HAIKU LIFE OF ANGELIKA

EVERETT LEESON

2010-08-29T02:01:00.000-07:00

My Mother lost her best friend and companion. He will be missed. He was 89 and turning 90 on NoveMBERO 23. He took a drink and stopped, closed his eyes and died. He died at Happy Hour and he would have been glad to go that way!

here is the haiku i wrote for him

In the sunny garden

she holds his hand now cold

for the last time

back again a from bipolar episode

2010-06-25T01:13:00.000-07:00

WELL IT HAS BEEN 2 YEARS SINCE I HAVE WRITTEN!!!!

i HAVE BEEN ILL WITH DEPRESSION AND COLON CANCER!

i AM JUST FINE NOW.

Thanks be to God

Every bipolar episode has it's prize. It is a time on inertia during the depressive period. This (normal) period is one of discovery in all aspects of my life. I may switch to a newer medication that works better than i have been on these past few weeks. I will try Lithium, which is the only one so far dedicated to the illness and has worked well for years.

I never thought cancer was something that i would have to attend with.

A million kisses of haiku to all the people, medical and lay who have helped me!

CANCER HAIKU

In the cemetary

around the headstone

first snow drops

Scent of see weed

drifts into the graveyard

he walks alone

Haiku world of Angelika: GALSAN TSCHINAG

2008-06-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Haiku world of Angelika: GALSAN TSCHINAG

Haiku world of Angelika: #DRAGON BOAT IN FLENSBURG, GERMANY

2008-06-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

Haiku world of Angelika: #DRAGON BOAT IN FLENSBURG, GERMANY

Haiku world of Angelika: #POLO IN FLENSBURG

2008-06-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

Haiku world of Angelika: #POLO IN FLENSBURG

Haiku world of Angelika: #BALTIC HORSE SHOW IN KIEL

2008-06-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

Haiku world of Angelika: #BALTIC HORSE SHOW IN KIEL

HAPPRY RAT SPRING 2008

2008-03-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Spring, well officially anyway. It is Spring to me when the first Snowdrops appear in early January. Now there are all of the Spring bubls out.

My dragon boat team has been going out on Wednesday nights and how nice it has been on clear nights to look up and see the stars and look back at the lights of the island. We may be able to see our breath, but we are ever warm from the energy we extert out there.

My family celebrates Easter this week-end. An North European custom is that one gets a new suit of clothes to wear...well i like that one very much and a new Easter Sunday new hat to wear to church too. I am still not near my fat-loss ideal weight yet, so i don't want to buy more than one outfit anyway. My fellow friends with Diabetes have the same problem with weight gain. Oma says the only way to deal with this is to get a zipper for one's mouth....LOL My latest readings suggest more fiber, more fiber. Ian says that i need to climb stairs a couple of times a day. I do try, but the medications that i take add bulk to my small frame too. And i adore my food and wine so much!!!!!!!! Ray suggests that i drink more coffee to increase my slow metabolism !!! That might be the best idea so far...painless and so enjoyable, especially when he makes me a cup with his new Italian coffee maker and serves it from his new/antique French hand-painted cups.

The International Wine Festival in Vancouver was a treat for me. I mainly tasted Sparkling wines and a few highly rated Italian reds. I met the two leading Marchesi wine growers and enjoyed my chats with them, with a promise that i would visit thier wineyards soon.

Mischi and Bling are sheading more hair now and i brush and comb them a couple of times a day. They enjoy sitting out in the sun now.

I was asked to enter 3 haiku in an Italian contest, but i could not find a friend to translate them into italian properly using 5-7-5 on time.

Here they are:

A blue snow and sky
the morning rays of sun caught
in an icy web

I did the above after seeing Ottmar Libert's blog where he had posted one of his photos of an icy Santa Fe morning.

A grey sea and sky
blue irises turn violet
in the deep night

Above the cedars
a Mother eagle hovers
scent of herring

A few others:

A full face tonight
the female patient prays
her womb still empty

Winter day
an inch of new growth
in the snow

The dragon boaters
watch the eagles mate
Spring sunshine

On the dead tree
8 eagle sit and wait
a smell of herring

Many fishing boats are now in the harbour and the odour of fresh herring pervades the bay.

Greetings from my island home

Happy Spring to you

Angelika

YEAR OF THE RAT

2008-02-07T05:11:00.000-08:00

Today is the start of The Rat year, 4706.

I was born in a Rat Year.

I have most of the good and not so good aspects. Some good ones are: charming, passionate, practical, hardworking, intelligent, quick witted, well yes i liek tot hink i have these. Not so good are: greedy, miserly, secretive. But it says i will give all to those i love, yes that is true. Especially Monkey or Dragon peple with blue irises, and of course Rat persons with dark eyes like mine!!

Oma will call soon and tell me the never-ending story of my birth. The Baltic was pounding at the house, there were no lights, no power. I was born in candle light. At day break my Mother saw me for the first time. A wild Viking scream filled the room. What is that, take IT away, she yelled. Well, i was covered in balck hair, had black darting eyes. Yes, i looked like a rat. Every morning the midwife would find a rat curled up with me in my cradle. They could not keep it away, well they brough in a huge cat and that was the end of the poor, wee rat. All of this is the truth!!!

My family will go out for a Chinese meal today. i am the only single person, so i will get more of the "Lucky Money" red envelopes. Greedy old me!!!!

It is traditional in China to buy new shoes and clothes, and get a haircut. I will do all that today. Chinese Wu clan colours are red and black, as are the First Nations clans here on the island. My artist friend Sandra designs wonderful First Nations capes in those colours. There is a Red night at the art gallery. I have given them Sandra, HER art and MY haiku cards to display.

