This month is a pictorially diverse one. We have pictures along Lake Erie in Ohio, a few of the Nashville Grand Ole Opry, and the first of a two-part series on Yellowstone National Park.
My third novel in the Epic Journeys Trilogy will be available in late October or early November. Adelyn: An Epic Journey will transport you on a journey like you have never gone before! A special announcement will go out when the book is available.
Below is information regarding my first two books of the trilogy, Epic Journeys, the first, What's Next~An Epic Journey, and the sequel, The End of Time and Back: An Epic Journey. You can purchase them on Amazon byclicking here. (Scroll to the correct title.) Your local bookstore can also order them for you. All these books are fine reads for the broad-minded and/or the spiritual seeker. What a reading adventure you will have including many diverse ideas, a beautiful love story, adventure, and intrigue. (They are also available in Kindle version as well.)
Vignette this Month: Jim Oakes – includes a 3rd poemJimmy
Recommendations
Quotable Quotes
A Bit of Humor
PJ Forum
PJ Demographics – Subscribers in 24 states and 12 countries
PJ Online
PJ Policies
Subscription information
Welcome
I am pleased to have you as a reader. If you enjoy the PJ, please encourage others to subscribe.
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The next Poetical Journal will be out on Sunday, October 29, 2017.
One of the many upscale homes on Catawba Island, Ohio.
Opening Comments from Bob
What's Next ~ An Epic Journey and Beyond Time and Back: An Epic Journey: Both novels are available on Amazon. What's Next is a sequel to Beyond Time and tackles a topic that impacts us all. Both books are intriguing reads for the spiritual seeker and/or the broad-minded.
This Issue: This month we pictorially travel to three places, Lake Erie area near Port Clinton, OH, Nashville, TN, and the first of a two-part series on Yellowstone National Park. There are three new poems this month, My Book which takes a light-hearted approach to authoring a book and Meditation 4 which is open to your interpretation. The third poem is part of the vignette on Jim Oakes whom I had the privilege to be with mere hours before he passed. There is also a fourth poem for those who missed it last month. You have to click on it to read on another page.
Subscriber Residence:PLEASE let me know if your state, providence, or country is not listed in the demographic section at the end.
Next Month: The next issue comes out on October 29, 2017 where we will continue our journey to Yellowstone then to the Grand Tetons, and finally Bend, OR, area.
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Restored lighthouse in Port Clinton, OH
Two Poems this Month
My Book
Double-space here.
Is it a compound word
or a hyphen?
How did I miss that?
“Yours” instead of “you.”
Wait this line doesn’t agree
with an earlier concept.
Tense agreement
Verb agreement.
Will the reader understand?
This is the sixth rewrite.
The last book had eleven
and still contained errors.
Is it all worth it?
I will be lucky to sell fifty books.
Yet, I am driven.
I must write!
Comments: Writing a book is a mixture of time, perseverance, frustration, and celebration. The poem speaks to some of those.
Meditation 4
Seated quietly
Thinking
Seated quietly
Waiting
Soon the sun
will rise
to a new day.
The moment
has arrived.
Comment: You interpret.
Click here if you want to read a poem that focuses on today's issues. Otherwise, stick with the two above...:-) This poem was also issued as an option last month.
Wax figure of Jimmy Dickens displayed in one of the dressing rooms in the Grand Ole Oprey.
"Boots are made for walking." I have never seen so many women wearing cowboy boots as in Nashville, and I live in cowboy country.
In Yellowstone, buffalo rule the road.
My books and products are purchasable online.
My work currently appears in seven books. Four are offered for sale online. To order any of the four, click here. The newest books, What's Next? (2016) and Beyond Time and Back (2015) are currently available through Amazon.
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Even if you are not a country music fan, a visit to the Grand Ole Opry is worth a visit. Time did not permit me to
to attend a show, but I was able to take the backstage tour. I found it to be fascinating! I had no idea about all
history and tradition that are part of the heritage of this facility. The backstage tour will set you back $26.
Well worth it!
Vignette this Month: Jim Oakes
Below is a poem I wrote in remembrance of my friend, Jimmy. Jim and I first met when he joined Tri-Rivers Educational Computer Association (TRECA) in the early 2000s. Over time our work relationship turned into a close friendship. After we both retired from TRECA, we continued to gather at least weekly for breakfast. Though we were often opposites on political and sometimes social issues, those did not detract from our relationship. I often joked that he would someday see the light. He in turn said likewise to me.
Over five years ago Jim and his wife Tammy moved to Nashville, TN, to be near their grandson. I would often listen to stories about that young boy. A year later, for the same reason, I moved to Utah, and now being a grandfather, I understand those stories better.
