My Piece Of The Pie

Dang I hate when I type a title and hit enter instead of tab! Publish a blank post...(probably a relief from some I've posted hehe.)

Aw well, it don't matter. Not today. Not much of anything gonna wipe the grin off my mug...

I've been holding back on mentioning this until the money was gone and the papers signed.

My checking account is down to three digits-- including the ones after the decimal point.
I go tomorrow to a notary with the papers.

And become the happy 'owner' (albeit an indebted one, hence the quotes) of 2.1 acres in the Ozarks.

I"M GOIN' TO THE BOONIES, ME FRIENDS!!!

Granted, I won't be headin' there menana; gotta race the rats for a few more. More WHAT-- months, or years-- will be determined by desire, drive, and a smattering of good ol' luck. I aint so sure we have the years. I've not been idle to this point; important to me, though, that if TS does HTF a little sooner than mayhap I envision, I have a retreat far, far away from Houston (or any other metro-polis (police? word origins; gotta love 'em)).

I say I've not been idle; in the last calendar year I have greened (greenered ain't a word...) my thumb by starting no less than two gardens from seed. Still have some seeds (Heirloom/open pollinated varieties) and the lighting equip for the startup. Last february while still laboring in Austin, with my brother's kind loan of a 7' x 14' slightly raised bed and some small tools (I was less than 30 days in front of no longer being a ward of the fine state of Tx.; DIRT-POOR, literaly! ha! i kill myself...), we ordered seeds from Seed Savers Exchange. Took an old heater pad from a not-so-watertight waterbed, a small shoplight, a grow bulb to fit said, and some peat seed-starting thingies (technical, I know; try to follow, class...). Slapped 'em all together on a workbench in the garage...

Voila! Jardin.

Not long after, the landscape company that was rapin... um, that I was laboring for, expanded their operating yard by 66.6%. They were kind enough to let me garner an ~8' x 8' space. By this time I had a few "spare" (read: too many) seedlings from the garage project. Also, it was a little further along on Sol's journey northward; I direct-seeded for complimentary variety to the bro's backyard garden growfest.

Sadly, both plots were left behind when, in a storm of changes (ironically coinciding with the two Tx coastal storms, Gustav and Ike) I vacated the Austin area. But the experience was valuable-- always been green of dexterous digit, but proved to myself I could grow edibles, from seed, in addition to beautiful houseplants.

After a few months of itenerant work (storm clean-up variety, mostly) I have moved to the Big H. On the plus side, I'm in an abode which has a small but dedicated garden area-- so i'll be right back at it when the silverbeet seed arrives! Another advantage is, I can race rats until such time as the races are cancelled and the running turns from festive pursuit of green paper to the run-for-your-life variety.

When it does that... no, hopefully long before, folks. Or at least sometime before--as I say, I ain't convinced we got too "long"...
But whether when or before, my run will be towards them thar hills...

Where there is Magic, I hear :)

Other preps have commenced as well, most notably building up of foodstores to help the wait of fruit tree production (those'll go in the ground this fall up property way) and seed planting fruition. My ideal would be to be stocked enough food shelter and essentials-wise to have the latter-- the Ozark garden-- in the ground spring 2010.

Sounds like a long ways away, huh?

Folks, in another day it'll be aught&9!

Stay tuned to see how dedicated the MacMeister is to the timeline...

Thanks for stoppin' by...

Cygnus

Ann O'Nymous

"When people talk of the freedom of writing, speaking or thinking I cannot choose but laugh. No such thing ever existed. No such thing now exists; but I hope it will exist. But it must be hundreds of years after you and I shall write and speak no more."

John Adams 1735-1826, Second President of the USA


Seems Mr. Adams was correct. And still waiting...

I got a bone to pick:

First off, thanks to all you folks who allow unmoderated commenting on your blogs. I kinda semi- understand the occasional need for an author's comment approval/moderation in certain instances, but I linked to a site earlier wherein the blogger asks for advice/opinion whatever. So's I proceed to the comment section, spend a fe.. no, WASTED a few minutes typing one up-- only to be told commenting is a 'members only' thing.

Then WTF ask, on a blog that anyone in the world can access, "what would you do ..."? If you're only writing for a few sets of eyes, why not use email?

Least the person could have done is forewarn before the comment is typed up.

I've only run across something similar once before; tried to jump to the person's blog from their profile only to be told the blog itself was for a select few.

Again, why this medium? I love privacy; agree wholeheartedly every human has a right to as much as they want, but there's bound to be other ways to share your secrets with only the three other sheeple who agree with you. The INTERNET sure don't seem the best choice!

And what about all these comments from Anonymous? I tell ya, s/he sure gets around, and seems to be a pretty pessimistic critter...


"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."

--Voltaire


Speak on, folks.

Cygnus MacLlyr

Soothes The Savage Beast, 'they' say...

Still stand with "Country Boy Can Survive" as theme song, but ...




Spending the next few preparing for no tomorrow, so there may be more music.
Hey, at least I'm sparing you my poetry!ha!

Um, y'ever wonder why, if there's gonna be no tomorrow, what's to prepare for???
Just askin'.

Cygnus

WHEN?

Man almighty, my friends...

It's WHAT time???

All my telling devices, including the new(ly set) one from my sis and her hubby as an xmess gift, are in agreeance with Sol rising...

Meaning it's WAY TOO FU*%!NG EARLY! Or late; hell, the argument depends...

What is one to do in the daze b'tween christ-mass and the Gregorian, or more accurately the Julian calendar's New Year?

I'm gonna go to the country, take those deep breaths, and likely partake in a frothy adult beverage or three...

Yet methinks me acquaintance might lend me a minute or so on his communications device. (He better, or we'll end up boxing for 'em!!!)

ok i jest.
kinda.

None the less, if i don't visit you all as frequently as 'normal' (LOATH! LOATH!) with regular sequacious didacta, you've at least been clued in as to why...

Then too, if i return with a guitar in hand and my own computer...

All right, damnit, i'll quit threatening ya...

;P

More Soon.

Promise [? or... ;) ]

Cygnus

time to recharge

Holidays got ya feelin' a little...




Don't know about you folks, but i could use a deep breath!

Catch you tomorrow.

Cygnus

YA WANNIT?

THEN THINK IT INTO EXISTENCE


Saw a comment on a blog yesterday: "Wish I could..."
WHY CAN'T YOU? What/Who is holding you back?


"I believe in the Nameless God who is Time-Space-Matter: And in myself...as an actual organic part of the One Great Nameless God."
---from John Hargrave's Young Wrinkle, quoted in Ronald Hutton's Triumph Of The Moon



"Although there appear[s] to be two of us, one from above and one from below,there is in reality only one glimmering stream of Light... there is no duality, no separation except in thought. The magnificent ray of God I Am [Becoming] has varying rates of vibration, and the personality that is listening to me now is simply the lower pulsation.
... I am the Law and the Course of the unseen and seen. The divine consciousness I Am, your spiritual consciousness, is the Law and the Cause of all manifestation... the Law and Cause of Wisdom, Love and Life... of health and wholeness. I am the law and cause of supply in all its manifest effects including food, clothing, home, money and transportation. Nothing good,or true, or beautiful exists in the unseen or seen worlds that does not have its origins... in consciousness.
---from The Angels Within Us by John Randolph Price


"Magical techniques... are 'not important in themselves, but are ways of focusing the mind on what is to be accomplished'; they provide a deep connection to the unconscious which enables [us] to transform [our]selves and the world around [us]".
--Vivianne Crowley, quoted in Ronald Hutton's Triumph...


I love thinking, folks. Hey, any of you ever heard that quip "be careful what you ask for..."?
Try 'asking' with will; with true desire, intent and need.

And be careful out there... ;P


What others think is not important, or even relevant, people, unless their percussion section is pounding out a rhythm similar to one You dance to.


Cygnus

YULETIDE BLESINGS, EVERYBODY!

Baking, wrapping and otherwise preparing, and spending time W/ fambly...

Best Wishes to each of you and yours as we move inexorably towards a new calendar page...

Be careful out there, folks; I'll see ya on the morrow!

LoveYa.

