Posted 4:33 PM by Bonnie

The audacity!! When we were still living in the apartment, and Keith and I were joking around about something he told the cats to go pee on my foot. Well, later that day I was in the bathroom (details not necessary) when Mr. Fuzz, our now dearly departed cat, came in to use the litter box there. Being a typical male he overshot the litterbox and yes, he peed on my foot! Keith thought that was extremely funny and praised Mr. Fuzz for doing his bidding.

Which brings us to today. Alright, so I hadn't cleaned the litter boxes and it was late afternoon. And yes, I was sitting here at my computer saying, gee, I really should get to those litter boxes. Keith was sitting at his computer next to mine, when we smelled this awful nasty ... OMG! one of the cats just dropped a bomb! I turned around and looked at the litter box down here but saw no fresh deposits. Then I realized the odor was much closer than the litter box. I looked down and OMG!! the damn cat had shit on my shoe! While it was on my foot! We know who did it because Keith saw him sitting under my chair just seconds before the violation occurred.

I think it's time to put a certain ungrateful cat out on the street! Persian or not! Sir Percival you have overstepped the boundaries of cathood!

Posted 8:53 AM by Bonnie

When I can't sleep.... I find lines of poems I should write floating around in my head. But, then I would eventually fall asleep and in the morning the profound poems are gone and I have lost the inspiration. So, last night I took a little journal to my room and in the middle of the night, when I woke up thinking of lines for a poem, I wrote them down and then worked the poem around those lines and came up with something I really liked. Now, the trick is going to be to remember to transport that same journal down here to the computer room so I can type them up and get them on my poetry blog here! Ah! The life of a poet! I was actually considering writing a poem about the life of a poet... like how we envision Keats or Shelley sitting in a romantic loft or a cafe writing out their beautiful poems...after all isn't that a poets life. Yeah! Right! Mine is a life of caring for cats, cleaning litter boxes, scrubbing toilets and bathtubs, mopping floors... well, you get it... and writing poems in the middle of the night when I can't sleep and the night calls me to write. I have always been a night person. When I work I try to get third shift or at least second. I am more alert and energetic during the night. The days leave me uninspired and wanting the excitement only the night can bring. I have been accused of being a vampire...well, who knows... watch your necks next full moon!

Posted 1:31 PM by Bonnie

Just a few fun notes:
Told my sister, Victoria, about reading hers and Colin's poetry at open mic. She passed it on to Colin who responded with - Road Trip! LOL! I do hope they can make it sometime. Victoria is editor/publisher of Ye Olde Fonte Shoppe specializing in poetry chap books. Check out the site if you have a moment or two.


On the cat front - Little Friend, the stray we took in to help with her babies and later had spayed has started venturing out again. She goes out at night, but in the morning wants to come back in and go back to the library where she has spent the past six weeks or more. Her babies (the two we kept) will often join her for breakfast and a nap. She did try to venture into the house this morning, but first saw Ginger out big Siamese and ran the other way where she immediately came face to face with Marmadukelade (the half male/half female cat) who has been taking care of her little boys and went AAACK!! and turned an ran back into the library. She is not quite ready to socialize. I guess when you're as tiny as she is and sees these big cats we've managed to cultivate you would be a little intimidated.

First summer session has ended and second summer session started Friday. There may not be enough students enrolled though, so on Monday we may find out Keith has the rest of the summer off. We are planning that for next summer, but had planned on his working this summer. Oh well... we shall see....

I know every year I say this... the heat is killing me!!! I love the winters here! I do miss the snow from time to time, but the summers here are more than this displaced yankee can bear at times. I go outside and no matter how much water I drink I still feel weak and wobbly and wonder if I will survive until fall. So far, I have, so will more than likely make it through this summer, too.

At least I have my poetry group now!! It is so great to finally meet people who share something in common with me and have the same love for words as I do. And what a group they are! Hopefully it will grow with time and we can do more things together surrounding poetry. Will have to ask my sister about Artemis rising groups and see if I could get one started here.

Well, not much more on the home front. Today is my mothers 85th!!!! birthday! Happy Birthday, mommy!!!

Posted 8:41 PM by Bonnie

Open Mic Poetry night!! What a blast!! The first night was more than I had expected. We had three other poets and myself, which I was told by an experienced open mic person, my sister Victoria, that was good for a first night!

I, of course, took pictures so there are none of me...but here are the poets who did perform.

Our featured poet for tonight - Susan Robinson. Susan shared six of her poems with us and was very well received. She got a laugh when she said her last poem was not about anyone in particular, so Brian (her boyfriend) no matter what you think this is not about you. Someone in the cafe said, "In other words Brian, don't get a swelled head." Susan works at Drew's Blues and I am so appreciative of her for doing that to help open the readings.

Heather Roberts was probably the youngest poet there, but oh my! If we can get her to look at the audience she is going to be one powerful poet! I, and I know the others there, were very impressed with the maturity and depth of her poems. I am hoping she will keep coming and eventually gain enough confidence to be a featured poet. She impressed me!!

