Wednesday, April 26, 2017

a poem



In honor of poetry month, I am sharing a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye.

Valentine for Ernest Mann

You can't order a poem like you order a taco.
Walk up to the counter, say, "I'll take two"
and expect it to be handed back to you
on a shiny plate.


Still, I like your spirit.
Anyone who says, "Here's my address,
write me a poem," deserves something in reply.
So I'll tell a secret instead:
poems hide. In the bottoms of our shoes,
they are sleeping. They are the shadows
drifting across our ceilings the moment
before we wake up. What we have to do
is live in a way that lets us find them.


Once I knew a man who gave his wife
two skunks for a valentine.
He couldn't understand why she was crying.
"I thought they had such beautiful eyes."
And he was serious. He was a serious man
who lived in a serious way. Nothing was ugly
just because the world said so. He really
liked those skunks. So, he re-invented them
as valentines and they became beautiful.
At least, to him. And the poems that had been hiding
in the eyes of skunks for centuries
crawled out and curled up at his feet.

Maybe if we re-invent whatever our lives give us
we find poems. Check your garage, the off sock
in your drawer, the person you almost like, but not quite.
And let me know. 


-Naomi Shihab Nye

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Learning pinterest

Light show at Plaza Grande

Recently I have been reacquainting myself with pinterest.

I know..... it's been around for awhile and MANY people use it, but I never really got on the pinterest-train until this week. During a conversation with Mario (my Merida hermano) about social media, he was telling me how he likes and uses it for ideas for recipes, design, and so much more.

After that I decided to dig out my old login and give it a whirl. It's pretty much an endless supply of information and ideas. It can be a bit overwhelming, but is certainly a great resource.

 Nevertheless, while a little exploring I was delighted to find an interesting travel blogger who currently lives in Mexico City, and a recipe for Mexican Zucchini Burrito Boats which is on the menu for dinner! (The dish was good, but the actual recipe photo looks better than mine does below.)

If any pinterest enthusiasts have tips, favorite finds, or suggestions for a newbie..... please let me know.