“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi
The responses to the Haiku Challenge https://crookedcreek.live/2019/11/14/haiku/ were many and I am so proud of each reader who has participated. You’ve done an impressive job and there’s some good poetry here. Instead of printing all the poems together I think they will be more appreciated if they are posted a few at a time. I’m […]
Okay, I did it. At least I think that I did. Below is my final poem, but first I’ll share some of my initial attempts. 1. My love of nature has grown slowly year by year. Now it is so dear. 2. Haiku is silly. No fun in this […]
Haiku Do you know what a Haiku is? Do you know what Haiku are? Both questions are grammatically correct according to the dictionary. I checked with Grammarly which does not agree. What can we depend upon? It seems with Haiku there are as many questions as answers. Surely someone out there can help! Poetry was […]
Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on November 11, to honor persons who have served in the United States Armed Forces. This holiday marks the anniversary of the end of World War I which occurred at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. This day was […]
“Fifty years ago, two letters were transmitted online, forever altering the way that knowledge, information, and communication would be exchanged,” wrote Joshua Bote in USA TODAY October 29, 2019. Those letters were “l” and “o” and perceived as “hello” when the system crashed before the word “login” could be typed. They were sent by a professor at […]
“One Hundred Years Of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez This is a difficult book for me to review. As so many of my favorites I’ve read it twice and still cannot say that I fully understand it. In 417 pages Garcia Marquez has presented one hundred years in the life of a prolific family living […]
Tuesday morning, I will vote. I’ll go by land, or go by boat. Whatever it takes, I’ll have my say. Wouldn’t consider any other way. I’ve studied hard, seen where they stand. (It’s always good to have a plan). No more questions or second-guessing. The choice is mine. I’m not stressing. It takes less time […]
A Poem by Mattie Stepanek Making Real Sense of the Senses Our eyes are for looking at things, But they are also for crying When we are very happy or very sad. Our ears are for listening, But so are our hearts. Our noses are for smelling food, But also the wind and the grass […]
Happy Halloween! Title Graphic by Pixabay
October is a month chocked full of special recognitions and celebrations not the least of which is National Cat Day. Celebrate with Zoe, Elliott and me!
Toni Morrison wrote her first book, “The Bluest Eye” in 1970. It was controversial and poorly accepted at first but later became a National Bestseller. Morrison was an American novelist, essayist, editor, teacher, and professor emeritus at Princeton University. In 1988, she won the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award for her book “Beloved.” “The […]
Violins of Hope Last night I had the pleasure of attending a concert by the Louisville Orchestra led by conductor Terry Abrams. That is always a delightful experience but last night’s performance was extra special in that it caused one to reflect on a dreadful past and to hope for a future that is free […]
the year of perfect vision fall colors have begun to seep in… staining the landscape and in places, leaving the trees to bleed… summer has lost its tenacious grip… ebbing now against the winds of change… receding into the depths of its own dusty shadows… the earth is releasing a bounty… sighing with the fall […]
Not Voting is Not a “Statement” by John Pavlovitz Please read this blog if you are even considering not voting in any upcoming election. https://johnpavlovitz.com/2019/10/22/not-voting-is-not-a-statement/
“You Can’t Keep A Good Woman Down” This book by Alice Walker is made up of fifteen short stories. The stories vary in content from pornography to the civil rights movement in the sixties. Her stories are about the poor as well as the successful, such as artists and academics. The main focus of each, […]
October day a placid stream meanders through an October day… quietly reflecting the autumn trees that line its banks… a sprinkling of fallen leaves floats upon its surface… casually drifting when nudged by a gentle breeze… collectively gathering along its fringes like thoughts along the fringes of our minds a wooden bridge spans the gap […]
We are bombarded with data and sometimes I believe we become indifferent toward predictions and warnings. When it comes to the loss of birds in our environment we do so at our peril. “Birds are important indicator species because if an ecosystem is broken for birds, it is or soon will be for people, too,” according to […]
Before returning to the dark side, I was a vegetarian for ten years. From June 1993 to June 2003 I ate no kind of meat. It was harder in those days, especially when eating out, but I managed to explain to many servers that indeed fish and chicken were meat. It seemed they understood better […]
Indigenous Peoples Day Also called First People’s Day, National Indigenous Peoples Day, Indian Day (Brazil), or Native American Day Observed by Various states and municipalities in the Americas on Columbus Day. Type Ethnic Significance A day in honor of Native Indigenous Americans on Columbus Day. Date Varies Frequency Annual First time October 12, 1992 Related to National Indigenous […]
What small, simple thing would you not want to live without? Notice the adjectives “small” and “simple,” so that doesn’t include family, friends, home, car, etc. Have you ever thought about something seemingly insignificant the makes you happier, makes your life easier? I have. I have thought of velcro for example and Windex. I would […]
Days, we mostly take them for granted Births are accompanied by celebration Milestones are heralded Years, we mostly take them for granted Birthdays are party time Rites of passage are commemorated Life, we mostly take it for granted Until approaching its end.
