comfortable in my
warm bed when I heard the
cheerful sing song sounds of
an early morning bird  coming  through
the slightly opened window
My eyes opened wide to
see bright sunlight  peering through
the slatted shade, I  sat up  as it
dawned on me, migrating birds
are back ! Spring is on the way

The Oscars, a Silent Movie & a Nun

Being both a long time movie buff, and practicing Catholic with a penchant for traditions and things of the church, I looked forward to watching the Academy Awards this year. I was  curious if the first silent movie since 1929 , The Artist would win the  coveted gold statue, and  God Is The Bigger Elvis , a short documentary  about Mother Dolores Hart , the one time actress who left Hollywood to become a Benedictine nun at the Abbey of Regina Laudis , could claim the Oscar in its category. Happily,one did. Sadly, the other didn't.

I  first became aware of  Dolores Hart as a teenager when she starred in the popular  movie from the 1960's,  Where The Boys Are. I thought she was wonderful  in that film, and make a point to watch it whenever it shows on Turner Classic Films.   At some point in my younger  life, when I too considered entering the convent,  I remember reading Hart gave up her promising Hollywood career to become a nun, and marveled at her conviction of God's calling.   Later I learned  she  entered  the Abbey of Regina Laudis founded by Mother Benedict in Bethlehem, Connecticut - the same Mother Benedict and Abbey loosely  portrayed  in the  delightful 1940's film , Come to the Stable , starring Loretta Young and Celeste Holm.

 Another acclaimed actress to spend  time at Regina Laudis was Patrica Neal, who  gives sole credit to her spiritual and moral recovery (with the help of God's grace)  to the influence of the nuns at the abbey, and the spiritual direction they provided. Ironically, it was Maria Cooper,  daughter of actor  Gary Cooper, and Neal's one time married  lover who brought her there.  Mother Dolores Hart was helpful in writing Neal's autobiography,  As I Am.  Neal eventually converted to Catholicism and is buried at  Regina Laudis.

While this may seem a twist away from my opening paragraph,  I share it because for me it shows how one person's generous, gracious act often  leads to paths and people unimaginable,  and the gentle  way God connects us to another without our ever  suspecting it.

My thoughts about  Mother Dolores Hart.  I admired her then, and admire her now for her example of faith and commitment to her vocational calling, and how she inspires others with her joyful spirit to remain committed and faithful  to their  calling ,  whether it be  religious life,  single life,  or married life.

*** Click this link for a  recent news clip featuring Mother Dolores Hart   http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/storm-slams-24-states-15787447?tab=9482930&section=1206853&playlist=1363340

February

February days filled
with sleet and snow
make it hard for
deer to forage, and
birds take to flight;
Winter laden trees
sway with the wind
while providing shelter
from the cold
for wooded wildlife

Beautiful Day

                                                                               

 
    The trail today
    different than yesterday
    when the sun was bright
    and the sky so blue
    It felt like spring, with
    only patches of snow
    and a glimpse of green
    budding through  wet,
    muddy earth. I saw a
    Robin a top a tree, and
    birds fluttering by,
    like happy children
    in a playground. But this
    day there is no sun,
    the sky is grey, a
    mist, otherworldly and damp
    engulfs my view as I
    stand and ponder
    nature's changing beauty

                                                                                   

Mary Martin, Musicals & LP Albums

An unexpected snow day today - I thought about slipping into my  Sorrel's and   snowshoes , grab my poles and funky  fleece hat  to do some shooing on the rim above the lake, but decided against it, and went  for playing vinyl albums   on  the vintage stereo  console downstairs  instead. I collect vinyl albums like some people collect coins, or stamps, or buttons. I have hundreds, and organize  into  genre - rock, pop, folk, country and musicals.  Many are displayed in album frames and decorate the walls. While album covers are part of the attraction, the real pleasure comes from listening to the recording. Not too long ago I  read an article about  vinyl albums  making a comeback, even  some  contemporary  songsters are choosing  to record on vinyl first as it has a more pure sound.  I have many favorites,  including Peggy Lee, Ella, Patti Page, Frank and Bing, Bobby Darin, Bobby Rydell, The Brother's Four and oh, so many more.

