Alleys In Between

alley marietta georgia

Alley at Marietta Square, Marietta, Georgia

On a recent visit to Atlanta, Georgia,
I visited the quaint town of Marietta.

Marietta Square
was so lovely.

Quaint little shoppes
with names like Lizards and Lollipops

where hubby and I giggled over stuffed pink owls
and old-fashioned toys,

and shared our excitement
for the upcoming birth of our first grandchild

while sipping peach tea
and frozen lemonade.

And I strolled through the most beautiful art museum
where local artisans displayed their heart and passion and craft

with the only criterion for this annual Metro Montage juried exhibition
being American citizenship,

but where I saw art that touched my heart even deeper
than the beautiful Monets

I had the privilege of viewing
at the Atlanta High Museum of Art only the day before.

The antique shoppes drew me in
with their charm and smell and nostalgia.

And we traversed the railroad track
envisioning the hustle and bustle

of the train station
that once was

where kisses and hugs
and waves goodbye

were followed by tears of joy and sorrow,
and dreams were created and shattered.

But the things that drew me in most
were the alley ways

where real life
happens.

Where shoppe owners
and restaurant chefs
and museum directors
do what they need to do

so we can enjoy
the things they have to share.

It’s that “in-between stuff”
that always draws me in.

The lives, the stories,
the struggles, the triumphs.

The day-to-day moments
that make it all real,

that make it all charming,
that make it all worth cherishing.

The in between alleys
that create our lives.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

People, Places, and Memories

Atlanta Ferris Wheel

Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta, GA

The best things in life
are the people we love,
the places we’ve been,
and the memories we make along the way.

What’s not to love about a city with a ferris wheel right in the middle?

Thanks for the great memories Atlanta.

#IMSA 2016

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Seek the magic

jelly fish georgia aquarium

Jelly Fish – Georgia Aquarium

It magically floats
creating beauty
and light

in the depths
and darkness.

Glowing
with hope
and inspiring

the possiblility
that magic

can be created
and can happen
anywhere

Seek the magic.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

Two Possibilities

morning dew on the window

Two possibilities exist:

either we are alone in the Universe

or we are not.

Both are equally terrifying.

-Arthur C. Clark

Deep thought to ponder isn’t it?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Sprinkled with a Dash of Melancholoy

Morning Ride Home Fog 1

It’s that time of year…
that bittersweet time.

You can just feel it…
There’s a  nip in the air.

You can hear it…
The crickets croon.

You can smell it…
Drying leaves and withering grass.

There’s that knot in the stomach…
not sure if it’s nervous or excited.

It’s an ending…
but it is also a beginning.

Carefree days are left behind…
Structured schedules begin.

It’s brand new shoes…
and choosing just the right first day outfit.

It’s shiny new binders…
and backpacks with lots of compartments.

It’s one-subject and three-subject and five-subject
multi-colored spiral notebooks.

It’s freshly sharpened pencils…
and pens in red, and blue and black.

It’s fresh new crayons and assorted colored pencils…
and highlighters in neon shades of yellow and pink and green.

It’s the anticipation of seeing old friends
and the hope of meeting new ones.

It’s new teachers, new subjects, new classrooms…
It’s squeaky clean blackboards with fresh sticks of chalk.

It’s time to secretly pass notes
with important messages

like “Do you like me? Yes or No
Circle One”

It’s waiting with the neighbors at the bus stop
and sharing seats times three.

And then growing old enough
to be too cool for the bus.

It’s apples for teachers
and pictures with bus drivers.

It’s back to school time –
Can you feel it in the air?

And even though it’s been
quite a few years

since I sent my boys off
with ambivalent feelings of sadness and pride

and even more since it was me as that little girl
with butterflies of anticipation, fear, and excitement

I still get that feeling
this time of year.

Sweet joyful memories…
sprinkled with a dash of melancholy.

I can’t be the only one
that feels this way.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Daily Prompt:  Learning

A Beautiful Hello

summer phlox

I smiled at you,
and I said “hello.”

You smiled back,
and we both continued on our way.

When we crossed paths again
in the next aisle of our local supermarket

you stopped me,
and you looked directly into my eyes,

and you told me
I was the most beautiful person you have ever seen.

I looked back at you
more than dumbfounded.

I am clearly not the most beautiful person
even in the supermarket that day

let alone being bestowed such an honor
as the most beautiful ever.

I told you
I am sure you are mistaken.

You said, “Oh no,”
I’ve seen many.

I’ve lived a lot of years,
and I have seen my fair share of people.

These days, I rarely encounter
anyone who even notices me passing by their way

let alone one who looks me in the eyes and smiles
and genuinely greets me.

You are the most beautiful person
I have ever seen.

I will never forget you
though many years have passed.

My skin is becoming more like I remember
thinking yours was.

You made my day.
You made my week.

Heck – let’s face it –
You made my year – maybe two.

I am still far from the most beautiful,
but you made me realize

beauty is so much more
than the physical appearance.

You – sweet, gentle man
may be the most beautiful person I have ever seen.

You impacted me so deeply
and so profoundly.

You taught me a lesson
I have carried with me through my life.

A lesson that has carried me through times
of darkness and doubt.

Beauty can take on many forms
and be seen through different lenses.

Sometimes beauty is a simple, sincere
“hello.”

 

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Full Moon Musing

full moon august 2016

Full Moon, Mars, PA, August, 2016

Full moon musing
illumination of the night

Casting your glow
amidst the ambiguity

searching for clarity
through the unseen

providing a glimpse to
unravel the mystery

transforming darkness
to reveal the light

full moon musing
magic of the night.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Perspective

mushroom 0816

Mushroom in the Yard – Mars, PA – August 2016

Sometimes
we need to look
at things
from a
different
perspective.

 

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Rocket Pear to Ground Control: “Ready for Take Off”

rocket pear taking off

Are you ready for this adventure called “Today?”

Make it magical…
Make it creative…

Be imaginative…
Be silly…

Gain inspiration from whatever comes your way.
Have Fun!

Cherish the moments.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

I could have been bummed about that blurry leaf in the bottom left of this photo I took the other day on a walk getting in the way of allowing this to be a “perfect” pear photo, but instead, I had to laugh.  What I somehow crazily saw was silly – a pear rocket ship firing up for take off with a big puff of steam behind it.  Now isn’t that a more FUN way to look at it?!  

 

A Beautiful Question or A Beautiful Answer?

queen anne's lace

Queen Anne’s Lace – August, 2016 – Mars, PA

I wandered
and I wondered

surrounded by the intricate
delicate
complex
beauty of nature.

Did “the queen”
strive to achieve her beauty…
or did she just
allow it to happen?

Did she recognize her beauty
in the complexity…
Or did it
even matter?

Was she
a weed…
Or was she
a beautiful flower?

Is it a
beautiful question…
Or is it
a beautiful answer?

 

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi