Hey Valentine

There is a hopeless romantic that lives inside of me.
She makes an appearance every once in awhile through my poems
& she gets all slobbery and sentimental when a good ole love story happens her way.

Then she retreats
& there she stays until whenever.
Until the next time.
Until she decides to emerge again
& one would think on Valentine's Day, of all days, she'd be out and about and all happy and yippee and ewwy gooey.

Uh.
Nope.

This might sound kinda sorta bummer-ish but, Valentine's Day is my least favorite "holiday".

SAY WHAT ??!??

I. KNOW.
It's blasphemy.

But, it's true
& you want to know why ?

Because it seems so darn forced.
It's Valentine's Day so buy me a gift.
It's Valentine's Day so I need to get you a card.
It's Valentine's Day so where's the box of chocolates and flowers ?
It's Valentine's Day so the whole wide world needs to love. 

Valentine's Day always makes me feel if I don't do or I don't get or don't go all giddy ..
well geez
What's up with THAT ??
You're SUPPOSED to !

Well Valentine, it just doesn't work that way for me and my hopelessly romantic self.
Tell me yesterday.
Or show me tomorrow.
I would much rather a just because.
Just because.

I know you love me and I love you and we allllll love each other today because it's your day, Valentine
but, how about next Tuesday ?
or a month from now  ?
or six months from now ?
Will we still feel that head over heels glee when we are not reminded that hey ! it's Valentine's Day !!

ugh

& I'd say maybe I'm just getting old and cranky but, I've always felt this way.

Don't require it, Valentine.
Feel it.
Today, tomorrow and every single day that follows.

You are the definition of LOVE, Valentine, so this year, THIS time, stick around please.
Remind us.
Love is always in the air.
It's here.
It's now.
It's forever.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day, Valentine.
Enjoy your day and your show but don't you dare concern yourself with me, fella.
You know I will continue to write about you
& you better believe, I see you
& I'll see you tomorrow
& next Tuesday
& six months from now
& in every teeny tiny, randomly wonderful just because.

Just because.

:)

I Am My Feelings

It

There's a real good possibility I will make it back to my walking trail today.
YaY
It has been waaaaay toooooo long since I've had that pleasure
& I seriously cannot come up with enough words to describe how cheery this ole heart feels.

I don't know what it is.
I don't know why it is.
But, something about that place just assures my soul, Oh Yes, It Is.
It is !

& I may or may not see maybe ten people out there ?
Maybe.
It will be delightfully empty because why in the world would anyone want to be in that cold, wintry ick ?

I'll tell you why.

It's the silence.
The stillness.
The complete and perfect calm.
It's the gray of the sky against those giant limbs of the trees.
It's the occasional critter that scurries out with a 'yeah, I'm still here' reminder.
It's the briskness in the air,
the whiteness of the snow,
the beauty in the day that is too often pushed aside by busy.
It's wonderful
& it is truly my little slice of Heaven each and every time I experience.

So.
What's my point ?

I hope you find your 'It'
& if you already have, you know the exact joy of which I speak.
But, if you haven't ?
Oh my gosh.
Seek.
Find.
Because it is there, right THERE, waiting patiently for you to notice, to acknowledge, to understand, to know.

I so hope you discover, uncover yours
& when you do, treasure it with everything inside of you !!

Because it's pure.
It's peace.
It is happy.

:)

I Am My Feelings

Hope

Way back in my daycare days, I worked with a woman named Hope.

Hope.
Now there was a tough cookie to crack.

eek

At a glance, she came across as 'mean' as she didn't offer much.
She was very disciplined and somewhat stern in her ways
& when we first met ?
Yeah.
I was very intimidated.

But, funny thing when children and their honest to goodness, pure feelings are involved.
They ADORED Hope
& she loved each and every one of them too
& soon,  she and I became an awesome tag team
& life was always pleasant in that preschool.

Did I say always ?
um
We're talking youngsters here
& no offense kids, but some days were just plain hectic.

