Here's to Taking a Chance

Dave and I figured we would go to dinner on our Valentine's Day/Anniversary. We called the new hot spot to "dine" and discovered they wanted $95 per person for their four course Valentine menu. At that price it better come with diamonds!

I got an email from a gal that had put together a poetry reading that featured poems and poets from our area. We were excited and yet curious to attend our first poetry reading. We had some company that day that had stayed longer than anticipated, so we never made it. This gal emailed me an invitation Saturday to a Valentine poetry reading at an historical hotel.

The event is called: "Between the Sheets," a romantic poetry and prose reading at the Leger Hotel in Mokelumne Hill on Sunday, Feb. 11, from 2:00 to 5:00 P.M., where poets, authors, and public readers will entertain guests and all special someone's. Included will be featured poets and writers involved with Manzanita and Writers Unlimited, and friends, as well as the Mokelumne poets, who have prepared some romantic poetry and prose for a delicious, sizzling afternoon. Generous open mic time will be provided for the public to read and share favorite love poems, love notes, and nuptial poems--original fare or those by favorite authors. The group will have poetry selections available for public sharing in case you forget your favorites. Come to listen and/or to read. Humorous, sexy, rollicking, serious, heartfelt, sensual poetry and prose will be on the wordsmith menu. David Sackman will accompany writers on stand-up bass for sultry rhythms.
Optional: $15.00-25.00 range for a special Valentine dinner menu from 5:00 on, following the event, prepared by the talented Leger Hotel chef.
Bonus highlights: creative and fun sensations available from a chocolate confectioner, winery samplings, romantic products from other entities, and an afternoon love fest of words. There will be author book signings and chat time during the half-hour break with refreshments available.
http://www.hotelleger.com/aboutarea.htm will give you the area's history if you're curious because the town has the oldest building in California.

I showed Dave the email and he thought it sounded good! This coming from a man who refuses to go into a Victoria Secret shop. I'm praying his love of poetry about nature will keep him from squirming. It could really backfire and he'll like it so much we might miss the gourmet dinner ;0 We have reservations so I'm thinking this will be the most unique anniversary yet!

One Deep Breath - "Roots/Connection"

I decided to be bold and meditate on my connection with nature without pictures. This is scary for me because my haiku/senryu must stand on their own...yikes! I used my wedding and childhood memories but Issa inspired my senryu on ants ;)

Double rainbows
bless vows as waves listen
God's alter, his creation


Night winds
tossing sleeplessly
windchimes bellow

Morning rain
fragrances are awakened
wet earth plays with senses

Rainbows in puddles
stomped by little feet
wet tarmacs sweet scent

Morning coffee
marching ants across counter
searching aimlessly

Sunday Scribbling - "Chronicles"

A Year of Change 2006

Dave and I decided to take a gamble by buying a dream home near a lake in the mountains, while keeping our current house. We also thought a retirement at age 50 for Dave was attainable, if we sell one house to pay off another by working most weekends on both houses until Aug 2007...HA! It has been a tough year of sacrifice, a bad economy and hard on Dave's body. We chose to live on less to be together for as long as we can, but we are nervous. Caregiving is expensive and with the economy we will have a larger mortgage than expected. We will still make it work, but if we knew what we know now we would have stayed here with financial ease. What's life without adventure and struggle...never boring!
I then had my life changed again by being blessed to watch my first grandson be born. I was told I'd never see my kids graduate, but I've seen so much more. This year was full of his first's and with them I discovered a greater capacity to love. He is now a year old! (See slideshow)
I held the wedding of my first born in the house I raised them both in, as a single mom. It was at sunrise for a new beginning and a preparation of a sad farewell to my home. Both girls are now married...woohoo!
I said a loving farewell to my best friend of seventeen years...my Manny dog.
I was reunited with my only sibling after six years. Besides my girls, he's my only family I really have left. Dad is not around but once a year and mom drowned at 44. So this was huge and yet my family does not discuss my ALS. Oh well, denial is better than nothing.

