Sunday, October 23, 2016

Performance art at its finest.

It has been a long couple of weeks. Work has been demanding, and at times trying. Mostly, it has been a combination of factors, kind of a wave effect, that crashes into our small warehouse occasionally. It should wash away soon.

Plus, I have been writing an article on suicide for the kind lady who publishes my work in her newspaper. It is called Street Speech, a homeless advocacy newspaper, and I think she is a kind soul who tries to help. Maybe it is all of her work trying to help the helpless, or maybe she is just a crusader, but I am not one to quibble, seeing my writing in print is thrilling. So, she said next months issue was on suicide, and asked if I could write something and I said sure.

But, researching suicide is a painful process, reading the numbers, the heartbreak of the survivors, the desperate straits of the victims can be very taxing. I love to write, and this was an experience not to be missed. I am a better person for the effort.

Additionally, I have been researching an article that I intend to sell about the repeated temptations to use atomic weapons that have gripped officials over the years. In places, at times and for reasons that seem ridiculous. It is terrifying how casual they were.

All of these factors weighed me down, and took a toll on me, more than I ever imagined. Thursday I went to lunch, tired, haggard, and feeling low. Low clouds made the whole area seem gray and deathly. A steady, light, uncomfortable, dreary rain made everything seem bleak, and mirrored my mood.

Our lunch room in on the fourth floor, and I stopped to look out the window. Along the edge of the

sidewalk a row of parking meters (conveniently shaped like a microphone) stood, ready to collect their fee. A lone man braved the weather, and potential shame. dancing up to and singing into one of the meters. Moving toward and away from the parking meter and singing an unheard song, his enthusiasm was delightful.

I watched for several minutes, I smiled, and felt better. Here was a man who entertaining the world, and nobody was watching except me, and he couldn't know I was watching, from a half block away, and four stories in the air. There was no way to know what he was singing, and it didn't matter, his talent and love for the material was obvious. Dancing in time to his own drummer made me believe the world still had some magic, if you looked.

Watching for several minutes the performance moved me, and for a few brief minutes there was a reason to believe in the future again. Whoever you are, thank you, don't ever stop performing. The world needs you.


Sunday, October 9, 2016

Yellow Springs, even better with Street Fair

There is a small town in Southeastern Ohio called Yellow Springs. Last week my wife suggested we
make the hour drive, and walk around sampling the unique shops and food choices. We both thought it a great way to spend a fall Saturday.

In what can only be considered a stroke of great luck that has almost heavenly implications the Yellow Springs Street Fair was taking place. It was almost a perfect coincidence. Who could resist?

On a scale of Difference Yellow Springs is several standard deviations above the mean. During Street Fair it generates a chart wholly individual, and unexpected. It is a crowded, bustling, noisy, circus of people in everything from zebra print stretch pants to baggy, hanging camouflage. And everything in between.

With both main streets crammed with vendor's booths featuring a variety of jewelry, homemade soaps, tie dyed shirts, hooded jackets, and dresses, art, pottery, woodworking and bent and welded metal creations shaped like animals there was something for everyone.

Almost every corner had a musician. A steel Every corner had a musician. A steel drum player making so many different sounds it seemed impossible that it was one instrument. A saxophone player strolling through smooth jazz rhythms, an electric guitar player wearing a horses head jamming to a grunge, garage sound, a guy playing serious blues on a three string guitar made from a cigar box. It ran the gamut of instruments, and styles, and dress. It raised a joyous sound everywhere we walked.

Food was plentiful and varied. We had street tacos topped with radishes, and cucumbers. And egg noodles, cabbage and sausage with Sriracha sauce and crushed red peppers. There was kettle corn and cotton candy, funnel cakes, and fair food galore, we passed on those, though we did buy the kettle corn, and just haven't opened it yet.

But, the crowd, the milling, moving amoeba like masses of humanity stole the show. It requires years of experience strolling down streets in places like Estes Park, CO, Gatlinburg TN, countless festivals and fairs, to navigate a scene like that. Planning is everything. Finding that little gap that leads to the booth with the candles. Once you make your move the crowd flows freely around you, a river of humanity flowing around an obstacle. Nobody minds, everything is fluid.  The real secret is accepting your place in the universe, and remaining relaxed, tension destroys the peace required to navigate the maelstrom.

It was a fantastic day. Yellow Springs is a town with charm and character, a laid back little village, delightful, and fun. Street Fair is a crowded, bustling wrestling match. And both are delightful, and should be enjoyed for their own merits. We will be back to Street Fair, but we will make the trip to enjoy the unique, small town, too.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Bingo!


