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.

Buried Treasure

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Buried Treasure

Though my diurnal actions may be slower now and measured,
imagination’s richer—its journeys fully treasured.
I feel the whole world opening. I roam it at my will,
unhampered by long distances—undaunted by each hill.

I explore new continents, revisit former haunts.
In nocturnal wanderings, I enjoy surreal jaunts
joined by friends departed, unhampered by my years.
I do those things undone before, conquering all my fears.

Daily, I relate to friends by voice or screen or paper,
confessing past  adventures, admitting every caper.
Laugh over pains and  learn from misdeeds that I may have done—
each ill-advised decision transmogrified to fun.

Life in the doing’s richer when we have vigor for it,
and when our energy runs out, we still can re-adore it.
Our memory is a treasure box with contents vast and rare,
made richer by each telling. Increasing as we share.

 

Memory boxes and photos by jdb

Prompt words today are diurnal, opening, action and treasure.
https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2019/03/12/rdp-tuesday-diurnal/
https://fivedotoh.com/2019/03/12/fowc-with-fandango-opening/
https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/03/12/your-daily-word-prompt-treasure-march-12-2019/
https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/03/12/action/

Snow White Moss Rose, FOTD Mar 12, 2019

3 Replies

IMG_0702.jpg

 

For Cee’s FOTD.

Moss Rose: FOTD Mar 11, 2019

4 Replies

 

For Cee’s FOTD

Mexican Train and Pink Gin

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I fell asleep on my couch at 8:30 last night and just woke up at 5 a.m. Luckily, I’d thrown a cape over the back of the couch that I could pull over me, as it was chilly last night.  I guess that’s what happens when I have people over to play Mexican Train in the afternoon and bring the gin out early to drown my sorrows!

 

 

Mexican Train and Pink Gin

A minuscule spray of bitters and a little squeeze of lime
helps to make the gin go down in a record time.
It is a regal drink to sip while shuffling the tiles.
When you have no train again, it helps restore the smiles.
It brings an alteration when you feel inclined to pout,
and will make your losing easier to take, without a doubt!

 

Recipe for soothing defeat: (Also called a “Pretty Tony.”)  Pour gin into an ice-filled rocks glass; squeeze in half a lime and drop into drink. Stir in bitters and tonic.

The prompt words today are spray, regal and alteration. Here are the links:
https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2019/03/11/rdp-monday-spray/
https://fivedotoh.com/2019/03/11/fowc-with-fandango-regal/
https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/03/11/your-daily-word-prompt-alteration-march-11-2019/

Yellow Blush Hibiscus

3 Replies

For Cee’s FOTD

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Inscribing an Epitaph for the King of Music

10 Replies

Inscribing an Epitaph for the King of Music

When it came to lyrics, his wit was finely tined. 
His words were sharp and pointed. He had a rapier mind.
When he was at his zenith, his music was sublime.
Perfect in its sentiment, exquisite in its rhyme.
His tunes were like a river moving words along.
All the world’s fine miracles occurred in every song.
Each run an apparition that faded out of sight
just as the next melodic ghost appeared to take its bite.

His music effervescent, then thundering, then gory,
devoured all our senses, flooding us with its glory.
He raced us through emotion as though running out of time.
Each opus was a mountain, exhausting in the climb.
Then when we reached its zenith, he released us from its hold
with one brief caesura that freed us from the fold
to barrel down the mountain in one euphoric sweep—
sliding from the summit down to the deepest deep.

They scribed a single word in stone over his burial mound
to describe this musician who married words and sound 
to take us all on journeys magical and euphoric,
and yet the label “Maestro,” just seems too categoric
to conjure up this genius who could transport us all
to every corner of ourselves within that massive hall.
He deserves a finer word. A more distinctive label,
but words fail me as I choose what I’d inscribe if I were able.

Prompt words today are tune, occur, apparition and zenith. Here are the links:
https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2019/03/10/rdp-sunday-tune/
https://fivedotoh.com/2019/03/10/fowc-with-fandango-occur/
https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/03/10/your-daily-word-prompt-apparition-march-10-2019/
https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/03/10/zenith-2/

Yellow Kalanchoe, FOTD Mar 9, 2019

11 Replies

 

Click on photo to enlarge.

If you know the kalanchoe plant, you know these flowers are very small. This is a closeup!

For Cee’s FOTD

The Spoils

7 Replies

DSC00967

The Spoils

Walking is elemental. We do it night and day,
but if they could, they’d meter it and we’d have to pay.
They charge us for our water, but so far air is free.
Until they find a way to own it, they will let us be.
Every element on earth is one they’d like to own,
but how to possess all of it so far is still unknown.

They find new ways to own us and to control our voting.
They open up our coffers and soon they’re busy toting
all of our resources off to their own coffers
so they can sell it back to us, slaves to their pricey offers.
If there were a tournament for greed and avarice,
it would be one our billionaires wouldn’t want to miss.

Golf might be their game of choice or perhaps chess or tennis.
The rules would be cut-throat, and their game plan full of menace.
But no matter what their plots to gain chess pieces or ball,
no matter what their motivation to possess it all,
no matter what the game or how many players are in it,
all the rules would ensure our president would win it!!!

trump coin

Prompt words today are walk, meter, tournament and elemental. Here are the links:
https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2019/03/09/rdp-saturday-walk/
https://fivedotoh.com/2019/03/09/fowc-with-fandango-meter/
https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/03/09/your-daily-word-prompt-tournament-march-9-2019/
https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/03/09/elemental/

La Manzanilla/Ajijic Reunion

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Click on first photo to enlarge all.

When John and Rita and Patricia, friends from La Manzanilla, came for a stay lakeside, Catherine and Kevin and I had to take them to Viva Mexico. Patricia will stay for two months, so you’ll hear although you won’t see more of her as she’s camera shy.  Here are the rest of us.  Catherine and Kevin, who cared for my house and cats and dogs while Annie and I vacationed at the beach for two months,  went back to Seattle on Monday. John and Rita went back to La Manz on Monday and will soon return to California. Patricia will be here until May. I’m staying put at least until August!

 

Kalanchoe, FOTD Mar 8, 2019

3 Replies

 

When I returned from two months at the beach, five different colors of kalanchoe were blooming on my front terrace. Here is a closeup of my favorite.

For Cee’s Flower of the Day.