#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: Profound and Pink

She steps out into the morning sun, a growing child of five, taking in the warmth of spring and new beginnings. The child heads to her love, a pink bike that sits in the corner of the yard, the one thing that brings adventure to her life as the tires spin across the grass and gravel. The sun beckons her down the block, across the cracks of sidewalk cement and slowly, across decades, she ages into her real self, theRead more

#SoCS: Anyway Times Two

Gibbs and Hoshi fill in for the human…discussing chicken, Christmas and being a cat, among other things. Anyway… What did you say, little peanut? Nothing…maybe something…I said “anyway. Anyway.” And what is that supposed to mean? I dunno. I heard the big, tall one say that. You mean “mom,” the human? Is that what we call it? I didn’t know. I only know it gives me food and cuddles and lets me sleep under the covers. SHE is not anRead 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

#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

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

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

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

Blessings and Boxing Day

“Hey buddy, what are you doing?” “What do you mean what am I doing?” Can’t you see I’m requesting a belly rub through trust and the lure of cuteness.” “Well, you certainly are adorable, Gibbs. A lover, not a fighter.” “I don’t fight, I play. And sleep. And kindly request food. And let you loudly know when I left something in the litter box.” “Yeah, that last one. You are a blessing to me, buddy, but I don’t need thatRead more

#WATWB: Tradition

This is going to be a short post for the November’s We are the World Blogfest (WATWB). It is the Thanksgiving weekend here in the U.S. and between cooking, feeding my face on Thanksgiving Day, and engaging in my own holiday tradition, I’m going to be a tad busy for a few days. Instead of focusing on a particular person, I thought we could focus on holiday or family traditions. Or create new ones from the possibilities in the followingRead more

My Brother Tried to End Me, Part 2

Raspberry Mountain. The glorious, the not so glorious, and the ugly. One week after the adventures on Pancake Rocks Trail, my brother tried to end me. Again. Not intentionally, of course, but what started out as a beautiful day with a beautiful view almost ended in disaster. “Come with me,” he said. “You can hike this,” he said. “Great views at the top,” he said. Brother was correct that I could hike up Raspberry Mountain and the 360 views wereRead more

My Brother Tried to End Me, Part 1

Pancake Rocks Mountain Trail. I thought I was going to be carried off this trail on a stretcher and it’s my brother’s fault. This was the first of two times he tried to end me on a hike in Colorado. When I arrived late morning on October 22nd, my brother and girlfriend took me to a microbrewery for lunch and a beer. Then we went for what I now consider a “short hike” to Garden of the Gods. Beautiful place,Read more