Oh, it definitely comes in all forms. Live shows, recorded storytelling, interactive events, children at play (or doing anything new), puppies and even mimes (ya, I said it, mimes).

I like to sit outside at any public café-type place where there’s a fair amount of foot traffic and watch what people do and how they interact—or don’t interact. If the creative juices take a foothold, I like to make up stories for the people I see—where they came from, are going, an explanation of their actions, etc. I give this ‘information’ to whomever I’m sitting with and they just chuckle and call me crazy, all the while being entertained by me. Maybe I’ll promote this as a game. You know, like quarters or thumb wrestling. It’s senseless, yet interactive; however, this game inspires laughter and creativity. I’ll call it, mmm, The Skinny. Ya. You simply entertain yourself and others with the fictional skinny on any given passerby. Yes, that’s it. Now THAT’S entertainment. Or not. Maybe I’ll just go see a show.

I prefer movies or live shows with a plot. Although, shameless grandstand stuff without meaning serves a purpose too. You know, like the lady who changes costumes in a split second and shows about ten different changes. Neat. Acrobatics with a whimsical edge is always a draw. Stuff like this delights me, if even for just a moment, and plays over and over in my mind later.

I’m easily entertained by watching live music as much as by my mp3 playlist. Both make my heart dance if not my whole body.

I forget to count my books and magazines as entertainment as I usually opt for material that enhances my skills, knowledge, interest, heart, mind and soul. Duh. That’s a form of entertainment too.

The list could go on forever. I’m easily entertained and rarely bored so I stand a good chance of being entertained and happy for the rest of my life. Or seriously distracted.

E. Entertainment.

Overall rating: Likey.

By L Fitzhugh

The dictionary describes the word ‘delayed’ in noun form as a period of time by which something is late or postponed. So many things get delayed. It can be annoying, frustrating and sometimes, disheartening. But as I see it, there’s an up side. ‘Delayed’ does not mean stopped and a delay should not be treated as a stop nor as an insurmountable road block. It just something that requires more time than anticipated. It still sucks sometimes. But it can be worked out.

I refuse to see most things I need-want-desire for myself and for others, which remain undelivered, as anything more than delays. Sometimes while I map a new route, other times while I redefine what it is I TRULY need-want-desire. It can be likened to the clash (or synapsis) of the ‘master plan’ and ‘free will.’ Sort of.

There’s a certain sense of anticipation in delays that enliven the heart, mind and soul. So dead ends be damned! You’re merely delays.

Time to go—literally and figuratively. D. Delayed.

Haboob Haiku #1

Ride the dust wave in.
Town of Phoenix, brown surf’s up!
Sneezing going down.

Haboob Haiku #2

Dust cloud floating in.
Valley skyline cloaked in brown.
Sneezing in my town.

Haboob Haiku #3

Unwelcome brown cloud.
Skyline wears a dirty shroud.
Dust my welcome mat.

By L Fitzhugh

It just feels good. When you’re doing something cathartic it feels good and freeing in a forward kind of way. Seemingly oxymoronic, it’s about evolving by returning to something basic. Personally, when I dig up my flower gardens and plant new flowers, it’s cathartic. I feel the energy of clearing out the old and establishing something that will grow. It’s invigorating and calming at the same time. It’s different than meditation, exercise or prayer. It helps me tap into something that brings a sense of renewal to my soul.

And so I dig, I plant, I admire the beauty of a fresh foundation. And then I try to translate that into whatever my mind, body or soul may need at that time. It may be a specific issue, or more general. It may or may not happen every time I dig and plant, but I know where to go for this particular brand of healing.

Mmm, it’s good – catharsis. C.

| ca·thar·sis n |
1. an experience or feeling of spiritual release and purification brought about by an intense emotional experience
2. according to Aristotle, a purifying of the emotions that is brought about in the audience of a tragic drama through the evocation of intense fear and pity
Encarta® World English Dictionary © 1999 Microsoft Corporation.

