Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Book about Silvia Lange


The softcover book Silvia Prodan Lange: A Celebration of Her Life is on Shutterfly

http://silvialangephotobook.shutterfly.com/pictures/175

and can be viewed and purchased there, or you can purchase the book by contacting Bill or Wendy Dreskin at (415) 457-3949. For more information about the book, please see the April Blog Archive. Also, there is now available a DVD of the Silvia Lange Angel Island celebration on March 21,2010, created and produced by Aimy Wilbur. Please contact Bill or Wendy Dreskin if you would like a copy of this DVD.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

2009 Haiku

January 2, 2009

Over dry cliff side
Rainy day falls will soon leap
Welcome winter rains


January 5, 2009

Soft, warm sleep my dogs
Comma, exclamation point
Punctuate my bed

February 2, 2009 (Novato Field of Dogs)

Racing down the field
the ball! Then into the pool
Silvia at dog park

February 8, 2009 Highway 1 to Tomales

Twisting, turning road
Flanked by bright gold acacias
The miles flashing by

February 9, 2009

Chest rising, falling
Muffled sounds of sweet breathing
Let sleeping dogs lie


March 4, 2009 (Mountain View Cemetery)

White granite sparkles
Tulips all coming up
What a lovely place


March 9, 2009 (Canine Companions for Independence)

Beautiful blondes
Are they polar bears or dogs?
Momma, daughter, child

April 20, 2009

Wildflower garden
Maroon Indian Warriors
Soft yellow iris

May 13, 2009 Nicasio Valley Road

Suddenly blooming
Lupine in the alfalfa
Meadow purple haze


June 10, 2009

Speckled xylophone
Rising up proud in the woods
It does my heart good


July 10, 2009 Crepe myrtles - Marin Human Society


Lavender, pink, white
Where could they have been hiding?
Down South in Natchez?


April 10, 2009 Wendy's house in San Anselmo

Purple lavender
Violet, mauve periwinkle
Lilacs for Wendy

August 14, 2009

Long time Christmas wish
so lucky to have my dogs
I made it come true


October 14, 2009 Lucas Valley Road pumpkin patch

Corn stalks and straw bales
Pumpkins, pumpkins, more pumpkins
Bringing in the sheaves



November 2, 2009

Magic lantern slides
Conjuring up memories
Screen saver puppies


December 1, 2009 Bahia Open Space with Meandering class

Flock of water fowl
Fly upward in flurry
Sound of wings flapping

Friday, April 9, 2010

Poems for friends

ON HIS BLINDNESS
(With Apologies to Milton)
or
PURGE THE SPURGE!

There was a man, Miles Parker, who was Victorian-wise
He rescued a botanical which blinded both his eyes

The pain, it was exquisite He called for help with hope
The cops they were suspicious and searched him well for dope

The plant was a euphorbia so innocent and green
Not even a Venus Flytrap would have treated Miles so mean

Keep your euphorbia watered Don 't let it get quite dry
Or its milky, caustic substance will make you scream and cry

Euphorbia, euphorbia, a breed of weed so strange
Mole plant, poinsettia, and Crown of Thorns all fall within its range

"It could bother a gopher or mole and make him go away "
Have you seen a mole 's eyes lately? That's how they got that way

Euphorbus was a Greek physician but no antidote had he
So Miles yelled, "Eureeeeeeeeka! " just like Archimedes

Yes, artists can be disabled A fact so dread to utter
Beethoven with his deafness Demosthenes with his stutter

Paul Gaugin had syphilis and Vincent Van Gogh had fits
Toulouse Lautrec had stunted legs Miles Parker 's eyes were slits

His sight came back with a week which filled us with euphoria
A sadder, wiser man was Miles He's phobic for euphorbia

Silvia Lange Sometime in the Seventies San Diego


ON HER LEAVING

Camille, oh, Camille
Please heed our appeal
If your leaving you 'll repeal
We'll take you to Mobile
Actually to a street named Beale
For a scrumptious meal of veal
Maybe a creel full of eel
Are we hearing you squeal?

Deal? No deal?

