Food Friday - this week, 2 different Stuffed Cabbage Rolls recipes: http://ping.fm/gnL2h

You can't beat the magic of Willow Water to give you success with rooting new cuttings or transplanting annuals: http://ping.fm/Jrb4C

Peonies are starting to bud and flower all over the Bluegrass: http://ping.fm/JLclR

Check out The Community of Mercer County Writers: http://ping.fm/Y6apv

Beware of invasive Amur Honeysuckle: http://ping.fm/aY7Zd

Yamaha Summer

The following prose piece was a jump start exercise from my last writers' group. We were supposed to invision an inanimate object from our early teenage years and then write a piece from the point-of-view of this object. We were given 15 minutes to write, and here is what I wrote:

YAMAHA SUMMER

Here they come again - the unusual pair of kids. She is petite with waist length blond hair and he is tall with dark hair. They aren't a couple - you can always tell because they rarely hold hands and they never, ever kiss. But there is something about the pair that let's you know they are the best of friends.

He eases me out of the garage with the care of a much older man, checking the gas and oil. He kicks my tires to make sure there is enough air, then he swings one leg over my soft leather seat. He is not always this careful when it is just he and I, but he is always careful when she comes along.

With one easy kick, he starts my loud motor, then he peels out of the driveway, throwing gravel in our wake. This is 1976, so helmets are not yet a requirement - they are a nuisance and his dark hair ruffles as he speeds across the neighborhood.

Pulling up in her backyard, she is already waiting - a pink bandanna wrapped around her long tresses. She can always hear us well before we get to her house. Smiling like the Cheshire Cat, she climbs on behind him and away we go.

She always holds him tightly because even though she loves to ride, she is terrified she will fall off. But I think this is part of the thrill for her - the wind in her hair and face and the two of them as one, with me as their steed.

They leave the road and go into the field. A giggle escapes her lips and she yells above my motor, "Faster, faster." We fly through the field until we hit the trail to the river.

He slows down as the path becomes narrow and within minutes we have entered the clearing. The path opens to a small meadow at the rivers edge. He pulls to a stop and they both climb off. He sits near the river bank and she climbs up on her favorite rock.

Together they are one in the gentle silence with only the ticking of my cooling motor, the slow flow of the Salt River and the beautiful summer sunshine.

The Colonel and Me

The Colonel and Me

We meet each day at the noon time hour,
the Colonel and me;
a mystery to each other, but a constant reminder
that days go by in a blur.
He faces South and I face North,
hidden only by our windshields,
elusive to each other,
'Thou we must both have the same schedule
in order to see each other as we do.
Is he really a Colonel
from some raging war of the past?
Or does his family call him Colonel
as an endearment of respect?
I will probably never know,
as he wonders the same about me,
the lady who reads and feeds the squirrels.
Some mysteries are a source of comfort,
and I enjoy this silent, ongoing relationship
between the Colonel and me.

What's blooming around the Bluegrass? Black Locust - and nothing beats the fragrance: http://ping.fm/wTtrf

Check out "The Vagina Monologues" tonight at Natasha's Cafe in Lexington: http://ping.fm/OninJ

Mercer County Senior High Greenhouse will open to the public on Wednesday, April 28th: http://ping.fm/6tqqS

Kentucky Writers' Day

The Kentucky Arts Council will celebrate Kentucky Writers' Day at 10am Friday, April 23rd in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort.

Past Kentucky Poets laureate Jane Gentry Vance (2007-2008), Sena Jeter Naslund (2005-2006), Joe Survant (2003-2004), and Richard Taylor (1999-2000) will give readings of their work as part of the event.

A special receiption to honor all Kentucky writers will follow at 11am on the mezzanine level of the Capitol. "Five Kentucky Poets Laureate: An Anthology," "Abraham Lincoln of Kentucky" and poet laureat broadsides will be offered for sale at the reception.

Kentucky Writers' Day is officially April 24 in honor of the birth date of Kentucky native Robert Penn Warren, the first poet laureate of the United States and winner of three Pulitzer prizes.

This event is free and open to the public.

