Mothers & Daughters

Unshakable

Unbreakable

Bonds between Mothers & Daughters

There will be battles

Scars and bruises

Arguments

Stubborn stretches of time without speaking

But when the smoke clears

And fences are mended

Hurt feelings tended

There is no stronger union

Ever

Distance does not matter

Time has no hold

Once a Mother 

Always a Mother

Once a Daughter

Always a Child

Years will pass

And so will we

But the timeless 

Indestructible

Union

Of Woman

To Woman

Mother

To Daughter

Shall not die

Ever....

Saucy Saguaro

Tis the season 

For the Queen of the Desert

To blossom

For some reason I love the contrast between

Lethal needle sharp spines

And the gentleness of harmless blooms

Like Arizona itself

A sharp contrast

Between desert

And snow capped mountains

And one of the reasons

I am attached to her

Like a child  to her Mother

The ruby red fruit that follows

Is entirely edible

And a gourmet treat to those who know the secret of its flavors

For centuries.

The Arizona O'odham tribe

Has picked 

And turned

Saguaro fruit

Into delectable delights

The wisdom of the Native Peoples of Arizona

(of all Native Peoples)

Amaze and astound me

Rock On O' Queen Saguaro and those who reap the bounty of Her Fruit!!

I bow down and salute you!

 

Just Thinkin'

I am no Aristotle
Have no framed diploma on my wall
And yet
I do think deeply
Of things that touch us all

The joys
And the sorrows

The triumphs
And the loss
 Some days I am the servant
Some days I am the boss
Of my own imagination
Of my own scattered fragmented thoughts

I wonder if...
The world would end if I'd just play all day
Ate until my tummy ached
And in the sun would lay

Perhaps the world would stall a bit
Slow down a tad and watch
A I grew fat and happy
And say out loud
"Well Gosh"!

I want to do that also
Appreciate my days
Not trudge through life grudgingly
But spread joy along the way

I'd teach them how to lounge upon lily pads
Afloat upon cool ponds
Give lessons on sun bathing
And cat napping
Then how to find their voices
And sing into the night
Til dawn

Ah yes I am a humble critter
Not much to look at
Or one to brag

But I my thoughts are quite exquisite
Some days they are all I have

To bring me through the dark times
When the sunshine seems all spent
And life seems more about where I'm not going
Than where I've already went

So back into my thoughts I slip
Gathering positive momentum
For mind creates the matter
And it matters
That we have some

Mind-Full-Ness that is

Just thinkin..........

OH THE RAPTURE...

Well as I am seldom one to stay quiet, to with hold my mind

I wish I could find some sort of control on not speaking out on this whole RAPTURE thing

It is best I believe to beg silence on topics such as money, politics and certainly the topic of religion

Alas on the eve of this very RAPTURE I feel the need to express my thoughts to a certain point

What a gimmick this has become

I am disgusted by it's politics

It's inbred fear and spreading ignorance

Shame on you

Where are your heads man?!

Or better yet your hearts

Your souls

Your support for mankind, the human race as a whole?

These are not found in books

Nor are they forgiven in the last moments of sinners

There are NO gods that will lift you from the depths of hell

And pronounce you "Saints" or "sheep"

Inside...that is where you look

That is where your fogiven freedom will be found

And tomorrow when you wake...

Expect to find that your nieghbors will still be the same people that were there before...

Clearer eyes will see clearer souls

Look all around you 

Not just up with a selfish view

I would hate to see you all clammering your way up

Climbing over one another...trying to find your way to some heaven

As the chosen ones

It's here...or hadn't you heard?

Fanta-See Racin

Productive but LONG Day

I'm brain dead tonite

No clever thoughts

No words of wisdom

Just looking through silly pics that have caught my eye

This one makes me smile :-)

The Harley is a carbon copy of Maggie

(that would be my bike in case you've missed that info in the past)

And who doesn't like fire engines????!

Just kinda seemed to fit 

So I put it on

And now I'm sharin'

(BIG yawn....)

Night night

I think I'll try racin' that ole fire truck in my dreams

Just cuz you can do stuff like that

In your dreams....

Note to Self

Just so I don't forget my name today

And I don't forget my weapon of choice if anyone gets in my way today

:-)

POO WITH A VIEW...

Frankly 

I am still trying to understand this

An out house

No door

Sitting at the base of Diamond Point

Next to the Colorado River

At the bottom of the Grandest Canyon EVER!

By the way...

There is no viewing window either

Certainly worth a photo though...

Wander Lust

I Want To Be Out THERE!

I know I'm overdosing on the doggie bloggie the last few days but....

If the collar fits.....

Sun Dogs

One spot of sunshine peeks between the blinds

And WHO catches the rays?

Princess Moo that's who!

Mr. Willy is just playin' Cool

He ain't no Fool!

Livin' A Dog's Life ain't so bad

NO COMPLAINTS...

