 The Shaffer Journal
Volume 10 † Issue 10 † October 2004
[Internet Stuff] [Hockey Puck] [Twins of the Dark Star]
[Poetry Corner] [The Dull Stuff] [Guest Articles] [In The Keys]
Kitty Talk
These journals are dedicated to Kitty GreyCat's spirit. She is at RainBow Bridge now along with her human friends, Leo and Doris. We all loved you, Kitty! Click the cat graphic to visit her Memorial page. Kitty born June 6, 1982. Died July 9, 1997. Please use our email form linked below to make suggestions or offer praise. >^..^<  Ebony: I would like to meow about some important stuff this month. The stuff is all kinds of stuff we meow about all the time, but we need to meow about that stuff some more. First, I like sleeping with the other adult human beans in our home. They don't toss and turn all night like our human bean. I can purr all night and dream about birds, lizards, and stuff. >^..^<
Abby: I still like to sleep with our human bean by his feet. You slept with him a few times this month by his head. I don't mind if he tosses and turns. I also like to watch and dream about the new bird, what is named Callie. O, meow, Ebony sleeps behind couch under living room window too. >^..^<
Ebony: Ab, you use that same window to watch for other cats and stand guard. Human bean lifted the blinds a little to prevent you from damaging them with your body. I wish that you would stay in that window always. >^..^<
Abby: Well, I know what you meowing about. You don't like me giving you a bath and then biting you. Then we chase and meow. We run and jump. You growl and hiss. I just love to stir up stuff, I do. Besides, human beans like me better, because I am cute when I lay on my back. I am cuter when I meow talk to the beans. I even let that other human bean rub and gently pinch my ears. You not like any of that. You just addicted to catnip. >^..^<
Ebony: I can't help it when I fall asleep in the catnip bowl. That nip is so very good. You do strange stuff too when you wait under the porch stairs for stray cats to chase off. I even seed you on top of the armoire watching the top of the birdcage. You know the bird is not to be ingested. I just wish you stay off bean child's bed. It for me. >^..^<
Abby: Meow, why you like to be on that bed or explore underneath it? There are so many other interesting things. Well, you did look like one cool cat when human bean put those sunglasses on your head. >^..^<
Ebony: Abby, you got no room to meow. I seed you playing with that parachute toy thing with the human bean. He would throw it up in the air. You would get excited to wait for it to land and grab and run with the toy. >^..^<
Abby: Ebony, I need something to help beat the stress. The last month has been full of hurry canes. We go in the truck. We come back. We seed strange peoples and animals. I am all stressed out and pink all over. >^..^<
Ebony: I get de-stressed by the juice from the chicken and tuna cans that other human bean opens from time to tome. That juice smells so good. The taste is great too. You like it too, Ab, but catnip better for me. >^..^<
Abby: You are just a nip head, you are. I do have to meow that I love that other human bean what opens the cans that is full of chicken juice and even tuna juice. That tuna is yummy too. But chicken juice is nice as well. >^..^<
Ebony: I like it all, I do. You follow that other human bean around all the time too. You got locked in their room. I heard you crying you had to go to the litter and you was locked inside. They came quickly and let you run to the litter. You made it just in time, I meow. That was just about as much fun and chasing that inside lizard. >^..^<
Abby: O, lizards don't normally come inside, because they figured out we were in there. This one, though, must be from the next block over and never heard about us inside cats. You saw it on the couch. You caught it right away. Then you brought it under the kitchen table. I came running up to you. You, being a fair cat, let go of that lizard. I got to chase it this way and that until that lizard disappeared under the filing cabinet thing. There the lizard stayed all night. We laid there, all nice and proper, to wait on that lizard to come out and play with us. Maybe next month we cats can report that lizard came out and played with us. We will tell you if he does. Bye. >^..^<
Internet Stuff
Here are the latest DVD films from http://www.NetFlix.com: Summer of Monkeys is a kid's movie that will not be interesting to most adults. Taking Lives is a thriller about a serial killer taking the identities of those he killed. Godsend is about a dead child cloned who ends up being part of another child. Hidalgo is an extraordinary movie about a man and his horse in a long-distance race. It is based on the true story of Frank Hopkins and his horse, Hidalgo. Kill Bill 2 was less violent and more into the characters and even some romance. Laws of Attraction is a film about two divorce lawyers who find themselves in an unlikely romance leading to true love. Interesting websites we visited recently: http://www.amazon.com has a good opt-out policy that covers all the various situations. Special jewelry site http://www.steelwerks.ca continues to provide great service with its unusual products. During these last four or five hurricanes we investigated a good notification system at http://www.weather.com. We liked WeatherBug best. In looking for an inexpensive monitor for an older computer system, http://www.accurateit.com had the best products with superior service. Our web host at http://www.xfireweb.com still provides on-the-spot, 24/7 technical support.
