A Poem For A Wednesday

Talking in Bed
Philip Larkin

Talking in bed ought to be easiest,
Lying together there goes back so far,
An emblem of two people being honest.

Yet more and more time passes silently.
Outside, the wind's incomplete unrest
Builds and disperses clouds about the sky,

And dark towns heap up on the horizon.
None of this cares for us. Nothing shows why
At this unique distance from isolation

It becomes still more difficult to find
Words at once true and kind,
Or not untrue and not unkind.


Ack! I don't really like this because it makes me sad and I'm a sadness avoider, but at the same time, it's just so well done that I can't help but to like it. I love the images of the wind building and dispersing clouds and the towns heaping up on the horizon. I suppose taking the time to be sad for a moment will help make the un-sad moments seem all the more un-sad. Um, I am contradicting myself but I think that is what the narrator is doing as he describes being close but actually quite far from someone he loves(d).

Places to Travel - Part Three

How could Hawaii NOT appear on this list? I have been DYING to go there. We contemplated the islands for our honeymoon, but really wanted to be pampered and knew we could get more bang for our buck in Mexico. Someday it must happen.

Let's talk science (hahahhahaha this is sort of hysterical to think I can do this). The Big Island in Hawaii boasts 11 of the world's 13 climate zones packed into a 4000 square mile clump of land. This includes desert, hot humid rainforest and snow-capped mountains.  How could we resist wanting to see that crazy combo?! It's a vista seeker's paradise.

The only downside is travel time but in this lovely little fantasy world I've created I have limitless time and money so who cares? I happened across this useful outline of the islands when honeymoon researching and can use it as a guide for planning a pointless faux itinerary. A girl can dream.

Kauai is a must-visit with the Na Pali coastline and huge cliffs dropping waterfalls right into the Pacific Ocean. And if you're not into cliffs (I disown you) try a little boat ride down the Wailua River or some spectacular views at Waimea, the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific." And duh, visit a beach or seven.

So yeah, nothing to see here. After Kauai, I'd like to explore a smaller, off the beaten track island, perhaps Molokai, described as "tucked away from the hustle of the outside world." Must visit Kalaupapa National Park! The tiny Molokai village of Kalaupapa was the settlement to which all of the island's lepers were exiled--since 1866, over 8,000 Hawaiians died of the disease there. A three-mile trail traverses through the tallest sea cliffs in the world before returning to sea level and arriving at the village. Hello!

Last but not least, we have to go vista hunting on Big Island. Black sand beaches, the Volcano National Park (!!), and rainforests await. It's overwhelming to even begin to narrow the options, but luckily, this is all fake. Sigh.

End of Summer Nostalgia

For the first time in as long as I can remember, I am dreading the end of summer. Growing up as a goodie two shoes nerd, I always anxiously looked forward to selecting my new Trapper Keepers, notebooks, and Smurf pencil cases as part of the back to school rush. And during college, August brought with it a ceremonial burning of the Blimpie uniform and a new job as a student orientation leader. Even long after time was defined by semesters, late summer meant the perpetual smell of steaming trash on New York's sidewalks and sweaty, jostling commuters packing the subway platforms. I couldn't wat for all that to end.

But now I just want the warm, sunny days to go on and on. The evenings have been cool up at Round Pond and while it makes for cozy sleeping weather, it also makes me realize just how soon my work schedule will pick up and we won't make the weekly trek to the house. My parents joined us this weekend and while it took an insane amount of hours to drive from Upstate NY, I think they enjoyed it, perhaps seeing a bit more of why it's such a special spot for us.

My dad brought along some vegetables from his impressive garden as well as batches of my favorite bright zinnias. On Saturday, we got to work stacking firewood and planting some new bushes, and while it all happened in a totally different setting, it felt like the home from my youth. Slanting sun in the leaves and a peaceful comfortability that made me nostalgic for the past.

Places To Travel - Part Two

Dublin

These posts feel lame, but at the very least, I will have a collection of potential vacation destinations when a bundle of time and money lands in my lap.

Until then, we move over the Atlantic to IRELAND! I'm not very versed on Irish geography, but let's bumble our way through the land of shamrocks, green beer (does this actually happen there?) and much of my heritage. That is what the internet is for after all!

