The Raven

I was reminded of this spooky classic in one of my English classes today.  The reading was about the Tower of London and the ravens that live there.  I immediately looked up the poem and read a bit to my students (how could I not, being a lit. major and all?).  And since it's Halloween, I thought sharing it with all of you was appropriate too.

Happy Halloween!


THE RAVEN
          Edgar Allen Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. `'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door - Only this, and nothing more.' Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore - Nameless here for evermore. And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating `'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door - Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; - This it is, and nothing more,' Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, `Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; - Darkness there, and nothing more. Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before; But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token, And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!' This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!' Merely this and nothing more. Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before. `Surely,' said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice; Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore - Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; - 'Tis the wind and nothing more!' Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter, In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore. Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he; But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door - Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door - Perched, and sat, and nothing more. Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore, `Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven. Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore - Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly, Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore; For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door - Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door, With such name as `Nevermore.' But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only, That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered - Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before - On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.' Then the bird said, `Nevermore.' Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, `Doubtless,' said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store, Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore - Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore Of "Never-nevermore."' But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door; Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore - What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking `Nevermore.' This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core; This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er, But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er, She shall press, ah, nevermore! Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor. `Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore! Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' `Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! - Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted - On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore - Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' `Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore - Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore - Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' `Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting - `Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore! Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door! Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted - nevermore!

The World's Best Pancakes!

Breakfast in bed (the best kind): cinnamon pancakes with homemade cranberry syrup and English breakfast tea.  To die for.  I outdid myself this time (my own humble opinon).  

Unfortunately I was half way through my first one when I realized I needed to document the deliciousness.  A quick photo snapped from my new cell phone was the best I could do.  

Please excuse the poor presentation:    

"...It's a lovely place..."

I just wanted to show off a few more pictures...  A friend recommended doing a video of the inside, a very good idea.  That will be one of my next posts.  For now I'll leave you with the pictures.

Estreno California

The Grand Opening

We're open for business!  Friday night we held the grand opening of our new Pub California (I didn't name it, I swear!).  Angelines was a nervous wreck, as was to be expected.  She broke down in tears earlier in the afternoon during the final preparations, and nearly came to tears again when she gave her opening speech to friends and family.  But nerves aside, all went well.  My sisters and mother-in-law along with a few friends made up some delicious canapés to serve along with a free keg and sangria.

A friend made up these stickers for a photo-call and everyone had a good time posing like hollywood stars all night long.  Those of you with facebook can see all the pictures on our page.  The night was long--Angelines got home at seven in the morning Sat.--but I headed home early.  Friday morning I started coming down with a cold and around two o'clock (am) I was more than ready for bed.  It's been go-go-go here for the last two or three weeks, and in the days before the opening we were even busier: nailing down details and spit polishing every last nook and cranny of the new place.

All the stress has taken its toll on my immune system, with my private classes and now the university classes thrown into the mix.  I guess it was just a matter of time before I caught the first cold of the season.  I'm subsisting on orange juice, honey and thyme infusions.  Angelines seems to be holding up relatively well, but I'm sure this will all hit her like a ton of bricks on Monday.

Everyone I spoke to had nothing but praise for the bar--a relief after so much thought and worry have gone into it.  Although she was exhausted, I know A was a happy camper; this really is a dream come true.  The bar is certainly something to be proud of, and our opening fiesta was every bit worthy of the occasion. 

I'll leave you with some pictures and I promise better ones soon. ;)

Angelines is looking stern on the phone because the internet and TV have gone out just minutes before we open!

Outside looking it at our first customers.

Our turn at the photo-call. :) 

Let There Be Light!

I just wanted to quickly post to say that we finally got the electricity at the bar hooked up!  The grand opening is imminent.  And for some reason, it seems that Angelines is MORE stressed out now than before (?!)...  I told her now is when she can relax because opening the bar only depends on us and moving stuff from the old place across the street to the new one!  We don't have to wait (or pay) for any more people to come look at it, sign a paper, give that paper to someone else to stamp...etc., etc.

Next weekend we'll open for business, though Angelines is still unwilling to commit to a specific date--silly girl!

Pictures soon.

Where do I start?

This week's been crazy--up, down and all over the place.  One thing's for sure: I haven't had a minute to myself.  When I'm not walking the dog, I'm prepping classes; when I'm not painting at the bar, I'm getting lunch ready; when I'm not teaching class, I'm cleaning the house... and that list goes on.  Whew.  Needless to say, I've barely been able to check my email much less blog.  

So I guess you can surmise that I've begun teaching my private classes again. :)  Thank goodness we now have a second income, though I'm pretty sure we've already spent everything I'll earn this month and then some!  Oh well, as a friend pointed out this morning, these moments, struggling to achieve a dream, make us feel alive.  You could say that Angelines and I are feeling very much "alive" these days. ;)

Anyway, back to my classes.  Aside from filling my afternoons, they're all going very well.  I spent all last weekend madly planning for this week, and it's paid off.  My class of 3-5 year-olds was a great success.  Only one little girl (the three-year-old) cried for the first half hour.  All the rest were smiling, dancing and doing their best to sing along with the songs after only about two minutes.  And by the time class was over, even my little cry baby was smiling and talking to me.  What's even better, in all my Tuesday classes, when it was time to go, someone inevitably chimed in with an incredulous already?!.  That's a true measure of success in my book. 

This year I have roughly 60 students total!  And I am also teaching more hours.  Last year I had 24 hours of class per week and this year I have almost 30, which means that I am teaching every day  whereas last year I limited my classes to Tues-Thurs.  On paper this is all great, especially since more classes and more students mean more money; but I am worried about what I'll do once my own university classes start in two weeks.   (*gulp*)  Last year was perfect because I reserved Mon. and Fri. for studying and weekends I could prepare classes and/or relax.  This year will be a struggle to be sure...  

I think come Nov. I'll be feeling more alive than ever. ;)