Create a Connection- Visitor to Your Hometown

Here's the scenario this week. Imagine you've made a connection with another blogger who lives in a completely different part of the world than you do. This blogger is about to take a trip and the connection you've made is so strong that she is going to make your house one stop on her trip. (Yay!) Unfortunately she can only stay at your place for 24 hours (boo!), but she'd like to see some nearby sights while visiting with you.
Keeping in mind that time is quite limited, so you have to stick pretty close to home (although not necessarily right IN your town - just anyplace you could go as a day trip), try looking around you with the eyes of someone who has never seen your area and tell us some things you'd share with...

1. Your visitor wants to see something historical. Where would you take her and why?

The old town of Columbia, CA because it looks like it did in 1850's and they have amazing homemade chocolate and candies. It also has a very quaint tea house just 30min away for a fresh muffin and cuppa tea.

2. She wants to see something hysterical...well, mildly amusing anyway. She'd even go for cute, quirky, odd, or unique. Where would you take her and why?

For cute I would let her meet my 1yr old grandson, TK. Quirky, odd and unique I would briefly introduce my girls. My home fits everything but hysterical.

3. She wants to take some beautiful and/or interesting photos to fill her albums when she gets home. Where would you take her?

We would take a short drive to Yosemite! Picnic and cameras ready.

4. She'd like to buy a souvenir that will remind her of your area every time she sees it. What would you suggest and where would you go to get it?

There are gift shops everywhere in Columbia and Yosemite.

5. Wow, it's been a long day and you're both ready for a snack, or maybe even a meal. Where would you take her to really get the flavor of your area?

We would feast on a gourmet meal at the Columbia Inn. (seen in second picture) I really think to top it all off for dessert we would go back to my house to make smores in our fire pit out back looking at the view (seen at very top) laughing and talking. I did not add the 2 1/2 hr travel time to and from the Sacramento airport ;)

The host was Deb at Red Shoes Rambling http://debrichardson.com/blog/ and to see others go to create a connection http://www.bealivebelievebeyou.com/create/

One Deep Breath- Process/Craft- Tanka Poetry

In a promise
love grows, changes, whispers
carved in human qualities
with simplicity of form
one becomes two
together for all time


This figurine was found by Dave and it is simply us! It's called "Promise" by Willow Tree. To see other process/craft poems check out these gifted poets over here http://onebreathpoetry.blogspot.com/2007/01/week-34-processcraft.html

Frustrated

It's the middle of winter and I'm frustrated that I have let my life suck me dry of creative motivation. I don't want to blog, work on my novel or read. This is not me and I know the cause but I can't seem to shake it, so I'm posting it away!

Winter is very hard on ALS. I don't leave the house much, I get very weak and off balance from being stationary due to the cold. My over-salivation is causing windpipe choking, I've lost my confidence in what I used to do without thinking and my meds at night are not working as well on stiffness because my body has gotten too used to them. My mind starts to convince me that I'm progressing and in a small way I am. I'm not whining because this has been going on for 16 winters now and with updated medicine dosages I will do better. Spring will brighten my mood and the sun will warm my body just like everyone else. I just miss my creativity and refuse to wait for Spring!

Dave has been gutting our bathroom due to dry rot and mold for a week (two weekends). It's good to do indoor projects in winter but I've had to hike to shower to our mudroom bath, across the house, while looking at my precious toilet in the backyard. I brushed my teeth in the kitchen sink and my stuff was scattered all over the house. It's was a pain mainly because I'm so short in that tiny shower stall I felt like I was drowning. I must admit though that Dave's conversations with the corroded fixtures, his colorful language and his adorable plummer's crack was almost worth the hassle. He called in sick in the middle of the week just to get me out of the house for a movie. The pursuit of Happyness" with Will Smith made me see how blessed I am even without my mojo and my toilet.

While all this was happening my sweet little dog Nikki had been keeping people away with her bad breath, so we took her to the vet for a teeth cleaning. We found out she had a growth and needed a biopsy on her gum...here we go again! Flashes of Manny came into my head. Turned out biopsy was clean of cancer, eight teeth were removed and a cleaning was completed. When they called with the cost of her big day I was horrified! I was thinking of what we needed for the new house yet and was scared to tell (watch our money) Dave how much it was. I called him at work (chicken that I am) and he said "aww...poor Nikki" AFTER I said $449 bucks. Who stole my husband?...Nikki, that's who! There goes my vanity for the new house and when did Nikki become my competition!

