Lori Degman's Blog
April 12, 2016
Poetry Month, Day 12 - Cogitate
Today's word, COGITATE, was given to me by my Facebook friend, Kathy. After much cogitation, I decided to write about Beverly Cleary for her 100th birthday!
My favorite of her books is Fifteen, which I read multiple times - and for a slow, reluctant reader, that's saying a lot! I still have my original copy, which I came to realize I "permanently borrowed" from the library. Here it is - along with the remnants of the little check-out card envelope! OOPS!
Birthday CogitationToday I had to cogitateto write a poem that’s worth the wait.
It had to have a special theme;a topic worthy of a meme.
It came to me, so very clearlyan author whom we all love dearly!
That’s right – Ms. Cleary – the one and only, who kept this kid from being lonely!
Today she’s reached 100 years!So we should give 100 cheers!
HIP HIP HOORAY!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEVERLY CLEARY!!
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My favorite of her books is Fifteen, which I read multiple times - and for a slow, reluctant reader, that's saying a lot! I still have my original copy, which I came to realize I "permanently borrowed" from the library. Here it is - along with the remnants of the little check-out card envelope! OOPS!
Birthday CogitationToday I had to cogitateto write a poem that’s worth the wait.
It had to have a special theme;a topic worthy of a meme.
It came to me, so very clearlyan author whom we all love dearly!
That’s right – Ms. Cleary – the one and only, who kept this kid from being lonely!
Today she’s reached 100 years!So we should give 100 cheers!
HIP HIP HOORAY!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEVERLY CLEARY!!
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April 11, 2016
Poetry Month, Day 11 - Haggard
Today's word, HAGGARD, was given to me by my writer friend, Julie Rowan-Zoch on April 4th and Merle Haggard passed away two days later! Kind of eerie!! So, I took a departure from my funny, lighthearted poems to write a short tribute to Merle Haggard. In all honestly, I'm not really a country fan, so I'm only familiar with a couple of his songs. One I really like is Sing Me Back Home!
Sing Me Back HomeOn April 6th, Merle Haggardleft this earthly world.For years he sang and swaggered;his melodies unfurled.
He entertained the nationas he sang his famous tunes.and caused a big sensation with his twangy country croons.
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Sing Me Back HomeOn April 6th, Merle Haggardleft this earthly world.For years he sang and swaggered;his melodies unfurled.
He entertained the nationas he sang his famous tunes.and caused a big sensation with his twangy country croons.
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April 10, 2016
Poetry Month, Day 10 - Birthday
I doubt anyone noticed but I didn't post a poem yesterday. I thought BIRTHDAY was going to be an easy word but it gave me more trouble than I expected! I just wasn't feeling it yesterday and the several attempts I made were just not working. So, I gave myself permission to skip yesterday and I wrote the poem today. It's still not the best (sorry Nancy), but it's better than anything I wrote yesterday. So, I'm posting it and moving on!
BirthdaysIt’s funny how a birthday can be different at each ageThey hit you in the worst way or bring joy – it’s hard to gauge.
Up until about age ten, you get no satisfaction.You always look around the bend and and state your age in fractions.
The teenage years bring privileges and freedom from your parents.You count the days with images of no more overbearance.
Your birthdays in your 20’s seem to all involve a party -with food and drinks aplenty – in your 20’s you’re still hardy!
Your 30’s through your 50’s you just celebrate the tens.Another decade’s nifty and you hang out with your friends.
In your 60’s and your 70’s your life starts changing gearsYour birthdays are redundancies – it’s just another year.
Then, after that, when birthdays near, they give you more elation.You’ve made it through another year – it’s cause for celebration!
No matter what your age is, there is one thing that is true.When you turn another page, you like a day that’s just for you!
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BirthdaysIt’s funny how a birthday can be different at each ageThey hit you in the worst way or bring joy – it’s hard to gauge.
Up until about age ten, you get no satisfaction.You always look around the bend and and state your age in fractions.
The teenage years bring privileges and freedom from your parents.You count the days with images of no more overbearance.
Your birthdays in your 20’s seem to all involve a party -with food and drinks aplenty – in your 20’s you’re still hardy!
Your 30’s through your 50’s you just celebrate the tens.Another decade’s nifty and you hang out with your friends.
