Dreaming Existence

Hi Friends, This has been a rough week for me with a close family member in the hospital, thankfully non-Covid related.  I know that this life is a long and often arduous one and wish so many others would realize the same thing.  Social Media, parties, big events like weddings and graduations are a small drop in the bucket of what makes up a good life.  Staying healthy, connected and supportive to promote healthy relationships in whatever way possible to me is the key to staying sane in the midst of chaos. Consider the fact that within the span of my adult lifetime there were no cell phones, no video chats and no ability to communicate via email.  THINK OF THAT.  I am only 61.  Too many people, both young and old enough to know better, are so busy bemoaning the supposed ‘losses’ they are suffering due to the global pandemic that they are not counting the blessings that were not even possibilities less than 50 years ago.  We are a spoiled nation, a spoiled society and a spoiled human ra

As is most often the case, the inspiration for today’s post came from a song. I listen to my collection of (thousands) of ‘favorites’ on my old, old iPhone which is basically functioning as an iPod-you remember those, right?-that I listen to while driving.  I don’t need Sirius or XM radio.  There is no waiting or skipping through unwanted tunes until something wonderful plays.  The hardest part is not saying to myself. “Oh yeah, this is my favorite song!” every time a new one begins. So, here it is.  It brings back so many wonderful memories of high school, times with my two best friends and our hopes for creating a better world. We were so idealistic and the thoughts and music of John Denver encouraged that in a beautiful way.  We had many musical ‘heroes’ and he was one of them.  We even did a pictorial slide show essay using one of his songs for our English Humanities class in 11th grade.  I miss him.... Singer, poet, naturalist, husband, father, son of Life.... For you speak to me

Broken Butterflies Every now and then I am inspired to share this song, written and sung by a talented lady from my home state. I have loved the melody, slow and melancholic, the words that wind and twist in ways only the individual listening can comprehend for themselves. It is a work of art and has meant something just a little bit different to me at various times in my life’s unfolding.  I was sifting through my endless photos this evening, determined to finally put together that pictorial book of poems that has been infecting my brain for some years now, encouraged by the kind words of my friends and followers. I filed through images of thoughtful monkeys, bright and brilliant birds, as well as so many bees, dipping their faces into stores of golden pollen. Then came the butterflies. As I chose a few treasured images, I came across this one in a series I took while at a lovely garden in Roswell, Georgia. I know a lot of people who would have just passed this one by, deleted the ima