thankful thoughts

My daughter had to write her 'thankful thoughts' for school

She wrote about her Gaga

We had dinner with Gaga and Papa Jim tonight

My daughter couldn't stop hugging her Gaga

As I sit outside and see over 30 trees 

in my backyard

some thin some thick

all bare and dark

against a magenta night sky

I am reminded of life's cycle

Now, I am in the cycle of parent

Homework, reminders, laundry,

teaching, setting rules, giving feedback

and finding moments to share and love

There is no better moment than now.

I am thankful for these moments

Grateful for healthy, happy children

Learning from every interaction

Joyful for family.

The mysteries of ADD

My son has ADD. 

The last few years have been a struggle,

not unlike those of others

We are in one of the richest counties

in America - Fairfax County.

Our school system is excellent,

yet often boys with ADD find it difficult

to fit the mold.

It's most perplexing.

Here's a boy with a genuine love for life

who can focus for hours on bugs, nature or legos

A boy who will spend hours to prefect the art of 

rollerblading

Yet, put in a structured environment,

literally fumbles.

I noticed something today

He is either totally in the moment

completely engaged in his activity

like looking for salamanders in the stream

or, he is out to lunch, not aware at all 

of his surroundings or his actions.

I see how this frustrates adults.

They think he doesn't care, that he is careless.

He's a goof-off or a smart-aleck.

I see this too, and I get frustrated.

Yet, there is something else.

Almost like a disconnect in the brain

I guess that is part of ADD.

I hate that he has to have medication

just to function in a structured society

If we were still living off the land

he would fit in perfectly.

But we have evolved.

Then I see Michael Phelps win the gold

I see him excel at his passion

despite his ADD

and I know in my heart

that my son will too find his passion

and be OK.

I love this boy.  He is a free-spirit

like his mom

but he also seems to have a 

disconnect with boundaries

like his dad

He will find his way

his truth

his heart.

Ocracoke fishing

Today my son caught a fish

a blue crab, and two clams.

It was a good day.

After all was said and done

he threw the crab and fish back

but kept the clams.

Together, he and his step-dad

cooked the clams and

joyfully ate them.

The both agreed it was the best

thing they ever ate.

awareness

There are moments in life

that grab ahold of you

and stop you still

reminding you of your place

in this life

and your connection to

others

even more, these moments

make you grateful, loving,

and compassionate

i want to say that they

make you aware of your ultimate 

responsibility here on earth

but that would seem too heavy

for it is more of an awareness

that our own needs and desires

are no different than those around us.

Our carbon footprint

Today I brought a hybrid.  It's not new, it's a 2003,

but it's mine and it gets 47 mpg.

I traded in my SUV, a Toyota Highlander.  It wasn't easy.

I had to put down hard earned cash as the value of my SUV

has plummeted while the value of hybrids are up.

With three children and a large dog it as hard to give up

the space offered by our Highlander with the third row seat.

But I did it, really, we did it.  This was a carefully thought out decision

after much research and discussion with my husband, who also happens to be

one of Al Gore's Climate Project presenters.  He also owns the exact same

Honda Civic Hybrid.  Our carbon footprint did come up more than once in the discussion.

To tempt us more was the current market value.   We learned that hybrids are selling

above value; and to our distress, some dealers won't even take SUV trade ins.

The market is just dry for large, gas-guzzling cars and trucks.  Go figure!

There was more justification.  My Highlander averaged 19 city/24 highway.

Based on $4 a gallon gas, it's a savings of $2000 per year in gas.

Basically, we break even in 2 1/2 years.  The rest is gravy.

I feel good about the decision.  Europe has had smaller, more efficient cars

for a while now.  It is time for America to follow suit.

While no one wants high gas prices, it has forced us

to reexamine our ways, our choices, and buckle down.

Now we lovingly gaze at our his and hers hybrids in our driveway.

Will the children complain a little about the 

cramped space on a long trip?  Sure

Will it now be impossible to haul large items?

Yep.

Will I feel good commuting in Northern  Virginia

in a hybrid that gets 47 mpg?

You bet.

hard labor

We saw Wall-E tonight.  Great movie.

This on the heels of working 

the last two days

cleaning out our garage

and laying tile in our basement.

The weekend before, we cleaned up

after our tree was struck down

by a storm.

Hard, physical labor.

For years, I belonged to a gym

Lifting weights, running on a treadmill

you know the drill.

Yet there is beauty and fulfillment

in the physical labor of 

caring for your home.

The next time you hire someone

to paint, to lay tile

to clean up your yard

know that this is exhausting

aching work.

that you could do yourself

and in the process

get a good work out

and a real sense of accomplishment.

to george carlin

i watched george carlin tonight

1978 performance

george, i'm smiling tonight

thank you

you were bold enough to question

and break the rules

you even shattered the

thin thread that held 

my hope of reincarnation

i'll miss you

and i hope you went out

the way you always wanted to

with a bang.

Driving 95 toward Richmond

is about as fun as spending a day

in the bathroom with a stomach virus

This experience let us to forgo our commitment

the reason we were headed in that direction

and just keep on going

to greener pastures

or, more accurately,

blue waters and sunset skies.