I think the ideal trip would involve Dublin and some sort of coastal views. As we know, the potential for vistas often motivates my travel yearnings, and based on some googling and ogling at friends' photos, it seems as though we should make a stop on Ireland's west coast.

So yeah, a few days exploring Dublin then a cross country road trip over to County Connemara where I'd gladly bunker down in the Ballynahinch Castle for a few nights. I mean, a castle nestled in trees and mountains overlooking some sort of lake. It's gorgeous. It's a castle! Why not!?

Ballynahinch Castle

From there, we can day trip it down towards Galway and a bit further to the Cliffs of Moher for ocean, cliff, and countryside vistas. Spend some time drooling at the coastal views and perhaps even head on up to County Mayo, well, just because it's County Mayo. Would also love to visit Cork in the southern part of the country because the city and surrounding countryside seem postcard picturesque. Also, I can never remember where my dad's family is from, but I think it is Cork so it would be neat to visit the old Moran stomping grounds.

Based on my limited internet sleuthing for Ireland images, I should really move this up the list. Who's with me?

Dingle Peninsula

Cork

Coastline near Galway

Places To Travel - Part One

Glacier NP in Montana

Whew, after some blah blah blah-ing about world issues, I'm dashing back to the safety of these blog post suggestions. In the meantime, I hope I haven't offended anyone.

The next suggested topic is "Describe five places you want to travel." This is basically an impossible task. 55...sure. 505...on it. But five is just ridiculous. I will try to stick to five but might cheat a little. Actually, I'm going to split these into different posts. Otherwise, you'll get carpal tunnel scrolling through the blabber.

I'll open with a sneaky way to adhere to the limit. I would like to see all of our 59 National Parks. Wouldn't this be a great way to travel this country??  Admittedly, I would skip the Cuyahoga Valley Park in Ohio and the tiny Hot Springs Park in an urban area of Arkansas (what?!) but there are a few that really kick my travel yen into high gear. Like those we didn't see in Alaska or the two in Hawaii (great excuse to go there!). Haven't been to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone or many of the others out west that boast impressive mountain ranges. And what about the gorgeous parks chock full of lakes in Minnesota and Michigan's Upper Peninsula? Perhaps I need to stuff Simon and Merwin into an RV and hightail it outta here. That's not going to happen, but the idea of an annual trek to one of these great places is pretty tempting and would start checking them off the list a year at a time.

Wrangell St. Elias NP in Alaska

Zion NP in Utah

Helping (Warning...More Soapbox)

Yeah...not so good at photoshop

After writing some meandering reactions to Merwin's poem yesterday, I got to thinking about this idea of "helping" those in need. Helping is quite tricky I think. For some of us it means sending money to the shelter where we adopted the dog that turned us into a crazy dog lady. For others, it is volunteering as a mentor, working for a non-profit or participating in a fundraiser for a medical charity. But sometimes I think we can get onto dangerous ground. When we don't acknowledge the varying cultures of those we want to help or we provide a solution to a symptom of the problem instead of tackling the problem itself, we may not be doing all good.

Here's an example. Toms Shoes. Great slip on, comfy shoes that are understandably really popular right now. I love these shoes (and really, really want a pair of red ones) but I am resisting buying them. Toms utilizes a "buy my product and we'll donate" business plan. For every pair of shoes a consumer purchases, they send a pair to a needy child in Africa. On first thought, this sounds innovative, entrepreneurial, and downright awesome. But what about the children in Africa who actually don't need shoes? As Americans, it's impossible for us to imagine that a shoeless culture could be functional, but maybe, just maybe, this is okay there. (I admit that this could be a bit of a reach, but am using it as an example of disregarding cultural differences when directing our support.) Even more importantly, Toms chooses to address a symptom of a problem, in this case, shoelessness, instead of the larger problem itself (poverty). They may do more damage than good by putting African shoemakers, cobblers, and other employees out of business. If you take away jobs, you create more poverty.

I don't want to criticize those who find value in this because trust me, it's not as if I think I'm changing the world one little budding ballerina at a time, but like with Merwin's poem or the need for more equity, I hope for more understanding. I know I'm naive about "fixing" the world, but if more people stopped to think about what we're dealing with we might get somewhere better, faster.

