Writing with a Friend: my words and his 8-29-2010

Con and I went to the Bellevue Botanical Garden Art Show and enjoyed the various
sculptures and creative art pieces. While there, we wrote 3 different poems that
started out with the same first line. So I'll share mine and then his. A fun process!

Mine:
1) The wind is around us but not on us.
We're in a rock-decorated garden with circular concrete walks
Among sunflower and plants of all kinds
The quiet here cleanses the spirit like a shower refreshes the body.
Beauty performs on the stage of the outdoors
Whether there are spectators or not

The breeze peeks through and tickles branches
Who shyly bow, then willingly do a dance.
It is all effortless. The tableau is like a table set with napkins and plates
Waiting for people to sit and eat.
I have tasted its grace and its color.
It is inside me. And now I can move on.
-----------------------------------------
Con's:
1) The wind is around us but not on us,
serene, calm, cozy with a woman friend.
The wind, without judgement
caresses everything with loving connectedness,

Wind, one of the activities of Life,
Creating, loving without opinion.
Wind, silent, except when caressing another of
Life's expressions.
Wind, unseen, partner of Life.
Seemingly seen, with its interactions,
Seemingly heard when it interacts.
-----------------------------------------
Mine:
2) A canopied pond invites us to its serene stillness.
We say thank you and sit on the bench provided.
The branches bow their welcome,
And we wait for the performance of frogs jumping,
Minnows moving, the mirror of the surface
Breaking with their tiny movements.

The elm is getting its afternoon tan
While other trees are content to be in the shadows.
Green covers the pond further down.
The explorer in me pictures myself
Walking in and folding the pond around me.

I so want the stillness taking me over
When I am feeling overextended.
Here, there is no hyperactivity.
Here I am totally at ease.
Hm....I'm taking it home with me.
--------------------------
Con's:
2) A canopied pond, Still water,
A bench under the trees,
A breeze moving next to us,
Now slightly upon us,
Tall water grasses,
Sounds of automotive civilization in the distance
and way up in the atmosphere.

Sunlight coming thru the clouds,
Thru the branches and leaves,
A meandering dirt, gravel, well kept-up trail,
Big elephant ear leafed plants,
And a myriad variety of other green and brown and other colors of
Our family. We are all one Life.

Gratitudes--I Love It When....55 happiness-makers

I love it when
1) I get to the bus on time.
2) I make peace quickly with having left my cell phone home.
3) I save more money (sale prices!) than I spend at grocery stores.
4) I witness my inner or outer self drawing back and just notice, don't judge.
5) I feel irritation with a housemate and yet can discuss it matter-of-factly.
6) I don't push myself to make a decision, but let it come in its own time.
7) I remember to eat the leftovers in the fridge.
8) My friend Char helps me organize my bedroom and office.
9) A friend or two join me in writing a 10-min. vignette about something.
10) I have enough daisies, hydrangeas, roses and other flowers in my yard for regular bouquets.
11) Corn on the cob costs 25 cents. I buy 10 & enjoy 3 or 4 meals of corn and whatever.
12) I laugh out loud to Big Bang Theory or Last Comic Standing.
13) I experience relaxation without any agenda, as, at festivals.
14) I see 100s of beautifully painted nude bikers at the Fremont Fair.
15) I freeze 28 pints of strawberries from my front yard patch.
16) I love the comfort food of cooked sweet potatoes with butter.
17) I savor chard salad with avocado and pea pods and peppers and more--so good!
18) I get to feel a bit superior when I see "World's Dumbest Criminals."
19) I read Irv Thomas' Innocence Abroad about Europe on $100 a week when he was 64.
20) I settle in for animated Ice Age or Ratatouile or Shrek or Finding Nemo or Up.
21) I got 500 business cards from www.vistaprint.com for $10.
22) My neighbor Carolyn helped me weed and gave me gardening tips.
23) I enjoy the weekend 2:00 bands at the Ballard Locks with a friend.
24) I have a free sample of delicious bread at Great Harvest Bread.
25) I discovered poppies! They look like a round head with a crown! I have a bouquet!
26) I feel cute with my new haircut.
27) I teach Nonviolent (Compassionate) Communication, and we all connect!
28) Dejon and I dance outdoors to Dusty 45s at City Hall, and write a poem later.
29) Richard and I share BBQ at RoRo's, then listen to an Abraham Hicks CD.
30) Dee and Char and I camped, sat by our 3 fires, and explored Mt. Rainier.
31) The 10-20 who come to my monthly potluck-discussion share very openly.
32) I enjoy Prairie Home Companion and Wait Wait Don't Tell Me on KUOW 94.9.
I just went to http://www.kuow.org/programs_az.php and found many more I like!
33) Dejon painted my front steps and put in a new rail for safety. Looks great!
34) Dee, Mary Beth, Linda, Char and I enjoyed food & fun at Strawberry Fest on Vashon.
35) Charles and I dined in style at Salty's Sunday morning buffet!
36) I hope to keep $500 in my BECU checking AND savings account for 6% return!
37) I enjoyed NW Compassionate Communication's Family Camp: warm connecting!
38) I saw Romeo and Juliet at Lincoln Park; Arts Festival at Camp Long.
39) With dry beans I bought for Y2K (2000), made a fine bean-sausage stew!
40) Daughter Katie, granddaughter Kayla and I grinned out loud over old photos.
41) I savored Georgia Mud Fudge at DQ with a guy from the personals.
42) I finally got 450+ photos from my cell phone to my computer. What fun!
43) Celebrated how much John and I had in common; alas, no chemistry!
44) Housemate Jim shared LOTS of cheeses he got for helping at a cheese fest.
45) The furnace's summer fan made 90 degree days close to bearable.
46) I love the free plays I see at Arts West and ACT when I usher.
47) In one day, I delighted in chicken tenders, mango tea, and crepes and yogurt.
48) My house is now 100 years old, and we have hot water everywhere it should be.
49) Kris bought my book. I have more Pleasures and Ponderings for $15. Ebook for $6.
50) I sorted my kitchen freezer and wrote it down. Now I know what I have!
51) Con and I loved the 18 artists at Bellevue Botanical Gardens. A lovely day!
52) I love how Wife Swap gets the other family to consider new ways of relating!
53) I talked to my 80-year-old aunt. Ag told me she used to rock us oldest four kids
and sing to us. And Mom sang when she ironed. I like knowing I was rocked!
54) I like picking out zydeco or blues or rock or ___ at www.365live.com
55) I love making lists and reading them twice and being happy all over again.

