Dappled Notions and Unquenched Succeses

 This morning it was very cold I could tell you because I was running outside thankfully I was running because I probably would've frozen if I had been.  Amazing how movement can keep you so warm!




I've been making gains with my health.
And have acquired a new fancy for doing planks.




I went to a dashing good concert a few nights ago.
That was a premier for the band "Sons of the Republic" it was truly an amazing concert! The little restaurant they played in was hopping that night, we were all packed in there like sardines!

It Happened to be.

It happened.
I ran.
I ran as the wind twitched the grasses.
My strengthening workouts giving wings to my feet.
Magic.
Absolute Magic.
A miracle.

My boyfriend asked how far.
But, it doesn't matter how far
I say.
I ran.

I ran away
From believing I couldn't
I ran from the ghosts of yesterday.
That beckon with every regret and painful blood smear.

Every ounce of strength
Every grain of being.
Living for God.
Living for Grace.
Venture abroad.
See a new place.

I ran to that place.
I ran from the heartbreaK
That had confined me so any years.

I ran
And
I carry the sun in a golden cup.
The moon in a silver bag.

I ran and saw the stars
Shimmer at the drop of every step
As I glided into Reno.

Fill 'er Up Pump and Coffee

I woke to the chirping of a bird tweeting in the lonely mass of grey clouds and the chilly tree branches. It was a grey and cold morning that held a solemnness that seemed to hold quite an air of sadness.

Followed shortly thereafter by triumph and relief. I had received a text from my friend telling me that he had accomplished the very long and arduous ruck he had been training for. What a relief that was to me to hear that he had made it back safely.

I had a delightful mug off French-press coffee this morning and a Wolfermann's English Muffin, quite a topical breakfast!

This morning I met with another of my dear friend over coffee. We had a jolly time conversing on what's going on in our lives and the triumphs and struggles we're dealing with. She is very empathetic and a wonderful person, good friends are like diamonds in the rough.

We went to a little coffee shop, Jitters, and had house coffee, haha writers fair ;).

I have been writing and freelancing quite a bit today. 

So, after all, it wasn't such a lonely day, but a quite happy one!

Camel in Postage

Recently I received a camel in the post, from one of my dearest followers. This morning I was up before the sun, or should I say fog. It is extremely foggy here this morning. The rain is dripping from the crystally trees as I here the coffee pot perk downstairs.

It's a good day and I am filled with God's grace.

I'm baking cinnamon rolls right now, a new recipe that I'm trying from the https://thestayathomechef.com/best-homemade-cinnamon-rolls-ever/. Let me tell you the smell is soo good!! My camel is perched on the counter watching the whole operation of me earnestly stirring the dough and periodically sprinkling bits of flour in.

 The relationships in my life are blooming and I feel a sense of hope as winter sets in .
 I've taken up water coloring which makes me very happy and is an outlet for my creativity.  I like painting when it's gray outside. I spell "gray" "grey".



Quite a paradox that my creativity peaks when it is so forlorn looking outside


 I hope reader that you are having a wonderful day and that this post adds a smidge of inspiration to your day.

Cheers! 

Truth Sweep me Up

 I'm waiting
For the truth
To sweep me up.
For something
Or someone
To sweep me away from this place.
This loneliness,
This concert of silence,
The aloneness
Seeps through
My organs
Like whiskey
That braces your lips
Where I should be.

Chocolate Cookies and Thymes of Onions

I sit surrounded by onions and chocolate and resumes...
I know quite an odd combination.



Let me explain, so this morning began with sun... just kidding, actually, I blacked out my windows, so no sun. I did this intentionally to dupe my long-night of term papers and homework. With the recent time change, the sun soaks through the shutters with a persistent glare. Despite my efforts in sleeping longer, the farm has given me an internalized alarm clock.

A random wine glass full of rose petals, playing some Clair de Lune.

So, I began my morning with a challenge to cook a beef roast. I am not too familiar with cooking meats, so this is a rather new venture for me.




I am chopping onions, potatoes, thyme, 3 cloves of garlic and butternut squash, which I will be putting in a cast-iron pot. Oh and I forgot the pot roast, oh well I suppose that outta go in if we are indeed making pot roast ;).



