Sunday's Whirligig - Whirligig 180

Sometimes it is a poem, a short story or some other piece of writing that comes to mind when I see the 12 new prompt words on Magical Mystical Teacher's Sunday's Whirligig blog, but today my post would be more aptly described as some other piece of writing. I'm linking this to Sunday's Whirligig - Whirligig 180.

THIS WEEK'S WORDS come from "Lakes Rivers Streams" by Michael Dickman: fish, tap, lamp, dream, roof, night, swirl, call, water, dishes, bucket, ask 

tap turned on

hot water swirling 

in a sink full of dirty dishes

days are past 

that she can ask for help

housework is her’s only

as long as she is able

an artificial fish aquarium 

with lamp aglow

helps her see her way

if she awakens in the dark

invites a restful night’s sleep

maybe a dream or two

about something on the bucket list

owls hooting in the distance

forlorn calls of coyotes

raccoons scampering

over, through, and under 

to get to the overripe apples

in an overflowing bucket 

inside the garden fence

opossums staggering

on feet resembling hands

across the roof

Ten Things of Thankful

This evening I want to get my Ten Things of Thankful post written and linked to the the blog hop hosted by Kristi Brierley. She  has a blog called Thankful Me which is now in the process of some revisions, but still there for all to view. The next couple of days I anticipate being preoccupied with things other than writing blog posts, so with that in mind, it is time to reflect and remember and share some things for which I am  thankful.

1. Marriage. When I was growing up I wasn't aware of very many couples who had divorced. I remember how shocked the family was when an aunt and uncle got divorced after their children were grown. (A few years later they remarried.) I suppose by today's standards some people from those years would have divorced, and perhaps for good reasons, but they didn't then. They stuck it out for better or for worse. They either eventually realized the error of their ways and made up or they remained in a miserable state for years. I am thankful for the lessons that come to each individual as well as the lessons unique within the matrimonial bond.

2. Anniversaries. Soon my husband and I will be celebrating our 55th wedding anniversary. We both laugh about how very nervous I was on our wedding day and how my legs were shaking as I stood at the altar. Since that day we have had plenty to laugh about and some times of trepidation as well. An anniversary is a great time to look back and to look forward.

3. Changes in laws. I know this might get a rise, but hear me out. I'm sure that each of you reading this can think of some laws which have been enacted that have made a big difference, for good, in the the lives of individuals, families and communities. On the other hand, there are many who would argue against the changes proposed to existent laws, or laws which were changed in the past that they felt were unjust. Because we are an imperfect nation of people there are times when we must fess up to the error of our ways.

Now here is something some of the younger folk may not know. Before 1980 in the United States of America many states still required a premarital blood test before a couple could get married. When my husband and I were married a blood test was required to check for venereal disease and for rubella.

4. Flu shots. To be able to get these yearly vaccinations, in the hopes of avoiding a nasty case of the flu is a blessing. Of course sometimes the vaccine ends up not being the one we needed because a different strain beset the nation, but still, I am glad to have protection against any strain that might come our way. The older one gets, the more important that protection. We were able to get our shots this week. Yeah for the nurse who was superb in administering it. There wasn't any soreness in the arm!

5. One of us is hearing much better. I am especially thankful for this. One doesn't know what they have been missing until they hear sounds the other has been hearing on a regular basis.

6. Being able to listen to a naturopath one evening this week. A doctor spoke to our women's group at church one evening this week. He minored in nutrition and came to speak about this subject at our invitation. It was so interesting and I learned a lot. This is a subject that has always been of interest to me, and like everything else there have been changes in nutritional research and studies. I remember years ago poring over a set of books I had that were written by Adelle Davis. As I said, there have been many changes.

7. Preparing food in a different way. I tried making zucchini chips and sweet potato chips in the oven this week. The first recipe for the zucchini chips was easy to do. The second recipe perhaps had a typo regarding the oven temperature. After burning two batches, I was able to finally achieve success. I turned the temperature to a lower setting and watching the batches like a hawk.

8. A new kitchen tool. After trying to slice a lot of zucchini with a knife, I went to the store and bought a mandoline. I'm glad that I waited to buy one of these until after they improved their product with some safety features. I saw someone I knew browsing the same aisle in the store. When I asked her if she'd ever had one, she told me the story of having had one years ago until she got rid of it, after cutting the end of one of her fingers off using it. (The good news is the doctor was able to reattach her finger.) 