In The Keys
Can you believe all these hurricanes? We had Bonnie, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. As if we all don't have enough stress in our lives. Even the cats were vegged out. I had to move the boat several times. We had to escape to Melbourne once. The around-the-clock television coverage didn't help either. In between the hurricanes, I did get to go out on the water to enjoy the sunshine and the warm water. I even went snorkeling twice. Miscellany: The evil truck has its own personality. The truck batteries died a horrible death. Andy and Dave's Garage rescued me though and new batteries saved the day. The Jerry Lewis Telethon continues to tug on your heart. Haircuts and great conversation can be had at the Easy Does It Barbershop. My hair got long though, because she went on vacation. Everyone deserves a vacation. I witnessed the City of Marathon's budget process, and what a painful process it was too. The compound where we live got all spruced up for the fall season. Finally: Did you know that Hawaii's state bird is the Nene (Hawaiian Goose)? The flower is the Yellow Hibiscus. The tree is the Kukui (Candlenut). The capital is Honolulu. Statehood was granted August 21, 1959. Lastly, the Stacie Krupa Gallery of Art features investment-quality originals, paintings and drawings. This Islamorada gallery is located at 82935 Overseas Highway. They are open daily 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Their telephone number is 305-517-2631. Call for more details. Their website is located at http://www.staciekrupafineart.com/. Poetry Corner
"Infinity"
October 1, 2000
Ancient times past memory
Rocks older than creation
Hills to lowlands
To mountains and peaks
Life again
Warms the plains
The never-ending cycle
Plays out among the stars
The center of it all
Upon ancient rocks
At the peaks
Of holy mountains
Guarded by eons
Creatures there
At the very beginning
Of existence
Of creation
Birth and death
And then again
Beyond and more
Infinite journey
Through the stars
Among galaxies
Forever universe
Now we stand
Where we were
Before it all began
And after it ends © 2004 L. E. Shaffer Hockey Puck
The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race is heating up. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are in the top ten for the championship run. NCAA Football Ohio State University keeps winning; go Buckeyes. The NHL is locked out due to owner and player greed. The NFL Dolphins are 0-3 for the first time since 1969. In the NBA, can't wait for the Heat and the big Shaq. In the MLB, the Marlins are out of the wild-card race. They tried; they lost. The Washington Senators might be back. In the PGA, Tiger is trying to figure out why he is the world's number two player. In the WTA, the Williams sisters have yet to win consistently. Curacao beat California for the Little League World Series championship. I'm still bummed out that there will be no NHL season this year. Guest Articles
Stuff not written by us. As always everything is copyright of the author. Promos For the second month in a row, a company provides extraordinary service. http://www.steelwerks.ca leads to a wonderful company specializing in jewelry, creative art, and unusual toys. One of their mottos is extreme toys for extreme boys. Of course, girls are included too. Their service is unparalleled. Their products are top quality. Go visit their website and explore this unusual web place. Another must see and visit is the related website at http://www.steelwerksextreme.com. There are super stuff coming out of Canada. Their photo gallery is very interesting as well. The prices are competitive. Go buy something, okay? Poetry Competitions, write and submit your personal poem for a chance to win our online poetry contest. Read and write love poems, romantic poems, inspirational poems, sad poems and funny poems. Have your poem published on one of our read poetry pages. Amateur poets are welcome at http://www.poetryamerica.com. © 2004 Steelwerks and Poetry America Group Novel
As an experiment and for fun, we are writing a group novel at our Area 52 forum. The first section is contained in the June 2004 magazine edition. The second section is contained in the July 2004 magazine edition. The third section is contained in the August 2004 magazine edition. The fourth section is contained in the September 2004 magazine edition. The entire group novel is in a MS Word format. The fifth section is as follows: Chapter 5
Exhausted, Zybai wakens the next day amidst the seemingly shredded or torn remnants of the preceding night. “Phew,” the sounds of his tired body escape from his quivering lips. All he can remember are those lights and the shimmering stone.
Zybai raises from his resting area only to see the soft gray and green mosses and fern fronds he sleeps upon burnt and his immediate area, which now surrounds him with the privacy of fast-maturing beda* hedges, seeming to have a stench hovering over it.
