Lightning Flashes

Lightning flashed.

I don't like thunderstorms and I especially don't like them in the convertible. Well, not the storm IN the convertible, but me in the convertible with the storm outside it. I'm riding to Rhode Island with my husband to meet up with our daughter who is driving up from PA today. My husband will go to work and I will drive back home with her and the baby, so she only has to drive halfway by herself. Her husband will come up in a couple of days..

Her cousin, my niece, is getting married this Saturday, so any last minute fixes and photos she will help with.

On a tight budget, my niece enlisted the help of her sister to do the wedding photography. All was wonderful until the sister realized she, being the maid of honor, was going to have to be in many of those photos she had to take.

So my daughter said if only she had a good camera, she could learn how to do the wedding photography.

Hmmm.

I said, "Guess what? I have one of those good cameras. I have a Canon Evolt with an extra lens. It's a digital SLR."
"What is wrong with our family?"
"What do you mean?"
"That we think we can do something that we've never tried before? And that we want to do it."

I don't know. But I know what she means. We all love trying new things and proving that we can, at least at some level, do them!

When My husband and I got married, I made my gown, my veil and my candles. I made our handwritten invitations. And my soon to be husband and I decorated our wedding cake. I had never done any of those things before, nor have I since. My brother took the photos. He was in the Coast Guard, he was not and is not a photographer. We all had a wonderful time and our pictures came out great!

My daughter has had my camera for 10 days. She's downloaded the manual, studied creative wedding photos online, saved lists of "required" photo poses, and has some artistic poses in mind She's a wedding photographer now.
I'm not sure it's something wrong with her.

Oh, yea! The storm's over. I can look up again.

Memories Day

Memories Day

keeping

time
in a box
keepsakes
of spent time
memories
packed up and stored
forgotten trinkets
of parents' past
everyday clothing
Sunday jewelry
Coast Guard tags
calendars
watches
timekeepers
no longer
keeping
time

© 2012, Donna JT Smith

Saturday on Monday

I took a couple of days off, and have returned refreshed!  I have not finished compiling my poems, as I'd really like photos to go with them.  So I'll look into getting those this week.

We spent Saturday up at Gull Haven...my husband mowing the lawn, and me singing at the top of my lungs in the house.  No one could hear me because of the mower, I'm sure.  That's what I told myself anyway.

It was absolutely the most gorgeous day in the world.  I took this picture out the doorknob hole.  We brought up doorknobs for the two entry doors, so this will be the last time I look out the doorknob hole to see the view.  I guess that's what they make windows for.

blue and green ribbons

land, ocean and sky

 

picture perfect day

framing a moment

rushing to move on

put in the doorknob

and open the door

new beginnings of

adventure and rest 

renewed and refreshed

©2012, Donna JT Smith

Thank you, Lynn for the Kreativ Blogger award!  That was very kind of you!  I went to your post today and then went back to catch up on others, and saw my name there on your Friday post.  That was a pleasant surprise to get during toast and coffee!

 I will post my responses to this award later today.  I have to run up to Gull Haven with a toilet and the outside lights.

1.   Thank and link back to the person who presented you with the award.- See above!!

2.   Answer the ten questions below.

3.   Share ten random facts/thoughts about yourself.

4.   Nominate seven worthy blogs for the Kreativ Blogger Award.

 

Ten Questions:

What is your favorite song?

"It is Well With My Soul"

What is your favorite dessert?

Whoopie Pie - only chocolate with white filling, of course - the others aren't whoopie pies.  Are you listening?  The others are NOT whoopie pies.

What ticks you off?

See previous question!

When you're upset, what do you do?

eat ice cream

Which is/was your favorite pet?

This is too hard.  If ice cream could be a pet, then that would be my favorite.  But since it can't then, probably Butch, our tiger cat, that let our kids suck on his ears when they were babies.

Which do you prefer to wear, black or white?

Black, naturally.  I smallens me and my white hair looks better on it than on white.

