So Many Love Stories

 

Treading water between

memories of the past and

promises for the future

A funeral, a baby shower and in between

thousands of family photos to be sorted, treasured and shared or shredded

My head swims in the attached stories, both new and old

There is a season for this kind of work

I'm in that season right now

I am not drowning in it, just

treading water and embracing the many kinds of 

love stories

If you go to this LINK, you can read/listen to a beautiful poem titled:                                 "Great Granny Lucy and I"

Time is a circus, always packing up and moving away

~Ben Hecht

#9 Photo Trail

Photographs & Memories

LINK 2:08 minutes

How do you feel about your kept photographs? 

 

May you keep the memories, even if not the photos

May you celebrate each life well lived

May you celebrate the arrival of each new life

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2025

Smile and Celebrate

 𒓉 𒎓 𒓉

Today it got up to maybe, 72°...not sure. However it was chilly when we left for an early morning appointment.

Later in the day, around 10:15AM we got an alert for an earthquake incoming. It was a 5.2 quake, centered near Julian, CA in San Diego County. Seeing these elephants care for one another and know Just What to Do is really something! At first I didn't even hear the alert, as my phone was in my purse...we were walking at the bridge - right under all of those beautiful power lines! haha We did move out from under them into an open space, but truly neither of us felt a thing.

 𒓉 𒎓 𒓉

10 year-old PRODIGY shocks the whole Restaurant! (Opera Singer joins us 😱)

LINK 10:21 minutes

He plays with pure and utter joy! Could you imagine going out for dinner...and getting this?!!

𒓉 𒎓 𒓉

We've been a bit spotty with the WORDLE game lately. Sometimes things are like that.

WORDLE LIFE

4/14/25

Their LIVES may have looked SEEDY to the outside observer. However, although OBESE and in poor health, their beating hearts, barely held within each of their overflowing CHEST cavities, were like an ocean which would CREST after a storm. Their lives and love were a dramatic presentation of living life to the fullest.

4/12/25

The head of the PARKS department raced over to the area, where one of her employees lay in the grass. He was having a reaction to multiple bee stings and needed the SERUM in his rescue pen. Quickly, she shouted to the NURSE on standby, call 911 and I'll inject his epipen.

4/11/25

It was best that you CHOSE TODAY, whether or not you planned to be an ORGAN donor, she said. Why? he asked are you planning to aim your  ARROW at me instead of the target?

4/9/25

She let out a sinister LAUGH, leaning back on her wooden CHAIR. It was his turn to lay out each and every SHEAF of WHEAT on the long wooden table and ready them to be expertly bundled with twine.

3/28/25

They spent a long time on the TRAIL. At the top of the hill, they could see the many ROOFS of nearby houses. She was grateful that she'd applied her face SERUM before leaving her own house, as the air was especially dry.  On the way back down she happily sang every VERSE in a very long camp song she'd loved as a young girl.

3/27/25

With PEACE in his heart and a SLEEK hairdo, he climbed behind the wheel, ready to STEER his new, SWEET ride out onto the streets for his maiden voyage. But, before he knew what happened, he took a wrong turn and drove right into a large SHEET hanging on the clothesline. His face covered with a dainty floral pattern, he drove right into the side of the barn. This day had not gone as planned.

3/25/25

The older brother BLURT out his adoration for his new baby sister. He ran to get her LOVEY, but held it himself while she was still on the SCALE. They had discovered her SPELT allergy as the cause for digestion issues and weight loss. But, since figuring that out, everything was SWELL. He sat on the floor and played with her while mother put the scale back on the high SHELF.

3/24/25

It's a CRIME they say. The GLOBE should reflect the world at LARGE as it is at the current moment. At least that is the ANGLE that the journalists present in the daily papers.

3/23/25

They kept trying to get the weight consistent with the bags weighed earlier, by shifting how they placed the bag on the SCALE. Of course this did not work no matter how many times they would RETRY the weighing. It weighed what it weighed of course. The bags of EBONY colored beads were their best seller, but the weighing issue made the team MOPEY and frustrated. After several attempts at this ridiculous goal, the whole team became overtired and DOPEY, falling into fits of laughter and ready to throw in the towel.

3/21/25

Every NIGHT when he comes to bed, he gives her a gentle NUDGE to encourage her to inch over and give him more room.

3/13/25

The old cowboy spoke in nothing but old western movie SLANG. He was living out his dream by riding his horse everyday in his well-worn CHAPS and giving CHASE to anyone he perceived as a "bad guy", which translated to anyone coming anywhere near his property.

