New Years Q & A Pilfered from Slowtoread

New Years Q & A Pilfered from Slowtoread

1. Will you be looking for a new job?

No, I have 2 already. One I will retire from in 7 years, I’ll have 31 years in at that point. The other one I just love too much to do away with, and it pays well.

2. Will you be looking for a new relationship?

Nope, got all I want in what I got.

3. New house?

Thought has crossed my mind, but not too serious about it. I like my crooked, drafty house with one name on the mortgage ... MINE!

4. What will you do different in 2008?

I will stop spending all my money on my kids, my grandkids, and moochers. I will make a budget and stick to it.

5. New Years resolution?

Reluctantly, I resolve not to drink so much coffee. Guess three pots a day is a bit excessive. Wonder if that has anything to do with the anxiety I’ve felt lately? Nah, it’s probably something else.

I resolve to get more sleep. Of course, my area supervisor is going to get upset when I don’t make it into the classroom on time. Go to bed earlier? Why, that’s unthinkable. That would require missing the end of a TV program that I’ve only seen once or twice before - or, even worse, not reading all my email.

I could spend less time on the computer and more time on self-improvement type activities? Ha, don’t be ridiculous, how can I know what to do to improve myself if I don’t look it up on the Internet?

I would resolve to stop drinking, but since I am a non-drinker, maybe I’ll just resolve to remind everyone else that they should stop. Boy, that ought to make me really popular!

I might resolve to be neater and to organize things better. Of course, I would have to wait until I have time to get organized before I could do this one. Compulsive neatness makes people uncomfortable anyhow. I may need to prioritize on this one.

I could resolve to work harder and be more efficient. But to be efficient, I need to have some time off for relaxation and recovery. How can I be more efficient without rest?

I might resolve to take an educational improvement course of some type. Let’s see, cooking? No, I already know how to cook. Golf? I’m not interested in hitting balls around. Music? It takes too long to learn. I just can’t think of anything that I want to improve enough to devote the work necessary to do it.

Probably I could eat more nutritiously and cut down on fats and calories. Of course, I’ve been trying to do that for years anyhow. Besides, everyone makes New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight. Nothing creative here. Maybe I could resolve to GAIN weight. Then if I don’t keep my resolution, I would be better off instead of worse off.

Maybe I could resolve to drive more carefully and always obey the speed limits. I do this one already. Ha, ha, just kidding you law-enforcement officers. (Whew!)

I could also resolve to relax more. Of course, just deliberating the need to relax makes my heartbeat faster and my blood pressure rise. Face it, if I relaxed any more, I’d be a couch potato. Pass the remote control, would ya?

Everyone resolves to save money. But, what’s the point of saving money unless I want to buy something with it? And if I’m going to spend it anyhow, why bother to save? All I do is eliminate the middleman by spending it as soon as I get it.

How about if I resolve to be more productive? I never did know what I was supposed to produce to be productive. Is it possible to be productive without a product, or is productivity itself a product? It all becomes very confusing.

That is the whole darn troubled with New Year’s resolutions. If you can, you already are. If you can’t, then why worry yourself to death with resolutions?

The best idea of all still seems to be the classic one of resolving not to make any New Year’s Resolutions.

6. What made you cry in 2007?

Letting go.

7. Any trips planned?

Always planned, depends on moolah and desire to leave my humble abode when the fancy strikes.

8. Wedding plans?

At first I typed out a resounding HELL NO!! But the I realized I do have wedding plans. My son who will turn 25 in July is getting married to a young woman whom I adore. I couldn’t have chosen anyone better for him. She completes him; he completes her. It’s a beautiful love affair that will culminate in a garden wedding in August.

9. What's on your calendar?

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December ... Monday, Tuesday ... well you get it, same ol’ same ol’.

10. What can't you wait for?

I can’t wait for my daughter to tell me she’s pregnant again... Now I might be getting ahead of myself here a bit seeing that my sweet Cloey Jo is only 2 months old, but Becca does pregnancy and babies so well that I’m sure I’ll hear the words at some point in the year.

11. What would you like to see happen different?

I’d like to see my paychecks last longer. I’d like to see my monthly budget increase and my bills decrease.

12. What about yourself will you be changing?

My last name. When I divorced some 5 or 6 years ago, my judge would not allow me to change my last name until I remarried or my youngest child turned 21. She did in June, so $20.00 and a form at the courthouse and I will own my own last name once again!