When asked the purpose of my blog I must admit that some of the posts are silly, some I hope are entertaining but most of all I want to teach. The main goal of “Crooked Creek” the blog, is to inform, to help the reader to learn something that might be new information or old […]
October is “Breast Cancer Month” Be Informed before you buy that pink ribbon or can of soup This writer expresses my long held beliefs regarding breast cancer awareness: https://thoughtcatalog.com/parker-marie-molloy/2013/10/breast-cancer-awareness-month-is-a-marketing-scam/ With so many organizations vying for your attention in October, it can be hard to know which ones are worthy of your support. Charity Navigator has developed […]
Today I met a woman who discussed art with me. She commented on the Hockney print in my office stating it reminded her of a Grandma Moses. I confessed I knew little of Moses’ style. I told her that I had bought the poster at the Metropolitan Museum of Art while attending a Hockney Exhibition, […]
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. There are several kinds but basal cell is the most frequent. More than four million cases are diagnosed in the US each year. Squamous cell is next, diagnosed in one million people annually. Both are easily treated either surgically or with special medications. Sometimes radiation or […]
The Walk Her walk was possibly her most impressive attribute. There was something about her carriage that was both authoritative and sexy. She commanded attention upon entering a room with confident strides. She never resorted to tiny lady-like steps yet her movement was anything but masculine. That stride with shoulders back, head up and chest […]
Everyone talks about cancer unless someone in the room has cancer and then the word becomes taboo. If a person has told you that they have cancer then it is okay to ask them about their illness, to show concern. Don’t be afraid you are bringing up an outlawed subject. You are not reminding the […]
Helping Baby Birds First, it is important to know it is illegal to injure or possess an indigenous bird. There are special facilities such as Raptor Rehab licensed to rehabilitate injured birds, but most veterinarians do not have the resources nor experience to handle injured wild birds. When birds first leave the nest they are […]
A California city voted to ban some gender-specific words in its city code and replace them with gender-neutral options. Berkeley’s municipal code will no longer feature words like “manhole” and “manpower,” and instead say, “maintenance hole” and “human effort” or “workforce.” The measure passed unanimously and replaces more than two dozen terms. Gender-specific references to […]
the cusp “a point of transition between two different states”… i feel it in myself along with the first falling leaves from the sycamores and poplars… and the desiccated brown umbels of Queen Anne’s lace i hear it in the shrill cicada song as it’s tireless droning runs through my head… and in the plop […]
It’s September and I am sitting at my desk looking out into the courtyard where I have a hummingbird feeder. I’ve seen one hummingbird off and on all summer, but today the air seems full of the little hummers as they dart from bloom to feeder and then to another bloom. They look so fragile […]
This is not my story. Unfortunately, though it is the story of too many nurses today. I left clinical nursing when administrative opportunities became available after over ten years. My heart aches for what many nurses experience today. This is a Re-Blog. Source: The Day I Realized I Didn’t Want to Be a Nurse Anymore
A poem by Pat Bush “Whatsoever you do, to the least of these, this you do unto me.” Matthew 24:40 Each night as I go to bed I find my thoughts filled with dread. Tuning out doesn’t lessen the pain. Will we ever be normal again? Deep inside I long to be Peaceful, calm, carefree. “Stay […]
Paris to Rome A few years ago my daughter, Dianne, and I had a delightful train experience. We traveled from Paris to Rome on one of the older trains, not the sleek bullet type so popular in Europe. We prepared for our overnight excursion by buying French foods. We purchased a loaf of bread, a […]
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) Written in 1937 by Hurston, an anthropologist, this book has become an enduring part of American literature. I have read it twice and enjoyed it each time. The novel is about a beautiful young fair-skinned black woman and follows her life through three marriages, each […]
How observant are you? It’s all in how we look at things. Billowing curtains Undulating hedges Lullabies Lingering Should I go or stay How long can I hold on It is time Time to go Thanks for all the responses. This is yesterday’s poem with a slightly different look. See it now? Christine did, but […]
Billowing curtains Undulating hedges Lullabies Lingering Should I go or stay How long can I hold on It is time Time to go How observant are you? It’s all in how we look at things. Are you missing something here? Let me know.
