Imagine the Possibilities

Since it’s April, I decided to try writing my April slices as poems. I woke yesterday, the second day of April, the day after Easter…to snow. Although there was something magical and beautiful about watching those fat flakes fall, I’m ready for winter to be over.

I always get inspiration from Amy Ludwig Vanderwater at The Poem Farm. Her theme for April is the constellation Orion, and yesterday she wrote a terrific list poem, so I decided to try a list poem about the snow. I tried to capture my conflicted feelings but also create a picture in words and phrases.

April Snow

wet

silent

a chilly tree branch blanket

making daffodils droop

cheating spring

beautiful

Later in the day I purchased twenty small daffodils. Come on, spring!

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 was back walking Cyrus on the trail yesterday for the first time in a long time. It felt good to be back and I let my mind wander to noticing and wondering. As I thought, I wondered what Cyrus might be thinking (his thoughts in italics).

I wonder how far I will be able to walk today.

                                                                                                 On the trail again. Let’s go!

I wonder how the land being taken for the new housing development will affect the deer we sometimes see.

                                                         What’s that noise in the distance? What’s happening?

I wonder if we’ll finish our walk before it starts to rain.

                                                                                                       Smells like rain! Love it!

I wonder how Rina and Paul will react when they realize Caroline found their baby (from an audio book I’m currently “reading”).

                                                  What’s this new smell here? I need more time on this spot.

I wonder when we will start to see new growth on the trees.

                                                      New clump of green. Grass starting to grow.  I’ll water it.

Thank you to everyone at TWT for all of your hard work in organizing and sustaining this event, and thank you to everyone who read and commented on my posts. This is my fourth year of participation. In previous years I prepared for this event by rereading old notebooks, thinking of different structures, and sketching out a few posts. But this year was different. I jumped in with no plans, so I decided to really let myself notice the small things that happen daily – true slices of life. For the most part, I think I accomplished that goal, and I am proud that I managed to post every day while I was on vacation, keeping the momentum (my OLW) going.

Thank you all for being a part of this wonderful community of writers. See you on Tuesdays!

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.

Yesterday while checking out at Target I was greeted warmly by the cashier. I put my purchases on the belt and stood back to let him ring them up. As the Lemon Bar mixes beeped, he said, “Ummm. My lips are puckering!” Then, when the Peeps (because what is Easter without that Pennsylvania-born sugary delicacy) rolled by he commented, “It’s been kind of quiet here today. Haven’t heard a peep.” We laughed, and I must admit he brought a little fun to a rather mundane task.

Earlier in the week I chatted with a staff member at Longwood who not only shared a few jokes, but also recited a couple of poems.

And, I have fond memories of the housekeeping supervisor who stopped in my room each night I was in the hospital last January. After making sure everything was in order, he always had a joke or two to share.

At first, I looked at these encounters as a bit odd. But then I thought some more and realized each one left me feeling a little bit brighter. Anyone who goes out of their way to be friendly and bring a smile helps to make the world a little bit better.

I hope I can encourage a smile today.

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.

Winter decorations get packed away in cycles in our house. First, of course, are the Christmas decorations. Most of those find their way to the storage bins on New Year’s Day in between peaks at the football games. The poinsettias are allowed to remain until they start to look shabby or I get tired of them, whichever comes first. The Winterberry dishes that appear after Thanksgiving remain through January, sometimes into February. After all, the pattern is Winterberry. Next to go are the Dickens Village houses, a chore that can easily gobble up a whole morning or afternoon.

This morning I looked around at the last remaining reminders of winter. It’s time, I thought.

Soon the “sparkling snow” scented candles were replaced with hyacinth and lavender, citrus and sage in spring colors of purple and green. The snowmen were pointedly packed away in the basement (I reminded them that it was their time to hibernate). Then out came the wreaths – lilacs and daisies and ivy and jasmine.

The weather forecast is for a high of 67 degrees today. And today is the first day of baseball season!

Welcome Spring!

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 admit it. I’m a list maker. A serious list maker. A bullet-journal keeping, check it off when it’s done list maker. So you can imagine my frustration when a few things on my daily to-do list yesterday did not get finished!  An unexpected email led to my writing an article that should have been submitted March 1 (I mistakenly thought it was April 1). Then another email led to a follow-up phone call that led to another phone call. Then I got distracted when my fitbit indicated I was sitting too long so I had to get up and move (several times).

It isn’t that my day wasn’t profitable. I got things done, just not what I was expecting to get done. And there were definitely too many unchecked bullets left at the end of the day.

Well, as Scarlett would say “…tomorrow is another day.” Guess that day is today! Have a great one.