On August 27 his daughter Kelly texted me that Jim was not doing well. I flew to Nashville on September 2nd to say "goodbye." He passed on the morning of the 3rd. The below poem was written in his honor. (Pictured below is Jimmy at his retirement party.)
Jimmy
Over four years have passed
since we shared a breakfast
in our booth at V & M.
You moved and then I.
Sadly, over the months our calls diminished.
You would sometimes pop into my thoughts,
and I would say,
“I need to give Jim a call.”
Alas, time slipped away.
Now, I peer down
on his earthly body
realizing he will soon travel
the inevitable journey.
Travel safely, Dear Friend.
If you have a guest vignette you would like to submit, please do so. Not only will I enjoy reading it, but if agreeable with you and space permitting, I will print it in a future issue. The vignette should be written in paragraph form and relate a personal story or event. Equally important, it should fit the overall tenor of this newsletter. Ideally, it should not exceed twenty lines. Please send to bob@poeticaljourneys.com.
We arrived in Yellowstone and were greeted by the season's first snow, which only added to the beauty.
Below: The Madison River provided a beautiful scene.
From the Madison River peering toward the snowy peaks
Recommendations
Bistro 163 in Port Clinton, OH: First, the food is delicious! Equally, as good this restaurant is a Pay-It-Forward one. (Click on the restaurant link to learn more about this wonderful concept. The following is taken directly from its site: "We chose the name 'Bistro 163' as it communicates our intention to serve fresh food prepared from scratch, using locally sourced ingredients, a 'farm to table' approach. The café's location, on Perry Street in Port Clinton, is part of State Route 163 stretching from Oak Harbor to Marblehead, our target service area of Ottawa County."
Please take a look at the online book and gift pages.
Typical mountainside scene
One of the smaller falls in Yellowstone
Steam escaping the surface as part of the volcanic activity. Yellowstone is one of largest active volcanoes in the world.
Quotable Quotes
"Try to say nothing negative about anybody for three days, for forty-five days, for three months. See what happens to your life." - Yoko Ono
"We are caught in the trance of fear when the emotion of fear becomes the core of our identity and constricts our capacity to live fully." - Tara Brach
"Sometimes kindness takes the form of stepping aside, letting go of our need to be right, and just being happy for someone." - Sharon Salzberg
Yellowstone National Park, WY: Looking out onto Yellowstone Lake, "is the largest body of water in Yellowstone National Park.
The lake covers 136 square miles with 110 miles of shoreline. While the average depth of the lake is 139 ft, its greatest depth is
at least 390 ft. Yellowstone Lake is the largest freshwater lake above 7,000 ft in North America."
A Bit of Humor
A bit of laughter is healthy for the soul
14 Year Courtship
A man is madly in love with a princess and wants to propose, but an evil witch has cast a spell on him and now he can say only one word a year. So he waits 14 agonizing years—accumulating all his words—before approaching his beloved.
Finally, the big day arrives. When he sees her, his heart skips a beat. He gathers his nerve, drops to his knees, and intones, “My darling, I have waited many years to say this... Will you marry me?”
The princess turns around, smiles, and says, “Pardon?”
Of course one has to visit Old Faithful. A secondary geyser is in the background.
This area is called the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
PJ Forum
If you have comments, recommendations, or suggestions for the PJ, please e-mail them to bob@poeticaljourneys.com. While I often cannot print everyone, I personally respond to all. (On editing: I often eliminate the paragraphing to save space.)
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"Thank you for sharing your beautiful words and photos." - Kathleen from Portland, OR (Ed.: I always enjoy hearing from Kathleen. She is an extremely talented poet in her own right.
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"Enjoyed immensely." - Bobbie from Texas (Ed.: As always, thank you for writing.)
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"Thank for the newsletter. The "secret " poem seemed poignant to me." - Renate from WA (Ed.: Thank you for those comments. I agree with you. Upon checking the click through rate, there were only a few who took the time to open the page. I am glad you did. In fact, I am running the option again.)
To the End of Time and Back: An Epic Journey Review taken from Amazon
"The new novel, To the End of Time and Back is a skillful account of two lovers on an 'Epic Journey,' racing through time and history to learn life-changing truths. Their spectral mentor, Arundel, sends them through difficult travels, but their relationship endures and remains strong despite physical, and psychological stress. Powerful emotions such as fear, anger and happiness, combine with lust, pain and sexuality to help them learn. Written in verse form, the story is an epic poem, painted to portray the duality of mankind throughout dimensions of human history that is sometimes cruel and horrific. The reader will come to know and understand what is being described and will certainly enjoy the stimulating elegance of the story and the philosophy. A thoroughly enjoyable read that is certain to make you think." - David from Utah
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Other Reviews (They have been edited for length. Thank so much to each of you.)
