Hello, blog friends ~ 

Halloween is just days away in the United States, and writer Colleen Chesebro invites us to write a poem related to this event. 

A confession. I grew up on a farm, and the closest neighbor was a mile away. There was no trick-or-treating. Halloween was a costume party at the country school. Yep - apple bobbing was a great hit. 

When I worked at Fairfield University in Connecticut, I lived near Union Cemetery in Easton. I only learned of this cemetery after I purchased my home. Especially around Halloween, visitors would sneak into the cemetery after dark -- when it is closed. I was not one of those curious folks, but I worked with police who arrested wayward students from the University. Some claimed to have seen ghosts.

My Halloween Tankas deal with forgotten homes and the secrets they hold. Because I'm a solid intuitive empath, I listen -- not with my ears, but with my heart. It's amazing the stories that emerge. I hope you enjoy it.

Happy Halloween!   🎃

Have a wonderful week, dear friends. Stay safe and laugh much! 

Hello, blog friends ~ 

I'm home a little earlier than expected and have a poem to share.

Lisa Fox (aka JadeLi) offered the prompt this week for Tanka Tuesday. She used a random word generator to form a list from which participants were asked to create a poem. She suggested we include at least three of the words in our poems. Here are the words (mine are in bold): wave, bite, down, soon, dune, sail, do, woman, farm, eight, ate, two, study, new, step, castle, short, car, listen, smell, the, garden, speak.
 
I feel reflective these days, so my poetic contribution involves looking back through time. I hope you'll join me on this walk by the beach . . .

Have a wonderful rest of the week. I hope to visit your blogs over the next few days. 🌞

Dear friends,

I'll be on the road much this week, so it is unlikely I'll visit your blogs until the weekend. I'm leaving with a poem I wrote a while back. It may be familiar to you because I've shared it before. It's about a different kind of journey.

​ The truth is that when I read, I'm drawn to the writer. The story may captivate, and the writing may impress me, but ultimately, I search for the writer. I want to know him or her through the words spread across the pages. It is a journey that sometimes concludes with just a sentence. 

Do you do the same? Do you look for the author? It's a curious thought, isn't it?

Most of us will never meet. The miles between us keep us apart, but we leave trails in our stories and poems, and those trails lead to the treasure I seek.

Have a wonderful week. I'll meet you this weekend. 🌞
​

Hello, blog friends ~ 

It's Tanka Tuesday, and poet Selma Martin has a special prompt for interested participants. She asks that we use synonyms for these two words in our poem: mindless and humdrum. 

I've focused on the morning light. Daily, I am moved by the silence that accompanies this early morning experience, and almost without fail, I see that which I didn't see the day before. My tanka uses these synonyms to capture the experience - daydreaming, everyday, and treadmills. 

I hope you enjoy it. ​

Have a wonderful day, dear friends. Even amidst the craziness in which we live, there's extraordinary beauty. Let's escape into that miracle. ❤️

Hello, blog friends~

Today is Tanka Tuesday, and I've another poem to share. Writer Sadje holds the magic wand this week, and she's offered a thought-provoking prompt: I’d like you to write a syllabic poem about something that brought a big change in your life. 

This is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and so I share personally. Three of my siblings and I deal with cancer. Three of my cousins are in treatment as well. My beautiful daughter-in-law is fighting for her life, each day a rare treasure.

None of us know how long we may live, but surely, we can laugh when we can, forgive frequently, and rise with our tears. Tomorrow is another gifted day. 

​My poem . . . 

I hope you have a wonderful week. Blessings to you and yours. ❤️

Hello, blog friends –

It’s Tanka Tuesday, and today Robbie Cheadle hosts the challenge. She asks that we write a Tanka Puente, with the theme of best and worst. Robbie explains, “A Puente poem comprises three stanzas with the first and third being separate thoughts but sharing an equal number of lines. The second stanza is the bridge stanza and is a single line.” She adds that this single line may be a quote, and mine is one from Albert Einstein. 

If you'd like to contribute your Puente poem, Robbie offers detailed guidance on the Tanka site. I've chosen to focus on current events. Not a pleasant topic, but it lends itself to the theme of "best and worst." 

My poem --  

My heart hurts for those caught in the terrors of the recent hurricane. It hurts for those caught in wars that beg for resolution. May we all reach for understanding -- and offer a hand to our neighbors far and near.

Have a wonderful week and may blessings abound in all its forms...

Hello, blog friends. . .