And last but not least Martina Borg aka Swampie... You rock!!! Martina read some of her favorite poems and also one she had written for her husband. What a woman! She is entertainment and everyone loved her and couldn't get enough of her. I am going to talk with her about being the featured poet next month. She had us from word one and we just wanted her to keep on going!

Next time I might even have someone take a pic or two of me! Everyone laughed at my getting old poem... I mean not getting old poem...which I will post at the end of this missive. And my other poems were very well received also. It's hard to talk about ones self, but I will say I had a blast! I loved every minute of it and can't wait until next month! I also shared a poem of my sisters called Small Victories and one of another crazy CT poet, Colin Haskins called No Kisses. That is my favorite of his because the lips on the front of his book by that title are mine! The first thing he said when he met me years ago, while I was in CT, was... I want your lips! I told that story and everyone laughed!

So...mark your calendars... Thursday.... July 20 ... from 7 PM to 9 PM be at:


I AM NOT GETTING OLD!

I am not getting old!
Just because I can’t remember your name
Or the day of the week
My mind is slowing, but not yet old!

I don’t know Tony Hawk,
Or Snoop Dog,
Or what kind of tool
An MC Hammer Is!

I do remember The Beatles,
Corner soda shoppes,
Juke boxes, noon day
Dances, and penny candy.

You laugh and say I have
What you call oldstimers disease
When I forget my words
Or lose track of my thoughts.

Kids shake their heads when
I ask, Britney who?
Or cover my ears and in my
Mothers voice say, you call that music?

Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell,
They knew what music meant
Not just screaming words,
But representing the time and speaking out.

Reality TV? What is that?
What happened to Leave it to Beaver
Or when Father knew best
And Lucy! I’m home made us laugh?

Where are the corner stores and bakeries,
Children no longer play hopscotch
On busy city streets and going home when
The street lights come on means nothing now.

A play station was the tree everyone returned
To in hide and go seek when the person who
was IT called all in free! Do kids even play that now?
Yes, I am getting older, but! I am not getting old!

Posted 11:37 AM by Bonnie

Monday updates: Figured I would do my Insanity Blog for today, but it was just too stupid to even give it merit today. So, I am going to tell you all about my dream last night.

I dreamt I was at the open mic poetry, at Drew's Blues Cafe, and a lot, I mean a lot of people had signed up to do poetry that night. That should have given me a clue it was a dream! Then I realized I had forgotten my camera so had to go back for it. Out in the parking lot, which wasn't the Drew's Blues lot, but a huge field were more poets hurrying in to sign up. When I got to my car I had a long way to get home, which is also way off since I live about 2 minutes a way, by car. We had to go up hill and my car turned into one of those Flintstone type cars, but we thought nothing odd about having to use our feet to propel this modern car up the hill, like Fred Flintstone. I just commented that we wouldn't get there on time. My friend, or whoever was with me, looked at their watch and said yes we would we still had 10 minutes....

At that point, the stray cat we house started yowling for food and woke me up.... Is this an omen? and is it good or bad? arrgghh!!!!

I have had some positive in put on the open mic and we may be moving it to Thursday nights by popular request.

Dream, dream, dream.... all I have to do is dream.....

Posted 2:00 PM by Bonnie

Updates!! Updates!! Get your updates here!! This week I took Little Friend in to get spayed. She was definitely in heat and the vet said we would have had more little kittens in about 8 weeks!! Arrgghh!!!! She is recovering and is back in the her space - the library. Hopefully she will be fully recovered by next Monday and she can decide if she wants to go our stay. I have a feeling she will go, but come back inside when she needs a soft place to lay her head for awhile. She's gotten a bit spoiled!

Then Tuesday I took in two of the house cats, Ginger and Percival, for their annual shots and discovered poor Percival needs some dental work! His teeth do look really bad! Yuck!!

So, this Friday I take in the two kittens to get their series of shots started and next Thursday take in Percy to get his teeth cleaned! Then that will be it for awhile. In Sept. two more are due for their annual shots and in October the last two are due and then we get to start all over again next summer.

Still haven't had any word on what is happening about the vet who botched up the treatment of Mr. Fuzz and killed him under her "care." Last we heard from the SC Veternary Assoc. was she said it was my fault for trusting her to treat him and agreeing to her treatment. Hmmmmm.... I said, I never said I didn't agree to her treatment, but what she is neglecting to tell you is we agreed if it didn't work she would go back to the steroid shots that worked in the past. Her treatment didn't work, I dropped him off for the shot, she didn't give it to him, he had an attack and died. And somehow that is my fault? He said she had so much time to write her side and then he would present both sides to the board and call us back. That was a few weeks ago, but I keep reminding myself this is the south and things move very slowly here... there is regular time and SPT... southern people's time.

This weekend a neighbor and I are having a yard sale. Still working towards building up that savings account so Keith can take off the entire summer next year. In the meantime, the schools insurance cut their benefits! I mean really cut them!! Where it used to be 10% co-pay that is now only on approved drugs...they sent out a list. The have A group which is approved (all generic), B group which is okay but you pay 30% copay and C - not listed at all (which is some of what Keith takes) and you pay 40% co pay on those!! Some of his drugs are very expensive - one is over $300. So, this is going to really hurt!!! Thanks Shrub for taking such good care of the medical benefits for the citizens of this country. Maybe we should become illegal aliens to get better benefits.

