finally reunited with our wine
unshackling ourselves to prune the vine
aging over 10 years in erwan’s cave
now we shall revel the last laugh
c’est ne pas grave

hey dude, don’t be afraid
to imbibe and good times raid
we have found nirvana and liberated the slave
now go and rave, no need to $ave
we took a little trip to st nazaire les eymes hometown
first stop was de nardi’s boulangerie  for croissants golden brown
to accompany confitures de marie-francoise, don’t forget crispy crust baguette
a table aussi – mf’s homemade yogurt, le petit dejeuner is perfectly set

there was music playing everywhere
the music came from within my heart

how did it happen
how did it start
i only know that we fell in love
i guess the answer lies up above
and so we sing , yai yai yai, ya ya ya yai yai, of golden years a-teaming
and as we stomped through route national thorough-fare a-gleaming

it’s all coming back
montage of gastronomic livery attack
fond fine friends to re-tack
a sojourn yielding slack for bric-a-brac

go to grenoble market, pick up gourmet grub
fix rendang curry, partake melange of amuse-guele our stomach to rub

jambon persille, fromage de tete, moules, anchois et pied de porc
mingle them morsels with 1993 barbaresco to hit the spot
wok-fried courgets-carotte-chou bathed in garlic, taipan’s curry over basmati spiked our langues
soothed by roquefort, st marcellin and reblochon swivelling in aged nebbiolo, our tongues tingled and sung

finished meal with marie-francoise strawberry delight
oh, a stroll through bois de biviers lightened our stomachs to snooze well through the night
strawberries, cherries and an angel’s kiss in spring
our summer wine is really made from all these things
take off your silver spurs and help us pass the time
and we will give to u summer wine
oooooooohhh summer wine

when i woke up the alpine sun was shining in my eyes
awaiting homemade pate, tripe, poulpe et cuisses de grenouilles to feast and prize
stay tuned for further emission of joyous sights and sighs
as we foray chemin de vie, unveiling truths and highs…

today’s quote
is catalyst for today’s gloat

from lou holtz
american football coach
2008 college football hall of fame he did encroach

quotes he,
with sting of bee:

“ability is what you’re capable of doing
motivation determines what you do
attitude determines how well you do it”

so then
ramrom to append and apprehend

what shapes our attitudes?
a whole array of values and rectitudes
me thinks its attributes
are embodied in the beautitudes

wiki: beautitudes, russian orthodox icon

shifting to a different altitude
just got off phone with canuck goon and gleaned this platitude
befitting the place we find ourselves right now
trying to redefine and refine retirement with a bow

the magic acronym for this enlightened phase
is “ski” – spending kid’s inheritance with grace
and be mindful to direct praise
to Providence who owns it all anyway, the rightful place

so next blog entries shall bemuse
adventures of  “gone ski-ing” to amuse

l’chaim
a ramrom chime

ski-ing, rather… for real…check below

the beat goes on
harvesting precious friendships spawn
unbelievable yesterday
that’s all i can say

first seed to sprout
“things are different now” song with jini to spout

rush to lunch
with my www buddy with mai-tai punch

then bingo to enjoy
as part of celebrating 90th birthday of friend of neighbor joy

then off to bullis and catch up with email and hp alumni activity
came home to a surprise dinner with my gno buddies

ramrom’s intent now to busy
an entry to celebrate with bc
intertwined souls seeded in the seventies
paths crossed in hargreaves and asc
reunited again across analog figments sea

ramrom morphing touch upon public domain circulation
“the seed” purely for entertaining introspection

a successful business man was growing old
it was time to choose a successor bold
rather then choosing one of his directors or his children on this matter
he did something different and called all the young executives to gather

“it’s time for me to step down and choose the next ceo,'” he said
“i have decided to choose one of u” to take over the stead

the young executives were in shock
but the boss continued suspense to rock
“i am going to give each one of you a seed today
– a very special seed” i must say

“i want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today
with what you have grown from the seed i have given u, to display
i will then judge the plants that you bring
and the one i choose is the next ceo to spring”

one of the man named jim
went home and excitedly, told his wife the challenge with gleam
she helped him get a pot, soil and compost
and he planted the seed with fervor utmost
watering it every day and watch to see if it had grown, like a good host

after about 3 weeks, some of the other executives began to spout about
their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow and sprout
jim kept checking his seed
but nothing ever grew despite all the feed

4weeks, 5weeks, 6weeks went by
still nothing to jim’s eye
by now, others were talking about their plants that were meilleur
jim didn’t have a plant, he felt like a failure

