Old Friends

I visited some old friends by re-watching two of my all-time favorite movies this weekend - Pride and Prejudice (2005) Sigh, how romantic! I practically have the dialogue memorized by now. The other movie was On The Waterfront (1954) - what a terrific movie and wonderful acting, it stands the test of time. One recent addition to my list of favorite movies is RocknRolla (2008) I'm not generally a fan of Guy Ritchie's films but it was cleverly written, quite funny, with great performances. It's not at the top of fave list, but it's on there near the bottom anyway. I heard rumor of a sequel, that would be awesome!
Luckily I own most of my favorite movies but there are a few I've yet to add to my collection. East of Eden and Fugitive Kind are a couple I haven't bought yet. Maybe Santa will bring them this year, who knows?!

Speaking of Santa and favorite movies, many of my favorites are Christmas movies. I can't wait for the Christmas season to officially arrive so I can watch movies like Elf, White Christmas, Bad Santa, Holiday Inn, and Surviving Christmas. No, I'm not a big fan of It's a Wonderful Life for some reason. I'm also looking forward to the holiday music. I'm a huge fan of holiday music! I currently have 834 Christmas songs on my iTunes/iPod. Yay! It's a fun time of year, even if it is a little sad and stressful at times.

Light Bulb!!

I just got an idea! I want to write a book of poems for children. My new Owl poem would fit perfectly. I've been struggling to write two novels for adults for a year, but I'd be much better at writing for children. I wrote a book for children in high school and it was quite good. So it's settled, I'm focusing my writing on children. How fun!

10/28/10 Update: The book is coming along nicely. I've written 11 pages so far (1 poem per page). I've tentatively titled it

The Animal Parade:

A Book of Poems & Rhymes for Children

By Angela Schofield

I'm dedicating it to my nephew, Gavin. Who knows if it will ever get published?! But it's a lot of fun. I'll keep posting updates on here. We'll see what happens.

10/30/10 Update: 26 pages and counting. This is fun!

Haiku of the Day

 Again, just using photos I found on Google Images. I'm running out of creativity and inspiration, but I keep writing because it's fun. I enjoy creating with words.

If I took this path

not knowing where it might lead

would you come with me? ~

Lush little garden
rich in autumnal beauty

a foot bridge to peace ~

An Ideal Intimacy

The good news is, I'm finally writing new poems of my own. The bad news is, it's possible I've been reading too many trashy romance novels lately. So, I don't know who reads this blog, but if you're my mom, or dad, or some other relative... you should probably look away. It's a little on the passionate side. I wrote this imagining a moment that will never happen with someone I know. Sometimes it's those moments that are out of our reach that are the most vivid and exciting in our imagination.

An Ideal Intimacy

you’re so easy to be with

so here I am

warm and intimate with you

our eyes locked in understanding and longing

your face inches from mine

I feel your warm breath on my lips now

The scent reminds me of saltwater taffy

slowly, softly our lips touch for the first time

your strong hand caresses my cheek

as your kiss deepens

warming me within

lips pressed in gentle love

breathing into each other

melting into each other

this is where I belong

warm and intimate with you ~

Copyright ©2010 Angela Schofield

The Owl

A silly poem really, it just came to me.

The owl said Here, come be me

But me you will never be

I shun the sun

For I need it not to see

I fly swiftly and soundless

Among the majestic trees

Along the rocky shores

Across the dark prairies

I’ve been places you will never be

Seen things you will never see

I, the owl

Wise

Effortlessly floating through the sky

Come, and try to be me

But I'm afraid,

me you will never be ~

Copyright ©2010 Angela Friberg

Haiku of the Day

A fun little exercise, I like to find a photo online and write a Haiku about it.
(Reminder: Haiku consists of 3 lines, the syllables being 5-7-5)

skirting the wonders

a river of asphalt flows

cutting through the wild

Copyright ©2010 Angela Schofield

My Poetry Aesthetic

My poetry aesthetic is simple, neat, and pretty. I'm not fond of long, complicated, or strange poems. I appreciate a few like that, but for the most part I like the mainstream, easy to read, easy to understand poetry that's meaningful but wrapped in a neat, pretty package. "Hallmark poetry" some people call it, because it could just as well be on a greeting card. What's wrong with that? I wouldn't mind writing greeting cards. I think I'd be rather good at it. And that doesn't mean I'm not a true poet. Some of the most beautiful, stirring things I've ever read have been on greeting cards. Abstraction in poetry is okay to an extent, but if you need a masters degree to grasp it, forget it. I'm not a snobby poetry elitist and I'm not ashamed to enjoy pop poetry that appeals to the masses. Poetry should be for everyone to read, write, and enjoy. 

