It’s Friday and that means it is time for Ten Things of Thankful or TTOT! You might want to join us and if so you can go this this LINK
1. Secret Project – This has been completed for the first phase and TBA when completely done. It feels weird to have it completed and now I have to do another one, just not sure what.
2. Six Sentence Story – Still going strong even if I am often the last one in the gate (partly due to #1 ^^^) Here’s this weeks: Mountain Climbing
3. Wednesday Poetry Prompt on Poetic Asides. Here’s my poem: Briefly Speaking I didn’t finish this until this morning because of #1 ^^^
4. 5.
Swimming – the pool opened and it has been wonderful and is starting to help my sleep, so that’s a double gratitude!
6.
Cousin and Charlotte visit – We did go see our cousin Cheryl and her bestie Terry last Saturday and had a lovely visit. Terry is selling a huge estate and she has lots of Elvis stuff along with lots of books and country music albums. Oh my! Wishing Cheryl a safe trip back to Iowa and hoping the flood waters recede.
7. First Responders – With the hugely overtaken lands in the Midwest, I am grateful for those who brave all this to help others. Also, those who simply help for the spirit of helping. “Reach out and touch somebody’s hand…”
8. 9. Books and Veterans – I met this fellow at the flea market where he sells books. Nice fellow who let me take his picture.
As we go into Memorial Day Weekend I am thinking of those who did not return from wars. As I am not certain of my complete family history, I don’t know who did not return. I wish I had done better about keeping track of things. Mom would know, but she’s on the other side. One thing I do know is that when you have people away fighting wars, as I do remember that part of it in my family, it is scary. My Grandmother Hall had a rough time of it when her boys were fighting WW II. They all came back, but every time Grandma would hear something about the war she would be so afraid that one of her sons was affected. I don’t remember hearing what it was like for Grandma Tomey, but I know she had all of her sons in the war. Both would have been a Blue Star Mother which was started during WW II. I remember a letter stating this for Grandma Tomey.
Several years ago, we attended the wedding of a sweet couple. He was in the military and going back for another deployment. After the wedding they took off on a honeymoon, cherishing the time they had together before he had to return to duty. Sadly, he did not return. He died a hero, putting himself in the protection of his troops. I only met him at the wedding, but I know his wife, who was my co-worker, and I remember their devotion to each other. His loss cut to my heart for the pain she endured and I am sure there are still those pains, for her. Love has no end when we lose those we love, it lives on with memories and with the impact we make in our lives. Such a person that she is, that love does live on.
So, it’s only natural that my #1 Gratitude is for those who have sacrificed for our freedom and those left behind who have supported them all the way.
2. Last year I posted a story about suicide and I just this week was asked to contribute to Noteworthy Journal, a part of Medium. Here is the POST I am grateful if this can reach more people, the whole purpose of accepting this honor, as this is a most important topic, close to my heart.
3. Six Sentence Stories – I am still keeping up with this weekly effort. Here is a LINK to a recent one. These have helped me to be more concise wit my writing.
4. Research Triangle Writers Coffeehouse – This is a monthly group of a variety of writers who come together for a common cause which is to accomplish writing tasks. We share, problem solve, offer encouragement, genuinely supporting each other in our efforts. We meet at the Quail Ridge Bookstore in Raleigh NC the second Sunday of each month. Here’s the Facebook page if you are interested.
The one I am listening to.
5. Luther Vandross – Because I can only be grateful for such a sweet soul, gone too soon. Listening to him now.
6. Our cousin Cheryl is visiting (in Charlotte) and helping her bestie sort stuff and sell such stuff as her friend is moving to Florida. I am excited to get to visit with them. She comes to NC maybe once a year, sometimes more, but this is the last trip to NC. She lives in Iowa. It makes me sad to know she won’t be back this way, but it’s important to think of the time we do get to see each other. This picture is from last year.
7. The pool is soon opening! As I sit here, I have learned that the pool inspector is coming today and we will get to swim this weekend! I cannot wait! We love to swim! Can you tell?
8. Sleep – The insomnia bug is back to crawl in my brain Shoo shoo! I am grateful for when I can get sleep and for tools to help me get what sleep I can.
