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.

Ask yourself this question in the morning when you wake: in a world of possibilities, today, what will you make?    (from Be a Maker by Katie Howes)

There are birthday parties for babies and grandpas and everyone else in between. I’ve even been part of birthday parties for pets, houses, and cars. But one of the best celebrations is a book birthday – the day a book is released for sale.

Last night I attended the book birthday of Be a Maker from author, Katie Howes. I met Katie last year at a conference and was excited to join the birthday celebration of her third book. Be a Maker challenges readers to consider creativity, imagination, and purpose in the choices we make every day. It’s about considering possibilities in a world where everyone can make a difference.

Like most birthday celebrations, book birthdays have certain requirements. First, there must be an enthusiastic author ready to read aloud. I loved watching Katie share her labor of love, her passion for words and story clearly displayed. Bonus points if the illustrator can also be part of the celebration. (Be a Maker’s illustrator, Elizabet Vukovic, lives in San Francisco, so she wasn’t able to attend.)

Second, there definitely should be kids. Kids ready to interact and listen, kids ready to cheer and clap and laugh in the right places. Kids ready to warm the heart of the author and anyone else who happens to be listening.

Of course balloons and snacks are a must. After all, it is a party. A planned activity or craft is a nice touch. Last night we made bracelets from pre-cut measuring tape strips and decorated them with bits of colorful foam shapes.

I left with books and a little swag – bookmarks to help spread the news about this wonderful new book, and a button proclaiming that we can all help make the world a better place by being a maker.

It was a great way to spend an evening!

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.

One of the things I love about participating in the March Slice of Life is that it often gives me the opportunity to think a little deeper about my every day, ordinary activities. I go about life perhaps a little more aware, a little more present. Yesterday I enjoyed a trip to my neighborhood nail salon. Years ago, when I first started using a document camera in professional presentations, I became self-conscious about my nails. As a result, I started to have manicures on a regular basis. I’ve had tips, pink and whites, or gels done at the same nail salon for about ten years. And for much of that time, Ann has been my go-to technician.

Ann was a part-owner of the shop at one point, but has since sold her interest and now just works there part time. She came to this country from Vietnam in the mid 1970’s after the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnamese War. She settled first in California, then traveled east and raised her family in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She returns to Vietnam from time to time to visit relatives, although she doesn’t like to fly.

Over the years I have gotten to know Ann. She is friendly, gentle, and caring. She always asks about my daughter and daughter-in-law whose nails she has also done. Ann has an eye for color, often suggesting a shade I didn’t consider, and it always looks great. She and I both have one grandchild, so we always swap stories about our grandkids. I am grateful to have learned about Vietnamese culture and traditions from her.

Yesterday, as I sat chatting with Ann, I realized that she is more than my nail technician, more than just a passing acquaintance – she is also a friend. We have known each other for quite a while, and I look forward to our visits.

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.

Father Hawk stretches wide his wings.

You stretch your arms as Mars rises red in the sky.

(from Hawk Rising by Maria Gianferrari with illustrations by Brian Floca)

I stood by the door to the back yard sipping my coffee. Early morning light danced on the horizon, creating shadows on the snow-covered grass. I watched the sparrows and chickadees play at the feeder, then I noticed something else.

What was that large form on the low branch of the maple? I wondered. Then I saw it turn its head ever so slightly.

An owl? Too big.

A vulture? Not the right color.

A hawk? Most likely.

Before I could grab my binoculars to investigate more closely, she spread her wings, leaped from her perch, and was off, climbing higher and higher. I marveled at her beauty and power. I’ve noticed hawks flying high in the sky, but can’t recall seeing one so close to the house, and right in my backyard!

The next day, I noticed her again. Could she be after the many squirrels that scamper through the yard? Perhaps the birds? Or is there something deeper involved in her presence? Of course I did a little research and discovered that hawks are sometimes thought to be spiritual messengers. Observing them could be a call to see things from a higher perspective, to expand my knowledge and wisdom. Whatever it is, I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to observe this natural beauty from a closer perspective.

I’ll be looking for her again.

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.

My daughter, Annie, has always been on the go. Although she never really crawled on all fours, she scooted on her tummy in a make-shift army crawl. When she realized she could get farther and faster by scooting on her back, there was no stopping her. She was off.

Annie didn’t venture too far for college, but she did go out of state. During the summers she traveled around the country working for a company that provided clean-up services at concert venues. You might say she experienced things from the ground up. Music and travel and making new friends – what could be better?

After college, Annie worked for AmeriCorps, a job rich in experiences if not necessarily pay, that took her to live some 3,000 miles away in California. She took the opportunity to see even more of the country as she traveled back and forth for visits.

Two years later she was off again, going even farther away, this time to Costa Rica to teach English as a second language. While there, she visited other countries in Central America and became fluent in Spanish.

Annie will travel alone or with friends and go anywhere that sparks an interest. Last summer she spent time in Spain, and this summer there is talk of a trip to Columbia. She never ceases to impress me with her independence.

So, I wasn’t surprised at all when she sent me a picture yesterday of her first tattoo – an arrow on the underside of her left arm with the word “wanderlust.”

Perfect. In every way.

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.

Outside…

I wake to a thin coating of ice blanketing cars and trees and yesterday morning’s snowfall.  Muffled bird calls disrupt the quiet stillness. The backyard reminds me of a Wyeth painting – a sea of whites and grays in a sepia world. Woodpeckers and chickadees vie for position at the bird feeder. Cyrus trots out, sticks his snout in the air. He detects new smells, then follows fresh tracks. Who’s been here?

I wonder.

Inside…

I’m surrounded by warm cuddles and coos and curious grins. I walk carefully among colorful blocks and pompoms. Cars and trucks honk and beep with the press of a button. I sit with books and read about a construction crew, Gerald learning to dance, and what animals in the forest like to eat (I have help with the page turns). I drink in that sweet smell of  baby. Or is that from the banana he just ate? Cyrus follows a trail of cheerios into the kitchen. Who’s been here?

No need to wonder…Alex is visiting.