Winter's Nap

         Jack Frost’s exquisite art obscured my view as temperatures fell outside.  Snow floated lazily downward.  I succumbed to an idyllic siesta, peacefully composed on the sofa back.  Suddenly the hounds from hell charged my sanctuary howling at some imagined mouse fart outside.  Jolted awake, I plummeted to the floor, paws flailing. 

        “Damn dogs!!” I hissed angrily. 

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Free Write to Share the Love

       Here I find myself a couple posts short of the “Write Tribe Festival of Words.” I am always a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but I usually keep up with the blogging express train on the most part.   Let’s just remedy that!

      On Day 2 we were to spotlight some gems that we have located here in the blogosphere that always keep us coming back for more.  You know the blogs.  Their authors sparkle just a little more and whenever they post you simply radiate with joy and glee in your hurry to visit them and read their very latest news or stories.  While there are many blogs that fit into the above mentioned category, the ones I am to spotlight below have crossed my radar and become must reads recently.  I honestly read too many to mention here and enjoy them all but to mention every single one would take forever! In no particular order…my picks are:

1.    “Meditations of My Heart” authored by Martha Orlando.  Martha has a wonderful knack of taking the most mundane occurrences in life and discovering life lessons, inspiration, and definite proof that not only is the Lord alive, but that He is active in your everyday life.  If you seek, you will find.  Her stories are heartwarming and always leave me with a smile upon my face.
2.    “Tahoma Beadworks and Photography”authored by JoJo.  JoJo often shared the most gorgeous photography and snippets of her crafting tries and fails.  Believe me when I say she has more successes.  She makes the most beautiful crafts and I am blown away by the sheer creativity that oozes out of this lady.  She rocks!
3.     “JannaT Writes” authored by JannaT.  JannaT is a very gifted writer.  Not only am I completely captivated by her mind blowing stories, I love to read about her everyday family life which she also shares.  Her blog boasts many winning badges for her work from the folks at trifecta and Speakeasy which proves simply how amazing she is.  Not everyone is blessed with those kinds of accolades!  Bottom line, she is utterly amazing!
4.     “Den of the Beastly Bear” by Joseph Ormerod.  Although Joe hasn’t been on the blogging scene long, he is a quick rising star.  I love his candid stories about his everyday life.  The guy is completely hilarious!
5.     “Vidya Sury” by Vidya Sury.  I love this lady and her blog!  I love going to her home in the blogosphere most because I always leave with a silly smile plastered on my face.  Her words simply have that effect.  Her writing and stories are simply delightful and I am addicted!

     The last several days have been a whirlwind at my house.   My husband has been home and we have jam packed in enough living for a month!  It is always that way.  I hope I live to see a day when he can be home with me every single day so we can simply just be together!  Yesterday we painted our living room red and I love it!  We have reorganized all of the rooms and installed more storage which effectively has killed the proverbial clutter bug.  We had intended to also paint the kitchen a lovely orange but we hadn’t anticipated how much work or how exhausting painting could be.   It isn’t just throwing a little paint on the wall and calling it good.  The kind lady who helped us at our local Lowe’s Home Improvement insured there was a hell of a lot more to it than that to do it right.   We were both reminded that we aren’t as young as we used to be as we moved furniture, masked around windows and trim with frog tape, slapped on primer, painted, and painted some more.  Getting up and down got a little harder and squirreling my body into a squatting position for longer than 10 seconds quickly became torture.   Tomorrow he will return to work.  While he sleeps, I attempt to board the Write Tribe’s Festival of Words express train and get back into the swing as best I can!

Written for Day 2 and 3 of the Write Tribe Festival of Words 3.

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Into the Sunset

      Sitting on the sun kissed deserted beach, Theresa gazed out at the vast turquoise blue ocean that spread out before her and met the horizon.  Seagulls swooped down to the rolling waves, peppering the breeze with their melodious caws. The late afternoon sun warmed her face, the sand felt deliciously warm as she dug in her toes, and sifted through her fingertips. Here she felt at peace, in the isolation with only the sounds of the ocean and the seagull’s symphony to lull her. Here she could almost ignore the horrendous pain that overwhelmed her from the damn cancer that was quickly consuming her body and extinguishing her life force. This is where she wanted to be, forever.  

       Four weeks later, with her eyes filled with tearful determination; her daughter spread Theresa’s ashes to the wind as a beautiful orange sun set into the horizon. 

 “Goodbye Mama, I will love you forever and can’t wait until we are together again.” 

    With a heavy heart, Melissa walked slowly back up the beach determined never to forget her mother’s gentle soul and bubbly laugh, at peace with the knowledge that she had fulfilled her mother’s final wishes.