Meanwhile, I'm prepping three dozen double-chocolate cookies, that admittedly are pretty darn good! I found the recipe in my Sweet Treats, William-Sonoma, cookbook that has a lot of really tasty recipes in it. My intention for creating these, of course, is to try for my bakery that will be opening come December, one month!


Recently, I was gifted a LODGE CAST IRON 12-inch cast iron skillet! I am very excited as this will be a skillet I can use for the rest of my life.  This skillet is going to be cooked in throughout my life.  When you get a gift like that, it really puts life in perspective, I think. Can you imagine this skillet is probably going to last longer than me?




Well, that's all, for now, folks, hope your day is a real winner!

Pumpkins!

This is the greenhouse, this Spring, while we were struggling to get the plastic on a very windy day!

Today, on the farm the hoop houses are getting cleaned out. It is a very cold day so that will be fun... This past year the farm grew lots of vegetables including tomatoes, raspberries, pumpkins, blackberries, squash, and lots of onions!
That definitely deserves its own blog post, COMING SOON!

I grew these little beauties in our garden!

The pumpkins that are still in the field are glazed over with white and just barely holding their shape after this freezing weather.



This year we grew a giant variety of pumpkins that grow up to 500 lbs! I did have a picture but ayiyi! They were very big, to move them they had to be rolled onto pallets! Only two would fit in the bed of a pickup at a time.



Thankfully we don't just grow those monsters but other colorful varieties like Rumbo, pie pumpkins, One-to-Many, Casperita, etc.
The pumpkins that we ship wholesale go all over Kansas and some into Missouri.

Detail of pumpkin harvests later, for now, pumpkin tangent done. 😏

Overheated Coffee and Books

This morning began with the urgent moans of the alarm clock at 5:00, which I was not very happy to hear. Last night I was a night nurse so I had a very late night! I did a brisk walk after silencing the alarm, I may or may not have thrown it at the wall...


Pour-over coffee is a hot thing in my house nowadays, which my family turns their nose up at which is fine by me, as I guzzle the pot dry :). Realistically speaking I only fill it half full, three or four cups is enough to make a girl sick!


Putting spices in your coffee is the best for pour over I think. Cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg are favorites of mine.
Note to reader: all spices should be very gingerly added (pun intended).



The pot that I use is a BODUM 4 cup pour over coffee maker. Which is fabulous!



Anyway, it is definitely flannel weather here on the farm. December in November. Cold weather is such a nice thing to have after the blazing hot Kansas summers. Winter on the farm is a wonderful time to read. Reading is such a wonderful way to expand your mind and experience vicariously what others write about. To write a book is a painting of the soul, that I endeavor to accomplish someday. Some books that are on my shelf this winter are "Two Years Before the Mast" by R. H. Dana JR., "Summa Theologica", Thomas Aquinas, "Three Methods of Prayer That Will Change Your Life", by Philip Kosloski- this is really good this is my second time reading.



I think I've got my work cut out for me!

A Morning of Cupcakes, Chickens and Planks

                                   Ok, so clearly there is a slight problem with being fit and being a baker. I have that under control though. Taste-testers for cupcakes are not hard to come by and its a great way to make people happy. Haha, and making cupcakes is sooo much fun! Next years sales will be off the charts I hope, haha fingers crossed.



This morning began with planks. So, one of my friends and I have a bet that he can out-plank me, which in all reality is probably true. I was quite elated this morning when I was able to plank for 1 minute though! I have been lifting as well which is so nice when the sun is just peeking over my Kansas horizon. I really enjoy talking to that friend he brings me into perspective and is rather witty!



My chickens were doing really clucky today they're not too fond of this cold weather though. They just have been slacking off incredibly, the egg production has almost been reduced to 1/2 of what is usually.

The chicken food container was tipped over.... I have thoughts on who the perpetrator was... possums, little baby possums. Baby possums getting into the chicken food is not good and will have to be taken care of. I had a friend over for dinner last night and as he was coming up the steps he almost tripped over a baby possum. Possum perpetrators! :)






















We have some wild cats that I've been feeding. They're kind of a mangy group, like a group of hardened fighters. Always showing up to the food bowl with different scratches and scars. We have a pair of brother cats, that when kitten played with each other and were besties. Then Frostnip, the princess showed up, she's kind of a drama queen cat! :) Now they absolutely hate each other and of course, Frostnip is sooo sought after. Haha, #farmcatenvy!