Perhaps someone will buy some....greedy again!!!

Some haiku and tanka
Free form, not 5-7-5 or 5-7-5-7-7...just too lazy this morning.

Wild Baltic night
the baby covered in hair
a woman's screamm

A Rat-woman
searching for a Dragon-man
must have blue irises

Chinese New Year
red packets of money
on her door-step
she rushes to the mall
and calls her hairdresser

Her beloved cats
born in the
Dragon, Monkey and Rat years

Have a wonderful Rat year.

Mozart and Shakespear were Rat persons, no wonder i love them so much!!!

CARNIVAL TIME

2008-02-05T07:57:00.000-08:00

It is Carnival time and today is the last day. Shrove Tuesday is always fun...all those big, fat pancakes with maple syrup here in Canada. Here on the island not much is realy going on. I will make pancakes for myself, Mischi and Bling. I have a mask i made last year.

I heard that a man in Rio fell under a foat and died. All that crowing adn drinking, well the poor man had fun until the last moment of his life. My prayers go out to his family and friends. "Moderation in all things" is not in affect during Carnival.

My Nordic Uncle went to Carnival in Southern Germany, when he was young and did not return until the Summer.

Shrove Tuesday
pancake after pancake
scent of maple syrup

Carnival floats
song, dance and beads
rainbow on her neck

Behind her mask
her brown eyes blue
Carnival magic

Grey sea and sky
rain on the cedars
on the intenet
Carnival in Rio
colour, music and Samba

HAPPY NEW YEAR OF THE RAT 2008

2008-01-03T06:44:00.000-08:00

I am keeping the 12 days of Christmas, so my decorations will stay up until January 6. My NOBO haiku group has exchanged the Japanese traditional greeting card (Nengaijyou). about 60 of us have done this. There is wonderful creativity in these cards. Some are hand-made and all have a New Year haiku on them together with the Japanese New Year greeting (*Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu*) It is great fun to receive these cards each morning. We are an international group of haiku poets and the stamps alone are wondeful. I have been a member of NOBO ( Shiki) since 2000 and have made some dear friends during these past 7 years. The old Shiki and the current NOBO haiku are kept on-line, so it is nice to see them for the last 7 years. The on-line data base is housed in Japan. Do have a look. This is the YEAR of the Rat. I was born in a Rat year, so this year will be special for me!!!! I wish you all a wonderful year, especially my Rat friends!!!! My New Year haiku I sent this one to all NOBO memebers: Midnight bells Rat chases Pig into the night I woke up to the sound of power saws yesterday. The city workers were sawing down two wonderful, old Weeping Wilow trees. I was very destressed. These were wonderful tress with a bench under one of them that i sit on and look out over the sea very often. I will call the city to see why this was done as soon as thier office opens today. Chinese New Year starts on February 7. I always take my family for a Chinese buffet on that day. Weeping willow trees only stumps remain sound of saws The Wheeping willow she sits under it as her tears fall Danish Christmas dinner -- the smell of red cabbage and a fat goose rice pudding with cherry sauce fat marzipan pig prize At 12:01 he sits in last year's bath water

HAPPY CHRISTMAS SEASON

2007-12-24T05:54:00.000-08:00

I wish you all a wonderful holiday season.

My family celebrates a Danish Christmas with goose and red cabbage. Dessert is a rice pudding with an almond in it. Whoever gets the almond wins the marzipan pig.

It is Bling's first Christmas, so he is having fun crawling into the boxes and trying to climb up the two Christmas trees in the house. Mischi, being more used to all the glitter and fun is quite calm.

WE had a bit of snow, but it did not stay. Too warm in this rainforest.

In the snow
foot prints melt
in the sun

Snow on cedars
in the rainforest
it slowly washes away

A new nutcraker
i wait at midnight
where is the prince

In the harbour
boats with Christmas lights
sail slowly by

Christmas buffet
too many choices
sound of groaning

In the church
His light bright tonight
Christmas time

HAPPY NOVEMBER

2007-11-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

Ah, November is here...it has always been my favourite month along with December, for selfish reasons. My birthday and that of my soul-mates who are also fellow Sags.
A few are scattered around the world. My wish is to have a huge party one year and invite them all to Hawai'i with me so we can all celebrate our birthdays together there. Christmas officially begins in Honolulu right after Thanks giving with the Santa parade. The large hotels do a wonderful job in decorating. Yes, it is a wonderful time!!

My friend Ian MacDougall has shot a few very nice photos on Vancouver Island for you to see here.

Winter begins on December 22, so there are still many weeks of Autumn left to enjoy this colourful season.

