Ghost in the Garden (Phasmatodea)

Jimmy became startled by a giant bug on his porch this afternoon. I walked over to investigate. As I fearlessly approached, (remember, I've been through 3 black rat snakes inside my house and a few bats, so a bug outside is cake in comparison...) yet, he warned me it was the biggest bug he had never seen. Very cool. I recognized it immediately, it was a walking stick, also called a Phasmatodea - “phasma” means “ghost” because it easily camaflouges on trees due to its peculiar stick-like shape. It's been years since I have seen one up close. I was fasinated by it's heart shaped head, and if you looked carefully, you could see it's eyes, the size of two black grape seeds. I learned from the internet that "they see clearly and in color". He (She) got a good look at me today, for I looked into those eyes for about 5 minutes!

Jimmy seemed impressed that I knew what it was, but now having looked it up, I gave him misinformation. I thought this bug was endangered, but apparently not, though they are more common in the tropics. I even prompted him to get his camera, and we took several pictures - I joked that maybe they would be worth something...Then, as we questioned whether it flies or crawls, we found out as it took off and landed on my porch, where I took more photos. The way it flies resembles a dragon fly.

While I finished up the gardening which may have been what stirred up it's habitat, I kept watch on him...thinking perhaps that it had been spying on us all summer long as if a ghost hidden in the garden....

If you like bugs, I wrote about another bug discovery this summer. Click onto "Today's Beetle Discovery" from archive:
http://michellerosenbaum.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html#5101394324130498078

If you like snakes, I wrote about a snake discovery this summer. Click onto: "Snake Encounter" at http://michellerosenbaum.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html#836694817079095875

Still feel like I am in summer mode despite this being the last week in September. Honestly, the weather is still too hot for me. I used to dread how nighttime would fall earlier each day this time of year. But now I sort of like it. Tonight, Alan and I took a walk and it was dark - it was only 7:15, but the weather finally cooled off, and it was very pleasant. Alan enjoyed being out at night. It's also fun being on the porch at night (either with the porch light on or off). The trees aren't close to those fall colors yet, but it won't be long. Alan has two favorite phrases "Let's talk about Fall" and "Let's talk about trick or treat houses." Pretty soon it will be too cold to take nighttime walks. We'll go driving instead at night to tour the Christmas lights.

Other news...

Earlier this week, Alan told Nick that he was going to be Elvis for Halloween.

I watched Baby Stella this morning for a few hours. It was fun seeing Alan "share" his toys. He gave her a bus, and Stella said "car!" I was excited to tell this to her parents.

Alan ate broccoli tonight.

Big A Little a

Alan can identify most of the alphabet thanks to the letters floating in the tub, letters magnatized to the refrigerator and to the many alphabet books that exist...(Dr. Suess ABC, et al) as well as Sesame Street. Specifically, I saw the wheels turning and something click with him when I referred him to the pictures in the Dr. Suess book to help him figure out the letters when he got stuck. I know all you teachers know about such strategies, but for me this is a first, and it is really fascinating. At one point, I waited about 30 seconds watching him figure out a lettter....he also is making connections with the sound of letters and words that start with a letter. For example, he'll add examples...(M for Mama, etc)....
Other than that, today I finally weeded the front yard and planted the mums - thanks to Jimmy for all of the tools! Fun visit to the park and dinner with Portia. Alan was very excited to see her!

Shopping Cart Mishap

Weeds have taken over my front yard so I took off tonight to Adams so I could get some Mums. My cart went into overdrive and crashed into the curb and purple and yellow mums ended up down the hill in front of the store. It was pretty steep, so I had to climb down and jump back and forth several times to retreive the flowers which were all knocked out of their planters (all 10 of them). Got them home safely but no time to plant yet....
Other news - Don't forget this weekend is the garlic festival!!! Guitar playing is progressing slowly...Spending time with friends from the neighborhood...back on track with the gym....still eating too much chocolate! Missing camera/cell phone found, so I'll be able to post some pictures soon again...

I'm still processing the intensity and importance of tonight's poetry reading at the Colony Cafe which featured Vietnam Vets reciting prose and poems about their experiences. Proceeds from the War Vets Poetry Anthology published by Dayl Wise/Post Traumatic Press 2007 will go to an organization called Veterans for Peace. According to their website, Veterans for Peace "draws on personal experiences and perspectives gained as veterans to raise public awareness of the true costs and consequences of militarism and war - and to seek peaceful, effective alternatives." Tonight's event definately fulfilled this mission.

