Who'd-a-Thunk...

...that I was such a deep and insightful child!  Below are two poems I wrote, requested by Mom for a friend who is dying from cancer.  I completely - COMPLETELY - forgot I'd written one of them! 

enjoy.

“Parting Wisdom”

by Melinda Johnson
1993

I want to say something to all of you
Who have become a part
Of the fabric of my life:

The color and texture
Which you have brought into my being
Have become a song
And I want to sing it forever.

There is an energy within us that makes things happen
When the paths of others’ touch ours
And we have to be there
And let it happen.

When the time of our particular sunset comes
Our things, our accomplishments
Won’t matter a great deal.
It’s the clarity and care
With which we have loved others
That will speak with vitality
Of the great gifts we have given in life,
And the gifts we have been for each other.
---

“You”

by Melinda Johnson
15 March 1995

You made a difference
In my life
And it cannot go unnoticed.
The way you came and touched my heart;
I must say “Thank you.”

You have taught me so much
Of what there is to learn,
I feel like I owe my life to you.
I just wish you could stay with me forever
And we will never be apart…

But everyone has their time on Earth,
So let us make the best of ours.
I hope you do, I know I will.

And after the clock has stopped,
You shall stay with me forever
For you entered my heart; my home
And you left your footprints on my floor,
And there they have stayed.

365 Days, 185 Photos Later...

November 17th 2009, Stanley entered my life.  His adoption date is his "birthday", and my baby turns 4 today!  These pictures are from the first night I brought him home... what an adventure he's been on!  Over the last year, he lost his old family, found me, and we moved to a new house 2 months later.

The best decision I ever made. 

Love that dog of mine!

Fall (a progressive poem)

rustling, crackling, cracking... rustling, crackling, cracking, shuffle-shuffle... rustling, crackling, cracking, shuffle-shuffle-- Stanley, COME ON! (the sounds of the dog playing in the mounds of dried leaves on the ground mixed with me dragging my feet through & kicking them up into the air) It was a good -BUT COLD- evening walk.

Around the World in 80 Days

... well, it may take a little more than 80 days...

Lots of trips that I want to plan, only one that's definately happening right now.  In April I will be going to San Francisco to get my Italian Citizenship. *squeel of delight* I am so excited for this!  It pays a huge tribute to my grandmother, and gets me an EU passport.  This should make international travel MUCH easier.

Where else do I want to go?  In no particular order:

Ireland
Norway
England
Spain
Italy
Greece
Australia/New Zeland
New Orleans LA
Chicago IL
New York NY
Boston MA
Washington DC
Disneyland is somewhere in there.  I told Alice that we'd go together- she's never been.  Wouldn't it be great if we could get a whole slew of choir folks to head down?  It'd take me back to memories of high school choir, when we sang our way through the Happiest Place on Earth.

I'll throw Cuba in there, as a dream.  I don't know that it will be anywhere near safe, but it's still a place I would love to go. 

*sigh*  Money & time.  The two things that are most definately necessary for my travel plans to even begin to take place.  This means that- for now- San Fran is the only realistic plan in my near future.  Perhaps Disneyland.  I really want to make Ireland happen soon though... within the next few years.  gonna have to work on that.

Once Upon a Time...

In a condo not-so-far-away, the first post on this blog, the blog to which I now pour out my heart & soul, was posted three years ago this Friday; November 5th, 2007, I posted the Introduction. 

How much has changed since then?  I'm not sure yet... My friend Sara and I unknowingly started our blogs 5 days apart- too funny!- but her favorite posts are much more exciting than mine, trust me.

It feels like I've been blogging forever!  People laugh, say it's silly, roll their eyes, but you know what, I don't necessarily write it for you.  I write it for me.  You don't have to read it if you don't want to. 

hmmm.... me thinks I'm a little bit surley right now... perhaps I should post more when I'm in a better mood.