Two Ducks - a poem

Two Ducks

by Susan Paczek 

Once upon a time there was a pair of ducks 

Who landed on a secluded forest river 

With old-growth trees, flowers, does and bucks 

All the finery that nature can deliver 

Both of the ducks were hungry for food 

And had stopped there for something to eat 

One insisted a spot just upstream was good 

So he kept paddling there with his feet 

His struggle was making him extremely hungry 

So he had to eat more and more 

To feed his tired muscles and noisy tummy 

While his legs soon grew very sore 

The duck’s partner, who had been watching asked him 

“Wouldn’t floating down the river be easier? 

We'd dine at our leisure and barely have to swim"

He answered - the effort made his voice wheezier:

“Well maybe but I don’t know what is downstream
And what if this spot really is the best?
But my legs are quickly running out of steam
So let’s put your idea to the test”

The pair floated, snacked and chatted around the river bend
Having decided to give following the current a shot 
Their journey was so pleasant they wanted to do it again
So at the end they flew back upstream to their starting spot 

Earthenware Duck Ornaments by Susan Paczek

The Turtle - a poem

The Turtle 

by Susan Paczek 

Last night I dreamt that we were sitting out at a picnic table
When I saw a turtle walk towards us as fast as he was able

He was only small, he didn’t look very old

His shell was turquoise-blue, his stomach shiny-gold

To reach the sea there was a hill that he kept trying to climb
But he would get near the top and flip over backwards every time

“Tsk” I said and picked him up to carry him to the sea
But then I heard a loud voice and it said this to me:

“If you want to help that turtle then you have to put him down
If you carry him his legs will be so weak that he will drown”

So we sat and cheered him on until the night sky filled with bats
We fed him salad for supper and we sheltered him from cats

In the morning he met his challenge with renewed energy
He crested the hill at last and joined his friends out in the sea

Earthenware Turtles by Susan Paczek

The Rat And The Sheep - a poem

The Rat And The Sheep 

by Susan Paczek 

Once upon a time there was a rat

Who had a scheme to get a bunch of cheese
So he told his plan to some sheep that
Were impressed by schemes as great as these

“Sheep” said Rat “You give milk so rich and thick

That I want to collect it in pails
I will turn your milk into cheese right quick
And give you the lion’s share of sales!"

"You'll be able to live on fields of grass so green

With shelter made of the finest wood
You’ll find that I will look after you better than
Any human farmer ever could!”

“Baa Baa!” said the sheep "that sounds like paradise!"

They all went along with Rat’s plan
The cheese that Rat made tasted very nice
And sold well at Rat’s market stand

But Rat was a rat and overcome by greed

Soon he wanted the sheep's share too
So he found someone with a big family to feed
And sold them the herd to make stew

Stoneware sheep ornaments by Susan Paczek

This Week's Favourite Things! March 17th - March 23rd 2014

Been a busy week so no writing for me lately other than keeping up with this list!

1. This video, Jumping Jive by Cab Calloway with dancing by the Nicholas Brothers.  I first saw this years ago but was thinking this week how great it is:




2.  Old fashioned Vining Petunia seeds by Annapolis Seeds, and the tour we got when we went to pick up our seed order this past Friday.  In particular their greenhouse is pretty awesome. I'll be writing a post soon with a couple pics I took.  I tried their Petunia Seeds last year and was pretty thrilled with how many giant petunia plants I ended up with, to put all over the garden and in containers on our porch.

3. The paintings of Mark Grantham.  Mark is at the Halifax seaport Market on Saturdays upstairs selling cards, prints and mini paintings.  He is very cool!   I'm on break from art making but it has occurred to me that it makes a lot of sense to talk to 'successful' artists if one is curious about how to make a living as an artist.  He's getting ready for his upcoming show at Studio 21 on May 9th, reception 5pm - 7pm.  I love Mark's twitter feed, @MarkInHalifax, and think it's lovely that he posts pics of his work there.

4.  The Angel Therapy Handbook by Doreen Virtue. 

I just started reading this and am very excited! At first I was apprehensive about the whole 'angel' sensation but I really enjoy Doreen's youtube videos, twitter feed (@DoreenVirtue444) and facebook page.  This book is great and where I've had some psychic ability since a young age, it's making me feel more gifted than crazy!

This Week's Favourite Things! March 10th - March 16th, 2014

1.  This youtube video/lecture about channeling by Brian Tracy
"How To Activate Your Super Conscious Mind"



2.  The animation of Steve Cutts

I just found out about this today, I like his videos because he pokes fun at obvious things that we'd perhaps prefer not to call attention to as a society, and somehow the use of cartoons softens the messages.

There are a few more on his website or youtube channel but here are a couple favourites: 





3. Bob Proctor Reveals 'The Ultimate Secret' beyond the Law of Attraction

The Caterpillar - a poem

The Caterpillar

by Susan Paczek

Once upon a time there was a caterpillar
He ate leaves all day. He was a real leaf killer!

The leaves were alright.  But sometimes he would cry

Because he wished he could play like a bird in the sky

He tried to heave his body up into the air

But it landed with a splat. He didn’t belong up there.

So he stayed in his bush eating leaves without end

Wondering about flying to his caterpillar friend

His friend said “Don’t be foolish!  You’re where you’re supposed to be

Right here in this bush, eating leaves with me!....”

“And another thing...” but before he could say another word

His caterpillar friend was taken by a hungry bird

Leaving our caterpillar to eat leaves on his own

And dream his flying dreams in his bush all alone

He thought of his flying wish late into one night

When the sky was cloudless clear and the stars shiny bright

He picked out one star that seemed to shine the best

He told it his wish and then he lay down to rest

And when the night ended with a new day to face

The caterpillar discovered he was frozen into place

Really? He thought, this must be some sort of curse!

I wished that I could fly but this is even worse!

The caterpillar who dreamed of soaring above the mob

Now found himself stuck fast in some wretched green glob

He tried to bust out of his trap but without any luck

Eventually he had to accept the fact that he was stuck!

At last he stopped struggling and spent the night

Resigned in surrender, trapped in his plight

And he wondered, how on earth did I end up here?

Was my wish forbidden or was it just unclear?

He let go and sat still as the moon waxed and waned

Til one day, in his cocoon, he found something had changed

Many legs were now few, and what were these things?

That sprouted from his back...  could they possibly be wings?

He pushed his new limbs against the walls that held him in so long

Until the exercise made his legs and wings grow strong

They grew stronger and stronger until he kicked forcefully

And his cocoon fell away.  The caterpillar broke free!

But he was not a caterpillar anymore

And he understood what the cocoon had been for

Thanking the stars he took off into the sky

To play in the air as a new butterfly

"Dancing" acrylic on canvas, 36" x 48" by Evgenia Makogon

This Week's Favourite Things! March 3rd - March 9th, 2014

This is short and sweet today but here we go:

1. A twitter feed!  @averagegorillas which is a gorilla tweeting what it is up to every few days.  This makes me smile.

2. "Inside Llewyn Davis" the latest Coen Bros film. I love not only this movie which I saw Thursday night but I love the fact that a bunch of elder artsies in Lunenburg have commandeered one of the theatres in Bridgewater for the first Wednesday/Thursday of the month, for the spring at least to show film fest films.  Great idea, and only  $8 cash! Fun!

3.  The philosophy of Frank Giustra and Andrew Carnegie, I won't re-link here but check out why in this post I wrote this week.

4. This Asian boy band, EXO.  I stumbled across these guys youtube. Their videos are a total multimedia feast.

Here is Mama by EXO



And Wolf by EXO .... ahoooooooooo!!