River-of-Grass Beast

This picture is from http://smithsonianscience.org

A monster Burmese Python,

captured in the Everglades,

breaking the state size record,

stretching seventeen feet seven inches,

bursting with 87 eggs.

This thing--monstrous--

A foot wide.

The snake-- under surveillance--

fitted with a radio transmitter,

like a captured spy,

a double agent, a Judas snake.

It’s usefulness at an end.

it was euthanized.

CLICK HERE
to look inside

© 2012 Catherine Giordano

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On Tuesday August 14, 2012, there was a story in the Orlando Sentinel about the Burmese Pythons in the Everglades.  I did a news print poem about it, but I didn’t post it because I used another poem that day.

Florida has instituted “The Great Python Challenge” to try to reduce the numbers of these snakes in Florida.  It’s a one-month hunting season for pythons with a prize of $1,500 for whoever kills the most and a $1,000 prize for whoever gets the largest.

Burmese pythons in the Everglades are big news right now.  Senator Bill Nelson was out hunting pythons last week, and Stephen Colbert did a segment about the python hunt on his show this week. 

The Best of 2012

My new book is available on amazon.com.  News Print Poetry: The Best of 2012 

It was fun going back and reviewing the year in poetry. The hard part was choosing which poems to include in the anthology. They are all the best.

I ended up including 179 poems. I selected those that concerned important events, those that worked particularly well as poems, and those that just tickled my fancy.  

I hope my readers will want to have the hard copy. It will be fun to reread the poems in coming years and remember the events of 2012. 

It  makes a great gift for someone born in 2012 or someone with any significant life event (marriage, graduation, etc. during the year.)  

The poems are taken from news stories in the Orlando Sentinel so many of the poems are Florida-centric or Central Florida-centric. It make a nice hostess gift when you sty with friends or family in Florida, a nice  housewarming gift for a new Florida resident, or a nice gift for Floridians to give to the folks "up north."

Further, your purchase of this book will be your gift to me. The blog was a labor of love for 12 months, but earning a little money from my "labor-of-love" would be nice.

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Your Dream for 2015

Have a dream.

A dream, a hope.

A dream for going forward.

A dream for the new year.

Dare to dream.

Act for impact.

Have a dream.

Your dream for 2015.

© 2012 Catherine Giordano

 

I think I just found my motto for 2013: “Dare to Dream. Act for Impact.”

At the end of each year I choose a motto for the new year.  The right motto usually just comes to me.  I was about to just continue with last year’s motto: Seek Truth, Create Beauty, Live Boldly  and then, voila—my new motto pops up.


12/31/14 Update :  I decided to update the poem by changing the date from 2013 to 2015.

Choosing an annual motto is a great way to start a new year.  Read how to do it here:  Motto for Life.  This year, I'm also using quotations in lieu of New Year's Resolutions. so far it is working really well. Read about it here: You Can Quote Me On That

Citrus Parade

On a dreary rain soaked Saturday,

five fruit-filled floats

marching bands,

and civics groups

turned out for the annual Orlando Citrus Parade.

Rain pelted the parade route.

The citrus floats—

created using a hundred thousand

oranges, tangerines and grapefruits—

is an Orlando tradition.

Spectators

holding umbrellas,

wearing ponchos,

lined the streets.

A bit of rain wasn’t going to keep them away.

You can watch it, warm and dry, on TV on January 1^st at 11am on WFTV Channel 9.

After the parade the fruit goes to local food banks.

© 2012 Catherine Giordano

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Grancy Greybeard

Grancy Greybeard

Grancy Greybeard blooms in April,

but in winter, when bare of leaves,

it shows its splendid structure

and exquisite beauty.
 

Something magical is revealed in winter--

A rare piece of twisting art--

A garden masterpiece.

 

© 2012 Catherine Giordano

In every season, in every place, Nature delights with splendid beauty. Its botanical name is chionanthus virginicus—chionanthus means “snow flower” in Greek.

 

CLICK HERE to look inside

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Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa:

A celebration of African heritage

A celebration of family, community, and culture.

The seven principles of Kwanzaa:

Unity

Self-determination

Responsibility

Cooperation

Purpose

Creativity

Faith

Kwanzaa

Building stronger communities

Building stronger families

Kwanzaa is an annual week-long celebration of African culture and tradition.  Each day is devoted to one of the seven principles. A different candle is lit each day. The seven days of Kwanzaa begin on December 26, 2012 and end on January 1, 2013.

Learn more about Kwanzaa at the official Kwanzaa website.    (http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org)

© 2012 Catherine Giordano

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The picture depicting a Kwanzaa celebration is from http://www.fabuloussavers.com

Brave New Year

This picture of the top 10 New Years's resolutions
 is from http://www.studentrights.eku.edu/

January---

a clean slate.

Fill in

the resolutions

that will usher in

a brighter bolder

way of living.
 

Choose wisely.

I don’t usually do New Year resolutions.  Instead, I choose a new motto for the year.  However, this year I may just keep last year’s motto:  Seek Truth, Create Beauty, Live Boldly.

  

© 2012 Catherine Giordano


12/31/13 Update: I finally chose a new motto. My motto for 2013: Dare to Dream. Act for Impact.

12/29/14 Update: My motto for 2014:  Steady as She Goes 

12/29/14 Update: My Motto for 2015 is  "Live Fully"  Read It's Motto Time Again to see how I choose it. 

This year I'm also using quotes in lieu of resolutions. I printed them out yesterday and they have already started to work. Read You Can Quote Me OnThat to see how to do it and to see which quotes I choose.

Happy New Year
 

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