They Still Don’t Know

where their red hair comes from

but that’s okay, it comes from love’s

ocean we’re all mermaiding in.

_____

it comes from the doctor’s daughter who

in 1916 at age 10 posed in a Nova Scotia

summergarden with a chestnut violin.

_____

it comes from the pines and the lilacs

of the dance hall she bought on auction

with 800 borrowed dollars in 1942,

_____

the dance hall now in arrears,

but with my loving intention will shine

up the seashells again in seven years.

_______

(because all love is up to me.)

______

one day, the invisible red thread that ties us all together

will reveal how after her too-young Episcopalian minister

husband died suddenly and unexpectedly of heart attack,

_____

she took up buying and selling

antiques for the next 35 years,

finally closing shop at age 85

_____

and her eyes at age 97.

_____

how she never remarried, but

for a while had a beau who landed

on the beach in front of her house

to take her flying by seaplane.

_____

how she loved silver

blue cotton sundresses

a glass of white a night

her 3 sons, their wives

her grandchildren,

______

and went on to outlive

all her sisters and friends,

but not the lilacs, and

_____

not the love writing

this bottled message

here in Texas today.

will 2 red-haired angels

one day get to be friends

with a little half-sister,

______

maybe show her around

all the secret caves and coves

of the island they call home?

_________

I hope so!

________

but who knows?

who knows how it

all will go, really?

_____

i sure don’t, but

my money’s on the love

and on the red string

_____

that knows all

the best waves are

still yet to come.

~~ end of poem written with hope and trust in all things good.

And hey — it’s Tuesday!

Sorry I’ve not been out to most of your blogs lately, I’m still in major bread-winning mode these days.

Love you all, tho. And plan on blog-hopping later this week, whoooohoooooo.

xoxooxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxxooxxoxxoxooxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxo

Besides, It’s Always Mothers’ Day In Our Hearts.

A lady once spent
six hours a day bloggin’

‘Til she got a day job
and lost half her noggin.

Somehow her Mothers’ Day
post fell behind.

Now it’s quite late.
She hopes you don’t mind?

So, who could all those
gals be way up there,

ladies with summertime
shine in their hair.

Mom’s on the far left,
the “baby” of the five.

So lucky these
ladies are all still alive!!

And healthy!

Photo was taken
almost ten years ago

outside Saint James’
one day without snow.

Speaking of James’es who
are saintly and such,

That’s mine in the middle,
him I love much.

No, he’s not perfect,
but Honey, who is?

Except for Christ Jesus
in the forgiveness biz.

But back to the story
of the sisters above,

Each of them mothers.
Each of them love.

They are in Canada
while we’re here in Texas.

Next year we might drive up
in an good pre-owned Lexus.

Or fly in the sky in
a seven thirty seven

back home to the land of
Tim Hortonly heaven.

As to Kelly’s Christening
that earlier sweet now,

as to the land where
I learned to milk cows,

the wee one in the photo
with her toes peeking out,

– let’s give that singing
little cutie a shout.

She co-starred in her
school musical last week,

the stow-away in “Pirates”
She was AMAZING. And sweet.

She made me a mother
for which I’m so grateful.

Thus concludes this poem
… only fifteen days lateful.

And because Jannie loves threes…

there’s one I just took of a notecard sketched by Carol Olson in 1976.

I’m guessing it depicts the town 100 years ago.

The big whole family Kelly’s Christening Day photo was taken in front of the church on the left.

oxooxoxooxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxo

Funny, The Things You Remember

I just remembered I once had a red velvet blazer

I usually wore with a skyblue calico long ruffled skirt

and an off-white semi-fancy key-hole tee shirt.

Lord only knows what I had on my feet.

Actually, very smart leather sandals until it snowed.

I was 14, and the recent 4-H public-speaking champ

in my age division, snagging Provincials in Fredericton

for my spiel on how CB radios had transformed the world.

Next I leapt up to Maritime level where

I spent a whirlwind whole 4 days in Halifax,

a metropolis of then probably 100,000!!