9. Free brake checks. Looking good. Enough said.

10. Cooler mornings and evenings to take walks. I love this time of year. 

Finish the Sentence Friday - Stream of Consciousness: Leave

A short little stream is what you will get for this Finish the Sentence Friday - Stream of Consciousness: Leave blog hop post. Host Kristi Campbell, of Finding Ninee, and co-host Kenya G. Johnson, of Sporadically Yours invited us to consider what leave means to us. I will be linking my post to their sites. What does leave mean to you?

 

This stream of consciousness was considered as I was about ready to go to bed.

Leave it for tomorrow. Now is the time to rest.

The clothes are yet to be folded, but for now they can rest atop one of the spare beds.

Phone calls that didn't get made today, will be first on the list tomorrow.

A visit to see my mom for sure, just as scheduled, will be part of tomorrow.

Trying out recipes for healthy snacks is on the agenda and sharing them too.

Leave (as in let) the phone ring when I don't recognize a number. If it is anything important, the caller will no doubt leave a message.

Leave sufficient time to give heartfelt thanks at the end of the day.

Six Sentence Stories - Trip

Today I'm sharing a story from my early childhood. It seemed to be  just right for a post to link to Denise Farley's blog hop Six Sentence Stories-Trip. Denise's blog is called Girlie on the Edge's Blog. That title alone should pique a little interest. If you enjoy reading short stories that require the use of a prompt word, click the link to see what other bloggers have shared this time.

Looking down on all the water which had flooded the homes below was a sight her four-year-old eyes had never seen.

She had experienced booming thunder and lightning with heavy cloudbursts of rain hitting the windshield and the top of the pickup in which she and her younger brother were sitting alone while waiting for their dad to return from the auction yard. That had been an exciting break in their boredom, but to see the result of flooding and the demolition of the second largest city in the state with homes and piece of buildings floating in the aftermath wasn’t exciting. It was frightening and alarming to her as she imagined all the people who might not have been able to escape from the unforeseen calamity that struck and destroyed in a single day.

Her family had taken the trip northward to see her Grandma who lived where it often rained. Since her Grandma didn’t drive and wanted to see for herself the scene of the Vanport flood, they took her for a ride and found themselves in a heavy line of travelers with a similar intent that unforgettable day.

The Sunday Whirl - Wordle 369

Brenda Warren of The Sunday Whirl has a blog hop called the Wordle that writers enjoy tackling each week. In a nutshell she throws 12 words at us to somehow work into our poem or prose. Although we don't need to use all 12 words, we are challenged to give it a try. I'm linking my short story prose to The Sunday Whirl - Wordle 369. Click the link to read the guidelines and see the links of others who are participating.

It was hard to see the worn painted letters on a waist-high  wooden sign at the edge of the expansive unkept lawn. It was impossible not to notice the raffle that had accumulated in the drainage ditch in front of the property, which had once been part of a sizable farm. Just from seeing the outside of the building, Sylvia’s instinct was that it would be highly unlikely that she could stage this early 20th century home for less than ten thousand dollars. Nevertheless, she agreed to drive out to meet her client at 10 a.m. and finish before noon in time to make it to her next appointment, without having to speed.

Jonah and Ethie had lived their entire married life in this home which had previously been his parents’ home. No one had lived in the three-story edifice for about two years, after it became necessary for them to move in with their son, Porter and his wife, Eduth, a nurse. Jonah’s health was failing and Ethie’s recent diagnosis and lack of strength, were the determining factors for their relocation.

The leaves of the large maple trees lining the driveway twirled furiously toward the ground as the wind blew stronger. Sylvia was careful not to slip on the leaves that were covering the the stone pathway leading to the main entry. After making her way up a flight of ten stone steps to the door, she understood how it would have been difficult for Jonah and Ethie to continue living there by themselves. 

Sylvia pressed the old buzzer by the door, even though her client had said, “Just knock when you arrive.” It was second nature to her by now to check out the functionality of each home’s features, even though she was just a stager. After a few minutes, she pushed the buzzer again, but there was still no answer. Just then the door opened slowly and with labored creaking and squeaking and not a body to be seen as she peered toward a dark entryway. The thoughts that filtered through her mind sent chills down her spine, “I wonder if what the kids used to say about ghosts and spirits in vacated houses could be true. Nah. Couldn’t be. ..could it?”