Sunsets, waves, gulls, pelicans, egrets and hatchling sea-turtles all helped to make it a wonderful time at the beach. Even better was the time spent with my two daughters and one of my two granddaughters. “To escape and sit quietly on the beach – that’s my idea of paradise.” Emilia Wickstead
I’m taking some time off for family, relaxation and travel. I will return! I hope all my readers are having a great summer of fun, too! Photos by Pixabay
Originally posted on misselenka:
I usually post texts about the trips or cultural aspects in a light positive way. This post will be less optimistic, so if you want to stay away from negativity, just skip reading it. I want to go back to my childhood and tell you about post-Soviet Russia. When the Soviet…
Katie, a seven-year-old felt maternal for the half-naked starling that fell out of the sky and into her life one Saturday afternoon. Twenty-four hours later the bond was solid. Every thirty minutes or so she cautiously poked a hamburger “worm” down his throat with a tiny stick. He chirped, Katie poked. When Katie’s parents arrived […]
“OUR CRIME WAS BEING JEWISH” BY Anthony S. Pitch Followers of this blog have probably figured out I read a lot of books about the Holocaust and World War II. This book which I have read twice is among the most impactful for me. The author, Anthony S. Pitch has assembled the testimonies of Holocaust […]
A while back I read a blog post by Brandon Knoll which resonated with me. Knoll questioned why we talk about people being at peace after death rather than during life. The question was raised by this sign (taken from his blog post): Life can be so challenging we forget to live in peace or feel […]
Here in Louisville every year around Derby time, we hear a lot about “Human Trafficking.” But, what is Human Trafficking exactly? According to the Department of Homeland Security, Human Trafficking is the exploitation of a person through coercion, force, or fraud in order to obtain sex, forced labor, or domestic servitude. Human Trafficking happens everywhere […]
“Amelia’s Story: A Childhood Lost” by D. G. Torrens This book is a true story about a child brought up in the welfare system in Great Britain. It covers the little girl’s life for sixteen years in and out of foster homes and abusive situations. While the story is heartbreaking and is told fairly well […]
“All My Love, Detrick” by Roberta Kagan Most of my reading about the Holocaust is factual but I decided to try this best-selling novel and I’m glad I did. As the title indicates it is a love story. Detrick, an Aryan, falls in love with Leah, a Jewish girl, and their struggles to be together […]
Recently my youngest daughter and I took a drive down Crooked Creek Rd. The road winds along sticking pretty close to the creek by the same name. I’m sure I bored Allison silly with all my stories about things that had taken place here or there along the way back when this was a gravel […]
This is not so much a book review as a book discussion. I am unqualified to interpret the intricacies of “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding. Published in 1954 this book has been compared to the works of Orwell, Salinger, Shakespeare, and others. It has been explained as portraying psychology, religion, politics, and morality. […]
In 1997 after much thought and anguish I officially left the church I was raised in, the church I had served for my entire adult life. At times I have struggled to explain my reasons to those who didn’t understand. I should have let President Carter explain for me. He does so perfectly. I am […]
Another poem by Sylvia Mattingly 12/24/2014 the flutter of the butterfly my heart flutters and my soul sets sail to drift with the yellow swallowtail that taken by a current of air settles upon a blossom fair to sip of the sweetest nectar there my eyes brim over with sheer delight at the vision of […]
Bird Food Thieves Feed them and they will come! Recently I was joking about how much it costs to keep my five bird feeders supplied. I told my kids that the bird food bill was more than for my groceries. Well, on my birthday the family presented me with about 70# of different kinds of […]
Heat Wave It is thick and sticky and hot Like walking around in snot. The Ohio River Valley feels like walking on the Devil’s hills. I’ve heard of Hell’s front porch and here we sit and together scorch. We have had to learn the heat index because it trumps the temperature’s effects. About climate change, […]
My daughter, Dianne, and I signed up for a walking club that meets at our local zoo before opening each morning. I have ambiguous feelings about zoos. I know they save some animals even species and I love to see the animals that I would never see “in person” if not for zoos. On the […]
“DRIVING MR. ALBERT – A trip across America with Einstein’s Brain” By Michael Paterniti If you wonder what this book could possibly be about, read the title again. The author tells his tale of driving coast to coast with Albert Einstein’s brain in the trunk. I first read this book in 2000 and thought surely […]
Specific needs identified at Haven House Homeless Shelter https://crookedcreek.live/2019/07/10/haven-house-needs/ have been met by volunteers who learned what needed to be done and stepped up to do them. Some of those who worked on these projects are Allison and Stan Puckett of Stan’s Home Improvement, LLC, Bob Fred of Bob Fred’s Welding and Elizabeth Puckett, IUPUI […]
Haven House Homeless Shelter https://crookedcreek.live/2019/07/07/haven-house/ has many needs but used clothing is not one of them. After having taken clothes numerous times, I recently learned that clothes seem to be the easiest items for folks to donate therefore the supply is endless. According to the Executive Director, Barbara Anderson, staples for the kitchen are very […]
Haven House is the only homeless shelter in Southern Indiana to serve fourteen counties. It is set up to house around sixty-five people, men, women, and children, per night, but rarely is it not over capacity. Most nights there are eighty-five people sheltered and often as many as one-hundred and ten. Thirty percent of the […]
Several weeks ago we explored the subject of “Corrections” https://crookedcreek.live/?s=corrections here on Crooked Creek. Several readers had important comments to make on the subject. Recently I read a story about a prison in Mississippi which I may not have believed had it not been published by The Marshall Project. The Marshall Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news […]
Bill Bryson, a native Iowan, is a proliferative and award-winning writer of travel books. In “The Road to Little Dribbling” he writes of his travels from the south end of Great Britain to the north end along a route he calls The Bryson Line. There is no real place called Little Dribbling, but it is […]
Great time at the Palace last night when Trevor Noah performed. So nice of him to come to town for my birthday!