Bye.

cygnus

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH

A Lesson In (Un)Preparedness Hits Home
"come and listen to a story 'bout a man named jim..."

Informed yall yesterday that my buic's batt'ry went awry. Or in layman's terms, straight to hell. dead. kaput. vamanos. sayonara. au revoir. all acquaintance should be forgot...

It's not that I forgot, per se, but that I blamed yesterday's 'cold' versus today's "not so"... and trusted it to the heavens when it cranked up cette jour. To the following end:

It even gave me early warning-- stalling on it's 'initial' crank. But off i went, heedless, to Wally-World.

And for a $6 shopping spree, spent several hours--- and an additional ninety bucks (the green paper variety, not the male deer persuasion)---in said parking lot.

Fiasco

Plain and simple, people, if I had prepared for the "crisis" [bullshit! ; see it coming, y'cant label it so], my Uncle and I could have escaped much less unscathed, if not so much in dollar$and sense, than minimally time-wise. (Seems a famous quip is relevant here but I prefer not to share it with you folks...) !!![Time IS Money]!!


A lot of Irony I could draw (write?) into this post:

• I lay awake for a while last nite, mentally compiling a TOOLS list for the eventual(ity, of ANY crisis, but really 'ONLY' for the) move to the Boonies.
• Anticipated the week's end, whence money gleaned from christ-mess would alot one or two of #1's 'Most Needed'
• Loaded up in a previously noted unreliable modus transportii, and proceeded to consumer Hell in said...

My mental list of/from last nite included everything I would have needed to save a bit of mechanical frustration and a bit of dough ( in this case, it IS the green frogskin variety, not the yeast-risen, of which we palaver...).

Had I been prepared enough to garner these items moons ago...

POINT IS, I was-- and did-- not.

The last minute is NOT the time to 'prepare'. I'm pretty sure the definition means calling to play more advanced foresight.

Thank the powers that be that Cygnus' "Dance on the Cusp " was just that.
Monetarily, I had family backup--- else I'd STILL be in Walton's Driveway.
And BARELY had the tools... OK, had to borrow mas Silver for said, too. (Those in my possession were inadequate.)

No time to waste.

It hit home today. I know this, and yet another great quote comes to mind:

"Knowing and not doing is the same as not knowing at all"

What are YOU gonna do? At least if I'd have had to car-camp @ Wally-World's Cement Forest, id've had grub for the Journey... [See menana's post...]

I know what I Will do come payday [besides reimburse my Uncle ;D] :

WHAT(EVER) IS IN MY MEANS , AND RATES, ALPHA-PRIORI.

(insofar as) Tools...
They are how & why we evolved from the other primates, PEOPLE.

Good lesson learned. It's already 'too late', but keep on keepin' on. Look, I survived the day.
YOU CAN TOO.

Cygnus

one if buy land...

dreamin'. dreamin'.. dreami....

maybe should just quit lookin' @ sailboat rags:/

battery in the buick has crossed over. piranha's don't kill you like sharks; it's the collective of many a wound to which you eventually succumb.

on the up side, been researching the upcoming land purchase for the portion of the day i've been back screenfront (had to share computer time earlier. remember Peanuts-- Linus whilst the blanket was being washed?) that, and looking @ sailing rags... :o

made the decision to go w/ the land purchase first. be nice to find a live-aboard whilst still racing rats in h-town, even if only to rent & glean some small beta on the procedures & lifestyle, but chances are slim in the very near future. mayhap that 2nd job post-nuevo ano will provide the needed ducats... but i digress. one of those days.

land first (land ho!! ok ok). just know it's the right first choice for me. the catamaran will come if meant-- in plenty o' time for me to enjoy it whilst still "young" (a relative term if ever there were :).

also counting stores (ie my food/ equip stockpile). not a daunting task, as i had two 'extra' minutes and still have all 10 fingers... but helps to be plying the mind with future needs.

so, cold, dreary, yet semi-productive day.

i've had worse ;)

more soon folks

cygnus

Analyze THIS

'Bout to head out to work again-- gonna pick up every hour i can, because every one currently proffered to the MACHINA gets me one closer to never needing to do so again; each minute buys another pound of beans, or can of spam, or new packet of seeds.

Did some math last nite; figured that one hour of labor makes the land payment for that day. GOOD motivation to help me through the sh!+tiest of hours.

But didn't come here to pessimise today.Been playing a new variation of my profile game-- going to YOUR blogs and clicking on all those YOU follow.

FUN FUN FUN!!!

Yall are some interesting characters, and follow some, too.

How interesting? Find out for YOURSELF. (If you tag no other link, folks, tag this one.)

Kicks and grins, folks. Gotta have a few of 'em in this crazy life & world.

Edible chocolate anus, anyone?!?


Enjoy, fellow travelers-- i gotta go earn a can o' fish... :]

Cygnus
***********************************

Just traipsed in from work. it's 0226 hrs. (i know my 'post' time shows 0601 hrs; that's G.M.T. ; i habitat in C.S.T. time is relative, as a greater man than i hath proven.) changed the game back to tagging other sites of shared interests from my profile, this time choosing "living aboard". got me thinking...

two of my life's living option dreams: 1) a chunk of land for hermitage and a big garden; 2) a 31'-35' live-aboard sailboat.

this coming freya's day (friday, to you trivia-challenged minds :) i will make my first payment on some acreage, moving inexorably towards dream#1.

but when TSHTF (borrowing the anacronym, Strider...) a nice boat would be practical as well.

both options have inherent advantages and dis-ads:
1)a) on a boat, no garden b) on land, no mobility
2)a) pirates (yes, they exist in the modern world, folk, and will likely exacerbate post-apocalypse) b) might could out-sail 'em, but land-locked??? hunker down...

guess i could go on, but have stimulated your grey matter enough to take it's own comparative journey. point is... well, i s'ppose either would work. depends a lot on individual bent. 80% of the world covered in water; a lot of space... but i'll still be mailing that check come friday.

Unless someone's willing to owner-finance a Hans Christian or catamaran to a chap in the greater h-town area?!?

if so, hit me :D i'll just haul my travel trailer to the Hermit's desert, and keep the the for'ard v-berth open should he need the option. (no funny ideas, folk; he's fambly...) couldn't hurt to have both possibilities open, n'est-ce pas!

keep an open mind, folks. we're all gonna needs be creative in the coming Storm.

more soon

C.

WINTER SOLSTICE

Hello, folks.

Man do I have a plethora of words to expound on this day...

Alas, I've been with family after a 3.5-hour nap apres-trabajo 'yesterday', and am one hour from having to report again. Just wish that combo was less energizing...

And this is the "shortest" day of the year.(Feels like the longest to me!)

I invite you folks to visit The Farmer's Almanac and research the solstice if you don't fathom much hereon. (And even if you do, who knows what you might learn...)

In the interim, I will bug out, do some quick surfing & 'mail call', and be back to expound said plethora in the very near future.

Take care and try not to have as much fun ad I did today-- and I paraphrase Telly Savalis (sp?) here-- unless you can do the time. Hope to update this later c'est soir; if not, see ya tomorrow, and have a good (Shortest!!!) day!

Cygnus

and Speaking of Food...

Hey Folks!

Man these holidays... food food and more food...
And a family gathering tomorrow; thank goodness everyone is dieting-- the lack of food will be a welcome relief!

O.K., I jest.

Though I'd proffer an alternative to some of the standards that grace many a table during these festive times. Anyone gets to try it before I do, leave a review, if it please ya, thankee sai...


GUINNESS CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE

Ingredients

* 4 lbs flat cut corned beef brisket
* 1 (12 ounce) bottle Guinness stout, draught
* 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into wedges
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (to taste)
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 head cabbage, cut into wedges, rinsed and drained
* 6 medium white potatoes, peeled and quartered
* 1-2 lb carrot, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces

[Personally, my alterations to the published dish would be to replace some or most of the carrots with celery (something I loath raw but can't get enough of cooked),and to use my favorite all-purpose spice-- Fiesta brand Fajita Seasoning-- in lieu of [or addition to] the allspice. (Don't underestimate the magic of this spice for/on ANY and EVERY THING you ingest, folks!!! Doesn't take much, because the blend of garlic powder, onion salt, black pepper-- and whatever they toss in-- is as near perfection as any allspice ever to glom the sobriquet.) I can't lay claim to a set of measuring spoons (always 'knew' at a glance when enough was or wasn't), but seems a good ~1/2 - 3/4 tbsp puro replacement for their 1/4 tsp. would suffice, given all other seasoning--- esp. fresh garlic cloves.]



