It’s a small world full of friends I haven’t met.
A smile and hello could lead to things I never dreamt.
I’ve gotta get out of the house and remove my shell.
Most people are friendly and won’t cast an evil spell.
I sit on my octopus bench and watch my little slice of the world go by.
Why did it take so long to stop, rest and wonder at the sky.
A mother and daughter stride around the light pole.
The red-haired girl takes her pink tailed pooch on a stroll.
A cheese puff from the Peddler and coffee in my hand.
Nothing could make this day better, but a visit with a new friend.
A light breeze blows in and the smell of indian food wafts past my nose.
Store front windows and doors open, including the Compass Rose.
My little village bustles with activity and basks in the sun.
I’ll enjoy this day, relax and smile at everyone.
Author Archives: S. K. Reiter
A Little Bit of Home
In my quest to get to know my city a little bit better, I spent the morning wandering the streets checking out a few of my favorite spots and discovering a few new ones.
But first things first, had to have a little morning pit stop at The Bread Peddler!
Ordered a fresh Pain au Levain ~ Heavenly ~ to take home for dinner! Along with a little cheese puff and a coffee for my travels. The place was bustling. And to prove what a small world it is, one of my mom’s friends from the other side of the state in Walla Walla ended up in line behind me at the counter. She and her family were grabbing a little bakery treat before doing some thrift store shopping.
With my coffee and treat in hand I headed out for a little local people watching. I found this beautiful bench in the shade to take it all in.
Tourists and locals, girls with red hair walking dogs with pink tails, packs of kids on a summer camp outing and dogs walking two-by-two. It seemed like everyone was out to enjoy the sunny summer weather before it get’s too hot this afternoon.
The centerpiece of downtown Olympia, our beautiful capital, was a site to see on this perfect summer day. Runners and walkers were cruising around Capital Lake today and a few vendors were taking stalk of the area in preparation for next weekends Lake Fair festivities.
And there is nothing that the kids love better than splashing around the fountain at Capital Lake.
Such a lovely way to spend the morning! More stories and pictures to come during my discovering home tour.
No Refrain
Those unasked questions with answers never revealed.
Those questions haunt me and now with death forever sealed.
Why didn’t you ask a friend will say.
Because I always thought I’d have a chance another day.
I live with regret and not just a chosen few.
Those unasked questions stunt my life and dim my view.
A better daughter and more faithful friend,
what a different relationship it could have been.
Some chances lost, but other still remain.
So I’ll ask those questions now without refrain.
Song of the Cockoo Bird
I loved this book! I have read two other books by Amulaya Mulladi and loved them too, but this one was my favorite. Song of the Cuckoo Bird tells the story of a young girl, Kokila, who is an orphan that lives at an ashram called Tella Meda near the Bay of Bengal in India. She has been sent there to wait until she is ready to be with the man she married at the age of 11 after the death of her father. She was taken in by her late father’s friend Ramanandam Sastri who lived at the ashram.
When the time comes for Kokila to leave Tella Meda for her husband’s home she makes a youthful decision to stay at the ashram and her life is changed forever. The book takes you through all the lives that intersect in and around the ashram and what a wonderful journey.
In one branch on the journey Kokila takes a job working at a leprosy clinic run by a young doctor not much older than her:
“……Shankar was doing what he set out to do. No matter how ugly the job, how tainted his reputation, anyhow isolated his life because of his chosen profession, he was still doing it, everyday.
“How do your parents feel about this?” Kokila asked.
“Shankar smiled broadly and a dimple appeared on his left cheek. He was a personable young man, just a few years older than Kokila. She realized that Ramanandam was right in wondering if she was attracted to him because she knew she could be. If she worked with him every day and every day they had lunch like this, wouldn’t she feel something stir in her heart? Wasn’t there already a stirring? His goodness was not a facade, and that to Kokila was his most attractive quality”
“Sometime in the future I would like to get married, but I have no plans right now. ” Shankar said. “So, do you want to see what curds looks like under the microscope?”
It looked like several thousand living worms were wriggling against each other.
“Oh,” Kokila said weakly. “I’m never going to eat curds again”
Her first day at work had been agonizing, fun, informative, and blissfully tiring. When she came back to Tella Meda, Renuka stood guard outside.
“You will have to stay in your room” Renuka announced as soon as Kokila opened the gate that led into the front garden of Tella Meda. “Subhadra will bring you food but you will have to eat it by yourself and wash your plate separately and keep it in your room. You –“”
There are so many interesting stories at Tella Meda you are sure to find at least a couple of them to love.
A favorite writer and a book I will read again.
Writing Process Blog Tour – Station Six
Welcome to the sixth stop on the Writing Process Blog Tour!
This is my first ever tour so here’s a big shout out thank you to Todd Baker for taking my virginity. Oh stop, of course my Tour V, not the other! That is not the kind of blog I write, it’s not “The 47 Year Old Virgin,” and my name is not Judd Apatow. Mr. Baker is a memoirist and has two great books out so far; one about his health driven drive towards running marathons “Ten Year Run” and his life as a 40-year-old “Metal Head” in “Metal Fatigue.” Check them out if you haven’t already.
The next stop on the tour will be with Juni over at “Out of the Well” she is a Master in Writing and Literature student, a prolific blog writer and she is working on a collective book called “Fall in Love With Writing” in it she is gathering stories, pictures and inspiration from writers across the world about why they write. Pretty cool huh!
But down to business, you stopped by to read a bit about writing process so here are the answers from a true beginner!
What am I working on?
I am working on a novel, my first, and currently it is just several different stories not completely strung together yet. It is loosely based on the life I have imagined my paternal grandmother lived based on a few facts that I have found in newspapers, pictures and notes in books and a lot of my imagination. And I also write poetry and other stuff here at Random & Rhyme as well as post some of my poetry over at the Poets Corner.
What is my background?
I am from Washington state and have lived here all my life. I love to travel, eat, read, drink, write, drink(oh wait I already said that), play with my dogs and write some more. I have no formal training as a writer, other than a couple of college classes.
How does my work differ from others in its genre?
Since I haven’t quite figured out my niche, it’s hard for me to answer how I am different. I guess as an individual and I have my own life and perspective to draw from, but I am a lot like any other woman and I hope I have something of interest to say and that my writing will be enjoyed by a few people.
Why do I write what I write?
Since I was a little kid, I have had stories running through my head or scenes, as if from a play, that I would decorate and fill with stories. Now I am just attempting to get them out of my head and on to paper. I didn’t realize just how much I enjoyed writing until recently, but now it’s hard to imagine not writing.
How does my writing process work?
“My Process” is, I have no process. I work full-time and have a busy life with family, husband and dogs; so I write when and where I get a chance. Sometimes it’s right into the computer for a blog post or poem; other times I write in notebooks from Moleskine, they are thin and come in a pack of three, but are large enough to have room to write. I use a favorite Pilot pen, one of which I recently lost to cabin pressure on a flight from Omaha to Seattle; it was a sad day. But so far I have found the most important aspect has been to commit to writing every day, even if it’s just a little bit of something, because keeping in the habit is important to finishing that shitty first draft and writing the better second draft.
Writing is an adventure in itself; it lets me explore things I haven’t tried, it lets me time travel, it lets me be bold and it’s helping me connect with people across the world. It has been a short but intoxicating journey so far and I can’t wait to see where it takes me next.
Now my friendly readers you are on your way over to “Out of The Well” for the next stop on the Writers Process Tour. Thanks for stopping by Random and Rhyme!
In The Band!
Yes, I played in the band.
And band geek was my brand.
A solo was my shinning moment,
because I could not sing a single note yet.
Yankee doodle our trio trilled,
and the crowd was pleased and smiled and thrilled.
Scales, cords and rhythms practiced.
Then I had to learn them all again backwards.
Amongst my group of music spastics,
I thought my world was just fantastic.