In your 60’s and your 70’s your life starts changing gearsYour birthdays are redundancies – it’s just another year.
Then, after that, when birthdays near, they give you more elation.You’ve made it through another year – it’s cause for celebration!
No matter what your age is, there is one thing that is true.When you turn another page, you like a day that’s just for you!
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April 8, 2016
Poetry Month, Day 8 - Expeditious
Today's word, EXPEDITIOUS, was given to me by a fellow rhymer, Debbie Vidovich. Debbie and I met through RhPiBoMo and she attended the Rhyming Picture Book (RPB) Revolution Conference last December in NYC, where I presented. After sitting through my session, Debbie knows I am anything but expeditious (although, when I was young, my mom did tell me I was short and sweet)!
http://cargocollective.com/
ExpeditiousI tend to be long-winded; I will blather on for days!I mean, I just keep going ‘till your eyes begin to glaze!
Today, I have decided not to be so repetitious.I'm making this my final line – I’m being expeditious!
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http://cargocollective.com/ExpeditiousI tend to be long-winded; I will blather on for days!I mean, I just keep going ‘till your eyes begin to glaze!
Today, I have decided not to be so repetitious.I'm making this my final line – I’m being expeditious!
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April 7, 2016
Poetry Month, Day 7 - Sweetie-Poo
Well I've made it through my first week of National Poetry Month! Today's word, SWEETIE-POO, was given to me by my writer friend ~ and new great-grandma ~ Louann Brown. I think she had her new great-grandbaby on her mind when she thought of today's word! Louann's word made me think of my own babies, thus the poem below.
My Sweetie-PooYou’re my little sweetie-poo; my bouncing baby boy!Mommy wuvs you – yes I do. You bring me so much joy!
I love you more than I can say. You’ll always be my baby.Sadly there will come the day that you will leave me . . . maybe!
“Snap out of it!” my son implored. “You’re in some sort of trance.It’s time to hit the dance floor for our groom and mother dance!
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My Sweetie-PooYou’re my little sweetie-poo; my bouncing baby boy!Mommy wuvs you – yes I do. You bring me so much joy!
I love you more than I can say. You’ll always be my baby.Sadly there will come the day that you will leave me . . . maybe!
“Snap out of it!” my son implored. “You’re in some sort of trance.It’s time to hit the dance floor for our groom and mother dance!
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April 6, 2016
Poetry Month, Day 6 - Paradox
Today's word, PARADOX, was given to me by my Facebook friend, Donna Rossman. I researched some paradoxes and found one about a crocodile that I thought would be fun to write about. I've explained it below the poem. I took a little creative liberty - I hope I've done it justice!
blog.shareaholic.com
Pair of crocs I offer you this paradoxIt's all about this pair of crocs . . .
While one day walking in the wild,two crocs snatched up a little child.
The first croc said, “We’ve got your daughter; grabbed her up, from in the water.”
“Give her back!” her father called.“My baby girl!” her mother bawled.
“So, here’s the deal, now listen well.We’ll give her back if you can tell
the plan we have in mind for her.Now, go ahead, discuss – confer.
And if you guess our plan correctly,We swear to follow through, directly.
~~~~~~
Well, there you have it – think it through.Just what’s a croc supposed to do?
The Crocodile Paradox - Explained
http://mentalfloss.com
A crocodile snatches a young boy from a riverbank. His mother pleads with the crocodile to return him, to which the crocodile replies that he will only return the boy safely if the mother can guess correctly whether or not he will indeed return the boy. There is no problem if the mother guesses that the crocodile will return him—if she is right, he is returned; if she is wrong, the crocodile keeps him. If she answers that the crocodile will not return him, however, we end up with a paradox: if she is right and the crocodile never intended to return her child, then the crocodile has to return him, but in doing so breaks his word and contradicts the mother’s answer. On the other hand, if she is wrong and the crocodile actually did intend to return the boy, the crocodile must then keep him even though he intended not to, thereby also breaking his word.
The Crocodile Paradox is such an ancient and enduring logic problem that in the Middle Ages the word "crocodilite" came to be used to refer to any similarly brain-twisting dilemma where you admit something that is later used against you, while "crocodility" is an equally ancient word for captious or fallacious reasoning
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blog.shareaholic.comPair of crocs I offer you this paradoxIt's all about this pair of crocs . . .