Directions

1. Rinse corned beef under cold water, and pat dry.

2. In a Dutch oven, or other large pot with a cover, brown corned beef well on
all sides over high heat.

3. Pour Guinness over the meat, and add enough water to just cover the brisket.

4. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and pepper to the pot.

5. Bring pot to a boil and skim off any foam.

6. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pot and simmer for 3 hours.

7. Add carrots, then potatoes and then the cabbage wedges to the pot.

8. Cover pot, and continue cooking until meat and vegetables are tender (about 20-30 minutes).

9. Remove meat and vegetables to warm serving platter/dishes, leaving the cooking liquid/sauce in the pot.

10. Over high heat, bring the cooking liquid to a boil, and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half (about 10 minutes).

11. Slice the corned beef; serve with the vegetables and the sauce on the side.

12. Note: Corned beef should always be sliced across the grain.



No need to wait 'till St Paddie's Day; Happy eats,folks!

More Soon

Cygnus

First Up: Food

Siting here listening to the rain patter down. Hard enough so that I open a bedroom window to experience it, sans protective medium in between my being and the rain's...

Been trying to draft a blog for future use; deleted two extraneously verbose 'posts'; here's what I want to say:

Listening to the water percolate off the roofs, overflowing the gutters meant to efficiently direct it elsewhere. Water that could so easily be harvested...

The garden has finally given way to Mother Winter- the okra that held so strong, for so long, now withering due to last week's snow and the week's three days of dismal, graying skies and daytime chill.

I begin in earnest to contemplate my move to the Ozarks, though this moment will be no closer coming than, at minimum, 18 months.

I accept.

And for my birthday-- only a few days past the upcoming Spring Equinox, I desire one piece of equipment which shall see me through future summer and winter alike:

A steam pressure cooker/canner.

The vegetables I can grow.

Clothes -- I have.

Shelter -- won't leave "home" without it ;)

The Pressure cooker, though...

Now THERE'S how to make a LIVING...

Gods Bless, folks.

Cygnus

Crack This...

I want to at least start this post while the emotion is still high...

Just passing through the living room, pausing as long at a given moment as I could, to catch snippets of Tschaikowsky's ballet "The Nutcracker" on t.v.

Go 'head; ax me why I didn't watch it all, or at least view longer sessions. G'head.


[Answer]
I wouldn't have been able to see through the tears the beauty of this dance-choreographed music never fails to bring to this grown man's eyes. How's them apples?

I was fortunate to have been, during part of my youth, an enrollee in J.P. Cornelius Magnet School. Through many of their field trips and extra-cirricular offerings (and a mother's unwavering fortitude that, regardless of how many hours away from the abode it took, we kids were not to lack in ANY aspect of culture, sport, or other desired function whence would better us), I was able to take in events I now dream of being able to expose my Nephew and Nieces to: Rumple Stilskin (@ the Galley here in our beloved 4th largest city in the U.S. of A.); The Nutcracker; Houston Symphony hammering home the William Tell Overture...

I don't remember which came first in life's bid to make classical music foremost my preferential listening, so I offer them both to follow.

Long about the late 80's or so [if I can trust both memory and resume-- and both have been constantly updated since then, so who's to say... But I digress:)] I gained new employ. GREAT!!! Better pay, better...

Oh, WAIT...

Whattya mean, report @ 0630??? was this in the contract? Oh, didn't have one o' them...

Well, look... O.K. 'S only a 6-minute commute from the domicile. And a tad more dinero. So... I owe, I owe, It's off to work I go.

But being so NOT a morning person, and the morn coming suddenly much earlier-- well, I ain't kin to commercials anyhow, and sure do not care, at an hour when god has as yet even turned on the air, to be screamed at to buy one of your plethora of used cars.

Then I discovered the Austin Classical station (88.9? 89.5? whichever, a gift from above, surely!).

No more car commercials. Damn near no more WORDS, even; just pure music. PURE music.

Then I remember early on when the cassette era was giving way to them new-fangled "c.d.'s". My then-spouse and I were at some office social function what was giving away door prizes, and bless her heart, she always had the luck... So she wins the drawing for a Walkman portable c.d. player (quite a boon considering the price of 'new' technology when it is just that-- NEW). Well, on the way home, being new parents and always in need of some medicament or other, we stopped at a {name-brand 5 & dime}. Lowen B. Hauld [my optometrist, remember :)?], right next to the cashiers counter was a rack of 'discount' c.d.'s. For the low low price of one u.s. dollar (think maybe three of today's green frogskins) there it was-- the perfect compilation to truly experience the difference in clarity between those out-of-date cassettes and these laserdiscs of the morrow: one titled "The Best Of Classicals".

The beauty of this C.D. was that not only did it ring so much clearer (I'm pretty sure; it must have, oui?!?) than those bulky tapes, but it reminded me how much classical music I actually WAS familiar with-- just listen to the soundtrack to any Tom & Jerry, or Road Runner, or REAL cartoons; you might be surprised how much you know, too!

Now folks...How many of you do not recognize the four most-recognized notes in music's history?
{Ba-Ba-Ba-Bummmm!)
Or have not 'known', if could not call by title, the musical accompaniment to every city's 4th of July fireworks display {The 1812 Overture}? I promise you EVERYONE of us who lent ear to a smattering of either of these masterpieces WOULD NOT FAIL to recognize.

This is what I fear we will lose when our society gives up so much of "it's" [READ:OURS, yours and mine, folks] freedom.

The tears I shed now aren't SHIT compared to the heart and soul that will be lost when these are,too. And when we are fighting each another for basic necessities such as bread, where do you think the arts will stand as priorities? Where goeth Van Gogh, and Dostoyevski, and my friend Ash?

Ashes to ashes...

And I cry, people for the beauty my children's children may never know...

READY YOURSELF, MY FRIENDS.

Cygnus

WHERE I AM

A little 'late' with today's post; normally I'm up late @ nite, typing my little digits off, but last night found me abed with some nasty virus... Anyhow, seeing as I tend to post after 'The Witching Hour' due to work schedule and general night prowess, I'm not actually "behind". [I may BE one at times, but that is a different matter altogether:) ] And I've noticed that most of the few reader/commentors I've garnered visit @ hours akin to my own...so late is relative.
Anyhow, laying up in bed last night ('cause I'd mostly slept the day away), thinking.

Thinking...

Sometime good. Sometime, not so...
Mostly pessimistic stuff last night. Could be partially blamed on the physical ailment; probably more so that I tend towards pessimism en generau.
But I have my moments--- and one thing can be said, of me and every other being on Gaea's face: set my mind to something, and it's only a matter of time.

I've decided that it's not where I've been-- the 'past' is only a collection of present moments that one has moved away from; nor is it where I'm going-- the 'future' is but moments the 'present'is moving inexorably toward. Philosophy, Religion, Science--- all agree (in varying degrees) on this concept.

My trouble therein is that often, in retrospect [can that exist in this concept of time? More fodder for philosophic ponder, i reckon...] I live TOO MUCH for the now, as a glimpse at my current situation and more so my bank account will prove. I AM a creature of pleasure, living so largely in/for day-to-day moments that I lack disciplined preparations for the "future".

I can argue Science and the Theory of Relativity all I care; how far would that have gotten me in a society of European forbears, whose survival through long, harsh winters depended on adequate preparations during seasons of abundance? Shclocked off on the next/nearest village, I'd wager!

I've had a dream for many a year now, folks, and the primary conclusion I've come to is to enact a lesson I learned in college: I reaped a 4.0 GPA through 60+ hours of school by sacrificing some short-term pleasure to reap long-term gain. (Not all, mind you; maybe even 'most' would be more accurate, but 'all' would be "all work and no play"-- and we all see what that did to Jack!!!)

