I do a few things for my friends, because I can. I'm a pay it forward kind of girl, feeling that I owe a lot to the world for just being alive. Today I helped start a retaining wall. I say start because it is a JOB that will take a few days to finish and we are expecting a few inches of rain over the next few days, which means we wont be able to finish it until after the rain.
This is a six pallet, fifty-five pound block, forty-eight to a pallet wall. All in all though it will be really nice when it is completed. I have posted the pictures for you so you get an idea of what we are doing. We hope the weather will not take too long to pass so that we can finish it next week.
Oh and don't think for one minute that I'm all so nice, I'm doing my part, its not too much to do.
Today's tease is a three parter...
you can join in @ http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
ENJOY
JL&B
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sticks and Stones
Do you remember that saying from childhood ? I do, I used to say it to myself every morning before I went to school.
You see, I came of poor stock, the kind that dressed in second hand that was handed down third hand. The kind that had a torn family view that clouded everything. The kind that flinched at loud noises and anger of any kind. Yeah that kind...
Others in my school seemed privileged to my kind, dressed in cute, clean, new clothes. Not afraid of any thing in life and the world was theirs for the taking. So why do they seek out those like me? To flaunt their happiness? Did it really make their lives better to point out that I always wore long sleeves in the heat? While they wore shorts and tee-shirts, I was hiding the bruises and shame.
Calling me names hurt me more than they could know, my self esteem was already in jeopardy from my home life. All through my time in school I remember feeling like an outcast, but I kept at it and received an A/B average in most of my classes. The mantra, said daily, didn't help me much, but I knew there was a better life ahead. At least I thought there had to be.
Of course the more time that went by the less I believed it. There were more times in my life then, when I thought dying would be better than the hurts I was going through. Taking my life, over and over, played in my young brain. I looked for poisons that would allow me to fall asleep and never wake up again. At seven years old I swallowed a whole bottle of spray and wash because it said harmful if swallowed, induce vomiting , call a doctor. That was enough for me to believe that I would die, but it didn't do anything to me, except make me sick to my stomach for a week. My mom thought I had the flu. To this day I can't stand the smell of spray and wash.
I ran away that year, for two days my mom had no idea where I was. I walked down the roads in my home town, I thought of walking to the ocean, swimming into the waves and never looking back. The night time was scary though and I came to the conclusion that being beaten and called names wasn't so bad after all, so I went back home. When my mom came home from work she told me if I didn't want to be there I shouldn't have come back, then sent me to bed with new whip marks on my butt, legs and back. That was the start of my running.
It's funny the things one remembers from the trauma in our lives. It would be hard for me to recall the good times, not that they were so few, more like they were not that memorable. The pain in my life made me grow and overcome, forgive and move on. Gave me a look at what I didn't want in my life when I got old enough to be on my own.
In the year I turned thirteen every thing in my life became as frightening as I could imagine. After a very bad beating from my mom, I ran away, yet again, only to end up in a receiving home for abused or unwanted children. There were so many of us it was like a dairy farm full of milking cows. All of us coming from dysfunctional homes, to end up in limbo, waiting for a home that could accept our backgrounds and love us anyway.
I was taken into the receiving area where they stripped me, washed me and looked at me like I was from a third world. When they were done documenting the two week old bruises on my body they had four pieces of paper with marks and writing on them, two for the front and two for the back. The ladies made lots of little remarks to one another and kept asking more than I was willing to tell them. Then they sent me to the common room where the others like me were.
We were the nameless few that were forgotten by our families when our ties were broken with our parents. Personally I never understood why I was the one put away when the authorities say it was my mom who was at fault, but have come to the conclusion that money was the major factor there too. We were poor, no money meant ,once again, no one had time to care.
For a moment today I was taken back to that time in my life. The mantra that I said was echoing in my memory and it led me to wonder what would my life would have been like if just one of those that taunted me had enough heart to reach out and be nice. Maybe then someone would have seen what I was going through and I wouldn't have made so many harmful mistakes. Like maybe I would have never picked up a cigarette, or swallowed spray and wash...
Today is Valentines Day, write the love you feel for someone, it may just save their life.
ENJOY
JL&B
You see, I came of poor stock, the kind that dressed in second hand that was handed down third hand. The kind that had a torn family view that clouded everything. The kind that flinched at loud noises and anger of any kind. Yeah that kind...
Others in my school seemed privileged to my kind, dressed in cute, clean, new clothes. Not afraid of any thing in life and the world was theirs for the taking. So why do they seek out those like me? To flaunt their happiness? Did it really make their lives better to point out that I always wore long sleeves in the heat? While they wore shorts and tee-shirts, I was hiding the bruises and shame.
