Green (Edie Brickell)

Today is my blogiversary - woo hoo!

One year ago (May 14, 2007) I began this exercise in creativity, little knowing how transformative it would become - my initial desire to post a daily song/book/poem/quote has segued into a cathartic/educational/
stimulating journal/scrapbook of which I'm quite proud. At times I'm unearthing emotions I never thought I'd make public - other days find me sharing trivial but joyful celebrations of life. It's all about the pendulum, eh? - god knows I've experienced both sides now (thanks, Joni!) and anticipate the upcoming chapters of my life as they continue to unfold...

Of the 366 days past (yes, it was a Leap Year), I submitted 316 posts - I didn't quite achieve *daily* but, considering holidays/family emergencies/vacations, I'm happy with the consistency of effort/content.

I'm still not putting myself "out there" (as in... I've only told a double-handful of people about the blog) - a few others have unintentionally found their way or synchronistically stumbled across my musings. I guess I believe the more privacy I retain, the more honest I'll be - I tend to be a very outgoing, widening-the-circle kinda woman... and it feels nice to keep a corner of my soul relatively to myself...

Thanks to all who stop in and read, whether or not you choose to comment - with my hits at 11,735 (averaging almost 1000 per month) even as I type, somebody's paying attention (not that I need the validation... but it is warming... :-)

I've been quiet the last few days and probably will remain so the rest of the week - my mom arrived Monday (visiting from near Atlanta) and leaves Sunday, and the days are even more full than usual. Her health has deteriorated substantially since we last saw her at Christmas - it is very hard for her to take, as well as for me to watch. I have many things to process over the next few days/weeks/months - warning: some of it will most likely end up here...

I never take for granted my relatively smooth life: a husband and children I adore (and who love me in return), extended family who never give up on me, friends who listen, support and nurture, music to sustain, books to inspire, a so-far-hurricane-resistant roof over my head, abundant food in my pantry and a safe and friendly neighborhood in which to walk (at almost 8 weeks, we're still maintaining 4/5 days a week, 3 1/2 miles a day!) - and don't forget the jacuzzi (right, AW?... :-)

I thrive on hugs and tears and song lyrics, oh my - it's all about the love, peeps!

SONG: Green by Edie Brickell

BOOK: Love Makes The Green Grass Grow by Vaughn Loeffler

POEM: The Holy City by J. H. Prynne

Come up to it, as you stand there
that the wind is quite warm on the sides
of the face. That it is so, felt
as a matter of practice, or
not to agree. And the span,
to walk over the rough grass - all of this
is what we do, quite within acceptance
and not to press
the warm alarm
but a light
surface, a day
lifted from high
thick roots, upwards.
Where we go is a loved side of the temple,
a place for repose, a concrete path.
There's no mystic moment involved: just
that we are
is how, each
severally, we're
carried into
the wind which makes no decision and is
a tide, not taken. I saw it
and love is
when, how &
because we
do: you
could call it Jerusalem or feel it
as you walk, even quite jauntily, over the grass.

QUOTE: "Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place." ~ Zora Neale Hurston