I'm currently on a serious prowl for a second source of income-- a "job" (LOATH!!LOATH!!) :/

Sacrifice-- a bit of pleasure time, some sleep, a libation or three... everything will add up, and I will start making payments on the country acreage I've had my eyes on for a while-- and heart on for years.

Now to set the mind to it... Consider it DONE.

Oh sure it'll take some "time"-- a lot of those afore-mentioned 'nows' into that 'future'-- but a lot less of it/them than were I to continue like the grasshopper versus the ant in that old fable...

And here's public record, folks... a chance for me AND you to follow and see how serious I am.

Uh, ok--not too much pressure, please:|

Yet come to think of it, it's where I seem to perform best...

More soon, folks. Expect to see a generous display of blog titles related to "Cygnus' Search For (and Preparations Towards) His Homestead".

Think I'll go back and listen to Hank Jr.'s tune again; I've always loved that song.
I now publicly declare it my anthem. ;]

See ya c'est sior, people. Thanks for your support...

Cygnus

WANTED:

I had a very quick exchange with a co-worker tonight. Boiled down to this:

"Rabbits."
[her] "Rabbits?"
[me] "Lot of meat. A rabbit hutch, a bee box, a garden, a fishing pole... If I had a piece of land, wouldn't be much more I'd need."
[her] "It's not so simple anymore."
[me] "It could be..."

And it COULD, folks.

I'll share a secret with ya: for twelve years of my life I was subjected to minimalistic living.
I was allowed 1 -1/2 cubic foot-space of "extraneous" supplies.

People, build yourself a 1.5 ft^2 box, and see how much of your household decora-- EVERYTHING , from pictures, to newspapers, to schoolbooks, to "snacks" [E.G a bag of fritos and some coffee]-- fits therein.
That's it.You can have no more.

Oh-- clothes, a fan (no a.c.), all your cookery-- this, too is included in the measure.

REALLY.

Look around your house, folk. I understand there is a LOT of memorabelia-- I won't even attempt to categorize something so personal.

But come a TRUE emergency, what would you sincerely NEED???

Remember the 3:
1) FOOD
2) shelter
3) clothing

THINK about this for a minute, my friends; what are your TRUE NEEDS?

Could they not be so much simpler than we 'think' ?

My co-worker was sporting a $400.00 purse.
Nice, but... a plastic H.E.Butts bag would hold more.

She also had (misplaced-- hence spurring on the conversation) a $200.00 cell phone.

My cell costs about $20.00. Seems to rcv calls better than her lost one :O .

Life CAN be so much simpler,people.

What are you gonna do when necessity deems you forego; when Mother Nature-- or nuclear winter, or governmental abyss [remember the fall of Rome, democracia?] leaves you in a state of what amounts to Anarchy?

ME?




Raise some rabbits. Fish. Grow some veggies (provided the land allows..).

Quite simply, my people-- I WILL SURVIVE.

Hope you do too...

I'll need someone to befriend :) :) :)

More Soon.
Cygnus

Hot Daddy...

I think i love cooking, folks, more than i like eating.

Now don't get me wrong; the latter i freely do my fair share of.
If not more so than...

But there is something about seeing it all come together, and the eyes-fluttering-to the-back-of-the-head roll when someone has truly tasted Ambrosia... and knowing ones self responsible...
Brings a gratifying smile.

Part of the enjoyment stems from the fact that my eyes ARE bigger than my stomach; I'm always SO hungry when i start preparations...

As a matter of course, any chef worth her/his weight in cornmeal will inform you that 'SAMPLING' during the entire preparation process is a nasty but necessary business...
So i set a table, spread it with good homemade grub...
And can't eat my salt's worth of said meal!

Just don't understand sometimes...
:)

I grew up in a kitchen. My beloved mum wanted naught but to be in one as a domestic occupation (and, barefoot or not, to have multiple hungry mouths to feed from said post). Though her dream was denied, I glommed on to all the cookery i could fathom.

Later in life's progression, i spent time w/ my dad, who (turns out) did the majority of real-food [read: not order-in or take-out] assimilation in that household. My BBQ penchant certainly must have taken no beating having this Guru to observe...

I could offer up my favorite meals--- and undeniably necessary utensils-- for study, but it seems there is a pressing iron-skillet-grilled breakfast of sausage, onions and eggs which must needs immediately be deemed worthy (thereby leaving me subject for future writ!!!).

Better go see the King is not poisoned!

More Soon, Folks.

Cygnus

Holy Days

Just finished a rather lengthy comment on Ancestral Celt's blog. Way more detailed than I want to address again @ this hour, but suffice it to say that I would enjoy further diatribe with this Brit on the very same topic I commented on; seems there may be another scholar-sensed Celtic Pagan (yes, I know of Bonewitts...) out there; she speaketh my tongue:) and I hope to hear from her , and mayhap corroborate with her [ on ANY relevant Pagan issues or otherwise], in the very near future.

So... another 'elsewhere' comment (kinda) makes it's way to page status here on MY SONG.

Ash, my friend, you said it right with yesterday's comment-- FOLLOW YOUR HEART and write what you FEEL [oft the same as what you "know", y'know???].

Hope i can glean some informative materials for future posts both from thoughts evoked via tonight's banter [my smarts is growin', folk... I copy/paste(d) [to elsewhere] my (seemingly to me ) poignant observia from my comment on Celt's site], AND from/ through any exchange that may later transpire.

Network, my Kindred. 'S how we'll grow stronger and (to be redundant) more informed...

Good night and sweet dreams...

Cygnus

It's late, people;
At least on my clock. of the many i 'go' by.
Accurately, it is 0225 central standard time (local).
The time my blogpost enumerates is GMT (Hey, I'm a pilot, not to mention IRISH-- the latter being primarily 'why' I chose to make my post times show +6hrs from 'local'.)

Anyone else confused yet?!?
Oh, I'm the ONLY one, sure... :)

Just finished e-mailing my mom, and went on a tangent in the latter part of that writ which i thought would suffice for any lack of creativity due to said yawn factor here.

Sub for the MacMeister's standard faire though it may be, there is a lot of relevancy none the... ah hell; YOU judge:

************
"Trouble is, it takes TIME to do all that reading and responding crap, don't it?!? 's why i only (so far ) consistently comment on two blogs (three counting skip's;) though i admit to being on the prowl for a few more!!!

I really really enjoy blogging and having a couple of folk from various parts of the world to banter with day-to-day. [All of ] you really MUST read the Busty St. Clair Rulz 4eva post. Would that I could write like that; in fact I 'copy' much of her format--- only b/c it seems to so poignantly 'say' not necessarily WHAT but HOW I'd like to say stuff...

Well, i should sign off for now.

And if [ANY ONE] chooses to read my stuff: cool. I try to account for "alternative" views.( E.G. I try not to be 'too' offensive, whilst keeping artistic license free). Yet i opine that there is always the option to 'log' off (sub any word u care for 'log') :0 and hit the 'close' button if u don't like the commentary.

Something in the amendments to the [American] Constitution, I recall... Freedom of press means I am free to print ANYthing i so choose, while anyone can read--- OR NOT--- to their heart's content. Best bumper sticker i've seen that sums [the amendments] up is :

" 'FREEDOM OF RELIGION' MEANS ANY RELIGION"

Hard to fathom for a lot of right-wing folk; they erringly assume our country's founders were christ-e-uns.

AU CONTRAIRE... Research history, my kindred folk. The majority of them were CREATIONISTS.

YOU look up the difference; I already have. "

***********

Not sure how mom will ingest all this, folk, save that she's MOM and will (probably! :D ) continue to at least nurture, if not fathom...

Regardless, fun to write about none the less.

TRUTH always is...

Love ya. And DO love IT!

More soon--

cygnus

Turning Things On . . .

Or Off...


"Hurry! You're gonna make me pee!"
I glance askance.
Pause, hollow-eyed, as the psyche tries to make some sense of what certainly can't be.

"Whuh?"
"I said I need my food; you're about to make me pee!"
Jaw agape; head now frozen in a straight-on stare.
I'm sure I misheard. At the very least, I'm not quite sure how...

A klaxon sounds.

"See! I'm beeping!"