A Boo-tiful Morning

This morning was a boo!-tiful morning!

Happy Halloween to all my viewers.

It was a great morning to make skinny pumpkin spice lattes for my family, which I found on Pinterest from Inspired Table. They have a lot of great recipes including roasted pumpkin seeds and lemon blueberry layer cake. PASS ME A PIECE!!

Actually not now--fitness plans… urgh-- As my mom says, “Short-term sacrifice long-term gain.”

I woke this morning to the creaking of a door, I guess that happens in old houses; shifting houses… Darn creaks!

But I am so happy that the door creaked because it awoke me and I was ready to continue my new fitness journey. Same as always squat, squat, crunch, crunch... .no we’re not talking about cereal :).

This morning it was 27°. Another great day for training and making skinny pumpkin pie lattes... Haha, DIY-ing fun. My family greatly enjoyed the lattes too! Admittedly, I was a bit frightened when I heard something moving in the brush near our porch. I think it was just a cat, probably black…

The morning was so still and the wind hadn’t flinched one twig. A black masquerade opened my morning. As nature’s dance began, an owl hooted from a nearby branch. The darkness is chilly and somewhat spooky, great for a Halloween day.

Speaking of Halloween. Tonight I will be volunteering at the Halloween hayrack ride and soup dinner in the Great Land of OZ… Haha, my hometown is pretty amazing, and I have been called Dorothy one too many times.

It’s the small things that bring people together with laughter, costumes, and lots of hot chocolate that make Halloween such a great time!  

Fitness day #3, Thank goodness for that creaking door!

My Sunday Full of Purpose

Sundays are days of much-needed rest in a farmers household. Most Sundays begin with sleeping in past the old rooster crow! Aaah, those glorious days of sleeping till 8:00 😊.

Urggh... chickens, my detest of chickens will be discussed later... (clenching my teeth)

 On the farm, it's usually bright on Sundays with the sun glistening over the long shadows cast by the oak trees. This Sunday was different though. The sun was late but I wasn't.

This is later in the day

I woke to the long drawn call of a coyote harking to the black sky above.

Somewhat disgruntled at this rude awakening I awoke to a still sleeping house. It was a different kind of day though. 

A day full of integrity and a new found awakening to achieve what others said I couldn't. I dressed in my workout clothes and two hoodies, yes, I could still see little puffs of my breath as I did pushups and planks. 

The quiet night that surrounded me provided a thoughtful workout that filled me with motivation and a sense of purpose.

A workout in a still cold night with the wild cries of coyotes surrounding me. I was awake to this new life of fitness and doing what others thought I couldn't achieve, it was a splendid triumph of my own self-doubt. Self-doubt that said I couldn't be fit or have a purpose to make a dime and that I was someone who had missed the ship for the beginning of life.

Which had happened. Most of my friends are in colleges spread far and wide or following jobs far away. They were all making their own beginnings

This was just my beginning slow, steady and plagued with many boundaries.

I am too creatively distracted for my own good. I like having breakfast for lunch, reciting 19th-century poetry on a whim, listening to classics #Audible and getting to know new people.  

I've had lots of dreams over my life and never really any sure path until I read a book that changed my life. 

"Living Forward" is a book written by Micheal Hyatt, that truly set me on a different course and way of thinking about my life purpose. I am thoroughly enjoying it's helpful and thoughtful analysis on setting life goals and creating a plan to stop drifting and get the life you want. For this I commend Hyatt as I'm sure others have read and been changed by this, well, to say it simply, life-changing book. 

This quiet morning that was like black velvet I completed the chapter on writing your eulogy. Cheery stuff, I know, just kidding. Really though, writing your eulogy really puts your life in perspective. It provides a whole new kind of clarity that strengthens the reader's endeavors for this life. 

It's a challenge in this life to determine what our drive is and why we're here. It's a challenge to find happiness. Our own little niches of artistry that keep us from day-to-day madness. Yes, the kind that Lewis Carroll talks about in the quote from Alice and Wonderland as the Cheshire cat tells Alice, "We're all mad here." 