Some tanka and haiku for Autumn:

Trees from Italy
yellow leaves falling
near the cedars

In the midst
of yellow and red leaves
a palm tree

The black kitten
chases a grey squirrel
in the misty garden

Purple leaves
of a tree in a field
i know not what kind

Autumn cranberries
beyond ripe for picking
bird's food supply
for the coming Winter
full of vitamin C

A county lane
fencing the horses in
Autumn sunshine

On the lonely path
red and gold leaves
she walks on them
crunching in delight
with a giggle too

In the distance
mountains now touched with
the first snows of Winter
nature has left her
first mark behind

NEW MAN IN MY LIFE

2007-10-10T05:16:00.000-07:00

He has black hair and large emerald eyes. He is taking up all my free time. He will not leave my pc alone. He sleeps on my pillow, not his own. He sleep most of the day and eats for the rest. HIs hair is so very soft and long and i wonder if he will loose it like so many men. We do not speak the same language so it is a bit hard to communicate fully. He has very high cheak bones and his eyes have a Mongolian slant to the. Perhaps he is part Hungarian like me? The two males next door speak the same language, so he goes over to Raymond's house a few times a day.
Mischi hisses at him and swats him when he passes by her. He likes to share my coffee too much. He is already hyper, so i try and keep him from doing that. He is very noisy and has looked in all my closets. He has a fondness for shoes, especially designer ones. So, he is a bit vain or perhaps just has a taste for the finer things in life. To celebrate his moving into my house i served my usual celebration bottle or two of Veuve Clicquot and smoked salmon sandwiches, well he did not like the bubbly, but eat most of the salmon. He enjoys my many silk kimona very much, perhaps he is part oriental in orientation. He also has insommnia as i do, but he will not take any sleeping mediction. It is early days yet, i do hope he will fit in with the rest of my household soon. His name is Jet. I love him very much indeed!

HIs black hair shines
in the Autumn misty day
sounds of hissing

On my silk kimona
many long black hairs
rustle of old silk

We share a glass
of the old bubbly wine
in Irish glasses

Mischi, the old female
her blue-green eyes flash
at his large emerald ones

My blue silk pillow
a new shiny black head now
little room for mine

In the long dark night
a new heart beat next to mine
i go to sleep with a smile

TODAY IS AUTUMN (AKI)

2007-09-23T03:47:00.000-07:00

I woke up very early this morning for some reason. I have actually slept 7 hours a night for the last couple of months, not today. I then realised it is the first day of Autumn.

Autumn always gives me a restless feeling, perhaps itis my Maygyar DNA. An urge to go off to Winter hunting grounds?

For weeks now it look as if someone has used a paint brush on the trees and bushes during the night. The old oak trees have rusty leaves and the acorns are on the ground.

I found an interesting and useful piece of rock art. Rocks have spaces where you put tea lights inside them. They warm the rocks...a wonderful spot to put cold bare feet.

I have never been to Eastern Canada or the USA for Autumn and one day i really must go and see all those red Maple trees. We do not have mnay of them here.

Autumn haiku and tanka

Rusting oak trees
guarding the harbour entrace
spaces to see through now
the ships pass behind them
to Alaska and Vancouver

Red and yellow leaves
float on the blue ocean
where do they journey to
if i were an insect small
could i catch a ride

On this pacific island
reds and yellow leaves
foat here and settle there
i feel ready to travel
with them right now

A weeping willow
still full of green leaves
the old man's memories

The old man
lights a Churchill
to keep wasps away

Half the boats
in the harbour now gone
more space for my dragonboat
to reach the other island

In Mother's garden
sound of many crickets
singing old songs

In the kitchen
a cricket in a cage
keeping Aki time

FROHES GEBURSTAG MELITTA UND MAYA

2007-09-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

Two very special birthdays to the Ladies that are so very import to me!!

Normally Sagittarian and Virgo do not really get along.

Well, not true at all.

Both have milestone birthdays today. Both share ancient roots to the Baltic sea.

One the oldest woman in my life, the other the youngest.

For Mutti Melitta:

She starts her day

with the coffee with her name

Melitta in her cup

Wihout her on earth

i would not be here at all

September's red leaves

On the Baltic

in an ancient place

gold sand dunes

Blond Viking hair

the Baltic winds blow

the sea scents

Young green eyes

do not recognize the

older face

Across the sea

in an old graveyard

ancestor spirits

still alive and with us today

tall blue irises

FOR MAYA

Her voice

my wake-up call

each moring

In old Hamburg

from her open window

mist from the river

In her closet today

another pair of designer shoes

from her Prince

Bottle of champagne

another taste of

the old widow Clicquot

to start a birthday morning

in my Irish glass

RENGAY BY ANGELIKA BYGOTT AND JOHN DALEIDEN

2007-09-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

Sea-Changes

By Angelika Bygott and John Daleiden

squatting

a frog observes

the clouds /chiyo-ni

near the lily pads

dragon flies hover /Angelika

the waves break

on Malibu Beach

sandpipers skitter /John

late August day

a leaf in the ocean

Canada Goose honks /Angelika

hurricane remnants

one hundred year floods /John

the lunar eclipse

her full face has a twin

in the still ocean /Angelika

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFFREY RANDOLPH RENVILLE

2007-08-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday my one and only child.

Against all odds we both survived one of those "Hungarian dramas" that this family is so fond of.

On the radio right now they are playing a csardas...

From The Phophet by Kahil Gibran

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children."

And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you.

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

My tanka

He sits on the large hill

King of his great pride

His kingdom down below

The responsibilities are vast

A roar awkens the day

Written this morning August 17, 2007

Happy Birthday!!!!!

MID-SUMMER

2007-08-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

My computer crashed and have lost most of my data. Did back my data as i should have...NO!!!

Well, as everything in my life i only learn things the hard way. I am especially sorry that my Cousin Kim lost his collection of 30,000 songs that he has been collecting for so long.

I now have an external hard-drive and this should help with anymore losses.

I am grateful to Ray and Roger for letting me use their computers...so sorry for waking the two of you so early in the mornings. You have been good sports. I will have one of my bubbly parties soon to celebrate.

Here in Nanaimo we had the annual Dragon boat festival in which i was part of. Then there was the Bathtub Races which brings so many tourists to the city. More and more i hear many European and Asian languages spoken here and am happy that these tourists are enjoying this city and the island.