Zybai shook his head trying to wake himself up and he wandered to the nearest stream to bathe and quench his thirst. He drank and drank of the soothing fluid and then he drank some more. “Why am I so thirsty this morning,” thought Zybai.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh,” Zybai exclaims in a long and drawn out manner as he bent his body backwards and forwards and slowly stretched his midarms. Suddenly his midarms moved as if with a mind of their own. Reaching and then grasping a Pinuta* off of a high branch, the midarms long slender digits carefully raised their prize to Zybai’s mouth. Zybai just stood still observing this new behavior of his, or did his midarms suddenly have a mind of their own he wondered?
Bringing his attention back to his own body, Zybai resumed his daily exercise of stretching all of his limbs and then retracting the uppermost ones. He still thought of the strange behavior of his midarms as he counted to himself slowly and methodically and maintained this cadence until the sun was straight above him.
Zybai could feel the sweat trickling down the back of his neck as he picked up his pace he began his sprints to and from the lake. Krilat had told him at their last informal meeting to begin strengthening his body, training his muscles and his mind. Krilat had said that Zybai often acted like a young Strabulke* and that he was more stubborn than an adult Strabulke*(Of course I sweat Ariel, my body is still not old enough to recirculate its waste fluids as do adult Anaraian bodies).
“Ah,” Zybai let out a loud sigh as he finally lay down to rest after nearly a fourth of the day had passed. “I have many months of training ahead of me and this activity is seems so strenuous,” Zybai mumbled to know one in particular.* He lay atop a mound of new soft moss that he had gathered earlier that morning to replace the sleeping moss that was ruined the past evening.
He stared up at the sky, and the bright blazing rays of Mu’a beat down upon his now naked body and dried the sweat. Ne’a was just rising above the Western horizon and it’s soft light seemed so soothing and such a contrast to the strength of Mu’a. Mu’a and Ne’a. “Male and female”, Zybai thought about all of those stories he had heard when he was growing up,” . . . “Are these contrast’s tradition or are they based on fact”, he wondered.
Once again Zybai looked up at Mu’a and winced as all of a sudden a flash of light shone straight through both of his outer eyelids and into his eyes themselves. He was blinded and then felt as if he had been chewing on some of the old medicine man’s magic roots as he felt as if his whole body had expanded and he could reach down and grasp his world, Anaraia, and it’s inhabitants with his four fingers and then juggle it back and forth. He inhaled deeply the vapors of space and as he did he just as quickly slumped to the ground with exhaustion.
It was late in the day when Zybai again awoke, and Ne’a was about a half an arm’s length above the Eastern horizon. Zybai rose from the ground on shaky bottom limbs and narrowing his eyes he searched his immediate surroundings to make sure that nobody had seen him sleeping the afternoon away. As he reached for his cloak which he had haphazardly thrown atop a bush after finishing his days exercises, he thought he saw a glimmer in the not too far distance.
Curiosity taking over, he casually strolled through the trees with their over-hanging growth to a small clearing not too far from the closest edges of the silver lake (hey are we ever gonna name this lake guys?). The object glinted and pulsed with regularity. All caution to the wind, Zybai leaned over to carefully pick up the object and he examined it closely. “Ah,” exclaimed Zybai, “Another shiny stone”. But this one seems to be a bit different than the other stone he had. This gave off no heat but it seemed that deep within the stone a strange yet familiar rhythm steadily throbbed away. “te te thum . ..te te thum . . .te te te . . .THUM”. Dancing lights abounded as he stared into its inner depths. It was as if he was peering down a mineshaft and could not see the bottom. . Clenching his fingers tightly around the stone gave him a sense of well being and the pulses joined the rhythms of his own body and in unison they beat together.
“I will name this my Heart Stone,” thought Zybai, and he carefully unwrapped his fingers from the stone and placed it inside of the pouch he wore on the hand-woven cord made by his great-great female parent so many years ago. That neck cord had been passed down to the oldest son on his female parent’s side of the family for three generations now. Zybai’s mind then wandered to thoughts of his family and of his sister Zeena . . .
* Zybai was born into the privileged class, and although he was Kla’bai, he was still quite lazy.
* Beda hedges – a fast growing plant that matures in less than three weeks at a height of six to seven feet. It has often been thought that the Beda beans that appear below its bloom are sentient. These plants have been domesticated for over 300 years by Anaraians. Only the Anarains who possess the gift of awareness and true patience have succeeded in training the growth of these plants.
