Author Archives: lifelessons

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About lifelessons

My blog, which started out to be about overcoming grief, quickly grew into a blog about celebrating life. I post daily: poems, photographs, essays or stories. I've lived in countries all around the globe but have finally come to rest in Mexico, where I've lived since 2001. My books may be found on Amazon in Kindle and print format, my art in local Ajijic galleries. Hope to see you at my blog.

Home again, home again, home from the sea!

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Finally home.  I got out of the car after driving 6 hours and had such a bad cramp that Maggie, who stayed in my house while I was gone, had to run get the cider vinegar bottle for me to have a swig.  Good cure for cramps.  Now my dining room is full of a full car load of stuff. (The boxes in this photo are only a few of the items I need to put away.) I’ll deal with it tomorrow!  Good to be home but it was so hard to leave the beach.

After packing until 3 in the morning last night (this morning) in La Manzanilla, I thought I would sleep until 9, post my blog and be off by 10, but that was not to be.  Here are some excerpts from today’s Skypes to okcforgottenman:

11:42 a.m.: Damn.  All packed up—every inch of the car filled and I can’t find any of my eyeglasses.  I have 2 pair of far vision and neither is anywhere to be found—including my “good” progressive photogray superlight frameless (almost invisible) glasses that cost as much as my first car.  I’ve unpacked two cases but just can’t unpack the entire car.  Story of my life.

12:06 p.m.: Unpacked most of the car and suitcases…no glasses.  Packed it all up again and started to lock car to go into house and didn’t have my car keys!!! (Expletive deleted.) Unpacked everything I’d unpacked and repacked and when I finally found car keys, they were near the front driver’s door where I discovered my cheap pair of backup driving glasses.  Phew.  But, still missing my $900 all-inclusive glasses. Packed up again repositioning things and when I went to lock door…my car keys were missing again!!!!  Something doesn’t want me to leave. Found them in back seat under one of the suitcases.  I think I’m sorta flustered, don’t you?

12:08 p.m.: Gonna go get ready to leave.  Took a shower three hours ago when I thought I was about to leave but I’m soaking wet again.  Had to change clothes.  I’m wearing my nightgown to drive!!!  It is a dress, really, but pretty sheer in the sunlight.  I won’t go in the sunlight.

8:56 p.m.: I’m home and Pasiano carried all my stuff in but left it piled in dining room, except for the 5 boxes of shells and found art sculptures in various stages of completion which we put on shelves in the garage. I left La Manz at 12:30 and got home at 6. Also delivered something to Carol and two books to Dianne so it’s possible I didn’t get on the road till around 1. Took between 5.5 and 6 hours. Not bad. I enjoyed the drive home. Finished listening to “The Hummingbird’s Daughter.” Such a good book and I discovered based on a real person..Set in Mexico prior to the Mexican Revolution. I’ve been talking to Maggie about La Manz nonstop. Poor gal. But she seemed interested.

I was so sad to leave La Manzanilla, especially since the last few days were so wonderful—running into friend after friend and all going for meals or dancing or doing collaborative art with my new friend (this trip) Jan.  I ended up paying 1/2 deposit to rent the same beach house for three months next year! I’m wondering if I had so many problems leaving because I just didn’t want to leave or because if I’d left on time I’d have had a terrible wreck or just because I’m getting old and these memory snafus and confusions will just keep getting worse?  At any rate, it now feels wonderful to be home as well. It’s been fun telling Maggie about the highlights. Hopefully I’ll have time tomorrow to post pictures of The Fly Restaurant—in between putting away a mountain of art supplies, clothing, kitchen supplies, food items, fans and various comforts of home I took with me.  I fear I don’t travel light…

Tomorrow I’m also driving to Tonala (near Guadalajara) to pick up dear friends Rhonda and Dan,  who flew to Mexico a month or more ago, went to Oaxaca and then to San Miguel and are now taking the bus here to visit me. Now for a swim and bed.  oxox Judy

Envy

                                                                           Envy

I need to leave within the hour to drive back home so no time to write a new poem on the subject of envy, but here is one I wrote  while ago on the subject. Please go here to read it:  https://judydykstrabrown.com/2015/05/08/the-dance/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/envy/

Bougainvilleas––Flower of the day Mar 16, 2016

The wild tumble of bougainvillea actually forms a wall in my friend’s open-walled house.  She lives about as outside as it is possible to live without actually living outside.  Later on this week, I’ll show you her house, studio and art.  I love the wildness of these intermixed vines, the shadows and the colors. Here’s another one for you, Cee.

