Five Cold Toes (Trifextra Challenge)

37 Comments

It lurks waiting for food,

never hiding behind a rock.

It has a certain penchant,

for neither pants nor frock.

It waits patiently in my dryer,

taking no more than a single sock.

socks

~

Written for the weekend Trifextra Challenge – It’s now time for some Trifextra fun. Thirty years ago, Roald Dahl published the book Dirty Beasts, a collection of poems for children about weird and wonderful animals. The last poem, however, is called The Tummy Beast about a boy who thinks there’s someone living in his belly. Your Trifextra challenge is to write 33 words on a beast in an unusual place. No swamps or forests or caves, we really want you to take your beast out of its comfort zone

Cherish love – WordCloud Wednesday

15 Comments

Another fun challenge at We poets show it – If you want to take the WordCloud Challenge – use only the words in the WordCloud Picture to create your masterpiece. Post your work either as a comment or if you write it on your blog feel free to post the link as a comment.

word cloud

Cherish Love

Painful past moments hold time,

loosely script tomorrow, uncertain.

Colorful future dreams includes hues,

decorated, knowing love.

Cherish tomorrow,

 hold dreams knowing tomorrow includes painful moments,

includes uncertain future, includes love.

Ponder dreams,

soul knowing script.

Cherish tomorrow.

Cherish love.

Don’t rain on my parade

7 Comments

You get the sensation – the sudden feeling of elation.  The world seems to rotate on an axis to simply line all of your stars in the perfect cosmic placement.  The sky seems to be saturated with a deeper hue of blue, the air seems crisper and more full of promise than you ever remember and you find yourself smiling for no particular reason.  Things are finally going your way.

And then it happens.  One person, and it only ever takes one, says something to make you doubt the happiness that you are feeling and that balloon of contentment bursts.  Random pieces of that blissful moment lay in tatters at your feet, the skies mottle and the heavens open up to rain on your parade.

It’s a perverse world we live in when we can let others dictate what should make us happy.  The moments that cause us to smile uncontrollably should be locked in a private vault, only to be shared with precious few that will understand the true feelings behind that blissful expression.   True happiness is a rare discovery and those that are fortunate to have found it should not have that perception marred by the opinions of anyone other than themselves.

Your steadfast belief in what truly makes you happy cannot be argued – by anyone.  It is your head, it is your heart and it is your soul that leads you to true euphoria.  Always carry an umbrella, and don’t let anyone rain on your parade.

Stage Six of Seven

29 Comments

img-seniors-hands-typing-at-keyboard

My fingers hover over the keyboard.  I can’t remember why.   I look at unfamiliar walls.  If I was meant to type my name they will be sorely disappointed.  I don’t know that either.

~

Written for the Trifextra Weekend Challenge – I am terrified of losing the ability to coax words and memories from my brain.  Alzheimer’s Disease scares me to death.

(On now to our quick little Trifextra prompt.  Katherine Paterson, author of  Bridge to Terabithia, wrote, “It’s like the smarter you are, the more
things can scare you.”  We are looking for a 33-word explanation of what scares
you (or your character).  We already know you’re intelligent, so, according to
Paterson, you should have no shortage of potential subject matter.)

(image credit: wiserusability.com)

Guess my name – Trifextra Challenge

16 Comments

His eyes had sinister charm and I was drawn to him.  He was precisely my type.  I was pleased to meet him but he would be like the others.  No names were exchanged.

***

Written for the Trifextra weekend challenge –

This week we’re asking for 33 of your own words inspired by this classic song by The Rolling Stones.  Good luck!

Add your link here!

– See more at: http://www.trifectawritingchallenge.com/#sthash.9qsmxueq.dpuf

All for one and one for all

3 Comments

Working in a team environment every day should make you realize that you are only as good as the team you have surrounding you.  Being in a leadership role, no matter how confident you are, will only take you so far without acknowledging the many people who follow your lead and give their all for that team.

I am fortunate to work with a great group of people.  Their true dedication to performing their jobs to the best of their ability makes my job that much easier.  Sure we all have days that we would prefer to be anywhere else but the struggles we face, we face together.  And that common bond makes us that much stronger of a team.

We face the hardships together, we jump in where we are needed and we all seem to strive for the same goal.  Those things alone would be enough of a recipe for success but we are fortunate to enjoy a sense of camaraderie along the way and infuses our day with laughter and a true sense of friendship.  Some days are more of a struggle than others to keep our heads above water and come out at the end of the day with a smile on our faces but somehow we bounce back.

I salute my team members – each and every one of them.   Your true dedication through a crazy hospitality season is something to be admired and you make it easy for me to come to work every day.

I hope that everyone reading this takes the time to thank the people who contribute to the success of their daily life, whether it be co-workers, friends or family.  A team is  team regardless of its inception.  Take the time to thank the people who live, support or work with you and make sure that their efforts do not go unrecognized.   It is the combination of the team effort that measures the height of the level of success.

