Chapter Six Jibril's Plan

"How do our new recruits look?" Jibril asks the party he speaks to on the phone.

"Everything appears to be the way we expect it to be. Nothing appears out of the ordinary, we are not getting any word of them mentioning anything," answers the caller.

"Good, set their pick ups in motion and do everything according to the plans we have," said Jibril.

"Call me when they complete their training sessions, before they officially get into their assignments. I wish to speak with them again."

Maine - Memorial Day Weekend

Had a good time in Maine - did almost 400 miles round trip. We visited friends in the Belgrade Lakes area. They took us to the cemetery where Joe’s “other mother” (Irene Proctor) was buried this winter. She was in her 90’s and we miss her. This is a poem I wrote about her a few years ago.

visit with an old friend in Waterville

at the sunset of life
she is content with a blueberry muffin
and watching the Red Sox on TV
her gnarled hands perfectly manicured
her white hair beautifully arranged

she walks with a cane now
but is still filled with energy
and a positive attitude
adjusting gradually to her new room
making new friends with her dry Maine humor
and slowly realizing she will not go home again

copyright 2002 Linda H. Feinberg, from my chapbook “Gathering the Sparks”

Then on to Lewiston where we went to the Bates College Museum. Senior student art exhibit. Also a Japanese kimono exhibit and a Mount Katahdin paintings exhibit. Small and very nice museum. Talented students. http://www.bates.edu/museum.xml The exhibits change during the year. We were glad we got to see this one.

After Lewiston we drove to the "Sleepy Hollow" Motel in Biddeford (our cheapy night - less than $60.) We were pleasantly surprised. The motel was clean, quiet and had very comfortable beds.

On Sunday we hiked Ossipee Hill in Waterboro, Maine. Took us 2 hours 20 minutes with stops for views & a snack. Went up the fire tower and got great views. Could see Mt Washington's snowy peaks from there too. (I think that’s over 100 miles) There was a family cemetery at the beginning of the hike (dirt road, old stone walls). Most of the graves were from the 1800's. Some of the men served in the Mexican war and Spanish-American war. We said prayers there appropriate for Memorial Day weekend. Also saw my old enemy - poison ivy, but I avoided it and we had an enjoyable weekend away. (If you double click on the picture below, you will get a bigger version and you can see the snowy peaks better.)

Where Can You Be Reached? Part Five of Five

Locations, phone numbers, cell phone numbers. Would you care to be called if you are away for an extended period of time? This should all be part of the contract that you both have copies of.

The client should have the phone number to always be able to reach the sitter if they have a question they are concerned about. Example: I had a client contact me in the middle of one day; she was out on the west coast and had heard we were having tornadoes back east. I assured her we were having severe thunderstorms but no tornadoes. I told her the horses were in their stalls; however, if she was truly concerned I would drive out to her place and make an extra check for her. She said, “No, that’s okay. I just needed to know for sure.” That evening, after I watered and fed them, I called her before I left the property and advised her they were okay and everything was fine around her home. She was a relaxed lady after we spoke.

I SINCERELY HOPE THAT YOU HAVE ENJOYED THIS INFORMATIVE SERIES.

Derry

I was in Derry this weekend at the local synagogue. I had my cards and prints out on a table at their function (for Israel's 60th birthday). That's what made me think of the poem about East Derry. I lived in Derry (NH) from 1979 to 1984. At the time I moved in, there was one traffic light and one other Jewish family. I'm happy for the thriving Jewish community there and they put on a good party!

I sold a few cards and one chapbook. I have a better idea of what people are looking to buy now. Lots of positive comments too. Good feedback for an artist/poet.

the church steeple in East Derry

"the dead don't need to tell time," said the caretaker
that's why the south side of the steeple is plain,
as it faces the old cemetery across the street --
the other three sides have working clock faces

some brave and hardy soul climbs the stairs
and winds the mechanism when needed
probably lubricating the gears too
nothing digital or electric here

will our modern timepieces still be working
one hundred years hence,
or will they be considered antiques then too?

the old clock will still go on, another hundred years,
as long as someone cares enough
to climb the steep stairs
and wind it



copyright 2001, Linda H. Feinberg

Chapter Five Proposal for a Covert Team

"What kind of team do you have in mind?"

