Tiny Song #____ : Is That a Real Song?

Dangers of Blogging #376

Emma and Beary as newlyweds

The following two posts, "The Arrangement" and "The Arrangement: Annotated" originally appeared on this blog on the 23rd of November, 2013.  It was posted for less than 8 hours when I decided to pull it.  I didn't think anyone had read it until a few days later when I got a concerned email from S., my mother-in-law, inquiring about the phantom post.  She explained that the day before, her friend J. had called to say that J.'s husband D. feels the same way about J.'s driving as Beary does about Emma's.  Whatever could she be talking about?  "It's on the blog," J. told S.  So S. went to the blog and found nothing of the sort.  S. has known J. for decades.  J.'s mother had suffered dementia.  S. worried that her friend J. was showing signs of mental decline as well.

Later that same day, my husband called his mother to warn that the yenta was indeed taking this wedding very seriously and that everyone better be sure to take it seriously too.  Delighted, S. called back J. to tell her.  J. replied that of course she already knew that, because of the blog.  S., again, went to the blog and found nothing.  Nothing at all about any of that.  S. spent a sleepless night worrying about how she was going to tell J. the bad news.  They all knew it was going to happen, they just never knew who would be first to snap, or rather "next," since according to some, there were those who came pre-snapped.

In the morning, S. decided it best to call J's husband D.  Perhaps he would know what to do.  But as the phone rang, and D. answered, S.'s convictions about J.'s mental health dissolved into a new worry. What if it were S. who was the one?  What if she couldn't see things that everyone else could?  And indeed, D. insisted that the post exists.  He sent her a link.

And this was the dilemma that S. emailed me about.  Why was it that J. and D. had privy to a post that she did not?  I explained how I had pulled the post, but apparently not before it went out to those following by email.  S. recounted the psychological trauma she had suffered.  It's not easy trying to tell a good friend she's going insane, especially when it turns out that it's not her going nuts, but you.  And what did J. think of the whole thing?  That, as she already knew, S. wasn't particularly good with technology.

The Arrangement*

As captioned by The Yenta

Emma and Beary.

Beary and Emma's life.

Reading a book, Stick Man's Very Bad Day.

Playing the piano.

Whose honey?

Love paintings.

Having a swing.

Loving their life.

Cold fall.

Love climbing.

Going to the roof.

Going to the bathroom.  With Beary.

Too big.

*originally posted 11/23/13

The Arrangement - Annotated*

"The Arrangement" was originally to appear with the following captions,

Until the yenta discovered them,

And grew furious,

Especially with the part about Beary not liking Emma's driving.  

She accused me of making it sound like they hate each other.  

I said it wasn't really about the bears,

but about married life in general.  

That made her even more angry.

"It's not about you!" she screamed.

Pointing out that, technically, it is my blog didn't make it any better.

She's right of course.  

I am using Emma's and Beary's story 

to advance my own,

most shamefully

while they are still only engaged.

***************

For years, Beary had been deeply misunderstood.

Emma didn't immediately understand either.

He had some strange ways.

Both found sharing a challenge. 

Laughter helped.

And long talks.

Still, Beary doesn't care for her driving.

But there are other things to like.

They make a good team.

It's the lack of privacy that Emma finds the most difficult adjustment.

Emma insists there's enough kids around to play with already.

Beary disagrees.

(The Original Captions to The Arrangement, as found by the yenta.

*originally posted 11/23/13

Top Ten Reasons Why People Are Into Top Ten Lists

10.  Ten is a nice round number.

9.  More than ten is too many, less than ten is too few.

8.  Alliteration. 

7.  Lists are easier to digest than paragraphs.

6.  Lists are fun to write.

5.  The anticipation of the count down.

4.  Top ten lists are generally funnier than top eight lists.

3.  The middle ten is not as noteworthy as the top ten.

2.  Most of us have ten fingers.

1.  We like to cross things off.

*images gleaned from the community art project at the Elaborate Bungle show

Peace Time

Thanksgiving Wedding

The Yenta recognizes in each of us the potential for love.  

She understands that inner beauty only blossoms in the presence of acceptance.  

She knows that some are more inclined than others.

She relies on instinct to tell her such things.  

This is the yenta.

Monkey Mind, Cat

Hardy Boys #1, The Tower Treasure: A New Perspective

On the Listening Scale Rated E.C.*

Matt Turner, cello.  Tad Neuhaus, guitar.  Joanna Dane, vocals.

*extremely challenging

Elaborate Bungle Room #2: Results

Thank you for coming out,

Even though it was pouring.

Thank you for filling The Fire

with your attention and conversation.

Thank you Ellen for working the door,

And Elyse for working so hard.

Thanks Ned and Deedee for all your help 

and for buying all the snacks.

Thank you for singing, Bob,

That beautiful ballad for Fran, your wife of 48 years.

Thanks for coming from as far as Peoria and Florida, 

and as close as right next door.

Thank you Matt and thank you Tad,

for playing the music you do,

And thank you all for your burning questions,

most especially, Lola.

And thank you Adam, for being the hippest guy in the room.

Unsolicited Advice #2: Participate.

Last Call.

Elaborate Bungle.

7 pm tonight.

@ The Fire, Appleton.

$7, cassette included.

Do you have a Burning Question?

Bring yours to the Elaborate Bungle's cassette release party

@

The Fire

Appleton, WI

Saturday, November 16, 7pm

(That's tomorrow folks!)

Correspondence

Thank you for your message.

I hope to hear from you again.  

I would love to read your stories.

And see your Skowhegan ring.

How true that those who expect so much, 

We are bound to disappoint.

Our passions are not theirs to have,

Our resolve our only hope.

Where in the Neighborhood?* November Edition

*Bring your answers to Elaborate Bungle's cassette release party

@

The Fire, 230 E. College Ave., Appleton,

Saturday, November 16th, 7pm.