What is your biggest fear?

that my waitress/waiter/waitperson will not refill my coffee cup in time

What is your attitude mostly?
Evenly joyful.

What is perfection?

Jesus.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Watching "Project Runway"

Ten Random Thoughts About Me

1.  My husband and I run a Christian addictions program.

2.  I danced en point.

3.  I owned my first horse after I got married, and later we had 10 of them.

4.  I won $10,000 in 2002.

5.  I love my husband more today than the day I married him 40 years ago this September.

6.  I love ice cream a lot, and I love a lot of ice cream (is that two things?)

7.  My husband and I lived in a motel for 11 months while our house was being cleaned after a house fire.  We had a half closet and one bureau for two of us, and ate out every meal that whole time.

8.  We have built 2 homes and are renovating an old house as our next home now.

9.  We have lived in Maine, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, and we have been  back in Maine for the past 23 years.

10. I have never colored my hair.  It is quite white now and I like it like that. 

I would love to bestow this Kreative Blogger Award on a few people I don't think have received it yet.  I hope they are paying attention.  We'll see now, won't we?

Heads up to

Linda at Teacherdance

Deb at Coffee with Chloe

The Lumberjack's Wife

One Sunflower/Wake Up and Write

Tara at A Teaching Life

Diana at One Literacy Coach

Donna (a different one, not me) at My Write Spot

Today

Today is the day I am learning to get my A to Z Poetry book in order...
I need to redo pictures for it, as mine are Tagxedo images with copyrights.  So now I have the task of finding new images, or taking pictures.  I have some I can use, but not all.  I could try drawing them, I suppose.  Maybe after I have all the text set down in one place I'll be able to figure it out.  Maybe after I've read all the guidelines I'll think it's easy, why didn't I just do this a long time ago.  Maybe I need some coffee...

Last year, I had my class do a rewrite of The Seven Blind Mice, and they came up with a great book that we printed through Apple.

It is a beautiful book.  The kids were pleased and so was I.  We shared it at our end of year Author's Tea, gave a copy to the school library, and some parents purchased copies.

But this will be different.  With the Apple book, if someone wanted a copy, I'd have to order it from Apple.  It isn't digital and it's not promoted.  I didn't write it, so the kids really own it.

This WILL be different.  So I have to go figure out how to put it online, and I think with a paper copy option, and do pictures.  I think I will be busy today.  First I'll start the washing machine.  Oh, and get that coffee.

No Need to Cry Today!

I can see you through this hat!

This is a poem/song, to the tune of "I'm an Old Cow Hand, From the Rio Grande" by Roy Rogers, or by Gene Autry and Mary Lee. (hear the tune by clicking on a link).   An Ode-e-o to my little grandson!

No Need to Cry Today!

I'm a happy guy
Let me tell you why
Every need is met
I don't need to cry.

When my diaper's wet
You can surely bet
That my mom or dad
Will be there to get
This old wet one off
And I'll be all set 
A diaper that's dry, hooray!
A diaper that's dry, hooray!

If all goes as planned,
I will play in sand;
Got a cowboy hat
So I won't get tanned.

When the sun's too hot
There's a shady spot;
If it gets too cold
I get dressed a lot.
If it starts to rain
An umbrella's sought. 
Temperature's fine, hooray!
Temperature's fine, hooray!

I ride a bouncy stroller
It's a real good roller
And I have front teeth,
I don't need a molar.

I don't have a cup
Fill my bottle up;
I love mashed sweet yams
For a real good sup.
I will eat my fill
Till you hear "Bruppp"!
Tummy is full, hooray!
Tummy is full, hooray!

I can roll around
Till I can't be found;
I can stand up straight
Stomping on the ground.

When it's time for napping
I close my eyes,
Then I go to sleep,
You won't hear my cries,
I will snooze for hours,
The time sure flies!
Dreaming of happy days!
Dreaming of happy days!

