Somebody's Child

I stand in her yard and hear her story.

How she takes care of self in relation to her grown daughter, the mother of four of her many grandchildren...two of the four who now live with her.

→  Somebody's Child  ← 

He be-bops down the sidewalk at night, surrounded by friends, 

the blue light of his cell phone lighting up his face 

as his body moves in one hundred directions.

→  Somebody's Child  ← 

They dance in the night, crowded together in the comfort of a fun and familiar location.

12 among them, each one...

→  Somebody's Child  ←

They brave the chill of the early morning, 

huddled together under tarps and blankets...

chatting and preparing for their day on the street.

→  Somebody's Child  ←

Among the devastation of loss of property and loss of life,

the "Camp Fire" in Northern California now includes 631 humans still 'missing'.

→  Somebody's Child  ← 

We are each "somebody's child".

We have the potential for good or otherwise...

ups or downs

temporary or permanent

thrive or stagnate

self or others

 We are each "somebody's child".

We have the potential 

potential

potential

We have the ability to hold, to share, to give

We have the ability to hope

and to heal

and to care.

We have the ability to care.

 As you move through your days, may you remember 

that every single one of us is Somebody's Child.
XO

*NOTE~ All photographs taken recently at a local weaver's guild show and demonstration.

Photos by NAE ©2018 

Feeding the Soul

These days. These days, how does one feed their soul?

How does one keep HOPE alive?

We return to nature,

where we feel small in the bigness of our earth.

We read to find connection,

to find what we need

*Altered photograph

We see the world through our heart,

intentionally framing all we see, looking for the light in all. 

Log that held Rock, *see below

We look for old friends

again and again.

 

And when they're not right in view, 

we look again...

we widen the circle,

we look closer and further.

And we walk together,

for together we are stronger

'In a time of destruction, create something: a poem, a parade, 

a community, a school, a vow, a moral principle; one peaceful moment' 

~Maxine Hong Kingston  

We embrace the history, even as time marches on.

  

We seek balance and look for openings that will support us

during these days.

 

We search for this.

 

 

We don't give up.

We find our way around the roadblocks of life

We refuse to remain locked into things that are not working,

are unjust and do not serve us and our fellow man.

No matter how small what we are doing seems,

we keep doing it because that is what feeds us.

Today we went on a short hike to our regular trail.

We embraced the warmth of the sun, the coolness of the breeze, 

the songs of the birds

and the fun of our traditions.

*We looked for my old friend Rock.

I look every time we hike this trail, 

but many years have passed.

You first met Rock on my first find.

Then again for a second time.

And then again for a recap on the hike where I impressed the Forest Ranger 

with my story of

one rock, found twice!

We took many of our traditional two of us selfies.

They almost always have J.'s head partially cut off.

That's how we roll :)

May you find ways to move through these days with grace, humor and lots of love,

Take care,

N. 

Photos by NAE ©2018

Field of Wishes

A field full of wishes

Calling your name

What would you wish for?

Play this game! 

Spreading hope

Dancing in the light

What would you wish for

to make things right?

Balls of white 

Sway in the breeze

What can you DO

to put your mind at ease?

Over at Hazel's, something she said reminded me 

of this quote from a favorite children's book. 

"Remember then that there is only one important time,
and that time is now.
The most important one 

is always the one you are with.
And the most important thing 

is to do good for the one who is standing at your side.
For these, my dear boy, are the answers to what is most important in the world.
This is why we are here"
~ "The Three Questions" by Jon J. Muth

In these days of concern, perhaps what we can do,

is whatever we can do.

We each work and make our own way, our own difference

in the best ways we know how.

Like Hazel wrote about, my days are with the children

and trying my best to do right by them.

May you find your way as well.

xoNancy

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2017

Sunday Hike with a Warning

WARNING:  Today's Sunday Hike did not capture the natural beauty I usually desire.  Today's hike was near a bustling freeway at an old deserted oil refinery.  I've hiked there once before and didn't expect to return.  It was in the Hope post.  We didn't pass by that wall today.
But there was a view he wanted to show me, so off we went...

It's an old broken down paved road that leads the way in.

A giant mountain 'knob' (I call it) across the freeway.

I again notice the many locks in waiting.

This is beginning to really fascinate me and bring up questions.

Why so many locks?

Do they ever get used, say at nightfall?

This time I initially saw less Hope.

I saw desolation and destruction and debris left by man.

There was road trash from the highway. There was rusty stuff and off the road, an informal Paintball area (complete with forts to hide behind and piles of paintball trash left behind)

I saw some of what was left behind.

Left where they fell...and some stacked, by who?

I saw pasts that led to drop-offs and ruins.

I saw steps to nowhere

What once was lives on in this grand entrance to empty

This site had been cleaned up since our last visit, 

but there was still much left behind.

And it was dry, very dry.

The highway had light traffic...but it was still loud!

However, the sky was bright and I spied wildflowers sprinkled here and there.

And there were gates to go with the locks.

Gates easily walked around.

Gates created to be walked right through.

I wondered how much good they really do.

Gates with an army of locks, tucked in their 

Lock storage...Locker!

This hike left me wondering about coming and going...

about past and present...

about finding beauty where at first you do not see any.

And yes, I wondered if Hope was still there.

Upon arriving home, I discovered a 

rather battered crow feather right outside the front door.

This felt like a symbolic find for me today, 

so I placed it in the log near the door.

I know I'll be grateful to see it as I come and go.

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2013

~Note: In creating the link for the Hope post, I of course reread the post & comments and it was just what I needed tonight!  Finding Hope is always helpful.
~Also, when I got home my neighbor called me to ask if I knew who ruthlessly 'pruned' her pepper trees.  She planted them after the removal of the 5 trees I mentioned in the Hope post.  Odd coincidence.

Hope

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2012

 In a long abandoned oil refinery, amongst the trash and rusty bits or broken glass...where the remnants of old toys and chairs are strewn about...there was a word.

Just one word, spray-painted on a broken wall.

Almost graffiti, if you saw the paint without looking for the meaning.

When I first saw it, I pondered who could have left 'hope' behind?  

I was perplexed at the meaning as related to this location.

Shall we keep 'hope' alive, even in a place as desolate as this one?  

Is that what someone was trying to communicate?

So I kept this word, I held it gently as I continued exploring.

There were wild flowers and native plants coming up in the most unlikely places.  

Some were straggly, yet some were thriving.  While there were tiny bones to be found, there were also small mammals skittering for cover at the sound of our footsteps.

There were birds singing or calling to one another.  

Insects meandering.  Lizards doing push-ups.

There were butterflies.

So many signs of Hope, if you look through a lens that shines the light of beauty.

Today was a day to dust off that lens, to put on the rose colored glasses.  

Today we lost more trees.  The landlord had 5 elm trees on the property line and one little grapefruit tree removed.

If I could upload pictures, I would show you.

Just imagine a big open space and dirt and you've got my backyard.

I noticed the hummingbirds were not affected.  They've been busy all day and are bedded down, somewhere, for the night.

And I think of Joe as I now live in my own 'big sky country'!

I project what future sunsets may look like on the nights where blue runs into pink and explodes into a fiery red.

Tonight the bats are extra active, perhaps stirred up by change.

The forecast for tomorrow is HOT.  Again.

Now that I have my own desert, maybe I should build a raft like Grace!

For more beauty and 'hope'...

go visit Mo who has been creating feathered poetic beauty.