Busy With Life

I'm sorry to be so neglectful of this blog. Life has been busy with activities for the Grow Me A Story classes and life in general. I seem to be on a disconnect with my writing at the moment, but I have ideas for some art projects. I actually have one in the works right now. Our classes focus on all types of creativity including decorating, artwork, music, story writing and telling, gardening and more. Anything you put your creative skills to work on qualifies.

Yesterday the class was on how to make use of the Canva website. It is a free online graphic desgn tool you can use to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos, business cards, and more! Below are two examples. I made these after the class to post to my Instagram account.

This was my first attempt.
I wanted something pretty for springtime.

My second attempt used a free image from Pixabay 
and a poem I wrote early this morning.

It was challenging and fun! I can't wait to try out some other ideas in the coming weeks! Until then...

© 01APR2023 ajjahner

Time Together and Alone...

What a lovely weekend it's been! Family time and a bit of solitude. I watched Case Histories, a British crime drama starring Jason Isaacs. I started reading When Death Draws Near by Carrie Stuart Parks, a good read so far. Four boxes were filled for donation which Paul dropped off for me at the Idaho Youth Ranch. And at the moment, I'm waiting for the clothes in the dryer to finish so I can put the next load in. Why I waited until late Sunday evening, I can't explain. It just been one of those days, full, fun, and also relaxing.

I was reminded how much I love spending time with my family. There is nothing so precious as being with people you love, who also love you. The value of time alone is not lost on me either. In every love relationship, whether it's romantic or family, you need to find time to nurture yourself. In doing so, you have more to offer the people you love. With that in mind, I wrote the following poem.

just me, not you
someplace of my own
a hideaway, a nook
an island of self imposed
seclusion
to rest
reflect and reimagine
to rediscover
then emerge, myself again
with you

© 29Apr2018 ajjahner

Poetry Month, Blogging, Springtime...

I've really been missing my blogging friends, so this weekend I plan to visit a few of them. Maybe I'm wrong, but it feels like Facebook, Twitter, and such have replaced blogging for many people. For some, it's a financial decision because their blogs were an extension of their online business. For others, it's just a matter of setting different priorities. For me, life has just been busy and complicated, so I don't sit down to write much.

In Idaho, we're finally getting some warmer days. Today is a mix of sunshine, a little rain, and perhaps a thunder storm moving in later. My white tulips just opened up, the red are already gone along with the hyacinths. Each morning there are bird songs to enjoy. One of my favorite sounds is the call of the mourning dove.

Poetry month is coming to a close soon. I feel uninspired today, so here is one I wrote a few years ago. Perhaps it will bring back memories of your childhood. I hope it at least makes you smile.

Taking Flight

My feet push against the earth

Higher, higher

The swing takes me up

To blue sky and then back again

Toes striking the soft, dusty brown earth

Pushing, pushing

Reaching for the sky

Imagination taking flight with the seagulls,

The robins, the wild geese

Grandma calls, “Dinner”

Releasing the chains I fly through

The air for an instant

Then feet connect firmly with the ground and

I go running back to reality and the mundane

© 11JAN2010 ajjahner

Until next time...

Princess of the Corn Fields...

Memories triggered my poem for today. I grew up in the countryside, between farms, in our home on a quarter acre lot. A lot of farm kitties passed through my childhood, my favorite was our old mama cat, Thomasina, a calico. Another favorite is the subject of this little poem.

Orange and unique
Among the greys and the tuxedos
Soft voice, white feet
Gentle, like her calico mother
Farm cats with a touch of sophistication
Little Tiger Lily
Princess of the corn fields


© 16Apr2018 ajjahner

The In-Between

On the Today Show, they were talking about mental disorders like Bi-polar and anxiety. A little while ago, I read a Facebook post by a family member who struggles with depression and how she handles it. I've struggled most of my life with unseen disorders. They sometimes pull you apart until you don't even recognize yourself anymore. While lost in thought, the first line of this poem came. It's an incomplete work in progress, but since it's poetry month, I decided to share it as is...

There is blood coming down the rafters
from places unseen
Pain and confusion. Desolation
and isolation collide and
implode into heartbreaking
shards of doubt and frustration

There is light reflected on the rafters
from the deep
Faith and communion. Affirmation
and illumination collide and
explode into expanded
stars of hope and exaltation

She stands in the in-between
pulled from one to the other
Praying the light will be
bright enough to save her.

© 11Apr2018 ajjahner

Poetry Month Offering...

