years come and go
with friends by the fire
mystery game
comfort food
charades
music
talk.
—
‘year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on,
with the wisdom that experience can instill in us.’
-hal borland
Jan1
a going on.
Category Archives: Life
Dec30
the four crows.
we were a formidable team
my two sisters
one friend
and i
an ad-hoc agency
fashioning ourselves
the finest of sleuths
solving crimes
righting wrongs
all around
our neighborhood
it was our job
our destiny
the four crows
walked the streets
the fields
the woods
went in old abandoned houses
from another time
looking for clues
to
crack puzzles
solve problems
imagined
and
created
as we
dreamed up
our cases
reading bits of discarded notes and lists
finding an empty pill bottle
asking a neighbor
where his wife was
as we hadn’t seen her recently
left a note
for a woman
who yelled at her adopted children
telling her she was too mean
we clearly
way overstepped our bounds
as detectives
sometimes
tend to do
all
in the pursuit of justice
in an attempt
to right wrongs
to restore balance
to keep peace
protect people
in a community
that didn’t know
they needed us
or that we were on the case
always looking out for them
in the most secret of ways
plainclothes
and
undercover
as a
murder of four crows
all under the age of 8
—
“the case called for plain, old-fashioned police leg work!”
― donald j. sobol, encyclopedia brown, boy detective
Dec29
one hundred.
following in the footsteps of some of my blogging friends
i’ve complied of list of 100(ish) of my favorite things.
writing down what comes to mind
in no particular order.
—
Green, especially apple and olive shades
Brainstorming creative ideas with others
Storytelling
Glitter
making collage art, books, cards
Miniatures
Special boxes and bags
garlands of flowers
A great pen
Handmade paper
Handwritten letters and cards
Beautiful postage stamps
Gifting
Tiny paintings
Writing on birch bark
Photographs and memory boxes
cozy cottages by the sea or in a meadow near the woods
Colors and patterns and textures mixed together
Writing on small scraps of paper
Pasta of any kind or shape with any sauce
Making fun food sculptures
Cadbury Carmello bars and eggs
S’mores made on the fire with burnt marshmallows
Fresh strawberry shortcake with warm homemade biscuits
Melted velveta and salsa dip
Taco Tuesday any night
Hot coffee with thick cream or Bailey’s
Soup!
Mini boxes of cereal – if I get the good ones and my sibs don’t fight me for them (flashback)
Family pets
Flamin’ hot Cheetos
Black Crows gumdrops
Leftovers for breakfast
Laughing babies
Babies and children
Fairies, Fairy Stories, and Fairy Houses
The messages in my fortune cookies
Sasquatch/jBig Foot legend
King Arthur legend
Wildflowers in a meadow
Animals, especially mini goats and donkeys, black face sheep, monkeys, cats, mini ponies
Ginkgo trees
Sitting outside at a tiny tea shop on a tiny island in Ireland
Seashores
The skies at dusk and dawn
Listening to live reggae music on the beach sitting at a table with a tropical drink with fresh fruit as the sun goes down in Jamaica
Seashells, rocks, branches, driftwood
Walking in the woods, by the warm water, on cool, soft sand
Flowers, flowers, flowers
Houseplants that can survive me
The early morning
Fresh snow with no footprints, the silence, the squeak
Autumn
Tidepools
Golden books, Children’s literature, all books
Spies and true crime
Vintage cookbooks
Learning new words in all languages
Alphabets
Real newspapers
Writing Conferences
Reading every book from authors I love
Kind gestures
Crying at movies
Laughing until I can’t help myself
Love
Small romantic gestures
Surprises and favors
Acts of service
Compassion and kindness
Honesty
Celebrating everything
Spotify, even if my list is embarrassing, i own it
Records
Dancing
Car singing
Music, so much music
Board games
Jigsaw Puzzles
Crossword Puzzles (NYT weekends)
Badminton and croquet in the yard
Movies of all kinds at the theater with buttered popcorn and smuggled-in candy
DVD’s
Docs/Art films/Indies/shorts/foreign films
Travel shows
Schitt’s Creek, Veep, The Office, especially British version
A live musical performance that engages the audience and moves my soul
My one and only joke – trying to remember it nd share it without messing up
Comedy
Visiting new places near and far
Old worn doors with character
Weathered furniture
Vine twined around old fences and growing up houses
Old bakeries, restaurants, dives, pubs
Going on quests
Mr. Rogers and Dolly Parton
Family and friends
Talking to strangers
The human story
My children and grandies, watching who they’re growing into
Original Jergen’s hand lotion, cherry almond
Lemon, vanilla, honey, cinnamon scents
Floating
Herbal Essence Shampoo, from my young hippie days, no longer the same
Being barefoot or in sandals
Soft sand, warm water
Parades
Soft clothing
Holding hands
Soft pillowy feathery mattress and covers that i can sink into
Weather from 65-75F
Falling asleep to the rain, hearing waves, or a fan if no natural noise
Sitting by a fire, feeling the heat and hearing the crackling sounds
Getting in my car and letting the heat soak in
Velvet
Old British sports cars
Being a part of the 4 Crows Detective Club when i was a child
Anything that’s not wool, a dentist, a clown, math, tech, or having to find my way somewhere
—
“seek out what magnifies your spirit.”