A couple of weeks ago we looked at the Bald Eagle which is the National Symbol of the United States of America. Today we explore other Birds of Prey, various types of Owls. Did You Know? Of all the types of owls the Northern Barred Owl has to be everyone’s favorite, because it is the “Hoot […]
I Will Remember Sometimes life seems too hard And sadness lingers too long. Often even memories are charred And everything is going wrong. When problems tower And solutions evade, When prayer has lost its power And I’m ashamed of the mess I’ve made I will try to remember this little flower.
I would like you to meet Patrick Litanga who in the video below explains what it is like to arrive in this country as a refugee. Patrick knows because he came here years ago as a young refugee from the Congo. Since then he has completed a Masters Degree and is currently working on his […]
Today is World Refugee Day, a day designated to consider the plight of refugees, the contributions of refugees and how we might make their transition to our own countries easier. For the past few years, I have volunteered in various capacities with the Kentucky Refugee Ministry (KRM). My jobs have been very insignificant, serving food, […]
Today is Juneteenth, a day that recognizes the Emancipation of enslaved Americans. While President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was official on Jan. 1, 1863 it was not until June 19, 1865, that all slaves were freed. The celebrated date of June 19 began when General Grover Granger rode into Galveston, TX with news of the end […]
This letter was published today in the Courier-Journal and I thought it was worth sharing. I found a wildlife baby – now what? Our native wildlife are having their babies. If you find a wildlife baby that might need help, what do you do? The best thing to do is NOT care for them yourself, […]
Who would believe that this young couple has rats in their home? https://crookedcreek.live/2019/06/13/rats-on-the-other-hand/
“Rocketman” If you are an Elton John fan, and I am, you have to like this movie. How much fans like it may vary. It had plenty of John’s music and more than enough of his outrageous costumes, however, I left the two-hour movie feeling a bit unfulfilled. Part of my disappointment was in the […]
The last post was about the menace of rats. https://crookedcreek.live/2019/06/12/rats/ Rats in the city, rats in the house or on the farm can be real pests, but as with most things in life, there is a flip side. Rats Make Affectionate Pets! My granddaughter, Kate, and her husband, Tom, live in a flat […]
I love all animals and, with the exception of spiders, all living creatures. They all have their places on this planet we share. I realize that some readers feel differently and I do understand, especially when it comes to destructive rodents. My birdfeeders are used by squirrels and chipmunks and I love sharing with them, but […]
Years ago I was invited to my Aunt Jane’s ninetieth birthday. The celebration was taking place in her hometown which I had not visited in many years. When I asked a relative for directions to the venue I received something like this: “Before you get to Lawrenceburg turn left. There used to be a REA […]
The Bald Eagle Did you know these facts about the national symbol of the United States. It is against the law to possess even one feather of a Bald Eagle. Bald Eagles build the biggest nests of any bird in the world. One nest in the state of Florida was documented as weighing over two […]
Eid al-Fitr blessings to all who are celebrating!
