Wednesday August 17 2016  TAKING A REPRIEVE

My plan was to write another episode tonight about A PICTURE INTO THE PAST.  However, I allowed my day to get away from me when I walked out the door to begin my errands.  I made a purposeful decision as I left the house that I WAS NOT GOING TO HURRY TODAY!  I have been on high speed since before we left on our trip three weeks ago.  The only deviation from my sometimes frantic routine was when I was in too much pain to move after my fall.  I’ve been trying to catch up with all that is going on at this house, but as much as I NEED TO DO, I knew there was no possibility of catching up today.  Perhaps there is no catching up for me…EVER!  So since I couldn’t catch up today I decided to S..L..O..W……D..O..W..N!

As Most of you know, I enjoy meeting and talking with new people.  I love new experiences.  I quite frequently am distracted and forget to keep track of time.  During my working years I had to run my life by a strict clock, a hectic schedule, and had absolutely not one minute to slow down…EVER.  I remember saying to myself that when I retired I would never rush again!  I have experienced a few of those days so I decided that I was going to give myself that opportunity today.  And I did.  I simply gave myself permission to do so.

When I awakened this morning I had my day organized with precise times when I would leave the house as well as when I had to be home.  There were so many tasks that needed to be accomplished to meet my goal of having guests over tomorrow evening, knowing that everything I did today would not need to be done tomorrow.  Well, to be truthful, my schedule went out the window; my clock could not prompt me to leave when I thought I should, so I just chucked all my plans and decided to have a good time instead.  Oh, I would still get all my errands accomplished but I was no longer concerned as to how long it would take me.  I JUST LOVE DAYS LIKE THAT! 

Sometimes my need for such a day is even greater than the love I have for such a day.  It is like having a break in a storm when you are out at sea.  This slow, interesting, and yet fulfilling day was such a beautiful lull from all that has been happening around me lately.  On a normally busy and hectic day I believe my greatest reprieve is when I allow my mind to wander, grasp the thoughts that come strolling by and then allow myself to freely take pleasure in developing those thoughts as I write my blog.  I always ask for God’s direction as to where I should go.  God is my daily strength.  Writing becomes a way that I can worship God as He gives me solace.  And my poetry is my offering of love to him daily.  Taking time to think gives me pause in an otherwise run-on day.  Sort of like a run-on sentence, you must break it up in order to make sense out of it.

The next segment in my family’s saga will be about my Uncle John.  I do not believe I can do him justice until I contact a few people I need to talk to.    I will not say on what day I will resume the series but will do so ASAP.

So what did I do today?  How DID I SPEND my precious hours?  I stopped at the Senior Center to pick up some bread and then became sidetracked when I peered into a room and saw several ladies painting.  My curiosity was peaked.  I received permission to stroll along side their tables and view their work in progress.  What amazing talented people sat at those tables.  I was informed later that there were several award-winning artist involved in that group.  I met two interesting women at a front table and had a delightful conversation about drawing, painting, photography, blogs, trips, and soap making.  I loved it.  I think I miss having more people in my life.  I have been too busy to develop relationships.  Even a short conversation such as we had today fills me with an inner contentment.  It just felt good to be in a room full of women enjoying what they were doing as well as the companionship around them.  I finally pulled myself away and headed over to the library.

I decided to just drop off my books that were due and head out to the gym.  I had a short workout, one round on the table for the hydro-massage, and headed to Aldi’s.  Had a great time shopping for tomorrow’s dinner supplies, talked to several people in the store, enjoyed myself immensely and headed home.  Arrived home, put everything away, and ate lunch at 3:45 p.m.  I was hungry!