Today two wonderful things happened today. Number one was me and hubby played our first game of bingo here at The Darling Inn. I won a three-way split winning $1.50, it was a fun time especially the free cookies.


The second wonderful thing I got today was I'm all set with a ride to and from the Manchester Airport next September 19th by an agency that is right across the street from us. Life is wonderful, I can't wait to see my kids and grandkids!


Sunday, August 21, 2016

Magical Evenings

When there is a power cut and it's too early to call it a night, it can become magical. Armed with a touch, paper & crayons, it can make for the best setting for storytelling.


Friday, August 12, 2016

Fun Holiday-Son and Daughter Day

Today is Son and Daughter Day which I think is a lovely sediment.

No one really knows how this fun holiday got started but I love the idea.

Small children or adult children it doesn't matter for no matter how old your child gets they are still 'your baby.'

Ways to celebrate can be if you have small children take them out for a fun outing.


I personally don't need much of an excuse to do something special for my kids especially when they were growing up and to this day I still love surprising them.

If you have no children of your own celebrate with your nieces and nephews or even your neighbor's or best friend's kids.

Amy, Tysen and Ariel...We love you to the Moon and back,

Love,
Mom, and Step-Dad:)









Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Lifting a Lousy Mood


None of the people who know me well would describe me as a moody person..Maybe my personality is more prone to being emotionally steady, but, at the same time, I think I do work at my mental attitude. Even so, I had a very lousy mood earlier this week.

I once heard a psychologist say that the same things that bring us up can also bring us down. This makes sense. For the things that are important to us, our relationships, our jobs, can bring us a lot of happiness when they are going well but can give us a lot of grief when they are not. My lousy mood was brought on by my creative work. It was very high when my ideas were flowing and came crashing down when I ran into a tangle and problems.

We all are prone to problems and bad moods, so here are some tips for fighting a bad mood.

1) Nip negative thoughts in the bud. 

It would be unrealistic to never think about a problem, but sometimes the way we think about problems is not productive. I can usually recognize when I'm going too far with a stream of pessimistic or negative thoughts and will make myself stop. Mentally rehashing painful things from the past is also not a good mental habit. It's mentally healthier to put past trauma out of your mind as much as possible. If you're finding it difficult to avoid worry for the future or dwelling on the negative things of the past, focus your mind on the present moment and the task at hand.

2) Talk to a friend. 

It's possible to talk about problems excessively, but sometimes, talking to a trusted friend or family member, even when it doesn't bring about a solution, can do a lot of good. A couple of years ago, I had several incidents where I was treated badly by a number of untrue friends. Thankfully, I still have a good family and a number of loyal friends. Talking to my brother, who gave me some good insights, and talking to a close friend, who was very sympathetic and defensive of me, helped relieve some of those negative emotions. I was able to put those situations behind me. As a Christian, I also talk to God about my issues and try to leave them in His hands.

3) Do a kind deed for somebody else.

Sometimes, it helps to get your mind off of your own problems entirely. When you are going through some difficulty, you are also better equipped to sympathize with others going through difficulty. It truly is better to give than to receive. You will lift your own mood by taking a moment to send someone a card or kind thoughts and express some caring for someone who is having a hard time.

4) Listen to music.

Music can be very therapeutic, but not all music is equally good for lifting a bad mood. You may want to avoid songs about heartbreak and funeral dirges. One of my favorite movies is Sense and Sensibility, based on the Jane Austen novel. In the very beginning of the story, two sisters lose their father and then their house which is inherited by their brother. One sister, Marianne Dashwood, plays sad songs on the piano towards the beginning of the story. Her sister Elinor tells her, "Marianne, can you play something else? Mama has been weeping since breakfast." Marianne then switches to a dirge. Elinor tells her, "I meant something less mournful, dearest."

I actually can enjoy sad songs when I'm feeling good. I enjoy sympathizing with the characters in the song. If I'm inclined to melancholy, even the sad sound of the musical notes can perpetuate that mood, so I avoid sad songs during those times. I can remember a time as a child when I had a little conflict with a friend who was visiting and we were both feeling terrible. Mom put on the soundtrack to Mary Poppins and let us hear this song, and her plan worked in helping us forget our earlier grievance and causing us to laugh together instead.



5) Watch some comedy.

In similar thoughts, I enjoy dramas, even tearjerker dramas and Holocaust movies. These have their place, but, comedies are more therapeutic for when you're going through stress and difficulty.

