Thursday, October 29, 2009

Ghost Stories...The Golden Arm


Halloween will be here before we know it...
Below is the Ghost Story of "Who has My Golden Arm," as I recall it being told growing up....
Mother's voice changing tone and pitch, as needed, surrounded by a circle of children sitting indian-style upon the wooden floors, huddled in a circle, hanging on every word...
Enjoy! Again and Again...

Once upon a time there was a very,very rich man. He lived in a great old castle atop of the misty mountain.
He was so rich that people would travel the winding road that led up to his house to ask for favors and donations of money.
Children would venture to his door, trying to peddle their girl scout cookies, candy bars and magazine subscriptions for school. But even more often, parents would arrive with their daughters in tow...knowing this rich man was not married, they hoped that he would fall helplessly in love with their daughter.
He turned the children away, despite all the wonderful goodies they had to offer. Likewise, he turned all of the fair women away...many of which were young and beautiful. He turned them all away because he believed that no-one was really interested in him...that they were only really interested in his money & his castle on the hill.
One day, a woman arrived at his door. She was not looking for money or for love. She simply needed directions. He was suspicious, but after listening to her tales of getting lost, he found himself most captivated by her arm...her Golden Arm.
He invited her in for tea....she must be very thirsty after her long & lost travels. He would give her the directions she needed, but curiosity got the best of him & he wanted to know more about this Golden Arm of hers.
So over a glass of tea, she told him how she had been born the daughter of the richest man in the land (a man even richer than himself) and how she had been in a terrible horse riding accident as a little girl riding the horse her father had given her. Her father felt terrible.
When she lost her arm, she cried & cried & cried. Who would ever fall in love with a one-armed girl? How would she ever tend to a home, a husband and a child with only one arm? Her tears of pain & loss only made her father's guilt grow.
So when she was a young lady, her father gave her the gift of the Golden Arm. It was made of the finest gold of the world & made to look exactly like her other arm, but of solid gold. Her father told her that no-one, no thing, no accidents, no horses could ever take this arm from her... it was her Golden Arm.
Entertained by her tale of the Golden Arm, he gave her the directions she needed and then invited her back for tea the next day.
Day after day, they enjoyed afternoon tea together and eventually they married.
He thought no man was as fortunate, as blessed, as lucky as he.
Then suddenly one day, his wife died.
He was saddened, but truth be known, he loved her Golden Arm much more than he had ever loved her.
(voice drops, slightly above a whisper)
So, not long after his beloved wife had been buried, he grabbed his shovel & began to dig.
With each dig of the shovel into the dirt that covered his wife, he thought to himself... oh, that Golden Arm... I must have that Golden Arm... I am going to get that Golden Arm.
And eventually, he found her & her Golden Arm.
Covered in dirt, her face was so pale.
In the moonlight her lips were so ashy...
but that Golden Arm...it glistened, it shined, it was so bright & still so beautiful.
He grabbed it out & quickly covered his dead wife with the fresh dirt he had piled up.
All the while, thinking to himself...
I have the Golden Arm! I got it! I finally got the Golden Arm!

He ran with the Golden Arm through the cemetery, through the woods and up the foggy dark hillside, back to his castle. He took the Golden Arm & hid it deep in the secret safe. The safe that no-one else had ever known about, not even his beloved wife.
After all his hard work digging & his wild uphill running, he found himself exhausted. He sat in his chair, the chair he always sat in for afternoon tea & quickly fell asleep.
But he awoke to a sound
(voice in a sing-song whisper)
"Who's got My Golden Arm?"
(story teller looks maniacally into the eyes of the first child)
The old rich man is startled by the ghostly vision of his dead wife before him.
(sing-song whisper)
"Who's got My Golden Arm?"
(story teller peers deeply into the eyes of the second child)
Her skin was so pale, he was terrified.
(sing-song whisper)
"Who's got My Golden Arm?"
(story teller looks frantically into the eyes of the third child)
Her ruby red lips were ashen & gray...could it really be her?
(sing-song whisper)
"Who's got My Golden Arm?"
(story teller looks insanely into the eyes of the fourth child)
Her hair was clumped with fresh dirt...could she still be alive?
(sing-song whisper)
"Who's got My Golden Arm?"
(story teller looks nervously into the eyes of the fifth child)
(sing-song whisper)"Who's got My Golden Arm?"
(story teller looks painfully into the eyes of the sixth child)
(sing-song whisper)
"Who's got My Golden Arm?"
(story teller looks desperately into the eyes of the seventh child) (Whisper falling to just a trace of a voice...singing in an increasingly desperate, eerie, high pitched tone, causing us children to reel in closer, gripping our knuckles tight & keeping our eyes wide open)
"Who's Got My Golden Arm? Who's Got My Golden Arm?"
"Who's got My Golden Arm?"
Once all of us kids were torn between anticipation and desperation, the story teller would abruptly scream 'YOU DO!' as she grabbed hold of one poor childs' arm.

All of us would scream, year after year. None of us ever wanted that Golden Arm & we still don't!

Original Story written in 1883 by Aarne Thompson. This is my version, based upon my recall. Artwork by JustGiveMePeace artist, SAS.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Haystacks, the Wind and 3 Little Pigs


There's no need to fear the wind if your haystacks are tied down.

Irish Proverb

The big, bad wolf called out ' I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow you house in.'

'Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin...'