We, make this sound like the group knows this, are aware of two very highly trained special operations people who are capable of living in the desert for long periods of time. They are high tech specialists and with the right equipment we could probably monitor gas emissions, conversations, movements of equipment and people.

"The two have been released from active IDF duty and have set up a business of doing their own corporate intelligence, security and hazardous condition training. This would come with a price tag but doesn't everything?"

"And if they get caught what are the consequences for Israel?"

Mother's Day 2008

Some pretty violets growing in my yard. I think I will regret mowing them when the time comes.

My first time on a tractor. (Jake's new tractor -- all ready for hauling logs out of his woodlot.)

Workshop Poems

grandma’s teeth

grandma’s teeth were in a glass by the sink
the kids had never seen them out of her mouth
she always looked so together
perfect hair and makeup
up-to-date clothing, always in style
not the like the rest of the desert rats
wind-blown and sandy

she wouldn’t clean the corrals
or ride a horse
while watching out for rattlesnakes
but she wasn’t so perfect after all
her city manners told one story
but her teeth in the glass told another

(Instructions: tell a brief story – to do with an action; include enough detail so we know what character’s life is like, no pronouns)


shadows

shadows lie under
the trees in the corral
horses stand quietly
in the heat of day
flies buzz around
their heads

shadows under
the picnic bench
shelter panting dogs
creating a dark cave
cooler than shadows
in the corral

crows squawk quietly
from Joshua trees nearby
the two fillies stand together
swishing their tails
a door slams and they
look expectantly towards
the house for someone
bringing hay or carrots

shadows hide peeling paint
on the old house
barely more than a trailer
obscuring the poverty within
children in ragged indigo jeans
do their chores lethargically
while waiting for nightfall


Instructions: write about a thing (not an animal). Focus on an object. More evocative. Let the object speak for you. No first person. There were lots of instructions for this. Had to keep re-writing. Had to leave out a paragraph about the animals (the focus was on shadows/not animals) I put it back in for the blog.

evocation – showing, calling forth an act/drawing it out (yes)
exposition – telling, action setting forth, explaining (no)

Since we had returned from vacation shortly before the workshops, the images in my head were of the horses, grandchildren, desert etc. As a grandma, I still have most of my own teeth. Artistic/poetic license, I guess. Also, the house the grandchildren live in is fine and they are not ragged! Had to come up with some images that went with “shadows”.

copyright 2008 Linda H. Feinberg

You should have a written contract (Part four of five)

Details of the duties of the sitter should be written out in the contract. Beyond watering and feeding, turning in and out, for some clients I provide grooming and hoof cleaning. This also provides a full body check each time it is done.

In the summer fly masks might be needed and in the winter blankets might be needed. Stalls need to be cleaned and shavings or sawdust need to be replaced.

Some clients don’t believe in daily grooming, so that is spelled out. It also allows for a lower fee.

As a sitter, I also provide exercising for horses. If exercising is to be done that needs to be listed as to what the time durations are to be and how often the horses are to be exercised.

PART FIVE WILL POST ON MAY 22RD

Linda in 1970

Portrait to go along with the poem about Cheryl. I still had somewhat long brown curly hair in my 20's. This watercolor was done in Leuven, Belgium by a friend, Sue Maros Feldmar. Our husbands (my ex now) were both in medical school there. I was working in Brussels at the time as a secretary.

Chapter Four in the Oval Office

President Egan goes on, "Allison has indicated to me that we need to be brought up to speed on the critical situation of the nuclear threat developing in Iran."

"Allison the floor is yours!"

"Thank you sir! We are aware of the rhetoric that the president of Iran has been putting out over Iran's right to have nuclear capabilities for domestic use.

"This recently elected president has an advantage that past presidents have not had. Iran is beginning to sit very comfortably with a major influx of money caused by the skyrocketing prices of oil. They appear to be using a great deal of that money for major expansions in their nuclear program.

"Intelligence reports indicate that Iran has several nuclear development sites. We now know they are using over 450 nuclear experts. Their secret nuclear weapons program is being supervised by the military and their Supreme Leader. Remember the president is more of a mouth piece; the Supreme Leader is the one who is in control. The Supreme Leader and the mullahs that he chooses are in control."