Illumination of the proverbial lightbulb. "OOHHHH!!! Now I heard you right!" Laughter from a nearby manager.
"Been a long time since I made a girl beep; I'm not sure where we go from here." I can't resist the quip as I give the server her order and she shimmies off to wherever it is servers go to banish the intolerable beeping.



Maybe the ladies' room???

***************************

Beautiful (very near) full moon out tonight. Weren't for the chill I'd be drawing my circle and raising energy outside. Fairly solid visualization skills, though. And after being what amounted to homeless last moon the warmth is one more reason for homage...


***************************

Involved in some seasonal (for me Yule; others call it christ-mass) decorating today with grandma, fondly known since the beginning to us grandkids as Nanny. My task involved not so much placing decora about, but replacing batteries in all the noise-making... er, caroling, devices. One such animal was a cute hillbilly-dressed, slack-jawed singin' teddy bear.

Very disturbing.

Oh, not so much the voice, or even his overalls; those're darn near cute.

Bothersome was the fact that that one has to unzip his britches and cram three 2a eveready bunny cylinders in Teddy's tushie to power him(?).
And to turn him on.
Or off.

'Cause that's where the toggle is, y'see.

You folks, uh, enjoy. Time for me to slip into the arms of Morpheus, praying all the way past the alpha-state that no nightmares come.

Of ANY of this.

Good night. Sweet dreams. Love ya. See ya in the morning.

cygnus

IT'S SNOWING!!!

In Houston,Texas!

And it is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!

Now those of you whom reside in more northern climes can guffaw to your heart's content. I would, too, had I this White Beauty (eye of the beholder, je comprends) to deal with on an annual basis. However, here in the Deep South we might see this phenomena twice per decade, IF we're lucky (again a relative term). And the last time it snowed like this, I was unable to open the door and freely walk out into the night to experience it.

Tonight I 'discovered' it when waltzing to my beloved vehicle to chat w/me mum during break@/from work. Lowen B. Hauld [my optometrist;)], SNOW!!! I rush back inside to inform otherwise clueless co-workers. We take turns-- or join en masse-- heading out the door to view, experience, and otherwise frolick about in the wonder; some even venture home during their allotted time to participate in snowball fights.

When my shift ends, I take an extra bit of time heading back to the abode, enjoying the visual delight of Yule Season lights decorating the neighborhood yards and houses blanketed by the delicate, individually-unique frozen-water droplets. My first "free" December in the last 13; brings tears to this goober's eyes...

One of the two of my lifelong dreams is to 'own' my piece of the American pie: a tract of land. Mine is far out in the country-- as befits a misanthrope-- and unlike the clime of my upbringing (primarily central/S.E. Tx. my entire life), that land offers a true glimpse of Mother Earth's four Seasons. Upon this land I have my vast garden from whence I provide the majority of my eats; I raise rabbits and mayhap a goat or two towards the same end; an apiary provides not only Mead-materials but aides synergistically to overall fruition...

Alas, I digress, save for the experiencing of four seasons.

Thanks be to the gods that today/ tonight I was offered said opportunity.

It really IS beautiful, folks.

More Soon.

Cygnus

Whatcha Want?!?

Been raining here, on and off, all day. Kinda fit my grey, somber mood.

There is an old Sailor's ditty:

Red sky at night, sailor's delight
Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning

The quip has a basis in modern understanding of meteorology. We know that the red color is produced as the sunlight reflects off cloud structures forming on the horizon. When sailors see a 'Red Dawn' it is an indication of cumulonimbus clouds-- the thunderstorm-producing type-- building their momentum. Red sunsets denoted storms moving past or away from the boat's position, whilst morning amber foretold an oncoming fury.

The sailors knew their stuff; out early this a.m. barking at that moon, I was privy to a most beautiful red sky.

***********************

Mood improved as the day progressed. Worked w/ one of the people who always makes that scheduled time move easier.
Then was in near giddy delight to be online @ the same time as Ash; we traded comments in time an observer would have sworn was a chat-site.

Any of you followers in need of very high- quality, practical, home-made christ-mass gifts need to visit Ash's' grandmother's site. I'll be sporting one of these hand-crafted beauties in the very near future. Maybe more than one--- seems grandma's prices are a throwback to her own era... Given today's inflative ecnomy, Gods bless all folk like this!

***********************

Hermit asked me the other day what I wanted for christ-mass. Heck, Ive been so busy coping with day-to-day existence that i sincerely had not thought along those lines. Since, however, his inquiry DOES have me brain bent...

Though many may consider them "impersonal" , I am a big fan of gift cards/certificates.

Maybe this stems from my inherent pickiness, but the idea really seems practical all the way around.

Let's say for instance that grandma is putting together a new quilt. SHE knows what fabrics/ patterns/ other materials she needs better than I ever could guess (even after getting a preview of the end result). Wouldn't a gift cert. be so much better than everyone wasting fuel (and having to save receipts etc.) getting the "wrong" stuff in the first place?

I mean, I tell you I want a fishing pole, right? So you waltz in to Academy...

WHOA!

What kind of fishing does Uncle Jim do? Salt water or fresh? Crappie? Gulf Coast flounder?

Welcome to today's marketing world of commercial specialization.

Point is, folks, Hermit knows best what kind of coffee HE prefers. A gift card from/to Starbucks shows the proper seasonal "thought", yet still leaves room for personalization. Best of both worlds...

In general, I am not a big fan of the whole gift-giving rigamarole, but so long as it is a part of modern society, why not give Nanny the option to go shopping for what SHE wants?

************************

My original plan for this post was to "beg off", to lay up a quote or two and an excuse of tiredness (more REASON,as it is real, than excuse).
Many thanks that the writer's bug picked up, along w/ thanks to those whose influence for stimulating said can be readily seen herein.

***********************

"The journey home is never a direct route; it is, in fact, always circuitous, and somewhere along the way, we discover that the journey is more significant than the destination, and that the people we meet along the way will be traveling companions of our memories forever."

-Nelson DeMille UP COUNTRY

Good Night, Friends...

Cygnus MacLlyr

A Day In The Life Of An Avia

nd

THERE IT I,FOLKS; MY POST FOR THE NIGHT.
PROFOUND, N'EST-CE PAS?

ERASED MY SHIT AGAIN [WOULD THAT IT WERE W/ MY CRIMINAL PAST; ONE CLICK AND voila! MAIS NON...]
SO THE BLOG YOU MIGHT HERETOFORE HAVE PERUSED-- WELL, YOU'RE s.o.l.

BITE MY LEFT TESTICLE, BUY ME A BREWSKIE, AND START LEAVING COMMENTS ON (IF YOU ARE READING MY) BLOG.

I'M GOING OUTSIDE NOW--0202 LOCAL (MY POST TIME WILL SHOW AS GRENWICH MEAN TIME. y0u DO THE MATH, E-MATICIAN AND THE OTHER FOLLOWER[S])-- TO BARK @ THE MOON.

OH- ALL ELSE SAVE BUSTY [i do LOVE YA GIRL!!!] WILL NEEDS ONE MORE CLUE TO EVEN begin TO FATHOM HOW F#c*@D-UP-LIKE-A-LEFT-HANDED-FOOTBALL-BAT MY 'SCHEDULE' IS. THAT IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. HERE IT IS:

(AND) 'HERE', IT IS C.S.T.

LIVE IN EVERY WORLD YALL CAN FATHOM, FOLKS!
SEE YOU UNDER THE MOON & STARS...

CYGNUS MaCLlYR

It's Relative

I aint so sure... but i think i got asked out by two different women tonight. 95% sure one was at least an invite. Is that the same thing?!? Man, i've been out of 'the game' too long. Not so sure i want to play again, either. Costs too much-- in about every way you can interpret those words.

Never hurts to read the menu, though; no obligation to place an order. (No matter HOW hungry:) :)

Time will tell. I, however, am a Southern Gentleman. I never will;)

Speaking of time, ol' mister not-so-wise night owl here (hey wait, Cygni are Swans n'est-ce pas! Ah well, allow me artistic license to mix metaphors) has to remove head from under wing not so long after Sol begins His journey from the depths of the underworld across Father Sky... and that's less than six hands of time hence. Going to be a hectic next few days for me as work schedule proves it don't understand these concepts of light versus dark and personal functionality therein..

