I miss you already.
Once the light is out and the room is silent,
I will miss you even more.
“Remember the time…” fills the house already.
Once the light is out and the house is silent
I will remember you even more…
Like how you taught me to pause, take a deep breath, and jump to find my joy Continue reading
Once upon a time, not so very long ago, my children’s feet fit into the palm of their father’s hand – but only
The sky grows dark. Thunder heralds the approaching storm. The lamplight flickers. A passing dove stops to rest on the icon’s shoulder.
“Tell me, friend.” The great lady creaks in the wind. “What’s the news from the outside world?”
The symbol of peace pushes off from the knotted fold in the grand dame’s tarnished tunic and fights the gathering gale so that he may perch on her ear. “Given the turn in the weather, it has been suggested that a cloak be stitched for you.”
“Now? But I’ve withstood greater storms than this for nearly thirteen decades. That’s not to say that a wrap would certainly keep my shoulders warm. And what of my standing invitation?
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
A cloak of such great length will Continue reading
Anticipation builds when a decorate-able holiday approaches. Eggs are hung from trees, reindeer are bolted to roofs, carved jack-o-lanterns are set at the door. The decor reminds our salivary glands of the marshmallow Peeps, chocolate-filled gold coins, and spiced pumpkin pie to come. So, we decorate to the nines. We cook for days, then stuff our bellies full.
But before the football game’s over, it’s time to clean up and undeck-the-halls. The dried up boughs of holly get tossed, the spent candles are pitched, and the turkey carcass is made into soup. After Halloween, the skeleton is stuffed back into the closet – but, as in my case, only once he’s had the last word:
“Gather your vampires, witches, and bats,
Spiders, ghosties, and arch-backed black cats
Put them together with the goblins and ghouls,
Then load them up high on the backs of pack mules.
Or store them in boxes way up in your attic!”
The skeleton in my closet was downright emphatic. Continue reading
I can’t think of a better TBT to share with you on this National Donut Day than an earlier tribute to two old donut lovin’ dawgs. Enjoy. It’s fat-free.
Sir Francis Bacon once said, “Opportunity makes a thief.” Indeed, it does. For what do you think happens when you leave a box full of donuts untended in a room with two Labrador Retrievers?
Now, when I say a box full, I mean a heap – a complete dozen. I’m talkin’ three Bavarian Kremes, two chocolate glazed, four jelly, an apple crumb and two powdered.
If you’re thinking the obvious answer is a couple of bloated (w)itches with a ‘B’ or puddled boat loads of barf on the living room rug well, no, not this time. Although, having read some of our pooches’ previous antics, I can understand why you’d think that.
View original post 504 more words
Here a Mo, there a Mo,
Everywhere a Mo, Mo.
If you write or are thinking of writing, November’s got the MO
that will invite the muse and ignite inspiration.
First, the mother of MOs.
The MO that started it all Continue reading
‘Tis the eve of All Hallows. Gus embarks on a jaunt
to The Lodge at Devil’s Canyon, his Mummy’s favorite haunt.
Flying in the dark, astride his sister’s broom,
the wee ghoul soars in his snowman costume.
Until *putt-putt-poot* the broom starts to roll—
The gas tank is empty!
He’s outta control—
Zigging past witches, pumpkins, and bats,
Zagging o’er graveyards complete with black cats…
But then – an idea – and Continue reading
When a fortune cookie
and a photo challenge cross paths, the results can be extraordinary,
like
the sites of San Francisco made from 100,000 toothpicks
When the craziness of the outer world invades my inner peace, a visit to a nearby happy place and a deep breath restores the calm:
The fog had not yet cleared, the air had a nip to it that warranted wearing a light jacket, and I was dang happy that Lucy did not step on the snake that popped from the underbrush and slithered across the trail in front of her. Considering the welcome change in the weather and the avoided trip to the vet juxtaposed to the state of the world I had witnessed on the morning news, I thought to myself, What an awesome day!
A few minutes later, when we crested the hill I was struck by Continue reading
of Middle-Grade Authors
Animals . Nature . Picture Books
global literature for young people
Life is make believe, fantasy given form
reading writing illustrating children's books
Culture and Communities at the Heart Of India
Where Reality Meets the Imagined
- reviewing the latest & greatest books plus reading-related products for kids & families.
Welcome to a journey into our Universe with Dr Dave, amateur astronomer and astrophotographer for over 40 years. Astro-imaging, image processing, space science, solar astronomy and public outreach are some of the stops in this journey!
Hand Drawn Maps and More.
Open Up A Whole New World
Thoughts about writing and life
Find your perfect book.
A daily selection of the best content published on WordPress, collected for you by humans who love to read.
From Rat Race to Road Trip: Overlanding With Four Dogs!
Exploring the World of Writing
It takes a flock to get a story aloft.
The Blog about everything and nothing and it's all done in the best possible taste!
Of Books, Photography, and Tea
Authors & Illustrators Wild About Kidlit!
The Lerner Blog
Welcome
by Matt Zurbo
Stories and photos from Scotland
Engaging readers in children's literature
MIDDLE GRADE BOOK REVIEWS, GIVEAWAYS, & WRITING TIPS
“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.” ~ Anna Quindlen
Reader, Writer, Miner of Moments
discovering the story it tells
This picayune world, my own private Lilliput.
Just exploring what it is to be human.
Picture Books Help Kids Soar
A community of readers
Master Teacher, Druid, Shaman, Wisdomkeeper
Ramblings
Not What You'd Expect from a Very Southern Voice
Surviving and Thriving in Northeast Greenland
A word after a word after a word is power. --Margaret Atwood
Children's Author
Children's Picture Books, Reading, Writing, and Fun on Long Island
books * science * nature * art * cultural identity * food
Sharing Information About Writing and Illustrating for Children
Where You Live Happily Ever Laughter!
A site devoted to the Young Adult sci-fi/fantasy novel The Eye-Dancers
or 
Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner 