Plethora of Gratitude

Am grateful for the letter p
which provides punch
pop and pizazz
to many words.
Pithy at times
persnickety at others,
plausibly
the most popular
productive and pleasing
letter.
Thank you P!

A.H.

Cardiac Stunning

The doctor described
medical criteria
for this condition
but haven't we all
had blows to the heart
that left us stunned
and resolving
never to hurt
that bad again?

The risk
of guarding
the heart
against further assault
is cardiac stunting.

A.H.

How to De-Doldrum the Winter

1) Delete November from calendar or at least three weeks of it. Preserve Thanksgiving.
2) Embrace the darkness. Pretend to be disappointed that it isn't dark 24 hours a day.
3) Learn a new skill. Macrame could be making a comeback any day. Be prepared.
4) Create new celebrations and rituals. It's National Windshield Wiper Day!

A.H.

The Best Word Ever!

Multiple Choice:

Porcupette is:

a) a tool used in medical laboratories

b) a French pork dish

c) a made-up word

d) a baby porcupine

Correct answer: d. A baby porcupine is called a porcupette. Is that the best word ever? Or at least for today?

Flying scientific factoid: Baby porcupines are born with quills but they are soft and harden as they age. Kind of like humans isn't it?

A.H.

Election Fatigue Syndrome

You may have EFS if:
-you scream "No, not again!" (even in public) when a political ad comes on for the 400th time.
-you feel like you're on a first name basis with candidates i.e. Did you hear what Mark did or I can't     believe Dan said that.
-you've seen more of the candidates (or their images) than your own family. This might also be a symptom of Candidate Saturation Disorder, which is closely related to EFS.
-you're counting the minutes until this election is over.
-you immediately discard all your mail, even checks and bills, because of the glut of political mailings.

A.H.

What I Did in Washington, D.C.

1) Money Laundering
  -accidentally put "folding money"  through laundry.
2) Marched on Washington
  -late for civil rights march but Danita and I trooped behind John (who set a blistering pace)
  on the supposed 3 mile walk, which had to be at least five.
3) Ate scrapple
  - thought I had pleasant memories of eating this in childhood but must have been mistaken.

A.H.

Murmuration Multiple Choice

Murmuration is:
A. a heart arrhythmia.
B. a speech disorder.
C. a town in Ohio.
D. a flock of starlings.

Correct answer: D. flock of starlings. It also appears to refer to the "far out flocking phenomenon" they do. Check it out here:www.lovethesepics.com/2012/11/