Click on the first image and then on arrows to enlarge photos and see entire gallery.

http://ceenphotography.com/2016/03/15/flower-of-the-day-march-16-2016-tulip-field-from-last-year/

Color Your World Pink Sherbet

 

http://jennifernicholewells.com/2016/03/15/color-your-world-pink-sherbet/

Drop It!!!

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Drop It!!!

Drop a hint or drop your jeans.
This word sounds like what it means.
A little word both curt and short
that seeks to tell dogs to abort
their plans to hoard the stick we’ve thrown.
“Drop it, boy,” we all intone
when it’s time for them to stop it,
bring the stick to us and drop it!

I’ve dropped a cake and dropped a name
now and then.They’re not the same.
We’ve all dropped––and been dropped as well.
The first? Relief. The second? Hell.
Eye drops soothe an aching eye,
To drop’s to cease, or fall or die.
“Dew Drop Inn” is a timeworn name
for a motel that’s rather lame.

To drop someone a line is nice,
but dropping in on me’s a vice.
So call ahead, if you are able––
Email, Skype or Tweet or cable;
but do not show up at my door
no matter how much I adore
you, for I do not like to drop
what I’m doing to have to stop

to talk or buy or give direction.
“Dropping in” is an infection
endemic to a smaller town
where neighbors given to plopping down
daily might enact the sin
of dropping by or dropping in–
bad habits that when they aren’t stopped
result in those friends being dropped.

In short, I’ve dropped this hint enough.
Enough of subtlety and fluff.
I will state clearly this one set truth.
“Dropping in” is just uncouth.
If my house is on your route,
just wave or give your horn a toot.
That is sufficient for you to do.
If you drop in, I might drop you!

You haven’t had enough?  Here is another sillier poem on the subject of dropping in.

(The one-word prompt today was “Drop.”)

Old Farts at the Beach

Old Farts at the Beach

How do we choose what to hold on to as life slips away faster––
pulled by a stronger tide?
We want to fall through days with no plans,
like teenagers in a small town,
wandering around to find adventure where they can––
last minute expeditions
to small places
that prick delight.

From beaches piled so high with coral that it shreds our shoes,
we collect shells and driftwood shards and sea skate egg casings––
treasures with no larger price tags than precious time––
hints of another world we have earlier viewed like voyeurs from above,
our goggles misting over as that world darts by
too quickly to catch by hand or camera lens or
anything but memory.

None of us desire to waste time with anything else but wasting time.
“We are in this world to fart around,” Kurt Vonnegut once said,
and we want to have tattoos of it so we won’t forget––
all too aware that soon some of us will.

(Click on first photo to enlarge all photos, then on arrow to view all. When you have viewed all of the photos, click on X on the upper left side of thepage to come back to this page.)

 

Update: Want to see where we went for lunch? It’s called Restaurante La Mosca, aka The Fly Cafe. You can see photos HERE.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/fleeting/

Cee’s Odd Ball Photo Challenge 2016 week 11

 

One of my favorite restaurants, Guacamole’s, was damaged by Hurricane Patricia and has not reopened in the two months I’ve been here in La Manzanilla.  For the first few weeks, as men worked on restoring the building, this fellow was viewable through the gate.  Seems like everyone and everything had to buckle up for the reconstruction effort!

Click on first picture and then arrows to enlarge and view.

http://ceenphotography.com/2016/03/13/cees-odd-ball-photo-challenge-2016-week-11/

Honeysuckle–Flower of the Day March 13, 2016

These honeysuckle sepals become their own stark bloom that  is just as intriguing once their blossoms drop. (Click on first picture to enlarge and on arrows to see other two enlarged photos.)

 

http://ceenphotography.com/2016/03/12/flower-of-the-day-march-13-2016-grape-hyacinth/

One Love

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“The Protector” found art sculpture by jdb 8″ x 10″ seashells, coral, driftwood.

The weekly photo challenge is “One Love.”

Half a Love Story

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“Half a Heart” detail of mixed media wall sculpture by jdb  (Wood, moss, shells and assorted dried beach scrub.)

Half a Love Story

Lately, when it comes to kissing
something seems to have gone missing;
for if the kissing rules are heeded,
it’s clear two pairs of lips are needed.

I have the half that’s labeled “me.”
I only lack the one called “he.”
So when it comes to birds and bees,
I must rely on memories!

The one-word prompt today was “Incomplete.”