Is anything better
than a walk to the park
on a sunny Saturday Spring afternoon?
Little brother and big sister
sharing the joy.
The fountain is finally on,
the tire swing is out.
—-
Every day may not be good,
but there is something good
in every day.
Look for the good –
and Cherish the Moments!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
The Rusty Old Bridge
Your shiny metal has weathered to shades of orange and brown
like skin that has worked and played and laughed in the sun.
Your concrete pillars are beginning to crack under pressure
like wrinkles of worry from the stress of supporting such a heavy load.
You connected two sides – one with the other
as if you had open and outstretched arms.
And now,
though your original purpose is abandoned,
you still serve,
but in subtler ways.
a shady spot for respite from the heat
or a lazy day of fishing.
It’s time to rest Rusty Old Bridge.
You’ve earned this time.
Enjoy it
while I admire you.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Bloom where you are planted.
There’s no better place to be.
Right exactly where you are
is where you’re meant to be.
Bloom where you are planted
for all the world to see.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Thistle Watercolor
Hope Thistle bring a smile to your lips.
Hope Thistle bring joy to your day.
Hope Thistle help you see the beauty in nature.
Hope Thistle encourage you to create.
Hope Thistle brighten your day.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Open your eyes.
Close your narrow views.
Open your ears.
Close your inner negative thoughts.
Open your mind.
Close your ignorance.
Open your heart.
Close your hate.
Open your arms.
Close them in a hug.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Can you remember
who you were
before the world
told you who
you should be?
Be brave
and be that person.
It is undoubtedly
the best you
you can be.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Sittin’ on the dock of the bay
watching the……
geese and birds and fishermen and rowers,
cars and bikers and joggers and walkers.
Soaking up the early Spring sunshine after a fun little field trip day with hubby on Saturday.
We stopped by the Three Rivers Rowing Association Youth Boathouse in Pittsburgh.
As I snapped photos, I was drawn to this beat up ole’ beauty that sat alone
amidst all the sleek and shiny new sweep and sculling boats.
It’s beauty caught my eye the most.
Kind of like people.
Youth is sleek and shiny and new and beautiful,
but the real beauty that more often catches my attention
is the kind that emanates from the wrinkles on the face of the older woman
who has spent decades loving and smiling and laughing
with her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
or the rough and calloused, knotty, sun-spotted hands of an old man
who worked hard all his life to support his family.
Hands with map-like veins protruding as if telling a story of the places he’d gone and the things he’d done.
Hands that hurt, yet gently stroke his wife’s cheek, guide his children’s path, and cradle his grandchildren.
Yep – sittin’ on the dock of the….. river….
wasting time?
Maybe not.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Photo submission for the Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Half-Light: Share a photo inspired by a poem, verse, song lyric or story. Also in loving memory of “Poops” Pap McKinney, who we remember lovingly today on his birthday.
I’ve never been very successful at growing roses,
but I thought it might be fun to try painting some this past weekend.
Roses remind me of love,
of Mother’s Day,
of Romeo and Juliet,
of Valentines and fragrance and summertime.
Roses also remind me that there is always two ways to look at things…
Roses have thorns…
or
Thorns have roses!
May you see roses in all of your thorns.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Thoughts at dusk while riding home from a celebration of life service for a young girl whose life was cut short much too soon…
More presence –
Less distraction.
More compassion –
Less indifference.
More generosity –
Less accumulation.
More tolerance –
Less narrow-mindedness.
More kindness –
Less cruelty.
More love –
Less hate.
Cherish the moments!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Your mind is a garden.
Your thoughts are seeds.
You can grow flowers,
or you can grow weeds.
– paraphrase from William Wordsworth
Choose flowers!
Cherish the moments.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 