What's In My Journal by William Stafford

Bowie's pretty over it too
Welp, we are still here, still healthy, still grateful and fortunate.  We’re also still impatient, about the virus keeping us all away from each other, about getting around slowly, and about the crippled economy.  My 8 week check up on Monday with the orthopedic surgeon revealed bones that are not healing quite as quickly as anyone would like.  However on the positive side, I have been cleared for partial weight bearing and physical therapy, which I’ve started twice a week. 

It’s a long path to recovery, for both my leg as well as the rest of the world it seems.  Neither Bryan nor I (nor the rest of America) is very good staying still.  As I mentioned before, we’re all trying to come up with novel ways to cope with being confined.  Bryan’s quite proud of the new skill he’s picked up during quarantine - making martinis.  We both like them with Tito’s vodka, lots of olive juice, and just a splash of vermouth.  Shaken not stirred, of course.  He’s getting quite good at it, so we may actually have to buy grownup barware.  We’ve also been doing loads of puzzles.  I’ve ordered them from all over the US - these two stationery stores - Rock Paper Scissors out of Michigan and Steel Petal Press out of Chicago - have quite a few puzzles in stock as well as other fun things to keep your hands and mind busy.

Typically, I’ll throw on a podcast while we’re puzzling (I’ve been able to rope Bryan into puzzling with me).  We found a new one called Phoebe Reads a Mystery, where Phoebe Judge of Criminal fame reads old mystery novels (so basically an audiobook).  So far we’ve listened to The Mysterious Affair at Styles (not Agatha Christie’s best but it was her first Hercule Poirot book) and The Hound of the Baskervilles.  It’s quite soothing and proven much more popular than the Bill Bryson audiobook that we had tried from the library.

I’ve also been getting back into poetry as it’s been a few years since I've read a poetry collection.  Good ol’ Garrison Keillor has never steered me wrong with his collections and he had one quite appropriate for the time that I picked up used: Good Poems for Hard Times.  I plan to share my favourites over the next few weeks.  The one below by William Stafford seems to reflect what I’ve been writing in my journals ever since I started keeping one in elementary school.

What’s In My Journal by William Stafford

Odd things, like a button drawer. Mean
Thing, fishhooks, barbs in your hand.
But marbles too. A genius for being agreeable.
Junkyard crucifixes, voluptuous
discards. Space for knickknacks, and for
Alaska. Evidence to hang me, or to beatify.
Clues that lead nowhere, that never connected
anyway. Deliberate obfuscation, the kind
that takes genius. Chasms in character.
Loud omissions. Mornings that yawn above
a new grave. Pages you know exist
but you can’t find them. Someone’s terribly
inevitable life story, maybe mine.

Comments

  1. Great to know y'all are doing great:) And yeah....I can totally see cabin fever hitting a lot of people now. It's definitely getting harder and harder to stay inside, but it's necessary...sigh. (Even for an introvert like me, I still have to go for my quick walks or I'd be crazy!)
    PS Thanks for sharing that poem:)

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    1. Luckily the weather is getting nicer and nicer so everyone's spending a lot more time outside! Glad you guys are staying well

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  2. glad you are keeping busy. I suck at puzzles so never think about them as fun but all the people i know (including you) are doing them :) Also sorry about your leg. I hope you get back to normal sooner rather than later. Ohh and thanks for the podcast hint. I just got back to podcasts lately (using them for trying to sleep) and love audiobooks so will have to give that one a try!! Thanks! ick martinis but they are gorgeous drinks!! :) I am not a martini person (obviously) I havent even had a glass of wine since the middle of March, who AM I? :)

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    1. What?! Are you out or watching your health? I feel like a drink every day at 830 am but that might be because that's when my first work call of the day is over...

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    2. i didnt feel good for a while with sinuses so never felt like drinking and was taking meds. then now i am not taking as much meds but still dont feel like drinking. So odd. AND yes i most want to drink during the day due to my job :) HAHAHA I am sure that bottle will be out soon enough! :)

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  3. It's definitely an adjustment home isolation! I'm hoping it is helping you heal faster and it's good you are finding ways to fill your time! :) They are busy days here with the kids, trying to help them learn from home while also working from home myself, but while I haven't done any puzzles the boys have really been enjoying doing some kids ones we have! :)

    Hope you are having a great week :)

    Away From Blue

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    1. Oh I can't even imagine what it's like trying to keep everyone entertained, home schooled, fed, clean, etc....

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  4. It's good to hear you guys are keeping yourself busy! I don't drink to often but if it comes to martini, the espresso martini is my favorite martini. I used to write poems back in highschool. Must be a phase haah because I don't do it anymore.
    Xx

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    1. An espresso martini sounds delicious right about now. I love lychee martinis too

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  5. I'm glad to know that you guys are doing well! I'm currently struggling with quarantine because I had so many big trips cancelled and now I just feel like I'm losing time. But hopefully they find a vaccine soon!

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    1. Ugh I'm sorry to hear that Amy - I hope you find a way to reschedule everything

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