This quote by Carroll is truly a thought-provoking which I will explicate in an upcoming b log post. 

But for now, back to the velvety night and coyotes...

My phone was I'm sure very chilly, as the temperature upon my waking was a balmy 27°, just kidding not balmy at all!

As my dad jokingly says when it gets really cold, "Well, at least we don't have to worry about mosquitoes!" Point taken, thanks dad for elevating the conversation 😄.

After completing this workout, I moved onto a neurological kind of workout. I recently downloaded this dandy little app on my phone called Vocabulary Builder and being quite a word buff, let me tell you I am a huge fan! One of my recent favorite words being "Euphoria- extreme joy or Jovial- happy." I must say these words complete my personality.

Two other curious and unexpected things happened this morning.

After I dressed in leggings and a snappy bright turquoise and white striped little sweater that really just was perfect for the day, I made scrambled eggs and homemade espresso,. Sometimes, I think outfits are just suited for certain days. 

 I made my espresso in a little antique teapot. looking contraption that had a metal straw and a coffee chamber/ filter. I'm not entirely sure what it was called but it made a fine brew of coffee. 

With this brilliant early start, I was so happy to accomplish so much more in my day!

So for good books, early mornings and life goals I will raise my coffee mug!

For this, I am grateful for that mangy coyote that woke me up before the sun. 

College-- Maybe not a Destination?

Term paper due in 6 hours. Analysis of story due in 6 hours. Statistic sheet due in 6 hours... Oh my goodness, is no one else exasperated with their college career choice? For me, this is too much. I feel like its kind of a bottling effect. Too many deadlines. Too short of time to get things done. What can a creative mind do to fill her time and earn a living? 

Well, after a little grieving over my grade and my decision to drop a course, I decided to do a little research. So, after a quick search, my browser revealed a long list of careers that do not require ANY college degree. 

Wow, could you believe it? Profitable careers that don't require that horrible college algebra or that nerve pinching class you just can't pass? 

Yes, it's true. Because some of us are just not interested in the stress that college provides.

Here is a list of jobs for people who don't have degrees:

Appliance Repairer

Paralegal Assistant

Computer Service Technician

Electrician

Blogger... my obvious go to

Respiratory Therapist

Web Developer

UX Designer

Veterinary Technician

Personal Care Aide

Medical Assistant

Respiratory therapist

Insurance Sales Agent

MRI Technologist

Medical Secretary

Medical Records Technician

Computer Support Specialist

Optician

Diagnostic Medical Sonographer

There ya have it, folks, a whole list of careers you can do without a college degree. 

C'est la vie!

Coffee, Standing in the Way of Happiness?

Did you know that nearly 50% of American adults drink coffee every day? Praised by the media and daily drinkers, coffee has a high-ranking place in the American diet. Harvard studies show that coffee is high in natural polyphenols, which are micronutrients that have been linked with preventing cancer, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. According to, mensfitness.com, coffee also works as an antidepressant and spikes your Adrenaline levels.

Is this a bad thing? Not entirely.

While this news is all fine and dandy, coffee, on the flip side, has its negatives.

Coffee is a drug.

Yes, that’s right an addictive drug. Just this year Caffeine dependence was labeled as a new mental illness.

Do you ever get a headache around 9:00 AM? Do you have trouble sleeping? Increased heart rate?

Did you know that all of these symptoms can be attributed to drinking your morning cups of Joe?

According to MayoClinic, high consumption of boiled coffee (boiled or espresso) has been associated with mild elevations in cholesterol levels. Two or more cups of coffee can increase your risk of heart disease in people with a specific- and fairly common- genetic mutation that slows the breakdown of caffeine in the body.

So, next time you’re reaching to switch on the coffee pot, consider drinking milk or juice instead which offers nutrients and vitamins not found in coffee.

I hope I have enlightened caffeine drinkers with this insightful article.

Cheers!

Traveling

Slushies, sticky fingers, and pumpkins

The bus pulled in

Children scurried into a line.

The teachers check for sleeping children on the bus.

Spot, the cat curls herself on the wooden bench outside.

Suspecting nothing.

A flurry of activity soon conspires.

My hand stretches out the window with a little plastic tray.

