The Angel Disguised as a Nurse (Remembering My Sister on her Birthday)

In January, my great niece messaged me on Facebook from California. She asked me to send photos of my sister, Mary Kaye who died on her 16th birthday. In 1975, Mary Kaye, her boyfriend, and a friend were on their way to a restaurant for the birthday dinner, when a drunk driver ran into their car. My sister’s boyfriend was killed instantly. Mary Kaye died at the hospital. Their friend survived.

With gratitude, I sent several photos of Mary Kaye to my niece and hinted at my curiosity for her interest. My niece told me that her daughter (my great niece who I’ll refer to as D) had recently come home from the hospital after being seriously injured in a car accident. The following events were sent to me through messenger from D and my niece, M.

No family members had been allowed to go to the hospital to see D due to Covid. She felt scared and alone as the nurses prepared her for surgery. Then D saw one nurse standing nearby, not doing anything, just watching her. The nurse didn’t have a name tag on, she was just standing there, so beautiful and smiling at her. It made D feel safe. When she got out of surgery she saw the same nurse again, just standing there smiling at her. She didn’t think much about it but told her mom about the special nurse after she got home.

When D came home from the hospital, she still had a lot of healing to do and struggled with the loss of her friend who died in the accident. D and her mom were lying in bed looking at my pictures on Facebook. When D saw a picture of my sister Mary Kaye, she started crying.

“That’s her! That’s the nurse!” she said.

The nurse standing by to give comfort with her beautiful smile looked exactly like my sister Mary Kaye. We believe it was Mary Kaye, an angel disguised as a nurse.

…

Today is my sister’s birthday. If she had lived, Mary Kaye would be 64 today. As a teenager, she volunteered at a group home for handicapped children. In the third photo, she’s wearing her yellow and white striped volunteer uniform. If she had lived, I believe Mary Kaye would have been a nurse or worked with children. I am thankful to know that her spirit is alive and well.

SoCS: Pins, Buttons, and What NOT to Drink

 Here’s today’s prompt: “pin.” Use it as a noun, use it as a verb, use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

Remember bobby pins? My mom had a lot. There might even be one around here. They were for your hair, like mini barrets. She would put her hair up in little pincurls and sleep in them overnight with an x of double bobby pins in each curl. Better than those big plastic curlers in the days before curling irons or whatever people are using these days.

Straight pins could be (and still are) useful for sewing a hem or keeping two pieces of fabric lined up while you sew them together with a needle.

Pintrest is so full of everything. I don’t keep up with my account. There are only so many hours in a day and so many other things to do.

I don’t wear many pins. My mom had a lot. I pinned her angel pin to the lapel of my black blazer which I used to wear a lot but have not worn in a long time. Maybe I’ll wear it this Christmas.

How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? I guess it depends on the size of the angels, and several other factors that have something to do with divine magic.

There are also pins that I have called buttons – campaign buttons, cause buttons, save the whales buttons – but they are really pins, because they have pins and you can wear them on your shirt or purse, or whatever. I had a big collection once. Now it’s smaller and kept in a glass container in the kitchen. Why in the kitchen? I have no idea. One button/pin says, “Get stoned. Drink wet cement.” When I was a substance abuse counselor, one of my clients gave that to me. It was funny. And weird. (Do NOT drink wet cement!)

Now I’m going to my pictures and type in “pin” and see where that leads.

• 

  My mom’s angel pin

• 

  The “get stoned” pin is bottom left

• 

  dragonfly on closthes pin

• 

  This one is still on the mantle.

• 

  I don’t know where this pic came from.

• 

  My dad’s MASH hat has pins.

…

For more streams of consciousness, rules and stuff, visit our host, Linda Hill at her blog here.

One-Liner Wednesday: Nurture Love

The hair salon where I got my hair trimmed (back in the old days) found their windows broken in late May or early June after a night of protests following the murder of George Floyd. The business reopened quickly, with their “hurricane boards” in place, trying to make up for being closed for so long due to COVID.