6 months went by – still nothing in jim’s pot
he just knew he had killed his seed, not a promising spot
everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing
jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however taunting

he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil
he so wanted the seed to grow, not turn out a spoil
a year finally went by, time’s up for the competition
all the young executives brought their plants to the ceo for inspection
jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot
but she asked him to be honest about what happened – good, bad, not or rot

jim felt sick at his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment
but he knew his wife was right, all he can hope is atonement
he took his empty pot to the boardroom, disheartened but without sigh, no groan
when jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown
that the other executives had sown
they were beautiful – in all shapes and sizes, jim felt alone

he put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed
a few felt sorry for him, some consoling genteel rebuff
when the ceo arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young execs
jim just tried to hide at the back behind the backs

“my, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,” said the ceo
today one of you will be appointed the next ceo”, the only one in the know
all of a sudden, the ceo spotted jim at the back of the room with his empty pot
he ordered the financial director to bring him to the front, to be put on the spot

jim was terrified… he thought, “the ceo knows i’m a failure! maybe he’ll have me fired!”
“what had happened to your seed?” – to hear the answer, the ceo aspired
jim told him the story as he perspired

the ceo asked everyone to sit down except jim
he looked at jim, and then announced to the young executives without a whim
“here is your next chief executive! his name is jim!”, he beamed

jim couldn’t believe it, he couldn’t even grow his seed
how could he be the new ceo?, the others plead

the ceo piped
as the time is ripe
“one year ago today, i gave everyone in this room a seed
told u to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today” was all i need

but the blunder, he admitted with thunder
tearing the baited silence asunder
i gave u all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow
all of u, except jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers, what a nice show

“when u found that the seed would not grow, u substituted another seed
jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it, indeed
therefore, he is the one who will be the new chief executive!” he splendidly decreed

and what’s the moral behind this story, you ask?
ah, ramrom relishes this task

if u plant honesty in your life, u will reap trust
if u plant goodness, u will reap friendship robust
if u plant humility, u will reap greatness
if u plant perseverance, u will reap contentment to immerse
if u plant consideration, you will reap perspective
if u plant diligence, you will reap success to give
if u plant forgiveness, u will reap reconciliation
therefore be careful what you plant now, pay attention
for it will determine what u will reap later the contention

“be not deceived; God is not mocked:
for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” galatians 6:7 docked

happy birthday to bc and i
here’s a knowles shaw joyful refrain to wrap up and tie

sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

reminiscing neverending party stretch
enduring blessed “life is good” match

still basking in the delight
of the party last friday night
so wonderfully fed
so warmly cared
a divine time had
with special friends bred
thank u most
to timtee host
for the birthday toast
l’chaim – together we coast!

now still relishing “jang su jang” korean sunday lunch treat
then we got intro’d to “kyo po” supermarket before home retreat
there we sampled “soondae” for the first time
a blutwurst stuffed with dangmyeon, an acquired taste sublime

wiki

also rewinding last night’s treat with gno subset
indulged in “the way of the world,” a restoration comedy act

now indulging myself on mother’s day to do what i love best
to reflect, refract and put connecting dots to test
as i whimsically weave patterns with witty  zest
if it hits pithy prolific crest
it deserves ramrom repose rest

unlike a 1corinthian13 love
“the way of the world” expresses a different kind of dove
william congreve, a british playwright bloke
a brilliant entanglement of relationships he stroked
all the world’s a stage players bearing names their characters evoked
pray tell, what does mirabell, petulant, wishfort, foible, fainall, waitwell satirically invoke?

the ludicracy of contracted love, his penmanship spoke
the shallowness of pursuing worldly love to poke
consumed in deception and infidelity like addictive coke
diving deep to expose sallow motives, congreve eloquently stoked

in “way of the world” love is but a transaction
a gaming attraction and distraction
scheme a contraption well
dicey dance of dowry to ink, coffers and egos to swell
infidelity and love under pretense
instead of true armour of intense d’amour incense
there are strings attached
pockets not hearts to be matched
schemes upon wishfort to be hatched
and hatch a patch to oust fainall wretch

recoiling pearls from sir walter scott
in epic poem “marmion”, famous stanzas sought
“o, what a tangled web we weave
when first we practise to deceive!
but when we’ve practised quite a while
how vastly we improve our style”

indeed the way of the world
around deception twirl
temptations abound and swirl
beguiling mind and heart to curl

ah, sabbath
rejuvenating rest and rebirth
to dabble in rhyming mirth

melina mercouri crooning…
“and if u make it on a bleak day, a freak day or a week day
well u can be my guest
but never ever on a sunday, my sundae, the one day
i need a little rest”

connecting to genesis 2:3 a-swooning…
then God blessed the 7th day and sanctified it,
because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made

yes maurice, thank heavens for little girls
some of us grow up to be mother pearls
came across this on the internet
irresistable ramrom touch to get set