Hope wouldn't put up with any nonsense though.
She had certain classroom rules that needed to be followed
& manners were very important to her.
Daily, she would punctuate patience,
please,
thank you,
wait your turn,
& never, ever interrupt, especially when she was teaching a lesson.

My favorite memory of my friend, Hope, is when a child would intrude.
"MrsHopeMrsHopeMrsHopeMrsHopeMrsHope"
that innocent soul would mutter, not realizing that she was ignoring his pestering voice on purpose.
At this point, a seasoned veteran would know not to bother Mrs Hope, that she would acknowledge and answer as soon as she finished up her biz.
But, there was always that one who hadn't received the memo and dared strayed into one tooooo many "MrsHope-s"

I can still see the kind but, patience dissolved face of  MRSHOPE as she ever so slowly turned away from what she was doing,
looked that pesty child straight in the eyeballs
and in a bold but extremely endearing tone say "GO. AWAY."

Go. Away.
All the time.
Every time.

GO. AWAY.

& so, they did.
Knowing that as soon as she was able, they would receive this awesome teacher's undivided attention too
& sure enough, there Hope would be ASAP, with every ounce of her T.L.C. attending to Impatient.

Oh, how I loved that woman and her old-school ways
& I often wonder how many well-mannered adults she sent out into this world.
My guess is many.

Hope left this life years ago but, is definitely hanging around me these days.
I feel her.
She's reminding me to stand firm.
If something is not right, don't be afraid, speak up.
Tell it to GO. AWAY.

& so.
Hate ?
uh. huh.
I am talking to YOU.

I will not tolerated your ugliness anymore.
You are draining my happy and I cannot let this happen
& since my happiness is completely and totally up to ME from now until forever when you insistently come-a-calling, what you will receive is a loud and proud GO. AWAY.
With that awesome little lady and her priceless words by my side, I'll repeat again and again and again
GO. AWAY.
& if, despite all my warnings, you STILL persist in your persisting, Hate,
I shall offer you my undivided attention
& Love

Love.
For always.
Forever

oh
&
let's not forget, Hope.
Yes, hope.

Stubbornly beautiful
eternally inspiring
endlessly polite,
Hope.

Thanks, Hope.

:)

I Am My Feelings

  
 

 

   




 

Accumulated

My favorite weather guy has informed me that we the people who live around these parts have just tied a record.

YaY

Nine consecutive days of measurable snow !!

I KNOW !
Isn't it awesome ??
& this includes the storm I've dubbed, BIGGIE.

Now THAT was a doozie !!

weeeeeeee

But, as with every storm, be it Winter
Spring
Summer
or Autumn.
It does it's thing, goes about it's way and leaves us to deal.
& so, we deal.

Wait.
What ??

Who's that boooooooo-ing over there ??

um
Would you mind turning it down a notch, please ??
I understand that you don't share my frozen vapor glee
& I wholeheartedly, honestly, pinky swear sympathize with your mumbling, grumbling cause.
I do !!
But, it's WINTER
& this is what Winter sometimes does

Remember, it won't hang around forever
& if you take the time to notice !!
there is a perfect, tranquil beauty in this often harsh season
& if you seek, you definitely will find.
I promise.

Hey Favorite Weather Guy ?
Any chance we can have ten ??

:)

I Am My Feelings

 

DIBS

I googled the word to double check it's origin.
Seems people have uttered this syllable since 1812.
WoW.
& here I thought my family owned all rights.

rats.

We sure do like to say, call, declare and express it though.
A lot.
Family LOVES to call dibs.
Catch us at any gathering and you're sure to hear someone laying claim to something or another.
We even have a 'Dibs List'
I started it a few years ago just to keep track of who wants what.

We dib over miscellaneous, silly things.
Things that matter to only us.
We are catching memories, really.
Priceless memories.

Walk into the basement of our childhood home and you walk into a lovely time warp.
Games, toys
& stuff.
Beautiful recollections from a wonderful childhood.
A mom, a dad, their six children and happy.
Much happy.