Back in town now, I snapped the above pic while on the road. A free wish for all of us!

Tomorrow the adjuster comes to look at my leaky roof, so I'll introduce us to a new wish...which can be made before crawling into bed. I think I will do it tonight ;)

While looking at the four corners of your bed say 'North, South, East, West. I make my wish, then lay to rest.'

A little bit of wishing has never done any harm


Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Butterflies, Slugs & Perceptions






Any caterpillar who tried to "know himself" would never become a butterfly. ~André Gide

"I'm a boot-ee-full butterfly" ~ Toy Story

I saw another wooly Slug last week-end and when I pointed him out to everyone, they all wanted to kill him. I scooped him out of harms way using a Magnolia leaf. Yes, they will sting the molasses out of you, but everything...even those things in life that are painful or not so pretty, has it's place

Friday, October 16, 2009

Ocean Blue, Ocean Blue...


Leaving town again, I will leave you all with some pics, quotes and well-wishes...


"Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. " ~ Unknown

Some people say that if you gently pinch yourself as you watch the sunset, your wish will come true...

Other people say that if meditate while looking onto the ocean and chant three times 'ocean blue, ocean blue. take my wish & make it come true' that your wish will be heard by the universe...

Thursday, October 15, 2009

A Thousand Hollow Words


Buddha "Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace."



Sometimes that word isn't a word at all, but a sweet, simple breath of air... a sigh of relief.


On a different note...
as I recall from my childhood...
if it someone else birthday and you too would like to make a wish when they blow out the candles... take a ring off your finger and drop it around one of the candles. If they blow all the candles out, you get your wish too...

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Wishing Well


When I see a car with one headlight, a pop-eye, I put my fingers to my lips, kiss them and then touch the roof, making a wish. I count them and when I get out of the car my counting stops.

In fact, I wished this way onto Deans List and all through college. I wished my way into one decent job when I had been working three. I wished myself into a house when I was renter. And I'm wishing now...

Here's an old southern wish for the fall...

If you see a bale of hay...
make a wish then say
'Bale of Hay, Bale of Hay
Take My Wish & Blow it Away"

Hmmm...

While I was out of town, I scheduled new little posts to pop up each day.
It's the closest I have ever been to any kind of format here.
I kinda liked it.
Hmmm...
maybe more of a format to come...
While I wasn't able to respond to comments as I normally would, I did read them all upon my return...
Orhan and Scott from Oregon, I agree with you...I believe dogs do know jealousy. They are very soulful beings :)
Mel...I would never survive your weather honey. It would take 24hr access to a sun room which was well heated and insulated. I send you sunshine...
Amelie...Your words are very sweet, still may the tears be broken with laughter ;)
Sing, Dee & Jerzeygrl...ILY&IMYSVM

Anyway, here is a video of weird halo cloud over Moscow...

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Sunning and Running


All men should strive
to learn before they die
what they are running from...
and to...
and why...
~James Thurber

Prompted by one of Dear Sweet Mel's comments, I post this quote...along with one of the many pictures she so enjoys...I so adore her.

Personally, I may sprint when called into action, but I rarely ever run. I always end up twisting an ankle anyway ;)

Monday, October 12, 2009

Humming...Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head...


Sleeping, I distinctly heard the sound of a dog tinkling.
What on earth?
I popped up, 'Smokie!'
Nestled on his bed, next to mine, he looked up at me...somewhat startled.
I flipped in my bed and that's when it hit me.... hit me right on my feet, immediately giving all my toes a waterfall bath.

This morning, with flashlight and stew pot in hand, I walked the balance beam of rafters looking for the tiny leak that's caused big damages.

Not everything in life can be patched up.
If only it had just been Smokie...

And as much as I would like to just walk away, right back to the seafoam I just left, I know the time is not right.

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Pink to Peachy


There is 5-10 degrees difference in each color.

Take me from pink to peachy...
even though I'd love to get lost in the olive...

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Soon


Soon may not be soon enough, but sometimes it is all we have...

Monday, October 05, 2009

Sounds of Silence


O' GREAT SPIRIT
help me always
to speak the truth quietly,
to listen with an open mind
when others speak,
and to remember the peace
that may be found in silence.

Cherokee Prayer

Especially the type of silence that carries the whisper of a wind, the echo of a sky-high bird and the wantful applause of the tide

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Crying, Dying and Flying


When you were born, you cried
and the world rejoiced.
Live your life
so that when you die,
the world cries and you rejoice.

White Elk

Awwww.... I wouldn't want anyone to cry.

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Dreams and Jungle Love


You live in a world of illusion
Where everythings peaches and cream
We all face a scarlet conclusion
But we spend our time in a dream
~Steve Miller

...and I think that is just dandy. The difference between dreams and fantasies, to me, is that dreams are meant for chasing. And if we all truly face a scarlet conclusion, then we might as well enjoy the colors along the way.

Friday, October 02, 2009

Butterflies and Believing


"The most important thing to remember, so I am told, is that there is a reason for everything."

'it is what it is'...a hopeless believer in all things good, I often think that there is a good reason for everything...whether we ever realize it or not.
The Butterfly Effect


Thursday, October 01, 2009

Quiet Lies & Screaming Silence


Latin Proverb: Keep quiet and people will think you a philosopher.

Thinking that to sit in silence is to seem honest, pure, contemplative, content, blessed...

The best liars are the worst liars and the worst are the best.