A walk to the 'fence-change' in between appointments. Cooler today, just as lovely.

Still looking at the trees that Dee had a question about. Not cottonwood, but what? I tried a search, no answer yet.

I pulled out the two old ipad's from 2020-through-2022. I thought they were completely 'dead' - but I wanted to see if I could delete personal information off of them. 
I also pulled out an old extra hard drive, which was not compatible with my 2021 laptop...but it was compatible with his. So, he wiped that clean and now has more back up.

I spent forever charging, deleting and trying to figure stuff out. I am such a dolt when it comes to this...and am not wild about how all electronics connect to each other. I might feel different if I knew what the heck I was doing! I deleted all of the emails on one of them (the other one won't even let me access the emails), as they were not needed. Boy, that was a trip down memory lane! I was surprised how many folks have fallen out of my life since 2020 and how many 'contacts' are no longer with us. What a strange thing. I also spent time with photos that had been taken on the ipad during that time. I'd forgotten all about that. I deleted some of those and went on to delete over 2400 on the second ipad...only to find out they were then deleted from my computer too. But, not from the blog...they were still there. I was so confused. And don't even get me started on the icloud!!! I was almost ready to throw in the towel and let all photos disappear! I take way too many, but I so enjoy it in the moment. Anyway, I instead decided to 'recover' them to think about it another day.

Love the look of this Crow on a Bridge.

After the second appointment, we went to a local  Outback restaurant for J's birthday. He loved his meal and was so happy to be celebrated in this way. What did they used to say? The way to a man's heart...haha. Anyway, it was a nice day together and I am grateful for a day of ease and contentment for us both.

𒓉 𒎓 𒓉

What are your favorite ways to celebrate? How do you manage the frustrating things? Do you enjoy problem-solving? Do you want to be warned?

May you live through the shakes ups

May you celebrate those you love

May you celebrations involve well-loved food

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2025 

#goodenough

A Time of Reflection

16 years ago today, my adored mama died. It is her Yahrzeit. She's been on my mind, of course. As typical around here, we do all traditions in our own ways. Tomorrow is her sister's Yahrzeit, my beloved Auntie.

Also, it is Rosh Hashanah, so there are apples and honey. It is a good time to mourn, reflect and honor our loved ones.

L’Shana Tova U’Metoka (“le-shahna tow-VAH oo-meh-TOH-kah”) or to a good and sweet new year.

This quote to me recently and has stuck in my mind. 

THOUGHTS on this quote.

May you welcome in a sweet New Year

May you hold your loved ones in your heart as you go

May you greet one another in kindness

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024 

April 14, 2024

 𐫰

~It has been raining on and off all day. It's fine, for even with how much more rain we've had this past year, we still have mostly bright blue skies...and we always do need the rain. That being said, I'm ready for some days in the 70's - warmth and clearness. I have trouble making myself get out to walk in poorer weather (that's poorer to wimpy SoCal me, that is!)

Today we celebrated J's birthday. It was a cozy afternoon together on this gray day. 💕

I finished the 'grasshopper meadow' page and started a new weaving today.

In looking at this photo just now, I noticed how I'd used the same flower tape as a page marker - placed previously and landing near the same level as the tape on this page 🙂

So, what did I add, or what was my process? After adding some stones for grasshopper to stand on, I decided to toss more out in the meadow and then it came to me to create a 'path to the sun'. I wasn't sure how much of the top page I'd fill, but then I really wanted LOTS of meadow over the whole page. The path let me practice 'perspective' and I thought about when Jude made her 'patchwork in perspective' path out of cloth. I only have a very general idea of how to accomplish this - which is to make it smaller and more narrow. Actual art classes along the line may have helped me! I also made the new (top of page) meadow growth less dense as the path led my eye to the sun. I don't know how this looks to others or even if I accomplished my goal, but I like it. I added a touch of blue, blotchy shading, which is hard to see in this photo, for the 'sky'. This represents my love of big, blue skies. Lastly, I added a second antenna to Grasshopper, even though the photo I drew from did not show it. J. had asked where it was and it did look to be missing something ever since. I used artistic freedom to add one in. The second one (left side) got a little thicker jibber in it, which bugged me until I added thickness to the right side too. These teeny things are really such good lessons. I had considered adding 'more meadow' directly onto the white paper I'd drawn the Grasshopper on, but opted not to because I rather like it framed and kinda standing out to be noticed. We both love this little Grasshopper. ❤️ Truly. When I pass J. the book to hold and look at, he just studies it. I can't tell you what a gift that is.

