Excursions in Daily Living Read online

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  Excursions in Daily Living

  Published by Ann Evans

  This book is available in print.

  Copyright 2012 Ann T. Evans

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  Table of Contents

  Excursions In Words

  Another Day

  24 hours In Every Day

  Blessed Day

  Bug Thoughts

  Blustery Spring Day

  Chirp, Chirp, Chirp

  Day Tripping

  Each Dawn’s Early Light

  Calories

  Clip On Flowers

  Communication

  Creation

  Considering

  Dark Clouds

  Back to Square One

  Blue Jay Confusion

  I Wish

  Casual Gardener

  Directions

  Fellowship

  Defining Me

  Cry Me A River

  Excursion in words

  What do I write...

  the question

  is addressed to me

  and I hesitate

  because

  I would not call

  it poetry

  it is more

  an excursion

  of thought...

  Impulse writing...

  Free form...

  A flow of

  my thoughts

  recorded

  for myself

  and

  possibly

  a limited audience

  of friends...

  Another day...

  Hard fought battle

  Struggling back and forth

  Mistakes made

  Plans remade...

  Attempts to recover

  Writing on the wall

  Systematic disaster

  Behind with little hope...

  Any given day

  A team can win or lose

  Tomorrow marks new plans

  Today's disaster to be left behind...

  For as we all can relate to

  Every ending marks a new day

  What you make of your losses

  Determines your true character...

  24 Hours in Every Day!

  It seems to me to be

  That the days before vacations

  Slide right on by  s l o w l y

  Then suddenly THE day arrives

  Rushing, rushing, rushing

  Checklists of things to do

  Places to be and people to see...

  A blur of planned or not planned activity

  Pictures snapped, sights seen,

  Or marked for future visits

  Motion, activity, gathering,

  Rushing forth each day

  Then almost before you turn around

  All is over...

  Return to home with many reminders

  Was it really 24 hours in every day?

  Surely you were short changed some days

  But whatever vacation time was spent

  Rushed through your fingers in rapid speed

  Until next planned vacation adventure

  Tally Ho, away we go...

  Blessed Day

  Thank you God

  For this day

  For yesterday

  And for tomorrow...

  For the blessing of life

  The breath I take

  The joy of sunshine

  Upon my face...

  Thank you for Grace

  Of acceptance in life

  Of the will to live

  To survive each day...

  For the clouds that pass

  The joy of life

  Family, Friends, & strangers

  That pass our way...

  Most of all

  Forgive my omissions

  Of respect for others

  Their choices & praise...

  Bug Thoughts

  Oh, big bug

  In the hot, hot sun

  Flew upon my windshield

  This early morning

  In the hot, hot sun...

  Yipes,

  Heat, BIG bugs, heat

  Pesticide resistant weeds,

  Hot, hot sun

  As I sit in my air conditioning....

  Contemplating things...

  Heat! Bugs! Weeds!

  Lemonade, air conditioning,

  Movie, popcorn, life....

  Ahhhhhhhhh....

  Blustery Spring Day

  Did I mention cold

  With the windy part

  Makes it more like Fall ish

  Maximum temperature 60

  With winds in gusts

  Making one think

  Of winter months…

  Yesterday was stormy,

  Windy, rainy,

  Tornadoes hit the Midwest

  In abundance

  With flooding and turmoil

  We kept our fingers crossed

  Hopeful, not to see the same…

  Pounding rain, on and off,

  All day long

  We watched our TVs…

  Flooding areas shown,

  Creeks rushing forth,

  Just a damp, miserable

  ‘Can’t wait for tomorrow’ day

  Then today we sit huddled

  Inside away from the wind

  Knowing that Spring must have rain

  For the flowers to bloom

  For the grass to grow…

  Yet, does it all have to come

  In one day or two…

  Seems like our season cycles

  Must come in extremes…

  Too much, too little,

  Too long, too short

  Too cold, too hot,

  Too wet, too dry

  Or was it always thus…

  Too quick to pass

  The days rush on by

  Projecting tomorrow with hope

  Wishing today will be mellow

  Fingers crossed &

  Toes too

  If that will be of any help…

  Chirp, Chirp, Chirp

  As I sit and knit

    I keep hearing

  Chirp, chirp, chirp

  I go check the fan

  Newly installed in the kitchen

  Eventually turning it off....

