Just listen

I had one of those dreams last night, the kind where you are running around like a chicken with its  head cut off trying to herd baby chicks across a 8 lane highway . This ,of course, left me waking up feeling nervous and frazzled and I really do have too much to accomplish today to waste time on nerves so just in case any of you might be feeling the same way this morning for whatever reason I’m posting birds. Just listen to the birds,seagulls are notorious for their calls and usually it’s not a soothing sound but just listen to the birds .The sounds eventually get through the anxiety and one realizes that these are just communications, bird talking to bird. Now in real life, there are plenty of twits talking but just listen to the real avian population. It will calm you down and help you realize the truth of the matter. It’s Sunday, a lot of us have a very busy week ahead so take some time today to listen, just listen to the birds.

Sunrises and sunsets

As I was walking down to Rocky Top last night, I caught the sun setting over the brow and there was just something about it. Something that made me stop and preserve the moment. The contrast between the bright sun and the white fluffy clouds, the pasture fence and the gravel driveway pleased my eye so I thought I would share it with you . I seem to post more sunrises or early morning pictures but that is due to my daily walk which didn’t happen today because I was carryings up a winding staircase last night and this morning so my morning offering has transformed into an afternoon meditation. Hope your weekend is going well and has relaxed you and brought a big smile to your face.

Nature’s garden and my mom

My mother has long tended her garden up here on Fern Hill as she calls our current domicile. Since it sits in mostly shade, hostas have been her plant of choice but there are other varieties included such as lilies and roses. The thing I enjoy most about her gardens are the touches of whimsy. The little fairies and the little house which was to have housed birds I think but migrated to ground level and serves as a gathering spot for the fae. A dear friend gave me his hammock and it sits in the midst inviting passersby to come lay a while and take it all in. We sat and discussed the relocation of the containers of plants down to what will become her new garden and a new opportunity to explore a different layout. Sometimes something different is what is needed, change things a bit for we can grow too accustomed to the way things are and miss out on something really spectacular . The whimsy will travel as well although I am hoping the decapitated St Francis will be laid to rest and perhaps a new one will take its place as guardian over the animals and plants. So, to Thursday, I raise my coffee cup and say GOOD MORNING and good luck to all!

Morning moon

Good morning moon! Didn’t I see you high in the sky last night? Do you ever truly sleep dear moon? Yes, it’s Wednesday and due to a strange dream last night, I woke up in an uninspired mood this morning so I give you the moon to contemplate in its many incarnations. Full moons are always very beautiful even if they do inspire lunacy and childbirth. I’m not as fond of partial moons,seems to me to be half empty but I am assured the whole moon is still there, just obscured. At any rate, do not follow my uninspired state today, look around and find not only inspiration  but joy in the world around you and laugh hard at those who would do you wrong. Drives them absolutely nuts!

Rock Face

I’m one of those people who see images in the dots on the ceiling tiles and other places. I can conjure a whole story from a Rorschach test blot. It’s just the way my mind and imagination work . So the other day as I was walking down the hill, the face in this rock caught my eye. One has to to kind of squinch the eyes and not focus but there are two eyebrows and a nose and mouth. The thing is it’s an exercise in looking beneath what lies on the surface, going beyond the obvious and seeing what could be possible if the mind will open enough to see it. We’re all guilty of making snap judgements and passing something up because we saw nothing to hold our interest at first glance but in doing so we passed up the chance for something great. So, maybe give the “rock” a second look or the person or situation, you might just find a jewel of great promise. Have a terrific Tuesday!

My mother and I

But I was really a daddy’s girl. Don’t get me wrong, I loved and still do love my mother very much but when I was little, my father stood ten feet tall and could do anything. Time has passed and being an adult now myself, I realize just how much my mother helped him be my hero because in her eyes, he was her hero too. Four small girls, a farm and an old house to contend with,a budget that would today cause tears and anxiety in most of us, she managed . Was it a ” June Cleaver” type of life? Not even close, she made mistakes but she loved us and made sure we knew it and still does today even in the midst of what she deals with on a daily basis. I’m still a daddy’s girl and I miss him so much it hurts but I have a really good mother and it does help to remember our hero together. Happy Mother’s Day ,Carolyn Holmes!

Mother’s Day

This family picture is dated, quite a few additions since this was taken but the three females surrounding me are my greatest gift to the world. Everyone choses Mother’s Day or even Father’s Day to tell their parents how much they love and appreciate them but I’m going to switch and tell my children how grateful I am to be their mother. Of all the dreams I’ve ever had in my life, being a mother was top priority and I didn’t care what the doctor said, I’d rather have a shorter life and have these three beautiful, talented kids than live a long life. I wasn’t a perfect mom but I loved and do love my girls with everything that is in me. So, it’s Friday and this is the weekend to celebrate Mom but just remember, Mom is celebrating you!

Old things have beauty

Old things do have a beauty all their own. Not an obvious beauty but one that takes some thought and time to realize. The contrast in the lush green color of the surrounding leaves and the dark rust of this old fan are pleasing to the eye. So many times our eyes rush over older things and even older people and don’t see the beauty because it isn’t right there on the surface like it was when they were young. Sometimes we have to make ourselves slow down and really look at people and things to fully appreciate them. True beauty really does come from within if one thinks about it. Sometimes the most gorgeous person you know can open their mouth and all of a sudden you realize how ugly their soul is and their handsome visage grows hideous. So, take time, look beneath the surface and see the beauty inside and maybe even learn to appreciate old fans,aye?

window to another world

It does look a bit like a window. The shape is square and one would step from darkness into light but it’s not really a passage into another world, just a section of the road shrouded in darkness.Kind of like life sometimes, just dark and sad and we wonder how we are going to force ourselves to take one more step , then we see light ahead. Light attracts most people, we are drawn to it ,we relish the illumination and for most we need what is present in the light to live and be happy. Someone in my life is going through a horrible darkness right now and all I can truly offer besides my love is the hope of light. Just hang on , the sun will come back.

The Grove

 

By Brenda E Holmes

They stood there watching day after day, week after week, always faithfully following the changes of the seasons. There was just something different about these trees. They stood in a grove, a grouping of trees on the north side of town. They had been there for years. From time to time, people had clamored to have them cut down but for strange reasons, this had never come to pass.

One year, a prosperous bombastic entrepreneur had decided to buy the land and clear it in order to build a business center. He showed up on a gray blustery day with his heavy machinery and proceeded towards the grove. The closer he got, the more nervous he became. His palms sweated and his heart raced. Gritting his teeth he pressed on and actually managed to get within inches of the largest tree before falling dead of a massive heart attack as his hand reached for the lever to start .

After this, no one mentioned clearing the grove and years passed into years and soon the old stories were forgotten.

Still, the trees stood, weathering the changes and standing as stalwart as they had for eons. This caught the eye of Chloe Masters, a young aspiring botanist who had grown up in the town and had always been fascinated by the particular group of trees. She had often visited the spot and stood marveling at the colors of the foliage and textures of bark for they were just a bit different .Nothing obvious but just a shade off from the trees surrounding them but nothing one could really put their finger on. Just a vague feeling that something was different, not like the whole.

She decided that it was time to do a study of the grove. Take pictures, collect data and generally determine the age of each individual tree but especially the largest specimen. It stood at least 10 feet higher than those around it and this had not changed ever. Even the old men Chloe interviewed at the hardware store, remarked on this saying that that tree had been taller in the grandparents day and farther back……