Somewhere in this chaotic winter I lost my upbeat attitude, so over the weekend I cranked up my electric blanket and watched the Lifetime movie channel. Wouldn't you know they would be showing a movie of a woman dying with ALS...yup! Did I mention heightened emotions are part of ALS? In bed I stayed!

The bathroom looks great and my toilet is in its proper place. I can once again enjoy my morning Nikki kisses without holding my breath. Maybe my mojo will return soon?

Create a Connection- "Best and Worst"

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." (Charles Dickens, "A Tale of Two Cities)

Guest host for Wednesday "Create a Connection" is Deb at Red Shoes Rambling.

Best and Worst

1. What's the best place you ever lived? The house I live in now because I bought it on my own, then married Dave and he filled it with color inside and out. The worst? The apartment I brought my first born child home to. A weed from outside grew inside and behind her crib...can you say OLD and creepy?
2. What's the best place you ever visited on holiday/vacation? I fell in love with kauai with a girlfriend and then I brought my groom to be married on Bali Hai beach in Kauai. Seeing it again through his eyes was spectacular. The worst? Waikiki on my first honeymoon because we missed our flight, I left my purse at the airport, we had bad trade winds and I got Bronchitis.
3. What's the best job you ever had? Working as a contractor for Apple Computer managing their office supplies. I supplied 2 million dollars a year of office supplies around the United States, France and Japan. I had an assistant and a shared secretary...Loved it! The worst? The contractor I worked for because it was a cut throat, "man's world" company and had massive sexual harassment problems.
4. What's your best talent or ability? Giving advice and being an encourager. I tend to see solutions to problems on the fly. Your worst? Labeling people which leaves little room for second chances.I usually can size someone up pretty quick and can easily move on using that intuition. If I am wrong and start a relationship I tend to take alot of crap before I walk away.
5. What's the best decision you ever made? To leave my first husband. It was my first clean slate. The worst? Is following my first husband down the path to hell bringing two innocent lives with me.I have yet to forgive myself for his bad influence in their lives.
Bonus (so we can end on a positive note!): What's one good thing about you that isn't covered in the questions above, but that you'd like to share with the world?
I'm an open book...you can ask me anything!

One Deep Breath- Haiku "Reflections"

Beauty worshiped

reflection

God's creation

Christmas memories

vintage light reflectors found

childhood restored

Still water canvas

mirror image of above

impressionism

The nature pictures are from stock.xchng and the vintage light reflector picture is my photo of my mother in law's tree this year. I fought Ebay wars to bring my husband's childhood tree to life in our new home for next Christmas ;)

Sunday Scribbling - "Idea"

I have always had an idea for continuing my quality of life once I could no longer walk. It started with my wacky sense of humor, but through the years it's turned into a family joke with a life of its own. My idea is to velcro the walls in my house and wear a velcro suit so that I can join Dave, family and guests throughout the house. Not wanting to miss out on any of the fun or conversations due to being confined by space or ability.

I would simply have Dave stick me to the wall instead of always being in a wheelchair or laying down. I used to say "just stick a bucket under me" but now we add to the story with embellishments of catheters and tubes as the years with ALS keep adding up (a good thing). No sore butt, bedsores or boredom for me! Dave recently added the idea of his own suit so I could be stuck to him when he gardens. You ever see that commercial of that woman stuck to her husband to remind him of his health? We would do a more fun version ;)

We shared my wacky idea with Dave's 83yr old mom to see her reaction and she said, straight faced, "I saw that on Letterman once." We looked at each other and busted up laughing. It's all in fun, but to me it's full of possibilities and hope. Old family joke? Maybe! I found that segment Dave's mom saw on YouTube of Letterman wearing MY IDEA! Oh well maybe I'll invent a nicer looking suit ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kDG018l4lA

Women

This is for the amazing women I have come to know ;) I received two separate emails by two different women on Maya Angelou's wisdom and I thought I'd share it...

WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her
dreams wants to see her in an hour...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a youth she's content to leave behind....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
one friend who always makes her laugh...
and one who lets her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a
recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
HOW TO QUIT A JOB,
BREAK UP WITH A LOVER,
AND CONFRONT A FRIEND WITHOUT RUINING THE FRIENDSHIP...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder...
and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone...
even if she doesn't like it...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...

