Celebration of Life
23 Dec 2011 2 Comments
in breathing, change, family, freedom, little girl, mother, passing, words Tags: family, freedom, mother, passing, people, sisters, spiritual, women
Our Mother has passed, we will mourn her absence, but mostly, we will celebrate her life. Our Mother lived strong, wild, ferocious, bodacious. She lived with faith, and joy, and strength.
She left us much, her joy of flowers, her affinity for sunshine, fresh air, natural living. We will, all of her eight children, numerous grand children and even more countless great grandchildren remember her daily.
Countless gestures; we find our hand placed over our forehead, shading our eyes with exasperation. hear ourselves with small phrases, “For goodness sakes.” “Good Grief”. sound like her, we hear her with our own words.
We enjoy chickens, well, some of us. Fresh eggs, apples, bananas. I never could get the hang of Rocky Mountain Oysters and frog legs but I think some of us have.
We have countless house plants, knick knacks, and candles scattered about our homes. Just like our mother.
We have a a stubborn determination to live and survive, our Mother taught that to us as well. She lived greatly.
We will miss her, and we will celebrate her always.
Who we are
23 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in change, freedom, random thoughts, words Tags: dreaming, freedom, inspiration, spiritual, women
Question for the day.
Who are you? What is your definition of yourself? Hmmm. are you possible to define?
So often, others views define us.. Looking in the mirror we find that the eyes looking back out at us are not the eyes we expect, the face looking at us, though familiar may have shadows of other people’s reality blurring its image
So today, look into the mirror, and see yourself!
Stars
14 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in change, daydreams, freedom, gypsies, random thoughts, stars, words Tags: breathing, dreaming, freedom, inspiration, spiritual, stars
There are stars whose light only reaches the earth long after they have fallen apart. There are people whose remembrance gives light in this world, long after they have passed away. This light shines in our darkest nights on the road we must follow. – The Talmud
The magnificant Ya Ya’s
26 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in daydreams, family, freedom, gypsies, palm reading, People I Know, random thoughts, witness Tags: family, freedom, friends, gardens, palm reading, people, sisters, women
Last night presented me with the marvelous chance to read palms for a beautiful, dynamic group of five women, They call themselves the Ya Ya’s, in honor of the intense friendship they have shared for years!
The setting for this small gathering was in the home and garden of one of these fabulous friends. Her home was simple grace, replete with warmth, peace, fulfillment and lovely heart. Her home presented a sense of cherished space
Doing a night of reading for a particular group is an interesting experience, always a theme. These women share not only their love for one another but also the traits of humour, strength, and determination that have allowed them each to travel through independent lives with amazing spirit.
If all my evenings were so blessed!
Memories
24 Aug 2011 1 Comment
in breathing, change, daydreams, family, freedom, little girl, People I Know, random thoughts, travel, witness Tags: change, childhood, family, freedom, friends, memories, mother, people, sisters, women
My friend from high school, Irene is a major proponent of memories, Irene was the most awesome girl I knew back then, she introduced me to LIFE. She did things, knew people, and although she had her own problems, she continued to grow and live. I missed Irene, and am so happy to have her back in my life through the medium of social networking. Reading her posts, looking at her pictures, I understand the full, active , and most important honored life she has lived.
I am part of a facebook page, postings of memories from people from my home town. Reading them, I have an opportunity to remember my own past and in that way, reconnect with the little girl that left home in a head long rush towards freedom. I love having the memories. Mine have not been so complete. Memories can heal. After over four decades of forgetting, it is wonderful to begin to regain them.
Here are a few of my own;
The town square and stuffing myself on watermelon during watermelon days. and the best carnival a child ever did attend.
An easter egg hunt downtown, I won a silver dollar in a pink plastic box from Doctor Byram’s office.
My more than pitiable attempt at archery down by the old elementary, ( also remember a bad experiment with copper tone that day)
Comic books bought at the 5 and dime.
An equally pitiable attempt at golf in high school, I have never understood while we hit the balls toward the windows, did Ms Ahrens just know we would all miss?
Stumbling going up the steps during graduation and Bruce Robinson telling me I would be fine, (forever grateful for that Bruce)
Walking miles on country roads
Canoeing at Hanon Lake.
Eating at the maid rite, french fries, cherry coke, and ketchup
My first pack of cigs at Old Style Tavern I was 12, they cost 20cents 
Riding the square and honking horns
Just some memories….Love memories!
A tribute to Sweet Annie
09 Aug 2011 1 Comment
in breathing, family, freedom, gypsies, little girl, old west, words Tags: breathing, cowgirl, dreaming, freedom, friends, mother, sisters, spiritual, women
Sweet sweet Annie
of many faces.
hippie,cowgirl
earth-mother, gypsy.
