Day before November PAD

 Halloween Morning

 

Halloween morning

But it seems like night

Days are shortening

We’re missing some light

 

I think of Halloweens

When I was a child

Of costumes of ghosts

Or anything wild

 

Of our pillow-slip bags

Being filled with candy

Having an abundance of sweets

Was fine and dandy

 

Of friendly neighbors guessing

who you were

O, the years

Have become a blur

 

And now no one comes

Knocking at our door

We go to bed early

And begin to snore

NCBC journal

 A Day at the Nature Center

 

As the sun glowed red

I drove up the hill

While all around

Was silent and still.

 

Then the rain came down

And it was cold

So I talked myself

Into being bold.

 

And energetic

And ready for fun

Even if we wouldn’t

Catch a glimpse of the sun.

 

 

The kids came at nine,

A bundle of noise

Ready for adventure

Eleven girls and boys.

 

We learned the words “resourceful”

Along with “industry.”

When it stopped raining

We had something to see.

 

The habitats they had made

For miniature critters,

To think of real bears

Gave me the jitters.

 

Then some did needle felting

And some put on puppet shows.

And then we had lunch

Some ate fast and some slow.

 

We heard a story

About a giant kid.

We had puppet shows

And showed what we did.

 

The big kids felted flowers,

Alpacas, tractor and hearts

Then we journaled

Of our favorite parts.

 

The sun’s shining now

Ther rain’s not a hassle

And so we will soon

Visit the Bear Cub Castle.

 

And when the day is over

Will the sky be red?

Whether red or not

We’ll be ready for bed.

sunset Poetic Bloomings

 

The Sun’s Soliloquy

 

The silhouettes of he and she

The fading sun’s soliloquy

Speaking of romance’s birth

Glowing golden of great worth

 

And when the sun sets on those two

One final time when life is through

It voices times of pain and pleasure

And the love they did treasure

 

The sun continues its soliloquies  

Of more romance of hes and shes

Morning Reflection

 

Morning Thought

 

Microwave is beeping

Tea is done

Better quit fiddling

on the computer,

so my tea won’t get cold.

So starts the morning.

I need an internal beeper

to get myself moving.

Spooky Poetic Asides

 No Such Thing, Maybe

 

I don’t believe in ghosts,

aliens, or Big Foot.

But don’t ask me to sleep alone

in an old, decrepit castle,

an open field in Snowflake, Arizona

or high up in Colorado mountains.

I’ve read too many stories

by people who do believe in them.

Poetic Bloomings Colors

 

Colors

 

Thank You, Lord, for colors.

My favorites: purple, aqua,

Red-orange, blue green

Periwinkle, yellow orange

Will there be colors in Heaven

that we don’t have on Earth?

Will we get to name them

like Adam did with the animals?

Will it take a hundred years

just to paint all the colors?

Dilemma

 

Phone has no sound

Went to repair place

Sign said ring bell

Or call this number.

The doorbell was broken.

My phone was too.

They lost a customer.

Birthday

 

I’m sixty five

Not my mother. Me!

I’m swearing off the hair dye.

I’ve earned these gray hairs.

haiku

 

What a day!

It was like walking in land mines.

Despite it all, I’m still in one piece.

Secret Poetic Asides

 

Secret

 

S haring not an option

E lusive but eloquent

C arefully keeping it in

R eticent and restrained

E nduring the silence

T elling God alone

Morning Reflection

 In the Moment

 

Quiet morning

Except the ringing in my ears

One light on

I had it on all night

It was the third night

Of caregiving.

Two more nights to go.

Six days can seem so long.

In a way though

It’s like a mini vacation.

This is a nice house.

And I don’t have my housework

Staring at me like at home.

I’ll just sit here and type away.

And pray

That God will solve world problems.

So glad He is big enough

To care for my small things.

He can handle the wars in Israel

And the Ukraine

And He can help me

With my three parttime jobs,

the floaters in my eye

and my kids and their problems.

So I’ll take a moment

In this quiet morning

And thank You Lord.

I love You

And I give You

Spiritual hugs and kisses.