 This was written for the first day of the Write Tribe Festival of Words 3.  We were to write a fictional story using only 9 sentences.

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Dreams Haiku

I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words 8th – 14th December 2013.

subconscious visions

past shadows revisited

future hopes explored

People at Christmas Haiku

I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words 8th – 14th December 2013.

people united

celebrate the holy birth

rejoicing world wide

Travel

       My husband lives out of his luggage year round.  Last year when we did our taxes we figured out that he averaged 4-5 days home a month, the rest of the time was spent behind the wheel of his semi-truck.  When you look at it that way, he really isn’t here a lot.  His life is spent traveling.  In contrast, my life is spent at home taking care of the kids and the dogs.  It kind of makes sense that when he finally comes home, he wants to be home.  Great for him to be home, but it doesn’t get me and the kids out of the house on many trips.

       It hasn’t always been that way.  While I have never been out of the country except for a rare excursion inside the Canadian borders to simply say I had been there, all of my trips have been inside the United States.  While growing up my family took trips to Disney World in Florida a total of 3 times.  We took a trip to the mountains of Colorado when I was about 13 and another trip to explore the Wisconsin Dells.  We explored all the hot spots along the way because we always went by car.  I have never traveled any other way.

       From the time I was about 11 until my mother’s death when I was 24, my mom and I went on the road a lot to see the Oak Ridge Boys.  It was a load of fun and I got to see a lot of the country following their bus.  My mom was simply addicted to them.  If they were within a 24 hour drive away from the house we went…happily.  Most weekends and every school vacation were devoted to road trips, concerts, and visits to the beach if the weather cooperated.   If they were anywhere close, and even sometimes if they weren’t we went.   The Oak Ridge Boys, Band, and Crew became like family to me.  It was nice having that many “big brother” types about.  We traveled along the east coast, in the south, up north, and all over the Midwest with them.  It was a lot of fun and I have amazing memories from those years that I will cherish for the rest of my life.  Thanks to Face Book, I still stay connected with them all as they continue to tour and I take care of my family.

        There are so many places I would like to see in the world and so many places I would like to travel to and explore.  I am realist though, and I am content if it never happens.  As they say, as long as there is breath in this body, anything is possible and there is still hope. 

The Music in Me

I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words 8th – 14th December 2013. 

     Ever since I could remember music has been the driving force of my life.  It has always been playing in the background.  It is as if my soul needs it to thrive.  I love all types of music.  I love the music that touches my heart and mimics my very thoughts and emotions.  I  crave  music that excites me, gets my blood pumping faster, and my body and head pulsating to the beat.  Somehow I doubt my love for that driving beat will ever change.

        When I was little I remember loving my records and record player.  I could spend hours listening to music.  One song played right after another.  I would dance.  I would sing along.  If I wasn’t playing music, my mother was and lots of it.  Growing up my mom and I went to lots of concerts becoming great friends of many who made their life in the music industry.  I even fancied at one point wanting more than anything to be part of that industry heading straight to Nashville, Tennessee to study music business at Belmont University following high school.  I didn’t plan on becoming homesick or disillusioned, but I was and came home.

 

         When I was about 10 I made up my mind that I wanted to play the piano that stood in the living room.  My mom bought me music books and I began teaching myself.  I learned to read music in class at school and applied that knowledge to my efforts at home.  I would sit at the piano for hours playing every single song in every songbook one right after another.  By the time I was in my 20’s I had mastered the classics and preferred playing them because they provided a challenge.

 

         All through school I sang in the choir and loved it.  When I left school I sang in the choir at church.  Around that time I decided I wanted to take my music to the next level and decided to take piano lessons.  I remember that first lesson.  I took one of my favorite songbooks containing pieces composed by Bach and to my tutor’s amazement played almost perfectly the “Canon in D”.  She taught me which fingers to use where and my playing was perfected.  With her at my side I explored all the classical composers.

      While growing up one of my main musical influences were the tight harmonies of the Oak Ridge Boys.  From the age of about 11 years old on, my family spent almost every weekend and school holiday on the road with the Oak Ridge Boys.  They became dear friends and like family.  They were a significant part of my childhood and through them I met many other illustrious performers across genres in the music industry, attended music award shows, and had some amazing experiences making memories that I cherish to this day.

         These days music is still the backbone of my existence whether I am writing, commenting, creating artwork, or doing housework music is playing full blast in the background.  I type faster to a beat.  My thoughts flow and my creativity soars.  With music, I am inspired and I always want MORE!

Books Haiku

I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words 8th – 14th December 2013.

Anticipation

Adventure knowledge rapture

Between its covers

Food

 I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words 8th – 14th December 2013.

