Marc Wambolt's Blog, page 6
January 3, 2011
MARC'S MEMOS
1-3-11
Happy New Year!!!
I sincerely hope that you had a happy holiday season. The holidays have taken on a new sense of excitement for me in the past couple of years. I was blessed with wonderful little additions to my family in 2007 and again in 2009. First came a handsome grandson, followed by a beautiful little grand daughter.
I have two grown children that I love dearly and despite having me for a Dad, they both graduated college. They got married, moved out and bought houses of their own. I thought life was good and I was enjoying my status as an “empty nester.” Little did I know that life would get even better.
It is amazing how certain holidays take on a different meaning when babies are involved (I had almost forgotten.) At Christmas, their innocence and the excitement of Santa coming is magical. Spending time with them is priceless. They make me look forward to the holidays again.
I wish for you to have a happy and prosperous 2011.
Until next time, take care! Marc
Happy New Year!!!
I sincerely hope that you had a happy holiday season. The holidays have taken on a new sense of excitement for me in the past couple of years. I was blessed with wonderful little additions to my family in 2007 and again in 2009. First came a handsome grandson, followed by a beautiful little grand daughter.
I have two grown children that I love dearly and despite having me for a Dad, they both graduated college. They got married, moved out and bought houses of their own. I thought life was good and I was enjoying my status as an “empty nester.” Little did I know that life would get even better.
It is amazing how certain holidays take on a different meaning when babies are involved (I had almost forgotten.) At Christmas, their innocence and the excitement of Santa coming is magical. Spending time with them is priceless. They make me look forward to the holidays again.
I wish for you to have a happy and prosperous 2011.
Until next time, take care! Marc
November 8, 2010
MARC'S MEMOS
11-8-10
In October, I spent some time in southern California visiting my Mom and the neighborhood I grew up in. My wife, daughter, son-in-law and my two beautiful grand children were there also. The weather was fantastic and a day at the beach seemed like an obvious choice. It has always been a special place for me. As a kid, I spent many summers fishing on the pier in the morning and swimming or laying on the sand in the afternoon.
It was so gratifying for me to see my grandkids at play on the same beach that I have so many fond memories of. To see the joy of my little 3 ½ yr old grandson running from the waves as he wailed with excitement was priceless. Then watching my twenty-month old grand daughter trying to shovel sand into a plastic pail was definitely a Kodak moment. The last-minute dollar store sun hat she wore made me laugh that she actually looked cute in it.
It was a wonderful trip and we had a great time, but one particular moment stands out that I will always remember. My Dad had passed away back in 1995 and we decided to place flowers at his grave on the last day there. Even though my grandson is quite young, we explained about how Great Grandpa is up in heaven and let him help with the arrangement. Little sister tried to help too.
It is emotional enough as it is to be in that setting honoring a family member, but I lost it when my grandson looked skyward and said “Great Grandpa, I love you!” Then he said, “How are you doing?” At that point, I had to turn and walk away.
I am so grateful for those two little people in my life and sometimes I have to tell anybody that will listen. Thanks for listening.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
In October, I spent some time in southern California visiting my Mom and the neighborhood I grew up in. My wife, daughter, son-in-law and my two beautiful grand children were there also. The weather was fantastic and a day at the beach seemed like an obvious choice. It has always been a special place for me. As a kid, I spent many summers fishing on the pier in the morning and swimming or laying on the sand in the afternoon.
It was so gratifying for me to see my grandkids at play on the same beach that I have so many fond memories of. To see the joy of my little 3 ½ yr old grandson running from the waves as he wailed with excitement was priceless. Then watching my twenty-month old grand daughter trying to shovel sand into a plastic pail was definitely a Kodak moment. The last-minute dollar store sun hat she wore made me laugh that she actually looked cute in it.
It was a wonderful trip and we had a great time, but one particular moment stands out that I will always remember. My Dad had passed away back in 1995 and we decided to place flowers at his grave on the last day there. Even though my grandson is quite young, we explained about how Great Grandpa is up in heaven and let him help with the arrangement. Little sister tried to help too.
It is emotional enough as it is to be in that setting honoring a family member, but I lost it when my grandson looked skyward and said “Great Grandpa, I love you!” Then he said, “How are you doing?” At that point, I had to turn and walk away.
I am so grateful for those two little people in my life and sometimes I have to tell anybody that will listen. Thanks for listening.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
October 22, 2010
MARC'S MEMOS
10-22-10
It has been a while since my last blog post. I have been very busy and I am not sure it makes a difference anyway. It is hard to get a large following when there are so many other great writers and bloggers out there to read. That being said, I will still attempt to make things interesting here.