My brothers introduced me to this comedian Tim Hawkins, and I've been enjoying him ever since. One of my nephews can practically deliver his routines from memory. This particular clip might be about marriage (in part) and I'm single, but I can still appreciate it.  It makes me think of my parents. It also makes me think of myself when I'm riding with my father and am his "special helper in the car."


6) Set aside some time to think through proactive solutions. 

A few of these ideas such as listening to cheerful music and watching comedy seem like escapism. I don't think escapism is entirely bad. I very much like a quote that was widely attributed all over the Internet to J.R.R. Tolkien. It turns out it isn't a direct quote of Tolkien but is a quote by Ursula LeGuin who was indirectly quoting Tolkien.

 "Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisoned by the enemy, don’t we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we’re partisans of liberty, then it’s our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!"

I agree with that philosophy. However, just because we need some escape, doesn't mean we shouldn't apply some more proactive thoughts towards solving issues. I'm putting this sort of thought in a different category than worry. A few years ago, I was very upset when I learned a doctor had upped antidepressant medication for a friend. (In a lot of cases, I hear testimonies that people feel better when they stop taking these medications.) One of the issues that was upsetting her was one that was very possibly solvable with some steps on her part. This advice, which I tried to give her, would have been more helpful than more medicine to artificially alter her mood.

In my own recent bad mood, relating to my creative process, I felt more optimistic when I took some steps towards untangling my snag. 




 


Thursday, June 23, 2016

I Love Adult Toys:) #FixThePlus

Not that kind of toys!

When my kids were little I was in toy heaven. I got to color, 'test' out toys and generally have an excuse to see through the eyes of a child. Although my inner-child is ready to come out at a moments notice.

I am a big fan of the trampoline, all that bouncing until I fell off so I will continue to steer clear of those.

Adult coloring books are making a comeback which my daughter-in-law loves to do so I know what I'm getting her for Christmas. Clicking on the link you can get some free printables.

There are parks popping up for senior citizens where you can play all day or at least until your arthritis flares up.
Go to http://www.governing.com/generations/government-management/gov-senior-playgrounds-popping-up.html

I love this quote:

As George Bernard Shaw famously said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

Which of course I'm a firm believer in. So don't forget to smile and play as if it was your last day.

What do you do for fun?


Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Tomorrow is 'National Pink Day' #FixThePlus


Happy National Pink Day! Everyone is invited to wear pink even the men can as well. Personally, I have seen men wear pink looking spectacular.

I myself have very few items of clothing that are pink for I tend to veer towards the darker colors but I do have a couple of shirts I can choose from.

You can make a pink cake with pink frosting with pink ice cream. While you are eating your pink cake and ice cream you can watch the movies Pretty In Pink or Pink Cadillac.

Pink is also used for breast cancer awareness which is in October. When it's Breast Awareness Day I have seen lots of ribbons tied to car antennas and mailboxes not to mention on people's shirts.

You can listen to Pink Floyd or Pink wearing your pink shirt, eating pink ice cream and cake. You can make a 'pinky swear' with someone.

Give your bestie, friend, mother, or anyone you choose a pink rose even. All in all, it's a wacky way to enjoy your day.

What are you going to for National Pink Day?

Monday, June 20, 2016

Eat Your Vegetables Day #FixThePlus


Today we celebrate eating your veggies. When I was growing up I used to hide my peas under my mashed potatoes thinking I was fooling my parents.

Today I love vegetables, I could live on them. A lot of people do live on just vegetable whether out of respect for animals or just plain want to be Vegan. Even people who enjoy meat balk at eating lamb or veal.

Here are some of the veggies you can grow indoors as well as out.

VEGETABLES

  • Peppers
  • Salad Greens 
  • Kale 
  • Chard
  • Carrots 
  • Onions 
  • Tomatoes, especially cherry types Beans
So open wide and much out on your vegetables!

What's your favorite vegetable?


Sunday, June 19, 2016

Learn to Relax



Enjoy that sunshine, even if it's on a random car!, in the Bay. Let's relax after a busy day out fishing:)

Friday, June 17, 2016

Another Fine Mess, aka Another "Tail" of Doo Doo

My childhood pets, Trixie the dog and Frisky the cat


So, today, I have another bit of scatalogical humor for you. How do you like that? Scatalogical humor. I confess that this is a new phrase for me. A college friend with whom I'm in contact through Facebook introduced it to me. I'd always heard "potty humor" or "bathroom humor" but scatalogical humor sounds much more dignified, doesn't it? It's also more inclusive, as the story I'm about to tell doesn't involve either a potty or a bathroom. It's not that I'm fixated on doo doo (I hope) but my recent blog about getting doo doo bombed by a seagull at Seaside Heights got me thinking about other, uh, interesting incidents in my life.