Today, starring on the turntable is the great  Mary Martin - the famed Broadway star from the 1940's and 50's. Long before Julie Andrews and  Mitzi Gaynor  filled the role in movie versions, this Tony Award winner sang  her way into the hearts of millions as  Maria  in The Sound of Music,  Nellie Forbush  from  South Pacific and  perhaps her  most endearing  -the  legendary  Peter Pan, teaching Wendy,Michael and John how to fly.

Musical story  lifts the spirit and gladdens the soul. Think about Oklahoma,  Gypsy, Camelot, Hello Dolly, West Side  Story, Man of La Mancha, Fiddler on the Roof.  How  wonderful it is to have these   original recordings to listen to over and over again, and help us grow our own  imagination

MOOSE, TOO !

I'm use to seeing  15 to 20 whitetail deer   and wild turkey  standing at the front  of our house  every  morning, they've been doing it for years -  patiently waiting  for my husband or me to bring out a   bucket of alfalfa and corn blend  to feed them their morning breakfast.

They  faithfully follow us as we place the blend on tree stumps, and scatter it along the rocky path.  One favorite buck, we named Buttons  is always first to greet us, and the first to eat. He prefers nibbling his  pellets  right out of the pail I hold in my hand.

My husband cautions me not to get too attached to the deer,  they are wild after all.  I know he's right.  But,  Buttons is special, a very dear deer you might say.  I could go outside right now, call his name and he'd come to me. Buttons often beds down on a pile of hay outside my study window, and when it's feeding time he  allows me to pet his muzzle.

As I said, it's not at all unusual to see deer, turkey, rabbits, porcupines - once even a raccoon out front. Today, however, we had two new wildlife guests - a mighty sized, magnificent moose and her calf.  The mama's dark chocolate brown color made me think of giant  chocolate bunnies at Easter time - but this moose was no edible candy, she was a marvelous creature of the wild;  Her beauty  awesome to behold.

I watched for the longest time as they stopped to nudge the cold muddy ground with their nose, or chew a piece of green on a leafless tree. They seemed in no hurry to move on,  but cautiously curious about this wooded place, even permitting  me  to to take a few pictures.  Eventually, as if concerned  she might wear out their welcome , Mama  Moose lifted her head and  twixt her ears, as if giving a signal it was time to go,  then  leisurely strolled away.  It didn't take long for  her  young  calf to quickly follow.  I can only hope we made them feel welcome, and they'll stop by to visit another day.


***  Included here is  youtube slideshow of Mama Moose &  Her Calf   (2 minutes)

The Better Way

                How often we seek to be acknowledged,
             to be important to those perceived   important
             in the eyes of the world .  Desiring recognition,
             and acclaim for some striven talent, monetary                                       
             riches or secular goal
             Better it is,  to cultivate a kindly heart, and 
             the practice of  life charitably  lived;  To experience                                              
             love of family and faithfulness of friends


Listed below a few favorite books about family & friends


* Life With Father  by Clarence Day
* Little Women   by Louisa May Alcott
* Mama's Bank Account by Kathyrn McClean
* Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austin
* The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy 
* Bee Season by Myla Goldberg


* Friendship Poems  (anthology by Peter Washington -  includes Emily Dickinson,W.H. Auden, Rudyard Kipling, Robert Frost & more) 

Lone Bird

                                                                     One lone bird
                                                                     silently sits  on
                                                                     a frozen branch
                                                                     of a leafless tree
                                                                    The earth below
                                                                    covered in powdery
                                                                    snow. Looming overhead
                                                                    a cold, grey sky; i watch
                                                                    the bird as she watches
                                                                    me - if i move too soon
                                                                    she'll fly away

Winter Beauty

Yesterday wind and sleet noisily slashed against the  shutters and awning outside our home,  rattling windows and doors.   Swoosh, swoosh, swash. I was reminded of the classic tale of the big bad wolf  huffing and puffing trying to blow down the house of each little pig . Thankful my house wasn't made of twigs or straw.