There are those who sometimes rant and rave about the work that they do

Unhappy with clients or some ridiculous political issue within the working dynamics of a particular company

Long days and not enough pay

Maybe after 15 or 20 years of doing the same thing I would feel the same

But right now, I look ahead at this view

Feeling awed and humbled by it's beauty, it's greatness and it's resistance to time

Today it is my job to share this with those who are curious enough to come here

To my Arizona

I get payed to share this, to stand here and look out across this canyon

To hear the awe of those who have come to see it

It is a wondrous place worth a view

Worth standing quietly on it's edge

A reminder of the part we all play here

On this earth

A flash in the pan in comparison

A rant? none

Only that I am appreciative of being here

With these people

That they PAY me to do this

To introduce that which I love

To connect to the things I am proud of

No complaints here...

Moo

This is Bailey AKA Moo

She's been with us many-a-year

Welsh Corgie

Queen of all she surveys

I shall be in charge of feeding her for a few days

While her momma is traveling

("momma" meaning my oldest daughter)

Moo & I have been through many a move together 

Jenn's retail management career has kept her movin' - movin' - movin' through the years

From 2 apartments in Phoenix

To Prescott Valley (from apartment to house there)

Back to Phoenix

To Vegas

To Austin TX

To Prescott (apartment to house there too)

To Tucson

Did I forget anything???

When Mooo is displeased

Her look could kill a Sumo Wrestler at 100 yards

When she's happy she actually has a smile...I SWEAR!

She thinks people (especially little children) are all cattle

Or sheep

Or some such critter

Goes into herding mode

Gotta keep everyone together ya know!?

Ah yes....

Me and Moo and Willy shall spend a little quality doggie time together

Whom ever said ....

"going to the dogs" 

And meant it as a bad thing

Wasn't a dog person

And should be severely punished

(bad Sumo Wrestler look going to this person now.....)

Will & I are on my way Moo

We're bringing treats!!

Archivin'

Willie & Minnie

My Maternal Grandparents

My Grandaughter requested info about her Great-Grandparents

A Monday night rummage through picture books brought back a flood of long-forgotten memories and photos

The picture of me as a toddler posted last week was in the yard of this couple

A "few" years later

5 kids later

Twin BOYS when Grandma was in her...

Was it her 40's Uncle Bob???

YIKES!  

 

Grandpa was from Germany

Fought in the German Army in WWI

Came to America right after

 

A relative of his Mother 

Who was a farmer in Nebraska

Paid his boat passage

Grandpa worked off the debt

 

And he worked

And he worked

And he worked

Started from scratch

And left a legacy of multiple farms

And thousands of acres of Nebraska farm land

But still lived the life of a simple man

Went to church on Sunday

Played cards with the "guys" downtown during the week

Grandma kept the home fires burning

Kids to raise

Meals to cook

Never ending laundry

Family

Friends

Community

Church

Such were the things their lives were made of

They did not seek fame or fortune

Or a 5,000 sq. ft. mansion

No BMW's in their driveway

A new Ford (or was it a Chevy) every now and then would do

Lawrence Welk entertained them

(Grandma also loved the Beverly Hillbillies!)

Meat and potatoes sustained them

 

All they desired was Freedom

Of occupation

Of religion

Of speech

Of mind

A solid foundation for the generations to come

A priceless gift for their Children

For Me

And my Children

And my Grandchildren

What a blessing!

Thanks Grandpa & Grandma

 

 

TRIBUTE TO A "GRAND" MOTHER...

Not everyone has a fabulous Mother...

Those who do are lucky

To have that wonderful female guiding them each day

Setting scruples and standards for living

Teaching the rules of cooking

And how to be thrifty

Maybe encouraging Independence and adventure

While teaching the ways of tradition and mindfulness

If I give credit to any Mother

She would belong to my Father

My Grandfather often said he married her for her legs and her pie

Maybe...

But he loved her

She loved him

She loved her children 

And she loved us

Or most anyone who came into her home and treated her with kindness

As the first grandchild and granddaughter

She pulled me up under her wing

I always thought she was old and feared the day she would leave me

No more long talks

No more walks

No more running to the back door to see which bird was singing for her today

Green beans and pinwheel cookies

Moon wagon rides and cherry picking

Flower gardens and the smell of bacon in the morning

The cleaning, the bed making and homemade pies in time for dinner

All would subside

And has

Except for the things I carry on

All the things that she taught me

All the words of wisdom still lingering inside

Her dishwater hand against my cheek as she brushed the hair from my eyes

My Grandmother...my teacher

I miss you...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY...

Attitude!!

Browsing the web for "biker" pics this morning

Part of the mindless Mother's Day I've designed for myself

Came across this photo and had to take it!

It's titled Grandma Bikers

Even if they've never ridden a "bike"

They have the attitude to "get 'er done"

And on this day dedicated to Mom's

I believe this picture says it all

All Mom's have a "make my day" attitude

Whether it's defending her child

Or punishing her child

Mom's rule with an iron fist

And

A gentle touch

Just depends on what's needed at the time

Rock On Grandma Bikers!