My good friend Adrienne is a fan of, er, scatalogical humor, and she is always surprised when I can appreciate it. She thinks I am too delicate a person for this sort of thing. I suppose I am selective. A contrived story is not nearly as funny as a true one. And then there is this. I came across a photo on the Internet where a woman was caught on camera, on an escalator, in a short white skirt, with liquid diarrhea dripping down her skirt and legs. Did you laugh at that? I hope not. If such a public disaster -- God forbid! -- should befall me, I hope someone doesn't photograph my humiliation and publish it to the Internet without my knowledge.

On the other hand, I laughed myself silly as I read about one man's nightmarish situation with a diarrhea emergency and a very unique bathroom situation on a private plane. I can laugh because the poor man clearly sees the humor in it himself. It's worth a read, if you can overlook a few fbombs that he drops. Then, no matter what embarrassing situation happens to you, you can (most likely) say to yourself, 'Well, at least, I didn't go through what that poor guy on the plane did."

The story you are about to read is true. The names have not been changed to protect the innocent, which is basically ... me.

During my college days, when I was home one summer, my brother Tim and I were given the task of carrying a ladder out to the backyard. (I should explain that my brother Tim would be a Tim Clark but that this Tim Clark is an entirely different person than the Tim Clark who owns and writes this blog.) I no longer remember the reason why a ladder was needed in the backyard. I only remember that something interesting happened in the process. I was on the far end of the ladder backing up with it, while my brother walked forwards with the other end, and I was barefoot, because I'm always barefoot whenever possible. Did I mention I had a dog? If you gather nothing else from this story, take note of this, that if you have a dog, walking backwards through your backyard barefoot is probably not a good idea.

Yes, you guessed it. I stepped in dog poo. Not only did I step in dog poo, I stepped in fresh, warm, moist dog poo that squished up really well between all the toesies. I suppose the wisest thing for me to do at that point would be for me to take the garden hose and hose off my foot. I didn't think of this however, because the backyard didn't seem like my realm. My older and wiser brother -- twelve years older to be exact -- could have pointed out this simple solution, only he was too busy laughing, doubled over, laughing really hard.



So, instead, I act like some slightly demented flamingo, hopping on one foot from the yard to the back door. Brother Tim never leaves my side, although not so much in support. He is still laughing. I think he is forgetting to breathe. Does he offer me advice? Tips? No. He just stays with me as my hysterical sidekick, my straight man who can't be serious. He's Harvey Korman.



I continue hopping through the house. I wish I could show you a "Family Circus" style map to show you just how far my trek through the house was to get to my final destination. I hopped through the family room, the dining room, the living room, up about five steps, a demented flamingo with fresh poo on her foot, down the hallway and into the bathroom. I then hopped into the tub where I could rinse off my foot.



And thus ends my "tail" of poo, which is very different from a tale of Pooh, although I hope you enjoy both.





  In case I made my brother Tim out to seem cruel, I just want to say that he is the best brother in the world. The Tim who owns this blog is pretty cool too and, perhaps, he is my distant relative.




Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Uh Oh Cheerios and Fly-By Doo Doo Bombings






Uh oh, Cheerios. You are probably thinking, "Isn't the slogan, 'Uh oh, Spaghettios'?" Well, recently, just last Sunday, I had an "Uh oh, Cheerios" moment. That moment came when I looked down at my shirt at the end of the church service and saw a chocolate Cheerio that had somehow adhered itself to my shirt, probably with a little milk acting as glue. I noticed this at the end of the service, which meant that I had sung with the worship team in front of the congregation and socialized during the Chapelccino coffee time, all the while having this charming decoration stuck to me.

How had it survived all of this? Nobody likes to (hopefully) embarrass their friends, but a good friend will point out that you have a strand of toilet paper on your shoe or a bit of mustard on your face, particularly before you are going to be on a platform somewhere. I can remember a time when an elderly lady in the church choir had a serious wardrobe malfunction, her skirt splitting up the back, exposing a lot of slip and leg and rear end. The dear lady, either from a little bit of Alzheimer's or her dreamy artistic disposition, seemed completely unaware of this, but some other choir ladies formed a human barricade around her in the church foyer to protect her from humiliation.