Food Friday - this week, Creamy Spinach Dip: http://ping.fm/gwJFF

Happy Kentucky Writers' Day!!: http://ping.fm/b87lm

Join Georgia Green Stamper tomorrow in Erlanger, Kentucky: http://ping.fm/wFoXE

Tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day: http://ping.fm/0XDzY

"Hottest Bloggers" is a workshop at the Carnegie Center this weekend in Lexington: http://ping.fm/jLdx7

Want a pretty, eco-friendly way to deal with soggy areas in your lawn? Try planting a Rain Garden: http://ping.fm/2DaHX

Wisteria is blooming all over the Bluegrass: http://ping.fm/dO4IK

One of my favorite "weeds" in the lawn - Plantain is great for bug bites, burns and other skin irritations: http://ping.fm/br9nN

Reforest the Bluegrass at Veterans Park in Lexington: http://ping.fm/QW8gY

Kentucky Writers' Day

The Kentucky Arts Council will celebrate Kentucky Writers' Day at 10am Friday, April 23rd in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort.

Past Kentucky Poets laureate Jane Gentry Vance (2007-2008), Sena Jeter Naslund (2005-2006), Joe Survant (2003-2004), and Richard Taylor (1999-2000) will give readings of their work as part of the event.

A special receiption to honor all Kentucky writers will follow at 11am on the mezzanine level of the Capitol. "Five Kentucky Poets Laureate: An Anthology," "Abraham Lincoln of Kentucky" and poet laureat broadsides will be offered for sale at the reception.

Kentucky Writers' Day is officially April 24 in honor of the birth date of Kentucky native Robert Penn Warren, the first poet laureate of the United States and winner of three Pulitzer prizes.

This event is free and open to the public.

Check out Raven Run Nature Sanctuary in Lexington: http://ping.fm/gHZSt

This week's Food Friday features Dandelions - Dandelion Jelly and Dandelion Salad: http://ping.fm/QbSwd

Composting part #2 - the 3 essential ingredients for a healthy compost heap: http://ping.fm/Kc8lZ

Don't let Chickweed in the lawn get you down: http://ping.fm/qOn4b

Wondering why lawns across the Bluegrass are suddenly turning purple? Check it out: http://ping.fm/GVQrv

A Place in my Heart

This weekend I spent some quality time with my "soon to be" granddaughter. No, not the Tadpole who hasn't been born yet, my other new granddaughter.

As many of you know, my middle daughter, Marie, is expecting her first baby in June. She and her fiance` are not in a hurry to get married (which is okay by me), mainly because my daughter has hit the "miserable" stage in her pregnancy.

What I haven't mentioned before, is my future son-in-law also has a 2 year old daughter from a previous relationship. I had seen pictures of her and knew a lot about her, but I had never actually met her until just recently ...

... and now that I have met her - I've fallen in love with her!

Delilah Rose is an adorable child with a head full of golden curls and big golden eyes. Her eyes aren't a deep brown, but they are almost the color of honey. And smart - this child is so smart!

Because we didn't get to see her on Easter weekend (she comes to Harrodsburg from Louisville every other weekend), we took her Easter basket to her on Saturday and had the best time playing with her.

But the most special time was reading her a book before her nap. She curled up in my lap and listened to every word I read from a "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger" book. When her eyes got heavy, I carried her to bed and finished reading the book until she was asleep. It has been a long time since I've been able to read a child to sleep and my heart just melted.

So, even though Delilah is not my actual flesh and blood granddaughter, I am going to love her as much as all the others - she has found a special place in my heart. She'll make a great big sister for my Tadpole, Devon Mikayla, when she's born.

Delilah Rose with silky curls
and eyes of golden brown,
loves to dance and play;
she always has a smile,
it lights up her little face
and captures all our hearts

Check out these weekend gardening events around the Bluegrass: http://ping.fm/jKjhs

Food Friday is back! This week try a delicious "Asparagus & Chicken Rotini: http://ping.fm/M14UE