© 2012, Donna JT Smith

Oh, he is such a happy guy!  He's back home, and I miss him, but he'll visit again really soon...I'm dreaming of more happy days!

Don't try this with Santa Claus!

Happy Birthday, Grampie!!!

Revisiting the A to Z Challenge

A to Z Blogging Challenge 2012 from Donna Smith on Vimeo.
The challenge went from A
to Z
I wrote until the hours
were wee
The days were fun and full
of glee
I’d written most in March
you see

So days could just be used
to read
I had no fires and flames
to feed
And I could sleep when e’er
I’d need
And follow blogs where e’er
they’d lead

I met great people of
the blog
Writing about master’s
wee dog
Or how they're lost in some
blog fog
And sitting in a cabin 
of log 

Some wrote their fiction with
a twist
Or ordered the towns in
a list
Then exercises meant 
for brains
Or blogs of cars or of
great danes.

Not all finished every
letter
Others got their feet much
wetter
Some days could have been much
better,
But I am not a sad
regretter,
I wrote about every
letter,
Year two should be even
better!


Suggestion:  Next year, maybe have tags for posts, or categories or headings, so we can bop around more easily to the ones we might have more interest in.  I still have a varied interest, but I'd like to know what is out there.  Food?  Pets?  Flash Fiction? Fantasy? Poetry?  Diary Logs?  Book Reviews?  Music? Etc.  I might visit all of these areas, but I'd like to have a clue before I go there.
It was a fun ride.  I had done most all the prep beforehand, but added extra poetry and links some days in April.  Because I had scheduled my posts, I could read more blogs each day, at least until I felt guilty that I hadn't done something else with my time and it was 3 pm.  Laundry won't do itself, you know!  And meals degenerated to chips and orange juice...
I threw out the 5 blogs after yours suggestion, as some weren't really participating, and some weren't really ones I wanted to follow.  So I started skipping around, looking for interesting blog titles - things that appeared to be something I might be interested in.
I had hoped to gain more followers, but I was pleased with the gains I made.  I started with 9 and ended with 51.  So that was pretty decent!  Not the 100 goal set, but still many more than I started with.
So I'm leveling off blog-wise for a bit, and then I'll get going again.  I had lots of encouragement to try to publish my poetry, so it seems that I should go for it.  I'd like some more original, non-blogged stuff though, so I guess I'd best get busy!

Spring Senses Revisited

Here's the thing:
I wrote this first poem and posted it yesterday.  Then I started messing around with it, kind of like the progressive poem that was done a bit ago, and edited all to pieces to come up with a new shorter poem.  Well, I tried that in my own way, with the poem from yesterday.  I kind of like all of them, for different reasons, and maybe the whole thing should be a poem, all together.  I could name the format with its editing rules even.  You will be able to discern what I took out each time and I think there is only one word change that was necessary.  So my question to you is, which one is the best version, in your opinion?  You can say you don't like any of them, and I will be slightly hurt by that opinion, but I will definitely take it into consideration, and it won't kill me.  I do think it will be fun to see/hear/read others' viewpoints, so if you could vote for the number of the favored version at the top of the navigation column here, swell!  If you can tell why in the comment area, sweller!  If you don't like them at all, you can say why - and I thank you in advance for that opinion, because I won't be able to respond while I'm crying...just kidding.  I can write when I'm crying because I can touch-type.

Spring to My Senses

1. (the original from yesterday)
Spring...
smells fresh
of grass and leafy buds
like greens and purples;
of dirt and worms
awakening.

Spring...
looks new
with changing shadows
like rippling waters;
with yellow dandelions
popping.

Spring...
feels soft
as a kitten or puppy
like a fuzzy friend;
as breezes
tickling.

Spring...
sounds gleeful
with goldfinches and robins
like a musical interlude;
with busy bugs
humming.

Spring...
tastes smoky
as blackened marshmallows
like burned bubbles;
as hot dogs
grilling.

