general - Arlene Bice

Son Kenny’s Poetry of Love 1982

December 29, 2013 Arlene

Since it is near the end of the year 2013, a good time for browsing through files, going over the past, readying for the future, I came across this item in my folder.

In 2005: I found this poem while cleaning out the attic for the big move to the South. This is how son Kenneth Bice Morrison wrote and set the poem six months before he passed away in an auto accident. Hopefully the young woman he wrote it for happens to read it.

Jan ‘82

I remember
the ferria in Seville
and Rota
and in some town tween there
and a bull fight in Sanlucar.
going for a ride in a rent-a-car.

I remember
way too much drinking
far to few
moments spent with you.

I remember
picking flowers
partying at late hours
your fear of height in a tall church tower.

I remember
falling
madly
hopelessly
in love.

Memories
of the way it used 2 B
brings a fear rushing over me

Wraps around my heart
A crazy love

I live imprisoned by a forsaken love
It does NOT have to be this way. . .

general, women

Purple Socks

December 24, 2013 Arlene

What is it about purple socks? I began wearing purple-colored socks and only that color, at least 10 years ago. I first came across them at the Columbus Farmers’ Market in New Jersey. They have a huge flea market outside covering acres of new and used items on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Sox Lady there makes her own socks and brings them to the market each week. I bought a dozen pair, all the same; all from the same dye lot. No longer would I have to go searching for a mate. Just reach into the pile and pull out two socks. Voila`. A matched set.
I have no idea where the idea of wearing purple socks came from or why I chose that color and not pink, orange, or my favorite color, green. If you know, please let me know.
A few years ago I went to our local radio station, WARR 1520 AM to do an interview with Sherman Johnson. As I waited my turn in the foyer, a gal walked in…..wearing purple socks. She glanced down at my feet and smiling, said, “Hi, I’m Sharon.”
I liked her instantly. Was it the shared love of purple socks? Did it mean more than two people liking the same thing? We chatted casually, half listening to Mr. Johnson on the air. We met again briefly, a year or two later, at a Warren Artists’ Market (WAM) poetry slam in the Warren County Memorial Library. Her teenage son Noah was reciting that night. He sounded like a natural, words rolling off his tongue without effort. At least it seemed to me to be without effort.
Another few months passed before our next meeting at the Senior Center where I had arrived a bit late. I say a bit late because Sharon had invited me on that first meeting, to come to the Center and give a workshop on writing. Stuff kept cropping up, getting in the way until the invitation faded in my mind. Now I was there to team-teach writing, poetry mixed with memoir.
I realize that when a path is laid out, I may drift away from it, but I will get back on it because the path is still there, waiting.
And I was delighted to see Sharon was still wearing purple socks, as I was, too.

general, Poetry, writing

More on the Drunken Sorceress

December 16, 2013 Arlene

Nearly a year ago Thomas (Park) came up with the idea of putting together an anthology of poetry. Of course I said, “Good idea!”
So it began. We sent out invitations to writers we know across the country. Following is a list of the people whose talented words you will be reading in poem or prose form in Sitting with a Drunken Sorceress, the title poem of Thomas’.
D. Bernard Alston, Devonte’ Alston, Arlene S.Bice, Carrie Champion, Susanne Doucet, Rebecca Dutton, Otis Evans, LaVerne Gardner, Margaret Griffin, Elizabeth Groeger, Kate Guilford, Nancy Iak, Patricia Lapidus, ET Malone, Parker Mincey, Mary Ann Myers, Nancy Cassada Nelson, Eleanore Newbauer, Thomas Park,Jack Peachum, Gary Peterson, Abigail Pillitteri, Judith Prest, Mike Ranes, Thom Record, Kaylee A Roach, Seth Saeugling, Savannah Short, Mary Sullivan, Robert J. Surrette, Hilda Ward, Anita Merriweather Williams, Jyoti Wind,
We were working toward a totally unrealistic publishing date of June 2013, but then writers often work with fantasy. So we pushed the date ahead to September which could possibly have been attained. But alas, the little leprechaun that lives in my house, popped up to cause a few more road blocks. He likes me to know he is alive, well and in control.

Our dear friend, greatly talented artist JA Person was to have his original art work on the cover of the book. In between taking photos of his art work and getting his written permission, JA died. Suddenly. Out of respect for his talent and our friendship, we attempted to have someone in the family sign over one-time copyright for the piece. Sadly, his aging mother passed away shortly after.

We extended the deadline again to come up with new cover art. Next we planned a Holiday Season release just in time for gift-giving.

