Tie a knot of hope with ropes of blue and yellow Make them strong everlasting never to fray Tie a knot of love with ropes of many colors Keep them fused unified eager to help Tie a knot of resilience with ropes for all Ukraine Bind them in resolve supplication opposing the dark Tie a knot of freedom with the ropes of humanity Always to rejoice peacefully in God’s hands in our hands Stream of Consciousness Saturday is the brainchildRead more
#WATWB: The End is not the End
“Ends are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin. And there are many things that don’t really end, anyway, they just begin again in a new way. Ends are not bad and many ends aren’t really an ending; some things are never-ending.” ― C. JoyBell C. In early 2017, two women – Damyanti Biswas and Belinda McGrath Witzenhausen – came up with an idea for a monthly blogfest that would promote positivity and light inRead more
#SoCS: My Compulsivity
I joke at times about being a bit OCD, but the photo above is not far from my truth in the kitchen. I can obsess about keeping the counters clean, running my hand across the top, looking for crusty smudges I missed the last time I wiped them off. And I cannot wake up in the morning to a sink filled with dirty dishes. Natasha used to wonder about that – why I had to do dishes every time IRead more
Be Who You Are
Cheers to being who you are! The title of this post comes from a Sunday sermon, but I’m not here to impose Jesus upon you – although, what I’m about to say not only comes from who I am, but also from my spiritual heart. Many of you know who I am to some degree – Biker chick (both Harley and bicycle); cat lover; animal lover; beer and chocolate taste-tester; lover of outdoors and all things Star Trek and NCIS;Read more
#SoCS: Bike Tripping
Biking buddy and I have been busy planning an end-of-June trip to Missouri. The Katy Trail, at 237 miles, is the longest “rail-to-trail” recreational delight in the United States. Spanning East to West from Machens to Clinton, it follows the path of the Missouri River for most of its length. We will be biking the western half of the trail, with visits to the Clydesdale ranch, breweries, wineries, and historic buildings thrown in. In preparation, biking buddy and I madeRead more
Are you Annoyed?
“We need to give serious consideration to the fragility of democracy and less to our annoyances (like gas prices and masks).” ~Pam, on Facebook~ I don’t know who Pam is, but she put into words what I have been feeling long before Russia invaded Ukraine. As citizens who live in democracies with many freedoms and opportunities, we sure do whine a lot about our inconveniences. About masks and vaccines; rising gas prices; the cost of living; the lack of customerRead more
#WATWB: Fox Cities Trail System
For this month’s We Are the World Blogfest, I’m going to share the Fox Cities trail system in the Appleton, Wisconsin area. These are some of the biking/walking trails that I utilize throughout the year, but most often in spring, summer and autumn. I may have gushed about our trails before, but the community that also includes Neenah, Menasha, Fox Crossing, Kimberly, Kaukauna, Combined Locks and other surrounding townships, provide many miles of natural landscape, rivers, lakes and farmland. FromRead more
Don’t Ask for a Request
One of the local radio stations, Jack FM 94.3, plays a lot of the music I enjoy. They also make funny statements in between songs and ads. One of my favorites: “At Jack FM, we play what WE want and it doesn’t require math.” Cool! You can listen live HERE if you’re interested in the music of Def Lepard, Adele, The Police, The Commodores, and more. Or I’ll make it easy for you and share a video of one ofRead more
#SoCS: He’s Still Hungry
“Whatever…” “Gibbs. I told you when you are fed. I cannot feed you any time you desire.” “Whatever…” “Seriously, dude?” “Aren’t you my servant and don’t you obey me at all times?” “That’s funny. Actually, it’s a joke that humans tell themselves. It’s only true in that we serve you meals, give you pets and skritches, and make sure you are healthy and loved. It’s not obeying, it’s taking care of a furry little being that doesn’t have opposable thumbsRead more
#SoCS: The Bold and the Brave
“Fortune favors the bold!” These words were uttered before the time of Christ, but also by Captain Benjamin Sisko in his attempt to take back a Federation space station from alien invaders. The odds were deeply against him, but it was the “do or do not” time for him, and he chose do. In the end, Sisko made it back to Deep Space Nine and was the eventual victor with the help of some very special allies. Captain Sisko wasRead more
A Winter’s Psalm
Frigid winter is my torment; I shall not want. I lie wrapped in a cocoon of a comforter’s warmth, a sleeping cat lays still beside me. Frigid gnaws at my shivering soul. He lures me outside in evil deceit for a frozen winter’s sake. I trudge through drifts of plow’s leavings, and fear the ice underneath, for there is no one with me to right a body when it falls. Frigid cannot comfort me where I lie. Winter prepares arrivalRead more
An Inanimate Conversation
In the grocery store parking lot, on a Monday afternoon, I asked myself the following question: “Am I the only one who talks to inanimate objects?” This came after I told a shopping bag to behave. I was trying to put two plastic bags into one of the many reusable shopping bags I have in the car and it was not cooperating. It’s possible that quietly yelling at the bag out loud finally forced it into submission. There were noRead more
Mary J Melange 