Imagine the Possibilities

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

Our rescue, Cyrus, is a love and has brought so much joy to our lives. He loves meeting new people, going for walks, and riding in the car. He rarely barks and doesn’t chew furniture or beg for table scraps. But, he has one very curious behavior that we don’t really understand…he doesn’t like feet. Mostly, my feet…and only at night.

Last night I was quietly sitting on the couch. Cyrus was lying on the floor between the couch and the coffee table. He prefers being between objects. Protected, so to speak. I got up and he immediately pounced on my feet. He hadn’t done it in a while, and I may have startled him, but there was that odd behavior again. He doesn’t bite me, just pounces, and then usually grabs his nearest toy as if I got up to grab it.

We adopted Cyrus when he was about a year old, so we don’t know much about his early life. We were told that he spent a lot of time tied up outside and that it was a neighbor who always made sure he had food and water. It was most likely that same neighbor who alerted authorities so that Cyrus was eventually removed and taken to a shelter.

Why the curious behavior? Perhaps he was kicked as a pup. Perhaps it’s at night that he remembers his fears and worries…much like humans. Perhaps he’s afraid of someone or something taking away what belongs to him. We can only guess.

A hug, a reassurance, a gentle pat is all he needs when this happens. And we are happy to oblige.

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

When I open my computer at the start of the day, I am greeted by a picture from the Microsoft Windows photo gallery. I love seeing scenes from different parts of the world, and often they provide a spark of an idea for a story or compel me to find out more. Like the time there was a picture from Morocco of goats sitting in argan trees. It almost looked like fake news, but it was true. Goats in Morocco really do climb argan trees to feast on the fruit. Fascinating! (There’s got to be a picture book idea in there somewhere.)

This morning I woke to a kangaroo on a beach in Queensland. There was something about the way the light illuminated the beach, or maybe it was the lone kangaroo amid a sea of sand. I had never associated kangaroos with beaches, and it was mesmerizing.

I clicked on the picture and was rewarded with a beautiful description:

As the sun rises over a wide beach facing the Coral Sea, a kangaroo arrives for a breakfast of mangrove pods and seaweed. Trails just inland from the sand curve through a large forest of mangrove and eucalyptus trees, where sugar gliders hang out during the day and sail down from the treetops at night.

Sounds like a place I will need to visit someday.

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

I sat at the computer wondering what I could use as my slice today. I usually pick out some small detail from my life that I normally don’t think much about, and try to find the significance in it. That’s one of the things I love about SOL – it presents life through a different lens. But nothing was coming to me. Then I remembered the family in the restaurant at breakfast this morning. What was it about them that made me take notice, to remember? And I found my slice.

Allan and I were at one of our favorite places for breakfast this morning. There was a family of four at the table next to us. The children, a boy and a girl, were about the same number of years apart as are my children. I watched them, the little girl in her high chair feeding herself bits of cut-up pancake, the little boy using the jelly packets as building blocks.

I looked at Allan and we both just smiled. I’m sure we were thinking the same thing – that could have been us many years ago. Back then, our conversation might have revolved around our schedules for the week or what summer activities we were planning with the kids. Actually, as I think about it, the conversation wasn’t all that different this morning. We talked about places in the area we wanted to visit on day trips and our upcoming weekend of babysitting our grandson, Alex.

And we talked about the future, since life has a habit of repeating itself. Our second grandchild is due to be born in the fall. We just found out it will be a sister for Alex. Perhaps I was thinking of my son’s family, too, this morning. Past, present, and future.

I have a lot to be thankful for.

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

I noticed her scurrying toward the door as I was getting out of my car. She wore pink flowered boots and had a matching umbrella to protect her from the steady rain that was falling. A hot pink ruffle of tulle peeked out below the bottom of her coat. By the time I reached the inside entrance to the library, her mother had helped her remove her raincoat and place it in the corner with her umbrella. I casually commented that I liked her skirt.

“It’s a tutu,” she corrected. “But thank you.”

As I unloaded the bag of picture books that I was returning, I noticed other children gathering in the room opposite the front desk. Story time! I craned my neck, trying to see what book the group would be enjoying. I looked for a sign announcing the title, but came up empty. A hundred thoughts raced through my head.

Could I just sit quietly in the back, maybe?

I didn’t see any other adults entering, but so what? Was there an age limit on Story time?

I like hearing picture books, too!

Just as I was packing the last of the new books I was picking up into my bag, the door to the Story time room closed.

Maybe next time I should wear my tutu.

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

I spend a lot of time in the Children’s Garden at Longwood. While the fountains and architecture with child-sized nooks and crannies are constant, I’ve learned to look around, and especially up, for surprises. Today I noticed two new blooms – one on a philodendron and one on the White Bird of Paradise tree. I might have missed these beauties if I didn’t observe closely.

So, because it’s Friday and in honor of my observations, I humbly offer this haiku:

Bird of Paradise

Exotic blooms welcome spring

Regal evergreen