Black and White Wednesday: Angels

"Be an angel to someone else whenever you can,

as a way of thanking God for

the help your angel has given you."

"God not only sends special angels into our lives,

but sometimes he even sends them back again

if we forget to take notes the first time."

"How wonderful it must be to speak the language of the angels,

with no words for hate

and a million words for love!"

{quotes from The Angels' Little Instruction Book by E. E. Freeman}

With or without angels,

I believe we can all lend a helping hand,

live humbly as we learn life's lessons

and

choose to speak the language of love.

Memories Under the Magnolia

their names
their dates
carved into simple stones
resting now
under the magnolia

companionship
strolls easily
slowly
on a Sunday
under the magnolia

gentle voices
partner with a perfumed breeze
and waltz nostalgic
under the magnolia
...
paths cross
i see
i hear
the soil that is my heart softens -
my light
and
momentary troubles
are rooted out and laid to rest...

under the magnolia tree


Linking up with
Project 52,
Bigger Picture Blogs
and
Just Write

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

"We are one. We are strong. We are Boston.

We are Boston Strong."

What did I do this week, you ask?

Well...I might have gone to TWO Red Sox games!!

Saw this big Papi

{love him}

and his favorite toy.

And this?

Does your ball park have CHOWDER??

I think not!

It's very yummy!

We did lots of walking...

...walking in the fresh, spring air!

Dining {and did I mention walking?} on Lansdowne street!!

Of all the shots I took...of all the things that I saw in my two trips to the park...

Didn't see anything sweeter than this.

Linking up with

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

and 

Sunday Citar

Six Word Fridays ~ Flower Song

whisper to me your song of
spring...of petals soft, your bouquet
so sweet...whisper ~ i can hear.

as you sway, as you sigh,
breathe hints of your lilac, hidden
inside...just whisper ~ I am near.

ignore all the clamor, the din
and the rush, and sing gently
to me....whisper ~ i'll change gear.

serenade me. nurture me as you
color my world and remind me
to bloom....whisper ~ i'll not fear.

fill the air with tunes of
hope. soft staccato. tender trills. one
resounding chorus....whisper ~ bring me cheer.

oh lovely flower, whisper to me.
you are a hymn....a most
soothing melody. whisper. I can hear.




Link up here to share your
'Six Word' posts...
And I'm sharing some Lilac
with Nurture Photography

Black and White Wednesdays: Spring Haiku

from one tiny seed,

deeply rooted long ago, 

pure white spring bursts forth

I'm sharing my poem
with friends at Bigger Picture Blogs

Can't wait to see your black and white shots this week!!
Link up here!

Face It

My house is about eleven miles from down town Boston.

And the office where I work? Well, it's about a mile from me...just that much closer to the city.

Neither my town, or the town where I work were on lock down this Friday.

But I was.

Self-imposed lock down.

I've had trouble sleeping all week - and by early Friday morning I was in mild panic-attack mode...for the first time in my life, felt too scared to leave my house. I hated the fear - even knew it to be irrational. But I was just stuck. Thankfully, I have a very gracious boss.

Once my husband had been home from work for a while, I was better. And when the manhunt was over, I was so relieved. And I have slept. 

"Not everything that is faced can be changed ~

but nothing can be changed until is is faced."

                                                    James Baldwin

I have watched people - hundreds and hundreds of people, all week long - face the threat that crippled our city head on. Without hesitation. And with the safety and well being of others their first priority and motivation. I have watched people run towards danger....face down whatever fear is present and do what needed to be done. I am in awe. And so grateful. And a bit ashamed. I will have to do some soul searching and, perhaps, face some things in myself that I'd rather not see...

But, for now, I'll share with you some of my favorite photos of my home city. I do love this place!

"Happiness"

"Spring"

{this is the only shot from this week - blooms in the town squares, under the white steeples...flags at half mast}

"Warm and Fuzzy Autumn"

"Gathering"

"Family - On and Off the Field"

yes...love that dirty water

Boston, you're my home

Linking up with Scavenger Hunt Sunday, Sunday Citar and Project 52

Six Word Fridays: Home

"Peace ~ the other name for home."

Kathleen Norris

Choosing Green

It's different this time. 

Not for those directly in the path of the terror - I have no idea what that's really like.

Not for their families and loved ones...

It's not different for those directly affected by horrors like the bombing on Monday.

But it's been different this time for me. The same shock and horror and profound sadness that haunts us all in the aftermath of such frightful events has, yet again, taken root in my heart. We grieve with those who grieve and struggle to press on. To stand strong.

Boston strong.

It's different this time because Boston is home. And the many, many seeds of "could have been" continue to scatter across the soil of my imagination. Could have been these people standing right there. Could have been this other place, or that other corner. These "could have been" seeds, if allowed to take root, will grow up into fear and anxiety. I'm rattled - feeling unsettled, upside down. Scared. And I really don't like it.

So, in an effort to calm my fears, I'm choosing green. I'm focusing on new life. I'm wandering in open spaces, under blue skies - listening to birds and inviting the "this is my now" breeze to blow away those "could have been" seeds before they have a chance to grow roots. Because my now - for now - is safe.

 Walk with me.

"....whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,

whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely,

whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -

dwell on these things"

Philippians 4:8

Liking up with
Bigger Picture Blogs,
Little Things Thursday
and
Nurture Photography

Black and White Wednesday: My Home

"Yeah, down by the river -

Down by the banks of the Charles -

That's where you'll find me.

Well I love that dirty water.

Oh

Boston

You're my HOME."

The Standells

Deeply Rooted

Woven threads
of a many chaptered life
show their colors.
Celebrity faces and familiar, far away places
blend effortlessly
with today's news and forgotten foes.

Simultaneously
caught in a trap and safe at home
stuck and free to go
guilty and no guiltier than anyone else...
I wander from room to room
discovering their ancestral treasures -
disinterested in the goings on -
detached,
yet the center of attention.

Why won't they leave?
I want them all to go.
So slow, so slow.
I must be the last to leave.
Can't let go
of these times
or faces -
of seeds planted long ago
deeply rooted
and grown into me.

Woven threads
of a many chaptered life
criss-cross
writhe
slither and piece themselves together
in the fabric
of my dream.


{this day began, yet again, as I woke from a very vivid dream...it's been two weeks of non-stop, all night cinema....i'm tired}

Linking up with
Bigger Picture Blogs,
Project 52
and
Just Write

Turquoise

"The only thing that separates us from the animals

is our ability to accessorize."

Steel Magnolias

This quote has always made me giggle.

Can't you just hear Dolly Parton's accent as you read it?!!?

Indulge me today.

With this quote in mind,

I decided to play with my camera

{and the color turquoise}

as I got ready to go out to dinner.

My jewelry hangs in an old printer's tray above my dresser.

When the afternoon sun streams into my bedroom,

the dangling necklaces cast a shadow on my wall.

Some of the stones really glow as they catch the light.

Even though it's still too cool for flip flops,

it's time to ditch the winter colors and wear some bright, spring colors!

Looks like I'm ready to head out for the evening.

Smile!

Linking up with

Nurture Photography,

Sunday Citar

and

Scavenger Hunt Sunday