July 30: Mama Forte

"I just got back from hiking the Rain Forest in Costa Rico," she said softly in the same tone one might use to say they had soft serve ice cream last night,  We were standing under the hair dryers in the locker room acknowledging the very hard but wonderful class we had just endured was contributing to stronger bodies than we might have had when we were busy balancing kids, careers, life. I listened in awe to her tale of hiking down a cliff with a rope and a guide. To be honest, I am not sure I could do it, but I sure would want to try! 

"He called me Mama Forte when we got back to the top!" she smile proudly as I clapped for my friend who has worked hard to assure that the fluff-muffins many of us sport as we get older do not mean we have to stop trying to be as strong as we can possibly be. 

I was smiling as I emerged back into another day of gray drizzle at 9 AM even if I was headed home to some more mopping. I may not have hiked in Costa Rico, but I did the same class as my friend, Mama Forte!

SOL26 July 28: Mop, Mopped, and Still Mopping

 I'm writing with the SOL Community today. 

It was yesterday, but they were predicting it for today even though the skies had been overcast and the air smelled like after football practice. I even checked Accuweather and the storms seemed to be rolling to the north. Then, it started to rain and to thunder and there was more rain mixed with hail and even more rain. Cars, roads, small bridges, power, and the internet were all lost; yet, miraculously, no lives were lost in this third "Storm of the Century" in 10 days! My issues can all be fixed with a mop. 

I headed into the basement, cautiously,

After not finding water the last two times

I was really feeling optimistic, so I went,

Barefooted, with a tiny flashlight scanning

Finding just what I expected, the need for my mop.

I returned with boots and mopped. 

I flopped into bed, dreaming of mops. 

The power is back and it's raining again,

I am on a break, but I have been mopping. 

Grateful that's all I need!

July 26: Remarkably Bright Creatures

Most of the time, films do not capture the magic of a well written novel; however. as I sobbed and grabbed another tissue, I remembered powerful science and skillful actors make a wonderful story incredible.

 

Cephalopod science was not woven into the biology classes of my youth, but the idea of octopuses unscrewing jars, recognizing people, and planning escapes hit me hard. My emotional reaction may have indeed been aggravated but the fact that I had grilled octopus for lunch!  In my defense, it had been years since I had that delicacy and it will be a long while before beans are not my protein of choice.  

Remarkably Bright Creatures earned four Oscar Nominations and is currently on Netlix if you, like me, didn't catch it in theaters. 

July 26: Musical Bliss

I've been experimenting with water colors this summer and listening to a wide range of music; yet, it's clear that creating fabulous art and making wonderful music sit outside of my skill set. 

I sat in this perfectly acoustical room at Lincoln Center last night listening to a wonderful concert where music written by Debussy and others filled my senses and soul.  It was one of those nights when we were so immersed in something so wonderful that time and space stood still and yet disappeared. I was left thinking about the power of a conductor to bring an orchestra together.

Eun Sun Kim Conducts Poulenc

She waved, pointed and flared knowing each

Violini, cello, French horn's note n

Neded to be merged into a chorus 

Supporting that magnificent flutist whose sound

Still reverberates in my head along with images of a

Mesmerized crowd whose intense focus was on 

Capturing the moments of musical bliss.

July 25: Celebrate Today

I wish I could live every day in gratitude

Without worries for the next problem, issue,

Grateful for the small moments where a 

Fairy Princess leans in for a feathery hug, a

Precocious Tween realizes he's taller, a

Conversation might be frozen in time, a

Summer breeze is set on repeat, a

Wrinkle is just a marker of time, a

Checkmate call results in a full-body smile, a

Celebration of living is unending, 

Today, I am going to try.

July 24: Celebrate

Birthdays, are a time to celebrate and also to reflect on memories and to anticipate the future, 

One of my grands, with sparkle galore,

Is no longer so little, in fact she's four!

Not long ago, she was a tiny bundle of love

Now she's a strong, determined gift from above.

She's already making her mark in the world

With glitter, ruffles and energy unfurled.

Her future is as bright as the sun is on this day,

She's forging ahead on her birthday.

She's already come a long way from preemie size,

I treasure each day 'cause time flies. 

It's also the birthday of a special cousin to me,

Kind, supportive, he's a main branch on my tree! 

It's no surprise they share this special date 

Their leaves are bright, they are reasons to celebrate.

SOL26 July 21: Bye Lettuce

I'm sharing a little bit of my life with the Slice of Life Community today, Like everyone, I have been avoiding some foods lately!

Looked longingly at heads piled high,

Wanted to grab them, but let out a sigh,

88 cents called me, I grabbed pricier food,

Thoughts of chef salad and BLTs collude,

$4 zucchini, $7 chard,

Can be cooked, raw is barred.

Not a chance for a salad bowl,

Bye bargain lettuce and bankroll.

Ethical ELA: July 20: Excessive GIfts

On this last day of Ethical ELA Open Write, Glenda asks us to write a clerihew form poem which is four lines long with rhymes at the end of lines one and two as well as three and four. Typically these poetic forms are about a person. I am taking a bit of poetic liberty and writing about a "gifted thing." 

When the gift is grandiose, excessive, or appears extreme,

It likely is illegal, has problems, or perhaps is part of a scheme!

You can't buy love or respect with money, planes, or diamond rings,

Sooner or later your may discover someone is trying to pull your strings! 

Ethical ELA: July 19: Waves

In  today's Ethical ELA prompt, Glenda Funk asks us to  consider looking at various definitions of wave. She suggests we could explore the human wave gesture or a beach memory. My wave poem is different, but based on my experiences driving through a day of intense rain yesterday!

Local forecast was dire, red flag waving ominously,

Yet, I waved, to my neighbor, bravely securing an umbrella,

I patted the coffee, water bottle as the wipers waved

Slowly, in anticipation for the first wave ahead where a 

Deluge would deter them from trying to wave away gallons

Flowing from waves of furious clouds before the

Thruway would disappear in waves of tears beating on cars 

As if they were kettle drums, as waves of terror gripped my

Soul knowing the destination was worth wavering through 

Waves of rain attempting to power wash everything in its path

SOL26: Still Learning

Today, I'm sharing a small, wonderful slice of life even though my heart is heavy with concerns for the precarious state of our world.  

Over the years, I have attended many universities and earned multiple degrees. I've learned to play checkers, Canasta, croquet and even pickle-ball. Yet, I somehow missed learning to play chess. I am pretty sure the husband taught the kids to play while I was either doing dishes or laundry and was too exhausted to add anything to my short-term memory storage facility. There was an after school club that met right next to my classroom for years and I thought about going, but there was always paperwork or lesson plans calling.

So when a grandchild did not accept my I do not play statement and exclaimed, "I'll teach you right now," I swallowed my fear that this was going to be hard and allowed an eight year old to teach me the basics. It was pretty hard, at first, and those horses who hop and jump as if they were real stallions cost me my first game pretty fast. The second game lasted a bit longer until I got shredded by that queen whose wrath I underestimated! 

I found myself later that night checking out chess basics and creating my own study guide before wasting an evening on the porch playing an online version ONLY so I can be a better competitor for someone who was in pull ups not that long ago. I'm still listening, growing, and still learning!