Friday, May 16, 2014

Life I Mean...

It's all held safe in little squares, isn't it? 
Life I mean...

Square sturdy cribs and playpens to start
Then picket-y fenced in oh-so-safe-green-grass play yards
Sandboxes, red rider wagons
Those were the first squares, my foundation


Our first house. Our second, third and forth
Square rooms filled with ups and downs and happiness
We moved often as I grew 
I don't recall I ever minded
I was a (contented) solitary soul

Pink bedrooms, crust-less sandwiches, graham cracker snacks
With the memory of these
I wander back
To childhood

Letters, postcards from camp, to camp
Letters postcards from college, to college
We wrote to each other and back 
When I was out on my own
Lunches together were shared, as adults
Another square set atop those prior

Taller life grew
Wider, ever more amazing 
In so many ways

Cities seen, countries explored
Careers built, tentatively and tenuously
Several discarded in favor of other pursuits 
You never questioned, always encouraged my path
Another square set atop those prior

Pictures by the pound were taken all thru those decades
(how little I understood their true value as I focused each one in the viewfinder)
Tiny time machines

Rooms still surround me, square, here were I call home now
The warm familiar walls
The endless fields
Outside every window settles my soul
While I sit and peer at these square boxes of photos
And letters

We are in this world together still
Tho we won't be forever
Neither you
Nor I
 Another square set atop those prior

Such a dervish of emotions that reality stirs....
So thankful for what we've shared all thru my life
So heartbroken it can't go on forever

It's always been.
It was before us and will be for everyone after us
 Another square set atop those prior

It's time to gather up the squares
These pictures, these letters 
While my eyes glide across the walls of these rooms I've grown to love
I think of all the homes you've made, and moved and made again
The fields outside remind me of our square green yards, 
For some reason the scent of graham crackers comes to mind
(which makes me smile, to this day)

I'll see you tomorrow
And again for some uncounted, unknown number of days/months/years after 
We'll talk and laugh and care about each other
Agreeing or disagreeing - makes  no difference
Therein lies the best, the gift
Of all the years we've shared
 It's never depended on anything but our friendship and love

It's all held safe in little squares isn't it? 
Life I mean...
Homes and letters, days and lunches out shared
(but with crusts on the sandwiches lol)
Most of all it's all held in the corners
Of my heart and my mind
Each time we share a day together
Each time I ever will think of you

Always
Copyright ~ Issy May 2014



Monday, May 12, 2014

Something to consider

A year or so ago I began to be concerned (and annoyed) when I frequently had headaches
 or commonly just felt 'off' 
 
Then I began to correlate it to the times I used various cleaning products.
I started to research 'old fashioned ways' of cleaning on the Internet and found a treasure trove!
As I migrated to nearly exclusive use of natural/non-toxic products the symptoms dissipated.
Then they disappeared all together.
(and I saved significantly on my shopping costs as a secondary bonus)

I didn't think a great deal more about the value (and far reaching impact) of these seemingly small changes in my cleaning routine and products common around the house until I noticed these articles:


and


I'm not (at all!) inclined to the 'chicken little/sky is falling' approach to life
but rather the 'do what is reasonable and live your life' approach to life.

Still, two facts stand tall - no doubt about it. Facts I share with you here, from my life:
1) I see a profound decrease in bees - they are in trouble (and science points to pesticides as an issue)
2) I have seen, currently see and fear for more cases of cancer than I even want to talk about say.
 
I know this isn't a happy, chirpy post, but I'd rather risk the down side of sharing such info *hopefully*
  you'll take a few moments to read these two articles and consider the possibility of using less (or no) chemicals in your home/garden/yard. 
Consider it for the bees, for the water, for your pets, for everything and everyone you love
Consider it for yourself....

Saturday, May 3, 2014

House needs a home!

You know how I am with any/all/every old house, lol.
Moth to flame I have to look, poke, share...
(even if only at a distance via the net)!
 If you want to have a look around her and read the TOH details the link is below
 
I admit I'm a confirmed farm 'n field, farmhouse n barns kinda gal
but every old house hums a song my heart hears   :-)
 
Happy weekend all!