Full of sticky cider slushies.

That dribble down children's mouths.

They watch intently as pumpkins are dropped one by one

Into a tank of water.

"They float!", A child exclaims.

Awed by this natural phenomenon the children begin whispering in shock. 

Teachers come and go to the window 

Picking up tray after tray of slushies.

Towels, napkins pumpkins, jelly

The cat has found refuge among the empty boxes.

As the bus pulls away I feel a sense of success. 

Cider slushies aren't so sticky after all.

The Wind and Whistle Operator

The wind swept through the bricks.
It swept up my stairs.
Beneath my closed door, it whispered its cold call.
Like an operator
An operator of wind and whistle
That scoot under my door and through my window.

It's cold outside
Cold enough to ice skate, no
The pumpkins look like giant crystallized candies.
The cow bucket had a sheet of frosty ice.
A Rain gage is no measure in times like these.

The sun sheepishly peaks through the clouds
On this bitterly cold morning.
Like a tardy student quietly coming into a classroom.
The sky is baby blue like freshly pulled taffy.
Straight from the candy creators.

The night wind sweeps its thanks through the trees.
Like a silently kept night vigil. 

A Season's Bows

The Snow on the mountain bows its head to my step as I wander through their hills. Dew clings to the lambs ear that huddles next to the ground as if it were trying to cuddle with its despondent lover. Puddles deck the muddy ground and a fresh rain drips from the grasses swaying figures. A red gnarled feed trough lies in the pasture holding today's rain. My mint and grey shoes snap twigs and Reizen the petrified grasses. The hills are quiet and the clouds float on like impregnated elephants.

"Winds in the East"

"Winds in the East storm comin’ in somethin’s a brewin’ about to begin.” This lyric is sung by Dick van Dyke, in Mary Poppins, as he is taking the children back to their home. These lyrics while at surface level might just seem catchy for a rainy day… actually, signify a change or shift in what’s happening for the Bank’s family. England’s Easterly winds come wet and cold weather perfect for staying inside, bringing change. Which provides Mary Poppins and her umbrella a perfect entrance to begin changing the household. This quote sung by Dick van Dyke has an underlying message to the children, is that you don’t have to be wealthy and rich to be happy. He is happy with the simple things of life. This message is furthered by the bird lady, who sings words simple and few collecting tuppence a bag for the birds. Hauntingly, beautiful, this movie is artistically a wonder. With that, “Let’s go fly a kite!”

The Angelus

The Angelus

They prayed 

For plentiful crops.

Their heads bent 

During prayer.

Pray for the poor departed

And the lost.

The Angelus 

Rung from the steeple top. 

Reverent mournful

We, now, bow our heads

For the departed.

A Ghost Echo

A ghost echo
Rings through the air.
A coyote howls
His last farewell to his true love
The moon.

A ghost echo
Rings through the air.
Now cows pick up the tune.
A screeching redtail
Whizzes by.
The cat's tails look long brushes.

A ghost echo
Rings through the air.
A young fawn mews his awakening.
The crickets play their chortling song.
The rising sun
Beckons the floating cloud.

A ghost echo
Rings through the air.
And all is silent.

Pain and It's Place

Pain is life. Pain is the beginning and the ending, the trials and tribulations. Pain has a place and a time. It is not loved but it gives a person perspective. One's pain is only a sliver of this world's problems. It is hard to gauge pain on a worldly level but the pain has made only made us stronger. And maybe the world is getting stronger through the pain.
My grandfather, a Korean war vet, walked with persistence and vigor through this world to his last days. He suffered the pain that made him into the courageous and heroic man he was. I can only imagine how much pain he had, not only throughout his numbed body that had been bitten by frost bite but all the emotional pain, that could drive anyone crazy with anguish and grief. How anyone could suffer that much pain and come out being a stronger individual is beside me. I cannot fathom how our military heroes suffer so much pain and fight to protect a nation that they may never see again. I can only say thank you to all those brave soldiers that risk the pain for a better world.
Pain is a piece of you and a piece of me. Pain comes from creation and destruction.
Emily Dickinson wrote several poems on pain and loneliness of which she suffered. Emily lived in Amherst, MA. She wrote over 1,170 poems while she lived almost none of which she published. After her death, her younger sister submitted many of the poems. One of Emily's most notorious poems details pain, "After Great Pain, A Formal Feeling Comes." This poem is about suffering and death. "The feets wooden way" is indicative of a wooden casket. "Like a stone," in reference to a headstone.
Pain is a constant companion for many of us. But we were all made to withstand its fatal blows and come out a stronger individual. We were all created to withstand pain.
You can't outrun pain it will always catch you in your tracks... when you least expect it. So be strong.
Que sera, sera.

