I have a Rendezvous with Death

Posted on October 27, 2016 by simplygiselle

I Have a Rendezvous with Death

BY ALAN SEEGER

I have a rendezvous with Death

At some disputed barricade,

When Spring comes back with rustling shade

And apple-blossoms fill the air—

I have a rendezvous with Death

When Spring brings back blue days and fair.

It may be he shall take my hand

And lead me into his dark land

And close my eyes and quench my breath—

It may be I shall pass him still.

I have a rendezvous with Death

On some scarred slope of battered hill,

When Spring comes round again this year

And the first meadow-flowers appear.

God knows ’twere better to be deep

Pillowed in silk and scented down,

Where Love throbs out in blissful sleep,

Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath,

Where hushed awakenings are dear …

But I’ve a rendezvous with Death

At midnight in some flaming town,

When Spring trips north again this year,

And I to my pledged word am true,

I shall not fail that rendezvous.

Source: A Treasury of War Poetry (1917) via PoetryFoundation.org

I read this on the train coming home last night. It rings just as tragically beautiful as when Seeger first wrote it about a year -/+ before he entered WWI.

The love-hate relationship with October

Posted on October 24, 2016 by simplygiselle

I love Halloween, it is my favorite holiday EVER, period. However, it is also the most painful month too.

Gone too soon, only 21 years old for a few months… I am reposting this because of the 33 yrs anniversary:

It is with great displeasure that I write this post. What I wouldn’t give to have my brother back these 30+ years. To see whom he would have married, his children, his choices in life. But instead he chose one of the most unselfish ways to spend his short time here among us, he joined the Army and became an elite Ranger. Consequently he was killed during the second wave in a very small town, on a very small Caribbean island called Grenada, giving coverage to many American medical students forced to return home during a hostile political event.

A devastating time for my parents; to be told you will never see your child again, to never say good bye one last time, to say I Love You one last time. It’s one of those things we take for granted I think, saying I love you, taking for granted you will see or talk to the person tomorrow and remember ‘next time we talk’. Even saying it in passing is great to hear, but not quite the same as if you knew it would be the very last time…the very last time… heart breaking, devastating, it goes beyond that. There is just no word for the amount of empty left behind.

He was just a great person, not because he is no longer here and fond memories can sometimes overshadow the bad times, he was truly one of those people who would go out of his way for you to make sure you were happy, to help if he could, a kind and gentle soul and so very funny. He loved music, was artistic, and put up with his kid sister always tagging along when he just wanted to hang with his friends.

Ah, his friends, they were bountiful and from so many different crowds; neighborhood, school, church, sports, he fit into all the groups with ease because there were so many different levels of him to love. I could go on for pages giving him accolades, and all would be true, but I won’t.

Recently I have been given the opportunity to have him, and his unit, honored for years to come as I have been requested to submit his picture (shown above) to the National Museum, United States Army for a permanent exhibit in their halls. How proud we of him, how much we miss him every day, how I would give anything to change that day and have him back.

Operation Urgent Fury

#MemorialDay

Fab-u-lous at 50!

Posted on October 21, 2016 by simplygiselle

its-a-birthday

The age of 50 may not seem ancient to all, but as my birthday to turn the big 5-0 was just last week, it feels ancient. It is a new decade. I am no longer in that 40-49 bracket (gasp!). Waking up in the morning creates the sounds of new pops, creaks, and snaps (and ouchies)…

I am trying to make the best of it, comes to terms with it, and thankfully Goose threw me a birthday party to remind me, things are not all that bad…maybe I am not as old, decrepit, and ancient as I tend to think. She rented an enormous house-6 bedrooms, 3 bath, and a third floor ballroom!! (courtesy of my Pop wish he could have attended…), I was surrounded by amazing friends (who drove upwards of two hrs to celebrate with me), laughs all weekend long (ever played the game “cards against humanity? say no more), won $$ at roulette (yes!) and danced the night away (no hokey-pokey here). I am not sure if it gets any better than that.

victoria-me

What would I do without my Goose? An amazing young woman who goes above and beyond for those she loves. I would be lost without her.

cheers!

Cheers to another year! Thanks Mom – wish you were here – you would have shown the gang a few moves, at the expense of throwing out a hip! God Bless you!

The value of time? Priceless.

Posted on October 2, 2016 by simplygiselle

There are many things we cannot put a price on; love, trust, time…especially time… The value is priceless – it is just that simple.

goose

My daughter’s laugh; priceless (and contagious)

There is just not enough time for us to have fun together; we always want more.

If I could pay for more time with her, I would surely rob a bank.

just-dirt

finished

We paint, we plant, we indoor skydive, we vacation, we explore, we adventure…never enough time… value of time is priceless.

Happy Birthday Cake (?!)

Posted on September 14, 2016 by simplygiselle

HappyBirthday?

I would love to give credit to the person with the creativity, wit, and imagination who made this grim laugh for me, but alas I cannot.

The big 5-0 is upon me and at the moment it is a double edged sword. I can look back with pride and many smiles to all my accomplishments, travels, and an amazing daughter, but at the same time, count the days/months/years that I have left to enjoy those that remain.

No longer am I ‘middle aged’ – I am clearly on the downward side of that hill without the appropriate gear to keep me from breaking bones and living far longer than I could (and should!).

bubble

Maybe I should invest in a plastic bubble like Jake G!! It has potential, right? anyone? ::crickets::

(this post is in response to the Daily Post prompt)

Better than coffee to wake you up-and cheaper

Posted on August 29, 2016 by simplygiselle

If this doesn’t either (1) wake your ass up any time you are sleepy or (2) keep you from falling asleep due to nightmares = you are in a coma.

Sweet dreams my naïve readers, for this is what lives under your bed…..

wake your ass up

How to clean jewelry a.k.a. Are you bored too

Posted on August 28, 2016 by simplygiselle

jewelry olympics

I have been given some beautiful bracelets over the years and used to wear them every day. This past year or two I have not worn them once – too tarnished and very embarrassing!

Although the photo should be a before-and-after shot, you will just have to trust me when I say they were downright gross and in some cases just black.

After watching some videos online and articles on how to clean them (every suggestion was to bathe them in ketchup and then rinse) I thought to revert back to how I clean my rings; with toothpaste and an old toothbrush. I use the white pasty stuff so it is abrasive (you would think my teeth should be whiter WTH) and so I mixed in a bit of water to keep the scratching down to a minimum and you can see the amazing results. I strongly recommend not doing this every day or every month for that matter. It is not a daily routine maintenance for cleaning jewelry.

Inside the actual charms should stay dark – it is purposely created this way by the company to create some depth to the piece, but the tarnish came right off in minutes.

Looking forward to showing them off tomorrow at work!

Apology for one

Posted on August 10, 2016 by simplygiselle

An apology is mainly for yourself…

All of us screw up; some days more badly than others. So we apologize and ask for forgiveness. But who is the apology really for? It isn’t so much for the person you hurt as much as it is for yourself. You are only acknowledging the screw up to the recipient. You want them to realize that you know you were a jerk and agree with them.

When you apologize, whether it is accepted or not, you have released the burden from your heart.

So really… isn’t an apology just a selfish act? (on top of being a jerk in the first place?!)