Yes, we know how you feel
The Wheel, Wheel of Fortune, the Wheel
Grinds you down
You could over-keel
It's all so surreal

But soon you will heal
Church bells will peal
You'll dance till you reel
Do flip-flops head over heel
Your clothes you'll off-peel
To go swim with a seal

And then dressed all in teal
You'll approach your new job
With zeal!
.
Silvia Lange CHAMPUS 1996

Angel Island Songs

COAST WALKERS FAREWELL

Tune: Maori Farewell WordS: Silvia Lange

Now is the hour when we must say farewell
... to you, Angel Island
Soon well be walking far beyond the sea
... to Land's End
While we're away, we will remember thee
When we return
... to Angel Island
We hope you're waiting here

June 1999 Angel Island Association



THE LEGEND OF MOUNT LIVERMORE
Composed on Site 1/15/1996 and Updated 12/4/1999 & 10/2008

Tune: On Top of Old Smokey (sob) Words: Silvia Lange

On top of Mount Livermore
All covered with fog
Our dear metal Christmas tree
Was felled like a log

The rain it was fearsome
The wind even more (100 mph)
To keep our Christmas tree standing
Would have been an impossible chore

Each Christmas we lit it
We had so much fun
With Boy Scouts and eggnog
And the carols we sung

We made it our symbol
To raise much needed bucks
But after the windstorm of '95
All we could say was, "Oh, shucks!"

Christmas is coming
And the geese are getting fat
But on top of Mount Livermore
Our Christmas tree lay flat

WAIT! The story's not over
What a glorious sight
Thanks to Industrial Light & Magic
Our new Christmas tree shone bright

On top of Mount Livermore
Here comes another verse
Though the windstorm was ferocious
The fire was much worse

It leapt up Mount Livermore
All the way to the top
As we watched on in horror, we cried
"Will it never stop?"

But Camp Reynolds, Fort McDowell,
Immigration Station, too
Were saved from destruction
By the brave firefighting crew

When the smoke had subsided
We found a casualty
Fried to a crisp
Was our poor Christmas tree

Now just like San Francisco
Angel Island survived fire
Come visit your Island
And linger awhile

Meandering in Marin songs

On the First Day of Meandering . . .
or
Here We Go Round The Hanukkah Bush (sp.?)

On the first day of Meandering Wendy gave to me
A woodpecker in a live oak tree ~
On the second day of Meandering Wendy gave to me
Two toyon and a
On the third day of Meandering Wendy gave to me
Three chickadees
On the fourth day of Meandering Wendy gave to me
Four redtail hawks
On the fifth day of Meandering Wendy gave to me
Five gold finches
On the sixth day of Meandering Wendy gave to me
Six snakes a slithering
On the seventh day of Meandering Wendy gave to me Seven otters a playing
On the eighth day of Meandering Wendy gave to me
Eight milkmaids blooming
On the ninth day of Meandering Wendy gave to me
Nine ladybugs mating
On the tenth day of Meandering Wendy gave to me
Ten lizards leaping
On the eleventh day of Meandering Wendy gave to me
Eleven sandpipers piping
On the twelfth day of Meandering Wendy gave to me
Twelve bunnies thumping

Croakus Chorus 2004 Silvia Lange



The Meanderers

Over hill over dale we will hit the dusty frail
As the Meanderers go meandering along
Through the rain and through the sun aren't we having lots of fun?
As the Meanderers go meandering along
Through the sun and through the rain Oh, my god I've got a pain!
As the Meanderers go meandering along
So it 's Hi, hi, hee
Tell us Wendy what we see
Call out those names loud and strong
(Wendy) ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MINERAL
So where ere we go, you will always know
That the Meanderers are meandering along
Keep 'em moving!
The Meanderers are meandering along!



What's in a Name?

Supercalifragalisticexpialidous
When first I heard this word I thought it simply was atrocious
The name for carbon dot lichen is equally ferocious
Pseudocyphellaria anthraspis.... gloriousus!
Halitosis?
or
Scoliosis?
or
Neurosis?
or
Psychosis?
or
?

Meandering in Marin
Silvia Lange
Winter/Spring 2004/5



Rara Avis
Or
Birds of a Feather Flock Together
Tune: Mockingbird Hill Lyrics: Silvia Lange & Wendy Dreskin

Oh it's up in the morning in sunshine or chill
We hike through Marin over valley and hill
We see lots of birdies; we hear their song too
But without our Wendy, we haven't a clue

Tra la la, twiddly dee dee it gives me a thrill
To wake up in the morning to the
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (oh, dear me)
To wake up in the morning to the
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER (what peeves you?)
To wake up in the morning to the
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (....___.. ...
To wake up in the morning to the
CALIFORNIA QUAIL (Chicago!)
To wake up in the morning to the
OAK TITMOUSE (sweet, sweet sweet, sweet)
And now big finish
Tra la la, twiddly dee dee it gives me a thrill
To wake up in the morning to the
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW (phut! phut phut! phut!!)
Meandering in Marin brings us peace and goodwill

Mushroom poem

Wendy Dreskin - Mistress of Mushrooms
by Silvia Lange January 2005

Wendy's a Wizard of the Woods
She always, she always comes up with the goods.