Here are a few haiku and tanka:

For the breast cancer survior dragon boat teams

My paddle goes slowly

among the flowers in the sea

so many lives gone

but we honour

them today

Salt on arms and legs

spash the dragon boaters

as a seal watches

For Sam Monagham Stone for his historic sea voyage from Honolulu to Japan on the Kama Hele, a 125 day life changing adventure. I am so proud of you See you on my birthday in Honolulu!!!

You can read about his adventure on http://pvshawaii.squarespace.com/ and on his regular column for JAL at http://www.jal.co.jp/hawaii/samlog, also his TV show website http://entame.express.jp/tvinfo/aloten3/index.php

On the still sea

his eyes look inward

creating stories

Summer morning

watching the sun rise

haze on the sea

Blue-green eyes

memories brings me back

to your island

HAPPY CANADA DAY 2007

2007-07-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Canada Day

The city will be full of actvities today. One nice thing is the annual classic car show . Family actvities in the park. I like that the downtown highrises all put large flags on thier balconies.

The 360 Van Isle sailboat race is now finished. i watched the sailboats come in yesterday morning.

I met many of the sailors...they were all having coffee down on the quay.

Canada is 140 years old today!!!!

At dawn

sailboats enter the habour

sailors ready for coffee

Canada Day

she is 140 years old

young at heart and spirit

people of many lands

room for them all

Last day of June

she waits for the Honey Moon

her beautiful face

My little sister

her birthday yesterday

like the daughter

i could never have

Frohes Geburstag

BARONESS MAYA'S ART

2007-06-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

wOW...WHAT NEXT????

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

2007-06-17T05:41:00.000-07:00

A happy Father's Day to all of you

My Father whio was Hungarian died in a very dramatic way on Father's day many years ago.

I wrote some haiku and tanka for him during the years. Some are in my book, Vancouver Island poetry, one i just wrote this morning, a tanka with 5-7-5-7-7.

Father's Day morning

memory of him cutting

his yellow roses

the bush still growing anyway

His presence brings peace to me

A few others (free form)

This one was read in church last year:

You were my guide

My best Friend

Tears were shed with you

The first dance was with you

I place my poem

On your ashes

From my book:

Restless river

The fire-coloured maple

Beckons the Magyar

Sunrise

She places haiku

upon his ashes

Red as a poppy

Maple leaves fall

On the memorial

ST. PAUL'S CONFIRMATION NIGHT

2007-06-14T05:52:00.000-07:00

I was Confirmed into the church on June 6th, 2007

It was a wonderful and moving ceremony.

This is the tanka i wrote about it:

(5-7-5-7-7)

A coolish Spring night

the Bishop places his hands

on her lower'ed head

light of His Divine Presence

brings a warmth to the old church

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYSON

2007-06-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

It was Tyson's coming of age birthday and i wanted to be there to share it him. There is one thing that is a bit of a bother living on this island; one needs to either fly or take the ferry to leave it. Tyson was having trouble with his shiny, red convertible, so he and Maya could not come and meet the ferry. There are no flights to Chilliwack from here. So, i took the bus and actually enjoyed the trip. The bus had lots of room and i had a seat to myself. I plugged in my msic and it took 55 songs and i was there.

The legal age in B.C. is 19. Tyson, being a red-blooded thirsty Canadian teen-age headed to the local liquor store. He was asked for 2 pieces of id., he only had one...he was a bit upset. He was so happy to be able to be some German beer. He and Maya had just returned from a trip to Hamburg to see Opa Walter and he now really enjoyed the city's fine beer. So, we returned home to get his passport. He came out of the shop with a very large bag. We drove out to Cultus lake to cool off, it was clost to 35 degrees. i walked out to the pier to write some poetry. I looked at the water and saw about 50 bottles of empty bottles of beer bobbing in the water. I thought not only dangerous but very careless and thoughless. I tried to reach down and get a few, but my snense of balance was off, i fell in. What a start to my mini-holiday!!! A couple of hours later were home and all of us with a bit of heatstroke. In the car we did not realise how hot the sun really was. But, all was fine in the morning and we had a good bottle of bubble, smoked salmon and other goodies to celebrate Tyson's 19th birthday. Baroness Maya as usual was a wonderful hostess as only a young woman trained by a German housekeeper can be. Not a dust mote insight and wonderful Hungarian-German food.

Here is a poem by Rudyard Kipling that i find very suitable for any young man who has reached adult-hood.

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you

But make allowance for their doubting too,

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, not talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,

If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Diaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted ky knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave yur life to, broken

And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And loose, start again at yur beginnings

And never breath a word about yur loss;

If you can force yur heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on where there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much,

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything thats in it,

And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

Yes, Dear Tyson you a Man now!!!!!!

My dear, sweet Tyson this is one for you. My dear, sweet Finnish cousin, do not feel left out, Kipling wrote a complete book with your name as a title.

EMPIRE /QUEEN VICTORIA DAY

2007-05-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

This was the 140th Annual May Queen Crowing.

I had the please of meeting the 20006 May Queen. She was a beautiful, clever and delightful girl. Then on Friday was the crowing of the 2007 May Day Queen and her attendents. There were Maypole dancing, ballet performances, Highland dancing and Bagpipes. Members of parliament and the Mayor's office were there too. I was interesting to me that traditons so old and long forgottren by most people were still being held in this age. Though, ay one time the May Queen was sacriiced for a good harvest, i was careful not to tell the Queen any of this.

