#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

#SoCS – Filling Frames

“The key to happiness is not to get more, but to enjoy what we have and to fill the empty frame of our lives instead of enlarging it.” ~Albert Szent Gyorgyi~ I like this – a reminder that I have plenty to work with inside my own frame and don’t need to turn an 8×10″ into 20×24. Friday reminded me that I have special people who make up part of my life’s photograph…spending the morning with a friend who IRead more

SoCS: All Over the Place

Ubiquitous: Everywhere. In mind and body, this summer has been packed with places to go and things to do. I feel as if I’ve been all over the place the past eight or nine weeks. In other words…everywhere. Vacation, meet-ups with friends, appointments, keeping a kitten occupied, a music festival, watering flowers, walking at night with the neighbors, and volunteering for a week-long arts camp for kids through the church I attend. In between laundry, house cleaning, grocery shopping, etc.Read more

Christmas and the Gift

“And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans–and all that lives and move upon them. He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused–and to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins,Read more

#WATWB: Friends and Friendship

Normally, for a We are the World Blogfest post, bloggers share a link to a positive story about people, places, or community. I’m going to do something a little different for August and share a few words about friendships and how our friends make our lives better. What could be more positive than that? Friendships make the world go around and I have a ton of gratitude for the friendships, both male and female, that I’ve made over the years.Read more

#SoCS: Endings and Beginnings

You may have noticed that I haven’t been hanging around the blogosphere much in the last three weeks. Or perhaps you didn’t, but no matter. I’m still here. My roomie, Natasha, has moved to a place of her own, which involved far more important business than writing about cat cries and bike rides. For perhaps ten days to two weeks, it was a mad rush for Natasha to pack up her many things and bring our separation to completion. IRead more

#SoCS: The Days, Weeks, Month, Year of Unbelievable.

I distinctly remember the day that I packed up a laptop, numerous files, office supplies, and anything else I could think of in a rush of adrenaline. It was March 24, 2020, and I had been told I would be working from home until further notice. The offices were closing to the public and minimal staffing across our department had to be scheduled and organized. Covid-19 was on the move across America. For at least three weeks prior, we hadRead more