A Revival of Sorts and a #poem for Winter

Noticeably, I have taken quite an extensive siesta of sorts from blogging and I honestly hadn’t meant for it to be this long of a break.  In the meantime, I have continued to write poetry on Twitter and in my notebooks.  I have been attending school for design which takes a lot of my creative power to get through the academic writing and tasks that lay ahead for me there.  I have been volunteering at my daughter’s school as the Secretary in the PTSO which has been an enriching experience.  I have been working part time at a couple of locations and have continued a bit of freelance creative work on the side.  I am still a mother of growing children whom have lives and schedules of their own. A day doesn’t go by for me that I don’t create with words, pictures or art.  I enjoy being busy and I know in 2013 I will continue on with my adventures.  I plan to learn more about myself and apply that knowledge into my life which what I’d like to share on this blog. 

Basically, my blog has evolved into a poetry blog and I may mix it up once in a while. For the most part, I love poetry very much and I seem to return to it a lot in my writing.  All types of writing interest me and so I may experiment here from time to time.  I also like to personable and share my thoughts from either visuals or ideas I see around me.  I will also be including a few of my creative or art projects and designs as well.

If you are still following me then I appreciate that you hoped I would return.  I hope that you will continue to read and comment on my posts.  If not, I understand why you didn’t and I hope that you will might discover my return and feel free to follow me once more.  I may not be here often but I will do my best to have some consistency so that I would not deserve your interest.  I know I have many friendships to renew or establish as I look forward to blogging again.    

Now, for your reading pleasure I came across an idea that I had for a poem in 2006.  It was based upon a question that I answered for a writing group about my favorite season and why.  Loosely, it explains my amazement that I chose to write about winter because for the last 14 years I’ve been living here in South Texas.  So, I must admit I’ve grown accustomed to a warm and not very long winter in comparison to other places around the world where winter is long and cold.  Based upon my childhood memories of colder winters and my love of being able to keep warm from being cold, I present to you a winter poem.

 A Moment of Winter

Briefly

At winter’s gate

Ice forms then blankets all.

 

Cold slips throughout

My fingertips

Multiplying until my whole body feels numb.

 

Before becoming too frozen

Warmth must be found

Easing the hardship

Of feeling cold from the beginning.

 

Some of the brightest memories

From my childhood

Express itself from winter’s creeping form.

 

Found in a cup of delightful warmth

Bundle me up in cozy comfort

As I sip encountering a satisfying taste

That releases the chill

Bringing me home.

 

©JAC

Originally written: 10/26/2006

Rewritten: 01/01/2013

Be In Touch

Before Facebook or Twitter and before digital T.V. happened, I was a bit of an avid T.V. watcher with the local channels. I must admit that of all the channels I still really miss PBS the most and still make an effort to see some of my favorites from their shows online as they share them. I also was a fan of ABC's World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. I felt a uncomplicated sadness when he departed from this world in 2005 and from his anchorage on the news. His final sign-off still poignant in my brain because of its honesty and YouTube where I can view it and re-live that simple minute from time to time - "The journalist who doesn't value deeply the audiences loyalty should be in another line of work." I've not kept up with whomever is reporting now either. Since I was in high school, I was also a bit of a news junkie and interested in journalism in general. My Grandpa Hatch wrote human interest stories for a local station and I remember having conversations with him about different stories he thought about writing. I loved that he wanted to celebrate the goodness of humanity by writing the stories that should be told more often. So, as you realize, I basically used to enjoy watching the show 20/20 when Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs were hosting it. I enjoyed the stories they covered and always in anticipation I expected the closing line of the show: "We'll be in touch so you'll be in touch." I'm not sure why but that line was somewhat comforting perhaps because I knew that it was coming. For some reason, it caused me to reflect on what I would report from my own life and I felt even then that I needed to write down those reports. Sadly, I didn't always take myself up on that task. I'm still working on a remedy for when I fail to write because the truth is I do enjoy writing. I need to make it a significant part of my daily life and see where that leads me. I'm tired of missing out because I forget what's been happening around me because I didn't write a little something down. So, now's the time for me to change that and here's my way of making a come back to stay in touch with you.

We'll start in November where I had an excited and roaring start with NaNoWriMo only to fizzle out in the end toward an epic FAIL to make it to the 50K deadline. Even though I didn't make it, I'm still amazed with the writing I did do and what came out of attempting this goal. I was able to enter three poems I wrote into a poetry contest and I'm looking forward to seeing if anything comes from that. This definately helps me not feel like a complete failure and the writing I did does not feel like a waste of time at all. I'm alright with it and even like some of it. In fact, I look forward to my third attempt at NaNoWriMo next year. "Third times a charm," right?

Another significant thing that happened in Novemeber was the passing of my father-in-law, Melvin, on Nov. 9th. I still remember readng the text from my husband about it and feeling unbelief. Even though he was eighty-two, it felt so unexpected. I still remember reading his daughter Martha's facebook status when I heard the news: "Exactly one month to the day of my mother's passing, my father passed away. I like to think that it was because he was missing my mom too much." This affected me deeply and I can't explain it. Perhaps because I was looking forward to working with him on a family history project for his dear Clara. Since her death, he had seemed very urgent about it and I could feel his urgency but I didn't reciprocate it back to him like he deserved. I was worried about other non-essential things I realize in hindsight. His efforts to encourage and help me were huge and he fulfilled them right away. He wasn't waiting around, he mailed me what I needed to make sure that this project would happen. Now, I need to fulfill my end of the deal. I'm working on that including the grieving process. Most of all, even though I miss my parents-in-law, I am quite happy that they are together in heaven for their upcoming anniversary of 60 years of marriage this month. I'm learning the depth and scope of their lives and the difference they silently made in their efforts to help others as much as they could serve them. There are many things I hope to continue learning about their lives. I only lived close to them in the first four years of my marriage and I wasn't always as great in the gratitude department when I had that privelege. Looking back, I feel very thankful that they have been a part of my life and my children's lives. I know that we will continue to remember them.

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
Shades of the prison-house begin to close
Upon the growing Boy,
But He beholds the light, and whence it flows,
He sees it in his joy;
The Youth, who daily farther from the east
Must travel, still is Nature's Priest,
And by the vision splendid
Is on his way attended;
At length the Man perceives it die away,
And fade into the light of common day.

~William Wordsworth

Let's see if I can get back on track...

Here's a photo of a Halloween treat pail that I've made and at one time I taught a class on how to make it. I really like how it turned out even if I do say so myself. I don't have a supply list for you since it has been a long time since it all came together. It was fun and just looking at it now gets me right back into the mood for this Halloween season!

On another note:
After I have been quite neglectful of my blog, I'm going to work toward getting back on track. I'll see if I can bring my ideas for blogging to fruition and not over think everything.
Primarily and for your information, I use this blog to concentrate on what I love to create, what I love in the bookish world like the book blogs, reading challenges or memes I may be interested in (my book reviews are on 5-squared and I enjoy my fellow bloggers in the community there), and my love of writing and sharing poems and short stories too. Oh, plus I do love food and so you can find my recipes here. I treasure these things and I hope to be able to share more. I can, I can and I will. This is my challenge.

The Bucket List

Copy and paste. if you want.
Place an (x) by all the things you've done and remove the
(x) from the ones you have not.
This is meant to cover your entire life!


( ) Been to Europe

( ) Been on a cruise (want to)

(x) Gone on a blind date (This is how I met Jared.)

(x) Skipped school (only to study for an AP class.)

( ) Watched someone die

( ) Been to Mexico

(x ) Been to Florida

(x) Been on a plane

(x) Been lost ( only once)

( ) Been on the opposite side of the country

(x) Been to Vegas

( ) Climbed a lighthouse

(x) Swam in the ocean

(x) Cried yourself to sleep

(x) Baked Bread

( ) Seen the Cherry Blossoms in Washington , D.C.

(x) Played cops and robbers

() Flown a plane

() Owned a boat

( ) Ridden a shetland pony

() Watched grandchildren grow

(x) Recently colored with crayons

( ) Been to the Kentucky Derby

( ) Been to Key West

(x) Been to a rodeo

(x) Sang Karaoke

(x) Paid for a meal with coins only

(x) Kissed a frog

(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't

(x) Made prank phone calls (does calling and just hanging up count)

(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose

(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue

(x) Climbed a mountain

(x) Danced in the rain

(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus

(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe

(x) Watched the sunrise with someone

(x) Seen the green flash at sunset

(x) Blown bubbles

(x) Gone ice-skating

() Gone ice -fishing

(x) Gone to a drive-in movie

() Owned a convertible

() Stiffed a waitress

(x) Ridden a motorcycle (does a scooter count? I still wore a helmet.)

() Bungee jumped

(x) Caught snakes (garden variety)

(x) Eaten anchovies (so yucky!)

() Been in all 50 states

(x) Watched a lightning storm

(x) Ridden a roller coaster


1. Any nicknames? Jue, Jewels, Julo,

2. Mothers Name? Sylvia

3. Favorite drink? Water

4. Body Piercing(s) ? One set of earrings

5. How much do you love your job? Love the down time

6. Birthplace? Utah

7. Ever been to Hawaii? Not yet

8. Ever been to Africa? Not yet either.

9. Ever eaten just cookies for dinner? Yes

10. Ever been on TV? No

11. Ever steal any traffic signs? No

12. Ever been in a car accident? yes

13. Drive a 4 or 2 door vehicle? 4 door

14. Ever skinny-dipped? No

15. Favorite number? 13

16. Favorite movie? Steel Magnolia's, LOTR, Harry Potter - can't just name one.

17. Favorite holiday? Easter

18. Favorite dessert? Cookies

19. Favorite food? Mexican

20. Favorite day of the week? Wednesday

21. Favorite brand of body wash? Bath and Body Works

22. Favorite Fast Food Restaurant? I like to try different places.

23. Favorite Singer? David Cook

24. How do you relax? Reading a book

25. Tattoo? Nope

26. How do you see yourself in 10 years? About the same but my kids would be older in college, maybe having their own kids. I'd like to own a business, perhaps.


Note:

I was tagged by e-mail by Anne M. and I answered back for once.

Tags

I haven't been very responsive on tags that I've received in e-mail, on Blogger or on Facebook. I have saved a list of the questions I've received though. I love to read other people who answer the questions and learn about them. So, to get this blog moving a bit I thought that I'd start answering some of the tags I've received. I think it will help give me something to write about and be fun! :) Most people I know have already done these kinds of tags a million times so I won't pass them on unless you'd like to, of course.

Here's the first:

2 by 2 things about Julie

Two places you'd like to visit:
1. London
2. Mexico


Two names you go by:
1. Jue
2. Jewels


Two things you are wearing right now:
1. polo shirt
2. jeans


Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. To have a massage
2. To visit and talk with my Grandma's even if they can't remember me.


Two people who will most likely fill this out:
This was originally an e-mail tag so I put down -
1. Anne tagged me and so I already have hers.
2. Lisa sent it back.

Two things you did yesterday:
1. loads of dishes
2. went on Facebook

Two things you ate yesterday:
1. Granola bars
2. strawberries and whipped cream

Two people you spoke to last:
1. Hopie
2. Brig

Two things you're doing tomorrow:
1. more dishes
2. bumming around at craft stores

Two favorite beverages:
1. water - can't help it!
2. Lemonade