Poetry Friday: Then & Now

Poetry Friday round-up Kathryn @ Kats Whiskers

On my way home tonight I stopped at a former colleague’s house to return a baby backpack I had borrowed over the winter break for my visiting 9 month-old grand-nephew. My colleague and I hadn’t see each other for a number of months, so I came inside for a few minutes to visit and see his family. He and his wife have two of the cutest redheaded boys in the world, and it had been quite a while since I had seen them. They are now 4 and 2, so it was fun to chat and catch up.

Watching the chaos of a home with two busy little boys caused me to remember what our house once looked like and sounded like when my husband and I were deep in the weeds of raising our four daughters. Almost empty-nesters now, it has been many years since our evenings were anything like I witnessed tonight. I took it all in.

On my drive home, I couldn’t help but remember all of the crazy, demanding aspects of being a parent of young children. The constant chatter that seemed endless, the never-ending request for my attention, and what seemed like ceaseless piles of dirty dishes and laundry demanding my attention every.minute.of.the.day.

Tonight in the quiet of my kitchen, I began comparing my then with my now, and found a poem come to life.

Then…
Dinnertime chaos buzzing with conversations
of everyone’s highs and lows of the day

Now…
Dinnertime calm for two (sometimes three) at the kitchen island,
scrolling on our phones, reflecting on the day’s events

Then…
Bedtime baths, jammies & stories
running, squealing, chasing down the hall

Now…
Bedtime texts, Instagram, Snapchat check-ins
savoring a book of my choice, dogs at my feet

Then…
Middle of the night bad dreams,
slipping in between mom & dad for comfort

Now..
Middle of the night curfew checks,
a gentle whisper in my ear, “I’m home, mom”

Then…
Demanding.
Exhausting.

Now…
Quiet.
Sometimes all too quiet.

 

Poetry Friday: #OneWord2019 acrostic

Join us with Sylvia at Poetry for Children for other link ups!

It’s that time of year again. Time to choose my one word that I will keep at the forefront of my thoughts, my decisions, and my actions in the year ahead.

I posted here in more detail about how I chose my #OneWord2019. Today I will share a fun acrostic poem that illustrates my OneWord: boredom.

Balance, I need you. Help me with this

Obsessive addiction to my smartphone..by

Resetting my brain I hope to

Experience greater productivity & creativity

Deliberately daydreaming to seek solitude where

Original ideas can surface

Mind wandering is magic.

Spiritual Journey First Thursday: #OneWord2019

Welcome, 2019! Last year I chose and blogged about my first #OneWord – Intent. I wanted to take better control of my ability to spin many plates. This talent was often at the expense of giving greater focus not only to my work or task at hand, but the people and relationships in my life.

As I reflect on 2018, I did my best to keep my One Word at the forefront of my work and personal life, and can recall making deliberate choices in many instances to be more intentional. On the whole, I would probably rate my success a 3 out of 5 .

If I am being completely honest, I don’t know that I will ever fully perfect being more intentional; I have to acknowledge that I am naturally wired to take on multiple projects, and even at times look for more to take on. It is not uncommon for me to find myself, and/or put myself in a place where I have a handful of things on a To-Do list. Being without something that is demanding my attention is just not how I naturally roll.

Which, interestingly, brings me to my One Word for 2019… Boredom. Last month I blogged about the subject, completely on a whim, with no further thought on the topic. Shortly after I stumbled upon and ordered the book Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self by Manoush Zomorodi. The premise of her book is that excessive cell phone use, including our attachment to social media, detracts our brains from opportunity to wander, and it’s in the wandering that greater creativity and productivity can spring to life.

Zomorodi isn’t anti-technology, but instead presents the argument for a balanced approach to our use of technology. She contends that pulling back from our screens may open up more space in our lives for creative thinking. I am still in the early chapters of her book, but already have made a few adjustments on my phone as well as in my daily use of social media apps. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have relocated to the back page where those pesky notification numbers can’t entice me to just check in and clear them (and half an hour later, I’m still mind-numbingly scrolling, scrolling, scrolling). For me, out of sight is out of mind when it comes to the draw of these time sucking platforms. I want to make better use of my time, and discover if what she says is true.

As I contemplate the year ahead, I consider what creative endeavors might be waiting to spring forth. Will I blog more frequently? Write more poetry? It remains to be seen. For now, I will simply begin by making a few deliberate changes in the things that are over-occupying my attention (i.e., mindless time spent on social media) in hopes of discovering more meaningful activities that stem from a more creative place.

2019…the best is yet to come!

 

SOL: White Christmas, Where Are You?