I'm preparing to start a new page. This found practice of journal-write-draw-coloring has been so centering and calming for me.

𐫰

Since this is a photo light post, I'm recording both photos I took of the new weaving this time. I wish I could get honest photos, that truly reflect the colors I'm using. This apartment just doesn't allow for that. The flash ruins so many shots. Do you remember at the old place I used to sit everything outside on my large Rosemary bush. What a perk that was...great outdoor lighting with a wonderful scent infused to boot! Anyway, here I'm using:

~black warp and weft

~gray-charcoal-black variegated yarn (gifted by someone)

~tan-pink-? (can't put my finger on it) chenille (again gifted by someone) - the color is so off here!

~blues-greens - variegated (is it?)...(again gifted by someone)

As I began, I wanted to use more of the black and more of the gray-charcoal-black variegated yarns - which I've used very little of and have a lot of! Not being in the mood for the Unity colors, I went into my yarn tub to choose a couple of new colors to add to the weaving tub for laundry day. I grabbed an old loved ball of yarn from way back here, the tannish and the blue-green and went up to the laundry room. 

When I got there and began warping the loom, I looked at my choices and thought: What was I thinking? Do these even go together? But, I dove in anyway. Then a funny thing happened. As i wove, my thoughts drifted to Jude's post with Maggie the Magnolia Tree. I was wrapped in a 'sense' - not a direct representation, but a sense - of her beautiful tree and the changeable weather she's had (many of us have had recently). So, as of tonight, this one is named: "Maggie in an April Storm".

I am rather liking the contrast of light and dark. J. liked the use of 'more dark', which I don't use a lot. I intentionally used only bits of the blue-green so far to show sky/trees peeking through storm clouds.

Anyway, I'm enjoying a different look once again. Funny how that happens, if you keep an open mind.

In writing this post, I'm considering getting back to that special yarn, bought in Saratoga, NY all of those years ago. I never did finish the bag I'd thoughtfully started for me (so typical of me). I kind of remember something happening, maybe with the warp or ? ~ anyway, something that had me stop and I never started again. Maybe I will. Maybe. I have enough of the yarn to do so, if I choose. 

𐫰

May you add more

May you accept different

May you weave outside the box

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024

Happy Valentine's Day Y'all

 

💕❤️❤️💕

Here's hoping y'all felt the Love today!

LINK

                                 💕❤️❤️💕

💕❤️❤️💕

May you give and receive Love

May you feel loved

May you Be love

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2024

When Things Are TOO Precious (A Long Post)

DAY ONE:

 ...or when you forget how precious they really are...or never fully understood to begin with. All of that.

Today I had a moment to consider my love affair with children's books (or maybe just books of all kinds...well, and other things as well) ~ with children's books in general, with the ones that belonged to myself (as a child or as a teacher), or belonged to my children. There are the children's books given as gifts to others and those passed on to other teachers. There are those with a deep connection to my mama. Each one of these books,  a dear friend. Each one of them precious.

Books given as a gifts to two young children.
 

There are other things we consider as precious, aren't there? Family heirlooms, found treasures in Nature, gifts from those that are precious in and of themselves, making their gifts hold that much more meaning. Things we find precious for reasons that can't be explained or could only seem so to us and us alone.

Dare I say there are Times that are precious to us. That time when you first fell in love, when you could smell that unique scent of your newborn's neck...or that time when you added one more night on your vacation so you wouldn't have to go home - back to 'real life', just yet...or when you ran across the scrub grass at your childhood camp just to ask your mother if you had to eat the sandwich, the kind you hated, which sat warm in your lunch bag. There are the eras, the moments, the long rolling days of summer - when you spent days at the beach with your sister and the 'gang'. Each one of these Times, these memories are precious and held in your heart forever. Yet, as precious as they are to you, you give them away freely in stories and conversations and remembrances with others, thus making them all the more precious than if they'd been lost and forgotten or shoved in a box for another day. Or maybe it is Because they are precious that they live on so vividly.

These recollections are never too precious though, are they? We love them For their preciousness! 

I once knew a woman, who treasured her magazines about country life. She only had a few and treated them with such reverence, turning their pages lightly, barely daring to leave a smudge. They were so precious to her, she was almost afraid of them. Afraid to somehow ruin them. When she shared them with me, I became afraid of them too, not wanting to be The One who may soil them. 