I'm only 38

Quiet birthday celebration this year. Waiting till I turn 40 for the big bash. Just you wait! In the meantime, I spent time with my sister Suzanne. We now have tons of apples to consider....We went apple-picking with Mel, Ivan ("and Nick!") at the Stone Ridge Orchard. Apple pie, apple cake, apple sauce, apple crisp...all things I have been thinking about making, but the bag of apples is still on the counter....
Then the following day Suzanne and I met in Poughkeepsie and went to the Dutchess Arts Festival where we discovered a very talented bluegrass/folk band called the Powder Kegs. Local kids - probably ranging from 21 to 25 years old - the fiddler was a Vassar student who had an entourage that danced around the waterfront. Their website is www.thepowderkegs.com. The other "suzanne" - that is...Suzanne Vega played at the Festival and boy was she BORING! We actually left early to return to the bluegrass stage to see the second performance of the Powder Kegs...better energy. Lots of kettle corn, more havla and we split a slice of pink cake. I made (requested) my sister and her friend Christine sing me happy birthday. Also, thanks to everyone who sent me birthday wishes!

1:53AM

It's the middle of the night and Alan woke up briefly but now I can't get back to sleep. Gave up trying, so to the computer/television...too tired to read. Franklin my cat is asleep on my lap. Watching a Julia Roberts movie.....Looking forward to a relaxing morning in the apple orchard tomorrow. Hopefully I won't be too tired. Picnic lunch to follow. (but now a midnight snack)

Just a quick note

Alan wrapped a scarf around his head and said "just like pavarotti". He is now playing with his new guitiar to the Gypsy Kings - Bombalayo...I've been playing more songs with the easy chords. All kids songs of course...I would love to learn classical Spanish guitar...more later or tomorrow...plan is to go apple picking....

September 11th - Journal PART TWO

As I mentioned yesterday, I have been keeping journals for many years. Below are random notes transcribed from my journal taken on a bus leaving NYC back to Kingston a few months after the bombing on the WTC. I had arranged to take three students and one additional staff person to volunteer for the relief effort.... This was all part of AmeriCorps’ efforts to assist with the relief efforts in cooperation with the Salvation Army. I stayed at Steve and Pam’s apartment (sister/brother in-laws) with two students, and the others stayed with friends. We were assigned to the food tent right outside the medical examiner’s office where morticians, funeral directors, forensic examiners, and dentists worked round the clock. Relief workers from Ground Zero were also present. We were there for three days. Again, the notes are random – written on a dark bus heading home and I was very sleep deprived, so I hope it makes some sense.

Diary entry – January 11, 2001

It’s been four months since the WTC Bombings have occurred and here I am in NYC – still a magnificent city – still in a state of shock. The past three days I’ve been volunteering with the Salvation Army – an incredible experience. I have with me three students and Jim Tinger from the Youth Center. I am feeling sad combined with feelings associated with admiration for the relief workers. The men and women I have met here all have big hearts with sorrow still in their eyes. Everyone was friendly and kind. We always thanked them (relief workers), after serving them a meal – yet, they thanked us.

Officer Mike and Officer Darryl -Mike lost his best friend at the WTC. He died a hero. Mike also saved a person while escaping the dangerous situation which was upon him. When the students praised him, he was adamant about not being a hero. He told us that those who died were the real heroes. After spending 2 hours with Mike and Darryl, the girls and I received a ride home in their unmarked police car. They sped down the avenue with their lights and sirens on. Mike tried to give us his badge as a memento, but we declined.

Vinnie – A mortician from Utica. He has rotated 2-4 times here already. He’s part of the DMORT crew which helps identify bodies from airplane crashes and other disasters. He tells me that the number of people who have died exceed the numbers that are being reported. He says that people come to him with pictures asking if they’d seen their children and/or loved ones.

The Waiting Room – Being stationed at the medical examiners’ office, we continually saw families reporting in to identify the bodies of loved ones. There was a sign on the door which said “family ID only”.

The makeshift morgue consisted on a large while hanger tent – open like an airplane hanger. There were 17 large refrigerated trucks each containing remains. Flowers were placed in front of the trucks. A memorial park was erected outside the morgue. The girls were asking me lots of questions, including what was in the trucks. I stayed strong and told them. Thank god Jim Tinger was with me. He is much better at these things.

POSTSCRIPT: Wow. Typing in these words just now - I had forgotten how intense this experience was. Interesting how I tried to capture the people - Mike and Darryl and Vinny. I wonder how they all are now. I had forgotten that Mike wanted to give us his badge. I also wonder how the girls (students) are doing. Jennifer is probably in med school on rotation, and Kristin is probably just starting another year teaching a group of elementary school kids. Nicole is writing something very important. Jim is still at the Youth Center - a positive influence on the community....I used to call him Saint James...I'm sure they think of this experience often as do I. We were a great team....