After a couple weeks of driving by and seeing the plain plywood, I remembered that I had a lot of light blue paint leftover from renovations and asked if I could paint an angel of the boards. Apparently the building’s insurance would not cover the windows, and the business owners had applied for assistance but had no idea when the glass would be replaced, so they agreed.

The wood grain inspired the “Angel with the Heart Hairdo” who later inspired the words:

Nurture the blossoms of love wherever you find them.

Let them become you.

For more one-liners, visit Linda Hill at:

One-Liner Wednesday – Drive Slowly | (lindaghill.com)

She Must Be in the Stream of Consciousness

Let me see if I’ve got this straight. It’s an interesting prompt.

….“the first 3 words of the first full sentence.” Okay, follow me here. This is what I want you to do: 1. Grab the closest book to you when you sit down to write your post. 2. Open it to a random page. 3. Locate the first complete sentence on that page. 4. Use the first three words of that sentence to start your post, then take it from there–write whatever comes to mind. That’s it! Have fun!”   (That’s from our host, Linda G. Hill.

When I first saw this prompt and then picked up the book I’m reading, I thought it was the first sentence, so I’ll start with that.

“She must be here with you right now.”

The sentence comes from Under the Tamarind Tree a novel by a blogger you might know,  Rosaliene Bacchus, of Three Worlds One Vision.  Yes, Rosaliene, I’m still reading your book. I’m a slow reader and have a habit of reading multiple books at the same time. But I’m really enjoying your book. Maybe enjoying isn’t the best word, because it’s about hard times, but I’m really …. saying really too much…. getting to care about the characters and appreciate the realism of their struggles.

The main character, Richard, says to his friend, “She must be here with you right now,” about his friend’s mother who is deceased and a dream Richard had about her. She must be here refers to his friend’s wedding. This reminded me of my feeling that my mother was there in spirit at my wedding even though she is an angel in heaven.

If I go back to the prompt and do it correctly, I would use the first three words:

She must be

She must be crazy. That’s what that other driver must’ve been thinking yesterday when I was not being mindful of my driving. I was looking for a place in an unfamiliar neighborhood and could have caused an accident. Thankfully the intersection was not busy and the other driver WAS being mindful. I’m still embarrassed. But also thankful that I wasn’t driving fast, and God was watching out for me. Maybe my mom was too. And Dad. Thank you!

So here’s the deal. I have to be mindful when I’m driving. I have to put up another sticky note in my car where I will see it every time.

MUST BE MINDFUL!

That must mean no free flowing stream of consciousness while driving. Only what I see on the road, signs, and traffic lights.  Maybe I can make it like flipping a switch when I get in the car to drive. A prayer would help. God, help me be mindful when I’m driving.

But when I’m not driving, let the stream flow!

And while we’re on flowing streams, God, please let the rains flow down and put out the fires in Australia.

Amen.

 

That’s my stream for this Saturday.  Great prompt, Linda!

….

For more info on Saturday’s Stream of Consciousness, visit Linda Hill at:

https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/10/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2020-daily-prompt-jan-11th/

The good SoCS rules which I mostly follow are:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

Easy Listening

Here’s the prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “loud.” Find any word that means “loud,” and use it any way you’d like in your post. Enjoy!

I usually don’t like loud. A word that means loud could be noisy. If I’m in a noisy room where a lot of people are talking, I have more and more trouble hearing the person right next to me. Sometimes we will walk into a restaurant, and if it’s too noisy or too bright, we walk right back out.

Thursday was my birthday and my birthday dinner at my favorite Thai restaurant where the lighting is soft and golden and perfect. They had Sinatra Christmas music playing, not too noisy, and people were not loud. And we got to sit close the angel!

