Shelter from the Storm

Hmmmm, panz. Let's see if I can conjure up my French 101:

There is one song that we resemble...and I can pick out a few of the rest..

Your friends and my friends?

But the life.........

Very (something) without fair..

And the sea...under...

Oh, my. I don't think I'd do well in France, either. That was a coup, panz.

Letty says: I just picked up the latest in fashionable crossword puzzles, but you must guess.

The suspense is killing me. But, under the weather circumstances - I'll reluctantly wait for you to tell me.

Too bad that I can no longer ask you answers, and I hate to give away stuff out in public....

Oh, puzzles in public is a sin. But, I'm curious about the "latest, fashionable" puzzle. Last week's puzzle was "At the Company Picnic" so it can't be that one.

That's it, Raggedy. Remember, you're a week ahead of me.

and for the Florida Frenchman:

La mer
Qu'on voit danser le long des golfes clairs
A des reflets d'argent
La mer
Des reflets changeants
Sous la pluie

La mer
Au ciel d'été confond
Ses blancs moutons
Avec les anges si purs
La mer bergère d'azur
Infinie

Voyez
Près des étangs
Ces grands roseaux mouillés
Voyez
Ces oiseaux blancs
Et ces maisons rouillées

La mer
Les a bercés
Le long des golfes clairs
Et d'une chanson d'amour
La mer
A bercé mon cœur pour la vie.

I had no idea that the original song was a French song.

Advance warning? Yes, Letty, but the ground is already so saturated. We just caan't handle much more rain. We don't expect winds of 150 mph but winds of even 50 mph accompanied by more rain can cause trees, lots of trees to topple over.
Yes, UVA crushed UNC in football yesterday but it was not unexpected. UNC is not very good and UVA is (in football, I mean). I drove to my shop at 7:30 this morning and didn't see a single Wahoo passed out on the Grounds.

UVA was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. It is a public university
but is regarded by its supporters as being equal to the great private schools of the NE (Harvard, Yale etc). UVA never had a marching band until yesterday! Several reasons for that (UVA was all-male until the 1970's and there was a certain snobbery about wanting to avoid state-U
status). Instead we had a rag-tag group called the Pep band. Their musical abilities were dubious and their half-time performances were sometimes quite witty but as often as not, particularly in the last few years. The Athletic Director, UVA's president or even the governor of the state of VA would have to apologize for the Pep band's attempt at humor that turned out to be insulting.
So now we have a real marching band at UVA and they made their debut at the UNC game.

Letty--

I hadn't realized that thanks to the indignities of aging you're also moving from the role of wife to the job of primary caregiver. Mr. Noddy's mind has been slipping for several years. He avoids new experiences and I can only imagine his mental turmoil of being in a strange place and strange situation among strangers.

Hold your dominion.

WOW! John. Music was never one of UVA's best colleges. I do wish I had seen the marching band. The saturation factor is a huge problem, my friend. I understand that THE university has lost some status as a party school, but regardless of the state U factor, snobbery or no, it was a pleasure to be a part of it.

As I recall, Faulkner was the writer in residence at one time. Well, Virginia John, here's hoping that we all defeat Ivan and his outer bands.

Noddy, my dear. I have already come to accept that very fact. It is NOT easy, but now I must do all the driving. So many of us have hurdles to overcome. There were people at the shelter who broke my heart. One woman in a wheelchair who had MS, and whose husband quietly did his bit with dignity, told me all about her history and how she was in remission for ten years, only to slip back into the abyss.

Just as you, Noddy, I found respite in writing on a forum.

(I'm assuming that you are recovering nicely)

Letty--

My leg is at least half healed and I can use a single crutch to get around--which means I have a free hand. I'm hoping to be walking unaided by the time the snow flies.

I'm not surprised, my friend. It's that dominion to which you cling so tightly that is the stuff of which you are made.

I didn't know there were so many Floridians among us A2Kers.
Back off, Ivan the Terrible.

And as the esteemed JL has ordained, so be it.

Is there the least chance that you could post something about the sea in Spanish? Or shall I cheat and do it?

Oh, by all means YOU do it. It would have SO much more spirit than my effort, not only because of your situation but also because of your spirit.

el mar es una amante áspera, el mar tiene solamente orillas de it's para estropear el desierto tiene flores de detrás las rocas.

Una smoka El Ropo, de nada, por favor.

Oh, dear, dys. You must do something ENTIRELY or I'll have to resort to Senor Don Gato in honor of JL's avatar. Doesn't have one bit of water in it. :wink: (and very little Spanish)

and there's edgar with a wicked weed. That I understood. UhOh!

Soooooooo, Don Gato it will be.

Senor Don Gato
(Version 2)
Written By: Unknown
Copyright Unknown

Oh Senor Don Gato was a cat
On a high red roof Don Gato sat
He went there to read a letter,
Meow, meow, meow
Where the reading light was better,
Meow, meow, meow
'Twas a love note for Don Gato

I adore you wrote the lady cat
Who was fluffy, white and nice and fat
There was not a sweeter kitty,
Meow, meow, meow
In the country or the city,
Meow, meow, meow
And she said she'd wed Don Gato

Oh, Don Gato jumped so happily
He fell off the roof and broke his knee
Broke his ribs and all his whiskers,
Meow, meow, meow
And his little solar plexus,
Meow, meow, meow
Ay Caramba cried Don Gato

Then the doctors all came on the run
Just to see if something could be done
And they held a consultation,
Meow, meow, meow
About how to save their patient,
Meow, meow, meow
How to save Senor Don Gato

But in spite of everything they tried
Poor Senor Don Gato up and died
And it wasn't very merry,
Meow, meow, meow
Going to the cemetery,
Meow, meow, meow
For the ending of Don Gato

When the funeral passed the market square
Such a smell of fish was in the air
Though his burial was slated,
Meow, meow, meow
He became reanimated,
Meow, meow, meow
He came back to life, Don Gato

and to make it fit the topic, let's hope that Russian doesn't become reanimated.

WAHOO_WAH!!

From Jose Hierro-1947

DESPEDIDA DEL MAR

Por más que intente al despedirme
guardarte entero en mi recinto
de soledad, por más que quiera
beber tus ojos infinitos,
tus largas tardes plateadas,
tu vasto gesto, gris y frío,
sé que al volver a tus orillas
nos sentiremos muy distintos.
Nunca jamás volveré a verte
con estos ojos que hoy te miro.

Este perfume de manzanas,
¿de dónde viene? ¡Oh sueño mío,
mar mío! ¡Fúndeme, despójame
de mi carne, de mi vestido
mortal! ¡Olvídame en la arena,
y sea yo también un hijo
más, un caudal de agua serena
que vuelve a ti, a su salino
nacimiento, a vivir tu vida
como el más triste de los ríos!

Ramos frescos de espuma... Barcas
soñolientas y vagas... Niños
rebañando la miel poniente
del sol... ¡Qué nuevo y fresco y limpio
el mundo...! Nace cada día
del mar, recorre los caminos
que rodean mi alma, y corre
a esconderse bajo el sombrío,
lúgubre aceite de la noche;
vuelve a su origen y principio.

¡Y que ahora tenga que dejarte
para emprender otro camino!...

Por más que intente al despedirme
llevar tu imagen, mar, conmigo;
por más que quiera traspasarte,
fijarte, exacto, en mis sentidos;
por más que busque tus cadenas
para negarme a mi destino,
yo sé que pronto estará rota
tu malla gris de tenues hilos.
Nunca jamás volveré a verte
con estos ojos que hoy te miro.