Sunday, July 31, 2016

A short short story with three more words of happiness.

Timothy's Time

Timothy enjoyed playing with his Tinker Toys,  Building a turning ferris wheel from wooden spools and brightly colored sticks entertained him for hours.  While other children were fixated on their phone screens following Pokemon Go critters here and there, Timothy built things.  Pleasure for Timothy was imaging his next build project, studying architectural plans in books, drawing images of it on scrap paper he picked up from the library, and returning home with ideas sprouting from his the top of his brown, fuzzy head.

His walk home with his mom, past the park and into his neighborhood was a celebration for all that was possible to an five-year-old, freed at last from chemo tubes.

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Words to help you do Happy today

Hmmm.  It's interesting that although I am having fun writing mini posts on three-at-a-time of the "happiest words in literature" (Atlantic magazine 7/12/16)--others seems to be passing on my posts.  Oh, well, in spite of the low reader numbers, here we go:

Rainbow:  Of course, I think about "Wizard of Oz" the movie and Judy Garland's iconic song, but I also think about Irish folktales and a pot o' gold, and the scope of the sky when a rainbow arc extends across the desert sky.  All good and happy thoughts.

Smile: Science says that even when you fake a smile, moving the muscles of the mouth to an upward curve stimulates the brain to produce happy hormones.  Try it NOW!

Won: Oh, I could go dark easily and connect this word to the political convention we have just witnessed this week.  But he-who-shall-not-be-named will not come long to this blog post.  So I have to deliberately switch my mind to connect "won" to more light-filled types of contests such as:  a swim meet, educational award, or even romance as "she won his heart forever."  There--love came in through an open window.  Surprise!!

And here's a Buddha Doodle to take that message to another level of love--


Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Wednesday's Win

[the next three "happiest words"]

Joy--gladness, delight, glee, cheer, sunshine, cheefulness (Roget's Thesaurus)

Successful--Last night we watched the movie "The Finest Hours". According to Disney who lost 75 million on the movie, it was not a success.  But we would argue that is was successful to us: it lifted our spirits into the cloudy night, amazed our eyes with its technical beauty, stirred our sense of hope in human perserverance through able acting, and distracted us (successfully) from the political noise on television.

Win--At what age do we learn that to win is better than to lose?  Does it happen before we start school, grades and ranking?  Do we learn it at home from our families, friends?  I am trying to recall when I first sensed that I would not always win (and that winning was happier than losing)--.  My memory goes back to playing jacks with my older cousin, Sarah.

Being older, her fingers and hands were more adept at throwing the ball and scooping the metal pieces into her hands.  I learned that "more" (jacks in hand) were better than fewer and the higher the ball bounced, chances to grab more jacks increased--to a point. But if the ball went too high or too far, all was lost.  I think I was four or five when I learned this.

And I guess I am still learning what it means to win....  Today it means a clean mammogram, results from blood work that need only modest tweaks in medication, and, of course a major win is waking up each morning and being able to breath, move, swim, write.


Monday, July 18, 2016

Three More on Monday

Laughing--I never skip my daily read of newspaper comics. Pearls before Swine, by Stephen Pastis, always helps me start my day laughing.

Excellent--We had excellent baseball seats at Chase Field, thanks to Costco's 1/2 price purchase card.






Laughs--We stayed up a bit late last night and had a few laughs watching tv reruns of "Mash" and the classic "Odd Couple."

[note: these are next 3 "happiest" words from the ATLANTIC 7/12/16 "The 200 Happiest Words in Literature" by Adrienne LaFrance}




Thursday, July 14, 2016

Next 3 "happiest" words

Happy--Pharrel Williams took this word to YouTube and Grammy Land

Laughed--Surprisingly, I laughed a lot while reading the memoir sections of Stephen King's book, "On Writing".

Laugh--Seinfeld (especially the "Festivus" episode) and Parks and Recreation (Little Sebastion tributes are great)  reruns are my "go to" place when I need a laugh, and that's usually everyday!


Tuesday, July 12, 2016

#1-3 Happiest Words from The ATLANTIC 7/12/16 "The 200 Happiest Words in Literature", Adrienne LaFrance

Laughter--the sound of ripples in a crowd of kids playing with water balloons on a hot, summer day.

Happiness--celebrated in 4th of July speeches and pursued by app users with Pokemon.

Love--what the world needs now.


Sunday, July 10, 2016

Something Silly: Two Summer Poems

Finding Dory
[Response to Poets & Writers Prompt, 7/7/16—write a poem about a blockbuster summer movie]

Dory repeats,
Circles,
Splashes,
Jumps in and out of sea water and fresh water--
A blue and yellow bird with fins.
Along her journey—
Her friends never desert her or
Want her to change her ways.
Dory never gives up.
She repeats,
Circles,
Splashes….

Popcorn Snow
[Response to a prompt: the snow is falling but those are not snowflakes]

It’s a topsy-turvy land.
Trees grow with
Russet roots spreading upward into a
Gingham sky.
Children touch velvet clouds,
Sleep in hammocks perched on pillows of purple grass.
Winter brings rain of glistening pearl drops
And
In summer,
Hills are covered with popcorn snow.



Friday, July 1, 2016

A boy's story

This was written as a submission to a Hemingway short story contest.  Since I haven't heard from the contest sponsors, I am assuming this story will not be given an award, so I am free to publish it with the addition of a photo of "Raphael", my dad in his Army uniform.


Master or Fool: a tribute to Ralph P. Fonte by anita c. fonte

So while his wife was at mass with the children, he finished corking the last bottles of wine in the basement.  Satisfied with the job, he sat on the cool cement step and slowly ate an apple with a slice of cheese.  When his wife returned, he would ask Raphael to join him outside in the garden.  Ripe tomatoes hung from the vines and needed to be picked.  While picking, he would start the conversation that he practiced in his mind.

“See this one; she is almost too full. We must make sure we clip her stem and take her inside to Ma.”
“I know. I will do that.”
“Grazie, you understand.  And there is more I need.”
“Of course, just tell me what you need me to do.”
“I can’t bend and carry water to the trees and plants like I used to.”
“Sure, I can do that.”
“No, not just here. But at Flores’ place.”
“You mean where you work?”
“Si.”
“But you do that in the morning when I am at school.”
“Si.”
“So what are you asking?  You know I only have a few more weeks before I finish.”
“Si.  But now is when I need you.  It doesn’t matter if you finish.  You can work.”

At this point, his imagination failed him.  What would if he do if his son refused, insisting to stay in school?  Bah, he was the papa.  If his children didn’t obey him on all things, then he was also a failure at home.  No, he would insist.  If not with words then with the slap of his hand.  Si, if it came to that.  Just like his papa in the old country.  One is the master or one is a fool.
He got up.  He heard his children singing in the yard.  He went up the steps and opened the green cellar door to the blue sky.

“Raphael. Come here.  I need you in the garden.”
“Si, papa.”