Back in the swing of things

19 Comments

“Golf can best be defined as an endless series of tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle.” ~ Author unknown

The Rock

(image credit:  therockgolf.com)

After an almost two-year hiatus, I have begun to reintroduce myself to the game of golf over the last couple of weeks.  The hiatus was unintentional – my life was a roller coaster and reality seemed to keep getting in the way.

Before my absence on the course, every day off was spent chasing that little white ball around for four hours.  The thing I truly enjoy about golf, apart from the breathtaking scenery and communion with nature is the fact that the only real competition on the course is myself.  Sure, there may be some side bets with my golf partners, but the only thing I am really trying to beat is my last score.

Last week I put the clubs in the car and met up with some friends.  We went to the course by boat and the day was stunning.  The picture above couldn’t be a better indication of what we experienced since that is the course we played. (I birdied this hole yesterday!)

Although my game is not as proficient as it was two years ago, my muscle memory is making it easier to pick up where I left off.   Each time I swing a club it feels more familiar and comfortable than the swing before.

Being back in the office today and looking at another gorgeous day through the window is tough, but at least I know I’ll have a few more games before the snow flies.  Why didn’t I start this in the spring?

Pity party….table for one

5 Comments

We all have those moments where life’s proverbial bullies gang up on us and we shrivel into a ball and feel sorry for ourselves. We become so overwhelmed with negative things that our mechanism for coping pops a few springs and lays useless at our feet.  But self pity is like a rocking chair…..it gives you something to do, but it really gets you nowhere.  (Thank you, Van Wilder, for that gem of wisdom)

Still, sometimes it is difficult to pull ourselves out of that funk and move into a more positive realm.  Self pity can be all-encompassing.  Once we let it into our mind, it takes root and wraps itself deeply into the soil of our emotions.  When something comes along to crush our spirit, every bad thing that follows seems to compound that helpless feeling and we begin to lose our buoyancy in a churning sea of despair.

We tend to be pessimistic and convince ourselves that more bad karma will follow when instead we should be sending out positive thoughts to get back that affirming energy.  We need to rethink the whole picture and realize that the small obstacles that have presented themselves do not define the rest of our lives. Our emotions become exaggerated and self-indulgent and we tend to ignore the rest of the world still revolving around us.

We need to make a pact with ourselves to not indulge in that obsessive behaviour.  Gratitude and self-pity are bitter enemies.  If we take time from our “pity party” to think about all the things we should be grateful for, eventually the affirmations of all the good in our lives will counter-balance the scales.

Every negative occurrence in our lives can be seen as an opportunity to learn from that experience.  Instead of wallowing in a mire of self-pity, step back for a moment and realize that the positive things in your life far outweigh the negative aspects.  Put an end to that pity party, get a good night’s sleep, and start the next day with a new outlook.  You’ll be amazed what a new attitude will bring.

Now leaving your comfort zone…please fasten your seatbelt

10 Comments

This post was inspired by this post.  Thanks Guap for getting the wheels turning again!

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” ~ Neale Donald Walsch

Risk and reward.  Two words that represent how life really begins when you take that chance and step off the ledge of your comfort zone.  Life in a safety bubble is just that, safe.   No adventure tale every begins with the lead character being stuck in the confines of their comfort zone.   With risk comes adventure and the potential for really harnessing an energy that you never knew existed.

We create and shape our comfort zone for a reason.  It brings us the solace that we crave.  But frequent trips outside of that comfort zone can open up a world of possibilities and give us a sense of freedom.  It can allow us the opportunity to perceive things about ourselves that we never would have otherwise discovered.  And it doesn’t have to begin with a great leap of faith.  Small changes in our routine can lead to a monumental swing in our level of acceptance and can eventually increase the size of our comfort zone.

It is a given that stepping out of that comfort zone will lead to some anxiety and discomfort but the small pains we face to grow our experience will be well worth the gains we appreciate on the other side of the journey.  We need to re-wire the built-in mechanism that regulates our level of apprehension when it comes to trying something new.

Change is frightening but change is also cathartic.  Real personal growth can only occur if we allow ourselves the opportunity to expand our horizons, to go beyond the constraints with which we bind ourselves.  Reaching beyond that level of comfort will allow us the chance to gain more confidence and gain a sense of power from our attempt to evolve.

Take that first step towards the ledge, and then take another.  Slowly you will gain the confidence and know that the precipice that faces you is not as daunting as you first thought.  The fear that you embrace can only hold you back from finding out what awaits you once you take that plunge.  Perhaps the thing that scared you the most will hold the key to you truly feeling like you can conquer the world.

Chime of death: 7:00 pm – 100 word challenge

10 Comments

The ticking of a clock incessantly echoed through the house, but where did the noise come from?  She lived alone since the divorce and the only clock she owned was on her phone.  Her bare feet made no sound on the hardwood floors as she stealthily crept from room to room, seeking the source of the mysterious disquiet.  The ticking grew louder and, as she entered the bedroom, the blast hit her before she could see the illuminated time on the device.

He waited across the street in his parked car.  Their divorce would not give her the final say.

***

Written for the 100 Word Challenge.   I love finding new challenges!!   If you haven’t seen this one already – give it a try!