Ten Things of Thankful

The past week was a very full week. Are there weeks that feel that way to you? Sometimes weeks can be worrisome either for oneself, or for others, or both. Other times the week can be so busy with things one just has to do that there is hardly a minute to rest. The good thing is the week does come to an end and if one takes a minute to review what has transpired, it really is possible to find reasons to be thankful, perhaps for little things or for humungous things. Often what we are most thankful for aren't even things, but feelings.

Kristi Brierley of Thankful Me is host of the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop. Each Friday the link is available and stays open until the following Tuesday. The formats vary among the participants as to whether they share a list or more of a prose expression of gratitude. Even the exact number may not be ten. What is most important about this blog hop, is just taking time out to ponder if you are grateful and for what. Sharing those things can be contagious, in a good way. Much has been written about the health benefits, physical and emotional, of being thankful. 

1. Communication. Visits with friends and family via phone calls, texts, social media, and emails.

2. Feeling needed. This can come through a variety of ways, all the way from doing a somewhat simple task to doing something that requires greater skill and effort. It may be something you are able to do for someone you don't know in the grocery store, or working together with a group of people to accomplish a goal that possibly could even be considered somewhat dangerous. It may be a situation where someone just needs someone to be with them for a while when they are going through something very difficult. Sometimes people know at the very time of helping someone, that they were an answer to prayer, and other times one never knows. It doesn't matter whether you know. What matters is that you did what was needed.

3. Example. I attended a funeral this week for a man who died way to soon. Those who attended the service had the opportunity to learn more about this man and why he was so beloved. He had the ability to make friends easily wherever he went and was willing to help wherever he was needed. He was a very humble man, but also a great leader.

4. Being able to feel impressions and act upon those thoughts. Have you ever called someone or dropped by to see someone, just because, not even knowing why you were going, only to realize the importance of you being there, once you arrived. Those kind of experiences are teaching moments for both individuals and can be quite remarkable at time as well as faith promoting.

5. Being able to share information that one has gained through experience and study, when asked, that may be helpful to someone.

6. Meeting someone new to the neighborhood. When I stopped at a garage sale, I was able to meet someone who had recently moved to be nearer a family member.

7. Seeing rainbows. Even part of one is beautiful and was a nice scene at the end of a Sunday afternoon.

Sun dog or sun spoke

8. Fruit that ripens in the fall and flowers that spring forth.

Criterion apples

Grapes

Crocus

9. Accomplishments. A granddaughter received notice that she had passed the bar exam this past week. We are proud of her efforts to reach this goal.

10. Relationships. That of my husband and myself, those of our children and grandchildren and their spouses/partners. The love on which those relationships are built.

RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #219 Charge&Reason

It is haiku time again over at Ronovan Hester's blog. Besides his other writing ventures he provides a double cue for a blog hop each Monday. I'm grateful for his desire do this week after week. If you would like to join in with this challenge, click the link and read the guidelines. You will also have an opportunity to see what others have shared this week at RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #219 Charge&Reason.

in menacing clouds

charged ozones reasoned aloof

with brilliant flashes

Click to see source

Sunday's Whirligig - Whirligig 179

It is great to have a few days to work with the 12 words Magical Mystical Teacher gives us for the prompt for the whirligig. She has a blog hop for those who wish to exercise their writing skills via either a poem, short story, or other piece of writing. Using all 12 of the words within the piece is encouraged, but not mandatory. Other forms of the words are also acceptable. I'm linking my piece of fiction, a short story this time, to Sunday's Whirligig - Whirligig 179.

THIS WEEK'S WORDS come from "If They Should Come for Us" by Fatimah Asghar: street, dandelion, compass, glass, sari, bakery, subway, smashing, dangling, whiskey, made, lantern

The shuffles became clicks, thumps and flip-flops as the crowds exited the subway station onto the sidewalk made uneven in places by intrusive tree roots. The sun glaring off the glass elevator scaling the outside wall of a high-rise building across the square was quite a contrast to the dark subway tunnels. 