By Maya Angelou


Few Quotes by Maya Angelou

"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands;
you need to be able to throw some things back."

"I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance."

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Poetry Thursday- Cliche'

This week we are to choose a cliche' and let the meaning of the cliché (or clichés) be the stimulus for a poem. I chose "Time is a cure" and Mary Oliver's poem nailed this cliche' for me. My ALS has given me time to heal from the fear of death, which could have broken me . I feel my acceptance of ALS has been a cure for my spirit.

CREATE A CONNECTION PHOTO THURSDAY
Time will also FIND a cure, which fits in with "Create a Connection's" theme of "Find."

When Death Comes

When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn;
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse

to buy me, and snaps the purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle-pox

when death comes
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,

I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering:
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?

And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,

and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,

and each name a comfortable music in the mouth,
tending, as all music does, toward silence,

and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.

When it's over, I want to say all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

When it's over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.

I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,
or full of argument.

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.

By Mary Oliver

Create a Connection- The Dream Dinner Party

"Imagine you're going to organize a dinner party for yourself and seven guests. You can invite anyone who ever lived, whether they're world-famous or someone whose name only you would recognize. If you choose someone from the past, they will be magically alive and present for this one day. But here's the twist - in order for the magic to work, each chair will only hold a guest who fits into a certain category. Tell us who you would invite and, if you like, tell us a little about why. What do you admire about that person or what would you like to learn from him or her?"

1. Guest one must be someone who is/was creative with words - a novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, journalist, etc. Who would you invite? I would have the poet Mary Oliver because she was the first poet I read that changed my whole view of poetry. I would love a few tips on writing poetry.
2. Guest two must be someone who is/was creative with images - a painter, photographer, sculptor, fabric artist, collage artist, etc. Who would you invite? Annie Leibovitz because she has a gift for capturing faces with her camera and the interesting stories of her subjects would be very fascinating dinner conversation. I'm sure she would have a few tips too :)
3. Guest three must be someone who is/was a performer - an actor, singer, musician, comedian, acrobat, etc. Who would you invite? Jimmy Stewart was a great actor, man and I loved everything he did. I would like to just get to talk about his life and learn something in the process.
4. Guest four must be someone who is charting/charted new territory - either in the physical sense, like an explorer, adventurer, or astronaut, or someone like a groundbreaking scientist or inventor. Who would you invite? Steven Hawking because he is an amazing scientist and he has lived so long with ALS. I'd love to argue his black hole theory with my next guest and get some info on the latest ALS gizmos.
5. Guest five must be someone who is/was a leader of other people - perhaps in the area of politics, like the literal leader of a country, or perhaps a leader in the area of religion, military, business, or even a great philosopher or teacher, or an inspiring athlete. Who would you invite? Jesus Christ, I would sit him at the head of the table hogging him from my other guests ;) I want to learn the truth about God.
6. Guest six must be someone from any field who you believe is/was underrated and under-appreciated by most people, but whom you admire. Who would you invite? Abraham Lincoln has always been a fascinating man in the history of our country and I'd love his opinion on what's going on now.
7. Guest seven is a wild card - your choice! Is there someone you'd like to invite who didn't seem to quite fit into any category, or was there a category where you'd have really liked to invite two different people? Then this is your chance to add the person you missed to the table. Who would you invite? My husband Dave so we could share the amazing moments.
Bonus: Uh Oh! The dinner party is just about to end, and all your guests are about to disappear, and you realize that you've forgotten to ask one important question of one of your guests. You just barely have time to squeeze in that last question, so quick! - what was the question and who did you ask? I would ask Jesus will I see him in heaven?

Check out Create a Connection and give it a try!

Self Portrait Challenge- "Resolutions #2"

NO MORE DRAMA

I have made a FIRM resolution in 2007 that I will not get sucked into my children's drama. Both girls are each in crisis mode right now and it's only the 9th of January. The oldest (seen in photo) has lived her whole life in drama mode and my illness seemed to improve after she moved (got booted) out. My youngest has gotten into a pickle of her own making, but now that she has TK I tend to stress over her choices and she doesn't even live here.
I'm a mother who allows them to clean up their own bad choices BUT I have been a sounding board for all of it. I feel sucked dry and spent, especially when all advise falls on deaf ears. I want to be supportive emotionally but it's getting ridiculous.
They agreed to work on leaving me out of their drama for the sake of my health in 2007. To show her willingness to try, my oldest, acted out a typical venting scenario for this weeks SPC. My face says it all!

