Monday, December 17, 2012

Coffeeshop Writers Group - Beatriz, Earth Advocate - Lima Bean Soup / Poem: The Last Recital

Carly gave everyone a copy of this beautiful saying: There's no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It's why you were born.

After meditating with Deepok Chopra, Carly discovered hers. The woman with the contagious laff discovered she was called to:

- be a Cadillac Truck saleswoman?

- own an Auntie Annie Soft Pretzel Franchise or

- help people?

Like the rest of us, she brought in a poem and we all gave feedback, even tho she said, "Okay, guys, rip it to shreds!"

Carly Brown models her jacket.

That is one gorgeous jacket, Carly Brown!

Beatriz, the biologist, brot in an essay called The Midge and the Chocolate Lover, which is published here.

The English mystery writer Anthony Eglin emailed B and asked if he could quote her in the book he was working on, The Trail of the Wild Rose.

Beatriz brot in the book which was inscribed by Eglin himself.

How bout dat?

She also brot in a published story called Toward the Plastic-free Garden which is mandatory reading for all Americans, including your own sweet self!

Lima bean soup resting on Jonatha Johnson's quilt.

I'm a huge eater. For the first bowl, I melted some cheese in it and sprinkled green scallions on top.

For the second and third bowls, I didn't feel like getting the cheese out again, but I spied my peanut butter on the table. Alas, the Giant has apparently stopped carrying Krazy Richard's, my fave, so I got my second choice, Smuckers, with no salt added.

I dolloped the lima bean soup w peanut butter and it was out of this world!

Saw my endo today - diabetes dr - Dr Laura Fitzpatrick and she said I was doing great. I always bring in my log book. She asked why I go "low," which I do quite frequently.

Laura L. Fitzpatrick

"You don't pass out, tho, do you?" she asked.

"No, never!" I said.

Thunk.

Well, after napping at Scott's just now, I was 77 (normal is 80 to 120), and I casually stepped over to my stash of carbs and ate one whole-grain pretzel while the fresh Lima Soup was heating up.

The movie we napped to was on Channel 17....A Night to Remember, an excellent British film about The Titanic.


from the 1958 A Night to Remember. Well-acted, well-photographed.

Back at the Writer's Group, one of the women had finally found a job but was fired immediately! Imagine what that does to your ego.

Being fired is a terrible experience. I've lost jobs about half a dozen times. In the long run, though, you learn things by being fired. As a psychotherapist, I can empathize with people and know what a terrible blow it is.

Why was she fired? No one trained the woman. How can you do a job if you don't know what you're doing?

I've heard this story numerous times at New Directions.

The reason I was late to our Writer's Group was cuz I was baking bread for the Garofolas party. I only had 45 minutes in which to write the two poems I had scheduled for myself.

I had taken notes when Hobensack Landscaping trimmed my maple tree, so I wrote that first and published it with the photos.

I'm sure you can't wait to read it.

The other one was about my piano teacher, Mrs. Ann Kultti, from Twinsburg, Ohio.

I had recently 'friended' on FB the maestro of students, who like most of us, married and moved out of Cleveland.

May I remiscence?

After the recital at the Music Settlement,


Music Settlement on University Circle, Cleveland

Dad would drive us to the Howard Johnson nearby.



I'd always order a banana split with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. And could not wait to go home and change out of my dress. I was always a tomboy and couldn't stand wearing suffocating dresses.


Lanz of Salzburg.

THE LAST RECITAL

I played little songs on the piano
on Marlindale
so mom signed me up for lessons
I was six and afraid of everyone
but Teacher became part of our family

A Christian Scientist, she prayed when
she’d hit her shin on the coffee table on
Glenmore
applied lotion to her curved hands that
fluttered across the keys like
migrating birds

Eighteen now, I wore a red Lanz dress
to the Music Settlement in downtown Cleveland
In the summer breeze
Arlyn Katovsky’s movie-star parents
held each other in the breeze of the French doors
while Arlyn, who looked like a Japanese princess
played a Korngold sonata
by heart.

Manly Simms, our star,
sent off for special lessons and finger exercises,
sat like a master at the keyboard
head bent low
foot on the pedal
he played with what we all tried to do
but couldn't:
expression.

Before I went on, I went backstage
with diarrhea
and found a little practice room where
I played my Brahms Rhapsody, or was it the
third movement of the Appassionata?
See how time dims our memories?
And when I was finished
as mom advised
"gave Teacher a little peck on the cheek."

But you, Mrs. Kultti, I will never forget.
Your death aboard a cruise ship was
a fine place to die.
Time has left both Manly and myself alive.
Time took Arlyn in her fifties
down in Florida,
a sweet aromatic place in which to die.

If you have any influence in the afterlife,
tell Arlyn I miss her
and keep Manly and me safe
until Chopin’s Funeral March
plays underneath
our beds.

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