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Saturday, January 9, 2021

Morning Glory

Morning comes slowly.

With a glancing turn of the earth

light, through cloudy skies, spills 

liquid gold onto the horizon

waking the world to blue or gray 

white powder puffs or streaking, stretching clouds ~ 

horsetails my father told me.


When morning comes

the artist paints with sun-rays, 

textures with shadow.


Morning comes slowly ~

cold, moist night air sprinkles

delicate silver white glitter

on trees and roof tops, 

rocks and fences, 

even the most fragile twig,

the tiniest pebble


Morning comes before 

my eyes are ready to open

but my senses feel the dawning,

twittering, sleepy birds sense the glow


When morning comes it is time.

Time for a stretch and a yawn

until day gently breaks the night 

to blossom on our up side world

while the down under world 

settles to sleep.


“In these times you have to be an optimist 

to open your eyes when you awake in the morning.”

~ Carl Sandburg

Friday, January 8, 2021

Sky




Sunshine and cloud streak across the sky,


a kaleidoscope of colours and textures from sunrise to sunset

shaping this new beginning of mine;


a grand welcome from my growing-up place.



“Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”

~ Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Thursday, January 7, 2021

Unless

Integrity...

~ not part of a larger story

Unless within our hearts


Integrity...

~ not part of a larger story

Unless united heart to heart


Integrity...

~ Not part of a larger story

Unless we look within for emptiness.


Integrity...

~ Not part of a larger story

Unless we learn that it is not a commodity.


Integrity...

~ not part of of a larger story

Unless it is to restore integrity.


“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters

 cannot be trusted with important matters”

~ Albert Einstein

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Chapter Two, Episode Fifteen - Morning Conversation - Situationally Theirs

Review, Revision, Edit and Update

Reading Morning Ethics aloud this morning, it sounded flat. So I asked one question: what's missing? Sounds, aromas...So what was missing? Setting the scene before diving into dialogue. Because I 'know' the characters and the kitchen, my tendency is to assume that my readers can read my mind! Consequently I reworked the opening of this episode, along with revision throughout the episode.


Morning Conversation


Morals and ethics. That was the discussion over tea and coffee that morning. The sunny kitchen was warm, cake and muffins just out of the oven, tea kettle whistling. Martha Haverstock-Digby set out their tea things while Elizabeth - or Cook as most called her - poured boiling water in the pot.Orange pekoe or Earl Grey, Martha? “Orange pekoe as usual, dear. The two old friends had tried to solve many of the world’s problems that morning, as they had many mornings. And some of their own, but they were too mundane to spend much time on. Their morning visit was always sprinkled with laughter and then slowed to serious, and then they laughed again. Martha was serious when Elizabeth brought up the subject again. “But you know, Elizabeth, sometimes I get the two of them confused, so I’ve looked them up. Adjusting her glasses, Martha read from her old blue dictionary:  Ethics are ‘moral principles that guide a person’s behaviour' and morals are: lessons, especially those regarding what is right or prudent.' When I read those, it all made sense. I can think of one or two people who never learned about either of them.”  She chuckled. Elizabeth smiled. “Let’s change the subject, Martha. What about something for the Storyteller? I think that almost everyone at Beaufort has written something. Even your grandchildren, Martha! Those were such sweet letters.” 


“Well, maybe it’s time for us to do something different. I’ve had a chance to review some of the stories and I’ve hired most of the people here. Well, except for James and you, and I guess Samuel. And I think we all have learned many lessons. I don’t know about you but I’m still learning. It seems that morally we’re fairly stable too. What do you think, Elizabeth?”


“I think that while we all need morals and ethics, as a topic for morning coffee it’s on the boring side. Unless we gossip about someone’s lack of them. That can get pretty lack lustre too. But I will say, Martha, that none of us are born with either morals or ethical behaviour. The first time I made a cake like this one, it was not very tasty.” Elizabeth finished her coffee and ate the last of her muffin.


“Well, Elizabeth your cakes are delicious so I guess you’ve learned your cake making lessons. But you’re right. None of us started out knowing about anything we’re good at now. But what does any of this have to do with our offerings to the Storyteller.”


“Do you want more tea, Martha or should I rinse out the pot?” Martha held out her cup. “Just half a cup please, dear. Can I take a muffin or two home to James?” 


“Of course. I've set aside a couple already. As to what morals and ethics have to do with our little writings for the Storyteller, I really don’t know, Martha. Except maybe, that each little writing, showed our behaviour at whatever ages we were. Just by taking on the weekly stories for our writer, could show a certain ethic. Even the children were at least moral, doing what was right, although they have probably never heard the words ‘ethics’ or ‘morals’.” 


“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, 

but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.”

~ Anne Frank

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Heart Felt


Heart Felt


Intuition, or more plainly, gut feelings told Dolores that her plan to move forward in her job was not a well thought out plan. It set her back on her heels. She could usually trust this inner quiver when she was about to misstep. So she decided to write the list her grandfather had always suggested when she came to him for advice about some decision she had to make, but was unsure. Pros and Cons. She closed her office door, always a sign to her colleagues: ‘Do Not Disturb. The list she drew up was not that long, but seemed incomplete. Pros: a better paycheque. Cons: stepping into a more stressful area of the energy business. Could she do it? Dolores was confident that she was definitely up to the task. She frequently had to step in and fill in for someone at the higher levels. She picked up her pen again. ‘Frequent travel' went on the ‘con’ side. While she loved to travel with her work, right now there were too many airline related Covid cases popping up in her area. She knew she was strict following the recommended routines, and some suggested she was got a little bit over the top. She could not be as confident with everyone else. And her grandfather was depending on her to care for him. 


Dolores stood confidently. She walked and looked out the window of her office on the sixth floor. “I know what I need to do and what I want to do.” Her parents had traveled abroad, against her better judgement, and had become trapped in Italy. They would return to Canada via Toronto, but would have to quarantine before returning to the west coast. There was no one else her grandfather could depend on except for the care home staff. She added one more thing to her list: ‘Grandfather needs me here’.  To the birds and the sky outside she said. “If and when mom and dad get back, I can always see if I still want to move up the ladder.” Dolores smiled and sighed. When the quiver inside settled and her shoulders relaxed, she knew she had reached the right decision. 


“Intuition is the nose of the heart.”

~ Amit Kalantri, Wealth of Words

Monday, January 4, 2021

A Cat's Tale - To Think Like a Cat





Trusting that the outside world will

remain in this closed, squared off time

(I was an outside cat!)


Trusting that navigating it

will be like riding a bicycle

(Cats don’t ride bicycles!)


Trusting that belief in myself

will prove my capability and perfection

(Of course!)


“The way to get on with a cat is to treat it as an equal  - 

or even better, as the superior it knows itself to be.”

~ Elizabeth Peters, The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog

Sunday, January 3, 2021

A ‘New' Normal

Potential for normal is right now.


Calling our lives a ‘new normal’ suggests

Tomorrow

Next week

Next month or

Next year


Potential for normal is right now ~

We have met 

today’s struggles and victories,

with lessons already learned,

experiences already lived through.


Potential for normal is right now.


“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.”

~ Dr, Seuss