While one day walking in the wild,two crocs snatched up a little child.
The first croc said, “We’ve got your daughter; grabbed her up, from in the water.”
“Give her back!” her father called.“My baby girl!” her mother bawled.
“So, here’s the deal, now listen well.We’ll give her back if you can tell
the plan we have in mind for her.Now, go ahead, discuss – confer.
And if you guess our plan correctly,We swear to follow through, directly.
~~~~~~
Well, there you have it – think it through.Just what’s a croc supposed to do?
The Crocodile Paradox - Explained
http://mentalfloss.com
A crocodile snatches a young boy from a riverbank. His mother pleads with the crocodile to return him, to which the crocodile replies that he will only return the boy safely if the mother can guess correctly whether or not he will indeed return the boy. There is no problem if the mother guesses that the crocodile will return him—if she is right, he is returned; if she is wrong, the crocodile keeps him. If she answers that the crocodile will not return him, however, we end up with a paradox: if she is right and the crocodile never intended to return her child, then the crocodile has to return him, but in doing so breaks his word and contradicts the mother’s answer. On the other hand, if she is wrong and the crocodile actually did intend to return the boy, the crocodile must then keep him even though he intended not to, thereby also breaking his word.
The Crocodile Paradox is such an ancient and enduring logic problem that in the Middle Ages the word "crocodilite" came to be used to refer to any similarly brain-twisting dilemma where you admit something that is later used against you, while "crocodility" is an equally ancient word for captious or fallacious reasoning
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April 5, 2016
Poetry Month, Day 5 - Quantum
Today's headache-inducing word, QUANTUM, was given to me by my writer friend, Jill Proctor. Anyone who know me well, knows that anything having to do with time and space makes my eyeballs spin! I just don't have a brain for it. So, instead of trying to use the word in any meaningful way (which would mean I'd have to understand it), I wrote about how I feel about such words. It's short and sweet and I don't think it'll make anyone's head spin (maybe the glossary will).
QuantumI dislike words like quark and quantumyou can keep 'em if you want ‘em
Here’s a few more I’d avoid:Obliquity and Damacloid.
The words that deal with time and space just put a scowl upon my face!
Glossary (read them at your own risk!)
Quark – Any of a set of six hypothetical elementary particles together with their antiparticles thought to be fundamental units of all baryons and mesons but unable to exist in isolation.
Quantum– The smallest quantity of radiant energy, equal to Planck's constant times the frequency of the associated radiation.
Obliquity – The angle between the plane of the earth's orbit and that of the celestial equator, equal to approximately 23° 27′ at present.
Damacloid – A group of unusual asteroids that are inactive nuclei of Halley’s Comet and other long-period comets, and have been found to have a retrograde orbit, unlike other types of asteroids.
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QuantumI dislike words like quark and quantumyou can keep 'em if you want ‘em
Here’s a few more I’d avoid:Obliquity and Damacloid.
The words that deal with time and space just put a scowl upon my face!
Glossary (read them at your own risk!)
Quark – Any of a set of six hypothetical elementary particles together with their antiparticles thought to be fundamental units of all baryons and mesons but unable to exist in isolation.
Quantum– The smallest quantity of radiant energy, equal to Planck's constant times the frequency of the associated radiation.
Obliquity – The angle between the plane of the earth's orbit and that of the celestial equator, equal to approximately 23° 27′ at present.
Damacloid – A group of unusual asteroids that are inactive nuclei of Halley’s Comet and other long-period comets, and have been found to have a retrograde orbit, unlike other types of asteroids.
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April 4, 2016
Poetry Month, Day 4 - Catastrophe
Todays poem uses the word CATASTROPHE, suggested by my writer friend, Angie Karcher. Angie is the mastermind behind Rhyming Picture Book Month - also known as RhyPiBoMo, which is held during the month of April. Do you think it has anything to do with April being National Poetry Month? Well, Angie is anything but a catastrophe - check out her website and see for yourself!!
Graphic taken from the Advanced Scribes website
CatastropheThis challenge has become a curse,‘cause now I have to pen this verse.
But every time I start to write,I find my thoughts have taken flight . . .
I draw a doodle; make a list;or catch up on the shows I've missed.
I wash the dishes; walk the dogs;or browse through discount catalogues.