Well, that about brings my life up to date.... more later...

Posted 8:29 AM by Bonnie

Bug still denies this is his son. He is sticking to his claim he was neutered long before this little one was conceived. He says I have papers to prove it and he will take them to court if necessary. I do? Oh dear, now where did I file those papers??

Posted 8:57 PM by Bonnie

Meet our newest furry family members:


TF for Tiny Friend.
He looks just like
the mommy cat, Little Friend.

and

BJ for Bug Junior
because he looks
so much like one
of our older male
cats, Bug.

Posted 8:49 PM by Bonnie

How many are real and how many are stuffed?

Posted 8:35 AM by Bonnie

Hi everyone! Another week is here, and with it comes another Monday Music Mambo. Today is World Environment Day. What I want you to do today is give me a song or artist related to each of the basic world elements:

Fire
Water
Earth
Sky

If that's not enough for you, give me a few songs about things that destroy the environment.

The rules are, there are no rules!!! All you need to do is copy and paste the above questions into your blog and add your responses. After you've finished, return here and leave us a comment so we'll know you've Mamboed. Be sure your Mambo is linked back to http://bdinsanity.blogdrive.com so others can dance too.

Fire – Fire and Rain – James Taylor
Water – Black Water – Doobie Brothers
Earth - Before the Earth Disappears – Dennyvan
Sky – Rocky Mountain High – John Denver (I’ve seen fire in the sky)

One big one for things that destroy the environment

CRITICAL MASS
-------- ----
by Nuclear Assault from "Handle With Care" (c) 1989

The bio-sphere, the place we live
It seems like we don't give a damn
Other species flushed down the tubes
We need another race to rape
The way we live, we will destroy
Every other living thing
Till none are left except our race
And then we will destroy ourselves

]Another oil spill
]Atomic waste displaced
]Another forest dies
]Bring on the acid rain

Slightly insane, the type of greed
That makes a world unfit for life
Toxic wastes destroy our seas
While poison gas pollutes the air
A waste of life, while no one cares
The earth becomes a giant tomb
Critical mass will be achieved
And ruins will be all that's left

]Another oil spill
]Atomic waste displaced
]Another forest dies

A hell on earth, what we create
Dragging life to death with us
All living things destroyed or used
By shortsighted human beings
We do these things, let them be done
Apathy creates despair
The damamge done will be too great
The world wounded beyond repair

]Another oil spill
]Atomic waste displaced
]Another forest dies

Posted 9:53 PM by Bonnie

Tuesday, May 30
Wednesday Mind Hump

Greetings to all mind humpers! Can you believe the year is almost half over? Today is Poetry Day, so your task is quite simple . . .

Write a poem!

You can definie "poem" however you want. It can be long or short. It can rhyme or not. It can have meter, or just be a free-for-all. Just write something that you personally would call a poem.

The rules are, there are no rules!!! All you need to do is copy and paste the above questions into your blog and add your responses. After you've finished, return here and leave us a comment so we'll know you've humped. Be sure your hump is linked back to http://bdinsanity.blogdrive.com so others can hump too.

Since I will be hosting open mic poetry readings at Drew's Blues Cafe here in Sumter I thought it was time to go through and rework some of my poems. I've become fascinated with the Pantoum style.... here is my attempt... Pantoum is a poem in which the the second and fourth lines of a stanza become the first and third lines of the next stanza

The Shadow or Last Breath by Bonnie Johnson copyright 2006

The tree in the front yard looks bigger tonight
The locusts chirp louder than ever before
In the darkness I do not fear my plight
As the shadow crosses my door.

The locusts chirp louder than ever before,
The sound is almost fake,
As the shadow crosses my door,
I ask are you here to give or to take.

The sound is almost fake.
The shadow stares with piercing eyes,
I ask are you here to give or to take,
He just shakes his head and sighs.

The shadow stares with piercing eyes,
His hand slowly reaches for mine,
He just shakes his head and sighs,
I reach back but there’s nothing to find.

His hand slowly reaches for mine,
I find I’m changing too much,
I reach back but there’s nothing to find,
Yet he’s chilled my soul with his touch.

I find I’m changing too much.
He says I’ve danced this dance before,
Yet he’s chilled my soul with his touch,
Remember the dance, to remember more.

He says I’ve danced this dance before,
But was afraid of what I would find,
Remember the dance to remember more,
In the halls and corridors of my mind.

But I was afraid of what I would find,
He just shakes his head in disgust,
In the halls and corridors of my mind,
Will I find anything I can trust.

He just shakes his head in disgust,
But I follow him through the door,
Will I find anything I can trust?
He says he has to even the score.

But I follow him through the door,
Seeking life or seeking death,
He says he has to even the score,
As I take my final breath.

Seeking life or seeking death,
The locusts chirp louder than ever before,
As I take my final breath,
The shadow crosses my door.