Tuesday, June 28, 2011

A Good Day




Today was a good day
no fuss,no muss -
together we pulled weeds
from the garden, and 
worked in the yard
i made lunch - ham and turkey
sandwiches on whole wheat 
bread with a little mayo, 
and honey mustard, and 
green olives stuffed with 
garlic on the side;  My husband reached over 
and touched my hand, 
still warm from the heat of  the
sun, and warmth of his love

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Chorus of Birds

4:30 a.m.  The window (slightly) open
 lets in cool, fresh air
from the wooded outside
The first light of day begins to filter
through slat shades, taking away the
dark of night from the closed
door bedroom. A loud, and
persistent chirp, chirp, chirp and
rising and falling passage of
cheek-a-dee, cheek-a-dee-dee
awakes me from restful sleep
like an early morning alarm
Soon the tweet, tweet, tweet
and ik- a- eek, ik-a-eek-eek
from other nearby birds
join their voices to the
growing winged chorus,
rousing  me from bed

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Everyday Beauty

What i did today
is what i did yesterday, and
what i'll do tomorrow
sit on the deck
to drink my morning (decaf) coffee
and contemplate the loveliness
of  here and now;
The beauty of the lake
 the Evergreen tree
the blue of the sky
and swallow-like Swifts
swiftly gliding by
like a  sail on the sea

Monday, June 20, 2011

Cousins


Our fathers are brothers. Their sister is our aunt (except to Lynn, Lon and Beth - to them  she's  mother). Their parents are our grand-parents, making us related from the day of our birth,  giving us ancestors in common,  and familial traits recognized in one another.

Since Lynn, Shauna and I are the oldest of the Cooney cousins we probably  recall, and remember best  those first, early happy days at Grandma and Grandpa's house in  Council Bluffs, Iowa playing hide n' seek in the upstairs bedrooms, helping grandma bake cookies and picking raspberries with grandpa in the backyard.

But one thing  all of us can  easily  remember are the  wonderful letters grandma  so lovingly wrote  throughout the years, keeping us apprised of each others endeavors,  and encouraging us to stay close in heart - even as we grew older and lived miles apart. That we would continue to keep in touch, and affirm one another  was important to our grandmother - in her last Will and Testament Grandma stated she wanted all of  her 14 grandchildren to be at her funeral service,  and provided airfare for each of us to be there.

That was 25 years ago. Since then our children have grown, and some of them now have children. In April I attended  the wedding of cousin Nicole's daughter, Megan to her Prince Charming  in Mesa, Arizona , and  the Sunday before last had a  prime seat at  the Coeur d Alene Summer Theater to see cousin Kevin's daughter, Mallory star as  Dorothy in the musical production, Wizard of Oz . On both occasions I thought of Grandma, and how pleased she would be.

In May, 2010   my brother, Walt passed away.  The first of Grandma and Grandpa's grandchildren to do so.  Those who read my blog know I  write  about Walt often , and continue to miss him very much.  When his death was new, and my grief  raw, my cousins rallied around me with their unsolicited support, giving me strength.

 Nicole (and my Aunt Cheri) flew all night long,  from Montserrat to St. Louis, changing planes three times to   attend Walt's Memorial Service. Their presence meant more to me than words could ever tell.   And our cousin, Kim did the same from Seattle. Kim was the soloist, so sweetly singing at his cousins service.  Lynn, Lon, Elizabeth called offering solace, and words of love about Walt. Hearing their voices, and  stories they shared about Walt  lifted my spirit, and helped me heal.     Kevin brought a 5ft  fir tree  to my home, to    plant on our property in memory of his cousin, and   Shauna made a special trip to visit with me,  to give comfort and support, and share her  remembrances of my brother.

A year has passed, and again Shauna and her husband, Al were here. We spent a lovely Saturday  afternoon having lunch, and  chatting about all sorts of things (musing on the past,  present hopes, and future dreams).  When it came time to say good-bye and we hugged our farewells,  I couldn't help but think   we may be scattered all over,  and busy with our lives, but  there is a bond we Cooney cousins  share , one that  brings us together in time of need - sometimes sorrow, sometimes joy -   a bond rooted deep  in our grandmother's enduring love.









Friday, June 17, 2011

Light of the Sun

The garden is planted ;
Seeded rows of  carrots
 and beets, radish ,  summer squash,
and leafy lettuce top the soil
Flowers, bright with color
are in full  bloom, while  baby birds
chirp to their mother in
early morn for something
to eat. Grass is green, sky
is blue.Oh,  how glorious the  earth
born  anew  in  light of the sun

Friday, June 10, 2011

Try To Imagine

We're told early man communicated with grunts and groans, and by drawing pictures on the wall of a cave.
The other day I tried  to imagine not having a language to express myself ;  No words to speak or write, no literary prose or poems to read. No letters, lyrics or periodicals to peruse.  The task was too taxing, I couldn't do it.  I couldn't  clear my mind of  vocabulary, and how important words  are in  allowing  us to  share thought and sentiment. To me, they seem   as vital to our emotional health  as blood flowing unrestricted  in our veins is to a healthy heart.

No, I can't  imagine not being able to say :

I love you
I like you
You make me smile
I'm happy
I'm sad
Will you forgive me ?
I forgive you 


or

Write a thank you note
Send a birthday greeting
a get well card
Keep a journal
Write a blog
Read the Bible
Sing a song


Words have a lot of power. I believe the old idiom , the pen is mightier than the sword  to be true. Words can be used   to edify or  destroy, to belittle or boost another's  efforts, to throw daggers or crown with stars.  It is always our choice in what words we use, and how we use them. Best used, words are a precious  gift to give, and receive.