I think this not liking noisy is a physical thing. It feels physical. Like it gives me a mild cringe when the music is too loud or people are talking too loud. What is it with people who have loud conversations in restaurants? I don’t think they realize. But I don’t want to complain.  How about some Christmas music?

I like Sinatra, but I LOVE James Taylor. He changes the words a little, and that’s okay.

Ahhhh.  Now that was easy.

….

For more streams of consciousness, visit Linda G. Hill by clicking the link below:

https://lindaghill.com/2019/12/13/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-14-19/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

 

Clutter, Treasure, and Ceiling Art

(Today’s Stream of Consciousness prompt was to “start with a noun.”) 

Clutter is what I’m going to be dealing with tomorrow at my parents’ house that is now my house, so the clutter is all mine. My plan is to get up early and hitch a ride with my husband who has business an hour north of their house (now my other house) which is an hour north of where I live. I don’t mean to be confusing, but my stream of consciousness can easily be confusing.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if the clutter is trash or treasure. There are books, many of which I’ve already donated, and lots and lots of paper which might need to be recycled or shredded, or treasured as in the case of the letters I found from my father or the poetry written by my mother’s father who I never met. So many electronics, cassette tapes, rubber bands, gadgets and doodads of my dad’s…. and photographs galore. Photos are in photo albums, boxes, bags… Many photos contain people who’s identity I have no clue about. I’m going to trash those. Sorry, unknown friends of my parents. But some photos are treasures like these two I discovered in a box somewhere or maybe a photo album and brought home with me.

When me and Dad both got watches for Christmas  ? 1963

And this one you might remember of my mom, my little sister and me. Dad was in Vietnam

Sometimes the process of going through my parents’ stuff/clutter/treasure is overwhelming. But it’s getting easier as I make progress. After one year, I think I’m about halfway done. I usually find I don’t want to leave their house to go to my house. There’s so much to do. But I like to congratulate myself for each bag of trash discarded, or treasures found, or items donated.

Another thing I do at my parents’ old house is painting over the most obvious blemishes. But one person’s blemish is another person’s treasured message. Like the water damage stains on the bedroom ceiling from before Dad put the metal roof on. I think they look like hearts.  They appeared there not long after Mom died. I think she had something to do with it.

Painting over these hearts was very hard. I had a good cry after I started the process. But it was a cleansing cry, and Mom told me it was okay. I started with kilz? and then white paint just to see how off it would be. Then I laid down to rest on the bed and noticed my sample white paint kinda looked like an angel. I did not plan this at all. It was just getting paint up there. Mom collected angels and has passed this down to me, so I’ve been painting angels for a few years now, just not usually on ceilings.

Do you see an angel?

I guess white is not going to work on this old ceiling. One step, one layer at a time, I sort out the treasures from the clutter.

I’m posting this early since I’ve got my work cut out for me on Saturday. Catch you later.

For more information about Stream of Consciousness Saturday, visit Linda at:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/06/08/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-june-9-18/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

 

Flowing with Synchronicity

Obstructed for years,

Creative juices now flow

Finding their way home.

A few weeks ago, a friend asked if my husband and I wanted some of the left over wood from the construction of her new house. She wondered they could sell it at the thrift store my husband manages. We loaded his truck with scrap wood of various shapes and sizes. With my friend’s blessing, I saved the pieces that wanted me to paint on them. I like to use the knots in the wood as faces or halos and to look for wings and things in the grain.

Close up of an angel I painted a few years ago.

The following week, I had just left the local bookstore in a shopping village downtown, when I was drawn into a new store that only sells locally made arts and crafts. Entering this store for the first time, I felt good vibes. Much of the art hanging on soft yellow walls was painted on or cut out of wood. I showed the manager photos of my art from my phone. We scheduled a time to bring in my work to show the owner.

Then, on that same morning, I went to a yoga class I had not been to in two weeks. After the class, my book came up in conversation with one the studio owners who happened to be there. She asked me to do a book signing there this summer, maybe along with a workshop.