I am not smart enough to understand a lot of the more cerebral poetry, so I tend to stick with the shorter and less complicated poems. I ran across one by Alfred Tennyson that mentions Autumn and since we are in late October, I thought it was appropriate. Here it is.
THE OAK - by Alfred Tennyson
Live thy Life,
Young and old,
Like you oak,
Bright in spring,
Living gold;
Summer-rich
Then; and then
Autumn-changed,
Soberer-hued
Gold again
All his leaves
Fallen at length,
Look, he stands
Trunk and bough,
Naked strength
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE. MARC
It has been a while since my last blog post. I have been very busy and I am not sure it makes a difference anyway. It is hard to get a large following when there are so many other great writers and bloggers out there to read. That being said, I will still attempt to make things interesting here.
I am not smart enough to understand a lot of the more cerebral poetry, so I tend to stick with the shorter and less complicated poems. I ran across one by Alfred Tennyson that mentions Autumn and since we are in late October, I thought it was appropriate. Here it is.
THE OAK - by Alfred Tennyson
Live thy Life,
Young and old,
Like you oak,
Bright in spring,
Living gold;
Summer-rich
Then; and then
Autumn-changed,
Soberer-hued
Gold again
All his leaves
Fallen at length,
Look, he stands
Trunk and bough,
Naked strength
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE. MARC
September 8, 2010
MARC'S MEMOS
9-8-10
The Poetry Contest is here again and I am faced with the same dilemma, to enter a poem or not. Then decide whether to enter a rhyming or non-rhyming one. Rhyming poems do not fare well. There is a bias towards free verse, in my opinion, and generally seems to lean in the direction of a serious subject matter. So my thought was to enter a light-hearted rhyming poem with a little humor in it. The idea is to just enter a poem and see if I get any feedback. The same holds true for my blog as well as my poetry, I just hope that someone might enjoy reading it. Anyway, here is the poem for October’s contest.
OCEAN IN MOTION
We embark on this adventure
A long-awaited trip
Cruising up the coastline
Aboard a huge magnificent ship
It turns to open water now
There is no turning back
As a disappearing orange glow
Reveals the moonless black
The North Atlantic treats us to
An amusement-park-like ride
I’m ready to get off now
But there is no place to hide
As we’re getting tossed about
Thrown from side to side
Water sloshing on the deck
Becomes a Slip-n-Slide
It seems that we are near the place
I hope it isn’t true
To where the ship TITANIC sank
Will this be our fate too...
Can we make it back to port
I think I’ve had enough
Trying hard to show no fear
Is really getting tough
Finally the sea calms down
But shattered nerves remain
Next vacation, you can bet
Will be aboard a TRAIN!!!
Again, I would like to congratulate the winners of the giveaway for my book (see previous blog post.)
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
The Poetry Contest is here again and I am faced with the same dilemma, to enter a poem or not. Then decide whether to enter a rhyming or non-rhyming one. Rhyming poems do not fare well. There is a bias towards free verse, in my opinion, and generally seems to lean in the direction of a serious subject matter. So my thought was to enter a light-hearted rhyming poem with a little humor in it. The idea is to just enter a poem and see if I get any feedback. The same holds true for my blog as well as my poetry, I just hope that someone might enjoy reading it. Anyway, here is the poem for October’s contest.
OCEAN IN MOTION
We embark on this adventure
A long-awaited trip
Cruising up the coastline
Aboard a huge magnificent ship
It turns to open water now
There is no turning back
As a disappearing orange glow
Reveals the moonless black
The North Atlantic treats us to
An amusement-park-like ride
I’m ready to get off now
But there is no place to hide
As we’re getting tossed about
Thrown from side to side
Water sloshing on the deck
Becomes a Slip-n-Slide
It seems that we are near the place
I hope it isn’t true
To where the ship TITANIC sank
Will this be our fate too...
Can we make it back to port
I think I’ve had enough
Trying hard to show no fear
Is really getting tough
Finally the sea calms down
But shattered nerves remain
Next vacation, you can bet
Will be aboard a TRAIN!!!
Again, I would like to congratulate the winners of the giveaway for my book (see previous blog post.)
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
September 6, 2010
MARC'S MEMOS
9-6-10
CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of the book giveaway for POEMS FROM THE HEART. The contest just ended and the GOODREADS TEAM selected Barb Foley - USA, Amanda Osborne - Great Britain, Marianela Aguilera - Australia, and Dara Debus - USA. Sorry, there weren't any winners chosen from Canada but I had talked about having a giveaway just for my friends to the north and I guess I will have to arrange that. Look for details in the near future. Anyway, thanks to all that participated. I appreciate your interest in my book.