So, I wonder: how do we live with precious? How does our love of the material items or even our stories impact us and those around us...those we live with and love?

When do we keep precious and when do we let it go? Can we keep parts of it, held with a looser grip?

Because, really it is us, our people that are the most precious of all.

~~~~~

Has my pondering twisted your brain enough? Ha

See what happens when I have no photos to drop in here?!! 

Which leads me to 'understanding'...

How many of us seek to be understood as we speak? How many of us feel that desire, need for validation or connection, where others see our point of view? We search and seek ways to put words to our thoughts...but the thought is on us...what we see, hear, feel, think...

What if it is not about that at all?

What if it is about US being the ones to understand, to listen...to see and hear others?

Or...

What if it is both?

~~~~~~

This led me to thoughts on words...how we use them, how many or few we use...how we place them near one another to best convey our thoughts.

~~~~~

I shared this link with my niece...an old show that we used to watch (it only lasted 3 seasons) - called 800 WORDS. The mere concept of this show delighted me to no end. What could one do with a hard boundary in the way of exactly 800 words? Wouldn't it be fun to try? What could one say where every word was precious, not to be wasted or thrown about willy nilly? Do I have anything to say in that many words? I have pondered this again and again over the years.

In my typical circular fashion, my processing...I have realized that this post began with my thinking about how so very precious things (children's books) are, but is closing with the thought that I really have let go of that feeling regarding material things and instead have found that for now what is precious are the feelings we have for one another, the love we hold, the ways of being together. Truly precious.

~~~~~

DAY TWO:

Off she went...early, 51 degrees, and very, very windy...

Into the light...

Her bag stuffed, full of choices for the long day...

She saw so much that made her think, made her curious, made her heart swell...

Hard to photograph -  "medicine bags"...or small purses may be more like it. Ha. We see things from our own perspective, don't we.

A silent commentary and a commonality in blue patterned cloth...

An absolute treat, celebration, honoring time...free Hot Chocolate, with Marshmallows! She  hadn't had this in years and this was the Best hot chocolate she'd ever had! The hot chocolate in the very warm sun felt just right to her. She slowly sat and relished the moment.

May you know precious for what it is, at any given moment.

May you make the active choice to celebrate

May you remember to smile

xo

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2023

Day of Birth

~~~~~~64~~~~

I waited a very long time for my turn with this song!!

LINK 

Today was a going out day. A drive day. So off we went, looking for wildflowers, knowing there'd be plenty. We opted not to head all of the way out to the Antelope Valley or up The 5, towards Gorman...both of which must be bursting right now. Perhaps next weekend or so, but for today a shorter drive called. A darling fluffed up Scrub Jay sent us on our way~ 

Everywhere we looked there were patches of orange and yellow...and Green!

It was a drive filled with Spring Joy.

There were so many...SO MANY...crows! At one stop I quickly counted 14 crows. The next stop, I tried hard to count, but there were too many! I guessed about twenty. Of course there were also Turkey Vultures and Hawks along with them. The crow below sat in the crook of the tree talking away. 

The local mountains in the distance still have some snow.

What a view!

I noticed two crows looking over the open space below, clacking their beaks together. I snapped a couple of photos, but then felt like I was intruding. 

Today was another day for lines as a component in my photographs.

In the photo above, the power lines follow the road, intersecting at the curve or at the mountains. In the photo below, I enjoy how everything is lined up: mountains, trees, train tracks, bare earth & shrubs...each one adding another layer.

J. and I marveled at the beautiful huge boulders with the drape of flowers below, as if someone had flung a piece of flowered cloth down the hillside.

Then we were called to stop by a giant and a few smaller statues and the Flag. I spoke with the homeowner who said they have been working for about a year to create this space and the rain had caused them to slow down a bit. I thanked her for sharing with everyone who passes by.

Each vista captured my eye in one way or another.

The one below, more lines as the trees marched along.

An awful photograph, but it captures the moment of the day...me and my hawk searching, me saying, "Do you see it?!!"...me trying to hold what can not be held and being left with handfuls of empty blue sky. 

These moments, so dear to my heart.

The tree above looks like a Jude weaving, all loose ends wandering away.

May you treasure every wacky moment

May you celebrate in ways you love, in ways you can

May you call with the crows and soar with the hawks

xo

Photos by NAE pomegranatetrail ©2023