I'm home from the family reunion at Priest Lake, ID. What a wonderful experience! The area itself is magical with extraordinary views, great hiking paths, boating, and warm campfires. One evening we were treated to the rainbow you see above. 

The best part of the reunion was catching up on family stories. My three brothers and two of my sisters were there with spouses, so you can imagine the excited conversations. The children ran freely and kept us entertained - especially with their run-ins with three black bears. OMG!

Below are a few photos. I could fill pages with the snapshots, but hopefully this small sharing will give you a sense of the area. 

Family members rented ATVs and drove along the perimeter of the lake and to the Lookout on Sundance Mountain. From this elevation (6,298'), much of Priest Lake is visible. I was not one of the adventurers, but my eldest son smiles for me. 

One of the blessings of Priest Lake is that visitors have very limited Wi-Fi. Most of my family gave up even trying to get a signal. This handicap meant we could not check email or send text messages or watch the news, etc. We were in an isolated world -- and it was beautiful.

If you haven't had a social media break for a while, I highly recommend it. I will visit you this week through your posts and hope to get caught up. Till then, I send good wishes with these photos of the Northern Lights.

Hello, blog friends!

Last night I returned from a family reunion in Idaho. It was extraordinary, and I'll write about the experience in another post. Today I'd like to share a book I read while traveling to and from the mountain campsite: Born for Revenge by Staci Troilo. ​

Staci has a knack for writing unforgettable stories, and this one is no exception. I was drawn in from the very beginning pages. The unfolding drama is fast-paced and darkly mysterious. At the nucleus is envy and pride. We all know these sins or aberrations, because we see them manifest everywhere - in the political arena, in our schools, and perhaps even in our neighborhoods. Staci makes them real through well-crafted characters, and ingeniously, takes us back in time and through our own experiences. As the horror unfolds, the secrecy and deceitfulness unravel.

If you're looking for a fast-moving and heart-pounding story, this is one I can heartedly recommend. 

WEBSITE: www.StaciTroilo.com ​

Some of Staci's other books:

Hello blog friends,

It seems many of us face erratic weather this week. The forecast spares no one - of the worries of high winds, heavy rains, or electrical storms. And I wonder, is Mother Nature struggling with the human division we've created in our neighborhoods, towns, and countries? 

This week Colleen Chesebro invites us to reflect on any topic we'd like. I've chosen to focus on the turmoil we see on the streets. If I had magical abilities, I'd find a way to soften hate and resurrect kindness, but magic eludes me and probably hides from you as well. 

I tend to stand in the middle - not directing traffic but trying to bridge positions, circumstances, and crises. I listen and pray - not for the Divine to intervene and stop the madness, but for Love to mercifully clothe each of us as we chart our way. 

My Tanka reflects on Nature's role as it accompanies us through life's storm. I hope it resonates, and more importantly, I hope you have a wonderful week. 

And on a happy note, I'll be visiting my granddaughter later this week. She just graduated from high school and will attend the University of Washington in Seattle, where she'll study Environmental Sustainability. If anyone can save the planet, she can.

I'll share a sweet story.

When I last saw her, she explained that she shops in places like Salvation Army and Goodwill, because there is so much needless waste. She objects to buying anything new. I smiled and explained that my favorite business suits came from Goodwill. But there was a big difference between us. I needed to buy the family clothes there, and she has the choice. 

​Seventeen years have passed, but my granddaughter's smiles live with me. 

P.S - I'll try to keep up with blog posts, but if I miss yours, you know where I'll be. ❤️

Hello, blog friends! 

The season is changing, and magic is in the air! Yes, summer is finally taking leave. Colleen Chesebro invites us to write a syllabic poem to celebrate this change. I've created two tanka, inspired by the autumn sunsets.

This is my favorite time of the year. The skies are alive, and everyone seems relieved by the cool winds. Creatures, large and small, have returned - the pronghorn and geese, foxes and rabbits, and birds of all sizes and shades. Nature's orchestra has begun its song. 

Last week I mentioned a unique gathering in Phoenix - the IANDS (International Association for Near Death Studies) conference. I attended one day in person and another live-streamed. The experience left me in awe of the gift of life. Many medical professionals (surgeons, general practitioners, nurses) attended. And, as well, those who had a Near Death Experience. This was an evidence-based gathering.

​What are my take-aways? I've many, but here are three that stand out for me: (1) The NDE experience is transformative. When people recover from the death experience, they change their lives - often dramatically. (2) Love is at the core of creation, and we can begin to experience that Love in our lives now. (3) Life is eternal. 