Take care, Marc
CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of the book giveaway for POEMS FROM THE HEART. The contest just ended and the GOODREADS TEAM selected Barb Foley - USA, Amanda Osborne - Great Britain, Marianela Aguilera - Australia, and Dara Debus - USA. Sorry, there weren't any winners chosen from Canada but I had talked about having a giveaway just for my friends to the north and I guess I will have to arrange that. Look for details in the near future. Anyway, thanks to all that participated. I appreciate your interest in my book.
Take care, Marc
August 19, 2010
MARC'S MEMOS
8-19-10
I entered the September Poetry Contest. I continue to enter even though I know I have no possibility of winning. When I first entered the contest last year, I was very excited to have my poems read. After many discussions about rhyme vs. free verse or prose, there seemed to be a growing sentiment that rhyming was out of step (or not popular) with modern poetry. Anyway, I decided that it didn’t matter if I was criticized for the style or content of my poems. It gave me something to blog about and maybe somebody might even like one.
The giveaway of my book POEMS FROM THE HEART is still ongoing and will end September 6th with the Goodreads Team deciding the winners. I also would like to announce that the Kindle edition of my book is now $2.99 on AMAZON.COM. By the way, here is my non-rhyming poem.
SANCTUARY
A slender shadow from a solitary palm tree
Provides little relief from the mid-day sun
As the searing desert heat continues its assault
Mundane chores seem to mock my will to succeed
While profuse perspiration trickles down to taunt me
Losing focus on the task at hand
I choose leisure over labor and escape to my sanctuary
Slipping gently into this man-made oasis
I dissolve into the shallow depth of liquid luxury
Arching back to scan the sky above
Slowly moving wisps of fading clouds
Struggle for survival as the scorching summer sun
Flexes its muscle with blinding brilliance
Concealing the stars behind a bright blue curtain
Knowing their turn to shine will come again
When the sun retreats to slumber
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
I entered the September Poetry Contest. I continue to enter even though I know I have no possibility of winning. When I first entered the contest last year, I was very excited to have my poems read. After many discussions about rhyme vs. free verse or prose, there seemed to be a growing sentiment that rhyming was out of step (or not popular) with modern poetry. Anyway, I decided that it didn’t matter if I was criticized for the style or content of my poems. It gave me something to blog about and maybe somebody might even like one.
The giveaway of my book POEMS FROM THE HEART is still ongoing and will end September 6th with the Goodreads Team deciding the winners. I also would like to announce that the Kindle edition of my book is now $2.99 on AMAZON.COM. By the way, here is my non-rhyming poem.
SANCTUARY
A slender shadow from a solitary palm tree
Provides little relief from the mid-day sun
As the searing desert heat continues its assault
Mundane chores seem to mock my will to succeed
While profuse perspiration trickles down to taunt me
Losing focus on the task at hand
I choose leisure over labor and escape to my sanctuary
Slipping gently into this man-made oasis
I dissolve into the shallow depth of liquid luxury
Arching back to scan the sky above
Slowly moving wisps of fading clouds
Struggle for survival as the scorching summer sun
Flexes its muscle with blinding brilliance
Concealing the stars behind a bright blue curtain
Knowing their turn to shine will come again
When the sun retreats to slumber
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
August 9, 2010
MARC'S MEMOS
8-9-10
I just noticed the sequence of my post (8,9,10.) I guess it is easy to amuse me these days. Anyway, I have decided to have another giveaway as I had indicated I would in an earlier post. I have 4 copies that I am giving away this time. It is open to all U.S., G.B., CAN and AUS entries. I am hoping to get some of you that reside outside of the U.S. to participate. It is from August 9th to September 6th and the winners will be decided by the GOODREADS team. Good luck to everyone!
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE. MARC
I just noticed the sequence of my post (8,9,10.) I guess it is easy to amuse me these days. Anyway, I have decided to have another giveaway as I had indicated I would in an earlier post. I have 4 copies that I am giving away this time. It is open to all U.S., G.B., CAN and AUS entries. I am hoping to get some of you that reside outside of the U.S. to participate. It is from August 9th to September 6th and the winners will be decided by the GOODREADS team. Good luck to everyone!
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE. MARC
July 10, 2010
MARC'S MEMOS
7-10-10
After visiting the breathtaking waterfalls of northern Oregon, I decided to write a poem about one in particular. Multnomah Falls is about a thirty-minute drive outside of Portland. It is the second highest year-round waterfall in the United States at over 600 ft. Unlike many of the West’s famous falls, it does not dry up in the late summer. Rainwater, an underground spring and melting snow feed the falls through all four seasons. Anyway, I entered my poem in the August Poetry Contest. Here it is.