Weather Poetic Bloomings

 A Weather Poem

 

Feeling pressure to write a weather poem

But my head is somewhere in the ozone

All blustery with this poetic drought

A mist of a muse, nothing coming out

 

So  here I sit in the doldrums and sigh

Hoping for a hurricane from on high

Perhaps a gully washer pouring down

Ideas to strike like lightning in town

 

But a dry Chinook wind blows through my thoughts

Or a haboob of dust leaving sand dots

Icicle ideas melt in the rain

Evaporating with nothing to gain

 

But then comes a rainbow with the bright sun

So with a flurry, my weather poem’s done.

Morning reflection

 Almost 65

 

I’m turning 65.

How would I describe

this part of my life?

It wasn’t what I expected.

Not sure what I did expect.

When hubby and I got married,

I had visions of spreading the gospel,

saving the world.

 

Comparing my vision

to what my reality is,

let me see….

I feel like a little spring violet

compared to a field of sunflowers.

Lovely, but fragile, easily overlooked.

 

I didn’t expect Loren to be disabled at this point.

I didn’t expect I’d be working three part-time jobs:

Writing, teaching homeschoolers nature, care giving

I thought my writing would be more productive.

I never thought I’d be asked to preach,

as I have twice this year.

 

I have a nice little home

and a beautiful yard, finally.

My kids are doing fair to midland.

 

I’ve traveled more than I expected.

Scotland, France, England, Wales

Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland,

The Caribbean, Kenya, Peru, Canada,

all fifty states plus Puerto Rico.  

 

I’m still trying, unsuccessfully,

to get my body in shape.

My spiritual life is a still pond,

rather than a roaring ocean.

 

Where am I going?

What are my goals?

Will I ever get much beyond this point?

I feel like I’m on a stationary bike.

Pedaling away.

Getting nowhere,

except closer to eternity.

Ready or not, here I come.

Nature Center at Butler Corner

 

Finding Our Way

 

Counting out the paces

Learning to find our way

Naming certain landmarks

A monumental day

 

Sometime in the future,

When the kids are all grown,

They can proudly say

“I painted this sign on my own.”

 

“And I helped give the trail

 Or landmark its name.”

As they tell their children,

It will be their claim to fame.

The Nature Center at Butler Corner

 

Hiking with Homeschoolers

 

Tramping through the forest

Full of golden leaves

While Ponderosa pines

Sway gently in the breeze

 

The blue sky and puffy clouds

Light up in the sun

We stop, snack and journal

About nature center fun

 

As the sun begins to set

It’s time to go home

We are all exhausted

Today was like a poem 

The Blank Poetic Asides

 

The Avocado Pit I Planted

 

Periodically,  I attempt an avocado plant,

but have never succeeded.

And this poor guy

seemed to be no different,

soaking in a glass of water

with corn holders stuck in its side.

 

It finally rooted,

no greens out the top, though.

I stuck it in the dirt,

thinking of Jesus’s words,

“Unless the seed die...”

Nothing showed.

 

I devised plan B for its cute pot.

Then lo and behold!

The day I brought in its replacement

a gray stem stood a few inches.

When I came back from a Peru trip,

Leaves! And ten more inches.

 

I sat my avocado plant

by my writing chair

where I could see it every day.

I wonder at my own interest

and delight as each new leaf

forms and grows.

 

Why I am I so pleased

when I see this plant thrive?

It’s about two feet tall now,

with ten leaves,

some great big

one barely forming.

 

It’s gratifying to see

something I did thrive.

Now, I’m watching

for some growth

in all of my projects.

Maybe, just maybe,

those seemingly dead ones

will surprise me.

Time Poetic Bloomings

 

A Matter of Time

 

In a matter of time

Time will not matter

Like a baseball

To the batter

 

When death strikes

And all goes dark

We will be hit

Out of the park

Time Poetic Bloomings

 

Time

 

T oday was tomorrow yesterday.

I n time, tomorrow will be today.

M inutes tick by seemingly faster.

E ternity waits, let us pray.

Time Poetic Bloomings

 

Tick tock goes the clock

It’s louder when all’s still

Announcing with assurance

You’ll soon be over the hill

From autumn photo

 

Why I Can Sing

 

I wandered down a shady road

One sunny autumn day

The leaves shone orange and gold

God’s glory on display

 

I wondered as I wandered

How life can be so short

When God is eternal

Are we here just for sport?