13. What happened in '07 that you didn't think would ever happen?

I didn’t think that he’d listen, he did and is now in a Rehabilitation Center. It’s his second stint in, but what the heck.... he’s trying. Of course it’s way passed too late for it to be for us, but it’s not too late for it to be for him. I wish him sobriety.

14. Will you be nicer to the people you care about?

I think that will be engraved on my headstone : "She was a nice lady." No, nice is something I know and live.

15. Will you dress differently this year than you did in 2007?

Nope. No siree! I am a comfort gal all the way! I wear jeans, sweatshirts, Berkinstocks or Keds. White bobby socks, big ol’ grannie panties and the first thing I take off once I hit home is my brassiere. No make-up and no fancy shmancy hair ritual. Plain as they come, and I like it that way.

16. Will you start or quit drinking?

I don’t drink a lick, and changes are I won’t quit smoking today, or tomorrow, who knows what might happen once I get the nerve up to let it go.

17. Will you better your relationship with your family?

Family. I love my family. My folks, my children, my grandchildren, my cousins, my aunts and uncles, well it just don’t get none better there. I do have 2 brothers. They are my only siblings. There has been animosity between us since the day I was born. I would like it to be better with them, but will it be? Probably not now, probably not ever.

18. Will you do charity work?

I do charity work now. I read at the library for the babies, I read at the old folks home for the well, old folks. I help out now and then at the Angel Food Ministries. I do as much as feasible, but not as much as I would like to do.

19. Do you expect 2008 to be a good year for you?

I have high hopes. I have recently began the journey of finding my own damn way in this world. It was a tentative beginning, I’m nowhere near where I want to be emotionally, but I just take the minutes as they come, one at a time. And I keep my grandma’s mantra in my mind as the minutes sometimes slow down to a crawl on my emotional scale, "And this too shall pass."

20. How much did you change from this time last year til now?

Um, ch-ch-changes, turn and face the strange changes.... I didn’t change much, but my world ... Greatly.

21. Will you still be friends with the same people you are friends with now?

You betcha! I love people. I want more, more more!

22. Major lifestyle changes?

I think this is a redundant question. Unless I find a new sexual orientation, lay with dogs, or discover a hidden fetish, the answer is no.

23. What will you make sure doesn't happen in 2008 that happened in 07?

I will make certain, damn certain that no man controls me, not in 08, not ever again. I will not settle... for anyone, especially for me. I will make sure that the next man I lay my heart out for is not a drunk, or an abuser, or anything but good to and for me.

24. What are your New Years Eve plans?

I invited a man over to stay the holiday with me. He’s asleep in my bed right now. Okay, fine he is my little man, but his sweet, sticky kisses are the best kisses a YaYa could hope to have!

25. Will you have someone to kiss at midnight?

No, hopefully little man will be asleep by 7:30! I will tiptoe ever so quietly it to see his angelic sweet baby face and lightly kiss his cheek and wish us both a happy year to come.

26. Wish for 2008?

Yes.

My wish for YOU in 2008 -

May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts. May the pockets of your pants become a magnet for money. May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips! May your clothes smell of success and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy. May the problems you had forget your home address! And may the fleas of a thousand camels infest the cloth of those who make you unhappy!

In simple words ............
May 2008 be the best year of your life!

and I am smiling ...

love me later~tj

Eugene Slips In...

I was scrapbooking all day. I was really into it with paper pieces strewn everywhere. I did 24 pages in a marathon craft day. Way back this morning, I had kicked my slippers off, my old comfy pair I wear outside to get the paper and the mail. Well, I suppose my Eugene felt a little bit like I was ignoring him, poor kitty. He wasn't gettin' any momma lovin'.  I turned around and had to grab my camera. Did you ever see a cat wearing slippers? You can't really see it in the photo, but he has one paw in each slipper. It was worth taking a laugh break.

and I am smiling

love me later~tj

My Christmas Wish For You

(My Sweet Santa Daddy and his Great-Grandchildren)   My Christmas Wish For You My Friend

My Christmas wish for you, my friend Is not a simple one For I wish you hope and joy and peace Days filled with warmth and sun I wish you love and friendship too Throughout the coming year Lots of laughter and happiness To fill your world with cheer May you count your blessings, one by one And when totaled by the lot May you find all you've been given To be more than what you sought May your journeys be short, your burdens light May your spirit never grow old May all your clouds have silver linings And your rainbows pots of gold I wish this all and so much more May all your dreams come true May you have a Merry Christmas friend And a happy New Year, too! love me later~tj

It's not "...eight strapping, virile reindeer..." for a reason

If they were male

it would be "...eight strapping, virile reindeer..." or "...eight beer swilling, slovenly reindeer..."

