A poem about change and aging.
Accepting My Autumn
My horse labored the last few feet
As we crested the hill
My reluctant heart and mind
Adding to his burden.
His heaving chest
Expanding and contracting
Beneath me
As we come to grips with our bearings.
We stood weary from the long ride,
Expected to move on,
Unsure of where we were going.
What direction from here?
There were many trails,
But no familiar path.
Just simple arrows pointing waywardly
Amidst a jumble of color,
Shades of green, gold, russet
Separate, but meshed
Like horse and rider.
I contemplated the route I should…
Why is it so difficult to say no to a cup of joe?
I pulled my coffee mug from under the single-cup brewing station I set up behind my desk. It’s a must-have addition to my classroom teacher essentials.
Before taking my first sip, I lifted the fresh brew to my nose and took a deep whiff. Ahhh, yes. This will get me through first period.
From the back of the room, one of my early arrival high school students broke the reverie.
“I don’t really like coffee,” Gabby said as she sat at her desk slowly spinning a double shot caramel vanilla latte.
Her comment not only came out of the blue…
Using the directions to figure out the life area influences of your home.
It’s been a year and a half since we bought our old house. We knew from the beginning it was going to take a great deal of work to get it to the place where we felt really comfortable living here.
I felt it was important to live in the space for a while. To get a feel for what worked and what didn’t. And mostly, nothing does. Work that is.
As we begin the planning for the changes we want to make, I want to incorporate the principles of Feng Shui. …
Humor
How Do You Get Rid of Your Extra Zucchini?
When even the deer refuse to eat it.
It’s 5 o’clock in the morning and I hear a strange noise near my front porch. I flick on the outdoor light just in time to see the butt end of a deer prancing out the front gate. To my horror, six more go dashing off in all directions when I stepped outside.
To add to the chaos, I discovered eight cows in my backyard a few minutes later. I guess they were trying to sneak into the party but couldn’t fit through the back gate.
Now it’s not that unusual to have animals around. I live in a…
Sometimes you just need to have a good cry.
People are always dumping off stray cats around the farms and ranches where I live. It’s a sad truth, but one I’ve learned to live with.
The cats survive or they don’t. I occasionally feed them out near the barn, but mostly they live off of mice and other small rodents.
I treat the cats like the other wild animals around our home. They remain feral and I usually remain unattached. It’s better for both of us this way.
This winter, a small black cat showed up, meowing sadly and gobbling up any food I set out for her. She…
Bringing in the positive vibes doesn’t have to be expensive.
Purchasing an old home with the intent of remodeling can be a challenge. I should know. My husband and I bought our third fixer-upper about a year and a half ago.
Although this is not the oldest house we’ve owned, it certainly is the most in need of renovation. Not in the basic structure, but definitely in the layout and the “livability” of the space.
It is a very chopped up house, meaning the rooms are small and there isn’t a flow from one space to the next. It lacks any feeling of energy and harmony.
Remodeling will have to…
A flash fiction story.
The moment Earl walked in the door, I knew something was up. His mood had been a roller coaster all week. This morning he had slipped out of bed without a word, no demand for coffee or his lunch to be made, not a kiss goodbye, nothing.
I stopped stirring the pot and watched him as he stood in the doorway, neither in nor out, his eyes avoiding me.
“I think,” he said, “it’s time for a change.”
“What did you have in mind?” …
How I explained it to my husband in practical terms.
About a year and a half ago, my husband and I bought a piece of property. The location was great. Very private with lots of visiting wildlife, pasture for my horses, and a big shop for his growing trucking business.
Unfortunately, it also came with a house. An old, outdated, definite fixer-upper. It’s only redeeming feature was a fantastic view from the deck.
With the promise we would make the necessary changes as we could afford to, I agreed to the purchase of the property. The owner made us an offer that quickly sealed the deal for us.
My husband…
You’re never as prepared as you think you are.
About ten minutes after coming into the house, the phone rang. I recognized the name on the caller ID as a friend of my husband’s.
A little surprised he would be calling in the afternoon, I was prepared to tell him he was in luck. Todd, my husband, arrived home two hours earlier than usual.
But Todd’s friend didn’t call to chitchat with him. Instead, he called to let me know a fire started near our home.
“No way,” I said. “I was just outside and didn’t see or smell smoke.”
As I spoke, I walked to the door and…
But you can be inspired to make it work for you.
“I’m as flawed as the next person. But maybe I inspire women because I’m an example that you should never assume that where you are in life or what you’re doing is going to remain exactly as it is forever.” — Ree Drummond
I don’t watch a lot of television. For one thing, I don’t have much time. And for another, there is little to inspire me.
But when I do get an opportunity to escape into TVland, I like to watch old movies where there’s usually more story than blood and guts. …
Mikey Sackman
teacher, writer, lover of history, a small town gal sharing her perception on country living and life in general