A Poem For A Wednesday

Good People
W.S. Merwin

From the kindness of my parents
I suppose it was that I held
that belief about suffering

imagining that if only
it could come to the attention
of any person with normal
feelings certainly anyone
literate who might have gone 

to college they would comprehend
pain when it went on before them
and would do something about it
whenever they saw it happen
in the time of pain the present
they would try to stop the bleeding
for example with their own hands

but it escapes their attention
or there may be reasons for it
the victims under the blankets
the meat counters the maimed children
the animals the animals
staring from the end of the world


I suppose this poem puts me back on yesterday's soapbox around equity, but I won't go on and on again. I think Merwin helps articulate how I feel about wanting people to understand pain and injustices and the mistreatment of others. As Merwin asks, how can all these smartypants around us not see and feel the suffering and injustice? Or if they do feel it, how are they so talented at squelching those feelings and continuing on their own little paths, unaffected? But then I think about it and I suppose I do this too. I often tell myself "okay, this is upsetting and sad, but you can't take this on. Don't add it to your stack." I can't allow myself to always feel sad for every shelter dog or angry about every instance of racial profiling or depressed everytime someone I know loses someone they know. But it's all there. It's too much to undertake, so perhaps we just have to tuck it away and know that when we can, we will do our best to help. 

Describe Five Things You Are Passionate About

Until Merwin does something ridiculous (again) or I happen across another fantastic Merwin poem, I'll utilize these aforementioned blogging prompts to help me along. Five things I'm passionate about it is!

1. Dogs
Gee, shocking. I love these things. My eyes light up like a Christmas tree when I hear the tinkle of dog tags or see the beckoning glow of a Petsmart in the distance. Before we got Merwin, I stalked and ogled all the dogs of Brooklyn and drooled my way into the office at the Veterinary Hospital every day. It's not passion; it's obsession. And it's sick. Sick I say!

2. Equity
We need to strive for more equity. So much inequality exists based on attributes we are all born with...things inherent to our existence from the very beginning. How is it fair that people are mistreated for aspects of themselves fully out of control? It also really grinds my gears that people think if everyone just "works hard," they can "make it." I've had a remarkably fortunate life, so while I can't claim to know about worlds where limitations are beyond our understanding, I want people to try to comprehend what they can't see. To understand that many of us can't just get a job or not get knocked up or find a place to live. I know everyone being "equal" is not the answer, but until we proactively work to solve problems like structural racism and our education system, many people won't even have the beauty of the opportunity to "work hard."

3. Hockey
Phew being on the soapbox is exhausting. I don't need a soapbox for hockey. It's just something I love. I want to love football and baseball and have honestly tried, but they're just not my thing. What I enjoy about hockey is the constact action. In both football and baseball, there is one guy (quarterback or pitcher) who does something, then everyone reacts, then it's over for awhile until it starts all over again. In hockey, everyone is always moving around, setting things up, and responding to every move. Whatever it is, it really excites me and I'm looking forward to October when my Blueshirts take the ice.

4. The Apocalypse
Why? I don't know. But what I do know is that my latest "end of the world" theory involves the impending extinction of bees. I also believe that the death of the internet could cause global collapse. While I don't think the end will be as dramatic as a huge electromagnetic pulse, nuclear catastrophe, or zombie takeover, it's going to happen and it's not going to be pretty. Good thing I will have all my post-apocalyptic literature to burn for heat when the end days are upon us.*

5. Trees
Wow, really going out on a limb here (hardy hardy har) and picking something absolutely no one else cares about. I guess there might be humans who are not fond of trees since people often rip them down "for better views," but I think they're amazing. Different trees are integral to many of my childhood memories--our backyard gingko, the apple tree I got stuck in, the two pines I used hang out under whipping up "pine needle stew," and the 32+ Christmas trees that appeared in the living room in December. Trees make me happy.



* I'm a nutcase about this, or at least I portray a nutcase-y attitude about it but I don't seriously believe it's going to happen. Have no fear.

Scenes From The Weekend

Close the books on another successful weekend at the lake. It was gloomy and rainy when we arrived Friday night but absolutely gorgeous Saturday and Sunday. Over on our side of the lake, there is a seemingly perpetual strong breeze which does wonders at keeping the mosquitoes at bay. We had an extra four-legged guest with us this weekend, and it was a blast to watch Riley and Merwin swim in the lake and romp in the house.