She donned her cat-eye sunglasses as she headed in that direction but was intercepted by a woman rushing toward the nearby newly-opened bakery. It would have been hard to miss her because she was wearing to-die-for dangling earrings and a fuchsia, turquoise and gold printed sari. “What a smashing dress,” she thought to herself, “but I can’t compass how she could hurry anywhere with all that fabric around her body.” 

As she remembered a recent international dinner where she had been a server and had so wanted a taste of a particular cake that was said to be delicious, she decided to see if she might be able to get the goan coconut cake at the bakery before checking into her room. “Maybe following the woman in the sari was a good portent,” she thought as she left with her desired cake in hand. 

The dilapidated liquor store next door was awaiting reconstruction and was another juxtaposition in this cityscape. Seeing a whiskey keg planter, home to one lonely dandelion plant, by the door of the liquor store, she thought how much her mom would have liked to have a planter like that. 

She looked at her watch and hurried searching for the hotel's address. There she was greeted by a somewhat disheveled and less than enthusiastic bellhop. He was standing on a soiled and much trampled upon carpet under a massive overhanging vintage wooden chandelier lantern in the pórtico. “Wait until Mom hears about this job, cake and all,” she mumbled, “nothing like the high-rise further down the street that was pictured on their web page.”

Finish the Sentence Friday - Listicle: Ten things about the changing of the seasons

It is true that I seem to be a natural born list maker, so maybe that is one reason I enjoy participating in Listicle Friday so much. The second Friday of each month host, Kristi Campbell of Finding Ninee and co-host, Kenya G. Johnson of Sporadically Yours give participants of the Finish the Sentence Friday blog hop a listicle prompt. I'm linking my list to Finish the Sentence Friday - Listicle: Ten Things about the changing of the seasons. Check out the other listicles by clicking the link.

1. colorful foliage 
2. leaves may begin to drop
3. shorter daylight hours
4. precipitation may return
5. may need to grab a jacket before going outside
6. quiet hours in the home if all the kids are in school
7. time to work on projects uninterrupted 
8. extra blankets needed on the beds
9. soups and stews
10. scheduling pickup and drop off times and carpools

Six Sentence Stories - Supplement

It is Thursday, and on this day every week Denise Farley of the Girlie on the Edge's Blog has her link up and available for bloggers to share their new Six Sentence Stories. She leaves it open until the following Tuesday. I'm linking my new story to Six Sentence Stories - Supplement. 

Click for source

The young growing family had enough to buy the essentials, but not much more in those early years when the bread winner was beginning his teaching career. 

Taking advantage of the sale ads in the supplemental pages of the newspaper and clipping coupons helped stretch the paycheck just enough to not go into debt.

Growing a garden, canning, freezing, and drying produce was a lot of hard work, but it paid off in more ways that just stocking up.

Buying new-to-you clothes, some furniture and other household items at garage sales, thrift shops, consignment stores and estate sales made it possible for there to be a stay-at-home mom in the family, although anyone who has ever had that moniker knows that there were months when spending an entire day at home would seem like a dream come true.

Forming carpools helped crystallize friendships as well reduce the monthly gasoline expenditures.

Continuing to maintain talents and develop new ones through volunteer work and a correspondence course while the children were in school made it possible for her to obtain employment when the time came to supplement the funds of their college-bound kids.

Wordle 368

Brenda  Warren of The Sunday Whirl has a blog hop that challenges all interested bloggers to write a poem or short prose using all or as many as possible of the 12 new words presented each week. Each Friday evening on Facebook the new words for the Wordle will appear on the The Sunday Whirl page. We are given a week to post our piece of writing on the her web site. I am linking my haiku to Wordle 368. Click the link to see who else participated this week and read their compositions.

link

freaky wind rises

farm’s grassy robe flings skyward

wrapped in sable clouds

twirling and twisting

cells touching down many twice

finding ground to rip

Click for source

RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #218 Steam&Cover

Do you ever wonder how Ronovan Hester decides which words to give us for prompt words at his haiku blog hop? I do, but I'm so glad that we can depend on him to always show up on Monday with two new words. Today I'm linking my haiku to his link RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #218 Steam&Cover. 

earth frosted in white

cover of steam blankets it

from warming sun rays

Click to see source

Ten Things of Thankful

Even though I'm a little later than usual posting to the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop hosted by Kristi Brierley, it certainly doesn't mean that I haven't been feeling grateful. Our host has been running like crazy this past week. You'll see what I mean when you click the link  to see what she and others have shared this week.