While both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.

Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl.

We should've known... ONLY women would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost ... and get the job done right!

Interesting

The German spelling of "Donner and Blitzen" translate as "Thunder and Lightning" in English.

A Visit from Saint Nicholas
IN THE ERNEST HEMINGWAY MANNER

By James Thurber

It was the night before Christmas. The house was very quiet. No creatures were stirring in the house. There weren't even any mice stirring. The stockings had been hung carefully by the chimney. The children hoped that Saint Nicholas would come and fill them.

The children were in their beds. Their beds were in the room next to ours. Mamma and I were in our beds. Mamma wore a kerchief. I had my cap on. I could hear the children moving. We didn't move. We wanted the children to think we were asleep.

"Father," the children said.

There was no answer. He's there, all right, they thought.

"Father," they said, and banged on their beds.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"We have visions of sugarplums," the children said.

"Go to sleep," said mamma.

"We can't sleep," said the children. They stopped talking, but I could hear them moving. They made sounds.

"Can you sleep?" asked the children.

"No," I said.

"You ought to sleep."

"I know. I ought to sleep."

"Can we have some sugarplums?"

"You can't have any sugarplums," said mamma.

"We just asked you."

There was a long silence. I could hear the children moving again.

"Is Saint Nicholas asleep?" asked the children.

"No," mamma said. "Be quiet."

"What the hell would he be asleep tonight for?" I asked.

"He might be," the children said.

"He isn't," I said.

"Let's try to sleep," said mamma.

The house became quiet once more. I could hear the rustling noises the children made when they moved in their beds.

Out on the lawn a clatter arose. I got out of bed and went to the window. I opened the shutters; then I threw up the sash. The moon shone on the snow. The moon gave the lustre of mid-day to objects in the snow. There was a miniature sleigh in the snow, and eight tiny reindeer. A little man was driving them. He was lively and quick. He whistled and shouted at the reindeer and called them by their names. Their names were Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, and Blitzen.

He told them to dash away to the top of the porch, and then he told them to dash away to the top of the wall. They did. The sleigh was full of toys.

"Who is it?" mamma asked.

"Some guy," I said. "A little guy."

I pulled my head in out of the window and listened. I heard the reindeer on the roof. I could hear their hoofs pawing and prancing on the roof.

"Shut the window," said mamma.

I stood still and listened.

"What do you hear?"

"Reindeer," I said. I shut the window and walked about. It was cold. Mamma sat up in the bed and looked at me.

"How would they get on the roof?" mamma asked.

"They fly."

"Get into bed. You'll catch cold."

Mamma lay down in bed. I didn't get into bed. I kept walking around.

"What do you mean, they fly?" asked mamma.

"Just fly is all."

Mamma turned away toward the wall. She didn't say anything.

I went out into the room where the chimney was. The little man came down the chimney and stepped into the room. He was dressed all in fur. His clothes were covered with ashes and soot from the chimney. On his back was a pack like a peddler's pack. There were toys in it. His cheeks and nose were red and he had dimples. His eyes twinkled. His mouth was little, like a bow, and his beard was very white. Between his teeth was a stumpy pipe. The smoke from the pipe encircled his head in a wreath. He laughed and his belly shook. It shook like a bowl of red jelly. I laughed. He winked his eye, then he gave a twist to his head. He didn't say anything.

He turned to the chimney and filled the stockings and turned away from the chimney. Laying his finger aside his nose, he gave a nod. Then he went up the chimney. I went to the chimney and looked up. I saw him get into his sleigh. He whistled at his team and the team flew away. The team flew as lightly as thistledown. The driver called out, "Merry Christmas and good night." I went back to bed.

"What was it?" asked mamma. "Saint Nicholas?" She smiled.

"Yeah," I said.

She sighed and turned in the bed.

"I saw him," I said.

"Sure."

"I did see him."

"Sure you saw him." She turned farther toward the wall.

"Father," said the children.