Entry from my diary - Sept.11, 2001

Having kept a diary most of my adult life, I dug up my journal from 9/11/01 including a scrap of paper that I handed to my supervisor who was just introducing the training we had just begun in Saratoga. I had been tapped on the shoulder by Nancy, the owner of the training facility who brought me into the kitchen where a television showed the smoke from the first tower. Stunned, she prompted me to notify my supervisor about the attack. I struggled with finding the words to scribble onto that piece of paper. I can’t remember which version she read. But here it is…

Pam - at next break?
A terrorist attack on the world trade center – a 737 airplane hit the world trade center 1 at 9:00 and 1 at 9:03. Karen wants to know if you want a TV set up or if you want to just announce alerts all over NYC.

Thought you should know – A terrorist attack just occurred at the world trade center. A 737 airplane crashed in to the building (2 planes? At 9:00 and 9:03?) NYC is on alert.

Here's is a part of the journal entry.....some parts deleted.

3pm 9-11-01

At this moment, I am at the Wayside Inn in Saratoga for a Suicide Prevention training. We are all strangers here, but we have one thing in common. For years to come we will all recall where we were when the news came that 4 domestic airplanes were hijacked - 2 of which crashed into the World Trade Center……….As I learned of the news, I immediately attempted to contact Steve and Pam Rosenbaum for which I was unsuccessful due to phone lines being jammed. Eventually, I was able to contact Eileen who had made contact with them shortly after 9am, before plane #2 crashed.....My dad cried today…..he may have lost friends in this attack and our cousin Janet works at the trade center. At SUNY, they cancelled classes. My mom is visiting Aunt Rose in Florida and can’t get home. Roger can’t get home as well, but I don’t know the details yet. His message indicates that Rt. 28A our road leading to our home has been closed. We think its because our road surrounds the reservoir – the water which feeds NYC.

TOMORROW – I will transcribe my diary notes from a volunteer trip to Ground Zero that I took with the SUNY New Paltz AmeriCorps students three months later.....

Pavarotti and Sting

I continue to grieve the loss of Pavarotti, however thanks to YouTube, I don't have to unpack my collection of VHS tapes from the attic to enjoy watching him. Here's a new video I discovered of Pavarotti singing with Sting. There have been some "train wreck" duets including the one he did with Barry White, however, Panis Angelicus with Sting is such a great merging of two distinct voices.....Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUh1SlrtEG0

PS. Take note of the guitar player. I would love to play like that someday.

New guitars for both of us.

Received a loaner guitar (sort of) from the music shop in Woodstock. Ron the owner is so wonderful. The one I wanted is on back order, so I purchased a similar one and will trade it in later this month for the one I want….. Started practicing a little bit. Alan became very excited to see my new guitar and said he wanted to “share mommy’s guitar”. I had purchased him a new guitar the same day (same blue color and everything - see pictures above), but he still wanted mine. I eventually gave up trying to play because we were both getting frustrated....This morning was a little bit better. We had our first “jam session” to the song You are my sunshine. We even sang together. Very cool (in a mommy sort of way)…

Taking a nap

Alan stayed up later than usual last night, and woke up extra early. As you can see from this picture, he conked out a little bit earlier than expected on our playroom floor at about 11:10AM. The babysitter said he pulled the blanket off the couch, placed it on the floor and put a book over his eyes. He muttered something about taking a nap at Pop-Pop’s and fell into dreamland. It’s now 1pm and he’s still asleep.

Luciano Pavorotti 1935-2007

Woke up to the sad news about the death of Luciano Pavorotti. His music always reached deep into my soul. Below are two of my archived blog entries that have included references to his music.

O Sole Mio (My Sun)

http://michellerosenbaum.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html#3857527292831381398

Tenor Tuesday

http://michellerosenbaum.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html#3463719356581352915

Hello everyone

Hi there - Spent a delightful day at SUNY New Paltz catching up with old friends. I was hoping to run into more students. Really lifted my spirits to see everyone. After dinner I took Alan to Ulster Landing Park and we threw stones in the water and chased geese. He knows about geese from a Henry and Mudge book, so it was fascinating to see him make the connection - especially to the work "honk" (the sound geese make). He marveled at watching them take flight! I'll have to post the photo at some point. He also began the project of moving bricks from one side of the park to the boat launch where he plopped them into the water making a huge splash each time. Being out most of the day, I missed him, so it was a nice time for us to be together. In other news, tomorrow I will be heading up to Woodstock to get my new guitar. I was supposed to get it today, but ran out of time....Hope all is well with you and yours...

Parade of Seniors (Class of 2008)

Just woke up to the Class of 2008 parading (speeding) down the avenue. I always measure the amount of class spirit by how much honking and hurraying the senior class does on their first day. Seems like a pretty loud group. Lots of balloons with cars decorated with paint, etc...This is a good thing, because they are heading towards the school, a day closer to that diploma and all seem happy at 7:23 AM.