We had the tradional small parade and fireworks at night. The start of many week-end festivites here. I took photos, but not too many are very good. As always, i do try...

There was a 1930s firetruck in the parade. Pierre would have liked that.

I planted my flowers this morning, it is traditional to do that on this week-end in most of Canada. Here on the island we really do not have to worry about the weather.

A few haiku and tanka:

Her young eyes

fill with tears tonight

May Day Queen year over

Robe of purple

a diamond tiara

a glowing Queen

Old chestnut tree

white candles sway

Spring wind

Highland dancers

young girls twirl thier kilts

swords at thier feet

The Colour Guard

holding the many flags

old backs still straight

The dark sky

full of colours and sound

fireworks bring me

outside to look

with delight

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

2007-05-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

a HAPPY mOTHR'S dAY TO ALL OF YOU!!!!!

I am on my way to meet mine for a buffet lunch and a bottle of bubbly.

There is so much to say about my Mother...2 much

So , all i will do is her favourite haiku today

Regal looking Lady

more silver in the gold

of her hair

MERRY MONTH OF MAY

2007-05-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

May has many important dates.

May 1....Oma callls first thing and says, "That Korean wife of his killed him you". Well May 1 is my Father's birthday. He married a lovely Korean lady and had a stroke, a year later. Oma is convinced that she gave him herbs to kill him and run off with the money.

Well,, after his stroke, yes she ran off, but i was made his trustee... He died 10 years later with another stroke. He was finally going to write his life story. He had refused to talk about his life in Hungry until the communists left. It would have been an exciting story full of Princes, thieves, lost castles and who knowas what is fact or fiction. I really do not know anything about his family in Hungry at all....only hints. He did mention a beautiful place close to Lake Balaton. I found it and it had been turned into a luxury hotel. In 1989, after the communists lot power...they gave back land and property....but i had to prove what his family owned. Well, he was caught in a fire working up North and all his papers were lost, so now change of a castle on Lake Balaton. It is there and beautiful and that is fine...i can go anything and stay there. Though Dr. Pavel will not allow me to travel through time zones in fear of inducing my illness. So i can only only in North America fo the time being.

May 6 is also a birthday of a person who was once very special to me. I am happy his heart is still ticking over, 41 is too young to die. Though this modern day Renaissance man has had a life filled of all the things he has wanted to do and experience. It is not the quantity but the quality, but i pray for him.

It is Jeffrey's fathers very large birthday this month also. he has been very ill too, so he is in my daily prayers also. It seems once a man reaches 40, his body starts to send messages...

Well May 13 is Mother's Day...and always a happy day in our family. The women live on and on!!

For Sandor

On Lake Balaton

the room of his birth

a warm glow

Restless river

the fire-coloured maple

beckons the Magyar

Sunrise

she places haiku

over his ashes

For J

A blue-irised man

sends her a post-card

on his honeymoon

His four children

gather around his bed

he is content

For Oma

Spring morning

more silver than gold

in her hair

Her singing

fills the old house

and odour of 4711

For Robert (Bob)

His milestone birthday

drinking Veuve Clicquot

counting his years in bubbles

wonder where the time has gone

And what would have been a special Wedding anniversay

On the small island

memories of thier life

fill the shadows

EARTH DAY 2007

2007-04-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

NANAIMO EARTH DAY 2007

A very loud clap of thunder and then the Pineapple Express hit us in Maffeo Sutton Park. A spectacular start to the day.

My group of vlounteers did a splendid job and we all enjoyed the day. i was in charge of of the colouring contest. I handed out the picture to colour...damp but joyful entrants kept me busy. During the most powerful downpour i coloured too. Aw well, it is fun to be child-like, i make it a daily practise. The best part of the day was a swing music group. Everyone liked the music of that era.

I have 3 festival tatoos that will not budge from my arms.

A few haiku and tanka (free-form and childish)

A loud clap

Thor in the sky today

the rush of wind and rain

children cry as the paint face

decorations run down in many colours

Japanese exchange students

volunteer for Earth Day

they run in the rain

giving out bottles of

pure island water

Earth Day

rain drops on

the Smart Car

In the rain

on Earth Day

the government ministers

cheerful in the rain

many people running to their booth

for free coffee and donuts

On Earth Day

we discuss how "green" we are

proud of our efforts

hey, i gave up my german tank

and still miss it, but not the price of gas

Earth Day

at the end of the day

tents dripping rain

a man comes along with

2 dogs that look like mops

DON HO DIED YESTERDAY

2007-04-16T05:48:00.000-07:00

Don Ho

Donlad Ho Tai Loy, August 13, 1930- April 14, 2007.

He die dof hear failure yesterday morning. He will be sadly missed by all and his show in Waikiki. I had th epleasure of meeting him and found him a wonderful, charming man.

Well known for his song, "Tiny Bubbles".

He was an icon who well represented the State of Hawaii.

White flower lei

the scent of rain in the air

her tears flowing

The heart of Waikiki

will forever beat in song

blue-great pacific

In the wine

those tiny bubbles

she lifts a glass

of Vevbe Clicquot

to his memory

EASTER SUNDAY

2007-04-08T15:25:00.000-07:00

A wonderful Easter service today. The sun was out for only a little while...nothing new about that here on this island of rain forests...

I realised today that i have unconditional love from two men in my life. Jesus and Jeffrey!!!

I have turned off Yahoo and MSN and am spening the day in contemplation.

