V.J.’s Challenge #66: savour

September 30, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

Our youngest granddaughter loves food so much that when she takes a bite, she’ll close her eyes, hold the food in her mouth, savouring the flavour, and moan with appreciation. She is three. This is surely a God-given gift. Her sister and cousin eat so fast, I’m sure a famine must be chasing them. I […]

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 […]

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.

Black and White Signs

September 10, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Hard not to take some signs literally –clearly reflecting one’s current state I prefer signs that lead me to mysteriousor more rewarding destinations – “Signs, signs, everywhere a sign,” the song says,hope you find your sign today…. (for Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: signs.)

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #63: ripening

September 9, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

Drooping under the weight of their ripening fruit, our tomato plants have escaped their cages. Wax beans are losing their green tinge, and zucchinis, stretching across the narrow garden bed, are full of promise. Even though we planted late this year, there will be something to harvest. The anticipation is killing us, and yet, we […]

A Child Glows

September 8, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

Child,delightful youth,my heart’s jewel,you are light-bearer,hope for the future – antics haphazard,laughter contagious,spreading joy,sparking imagination – I pray that your spiritremains joyously vibrant,that reality dawns gently –polishes the radianceof your glow. *** I wrote A Child Glows in November of 2018 in celebration of my granddaughters. I have edited here, slightly. Image from personal collection. […]

Spilled White

September 6, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Purple petuniasundiminished by splatter –cloud painting mishap. (For Cee’s Flower of the day.)

Texture

September 4, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

For Nancy Merrill’s Photo A Week challenge: texture

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #62: child / childhood

September 2, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

My daughters gave me a copy of this poem, surrounded by images of me playing with the grandbabies. It always brings me joy. As summer comes to end, and the children return to school, I am already feeling the loss of our time spent together, so; I thought it might be fun this week to […]

A Shift Towards Recovery

September 1, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

“Maybe there is a purpose to this struggle,” I say, offhanded, to a visiting friend. We have just made our way to the edge of the falls, the trek difficult for me today, as my legs are not cooperating. I’m hanging onto her arm for balance. I’d been telling her about another visit I’d had, […]

Resilience

Boxes are filling up around us. We’re making a dent in our to-do lists. Doubt seeps in. Are we doing the right thing? Then I remember all the reasons behind making this choice and affirm: We are dismantling one life to build another, purposeful existence.

Monday Mood: squirrely

The movers need to be arranged, and the closets sorted and packed, and when was the last time we bought groceries…. Head and attention are going in too many directions at once, and I’m exhausted before I get started. Might be a little cranky too. The stress of moving is real.