Gardener, provider.
Sweet sweet Annie
Kind of heart,
fair of face.
She does not see
What I see.
Sweet sweet Annie
Sexy,Vibrant.
Savior to critters.
She does not see
what we see.
Sweet sweet Annie
Beauty. Lover.
Mother,Sister
Lover,Wife.
You should see from these eyes.
Judy is Joyful
05 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in breathing, daydreams, family, freedom, People I Know, witness Tags: breathing, freedom, friends, poet, sisters, spiritual
I have known Judy for oh about 100 years, she is my heart sister, a woman who I can be separate from for a long, long time, and we are together again, it is as though only 5 minutes have passed.
Judy lives in nature along the Mississippi River, Judy lives for nature, her soul saddens when she is too long in the city, too long from the woods and plains of her beloved countryside. She is funny, cracks me up with just a gesture, and although so very different from me, is nearly the same as me. We are like bookends on different shelves. She gets me, and I get her. It is good.
Judy is strong, independent, feisty, faithful, irreverent, gentle, peaceful, and sometimes a glorious crank. She is a role model to me.
And Judy is a poet, a wonderful crafter of words. She has an amazing ability to evoke images with her poems.
Here is one she just sent to me.
When Biking 
lose yourself
in the breeze
in the sky
in the green
name the wildflowers
along the trail…
marsh marigold
butterfly weed
Indian paintbrush
wild blue phlox
see the turtle cross
the Paul Bunyan trail,
see the spotted fawn
walk thru the sun-dappled woods
be startled by the screech
of the red-tailed hawk,
watch the young eagle
take flight
ride along with the dragonflies,
take in the vast open field,
the sea of wavering grasses,
the song of the red-winged blackbird
break at the edge
of Molly Lake,
stand cattail-still,
hear the loon call
immerse all of you
in the surrounding calm
J
The Bones of Me
17 Jul 2011 5 Comments
in breathing, daydreams, family, freedom, gypsies, history, words, world Tags: breathing, dreaming, freedom, inspiration, special events, spiritual, world
We have history, us humans. We have our own personal story and the heritage of the people before us. We have the bones of the past that we can spend moments honoring and clothing in our own skin. We have the bones of ourselves to cover, protect, and move into life.
There is an old story from many cultures about The Bone Woman. This woman lives in the forlorn places of our world, deserts, ocean islands, mountains, and inner city ruins. She collects bones. Look closely and you can see her. Perhaps shuffling down a cracked city sidewalk, carrying a bag or pushing a shopping cart. Watch her and you notice her every now and again bend over, and pick up an object, maybe something shiny, or even cracked. She carefully wipes it clean on her shirt, or coat, or skirt, and places it gently in her bag or cart. You may be a little afraid of this woman, she seems like someone you should not know, someone who does not live the way you are comfortable with. Perhaps she mutters to herself, or smiles at you with no teeth, or smells not the way you would want someone to smell. She does not care that you disdain her. Her thoughts and plans are on the one job she has, collecting the bones of the world.
At the end of the day she goes to her home, maybe a desert cave, or a tree house. And in her home she takes those items she has spent the day collecting, and places them with reverence on the shelves that line her home. Sometimes, when she has enough of the right kind of items, the right amount of items, she sits on her floor, and gathering these correct pieces around her, she arranges them, fastening them together, a colorful stone here, where a heart would be, a bird’s nest fit right where it should go, bones fit together to form a marvelous skeleton of a living creature. Humming softly and quietly a tuneless yet melodious tune she watches this creation stand, usually on four paws, but at times on two feet. She watches and hums as a soft energy forms over this skeleton, and it begins to move, muscles and ligaments begin to grow, holding it strong, and skin or fur shimmer over it all, and eyes blink, and ears twitch, until finally the creature is living and ready to have a life of its own.
Opening her door, or the thin rags covering the entrance to her cave, the Bone Woman beckons to her newly born child, and watches as it bounds outside running free and alive. Running over rooftops, through desert brush, rocky outcrops, wet ocean floors. A story reborn.
We are like that. We rebuild our lives, regain our own stories, hopefully daily. Our lives are a process of fulfillment and growth.
Blessings on your stories my friends!
It’s a Beautiful World
05 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in breathing, change, disasters, freedom, random thoughts, witness, world Tags: child, dreaming, freedom, spiritual, travel, world
a-beautiful-world-by-afghan-refugee-boys-ages-9-12-years.jpg
Happy Birthday United States of America!
04 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
Today we honor the ingenuity and strength of all people! Our ancestors, their ancestors, and the people all over the world with vision of freedom and equality! God bless us one and all, Happy Birthday everyone!