Calling me names hurt me more than they could know, my self esteem was already in jeopardy from my home life. All through my time in school I remember feeling like an outcast, but I kept at it and received an A/B average in most of my classes. The mantra, said daily, didn't help me much, but I knew there was a better life ahead. At least I thought there had to be.
Of course the more time that went by the less I believed it. There were more times in my life then, when I thought dying would be better than the hurts I was going through. Taking my life, over and over, played in my young brain. I looked for poisons that would allow me to fall asleep and never wake up again. At seven years old I swallowed a whole bottle of spray and wash because it said harmful if swallowed, induce vomiting , call a doctor. That was enough for me to believe that I would die, but it didn't do anything to me, except make me sick to my stomach for a week. My mom thought I had the flu. To this day I can't stand the smell of spray and wash.
I ran away that year, for two days my mom had no idea where I was. I walked down the roads in my home town, I thought of walking to the ocean, swimming into the waves and never looking back. The night time was scary though and I came to the conclusion that being beaten and called names wasn't so bad after all, so I went back home. When my mom came home from work she told me if I didn't want to be there I shouldn't have come back, then sent me to bed with new whip marks on my butt, legs and back. That was the start of my running.
It's funny the things one remembers from the trauma in our lives. It would be hard for me to recall the good times, not that they were so few, more like they were not that memorable. The pain in my life made me grow and overcome, forgive and move on. Gave me a look at what I didn't want in my life when I got old enough to be on my own.
In the year I turned thirteen every thing in my life became as frightening as I could imagine. After a very bad beating from my mom, I ran away, yet again, only to end up in a receiving home for abused or unwanted children. There were so many of us it was like a dairy farm full of milking cows. All of us coming from dysfunctional homes, to end up in limbo, waiting for a home that could accept our backgrounds and love us anyway.
I was taken into the receiving area where they stripped me, washed me and looked at me like I was from a third world. When they were done documenting the two week old bruises on my body they had four pieces of paper with marks and writing on them, two for the front and two for the back. The ladies made lots of little remarks to one another and kept asking more than I was willing to tell them. Then they sent me to the common room where the others like me were.
We were the nameless few that were forgotten by our families when our ties were broken with our parents. Personally I never understood why I was the one put away when the authorities say it was my mom who was at fault, but have come to the conclusion that money was the major factor there too. We were poor, no money meant ,once again, no one had time to care.
For a moment today I was taken back to that time in my life. The mantra that I said was echoing in my memory and it led me to wonder what would my life would have been like if just one of those that taunted me had enough heart to reach out and be nice. Maybe then someone would have seen what I was going through and I wouldn't have made so many harmful mistakes. Like maybe I would have never picked up a cigarette, or swallowed spray and wash...
Today is Valentines Day, write the love you feel for someone, it may just save their life.
ENJOY
JL&B
Sunday, February 13, 2011
What a day ...
It was a great day by any standards... sweet husband, coffee, breakfast. Then I spent most of the rest of it with my very good friend Karen,we had a great time together.
so forgive me for not writing a bunch today, my head is swimming for all the fun I had today.
Today is One Stop's Photo Challenge, which we highly recommend. You can find our poem and the link to onestop on our poetry blog http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
Be good to one another !
ENJOY
JL&B
so forgive me for not writing a bunch today, my head is swimming for all the fun I had today.
Today is One Stop's Photo Challenge, which we highly recommend. You can find our poem and the link to onestop on our poetry blog http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
Be good to one another !
ENJOY
JL&B
Friday, February 11, 2011
BOOK OF LOVE
I started a little book of love prompt on my other blog, sharing it all over the places I haunt. Yesterday I went to Shutterfly and put my own photographs in an album and put all of the Book of Love poems in it. What a joy it is !! I have had a blast doing it and recommend it to everyone !
You can see all of our poems and the book of love on display (shamelessly !) on our poetry blog http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
Today is CHAPTER SIX
Hope to see you joining in too
ENJOY
JL&B
You can see all of our poems and the book of love on display (shamelessly !) on our poetry blog http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
Today is CHAPTER SIX
Hope to see you joining in too
ENJOY
JL&B
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Feeling much better today !!
Thank God, I woke without my head aching today, maybe the aneurysm popped ! Not funny, I know, but I got a laugh out of it !
Most of my followers are new to my writings, so today I want to share another one of my prose stories. I hope you enjoy it...This is from FanStory, a place of wonderful Prompts and contests... This prompt was a Sentence starts the story, it had to be aat least 500 words but no more than 1000, ours is 821.. The sentence was THE BED WAS EMPTY....