"There you go," mamma said. "You and your flying reindeer."

"Go to sleep," I said.

"Can we see Saint Nicholas when he comes?" the children asked.

"You got to be asleep," I said. "You got to be asleep when he comes. You can't see him unless you're unconscious."

"Father knows," mamma said.

I pulled the covers over my mouth. It was warm under the covers. As I went to sleep I wondered if mamma was right.

Gotta Love Hemingway!

and I am smiling ...

love me later~tj

I had a horrible, terrible, awful, very bad, no good day.

I had a horrible, terrible, awful, very bad, no good day.

But ...

I woke up to a bill collector calling me. "Yes, I know it’s past due, yes I plan on paying it, no I can’t pay the whole thing, Yes I will be there today." I didn’t have enough money. I know we’ve all been there, done that. There are reasons, but it all boils down to the fact that I am a nice person that I have short changed my bill money.

So I am embarrassed, I work very hard long hours every week to take care of myself. I do a fine job usually. I humbly go to the teller and offer my meager money to spread over my bills. Now I just need to find $475.00 stuck in a pocket somewhere to cover the rest that I promised them before the end of the month. I’m totally frustrated, mad, angry, crying, embarrassed and not knowing where I’m getting the money from ...

So ...

I am driving away from the bank and I asked God to help me out of this pickle I done got myself into doing what the good book says to do. I forgot to look out for myself I told him, and that’s the truth.

Well, I was fumbling around in my purse for my ringing telephone and I happened across a lottery ticket I had forgotten to scratch off. Wouldn’t you know that God has a sense of humor? I won $36.00. I told Him that was very funny and I reminded Him of the figure I needed, like He didn’t already know ...

Then ...

I went on to work (my little part time job) and my boss asks me what the hell is the matter with me. "You look like hell!" I guess this was the wrong (or right) thing to say to me because I unloaded it all on him. How I wound up in the predicament I found myself in today. The bank lady, the promise, all of it. All of it except for the amount of money I needed. Bless his heart, he listened to all of it. He told me then that he never paid me for a job I did back in August for him. He was right about that. He didn’t. We had both forgotten until right then. It was $175.00 that he owed me. He also paid me for the week, which was a slow week, but it came to $150.00.

Okay so ...

On my way home I stopped by the party store to cash in the lottery ticket and as I was pulling it out of my wallet, I see a check my mother had written me for $70.00 that I never cashed. I’m exhausted from the emotional turmoil I have put myself through today, and the day ain’t over yet. I don’t add up the money. I go by the bank to deposit the uncashed mother check and I run into my neighbor who says, "Hey Tammy, I was just coming over to your house. I have the money for you." Money? I’m thinking.... "The $45.00 you loaned me. I told you I’d pay it back on payday, well it’s payday." I thank him and stuff it into my purse.

Coffee and Motrin and ....

I calculate the money. $36.00 + $175.00 + $150.00 + $70.00 + $45.00 = $476.00

I’ll be back at the bank tomorrow morning, to pay my bills in full.

Who said God doesn’t listen?

Do you think I might be pushing my luck if I take the $1.00 and buy a lottery ticket?

The Christmas Rock - A re-post Worthy of a re-read.

Truly Appreciating Festivities

I was so excited. My daughter was coming to spend a week for the holidays! With her were her husband and her son. My fiancé and I took the trip up north 5 hours away to get them and bring them home for the holidays. Oh, my word this is what I have needed to make my holidays perfect! We traveled in his truck. The back seat would be a tight fit for the kids, but we would manage. We set off a little later than I had hoped. I had a few last minute details I needed to attend to. So after the bows were placed just so, and the floors vacuumed extra well, the cookies put out on the table, off we go. I'm a notorious car sleeper, so I packed my blankets and my music and Wally took off. I couldn't stand it. Every 45 minutes or so my sweet daughter would call asking, "Where are you now? Drive FASTER!" I understood her sentiment perfectly! How I wanted, needed, yearned to be there with her. We got there without much toodo. It was perfect driving weather, clear and dry, not too much traffic. We got there and she ran to me and I swung her up and held her tight. We laughed through our tears of joy and love. Three months was a long time to be apart. We sat and talked for a bit with her in-laws while the menfolk loaded up the truck. We were off again in the twilight of the evening. We stopped on the way home frequently, the baby wasn't feeling good. He had a cold so we stopped for decongestant. The kids were hungry so we stopped for a late dinner. The baby being in the car we stopped once or twice for a smake and diaper change. We laughed and talked and laughed some more. The time was flying by even with all the stopping, I felt joy and peace and so damned happy.