Morning walk around the pond

Riley is on a rope because we were afraid of losing her!

Merwin was always a few lengths behind his friend

Riley in the sunset light...favorite time of day!

20 Random Facts About Yours Truly

Honestly, it's hard to come up with posts here on Merwin and Merwin. I really enjoy blogging despite that a) my content is relatively meaningless and b) no one reads this. But to help myself continue broadcasting uselessness into the blogosphere, I consulted some websites full of writing and posting prompts. The first suggestion was "write a list of 20 random facts about yourself." I know you signed on for an intellectual, witty and charming exploration of cocker spaniels and poets, but this task gives me a chance to discover 20 factual things about me while simultaneously giving you something to look at. Win win! Most of you probably know these things, but maybe there are a few surprises.

20 Random Facts About Me

1. I hate mayonaise. Scratch that. I fear mayonaise.

2. I used to work at a Blimpie in a gas station (see #1).

3. I love being idle and doing things that waste time (e.g. double-deck solitaire, tv, crossword puzzles).

4. Don't cook, can't cook, won't cook.

5. I attended summer dance camp twice.

6. I don't like eating outside.

7. I'm a stickler for red wine and will order it at places you are basically required to have beer (if there is sawdust on the floor, you really shouldn't ask for a Malbec).
8. I don't have pierced ears.
9. I once owned a florescent pink button up shirt with day-glo pharoahs marching across the front. It had matching day-glo green pants and suspenders. I was proud of it.
10. My list of almost-phobias includes crowds, being constricted, paper-less offices and edges.
11. I'm useless in emergency situations.
12. I bite my nails and can't stop.
13. A bird pooped on my head which led to my first real job (no meat slicing involved) which led to meeting Simon which led to getting hitched.
14. My favorite St. Louis Cardinal is Joe Kelly. Go figure.
15. I'm a see-er.
16. I secretly want to be a vegetarian but know I would fail.
17. I want to get another dog as soon as Merwin gets old so I don't get as sad when he dies, but I know I will get super sad when he dies and it makes me sad thinking about how sad I will get.
18. I got stuck in a tree once.
19. For the last three years, I have read only books about the end of the world.
20. I am a pessimist (see #19).

A Poem For A Wednesday

   Next Time
   Joyce Sutphen

   I'll know the names of all of the birds
   and flowers, and not only that, I'll
   tell you the name of the piano player
   I'm hearing right now on the kitchen
   radio, but I won't be in the kitchen,

   I'll be walking a street in
   New York or London, about
   to enter a coffee shop where people
   are reading or working on their
   laptops. They'll look up and smile.

   Next time I won't waste my heart
   on anger; I won't care about
   being right. I'll be willing to be
   wrong about everything and to
   concentrate on giving myself away.

   Next time, I'll rush up to people I love,
   look into their eyes, and kiss them, quick.
   I'll give everyone a poem I didn't write,
   one specially chosen for that person.
   They'll hold it up and see a new
   world. We'll sing the morning in,

   and I will keep in touch with friends
   writing long letters when I wake from
   a dream where they appear on the
   Orient Express. "Meet me in Istanbul,"
   I'll say, and they will.

Did We Make Him This Bizarre?

I'm not really sure what to say about these recent snapshots. Maybe he just gets so exhausted he can't quite make it into a logical resting position and just stops whenever his body gives up? I suppose in some strange way, these look comfortable? While it's pretty bizarre, it's also kind of cute. Nice to know that he fits right into the family. :)

Lakeside Retreat

Amidst preparations for our trip and busy work schedules we somehow managed to purchase a home! We're sort of weirdos, and have opted to buy a "vacation house" before buying a "real house."

Let me stop there. I find myself telling this story often and I keep opening with the explanation "we're weirdos" when I actually don't believe it (don't get me wrong, we're weird, but in ways other than this). Instead of saying "we're weird," I will describe this decision as a step toward achieving the life we want, not the one the world tells us we should have.

