Category Archives: Winter at Sonnystone

A Loss of Words

By Posted in 2019, Weekly Wrap-Up, Winter at Sonnystone Tagged , , 1 Comment

The unthinkable happened, the thing that I even stopped fearing could happen —  the draft of my Grandmother book is gone…  I know, you think because nothing dies in the internet that it is out there somewhere, but it never left this computer, and in particular WordPress, and it is not in either of those places.  I Know that I saved the draft… I KNOW that I did…but I guess I didn’t.  That was about 3200 + words—three thousand two hundred plus — it made me kinda sick when I made the discovery.  I guess I have to start over, but I really liked what I wrote.  New Beginnings…

While I’m complaining, I must say that last week was very disorienting…with New Years Eve on a Monday, holiday on Tuesday, it felt to me like Wednesday was really Monday and if it hadn’t been for Olivia’s piano lesson on the usual Saturday, I’d still be thinking it’s Friday…  And the weather didn’t help — we didn’t see the sun for a couple of those days, whichever they were.  I never thought I would look forward to a Real Monday so I can pass the dementia quiz.

Today definitely feels like Sunday, though, and the sunshine is beckoning me to bundle up and go outside.  I will get to the words later…

Peace

 

Looking Forward…

By Posted in 2019, New Year Day Special Edition, Winter at Sonnystone Tagged , , Leave a comment

My Goals are set, but they are not Lofty:  Write, Read, Walk, Travel, Blog, Join, and Play.

I am inspired by this poem by Dana Gioia, Buy his book, 99 Poems, here…   He is Poet Laureate of California — Did you know there was a Poet Laureate of California?  Well, there is and he is it.  His Imagery is Esquisite…

New Year’s
by Dana Gioia

Let other mornings honor the miraculous.
Eternity has festivals enough.
This is the feast of our mortality,
The most mundane and human holiday.

On other days we misinterpret time,
Pretending that we live the present moment.
But can this blur, this smudgy in-between,
This tiny fissure where the future drips

Into the past, this flyspeck we call now
Be our true habitat? The present is
The leaky palm of water that we skim
From the swift, silent river slipping by.

The new year always brings us what we want
Simply by bringing us along—to see
A calendar with every day uncrossed,
A field of snow without a single footprint.

“New Year’s” by Dana Gioia.

 

We’re eating Skippin’ Jenny, which is actually leftover Hoppin’ John, and Casey’s painting the bathroom.  I’m going to (finally) sign up for the 2-week trial of My Heritage.  Casey got me a bath scale — !!A Bath Scale!! — for Christmas and I finally stepped on it this morning.  I haven’t weighed in since last June when the old scale broke down.  Today’s number was distressing, but not surprising, underscoring that good old “walk” intention.

As always, I thank you all for reading this drivel.

Here’s to the New Year 2019!

May it be filled to overflowing with

Peace and Love…

Annual appeal for Peace on Earth…

By Posted in 2018, Christmas, Christmas at Sonnystone 2018, Winter at Sonnystone Tagged , Leave a comment

The shepherds didn’t hear the angels say “Merry Christmas”, they heard them sing of Peace On Earth, Goodwill toward All. I’m no angel, but Peace is my Prayer, every day.

I have a dream that one day men will rise up and come to see that they are made to live together as brothers. I still have a dream this morning that one day every Negro in this country, every colored person in the world, will be judged on the basis of the content of his character rather than the color of his skin, and every man will respect the dignity and worth of human personality. I still have a dream that one day the idle industries of Appalachia will be revitalized, and the empty stomachs of Mississippi will be filled, and brotherhood will be more than a few words at the end of a prayer, but rather the first order of business on every legislative agenda. I still have a dream today that one day justice will roll down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream. I still have a dream today that in all of our state houses and city halls men will be elected to go there who will do justly and love mercy and walk humbly with their God. I still have a dream today that one day war will come to an end, that men will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, that nations will no longer rise up against nations, neither will they study war any more. I still have a dream today that one day the lamb and the lion will lie down together and every man will sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid. I still have a dream today that one day every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill will be made low, the rough places will be made smooth and the crooked places straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. I still have a dream that with this faith we will be able to adjourn the councils of despair and bring new light into the dark chambers of pessimism. With this faith we will be able to speed up the day when there will be peace on earth and good will toward men. It will be a glorious day, the morning stars will sing together, and the sons of God will shout for joy. —Dr. Martin Luther King.

Happy Christmas, ya’ll.

Peace

 

The Gettin’ Ready Rag

By Posted in 2018, Winter at Sonnystone Tagged , 2 Comments

That’s us, gettin’ ready for the Sunday departure.  Lists, Lists, trips to the trailer laden with supplies, mark it off the list, make a new list…  Then we stop and dance…  We got new haircuts, new shoes, and don’t forget the new grill!  Then we stop and dance…

When planning for a long trip, it’s Really Difficult to Be Present.  I’ve been watching the weather at our destinations and it’s gone from sunny to rainy, though temps are about what we expected.  I was hit with an attack of self-doubt, like oh, no!  Rain! Bad Planner!  Well, watcha gonna do about it, I say?  I’ve got a raincoat, an umbrella and even some boots, if needed.  And I’ve never watched it rain on the ocean, so that will be a new view from the camper window.

