April Showers (WC)

  

(April 30, 2023, Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearing Women, feast day of (above) Our Lady of Perpetual Help/Mother of God of the Passion Icon, of Our Lady of Africa, of Saint Onenn of Brittiany, Saint Marie of the Incarnation Guyart,  Saint Hildegard the Empress (Supporter of Saint Saint Lioba), Saint Sophia of Fermo, Blessed William Southerne, Blessed Dede Plani. On Jewish calendar, Count "Twenty-Five Days to the Omer" Tonight. Tonight also ushers in tomorrow's May Day celebration. Image from here.)

April Showers

…being my preference.

Joseph’s being May flowers.

April, from Latin aperire "to open",

mid-12c. replaces Old English Eastermonað–-

fertility goddess, or May flowers-to-be,

so between you and me,

spot an opportunity

for truce.

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by etymology of “April” ; From Lisa Freedman’s BreathReadWrite, April 30, 2023.

How the Garden Grows (WC)

  

(April 19, 2023, Orthodox Bright Wednesday, and feast day of Our Lady of Lyons and of (above) Saint Emma of Saxony. On Jewish calendar today: Omer Day 13, Jericho's Wall Collapses (1273 BC) and Rebbe's Call (1991). Image from here.)

How the Garden Grows

[We] carry within us

an orchard…

–Li-Young Lee

and if hours be flowers

are minutes the powers 

for their bloom? If so

step slow 

into this 

one,

turn to Joseph, says

a good life it’s

             good food,

              friends, 

                flowers

and that problems, like petals,

you cup them in your hands 

turn them upside down,

they drop into God’s hands–-

new fruit then, in

good season.

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by etymology of “flower”, and by “Flowers” by Cynthia Zarin and “From Blossoms” by Li-Young Lee. From Lisa Freedman's BreatheReadWrite, April 19, 2023.

Weathering (WC)

  

(April 5, 2023, eve of Passover, and feast day of Our Lady of Moulins, Kasperov Icon of the Mother of God, and of Saint Vincent Ferrer, Saint Maria Crescentia Hoss, Blessed Saturnina Rodriguez de Zavilia, Blessed Juliana of Mount Cornillon, Saint Catherine of Palma and Saint Ethelburga of Lyminge. Jewish calendar today commemorates Maimonides born (1134) and the afternoon Passover Offering in Temple times. Image from here.)

Weathering

(Alsea, Oregon, April 5, 2023)

Showers this morning.

Sigh of relief (this from I),

deflated moan (this from Joseph)--

till he sees his pals in the garden

so green and spry. ”Well I do like 

when it rains off and on”, Joseph 

decides, “washes, freshens 

it all”.

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by etymology of “shower”; from Lisa Freedman’s BreathReadWrite, April 4, 2023.

April Fools Day, 2023

  

(April 1, 2023, April Fool's Day, and feast day of Our Lady of Tears (Sicily), the Laudation of the Virgin Icon of the Mother of God, and Saint Mary of Egypt. Jewish calendar commemorates the passing of Matriarch Miriam (1274 BC) and Isrealites Cross Jordan (1273 BC). Image from here.) 

April Fools Day, 2023

being it’s time to touch these walls now,

smooth wood here it’s really a cabin, outdoor mountains 

ring with friendliest of folk. You can sense them come 

night or some mornings—like this one. Joseph laughs at the 

mourning dove I imagine graces his head, as he ambles back

inside, saying "why not?"

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by excerpt from “The Test of Fantasy” by Joanne Kyger; from Lisa Freedman’s BreathReadWrite, April 1, 2023. 

Joseph's Hiking Photos, 2021 and 2022 (JM)

  

Alsea Pass Summit going east , 2021, Benton County, Oregon

Mountains around Alsea, 2021, Benton County, Oregon

Mary's Wayside, light snow, 2021, Benton County, Oregon

 

Mary's Wayside, Path to Secret Garden, 2022, Benton County, Oregon

Mountain view skyward, Alsea Wayside 2022, Benton County, Oregon

Old growth Douglas Fir, Alsea Mountain, 2022, Benton County, Oregon

Mary's Peak Summit, 2022, Benton County, Oregon

OK (WC)

 

(January 26, 2023, feast day of Our Lady of Atocha/Long Fields, and of Saint Polycarp, Saint Paula of Rome and Saint Torgith of Barking. Image from here.)

OK*

and it will be-- 

through every Opportunity

        for Kindness

*In memory of Lana, in hopes of carrying on her legacy of kindness.

Quaking (WC)

(January 12, 2023, 6th day of Christmas (Eastern Orthodox, old calendar), and feast day of the Virgen de Guadalupe (festival), Saint Marguerite Bourgeous (above), Saint Tatiana of Rome, Saint Benedict Biscop, Saint Caesaria of Arles, and Blessed Lucia of Valcaldara.)

Quaking

 (n.) meaning ‘fear and reverence’

especially in religion is attested from mid-14c.

–etymonline

1964 earthquake turns tidal wave , southcentral Alaska,

A friend of ours, ex senator, world traveler, remembers:

“Now how can I make money out of this?” he’d said, he’d did. 

As my Joseph catches my eye, silent in this conversation,

“Now how can I help?”, he’d have said, he’d have done. 

In partners I chose well, thinks I.