Old Songs, Natural Highs, and my New Favorite Hiking Trail

Linda says our Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is a little complicated. Yes, but just a little which makes it interesting.

The prompt is: “song.” First, we find a picture–the closest one to us. Then we write about the “lyrics of the first song that comes to mind when we look at the picture.”    and as always, “Have fun!”

When I read the prompt, I was laying in bed after having driven the six hours from the mountains, though I think the trip took about seven hours because I stopped a lot to stretch the crinkles out of my old bones. The closest picture was a print I bought from Amanda Clark who is my favorite contemporary artist. She paints lots of earthy, whimsical, trees, bunnies, foxes, angels. The print I have made me think of the song, Blue Moon. But I just put that song in a post so I looked to my right and saw the painting I did in high school from a photo in National Geographic.

I’m pretty sure the photo was taken of the rocky mountains. Though it might be somewhere like the Alps. I added the fairy mist coming over the ridge a few years ago.  In high school I had a dream of going to the Rocky Mountains, so naturally, I thought of John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” whenever I look at this painting.

I was kinda obsessed with this song when I was in high school and the whole ecology movement. I thought I was going to be born again when I went to the rocky mountains. I’ve never  been though. I’m not sure if I will ever go, though I hope to go to the Pacific Northwest if this virus ever makes interstate travel safe.

Still, I have a little house in the North Carolina Mountains and a little house near the Carolina Coast. The last song I heard coming back home to the coast on around 6pm on my oldies station was “O-o-h Child.”  This song came out in 1970 and has been a big part of my life, especially during hard times, ever since.  I would sing this song to myself when I was lonely and didn’t know if I’d ever find love again. I sang it to myself when my job was driving me crazy and during my darkest years when I wondered if life was worth living.  I sang it to my daughter during her difficult teenage years.

And you know what? It worked! Things did get easier. Hard times still came and went, and maybe they always will. But today, after many years, things are much better and easier than they were 20 years ago.  Dreams have come true. Maybe not exactly like I thought, but I have a man who loves me and supports me in so many ways. I’m retired, and I get to paint and write and putter in the yard.

I’ve never been to the Rocky Mountains, but on Wednesday I went on the most wonderful hike in the Appalachian Mountains. I got a Blue Ridge Mountain High for sure. There’s a river not far from our mountain house that I am falling in love with. I’ve just got to share some photos with you!

Name that fungus!

I love this river!

Just enough challenge to make it interesting.

… and worth the effort!

Ferns growing on a rock

Raccoon Tracks?

Blooming Rhododendron

…

PS: I impulsively clicked to go to the new block editor while working on this so who knows how it will turn out. It’s like learning WP all over again!

I need to learn how to make one of those collages.

…

For more Streams of Consciousness and guidelines, visit Linda Hill at:

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS July 11/2020

Supper, Dinner, and Our Second First Date

Today’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt is, “sup.”

Supper is what you have at home in the evening. That’s what my dad called it. He called lunch, dinner. It was a little confusing, since it seems like most people call the mid-day meal lunch and the evening meal dinner. But for dad, lunch was dinner, at least when I was a kid. “When I was a child,” Mom would say, because, “Kids are baby goats.”

Sup has also been used as a verb, as in “Come sup with us.”  I had to go look that up to be sure. It seems to refer to sipping a drink. But it works with eating supper, too. Sup also stands for stand up paddling. As in a boat, or paddle board. Not getting paddled like they did when I was in Jr High school. I don’t even want to go there. And of course there’s the slang for for “What’s up?”

Supper is not what we had on our second first date. Seven years ago, I was anticipating a dinner date with my long lost love.  He found me on Facebook in June of 2011 after 39 years of no contact. He did not say, “Sup?”

On July 15, 2011, he drove down to North Carolina from Connecticut to take me out to dinner. We went to a cozy pub called Paddy’s Hollow with brick walls and soft Tiffany lamps. We talked about the 39 years since our last goodbye. Then we put the leftover nachos in his rented car and walked along the river.

His kiss awakened feelings I had not felt in a long time. (That’s a line from my book, Trust the Timing.) We watched the sun set behind the trees on the other side of the river.

 

That night, he called his mom and told her I was beautiful. He also left the nachos in his car over night. Because he was so taken with me.  I was taken with him, too and floated on cloud nine for weeks, maybe months.

Every year in July, we go back to that same restaurant to celebrate the anniversary of our second first date with dinner.  We don’t leave the nachos in the car. But we like to walk along the river and watch the sunset.

 

In the winter, we like to roast vegetables in the oven. It makes the house smell wonderful and the dogs drool. Then we eat supper and save some roasted veggies (sweet potatoes, white potatoes, onions, carrots, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, and whole cloves of garlic) for lunch the next day.  Or maybe if we have supper at home the night before, that could make lunch be dinner.  Anything is possible in the Stream of Consciousness as in life.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday is brought to you by Linda G. Hill. You can learn more about SOCS and “sup” at the link below:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/07/06/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-7-18/

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!

The Trail’s Calling Me

As I sit writing this, comfortable in my bed, I would like to drift off to sleep, to dream…

But some day, I’m going to BLAZE a trail again. I’m going to put one foot in front of the other and find my hiking rhythm with the trees going by, fresh and green, pine needles under foot, senses all open to everything at once. My breath comes strong and steady with my legs working like they were made to work. The air feels crisp and pungent with life. I am part of that life, part of the forest, part of creation. The path ahead beckons to me. Will there be deer? Will it rain? Will the sun set before I get back home? I don’t care! I am here now, ready, alive. I approach Sugarloaf, the giant sand dune of oaks and pines, and climb up. My breathing becomes harder. My legs start to ache, but I am strong. I am alive! I reach the top. My heart beats faster, blood flowing where it needs to go, opening my arteries, clearing out the gunk.

