Secrets

I have tried so carefully to guard them, to stop you from knowing. I am sure you have some idea about me. Having enjoyed many posts with Ten Things You Do Not Know About Me, I now present mine!

#1 I was born writing. Every time I clean a paper area, I find snippets of writing. Some I throw away, others I rejoice in their finding. My greatest wish would be that the snippets could be combined into a treasure like Margaret Mitchell's. It is amazing to note the changes in my life through my writings. I have written journals through the years and have destroyed them! If the piece makes it through my several bouts of thinning, it is copied into a hard back journal. It is amazing that I can read the stages of my life in these writings.

#2 I have a very different(sick) sense of humor. The things I find hilarious are just sometimes plain sick...but I still laugh. I like to play jokes, I like to scare people, I enjoy teasing. My husband fits right in...he has saran wrapped the toilet seat, oiled the commode ring, and put duct tape in my underwear! I topped him on that one and used clear double sided tape in his, like no one is going to see Duct tape in your underwear as you are pulling them on.

#3 I like to create... The stranger, the better. I have "Caution! Hard Hat Area" painted on the floor of my closet! Another Day Another Load is painted(again on the floor) all glittery and quite wonderfully, in front of my laundry section. The ceiling of my laundry area is old rusty barn tin, yes, exactly what I wanted. The floor is wooden but painted to look like mortared stone work.

#4 I like to paint...I would not call it art. I, much to my sister's chagrin, paint over old canvases of mine to paint another! I have only been painting about eight years because I never thought I could. To me painting is not the finished project but the act of doing. I let the paints take over and am not aware until it's finished. I first started painting on cardboard and wood or whatever was available. When I got my first real canvas, it was so white and pretty, I could not paint! I did not want to mess it up.

#5 I like horses...whoa, big surprise there! I have always wanted horses but never allowed to have one cause tractors don't eat when they are not working. This is not a secret, so let me think, what about this might you not know. I wrote a poem about wanting to be a horse when I was very young.

#6 I have had a Strange Light experience...recently. Three in the morning, watching the two planet/stars that will not be seen again with the naked eye for any years in my lifetime, a light appeared. Okay, so is it someone spotlighting, someone trespassing, a helicopter looking for dope...none of the above. No noise of engines or of anything reaches my ears. The layout of our land does not allow for what this light was doing. I could not find the source. It was the brightest light I have ever seen, a halogen would be a match light, to this thing. It grew, I am still trying to see where it is coming from, not from above, no sounds, in fact, the night had become supernaturally quiet. The Hill behind was dark but from that hill to the trees beside the house, it was light. It was a horizontal light because the back of the trees were bathed in light while the front was buried in shadow. From the tops of the trees to the ground I could see things better than in daylight. The distance covered with light toward me would have been a five minute walk. There was no end to the width, that reached over to the next hill. The light had not moved but rather grown from my right to my left. I do not know the time that lapsed and considered searching for the source. I stood in awe of this wondrous light for an unknown time. I thought I must wake my husband. When he came out, the light was gone and it was so dark again. It was hard to imagine the acreage that had been lighted. I suspect my husband thought I had jumped over the edge. He did call me the next day from work and say many people had reported the same light in several COUNTIES and the answer was a helicopter...right!!! I make no claims to what I saw. I watched and enjoyed the wonder of it and gave it no name.

#7 I believe pets are here for our convenience and not for theirs. I love, I care, I cuddle, I spoil but they will listen or die!!! No, I'm kidding on the last part. Guess this has something to do with being raised on a farm. If a dog catches chickens, it dies. They will listen to me! Now if I had been that way with my children...

#8 I believe there is a God, a Higher Being, Someone greater than the combined total of us that is in charge. I am closer to God in the woods than I am in church. I try to demonstrate my faith in my daily living. I admire and try to practice the beliefs of caring for the land and it will care for you. I judge no one in their beliefs. That is the wonder of our life, we are free to believe and speak...Thank God!

#9 I now admire the people that have done this before me even more. This is not easy. Bearing your soul in fear that some how they will no longer listen to your words.

#10 I am drawn to darkness. I love the writings of those considered insane. I have found in all that darkness there are bits of light that I need to see.

Now, will you still visit with me?