-maria popova
Dec28
whodunit?
hmmmmm….
no one is fessing up.
—
‘i didn’t do it.’
-mr. green, from ‘clue.’
—
‘it’s kind of part of human nature to want to know the truth or want to be in on the secret.
for stories that focus in on that – like whodunits – it’s easy to get into.’
-mirelle enos
Dec27
stored honey.
in a big old blue house near me by the river
one of my very first kindergarten students
from way back when
now grown
shares a creative studio
with other local artists
open for an art gallery gathering
so lovely to see their work
to see the artist my former student had become
only a matter of time
his creative eye and natural talent
’twas apparent way back when.
—
‘art is the stored honey of the human soul.’
-theordore dreiser, american novelist/journalist
Dec26
afternoon.
the afternoon after the night and then the morning spent celebrating.
—
‘the afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.’
~swedish proverb
Dec25
reindeer games.
nine kids and one dog in a christmas eve plank-off competition
cocoa the dog may have been the calm and cool winner.
—
“may your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter,
and every window open to great possibility.”
-mary anne radmacher
Dec24
wishing.
wishing you a holiday season filled with joy, wonder, and peace
beth
Dec21
A survivor’s story.
‘Surviving Sue’ is a compelling memoir written by the daughter of an extremely dysfunctional family matriarch, Sue. Sue stormed through life, loud and bold, without boundaries, fueled by mental illness and substance abuse. Through all that she endured, the author/daughter, Vicki Atkinson, found her way through one extremely challenging situation after another, with compassion, strength, wisdom, and a survival instinct.
While managing life with her mother, Sue, and advocating for her disabled sister, Lisa, Vicky became a licensed therapist, married, had a child, and carried on with her life as best she could. In spite of all she went through, Vicki came out the other end knowing that her mother Sue’s illness was not all that she was, she was also funny, an artist, and someone who loved to take on causes helping others.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone as an engaging read, and a master class in resilience, strength, and compassion for the human condition. With a will and a way, great things can be overcome. This is a memoir you will not soon forget.
—
This book is available for purchase from: www.eckhartzpress.com/shop/surviving-sue/
Kindle version available on: Amazon.com
—
”my mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive;
and to do so with some passion, some compassion,
some humor, and some style.’
-maya angelou
—
Dr. Vicki Atkinson, Consultant and author of “Surviving Sue”, Licensed Professional Counselor, Believer in People, Possibilities & Potential 😉
Vicki’s blog victoriaponders.com
Vicki’s podcast sharingtheheartofthematter.com
Source credits: ‘Surviving Sue’ by Dr. Vicki Atkinson, published by: Eckhart Press, Chicago, IL, USA, July 2023
Dec19
who you are.
so proud of my dear friend
breeda kelly miller
who had an idea
that grew
into her one-woman play
‘Mrs. Kelly’s Journey Home’
performed around the world
and
into a book by the same name
and
at long last
the airing of her play on *PBS this past monday.
where i had the pleasure of watching it on televsion with her
bravo, breeda kelly miller
your family would be so proud of you.
—
‘we all have different gifts so we all have different ways of saying to the world who we are.’
-fred rogers
—
Detroit PBS brings live theater back to TV Monday with “Mrs. Kelly’s Journey Home.” True stories of an Irish immigrant, brought to life by her Michigan daughter. Join Breeda Miller and me at intermission and after. On TV or online locally at https://www.detroitpbs.org/live-tv/wtvs-hdtv/ — Mon. 12/16, 8:00pm ET
I didn't have my glasses on.... 