Bear with me, dear readers, as i work (!) around it. Shouldn't miss any days posting here, but reserve the option to pose (prose? Verse!) here. If i don't seem as active comment-- or content-- wise, well, there it is.

In the meantime, here I am back in the mix tomorrow:




Yall enjoy, folks. I know I will:)

More soon.

Cygnus (aka "Mr. Pew")

new game

i've had an absolutely HORRENDOUS day. after HOURS of typing a letter to a friend, i had it disappear in the blink of an eye (or more accurately with the click of a mouse). no ones fault but mine-- went to do a final save and then to print. printed a blank page. went back to the doc and sure enough... somehow i got distracted (or drunk...hmmm) enough to save a blank page over what was some of my best writing ever (mentioned before that letters often do catharse some of my better lyrics). makes a good argument for going back to the ink & pad. but i'm finally building up my typing speed...

anyhow, the stuff is lost. and so goeth my positive spirit...

until i started playing a new game i've come up with. ok, 'playing' and 'game' may not be the best adjectives for the activity; what do you think this is, a LETTER? n e who, what i've been doing is choosing one of the interests listed in my profiles section and, staying with the same one all day, viewing every profile/blog site with akin. today's was the MEDIAEVAL BABES, a world/folk group whose name definitely describes their music. the game most certainly helped improve my mood, and i've had a blast visiting all the diff. blogs. i envy those of you who 1.) live in England and particularly IRELAND, and 2.) even more so the ones not only there but all over the world whom have managed to make a living via your artistic passion-- all you painters and especially you WRITERS. (it seems an inordinate number of Mediaeval Babes' listeners earn a living via pen; maybe i needs have one o' their cd's wooing me while i sit here! doubt it would have helped me to save that letter, but migh help eke the caliber of these ramblings nearer those!!! ha!)

ah well, folks, almost time to go slave for some of that green bartering paper. come to think of it, even that aint true; the company has long since given up paper-paying and has gone to electronic means of dispensing compensation!

man, do i hope whoever is at the keyboard there come allocation day has a better one than i did!

why don't i leave ya with a tune from them Babes, and go join the Hermit with a cuppa...



more soon, folks

cygnus

What You Do With It...

Hello again, people...

I had a draft started last night.It mentioned Poe a couple of times. Funny...

I've been holding my peace about where the last 12 years of my life were spent; it's not really important where, but HOW. And with whom.

To demonstrate, I want to share some excerpts from a letter I received via snailmail a few hours ago...

"Job-wise I'm a 2nd shift janitor... Easy work and I have plenty of time for my fitness routine. That last has consisted of a Navy Seal workout for the past 5 weeks. Averaging 10-12 hours anaerobic and 25-30 miles running a week.

Writing a lot, too. Mostly Horror stories. Last one did was 40 typed pages... Trying to write and draw a bit every day. Exersize both hemispheres of the brain, dig?

Speaking of working the brain-- memorized 'The Raven' by Poe. Took two months, but I'm the only one on the unit who can rattle off a 5-page poem from memory on demand.

...a fine thing, but it is now time for me to move on... to more lucrative Philosophic pursuits. I am now embarking upon a Promethian quest to find the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and eat of it. There is something there so empowering and ennobling that an entire monotheistic scare-tactic was invented in order to keep humans at bay. I demand to know what is in that Garden!"

So venture a guess where this man is-- where he is and has been and will be for years.

Military? Hmmm... Nice try, but thank you for playing; next contestant, please.

College? Nah-- already graduated.

Point is, folks, it really don't matter. It's not WHERE this man is, nor for how long; it is HOW he is.

My friend is not in a fun place, but I admire that he does not let that fact hold him down, physically or mentally.

Often we are forced to be at places and around people we really would rather not. Work comes to mind, as does standing in the D.M.V.( or nearly any other) line. Nice when we can share this time with a friend, but more often than not that won't be the case. During those times we can moan and complain, or we can spend our mental energy in a more productive fashion. When we keep our chins up and continue to pursue greatness even in the face of adversity, it can go a long way towards attracting to us those individuals who have achieved phenomenal success say we should be surrounded by-- those more successful than we are.

I'm gonna close by quoting a man oft-quoted by my friend; to use my friend's words, "a greater man than me".

Anton LaVey had three rules of social intercourse:

1. There are those who waste your time. Avoid them.
2.There are those who share your time. Enjoy them.
3. There are those who add to your time. Cherish them.


I cherish the moment when I'll recieve another letter from you, Johnny. Love, and Blessed Be.

More soon, folks...

Cygnus

All Connected...

Albert Einstein - “A human being is a part of the whole, called by us the 'universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.”


Hello again, Folks...

I've been using a lot of the new-found (to me) gizmos from the afore-mentioned posts to not only revamp my site but to tag a lot of people with similar interests with comments. I want to take a moment here to offer thanks:

First and foremost to my technical support staff-- my only (to-date) loyal follower-- my uncle, the notorious Hermit Jim. Without you, so much of this site would be so much less... A heart-felt thank you and much appreciation, Sir Hermit.

And to those whom have paid my comments on and visits to your sites with reciprocate offerings, i also pay hommage (i noticed primarily artists, of many persuasions, are the ones to do this; can't be coincidence). i'd like to fancy myself inclusion in that (artist) category, with writing being my primary modus operandi.

All of us desire to reach a broader ... I loath the term audience, but for sake of speed (and lack of a thesaurus) i'll let it be ... Those of you who post on a regular-- read: daily or near-so-- basis, i will become a "follower"; it is my sincere hope that any who visit this site also take the time to link to yours, thereby achieving the above-listed goal for YOU, as well as me.

After all, what is the internet but a vast NETWORK, oui? And we all know the saying about "who you know".

I hope sincerely it is what we know as well, and that many of you find new fellowship (or is it followship?? ah, never mind...) through your personal means of expressing your creative streaks. it is my desire to help contribute via My Song's humble efforts.

Bill Gates - “There will be a day, not far distant, when you will be able to conduct business, study, explore the world and its cultures, call up any great entertainment, make friends, attend neighborhood markets, and show pictures to distant relatives — without leaving your desk or armchair. It will be more than an object you carry or an appliance you purchase. It will be your passport into a new, mediated way of life.”





More soon, folks...

Cygnus MacLlyr

Bits and Pieces

Hey Folks!
Glad to see ya back:)
Not sure what to write tonight, so I'm gonna add bits and pieces as I surf the web, letting moments of inspiration do the writing for me. Another post-prandial libation or three down the road and things could get very interesting:)

First thing that popped up: can you spot the swan in the following painting? I did right away, but hey--look @ my call sign!ha!!

(Painting by Rebekka Pierre. Visit Her @ Abstract Inner Visionz)




*****************

Hey by golly !!! Only took me about half a hand of time and a small (ok, maybe two).. uh.. "enhanced" soda to import the url! I improve. bit by bit:)
NOW what?!? Hang loose....

*****************

Man it's getting late... or early, depending on perspective. 0342 local, which makes it approx. 0842 Carrauntoohil time...
Good thing I'm off of work menana. One of the best things about ANY job-- the days off!!! Don't gotta shave; can sit around in socks and skivvies (no peeking, ladies!ha!); surf the web. Or SLEEP-- a highly underrated activity, that...

****************



Still Cruisin'.....

***************************

Man, this is currently WAY too short to sign off now...

*****************


None the less, I shall.

More soon, people. Mayhap "later" (and) "today"...
Blurry terms when you call your personal "night" finis @ 0520...

Back in a few...

Cygnus

Follow The Hand...

Well folks,

I've learned quite a bit tonight, and from the oddest source...
MY OWN BLOG.
Seems I was born in the (Chinese zodiacal) year of the Ram.
Makes sense to me, having been born an Aries... but I understand it doesn't always work out that way-- in fact the chances are inly 1 in 12 (and when we multiply 12 signs by twelve Houses, the odds read more like 144%...)

Another thing I learned by "following the hand"-- i.e. clicking on a phrase when the mitten icon shows (versus the arrow icon)-- is that if your interest is, say, the Mediaeval Babes, and it is linked (underlined) involuntarily, click on it and it will list others on the blogger that have a similar listing in their profiles.