FOR THE LOVE OF JILLIAN
The bed was empty. For the first time in thirty-eight years of their time together, he was absolutely alone. He felt a sickness in his stomach, one that Jillian would have had a cure for, the thought brought a smile to him. Marc was a stern man usually, rarely allowing his feelings to show. Only Jillian knew how warm and loving he truly was. They had no children, Jillian was unable to conceive, but Marc didn't care, he loved her with every fiber in his soul.
He started to look back on their time together, coming once again to the day they met, a fond memory for both of them. It wasn't like a story book where boy meets girl and they fall in love, in fact it was more like a comedy.
Jillian was in her twenties, she never told anyone her exact age, to her it was just another number. Her hair was a million shades of browns, reds and gold's and each time the sunbeams touched her head another color would shine in brilliance. She had the eyes of a doe and a tiger all mixed up into one, and when Marc saw them he felt himself being pulled into her, like a force of nature he could not resist. He was stricken at that moment and from that point on there was nothing he wouldn't do for the love of Jillian.
That wasn't the way it was for her though, all she saw at first was a thin man in the road, hair all tousled, glasses a bit askew, gawking at her like he was a bit off. Marc's mouth was a bit open, but when she smiled at him, he felt as if the world had opened up into a new dimension and his jaw actually dropped. Jillian laughed aloud when she saw this and as she walked toward him he did his best to compose himself. She extended her hand to Marc, sure that he was in need of medical attention and asked him his name.
Marc took her hand and felt the warmth of her flow through him. He was surprised how when she spoke Jillian's voice stirred thoughts of music. Like his favorite song sprung from her lips and danced in his head.
Jillian was amazed at the softness and strength she felt when Marc took her hand. He was a lot taller than he looked at first glance, his six foot three inch frame surprised her as she gave him a better looking over. Then she saw his smile. It was never known to Marc back then, but Jillian knew from that moment they belonged together.
From that day forward he was a new man. Marc had a mission to give Jillian the life he felt she deserved, bound to be the one to give it to her. He worked hard and together they built the home of their dreams. Each day he felt so blessed to be by her side, knowing there was nothing he wouldn't do , for the love of Jillian.
The sickness came in waves. When there was nothing more that could be done to save her ability to have the kids she dreamt of, Marc held her in his arms and openly wept with her. It was not for the loss of her desire of children that he wept, but for the helplessness of not being able to cure her. As long as they had one another, he told her, they would make it through.
Many years passed and that hurt finally healed, only to be replaced by another. When Jillian was diagnosed with breast cancer, Marc was her strength, never wavering for a moment. Even after she lost all her hair and her weight dwindled down to nothing, he always kept both of their faith strong. He helped her through it once again and soon things were going well once more.
It was just last year when Marc saw her in the garden, softly crying into her hands. Jillian tried hard to not give into the pain she was in, keeping the news from Marc as long as possible, so that the last moments wouldn't be filled with grief. Knowing the six tumors in her head were at stage four filled her with sorrow for what was to come. Marc once again held her in his arms knowing this time she would slip away forever.
Looking at their empty bed now he wondered how he would go on without her. As she slipped away from him she made him vow to go on, but now it seemed a task too large to complete. He sat on the empty bed remembering that vow as the tears welled up in his eyes and spilt to the bed. He prayed for the strength to keep that vow and the will to go on with out the love of Jillian.
Today is Chapter 5 in the Book of love
Hope to see you joining in too
http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
ENJOY
JL&B
Most of my followers are new to my writings, so today I want to share another one of my prose stories. I hope you enjoy it...This is from FanStory, a place of wonderful Prompts and contests... This prompt was a Sentence starts the story, it had to be aat least 500 words but no more than 1000, ours is 821.. The sentence was THE BED WAS EMPTY....
FOR THE LOVE OF JILLIAN
The bed was empty. For the first time in thirty-eight years of their time together, he was absolutely alone. He felt a sickness in his stomach, one that Jillian would have had a cure for, the thought brought a smile to him. Marc was a stern man usually, rarely allowing his feelings to show. Only Jillian knew how warm and loving he truly was. They had no children, Jillian was unable to conceive, but Marc didn't care, he loved her with every fiber in his soul.
He started to look back on their time together, coming once again to the day they met, a fond memory for both of them. It wasn't like a story book where boy meets girl and they fall in love, in fact it was more like a comedy.