MY EASTER TANKA (FREE FORM)

Angel sitting on the stone

the women named Mary not believing

the news that will bring joy

for two thousand years

first Easter

EASTER WEEK

2007-04-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

FORGET-ME-NOTS

I was carrying 10 pounds of groceries on each arm. I stopped to take a breathe.

I looked down in to the flower bed and there almost hidden where forget-me-nots, small blue star-like flowers with a yellow center. My heart stopped for a moment. Flooding with memories, thought were long gone. I felt a great wave of sadness. Two wonderful, but also painful memories of two blue-irised ones. I later found that one of them is very ill...more sadness and un-ease. In church tonight i prayed.

FREE-FORM TANKA

FOR O

The night you left

i placed some forget-me-nots

on the windshield of your bus

knowing that we would never

share special moments again

In the store

your music in the back ground

i smile and remember

years ago, the same music

knowing you are happy

FOR J

Forget-me-nots

i saw them suddenly on the path

my thoughts turned to him

with my heart filled

with sadness

Forget-me-nots

my thoughts return to your eyes

so many years ago

then tears in mine

wonderment and a deep sigh

Forget-me-nots

a tear starts to flow

knight, poet and coffee lover

your heart stop-go...

i say a prayer

hawaiian105.com: News

2007-03-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

hawaiian105.com: News

SPRING IS HERE

2007-03-21T06:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring to all of you. I am still unclear about it being yesterday or today. Oh well.

The plum and cherry trees are in bloom and i was going to take some photos of them yesterday, but it was a cool, cloudy day. The wonderful scented blue hyacinth is now out also. It sents my whole house. It also fulfils my love of the many shades of blue with a touch of purple in them.

The first of many guests to the island will start to arrive latter this week. Who can blame them and i am happy they will be on this wonderful island and escape their cities jobs and stress. My Mother, son and i enjoy our role of hosts for our own private B&B. We serve a wonderful breakfast and leave our guests free to do whatever they wish during the day. Some are excellent cooks and the enjoy the fresh fish and produce here. I am looking forward to the meals and wines they conjour up daily. There goes my strict diet, again.

Well, Spring is also in the air in Finland. My Finnish cousin Kim was in the mood to sing a few songs for me first thing this moring. He has a deep voice, just the thing to help me wake up in a hurry.

Yesterday my Pakistani cousin, Muddy in Lahore felt like singing also. Must be in the air world-wide.

This island has deep voices we do not want though. We have an influx of unwanted voracious Americna bullfrogos, an invasive species that can grow to be the size of a dinner plate and even small house pets!!! They are hunted down and zapped with electricity. They

were brough onto the island in the 1930s by a man who wnated to breed them

for their legs!!

Speaking of coffee. I read that heavy caffeine users are almost twice as liklely to exhibit panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and major depression. Starbucks has no interest in supporting further research on this. I will not give up my Kona, which reminds me that Hawaiian cousin Sam needs to sen dme a few more pounds soon.

If anyone knows how i can merge my 4 blogs into one, please let me know.

A few Spring haiku and tanka (lazy style--free form)

Houseboat in Kashmir

his black eyes seem almost blue

she hides her feelings very well

the lake sill and silent

this Spring morning

The lake in Finland

finally free of ice now

his eyes just as blue

Spring morning

the first bird call

to awaken me

New green grass

many small black birds

this Spring day

Float planes land

ferries pass the island

she waits for him

LAST DAY OF SPRING

2007-03-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

My church had a St. Pat's Day tea. It is so nice to have these traditions. The elderly ;ladies did a wonderful job of setting up the tea, baking and also had crafts for sale.

It is my friend from Rhode Islands" birthday. So my thought go to him and our time on Maui and the fun we had. Especially the Friday night Art Walk. All the art galleries on Front St. have open house with artists in attendance. Kerry and i were much impressed with some pieces of Arte we saw. It was close to Christmas and we were both missing our Northern European Christmas rituals. He is part Irish and very sentimental, so we were both a bit sad this our first Christmas without our families. He di not have his own guitar and would not use another person's, so i could not listen to him playing the music he played when he formed his group in Rhode island when he was younger. One regret i have is that the peg-legged old man at Pioneer Inn promised to send the photos he took of us....they never came. I had top leave the island for a family emergency and we did not even exchange last names. But we had a nice time and i am sure he thinks of us every December too. His last words to me were, " say yes to life."

Wonderful advice for all of us.

A few free-form tanka for Kerry

On this tropical island

we were both so far from home

on Christmas eve, feeling sad

about both of our Nordic rituals

tears from your Irish eyes

In the art gallery

the amazing works of Arte

that i was afraid to touch

you told me you would buy it for me

one day when you were flush again

Maui stars

so clear in the winter night

you so much younger than I

but knowing more of life

A man in jean shirt and jeans

a dark night on Maui

telling me about your music

and your love of guitar

Today is your birthday

i can still see a pair of emerald eyes

with black thick lashes

so many years ago

why do men have better lashes

than most girls

On this your birthday

i have no photo of you

pushing your dark hair

out of your emerald eyes

memories come one by one

New rice paper

i draw eyes of green with black lashes

Maui mountains and

light green sea

this Spring day

OTTMAR LIBERT'S VIDEOS

2007-03-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

Well, first thin i did was do this blog and then i lost it somehow. I think it is all this grey and misty weather the last few weeks, i can't recall the last time the sun was out. The best thing is that the weather comes from Hawai'i. I sweat i can smell Plumeria in the air.

One of the nice things i found on this new pc in the video capabilities. I checked Ottmar's site and found his video's. I enjoyed them very much. I was amazed to find that his head was now shaved. A lot of my male friends of all ages now have bald heads or very short hair. I quess it is the fashion?