* Pinuta – a fleshy pale yellow fruit about the size of a medium sized grapefruit. It tastes like a mixture of vanilla beans and banana, with an aroma like pungent lavendar. It may be related to the Lavendar bush of Earth, and the skin of the fruit can be shredded and dried and then used as a sachet or potpourri.
* Strabulke –equivalent to our equine’s on Earth, the male of the species is quite stubborn and during mating season has been known to attack and kill any Anaraian who wanders into its territory.
Zybai lay curled in his moss-bed weeping uncontrollably, his underdeveloped mid-arms clutched tight to his body. He heard his mother's footsteps as she rushed into their family grove and knelt beside him. "What's wrong, little one?" she asked, gently wiping his tears with the corner of her silken scarf. The child curled into a tighter ball and buried his face in the moss, wanting nothing to do with this hated person. His weeping became more angry than piteous, and his pale skin was becoming mottled with pink blotches from his distress. "Zeena has something to do with this," Ziha thought, and sighed. Zeena had hated Zybai from the moment he was brought back from the city, enraged with the egocentric jealousy of an only child who very much resented not being the complete focus of her mother's attention anymore.
Ziha gently tugged her young son toward her, trying to cuddle him, but he resisted with all of his tiny might. "What is it, my little puffle*? What has happened?"
Zybai wiggled as far from his mother as possible and turned his large wet eyes on her, fixing her with an accusing stare. "No! Go way! I knows all bout it! Zeena tol' me! You...you..." He hiccupped and started crying even harder.
Ziha sat back and folded her mid-arms around her in the traditional sign of contrition, although her mind was seething. "That girl!" Various possible punishments for whatever Zeena had said flitted through her mind. But she was careful to keep her face composed and sympathetic. "What did Zeena tell you, puffle?" she crooned.
"Don't call me that! I'm not that small!" He looked defiantly around, as if looking for a way to prove his statement. "Ohhh," thought Ziha, "Zeena has been teasing him about his size again. What did she say this time?" True, Zybai was a little small for his age, and his mid-arms, so fiercely clamped to his stomach now, were underdeveloped compared to most of his schoolmates. But many children remained underdeveloped until their first sleep in the silver lakes. "What did Zeena tell you?" Ziha repeated, letting anger tinge her voice.
Zybai's eyes went wide as he realized Zeena may have been lying to him again, but he carefully continued scowling at his mother in case what Zeena had said was true. "She tol' me all bout how you wanted to leave me in the city to be a Abananarian! She said you said that I was stunted and ugly and bad and you didn't want me at all and - but Daddy he made you bring me home because only he wanted a boy spawnling and Daddy thought I would get better but you and him is always saying how I'm too small and you shoulda left me in the city, Zeena said she's heard you talk bout that when I'm sleeping, and she's heard you and Daddy say how you're gonna put me in the sliver lake real soon here and leave me there and I'll sink like a moonstone and die, and..." Zybai stopped for a breath, then gulped and began wailing at the terror of his imminent fate.
"Tsk, tsk, I'm going to have that girl's hide orange before its time!" Ziha smiled reassuringly. "Zeena was just being mean and trying to scare you, my sweet Zybai. Of course I wanted you, I would never have left you to be an Anaraban. Both Daddy and I wanted you very very much, and always will! And Daddy didn't want you just because you were a boy, but because you're...you!" She punctuated the last words by poking his chest playfully, tickling him, and he smiled briefly. But a look of sad consternation quickly returned.
"Such a serious child!" Ziha thought, and quickly spoke again before Zybai started another of his long-winded tirades. "As for the silver lake, yes, you will go there soon. So will all of your schoolmates, all of the children your age. Remember how we talked about this? Sleeping in the silver lakes is how we grow, little bit by little bit. You will sleep in the lake lots of times as you grow up..."
"But Zeena says if you're stunted and bad you'll sink, and...and..." He waved his mid-arms mournfully and his eyes filled with tears again.
"No, you won't!" Ziha said firmly. "Even if you were stunted--which you are not, you wouldn't sink. No Anarian ever sinks in the silver lakes." She slid close to her son and put all her arms around him. This time he didn't resist. "Our sleeps in the silver lakes are beautiful times," she told him, as she had told him before, as she had been told when she had been his age. "We float, and dream wonderful dreams! And when we wake up, we've grown bigger and stronger, our bodies and our minds! And when you wake up, Daddy and I will be right there to wrap you up in warm towels and bring you home safe and sound. You'll see, when you wake up you'll be taller and all of your limbs will be longer and I'll give you all of the pinutas and Beda beans you want.* I know how you like Beda beans!"
