Welcome to where I am, where my kitchen's always messy, a pot's (or a poet) always about to boil over, a dog is always begging to be fed. Drafts of poems on the counter. Windows filled with leaves. Wind. Clouds moving over the mountains. If you like poetry, books, and music--especially dog howls when a siren unwinds down the hill-- you'll like it here.


MY NEW AUTHOR'S SITE, KATHRYNSTRIPLINGBYER.COM, THAT I MYSELF SET UP THROUGH WEEBLY.COM, IS NOW UP. I HAD FUN CREATING THIS SITE AND WOULD RECOMMEND WEEBLY.COM TO ANYONE INTERESTED IN SETTING UP A WEBSITE. I INVITE YOU TO VISIT MY NEW SITE TO KEEP UP WITH EVENTS RELATED TO MY NEW BOOK.


MY NC POET LAUREATE BLOG, MY LAUREATE'S LASSO, WILL REMAIN UP AS AN ARCHIVE OF NC POETS, GRADES K-INFINITY! I INVITE YOU TO VISIT WHEN YOU FEEL THE NEED TO READ SOME GOOD POEMS.

VISIT MY NEW BLOG, MOUNTAIN WOMAN, WHERE YOU WILL FIND UPDATES ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MY KITCHEN, IN THE ENVIRONMENT, IN MY IMAGINATION, IN MY GARDEN, AND AMONG MY MOUNTAIN WOMEN FRIENDS.




Saturday, November 28, 2009

BIRTHDAY HAIKU

My friend Margaret Spilker wrote a Birthday Haiku for me this year; her mom Peggy brought it over on Thanksgiving along with an elegant bottle of wine which we've been enjoying today.

Here is Margaret's haiku:

Celebrate this day
The anniversary of
Your birth and rejoice!


Sometimes it's not so easy to rejoice over another year gone, especially if, like this year, you mark your entry into Medicare. So, I needed Margaret's celebratory poem to remind me that each day should be cause for rejoicing, if for no other reason than to look around, see the light surging through the windows, the clouds shape-shifting above us.

To be honest, this year's birthday was not at all depressing, despite my advanced age!

The day was gorgeous, we drove into Asheville for lunch, and upon our return, UPS delivered a package from my daughter---a small cedar with accompanying decorations.






I had saved my packages to open in late afternoon, so I began with the one from her that arrived the day before. She's a genius as gathering together gift items, wrapping them in elegant ways, and arranging them in the box.


You can see that she has a package for our dogs, Ace, Brody, Pooja, and Byron. More about that a little later. I was interested in what the box held for ME.





My daughter said the cover of the card reminded her of her guinea pig, which was at that moment chirping for attention (lettuce!) in the back room. Who can argue with the card's message?

Or its interior?

And because life is unsure, everyone needs a soft pair of socks.





And a bottle of cognac, compliments of my husband.

By now the dogs were interested in what I was pulling out of my packages. What's in it for US, they wondered.


Ace of Dogs snuffled in the corners, hoping something edible would magically appear.





When I held out a chicken flavored treat, he came to attention. Really scary, that look!

Byron, of course, was already in bed, his most favorite place. I had to bring one of the treats to him. Disgusting, isn't it? How did I become a servant to a dog that only weighs 16 pounds?



After tasting it, he joined the rest of the dog pack in the kitchen.
By then, my husband had kindled a fire, so I sat down with a glass of cognac to relax and savor the day.....



... but it didn't take long for Ace to lay his chin in my lap, begging "Uno mas? Por favor?"




It didn't work.

Later in the evening, I decided to decorate the little tree and set it up on a pretty Christmas runner that my mother had given me, surrounded by various gifts.



The best gifts can't be arranged on a table, though. And I had a sufficiency of those gifts throughout the day.

10 comments:

Vicki Lane said...

Happy Birthday, dear Kay! Sounds like a lovely day with all the right components for happiness.

(Hey, I was thrilled to get Medicare!)

Nancy Simpson said...

Happy Birthda,y Kay. I am thinking of you and wishing you the best year of your life.

Joan Ellen Gage Admin said...

Happy Birthday one-who-is-not of advanced age! I would say your day was smashing!

Kathryn Stripling Byer said...

Yes, my day was "smashing." It all ended well and I was happy. We had a good Thanksgiving, too. I have a few photos from that day to post, as well. Vicki, I made your pear brew again, and it was great--again. This time I had some cognac to dribble into it. Yes, smashing!
Thanks, Vicki, Nancy, and Joan Ellen for your good wishes.

Cioara Andrei said...

Foarte interesant subiectul postat de tine. M-am uitat pe blogul tau si imi place ce am vazut.Cu siguranta am sa il mai vizitez.
O zi buna!

Glenda Council Beall said...

I am a little late, Kay, but Happy Birthday and best wishes for a wonderful 2010. I think your day was perfect and don't worry about the Medicare year, you will be so happy to have it in the years to come. At least I've been.
I've met the most wonderful women in my age group (over 60) and had a great compliment from a young nephew recently.
He said, "I don't know of any women in their sixties who even know what a blog is, and certainly none that have a blog." So that makes us unique, doesn't it?

doris diosa said...

((((( Happy Birthday! )))) And i am glad to hear that you can now - ahem - *appropriately* celebrate. :) i love Cory's gifts and i got you a pair of socks like those, only purple.

Jessie Carty said...

Happy Birthday! The tree gift is such a great idea as are those fuzzy socks. I live in those fuzzy socks :)

Kaye Wilkinson Barley - Meanderings and Muses said...

Happy Belated birthday, Kay!!
from one Sagittarian to another!

Nishant said...

Happy Birthday one-who-is-not of advanced age! I would say your day was smashing!

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