Tuesdays Tunes: What is the Hit Song?

Let's pretend that this picture is an album cover (remember those days when we collected albums?), and I invite you to think of a song title to go along with the picture. Are you ready to play along and be a songwriter for a minute or two? Album titles are welcome too :)

Visit Dani to see more wonderful photography.

Thursdays Haiku: Featured Post Winner

Congratulations Kathy on the winning contribution!

bare limbed gateway
stone path cut into beyond
whispers of ancients

Visit Dani to see more wonderful photography.

Fridays Poetry

Visit Dani to see more of her amazing photography.

Thursdays The

Visit Dani to see more wonderful photography.

Fridays Poetry

Visit Dani to see more wonderful photography.

Thursdays The: Featured Post Winner

Dani, thank you for sharing this memory and photo!

The sight was quite unexpected. My husband and I were walking along on the trail, minding our own business, when we thought the trail curved and crossed the water. But as we followed this false trail, we ran straight into a bunch of shrubbery and a big brown furry face munching away on them. At first I froze, remembering how moose can charge you unexpectedly. I backed off, but then decided that instead of backing off completely, I would hide near a tree and get out my camera. The creature looked straight at me. It was a moment I'll never forget.


Visit Dani to see more wonderful photography.

Thursdays The: Featured Post Winner

Congratulations alchemy16 for the winning contribution.

The world sits on a canopy,
Of yet another world
And so it goes in a infinite loop.
When I wake up to sunshine,
I don't always feel it,
I don't always know it..
But I haven't got too far
Before I've realized that we're sitting on dominoes,
And its only matter of time,
Before we fall and our tucked into the infinity loop.


Visit Dani to see more wonderful photography.

Mondays Meme: Featured Post Winner

Congratulations Morganna - Great contributions!

A little girl
Staying up late
In the dark

The show begins
Boom! Boom! Startling
A little girl

Bundled in a jacket
Watching the beautiful lights
Staying up late

The show is over
Pile in the car to go home
In the dark.
----------------------
I loved going to the fireworks shows when I was little. It always seemed such a huge treat. And where I grew up, the weather was unpredictable, so the show was sometimes canceled due to wind or rain, so it seemed even more special when we actually got fireworks.


Visit Dani for more of her photos.

Thursdays The: Featured Post Winner

Thank you Dani for this wonderful contribution and beautiful photo!

The day she was to meet me, I sat alone and waited. I waited longer then was necessary for me to know she wouldn't come. It was our place and I didn't want to be anywhere else anyway. I'm sure she had a good excuse. I just contented myself among the happy glowing faces that surrounded me and started to notice every little detail. The puffy clouds slowly traveled along in the blue sky and I imagined a race going on between that fat one and its more slender counterpart. The daisies nodded their heads above me as I laid on my back in the green. Would she ever come? Their little yellow faces surrounded by white seemed to nod in agreement. Their friendly voices whispered in the breeze and I thought for a moment that I understood why she's always liked them so much. I watched as the puffy fat cotton withered slowly away next to his slender partner and they didn't seem to be racing anymore. They came closer as if to embrace and I longed for an embrace like that one. I glanced at my watch again and knew she wouldn't be coming this late. Oh well, I guess. It's been a nice afternoon spent alone this time.


Visit Dani to see more wonderful photography.

Monday's Meme

Congrats Don on your winning contribution. It was so heartfelt and the end tore at my heart a little. Thanks for sharing!

Looking at the children's feet it's nice to see them pre-formed: toes tucked under toes.

I'm reminded first of my own toes, some very shy, peeking out from behind their brothers.

I'm also reminded of shoes I've discarded. Not my own, but those of my first wife, now gone almost 14 years.

Funny the things that trigger memories: embedded on the leather insoles of a pair of sandals, the imprint of her crooked toes.

I knew the girl that went with those feet... once upon a time.


View more of Dani's photos in her gallery.

Tuesdays Tale: Featured Post Winner

Congrats to both winners! I simply COULD NOT CHOOSE this week! Seriously, you guys are great! So, here's a beautiful poem by Dina:

I cannot wrap it
shiny gold -
I can't even box it
for you to hold
I penned the words now ruined
by rain
I'll sing them for you
if you sit with me again.
My garden of work
tended for you -
Gifts of green
through the dirt, poking through.
Wait awhile and you will see
my gift of growth,
full of earthly beauty.

