Sunday, April 29, 2012

Can You Haiku?


Every now and then, I get the urge to create something poetic.

Sometimes I gulp two Ibuprofen and take a nap until the feeling passes. Other times, I craft haiku for fun.

Remember haiku? It’s a type of traditional Japanese poetry that you probably learned about way back in the fourth grade. Ahhh… it’s all coming back to you now… your desk in the front row, Jimmy Johnson sitting behind you pulling your pigtails, and you leaning back and thwacking him… Hello? Hello? We were talking about haiku, remember? (You really should see your therapist about that grudge against Jimmy! J)

As I was saying, if you have an excellent memory, you’ll recall that haiku consists of three lines – 5 syllables in the first, 7 in the second, and 5 in the last. It doesn’t have to rhyme; in fact, most haiku poems don't rhyme. Another characteristic that most haiku poems share is theme: nature, animals or seasons are almost always the subjects of these micro poems.

Sometimes a snapshot or a trip outside can inspire a plethora of haikus. Here’s one I wrote after snapping the photo above:


Round barn circles fields
Bursting wide with April greens –
Earth springs back to life.


And if you or your kids are inspired by haiku writing, be sure to check out Dogku by popular children’s author Andrew Clements. This shaggy dog story told in haiku is sure to tickle your funny bone and encourage even more haiku creations.



Tomorrow (April 30) is the last day to celebrate National Poetry Month! Why not take a few minutes to create a haiku or two? You may be a poet and not even know it! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!) J


Monday, April 2, 2012

Pinterest Hits!

Have I mentioned how much I adore Pinterest? Oh, yeah, I think I did that a few posts ago right here. Well, since I wrote that post last September, I've pinned over 1,000 items. Now, if I could only find time to actually try them all!

For the record, here are some pins that I have tried - and loved!

This crock pot Bacon Ranch Chicken is the bomb! I substituted bow tie pasta instead of rigatoni, and in the words of Rachel Ray, it is YUM-O!


Another family favorite (and uber easy!) crock pot meal is this Crock Pot Buffalo Ranch Chicken. Just serve it on hamburger buns, and you're in business!



And don't even get me started on all the to-die-for desserts on Pinterest! Of course, my "Sweets and Treats" board has the most pins of any of my boards. Yep, guilty as charged.

These Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars are dee-lish! I made them three times in one week for different events, and everyone loved them. Just don't ask for a calorie count...



And lest you think that Pinterest is all about food, I made two of these cute T-shirt scarf/necklaces at my friend Natalie's house. A fun, easy make 'n take for a crafty Girls' Night Out!



So, what have you been pinning lately? Not on Pinterest yet? What are you waiting for? There's a whole world just waiting to be pinned! ;-)