©2012, Donna JT Smith
May 7, 2012


2.
Spring...
smells fresh
of dirt and worms
awakening.

Spring...
looks new
with yellow dandelions
popping.

Spring...
feels soft
as breezes
tickling.

Spring...
sounds gleeful
with busy bugs
humming.

Spring...
tastes smoky
as hot dogs
grilling.

©2012, Donna JT Smith
May 7, 2012


3.
Spring...
smells fresh
of grass and leafy buds,
like greens and purples.

Spring...
looks new
with changing shadows,
like rippling waters.

Spring...
feels soft
as a kitten or puppy,
like a fuzzy friend.

Spring...
sounds gleeful
with goldfinches and robins,
like a musical interlude.

Spring...
tastes smoky
as blackened marshmallows,
like burned bubbles.

©2012, Donna JT Smith




4.
Spring...
smells fresh,
awakening.

Spring...
looks new,
popping.

Spring...
feels soft,
tickling.

Spring...
sounds gleeful,
humming.

Spring...
tastes smoky,
grilling.

©2012, Donna JT Smith




5.
Spring...
smells
like greens and purples

Spring...
looks
like rippling waters

Spring...
feels
like breezes

Spring...
sounds
like a musical interlude

Spring...
tastes
like burned bubbles

©2012, Donna JT Smith


6.
Spring...
smells fresh,
of grass and leafy buds
awakening.

Spring...
looks new,
with changing shadows
popping.

Spring...
feels soft,
as a kitten or puppy
tickling.

Spring...
sounds gleeful,
with goldfinches and robins
humming.

Spring...
tastes smoky,
as blackened marshmallows
grilling.

©2012, Donna JT Smith

7.
Spring...
fresh awakening
new popping
soft tickling
gleeful humming
smoky grilling

©2012, Donna JT Smith
 

Spring Senses

Friends Sharing a Moment

I opened the slider, and the cat and dog shared the smells, the view and the breeze together.  I wondered which of the senses the animals most enjoyed during this close encounter with the outside.

Spring...
smells fresh
of grass and leafy buds
like greens and purples;
of dirt and worms
awakening.

Spring...
looks new
with changing shadows
like rippling waters;
with yellow dandelions
popping.

Spring...
feels soft
as a kitten or puppy
like a fuzzy friend;
as breezes
tickling.

Spring...
sounds gleeful
with goldfinches and robins
like a musical interlude;
with busy bugs
humming.

Spring...
tastes smoky
as blackened marshmallows
like burned bubbles;
as hot dogs
grilling.

©2012, Donna JT Smith

Tomorrow, a poetic exercise and an opportunity to vote on the one you liked best.

Happy Birthday!

It's my daughter's birthday today!  Yea!  And she is home for a bit visiting with her baby, so I get the presents!  Ha!  The joke is on her!

Somewhere in time
On this day in May
A daughter was
Born to me
And she is
As sweet as,
And as kind as,
And as beautiful as...
Nothing I can think of;
All compare to her.
Honey is as sweet as she,
Angels are as kind as she,
Her child is
As beautiful as she.

© 2012, Donna JT Smith

I could be prejudiced, but I'm trying to be objective here...really!

Ticks and Not the Tocks Kind

You know when I was little, we only had mosquitoes to be irritated by, and then, they weren't that bad.  Well, I'm excluding the bees and wasps genre, but really, that was it.  Now we have ticks in Maine.  And this year is the worst I've ever seen.  For the prior 12 years, even in the woods where we are, if you didn't go in the bushes, you were very unlikely to pick up a tick.  But so far in two weeks I've seen three of them, two of which have been on ME.  This second one was embedded.  I am not very good at this kind of thing.   I tend to get panicky when a creature wants to crawl on me, and close to madwoman when it wants to bite me.
Today, I was a big girl and did not hyperventilate or pass out when I found the tick on the back of my knee this afternoon.  My husband was not home.  My daughter had taken my car to a friend's house.  I was alone.  And I couldn't reach the back of my knee, and I was afraid to look at it in a mirror, knowing my propensity to panic or faint in such situations. 