“The Sunflower – On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness” by Simon Wiesenthal Mr. Wiesenthal, a Jew, was a prisoner in concentration camps during WWII. He was treated inhumanely and saw this family killed or starved to death. One day a dying SS soldier who had murdered Jewish families asked him for forgiveness. It seems […]
Trees Reach for the Heavens It seems that trees are abundant. There are so many kinds and sizes and they change predictably season by season. It would be easy to take them for granted and I probably did at one time. During the early 1990s, I had an experience that changed that. I now look […]
“Decades Behind Bars – A 20 Year Conversation with Men in America’s Prisons” by Gaye D. Holman This book is written by a professor of Sociology who spent decades teaching college-level courses to prisoners in Kentucky. She also teaches a “Corrections” course at Bellarmine College through the Veritas program. This is where I met Holman, […]
New Mexico, one of the “Four Corners” states, is a great place to visit. The climate varies from alpine mountains in the north to arid desert in the south. Santa Fe, the capital is full of history, like stepping back in time, while Albuquerque the largest city is very metropolitan. When we traveled the state […]
“All The Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr This book has it all. It is filled with science and technology, mystery and poetry. It is a story of survival and love. “All the Light We Cannot See” won a Pulitzer Prize in 2015 and the author has received other awards too numerous to list. […]
Kids Are Listening Never doubt that kids are listening to what adults are saying. They may appear to be in their own little worlds, but they hear us. An example of this (based upon contemporaneous notes) goes way back to 1993 when I was visiting the cemetery at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church with my daughter […]
Today Crooked Creek has 300 followers! Other bloggers have many more, in the thousands even, but this is a sweet milestone for me. Thank you readers and followers for your interest and your encouragement. It has kept me going when there were times I wondered if I would continue. Thank you! Sue
Kids and Grandmothers and Flowers The other flower that I distinctly remember from time spent with Mammy https://crookedcreek.live/2019/05/12/kids/ was the peony. The peony is a large bush with lush blossoms in shades of red or pink or pure white. They bloom in May and were always ready for Memorial Day, known as “Decoration Day” […]
Mystery Blogger Nomination I am so honored to have been nominated for the Mystery Blogger Award! Thank you to Sharvi who nominated me. Please check out her blog “Tips from Sharvi.” It will make your life easier. https://tipsfromsharvi.com/about/ Here are my answers to Sharvi’s questions to me: 1. What motivates you to blog? Exchanging thoughts […]
Kids and Grandmothers When I was a little kid my maternal grandmother, “Mammy,” spent a lot of time with me. Not only did I learn practical lessons about life from her, I subconsciously learned what it was like to be a loving and giving person. While I haven’t always followed her example, I know she […]
Each season has its attraction, but spring has to be the best as it attests to a future filled with beauty. I Love Spring! “Love is a springtime plant that perfumes everything with its hope, even the ruins to which it clings.” Gustave Flaubert Read more at:
Ramadan Mubarek (happy, blessed) Sunday, May 5, 2019, marked the beginning Ramadan. In Islam, this is a month-long sacred time when we commemorate Allah, the Arabic name for God, giving the first verses of the Quran, the Muslim scripture, to the Prophet Muhammad in the year 610 A.D. This annual observance is regarded as one […]
Murder I ask you to think about this terrible word, one that strikes fear in most of us. Can you imagine living near a murderer? What about having a person convicted of murder as a friend or family member? Should those who have committed murder ever get out of prison? Should they even be allowed […]
Recidivism Can people change? Experience shows that people can and do change and that formal education is one of the most effective means. In 2011, in KY 1,151 inmates attained their GED in prison while in 2015 that total was down to 126. The difference? As the number of inmates goes up so do costs […]
United States There are over 2,000,000 people incarcerated in the US. This country has 5% of the earth’s population but 25% of those incarcerated. At least 2,500 children under the age of eighteen are in prison for life without the possibility of parole. Kentucky Kentucky is seventh in the US for the number of people […]
Elie Wiesel Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) authored 57 books. He was a Nobel Peace Prize winner and recipient of numerous other awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. After his time in concentration camps, he received asylum in France where he completed his education. His career included being a journalist and later a professor […]
What we need to know about Heart Attacks in Women Heart attacks are the number one killer of women (as well as men) Heart attack symptoms can be more subtle in women Women are not men, there are physical reasons such as pregnancy and menopause that account for some variable symptoms in women Heart attacks […]
Doug Weaver is my longtime friend who is a professor of Baptist studies in the department of religion at Baylor University. He is the current president of the Baptist History and Heritage Society and past-president of the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion. In spite of the fact that I am a recovering Southern […]
