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.

Succulent and Guest: FOTD Oct 6, 2023

This fellow greeted me when I arrived home today. Actually climbed onto my foot and partway up my leg before I shook him off gently.  Then he abandoned me for a trip up the succulent and therefore into this FOTD blog!!! Does anyone know what this exotic fellow is? Absolutely gorgeous but I’ve never seen one before. I’ll do another blog with just him (or her) if the other photos turned out.  Haven’t looked at them yet. His body was probably about 2 inches long, not counting his antennae or legs.

To see more photos, go HERE.

For Cee’s FOTD Prompt

Garage Door, For Cee’s Thursday Doors Challenge

This is my garage door, painted by Jesus Lopez Vega. Corn, Agave and the Tree of Life, along with Huichol symbols.

Click on Photo to Enlarge.

 

For Cee’s Thursday Doors response to Dan Antion’s Doors Challenge. (Thanks, babsje, for noting my omission!)

Stop and Go

Stop and Go

My goals in life were nebulous. I didn’t know quite what
it was that I most wanted—except out of my rut.
A picket fence and cottage were not part of my dream.
I didn’t want to produce children by the ream.
I only wanted travel and to see who I could be
if I wandered far enough to discover me.

I finally found a part of me everywhere I went,
but had to keep on traveling to know the full extent
of who I wished to grow into—that self I wished to find—
how much I could reveal of me and still have peace of mind.
But now I’ve seemed to settle. I’m content with what I’ve found.
The place where I have come to rest seems like holy ground.

Perhaps true wisdom really comes from knowing when to stop—
knowing when we’ve climbed enough because we’ve reached the top!

Michelle’s prompt today is Stop!  This is a rewrite of a poem from years ago. Thanks, Michelle, for helping me to rediscover it.

Wild Tangle: FOTD, Oct 5, 2023

Hibiscus

 

For Cee’s FOTD

Dog Day Afternoon: Well Planted, FOTD Oct 4, 2023

For Cee’s FOTD prompt

Hibiscus: FOTD Oct 3, 2023

Every day a new gift… Click on photo to enlarge.

For Cee’s FOTD prompt

A Lovely Memorial for Pull Up A Seat

 

Pull Up a Seat Challenge 39

Early Morning Cleanup: FOTD for Oct 2, 2023

Since I went to bed about 5 or 6 hours earlier than usual last night, I woke up very early this morning, and my spoiled animals, hearing I had arisen, decided they needed to be fed 3 hours earlier than usual. Once outside and with no sun to be leery of, I started deadheading plants and pretty soon it was 3 hours later and half my garden was on the ground.  Well, perhaps 1/1000th, but still that was a considerable amount.  And my front garden looked very pretty indeed.  Pasiano evidently hadn’t been watering the planters on the wall and a lot of the plants were dead or so dried out that I pulled them out and replanted them from other planters. Then I got busy cutting off palm fronds with dried-up tips and other plants that had gotten leggy and the result is what you see here. The latter photos show plant litter on the ground which I left as a gift for Paciano to bag up tomorrow. It also give me a chance to show off my hard work to him.

 

Click on photos to enlarge

After working, I jumped in the pool to do morning exercises  and even though the pool was coolish, I was so hot and sweaty that it felt good.  But, I noticed that all of the plants around the pool needed deadheading and dried ends removed so ended up spending another hour or so tending to them.  No photos, though plenty of plant refuse tossed up on the terrace for Pasiano to deal with.  I also pulled lots of grass from around the sidewalks and between stones. I’m going to need a manicure, though. Luckily I have one scheduled in two days.

 

 

For Cee’s FOTD prompt.

Shy Bird: FOTD for Oct 1, 2023

For Cee’s FOTD prompt.

Out on a Ledge (A Mountainous Misadventure)–For Wordle 622, Oct 1, 2023

Out on a Ledge
(A Mountainous Misadventure)

You’ve provoked me out upon this ledge
and forced me to survey the edge,
but I’m the biggest coward of all,
fast-forwarding to view the fall!

My eyes scroll over far below
the distance that I’d have to go
if I were to tip myself
off this narrow mountainous shelf.

That edge looks crumbly to me,
and instills in me a need to pee.
The sun’s rays swell into a fire,
that well may be my funeral pyre.

My buzzing brain shows lack of trust.
A throbbing heart dictates I must
be off to flee this place I hate.
I just remembered a previous date!

Get me out of here real fast,
or this date will be our last.
When you said we should get high,
I didn’t know you meant the sky!!!

 

I keep telling myself I’m going to stop doing these, but they are irresistible.  The words for The Sunday Whirl Wordle this week are: provoke ledge eyes rays scroll need throbbing buzz fire hate trust fall