"Mushrooms?" you ask. For her a small task
Mycorhyzal under the trees, she gets down on her hands and knees and digs up

What? What can it be?
A friendly fungus or a deadly enemy?

Amanita? Don't eat-a!
Russula emetica? To the bathroom this will get-a-ya
And beware a polka-dotted mushroom red
Lest a hallucinatory trip that you might dread

But here's something to think of that might be yummy
Just for the mind and not for the tummy

Oysters, turkey tails, eggs sunny-side-up
Witches butter on King Alfred's cakes - gobble them up
Milky caps and to finish this fungal meal funny
Cinnamon candy caps and mushrooms of honey

More mushroom uses. Please forgive these poetic abuses.

Is your nose shiny? Drives you up the wall?
To remedy - a powder puff ball
Is your nose runny? Giving you grief?
Blow hard in a cowboy's handkerchief

Dirty? Sweaty? Need a rub-a-dub-dub?
Wendy will find you a fairy bath tub

Lost in the woods in the middle of the night?
Try a scarlet cup or a Jack-o-lantern's strange light

Feeling creative? Don't hem and haw
On an artist's conk you soon can draw

Back aching? A cramp you can't dodge?
Fairy fingers will give you a magic massage

Yes the fungus among us bring us joy and delight
Thanks to Wendy and her mycological insight

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Bob Prodan's song for Silvia

This is the song Bob Prodan sang at the Celebration of Silvia's Life.


Now and Forever (revised)

Music by Carole King. Lyrics by Carole King (revised by Robert Prodan)

Dedicated to Aunt Silvia (Lange)

Now and Forever, you are a part of us.
And our memory of you is clear as the day.
Didn't we find the high road? Didn't we share some good times?
When life steamrolled our way.

Now and forever, we will remember
All your promises still unbroken.
And think about all the words between us.
That never needed to be spoken.

We had some moments; just a few moments…
That will last beyond a dream, beyond a lifetime.
We are the lucky ones.
Some people never get to do... all we got to do.
Now and forever, we will always think of you.

Didn't we walk together? Didn’t we laugh together?
Didn’t we cry together? Didn't we love together?
And together we lit up the world.

We miss the tears; we miss the laughter.
We miss the day we met and all that followed after.
Sometimes we wish that we could once again be with you.
And do those things we used to do.
Now and forever, we will always think of you.
Now and forever, we will always be with you.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Haiku from Silvia's 2010 haiku journal

1/5/10 Cataract Falls Trail
Hettie's first birthday
What a difference a year makes
Little one is big


1/16/10
One, then many
Right side is red, left white
Russula rampage

1/9 Lucas Valley Rd
Standing still in field
The white horse smelling the wind
Wishes can come true

1/10 Nicasio Valley Rd
Dim shapes, muffled sounds
Landscape hidden by low fog
White clouds meet blue sky

1/11/10 Lucas Valley Rd
The bulb has sprouted
Dark blue hyacinth will bloom
Promises fragrance

1/12 Lucas Valley Rd
Rain began at night
Splattering against windows
We snuggle in bed

1/13 Lucas Valley Rd
Golden sun shining
Raindrops splatter on windshield
No rainbow in view

1/15 Deer Park Villa, Fairfax
Lamp lights pierce the darkness
Deer Park Villa! Lark Creek Inn!
Friendly ghosts are here.

1/16 Mountain View Cemetary
Pinkish white petals
The magnolia tree sheds her flowers
Grave decorations

1/17 Lucas Valley Rd
Illumination
Ice skaters begin to spin
The power goes off

1/18 Northgate My birthday
Sun shines through rain
Looking up with hope filled heart
And there's the rainbow!

1/19 Fairfax Library
Frozen rain pellets
Fiercely pelt my face and leg
Swarm of angry bees

1/20 Lucas Valley Rd
Raindrops collecting
Three waterfalls appearing
Rivulets to road

1/21 Lucas Valley Rd
Silver streams at dawn
Rainy Day Falls and two more
Plunge over the cliff

1/22 Café Gratitude, San Rafael
Storm clouds and downpours
How quick the weather changes
Bright sunshine, blue sky

Haiku from a 1975 Sierra trip

Twisting turning trail
Leads me to adventure
Odyssey begins.

