Dear Lord,

Hold Bobbie Huskey in the palm of your hand

Watch over her and may your will be done.

Keep her family close and soothe their hearts

from this life altering event.

Heal her mind and body so she

can continue to serve you.

Sustain her as she fights to recover,

and give her strength to persevere.

In thy name I pray,

Amen

As I handle each picture, each card, each sea shell

that came from Mom’s house –

I stop and think about how my Mom too has touched

each of them, and I wonder what she thought when

they were in her hands.

Did she marvel at the beauty of the people she loved?

Did she feel the love that came sealed in each card?

Was she fascinated with the color and shape of each shell?

I’m pretty sure she did…

Just as I do.

I’m fueled by caffeine and kisses

rivers and rambling – birds and butterflies

flowers and frogs –  laughter and love

dogs and dirt – cats and kids

I’m fuel by good food and great conversations

green trees and bird song

books and their stories –

In short, I’m fueled by things I love.

We heard them – we heard the screams.

What was that? What was that terrifying sound?

Turns out it was a bunny – our cat had caught a bunny.

Who knew a bunny could scream that loudly?

Who knew a silky soft, fluffy tailed, sweet little bunny

could scream and make that much noise?

We tried to save it – we got the cat away from it,

we moved it to a safe and secluded place so it

would have a chance to live, but did it?

I guess we’ll never know, but at least we tried.

I told him, I told my son,
don’t ever ever ever aim that BB gun
at anything you don’t want to hit.
Because you might not think you
will be able to hit that something,
but you just never know…

So, what did he do? He aimed that ‘ole
BB gun at a bluebird – thinking that he’d
never be able to hit something so small,
and he then he pulled the trigger,
and guess what? He shot that bluebird dead –
it was as lifeless as a string of dead fish .

And, then guess what? He felt so bad,
so very bad, that I didn’t have the heart
to say “I told you not to do that.”
So, on that day he learned a valuable lesson –
sometimes, even when you’re a young teenage
boy – you need to listen to your Mama.
She knows things that you don’t.

She is a gardener say the many colored blooms in the front yard,
and she loves color say the hanging baskets and
copious containers packed with plants.

She loves to read say the books stacked here and there –
some already read- others waiting their turn.

The pottery pieces, rugs, and colorful art scattered throughout
the rooms of her home say that she loves beauty, and thinks
art should be an everyday thing.

She’s a casual woman- comfortable in her own skin say the many
pairs of blue jeans in all hues of blue.

She’s a grandma too say the children’s toys piled in a basket
awaiting Woodrow’s next visit. She also encourages a love of reading
say the children’s books brimming with bright pictures and
stories that pull you in.

She loves to cook says the collection of cookbooks savoring their secrets,
but, she doesn’t worry about being the perfect housekeeper say the
piles of magazines and the dog hair drifting across the floor.

Her family is important to her, and she loves them very much say the
old letters and photos scattered throughout.

She loves nature- woods deep and green, birdfeeders brimming with seeds inviting
feathery friends, and flowers of every hue; she loves her life.

I get lost in gray pools of beauty and honesty – Woodrow’s eyes.

I look in them and tell him I love him so much, and he says, “Grandma, I love you so much too.”

I get lost in them and tell him that he makes me so happy, and he says, “Grandma, you make me so happy too.”

Why can’t all relationships be that simple, that open and honest?

I love to see the world through his eyes – a world  full of wonder and love.

Gentle brushstrokes sweep morning into being

A feast for the eyes – a treat just for seeing.

Clouds of pink, sky of blue –

Cool air with a hint of dew.

Here only fleetingly, be sure not to miss it-

Spectacular sunrise, yet it only visits.