Image shared by Dawn of The Feathered Nest

I haven't participated in poetry month at all this year, so I looked up an old post and revamped one of my "work in progress" poems.  Here it is:

I hear the ducks sound off loudly

feuding over females or seeds

I hear the mourning doves call

comforting sounds through morning breeze

I hear the chickadee, the robin, the sparrow

voices raised in song, harmonizing with ease

I hear the traffic sounds, cars and trucks

inches from nature, progress speeds

I don't know if this will be the final version, but I like it better than the original, found here:  Working on Poems...

My writing muse seems to be on an extended vacation, and I've become preoccupied with so many other things in my life. When the time is right, I know it will come rushing back. Until then, I'll enjoy putting my focus on different areas of my life. 

Life, Movies, Tears...

Life has been crazy lately. My husband is still dealing with the legalities and after effects of the car accident, which was not his fault, but they are still making it difficult to settle the hospital bills. A cousin's husband, who is also a friend, is battling cancer. The diagnosis wasn't good, but they have strong faith and a lot of people praying for him. My health has been giving me issues, but I'm pushing back by resting when I need to and taking care of getting myself to see the doctor, which I tend to avoid.

One of my favorite escapes from life's stresses is to put in a good movie. I've been revisiting some childhood favorites. Today it was the 1963 Disney movie, The Incredible Journey. I bought the paperback in 1968, and loved reading it just as much as I loved the movie. This is the version I had.

The following may be a spoiler, if you've never read the book or seen the movie, so you may want to stop reading now...

Even after seeing the movie, and knowing the story so well, it still gets me right in the heart. It's about the journey of Luath, Bodger, and Tao. I love animals, and when old Bodger comes walking out of the woods, the tears just started flowing. I was thinking of all the animals who had been in, and then out, of my life over the years. They become part of the family. I'm not currently a pet owner, but one of these days I'll be making room for another. Right now, I make do by feeding the birds and keeping an eye on the mama duck, who is nesting in my front garden.

Since this is poetry month, here is a link to a favorite of mine. If you don't like to click on links, it is found on YouTube. It's read by the author, Jimmy Stewart, during an appearance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and it's called A Dog Named Beau... Have your hanky nearby, unless you're made of stone, which I am not. Crying again, but it's worth every tear. 

What I Will Miss...

I wrote this list several years ago, when my health was very bad. I wanted to remind myself to appreciate each day. To embrace and cherish all the little things. To think about the things I would miss. These were a few which came to mind that day.

The sound of laughter

The way my husband looks at me, with love

The smiles of my sons... the way their eyes light up

Music

Rain, the sound, the smell

Lilacs

Hugs

Tears

Kisses

The call of the mourning dove

Seeing an eagle in flight

Clouds

The feel of grass between my toes

Coffee

Chocolate

Dreams

Live each moment. Cherish life. Love yourself and one another. Treasure the small things.

© 23Oct2015 ajj

Too Late For Goodbye...

For Sunday Scribblings #355 - Immunity:

Did you ever have someone disappear from your life?  Someone you loved, you were never given the chance to say goodbye to?  Not a death.  They are just gone from your world, and nothing will ever bring them back or change what has happened.

There is an empty, hollow place in my heart today.  I can't really explain it.  It's too raw.  I wish I were immune to the pain.  Saying more might infringe on another's privacy, but I had to write my feelings down.  It's what I do.  I write.  When there's nothing else I write... and cry... and pray... then I write again.

It's too late for this, but

Goodbye...
to your sweet face
your smile
the laugh that made me laugh
to everything you were to me
to everything I dreamed for you

I'll tuck you away
a memory of sweeter days
of hopes and dreams
for a life that could have been
should have been
brighter

Too late for goodbye...
and too soon for hello...

© 06FEB2013 ajjahner

Dance

Sorry I've been absent.  My computer crashed and is beyond repair, so I'm waiting to get a new one.  My son loaned me his this evening, so I could check my email, blog, etc.

Life has been crazy.  Between traveling, family stuff, getting one son registered for college last week, and our other son registering for his college this week, I haven't had the energy to think about writing.  For the NaBloPoMo Prompt, I'm using the following poem.  I originally wrote it for a Sunday Scribblings challenge.  I love watching dancers, and dream of dancing, but am content to still be able to walk.  I hope you enjoy this:

In dreams I dance,
spinning effortlessly across the flour,
my soft dress fluently swirling
around me to the rhythm of the music.
Moving gracefully, lightly,
unencumbered by age and circumstance.
In dreams, I still dance.

