Sunday, January 24, 2021

My Pebble

(Apparently, I left this draft several years ago, unpublished.  Here it is for you now.)


MY PEBBLE


This is my pebble. There are many like it, but this one is mine.  My pebble is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.  My pebble, without me, is useless.  Without my pebble, I am useless. 

Lost My Way

 Yes, I lost my way.  I lost my voice.  But I am finding it again.  It's getting stronger, and louder, as I gain my footing.  I am not all the way back, but I am here.  I am learning to speak and will no longer be silent.

Forgive me for being absent.  I will do my best to get in here regularly and give some insight, love, direction, or ask for it myself.  Let's be kind, love each other, and help each other along the path of whatever Life brings us.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday

I saw a post on another blog, mentioning Top Ten Tuesday, so I thought I'd give it a try.  (That blog was Pure Imagination.)  The theme of today's Top Ten is television: In honor of Fall Tv, do a tv-themed topic! Top ten favorite tv shows of all time, ten new shows coming out this Fall that are on my radar, tv shows I wish never got cancelled, tv shows I would recommend to book characters, books I wish would be tv shows, ten favorite shows from the late 90’s or early 2000’s, ten tv shows for every fantasy lover, etc.  So here goes...

Ten TV shows that I'll be tuning into this Fall

Once Upon a Time (I love those fairy tale characters!)
The Big Bang Theory
Gotham
Lucifer
The Voice
Criminal Minds
MacGyver (yes, I watched the original when I was a kid)


Okay, I'm struggling to come up with ten shows.  My husband can watch tv every night, with no problems, but from what I see in the lineup, there aren't any others I "have" to watch.  I guess while he has them on, I might find others that I enjoy.

What about you?  What shows are you looking forward to?  Tell me about them, and I may check them out.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

CHOICE

CHOICE



She stands in the doorway, between two worlds.  Behind her, the clamoring sounds of her life - voices, traffic, phones - all the sounds jumbling together and shouting for her attention.  In front of her, a wide open space, far as the eye can see.  Nothingness, air, a blank canvas - no sounds but the wind.

She tries to move forward, but she can't lift her foot.  It's as if there is a great pool of mud at her feet, holding them fast to the ground.  The more she tries, the harder it is - great sucking sounds of muck, as it pulls her foot back fast.  Struggling only makes it worse, and the mud turns to cement, little by little.

Her first thought is to turn back - back to the loud life, where she knows someone might pull her to safety.  That would mean shutting the door to the air and the wind.  Allowing the cacophony to swallow her whole, rather than the cement.  But at least she'd be alive.

She looks back out at the empty, quiet space.  Her mind embraces the noiseless expanse, while the cement-like substance rises to her knees.  Should she continue to struggle?  It seems futile and such a waste of time but the draw of the still and silence is strong.  Her heart yearns for the peace, the serenity of it all.  The noise has enveloped her for so long, she no longer has a voice to compete with it.

She stays there so long, that the cement has now risen to her waist. Her mind is whirling now - she has to make a choice, but how? Which?  She no longer has the ability to move, except for her arms.  She can't grasp the door frame any more, to guide her movement.  She's slowly allowing her body to freeze in place, due to indecision and doubt.  

It's time to decide.  The cement has made it's way to her chest, and is starting to restrict her breathing.  It's harder to take those deep peaceful breaths now.  The noise from behind is still amazingly strong.  The wind still blows sweetly from the front.  She can't see the open space any more, as the fog rolls in.  The fog of doubt and worry.  The time has come - to either push herself forward, into the space of air, wind, and uncertainty, or to fall backwards into the loud, busy, cluttered life she's always known.  Choose safety & accept what is, or choose the unknown & create a new life of serenity and peace.

She closes her eyes. The choice is completely hers, but she knows too well that it doesn't only affect her.  The crowd behind her will pay the price if she goes, but she will pay one just as dear if she stays.  How to choose, what to choose...as the cement grows deeper, and more solid.

One more moment.  There is also the choice to not choose.  To let the cement surround her, and pull her down.  That seems like the most painful of choices though.  To be stuck there between the two worlds, choosing neither, and letting them both slip through her fingers.  Never knowing if one, or the other, was her key to happiness.  Never being brave enough to make that choice.  That is the coward's way out, she tells herself.  That will NOT be the way this ends.  Whichever way she goes, she will be the one to decide.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

I'm Here




Seeing you just lying there
Afraid, adrift, alone
I long to sit beside you
& hold you till it's gone

Stroke your face
Embrace your heart
Rock you off to sleep
Safe from all your demons
And always mine to keep

Draw strength from me
Take all I have
Assured that I have more
I'll be your guiding lighthouse
To bring you safe to shore

I'll take your fears and worries
Don't fret, my arms are strong
Try not to be so scared now
I've been here all along.

(written by Donna Roucoulet, 4/26/14)

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Dreaming of the Future

 

 Maybe it's the blooming of Spring, but something has me feeling restless these days.  I don't know quite how to explain it.  Sometimes I feel like I just want to jump out of my skin, other times I want to run away, and still other times it's just an unfocused energy.  It's almost like when my kids have "ants in their pants" and can't sit still - that's what I feel like.  Whatever is causing it, I wish it would stop.  It's not the most comfortable of feelings at all.

