What's Up, Doc?

Featuring a rabbit's simple request, a beautiful waltz, and travel tips too!

Expecting to see the first bunnies hopping around our backyard any day now. Ever wonder what the little furballs REALLY think about? No? Guess it’s just me then. Here’s my humor piece, “I’m a Rabbit, and I Want a Voice. Preferably Bugs Bunny’s.”

As the temperatures (slowly) inch upwards, I’m reminded of this sweet springtime poem by former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins. I love the image of freeing the glass paperweight people!

TODAY

If ever there were a spring day so perfect,
so uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze

that it made you want to throw
open all the windows in the house

and unlatch the door to the canary's cage,
indeed, rip the little door from its jamb,

a day when the cool brick paths
and the garden bursting with peonies

seemed so etched in sunlight
that you felt like taking

a hammer to the glass paperweight
on the living room end table,

releasing the inhabitants
from their snow-covered cottage

so they could walk out,
holding hands and squinting

into this larger dome of blue and white,
well, today is just that kind of day.

From Aimless Love: New and Selected Poems by Billy Collins 

NEW! TRAVEL TIPS FROM “NOT RICK” STEVE(S) AND ELISE: DO THIS, NOT THAT!

While we are only recently really beginning to travel the world, my husband Steve and I are old hands at making mistakes!! Here begins a periodic feature of the newsletter: “Do This, Not That.”

DO THIS: If you’re heading to Rome, DO write to the Vatican for FREE tickets to the Pope’s weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square. We so enjoyed seeing Pope Francis tooling around the square in the Popemobile, surrounded by excited faithful folks, and hearing his message. The ticket process is wonderfully antiquated (you get a response typed on a typewriter from a priest, along with your ticket instructions).

NOT THAT: When in Barcelona, DON’T skip lunch or you’ll be starving when the restaurants open for dinner (often as late as 8:30 or 9:00 PM). We learned that the hard way; by the time we were seated, we were hungry enough to eat the menu. An afternoon siesta is a great idea too, as you’ll be up very late after consuming all the paella, chocolate truffles and crema catalana…Olé!

AND NOW…

A BEAUTIFUL MUSICAL TREAT!

Sheridan’s first composition teacher, Jim Grant, is a wonder: fabulous mentor, kindest of souls, gifted composer and also a talented professional baker!! When not kneading sourdough, Jim writes gorgeous music, such as this waltz dedicated to his lovely wife, photographer Elizabeth Siegfried…

BLOG PREVIEW: Thoughts on the Japanese art of kintsugi, and repairing things so the cracks still show…see you over at Working Title tomorrow morning!!

AND FINALLY,

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; and just so, you learn to love by loving. All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves.”—Saint Francis de Sales

So, let’s all practice being loving this week, my friends—practice makes perfect!

Photo by Dirk Ribbler on Unsplash