Jagged granite monoliths pierce a mottled sky
Forcing droplets to fall and join forces
With melting mounds of winter past
Trickling, meandering and gaining strength
Then racing toward its destiny
Diving headlong over the precipice
Cascading down and triumphantly crashing
To a moss-covered landing
Muffled voices strain to make contact
As a thunderous symphony continues its crescendo
Drowning out the hum of the highway
Billowing clouds of mist linger
Then settle to cool the skin
Retreating to a distance
This view, in afternoon shadows with a gentle breeze
Brings comfort and soothes the soul
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
After visiting the breathtaking waterfalls of northern Oregon, I decided to write a poem about one in particular. Multnomah Falls is about a thirty-minute drive outside of Portland. It is the second highest year-round waterfall in the United States at over 600 ft. Unlike many of the West’s famous falls, it does not dry up in the late summer. Rainwater, an underground spring and melting snow feed the falls through all four seasons. Anyway, I entered my poem in the August Poetry Contest. Here it is.
Jagged granite monoliths pierce a mottled sky
Forcing droplets to fall and join forces
With melting mounds of winter past
Trickling, meandering and gaining strength
Then racing toward its destiny
Diving headlong over the precipice
Cascading down and triumphantly crashing
To a moss-covered landing
Muffled voices strain to make contact
As a thunderous symphony continues its crescendo
Drowning out the hum of the highway
Billowing clouds of mist linger
Then settle to cool the skin
Retreating to a distance
This view, in afternoon shadows with a gentle breeze
Brings comfort and soothes the soul
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
June 30, 2010
MARC'S MEMOS
6-30-10
I just returned from a vacation in the northern part of Oregon. The Columbia River Gorge and surrounding area are beautiful. Historic Highway 30 provides spectacular views of waterfalls and scenic overlooks. Make sure you take the drive if you are ever in Portland or the southern part of Washington. From the Columbia River Gorge we went west to the Pacific Ocean and made our way down the coast. It was quite a change from the desert of the southwest where I live. Sometimes it makes me wonder why I stay here, but there are some advantages to this part of the country. We don't have any natural disasters such as floods, tornadoes, earthquakes or hurricanes. Also when other parts of the country are dealing with heavy rain or snow, I am running around in shorts and flip-flops and relaxing in the pool. By the way, my new picture was taken in Seaside, OR. (The end of the Oregon Trail, Lewis and Clark's adventure)
Until next time, take care! Marc
I just returned from a vacation in the northern part of Oregon. The Columbia River Gorge and surrounding area are beautiful. Historic Highway 30 provides spectacular views of waterfalls and scenic overlooks. Make sure you take the drive if you are ever in Portland or the southern part of Washington. From the Columbia River Gorge we went west to the Pacific Ocean and made our way down the coast. It was quite a change from the desert of the southwest where I live. Sometimes it makes me wonder why I stay here, but there are some advantages to this part of the country. We don't have any natural disasters such as floods, tornadoes, earthquakes or hurricanes. Also when other parts of the country are dealing with heavy rain or snow, I am running around in shorts and flip-flops and relaxing in the pool. By the way, my new picture was taken in Seaside, OR. (The end of the Oregon Trail, Lewis and Clark's adventure)
Until next time, take care! Marc
June 11, 2010
MARC'S MEMOS
6-11-10
I posted poems from other poets on my blog the last two times, but couldn't help myself and decided to post one of my own. I also entered it in the July Poetry contest. I am a glutton for punishment, although nobody has posted anything mean or negative. Apparently I don't know when to quit, even though I know I don't stand a chance of winning. Here is my entry.
ETERNITY
Where do we go
When we leave this place
Will there be a void
Where we occupied space
Do we stay earth bound
Or escape to the sky
Watching from heaven
As the world passes by
Imagine there’s no heaven
As John Lennon said
Nothing but ashes
Long after we’re dead
No matter your culture
Or which faith you belong
Those many religions
Can’t all be wrong
There must be more to it
A place more sublime
And I hope to go there
When it comes my time
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
I posted poems from other poets on my blog the last two times, but couldn't help myself and decided to post one of my own. I also entered it in the July Poetry contest. I am a glutton for punishment, although nobody has posted anything mean or negative. Apparently I don't know when to quit, even though I know I don't stand a chance of winning. Here is my entry.
ETERNITY
Where do we go
When we leave this place
Will there be a void
Where we occupied space
Do we stay earth bound
Or escape to the sky
Watching from heaven
As the world passes by
Imagine there’s no heaven
As John Lennon said
Nothing but ashes
Long after we’re dead
No matter your culture
Or which faith you belong
Those many religions
Can’t all be wrong
There must be more to it
A place more sublime
And I hope to go there
When it comes my time
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