Sitting so close to Christmas here in Montana, we are still waiting for the landscape to look like Christmas. When I was a little girl, we were well into winter by Thanksgiving; ice skating at the local pond, and skiing at Big Mountain. As an adult, however, the pond rarely freezes over before Christmas, and we are lucky if opening day on the mountain happens by the early teens of December.

It just doesn’t feel like Christmas is in only a week! I am still fighting my kindergartners to keep their coats on at recess, despite the 30 degree temperatures. Don’t get me wrong though – I welcome the respite from the on-again/off-again of all the snow gear that literally steals 15+ minutes of instructional time over the school day once there is snow on the ground!

I wonder what it feels like to experience Christmas in a snow-less climate. How do people reconcile singing “Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!” when there is no snow on the ground for a sleigh? Don’t kids in sunny Arizona miss “Jack Frost nipping at their nose?” as their mom smears sunscreen on their face before they go out the door? I think I would be greatly dismayed on Christmas Eve to peer out my window and see a family riding bikes together instead of dragging their sleds behind them on their way to the golf course to go sledding.

What is the Christmas landscape looking like in your neck of the woods this year?

 

Poetry Friday: ‘Tis the Season

Thank you to Laura Shovan for hosting Poetry Friday. Head over to her blog for a beautiful wintry poem that is sure to get you in the mood for Old Man Winter to come knocking at your door. If you live where I am in northwest Montana, you are getting rather impatient with his late arrival this year. My skis are in the basement waiting for an upheaval in the mild winter weather we have had thus far. My last check of the forecast isn’t looking good…to even consider that we wouldn’t have a white Christmas is unthinkable.

This brings me to my poem for today. Christmas and all of its hustle & bustle is upon us all. The Christmas cards went out this week, but I am still trying to whittle down my gift giving list. I just haven’t had it in me to brave the mall or box stores with list in hand, but instead have found myself shopping primarily online. Sipping a cup of hot coffee with my laptop and a dog on my lap is a far more pleasant shopping experience than scouring parking lots, fighting crowded store aisles, and enduring painfully long checkout lines.

How is your shopping coming along thus far?

SOL: I Don’t Remember The Last Time I Was

….bored.

I am my father’s daughter. Type A. Driven. Focused. Plate-spinner extraordinaire.

When I walk in the door at the end of my day, my mind is already thinking of what needs to be done next. Dinner prep? Empty the dishwasher? Perhaps finish something left undone at school; sift through a bulging e-mail inbox, research and/or prep for a lesson tomorrow? I don’t typically come home and sit down, but instead most often find myself on a trajectory of completing task after task until it is time to get ready for bed.

I can recall in my early 20s while working in the business world that my evenings were an open book. I left my work at the office (S-H-O-C-K-E-R!) and could do whatever I wanted when I got home each day. I didn’t have children back then, so for the most part, this down time centered around Must-See-TV until it was time for bed. I can actually say that honestly, I experienced boredom a lot in those days.

Fast forward 20 years, a husband, and four children later, my life today looks nothing like those years. The hectic demands of teaching don’t often allow me to leave work at work, and our home requires more of my attention than that tiny 800 square foot apartment ever did. But the person I am thrives in this place; I enjoy the fast pace and the multiple demands of my focus and energy.

But Christmas break is looming…. I am beginning to visualize myself in a more relaxed state of being. Our adult children won’t be home this year, so meal planning and house preparation will be nill, which thankfully, I welcome! I am making plans now for sleeping in, for slower paced days, for simple dinners, and for savoring a little more down time with nothing demanding my attention.

When was the last time you were bored?

Thank you to the dedicated team of teacher writers at Two Writing Teachers who open this space for others to share their Slice of Life each week. Click below to peruse a Slice or two!

SOL: The Season of Sweets

A fun side gig I have is that of a fudge maker at a local historic soda fountain and candy shop here in our little town. My two youngest daughters started working there as soda jerks early in high school, and two summers ago I joined them. Last spring I was asked to take over fudge production in addition to working part time in the restaurant alongside my girls and the other teenager crew.

The process of fudge making is such fun! I can be as creative as I like, and all executive decision making is in my hands when it comes to what kinds I will make. Praline Crunch, Maple Walnut, Tiger Butter, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel, Rocky Road….any mouths watering yet?

Sunday I poured over my recipes, carefully choosing Christmas fudge that would be good sellers. At 7:00am I turned on the kettle, and hard to believe, but seven hours later, I stood back admiring all 20 pans of confectionary delight! It was a sight to behold.

My two favorites: Red Velvet Christmas Truffle & White Chocolate Candy Cane Crunch

What does your sweet tooth crave during the holiday season?