(sally’s shot in wee perth garden)

a man stopped at a flower shop to order flowers for mother’s day
to be sent to his mother who lived two hundred miles away

as he got out of his car, he noted a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing
“what’s wrong?” he asked, his heart a-throbbing, his mind absorbing
“i wanted to buy a red rose for my mother
but i only have 75 cents…a rose costs two dollars” she muttered

the man smiled and said, “come on in with me…i’ll buy you a rose.”
so he did  just that plus ordered his own mother’s flowers, nothing verbose

as they were leaving, he offered the girl a ride home
“yes, please! u can take me to my mother’s dome”
she directed him to a cemetery, placing the rose on freshly dug grave loam
an epiphany with aplomb, the man back to the flower shop did roam

he cancelled the floral send order, it was clear what to do
picked up a bouquet instead, mother’s love to rightly woo
driving two hundred miles to his mother’s house, love in person to coo

to all mothers out there, a happy mothers day moo!

wiki

brilliant insight from mark twain started my day bright
as today’s quote, it sure hit the nail right with might
“forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it”
now soaking the day’s perfume He dabbed on my washed feet

forgiveness, today’s verse-i-hung
auf deutsch, es ist verzeihung
forgiving pains self-inflicted
forgiving pains upon others afflicted
forgiving disdains and restraints that constricted

sun shone gloriously today
bidding me back to water play
rinconada pool finally got new boiler heater
oh what a welcome greeter
to dip in waters 81 degrees fahrenheit
past dips have been a 60 degrees cold bite

extra sweet
gave myself a chico treat
that mother blessed me
guiltless glee
a magnifique mother’s day-cum-anniversaire gift u see

tomorrow i literally go take a hike
with lin and helen, rancho trails we like
then looking forward to ending day in party delight
blight takes flight

no more brood, get in the mood
for life is indeed good

watching tina turner now
verzeihung to take a bow

what’s love got to do, God’s got to do with it
1 corinthians 13:13 of “faith, hope and love…the greatest of these is love” bit hit
i’ve been thinking of a new direction
but i have to say
i’ve been thinking about my own protection
it scares me to feel that way
echoing job 9:2 “how can a man be in the right before God” but to obey

what a sweet and merry way
to hear potpurri of madrigals, jazz, gospel to usher in may
to renew the heart, soothing woes away
cresendoing and preparing the spirit for sabbath day

synchronized intent captured in robert frost’s “pasture”
what a delight to hear it captured in song gesture

“i’m going out to clean the pasture spring;
i’ll only stop to rake the leaves away
(and wait to watch the water clear, i may):
i sha’n’t be gone long…..

sara teasdale’s “life has loveliness to sell”
rang a timely tinkling bell
“for one white singing hour of peace
count many a year of strife well lost”, signalling grief to cease

my favorite – only voices and cathedral ceiling acoustics
with closed eyes, i drifted with “shenandoah” rolling gymnastics
most surprising to hear bob chilcott’s billy joel rendition
of “and so it goes“, here’s a snippet of experienced perdition

“i spoke to u in cautious tones
u answered me with no pretense
and still i feel i said too much
my silence is my self defense
and every time i’ve held a rose
it seems i only felt the thorns
and so it goes, and so it goes
and so will u soon i suppose…”

cresendo ending saturday
with duke ellington’s “come sunday”
and mercer-arien “come rain or come shine”
a perfect finish to a musical evening divine

“heaven is a goodness time.  a brighter light on high.
do unto others as u would have them do to u.
and have a brighter by and by…..

i believe God is now, was then and always will be.
with God’s blessing we can make it through eternity…”

“you’re gonna love me, like nobody’s loved me
come rain or come shine
we’ll be happy together, unhappy together
now won’t that be just fine
the days may be cloudy or sunny
we’re in or out of the money
but i’m with u always
i’m with u rain or shine”

just what i needed Lord, so sublime
grime and slime
washed away, no longer mine
we will be fine

just returned from “king and i” musical zing
quenched context behind “knowledge is king”
indeed mongkut did sing
“it’s good to be king”
echoed in history of the world,  badda-bing
led my mind wandering….

seeking kingly perfection
is such a distraction
a dangerous contraption
baiting false security and surreal expectation
yielding frustration
upon falling short in condemnation

human perfection has no margin for error, no room for compassion
it harbors fears and disdains embarrassment hence avoids attention
it’s binary arrogant, either u meet my standards or u don’t damnation
it’s a jealous, calculating king while u are lesser, imperfect subject slave condition

set of perfect standards can never be met
deviations it can never accept
woe to one when out of step
how can there be joy in such a relationship bet
feeling useless, an abject reject
how can human perfection be love object
for if one does some thing out of true love
it doesn’t demand one to fit like a glove

1 corinthians 13:4-7
describes perfect divine love poured from heaven
love is patient and kind..not crude
is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude
it does not demand its own way
it is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged and it does not slay
it does not rejoice about injustice clout
but rejoices whenever the truth wins out
love never gives up, imbued with fragrant sense
it never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance

mongkut experiences love toward his end
lets off perfect guard, becomes soft and human when perfection quest cannot sustain and attend
but getting2know and appreciate anna, well it’s too late baby now, it’s too late
too late to rewrite ending chapters when it’s nearing death date