Roberta M Roy

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Saturday, August 29, 2009

Edward

On His Passing
Senator Ted Kennedy,
February 22, 1932-August 25, 2009
U.S. Senator 1962-2009

Gone, the liberal lion in winter.

Lost to his issue and the nieces and nephews he loved.
Lost to the generations who will not know him.

A half hundred thousand filed by him,
While millions joined them from afar.

Missed on both sides of the isle.
Missed by a country in mourning.

Remembered by presidents past.
Eulogized from the land's highest office.

Who among us has he not touched?

Gone . . . but not gone . . .

Only missing in action.

Roberta M Roy

9:55 am edt Comments

Friday, August 28, 2009

Ah-hah! Comments!

So you posted me a response.

And you never saw it again.

Well. Doesn't matter. It's not lost. I found it. If you sent one, just click on comments under that blog and 'Mira! Mira!' There it is.

Or maybe you didn't post a response. You sent an email. Like my friend, K. who thought bloggers blogged and blog-readers read and then--if they felt like it--sent an email. (Which is also okay.)

No, K. You, too, get to blog back--so to speak--and then if you want to check the next day to see if your blog-back went through, you simply click again on the comments button for that day. And ecco! Under comments, your comment.

Fini!

Which brings to mind how I am not fond of people who pretend to know more than they do. Like, why, pray tell, would I want to throw in some Spanish, Italian, and French words? So we need to clear this up right now: It is not because I am fluent in any language other than spoken English. And it certainly is not because the use of non-English substitutes adds any really new information. Think of it. Surely,'Look! Look!','There!' and 'Done' would have been perfectly serviceable. But their associated feelings are different.

I say, 'Look. Look.' You think, 'Dick and Jane.'

I say, 'There!' You say, 'Where else?'

First of all the choices of look and there would not be in the English idiom whereas mira and ecco in their respective languages would be within the idiom. And second--or maybe first--the choices would also be less fun.

So if you don't mind, I'd like now and then to throw in a word or two of French, Spanish, or Italian--or perhaps even one of my ten words of Greek--although I'm not sure how I might write them.

I say this now early on in my blogging career so I can get the question out of the way as to whether or not that approach is acceptable and, in so doing, avoid having to agonize at 2:30 some morning over whether to jouer or play. And I love to play. I just hate agonizing.

So do let me know. (Just click on the comment button below. No need to worry. You don't have to give your name. Unless, of course, you feel like it:)

R. in Po-Town--far from the Riviera

9:02 pm edt Comments

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Women's Equality Day 2009

August 26. Yesterday. I can't believe I forgot it was Women's Equality Day. Not that I haven't used my vote. Minimally at least every four years in the national elections. And helped out with a few campaigns here and there. And certainly at times have made noise on issues of concern. But there it is: so liberated, forgot to celebrate.

Well, that's not exactly the truth if truth were to be told. Just too involved in the process of publishing Jolt: A rural noir. And celebrating the great review received with permission to quote from a reader I tremendously respect. Now that's liberation. Still standing incredulous: He had wonderful things to say about Jolt! And I can quote them on Jolt's dust jacket! Such a happy Women's Equality Day! Thanks, John.

Roberta in Po-Town off to the Rhinebeck Fair

8:34 am edt Comments

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The Shakespearian Link

Have you ever had a week when you wore the same thing day in and day out? By choice? Like this week for me. It's a thing I started back when I was taking Shakespeare at Albany. Problem was, the book was too expensive to purchase and reading Shakespeare at the library didn't entice me, the end result of which was that the week of the exam I had to borrow a text and read all the plays. Days and well into the nights. Never moved from the couch in the living room of the girl's dorm other than for food or bed. Probably never took a full bath. But I passed the course. Totally confused Dr. Knotts, however, who said he couldn't understand how anyone who wrote the best exam essays in the class, failed to recall the names of the main characters in the multiple choice part. But that started it. And ever since, when I'm on a roll, I want everything to change except me. Simply can't squeak in one more thing. Like combing through clothes and asking myself about what goes with what and how will this look. Usually I like black pants or jeans. The top doesn't matter. This week it was sneaks, polester black on the bottom and a beige shirt with a large peace sign decorated with insets of metal and colored glass, and an orangey kind of button down shirt worn as a jacket for easy donning and removal in response to temperature changes. Got a lot done. But now I'm over the hump, so to speak. So when I woke up I said, that's it! Went to my closet; pulled out a coordinated casual outfit; found my black platforms so I look taller and slimmer (in either order), eh, voila! The old R. is back. Or is it the new one?

RMR in Po-Town. On waking.

9:22 am edt Comments

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Hi, it's me. Just saying hello.

Why, for heaven sakes, have I taken out a domain in my own name? I was perfectly comfortable writing for my other site, www.alvapressinc.com? But now I feel like everyone is looking at me and I've got my right foot on top of my left one and I think I might at any moment tip over.

Oh., that's right. Now I remember. It was because I wanted you to read Jolt: A rural noir. It's a novel I wrote. I'll tell you more about it next time. But right now, it's late and I have to get to bed. Meantime though, if you like, you can go to Alva Press, Inc. I gave you the domain above. That'll tell you more about Jolt than you may really want to know. Or maybe, not enough. And then you'll quickly contact me or Alva Press, Inc., so we can send you a copy.

The hard copy of Jolt goes for $24.95 and the paperback for $14.95--plus shipping of course. And if you order it from me instead of Amazon.com, I'll save you a trip to one of my bookstore signings and autograph it for you.

But let's talk more tomorrow, cause I'm really tired.

Gnight for now, R.

1:42 am edt Comments

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Here you're suppose to learn about my personal life, my love of learning, the dog I don't have, my house that sits empty on a hill in Port Henry 'cause on the one hand I don't want to sell it, 'cause I love it too much, but on the other hand, I never seem to find the time to get there anymore but I haven't found a buyer. Of course I haven't been looking either. Too busy with Jolt. Also this site is still under construction so I probably won't get to selling it this month either. Well, that means, at least I can run up there over Labor Day and party with all my friends and neighbors there which is enough to make me want to hurry up and finish this so I can get ready to leave.

Here I am supposed to write more about myself and think about putting a picture of myself someplace below, except I put the picture in before I did anything else because I thought I was suppose to get rid of the butterfly but it didn't, which is probably just as well because I like the butterfly better. That's because it doesn't make me feel exposed like the black dress I'm wearing below does. The reason I chose that picture is because my sister C. thinks it's about the best picture of me I ever had taken. That's because I'm more mature now and most pictures look awful because they really look just like me. Of course C. thinks the one below does and all the other ones don't. Which a bit of a trip in itself. But what is there to say? And I'm glad she took it. R.