The top 10 with Jon Cryer, Angus T. Jones and Ashton Kutcher was well done. (NOTE: The overhype of Two and a Half Men and Charlie Sheen turned me off the show, but I thinkin’ the new season may actually be alright. We’ll see.) | Micheal J. Fox was not only excellent, quick witted and charming; but his serious information regarding Alzheimer’s research was quick, clear and thorough. I learned new stuff … and I dig the BTTF shoes on auction via eBay to support further research.  | Musical group, John Doe, was good stuff. Who knew punk rock could evolve? Nice.

Overall rating: Likey.

Really? Belly button? That’s what we call one of our body parts? Isn’t this a label we learn as children that we’re expected to outgrow as our vocabulary increases? I suppose as adults we could go with the more sophisticated sounding, ‘navel’. But that tends to sound, well, too sophisticated. If, for instance, you say ‘hmm, I have lint in my navel,’ it sounds like a condition for which you must take immediate action. However, if you say, ‘dang, I have lint in my belly button,’ well that’s just something to laugh about followed by tickling yourself whilst cleaning it out.

Additionally, if you go with ‘navel’ and the positioning of the core of said navel, you would have to follow suit with sophisticated vocabulary and describe it as inward bound or protruding. But if you go with the lighter, slang version of this body part, well then you would say ‘I have an INNY or an OUTY.’ Again, more fun, less stuffy.

So it’s decided. I choose to have fun with my body parts [ahem] and conform to what we learned early in life. It’s a BELLY BUTTON and if your lucky, a less controversial, INNY!

Belly button it is. B.

Coincidentally (regarding the letter ‘A’), my first visual of the Aspens is an Ansel Adams black and white photograph. Tall, sleek, quiet, abundant and almost untouchable. To me, they seem to be somewhat ethereal – as if they’re omniscient and watching over those who dare to walk amongst them. Oddly, they’re branches are not really in proportion to their stalks, yet when a slight breeze moves across them, the flickering of all the leaves at once so close to the trunk is an event bigger than the trees themselves; or so it seems on video. I have yet to see them in person. I will eventually. When I do I‘ll be sure to photograph every possible aspect … from my perspective.

A bit of trivia: an aspen tree is born after fire, landslide, disaster and other disturbances to an area, and is relatively short lived due to disease and insects. (From Native Trees for North American Landscapes – Sternberg/Wilson via http://forestry.about.com/od/hardwoods/ss/aspen.htm.)

A clonal colony of Quaking Aspen in Utah (Pando, as it’s called) spans 105 acres and is made of genetically identical trees (stems) connected by a single root system (kinda creepy). It’s also the heaviest living organism on earth (6,615 tons). The tree system took root nearly 80,000 years ago could be as old as 1 million years predating the earliest Homo sapiens by 800,000 years (also kinda creepy … what if they’re aliens?). (Read more about Aspens: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/03/old-tree-gallery/#ixzz0wBodnIN6)

So there it is. ‘A’. Aspens.

Overall rating: good stuff.

Tiny Snippets by L Fitzhugh - Take At Face value

Remember those brisk Fall days when as a kid you’d hover over a hot bowl of alphabet soup and blow and stir letters into place to make up words? Or when you’d push a group of letters down with the spoon and whatever letter popped up, thinking of a word that started with that letter? Well, that’s the premise of this series of blog posts. As a creative thinking and writing exercise, I’ve decided to make brief monthly weekly posts that have nothing to do with anything, just the first fresh word that pops into my head when reaching each successive letter of the alphabet. No rhyme or reason, it may be boring or explosive, and it may or may not be amusing or of interest to anyone. It’s just a creative exercise. So here it goes!

‘A’ ~ Aspens

‘B’ ~ Belly Button

‘C’ ~ Catharsis

‘D’ ~ Delayed

‘E’ ~ Entertainment