The presenters often mentioned nature as a means of touching into the realm of Love. They spoke of the difficulty of using words to describe their experience. They explained repeatedly that in the heavenly or celestial or Love realm, our human words cannot adequately capture the felt emotions. 

I remain deeply moved by my experiences at this conference, and I look forward to attending such gatherings in the future. 

​Have a wonderful week, dear friends! ❤️ 
   

Hello blog friends,

I had hoped to share some beautiful sunrises with you, but alas, since the supermoon, I've had technical difficulties. I can't seem to import photos. The one below is from canva and doesn't come close to the incredible sights we've had this last week. It seems the monsoon rains brought in magic -- as well as much cooler temps. 

This week poet Colleen Chesebro suggested that participants focus on the arrival of Autumn. For the northern hemisphere, she shared three possible phrases: remaining heat, Milky Way, and mackerel clouds. I chose to include the last phrase - mackerel clouds. Almost daily, our skies are covered with these marvelous clouds. If I can fix whatever is wrong with my computer, I'll share some of the photos in a later post. 

Here's my simple Tanka. I hope you enjoy it. 😊

I'm excited to share that I'll be attending a few workshops at the IANDS conference in Phoenix. The two-hour drive is no fun, but some of the speakers are extraordinary and not to be missed. I'll do what I can to respond to comments, but I may be a little tardy. For my next blog, I hope to post about some of what I learned.  

Have a great week and enjoy the change in seasons. 

Good morning blog friends!

In the high desert of Arizona, we are in the midst of the monsoon season. The heavens are very active these days - with thunder, lightning, and hail. I love the energy and the surprises. 

Colleen Chesebro invites us to reflect on our experience of the season. My simple tanka and a morning photo offer a glimpse of the daily experience in this locale. Sometimes the clouds pass us by, but often they visit with a fury. I hope you enjoy this peek. 

My seasonal words are shades of rain, thunder rumbles, and monsoon. 😊

Wherever you live, I hope nature is kind to you. My daughter lives in Connecticut, and she's felt the brunt of the recent storm. Rain is much needed in many parts of the country, but when it is a lengthy deluge, it can be destructive. Be safe, my friends.  

Hello, blog friends!

Yep, it's true - another birthday approaches. This one, more than others, has evoked considerable reflection. Maybe it's the crazy times in which we live, maybe it's a growing awareness of personal finitude. Whatever the reason, I find myself revisiting life junctures. Do you do the same?

My writing adventure began with a memoir that wandered through much of my life. But today I'm simply sharing two poems. The first reflects on when I was 25 years old and living on Salt Springs Island, BC, Canada. The second poem tries to capture my current years. 

What have I learned in the seven plus decades? Well, I'll spare you the list and focus on just one aspect of my journey. Life taught me through difficult challenges to value myself and what I believe. So, I walk away from situations that are unhealthy. If there is nothing I can do about the circumstance or people, I entrust it/them to the Divine and let it be. This simple process has brought much peace. 

I hope you have a wonderful day. Let's all celebrate! 

the 25 year old me

the 70plus year old me

There's so much to be thankful for. Sometimes it takes a wet mountainside to show us the wonder of life. ❤️

I hope you have a wonderful week full of sunshine, cool breezes, and discoveries. 

Hello blog friends, 

Today I'm excited to welcome writer Elizabeth Gauffreau to my site. If you're familiar with Liz's writing, you know that she is an artist with words. She takes the everyday experience, unravels its delicacy, and offers the reader a rare perspective. 

Simple Pleasures is a beautiful example of Liz's skill. It is a collection of Haiku poems written in response to exquisite photos of nature. I loved strolling through the pages. As I did so, I felt the seasons and their nostalgic power. I also re-remembered the miracle of life. Just as the title suggests, this is a book of simple pleasures. It invites us to sit back and savor both the poems and nature's majesty. 

Please join me in welcoming Liz!

Thank you, Gwen, for hosting me on Day #4 of my blog tour for Simple Pleasures: Haiku from
the Place Just Right!

For this tour stop, I’m going to provide some context for one of the places that appears in the book: Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. 

​The Coast Guard opens the lighthouse to visitors once a year, and in 2019, my husband and I realized my childhood dream of climbing to the top. We had to be Johnny-on-the-spot to get tickets. We then had to wait in line in a vicious wind—but it was so worth it!

​

​Adjacent to Portland Head Light is a decommissioned Army base, Fort Williams, which has been made into a recreation park.