I have been very lazy for a number of weeks. I quess it is the weather. I am writing 13 short stories. I found that i am confusing names, dates, places, locations as i write them all. Well, i am making a mess of them. BUt, i get an idea and i just add to them. In one i am walking down a street in Vancouver and then in the next paragraph i am in Honolulu with another main character. Perhaps i should try and stick to one story at a time. The first one is still wioth Hugh in Cambridge waiting for him to finish editing it.

Next week is Spring. I need to do some haiku for Asahi in Tokyo this week. We do have flowers and trees out already, so it will not be too hard to write a few, even though the mist is caught in the cedars all day here. All i see is grey and green. No touch of my favourite blue anywhere except in Mischi's wonderful eyes.

Here are a few free form haiku and tanka, poems i did watching Ottmar's vidos this morning.

I hope my "Chinse Cousin" forgives me, once again, lol.

This early Spring day

the trees as bare as

your bald head

Closed eyes

open his heart

so the music flows

into his fingers

the guitar sings

His long fingers

on the strings

this Spring night

the music invades

my determined isolation

on my mist filled

cedar island

"i refuse to answer hair questions"

now he has none

unlike Samson of Old

the power still flows

in his magical fingers

GUNG HAY FAT CHOY

2007-02-20T05:27:00.000-08:00

HAPPY cHINESE nEW yEAR

It is 4705, year of the Pig

I went to a Chinese buffet and eat like one!!!

I have met a Pig-person this year and i wish him the best of years this year.

I was in Victoria for a few days last week and went to Chinatown for a few New year's goodies and essential herbs and teas for my larder.

I was asked to write some rose haiku for an upcoming book published by Angela Leuck in Quebec later this year. She has asked many haijin around the owrld to contribute and i am pleased that she has also asked me again. She has been publishing a series of flower haiku books. I did some tulip haiku for her a couple of years ago.

My book has been selling well in Vancouver and i need to re-

print soon. Hugh Bygott is still revising it. I will add some new haiku and a few new photos. I will be leaving out the personal dedications, due to the fact that i left out a number of people and they are upset.

i have joined the Tanka Association of America. I am going to concentrate on tanka this year. The longer lines and syllabels gives me more scope to say a bit more.

Here are a few Rose haiku i did this week and some last year.

Late winter today

the rose bushes now pruned down

promise of scents soon

The misty garden

yellow petals falling down now

as her tears flow down

Valentine's day here

she waits all the day for the

sign of his caring

In his large letter

the rose petals falling out

tears softening them

After she rose

her scent lingerd

will he miss her

A purple rose

with silver glitter

the latest thing

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2007-01-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

Well, it is 2007 and how fast 2006 went by.

I only have one resolution and that is to loose weight, or i should say FAT.

I bought a treadmill and will go on it several times a day and hope that it will help.

This is one of my favourite haiku for year end:

At 12:00

he sits in last year's

bath water

May your wishes come true this year!!

IT IS THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS

2006-12-21T04:33:00.000-08:00

This is the first Christmas in a few years that i have been well enough to really enjoy all the wonderful fuss and bother of it all. I have not just one tree, but 3!! One in my bedroom, one in the living room an done outside the door. Mischi has bows and bells on and is making a musical noise whenever she walks by. My Germanic and Danish heritage is fully represented in my home and that of my family.

Christmas eve we have a Danish Christmas dinner: roast goose with prune and apple stuffing, caramel potatoes, red cabbage and green vegetables...a nice colourful feast. The dessert is a fluffy rice pudding. In the pudding is an almond, whoever gets the almond wins a mazipan pig.
After dinner we have coffee and cookies and stronger stuff for the hearty ones to fortify themselves for midnight church services. Christmas during my childhood was always a bitter-sweet affair. My Mother would become homesick for Europe and weep a bit over the Christmas box that family always sent. We all still get weepy. Now that i am a member of St. Luke The Physician it will be my turn to say Grace.

I wish all of you the joy and peace of this season and may God grant you all yur wishes.

Christmas wreath
the fourth candle now lit
a hush pervades

Christmas tree
hanging memories
one by one

Lights on the tree
making wishes
this dark night

Still christmas night
the sound of rain
no snow at all

Snow covered temple
lone woman in a red coat
kneels to pray anyway

Grandmother
a blue haze covers
the old eyes
memories come
creeping in

THE JOY OF MUSIC

2006-12-11T03:23:00.000-08:00

I had my Christmas party for friends and neighbours yesterday. Without the addition of wonderful music it woudl not have been so nice at all. I played The Brothers Cazimero Christmas album. A Dragon Boat team memeber was ther, she had lived in Honolulu as a child and she was so happy to here this music from Hawaii. We shared a few happy memories of the island. I will be there soon.

One of the most ancient satisfaction known to man is music. The brain can now be mapped to see what goos on when we listen to music. Music is language and is a neurological fact. Recent developments in MRI scanning has offered new infromation on how we respond to music. Music has an immediat eimpact that triggers the release of chemicals into the blood stream that creates pleasure. Yes, life would be less special without the wonderful music in our lives.

I gave all the people at my party a gift of the latest collaboration between my friend Sandra Moorhouse-Good, a local artist. Last Spring i spent a few hours writing haiku for her paintings for the book we have planned. We have yet not found time to get together and discuss how the book should look, so in the meantime, i came up with the idea to take a few of her paintings to my printer. He scanned them and added my haiku. They are beautiful. I let my guest each choose one. The cards will be sold in shops.