Stroke Stroke, also known as a cerebral vascular accident (CVA), is the fifth leading case of death and a major cause of disability. Kinds There are two types of stroke, hemorrhagic and ischemic. Hemorrhagic is caused by bleeding (a blood vessel rupture) within the brain. The more common, ischemic, makes up 87% of all strokes […]
Signs of Stroke F A S T The word to remember when concerned about a stroke is FAST because time is crucial in reaching and instituting care. FAST will also help you to look for the signs of stroke. Is the Face drooping? Is there Arm weakness? Is there difficulty with Speech? If yes, to […]
earth with bare hands i sink my fingers into the earth and lift it from the ground i need to feel it… damp and crumbly as it sucks the moisture from my skin i want to smell it… thick and organic as its rich aroma streams into my nostrils i touch it to my tongue… […]
In 2000 my husband and I took a cruise to Central and South America. We visited Belize, Costa Rico, Panama, Columbia, and Venezuela. Each country was very unique and interesting but Venezuela stands out in my mind. I will never forget the first glimpse of the city of Caracas as the ship pulled into port. […]
Today I look at the flowering trees and think of you. When we enjoyed them last spring we had no reason to think it would be our last dogwood season together. Now you lie in the cold ground with woods of redbud all around, but cannot see, or smell, or move to raise your eyes […]
During this time of year, the woodlands change almost by the day. As more trees give birth to leaves the view changes. Some things so obvious during the winter months are now obscure. Spring brings the same beauty each year yet it is forever new. Today there were wildflowers not seen just a couple of […]
Yesterday, I was on duty as a docent volunteer at the Parklands’ Visitor Center. It was a beautiful day in the 70s with lots of sunshine. That made it a great day for the school children who were spending time at Beckley Park. Two schools brought their students and it was fun seeing them exploring […]
one feather less like a footprint left in the sand i hold your feather in my hand . . . an image begins to form in my mind from this solitary feather you’ve left behind i close my eyes i imagine you soaring on currents of air and if dreams could live, i’d join you […]
Retreat In May 2016 I felt the need to “get away” to somewhere peaceful and tranquil and I found that place in New Harmony, IN. It wasn’t so much getting away from anything, because my home with two lazy cats is pretty quiet and happy. It was more going TO someplace different. The quaint little […]
Pope Lick Park It’s so good to be walking in the park after what seems like a long winter. With each walk, I notice the subtle springtime changes. Buds turn to leaves or flowers, birds are chirping happily, and the peepers are peeping loudly. Below are some of the wildflowers, blooming bulbs and weeds that […]
The Harmonists During the mid-eighteenth century, there was a place in Delaware known as Murdering Town. The folks who lived there were from Germany and believed strongly in the separation of church and state. They developed into a pacifist society migrating to Pennsylvania where they built the town of Harmony, which sounds like a far […]
A few years ago I started taking used clothing to a homeless shelter in Indiana. It wasn’t a big deal, just sharing some things that no longer fit. I mentioned this in passing to a couple of neighbors and friends and was surprised when several offered some things for me to take on my next […]
Also known as “All Fool’s Day” April Fool’s Day is corny and can be irritating I suppose but I’ve always loved it due to memories of my maternal grandfather, Pappy. https://crookedcreek.live/2016/12/11/gee-ky/ The origin of this day for pranks and hoaxes is not entirely clear but it has been around for a very long time. According to […]
Did I “get you?” Crooked Creek is not going away, although you may wish it would at times! Thank you Readers, for letting me play a prank on you for one of my favorite days. Graphics by Pixabay
Crooked Creek’s last post; I have decided to discontinue this blog. Graphic by Pixabay
A guest who shares her poetry with us from time to time, Sylvia, is my niece and my friend. I love her work and this is one of her poems that touches me anew each time I read it. Thank you, Syl, for sharing with us. A single drop of water In the grand […]
If you live in this area (KY, IN, TN) you are probably familiar with Bernheim Forest. https://bernheim.org If not you should be. Bernheim is a wonderful place to be free in nature. There are areas cultivated and manicured but many acres of natural forest as well. It has been a favorite place for our family […]
Over the past five posts, we have reviewed some ways to achieve longevity. I have had some fun with the topic of “Staying Alive.” It seemed fitting that since I discuss death so frequently I owed you these tips on survival. Some of the content has been tongue-in-cheek, but that doesn’t mean the advice isn’t […]
We read books, love our pets and have a female doctor to keep us out of the hospital, so what else do we need to do to stay alive? Prepare for Disaster! Disaster Noun – a sudden event, such as an accident or a natural catastrophe, that causes great damage or loss of life A disaster […]
Now that you have a puppy on your lap as you read your book and have regular checkups with your female doctor what else can you do to stay alive? Next: Stay Out of the Hospital! There was a time when the term “hospital clean” meant sterile and spotless. Today, unfortunately, the meaning could be […]
Now we all have a puppy and female doctors . . . . . Next: Read Obviously, you are reading at the moment, but this blog post is too short to meet the recommendation for “Staying Alive.” Research shows that reading a book for one-half hour each day has a significant survival advantage. Other reading counts […]
