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.

In the past few days I’ve greeted old friends I hadn’t seen in a while and met new friends I hope to see again. With all of that, I’ve given and received a variety of hugs, so I started thinking about all the things a hug can say. Here’s a partial list:

Hello

I’m so happy to see you

Thank you

Take care

I’m sorry

I’ll miss you

You’re so special

Congratulations

I understand

I feel your pain

Goodbye

I know there are many more, but one thing is for sure – long or short, hard or soft, a hug is a warm embrace that can say so much. Make sure to give someone a hug 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.

We were on the road for about eleven hours yesterday, making our way home to PA. Classic Rock provided the background music, sparking the recollection of many memories. From time to time we received emails and messages from friends and family alerting us to the weather and wishing us safe travels. But there were also some random messages (including one birth announcement) and these:

From my daughter:

Do you still have my purple prom dress?

(Please keep in mind that Ann has not worn that dress in about 20 years! But, she works at a high school, so maybe she got invited to the prom!)

From my daughter-in-law:

Baby Brains plays guitar! How amazing!! We read it today and Alex listened for the whole book!

(I sent two books to my grandson recently, Baby Brains and Baby Brains Superstar.)

And this from a friend:

Are you on the road?

(Reply): Just got in to NC. Having peanut butter crackers and martinis for dinner tonight!

Are you out of money?

Traveling a few hours today before the snow will stop us. Hopefully home tomorrow.

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 was our last day in Florida. We didn’t have anything in particular planned, so we decided to make it Cyrus’ day. He’s been such a great traveler and companion.

What would make him happiest? How about a walk on the beach? If nothing else, there would be new smells to explore.

We found several in the area, one by the bay and one on the Gulf. To our knowledge, Cyrus has never been swimming. We took him to a pet friendly beach in Cape May once, but the waves seemed to freak him out. Still, we decided to give it a try.

Our first stop was the Belleair Causeway Boat Ramp in Clearwater. The beach is not extensive, but Cyrus loved getting his paws wet! He romped in the shallow water and almost didn’t want to leave.

Next stop was Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin. This area is beautiful – sandy, long stretches of beach, lots of access areas. But, there are waves, and Cyrus does not trust waves. He loved the smells and waking on the sandy areas, but the waves were just too much.

And no day devoted to Cyrus would be complete without ice cream. So, on the way home from dinner…

Not looking forward to another nor’easter coming our way, but it will be good to head home.

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.

Did you notice the sky last night? We came out of the restaurant to a gorgeous almost-over sunset. As we started back to the hotel I looked up and noticed the sliver of moon with Venus in alignment.

“Stop! I need to grab a picture!” I yelled. Of course my picture does not do it justice, but the sight was mesmerizing. I watched it the whole way back.

There is something very special about the moon, and I have always been fascinated by it. If I were a better poet I may have been able to capture the loveliness I experienced last night a little better. But there was something about that sliver of moon with the planet beside it that filled me with hope and peace and compelled me to write.

a sliver of hope

celestial bodies show us

all things possible

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.

This morning…

The fountains beckon us…listen, come closer, wonder. We make our way around the pond finding new delights, letting new thoughts in.

This morning I was on dog walking duty alone since Allan left to play golf. We’ve walked Cyrus together many times in the past few days, but because of my knee surgery I haven’t taken on that duty much at home in recent months. This morning I realized how much I miss our alone time on the trail.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy walking with Allan, but there is something special about getting lost in my own thoughts when Cyrus and I walk alone. Ideas pop into my head, I notice more, appreciate more. It’s a special time to wander and ponder.

The trail beckons us…listen, wonder, notice. Can’t wait to experience this joy again!