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Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Home Made Gifts


I gathered organic herbs from my garden
Orange, rose petals, ginger and tangerine peels- 
cut in thin strips and dry on an elevated screen
to allow air to dehydrate for 4 days (house smells
wonderful). 
Chop the peels and ginger into small pieces

Christmas Tea Recipe ~
Combine in large bowl:
Orange peel, ginger, rose petals, cinnamon, pinch of thyme,
allspice, rooibos and green tea.
Fruits and roses are 1/8 portion, spices 1/16 
Homemade and heavenly tea steeps 3 minutes in boiling
water and use the waste for compost


The label is above.

If you didn't get your package in brown paper...
whistle

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Christmas letter


feb2011savannah 112
Dear
Must not have your correct address.
Last I wrote it returned to sender.

Taking the wallpaper down.
Endangered Lady Gouldians danced
on roses in kitchen and family room.
You hated on the toile.
Men saw it as grandmotherly.
Realtor says remove all toys.
Cried not when fingers bled,
at snow white walls superior
to silly frills that create happy.

It won't be my home anymore.
Owners mow heirloom climbers.
Petals look unruly, roll out sod.
Take photos when it's sold.















We have a tiny tree
fuller than a Charlie Brown's,
popcorn strung, cranberries
and cuties with cloves in patterns.
Quite opposite my giant jeweled
Christmas tree of gold.






In the garden hangs a popcorn ball
with peanut butter and thistle seeds.
Care for the song birds.
French braid never gets old.



Christmas wish to your happiness.
I miss you all.




My children grow stronger.
Teaching them to fly.
Academy of independence.
Keep your sense of direction.
Stay the course for joy.









With Love,
Caroline Gerardo 2015 Christmas Poem

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Scion Wood For Heaven Novel

trees fruit grove cut down

I wrote 69811 words towards a next novel in November. 

#Nanowrimo doesn't produce fruit that is ripe, 
now I have to prune, graft and water.
The book is unfinished. 
Next step - rough edit and outline review. Then line review.
Then speak to characters and check scene events. 
And then the revision. Next share with beta readers.

It's about life after suicide. 
A bit of heaven, finding beauty in culled wood.
I lost these photographs and had one image on my iphone4.
Accidentally today I loaded an old memory chip - and there were 
fabulous images of my youngest, our college tours of the Northwest 
and these Corot and Van Gogh (esk) images of 
this Fallawater apple orchard shorn down. 
Ever had a memory chip ghost old images layered?

Heirloom and extinct varieties of fruits are of interest to
an off the grid gardener.
Apples are not genetically replicated by seed planting.
The mother's genes partially contribute to a new tree.
Like roses - field testing takes time.
Grafting replicates an apple variety.
Cider made from this fruit is amazing.

When I was seven I was in a Johnny Appleseed play.
I was John Chapman with a pot on my head. 
If you know the title of the play, please let me know,
I can't recall.
The folk hero spread the Harrison apple.
An apple now extinct, used to make hard cider,
and applejack brandy, laced with his own versions
of Christianity and sustainability.
Prohibition ended the varieties of apples and 
many of the Native American medicinal herbs
he used to distill.




Now the trunks become sweet aroma firewood. 
Branches are beautiful in wreaths,
but the grafters waited too long. 
Did they flame up in a blaze where sparks touch heaven?
Like my current work in progress a haunting image that is part
of us - earth, fruit, life, death and joy.
Sparkler in dead chill ~ winter scion clings to heartbeat ~ we connect in veins.

Taking submissions for title ideas
The Orchard End
Caville Blanc d'hiver
White Winter Wood
Scion Wood
Scion Wood For Heaven

P.S.: Scion is not referencing the car ---
 "young shoot or twig of a plant, especially one cut for grafting or rooting as in new life."

Also welcome your thoughts.
All my heart to you.
Thank you for reading 
Copyright 2015 images Caroline Gerardo
piles of scion wood shorn

scion wood cut down grass wildflowers poem caroline gerardo

apple trees cut down









Follow Caroline's board ECO Novel in Progress on Pinterest.

Stop A Bullet


Stop a Bullet
Bullets for Allah round
After four tours says,
"One hundred magazines on the black market."

Untrue

AK15 modified AK abound
No license required, 
"Buy my Korean military Brutus."

Renew

Stop bullets rebound
unwilling submission,
"Offer education and a loyal wife."

View

Join the song surround
Call of ManKIND,
"Understand, pray for and seek the enemy."

Grew

Caliph banner found
Rocks smash heads,
"Mecca Medina and Jerusalem are ours."


Blue

lockheed, boeing, bae, 
raytheon, eads, northrup, finmeccanica,
"gun manufacturers don't create problems."

You
Zealot takes your crown 
Seek solutions,
"welcome refugees, secure their future."

Do
not bend or deviate 
Stop the bullet before wound,
"save youth before they recruit."




Poem for solutions.
What are the answers?
CVE action against ISIS, IS is not working.
Assassins Creed image licensed by 
Ubisoft as is often used for recruiting 

Be not weary and faint-hearted, crying for peace, 
when ye should be uppermost 
(Shakir, "have the upper hand") 
for Allah is with you,"

12/6/2015 Copyright Caroline Gerardo


" لا تكن بالضجر و ضعاف القلوب ، والبكاء من أجل السلام ، عندما أيها ينبغي أن تكون الأولوية ( شاكر : " لديها اليد العليا " ) إن الله معك "