And a bit of a heartfelt moment by septembermom:

"She always likes sparkly wrap," Miranda remembered as she carefully adjusted that shiny metallic bow. After a last look in the mirror, Miranda grabbed the present and walked down her parents' familiar hallway to her grandma's room. She couldn't believe that three years had passed since she saw her favorite Scrabble partner. Miranda learned so much about her place in this world from her time with the mission in Sri Lanka. With a maturity and confidence gained from hard work and sacrifice, Miranda was not the same young, giggling girl that reluctantly waved goodbye to her family. Now she felt like the woman that her grandma always told her was inside waiting to "show her stuff." Miranda couldn't stop those tears as she opened the bedroom door. Arms outstretched, her grandma said, "Wow! That must be some souvenir." Miranda just smirked knowing that grandma would love the photo album filled with her memories of Sri Lanka. Someday, Miranda would include these pictures in a book about her experiences. Her grandma's smiling face would also be prominently shared on the dedication page. That frail, bedridden woman gave Miranda the strength to find her path in life.

See more photos from Dani

Fridays Poetry: Featured Post Winner

Thank you Dani for writing such beautiful words to accompany this lovely photograph. Well done!

Blue skies
green grass
and spots of
color
dot along the field

Come closer

A soft sound
of green grass
pulled from
the roots
out of soft
dirt
with the movement
of velvet lips and
the soft padding
of hooves

Even closer

Head lifting
eyes sparkling
like deep
pools of
dark water
reflecting my face
with a wise
expression

Hand touches a
smooth warm
surface
of light gray
and strokes-
already we are
friends

Visit Dani to see more of her wonderful photography.

Tuesdays Tale

Congrats to septembermom for her winning contribution! I hope we get more entries for this week's Tuesdays Tale! Don't be afraid, everyone! Write to your heart's content! I'm looking for many entries this time!

"I feel like I should be a Charlotte Bronte heroine stumbling through these rocks," complained Fiona as she followed her brother into nowhere. "Do you ever just go with it?" her brother Marcus teased. "Lucky for you that I lost that bet. I would gladly have traded this excursion for a long soak in the tub," winked Fiona.

Marcus stopped suddenly and grabbed Fiona's hand. "Look at that horizon. This is where Dad used to take me just after the divorce." Fiona couldn't help but feel jealous considering she never had those kind of connection moments with her dad. "Great, thanks for sharing," Fiona pouted back.

"No, Fiona, you need to know something. This place can be special for you too. Dad liked to think of himself as a songwriter. He only shared that piece of him here when we would sit and soak in the day's beauty together. Do you know how many times he would stare off into the horizon singing, "My Angel Fiona"? Dad may have seemed hard on the outside, but remember that he was human and made mistakes."

Fiona wanted to forget what her father did to their mother. How could she? In her heart, she knew that Marcus gave her a gift bringing her to a spot where her father's love and tenderness was expressed. She didn't feel it directly as a girl. Maybe now that he was gone, she could try to find him out here and let forgiveness stay with her awhile.

See more photos by Dani here and here.

Tuesdays Tale: Featured Post Winner

Congratulations Christine, as your simple and tender words have won today's featured post:

One eye to see,

One hand to perch on.

One heart to love me,

That's all I need.

I was also really touched by Dani's contribution...so full of Truth ♥

Visit Dani at deviantART to see more of her special finds in life.

Fridays Poetry

Well, looky here....Dani has won the featured post today to accompany her super wise owl. Congratulations Dani, your words just danced their way into my heart...

Peace of mind

on a perch

in the branches

green

Rest and quiet

under speckles

of the sun-rays'

gleam

Gently rise

from the dreams

into the capture's

care

Lens aimed steady

Calmly shooting

Click

Forever there

Visit Dani to see more beautiful photos!

Tuesdays Tale: Featured Post Winner

Congratulations Scriptor Senex for your winning contribution this week. It was a difficult choice - thank you all for your lovely writing!

I’d always wanted to find where I belonged. I wanted to feel part of a group. I’d joined all sorts of things in the hope of getting that ‘at home’ feeling among others. But it had never worked. I’d dropped out of the Gilbert and Sullivan group because my singing wasn’t up to their standard; I’d only been to a couple of Butterfly Conservation meetings before realising they were all too scientifically minded for me; and so the list grew as time went on.
Now I was hanging back from the rambling group. I had at last discovered what I really wanted to do. I wanted to be on my own; go at my own pace and take my pleasures where I chose. Goodbye group. I’ve found myself.



Visit Dani's gallery to view more of her photos!

Fridays Poetry: Featured Post Winner

Congratulations to septembermom for her winning contribution:

Braids bouncing in air
that girl of play awakened
to find nature's bounty
in that family of feathers.

No greater treasure
would hold her eyes
as she whispered
her vow to protect.

Joy filled her cheeks
as she skipped to Mama
declaring with pride
her delicate discovery.


Visit Dani for more inspiring photos like this.

Tuesdays Tale: Featured Post Winner

Congratulations to Laurie for her winning contribution:

Joe always tried too hard. He never seemed to fit in. As they sat on the bench in the school yard, Joe turned to Mike and asked "Do you think if I smoke this, I'll be as cool as you two?"



Visit Dani to see more inspiring photos like this.