 

Like the autumn leaves

We’ll soon fall to the ground

And then all that’s left

Is a gravestone by a mound

 

But after a cold winter

Comes the new life of spring

Eternal life is coming

And that’s why I can sing

 

So, while I’m here on earth

I pray His glory shines through me

And that others will anticipate

God’s eternal spring

Morning Prayer

 Still On the Vine

 

You’ve given me a harvest

But it’s rotting on the vine

The grapes that I’ve grown

Should be turned into wine

 

And the wine should be given

To those who have thirst

But what is it that makes me

do everything else first?

 

Lord, give me wisdom

To share what I have

And not take the fruit

Right to the grave

 

May I complete

what You called me to.

And glorify Your name

In all that I do.

experiment with form

 

Phone Call

 

He chatters on incessantly

Video games, forget the names

I try to listen faithfully

Help me, dear Lord, I am so bored!

One to Ten

 

Fall

Bright Leaves

Earthy smells

Crunch when walking

Candy haunting me

Jack-O-Lanterns grinning

Sunny afternoons, cold nights

The days are getting too short now

Better go for a color ride soon

I am dreading the coming of winter

Sig

 He wears a fluorescent orange jacket.

With bright eyes and wide smile,

it looks like he swallowed the sun.

Dizaine

 Starting the Day Twice

 

I’m up before the crack of dawn again

So I get dressed and so begins my day.

Beginning with devotional and then

I thank Him for the good things, when I pray.

I listen for what words the Lord might say.

He cares for me so I present our needs.

And let His words go deep like fruitful seeds.

And then I’m tired, so I go back to dreams.

When I awake, I’ll follow where He leads.

So I avoid the enemy’s bad schemes.

Return Poetic Asides

 

We’ve been waiting over two thousand years

But God considers that a snippet

Jesus will return

return Poetic Asides

 

I love Wales, Scotland, Ireland

Will I ever return

when there’s so much more to explore?

return Poetic Asides

 

Autumn has returned

Dressed in gold, orange and wine

Enjoy! While there’s time.

Morning Devotion

 A Her Who is a Hymn

 

Whatever I do

I worship You

What ever I think and say

Let it be praise

You are worthy

Creator of the universe

King of kings and Lord of lords

Lover of my soul

You cleanse and make me whole

May my life be a hymn sung to You.

Lake Geneva August 26, 2023

 

Okay Last Day

 

Judy posted about she and Karen leaving

Went up to her apartment.

Snapped pics of four sisters

Then almost the whole group.

 

Hiked with most of the Baehr clan.

It took us a while to get going.

We walked quite a ways

went up some hills, could feel it.

 

Had lunch and played Quiddler

Began packing.

Went shopping at town.

Had chai tea at a pie shop.

 

We strolled the streets for souvenirs.

The Baehr crew went home,

That left me and my kids.

We shopped some more.

 

I got an expensive Christmas ornament

and a fridge magnet.

Everything is expensive

in Lake Geneva.

 

In the evening, Baehrs had BBQ.

I was tired and went home early

while everyone else

played games.

Lake Geneva August 25 Friday

 A Day Full of Fun

 

We got up in the morning

And packed up for the lake

Swimming gear and picnic lunch

That’s what we’d take

 

We stopped at a farmer’s market

Where I was tempted to buy a painting

Lin and I walked around the lake

Until I felt like fainting

 

We gawked at the mansions

Sitting on the hill

And the expansive lake

With the water oh so still

 

We sat by the coolers

With food to the brim

But Linda and I

Had no time to swim

 

Back at the apartments

I rested my poor back

And then we played Quiddler

After I left the sack

 

Then Sisters Night Out

A fish fry at the resort

Then called sister Kathy

All the fun we’d report

 

The back to the apartment

Movies of when we were young

From morning till night,

It was a day of great fun.

 

 

 

Wants and Needs Poetic Bloomings

 

Wanted

 

I have a long “want” list:

A kayak and friends to kayak with

An ebike and friends to ebike with

To hike more and friends to hike with

A new car or van that works for us.

There are about eighty-four countries

I’d like to visit and several places in the USA.

I’d like to see my sisters more.

I’d like to be published more.

I’d like to paint more.

I’d like to learn to play my ukulele better.

I’d like my husband to be healed.

I’d like to see my kids thrive in all ways.

I’d like to glorify God in all I think, say and do.

When I meet the Lord, I’d like to hear,

“Well done good and faithful servant.”

I serve God with whom all things are possible.

He provides all my needs

and some of my wants.

I eagerly look forward to which of the wants

He wants to give me.