Two Things: Walking Is Good For Arthritis; "The Ships of Yule".

December 19, 2011. My arthritis doesn't want me to take a walk every day, but walking is quite necessary in my family's thinking. I don't mind a bit their thinking thus, because it really IS necessary to keep me moving. Sorry to say, I neglect it very frequently, so I like to include the news of a walk in my family emails. I take note of things I see on my walk, and I include the littlest of details since I love to write.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

News Blast: The woman at 7802 has taken a walk, and this is news, my citizens! The time that elapsed during her walk was fifteen minutes, she was seen to be walking at a brisk pace, because of the very cool air. She walked up to one of the main streets, and then crossed her own street at that intersection to return home. But the return trip back to her home, was a bit different, the breeze was nipping at her nose and ears a bit more. The breeze before that was at her back. So she continued her brisk pace. THEREFORE, the time in the usual minutes was shortened. She did not run, but she did walk a tiny bit faster.

She stopped at one point in the beginning of her walk to admire a whimsical decoration on a mailbox. It was a very lazy snowman lying on top of the mailbox. His plastic bag body 'flows', making it look as if he melted a bit in the past few days. There was a woman across the street just getting into her car, and the two ladies exchanged a brief tidbit of gossip about wanting one of those for HER mailbox!

Then on the return trip to her house, this eager woman had to stop for a few moments to greet the 'poodle in the window' who suddenly set up a ruckus about this stranger who was walking past HIS house! The woman stopped, of course, to wave several times at the Poodle Guard, and lo!, and behold! there was a brown shaggy dog poking his head up inside the window muttering "... so THIS is what interrupted my morning nap!" and joining in the chorus. Of course Madame had to stay a few more moments to wave vigorously at the two of them. The people who live in that house must be very proud and grateful and at ease, to have such vigilant Guardians of Their Home. These people must also be thinking, "Who IS that crazy lady?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The other item is this poem from today's <YourDailyPoem.com>, which site I dearly love.

The Ships of Yule by Bliss Carman

When I was just a little boy,Before I went to school,I had a fleet of forty sailI called the Ships of Yule;Of every rig, from rakish brigAnd gallant barkentine,To little Fundy fishing boatsWith gunwales painted green.They used to go on trading tripsAround the world for me,For though I had to stay on shoreMy heart was on the sea.They stopped at every port to callFrom Babylon to Rome,To load with all the lovely thingsWe never had at home;With elephants and ivoryBought from the King of Tyre,And shells and silks and sandal-woodThat sailor men admire;With figs and dates from Samarcand,And squatty ginger-jars,And scented silver amuletsFrom Indian bazaars;With sugar-cane from Port of Spain,And monkeys from Ceylon,And paper lanterns from PekinWith painted dragons on;With cocoanuts from Zanzibar,And pines from Singapore;And when they had unloaded theseThey could go back for more.And even after I was bigAnd had to go to school,My mind was often far awayAboard the Ships of Yule.

This is Proof that little boys DO daydream, and I am very happy that this is so.

I'll see you at the Corner Post...