A WORD

My WORD today is Grandma. On Feb. 18, 2013 I started my second generation of Gma-ing when my first Great grandchild, David Teancum Taylor, was born to my first Granddaughter, Haley, first child of my first child Sydney.

Where did the time go???

MAKES YOU SMILE

This morning I was in a funk and could think of nothing that would make me smile. But as I left to run an errand, dressed in my coat and scarf and gloves against the new snow, I saw my neighbor shoveling walks in shorts! It made me smile. By the time I got back from my errand, someone had build this snowman in the front yard. Who would have thought that more snow could make me smile?!

FULL

This tree was FULL of catkin-type buds, a hopeful sign of spring!

WHERE YOU STOOD

I stood in Lexi's kitchen, re-crisping her country fried steak, making her fruit juice 'cocktails', and putting Fritos in a bag for a bedside snack.

SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE

GROSS-OUT WARNING!  I do like most foods, most people, even most things about myself. But something I SOOO DON'T LIKE is large pores, deep wrinkles, and worst of all nose hairs! Especially on me!

IN YOUR HAND

I hurried and got my camera IN MY HAND when I saw this ring around the sun.

I learned that it's called a halo

and often portends rain or snow in the next few days.

INSIDE YOUR FRIDGE

 

The big drawer, and the bottom right hand shelf hold all my juice-making supplies.

PERFECT

I've been meaning for nearly 2 years to fill these emergency water storage boxes!

I finally did it, with my son Caleb's help,

and it was a PERFECT fit in the space beside the bed. 

 

LOVE IS...

...Being at the Temple with some of my favorite people. This time it was my daughter Sydney and her son Joe, who was going through for his first time, in preparation for his LDS mission to Raleigh, North Carolina. I loved even more how Joe LOVED the teachings and spirit of the temple.

I AM...

I wouldn't have been so generous with a description of who I AM as this friend was.

I will refer to it often when I am down on myself and need a lift.

I will see myself through someone else's eyes.

 

ENTRANCE

What a fascinating non-fiction book, about people who are passionate about climbing tall trees! THE WILD TREES: A Story of Passion and Daring tells of a small number of men and women who eventually came together in their study of Giant Redwood trees, gaining ENTRANCE into a wide, mostly unstudied, near-by but not easily accessable world 250 to 360 feet above the ground. The front cover shows a man and a woman (likely already 100 ft in the air) climbing via ropes to study lichens, insects, 3 ft deep soil, multiple trunks, ferns, huckleberry bushes, small animals, even earthworms in the canopy high above.

I am always amazed at people who have such a strong passion about something, especially something rather odd that would set you apart and limit your relationships with 'mainstream' people.

3 O'CLOCK

I usually don't work on weekends, but I did today, so 3 o'clock found me squeezing "Cutie" juice to make Lexi's 'cocktail', a mixture of water, club soda, and orange or cutie juice or lemonade.

GUILTY PLEASURE

Guilty pleasure for me usually includes chocolate, like these dark chocolate dipped pecans. After eating the whole batch at once, I know I would have felt better if I had just eaten the roasted pecans. It would have been more lasting pleasure (instead of a belly-ache), and no guilt! 

SOMETHING ORANGE

 Usually favoring more muted colors, I went out on a limb and bought this blanket in loud, bright colors. Couldn't believe my luck when a neighbor threw away a matching bright orange trash can! Orange is a happy color!

Not to mention juicy and delicious!

YOUR NAME

Years ago I attended a women's conference where key-note speaker Chieko Okazaki was encouraging women to see themselves in a different light. "Write down your name, spelling it backwards." Mine became L-Y-R-E-H-C. Suddenly I wasn't plain old Cheryl anymore, but artsy and poetic LYRIC. I have used it ever since for my email and blogspot name, adding 'al' to the end.

'Lyrical' is full of emotion and symbolism, whether it is dance, art, drama or poetry. I found this photo by Henk Koopman, to go with the lyric poem I wrote one June day when my own gray heart was softened through tears, like the storm's rain softened the hard, dry earth.

        Gray Heart

My Gray Heart,
Like Gemini's roiling storms:
Sullen, angry.
Lightning cracking,
Thunder breaking,
Gray heart ova falling,
Weeping its relief by
Unknown source.
Sinking now to soften
Hardened course.

SOFT

I SOFT- cooked an egg for supper. Boiling six and a half minutes made the yolk just past runny. Mash with a little butter, salt and pepper...Mmmmmm

SOMETHING YOU SMELLED

It's just amazing how having a word to focus on makes you pay attention! I put lemon in my juice every morning but seldom really notice the scent of the peels in the garbage disposal. This morning I noticed! And it reminded me to take a picture. I honestly don't have a very sharp sense of smell, so I figured that would be it for the day. But I stopped at the store on the way home from work, and noticed the wonderful cologne this man was wearing. I stalked him around the store trying to get his picture without creeping him out. I even stopped him on the way out of the store to confess, and found out the cologne was Gucci. Two great smells today!

HOPE

Young love always brings HOPE for the future. Caleb and Kayla are a good match in personality and style, which gives me hope too that their life together will be full and rewarding.

SOMETHING BEGINNING WITH "E"

ENJOY! After ENJOYING the fellowship of the wonderful people at church, I came home and steamed some fresh green beans, toasted some pecans, added a little dressing and feta cheese, and ENJOYED this new favorite salad.

PATTERN

We seem to be innately attracted to the many patterns all around us. Even small children begin seeing patterns as they line up cars or pencils or blocks. We love to see order, color, design, balance, contrast, even randomness - in repetition. I found these patterns in my closet.

Then there's the sewing pattern: Directions you
follow to repeat what someone else first designed.
The shape or plan is given, with how-to steps
to guide you in reproducing what becomes
uniquely your own.

This reminds me of a poem written by a friend whose mother had just

passed away. Jennifer spoke beautifully at the funeral of the 

wonderful pattern her mother had been for her and her sister.

               My Pattern

I am busy designing a new fashion -

One of my very own.

By my ways I shall make it unique,

Yet, a pattern I must follow

To get each facet right.

 

The pattern I have chosen

Tells me to use a soft fabric

Woven with love and compassion.

 

Snip the bad words here -

Replace with kind acts there.

Follow my example 

To make for you a wonder.

 

Iron out the wrinkles.

Pin with careful knowledge.

Then sew with faithful stitches

That will endure some timeless tears.

 

Guided by a rare pattern

My matchless fashion is complete.

People say, "A marvel, a wonder!

How did you think of that?"

 

And I will reply, "It was simple;

I followed a pattern -

A Pattern called My Mother."

 

FORK

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