It’s Been an Animal Day

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

IT’S BEEN AN ANIMAL DAY

      It’s been an animal day.

     While I groggily prepared my morning coffee, something caught my eye. I glanced out my window and was amazed to see a small black bear strolling through my driveway. I called my husband Monte, and we watched the bear lumber to the path leading to my daughter’s house.

     I grabbed the phone and called Sandy. She and her husband, Michael, watched the bear approach their yard, meander between her house and the neighbor’s house, return

SPORTS VS. SOAPS: Television Addiction

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT!

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS is awarding a monthly prize to the reader who makes the most comments at www.carolyncholland.wordpress.com. To enter, comment on any post. The more comments you post, the greater chance you have of winning. For further details click on the page MONTHLY PRIZE FOR COMMENTS at the top of the column to the right. 

SPORTS VS. SOAPS: Television Addiction

Nancy Briskay Cornell Lipsius

     Have you ever walked into a room anticipating an enthusiastic greeting and some lively conversation, only to be greeted by a blank wall of inert bodies, eyes glued to a piece of furniture lighted by miniature figures darting across a square that might be anywhere from 12 inches to 25 inches wide? If you listen carefully and closely their response to your greeting may be a ‘oomph’ or “Oh wow, what a play!”

     It could be Saturday, Sunday, or, in mid-fall and winter, almost any evening. Of course, that doesn’t leave much

Climb Mt. Everest? Not Me!

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

CLIMB MT. EVEREST? NOT ME!

     High at the top of my list of the things I won’t accomplish in this lifetime is joining the minority part of humanity, an estimated 2,000 persons, who successfully scaled Mount Everest. Climbers, including a 71-year-old Japanese man, a climber with an artificial leg, and a teenaged boy, have reached the summit since 1953.

     In 2007 more than “239 people had already climbed the 8,850 metre (29,035 feet) summit from the Nepali side and the rest from Tibet,” according to Sherpa. The previous record was 470 people who made their journey in the 2006 spring climbing season.
     Historians say that many people have conquered the summit more than once, meaning that the number of ascents is likely much higher than 2,000. At least 202 people have died trying to reach the top. (To read this article click on http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070531/india_nm/india300836)

     Living in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains I do climb Laurel Mountain on a regular basis (click on http://www.travellady.com/Issues/June05/1522LaurelHighlands.htm). That is, I drive or ride up the twisty paved road to the top of the mountain, which is close to

What is a Mantua Maker?

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

WHAT IS A MANTUA MAKER

     A newspaper article about skillfully creating imaginative Halloween costumes reminded me of past days when I made our family’s Trick or Treat and Halloween parade outfits. It also reminded me of the hours I spent sewing clothes for my family—I believe the “hat” I wore back then was known as “seamstress.” Tailor might have been an appropriate title also, since I made suits for my husband and son, and coats for myself.

     These memories came to mind when I came across the term “mantuamaker” in the book A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard Based on Her Diary,  1785-1812*. Just what was a mantuamaker, I wondered, as I moved myself over to the Internet to find out.

     Mantuas, a loose gown worn by women, in the 17^th and 18^th century, were called a mantie or mantua, from the French word manteau.***

     Mantua makers are found on the United States census between 1790 and 1910. However, their history evolves much earlier, according to one web site***. The very last Boston woman to claim the title of mantuamaker

A Jack-O-Lantern Interview

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

A  JACK-O-LANTERN INTERVIEW

During our October Beanery Writers Group meeting a Halloween prompt was given out: You are the star reporter for Halloween Headline, and you’ve just landed an interview with Casper the Friendly Ghost. Write out 20 questions to ask during the interview. Responses from members of the group are posted at:

I decided to change the character being interviewed from Casper the Friendly Ghost to a Jack-O-Lantern. Below is my list of interview questions.

Now I need to locate a Jack-O-Lantern who is willing to be interviewed. If you are a willing Jack-O-Lantern, please contact me with your information in the comment box at the end of this post.

Where were you planted and harvested? Was it in

Ghostly white pumpkins of the Lunar variety

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

GHOSTLY WHITE PUMPKINS OF THE LUNAR VARIETY

Pumpkins have become the Christmas trees of fall festivals, the Easter bunnies of Halloween. From jack-o’-lanterns to the formal centerpiece, pumpkins are a focal point of autumn.*

     The discerning autumn bride doesn’t decorate her reception table with just any pumpkin. She places intermixes floral arrangements with traditional orange pumpkins and the Lunar pumpkin, which delight and intrigue her wedding guests.

     If you’ve never seen the Lunar pumpkin you will probably

Grandparents, homemade cookies, & licking cream off milkcaps

GRANDPARENTS, HOMEMADE COOKIES, & LICKING CREAM OFF MILKCAPS      Ahhh…the scents of days past…of grandmothers who actually baked the cookies they served their grandchildren…and grandchildren who licked the cream off the cap of the milk their grandmother poured.      Times change.      As a child I licked the cream off the cardboard caps that sealed glass milk bottles while eating the breakfast my grandmother cooked. Today, I

Should your cat be kept indoors or outdoors?

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

SHOULD YOUR CAT BE KEPT INDOORS OR OUTDOORS?

      A Humane Society I researched estimated that feral cats have a life expectancy of five years, while indoor, cared for, cats live as long as seventeen years.

     How long does a cared-for house cat with outside privileges live?

     In August, our about-sixteen year old cat Honey died (to read her story, click on: Honey’s Coming Home! Our cat must recuperate & Honey went home—She’s romping in animal heaven). She lived her life happily as an outdoor cat, as did many or our cats which lived long lives, fifteen years and more.

     Virtually all cat shelters have a non-flexible clause in their cat adoption papers that requires

Nicole

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

NICOLE

NANCY BRISKAY CORNELL LIPSIUS

This poem was written about a grandchild that lived only an hour.

You lived

One hour, sixty minutes, 3600 seconds,

An infinitesimal eternity.

You were your mother reborn,

A minute reflection of

We’re Adopting a Baby! Part 4

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

WE’RE ADOPTING A BABY! Part 4

Conclusion

 Part 4 will conclude the post series, We’re Adopting a Baby! To read Part 1, Part 2 and/or Part 3 of this post, click on: We’re Adopting a Baby! Part 1 & We’re Adopting a Baby! Part 2 & We’re Adopting a Baby! Part 3

     Our own adoption home-study had proven a difficult experience for me. My caseworker didn’t like me very much. I believe she felt threatened by the fact that I was doing adoption home-studies myself, in spite of the fact that she had forty years of experience to my being a newbie. The only saving grace was that she adored Monte. He could, and did, say things that might be prejudicial against our acceptance, with