Excess - Another Walnut and One More Chocolate

I’m doing it again and I really must stop, but the contents of that tub of Heroes beckons me continuously.  I’ve unwrapped a mouthful sized Twirl and I’m determined to let it melt on my tongue. I’ll just have two, no, three more then put the lid back on. I’ve already had a massive dinner conjured up from New Year’s Day leftovers.  Ah, nuts. The nut-crackers go off like pistol shots and I can’t resist the handful of walnuts coming my way.

There’s something about food, besides Christmas Dinner and New Year’s Day Dinner at this time of the year, or is it just me doing it to excess? We have bread, our usual wholemeal loaf and some finger rolls. As a stand by there’s plenty of cream crackers and other cheese biscuits. I’ve made sure there are enough ingredients to make six loaves in the breadmaker.  The door on our super-sized fridge groans under the weight of all the extra milk but I have some powdered stuff, just in case. And there’s a good supply of instant Horlicks and instant Hot Chocolate.

Sprouts, carrots, parsnips, red cabbage, potatoes. Oh, the potatoes. Crispy roasties, croquettes, mash. So much choice, so much food and I can’t wait for the pudding with enough rum sauce to render me unconscious for an hour or two. There is ice cream instead, if preferred.  Is gluttony still a sin?

The thing is, we used to be a family of four, sometimes five, often more.  Now we are two. I can’t cook for two. What if there isn’t enough? What if we get unexpected guests? Actually, there were four of us for dinner on Christmas Day then three and a baby on New Year’s Day, with lots of food to get through. Our grown up children were eating with their own families and I like to be quiet at home. Everyone is happy. I should reduce the food quantity, but nothing gets wasted.

The contents of the freezer will keep us going until February. The tubs of chocolates we have received as gifts will last us until Easter. I’ll slow the consumption down, really I will.

I’m left with the personal job of shedding a couple of ounces of excess weight, so as I return to work later this week, it will be fruit for snacks, a brisk walk across town on my lunch break and a home-made sandwich using only one slice of bread. I think I promised myself to do this last year, too. Let’s see how long it lasts – or if it gets started.

A Haiku

Dates and tangerines

Apple and cinnamon treats

Flavours of Christmas.

Happy New Year! Thanks for reading, Pam x

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Ever Onward

Every moment that passes is a new start, the beginning of the Future. But is it mapped out already, or constantly changing with each choice made creating parallel universes of opportunities?

The dawn of 2014 coincided with a New Moon. Something that doesn't happen very often. Ancient Cultures believed that every New Moon was a new start and a victory of light over darkness. So the fact that this has occurred would have heralded something very special indeed to them no doubt. There was also a "Super Moon" around the time of the Winter Solstice, again pertaining to great change ahead. So if you believe in such things, like they did, it would mean that 2014 should be something of importance right? RIGHT?

Whatever your beliefs, I hope your New Year was a fantastic one, and that you didn't suffer as a result of your celebrations.  HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!  Make it a good one, make it count for something incredible!!  The future is in your hands after all.


The Future:

One of the greatest unanswered questions:
What does the future hold?
Do you know? I know I don't,
I wouldn't be so bold.
Things have happened in my life,
That I wouldn't have ever dreamed,
Good things along with the bad,
And a lot more in between.
So I view the future as a blank page,
Filling it as I go along,
Though my story may be unremarkable,
Doubtfully ever regaled in song.
Nonetheless, it is my own,
A record of my existence,
Each page I fill moves me onward,
To the next moment with persistence.
Discoveries along the way,
Mould me and help me grow,
Make for a better person,
Although sometimes hard to see, I know.
I don't know what is around the next corner,
I take life as it comes,
Cross each bridge as I come to it,
Embrace those tough lessons along with the fun.
Whomsoever, I shall encounter,
Whenever events will occur,
Wherever my life will take me,
Whatever results are thereby incurred.
I will continue on my journey,
Until this body makes its way off the stage,
Then start again on a different course,
With a pristine fresh blank page.


The above is a work in progress, but thanks for reading. ;-)

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I’ve got a little list

By Ashley Lister

To my understanding, resolutions fall mainly into two categories: stopping the bad stuff and starting the good stuff.

On New Year’s Day many people will resolve to stop smoking or stop eating chocolate or stop drinking alcohol. On New Year’s Day many others will resolve to start exercising, or start maintaining a healthier lifestyle or start doing things to benefit themselves, society or the world in general.

Personally, my resolutions for 2012 are going to be different from the stopping and starting lists. My resolutions are going to be a promise to carry on doing stuff that I enjoy.

1) I’m going to carry on being brilliant.

2) I’m going to carry on being talented.

3) I’m going to carry on being modest about these traits.

4) I’m going to carry on writing.

5) I’m going to carry on blogging.

The regular contributors to the dead good blog started the pages you’re currently reading back in July of 2011. Shaun posted our inaugural entry on July 4^th. Since then we’ve been posting for twenty-six uninterrupted weeks, touching on subjects as diverse as dragons and dogs and as broad as catharsis and Christmas.

There’s been poetry, prose, pathos, poignancy and plenty of other things beginning with the letter p. 2012 will be even more exciting.

Which is why I’ve made two additional resolutions for 2012:

6) I’m going to write more poetry.

7) I’m going to encourage other people to write more poetry.

How am I going to do the seventh item on my list? Simple. I have four dead good notebooks to give away.

If you want one of these notebooks you only need to do two things:

1) Become a new follower of this blog.

2) Leave a comment below.

If you don’t want to say too much in the comment box, simply wish us (or our readers) a happy New Year. If you want to share your personal goals or resolutions or a piece of poetry you’ve written, I’d urge you to go for it. The team on this blog are nothing if not supportive.

All commentors and new followers will be entered into the draw to stand a chance of being selected to receive one of these notebooks. These dead good notebooks are ideal for storing ideas for poetry and prose and perfect for putting down the beginnings of your next scintillating stanza. The draw will be open until January 15^th 2012, so you have plenty of time to leave a comment.

And, whether you comment or not, on behalf of all the regular bloggers here at the Dead Good Blog, I’d like to wish you a happy and prosperous and poetry-filled New Year.

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