1. Being able to get my dental appointment changed to the day before my scheduled appointment which allowed me to get an earlier start to the temple. The appointments are made six months in advance, so I wasn’t aware of a Stake Temple Day which conflicted with my appointment when I made it.

2. Being able to visit a little shop that sells vintage items. It is owned by a woman I once taught in a church class when she was a teenager. It is good to know of her successful business adventures.

3. Receiving the bid on a project we hope to have done on our home. Every so often things just need to be done, and it is better to do some things sooner than later. Much thanks to my husband for getting this initiated.

4. Seeing a rafter of half-grown wild turkeys walking down a driveway in the neighborhood. There were seven of turkeys! (I wasn't able to take a picture, as I was on my way to church at the time.)

Click to see source

5. Being able to attend Stake Conference yesterday afternoon and this morning. I took so many notes of what was said. I am thankful for the messages shared and the time many took to prepare for this occasion. These meetings are held twice a year.

6. Rain enough overnight that the ground got wet and stayed looking wet for a few hours.

7. Writing a short story instead of a haiku for a blog hop. Normally when given a prompt of 12 words and challenged to write a poem, short story or other type of writing, using as many of the words in whatever form, I choose to write haiku. This time I wrote a short story and was glad for the inspiration. Thanks to Magical Mystical Teacher at Sunday's Whirligig for providing the words.

8. Thankful my nephew and his family were able to return safely to their home before the interstate closed because of wildfires. 

9. Thankful to receive emails from our grandson serving a mission in Argentina. 

10. I am thankful for answers to prayers in however is deemed best and for whatever reason. The understanding and reasoning isn’t always known immediately.

Sunday's Whirligig - Whirligig 178

This time I've decided to post a fictional short story I composed used the 12 words given by Magical Mystical Teacher for the blog hop Sunday's Whirligig - Whirligig 178 to which I am linking. We are given some variety as to our style of writing and how many of the given words, as well as form of the words we choose to include.

THIS WEEK'S WORDS come from "Where did the handsome beloved go?" by Rumi: handsome, midnight, garden, rooftop, overflow, cypress, trembles, rose, search, mine, water, tell 

Click for source

She trembled and hoped that the tall, handsome man exploring the gardens on the rooftop with her didn’t notice her nervousness. She faced what many would find terrifying experiences in her line of work as an emergency room nurse, but nevertheless, she had her own demons that surfaced from time to time.

He had invited her to go there after the midnight show. As they had stepped into the the three-sided glass elevator  with several others. She was glad that their bodies obscured her view of the ground as they went higher and higher. 

When they stepped out they were met by the sound of water bubbling and overflowing from the top of a large basalt column fountain and with the intoxicating smell of roses in bloom. He put his arm around her shoulders, gently keeping her a safe distance from the edge of the rooftop.

Some felt if she were to face her fears head on, she could overcome the painful memories of the past. He hoped that her accepting his suggestion was a step in the right direction. Time would tell.

Taking a deep breath, she gradually relaxed as they searched the skyline for well known landmarks. It wasn’t until the sound of an approaching ambulance came nearer and stopped below, that she ventured to look down past the Mediterranean cypress trees, looking like small toothpicks from such a height, to see people gathering around a body on the sidewalk.

The two of them turned without speaking and briskly headed to the elevator where she would looked straight ahead, not down, as they descended. The knowledge that for one moment in time her fear of heights had been overcome because of her desire to help was tucked safely away. All she knew was that she felt safe with him. A line from Emily Bronte, “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same,” gently enveloped her as she looked up at him.

Finish the Sentence Friday - It's back to school time and . . .

As I hear reports of young children heading back to school in the fall, I sometimes recall a few of my early school days. This blog hop hosted by Kristi Campbell of Finding Ninee and co-hosted by Kenya G. Johnson of Sporadically Yours gave us an apropos cue for this first Friday of the month. I am linking up to Finish the Sentence Friday - It's back to school time and... . I hope you will wander over to the site and read some of the other posts. Some may not be their own memories, but posts about their children's experiences or about what people do while the children are in school. One never knows where the bloggers thoughts may lead. 

Memories from my primary grades

First Grade

Finding out the only girl I knew my age, that would be going to the same school as me, was placed in the other first grade room did not make me happy. She had gone to kindergarten like a lot of the other children, but I had not. My best new friends that year were Penny who moved part way through the year, and Mary.