She rocked him for a moment, then something occurred to her. She stood up and started looking through her old chest. "Ah, here it is!" She sat back down beside Zybai and held out a hand-woven cord. "It is time you had this. This cord was woven by your great-great grandmother. It has been passed down to the oldest son in my family for three generations. Now it is yours. You see this little pouch?" Zybai nodded eagerly, all eyes at this unexpected prize. "As you grow, you may find something you wish to hold close to your heart. A feather, or a leaf or a stone, perhaps. You may find different things to put in the pouch as you grow older. These will be special things, meant only for you. For now," she slid the cord over his neck, "this will keep you safe, and your heart close to mine, when you sleep in the silver lake next sab."
Zybai gazed at the treasured cord, fingering it reverently. He was special! Zeena would never have such a cord! He hugged his mother tightly, his fears forgotten.
"All my fears forgotten..." I finger the fine old cord and the tiny pouch that now holds my heart stone. It is no accident I found it. This is something very special indeed, another piece of the puzzle. I smile as I ponder the pieces of the puzzle I have so far gathered, warmed by sweet memory.
*puffle-a small mouse-like creature that burrows in the roots of the Beda hedges, often kept as pets by young children. Puffles have large bright eyes and downy blue "fur." They are inquisitive and love to play and, when stroked, emit warbling cooing sounds. One of the more popular lullabies imitates the song of the puffles.
*Beda beans have a slightly sweet flavor, sort of like a cross between peanuts and yams. Not all children like them, but Zybai loves them.
It is good to be childish. I can’t think adult thoughts for very long. Still, I love the trips to the stars and, sometimes, through the stars. I enjoy the special music the stars sing. Even now the heart stone sings to me. This is a different tune. I don’t even care how that can be. I just float in that music and close my eyes.
There are all kinds of traveling. I have been to many places, both in body and spirit. Yet I keep coming back to the fourteen dark stars. They pull me. This gateway is part of the puzzle. This is a puzzle within a puzzle. There are many dimensions and even the flow of time to consider.
I smile. In spirit, I find myself at the juncture of the fourteen dark stars. Dark matter flows among those stars. That is contrary to what I have been taught. Dark matter is supposed to be only near dark stars. Why is this?
The music is different. I have never heard this before. Why? The heart stone now glows, as if offering an answer of some kind. I must travel beyond these stars for some future purpose. I don’t know what. How?
If I must go through each star, what must be the order? My mind works with the music. I float in spirit. My mind blanks in peace. Then I think of another way. What if I travel through each star all at the same time? That must be it! But what then?
I wake up, clutching the heart stone. The stone is hot, and I drop it to the ground. Maybe I must sleep in the silver lakes before I totally understand the next step?
I grow tired of the puzzle. It is time now for some fun and revenge. I go in search of my sister.
© 2004 L. E. Shaffer, Kim Young, Linda Hall Twins of the Dark Star
Book One Tears from Ao and three poetry collections, Pages of Life, Visions of Life, and Moments of Life are available electronically at http://RunesofAo.com/aobp/. The Runes of Ao project, Book Two The Mountains of Ao novel currently in final edit, Book Three Twins of the Dark Star novel in early stages, and The Book of Kalian Mysticism poetry collection are works in progress. Also a collaboration with K. Young on a novella called Dragon Embers is now published on the fan site known as Runes of Ao.com. The Dull Stuff
All opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of this magazine, company, or its advertisers. Inputs, email, suggestions, and letters to this journal are subject to approval by Ebony and Abby. Submittals may be edited for content and length and become the creative property for the one-time nonexclusive publication of: Shaffer Novels/Poetry Company
Merchant Occupational License #48210-0076151
PO Box 501833
Marathon FL 33050-1833
(305) 743-9648 voice/fax Internet URLs: www.RunesofAo.com
www.RunesofAo.com/roa/
www.RunesofAo.com/aobp/
www.RunesofAo.com/ebony/
www.RunesofAo.com/abby/ Publication date: September 28, 2004
Author: L. E. Shaffer
Company: Shaffer Novels/Poetry Company &
Shaffer Internet Publishing Company
© 1995 - 2008, 2009 L. E. SHAFFER
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FIRST PRINTING; ELECTRONIC & PRINT MEDIA If you want an email reminder of
when the next journal is posted,
please click on the email link at
the bottom of this web page
and fill out the form, putting "Journal
Email Reminder" in the subject line. [Previous Journal] [Journal Index] [Next Journal] |