Hello blog friends,

It's #TankaTuesday again, and I've another poem to share. Writer Colleen Chesebro invites participates to consider their experience of the surrounding area. In prior posts I've mentioned that I live in the high desert of Arizona - elevation over 5,000 ft. I grew up in a desert, but the elevation in that southern California area is -112 ft. Yes, minus 112 ft.

The two deserts are very different. Neither gets much rain, but in the high desert we celebrate rain and in the low desert, rain evokes worry because it can destroy crops. 

My poem today reflects on the monsoon season. Every August, rainstorms arrive with a fury of thunder and lightning bolts, bringing much cooler weather. It's not unusual for the temps to drop 20 degrees within minutes.

I took the photo below at 5:45 AM as I hiked my regular path. Isn't the sunrise extraordinary? I don't know about you, but early morning walks calm my busy mind and always evoke reverence. 
​

I hope you have a wonderful - cool - week. 🌞

Dear blog friends,

It's been quite a week, and because of all that happened, I've not been on social media. Hubby's son needed emergency surgery, and our plans adjusted to be nearby. He is doing well, no problems, but I'm behind on everything. I will try to visit your sites, but it may take me a while. 🌞

When we were driving through the mountains, I got a wonderful text message from our neighbor. I had invited them to use the garden freely. As it happened, they walked over to our yard, and their grandson spotted the pumpkins. He was super happy. They took the photo below and texted it to us. Isn't it the sweetest!!

​A child's smile and laughter can lift our spirits like nothing else. Don't you agree? ❤️
​

Have a wonderful weekend. I've missed you! 

Hello, blog friends.

​This week Colleen Chesebro invites interested poets to focus on the sweltering heat in the Northern Hemisphere or winter in the Southern Hemisphere. My seasonal words (Kigo words) are parched wasteland, amber grasses, and desert solitude. I've composed two tankas (5-7-5-7-7 syllables) related to my surrounding area.

The vast desert, extending in all directions from the small town in which I live, is a constant reminder that we humans are guests on this beautiful planet.

My neighborhood is a quiet cluster of folks from across the United States. Some herald from New Hampshire, others from Connecticut, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and California. I don't know anyone who was born and raised in Arizona.

So how/why did we end up in the high desert? Though I don't have an answer, the residents all seem to have a special love for the natural world, and they enjoy quiet. Could that be the reason? Or maybe it's because many residents are veterans, and there's a VA hospital nearby. Then again, maybe we're all nomads. 😊

​I walk in the very early morning, just as the sun peeks over the mountains. I savor the silence and often meet little creatures. The rabbits have grown accustomed to my greetings and are patient when I take their photo. But yesterday I was surprised by something I've never seen before - a hog-nosed skunk. 

I grew up around skunks, but this one was much larger than any I've seen. He was about three feet long, scurrying across the pasture path, with tail raised vertically. I froze and got ready to run. I would have taken a photo, but I was afraid to move. My brother once got too close, and I did not want to repeat his experience. 😲

​Click here Wikipedia, if you'd like to know more.  

I hope you have a wonderful week, dear friends. And if you're familiar with skunks, I'd love to hear any tidbits you'd like to share. 'Till next week, all the best to you and yours! 

Dear blog friends,

It's been a tumultuous week for much of the world, but especially for the United States. On Saturday, hubby and I were on a road trip when we received a text message about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The news took me back to 1963. 

I remember November 22, 1963, vividly. I was in high school, and ignorant of all things political. A friend turned around in class and told me the news - President Kennedy was shot and killed. I didn't believe him at first. Who could do such a thing? 

Sixty years have passed but we are still facing political divides. 

I hike in the very early morning. Watching the sunrise quiets my busy mind. And hearing the songbirds and ravens brings me into the wonders of creation. Perhaps this is what all of us need - time away to simply experience the beauty of life. ​Rachel Carson wrote, There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night, and Spring after Winter. I wish that healing for all of us.

Colleen Chesebro's poetry prompt this week is to focus on the season. I've used a couple terms to underscore my experience of summer: dry riverbeds, monsoon rains, clouds build and threaten. And as well, I've included a reference to the political threats. My simple tanka:

I hope you have a wonderful week. Perhaps we'll meet on the trail -- at least virtually. ❤️

Hello, blog friends.

It's mighty hot in the high desert of Arizona, and we feel the impact of the Silver King Wildfire burning in southern Utah. Our skies turned red orange yesterday, and the mountains disappeared from sight. 

