100 Ideas #20 - Write a haiku

When I drew this one from my Keri Smith 100 Ideas bottle, I had to look up the 'rules' first:

• Seventeen moras or ons (they are similar - but not equivalent - to syllables) in sets of five, seven and five. English haikus are often written less formally with ten to seventeen syllables being used. 
• Traditionally the haiku requires inclusion of a kigo (a seasonal reference).
• A kireji is used to create a juxtaposition - in English a dash or ellipsis is often used at the end of the first or second line.

Here is mine...

coffee
porcelain spring blossoms
water black and bitter -
lipstick rims the pond

And two others I wrote ...

walk
feet on a wet road
air rising from hot tar -
summer shower past

late-night storm
late-night air lies warm
upon my sleepy whispers -
thunder talks back

Kind of addictive, once you start. See Dave King's haiku project on his blog Pics and Poems!

PS Dear friends, I will be working on a proofreading project for the next two weeks, so blogging as well as visits to your beautiful (and always inspiring) blogs will be limited, I'm afraid.

Little Miss Greedy Guts

Have a great weekend, everyone. I hope you will be eating some delicious food!

For Renee.

A Perfect Present.

L'Usband gave me a perfect gift last week:

Yes, I know what you think, but really, there was no ulterior motive. (I hope.) And I absolutely love it. So now, in addition to going stab, stab, stab-stab, STAB, I can also go chop, chop, chop-chop, CHOP ...
What a fun way of getting rid of aggressive impulses! I used it to make some decluttering notebooks - i.e. notebooks made from old postcards and art invitations and the insides of old envelopes.

What is the most perfect gift you have ever received?

To the Lighthouse.

"Indeed they were very close to the Lighthouse now. There it loomed up, stark and straight, glaring white and black ... "

But alas, they were not allowed to enter, as someone (not the lighthouse keeper, she hoped) was practising his abseiling technique. Another day, she thought, another day ...

(First paragraph by Virginia Woolf, second paragraph by Anairam.)
Slangkop lighthouse - Kommetjie, Cape Town

The Shy Little Grey Mouse

Linda Sue has so inspired me with her lovely felted art. So this weekend I grabbed my second-hand felting needle (courtesy of the car boot sale) and some leftover wool from Snous's blankie and made the Shy Little Grey Mouse. She might become a brooch. Or maybe not.

10 Simple Things

 

L'atelier tagged me to post 10 simple things that make me happy. Easy peasy!

1. Snous waking me up in the morning - she comes into the room, puts her front legs on the bed and licks my arm. Or when she is feeling exuberant she runs in and bounces on the bed.
2. L'Usband. Not that I am suggesting that he is a simple thing, but he does make me happy!
3. Sitting on our patio, under our umbrella, looking at the sea.
4. Making my first cup of coffee in the morning, while reading the headlines over L'Usband's shoulder, then sipping it slowly ...
5. Lying on the sofa, cushion under my head, reading a book.
6. Catching up on people's blogs.
7. Seeing beautiful handmade stuff - often on people's blogs.
8. Making stuff. Even when it comes out crooked and skew.
9. Getting a letter in the post. A good kind of letter, obviously.
10. Watching a movie (on DVD usually), especially when eating my supper. I know it is bad, but I am addicted!
11. Finding a new word. Oh, I forget most of them as soon as I hear them, but I do so love a good word. Found this one today (on Michael Quinion) - galanthophile - a collector or lover of snowdrops!
12. Car boot sales.

Oh, wait, I have to stop ...