We've thought about this idea for a long time. As we spent more time in the Boston area and realized we weren't necessarily leaving anytime soon, we kept mulling over ways to make ourselves truly "happy." We eliminated the idea of a house in the 'burbs. I 100% understand how this is the perfect option for most people, but it just wasn't right for us. So this left us deciding between purchasing a downtown Boston condo or buying a little cottage on a lake. We both grew up with meaningful portions of our childhoods centered around water. For me, it was the Wisconsin lake and for Simon, it was the ocean on Martha's Vineyard. For both of us, these places meant fun with family, time to savor nature and a place where we were always truly relaxed. We kept circling back to a water retreat and went full speed ahead with a search (this means I spent hours online and Simon patiently looked at hundreds of links I forwarded).

We finally decided that we would venture out of the virtual house hunting realm and into reality. We fell in love with "the perfect" cottage in February, but long story short (too late) it didn't work out. In retrospect, jump for joy, because our little place on Lake Ivanhoe/Round Pond (the name is a point of contention) in New Hampshire is true perfection. It's tiny but all open with cozy features like a stone fireplace, knotty pine interior, and little sleeping loft. The property is brimming with tall pines and hemlocks and a big deck stretches across the front of the house, overlooking the water. We've spent three weekends there, every minute reassuring us that we made an excellent decision. It's almost magical how we arrive and instantly shred the stresses of the week and can just "be." Come on up!

Notes From The Travel Journal--Vancouver and Washington State

Finally! Our last leg! It's fitting that this post will occur on the one-month anniversary of our Canada Day celebration in Canada. Simply uncanny.

We savored our last few hours on the cruise ship by conning some random dude into taking a picture of the entire group with no less than 15 different cameras. That happened, but then there was yet another stunning sunset as we cruised toward Vancouver.

The rest of the group headed to Seattle to plane home, but Simon and I had finagled some extra vacation time to explore Vancouver and finally visit my brother in Eastern Washington State. We spent three amazing days in Canada, with this perfection greeting us as we stepped onto Canadian soil:

It was like Canadia opened its arms and wrapped me a huge bear hug. Everyone and their mothers are into hockey in that country. It was AWESOME.

Vancouver is a really incredible little city. I say little, but it felt more like New York than Boston. Hip and young with modern architecture, excellent restaurants, and a really active, outdoorsy crowd.

We explored historic Gastown, strolled around Stanley Park (third largest urban park in the world), had some tasty meals, enjoyed a few cocktails overlooking the harbor, relaxed in our hotel's pool nestled between downtown skyscrapers, celebrated Canada Day with fireworks, took an "Aquabus" to Granville Island for beer tasting, and strolled around the shops looking for an appropriate souvenir for Merwin (I can't travel without buying a useless trinket for the darn dog).

If we were ever to move clear across the country and emigrate (immigrate?) to Canada, this would be our destination of choice (don't worry Mom and Dad).

 

After appropriately waving our Canadian flags to avoid being outed as Americans (gasp!) we hopped in our rental car to meet Jim, Traci and Claire in Mount Rainier National Park. More amazingness, both in the form of our adorable niece and more remarkable mountain views. We checked into the Paradise Inn and did some relatively easy hiking around the Inn and Visitor Center. While it was mostly flat, it was also mostly covered with snow! Christmas in July!

To celebrate America, we did some hikes on July 4th--Martha Falls, the incredible Box Canyon, Grove of the Patriarchs and a few other trails around the park. Not quite as ambitious as Jim and Traci's admirable trek on the 90+ mile Wonderland Trail, but I was proud of myself for trodding along. And I can easily understand why the Park is one of Jim and Traci's favorite spots.

We headed back to Traci and Jim's house for some quality Claire time (she is seriously "this close" to walking!), met the chickens (Nugget remains my favorite), explored Richland a bit and tasted some yummy Columbia River Valley wines. It was so great to finally see their homestead before heading back East.

What an amazing three-week adventure. Despite the time that has lapsed, I'm still processing the trip and trying to relive much of what we saw. I have a terrible memory and fear that I soon won't be able to remember how truly remarkable it was. Actually, Alaska should probably go ahead and hire me as a tourism promoter because I will forcefully insist that everyone I know try it out. Not sure I can classify it as life-changing (what does that really mean?!) but it was pretty darn close. If you're reading this, kudos to you for your patience as a I meandered my way down memory lane.