  I switch to reading

  My newly purchased book

  Chirp, chirp, chirp

  Scratching my head

  I explore the room

  Checking here and there...

  Back to my book

  Becoming ensnarled in plot

  Chirp, chirp, chirp

  What could it be

  Where can I search...

  Suddenly something goes by

  Under the coffee table

  Across the floor

  To the front doorway

  Flutters a chirping bird ...

  Giggle, giggle, giggle, what!

  Apparently sometime today

  One of my new family of birds

  Managed to sneak inside

  Keeping me company today...

  Escorted out the front door

  By broom guidance system

  Chirp, chirp, chirp gone

  So back to knitting

  Or reading in silence!!

  Day Tripping

  It was a lovely, sunny Fall day

  So the trip was impulse

  Route plotted on iPhone map

  Tank almost full of gas...

  Through the Fall leaves

  Across part of Natchez Trace

  Take H’way 72 to Corinth, MS,

  Past Iuka, Mars For Sale...

  'Bingo' place has a few cars

  Victoria Inn along the highway<
br />
  Rolling mountains, up & down,

  Soon arriving in Corinth, MS...

  Finding Heritage Festival

  Was child's play

  Verandah/Curlee House

  Interesting historic house...

  Vegetable soup & corn bread lunch

  Only $2, then back on the road,

  'Mars' on mailbox, 14+ acres,

  'Bingo' place car lot full, overflowing...

  Lovely drive back on H’way 72

  Take a left on H’way 133

  Across the TN River, scenic view,

  Back at home, Florence, AL, just a knitting...

  Each Dawn's Early Light

  Flowing streams of light

  flashing past the view

  Rushing with constant motion

  little time for careful thought ...

  Act, react, move on through

  shifting, sliding, changing view

  Rushing in perpetual motion

  Through winding tunnels every which way...

  Seeing, hearing, holding forth

  Flashing past the view

  Rushing by with much motion

  little conscious thought or depth...

  Today is here before yesterday's filled

  rushing by each day

  From crisis to crisis

  With little time for reflection...

  Calories

  Oh, gee,

  now I know

  what to blame

  when I select

  something to wear

  and it hugs me so tight...

  must be those pesky

  little buggers

  calories....

   

  Do ya think

  they are related

  to Hershey's chocolate bars

  or walnut fudge squares

  or buttered popcorn

  or cherry pie

  or those .....

  hmmmm

  good

  things....

  Clip On Flowers

  What year was it

  When pointed toed

  High, high heels were worn

  With clip on flowers...

  The late 1960s, early 1970s?

  Just saw on TV

  A lovely lady

  Wearing similar footwear...

  Reliving my teen years

  With fashion’s return styles...

  Though I'm content

  With my tennis shoes

  Most days & expressive socks

  Scattered with bright flowers...

  Ahh, retirement has its advantages...

  Communicate

  How is it that

  Some folks want to talk

  And talk and talk and talk

  About their problems & struggles...

  Their complaints about daily life...

  Hardly waiting

  For a 'yes...' or 'um hu...'

  Response or acknowledgement

  That you are there, listening,

  Consuming all they say, somewhat...

  I suppose

  There are those who listen

  And those who talk

  And talk and talk and talk

  We listeners appear to be

  The safety valve for release of pressure...

  Internalize

  Our thoughts...

  But even with us,

  Eventually...

  Someone needs to listen...

  Creation

  If you create something

  And no one knows

  Have you created...

  If you compose words

  And no one reads

  Have you composed...

  If I keep my words

  Unto myself

  Have I expressed...

  Excursions of thought

  Always I have done this

  But have I connected...

  Does it matter

  Has it mattered

  Well, no; words still flow...