That is until 12:30 that night. We had just junctioned onto I-69 off I-96 a bit north of Lansing and still over an hour away from home. I was talking with her husband. I was leaning toward the middle of the seat with my head between the seats. My back was to the window. Her hubby was leaning toward the middle with his head stuck between the seats talking with me. Out of nowhere my daughter let out a blood curdling scream and throws herself over the baby. In slow motion in my head, but a nanosecond in real time, I reached toward my daughter then turned toward the window. Glass was flying inward, ricocheting and bouncing off everything. The noise was horrendous. The wind and glass was spraying everywhere. Wally was calm and sure as he pulled the truck off the freeway. We took stock of each other. Wally ran around the truck and grabbed me and turned me toward hin, "Are you okay? Dear God, are you okay?" Were we all okay? What in the world happened? Oh my word, what is happening?

I grabbed the cell phone and dialed 911. I was trembling, the woman heard me asking, shouting, if the baby was okay. The words wouldn't come. .. . "I don't know what happened. No, I don’t know where we are. .. . Send the police, I think someone shot at the truck . .. . No I'm not sure. .. ." Wally took the phone from me, I was trembling to hard to talk. I wanted to see my daughter and the baby. I knew her husband was okay, he had jogged up the side of the freeway to see the mile marker. He couldn't find it. He came back to the truck and then ran off again, back the way we had came. Wally talked with the 911 operator. I started wiping glass out of the truck seats, but had no luck without gloves. My daughter wanted her husband to come back. He wasn't gone long. He wanted to see the sign on the overpass we had just gone under, so we could tell the police exactly where we were. It wasn't marked. What he did see brought on the tears that hadn't come. He saw 2 boys, almost grown huddling under the viaduct. Then he saw the rock in the road. He gave chase for a moment and thought better of it. If these people would throw a rock at us moving 75 miles an hour in the pitch of night, what would they do to him if he caught him? These two had come down from the overpass to huddle together and watch the mayhem they had created. To see if the moving target they hit carried a bloody massacre with it. He came back and as he got closer we saw he was carrying an objet. It took both hands to hold it. It was the rock.

We calmed down as we waited for the police to appear. Wally cleared out the truck of glass, he had found some gloves in the truck. We discussed the situation. Someone had aimed a rock, thrown it and damn the consequences on the target. Unbelievable as it was, it happened there on the freeway to us. We hugged each other and kept patting the baby who only cried once when his momma screamed. We closed my blanket into the door to stave off the wind as best we could from the baby, and 50 minutes after it happened got back on the road. The police never showed up.

We stopped at the next rest area to change the baby's clothes. There were shards of glass all over his clothes. We adults took off our clothes and shook them off. I emptied my shoes and watched glass fall out, hearing it ping on the tile floor. We got back in the truck after hugging each other once more and drove the rest of the way home.

The rock had first hit the mirror on the truck, shattering it. Then it bounced up onto the window , exploding it as well. Three inches to the right and it would have come through the windshield. We got the window replaced Monday morning.

Late at night, I close my eyes and I see the mayhem that could have occurred. I open my heart and I see the hand of God reaching out and swatting a rock out of the path of destruction, leaving just enough chaos for us to realize the love we have. For the love of God we are safe at home enjoying the holiday festivities and truly giving worship to the Lord Christ's birth.

The rock sits under our Christmas tree.

It is a very Merry Christmas.

And I am smiling.....

love me later...tj

Just A Week ...

Beautiful Fun

I’ve had a beautifully fun, busy last couple days. I had my grandchildren over for the weekend and I taught my Booger the finesse of frosting a cookie. We also happened to have more snow this weekend than we have had in one day in a long time. So I bundled Boog up (reminiscence of ‘A Christmas Story’) and took him sledding in a make-shift bucket-sled. He had a ball! 20 minutes bundling him, 10 minutes unbundling him for a grand total of 12 minutes outside! Well worth it to hear his, "More! More! More!" Baby Tink has pneumonia and RSV. She was scary ill for awhile, and her nebulizer and medicine schedule kept me busy. She’s doing much better, and the doctor cleared her as well on Monday.