So, a Cheerio on the shirt is not quite at that level of potential embarrassment, but I have to wonder if it was noticed or unnoticed. I sat down with a cup of coffee at Chapelccino time, and a church lady friend made sure I had one of her home-made zucchini muffins and told several of us a story of how she had met her husband. It had drama! It had conflict! She told us about the moment when she first met him and how she had felt electricity as he pressed a business card into her hand and then how he promptly lost her interest when he was over an hour late to their first appointment. I was left hanging then as we had to hurry upstairs and into the service.

Did the Cheerio blend into the paisley pattern on my shirt? Did it look like a little brooch from a distance? I can just imagine the inner dialogue of the church ladies. "I like her brooch. It's simple. It's minimalist. It's organic. Where can I get one?" Maybe I should go into the jewelry business and gradually expand from Cheerio brooches to Froot Loop earrings.





I did a Google search and found the earrings above from the Sweet Clay Creations shop on Etsy.com. Maybe cereal as jewelry is not too far-fetched of a fashion trend.

My cousin had a different suggestion when I told him my story. He said, "You can always claim it was a political statement and that you were raising awareness for the Church Mouse Hunger Project."

This is, unfortunately, not the worst of my embarrassing and rather recent mishaps with clothing. Over the Memorial Day weekend, I went with friends to Seaside Heights in New Jersey. I was initiating a brand new pair of white shorts from Anthropologie, shorts of a delicate embroidered fabric. There must be some sort of Murphy's Law in effect when wearing white. If you wear white, you are practically daring staining substances to jump onto your person.

I spent most of my time on the beach lying down on my beach towel and enjoying the sounds of nature, including those charming little sea gulls. I looked up and noticed how graceful they were in the air with their little black feet tucked up against their tails.

Photo from Wikipedia







At one point, I showed myself slightly less lazy and sat up, watching the waves and the birds and the children around me playing in the sand. One seagull rewarded my admiration with a fly-by doo doo bombing. That's right. I was the innocent victim of a fly-by doo doo bombing. Not only that, but the scheming creature literally did this behind my back over my towel that was so nicely exposed while I was sitting up. So, I unknowingly lay right back down in my nice fresh white shorts.

I didn't notice anything strange until we were getting ready to leave, and I noticed this nice bit of squashed unidentified brownish substance on my towel. I then asked my friends, "Do I have anything on me?"

My friend Iris answered, "It looks like the poop." My friend Iris is originally from Hong Kong, and although she has lived in the States now for many years, she can still occasionally insert a "the" where you don't expect it. So, I made my way from the beach with a towel wrapped around me to hide a brownish blot on my nether regions.

Just to prove that Murphy's Law is in effect while wearing white, Iris was also wearing a fairly new white sleeveless sweater that day. We had our dinner at a nice little Italian restaurant and pizzeria in Toms River where we could hear the owner singing away in Italian in the next room. While making a point, Iris touched the table and flipped a fork full of tomato sauce onto herself and her white sweater.

I suppose it could be worse. The seagull could have arranged his timing so that I was still lying down when he flew by, and then the doo doo bomb may have landed directly on me.



Sunday, June 12, 2016

I have always loved children. They are what makes the world go round bringing you laughter and joy. So let's celebrate Children's Day and give you child a hug.




Friday, June 10, 2016

What's The Best Day Of All ???

Hello to all you working off-line jobs, the weekend is coming and just maybe the sun will make an appearance.


Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Where Will I Be A Hundred Years From Now #5 #FixThePlus


So we had our fresh posies, fresh mushrooms, Golden Crumbles, our story-teller, 
fresh brewed Ale from our goblin friend and music. Oh, the fun we were going to have...... continued

       Where Will I Be A Hundred Years From Now


I told the girls thank-you for picking the most gorgeous flowers putting them in little vases on the tables. They were so pretty livening up the patio.

Purples,pinks and yellows bursting with color were the flowers growing wild along the trails and forest.

The huge sunflowers were bowing their heads hello while the wind swept through the landscape making the trees and flowers dance.

Yoda the farey was feinting around changing colors with the flowers blending in disappearing occasionally. She was a funny little thing.


 Tom the Guardian of all the forest folk stopped by saying all was well all around.  Pooky the Pitbull lay a few feet away smiling in a doggy way at all the excitement.

 The kittens were trying to get in the way while mama cat told them, "no no, little ones", "stay out from being underfoot."

You could hear in the close distance Ariel the Mermaid humming with her mermaid tribe getting ready to sing at my party. They sounded beautifully melodically in tune and ready.
 For those of you who don't want Ale this giant Tulip will supply you with what you need I told everyone.