  Considering

  This is the time

  Of the year

  When a move

  To a more

  Southern, sunny,

  Warmer area

  Appeals to me...

  As the cold,

  Overcast days

  Accumulate

  & my body

  Aches,

  and soreness

  Predominates ...

  Achy, breaky

  Is not a fun song

  But a constant

  Lament....

  Then there are

  Fluffy snows,

  & Sunny days...

  Then my spirit

  Rises...

  My aches subside,

  Ibuprofen

  At my side

  Warm heat,

  Movement ...

  Life moves on...

  Another winter

  Survived

  With seasonal

  Moans & groans

  And spring

  Will arrive ...

  Dark Clouds

  Came through the area

  As I watched

  There were strong winds

  And I watched the sky...

  Will there be a time

  When I watch less

  When I do not think

  Will there be a funnel cloud, tornado...

  How long before we forget

  The force that could be

  The possibility that nature holds

  How destructive & quick the violence...

  How long before we think

  Just another thunderstorm

  When we continue on our way

  When there is no hesitation…

  Will the children who survived

  Ever not have fear & hide

  When dark clouds roll by

  And we all stop and wait...

  April 2011

  Back To Square One

  Family time anticipated.

  What makes a family?

  Birth, connection

  Accidents of life...

  During holiday season

  November, December, January

  Thoughts center around family...

  Groups of people reconnect...

  Expectations are high

  Dreams are often overly wrought

  Memory is selective

  And, hopefully, near sighted...

  Terminal velocity shatters

  Reality lives its own life

  Memory encompasses truth

  Today's disasters are irrelevant...

  What is important

  Is the gathering effort

  The continued chain of life

  The renewal of connected ness...

  Blue Jays Confusion

  Brightly blue feathered creatures

  Flitting to and fro in the area

  Guarding 'their' territory

  Making noisy security flights...

  Maintaining status quo

  Letting others know

  This area is not to be invaded

  Changed, infringed on, or shared...

  Blue feathered furry

  Guarding 'there' territory

  Making noises, loudly protesting,

  Squirrel scurries with confused opinion...

  All is right with the world

  Blue jays maintained current environment

  Life moves quietly forward

  Until next infringement encounter...

  I wish

  That I could write

  Mystery novels...

  Character portraits

  In words...

  Swirling plots

  With descriptive landscape

  And odd characters...

  Capturing an audience...

  Holding your attention...

  A real page turner

  Keeping you up

  Past midnight...

  So I must simply be content

  Place words upon paper


  Expressing feelings

  And personal attitude...

  But I can wish...

  And express hope...

  Ah yes, the writer's urge ...

  And appreciate others...

  Casual gardener

  That's what I choose

  To call myself

  When pressed for a title...

  Why,

  because I approach

  Planting things in my yard

  With a 'casual' attitude!

  For example,

  My GA yard was not

  Planned, step by step...

  I'd sit outside and think

  Well, maybe this would look OK

  Or I'd see an azalea or 2 on sale

  Or a lovely group of flowers

  Would catch my imagination

  And I'd purchase 'em

  Figuring out later

  Where to put 'em...

  If a purchased item

  Failed to flourish

  I'd uproot

  & throw it away

  Or turn under for mulch,

  Trying something else instead...

  Of course, I read 'directions'

  But they often fail to retain;

  I keep attached tags

  But tend to lose 'em

  At some point...

  My Alabama yard

  Is the same

  With an Internal plan

  Imagination driven

  With a vision of Hope...

  Casual attitude

  toward growing;

  I plant

  God grows

  Is the attitude;

  See

  'casual gardener'

  Is my title...

  Directions

  In this day and age

  We rely on technology

  To get us where we

  Want to be…

  Long ago

  In a place far away…

  Haha…. I was the map person,

  the teller of how to get there…

  Seems Mom didn’t like

  Making wrong choices

  And Dad often got aggregated

  When she gave directions…

  So I was promoted

  At a very young age to

  Holder of the map,