"I finished your book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was much easier to follow by having the whole thing in front of me, and reading as much as I wanted at a time. I felt pretty weary after bouncing around in time for many hundreds of years, but I was relieved to know that at least part of the world survived 'Armageddon'. What a feat you have performed." - Jim
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"I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your latest book To the End of Time and Back. When I bought the book I had no idea what to expect. Once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down. I had fun reading it from A to Z and everything in between." - Art from Park City, UT
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"Your book touched places deep within my soul. I could read it over and over again, Bob. Job Well Done!" - Bobbie from Texas
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"Well, Bob! I am rather blown away by your book. Finished it yesterday, and it only took four days, which means I was intrigued and wanted to know how the book ends. I'm a slow, deep reader and since my profession is writing and editing, I edit continuously as I read. Can't help it! But this book was worth dropping everything for and reading to the end. I admit to cynicism about your claim that it would change me, and I don't know that it has just yet but it won't be leaving my heart and head for a long time, and change could happen. I'm impressed that the book actually lived up to your claims for it. . . . I'm intrigued by this book because it rings so true, and I am therefore tempted to believe you actually were given the gift of this dictation. But if not and this is fiction, you have written one hell of a book, masquerading amazingly as non-fiction ... which is indeed one of the goals of fiction." - Kimberly
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"WOW! WOW! WOW! I read it in one sitting and found so many things you wrote about 'true' for what I know and feel about past lives I've lived. Actually, the chapter about the Holocaust was something I couldn't bear to read–too sad and painful. (I've always felt that way about that period of history.) . . . it was very well done, Bob. Just beautifully done. I'm looking for the movie. . . I'm sure others will feel connected to this book just as I did. AMAZING. Just AMAZING. I couldn't put it down. There was so much anticipation with each chapter it hooked me from the very beginning. . ." - An Ohio Reader
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"I read your book a couple weeks ago. You are lucky we don't live close enough for me to call you to discuss it! It was interesting and easy to read. I liked the format. It reminded me of Many Masters, Many Lives by Brian L. Weiss (which was not that quick to read). Have you read that? . . . Anyway, kudos on the book -- on all your books. . ." - A Reader from Arizona
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"Your newest release takes the reader to places deep within. It makes one ponder all things about life itself. Many authors have written about reincarnation, but yours goes deeper. Through an eternal relationship between two souls, you describe all the human emotions one can feel. The book takes you to historical times and places around the globe, making you feel as if you are part of the beautiful relationship of A~ and Z~. After reading, they will become a part of you." - A Reader
Reader Demographics
States- AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, HI, IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, NC, ND, NY, OH, OR, SC, TX, UT, VA, VT, WV, and WI;
Canadian Provinces - BC, ON, and QC;
Countries - Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Turkey, UK, U.S., and Venezuela.
........Changes in this section will be updated each month.
If your state, province, or country is not mentioned, please let me know.
To read some of the back issues of the PJ, go to here.
The next issue will go out on October 29, 2017.
Until next time - joy and peace,
Bob
PJPolicies Guest Poetry: Often readers send me a poem stating they would like it included in the PJ. Many of the poems are well written. Although I enjoy reading them, at this time I do not include guest poetry as part of this newsletter. Instead, I suggest that they submit them for inclusion in the Guest Poet section of my web site. A number have chosen to do so. However, time limitations and quality govern the number that will be accepted. I currently am not accepting poetry from minors. ----------------------------- Guest Vignettes: On occasion, I publish guest vignettes submitted by one of my readers. If a guest vignette is submitted and selected, the author understands that there is no remuneration provided; the vignette will be included in the e-mailed and web site versions; and will remain posted until I choose to remove it from the site. In all cases, the guest vignette remains the property of the guest author who has given permission for its usage as described in sentences one and two.
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------------------------------ Recommendations: All recommendations are personal ones offered for your information. I receive no remuneration of any kind from the sources or individuals being recommended – other than when I recommend purchasing my books. Actually, many are never aware of their listing. One may ask, "Why do you provide recommendations for specific establishments or locations, especially since many of your readers are worldwide and may never be able to use the information?" The key word is "may." When I travel, I plan much of the itinerary myself. This planning includes reading and listening to recommendations from professional and personal sources. My wish is that any suggestions provided will assist some readers as they make their plans. (Incidentally, I have already received feedback that readers use them.)
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