Younger Brother dibbed a potato masher once
& Mom gave it to him.
She gave it to him !
I've yet to recover from that covert exchange
& technically speaking, it goes against every single dibs rule, ever.

uh huh.

But, along with the masher came flashbacks of Dad mashing those potatoes.
No one, and I mean
NO. ONE.
mashed potatoes like Dad.

Clickity clickity clickity clack.
I can still hear the rhythm in my head.

YuM.

The grandchildren and great grandchildren have joined in on the calling of dibs now too.
A 'rock' pillow that is so uncomfortably hard there is no reason for it's existence.
Tv trays Grandma used to set Mrs Grass Soup for her Kindergarten bound grandson.
An original light fixture.
A brownie making bowl.
A snow shovel.
A homemade gift from days long past.
Yep.
These are just a few of the treasured items on our 'Dibs List'.

ahhhh.
Memories.

Nowadays, when someone lovingly shouts ! DIBS ! Dad wholeheartedly responds
"TAKE IT ...! ... Get it outta here .. ! ! !"
& we should.
We should.
But, we don't.

We want to keep that wonderful time warp around for as long as possible.

:)

I Am My Feelings

! SNOW DAY !

It will probably be called The BIGGIE of 2018, February's Fury or some other catchy, breaking news title.
Or have they already named this Winter precip  ?
If they did, I haven't noticed
& I usually pay attention to these things because one day, I hope to hear of a "Storm Jacki"
because THAT would be AWESOME.

So.
Before I continue with any other anything, I must give a GIGANTIC Hooray !! to all the people who have to be out and about in this hefty weather.
Schools are cancelled, roads are hazardous, we are told to STAY HOME but you have no choice, it's what you do
& to you I hand over my sincere, wholehearted appreciation and applause.
Thank You Thank You
Thank. YOU
& if I could, I would make each and every single one of you a batch of cookies.
You are amazing.

Now, barring any tragedies and all those not so good happenings that accompany Mother Nature's frozen vapor ...
dontcha just LOVE a good snowstorm ??
I know I do ! !
I love the 'there's nothing we can do but wait it out' feeling of it all.

! SNOW DAY !

yippeeeeeeeeeeee 

& I can't wait to get out there and begin the digging out process.
It takes me back to my childhood, for sure.
Those warm, fuzzy, comfy feelings of building snowmen, hills and forts,
hot cocoa waiting inside.
It all comes happily back when I'm outside after a storm.

weeeeee.

This Winter really hasn't been all that bad, folks
A few freezings, a couple snowys and one or two windys
& here it is, February already, with a mere 39 days until Spring.
We are almost there, people
& we haven't had a good, honker blizzard in a few years.
So hey, no complaints !
I won't be mumbling or grumbling.
No. Way.

I'm going to grab that shovel, put my music in my ears
& enjoy the pure beauty of Winter at it's best.
Slow and steady will get it done.
It always does.
It always will.

The BIGGIE of 2018 ?
Oooooooooo Yeah.
It was a good one.
A real good one.

:)

I Am My Feelings

Oh Yes I Can

 Read by Ken Guidotti


There is a voice inside my head
I hear it every day
It says I can
It says I must
It guides and shows the way

When others say "Impossible!"
The words are blocked from me
My lovely voice
Already knows
And one day I will see

I'll see that dreams
Really come true
Although it may take years
The world says "No"
My voice says "Yes!"
I must conquer my fears

Because I can
Oh, yes I can
I can. I will. I must.
I must believe
Believe in me
In me, I'll always trust

And on the days that seem so dark
I know I'll see a sign
It may be small
And quick to miss
It sets me back on line

Because I can
Oh, yes I can
I can. I will. I must.
I must believe
Believe in me
In me, I'll always trust

So when they say 'It can't be done"
I grin and turn away
And know deep down
Inside my heart
It might just be today

Because I can
Oh, yes I can
I can. I will. I must.
I must believe
Believe in me
In me, I'll always trust.

:)