A View

The sun fell in moon drops

Across the chiseled lawn.

Green and sparkling with dew

Fresh fallen

A calm silence fell

Across the weathered brick house.

The shudders cling dryly to the house

Shifting with the slightest draft.

The dawn brightens the crest of the hill

Reflecting dew

And creating a weary residence

That pawed the very visage of the young girl’s view.

When the Marigolds Bloom

When the marigolds bloom,
I will come to you.
I will sing from the ground.
My notes floating upward to your cracked window.

When the marigolds bloom,
We shall see each other
Dressed in our Sunday's best.
A white flower adorned at your chest.

When the Marigolds bloom,
The ages will pass
One slipped out the door.
For academia and the lights of sound and fury.
Two, three, four
Five, seven
They go.

When the marigolds bloom
We'll sit hand in hand.
Gazing over the waters of our youth.

The White House on the Beach

Wishing thoughts of a far off land I can see you standing in the sand
There's a colored striped ball by your feet.
Your feet covered in small crystals of sand.

She is laughing
Her bright red lipstick
Perfectly carved
Onto her laughing lips.

She can see the gulls swooping ahead.
Bombing into the ocean
After squirming fish that struggle in their craws.

A crab wanders across the beach
it legs scratching the seashore
Leaving little-scuffling imprints.

A white house is overlooking the sea.
It has a tower with a light.
That shines into the sea at night.

The air seems light with a brisk salty breeze.
It smells of waves and sun kisses.

Then,
I realize I'm home.

What the Partridge Brings

The Partridge took
Half year to arrive
at this place
My heart.
There the nest he's made
A burning like this inside
A furnace in an organ
A bellow of a roof.

The Partridge escaped
Out a hole in the flue.

A letter sent by pigeon
No partridge to be seen.
A furious wind
Striking the Northern front frightened anguished flying North.

Will it last?

The pigeon senses which direction to fly.
But will it
Fly?

For something that could not be As thought?

The Partridge slips
Through the Trees
Gathering Nuts and other Berries.
You Awaken I do too
The grass outside Is growing green
A newborn partridge cheeps its first breath.

Grain Season

A train of grain trucks rumbles through the night, their piercing lights stabbing the darkness. The farmers, sweat, and dirt covering their taut muscles and dusty hair have worked a long day and pulled in bushels of grain to support their families. Their mirrors are clouded with dust they've brought from the fields, the dust that steals their time.

The Rain Fell in Sheets

The rain is pummeling the house I lived in. Sheets of rain slide down the roof like tears falling from the sky. A bird's cry echoes across the lawn. High up he perches watching the streaks of green grass fade against the rain. The rain reminds me of a cleansing of nature; a renewing of sorts. Like a baptism.

The rain fell in sheets around us. Dripping from our red and white striped umbrella soaking the memories of our confusion, love, and fear, that rippled down the streets.

"Absolutely, I Will"

"You'll show them, won't you?" His face is fierce with belief; it seems to draw a circle around all the hours Werner has spent at Children's House, hoping for something more.
"I will," Werner says. The eyes of the children are on him. "Absolutely I will."


This quote is taken from the much loved Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "All the Light We Cannot See." The certainty that the protagonist, Werner, shows when he says, "he'll show them" is so certain and absolute.

I read this chapter directly after looking over a college acceptance letter to one of my dream colleges. Funny how those things work sometimes.

This quote evokes a kind of courage and steadfast persistence that the eager endeavor to show. It is a kind of devotion that we all want in our workplace, school, social setting. An eagerness to do our best. Though sometimes it's easy to just give up, without exerting ourselves to our full potential.
It's a challenge, for all of us, to say, "Absolutely, I will," to anything.