Today there is no wind. The  slow falling snow is soft and quiet. A peaceful snow blanketing the earth like a freshly laundered white cotton  sheet covering a newly made bed.  Deer gently stride by - their backs speckled with fluffy snowflakes.   I should be doing chores - dusting, cleaning, sweeping the floor but I'm caught in a trance, watching  the wonder of nature's winter beauty

January Cold

Cold January days
and  colder nights
bring snow and sleet
and slippery ice
Best to stay in
the shelter of
home, away from
cold gusty wind
and freezing temperature -
to sit in front of
fire's warmth
reading favorite poets
and   authors

Sudden Impact

 Yesterday morning  while enjoying  the cozy, comfortable atmosphere  at Java-  a favorite downtown Coeur d  Alene hangout  with local artwork and community billboards posted on  the walls,  my friend Liz and I slowly  drank  cappuccino's and  discussed  the latest theme of her current blog for Writing North Idaho,  A Watershed Moment

What prompted my friend's analysis was  Stephen King's current best selling novel, 11/22/63 about time travel, and  the assassination  of  President John F. Kennedy, and the  impact such events have on our national psyche.

Liz contends after  the killing of JFK,  America's children  lost their innocence. I don't disagree, but wonder if the same happened after the assassination's of Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley. Probably , but to a lesser degree. One reason might be because citizen's then  weren't  subjected  to seeing the horror of the President  being shot  live on their  television sets, then watching the replay over and over again.  For us growing up  in the age of Kennedy , there was no escape.  The image was forever embedded into our heart and mind.

 On her blog post Liz presents a well thought out list of  historical   watershed moments - both good and bad - including  the  birth of Jesus Christ and the Bolshevik revolution that made a  huge difference , and greatly changed the way people viewed, and responded to their environment.

I then began thinking more personally about  the  individual watershed moments that effect our lives -  the difficult, and challenging  like divorce , death of ones we love, an auto accident that kills two and critically injures three,  and how our lives are interrupted and abruptly switched  to another path without our consent or desire.   How it  becomes up to us, with the grace of God to adapt, accept, learn and grow. To forgive, overcome, make better. And if we can, to retain a tiny spark of innocence, and hope.


,

The New Year

 A week into the New Year,
with the promise of
resolutions made, and
lofty goals set, of
dreams dreamed and hope
for renewal  of mind,
body, spirit
like freshly  fallen snow
cleansing the land  -
moving toward spring and
new growth

Winter Moon

A white winter
moon, full and bright
shines  like a beacon's
light in the dark
of night.  A golden
glow, a single
row, streams across
the lake,  and gives
shadow to mountain
pines highlighted by
its radiant ray

Love

How much love can

our hearts  hold?
Overflow.

How much love can we

give away?
No  limit.

The gift of love freely

given has no cost or 

fee; Only our  time, 

sacrifice, and fond

remembrance

A Great Horned Owl, & Eagles

Early this morn
while still in
bed, before the light
of day, i heard
the mellow hoot of
a Great Horned
Owl ,
which brought to
mind migrating Eagles
i saw Sunday noon
at Higgins Bay
Magnificent, mighty,
purposeful,  they swiftly
soared through trees
to perch on the highest
ragged limb, far
from anyone's reach
Still and silent they
watched, and patiently
waited for just
the right time
to fish the lake

Tis the Season

What a wonderful season
Advent, the four weeks
 prior to Christmas
to help ready our
hearts in prayerful
meditation for the
birth of  the Wonder
Counselor, the Prince
of Peace, the  tiny
babe born in
Bethlehem,  son of Mary,
Christ the King

.......................

The tree is trimmed
and stockings hung,
presents are wrapped;
A wreath on the door
The sweet smell of
pumpkin bread and
cookies baking fill
 the kitchen  while
songs of Christmas are
heard throughout the house;
Frosty the Snowman,
Carol of the Bells, Silent 
Night and  It's the Most
Wonderful Time of the Year