And then my sister called and I listened to her talk.  She can’t hear on the phone but she can hear just enough to know I am on the phone.  I mostly listen and punctuate her calls with a few responses she is certain that I am still there.  That way she can speak her thoughts to me instead of spending so much time writing emails. My sister also has a similar disorder with her hands that I do.  She is 9 years olderso her hands are 9 years ahead of mine as far as their deterioration.  One thing we can still both accomplish with our hands is typing on a keyboard and she is even having some trouble with that.  Emails are how we normally communicate.  She seldom calls but when she does I prop my legs up and rest during her monologue.  How is that for not rushing!  After the call ended I popped up (very slowly with my broken ribs), prepared fresh fruit for the freezer, made some more food to eat, and then went to my office and commenced to writing.  And I have been here way overlong. 

Tomorrow will be a busy day… or not…  Some things just might not get done.  But oh, how wonderful it was today to come home and see the results of Dave’s vacuuming.  He did the entire main level AND mopping the kitchen and back hall!  WHAT A MAN!  And I didn’t even ask him to do it.  At least I don’t think I did!

Last Friday I wrote my sister an email.  The last line I wrote to her as I was signing off was, “Life is just too short.  I still have too much I desire to do.”  Immediately after writing those words a poem just twinkled across the keyboard, as my fingers tried to keep up with the words that came spilling out.  I would like to share that poem with you tonight.  So here it is!

 

Life is too Short

By Kathleen Martens

August 13, 2016

 

Too many books to read.

Too many gardens yet to seed.

So much more to learn about God.

So much to think about the odd.

Too many recipes I’d like to try.

I need more days to look at the sky.

Too many delicious meals to eat,

So many interesting people to meet.

So many words left to write.

So many candles yet to light.

 

So many poems still left in me.

So many more clouds I want to see.

So many more mountains I must climb.

So many more experiences I want to find.

Life is simply much too short

For even one moment for me to abort.

 

So I will keep climbing.

I will keep rhyming.

I will keep reading

As well as feeding.

I will keep learning more each day

About what God has to say.

More experiences will abound.

And interesting people will be found.

So many words left to say,

So I must not shorten this wonderful day.

 

Blue skies and puffy white clouds,

In their beauty I will shroud.

Sunshine days will be my gain,

And new joy found in gentle rain.

As sparkling fire flies mesmerize me

I will keep seeing all I can see.

I will keep listening for the sound of birds

And sing songs in my heart that I’ve heard.

 

I will touch the cold, white winter snow

And the bark of trees wherever I go.

I will smell the nostalgia of chimney smoke

And snuggle under my winter cloak.

I will watch the midnight sky

And migrating birds as they fly by.

And clean the kitchen after I cook,

And then go read an exciting book.

Or perhaps just pen what I know

And the byline will be my own.

 

In my imagination I gracefully fly

On the wings of a butter fly.

I will touch a baby’s newborn cheek

And just wish it could make a peep.

I will be creative, compose and design

A family album that will be so fine.

 

And perhaps someday I will be done

Knowing everything I did was so much fun.

And then I’ll still have more to do

Before this old life, of mine is through.

 

And believe me, I could make this list a lot longer if I had but more time.

 

I NEVER WANT TO MISS A CHANCE

By Kathleen Martens

August 17, 2016

 

May lullabies in your heart sing,

And may their melodies in you ring.

Hush the pace of all that must be done,

Give yourself permission to have some fun.

 

It takes so little to bring me joy

A simple cloud becomes my toy.

I see the shapes of long ago faces

As the cloud so quickly races.

 

And for exultation I seem to find

Words, that with others rhyme.

And I am thrust with such force,

Following a butterfly on it course.

 

I want to run, I want to dance

And I never want to miss a chance

To enjoy this life that is so short,

So I wait expectantly at its port.

 

Venturing out to face the day

No matter what may come my way.

Giving to others part of me,

Words of love that will set them free.

 

Thank You God for the beauty of Your sky this day. 

Thank You for Jean and Nancy whom I met today.

Thank You for a day of rejuvenation.

Thank You Lord for all Your blessings You bestow upon me daily.

Thank You for puffy white clouds.

Thank You for all the people I spoke with today. 

Thank You for mango.  My very favorite fruit!

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU!