#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: Random Questions from the Heart

In today’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday, Linda Hill asks that participating bloggers use the word “heart” in their post. Naturally, I assume Linda is thinking about Valentine’s Day, coming up this Tuesday. I don’t celebrate the holiday because A) I am single and B) have a healthy supply of chocolate that makes every day Valentine’s Day. That being said, I am at a loss what to write about today because A) I don’t want to write anything mushy about feelingsRead more

Back for Now

Here we are Back for now Today Here we are Back for now In a poetic way Life too busy Far from easy Here and there Never Nowhere Here we are Back for now Ready Here we are Back for now Fast and Steady Life still fun On the run Ever exploring Sometimes boring Here I am Back for now Choosing Here I am Back for now Forward moving To write and read In various speeds Workouts again Upright andRead 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

Gibbs Sends His Congratulations

Geez. I’m still wondering how retired life got so busy, but it’s not a complaint. I rather like it this way because it beats spending too much time on the couch, watching mindless TV, in the midst of winter. Speaking of winter, my brother sent me this photo on Saturday morning. It snowed in Colorado, up to a foot in some places. This was my chance to laugh at his predicament and enjoy the cool 64F (18C) day in Wisconsin.Read more

Checking in with Priorities

“Instead of saying ‘I don’t have time,’ try saying ‘it’s not a priority,’ and see how that feels. Often, that’s a perfectly adequate explanation. I have time to iron my sheets, I just don’t want to. Changing our language reminds us that time is a choice. If we don’t like how we’re spending an hour, we can choose differently.”― Wall Street Journal Let me be honest. Blogging hasn’t been a priority of late. I could say that I don’t have timeRead 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

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

#SoCS: In The Something

In the, in the, in the… I’m not coming up with much for the Stream of Consciousness prompt. In the heat of the night… In the final analysis… In the dead of winter… In the something… Okay, so I suppose I could write about the dead of winter since as of this moment, the temperature is 15F (-9.4C) and the expected high on Monday will be 1F (-17.2C). Yes, it’s cold here in Wisconsin and my plans are to spendRead more

#SoCS: Hot and Dry

The photo above is one of Little Lake Butte des Morts on June 16th. Another day without rain, but a perfect summer day. The above-normal heat of June had subsided, but the slime green is a telltale sign of how our weather has been. The lake thinks it’s August, the dog days of summer, not the waning days of spring. Too many hot hours in the upper 80’s and low 90’s F (30-34C), without rain, have lowered water levels, madeRead more

I Remember…

“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.” ― L.M. Montgomery When my parents were living independently, I started an annual tradition with mom on Mother’s Day. I would go to a local greenhouse and buy a large, beautiful potted geranium in the brightest color possible for the woman who gave me life. Fuchsia was a favorite color, but red came in second. The geranium always thrived through the summer and in September or October, dadRead more

Twenty-Four Days and a Wish

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.” — Anne Bradstreet Twenty-four more days until spring arrives in the northern hemisphere. On Tuesday, it was 45F (7C) in my part of Wisconsin, which required a walk in the neighborhood. The skies were a brilliant blue, the sun exuding warmth, and although there was a noticeable southwest breeze, it was warm enough to reject a neck gaiter and extra-warm gloves or mittens for the first time inRead more