Christmas party

the cat has a red bow

around her neck

Bottles of bubbly

a pink glow on

my cheeks

Music of Hawaii

colours blue and green

come into my mind

Advent wreath

two candles light

the dim room

Silent night, Holy night

all talk ceases in the

noisy room

Red dress and shoes

after a few hours

pinch, pinch pinch

( i hate shoes and never wear them unless i have to)

ST. NICHOLAS DAY

2006-12-06T07:07:00.000-08:00

December 6th in most of Europe, is St. Nicholas Day. Children will find a potatoe or some chocolate in the shoe they left out last night.

St. Nicholas died on December 6th in 345. He was the Bishop of Myra. He spent his life doing good works and performing miracles. The Church made his a Saint. Even today his relics in the city Bari produce a substance, which is prized for it's healing properties.

He was very kind to children. Today he is known as Santa Claus.

So Santa Claus is REAL!!!

December morning
a child crosses her fingers
will she get a potatoe

Frosty streets
the old man in red carries a sack
for good children

A child finds
a potatoe in her shoe
soft crying

December morning
frost on a shoe
chocolate inside

In the doorway
my son's shoe stands
full of chocolate
his happy grin
also a puzzled expression

My shoe is outside
is it too big for St. Nickolas
to leave anything?

IT IS DECEMBER

2006-12-04T05:58:00.000-08:00

It is the Advent month. My church had an Advent service yesterday. It was a wonderful time and as we all we in the dark and then lite our Advent candle one by one a feeling of peace and wonder filled the small church.

This Sunday i am having a tree decorating party. Family and friends will come over for some bubbly and sweets and we will all help to decorate my tree. I still have a small angel that i have had since i was 3 years of age. She is my favourite decoration. I hoep we will get another snowfall for Christmas, i will pray.

Decorating the tree

hanging memories

one by one

In the church

Advent candles are lite

Jesus is coming

In the small church

December's dim light but

white candles lighted

In the church

all is in blue cloth

and white candles

The Bishop

round and jolly

gives me a wink

Happy Advnt to you all

BLAST OF WINTER

2006-11-29T07:24:00.000-08:00

I prayed for a bit of real Winter for Xmas, well God heard and answered in record time.

The province has been hard hit with record snowfalls, power failure and people overcome by using their bbq to generate heat. A family member was riding a sleigh dwon a steep hill and hit a solid rock wall. He has many facial cuts and a concussion. That is a bit too much Winter for him. I looked into my many closets and could not find a pair of warm, non-slippery boats. In the far back of one of the many closets, i found a pair of black cowboy boots with red hearts on them. I have no idea where they came from, but i wore them yesterday. When i got home late last night i had trouble taking off the right one, the left was impossible. So, i thought my feet might be swollen, so i put the foot on a pillow for a coupel of hours, with much pulling and tugging i did manage to get the thing off.

We are expecting more snow and even cold on Thursday.

I went out and tried to take some photos. I took a few, but then my card was full. There was a good potential shot of 3 red benches in the snow, i woudl have liked to take that one.

My Mother lives in the Northern part of the city, which is on higher ground and thus has more snow than down here on the ocean. Her car , she told me is totally coverved with heavy, wet snow. She will be stuck there for sometime. The city does not deal with snow removal very well because snow is not the usual thing here at all. I have been watching children playing down in the park and they are having such fun. There are snow angels everywhere.

But, the snow did not keep me from meeting having good friend Elizabeth's brithday celebration at one of my favourite pubs.

November snow

a red bench sit waiting

no one walking today

Snow covered temple

lone woman in a red coat

kneels to pray anyway

In the deep snow

she walks with

black cowboy boots

with red hearts

on them

Grey sea and sky

snow flakes melt on

the red umbrella

On the small island

a cloud of falling snow

covers the cedars

The snow covered cedars

stand covered in snow

an eagle hovers

A NEW YEAR

2006-11-24T07:38:00.000-08:00

II changed to this new blog. I wrote my birthday story and it did not appear and i take this as a sign that i need to start over on this blog-thing!!!

This week has been the best Birthday week i have had for 3 years, it is wonderful to be healthy enough to enjoy it. Now i will begin my Christmas countdown. I enjoy Christmas even more than my birthday, after all is it the birth of Christ and far more importan than my own.

I prayed to God and The Buddah; yes i think it is possible to have more than one belife system!

I asked them both to set me free of material wants, but could they please help me get my lost Christmas decorations back??? Well, guess what?? I did find most of the boxes, and i am so happy! I am going to have a Tree Decorating party on Decemeber the 10th. I will be inviting a few new poeple and two guitarist friends and it will be a wonderful afternoon. of Blair the Butler will be greeting and announcing the guests, and pouring the bubbly, serving the small, sweet munchies. We will sing Christmas carols too. He does a wonderful job of assuming a fake English accent, and i have trained him well in the fine art of butlery. He is a fast learner, and a man of many talents, one being the editor of my book; Vancouver Island Poetry.

There are 3 delivery notices that there are packages awaiting me in the post office. I hope one is from Sam in Honolulo, with the 2 pounds of Kona that he has been promising to send since January. That reminds me that Johannes in India has also been promising to send me coffee for many years.

Ah well, the Gods will hear my plea and do what they will.

Well, off i go to another Birthday week luncheon with Elizabeth, whose birthday is tomorrow. We have been meeting for our birthdays for many years. We are going to the Lighthouse Pub, one of my favourite places in Nanaimo. The view, the food, the beer are wonderful.