Earth, Wind, and Sky

Without light pollution a multitude of stars were splashed across the night sky. Planets were also visible: Venus, Mars, Saturn. Out at the makeshift observatory, telescopes that were powerful enough allowed us to get a glimpse of these neighboring planets so gracefully placed in our Solar System. They beckon us to come explore. The night air filled our nostrils as we gazed at the stars and perhaps even caught sight of particles entering the earth’s atmosphere in the form of a shooting star. The wind picked up as a storm approached. We made our way to our campsite.

From our site, the darkness enveloped the space around us until lightning broke the darkness. It danced about the clouds illuminating the edges. Bolts streaked across the sky and reach like long fingers to touch the earth. The trees were in silhouette as though the sun had reemerged, peaking its way above the horizon. The lake laid quietly in the darkness, flat as glass. The only indication it was there was the reflection of lightning displayed upon its surface.

Into the wee hours of the morning the lightning continued its array. Frogs and insects orchestrated the symphony of sound to accompany it. We could hear the rain as it hit the objects around us. It softly thudded against the ground, wood, structures, etc. It made everything smell damp and fresh. By morning light all had subsided. The lightning, wind, and rain had continued onward, making way for the new day.

Live, Laugh, and Love

Princesses! I promised you princesses! And, I shall deliver.

In the fall of --- well, we won’t worry about what year it was --- I began my job oversees. Part of this employment included being a friend of two princesses. For the first five months, it was Pocahontas. For the remaining four after that, it was both Pocahontas and Jasmine. Pocahontas was lovely but, aside from that darn rug, Jasmine was my favorite. She has a puckish way about her that is in accord with my own. She is sassy, sometimes defiant, spunky, and honorable. Pocahontas has more of a quiet strength about her. She is one with the earth, a friend of creatures and humans alike.

Speaking of gentle souls, another one I had the pleasure of knowing was a fellow coworker in this organization. I actually knew her way before we both worked for this company and we were employed at different times in separate locations. Her birthday was just recently. We had lost touch for twenty years and then I got to reconnect with her a little bit before she left us…way too soon. A bright light in this world, she brought happiness and love to all who knew her.

When Staci worked for The Mouse, I believe she was the friend of a couple mischievous chipmunks! I can see that! Like them, she had a playful, fun-loving, and light-hearted way about her. She was compassionate, kind, faithful, strong, and loving. Did I mention warmhearted? Oh, so, so caring. She had a vibrant smile that I never saw dim, even given all that she faced. A relationship with Staci was the best. It was steadfast, loyal, selfless, and trustworthy. She was truly one of a kind and I smile just thinking about her. She was a real beauty, not just one about which you read…a true, real life princess.

As I stopped in to see her, what would be the last time, I could tell she was in a great deal of pain yet she refused to allow it to impede our visit. Our time together was shorter than planned but stands suspended in time…until we meet again.

Staci, you are deeply loved and dearly missed by so many who hold you in the highest regard.

And, here is where I will stop, until whatever pops into my mind next.

Faith, Trust, and a Little Pixie Dust

Yes, I do realize I had a flat tire. Thank you. This 1970's VW Westy is "Sweet Tea" and she is our restoration project.

“Faith, trust and a little pixie dust.” J.M. Barrie pretty much sums it all up in that playful line. Yet, a great disturbance has interrupted our regularly scheduled program and we do not like it much…not at all! Graduations and weddings were postponed or cancelled. Travel was suspended. Even simple trips to the grocery store have been altered. Life as we know it is temporarily “out of order”. See what I did there? Can you feel me smiling through my written word? I certainly hope so! With things so up in the air, I am sure many of us are wondering, “What now?” Where do we go from here?

Alas, I was not expecting this business at hand to hijack my thoughts, here. No siree! You see, I am a writer at heart. I suppose you could say it is my obsession. The not so simple fact is, I feel compelled to do it. The master’s degree program in which I participate has me writing papers out the wazoo. Which, you would think would leave a person feeling empty of ideas, against the notion of writing a single sentence more…and yet, here I am sputtering away at you --- as if you had nothing better to do than to read my ramblings. I promise you I do have educated thoughts. I have paid a significant sum for them in the way of higher education. But, let us not get started on that, shall we? No, best not.

So, Sweet Tea! She is a doll. An expensive one but worth it all at the end of the day, right? We’re just getting started and there is still so much to do. Ha! I sound as though I am doing the work, myself. No, no, there is a professional for that! I merely boast about our beloved Volkswagen. She came to us from Florida, which is an adventure story in itself. Perhaps that is a post for another day. Today, we are getting to know each other…and Sweet Tea. We found her in a bad way, yet running. That was the important part, in my book. The darn thing had to run! Of course, we did tow it over a thousand miles from point A to point B, but again, that is another story from another time…pinky promise.

Classic vehicles are delightful…and so are motorcycles. Nothing quite compares to muscle cars and Ducatis. We will get into it all. Not to mention faith, relationships, and the “magic” of The Mouse. Yep, I used to work for him. But way before that, my parents did, too, and I grew up with him as a companion, so to speak. To quote Walt, “It was all started by a mouse.” Oh, and did I mention I am a friend of a couple princesses? True story, but we will get to that later.