Thursday, April 30, 2015

Wings of Spring--Passerby



 Passerby

Her smile is fleeting
Her eyes gaze upward
Her skirt is wispy
Her fingers reach out

Birds light on her shoulders
Seasons pass her by
  Like strangers in the park
    A glance
      A smile
         A node
They’re gone

They pass her by

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Inspiration--A Story A Story

Rainbows over the Highlands.
It’s been several years since I told stories professionally.  Now I tell stories through my blog, through social gatherings, quietly in my head, on pieces of paper that I eventually lose, and sometimes for organizations who want a 30-60 minute speaker.  I like it best when there is an audience; where eyes and hearts will interact with the stories I share, but I beam with joy when someone replies to a blog posting that reached out to them.


        Like storytellers for eons of time, I believe that life’s sorrows, worries, triumphs, and joys can be endured when told in a story.  “Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t
Book Dog
remember who we are or why we’re here.”  (Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees.)   Sometimes stories lie way down in my belly and other times they drift through my head like spinning spirally clouds.  It’s when they are not surrounding me that I feel most alone.  That’s when I reflect and turn to a place or time for inspiration.  


I needed to refresh my brain with stories and memories, so I went to my book cup board to search.  Books have always taken me vicariously through life, often giving me new roads to explore.  When the cupboard opened there sat my puppet, Book Dog, cramped in a corner but happy to see me.  I laughed because I was confident that I had not left him there.  What mystery of life had taken a puppet out of bag and set him in front of a door for me to see at this moment?  Ah!, yes, a house full of children one weekend played with the puppets and helped me rearrange the shelves.  The laughter of seeing the puppet, the memories of children’s voices asking for
Jefferson puppeteers
Book Dog, and the stories themselves began to flow easily through my mind’s eye. 

I took a notebook filled with my favorite stories, and headed to the patio to sit in the sun and read.  Inspiration with each story took me back to a time when stories came to life in the eyes of the children surrounding me.  A tear trickled down my face and I smiled.  The children who inspired me to share stories
Prairie Hills Middle School Storytellers
of laughter, of sadness, of courage, and to take those unexpected journeys in life are now grown.  To all of you I say, “Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm of life, your imaginative thoughts, your real life adventures, and for opening your hearts to a well told story.”

A story A story, Let it Come, Let it Go. 

P.S.  After posting this story only 24 hours ago I have been in touch with two of my former students, who were storytellers.  We can't imagine how much difference we make in each others lives by simply sharing a story from the heart.  



*Thank you Cindy Dale for this beautiful photo of the double rainbow over the Highlands.  

*students from PHMS: April Whittington, Becky Walenz, Ben Rawlins, Lindsey Snyder, Omid Heidari.   


Friday, April 10, 2015

Family Faces

Jeannie, Corey, Jonya, Katy, Jack.
Easter Eggs at our house. 
Last year Easter was our first celebration in our new home, and the adults searched for eggs, or in our case dozens of colored golf balls, in our brown barren backyard.  We laughed and learned just how competitive we can be, even as adults. Tee hee hee!


A year has flown by since the move. Jack and I knew in our hearts how hard it would be to leave our dearest friends in Kansas, oh so right we were, but in the end we knew why we came home:

To celebrate life with family...
Two generations of Watt cousins
Mr. and Mrs.  Phillip Lee



Mother of the Bride, Jeannette Watt


To open our home to sisters, brothers, nephew, nieces, cousins, friends, and more....

Seeking shelter Letty and Mike

A shower moment with Elizabeth and Vanessa


To spend time with those we love...


Jonya and Ann
Melissa and mom, Jeanne



















To witness the generations

Great Grandma Alleen, and the twins.
Cousins







To create memories for the future...


Grandson Isaac with cousins, cousins, cousins   















To keep family traditions...
Cribbage in the kitchen (for you Papa Watt).

Relaxing while the children play... Emily, Gregg, Mike
And to give thanks to God for his Love and Blessings on those we Love...
Amen.