Monthly Archives: August 2024

“My Shoes Go Out Without Me” for What Do You See Prompt, Aug 19, 2024

My Shoes

My shoes go out without me. They do it all the time,
and do the things I never do. They jog. They hike. They climb.
When I wake up I find them strewn throughout the house—
one flip flop on the counter. High heels beneath my blouse
that’s flung across the table where I don’t remember putting it.
I bet they’ve been out dancing—two-stepping and high-footing it.

When my cowboy boots go riding, I’d like to go along.
I’m pretty sure, however, they think things would go wrong.
Perhaps the horse would throw me or I’d wind up getting lost.
I’m sorry that I bought them, considering the cost!
Other people are the boss of all their clothes and shoes,
but when my shoes and I face off, I am the one to lose.

I could take to going barefoot. This would work while at the beach.
Then when all my shoes are out far beyond my reach,
into the surf I’ll wade and then wander out again,
trapping sand between my toes everywhere I’ve been.
So when my shoes get home at night, they’ll be completely clueless
that I’ve left them out as well by venturing out shoeless!

For What Do You See?

The Numbers Game #35, Aug 19, 2024. Please Play Along!!

Welcome to “The Numbers Game #35”.  Today’s number is 156. To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.

This prompt will repeat each  Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments below

Night Terrors, For the Sunday Whirl, Aug 18, 2024

Night Terrors

Beings leap from my memory, calling my name,
sharing the heartaches for which I’m to blame.
Remembered particles falling like rain,
breathe all their stories over again.

They hold out their arms, inviting me in,
promising bliss in what seems to be sin.
I reach out to touch them, but thunder’s loud peal
delivers me back to a world that is real.

Bad dreams and night terrors  release their hold.
No more do I have to do what I’m told.
I come back to that place where I have the might
to determine my actions and do what is right.

For the Sunday Whirl  the word prompts today are: bliss leaping memory particles arms breath story pieces heartache beings thunder called

New Friends, for Cellpic Sunday

One given when I come to the states is a trip to Walmart to stock up on items I either can’t get in Mexico or that are cheaper here.  Yesterday, Marti and I were supposed to go out to dinner but when she arrived to pick me up, she asked if I’d mind if we went to Walmart instead.

There was a family–mom and dad with two little boys and a baby girl in front of me in line at checkout. They had two cart absolutely full of groceries plus school supplies for the boys as school starts next week. The baby was in a carrier right in front of me and we started flirting. She held her hand out to me and I shook it. She had a darling big plush toy and I was saying how cute it was. She just kept “talking” to me.. no words, just gobbledygook, and smiling and holding her hands out to me and we kept holding hands and flirting with each other.

I told her I liked her toy and asked to hold it. I hugged it (it was sooo soft and cuddly)  then gave it right back. The mom said they were from the Philippines and came because her husband’s mom arranged it. I asked where they worked, etc. She was a nurse in Veteran’s hospital. Then the mom took the plush animal and put it on the display beside the cash register, saying she just gave it to the baby to keep her busy while they were shopping but they weren’t going to buy it,  it was too expensive. When the mom wasn’t looking, one of the little boys took it off the display and gave it back to his little sister.  So sweet. He said to me, ‘She wants it.”

Long story short, I bought the toy and gave it to her. We’d traded names earlier and before they left, the mom told me they were going to name it Judy!  Such a fun time. The mom and dad both gave me hugs before they left.

For Cellpic Sunday

Hibiscus Macro For FOTD, Aug 18, 2024

For Cee’s FOTD

My Friend Patty’s Garden for Six on Saturday

I am visiting my friend Patty Martin in Sheridan Wyoming. We have been friends since college–for 57 Years!!  For years, she has planted a block-long garden between her yard fence and the busy street that runs behind her house as well as a private garden between the fence and her house. Here are a few photos of both. The first four photos are of a portion of the streetside garden strip and the last two are details from her private garden.  To see more photos, go HERE.

For Six on Saturday

For dVerse Poets

Off the Path

I’ve always been a wanderer with no course firmly set.
The purpose of my journey is not established yet.
When my meandering’s over, perhaps it will be clear.
I cannot tell where I’ll be then. For now I’m merely here.

For dVerse Poets

See other poems for this prompt HERE. Image from dVerse Poets

YARROW for Cee’s FOTD

FOR CEE’S FOTD

Mismatched for SOCS

Mismatched 

When a certain fella has had a drink
or two or three, he’s bound to wink
at the little lady dressed in pink.
Her drink’s cubes give a subtle clink
as she decides what she might think.
Is he a stud or just a fink?
His clothes are sort of rinky-dink,
yet her long lashes, swathed in ink,
flutter in a come-on blink.
One fingernail is seen to sink
into her glass. He’s at the brink
of coming over to seal the link.
She checks her breath.  It doesn’t stink.
She reaches down and dons her mink.
But then he stops and seems to shrink.
In this sure deal there seems a chink.
It’s clear that when she deigned to flirt,
she missed the writing on his shirt.
This is the message that went unread:
“Be kind to animals,” it said.

The SOCS prompt is shirt. Image by Marco Lastella

For Pull Up a Seat, Aug 16, 2024

These chairs made of recycled materials were on view at the Denver airport. Their main component was old skis.  And, they were comfortable!

For the Pull Up A Seat Challenge  Week 33