Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Kimbies & Me


I have to wear a cocktail dress. Have you ever done that?
Nope. I wore my wedding dress & last year I wore a formal.
Hmm...I've never even shopped for a cocktail dress. I don't think I can walk in heels either.
Wear ballet slippers. That's what I wear.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Imagine Going Places...

Carl Sagan:

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.


Image of van found on eBay...


Monday, September 17, 2007

The House of Other Children

When I was in college, I volunteered at a group home for children living with HIV and AIDS. It was a huge, older two story home in the heart of the city. I believe there were 18 permanent residents there. They were wards of the state, yet they were not in foster care. Their mothers had either abandoned them, were imprisoned and a shocking large amount of them were deceased. These were the children that were born unto this world with HIV. They were, for the most part, children unknown to our society.
One little girl, maybe 3 or 4, with chocolate brown hair...wild & curly and eyes the size, color & depth of a never-ending cup of coffee with cream and sugar, immediately took to me.
Lol, I'll never forget her exclaiming 'You gotta bug on you! I get it!' and fervantly pinching & pulling at a sticking-out kinda mole I had on my neck area. (This ultimately led to the removal of this mole, but that's another story;) She was helping me, protecting me.
But having an ever greater impact upon me & countless others with whom I have shared this with were the words of wisdom that flew from her mouth one sunny afternoon.
I had her in my arms and her legs straddled my waist. I would bend over, throwing her backwards & upside down, with my arms crisscrossed over her upper back and shoulder blades as to avoid disturbing her AZT pack wrapped around her mid-section and then I would scoop her back up again. Each time we would squeal......'Weeeeeeee,' 'Whoooooaaaa,' 'Ewwwwww' with great delight at our two-person make-do roller-coaster ride.
Finally she says 'OK, Stop!' and I did... fearful that I had made her dizzy or woozie or what-have you. She then smiled , cocked her curly head to the side & said 'Now, throw me up waaaaay high'
I lifted her up quickly and brought her back down, never allowing her to slip my grasp. Her brows crossed & she quickly barked 'No! Throw Me!'
I laughed, 'Baby, I can't just throw you...what if I don't catch you? I worry that you could get seriously hurt...'
As I rambled on about what we could do & couldn't do & such, she took her two fat little little hands and smooshed my face between them... as in a polite, gentle gesture to shut me up.
'You silly adults...don't you guys know anything? Life should be fun!'
Cupid's lips pucked up & jutted out in a toddlers' pout.
Smooshy-faced, I smiled back at her.
'Throoooow meeeeee. It'll beeeeee-a-eeeee ok! Life should be fun, you know?'
So, I did.
I threw her higher & higher.
Over & over again.
... and it was fun.
May we all learn from the mouth of babes.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

09-11... no TV, no newspapers, no radio...natural for me & wisely suggested by the infinitely wise, She.
The telephone rings, but only collectors are calling... no new news there.
It's a day to reflect.
I hung no new flags, tied no more yellow ribbons & won't drive by day with my lights on.
Not because I don't care or am not unawar
e.
I have flags hanging, some dating back 20 y
ears.
My yellow ribbons get dirty and frayed from the weather and ultimately they come down...and that alwa
ys makes me sad. So my solution has been to not put them around the big old oak trees anymore.
My headlights won't shut off on their own & I will surely end up with a dead battery, should I turn them on by daylight.
Someone once ribbed me for saying I was proud to be an American, as I became American simply by
being born here. True. I guess I ought not be proud to have my family either, but I am. I am more than proud...I am grateful & relieved.
Welcome to be little corner of the world.

Walking down my street, up my walkway, past my mailbox & onto my porch, sit for a spell & then venture into my living room, my kitchen, my den, my office you will see little reminders of me, my friends, my family & my country.

May we never forget.


May the circle go unbroken.

May we nurture the good & let love grow.

May we remain thankful, grateful, aware & appreciative.

May we continue to live, love & learn.

May open hearts, open minds & open communications clear the way for peace... at home, at work, at school & globally.






Saturday, September 08, 2007

rap-a-tap-tap-tap at the door...

Ruff! Ruff! Ruff! Grrrrr....

With skin still embossed from the thread-bare sheet, I stumbled through the artillery of dogs to the door.

'Would you like to buy some magazines for my school?'
'Yeah baby, when do you have to turn this stuff in?'
'Next Thursday'
'Great...can you come back on Tuesday? I get paid on Wednesday & can give you a check.'
'Momma?'
'Yes, honey...we can come back. how are you Skinny?'
'Good, neighbor-lady...How are you?'
'Collectors are calling...you know. My husband saw your husband this morning & he was on his way to the river... you didn't go?'
'Ummmm, no. We divorced last month.'
'Oh, I am sorry. I will pray for you.'
'That's alright honey. Save your prayers for those who really need them. I'm all good.'
'I need to come over more often & talk to you. You have just been talking to the wrong person.'
'What are you talking about?'
'You should have been talking to God!'
'Well neighbor-lady, I don't know who you think I have been talking to...'
'You should talk more with God Skinny'
'I talk to anyone & everyone. In my opinion life is for living, learning & loving...and if you're not doing all 3, then you aren't doing any of them effectively. I've made my choices & I have made mistakes. I'm living, learning & loving. it's all good.'
'But God can cure all. He can work miracles.'
''Getting married was my choice & so was getting divorced. I am not going to pray about that ...I'm living, learning & loving.'
'You should write that down somewhere...'

Am I naive? Can't this 'person' I 'need to talk to' called God be part of me? Can't I skip the whole calling him God thing? Can't what she calls God, I call my heart & soul? Can't reflection on my end be the same as a prayer on hers? Can't my friends & family be considered a community of the church? Can't my choices made, lessons learned, loves shared & life lived be considered a miracle?

I didn't say any of these things to her for three basic reasons.
One~ It's not my place to push my beliefs onto anyone else
Two~Nor did I feel like I needed to validate myself any further.
Three~ I'm just glad she believes. I believe, maybe differently than her, but I believe & I know it's all good.

Hmmm, Living, learning & loving... sounds so satanic, evil & corrupt, doesn't it?

Monday, September 03, 2007

Soul-Mates

Do You believe in soul-mates?
Yup.
Have you ever had one?
Yup.
So, tell me about your soul-mate.
Which one?
On some levels...Smokie, Marbeline, Vilulah, Harley & Crunch are even my soul-mates.