Jillian was in her twenties, she never told anyone her exact age, to her it was just another number. Her hair was a million shades of browns, reds and gold's and each time the sunbeams touched her head another color would shine in brilliance. She had the eyes of a doe and a tiger all mixed up into one, and when Marc saw them he felt himself being pulled into her, like a force of nature he could not resist. He was stricken at that moment and from that point on there was nothing he wouldn't do for the love of Jillian.
That wasn't the way it was for her though, all she saw at first was a thin man in the road, hair all tousled, glasses a bit askew, gawking at her like he was a bit off. Marc's mouth was a bit open, but when she smiled at him, he felt as if the world had opened up into a new dimension and his jaw actually dropped. Jillian laughed aloud when she saw this and as she walked toward him he did his best to compose himself. She extended her hand to Marc, sure that he was in need of medical attention and asked him his name.
Marc took her hand and felt the warmth of her flow through him. He was surprised how when she spoke Jillian's voice stirred thoughts of music. Like his favorite song sprung from her lips and danced in his head.
Jillian was amazed at the softness and strength she felt when Marc took her hand. He was a lot taller than he looked at first glance, his six foot three inch frame surprised her as she gave him a better looking over. Then she saw his smile. It was never known to Marc back then, but Jillian knew from that moment they belonged together.
From that day forward he was a new man. Marc had a mission to give Jillian the life he felt she deserved, bound to be the one to give it to her. He worked hard and together they built the home of their dreams. Each day he felt so blessed to be by her side, knowing there was nothing he wouldn't do , for the love of Jillian.
The sickness came in waves. When there was nothing more that could be done to save her ability to have the kids she dreamt of, Marc held her in his arms and openly wept with her. It was not for the loss of her desire of children that he wept, but for the helplessness of not being able to cure her. As long as they had one another, he told her, they would make it through.
Many years passed and that hurt finally healed, only to be replaced by another. When Jillian was diagnosed with breast cancer, Marc was her strength, never wavering for a moment. Even after she lost all her hair and her weight dwindled down to nothing, he always kept both of their faith strong. He helped her through it once again and soon things were going well once more.
It was just last year when Marc saw her in the garden, softly crying into her hands. Jillian tried hard to not give into the pain she was in, keeping the news from Marc as long as possible, so that the last moments wouldn't be filled with grief. Knowing the six tumors in her head were at stage four filled her with sorrow for what was to come. Marc once again held her in his arms knowing this time she would slip away forever.
Looking at their empty bed now he wondered how he would go on without her. As she slipped away from him she made him vow to go on, but now it seemed a task too large to complete. He sat on the empty bed remembering that vow as the tears welled up in his eyes and spilt to the bed. He prayed for the strength to keep that vow and the will to go on with out the love of Jillian.
Today is Chapter 5 in the Book of love
Hope to see you joining in too
http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
ENJOY
JL&B
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Found something
More like I read something, a form I haven't done yet... Have to remember it, so here it is ... try it and tell me what you think ...
Write a Pleaides poem.
Pleaides poems are seven lines long.
They have a one-word title.
Each line in the poem begins with the same letter that is the first letter in your title.
Any subject
Write a Pleaides poem.
Pleaides poems are seven lines long.
They have a one-word title.
Each line in the poem begins with the same letter that is the first letter in your title.
Any subject
My Head Hurts !!
You know how, being a writer, you love to read and write as much everyday as you can? Well these past few days I have had a monster headache, the kind that migraines wish they were made of, and I'm having a lot of trouble just keeping my eyes open because I'm a bit light sensitive. Well okay I'm a lot light sensitive ! I know you wouldn't know it but I have been working really hard to keep up with my own prompts... But I'm doing them as best s I can.
So bear with me if I don't write here everyday as I'd like to, it will get better I know !! I just have to stay positive !!!
Anybody want to switch heads for a while ??? Awe, never mind, I wouldn't wish this on anyone!
Today we have not one but two poems for you to check out on http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
one for our BOOK OF LOVE today is Chapter four
and today is http://onestoppoetry.com/ one shot Wednesday... So many great poets, you really need to go check it out post your own, you will be glad you did !
Hope to see you too
ENJOY
JL&B
So bear with me if I don't write here everyday as I'd like to, it will get better I know !! I just have to stay positive !!!
Anybody want to switch heads for a while ??? Awe, never mind, I wouldn't wish this on anyone!
Today we have not one but two poems for you to check out on http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/
one for our BOOK OF LOVE today is Chapter four
and today is http://onestoppoetry.com/ one shot Wednesday... So many great poets, you really need to go check it out post your own, you will be glad you did !
Hope to see you too
ENJOY
JL&B
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