I understand this may be eye-rolling elementary for the majority of you hackers out there; for me it could be a gods-send, a way to connect w/ other like-minded Folk and, minimally, a way to discover who else may be typing similar related topics I may be curious to browse.

Mayhap, yes, even to build a larger following:)

's what it's about, non?

Non, mais it'd still be cool, because it would mean more of those folk who DO share common interests would be (at least semi-) interested in your take on it all.

All that, and that I am an Aries (that much I knew:)) born in my very own year!!!( That is news to me). And that is one of those topics whereupon, with further research, I'll be able to demonstrate to you faithful followers how Magic IS such an integral part of my being.

For the night, though, I'm gonna log off and see if anymore Metallica fans are as beautiful as Rosie...

More Soon, Folks

and Thanks to Mannanan and Ayla the Fire Goddess for the knowledge...

Cygnus

Too Much Input...

Look here people...
Its not that I'm short of ideas for tonight's post; quite the contrary-- I have SO MANY that way too much research needs be done B4 I can produce anything linking my thought pattern to some similance of coherency (is that a word?... as a writer, if I type it, it IS.)

I have a lot of Irish Genealogical digging to do, but good to know I am at least a bit ahead o' the "game" (dontcha hate that term?....... I do).
Anyhow, I'm suffering from a bit of info overload, and need to cull. And you know what Cygnus does in those sit-e-ations?!?

That's right--- INSERTS A POEM!!!!

Now hang on, folk-- especially you of a sea bent, you salty dawg, you...
Not more o' that sappy sh*t you might usually find here. Until I can sort out the whole Carlisle-McLaury rigamarole [I swear, some days I don't know whether to buy myself a beer or beat myself up] -- or at least 'till the morrow, whichever comes first ( and my euros are on the morrow, my friends...)-- I leave you with this.
Love ya. Hope you enjoy:)


LEAGUES APART (by James McLaury)

"Land ho! Off the starb'ard bow!"
from the watchman comes the shout.
Hands drunk and sober come about;
hands cracked and calloused shade their brow

and spot to leeward, starb'ard, out
across the diamond-sparkled sea
just inside a league and three
an island rise-- majestic; stout.

"Reef main and jib, and come to port
three clicks! weigh anchor 'round the back!
Afore night falls and tide goes slack
we'll dance reels 'round a fire ashore!"

Hands move for'ard, others aft;
hands--elsewhere uncoordinated
here confident-- negotiated
reef half a fathom 'neath her draft.

So long before the stars come out
and crown both isle and tropic sea
the crew, bayed safely in the lee,
reel 'round bonfire, and drink, and shout.



Thanks for all your support, folks (do I sound like Bartyles and Me here,People?:) :)
More Soon
Cygnus

(I'm Having) A Bit O' The Irish Sorrows...

I'm just wondering, folks, if any of you have seen Caer Ibormeith of late...

I heard her calling me again just this night. Y'see, there I was minding my own, looking for the swan that was to adorn this very site (and yes, I recognize the irony-- bear with me and you may,too), when of a sudden Celtic Woman began singing The Voice.



I dropped the mouse. I sat there in thrall. Here was a most hauntingly ethereal voice from a beautiful woman singing words that tore at my soul and left me crying like a teenage girl who has just realized Leonardo DeCaprio has no clue of her existence; tears of longing creating a trail straight to my heart I wonder why no woman will follow.

WHERE IS SHE?

Caer I., whose name translates to Yew Berry, is another of those children from Irish Mythology. She was a vision in a dream of Oengus'. Her beauty was such that he traveled the length and breadth of fair Eirrean in search of her, wasting away with longing to the point of near death. Eventually he finds her,but of course (this is Irish folklore, remember?) she is cursed. She and her 150 maidens must spend every other year in the form of (anyone care to venture a guess here?)...SWANS.

Did I mention that whilst all of this singing (Celtic Woman's) and crying (mine) was going on, I happened to be at a point in my search for the afore-mentioned photo, that had me gawking in awe at a sketch titled "Playing with the Swans" ?

You may tell me that magic wasn't at work; I'll never believe ya.

And you may tell Yew Berry that I'm looking, and waiting, and near the point of...

Y'see, I know she is out there. I know as well as Oengus that she doesn't exist only in my dreams. I know some day she'll show up as magically as all these related themes showed up at the very moment I sat down to type her out of my head and heart and give her existence here in writ. I know her voice cries out some nights as loudly as my own-- it's as if those nights I hear that voice as it carries from the waters of the Shannon and across the Atlantic to my bent ears here in l'il ol' Texas.

On second thought, you needn't tell her.

She knows. She's read the tales and believes in Magic, too...

More Soon, Folks.

Cygnus

Still Inept...

OK Folks,



I was gonna add another chapter to the "getting 2 know the author better " Saga, but my technical ineptitude has once again prevented me from importing the writing from "over yonder" to ... uh, well whatever the heck "here yonder" would translate to in whatever your regional dialect is.



SO...



Where to go from here?



To bed would seem both the physiological AND psychological answer, but alas, who could be or get so lucky? Certainly not me nor any renaissance nerd i might know...



{Sigh} Where is Kerri Russell with that back rub when you truly need her?



[Likely in the same ether as that text I'm trying to cut and paste (read; non-existent:( ) ]



So now I am left w/o any ideas for any kind of interesting fodder for the morrow...



Ah heck-- are you so sure you had THAT much an interest in gazing into my Abyss?!? Wasn't it Neitsche who said "Be carefol how long you stare into the Abyss, for if you stare too long, the Abyss also stares back at you "



Y' don't want me staring back, Folk; we'd both need too many a year of follow-up therapy...



I'll try to glean some tech support in the form of my coffee-consuming Uncle on the morrow and hence complete that-- or rather continue the-- filling-in of the Cygnus' refrains, people.



In the interim, keep your heads up... Uh, unless that's the phrase someone decrees in a panic situation. Best, if so, to follow the ol' airline addage: put your head btween your legs and kiss your ass(etts) goodbye- 'cause you can BET that at this point that all bets are off, and you should pray to your maker that you don't man a Wal-mart door...

No Sense Whatsoever

Hey folks-- Check this glib out from the Associated Press: ALEXANDRIA, Va. Wal-Mart had its Black Friday marred when an employee was trampled to death as thousands of people rushed through the doors at the opening of the store in Valley Stream, N.Y. Police said the man, identified as 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour, was a temporary employee who lived in New York City's borough of Queens. In addition, police officials said a pregnant woman was taken to a local hospital, but was expected to be released Friday. Video footage showed as many as a dozen people knocked to the floor in the stampede of people trying to get into the Wal-Mart store, according to Nassau County Police detective Lt. Michael Fleming. The employee was "stepped on by hundreds of people" as other workers attempted to fight their way through the crowd, Fleming said. "We expected a large crowd this morning ..." Around the nation, shoppers descended upon Wal-Mart en masse in hopes of scoring Black Friday discounts. From New Jersey to Dallas, there were reports of hundreds of shoppers lining up before stores opened, looking for $2 DVDs and flat-panel TVs priced just under $400. At the Fairfax, Va., location, the scene was social. Hundreds queued up before doors opened at 5 a.m., with some having arrived the night before in order to be among the first to shop. "We skipped Thanksgiving dinner," said 30-year-old Arash Habiezadeh. "Even with the economy, you've got to go with the deals," said Robert Balboni of Centreville, Va., while loading his shopping cart with a 42-inch flat panel TV, a portable DVD player and a Philips 2GB MP3 player. Wal-Mart has already shown signs of benefiting ... -- The Associated Press

So, a man was trampled to death when impatient murderer... uh, I mean "bargain shoppers"... blaa-aaa-aa-sted [read busted down] the store's door in a frenzy to get to whatever perceived bargains existed on this "busiest shopping day of the year"

This is a recurrent theme every year, folks. EVERY YEAR. Someone PLEASE tell me where the sense is. Oh, wait...its with those of us who were smart enough to NOT have been amongst the sheeple c'est jour.

FOLKS...

Folks, WHAT do you think Wal-Mart was selling today that they don't the other 364 days of the year? Musta been gold @ 90% less than Wall Street value. OR million-dollar bank accounts for $3 if you used your Sams Club membership card.