The bumblebees have been busy pollinating filling up the tulips with sweet nectar.

No swimming in the nectar I warned Tic the farey for he was eyeing it.
 Sweet adorable woodland critters were creeping up to the edge of the party looking with surprise at all the people who were dipping into the mushrooms and the Golden Crumbles telling each other how good everything was and how they couldn't wait for the festivities to start! It shalt be long I cried out.

 The sun was fading out so I went inside my little cottage grabbing my farey lantern and called out to the firefly's to come help light up area which they gladly did fluttering slowly all around which made the yard look even more magical then it already did.

Calling to Ariel and her Mermaid friends they all came out of the clear crystal clear water legs replacing where fins were walking down the trail sitting down together on the big boulder and started to sing such beautiful music everyone was entranced.


+DL Keur , +Plain Jane (???) , +Trina Emmerson , +Nikki DeMc , +Diana Bauder , +Barbara Brittain , +R. J. Nello , +Adele Archer , +S. Austin Vincoski , +Christian Touchet , +S. Bradley Stoner . +Tim Clark , +Aleks K. Shaw , +Mike Raven , and +Jeremy Crow  all had a wonderful time eating, drinking and dancing their fill until it was time to go home.

Look into this magic mirror and chant I want to go home and poof you will be home and it will feel like you never had left.

The End

I hope you enjoyed the story. It's a first for me to write one of my made-up stories. I enjoyed myself and I hope you did as well.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Where Will I Be A Hundred Years From Now #4 #FixThePlus


    Where Will I Be A Hundred Years From Now 

Out of nowhere Yoda the Farey came riding in on her steed Bumblebee calling out we are all ready with the music to dance and listen to! Oh, it was going to be a party no one would forget....


"We need music, beautiful soul music", I said, and I know where to go! So
+DL Keur , +Plain Jane (✈👩) , +Trina Emmerson , +Nikki DeMc , +Diana Bauder , +Barbara Brittain , +R. J. Nello , +Adele Archer , +S. Austin Vincoski , +Christian Touchet , +S. Bradley Stoner . +Tim Clark , +Aleks K. Shaw , +Mike Raven , and +Jeremy Crow  all followed the pathway leading to the falls where the mermaids were swimming.


Arriving at the falls I called out, "Ariel, are you there"? Followed by a shrill startled  shriek, "You surprised me", Ariel shouted, "I have to cover up" as she dove back down into the blue crystal clear water. "Sorry", I shouted as everyone's mouth dropped open at the sight of a real live mermaid especially a half naked one at that.

Everyone stood at the pond's edge  having already taken off their shoes and socks started dipping their toes in the water. "The water's nice and chilly" exclaimed +Trina Emmerson taking in the sights of the surrounding landscape. "It's so magical and pretty," she said to +Jeremy Crow , come and get your feet wet!

At just that moment Ariel came into view looking much better covered up. Smiling she asked, "What can I do for you +Sheryl Rose "? "Can you and your mermaid friends please sing for my party, pretty please"? I asked. "Why I would be delighted", Ariel replied. And we had our music. "It will be later tonight if not tomorrow", I said, for the time didn't really count in this land of magic."

So we had our fresh posies, fresh mushrooms, Golden Crumbles, our story-teller, fresh brewed Ale from our goblin friend and music. Oh, the fun we were going to have.

Stayed tuned for more story telling of a magical party....










Saturday, May 21, 2016

Where Will I Be A Hundred Years From Now #3 #FixThePlus

As we walked the willow trees bowed down to us tickling the tops of our heads gently swaying in the air waltz that only they heard. Everyone was chattering about our party exclaiming how fun it would be....to be continued

     Where Will I Be A Hundred Years From Now?

...how fun it would be to take rides on my pet magical giraffe named Nellie if she was around. Going around the bend I could see my grass covered cottage built around a five-hundred-year-old Webber tree who was busy shaking her branches at the cawing crows flying trying to land on her branches. Shew, fly away you ugly birds you nosey, loud thieves, shew!

I could see that +Jill Cartlidge , +Nikki DeMc were over admiring my small waterfall with the tiniest of glow fish that darted under rocks coming back out again. Hi, you guys I called out. I'm so glad to see you. Calling out hello they walked around in wonder. "Your yard is so pretty they exclaimed" to which I agreed.

I owe it to Clump I explained, he was the watcher of my part of the woods collecting pretty colored shells and rocks all wove into a brilliant path around my little home. Mr. Clump came walking up with  +Mike Raven+Jeremy Crow, and +S. Bradley Stoner looking like a miniature Gnome with the men towering above him. He had been making an ale out back asking if anyone wanted a glass.