OMG! The ‘proof’ came back from the printers with the uncorrected copyright page showing JA’s name. Uh-oh. The manuscript had to go back to the printer with the correct information. Uh-oh. The second ‘proof’ was not corrected, either.

Now, surely, Sitting with a Drunken Sorceress will be available for purchasing before the new year.

Hmmmm. I wonder about that drunken sorceress.

Bordentown, general

New Car; Not a Mask

October 31, 2013 Arlene

definitly a happy face, not a mask…

Okay, okay. I know everyone else is writing, talking Halloween. Well, I just want to reassure y’all about my recent excitement.
I pondered and pondered. How was I going to buy a car with the small amount I would be getting from the insurance company? I was hoping for 5k, which probably doesn’t buy much in the automotive field. I was right. I didn’t want to buy someone else’s problems….I have plenty of those myself.
Someone suggested CarMax. This is all new to me……For my last couple of vehicles I just drove a few miles to Florence (NJ) to Totten Chevrolet, spoke to Jim Lynch (someone I knew I could trust) told him what I wanted and voila! A fair price, a good car and no hassle. Pick it up the next day or two.
Florence, NJ is now 400 miles from me. I am a pioneer in not-so-new-territory. Time to adapt.
CarMax had a 2007 Toyota for $10,000. It looked okay to me on the PC. But then I spoke to Jonathan Wilson (not the Bordentown artist Jonathan Wilson) and he gave me some information to think about. He is with Enterprise Car Sales in Raleigh, NC. I did think. And compared. And called Jonathan back realizing he is a man I could trust. And I’m glad I did.
For $12,000 and low-interest financing I drove home (THAT SAME DAY WOW!) a 2012 Mazda 2, RED (at my age why do dull) hatchback, which I love, love, love! It fits me to a T!
Buying a car is about your own personal likes and A SALES REP THAT YOU CAN TRUST.

And I am back on the road again….me and Willie Nelson are always on the road again. My brother Bob says I was in a time warp about buying a car. I reminded him that I am usually in the 18th or 19th century.

Bordentown, general

No New is Good News, Here is my News

October 30, 2013 Arlene

Well, apologies to all for not staying in touch. It has been an exceptionally busy two months culminating in a wrap that the mini-series on TV couldn’t have conjured up more.

After driving 400 miles easily and safely from a long weekend in Bordentown, NJ to 6 miles from home at 5 a m a few weeks ago, a big buck ran into the front of my Chevy Tracker. BOOM! His running partner glazed off the side of the car, knocking the back bumper askew. I had been singing at the top of my lung capacity along with Chuck Jackson, relaxed and having a good ole time knowing I was 5 or 6 minutes from home.

Stunned! I was stunned! I deep-down believed that I would never a catastrophe with a deer. Here were two of them! I don’t mind eating them but to harm one is something else. (that makes no sense but there it is) I instantly felt remorse at bringing this guy down. Actually, he flew into the air (in slo mo) and landed somewhere in the field where he came from.

What to do? I’ve never had an accident. It was 5 a m. Who do I call at that hour? I drove about 60 ft. before pulling over to check the tires; to see whether I could drive home or no. One car did come up the road behind me, drove around me and kept on going. He wasn’t in sight when the deer and I collided.

My poor Betsie (car pet name) looked just awful, yet as she has always done, she would get me home okay. I was fine, no pulled muscles or broken anything on me. I was cool, too. No physical harm to anyone except the poor deer. I instantly pleaded for forgiveness. Then I cautiously (a bit late for that?) drove on home hearing the clinks and clanks of items dropping off the car as we limped homeward like the wounded soldier that she was.

general, Poetry, writing

Fortune Cookies for Writers & Poets

September 4, 2013 Arlene

As the quote you get out of the fortune cookie after a meal in an Oriental restaurant seems to be just the right saying for you at the moment, so does the quote you choose blindly out of a basket full of fortune cookie sayings, is the perfect thought for you to be writing about at the very moment you read it.
This is a very good writing prompt to use when ideas dry up or you are having a blank day. Copy a bunch of the quotes on line, put them in a basket & let them sit for a day when your muse has gone out wandering.
We recently did this in my writing group.

