SOL: What's Saving Me Right Now!

On my morning walk, I listened to Emily P. Freeman's podcast and decided to follow her format for naming what's saving her life right now. "It's time for our seasonal episode of What's Saving My Life Right Now on The Next Right Thing podcast. It could be anything from a favorite product to a spiritual practice, a fun new TV show, or a meaningful relationship. When it comes to naming what we love this spring, everything counts."

In no particular order, here are six things saving my life right now.

1. I listened to our book club book, The Small and the Mighty, read by the author, Sharon McMahon. I loved it and learned so much!

2. This middle grade book, The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman

It's my dessert after finishing two nonfiction books for my book clubs. Nonfiction is not my jam, so it was difficult that both book groups had chosen nonfiction for May. I Just picked up  The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest this afternoon. I can already tell it will be a new favorite!

3. Watching a feel-good movie, "Nonnas", on Netflix

4. Morning walks

5. Taryn's chocolate chip cookies, always a favorite

6.  Picture books - Posted this on IG three days ago: 

"I read this children's book (eBook) to myself just before going to sleep last night. I may have started a new tradition. A lovely children's picture book might be just what I need before bed during our troubled times.By Akiko Miyakoshi, Little Shrew celebrates pockets of joy in three lovely chapters. Get it for the children in your life or for yourself!" #picturebooks

Did you notice that three of the six items saving my life are books?  

What's saving your life right now?

Poetry Friday: Leafy Landmarks

As a confirmed tree lover, I couldn't resist this title from the 2025 Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels list.

My local library did not have Leafy Landmarks: Travels with Trees (yet), but I checked my King County account and discovered an eBook I could check out. It was a delight to read each poem in the book, a lovely paean to fourteen historic trees in the continental United States. Michelle Schaub uses a variety of poetic forms to introduce us to the trees and illustrator Anne Lambelet's luscious illustrations accompany us along our armchair arboreal journey. Interesting facts accompany each poem providing background history, nature, and geography for each of the trees. The final poem in the book "My Landmark Tree" will have you looking for a favorite tree in your community. The author's note encourages readers to be tree champions and take a tree road trip. 

I've frequently picked favorite trees in my communities. Here's my current favorite, located just down the street at the cemetery. I was afraid that it might be dead this spring. All the trees around it had already bloomed and leafed out, but it was just a bit later which makes me appreciate it even more.  

 

Fall 2024

 

Winter 2025

 

Spring 2025

 

Sarah Grace Tuttle is hosting Poetry Friday Roundup today. 

Be sure to stop by and read her Poetry Month project,  

What May Not Be Erased: A Chapbook of Protest Poetry.

Slice of Life: A OLW Journey

I try to check in periodically (at four month intervals) with my One Little Word. This year's word BE is less active than many of my past words and in some ways more challenging. 

One of the things I am intentionally pursuing is moving more slowly. Perhaps that's because I am growing older, but I miss so many things when I move too quickly through my days.

 

I spy the stately pair of geese.

I savor morning mist and 

 

sunshiny clouds tucked in water.

 

I open my soul to seeing. 

-Ramona Behnke

Inspiration for that last line comes from an unattributed quote in my commonplace book: 

"The holy is always there, like a luminous lifeline. 

In the end, it is a matter of opening the soul to seeing."

I just googled the quote and it came from Fran Haley's SJT post on November 2, 2022. 

 I look forward to seeing where BE takes me for the next four months. Here's a quote from Amy Krause Rosenthal & Tom Lichtenheld's book I Wish You More with a wish for your summering months: 

"I wish you more pause than fast-forward."

Spiritual Journey Thursday and Poetry Friday: Blossoming on the Spiritual Journey

Carol, our SJT host for May, invited us to ponder the wonder of creation 

and the value of nature nurturing us. 

I visited Just Be, a small gift shop in our downtown area, on Wednesday and found this quote that I've always loved on a small card. 

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting - a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing."  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The pictures I chose to illustrate my haiku were taken in April, wonderful examples of God's handwriting. I walk and meander through life, always looking for the beautiful. I feel the blessing of beauty surrounding me and I'm grateful for it's bounty. Enjoy my illustrated haiku.

 

Green's invitation 

Water's shimmering sparkles

His love manifest   

 Green's invitation

 Water's shimmering sparkles

His love manifest

My trip to Just Be yielded another quote that makes me think of our monthly gathering and the blessing of writing and being supported by one another.