Everyone wants to see the baby

My nephew Gavin Scott was born September 14th and it seems everyone is dying to see the baby, including me of course. This is my sister's first born, my mother's first grandchild, and of course my first nephew! Mom got to babysit him for a couple hours Friday night and she called me over to "play house" with the baby. It was fun. Today my sister and her husband stopped by so Grandma could see the baby too. It's amazing how much joy a baby can bring to people's lives.

(Above) Amy, Gavin, and his Great-Grandma Bernie

This photo was taken on our previous visit a few weeks ago. It was taken using their camera because mine is lost (gasp!). I know. It's tragic. It'll turn up sooner or later.

Poetry Mash-up

That's right, when I can't come up with anything original I steal from others. The following is a "mash-up" sorta like they do on the TV show Glee except using two poems that have something in common. (I will try not to badly skewer two classic poems.) Today the theme is l-o-v-e and I've chosen "If You Forget Me" by Pablo Neruda and "Wondrous Moment" by Alexander Pushkin. Flexing my writing muscles and typing fingers. Here goes nothing...

I want you to know
one thing.

if I look at the crystal moon

that passes through my life
The fire, and tears, and love alive

everything carries me to you

In ecstasy the heart is beating

The wondrous moment of our meeting . . .

everything carries me to you

Oh well, I did the best I could and it was fun. Just so you get something out of this and so it hasn't been a complete waste of your time, you should Google the original poems, they're quite good.

And now you know how I spend my Saturday nights. But hey, if it makes you feel a little better about your own life then I'm glad I could help :)

Letting Go

Sigh. Some people are so very hard to let go of. No matter how many days, weeks, months, or years pass by after the relationship ends, they still creep into your consciousness and cause serious glitches in your mental and emotional well-being from time to time. I can't be the only one out there who's haunted by a past love. I don't necessarily mean "the one that got away", in my case I know full well I wasn't meant to be with this person. We tried many many times and it just didn't work. Instead of lifting each other up, we tore each other down and became the worst possible version of ourselves. It was a relationship that had to end permanently, once and for all, there's no question about it. And after 11 or so years of playing the "off again, on again" game it finally did. But I still miss him terribly sometimes and I immediately compare every new guy I meet to him. The worst part is that he didn't have any trouble moving on. He even has a child now. Of course my first thought was "I was supposed to have your child!" but my second thought was that I was happy for him. And I truly am happy for him. He always wanted kids, far more than I ever did, and he finally got his wish. Congratulations. Now if you just have any advice on how I can move on too it would be much appreciated.

Yours Truly,
Hopelessly Stuck

A Pleasant Evening for a Stroll

I haven't been feeling very "bloggy" lately, but I just got back from a nice evening stroll and feel inspired to write a little. It's a very still night, not even a light breeze, which makes the chilly 41 degree temperature very tolerable. The full moon in the clear sky is just lovely. The older I get the more I appreciate the quieter moments like these, and the more I appreciate nature too. When I was younger I stayed indoors A LOT. Well, frankly I still do. I make a cozy little nest for myself in my house and I feel safe and comfortable there. But now, I like to take frequent breaks and just get outside. When I was younger I paid little attention to the world around me. I was in my own little world, caught up in my own issues, viewing everything through an "Angie" lens. A narrow lens indeed. I never noticed the simple beauty of a sunrise. Hell, as much as I slept in I doubt I ever saw one. And even though I was raised kinda in the country, on acres of wooded land surrounded by corn fields, I never noticed the flora or fauna. I saw a few colorful sunsets, but never fully appreciated them. And I certainly never noticed how gorgeous the stars are out in the country on a clear fall evening when you can see them stretching right down to the horizon in all directions. Or the way a full moon illuminates the countryside so brightly you can go for a walk without a flashlight. Or the way it rises and arcs through the night sky like it's counterpart during the day. These are things I am just beginning to notice and enjoy. I suppose it's never too late.  

Sometimes the ends justify the mean

Another priceless dialogue exchange from The Office.

Dwight:  There's still one thing we could do to get Toby fired.
Michael: What's that?
Dwight:  Frame him for using drugs.
Michael: Frame him?
Dwight:  Yeah, it's illegal but everything they do on The Shield is illegal. 
Michael: I've never framed a man before, have you?
Dwight: Oh, I've framed animals before. I've framed a raccoon for opening a Christmas present and I framed a bear for eating out of the garbage.
Michael: (sigh) It just seems awfully mean. But sometimes the ends justify the mean.


Yes, I'm still in my comedy-watching phase and incapable of posting anything else at the moment.