One Deep Breath - "Subtle Change"

Instinct takes over
growing up
a path of his own

To see other subtle change haiku visit here

Sunday Scribbling - "Kissing"

Kissing can mean so many different things to different people but most associate it with love and affection. When I thought about kissing my first thought was of my husband and then my grandson. I felt I needed to mention a few other forms of kissing before I get to the fun kinds. There is the "kiss of life" otherwise known as mouth to mouth resuscitation which saves lives. "Kiss off" a not so romantic term and even worse, the "kiss of death" which in the mafia is fatal. There is also the "kiss of peace" signifying unity in the Christian church. Luckily I have only been told to "kiss off" from this list but a "kiss of peace" would be cool.

Watching my grandson kiss me with his mouth wide open is so sweet and pure slobber bliss! It’s a reminder that we learn to kiss and show affection as we grow. Mom and dad’s constant kissing of every soft precious fold, grandma and grandpa’s neck kisses that make you squish your body into a ball of giggles, to our sibling giving us raspberries on our tummies to make us squeal. They are our first kisses of love and adoration.

Kissing during our younger years is very different but at least we have learned to close our mouths by now and pucker. Opening our mouth comes back later, but I digress. Mom still kisses us when she can catch us but everyone else seems to hold back a tad, some more than others. My dad and grandpa were more reserved as I grew up, but that was back in the olden days. Siblings and some relatives have been know to have cooties, so we got more selective as we grew older unless otherwise ordered. I really disliked being made to kiss anyone as a child and never made mine do it. A hug was very different than a kiss and less gross for a kid. My parents stopped kissing each other and us at some point in my childhood, but I noticed it was not as unusual as you would have thought back then.

Kissing as an adult did not come as easily to me unless it was a passionate kiss with a man. I had that down pretty darn good with lots of practice in high school. I was a popular cheerleader with lots of dates and that was called a tease in my day unless you put out. Kissing and hugging any female other than my grandma took a concerted effort. I even toned down affection with my own girls as they hit puberty. "When you know better you do better" and I taught myself to break the cycle. It’s still a work in progress but I’m enjoying learning to express affection, especially to women I love.

Kissing Dave is a gift I treasure because the muscles in my lips and tongue are dying. Over salivation is a hindrance but I’ve learned some tricks ;) I want to savor every single kiss. If he catches me off guard my kisses are not very good but those are my personal favorites. It’s the emotion behind the kiss that matters so that if it is taken away the emotion is still very much alive. I don’t say "I love you" everyday to Dave because he knows. When I do say it to him it packs a punch! The same with my kids. Kissing and words are powerful expressions of love but I wanted to say we can show love in just a look. Try it, give that special person in your life a look that is full of all your love and do it when they don’t expect it and are not distracted. Watch their face as you kiss them with your eye’s ;)

Friday Catch Up/Create a Connection

Friday Funnies

On New Year's weekend we traveled 4 1/2 hours to Dave's mom's house. Before we left he helped me on with my socks and said "wow, your legs are more hairy than mine." I proceeded to remind him that I have never shaved my legs in the winter and he had the nerve to look surprised...men! On our road trip I put my slippered feet up on the dashboard, pulling my sweats back and socks down for all to see. I thought that would show him...NOT! He threatened to honk just in case they missed the show. I'll be mowing the legs this weekend while he's at the new house as a surprise :)

This picture is of the perfect gift Dave found for his gardening mom. A Victorian trike plant stand and he loved it so much he bought one for us. I captured part of her tree to show some of her vintage light reflectors, which Dave loves. We found some on eBay and I attempted to bid on the only two sets available. I must say bidding wars are ugly and I lost, but not before bidding an outrageous amount of money. I wanted to give Dave his childhood tree but instead I lost my mind ;)

Dave has been taking a new medication for muscle pain, insomnia and stress. The side affect is weird dreams...hmmm. Fixing up two houses, commuting 4hrs and me...ya think? The other night my hubby was straddling me in his sleep while poking me in my eye. Apparently he was fishing in his dream, I was the pole and my head was the reel...the fish got away! LOL I'm wearing a face mask to bed from now on because I'm no trout ;)

Create a Connection

This site created by Melba at http://www.bealivebelievebeyou.com/create/ is connecting bloggers. Deb at http://debrichardson.com/blog/ has a few questions for week one. It's a Wednesday getting to know you.