The next week, I met with the owner of the local art store. She  liked my work and agreed to hang it. I just needed to set prices – not an easy task.

This morning, I dropped off 24 pieces of my art ready to find new homes. It was like sending little pieces of me out into the world – uncomfortable, yet exciting. It helps to remind myself that they weren’t doing anybody any good collecting dust in my spare bedroom studio.

I call her Umbrella Angel

Now, I seem to be finding all kinds of things to paint on at the thrift store – wooden trays, boxes, and wood cut outs to be re-purposed into “canvas.”

All of these opportunities are things I did not consciously plan. They were not on my list of strategies to build my creative new life.

Yet, at the end of last year, I made the decision to quit my long time counseling career to focus on art and writing full time.

I believe the universe is conspiring, as commissioned by God, to work on my behalf. At the same time, I’m going with the flow: walking into that gallery I had not planned to go to, going to the yoga class on that particular day and time….

(It’s the same flow my high school sweetheart was going with when he found me 39 years later.)

Sometimes these things take a while. I loved art and writing as a teenager, but chose a different career path. Now, at the age of 61, I’m finally coming back home to my art.

 

“The Gift,” which I painted on an old wooden box top two years ago, has been waiting patiently.

If it can happen to me, it  can happen to everyone.

Never

give

up

on

your

dreams!

Alive!

“Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen.”

Matthew 28:5-6

In today’s Song Lyric Sunday post, I’m taking Helen up on her offer to post a song that has nothing to do with her lovely theme, “rain.” But I wouldn’t be surprised it it had rained the night before. Apparently there were a lot of earthquakes between the original Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  I love to imagine Mary Magdalene seeing Jesus again and seeing her excitement portrayed in the video below.

Here are the lyrics for “Alive,” written by Barry and Maurice Gibb

Who but You, could breathe and leave a trail of galaxies and dream of me?
What kind of Love is writing my story till the end with Mercy’s pen? Only You.
What kind of king would choose to wear a crown that bleeds and scars to win my heart?
What kind of Love tells me I’m the reason He can’t stay inside the grave?
You. Is it You? Standing here before my eyes, every part of my heart cries

Alive! Alive! Look what Mercy’s overcome; Death has lost and Love has won Alive! Alive!
Hallelujah, Risen Lord, the only One I fall before I am His because He is alive.

Who could speak, and send the demons back from where they came with just one Name?
What other heart would let itself be broken every time till He healed mine?
You. Only You could turn my darkness into dawn; running right into Your arms

Alive! Alive! Look what Mercy’s overcome; Death has lost and Love has won Alive! Alive!
Hallelujah, Risen Lord, the only One I fall before I am His because He is

Emmanuel, the promised King the baby who made angels sing Son of Man who walked with us, healing, breathing in our dust
The author of all history, the answer to all mysteries The Lamb of God who rolled away, the stone in front of every grave

Alive! Alive! Look what Mercy’s overcome;
Death has lost and Love has won Alive! I am His because He is alive. Alive!

(Lyrics from AZLyrics.com)

I hope your Easter is filled with love and blessings!

A Gift You Can’t Buy in the Store, Part 3: Pure, Unconditional Love

 

“Do you know how much I love you?” said God.

Baby Jesus offers love

With open arms,

Pure and unconditional.

Let go of your fear!

All these gifts I give to you.

Go forward in this love.

I found these words written on a piece of notebook paper in an old pile of papers. It was a dream I had last year, ready to be re-born.

…

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God.

Luke 1:30

Paintings In the Sky

 An antelope rested in the blue canopy at winter’s edge.

And angel signs made me dance in the sand.

Held in God’s hand,

The dove’s light intensified.

∞ ∞ ∞

Now, Sky Wolf chases the edge of summer.

 And God sends heart signs

to show us how much we are loved.

All of these cloud photos were taken by me at various times over the past few years. I’ve been saving them, but for what? Today, I felt it was time to share them.