© 07MAR2010 ajjahner

Violets & Kittens...

For dad... who left us on a Friday, 22 years ago today.  He loved animals and flowers.  My violets bloomed this spring, for the first time in several years, and this forgotten image came to mind...

nose pressed to flower
soft kitten breath on purple
the violets dance

I hope this verse conveys the curiosity of kittens, exploring a world new to them.  Treasure your loved ones, your days, the beautiful world all around you.  Enjoy life.  Breathe it all in.  Rejoice in the simple moments.

© 20APR2012 ajjahner

Some thoughts and a short poem...

I have not lived up to my bargain to post every day this month.  It's been a crazy, sad, busy time for my family.  Dealing with the loss of a loved one takes a lot out of you.  My husband and I just returned from a trip to his father's home.  We met his sister and her friend there, and we spent a hectic weekend sorting through years of accumulation.  There was, and still is, a lot of stuff.  The one nice thing is, it was very organized.  We donated and recycled what we could, but two pick-up loads still went to the landfill.  Some precious treasures went home with my sister-in-law and with us.  There is still a lot to do, but it's mostly cleaning, small repairs, and painting in preparation to possibly sell the home one day.  There is no rush on that.

Every room in the house was filled with memories, as was the yard and the garden.  It was like whispers, too quiet to hear, but definitely all around.  Poignant, palpable, precious....

Silent rooms and
walls with dusty photographs
Paintings created, hung with loving hands

A chair, a throw,
favorite jacket in the hall
Symbols of the life they once enveloped

Quiet whispers
of voices no longer heard
but hanging in the air, just beyond reach

Memories linking
hearts to hearts, throughout time
Unbroken chain of life continues on

© 17APR2012 ajjahner

Poetry Memories...

I've always loved poetry.  As a child, my mother bought us a set of Childcraft Encyclopedias that I loved to read.  Book #1 was Poems and Rhymes.  I spent hours thumbing through it.  Continuing with poetry month, I'll post a couple that bring back memories of those days.

For, lo, the winter is past,

The rain is over and gone;

The flowers appear on the earth;

The time of the singing of birds is come,

And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

~ The Song of Solomon

~~~

Morning

Will there really be a morning?

Is there such a thing as day?

Could I see it from the mountains

If I were as tall as they?

Has it feet like water lilies?

Has it feathers like a bird?

Is it brought from famous countries

Of which I've never heard?

Oh, some scholar!  Oh, some sailor!

Oh, some wise man from the skies!

Please to tell a little pilgrim

Where the place called morning lies!

~ Emily Dickinson

~~~

Afternoon on a Hill

I will be the gladdest thing

Under the sun!

I will touch a hundred flowers

And not pick one.

I will look at cliffs and clouds

With quiet eyes,

Watch the wind bow down the grass,

And the grass rise.

And when lights begin to show

Up from the town,

I will mark which must be mine,

And then start down!

~ Edna St. Vincent Millay

I hope these brightened your day, as much as they have mine.  I may be absent from posting for a few days, but I'll "see" you all again soon!

A Surprise in the Mail...

To begin, I want to wish each of you a Happy Easter!  It looks like a beautiful day here in Idaho.  My plans are simple, to spend the day with my husband and sons. 

I received the most beautiful package in the mail last week!  I won the giveaway from Michelle Palmer, and here is what I saw when I opened the package...

 This is what was inside...

Michelle does such beautiful sketches and painting.  You can see more of her work in her Etsy Shop,
Michelle Palmer Art.  She drew the acorns, placing them randomly in the squares of this vintage piece of linen.  She left the buttons separate, so I can place them where I wish or leave them off altogether.  I love this!  The acorns take me back to my childhood, and the giant oak tree in our yard.  I spent hours in the shade of that oak, reading my Nancy Drew mysteries, looking for 4-leaf clovers, making dandelion chains, and collecting acorns.  Precious memories of simple times.  I will treasure this!

Today's Sunday Scribblings Prompt is Treat.  The word is implied, rather than being inserted in this post.  The treat was winning the Michelle Palmer piece!  Continuing with my April poetry theme, I wrote the following:

In the shade of ancient oak,

branches stretched upwards and out,

solitude is not lonely.

In the wonder of cool shelter,

a bumpy floor of grass

and acorns so abundant. 

I choose a spot and stretch out, 

favorite book in hand,
under comfort of green arms.