Tragedy at Upper Big Branch

TRAGEDY AT UPPER BIG BRANCH

It’s happened again
another coal mine disaster
more human lives lost because of our obsession with coal.
An explosion has rocked the underground mine,
Massey Energy again – where’s the surprise?
The largest coal producer in central Appalachia,
the largest number of safety violations;
when will they start caring about the heartache they have caused?
The worst explosion since 1984,
today, 25 miners are dead, and four still unaccounted for,
husbands, brothers, sons, nephews;
grandsons, friends, lovers –
for what?
So I can turn on a light with the flick of a switch,
power up my laptop without a thought in the world,
waste the electricity these men sacrificed for.
Some are cursing what John Peter Salley discovered,
in Boone County, West Virginia in 1742;
coal seams ripe with black gold,
there for the taking
to produce half of the nation’s electricity.
But again, is it worth it?
Coal dust and black lung,
poisonous methane gas,
carcinogens all to the frailty of man.
The women are breaking down
knowing they will ever see their husbands again.
Mothers and fathers will have to bury sons
well before their time.
Sadness engulfs the nation
as we all have the same prayer,
“God be with these families, friends and other loved ones,
protect them with your loving guidance, lessen their sorrow,
their hurting, their grief.”
And to the next generation coming down the line,
please hurry with alternative energy sources,
help us break the dependency on coal,
help us stop this unnecessary suffering;
help us stop the pain.

Farther From the Truth

(Photo by Dan Felstead of Wood and Pixel Narratives)

FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH

Nothing more than a scarred piece of wood you say,
nonsense, nothing could be farther from the truth.
A damaged piece of useless lumber you say,
nonsense, nothing could be farther from the truth.
Don't you see it? Look beyond the scratches, cuts and nicks;
"JB" - JB was someone, not just a nothing in the wood.
Permanently itched and preserved for all time,
JB could have been Jenny Buchanan,
the pretty little girl from down the lawn;
braided brown hair with a gap in her front teeth,
she was never without her jump rope and a Kool-Aide smile.
Or may it is Joe Bob, the farmer boy from Possie Holler,
with freckles on his pale white face and hair of fiery red;
always willing to help a farmer in need with hoeing or plowing and such.
It could have been the beginning of star crossed lovers,
Justina Bell loves ... interrupted, unfinished, unknown.
Nonsense my friends, this is not just nothing,
though Generation X may think so'
it's not a Facebook icon or a Twittered tweet,
just immortality carved in wood,
an old-fashioned social network that has gone the way
of written letters and long phone conversations lasting deep into the night.

Accents Publishing

I was so excited today to read the wonderful article in the Lexington Herald Leader on my friend, Katerina Stoykova-Klemer and Accents Publishing, Lexington's newest printer of poetry and prose.

Katerina Stoykova-Klemer, left, with help from her son, Simeon Kondev, center, and Shawn Wright put together a book of poetry at Accents Publishing. Kondev draws the cover art for all the books, which sell for $ 5 each. (Photo copyright Lexington Herald Leader)

The mission statement for her new publishing house is:

"Our vision is to bring low-cost books to people who love literature but often can't afford it," she says. "So we do it quick, easy and cheap. Every one of our books is $ 5, and that is how we want to keep it. "

Katerina Stoykova-Klemer put pages in a glue binder while volunteer Tony Sexton grouped pages at Accents Publishing. Sexton is president of the Kentucky State Poetry Society. (Photo copyright Lexington Herald Leader)

Book publisher Katerina Stoykova-Klemer shown in her upstairs office on Thursday, March 18, 2010 in her home in Lexington, Ky. Katerina Stoykova-Klemer has started her own small company, Accents Publishing, to publish books of poetry that sell for just $ 5 each. This is her way of getting people to read poetry. Her printing and book binding operation, staffed by volunteers, is at her home. (Photo copyright Lexington Herald Leader; Photo by David Perry)

You can find Accents books at The Morris Book Shop, 408 Southland Drive; on Amazon.com; or at www.accents-publishing.com.

Stoykova-Klemer sees good things ahead.

"I think we'll make up in volume for the low cost of our books," she said. "Poetry lets you know about yourself and about the world. It cuts through to the things you don't know, and it's always true in some way.

"We need that. We need the truth."

Emotional Labyrinth

Poetry Month - Second daily writing prompts from the “Accents Publishing Heroes" series! Hero #2: THE MOUSE WHO DECIDED TO BUILD A LABYRINTH. Write a poem, a story, a play, a song, an essay, any type of creative writing that gives you joy. Feel free to post some of your writing here, below the prompt. Have fun!

EMOTIONAL LABYRINTH

The mouse who decided to build a labyrinth
was amazed at all the entanglement
the jungle of knots and emotional mess
lead to emotional upset and stress.