Skywatch Friday With Conversation

I awoke at 4:30 AM with Shakespeare running through my head! Now that's the advantage of being raised by people who believed in self-education! To be or not to be, A Rose by any other name, and it just kept pouring in...then Edgar Allen Poe stopped by and then Billy Joel jumped into the conversation, I even think Hemingway was there. And I call this place At The Farm!

Any way I decided it must be a higher power, telling me to get up and blog(you are aware of my addiction?).

Shakespeare will be referred to as Willie, Edgar Allan Poe as Ed, Ernest Hemingway as Ernie and Billy Joel as Bill to simplify my typing and because they were in my head and I can call them anything I want to at five am.

Willie started talking about that to be or not to be stuff and I told him to hush, I was going to be no matter what he said! He told me how all the world's a stage, and this was our winter of discontent. I know that Willie, haven't you said that before?

Earnie pipes us and tells me I have to take a lot of punishment to write something funny and I answered don't you think waking me this early is punishment enough? He said a man can be destroyed but never defeated. Ernie, remember, you own words, keep your mouth shut.

Poor ole Ed was quietly listening to our conversation. Mostly he is quiet but when Ed speaks, I listen. All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream. Are you borrowing this thought from Willie? Ed says the larger portion of truth arises from the seemingly irrelevant. I know that Ed, why do you think I am writing this conversation down? He moodily says as his parting line, I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity. He quietly fades out of the conversation.

You are a good man, Ed. Come back to visit.

Bill, can you play me a memory, I'm not really sure how it goes, it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete when I wore a younger girls clothes. He joked let's share a drink called loneliness, it's better than drinking alone...but, Bill, I don't drink. Okay, so only speak to those who agree and close your mind when you don't want to know. Don't get teed-off, Bill, I just don't want a drink! It's too early!

Then Will Rogers speaks up, I didn't even know he was there!! He is just listening and decides to jump in. A difference in opinion is what makes horse racing and missionaries. What??? He says all I know is just what I read in the papers and that is an alibi for my ignorance. I'm loosing your train of thought here. It is awfully early. Then ole Will drawls Chaotic action is preferred to orderly inaction. Gosh, Will. Thanks for stopping by. Always love talking to you and yes, I do know not to squat with my spurs on and to never slap a man who chews tobacco.

It's been great, guys. Gotta go, another day, another dollar. Write some of this shit down, you never know who may need your words.

Fourth/Fourth and Sixth/Sixth

I have been challenged! Christy at Farm Dreams has invited me to browse my picture folders and choose either/or both.

I did not look at what it was, I just counted. If it is bad, sorry. I have not caught up on editing. I usually burn them every so often. I have a fear of my computer crashing and loosing my pictures. That has happened.

So now I wait to see what the 4/4 and 6/6 are.

And here they are...ta daaa!

My nephew, Toni, at Marcy's Voice doctor's office.

And, of course, Marcy Art

Dumb As A Rock

I have heard that comment many times through the years. I want you to really think about this.

You know how I get a hold of somethin' and chew on it and I thought...what a blog!

Just how dumb is a rock? It sits there, doesn't have to do anything. It is not affected by much, if any, very little. The sun warms it, the rain cleans it, animals enjoy traveling over it, it nurtures with no questions and it gets its picture on world wide web. It does not affect it whether it is in a group or sitting alone. It takes millions of year for a good one to break down...now why would we not be proud to be told we are as dumb as a rock?

Other random thoughts for today were:

I am so glad that all my Christmas decorations are hidden...and it is only 346 days 'til Christmas.

Sharon loves glassware so I'm showing one of my favorite pieces. Yes, they are artificial grapes(the purple ones, I know the gold would not fool you).

The last thought for today is....drum rollllll, please! I wonder why when my daughter visits to use my appliances (when I'm not here), my last load from the dryer is crammed, not lightly laid, nor neatly folded with love, but CRAMMED into a laundry basket.

Plenty to think about!

Lessons From Geese

This was transcribed from a speech given by Angeles Arrien at the 1991 Organizational Development Network, based on the work of Milton Olson.

Fact 1: As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in "V" formation, the whole flock add 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Fact 2: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it. Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help, and give help to others.

Fact 3: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position. Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.

Fact 4: The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those in front to keep up their speed. Lesson: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement the production is greater. The power of encouragement(to stand by one's heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

Fact 5: When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help or protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock. Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

HONK, HONK! Gail