A Chance Encounter

The time fell
like sand,
sliding off your belly
crumbling onto the beach.

I looked
Into your green eyes
Full of compassion,
Certainty,
Naked truth.

The truth hit me
like a ton of mason bricks
thrown from the Chase tower.

You accepted me, I accepted you
The mess covered us.
like a thousand crawling caterpillars
all heading east.

That's funny
They forgot to ask
Me to come.

Clara the Bride of the Ship

The black ladder tilted across the mizzen as it grew darker in the brilliant glare of moonlight. Pollox watched the black sky. Their sailors heaved the mast on board as the moon shown bright upon their rusted daggers. It was that time of night and the men were heavy with want for their bride: the sea. Uncorked the shattered glass of the night lay gathered on the deck.  Like moon beams cast across the ship's stern. Withered the sailors had become, rejoicing and shouting. Behind the mast, she was the bride of the ship. Mounted to the mast her bosom rising and falling with the sea's tide. Lay the beloved Clara tied to the ship's mast. A woman apart from her old world. Letting herself, unwontedly becoming part of the ship's crew. A gazed upon part of the ship, like some needed accouterment. A necessity to keep the ship afloat.
The mast held her back straight as the waves shook the vessel sending it headlong into the spitting Atlantic ocean.

A shout comes from the poop deck and a man climbs down the rope ladder to the deck.
The ship has seen land ahead. The crew breathes a sigh of relief. And Clara stifles a shout of joy.
Maybe her life could be better now?
She could run away from these fiends that had held her hostage for so long. Maybe...
But fate held her captive.

A seagull squawked his war cry as he dove fearlessly into the water skimming its surface pouncing on its struggling aqueous victim.  Clara watched as the fish struggled within its captor's jaws; with a quick toss in the air, the gull swallowed the fish whole.
Maybe she was being overly sentimental but this brought tears to Clara's eyes. What if her fate were to be the same? A quick struggle but an authoritative grip to silence any wish for escape.
The sound of sailor's feet bounded down the galley to her door. The mutter of wind forced a whistle through the door which opened quickly to reveal not a sailor but the captain himself adorned in his best coat and Bi-Corne hat.

"Come on lassie were goin' out to thee' docks for a swagger."
With little resistance from the weakened Clara, she stumbled across the deck to come face to face with the sharp glare of her conniving captor, Ralph P. Vertnik...

Morning has Broken

Morning Has Broken
Like an apple twig shattered in the force of a gale.
The sun wakes you up
Nature's mother softly prodding you out of bed.
The sun's Rays streaking through the window remind you of Hope.
A strange hope
Shackled to a chair.
The chair covered in
 your flannel,
Hope is dying
Let It Die.
My shoes lay
Untied
Left with the last grimace of yesterday.

Today is the Day the Lord has Made and we Will Invoice

Today is the Day the Lord has Made and we Will Invoice. Do you find yourself in the daily office grind? Or maybe at a factory or warehouse inside all day?


A vocation is not simply a calling to religious life but something that spans much deeper.
What is your career calling?


Huge question, right?

Wowzer, and a big one at that. Just about as big as that catfish we pulled from the river!

So a job. A career. A vocation.

Have you discerned your calling? Assessing what you can do, what you like to do and most importantly after prayer and reflection, what you feel called to do.

A wise Catholic friend of mine once gave me some solid prayer advice when I was deciding on a college. He said, in order to pray, initially, we must give thanks for the things we have and the graces God has blessed us with then pray for our intention.
Intentions can be anything! Remember God is infinite and Almighty.
Then humbly thank him for his time and all he's given you.


So back to our invoice situation.

Getting another job especially in this economy is tricky. The hard truth is, sometimes, there aren't a lot of jobs in your area.
And you aren't able to move due to finances.

So the reader decides I am stuck.

Well, are you?
Have you explored at home jobs?

Some popular ones are:

1. Call representatives

2. Website Designer/Graphic- you can try this at Canva.com

3. Travel Agents

4. Freelance writer: blogger.com, wordpress.com, PoetrySoup.com- start-up is fast and free.

5. Write for magazines: Finance, Business, Collectible, Urban Farming, Country Living: Go to the human resources page of your favorite magazine or newspaper and look at the job board there.