Calming myself I found a box of matches and the new twisty tool that I'd JUST two days ago, picked up at the vet.  I had tentatively asked if they could also be used to get a tick out of a person.  They said yes, so I decided to buy the green cloven hoof thingy, just in case.
You may be asking why the matches?  Well, you are supposed to overheat a tick and it will back out of its hold, trying to escape.

Funny story - (at least now it is).  When we lived out in Minnesota, our dog got a tick on her ear.  Having lived in Maine where there were no ticks, I had never had to take one off a dog before.  I had heard from people there that if you put the match end up to it they would back out.  So I lit the match and did that.  You are supposed to blow the match out first, but in my defense, no one said that.  I tried to hold it as close to the tick as I could, without setting the dog on fire.  Evidently that isn't possible - the part about not setting the dog on fire.  She only got a few hairs singed down to clear the way for me to be able to get the tick out more easily.  I DID NOT hurt the dog.  I patted the smoldering hairs out before they burned her.  I have never lived this down.  I can tell you now, because all the damage has been done to my self-esteem that can be done by friends and relatives already.  And enough time has gone by - the statute of limitations has run out. 

So, where was I?

Oh, I had the matches and tools. I lit the match and blew it out.  I did not want to see the tick though, so this was not going to work even if I could see it, which I couldn't.
So I called my daughter's number to see if she could bop on home for a minute.  No answer.  I called her friend's number.  No answer.

I tried not looking and just taking a tissue and pulling on the tick.  Ouch.
I decided I had to go to my daughter at her friend's house. 
We, fortunately, have three cars.  My daughter had taken my car and my husband had his cute little Miata, leaving the Focus here, which is his winter and practical transportation.  The keys?  The keys.  He must have taken the keys to the Focus with him. 
Great.  Wait.  Spare key.
I looked in the cupboard where there was a plastic sandwich baggie with keys.  Two of them said Focus.  I took the newer one and headed out.  Whoops, where are the matches again?  I went back in and grabbed the matches and ran out.  Whoops, where did I put the tool?  Ran back again.  Nowhere in the house.  Whoops, in my purse.  I left again.

The key turned in the car, but didn't start it.  I went back in the house and got the other key.  Nope.  It wouldn't even turn in the ignition.  Why didn't I keep the other key with me?  I went back and got the first key again.  Aarrgghh!  Stupid, stupid, stupid.  Of course the car wouldn't start; this is a standard, not an automatic.  It starts when you do it right and are not thinking about that tick in the back of your leg, just sucking away at your life blood with its ugly little face.

I am proud of myself for not fainting, not chopping my leg off, not peeling out of the driveway and down the road like a maniac.  I didn't even bang down the front door when I got there.  I didn't have to be carried at any point.  I just came calmly in the house and gave my daughter the implement and the matches.  And she, being the daughter I raised and loved and sent to college, took that tick out.  I don't know what I would have done if not for her being close by.  What do people do?  The emergency room seems a bit of overkill...ha!  Literally. 

It's May!

Happy May Day!
Remember when we made May baskets and put them on a neighbor's doorstep, rang the bell or knocked, and then ran away?  They were supposed to chase you and give you a hug...or a kiss if it was your grandma or aunt or someone huggable like that!
I don't think kids even know about them anymore.  Pretty sad!
Anyway, happy May Day!
And I finished the A to Z Challenge.  I wrote poems for each day of the month (except Sundays), one for each letter of the alphabet, and made a tagxedo to go with each one, and tried to use a form of poetry that began with that letter (along with the font and style names of the Tagxedo).  I'm not sure what possessed me, other than my PCD (Poetic Compulsive Disorder).
So for today, I give you a haiku to May:

rainbow toes of spring

tiptoe past leaving color

in flowery paths

Enjoy the new month!