God Love Ya! 

and you think YOU'VE had a bad day!

1st of all...NO this is not our truck

Even though it's pretty much identical

Had British Columbia plates

  Not sure how this happens

In broad daylight

On dry roads

REALLY not sure why it didn't roll into the canyon below

A note on the window said there were no occupants in the vehicle

The time it had been left there

And I guess it's gone now

(pic taken last Wed.)

Lucky folks for sure

There's never a lack of "surprises" driving down The Mountain

Not the type of road ya' want to be texting on!  ;-)

Black & White World

Love this pic!

My daughter posted it on Facebook in honor of Mother's Day

I'm the toddler

My very young Mom & Dad

Dressed in their best

Not sure what the occasion was

Have to ask Mom before the memory is gone forever

I remember the car well

My brother Tim wasn't born yet 

Neither was Todd

Or Joe

Young family

with their whole lives ahead of them

The location is my Grandparents farm

My Mom's parents

Willie and Minnie

Grandpa had fought for Germany in WWI

And even after all those years

Spoke with a strong German accent

He always carried (and shared) a roll of Lifesavers candy

Grandma's family had lived in the area for generations

 I will never forget her wide smile

And the pink frosting she would put on grocery store bought longjohns

(not the clothing type longjohns.....the bakery donut-like type ;-)

I so wish I had known them better

Asked more questions

Hugged them more

Told them how priceless they were

How much I loved them

Life was so black 

And white

then

Simple

Hopeful

Unassuming

Solid

In the eyes of a 2-year old that is

The farm was sold long ago

Grandma passed in the late 70's

Grandpa went shortly after

Dad went to the great fishing hole in the sky in 1992

He was only 59

The old Plymouth is probably in the shelter belt***

 North of the farm 

Where Dad left it after it was beyond repair

No trade-ins in those days 

***(for you non-mid-west-farm folks, that's a grove of trees used as a wind break to keep the topsoil from blowing away.  An invention of the dirty dust-bowl 1930's)

But Mom...

Alive & very well

Just down the road

In an "Adult Community"

Full of Piss & Vinegar

Always there when I need her

Always

Always

Always

Here's to Mom's everywhere

(And any Female who ever loved a child over and beyond all understanding

For one does not need to share blood with a child to feel the passion of Motherhood)

Who survived the challenges of Motherhood

The loss of their own Mothers

Husbands

And yes, some have even survived the loss of their own children

I can't imagine their strength

Just incredibly grateful

I walk among them

Let no Man stand in the path of a Mother protecting her child

She carries a strength unequaled by any force on Earth

If you doubt any part of that statement

I invite you to meet my Mom!  ;-)

 

No Place Like....

Home

No, this isn't my home but it's someones "once in a while" get-a-way home down the road from my home

An eclectic hodge podge of 

This 'N That

Tic'ed 'N Tack'd Together

Years of 

Adding To

Taking From

Re-Purposing

Re-Positioning

Making do with what's at hand

No Home Depot or Lowe's around the corner

Only left overs from past projects

Or what neighbors pass on

Or what the landscape offers for savvy scavengers

Granite counter tops 

Probably not

Crystal chandeliers

Probably not

Media room

Probably not

.....well Maybe??!!!

Ya just never know what you'll find

Sometimes

Behind the simplest exteriors

Lie the most extraordinary surprises

As a "Home" should be

As "Life" should be

One and the same

Just carrying different names

As Dorothy said with a new perspective

While clicking the heels of her Ruby Red Slippers

"There's No Place Like Home"

Where ever

What ever

That may be

Whether it's a mansion in Beverly Hills

Or

Patch-work pieced forest cabin

Home truly isn't what you see

It's what you feel when you're there

What you fill it with

Is up to You...

CURRENTLY SEEKING WARMTH AND CALM SKIES...

In the haste and need to find warmth

I escaped to Phoenix

Not my favorite place...or even close

But there are a few advantages to being there

My sister and her children live in that god forsaken place

As well as my daughter and father 

So I get the joy of enjoying their company

And this time of year...the perfect warmth and sunshine

After the relentless teasing

With sunshine and rising temperatures

That Prescott and area has brought us

Then the cold and freezing winds that have already killed my potted plants

I had to escape!

We hiked to the top of Pinnacle Peak

A feat when you are only nine

                                  Nephew, Alta (who happens to love that we were higher in Alta-tude)

My daughter, Michael

And myself

We ate lunch at the top under the shade of a small desert shrub

Me warming myself like some northern Arizona lizard

In the sun, against the rocks, soakin the rays

The two of them seeking shade and discussing how warm it was

I think my nephew was even sweating...

PS: Alta took this picture with his own camera

You can't see his mouth but, it doesn't matter 'cause...his eyes are smiling

Short & Sweeeet

Ah Yes ... Sunday