Poetry Friday: "From a Country Overlooked"

Kiesha at Whispers from the Ridge

 has this week's round-up of poetic goodness. 

Inspired by all things summer-esque,

she gifted us with a wonderful "Summer Song."

I almost included this poem in my Spiritual Journey First Thursday summer post yesterday. However, by the time I included my musings and pics, the post was long enough. So I saved the poem for today. And I was delighted to find it in the Writer's Almanac archives. Here's a taste of "From a Country Overlooked" by Tom Hennen. Click on the poem's title to read the entire poem.

"There are no creatures you cannot love.

A frog calling at God 

From the moon-filled ditch

As you stand on the country road in the June night.

The sound is enough to make the stars weep

With happiness."

Celebrate This Week: Summer's Arrival and A Birthday!

 Join us each weekend for Celebrate This Week with Ruth Ayres. 

                                                             When we pause to celebrate, we find the joy.

A week filled with moments to celebrate and remember. 

1.  Summer is here!  

Even though my teaching friends are still in the trenches for three more weeks, I decided that as a retired person, I could declare when my summer would begin.  And as of Friday afternoon at 4:15, I'm officially out of school (except for Books, Brownies, and Beyond,

and a couple of short two hour commitments).  

2.  Old friends and blogging friends!

Two of my retired friends were in the building this past week helping with testing.  I loved seeing pics of a grand baby, catching up with both of them, and sharing laughter.  I received lots of birthday greetings from old friends on FB yesterday.
(You have to love those automatic birthday reminders.)
I enjoyed remembering how I had met each friend and
savoring memories of precious times together.

And I celebrate wonderful friends I've made through blogging each week on

Slice of Life, Poetry Friday, and Celebrate This Week!   

3.  A Birthday!    

My birthday celebration started early when I arrived home Friday

after a four day work week to beautiful peonies from my husband.  

My first birthday greeting was a text message from a blogger friend at 5:30 am. 

(Yes, I was already up!  I rarely sleep in.  But I take great naps!) 

My daughter picked me up Saturday with no instructions other than,

"Be ready at 9:30."  She took me to explore a new independent bookstore.

Of course, I got a new book,  and we enjoyed a delicious brunch.

Seems a bit ironic to be BUYING a book with the title,
Live More, Want Less:  52 Ways to Find Order in Your Life.
But I do love organizational books, and haven't indulged in awhile.
Adding it now to my summer reading list!

The day was rounded out by the arrival of phone calls from family and friends, 

FB greetings from friends both far and near, and celebrating with dinner out
with Lance and Sara & Will.  Great day for me - no cooking yesterday!

Slice of Life: A Peek Inside

Today I join my fellow bloggers in "serving up a slice" 

to the Tuesday Slice of Life (SOL) community.

Thanks to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Beth, Anna, Kathleen, and Deb

                   for hosting this meeting place each Tuesday and nurturing our writing lives.

June is on the horizon.  Its imminent arrival conjures up childhood memories of endless days stretching before me, with hours to read sprawled in the den with the noisy room air conditioner accompanying my summer journeys.  I no longer feel that any season posseses endless days.  But I head for the deck, book in hand, lunch on tray, and hope in my heart to savor summer's precious days.  While our local library is undergoing planned renovations, our bookish community is relegated to a small space in a local church (with a few computer stations) where we can pick up holds and return books.  

Sunday evening and 
time for a walk.

The parking lot is still open

even though the library doors 

are ringed by yellow tape

and "hard hat area" signs.  

I stroll familiar streets

 spying my favorite shade of
springtime yellow green leaves
framed against a blue sky.
My heart fills
with happiness for
the beauty of this world.

I return from my walk
and take the shaded path
that curves around two sides 

of our library.

I peer inside

happy to see that
renovations have begun. 
I hope for a prompt completion
of planned changes and a 
reopening in July
(fingers crossed)
for my favorite island
gathering place.

Carpet is gone,
books are protected, 
and imagination reigns
as leafy reflections frame
endless possibilities for 
summer journeys within 
the pages of a book.