Memorable experiences that year: 1) the kindness my teacher showed toward me when my lunch tray got bumped accidentally and hot soup spilled onto my socks and shoes; 2) struggling to hang on to a balloon given to me on stage during a play when a boy decided to snatch it away from me; and 3) Dick and Jane books. 

Second Grade

I feared that I would be placed in a classroom that was taught by an older woman teacher that some kids thought was mean. When I learned that my teacher was going to be the other teacher, I was quite relieved. That year the neighbor and friend who had been placed in the other classroom when we were in first grade was actually in the same second grade classroom as me.

Memorable experiences that year: 1) Being disruptive by getting in a giggling fit with my close friend during class (The teacher made us each stand quietly at the back of our rows until recess began. Because I had not gotten in trouble in school before and I was kind of shy, this was terribly embarrassing to me.); 2) Moving out of state in the spring and having my new teacher let my mom know right from the beginning that I would probably have to be held back a year based on the what she knew of the educational expectations of students who lived in my former state (The teacher wanted me to stay indoors during recess and lunch break for several weeks to complete a workbook that the other students had finished earlier in the year just so I could prove to her that I understood the material. At the time, I felt this was so unfair.); 3) Having to walk to and from school for the first time. (I had ridden on the school bus in my former state.)

Third Grade

Over the summer we had moved to a farm and in the fall I entered third grade in a two-room school house. Third grade consisted of one row of students in a classroom of first through fourth graders. My brother entered first grade that year, and there were challenges for both of us because of having the same teacher who in frustration made verbal comparisons comparing the two of us. Unlike schools now where there are often parent volunteers or teacher aids, the teachers had no help then to guide students who might need help refocusing or need one-on-one help. 

Memorable experiences: 1) Learning to crochet hats during the lunch break. (The teacher taught girls from any of the grades, first through eighth, who wanted to learn how to crochet.); 2) Being told that the students could bring roller skates to school and we would be allowed to roller skate in a covered playground area that had a cement floor. 

Six Sentence Stories - Difference

With many students returning to school after having the summer off, they may have grown a few inches taller, or changed in other ways. It is amazing the changes that can take places in just a few months. When we are around a person all the time, the changes don't seem so apparent, but with separation, the metamorphosis is particularly astonishing.

Click to see source

Denise Farley of Girlie on the Edge's Blog has given us the word difference for the her blog hop this time. I'm linking my post to Six Sentence Stories - Difference. For some quick reading check out the stories at her site. She posts the new prompt each Sunday evening to give bloggers a few days to dream up a new story to link up on Thursday, or possibly Wednesday evening, depending on where you might live.

As the new school year began, many of the returning students couldn't help but wonder who this new girl was.

Although the name was recognizable, the difference was startling, and she looked nothing like the girl everyone knew as Kenny last year.

A waistline which had hardly been discernible, because of the extra pounds gained from eating cheese burgers and fries and drinking chocolate milkshakes each lunch hour, was now like that of models with hour-glass figures which was accented even more by her new stylish wardrobe.

Her beautiful green eyes were more visible now that her cats-eyes glasses had been replaced with contact lenses and makeup had been skillfully applied to highlight her eyes.

The milk chocolate brown hair which had once been shoulder length had grown long over the summer and could now be worn in an assortment of styles, like the French twist.

An expanding circle of friends included more of the "in crowd," but some of her former friends dropped by the wayside and seemed less important as she grasped to understand her new outer self and whether it caused a schism of her inner self.

Sunday's Whirligig - Whirligig 177

Magical Mystical Teacher at Sunday's Whirligig give a Whirligig prompt each Wednesday. The link opens on Sunday, but we have until the following Wednesday to link up with our piece of writing that uses as many of the 12 words given as we like in our poem, short story, or other piece of writing.

This week it is time for Whirligig 177.