Loyal followers, I am now ready to share the secret news I have mentioned in some prior posts. Aruna Gurumurthy, Author of several books of poetry has released, as of May 1, 2019, her latest book of poems: Simplicity Beckons.
As quoted from the Amazon page about this book:
“Simplicity Beckons is a book of poems. It expresses the author’s journey through life’s special moments, with a touch of creativity and blossoming of passion. The poems weave through tales of travel, the joys of infancy and the subtlety of human emotion as the reader walks through life and love, and jumps over unseen realms of imagination. Come, watch these small wonders and big emotions carry you away, as you bathe in a potpourri of divinity and delight.”
As one who has read this book of poetry, discussing the poems in this book with the author and enjoying the content, I found this to be a pleasant book of poetry that beckons us all to look at the day to day simple things in life and to celebrate these experiences.
I hope you will look at this book of poetry and find the joy that only you can feel as what you read resonates with your own lives.
Aruna Gurumurthy has now penned six books of poetry. I interviewed Aruna and here’s a little share of that:
Without further ado, I introduce you to Simplicity Beckons:
I looked for images in a sidewalk crack photo and this is what I ended up with. Since then, I have taken more photos of sidewalk cracks to create more pictures.
It’s that time again to express Ten Things of Thankful!
2. I finished out National Poetry Month, writing a poem a day. Here is my post about that: I Am Possible
3. I am on Page 31 of this book as a contributing writer:
4. Yesterday, a fellow poet and friend and I went on an art day at the NCMA. It was such fun to go out and take in the wonderful works of art. Here’s their website: NCMA I particularly liked the Wim Botha collection. That sculpture appears to be made of carved books.
5. I have time (a break) to create art and write. The picture for this blog post is one thing I made using images I saw in sidewalk cracks. This is part of a video class called Sketchbook Revival
6. Six Sentence Story is still going strong. Here’s this weeks post Say I Do
7. New poetry forms. I mentioned sestina before and I am working on one which is very challenging and LOVING it! You won’t see it on my blog as it is going in my book. Maybe a sneak peek, maybe…
8. I am now officially working on my second book of poetry and adding short story pieces. There was a target date, but I decided to leave it open. There is another writing project I’m working on and it’s caused me to slow my roll, in a good kind of way. It involves zombies and other characters and wouldn’t you just love to know…
9. My son, from another mother, is going to Spain with his beloved wife and my sometimes partner in crime. I am so happy for them and interested in hearing all about their trip. They are hiking there, well, not TO there, but while there. My younger self would have been all up in that activity! My older self says ouch!
10. It’s so beautiful outside!! Even with the achoos, it is so spirity out there! It’s like the spring fairies have danced around and blessed my days. OKAY… well, you get the picture…
10.1 Samesies on the weight this week, but that’s AOK because it’s normal to have a hiccup when you lose weight. So, hiccup n then back to dropping it like it’s hot.
10.2 Remember that secret project I spoke of last week? Stay tuned!
Still here? Why not join in? Go HERE and check it out!!
Roads of life
take you many directions
When a younger woman
I like to take Mom for a drive
She’d see a side road and say,
“I wonder what’s down that road.”
She knew
I would turn around and go down that road
Mom was my co-explorer
loving the adventure
Sometimes we would see pretty trees and flowers
Sometimes we would see interesting houses and people
Whenever we saw an empty house
Mom would say, “It makes me sad to see an empty house.”
I learned many things about my Mom through these adventures
What I learned most of all is
how much I love my Mom
—–
Day #27 of National Poetry Month is here! And I am still at it…
Thanks to Robert Lee Brewer’s Poetic Asides Prompt: “For today’s prompt, pick a direction, make that the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. There are so many directions: north, south, up, down, left, right, over, under, etc. But there are also more specific directions like “Across the Way,” “Through the Woods,” and “Beyond the Clearing.” Or give directions like “Clean Your Room,” “Tie Your Shoes,” or “Get Over Here.”
As a teacher, I will always remain a student. In the classroom of life, l wish to work with and educate others. Whether you’re a teacher, student, or just your average person, here are a few of my "TEACHERble" moments.
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