Out of nowhere Yoda the Farey came riding in on her steed Bumblebee calling out we are all ready with the music to dance and listen to! Oh, it was going to be a party no one would forget....

Stay tuned for more magical storytelling from Grandma Rose.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Where Will I Be A Hundred Years From Now? #2

continued and that's not even where I live...


I was getting hungry listening to the growling noise coming from my stomach announcing to my friends who had shown up as the flowers were turning different shades of color watching a tiny farey talking with a tiny firefly go buzzing off merrily in search of golden crumbles which was a sugary magical treat, would you like to follow me home for a mid-meal snack?

+DL Keur , +Plain Jane (✈👩) and +Trina Emmerson all said yes! We will come, we will pick posies for the table there are so many vibrant colors. Maybe we will come across  hummingbirds to follow us to your home to stay.

The smallest of the whales called out stay to the path or you will get lost. The dolphins nodded in agreement. Don't worry we won't stray far from the path, it's only a twenty minute walk. They started walking, everyone was barefoot enjoying the lush fullness of the grass between thier toes.

Up ahead we spotted +Nikki DeMc , +Diana Bauder and +Barbara Brittain all collecting mushrooms putting them into thier baskets. Oh goody I exclaimed, we can add that to our golden crumbles it will be magnificent! Join us will you I asked, I would love the company.

We rounded the bend now seeing R.J. Nello whom I excitedly asked if he would tell us stories of Spain and the other places he had been so he also joined our little party. It was starting to get a little darker so we all walked a little faster with little mice calling out hello begging for scraps. The mushrooms we had gave you a magical tour of a land no one had ever seen and were in great demand.

As we walked the willow trees bowed down to us tickling the tops of our heads gently swaying in the air waltz that only they heard. Everyone was chattering about our party exclaiming how fun it would be....to be continued

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Where Will I be A hundred Years From Now? #1 #FixThePlus

I saw that question somewhere along my blog reading thinking to myself, well at 57 I highly doubt I will still be on this earth, then my imagination took over.

I'm sitting on a big rock surrounded by lush green grass, a willow tree overhead a stream merrily trickling along into a large pond.

I have no aches, no sore joints, having the body the same age as my inner child. I can shimmer in and out for my inner child is ageless as is my soul. I'm wearing a shimmering dress that sparkles and changes color with every movement I make.

Scattered here and there are the most radiant of flowers all different colors in bright purples,blues, and pinks. I am of course barefoot for there is no trash to be seen on the water or around anywhere as far as the eye can see.

Huge sunflowers are scattered everywhere.

In the pond are a family of whales, dolphins and flying fish all adapted to fresh water and scaled down in size. They come up to the shore as I toss them treats merrily chanting in dolphin language with the ways shoot water high into the air.

I have a Pitbull, Chia, a mother cat with her kittens and they can all talk most days chattering away amongst themselves. They were talking excitedly about the colors of the last magnificent rainbow of last yesterday.

Night time there is always a full moon with fireflies darting here and there racing along with the little fairy's that love to twinkle in the night sky. Everything shimmers and sparkles with giant fireworks that go off every night.

And that's not even where I live...to be continued.

Friday, May 13, 2016

How to Avoid Puddles When Your Walking In The Rain #FixThePlus #FollowFridays

Got you there...you DON'T!

I just got back from a lovely walk in the rain to get a few things from the store. The Pepsi Company is promoting Mountain Dew Pitch Black which after opening and pouring a glass I discovered it tastes faintly of grape. I think my typing just sped up.

I went with my black trusty umbrella loving the sound of raindrops coming to a puddle. You guessed it. With great joy, I splashed right through.

I was in my element with rain pattering my open umbrella, the river roaring in the background, puddles everywhere I swear I must have been a dolphin in my past life!


Do you enjoy the rain as much as I do?

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Kids Are People Too

I don't know why but this song is always running through my mind so I'm going to share so hopefully it will run through yours as well:) I used to sing this to my children.

Kids Are People Too

Some people think that kids are just kids
But, kids are people too
And just like me and you
they've all got hearts
And they got feelin's
But, grown ups say
It's best if they are seen and never heard
But, still without a word they can be heard

If we'll just listen
It's funny
But, if you look you'll find
that kids are colored blind
When they look at each other
In their site, black, yellow and white
are all just shades of gray
In their minds we're all the same
And we're to blame if they should change them
So maybe we should listen
to what kids have to say
And if we let them reach us
Maybe they just might teach us
And maybe you and me might be like children too

Thank you Bobby Goldsboro.

