V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #65: smile

September 23, 2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

“Anyone want to share their experiences this week?” I’m stood in front of my third year, Life Strategies class. It’s Friday, the day we have set aside to journal and/or discuss the weekly challenge. This week’s challenge has been to smile at someone new. I never know with this crowd whether or not the challenges […]

Forgive the Dance

September 22, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

Please forgive the dance, but it is what I do –one step forward, then slide back,shuffle and lose the rhythmand start again. Always reaching forward –heart securely tucked in place –but there is something embedded,cellular – that invites the struggle and so, I dance – yesterday a warriortoday the fooltomorrow only knows multi-faceted,roughly cut,a gemof […]

Wheels

September 21, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

(For Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: wheels 1, 2, 3)

Rose of Sharon

September 20, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Foreground,background,we are all the same –brilliance and beauty –and intricate part oflife’s ebb and flow. (For Cee’s Flower of the Day)

Gratitude for my Attitude

September 19, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

There is an old train trestle in town, that traverses the river just above the falls. In 1999, townspeople banded together to create a walking trail where the old line extended through the city. It affords spectacular views. It is also not easily accessed by those like myself with mobility issues. But I am determined. […]

Magical

September 18, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

The stillness of a summer’s day,a single ray of golden light,the way the wind curls and teases – There is magic to be found,in tucked away places, and right in plain sight. (For Lens-Artists photo challenge this week: magical.)

Candid Moments

September 17, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

In candid moments much is revealedthe curiosity of youth, unabashed A mind constantly processing the exuberance of a playful soul. (For Cee’s Black & White photo challenge: candid)

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #64: resilience

September 16, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

There is a catch to this week’s challenge: I don’t want you to use the word itself, but to illustrate what resilience means to you. This challenge is open to any form of creativity. Just create a post and link it back here. Look forward to your responses.

Ripening With Anticipation

September 15, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

I’ve spent the day preparing enchilada sauce, having harvested a few tomatoes. A neighbour gifted me a handful of jalapeños, which are also going into the pot. Later, the kids are coming for dinner, so I hope my feast turns out. So much of life weaves in ways we never expect, and I am unwilling […]

Yellow Parasols

September 13, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Late summer huddle anticipating Fall rain –yellow parasols. For Cee’s Flower of the Day.

This Life A Road

This life a road –the way preparedsigns to guide me,and still, I get lost. Construction, distraction,disobedience – throw me off –tendency to choose tougher routes,broken down and been sidelined And yet, the road still beckons,invites progression, thrills.A rolling stone gathers no moss,my father liked to say, and so… I push ahead, keep motoring,trust the obstacles […]

Wings

(Written during my bedbound years with ME/CFS)

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

May is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis awareness month. Also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, this disease is characterized by exhaustion after exertion. The exertion can be physical -taking a shower; emotional – worrying or obsessing; or mental- filling out forms. The best source of information about ME/cfs, as we call it, is the Bateman Horne Center. They […]