Saturday, April 14, 2018

Visit to Carlos's Home in Point Pleasant PA - The Bus Trip that never was - Poems: Available: Property for Rent - Teddy Roosevelt's Mansion-

Yesterday Donna drove us to the immense unusual house that Carlos and his late wife Barbara built. Twas a rocky ride for Mom, who gets car sick.

Read about Barbara here from the Michener Museum.

Click on the museum link to view a couple of her paintings and a view down her stairwell, reminiscent of the Hitchcock film Vertigo.

My guess is their house has about 30 different rooms, including her collections of unopened boxes of dolls. What's Carlos gonna do with all this stuff?

When we first arrived - it took us about an hour from Mom's house - he had a nice spread waiting for us in the Hummingbird Room, which is where Barbara, sadly, died. She could look outside on her beloved view of nature. Now the spring peepers are climbing up trees to find a mate.

Peep peep peep peep. For such tiny frogs, they make a lot of noise.

Wait wait! Here I come! Don't move. I LOVE the sound of your peep and want to have your children.

Just between you and me, that's what I thought when I met my ex-husband. He was so different than me. Blue-eyed and blond, spoke with a Texas twang, and was brilliant!

Country song: But he treated me mean and put me down, so I jumped on a plane and left for good.

Carlos served us a delicious spread, walnuts, loads of fruit, and Pelligrino Sparkling Water.



I first tasted the water when Sarah and I traveled to St Martin's and ate at a spectacular French restaurant.

Must everything be controversial? Sparkling water is!

Fell asleep as soon as I hit the pillow.

Hold on while I eat some Kirkland unsalted mixed nuts. The big bottle is at Scott's for safekeeping so I won't overdose.

Image result for kirkland mixed nuts unsalted

***

Playing of sad music. Click here.

Was really psyched to go on a bus trip sponsored by Cheltenham Adult Evening School. B/c it was gonna be 84 degrees, I decided a dress would be the coolest thing to wear, plus a sweater for the A/C bus.

Got there half an hour early and was denied entry. You're not on our list, said an incredibly unsympathetic woman. You can wait around, said the other woman, to see if someone doesn't show up, tho there we only reserved 50 seats at the restaurant.

Most important, said the woman holding the bottles of water, is Did you pay? Do you have your checkbook?

I don't carry my checkbook around with me, I snapped.

Got off the bus, waited a couple minutes, and thought, Just leave!

Went home, found a copy of my check for $154 for Theodore Roosevelt's House on Long Island, plus another check for The Hudson Valley and Storm King Sculpture Garden - which Ellen Rosenberg told me I must see - which I knew.

My sister Ellen wisely told me, "See if the checks were cashed."

According to my credit union records, they were not cashed. Called up and talked to Ray, who said, No, they were never cashed!

They were made out in February, which is when their catalog arrived and yes, I did mail them to the correct address.

Wrote them a polite letter, then, after realizing the checks were never cashed I left them a voice message and said I'm really angry!

***

Didn't feel like going to my writer's group today. Took c/o important business.

In the past 10 days I've gotten at least 20 phone calls from Microsoft telling me to renew my latest Microsoft disk. Called Staples and they said It's a SCAM.

Then I returned my gorgeous navy blue sandals I bought yesterday at Dress Barn. "Cat" was my wonderful sales girl.

She'd ask all her customers, Do you have a special event you're buying these for? (She's worked there 9 years but has always been in retail.)    

Ouch! Ouch! My poor aching feet! Why did I ever buy these?

Right next door is the Willow Grove Hair Cuttery where I had my hair colored again by Pedrera who takes infinite pains with her clients. She was booked solid but fit me in.

I looked great when I left. In the a m  when I awoke at 5 a m  to drive to the high school my hair was a mess, so I wet it and it looked fine.

***

Poets: Step up to the microphone. Here's some recent poems yours truly has written.

AVAILABLE: RENTAL PROPERTY

Years ago this was the office of
Jerrold Electronics, a low-lying
building on Byberry Road, a cable company
built by the late Governor Milton J Schapp,
the first Jewish governor of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.

Perhaps the architect was inspired by Robert Venturi
and Denise Scott-Brown, still alive in their 80s.

Can viewing a building for two seconds
as I drove by listening to a James Patterson
audio book inspire me?

Why not? The Kaddish cup from Haiti on my
sunny window sill inspires me. B.F. Postel's
pointalist paintings we viewed yesterday
in Point Pleasant, inspires me.

Get up, Lazy Girl!
Stop looking out the
window at the cheerleader
in short shorts walking
her little white dog.

Do something!
Do something!
Stand out in the morning sun
holding out your arms and shout
Hail Caesar! Hail Cleopatra.

***

TEDDY ROOSEVELT'S MANSION

View pics here.

Image result for theodore roosevelt

Teddy, dear, this be's my favorite photo of you
Moustaches have many names, these are the
janitorial broom whiskers.

Sagamore Hills, often called The Summer
White House, is a great show-off palace.
Elephant tusks, c'mon man, how'd YOU
like it if someone tugged off your ears
as a trophy.

I'm gonna rest my tired feet on your
front porch. Would love some
lemonade with ice, please.

Oh, thank you, sir. It really
hit the spot.

And, yes, please drive me
to the train station in one
of the those luxury automobiles
with the leather seats and
pouches to store my Scotch
and soda.

Here's to you, Teddy!
And to conservation of
ever-diminishing species.
See what you can do
in your new platform,
wherever that be!

***
IF YOU'LL LET ME

I'm gonna use my imagination
What's going on? All these noises
in my house. Creaks. Moans. Groans.
Ghosts have returned and are walking
around loud as popcorn going off
in the Jiffy Corn Popper, careful
not to burn them

And another thing. When I turn
my head and look upstairs methinks
I see them, slinking along, never
breathing, hooded, with blue eyes
as if they own the place.

Image result for jiffy pop


No comments:

Post a Comment