1. I have never wanted to be a Car Salesman ; but I've always thought I might like to be a Vet. I just could not handle putting them down when they are not sick or their family won't let me fix them. I'd be a pro bono vet :)

2. When I was 45 years old, I believed that I just might be here for a cure and I passed the year my mom died.

3. If I was my own best friend, what I would enjoy the most about spending time with Me would be my sarcastic sense of humor and adventurous spirit; while what I'd find the most irritating would be that I hate road trips and my directness. Superficial, insincere, Polly Anna's find me irritating. I love to call them on it because life's too short for sifting through the crap to create a relationship.

4. If the story of my life up to this point was being published tomorrow, it would be titled "A Warrior's Journey" which I WILL continue soon. My husband and friends motivate me ;) I would dedicate it to Dave.

5. When my time on Earth is over, and the people who loved me are remembering me, it would please me if they said " She showed me how to live with hope and laughter." I just pray God will see me as favorably as I see myself. LOL

Friday Firsts

Guess who turned a year old on December 29th? My grandson TK ;) He had a HUGE party and because he got spoiled on his first Christmas his parent's requested no presents. That did not include us grandparents of course :)
He was sick for Christmas and his birthday which he spread to his gramy tammy, but loved his first taste of sugar on his cake. (see slide show)

My husband and I were given the job of taking my daughter's first family portrait as their Christmas gifts but due to too many snotty noses we just got to it last night. Can you tell I faked a bigger fire? During dinner we finally got our first dusting of snow. (other snow pictures were from last year)

Oldest daughter is coming up this weekend to find a home up here. The Bay Area (big city) is just too expensive. I'm moving this summer and it can't come soon enough with both daughters living in the same town.

It feels good starting a new year!

Poetry Thursday

This was a poem written by my husband Dave. We exchanged poems for Christmas and I posted mine and now I'm posting his. My 17yr old lab, Manny, passed in November. This poem touched my soul! It was two pages and put over a picture of me and Manny. This was just a part of it but I'm bursting with pride and love over his thoughtfulness.


I Knew How Much You Loved me

On the day I went to rest
your love and friendship stood the test.
You held me close and spoke to me
until my eye's could no longer see.

Perhaps my time seemed all to brief
don't lengthen it now with undue grief.
My life was so full, you loved me so much
your words, your devotion, your gentle touch.

My life was so good because of you
giving me a home only known by few.
With all of my heart and all of my soul
I did what I could to keep you whole.

Sorrow fills such an empty space
so close your eye's and you will see my face.
You look for me but I'm not there,
but I'm in the sun, the rain and every breath of air.

The sun here is so warm, the breeze so cool,
tall grasses sway in this heavenly pool.
I still watch over you all through the day
knowing you will come home to stay.

A friendship shared, your laugh, a kiss.
These things too I will truly miss.
And when the time comes for you to take the great ride
I will rush to meet you and stand by your side.

Love Manny

To see other lovely poems go here

Self Portrait Challenge- "Resolution"

The challenge for the month of January is "How can we express our new year resolutions through photography and self portraiture?"

My first resolution is expressed in a haiga poem using my hand letting go. I worry far too much about the future and some of my control issues creep up from the past. Time is so precious and even with ALS I forget that...shame on me!

My resolution is to live in the here and now!

To see other resolutions expressed in self portraiture here

One Deep Breath- The New Year Haiku

Time is a gift

hope remains

live life

Prompt: The New Year

What does the New Year mean to you? Maybe you think of peace or renewal? It may be a time to reflect on the past year's joys and sorrows and/or focus on the future... or perhaps it is a time to contemplate the passage of time itself? Maybe you will notice the "firsts" of the New Year... or you might choose to write a traditional "positive" haiku to begin the year.

For other beautiful work visit here

One of our ODB members, Helen of Yellow Rose, needs our good thoughts and prayers. Thank you!