(I lived 15 miles outside a town of 15,000.)

In Halifax I got to stay in a 3-story hotel!!!

with 50 other public-speaking teen hopefuls.

There I discovered the magic of a disco ball,

the bliss of  hard meringue and learned from

the bread-baking demonstration twins how to

properly eat soup, as taught to them by nuns.

Proud to say I’ve been holding and dipping my

spoon correctly for over 33 years now, thanks to

the bread twins so cute in matching kerchiefs!

The twins won in their demo division,

beating out my hometown Johnny Branch

with his blood-squirting first-aid dummy.

I remember each time a camera

flashed during the twins’ performance

they’d smile, as if possibly their grins

would appear retroactively on film.

Funny, the things you remember.

Anyway, back to my red velvet blazer.

It came from some hand-me-down grab-bag,

and I wore it at the competition in Halifax.

I remember other things from that trip too.

Like, Sheila from P.E.I. puking on the spider

and “Bat Out Of Hell” being THE album.

I could probably tell you more, like how on

the drive home I pretended I wasn’t really

hungry when we stopped for lunch, ordering

only a small fry and water because I was too

proud or too ashamed (or both) to admit I

only had $1.75 spending money left, but no.

I’ll divulge no more of this today, my friend.

I will say my “Breaker-breaker good buddy,

we got a skatin’ rink east of the hole in the wall…”

speech did not win the Maritime competition.

I came in 3rd of 3, losing to a boy who spoke

about the Sable Island ponies, and the grand

winner, who effused from her heart about how

she loved books. Wonder where she is and what

she remembers about Halifax, August 1978.

~~~ end of wanderment..

My niece this past summer in My Hometown…

And her brother, back the lane from Mom & Dad’s red barn and red-roofed house…

As I’ve mentioned, my Irish forepeeps were deeded that land around 1830.

And Nephew on the beach this summer at Mom and Dad’s cottage, about 7 miles from their farm house…

They are both SO cute, and precious. I was not able to get home this summer, but I WILL next.

(Snagged those 3 pix off my sis’ FB page.)

P.S. There are 3 Canadian Maritime provinces…

1. New Brunswick –  capital city Fredericton

2. Nova Scotia — capital city Halifax

3. Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) — capital city Charlottetown

End of post!!

Jannie

xoxooxxoxo

My Alexa Rank — a poem in 55 words

Why should I care my Alexa Rank’s

been slipping upwards for months?

What does a silly number matter,

when my trees are more singing than ever

my child more laughing

my husband more snuggly

you all much dearer

and the oceans more and more

dancing with the promise

of every sweet day yet to come?

Hey, that was a Friday Flash Fiction 55 for our G-Man.

 
The lowest Alexa Rank I’ve ever attained was about 150,000! 

Yes, FUNSTERLAND was the 150,000th most popular website IN THE WORLD about 3 months ago!!!!!

Then I started putting more time and energy into songwriting than blogging.

Now, I rank… but I don’t really give a flying fiddler’s flute about the number!

Posted with love and ocean-ment,

Jannie
xoxoox

Happy Birthday, Rosie

Sister, more than half your life ago

We stood together by the Bay.

Who snapped this pic of us?

I really cannot say.

(Because I don’t remember.)

(Not that it really matters, anyway.)

I love you more than ever.

Hope you’re celebrating fine,

On this your 33 birthday

With beer or lovely cheap wine?

Like the song I wrote for you goes…

“I’ve got a picture of you in my heart

I carry it everywhere

I see you there with that smile on your face

And the sun in your summertime hair…”

I’ve written a new verse today…

I’ve got a picture of you in my heart

A photo that never will fade

Hope you had fun in the Maritime sun.

And sipped you some Mike’s Lemonade.

Happy 33, Gorgeous!

Miss you a lot today.

Your ever-loving Sisterly Person…

Jannie Muffin

xoxo

we wish yoo a merrie berthday, we wish you a merrie berthday, we wish yoo a merry birthday,

wit lots of gud beer.

xoxo