I don’t remember how I did it, when my kids were small, I worked full time, had both of them bathed and ready for the day by 7:00 am, I went to college in the evenings and had time to play with my kids and give them memories to boot. I had these two small children and when Sunday came, I felt like I was done runned over by a big ol’ truck! I’m glad school was cancelled on Monday, I needed the day to recover!

Decorating Cookies?

Bundled

(Ralphie's little brother Randy?)

Bucket-Sled (My Newest Invention!)

Sweet Baby Tink

Well, Monday came and my boss calls me at 7:30 asking me if school is out. "Yup". He sounds desperate and asks me to come help him. He started a snow plowing business and needs help keeping appointments straight and customers happy and just bringing a calm to a hectic day. (New Business + Biggest Snow In This Decade = CHAOS) I went over and did what I could. I stayed till 6:30 and accomplished a bit for him. I came home and fell out in the bed.

I woke up this morning with a sore throat, coughing, sounding like a Froggy from the ‘Little Rascals’. I went to work and came home to ship out 5 packages for eBay, wrap 35 gifts for work, make up 36 children’s gifts, and put a photo collage together. I’m ready for Motrin and Chicken Soup. I feel so yucky.

Tomorrow I take my babies at school to the Old Folks Home to sing for the old grandmas and grandpas. It’s my favorite field trip of the year. (If you haven’t yet, read my blog I titled Harvesting...Love) There is a special magic that happens when mixing babies and old folks. I’m more than a little pissed off at the weatherman right now though. He claims we are going to have freezing rain in the wee hours tonight and into the morning, along with fog. Not on my favorite day of the year! Please Mr. Weatherman not tomorrow!

Then comes Thursday, my last day in the classroom this year! In the middle of glue, and paint, markers and glitter, flour, sugar, chocolates and peanut butter, Christmas Trees and Christmas Carols, we have had a Christmas BLAST these last couple weeks. The kids will get their gifts, eat all the treats we have been making, read the books we wrote about Christmas and I will happily send them out the door for 2 glorious weeks! (Oh My Word, do I see Christmas in my classroom? Shame on me!)

I hope your week is going as well as mine!

and I am smiling...

love me later~tj

Ugly Christmas Lights! YIKES!

UGLY CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

2007 Collection

Jesus House
Wreath Nose
Santa's Place
Redneck Xmas
Love in the Daylight
Swingset
Curtain Call
Floating Window
Dead Tree Lights
Roof Drinking
Foil House
Throw Them Anywhere
Globe
Bulbless
I Give Up
Shepherd Down
Tree Gift
House of Blues

and I am smiling ...

love me later~tj

Writer's Block Challenge #26 '...and it came true.'

Writer's Block Challenge #26  

I wish to stand on a sandy beach. Feel the wet sand push between my toes. Hold bread that I tear in pieces, raise it aloft as the seagulls swoop ever closer finding the nerve to take it from my hand. Listen to the rhythmic water’s lapping at the shore. Scour the beach for perfect black mussel backs.

I wished, and it came true.

I wish to lean into a curve at 65 miles an hour feel the wind rush by, arms wide as I close my eyes and fly around the curves. Sunshine beats down to make my scalp hot while the breeze of moving cools me. My hair dances and twirls behind me and I hang on tight as I round yet another curve. I giggle and my smile stretches wide.

I wished, and it came true.

I wish to sit at the table with you, look in your sweet face and talk of memories of our lives, how they intertwine to this day. I pour more coffee as we laugh and giggle like schoolgirls finding the purest sweetest love in one another. Our faces change over the years, the wrinkles come, the hair turns gray, the eyes grow wise, and still we laugh. A lifetime of talking, laughing loving, friendship.

I wished, and it came true.

I wish to sit on a bench surrounded by wild flowers. The sun peeks through the green leaves on the branches hang low and the summers breeze billows about me. A thousand and one butterflies hover near, lighting on my hand, my shoulder, my toes. The comforting silence of being there awakens a new hope in my spirit.

I wished, and it came true.

Somewhere, where wishes grow in fields of dreams, I have a "wishflower" growing. Every so often, a sage ladybird lights on it, throwing my wishes to the wind. Some get scattered and tattered and lost, but every now and then, when I really need it, a wish takes root and grows into reality.

 

"...and it came true."

tjs© December 4, 2007