© 08APR2012 ajjahner

Those of you who are readers, will recognize the treat in this piece.  There's nothing quite like finding a place you love to enjoy a great book.

Taking Flight

Here's another earlier poem of mine, that really takes me back.  Isn't memory an amazing thing?  If I close my eyes, I am on that swing, going higher and higher.

Taking Flight

My feet push against the earth

Higher, higher

The swing takes me up

To blue sky and then back again

Toes striking the soft, dusty brown earth

Pushing, pushing

Reaching for the sky

Imagination taking flight with the seagulls,

The robins, the wild geese

Grandma calls, “Dinner”

Releasing the chains I fly through

The air for an instant

Then feet connect firmly with the ground and

I go running back to reality and the mundane

© 11JAN2010 ajjahner

As with all my writing, journaling, photos and art, please do not reproduce or copy without express written permission.  Thank you for respecting my copyright.  I hope you're enjoying this month of poems for the NaBloPoMo prompt "Poem" and to celebrate National Poetry Month. 

Change...

It comes, and then goes
like breezes on a summer's day,
or ice melting in the sun.
When the water runs,
then trickles away
til the stones are
dry again, and warm,
and no trace remains
of what once was.
Life changes
and moves on.

 © 06APR2012 ajjahner

Another Selection for Poetry Month

Just a little poem, on this cold spring day.  Even with the wind, and the chill in the air, the birds have been singing outside my door...

Sweet bird, thy bower is ever green,

Thy sky is ever clear:

Thou hast no sorrow in thy song,

No winter in thy year.

Oh, could I fly, I'd fly with thee!

We'd make, with joyful wing,

Our annual visit o'er the globe,

Companions of the spring.

~ John Logan ~

This free image was shared by Dawn of The Feathered Nest.

#313 Sunday Scribblings - Reflect

In preparation for National Poetry Month, I've been going through some of my old poems.  I'm participating in NaBloPoMo (see sidebar link), and also Sunday Scribblings.  The prompt is Reflect.  The word doesn't appear in this piece, but I feel like it ties in with the theme.  It was written during a time of reflection and healing in my life.   I hope you enjoy reading it.

The Long, Dark Hour

A. J. Jahner

Did you know

When you slipped into her room, in the heavy darkness

That weighed down like an old, stale wool blanket,

Till a breath could not be taken.

Did you know

When your hands crept in to touch the secret places,

Terrified eyes pooled with tears,

And silent screams filled the throat.

Did you know

When mocking voice, while telling lies, shattered and

Scattered round the room, her thin, glass sheet of confidence in pieces,

And sweeping them, they disappeared.

Did you know

That over time, the shifting boards revealed the shards

Long buried; and though broken, and undefined,

Created a picture in her mind.

Did you know

It rises to the surface in raging waves of anger, exposing the heart

Of who she was, or might have been, before the darkness

And the fear betrayed her.

Did you know

She walked in shadow life, appearances deceitful, a smiling face

With vacant eyes, and now the gaping scars reveal

A wounded child, no longer hiding.

Did you know

She searches for the answers still, for innocence breached, betrayed

By trusted hands, who held the power, but by choice

Redefined a life, in that long, dark hour.

© 10MAY2008 ajjahner

Life takes us through many experiences, along many journeys.  not all are sweet.  Some define who we become, but we can choose how it will define us.  It's what we make of it, that makes all the difference. 

April is Poetry Month

I am tired and uninspired, so I'll just share a poem I love...

 

Forgotten Language

Once I spoke the language of the flowers,
Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,
Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,
And shared a conversation with the housefly in my bed.
Once I heard and answered all the questions of the crickets,
And joined the crying of each falling dying flake of snow,
Once I spoke the language of the flowers. . . .
How did it go?
How did it go?

Shel Silverstein

Modern Girl

The Sunday Scribbling Prompt for yesterday was modern, so I combined that with my NaBloPoMo Theme of relative, and came up with a little poem.  It's loosely based on moms and grandmas, and those ladies I have known who continue to embrace life at any age.  To me, that is the true definition of a modern girl.

A Modern Girl

 

She was a modern girl

Circle skirt, sweater set

Bright red lips 

Poodle pet

Jitterbug made her swirl

Saddle shoes on her feet

Swinging hips

Just so sweet

In her chair feet still twirl

Graying hair, laughing eyes

Bright pink lips

It's no surprise

A modern girl she remains

She'll never settle for plain Jane

 © 27FEB2012 ajj