Poet Colleen Chesebro's prompt for this week is to focus on our personal experience of the season. I've decided to share my photo of yesterday's sunrise. It was quite astonishing. And I've written a Tanka related to that experience.

Shifting to my garden, I've included a couple photos of my pumpkin patch. Who knew that a few seeds could take over the yard - rocks and all. I'm shocked every day by the speed at which these plants grow. Pumpkins seem to like the heat, even though they wilt midday when temps hit 100 degrees. My pumpkin Tanka is also below. 

I hope you have a wonderful week. And if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, I hope you have a good air-conditioned. It seems the summer heat is with us for several more weeks. 🌞

Hello, blog friends!

I've another poem to share related to summer. It is a response to Colleen Chesebro's #TankaTuesday prompt. Over the span of my life, I've lived on both coasts and in the Midwest. Now I live in the high desert of Arizona. Each locale is very different, but one characteristic they share. Beauty.

Daily I'm drawn into the natural world through solitary walks. I listen and merge into the silence. The journey is a prayer of sorts, because the dominant feeling is peace. 

Below is my three-Tanka poem. I hope you like it.      

Have a wonderful week, and if you live in the United States - enjoy the fireworks!

Have a wonderful week. 🌞

Hello, blog friends!

I've two surprises to share. The first is an encounter, and the second is my pumpkin patch.

Last week I walked out of a grocery store and noticed a homeless man sitting beneath a tattered umbrella at the edge of the parking lot. I drove to where he sat, rolled down the passenger window and offered some money. The man, with bright blue eyes and sunburnt face, walked over to the car and stared. This is our conversation.

He began with a question, "You don't know who I am, do you?"

     "No sir, I do not."

"You are a teacher."

     "I was, but now I'm retired."

"You are a teacher. I see it in your aura."

     "Maybe so, thank you."

"Do you understand what is happening in our world right now?"

     "I believe I do, sir."

"You are a reader. I see that. Have you read this book ---?

     "No, sir, I have not."

He then explained the thesis of the book, which involved outer planets. 

     "I will look it up, sir. But now I must go."

At this point, the man took the money and thanked me. Then with a lowered head, he muttered, "You will forget the title of the book."

​And I did. 

I think of this man often and if I ever see him again, I will ask his name and the title of the book.

                                                               ~  ~  ~  ~

The second surprise is my pumpkin patch. With leaves of 10-12 inches in size, it has outgrown my 4' by 8' raised bed. I didn't know that pumpkin vines grow six inches a day. Now I don't know what to do, as the vines have crawled over the siding and onto the rocks. Tucked under the leaves are the blossoms -- and the bees. 

Poet Colleen Chesebro asks contributors to reflect on the season. My poem is a simple Tanka (5-7-5-7-7 syllables). And my seasonal words are honeybees and pumpkin blossoms. In the photos below, you can see the density of the leaves and the beauty of the blossoms (only visible when you separate the leaves). 

I hope you have a wonderful week, dear friends. And if you've had an encounter such as the one above, I'd love to know. Also, if you have any advice about pumpkin patches, please share. 🌞

Hello, dear friends. 

It's been quite a week, right? It seems the entire planet is engulfed in flames - real or emotional. Here in the high desert, I escape from it all when I walk in the early morning. Just as the sun peeks over the mountains, I saunter. It's a quiet and refreshingly cool time of the day. I'm often moved by the miracles I see -- quail families, rabbits, songbirds -- and butterflies. 

The poem below is a response to poet Colleen Chesebro's prompt. It is a simple Tanka (syllables of 5-7-5-7-7), and my topic is a miracle.

Butterflies hold a special place in my heart. They are messengers of Light for me, and I always take time to listen - to their gifted tidings. Do you do the same?

I hope your week is gentle on you and yours -- and replete with miracles.

Hello blog friends!

It's Tanka Tuesday, and I've a poem to share. I wrote it after my husband and I drove to nearby Sedona for lunch. On the way, we encountered an area of 'controlled burn.' There are multiple ongoing fires in Arizona due to the severe drought. I've included a map of the fires and as well, a photo I took through the front windshield. 

Poet Colleen Chesebro invites us to create poetry related to our seasonal experiences. I've chosen to write a three-stanza Senryu (3-2-3 syllables). It's a form very similar to haiku. 

In the photo below, Jerome and Sedona are barely visible. The sky is hazy because of the controlled burning and the wildfires to the north. My poem: 

Have a wonderful week, dear friends. I hope you experience cool breezes.