OK! Now everyone has a puppy, right? Next: Get a Female Doctor No kidding, a study of 1.5 million hospital records proves this is a good method of “Staying Alive.” Harvard researchers reviewed and analyzed these Medicare records in 2016 and found that patients cared for by female doctors were, (A.) More likely to survive […]
Life Expectancy Life expectancy is a tricky term. Statistics vary greatly in the way they are gathered and calculated, e.g., whether they include infant mortality and what country is being studied. As the chart below demonstrates women have a longer life expectancy than men, but we will not discuss the possible reasons for that here. […]
A Test of Stress She (we’ll call her “Barb”) dressed in her exercise clothes and walking shoes and set out early for the hospital; so early that the rush hour drivers were still at home flossing and spraying. As she pulled into the parking lot Barb had her choice of primo spots, but hardly appreciated […]
Georgia donned her latex gloves even though she had no idea why they were required and she set out to collect the terrycloth bibs. As she picked up each one and placed it in the big plastic bag she wondered once again at the waste and mess of the food. In spite of the special […]
A Poem by Mattie Stepanek – May 1999 A New Hope I need a hope … a new hope. A hope that reaches for the stars, and That does not end in violence or war. A hope that makes peace on our earth, and That does not create evil in the world. A hope that […]
“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” Hal Borland
“The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak A few years ago someone told me about a movie entitled “The Book Thief” (released 2013). At the time I pictured a professional thief stealing valuable books from museums and universities. This Christmas I was given the book by the same name (published 2005). I was so surprised to learn […]
Depression Alone even with others, Lonely without a reason, Tears to be withheld, Fears of nothing and everything, Imagination of things untold, Predictions that may come true. Color? Every shade of blue. by Sue Baugh Mattingly Graphic by Pixabay
Phillip When I was in the first grade my little brother, a toddler, died on the way to the hospital. He had been ill his entire little life. https://crookedcreek.live/2016/09/27/little-blue-bird/ Daddy That loss brought about many changes in our family. The most profound change was in my father. Fortunately, perhaps, I do not remember details about […]
Impact Depression affects about 121 million people worldwide (World Health Organization) and 14.8 million in the U.S. making it the leading cause of disability (National Institutes of Mental Health). According to the WHO, depression ranks number four on the list of diseases and is predicted to be number two by next year. There has been […]
There are only about 1,500 grizzly bears left in the lower 48 states. Approximately 600 of those are in the area of Yellowstone Park. In spite of serious population decline, in 2017 grizzly bears (also called the North American brown bear) were stripped from the Endangered Species Act protections. That meant that the Grizzlies in […]
Book Review If you love comedian Trevor Noah you will like his autobiography. Noah, host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, was born in 1984 in Johannesburg. In his book, “Born A Crime” he tells what it was like to grow up in South Africa during and immediately following Apartheid. It was particularly difficult […]
Another Year – Post #216 Just to catch up from last year’s post https://crookedcreek.live/2018/02/08/thanks/ Crooked Creek now has 263 followers. One year ago it was only 120. We welcome each and every new follower and say, “Thanks” once again to all readers. It is also significant (to me at least) that I am preparing infusion number 302 […]
This is follow-up to my post “Facebook” on July 30 last year. https://crookedcreek.live/2018/07/30/facebook/ Per The Daily Mail one-third of Facebook users from 16-34 have deleted their accounts. The main reason does not seem to be Facebook’s exploitation of 50 million users profiles but because it is “no longer cool.” Good for them regardless of the […]
When I was a small child we had no telephone. Later, after moving from rural Crooked Creek, we did have a rotary dial phone. It was a party line with seven other families, which could be interesting at times. My Grandfather was Post Master of Gee, KY and letters were the way that most people […]
The Half Has Never Been Told Slavery And The Making Of American Capitalism by Edward E. Baptist This is not a book to be undertaken lightly. It is a hard read, or at least it was for me. It covers not only slavery, which I thought I knew a lot about but war, politics, economics […]
There are times when I just feel that I cannot keep up. No, I’m not talking technology, I manage in that way. It’s other little things that let me know I’m out of touch. Like a recent text from my granddaughter, Elizabeth. What does this look like to you? If you answered bacon on someone’s […]
This past November, 35 new women were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives bringing the total now serving to over 100. There has been abundant news coverage of this group’s number and their wide diversity in ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation. Twenty-three percent of both the House and Senate being female is a first. […]
This Winter Day Why can’t you decide? First, you let a few white flakes float down then you drop an anemic sprinkle on the ground. I decide this cloudy day I can abide then the sun peeks out from behind the trees. Winter Day you are such a tease. At least there is no ice […]