I played the oboe, the flute and the tenor sax,
it’s no wonder it took me so long to have sex.
I marched in the band with my big drum,
So much excitement I forgot my hat, how dumb.
Music still give me chills and exhilaration,
I miss those days of musical exaltation.
Yes, I played in the band,
and “band geek” is still my brand!
Inspiration Interrupted
Inspiration interrupted by the work that I must do.
My imagination dashed and now I’m in a stew.
Creativity quashed before the takeoff of its flight.
Will I ever get time to write or is a job my continued plight?
I try to steal away for a minute, an hour or a day;
but working to earn money is always in my way.
Am I too self-indulgent and devoted to my own cause?
If I don’t look out for myself, who will, Rudolph and Santa Claus?
At times no energy, no hope, nor motivation.
I just exist with a hatred of my current vocation.
I need some time to write without interruption.
A little time is all I ask for my sanity’s salvation.
They Make Me Smile
These are my Menehune, they were given to me by my grandmother a dozen or so years ago when she was cleaning out her house during a move or while redecorating, I can’t quite remember. She had had them for as long as I can remember, getting them on a trip to Hawaii sometime in the 60’s. They always sat on a bookshelf in her living room at the “farm” and I was fascinated by them as a child and loved to take them down from the shelf, play with them like dolls and rub their shiny bellies and smile at their big grins.
My grandmother would sometimes tell me funny stories about them or tease me that they were watching me and I better be good. My grandmother always loved clowns too for some reason, I don’t know why, and these reminded me of some of the clowns she had around her home.
My grandmother always told me they were carved out of Lava Rocks and I never questioned that answer. But today I took a closer look and they do have a marking on the side of the little woman “Made in Hawaii with Lava by C0 C0 Joe No. 289” The little man has no markings. I am guessing by the markings on the bottom that maybe it was melted lava rocks poured into molds? I’m not sure, but I found a pair very close to mine on eBay listed for $119.
I went in search of some more information about the little figurines and found some interesting information about the legend of the Menehune. From the ToHawaii.com travel site it talks about the legend of the Menehune;
“Hawaiian legend has it that many centuries ago, the Menehune were a mischievous group of small people, or dwarfs, who lived hidden in the forests and valleys of the islands before the first settlers arrived from Polynesia. These Menehune, who roamed the deep forests at night, were said to be about two feet (60 cm) tall, though some were as tiny as six inches (15 cm), small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. They enjoyed dancing, singing and archery, and their favorite foods were bananas and fish.
The Menehune have been known to use magic arrows to pierce the heart of angry people, igniting feelings of love instead. They also enjoy cliff diving, and according to local lore, they were smart, extremely strong and excellent craftsmen. They were rarely seen by human eyes, and they are credited with mighty feats of engineering and overnight construction.”
Menehune Fish Pond (picture from www.gohawaii.com
“This fishpond is said to have been built in just one night by the menehune, the mythical little people of Kauai. The menehune were master craftsmen who could accomplish amazing deeds in very little time. They used to live in the island’s forests and hid from humans, so during one night they came out and built the fishpond. They did this by lining up from the village of Makaweli, 25 miles (40 km) away, passing stones hand-by-hand.
The fishpond is located next to the Hulei’a Stream. A lava rock wall between the pond and the stream is 900 feet (274 m) long and 5 feet (1.5 m) high, which is amazing considering the fact that archaeologists estimate that the fishpond is around 1,000 years old. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.”
And this is a fun little fact if you believe the legend or even if you don’t:
“Even though the Menehune were said to be displaced when the first settlers arrived in Hawaii, some people still believe that the Menehune are roaming the islands, carrying out tricks on people. Indeed, an 1820 Census of Kauai listed 65 people as ‘Menehune.‘”
I have my doubts about the legends, but I will always smile and think fondly of my sweet grandmother whenever I look upon my little Menehune.
Do you have any cool travel treasure or fun family heirlooms?
A Little Piece of Me
I want and need my quiet time to think and write and be.