6. Sell books on Amazon using either an individual or professional account. 

7. Start a YouTube channel


8. Open an Etsy store


9. Start a farmers market stand:
And sell literally anything. Bags, recycled coin purses, paintings, pie and other baked goods, first check with your local city rules on this.
Meats, cheeses and dairy products generally require licenses. But specialty crafts are great ways to make a little loot!
Start a garden and sell your fresh vegetables, fruits or herbs to your neighbors or at the farmers market.

10. Volunteer
You can volunteer literally anywhere, your local library, rest home; for specialized programs check out websites like: Volunteermatch.org, Catholicvolunteernetwork.org, idealist.org. These may include stipend, medical insurance, transportation, loan deferment etc.


 I realize that this article is rather higgledy-piggedly, my apologies. I do hope you gained some quirky, if not useful ideas on finding income with what you have at hand and making a difference in someone's life.

For now folks, toodles!

The Fact of It All

The fact of it all
Coiled around the chair
Slipped away like sand.

Promises made
Promises broke.
Little reminders of what fell
From the whirlwind of passion.

The fact of it all
Wrapped around
Someone else's hand
Fixed on a single finger.

The fact of it all
Oceans, states, mountains, lakes.
The cold wind,
Humid air,
Slipped around you.

Promises kept, promises spoke
Not kept I search.

The fact of it all.
Is buried in the truth.

Of the sage that burns on the hill.

Getting Lost

"Don't get lost!"
My mother beckons.
I won't get lost
I know the way.
In this confusing world.
Or so I think.

I lift my eyes
To late to blink.

To catch the last glimpses of the spinning.
Careening into darkness.
I stretch for words.
But I'm lost.

Just like my mother warned.
Now it's too late.
The wheel has turned.

To Love and Be Loved

"Just to Love and Be Loved", which is quoted in the popular movie Moulin Rouge, was first written by St. Augustine in Book 3 of his Confessions. During this time his studies led him to Carthage. In his youth he regrets his lustful thoughts and preoccupations. He wrote The Confessions when meditating on God and how he could be if he could not see or touch God.
He was looking for a woman to provide some distraction for his true need for God. Lacking God to love, he tried filling the void with other things: women, food, wealth etc. Augustine felt as if he needed someone to love so deeply to escape the surface of his lonely life. He felt "left out" from the society of love that seemed so normal and ritual in his town. Subsequently he was not in love but in love with the thought of being in love.

Little Feet Walking on Moonlight

To be unknown
Washed up on some distant shore.
Little feet
Tiptoeing
To your side.

A piano stuck in cadenza.
A flute without sharps.

Little feet
Beckon you.
Leap, won't you follow me?

To be unknown
In some Ozark forest
To get glossed over
By the newspapers
Follow some unknown lead.

To be unknown
Searching for your destiny
Is it far?
The wanderer asks.

Shall we travel farther
Across the states
To rest in some
Foreign place.

To be unknown
Like a wooden cross
Half-made
Is it?

Little feet
Stumble to your
visit.
On the wavering moonlight.

To be unknown
Perhaps,
I'll go out on a limb.
Little feet travel on wards.

Maybe,
That's where all the apples are.

A Piercing Echo

The piercing echo of a cry

That followed along the seashore

Softly protruded by salty spray.

Like the meticulous strike of a marine clock.

Upon some rocky shore

The captain left unknowing

Of what malarky

The ship had befallen

When marooned.

His heart trembled

As he looked

Bereft at the waves

That undulating

Swallowed the carcass

Of his ship.

A piercing echo from his homeland

Buried beneath the waves.

The coarse waves

Entrenching the sweet pink melodies

Of his love far away.

The hardened grimace rising and falling.

A piercing echo sounded

Quail, squirrels, nuts and grass.

Salty waters

That burn the skin

Of such a

White canvas.

Once painted brilliant colors

Of an Englishman’s pride.

Such charm

He had taken a bride.

A beauty sought after by many a man.

Bold and brave he’d asked for her hand.

Bright colored summers

And flames of winter

Long trousers

And thoughts of dinner.

Gone with the waves.

A million miles away.

He watches

As the waves

Crash disdainfully

Into the lonely coast.