Life, Death, Resurrection

Life Bitterroot. Surprise Lilies. Two plants in nature that know resurrection. Both deliver leaves in early spring, then die back.  Dead as a doornail…or so it seems. Two or three months later, a stem of the bitterroot and surprise lily sprouts from the ground and pretty white, pink or purple flowers come to life. Resurrection of a sort. I suppose you can say that the plant never really died, it simply found new life after a long nap. Scientifically, bothRead more

#SoCS: From Where I Sit

From where I sit, I see a prompt, upon the kitchen table I make coffee caffeinated with milk and sugar maple Sitting in the dining room, I wonder if I am truly able To spark a memory from this place that isn’t writing fatal This room – a place for food, drink and gathering of friends For charcuterie boards at Christmas and choices that never end For birthdays shared by neighbors on one chosen weekend On Thursdays, a recurring lunchRead more

The Sleeplessness of Whatever

Can anyone relate to eyes wide open at night? Having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep? As a child, teenager, and adult before menopause and increasing age, I never had an issue with sleep. Earlier in life, I could fall asleep sitting up. I would fall asleep in the passenger seat of a car during nighttime drives with the then husband. I would sleep for 8-9 hours without ever waking up due to the condition of a bladder. And IRead more

#SoCS: FOMO

The Fear of Missing Out… Like the cat who watches his owner eat chicken and wonders why the hell he’s not getting a portion of the succulent meat. *Cat Gibbs notes this comment and walks away in a huff.* Humans experience FOMO from early in life. When five-year old Billy can’t go to his best buddy’s birthday party because he’s sick in bed, or 10 year old Susie is missing out on a slumber party with friends because mom andRead more

My Abundance!

“Not what we have, but what we enjoy that constitutes our abundance.” ~Epicurus~ This quote was part of a sermon on Sunday, a message about thankfulness and gratitude. I have had much to enjoy lately, the abundance being the reason why I haven’t been on the blogosphere since early June. Another piece of the message: “Gratitude is hard work, but we don’t fully enjoy something until we give thanks for it.” So, I am thanking my God for the monthRead more

#TDWC: The Eden of our Own Making

Thank you, Susan Rushton, for your inspiring door! Welcome! C’mon in! We are here to acknowledge and celebrate your humanity, no matter who you are. Black, brown, white; male or female; Christian, Muslim, atheist; whatever sexuality or identity; addict or teetotaler; the guy who doesn’t take care of the yard or the woman who bakes cookies for the neighbors; left or right; near or far. We are all friends and neighbors here. We all love one another here. Without question.Read more

#SoCS: Empty and Whole

The last thing I emptied was a small portion of me A memory A word A thought That escaped I can’t remember Where I was going What I was doing Or thinking Perhaps I was headed to the closet for a roll of toilet paper, but passed it by and grabbed a cup of tea instead Perhaps I was supposed to be somewhere else I can remember words like discombobulate and facetious, but blank-stare over the simple one that hangsRead more

#SoCS: I Met the Enemy

March 1, 2023 The enemy began its assault. It was met head on, but the dark horseman stood its ground and moved to intercept the army of immunity. Covid had a job to do and it would not accept defeat without a fight. An eight day fight. And so… My luck ran out. Almost four years without a cold, the flu or any indication of a virus lurking around the corner, Covid finally caught up with me and threw meRead more

Food, Family, Friends and Fellowship

My brother called last Thursday morning to wish me a happy Thanksgiving and inquire if I had plans. More on the plans in a few paragraphs, but we somehow got on the subject of foods eaten during our childhood. The not-good-for-us foods. My brother didn’t remember the Velveeta macaroni and cheese mom and dad made from scratch during lent and his better half bellowed a big “Ewww” when I recounted how dad made fried-in-butter bologna sandwiches on Wonder cardboard whiteRead more

Beholden

Sitting here, wondering, what do I praise? In a week filled with stuffing and turkey Surrounding self, I fix a knowing gaze Faithful gratitude is never murky A bike, a home, gray and white purring cats Family, friends, community feels right I step on the earthen beholden mats And wipe away thanklessness with delight Upright and breathing is who I am now Fed with food and love and blue butterflies Embracing what matters like sacred cow Receiving life’s blessings isRead more

Monday Morning Catch-Up

No, I am not back in Colorado. The week I returned from the mountains, we did get early snow (which didn’t stick), but my brother wasn’t quite as lucky. While our weather improved, his deteriorated for a bit. Thankfully, we are both back to nicer weather, although the photo above would make a nice Christmas postcard. The last two weeks have flown by with a mountain of busy-ness. Personal/doctor appointments, cat sitting for a friend, churchy stuff, getting together withRead more

What Day is it?

Today is Labor Day in the United States, so I’ll start off by saying “thank you” to those who are enjoying a day off from their jobs. As of September 1st, I haven’t had to acknowledge this holiday for two years, unless an invitation to a picnic is involved. It’s just another day off to anyone who is retired. Every so often, I wake up in a need-for-caffeine fog and wonder, “What day is it?” Because one can lose senseRead more