We arrived in Roanoke Island, NC 

at 8 p.m, hopped on the complimentary

bikes and explored the town at sunset

stopping at a local store to grab some wine

and snack, then bike back to the inn.

Sometimes you just go for it.

Listen to the voice, and let it guide you.

After Manteo on Roanoke Island, we

were led to Edenton.

It was a quaint, coastal town

lit up by the waterfront festival that day

where children climbed the rock wall,

learned to sail, and ate the biggest sausages of all.

photograph this

OK..one more post tonight..

I love taking pictures.

We bought a new camera

I have no idea how to 

make the best of it

But I will.

Here are a few trial pics..

my daughter at a political fundraiser

a politically active couple

hormones

I'm going to be honest

Life was stressful

and maybe

it still is

but thank God for hormones

going through menopause at 41

is just not right

So now, estrogen surges 

through my body once again

at the advice of my doctor

and I am myself

calm, happy, carefree

same stress

but different me 

handling it

want a margarita?

Stress

I work hard

too hard

so exhausted 

I have nothing left

to give

my children

my husband

my friends

something is amiss 

the police of my mind 

are on a doughnut break

my soul and good nature

exposed

no bullet-proof vest

to protect this innocent helpful spirit

who suffers?

all around me

who wins?

corporate America

the hardest lesson

is to not get caught up

in the frenzy

in the pleasing

to the point

where your body rebels

and decides to shut down

menopause at 41?

enough.

bucket list

No, I haven't seen the movie "Bucket List", 

but I like the idea.  

How many times have I stated in my mind

or out loud to family and friends

the things I want to do - to accomplish 

in this life time.

Why not put it in writing

make it real, not just an

"if only I could" fleeting thought.

So here goes, 

1.  Publish a poem.

2.  Publish a book.

3.  Live by the beach.

4.  Be able to converse in Spanish.

5.  Be able to converse in French.

6.  Have a small well-kept home beaming with light.

7.  Play guitar well enough to entertain children and friends.

8.  Sing on key!

9.  Be able to walk/bike to town/shops.

10.  Create art - of any kind (painting, sketches, pottery, jewelry)

I have given birth to two beautiful children, found a great love, and worked in a profession that helps others.  The above list is just for me. Nothing glamourous, some might say simple.  Yet, these are the things I think about, the lingering goals that simmer.

Being

It's moments like this..

when the world stands still

and we are free to play

in the sand

and behold the beauty before us.

Keeping the faith with Obama

For the first time in my life
I have hope
After years of capitalism gone mad
I see a dimmer of light through the fog

A hand reaching out
to each American
this is your Country
this is your right

We lived and breathed
the campaign for 5 days and nights.
We took off work, hired sitters,
put everything on hold
to be part of this moment in history

W spent our own money and lots of it
to purchase needed supplies
to run the Obama campaign in Virginia
Thousands of volunteers came out to help
and together, we showed the world
that the people matter
hope matters
and we are ready for change.

Obama - Sincere and Inspirational

Although my blog is usually about poetry, this is another part of my life - being politically active. Here's my post on www.raisingkaine.com - regarding Obama's speech after his win in Iowa 2008:

If you carefully watch each candidate's speech, you will notice the sincerity and compassion in Obama. He starts off by turning, almost a 360, and applauding his audience, pausing to recognize the efforts of the people gathered in the room.

During his speech, he uses words like "YOU" and "WE". He warmly thanks his family and the efforts of all of the volunteers and campaign organizers that made this happen and of course, the voters.

Obama knows that the road to taking back America is bigger than himself - it is all of us caring enough about America to rise up, stand up, and take action for future generations.

Compare this to Hillary, whose favorite word is "I" and who does not thank even her husband, who has been tirelessly campaigning for her.

Don't get me wrong, I like and respect Hillary and would be happy with any of the Democratic candidates, but we cannot discount the impact of effective communication and the power to inspire movement and action of the masses.

Obama is the ONLY Dem that Rs are seriously considering. I continue to talk to many Rs and Is and they are certainly interested in Obama, where they are SURE they won't consider Hillary, and there seems to be no mention of Edwards.

This is very telling and the Iowa results back it up. We went to bed last night after hearing Obama's speech, finally feeling hope again for our country.

I urge every reader to seriously consider the trends here. Already in NH, Obama leads by 5-6% with Dems, and about 16% with Independents and Republicans.

It seems that Obama has the best chance of winning over any R candidate in November.

Ocracoke Christmas

Beautiful, it was

quiet pirate island
drawing us to it's shores

A cabin on the sound
Long steps through tall grass
whispering in the wind

We stood on solid rocks
at the water's edge
and gazed at the changing sky

Sea birds graced our view
and the sky turned colors
with the setting sun

The next day we walked
through the village
to the beach road

Two miles through
a nature preserve
we turned in awe

A wide, expansive beach
rests before us
Not a soul in sight

The cool wet sand
mosaic with broken shells
glistened like jewels

We didn't want to leave
The ferry sounded it's horn
and we drove on