This is my result:

Much More Grows in the Garden Than What is Planted There.
(Fortune cookie saying)

When I take photos of my garden at dusk or dawn
I catch the fairies dancing, playing,
caring for the herbs & flowers
planted there
adding more of their own design

the beautiful moon flowers must be a favorite
for they, too rest when the sun goes down
by closing up their petals as large,
as white as the silvery moon that shines
the fairies seemingly disappear at night, too

but I know that is when they add
to the beauty of my garden
by kissing the seeds to help them bloom
after the rain plumps them up
& the soil wraps them in a loving hug

the sun follows up with a brilliant beam
to encourage their growth
thanks go to them daily
for the colors of the season
as I sit to reflect in my garden of joy

art, general, Poetry, reflection, writing

The Eyes of Writers & Artists

August 28, 2013 Arlene

Finding a subject to write about comes from the many different things that we look at. It is the seeing what we look at and putting it into words that that makes us writers; like an artist sees objects differently than those who are not artists. They see the greens, yellows, pinks, and blues in a tree trunk where the average person may see only a brown tree trunk.

During a recent writing group session Maggie Chalifoux brought in a couple of her abstract paintings and we all wrote very different responses to them. Our various responses came from seeing the same painting but bringing our own experiences and inner thoughts to the writing piece. This is the poem I wrote to explain what I saw.

Life Magic Through My Eyes
(inspired by a Maggie Chalifoux abstract painting)

As the mist rises up
droplets float down
the world responds
with motion and life
as seasons change

one feeding the other
waters lap the shore
birthing trees and greenery
creating movement
of days into night

*** I recently received notice of the new website listed here of a long-time friend, Jyoti Wind, who is an experienced astrologer, shaman, published writing leader and homeopathic consultant. Please check out her website if any of these subjects appeals to you. www.jyotiwindastrology.com

Cats, general, reflection

Write Down Your Story

August 10, 2013 Arlene

After being away several months writing, and re-writing, and re-writing the final pages in my latest manuscript, IT’S PERSONAL, I’m back to blogging again. Hope you will return with me.

We all have stories. They are all over. Each item in this picture has a story i.e. the paintings on the wall, the settee, Lizzie cleaning herself on the settee, the afghan, the pillow. You get the idea.
Even the house/apartment we live in, the utensils used in the kitchen, a particular set of clothes that hangs in your closet. Stories are everywhere. The writer is the one who thinks about that story then writes it down to share it with others.
These stories that are tucked way back in our minds often explain what we do and how we do it. They are the events that shaped our personalities that guide the way we do things. Bringing a story out of the treasure box into the light can be joyful but it can be painful, too. If you write about the painful one, even if you burn it afterwards, you can help alleviate that pain.
So do it. Write down your story.

art, general, movies

The Art of Klimpt & More

January 17, 2013 Arlene

Anything that mentions Gustav Klimpt catches my attention. From there I follow the thread from one thing to another, then find a movie and go there to learn more. This time the movie was about Alma Mahler Gropius Werfel (nee Schindler) who I believe was related to Klimpt. Her story enraptured me.

The Bride of the Wind is that movie and I have enjoyed viewing it several times over the years. Each time I watch it, I see something I haven’t noticed before. To me, that’s a sign of a really good movie.

It’s a true story set in Victorian Vienna, the city that inspired many great artists of music, architecture, fine art, and literature. It also inspired Alma as she later in life became the famous composer she dreamed of when she was young, but not allowed to be,

Jonathan Pryce plays the role of her first husband, the famous Viennese composer Gustav Mahler. His compositions are still recorded and played today. The ruggedly handsome Vincent Perez plays the role of Oskar Kokaschka, painter of the real Bride of the Wind with his usual intense presence. Oskar’s painting is full of passion, in all blues, very different from the one shown here on the cover of the DVD, which is presented in the style of Klimpt. Seeing Perez in this movie led me to buy another of his films, Swept from the Sea. The thread goes on.

general

Indoor Winter Garden

January 11, 2013 Arlene

The days have been dreary even if they are warming up a bit now. This is the time of year when I really appreciate a little color in the house now that any holiday decorations are down and packed. It’s the time when the plants I brought in from the garden are beginning to bloom. Except for some reason half of my Christmas Cactus bloomed at Thanksgiving and the other half is brilliantly pink now.

I’ve been looking for two pillars or boxes just the right height to hold the extra bookshelf slats I had in the shed. Unable to find them, so I put two folding chairs on temporary duty. After all it is the color in the flowers and the fresh herbs that are the stars of the show.

The thyme and rosemary also stay healthy and green inside then go back into the garden again. It’s delightful to have herbs to snip at my fingertips without going into the outside cold.

The other flowers are geraniums in hot pink and pale pink which travel back later to the garden. For the first time I brought my pink petunia inside. It has been blooming like it found a home and loves it.