Saturday, May 7, 2016

What Is Your Summer Time Smile

The Magic Of Fireflies

My summer time favorite thing, besides the local ice cream shop is Fireflies.  I have always loved Fireflies. My earliest memory of those little  buggy lights was in Kansa City, Kansas where my mother's sister lived.

It's so cool that when you travel somewhere else it may have the same trees, grass, flowers, and shrubbery, they are a different hue of green. Anyways in my Aunt's front yard was deep, soft,  green grass that delighted my bare feet all nice and cool in the evening dusk.

My cousins and I were outside playing when I spotted some fireflies flitting here and there. I was fifteen at the time but all the same, I had the excitement of a young child.

Running into the house my cousin grabbed a glass jar yelling over our shoulders we were going to catch fireflies. I was told to gently catch them so the powder or dust wouldn't rub off on your hands.

When the jar was full it was truly magical as it lit up in the dark. Nature's own flashlight. We all ran about amidst those fireflies late into the evening pretending they were really little fairies. I still smile to think of that night.

What summertime activity makes you smile?

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Here's Something To Smile About:)

MAY 6TH 2016

Since I have a son in the military and a stay at home now, Daughter-In-Law raising my first born grandson, I like this 'fun' holiday.

Show your spouse some love tomorrow by if your spouse is overseas, call or Skype him/her, showing how much you care.

If he/she is not overseas write a little love note, do something special for them, show your love and appreciation.

Have a great day!

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Pitbulls and Babies

I went out a little earlier to get a couple of things, walking of course.

I was able to wear my pretty dye-tied shibori dress with my black sweater.

I had taken off my glasses because they kept slipping down my nose.

I see a figure of a person and their dog ahead of me in the distance.

As I got closer I felt a twinge of excitement, is that a Pitbull?
I put on my glasses and sure enough, it's a young girl with a white Pitbull.

As they close in the distance from me I can clearly see really is a Pittie.
My favorite kind of dog in the whole wide world.

Delighted I bend down to pet this adorable half grown Pitbull who wags her tail.
I asked for the puppies name which is Vera who poured out puppy love.

I continue on making my stop at Rite-Aid laughing with the clerks.
I get done there and make my way up to the Family Dollar.

I go in, get what I need and as I'm leaving I hold the door for a father
who had the cutest little baby.

All this joy and what I consider luck when I see either a puppy or a baby.
I hardly noticed those nasty little trolls banging away at all my joints.

I'm so glad I went out for sometimes it's just easier to stay at home.
What gives you great joy when you run into it?

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

How To Survive Waiting For Your Ride


Just getting home from seeing my Doctor. He likes to be with you when he is filling out questioners from my lawyer, so with an appointment, I came in.

As I may have mentioned before I get to schedule trips to and from anything that is relatable to medical issues. 

You call ahead, three days before at least, schedule the trip and when asked how long you are going to be there, you give them a time. I usually make it for an hour.

Like all other systems of this nature, there are going to be mishaps, lack of communication and general chaos. If you adapt to all this you can come out ahead of the game...most of the time.


The last appointment despite my best efforts I had an hour to kill. It was a bright, blue-skied fairly warm day so I decided to lay out on the bench the building has out front.

I'm laying there using my purse as a pillow which gave me an idea for 'pillow purses', don't steal my idea, taking my glasses off to bask in the sun which felt wonderful on my face. Us Easterners need all the help we can get with our ghost faces.

I hear a car pull up and turn off. Then I hear a voice asking, "Are you o.k.? I assured her I was fine and off she went. That happened last week.

Today I only got to see my Doc for around fifteen minutes leaving me once again time to kill. I always chat with the receptionist and told her about what happened last week while I was waiting for my ride.

We both thought that sure wouldn't be good for business if they had a dead body out front. That's like pulling up to a restaurant seeing an ambulance parked out front. The room burst into laughter with the receptionist saying, "Sheryl made everyone laugh, see you later". 

Now I had forty-five minutes to kill so I headed straight to what is now my bench, sat down, stretching out. Not ten minutes go by and I hear, "You scared the crap out of me when you moved", "I thought something was wrong". 

I looked up to see her head hanging over the railing where you go in. I assured this woman I was fine and smiled to myself because she was going in and if she mentioned me my receptionist was ready.

What's the moral of this story you ask? It's how something so mundane can make smiles which I seem to have a gift for.

What are you happy about?

“Peace begins with a smile..” 
― Mother Teresa