Snaking up the trail
Dusty serpentine switchback
Chokes me in its coils.

Purples, yellows, reds
The wildflower confetti
Heralds our passage

Feathery fern fronds
Tickle me as I squat down
Who needs indoor johns?

Sitting on the trail
The stone ducks point the way
Or are they decoys?

Wilderness whistles
Of lonesome locomotives
Donkeys are braying

Cascades of water
Washing away weariness
Nature's Jacuzzi

Sun baked pine needles
For my scent memory bank
Wet green meadows

Slabs of white granite
Like my warm, enduring friends
Safe to hold on to

Filmy morning mists
Blurring stands of pine trees
Are we in Japan?

More haiku from the Baja whale watching trip

Soft sighs and spout smoke
Break the stillness of morning
The gray whale passes.

Mighty whalers are we,
Armed with camera harpoons
Aim, shoot, and miss. Oh!


Wild flukes and flippers
Churning the blue water white
Courtship of the whales.

Look there, quick, and see
Fountain on the horizon
A breeching gray whale.


Up, up, up, and CRASH
A breeching gray whale leaps and
Down, down, down, and SPLASH.

Baja beachcomber
Just like the ruddy turnstone
Shell to shell to shell

Waves on hidden reef
Charging and sounding all around
Gigantic ghost whales.

Bucking and pitching
Our boat missed the whistle in
The wave rodeo.

Laughing dolphins leap
Silver flashes cross the bow
Leaping dolphins laugh.

More poems

THE UNICORN VETERINARIAN

A TRUE TOLD.TALE OF SAUSALITO

Once, a wonderous wizard in a queendom by the sea Cast a mighty spell Enchanting, captivating me

Stopping by his magic shop, I saw the creatures rare Pegasus, hummingbirds, dragons flying through the air

A bashful octopus with legs all tangled in a heap

And rows and rows of dolphins all laughing as they leap

He even had a Christmas tree which twinkled all year round

And whales and snails and elephants, trumpeting without a sound

This kindly man with craft so old who works at night, blue blazing bright I knew that he could help my plight

A lovely unicorn had I

With flowing mane and tail held high and horn that glistened in the sun

Alas! My unicorn was made of glass!

And so, his foreleg shattered into' shards He could not run; he could not even stand They would have shot a horse, of course

My unicorn waited, in agony profound

As unicorns have always done while waiting to be found

The wonder of the wizard was that he was really real

A glass blower was he by trade; glass beasties he could make -- and heal

I brought my fragile creature to the wizard by the sea

And with his special powers, he gave back my unicorn to me


Silvia Prodan Lange Sausalito, California 7/11/80




This was the poem Silvia wrote when MB left Canine Companions.

DAWG GOME IT, MB!
or
How Can We Bear to Give You Up?

MB, MB (kissie sounds) Good girl! Good girl!
WAIT! Good wait
MB! LET'S GO!
NO!
DON'T
Go
Don't go

MB, STAY!
Yes! That's right! That's what we want! Yes!
Yes, MB STAY
And by STAY I mean until 4 o'clock on Friday 2000 and
something in the far future

But if you must LEAVE IT
Amid howls of protest
We give you pats and praises
Wags, whimpers, and big wet kisses
Hugs and hearfelt thanks
And say
MB, MB (kissie sounds) RELEASE
Run and play, good girl
Run and play
Good girl!

Silvia Lange, Neri & Odene
Canine Companions for Independence 2000-2002

DVD of the Celebration of the Life of Silvia Lange

Thanks to Aimy there is now a DVD of parts of the Celebration of the Life of Silvia Lange that took place on Angel Island. The California Room of the County Library will have a copy of it. There will also be a copy of the book A Celebration of the Life of Silvia Lange there thanks to Theresa McGovern.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Updated Link to Book on Silvia Lange




Silvia Prodan Lange: A Celebration of Her Life
can be ordered directly from Shutterfly or we can order a copy for you. The book will also be archived in the California Room of the Marin Civic Center Library along with Silvia’s Angel Island bibliography and research materials.

Silvia Prodan Lange: A Celebration of Her Life is 7” H x 9” W, 21 pages softcover, sold at printing cost, approx. $14, plus shipping and handling.

New link to book pages

http://silvialangephotobook.shutterfly.com/pictures/175

or please click on the link or copy and paste into your web browser:

http://silvialangephotobook.shutterfly.com/