West Seattle Street Festival 7-10-2010

It started by going onstage ("A chance to win $10,000"),
picking up sacks with my teeth and unwinding crepe with arms in motion. I didn't win.
I did wear my "Plays well with others" button.

I saw moms dancing with toddlers to rock and roll,
Free Cascade candy bars and QFC water,
$2 pizza slices, $5 BBQ pork.
I passed the paid food by, knowing I'd stuff myself at tonight's potluck-discussion.
25 cent books (I got 12), one 50 cent book,
An Asian painting for $10, with a free one thrown in
when she saw how long I'd taken to choose.
Grateful for all the 50% off cards and towels and dishes I could easily pass by.

In an empty chair (for sale) as I people watched, I saw
Beautiful babies in strollers or on Dads' shoulders,
A shirtless man with a flat stomach--aah!
A pot bellied man whose T-shirt proclaimed Potty Trained.
A young man whose jeans were so low his green undershorts were totally visible.
Girls doing cartwheels on the closed off street.
Lots of cleavage on this high 70's Saturday.
A warm hug from Dana who had to remind me how we knew each other.
Would be dance stars strutting their stuff to heavy metal.
I imagined the future hearing aids for the band and their followers.

I'm wondering how the day might have been different if I'd not had a misunderstanding
about meeting a man from the personals at the Festival.
I am content. Another time...
Now, still sitting in the shade, I decide to slowly head home,
Lest any more too-loud music invade my ears.
I buy a brain-tease book and a Celtic woman DVD for my friend,
And a blue floral design glass necklace for me.
At home, I hear the last half of Prairie Home Companion
and then pick cherries and strawberries for the potluck tonight.
Our topic: quotes from Bach's Illusions.
A perfect day: a festival, good food, good friends, sharing our hearts.

He's Here Now (visualizing my desired life,7-3-2010)

I see him coming up the stairs. I can't wait.
I open the door before he knocks.
We grin, kiss, and hug a long time.
We're going to a festival today to enjoy music and the arts,
food, and people watching.

Another time we'll go for a long walk in a new neighborhood.
Then maybe dancing, a play, a book reading.
What we do doesn't matter as much as the easy,
carefree sharing of togetherness.

We speak our minds and our hearts with love.
We respect each other's need for space, for alone time.
We look forward to the opportunities, by day and by night,
for touch, affection, teasing, laughing and loving.

I often say "I'm glad we found each other."
He adds, "And I love you just the way you are."
We're looking forward to teaching Compassionate Communication together.
And we've started writing our book about pleasure and aging.
We'll continue that on our trip to Vietnam and China.
We'll enjoy being on Oprah and other shows with our book.

As people who live the Law of Attraction,
We've gone on Abraham cruises and practice keeping
our attention on what makes us happy.

I love how easily I pay all that is due.
I am comfortable and secure in a healthy present
and a prosperous future.
I have all I want and all is well.
And so it is.