       Food is a major part of any celebration.  Whoever coined the phrase eat, drink, and be merry knew what they were talking about!  With the gluttony of Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas just around the corner I am eagerly anticipating another big holiday meal.  Since I am the cook, the extra work associated with preparing a huge feast is largely up to me. 

        Christmas is full of time honored traditions and rituals and what’s on the menu is no exception.  Every year I bake a ham for dinner.  There are an assortment of sides and usually a special dessert.  One dish that has become a tradition is cheesy hash brown casserole.  It is a dish I prepare every year which the whole family looks forward to with eager anticipation.  It is that good!   It simply wouldn’t be Christmas without it.  No more than it would be New Year’s Eve without steaks on the grill with baked potatoes drizzled with cheese sauce.  Holidays bring the plate of deviled eggs to the table and dessert.  I rarely make dessert for the every day.  Holiday meals demand it!!  What would Thanksgiving be without pumpkin pie piled high with whipped cream?

     So while food is a basic necessity needed to survive, it also plays a major role in our holiday celebrations because we like to eat, drink, and be merry.   Where people gather there will always be food.  Lots and lots of food!!

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

1       bag of frozen hash browns thawed

      ½   C butter melted

1       C  sour cream

1       C  French onion dip

2       C  shredded cheddar cheese

1       can cream of chicken soup

½ C chopped onion

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Topping

  2 C cornflakes

 1/4 C butter melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix ½ cup butter, sour cream, French onion dip, cheese, soup, and onion in large baking dish.  Add potatoes and toss to coat.

Melt ¼ cup of butter then add cornflakes.   Toss to coat.  Top potato mixture with the cornflake mixture.

Bake for 1 hour.

Memories

I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words 8th – 14th December 2013. 

     There was a time period in my life when I chose to live in the past.  As some of the most important people I had known passed from this world I wanted nothing more than to live in my memories where they still resided.  I didn’t want to live in the now where they no longer were or think about a future where they would never be again.   I clung to their earthly possessions and photographs as if they could somehow become the person I lost.  I thought of them constantly and continually mourned. 

      Many writing prompts call for a person to delve into their pasts for inspiration.  Countless times I have looked back into my memories of those long ago days to a time period where I experienced a depression so all-consuming it is a wonder that I lived to tell the tale at all.  For years I went with the flow, drawing from those painful memories and reliving the past through those blog posts over and over again.  It was depressing and I wondered who truly wanted to hear my sob story.  Still it helped to write it because I was able to finally let the past go once and for all.  Believe me when I say, I know about loss and pain.  I know them both too well.  While there are also many happy memories to sort through over the course of my life, I rarely take them out and dust them off and reminisce any more.

        Still one of the best triggers for nostalgia is photographs and I have many.  It is funny how simply looking at a photograph will trigger an onslaught of memories.  Instantly you are transported back to that time when the picture was initially captured.  You remember the circumstances.  Past conversations and laughter echo and my heart strings are tugged.   A tear of nostalgia wells in my eye.  They make me smile.  As my children get older occasionally I will see a glimmer of the babies they once were in their facial expressions and mannerisms and I pull out the old photos and reminisce about those days.  Time marches on and the memories live in in a deep place in my heart.  Every now and then, I take them out and dust them off and remember.

       While most of the time I hate to dwell in the past, it is so important to remember the past to be able to understand the present and give direction to the future.  It is important to know what got us to where we are today.  No matter how much pain occurred, it happened for a reason so that wisdom and strength could be gained.  Without it a person would never be able to move forward in life.  I don’t think there would be anything worse than to be struck with Alzheimer’s like my Grandma was in later life and robbed of those precious memories with no earthly idea how you got to the place where you are.  Memories make us who we are and shape our identity.  Without them we become a lost soul wandering the world in a darkness that can only be imagined.

7 Points At a Time

I am taking part in “The Write Tribe Festival of Words 1st to 7th September 2013".  

     On a crisp autumn Saturday afternoon, there is only one focus at my house.  As soon as the game starts, all eyes are on the television.  The volume is raised.  We wear our blue and gold with pride and the excitement level is at a fever pitch. 

      The fighting Irish of Notre Dame take the field to thunderous cheers.  We cheer the Irish watching each play down the field celebrating each first down, arguing every bad referee’s call. 

        Touchdown Notre Dame!  We jump up and down in jubilation.  The fight song is played. The kick is up and it is good.  Seven points light up the scoreboard.  The crowd goes wild!  I go wild screaming myself hoarse.  No matter the year or how old I get, it’s tradition and always will be.  Go Irish!  Seven points at a time onward to victory.