I survey the slope descending to the river and remember how my children used to run down the hill to the water. Sometimes they’d roll down and get all sandy. Sand everywhere. But it didn’t matter because they laughed. I ran down that hill myself a few times. Now they have it fenced off to protect the hill, prevent erosion. To be careful. I could run down the hill anyway. But, now, I’m 62. I could break something.

I take the path down to the river. Not exactly running, but with a light step and a quick pace, aware of the turns and the places to put my feet so I don’t fall. I reach the water and run in. Clothes and all. It’s cold! And I am alive again.

Someday, I’ll go on that hike again. Someday, maybe I’ll hike on the Appalachian Trail. I best better start practicing by walking around the block to the park in my neighborhood.

Here are more pictures of my beloved maritime forest. It’s been too long since I set foot there.

 

Me and Doodle on top of Sugarloaf

A mushroom has found shelter on the dune.

There are not many hills around here, so this is special.

Today’s Stream of Consciousness prompt from Linda Hill was, “movement.” But we were not to use the word, “movement,” just choose some sort of movement and write about it.

For more information on the Saturday Stream of Consciousness, visit:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/01/26/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-daily-prompt-jan-27th-2018/

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!

 

Hopi Elder Speaks

 

I’ve been holding on to this message from the Hopi elder, waiting for the right time.

This feels like a good time.

“You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour.  And there are things to be considered . . .

Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your Truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader.”

Then he clasped his hands together, smiled, and said, “This could be a good time!”

“There is a river flowing now very fast.  It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.  They will try to hold on to the shore.   They will feel they are torn apart and will suffer greatly.

“Know the river has its destination.  The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above water.   And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate.  At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, Least of all ourselves.  For the moment that we do,  our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.

“The time for the lone wolf is over.  Gather yourselves!  Banish the word struggle from you attitude and your vocabulary.  All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

— attributed to an unnamed Hopi elder

Hopi Nation, Oraibi, Arizona

…

The river is moving fast for me this week. I’m getting ready for a trip to see my grandchildren, heading into a bit of weather maybe, so prayers are welcome.  I’ll be driving to the NC mountains to pick up my son, then it’s on to Indianapolis. My son will be doing most of the driving. He reminded me he has ten years of experience driving in snow.

Angels, make our way clear and safe.

Sometimes, I’d rather be the lone wolf, staying close to home. But when I look around and see who is with me on this journey,  I see magic and meaning.  A decade ago, when my son was in his early twenties, he was physically and emotionally distant. For one year, he barely talked to me. Now, we enjoy each other’s company. I look forward to our time together.

Love still flourishes. Love carries the best kind of courage.

I feel a pull that I sometimes resist, but I’m going with it now, to the middle of the river where the water runs deep.  I remember that I’m a good swimmer and at home in the water.  It’s time to celebrate like a breaching whale, to keep my eyes open, my head above water, and let my heart go with the flow.

All waters – rivers, oceans, rain, and snow – have much in common. Just as we are more alike than different. It is time for each of us to find our sacred way and to see that our rivers connect.

Everyone belongs.

Healing River

New River State Park, Virginia

 

About 15 years ago, I was on my way to work and decided the pain in my chest was definitely worse than my usual acid reflux. So, instead of going to work, I drove to the urgent care place. (You don’t mess around with chest pain.) It was a couple weeks after my husband left. We’d been married for twenty years and I thought we would grow old together. My romantic heart was broken. After some tests, the PA on duty told me my actual heart was okay (medically). It was just acid reflux and stress causing my chest pain. In spite of medication, I had heartburn almost every day for the next year. I learned to live with it.

About a year or so after the urgent care visit, a friend asked me if I wanted to go camping near Galax, Virginia with her and her son. We took separate cars because she would not be staying as long. I followed in my car with my son, my daughter, and our golden retriever, Jesse. The drive took several hours with at least one hour crawling by at 25 miles per hour because of the road work. My friend made a sign with lipstick and had her son hold it up in the rear-view mirror to encourage us:

IT  WILL  BE  WORTH  IT !

The campsite was down the hill from a big, white house belonging to a friend of my friend. It wasn’t summer yet, so we had the area mostly to ourselves. I loved seeing  Jesse run off-leash through the field next to the river bank. The sparkling water was chilly, so he didn’t swim much, but he drank from the clear river whenever he felt thirsty. That first night, after watching the stars come out, I went to bed and listened to the song of the water dancing  over the rocks. I slept better than I had in a long time. The next day, I realized my acid reflux was gone! I had no heart burn the whole time we camped at the river.

I took this at our campsite near Galax, Va.

My acid reflux has returned from time to time, but ever since we camped at the river, it has been mild and infrequent – a signal my body gives me to let me know I’m too stressed and need to take time to relax.

 

Being Held and Throwing Rocks

Actions speak louder than words.

Loving Me, Too

It was one of those days. I felt overwhelmed to the point of tears, but had not cried in a months. Tears can be a good way to release tension, though that was not my plan. “I’m supposed to be strong,” according to the tape in my head that has played so long, I tend to believe it. Plus, I had so much to be thankful for! When I got home from work, I didn’t know whether to vent or to take a nap.

Then my dear husband asked how my day was, and the floodgates opened, releasing my tears as he held me.

There were years when no one held me when I cried. No one except God, that is. I imagined God holding me, and God did hold me, lovingly, for which I am eternally grateful.

Remembering I am forever loved by God always helps. 

But feeling physical…

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There’s Still Time!

 

 We thought we were too late

to catch the river sunset,

But you never know

What marvelous things

God is going to do

with the canvas of the sky,

or the journey of your life.

Photos by JoAnne Silvia, May 6, 2015