What, people, WHAT in this cursed world is worth taking the life of a 34-year old man-- a man who was likely working @ Wal-Mart to provide his child(ren) with the latest must-have gadget?!? What was it in that store that was so important it caused people to camp out 12 hrs. in advance of the stores' opening that was even CLOSE to provoking this Kind of mentality???

I just DO NOT GET IT.

You know what I want that bad this christ-mass?

That man's life back.

EVERY YEAR, folks, this insanity rears its ugly head.

Busiest shopping day of the year. I only pray to whatever gods that be that my dear mom, who works at Wal-Mart, was off today enjoying the company of her twin grand-daughters.

That god only knows when she may be robbed by embiciles of said opportunity.

YALL BE CAREFUL OUT THERE

Cygnus

this SUCKS!!!

hello Folks...

Its late thanksgiving eve-- Or more accurately early the morn following...
Many a safe arrival home wish to, in particular, two cousins whom I have not seen in collectively
damn near 30 tears (a lot o' time for a man only 41, n'este -ce pas?!?).

More godsend to the two second cousins I am just getting to know-- Kaiya (one of the most
beautiful women on the face of the planet), and to Catherine (the great) whom I've not seen
since she was knee-high to a grasshopper; both you beautiful ladies please make it home safe as
safe can get .

The xgiving day SHOULD be chok full of unexpected blessings in the way of guests one might not have seen since the 1990's, and today proved even more fruitful there than I could tonight.

I love ya Women:)

more soon,

Jim

Robert Frost I aint, folks...

One of those days, folks, that I need to reflect on what the morrow may bring. Hate to do it to ya again, but on occasion the Swan must sing.

And if Song was in any but some poetic form, would it ever be heard?

So, loath as I am to do it to you, (unless, of course, you are Kerri Russell; then there is nothing on goddess green earth I long to do more...), I must needs cut this short and inject some poetry...

Love Ya, Kerri. Call me:)

12 oct 2000--

I LIE ON SHEETS
AS WHITE AS SNOW
AND JUST AS COLD

LIKE LIFE LIGHT BLEEDS
THROUGH PAYNES AND SHOWS
NO HAND TO HOLD

THUS IN BETWEEN
THE HEART AND SOUL
A SHADOW GROWS


30 apr2000 titled I.

MASK TEARS
WITH A CALLOUS STARE
SEE NOBODY, FEEL NOTHING

GLASS FEARS
GIVE A MALICE GLARE
BE NOBODY, FEEL THE STING


ok people/person; i know you logged off long ago. 's cool...
see ya after the turkey. hey--y' got some wariche?!?

Cygnus

A Little About The Name...

Hello again folks... (well,as best I can tell, "folk" is more accurate):)

Thought I might begin to disclose a bit more about the author of this here humble post. Now, I've discovered over my years of writing that much of my best material shows up in the guise of letters.In fact what gave me the idea to begin baring my soul here was the recurrence of the above statement while proofreading a letter typed to a very dear friend this very e'en. My first inclination was to reproduce a portion of that letter here-- the part whence in catching this friend up on recent events in my life made pretty good history for anyone caring to learn a bit more of its author.

However upon arriving here to begin the peeling of that proverbial onion, a recent conversation with my good coffee-driven accomplice made me realize that a better way to start might be to disclose some of why I chose to so name this blog . That and the fact that I am still in the learning stages of computery and don't want to confound my night with trying to import that letter/file from the eather hence:)

First, Cygnus IS my name; not the one you'll see typed on the piece of paper that proves (HA!) my existence, but my chosen Craft name. It is, in essence, MY essence. Cygnus is Latin for the avian commonly called a swan.

This name holds deep spiritual significance for me, and adding to that significance is a synergistic bond with the other "part" of the name:MacLlyr.

MacLlyr-- aka Lir, Llyr, and many other variations of the spelling, is a Celtic Deity, a god of the sea. Story has it that Lir's wife Aefe was so jealous of her husband's love for his children (her stepchildren) that in a fit of rage she cursed them to remain in the form of swans for 800 years.

In the Irish tongue, Mac (or Mc as it is commonly shortened to today) means literally "son of".
Hence the tie-- Cygnus, the son of Llyr.

The story is commonly known in Irish folklore as The Children Of Lir; the best version I've ever
read is in Michael Scott's Irish Folk & Fairytale Omnibus. The children, resigned to their fate, would float upon the waters of Lake Derravarragh, and sing, and

"Their music was not of this world...it could sooth the most violent warriors and calm the crazed beasts, it could lighten the heaviest hearts or break the hardest. And in the evenings as the sun dipped behind the far distant mountains and shed its last light across the dark waters of the lake, the children would sing. and the crowded lakeside would grow silent, listening to the ancient lays and ballads of the DeDanann, or the softer, sadder songs composed by the four."

I am Cygnus, folks, and this is my song...


More Soon.

"

a minor recant...

Well Folks,

the sun rose again c'est matin... as it will regardless of the foul mood we oft find ourselves encumbranced in.

I won't recant everything I espoused last night, because much of it would stand regardless of whether Father Sol decided to load upon the chariot for His morning sojourn...

But for much of the rant I can say I take full blame, or credit, or... whatever:)
Now-- on to today.

I was/ am hoping to rejoin the permanent american workforce today. Had a good interview @ Aca... uh, an undisclosed sporting chain. The irony is, if this company passes me over, they really have lost out.

NO ONE on this planet desires more to make a living @ PLAY than the MacMeister.

I moved to Hawaii when I was 18 years young. I worked pizza parlours and surf stores until birth of my son ( and primarily inadequate education there) led me back to the mainland.

The prospect of not only working for but being an inclusive member of a store so dedicated to the out-of-doors lifestyle is a real positive for ol' jimbo.

And yet...

Yet it really DONT MATTER.

Folks, I'll still PLAY.

I'm gonna climb rocks; I'm gonna fish; I may even work (no pun intended) out a way to buy that travel trailer and haul it to the Ozarks so i can fish and garden to my heart's delight (yes, multi-layered meaning inferred...:)

So,I didn't really mean to F**k YA [uh, unless you ARE Kerri Russell, and then I really meant "make love"...]; I just wanted to ...

Hell, I dunno.

I guess I was just playin'...

Love Ya.

More Soon

Beware: Poetry to follow...

Well folks,
much as i want to rant and rave, I'm sure it would do not a bit of good in this no-good world we exist in, so...
So here I am with naught to say.
BUT...
A fellow influence gave me reason to pause earlier, and, to boot, brought to mind an old poem of mine. So rather than subject you to a horrendous diatribe on all that (and this, and this and that...) why don't I just post the poem. I can't think of any reason at all (and I mean that in every sense of the phrase...)

Hope still holds
Like a candledflame's chances
Against an ocean of tears

It's inexstinguishable glow
For the hopeless romances
Of future years...


Yall folks enjoy. Or at least don't despair. I'll do enough of that for an ocean of us...

More Soon...
More Soon...

Well Folks, here goes nothing...

Hell, I don't even know who you "folks" are. In fact, I'm not sure how anyone would ever know this post is here...
What's more, I can't figure out what, exactly (or even imprecisely), I need with or am doing in another place to write. Already I keep two "hardcopy" journals. Will I quit those in lieu of "writing" here? Not likely; I'm a bibliophile through and through.
And what of that opening sentence-- how WILL anyone ever know to (or will they ever care to?) read the Swan's song?
Welcome to the perpetual writer's rub....
IT DON"T MATTER
Never has, never will. anyone who posts a blog knows this axiom.
I, like my newfound fellow traveler the HermitJim, write for writing's sake.
Gods only know what myriad subjects will come up for ponder here in the coming time this is allowed to run. And I hope they are a bit in the dark, too. Hey, what fun is predictability?!
Sheeple I ain't. "Normal"? Don't even get me started---in fact, that sounds like relevance for future fodder...
So here's to another in a series of spots to espouse. Mayhap a year down the road I'll enjoy reflecting on this verbiage.
'S what it's all about, n'est-ce pas?
Happy blogaversary, Hermit.

Jimbo Cygnus