And that, fellow trippers, is what it’s about:   Looking out of a different window, seeing something new, and being There in the Here and Now!

In the meantime, It’s just a typical Friday at Sonnystone–Samantha at noon and Olivia at 3:15, then off to piano lessons.   Olivia’s Girl Scout Troop is selling cookies at Shoe Carnival if you’re in the market.  They’ll be there from 5-8 or so.

The Sun is shining brightly and our daffodil buds are bursting into dazzling yellow.  Rain is good, though the last few weeks have been a little too waterlogged, even up here on the hill.  Looks like all of the roses are going to make it, which pleases me immensely.  That’s here, now.

 

Peace

Dullsville

By Posted in 2018, Celebrations at Sonnystone, Uncategorized, Winter at Sonnystone Tagged , , 1 Comment

This has been about the least sparkly birthday I’ve had in recent memory.  I blame the poison rum (we didn’t even drink that much), but we have been draggy all week-end.  Could be the fact that there has been No Sunshine Just Rain and the associated gloom that goes with gray clouds and a pelting, pouring rain that started the opening lines of The Cat in the Hat looping through my brain…

the sun did not shine.
it was too wet to play.
so we sat in the house
all that cold, cold, wet day.

i sat there with casey.
we sat there, we two
and I said, "how i wish
we had something to do"
too wet to go out
and too cold to play ball.
so we sat in the house.
we did nothing at all.

so all we could do was to
sit!
   sit!
      sit!
         sit!
and we did not like it.
not one little bit.  
                             (But there was no bump, that made us jump...)

All of this slo-o-o-w nothing has moved us to get moving.  We’ve changed up our travel plans and will be leaving next Sunday for various and sundry places in Florida.  We had planned on leaving by the 8th anyway, but why wait?  Did I mention it’s Dullsville around here?  I’m neck-deep in planning and we’ve been doing some re-arranging of the trailer, upgrading our shower, organizing the bathroom, preparing for a longer trip.  I’m so excited to get gone.

Yesterday we met up with the Jrs. at Gattitown to celebrate Samantha’s birthday with them and some of my daughter-in-law’s family! Rain does not stop the fun there and we had a great time…

Today the sun is out! We’re outside and loading up the camper..!

Instead of switching over to my travelblog, I’m going to make Sonnystone the Trailer Trippers, so All of my regular readers can share our trip with us. Stay tuned!

Peace

 

You say it’s your birthday?

By Posted in 2018, Celebrations at Sonnystone, Winter at Sonnystone Tagged , 1 Comment

It’s my birthday, too!  We’re gonna have a good time…well, at my advanced age I should have been more suspicious of the spiced rum that was marked down to $6.89…should have kept to the original purpose of buying some bacardi because it rhymes with party and not decided to knock back  Monkey brand.  But I am cheap and adventurous, so I had to sleep it off until 10:30 this morning.   So begins Birthday Week!

This year’s top present —  ta-da !!

Yes, folks, it’s a Coleman Roadtrip XLE portable grill!  And it’s red !!   Just what I wanted.

For this most auspicious occasion, I will share with you a poem, as I am wont to do on this annual celebration.  After an evening spent reading through my poetry collection (Dewey Decimal category 821),  I selected this from “The Shadow of Sirius”.

Still Morning

by W.S. Merwin

It appears now that there is only one

age and it knows

nothing of age as the flying birds know

nothing of the air they are flying through

or of the day that bears them up

through themselves

and I am a child before there are words

arms are holding me up in a shadow

voices murmur in a shadow

as I watch one patch of sunlight moving

across the green carpet

in a building

gone long ago and all the voices

silent and each word they said in that time

silent now

while I go on seeing that patch of sunlight

Secondary to the above-mentioned hangover, I will save my philosophizing for another day, when I have time to share all my wisdom and wit.  I’ve got to pick up Samantha and get my playing started.   Thanks for your well-wishes!

Peace

 

Happy Birthday, Samantha Lynn Mayne Casey!!

By Posted in 2018, Celebrations at Sonnystone, Winter at Sonnystone Tagged , , 1 Comment

Today is the #3 birthday of my #4 grandie…

Fridays at noon, I pick up Samantha for a play-date.  We have a Happy Meal and play until it’s time to pick up Sissy (#2 grandie) from school.  We play Paw Patrol, sing Mickey Mouse, and make a tent over the piano for our dollies.   (I’m so grateful I can get up and down from the floor again!)…3-year-olds are the Best at playing!

After we pick up Sissy tomorrow, we’re going to B&N to cash in our Birthday Coupons!  Saturday we’ll have a Big Party at Gattitown!   I will take pictures, you can bet.

Happiness radiates through this little one’s eyes and straight to my heart.  I love you, Samantha!  Happy Birthday!

Peace