I Google things and surf the net;before I know it, I forget.
Just what was I supposed to do?I can't recall – I have no clue.
Oh, now it’s coming back to me.
I have to rhyme catastrophe!
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Graphic taken from the Advanced Scribes websiteCatastropheThis challenge has become a curse,‘cause now I have to pen this verse.
But every time I start to write,I find my thoughts have taken flight . . .
I draw a doodle; make a list;or catch up on the shows I've missed.
I wash the dishes; walk the dogs;or browse through discount catalogues.
I Google things and surf the net;before I know it, I forget.
Just what was I supposed to do?I can't recall – I have no clue.
Oh, now it’s coming back to me.
I have to rhyme catastrophe!
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April 3, 2016
Poetry Month, Day 3 - April
Today's word, APRIL, was given to me by my writer friend and critique buddy, Nancy Viau. April was a hard one (if you look on rhymezone.com, you'll see it doesn't rhyme perfectly with any single word). I had to use a brand name to rhyme with it - it's a stretch, but I think it works!
The April Achooooos!On the 3rd day of AprilI’m still taking DayQuil;I can’t seem to shake this darn flu!My nose is all plugged,so I have to stay drugged,to keep me from
ahhhh . . . ahhhh . . . ahhh
chooooooooooooo!
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The April Achooooos!On the 3rd day of AprilI’m still taking DayQuil;I can’t seem to shake this darn flu!My nose is all plugged,so I have to stay drugged,to keep me from
ahhhh . . . ahhhh . . . ahhh
chooooooooooooo!
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April 2, 2016
Poetry Month, Day 2 - Delicatessen
Today's word, DELICATESSEN, was given to me by my mother, Marcia! It seems fitting since I'm sure she's the person who brought me to my first deli.
The two delicatessens I remember most from my childhood are Ashkenaz and The Pickle Barrel. Anyone else remember them?
The deli I go to most often now is Max and Benny's, because my brother loves it. Here's a picture just for him!
A lesson at the DelicatessenI’ve learned a few lessons at delicatessens,like how to tell nova from belly.And how to finagle a true Jewish bagel,and why they put fish balls in jelly.
A hot bowl of soup is a cure for the croup -whether matzo ball, kreplach or noodle.Tongue and pastrami are not like salamiand kugel is nothing like strudel.
Whatever the name, it is always the same,in any and all Jewish delis.No matter the crowd – it’ll be really loud and it’s always a great kind of smelly!
Glossary for those not familiar with Jewish food: ~ Nova and Belly are types of Lox.~ Finagle is Yiddish and means to get or achieve by guile.~ Fish balls refers to Gifilte Fish, which is a blend of chopped white fish, eggs, matzo meal and seasonings that are shaped into balls or ovals. The meter in "gifilte fish" was killing me so I used fish balls instead!~ matzo balls and kreplach are like dumplings and are served in chicken soup~ Tongue is often served in Jewish delis (not eaten by me!)~ Kugel is a baked noodle casserole
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The two delicatessens I remember most from my childhood are Ashkenaz and The Pickle Barrel. Anyone else remember them?
The deli I go to most often now is Max and Benny's, because my brother loves it. Here's a picture just for him!
A lesson at the DelicatessenI’ve learned a few lessons at delicatessens,like how to tell nova from belly.And how to finagle a true Jewish bagel,and why they put fish balls in jelly.
A hot bowl of soup is a cure for the croup -whether matzo ball, kreplach or noodle.Tongue and pastrami are not like salamiand kugel is nothing like strudel.
Whatever the name, it is always the same,in any and all Jewish delis.No matter the crowd – it’ll be really loud and it’s always a great kind of smelly!
Glossary for those not familiar with Jewish food: ~ Nova and Belly are types of Lox.~ Finagle is Yiddish and means to get or achieve by guile.~ Fish balls refers to Gifilte Fish, which is a blend of chopped white fish, eggs, matzo meal and seasonings that are shaped into balls or ovals. The meter in "gifilte fish" was killing me so I used fish balls instead!~ matzo balls and kreplach are like dumplings and are served in chicken soup~ Tongue is often served in Jewish delis (not eaten by me!)~ Kugel is a baked noodle casserole
Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. Plus, sign up for free email updates from this blog (in the upper right hand side of the page).