     Do you ever have days where you are constantly thinking backwards?  Thinking of people or events in your past that you miss in some way?  I do, far too often.  They come to me in my dreams too.  I can't control that at all, but it does make me wonder why.  I can go months or years without thinking of something, or someone, and all of a sudden, they are in my dreams at night.  That happened recently, and this time it wasn't as unnerving as usual.  I had a dream, and someone appeared in it - completely out of any context we ever were associated together in (I was dreaming we were in a school class together, and we didn't know each other in school at all.)  Thanks to the wonders of the internet & Facebook, we are still friends & occasionally "talk" online.  My curiosity was peaked as to why I dreamt of them, so I thought I'd check in.  I just sent a quick little note, like "hey, how are you, thinking of you".  What happened afterwards was great, and I'm still thinking about it days later.

     My friend has ups and downs, just like anyone else.  I happened to have messaged during a down day, and we ended up chatting for a good long while.  Nothing extraordinary, nothing profound really - just chatting, remembering.  We did come to the realization that we've been friends for close to THIRTY years (don't do the math, I keep trying to forget that part, LOL.)  And remember, we didn't go to school together at all, so to me, it's been a long time, in our adult lives, that we've known each other.  And yes, I still remember details like birthdays, middle names, addresses (though I'm sure THAT is not the same) - which goes to show you that either I am a little strange (or a lot strange), or this person has always been important to me.  I don't think they knew that until we had our chat the other day, but I do hope they remember it now.  No matter what is going on in our individual lives, or how far apart we may be, I think of my friend.  Often.  I remember many things we did together as foolish 18-19 year olds.  I still have pictures in my albums of us together too.
 
     I was also reminded of how this friend encouraged me - in my writing, in my life.  Told me things I needed to hear, even if I didn't like them, or didn't really listen to them at the time.  Maybe I should have listened more.  I may have helped them with a rough day, but it helped me too.  It brought back memories of when I had more ambition, when I wanted to do more with myself.  I may not have done it then, but it's never too late.  It may have not been the easiest route to where I am, but I wouldn't change the journey at all.  If one small thing had changed, so many bigger things might have.  I may not have had the awesome children I have.  Who knows what would have been different?  So, I'm glad I went the path that I did.  I hope my friend is too.  But I am very glad we reconnected, even if it was only in that one moment.  I like to think we plan on staying in closer contact, but that remains to be seen.  

     One thing I do know, is that I don't want to "waste" more time in my life.  I haven't had any real ambition for a very long time.  I do my mom thing, and I love that.  I LOVE that I am ABLE to do that.  But I also feel somewhat unaccomplished in so many ways.  I am almost 46 years old, and what can I say about myself?  I'm a wife of almost 20 years.  I've been a mom for 25 years, of four fabulous kids (some not so "kiddish" any more.)  I write here - but not often enough. I run my own small business with The Gourmet Cupboard.   Is that enough?  Should I do more?  And if so, what?  I think it's time to find out what I want to do when I grow up.  I think it's horrible that I still don't know.  And I don't know how, or where, to start.  So, if you're reading this, I'm taking suggestions on where to begin to finally find out what I want to do.  How did you decide that you wanted to do what you are doing?  Did you just fall into it, like I did?  Or did you have a goal, like my daughter who is in college studying psychology?  Am I just having a mid-life crisis, and if so, how do you survive one?  Or should I just run off and join the circus?  I'm open to suggestions, really.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Celebrate Your Artistic Side


     I want to share something.  First, I'm a proud momma, of all of my kids of course, but last night, my 10 year old was one of 2 kids in his school who were recognized for their "excellence" in the arts.  If you knew my Spency, you'd know he loves art - drawing, pottery, etc.  You can't go wrong giving him any kind of art supplies, ever.  He also plays clarinet in the school band, and is singing in the 5th grade chorus (but admittedly, that is not his choice, he "had to", LOL)   Both his band/music teacher, and his art teacher nominated him, and the other child, so it was unanimous.

     I'll be the first to tell you that I don't have a creative bone in my body.  I can't read music or play any instrument.  I love to sing, but I will admit that no one wants to hear that. (It's not a pretty sound.)  I can't draw to save my life.  Let me trace it, and it might come out okay.  But, listening to the key speaker last night, I realized that I do have an artistic side, somewhere.  He thanked us all for nurturing the artistic sides of our children, and believe me, I am all for that.  I will do whatever I can to make sure they can do the things they love, and the things they excel at.  He then explained that he's heard a million times from parents who say they aren't creative or artistic at all (I was thinking it about myself while he was saying it.)  He said we just had never had the chance to explore it, and develop it.  And that is probably right.

     I was in chorus in school, and loved it, but due to circumstances, wasn't able to continue with it.  I also took dance lessons for quite a few years, but similar circumstances put an end to those as well.  I still wish I had been able to continue with those, for many reasons, but it was not to be.  I think I ended up turning into one of those "helicopter" moms for a bit (maybe I still am to some degree.)  I wanted my kids to do everything.  They didn't.  I wasn't as bad as some, but you'd have to talk to the older kids to really know if I drove them crazy with activities or not.  I'm trying to be a little more relaxed with the younger ones.  It also "helps" that our finances don't allow for quite as much as the older kids had.

     In any case, I definitely encourage my children to do what they love (within reason, of course.)  My son had the toughest time just recently, because in 6th grade next year, he could only choose one elective class.  So, he had to decide between band or art.  He was almost panicking at the choice because he likes them both (and I think part of it was that he didn't want to let us down at all either.)  We assured him that we wouldn't be upset with his choice, and that we understood just how much he loved art, so that is what he picked.  He found out last night that it's only one year that he has to choose between them, and he can still do jazz band in the meantime, so he's very relieved with that idea.

     Last night was about him, but it also let me realize that I DO have an artistic side in me somewhere.  I just need to locate it, and do what I encourage my kids to do - let it out, enjoy it, have fun with it.  Now to just find where I tucked it away...