A tiny place in the world where I alone am enough and have time wonder, rest and see.
With a few moments to breathe and take care of myself because I am more fragile than I seem.
I worry too much about how I’m seen and what you think and if I came across as mean.
I have never felt I was good enough, even if I appear strong and smart and tough.
I don’t have children and never shall, but I do love kids and your will do nicely if I ever need a pal.
To those I love and those I’m with, I care and give and empathize.
My expectations are so high, it’s no wonder my disappointments are piled to the sky.
A little piece of me is all that’s left, so leave me be, that’s all you get.
Shark, Swordfish and Cod – Oh My!
As a girl who has grown up and lived her entire life in the Pacific Northwest, enjoyed the easy access to our many waterways, fished for fun and is an enthusiastic seafood consumer some of the scientific information coming out about the state of our oceans is very sad and alarming.
A recent PBS news report “7 Questions to Ask Before You Eat That Shrimp” talks about the unsustainable and harmful fishing practices that are damaging our waterways and ultimately us and the planet.
“At this point, across the planet, large pelagic predators, big fish, big shark, are being removed at a very high rate. So without a better international plan for management, there could be a time when there are parts of the ocean in which the trophic cascade has tipped so far that all you have is jellyfish in the sea.” Quote from Barbara Block, professor of Marine Sciences Evolutionary, Cellular and Molecular Physiology, at Stanford University
Whole portions of our oceans with no life but jellyfish and dead-zones in the Gulf of Mexico and other parts of the world from all the fertilizers and other contaminants used along the Mississippi Watershed and around the world are sad environmental impacts where humans are the responsible party.
“The average size of the dead zone over the past five years has been 5,176 square miles, more than twice the 1,900 square mile goal set by the Gulf of Mexico / Mississippi River Watershed Nutrient Task Force in 2001 and reaffirmed in 2008.”
It can be daunting to be an informed consumer, but the article on PBS made reference to Seafood Watch, part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and I found they have some great printable pocket guides to help you buy and consume safe, sustainably caught fish in your region. Here is the one I printed this morning for the West Coast.
About Seafood Watch:
“The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program helps consumers and businesses make choices for healthy oceans. Our recommendations indicate which seafood items are “Best Choices,” “Good Alternatives,” and which ones you should “Avoid.””
At the grocery store the Environmental Defense Fund recommends you look for the “country-of-origin labeling” aka C.O.O.L labels to help you make informed decisions. They also have other information and tools on their site to help you be an informed consumer and make choices that are better for you, your family and the environment.
“Of some help to consumers is country-of-origin labeling (also known as C.O.O.L.). In place since 2005, this labeling requires that large retailers (such as supermarkets) selling fresh or frozen fish indicate the country the fish came from and whether it is wild-caught or farm-raised.”
Another problem of non sustainable fishing practices and some commercial fishing operations is “bycatch”;
Sea Turtle in a pile of bycatch – photo from Karumbe from Seeturtles.org website.
The definition of bycatch, as stated in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, is:
“Fish which are harvested in a fishery, but which are not sold or kept for personal use, and includes economic discards and regulatory discards. Such term does not include fish released alive under a recreational catch and release fishery management program.“
Infographic from Oceana
In some cases, studies have shown for every one pound of shrimp caught in these unsustainable fishing operations SIX pounds of “bycatch” is discarded. From the Seafood Watch bycatch page:
“Many fisheries around the world throw away more fish than they keep. Some of the biggest offenders are shrimp fisheries. In the worst cases, for every pound of shrimp caught, up to six pounds of other species are discarded. And this incidental catch of unwanted or unsellable species, known as “bycatch,” doesn’t just include fish—turtles, seabirds and other animals also suffer.”
It can be hard to make informed choices and many times the healthier, environmentally friendlier options are more costly, but even with obstacles to making informed choices and cost I think it is worth the effort and the price to try. If we all don’t at least try this planet hasn’t any chance of sustaining us into the future.
Do you make environmentally influenced food choices?
Random & Rhyme 