Death I’ve been told that I think about death a lot. This is true; for as long as I can remember I have been interested in the subject. Some have said that I think about death too much. I do not agree. I think of it just the right amount, because I am not afraid of […]
Do We Need Pollinators? Pollinators, mainly bees, but also butterflies and other insects are necessary for our food supply. These pollinators are responsible for the sexual reproduction of plants by cross-pollination and also provide genetic diversity. Serious pollinator decline has been a worldwide problem since toward the end of the last century. Pollinator Toxins This […]
Deathbed Playlist In November 2016 The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/06/opinion/sunday/my-deathbed-playlist-and-yours.html published an opinion piece about the kind of music one would want to hear while dying. I have a list that I’d like at my funeral, but I had never given any thought to what I’d want to hear while dying. As I read the desires of […]
Deceased Artists Isn’t it ironic that we miss music most after the death of a star musician? So many that we have lost over the past couple of years come to mind, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Prince, Tom Petty, Glen Campbell, and Chuck Berry. The day that Franklin died, I began to play her old CDs […]
Hi Readers, My name is Elliott Mattingly. You may have heard of me, I’m pretty famous or is it “infamous” that I hear so often? https://crookedcreek.live/2018/01/13/cats My Human (a.k.a. Sue) likes to make fun of my butt. I resent it and I do not know how to get even with her. If I could talk […]
Unique Voices There are musicians with very unique voices and they are among my favorites. I listen to these three daily on my Pandora stations. Whispers Leonard Cohen (1934-1916), Canadian, whispers into the microphone as though he is engaging in an intimate moment. His voice haunts and follows. You can hear his top 20 hits […]
Poem by Sylvia Mattingly – January 10, 2016 a first kiss of snow with a first kiss of snow on a january day perhaps winter at last has something to say after patiently biding its time to alight it has covered the earth with a blanket of white it is not as though winter […]
Memories of Music Other than church hymns, my earliest memories of music are of Elvis, Little Richard, and Fats Domino. There were others, such as the Everly Brothers (I really liked “Wake Up Little Susie”) that I enjoyed, but mainly I remember these three from my early years. I, like every girl of that era, […]
I always have a wish list for Christmas which includes books. This past Christmas I received four. I just finished the second. “Under Fire” April Ryan is a White House correspondent for the American Urban Radio Network. She is also a political analyst on CNN. Ryan has spent two decades in this correspondent position under […]
Rant #1 HIPAA – To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of (HIPAA), Public Law 104-191, included Administrative Simplification provisions that required HHS to adopt national standards for electronic health care transactions and code sets, unique health identifiers, and security. At the same time, […]
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope that 2019 is the best year ever for you, my dear readers, and for all those you love! “An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” Bill Vaughan Theme graphic by Pixabay
The Un-lived Year – Author Unknown Midnight strikes, and the old year’s gone. We close the tablets we’ve written on. And torn ‘twixt hope and doubt and fear, we open the book of the Un-lived year! An Un-lived year! Ah, stained with tears are the well-thumbed volumes of other years! Soiled by blunders and black […]
My Mother I’ve introduced Minnie to you before. If you missed those posts, I’d suggest you use the Search feature on the Home Page to search for “Minnie.” She is a person I’d like you to know more about and her stories are worth your time. Over twenty years ago Minnie, my Mom died and […]
Happy Holidays For my family, it’s almost Christmas. Your special celebration may be different. Regardless, I wish Happy Holidays to you and yours! https://crookedcreek.live/2017/12/24/december/ May you have peace and joy.
Carol of the Brown King by Langston Hughes Of the three Wise Men Who came to the King, One was a brown man, So they sing. Of the three Wise Men Who followed the Star, One was a brown king From afar. They brought fine gifts Of spices and gold In jewel boxes […]
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon and Yoko Ono So this is Christmas And what have you done Another year over And a new one just begun And so this is Christmas I hope you have fun The near and the dear one The old and the young A very Merry Christmas […]
Letter to Michelle Rochon from John F. Kennedy – October 28, 1961 The White House Dear Michelle: I was glad to get your letter about trying to stop the Russians from bombing the North Pole and risking the life of Santa Claus. I share your concern about the atmospheric testing of the Soviet Union, […]
The Green Book First, an explanation for the title; unless you are familiar with “The Green Book” the movie title can be a bit off-putting. The movie is not about the book, but about the fact that the book was necessary during the 1962 setting of the movie. Once I had seen the movie by […]
We Will All Grieve By adulthood, most people have experienced loss that triggers grief. If you have yet to lose a person or something that means the world to you, then you are probably very young and certainly very lucky. Facing loss of another or one’s own approaching death will bring on an overabundance of […]