"Impart as much as you can of your spiritual being to those who are on the road with you, and accept as something precious what comes back to you from them." - Albert Schweitzer

I pray for Carol and her family as they deal with the grief of losing their husband/father/grandfather to an illness that took him so quickly. May they feel the comfort of the Holy Spirit as they grieve during this time. The words of Psalm 46:1 and Isaiah 41:10 have always provided sweet comfort to me:

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

 

And in closing, I'll share a few more springtime blossoms to gladden the heart.

 

 

 

 Mary Lee is hosting our Poetry Friday Roundup. 

Come join us at the playground. 

My illustrated haiku is doing double duty for SJT and PF.

NPM Day 30: Sharing Poems from My Apron of Many Pockets

 

I said goodbye to National Poetry Month with a visit to Robby's kindergarten classroom to share poems from my many pockets. It's not Poem in Your Pocket Day, but any day when you get to share poems with kids is cause for celebration! 

I also shared poems in Jack's 2nd grade classroom, but forgot to take pictures. He remembered that last year I let them keep the poem they selected. I didn't do that this year, but I came home and made a two sided handout of some favorites for them. Jack and his classmates knew about metaphor, simile, alliteration, and hyperbole. I love that Mrs. Wright has taught them so much about poems. She wasn't there to thank, but I'll send her a note. 

It was fortunate that daughter was out of town so I could step in for her regular story time in the boys' classrooms and share poems with these wonderful students. It's a joy to be with them and to share my love of poems!

NPM Day 29 & Slice of Life: Poems About Books

I bring you four delightful anthologies compiled by the king of poetry (crowned by me in my NPM project of 2017), Lee Bennett Hopkins. Reading always tops my list of hobbies and since poetry also figures on that list of diversions, poems about books combine both interests. 

Jumping Off Library Shelves: A Book of Poems is filled with poems to love. Charming illustrations by Jane Manning bring each poem to life. I couldn't narrow it down to one favorite, so I'll mention two, but really you'll want to read the entire book. Joan Bransfield Graham's "Librarian" (p. 18) captures the love of a reader for the librarian who becomes a friend.  Kristin O'Connell George captures the joy of reading with an animal buddy in "Reading with Riley" (p. 26).

Wonderful Words: Poems About Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening is filled with glorious poems from poets of today and dead poets (including Emily Dickinson and Carl Sandburg). Vivid illustrations by Karen Barbour accompany each poem. "I Am The Book" (p. 18) by Tom Robert Shields shows how books can be our friends through every season.   

I Am the Book (which also includes Shield's poem) has colorful illustrations by Yayo that invite us into each poem. My favorite poem in this book is by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater and is titled simply, "Book" (p. 29). If you don't know Amy's site, The Poem Farm, do not pass go or collect $200, simply go straight to this marvelous repository of all things poetic. (I crowned Amy the Queen of Poetry in my 2017 NPM Project.)

Here's a pic of Amy and me at NCTE 2018. In addition to being a great poet, 

she gives the best hugs ever!

Good Books, Good Times! is filled with poems about the joys of reading illustrated with Harvey Stevenson's watercolor paintings. The book opens with a favorite poem by Karla Kuskin, "Being Lost." The final four lines sum up any book lover's favorite place to be.

"I linger alone

In a place of my own

Lost

In a book." 

NPM Day 28: Another Catch-up Day (Days 25-28)

We finished a three-day sprint with three of our four grandsons (ages 8, 6, and 3 & three quarters). Not surprisingly, I fell behind on my poetry month project. Their parents are still traveling, but Aunt Ann arrived last night. I'll spotlight three favorite picture book anthologies by Paul B. Janeczko with three favorite poems from each book for days 25, 26, and 27..

NPM Day 25 - Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices, a whimsical collection of persona or mask poems with wonderful illustrations by Melissa Sweet. Stop by to read "The Vacuum Cleaner's Revenge" by Patricia Hubbell, "Old Elm Speaks" by Kristine O'Connell George, and "Maple Talk" by Lillian Moore.

NPM Day 26 - The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems, so difficult to pick just three favorites from this book. The illustrations by Richard Jones enhance each and every poem. Check out these three: "Toasting Marshmallows" by Marilyn Singer, "How to Catch a Poem" by Irene Latham, and "How to Pay Attention" by April Halprin Wayland.

NPM Day 27 - Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems, another wonderful collection of poems, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. I like the mix of old and new in this book, from Carl Sandburg's "Fog" to Robert Frost's "Dust of Snow" (featured in our sixth grade anthology) to Joyce Sidman's "A Happy Meeting."

NPM Day 28 - One Today by Richard Blanco with gorgeous illustrations by Dav Pilkey features the inaugural poem for President Barack Obama's second presidential inauguration. I would love to have the final three lines (four lines in the book) and illustration in a poster form. You can read the poem here, but you really should buy the picture book.