THIS WEEK'S WORDS come from "Counting" by Margarita Engle: white, jungle, record, parents, police, shanties, pretend, native, census, silver, confound, ditch 

old whitewashed records

pretending to be truthful

pure confounded lies

native drumming sound

loudly across the nation

booming injustice

jungles of shanties

policed but not very safe

parents beg silver

RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #217 Poison&Past

Here is a little bit of haiku to begin the week. Ronovan Hester of Ronovan Writes is right on cue with the two prompt words today. I am linking my haiku to his blog hop, RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #217 Poison&Past.

with truth not perceived

past lies, like poison remains

destroying all trust

Wordle 367

Poetry is something that I enjoy writing, so I decided to link up to Wordle 367 which includes the following words this time: remember, peace, whistle, chill, live, beside, trunk, gather, touch, fly, grief, sting. This challenge is found at The Sunday Whirl hosted by Brenda Warren. A poem or short prose is acceptable. Forms of the words are okay to use. We are challenged to use all 12 of the words, but it is not a requirement.

The Chill of Winter

by Patricia E Brockett

the chill of winter

with whistling wind at death's door

gathers those who grieve

touched by mementos

in a trunk flown from afar

beside the deceased

remembrances live

removing the sting of death

peaceful hearts remain

Ten Things of Thankful

This week has sped by rapidly as August has come to an end. With all the traffic on the freeway earlier this evening, it would seem that there are many people trying to squeeze in one more long weekend of summer activities before school begins and the weather begins to turn. Cars speed, time travels faster and faster, but yet people still seek for that place to relax and just to be, sometimes not realizing that place is closer than they ever dreamed. With this little bit of musing, now I ready to share some things that bring me joy, things for which I give thanks.

I am linking my post to Kristi Brierley's Ten Things of Thankful blog hop. She is not the first to host this blog hop, but she is following in the footsteps of several other wonderful hosts. Each Friday the link is open and stays open until Tuesday, so if you have a blog and would like to join in with this effort, click the link here and it will take you to her site which gives some easy guidelines for participating.

1. We had some rain during one night at the beginning of the week, but the only indication of that were some drops still on the vehicles in the morning. Still, it is a refreshing sign, along with a few cooler mornings and evenings, that fall isn't far off.

2. Fresh garden produce shared by neighbors. In years past we had a huge garden and were able to share produce with others, but now we are on the receiving end, and I am thankful.

3. The missionaries from church were able to join us for dinner one evening and I used some of that garden produce to prepare a meal for them. For quite a few years our family enjoyed eating stir fried vegetables served over rice. The vegetables varied, as did the sauces. We haven't eaten as much "over rice" since there are only two of us at home now. We still enjoy stir fried vegetables, but only occasionally have it with rice. My husband's idea of serving "over rice" for the meal with the missionaries seemed the perfect idea, especially since we had some beef steak pieces to add to it the vegetables.

4. Learning about customs of other places.  One of the missionaries who joined us for dinner was originally from Tonga.

5. Finishing some pinwheel quilt blocks. I finished some other quilt blocks recently, but I still had a few pinwheel quilt blocks to edge. A friend gave me some of her pieces of fabric to use to edge one of the pinwheel blocks, and I was able to finish the task. If you quilt, what is your favorite quilt block to make?

The pieces surrounding the pinwheel square
was what my friend provided. It was the
perfect color I needed.

Here is another of some of the pinwheel
squares that I sewed.

6. Laughter. Sometimes it just feels good to laugh. I don't mean just a little chuckle, but a hearty laugh out loud! I just by chance saw a movie on TV this week that was produced in 1993. We weren't going to many movies back then, so I hadn't seen it. Normally I don't watch much TV even now, and if it is on, I can usually do other things while sorta watching the program. I realized quite quickly that if I tried to double task, I was going to miss something in this film. It really felt good to laugh, and I could easily enjoy watching it again sometime.

7. Restful times. Even animals take time in the afternoon to rest, and sometimes a little catnap in the afternoon is just what I need to give me energy to carry on for the rest of the day.

A doe just taking a rest in the shade of
some of our shrubs one afternoon

8. Evening strolls. Now that it is a little cooler in the evening, strolling around with camera in hand is a pick me up. 

These turkey hens seemed to enjoy strolling
together early one evening. (Sorry for
the not quite in focus photo.)

9. Trying a different flavor of ice cream. William Cowper, a famous English poet and hymnodist, is said to have been the first one to say that Variety is the very spice of life. Why is it then that when it comes to ice cream some people often resort to buying the same flavors? This week I not only bought a different brand, but two different flavors. One was black walnut and the other was black cherry vanilla and both were delicious!

10. Things to look forward to in this new month of September!