#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: Yellow Bird

“Yellow bird, up high in banana tree.Yellow bird, you sit all alone like me. Did your lady friend leave the nest again?That is very sad, makes me feel so bad.You can fly away, in the sky away.You’re more lucky than me.“ A childhood memory. From grade school. When my classmates and I were given songs to sing in unison. The boys hated this one. I loved it. Choucoune is a lyrical poem written by Oswald Durand in 1883 that praisesRead 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

Monday Mash-Up

Today is a bit of this and that Photo images of where it’s at Trails, flowers and an unashamed cat A mash-up entry of the last few weeks Nothing outrageously new or unique Images of the days that gratefully speak Down a hill, up a hill, pedaling away Going as far as I say it’s okay Enjoying a sun or cloud-infused day Sitting on a patio, taking in the sight Flowers in purple, funky orange and white This is theRead more

#SoCS: I Have Questions

In the end, it’s not about how much we do, but how we do it. I’m not stating anything new or profound. Mother Teresa said, “It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing.” My beginning as a blogger started in March of 2013. It’s difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that I’ve been dazzling and/or boring you with the written word for almost eight years. Lucky you. ItRead more

Of This Star

J ingle, jingle O ur hearts full Y uletide joy T insel on tannenbaum O vercome in peace T he world changes H e comes E vermore with grace W ide-eyed wonderment O f this star and gifts R ejoice L oudly sing D ay of joy and lightRead more

SoCS: Too Much Sh*t

I am not as sharp as I used to be. I never professed to have a steel-trap memory or the ability to retain every piece of knowledge that ever entered through two blue eyes or waxy ear canals. Although, I seem to remember a higher brain-functioning me prior to the age of 50. Could have been a dream. Could be I have a flexible memory. Nevertheless… For the last several years, I have blamed my lack of sharpness on theRead more

Rain on Fleshy Cheeks

Stop Inhale life Exhale sadness Draw in the earthiness of rain It cleanses pavement Soaks into human joy Stop Inhale life Exhale fear Feel the moist tears from heaven On our fleshy cheeks Tears of peace Flooding hearts with calm Stop Inhale life Exhale doubt Allow the rain to wash it Away to the gutter, the sewer Positive thoughts form a puddle In which to stomp and play Stop Inhale life Exhale the unimportant Let go of frivolous everything FindRead more

Grumbles and Yawns

Monday morning comes ’round on the whisper of fleeting darkness It spreads across the horizon in hues of navy and crimson or surrounded by the mist of winter’s fog New life, new breath New work week Monday never knows what joy or sadness or need of coffee it brings It simply is Accepted as a day to start over or cursed by the loss of the past two days Monday is both love and dread Smiles and frowns Monday followsRead more

Breaking for Pie and Family

  I’ll be taking a break from blogging for the next ten days to two weeks. The brother bought me a plane ticket to Washington, D.C., for a long Thanksgiving weekend. There will be food and drink and laughs and perhaps a ride or two on the metro or in brother’s car. I haven’t been there in about three years, so I plan to be focused on doing the many things as I can in four full days rather thanRead more

Clean Laundry

“It’s the little things, sometimes.” A friend of mine spoke these words recently and I agree with the sentiment. Sometimes it doesn’t take much… A small gesture of kindness A knowing smile Chai tea latte When a new recipe is a winner Laughing with friends Game night A glass of wine or a pint of beer Shared food Never being without dark chocolate A winning raffle ticket Clean laundry Purring cats Another football win Snow that clings to the treesRead more

Crossing Optimism

“The biggest emotion in creation is the bridge to optimism.” ~Brian May~ The second biggest emotion in creation is the joy of crossing bridges on a bicycle or by foot. Truly. For today’s post, I’m keeping it simple. Following is a gallery of bridges crossed during vacation on the Root River Trail System, dedicated to blogging buddy Joey (because I know she likes them plenty). Biking friend and I crossed over 40 bridges of varying size, structure and coolness alongRead more