Sail A Poem And A Child Out To Sea (a bluebonnet poem)

Sail a poem

and a child

out to sea.

Launch them

with lifeboats

of laughter.

Free them

with anchors

of compassion

and cravings

for goodness

in all things.

Fill their sails with hugs.

Marvel in their

masts, catching

the sun, just so.

Surrender to the violins

of their creaking decks

and snapping rigging,

as the horizon grows

and the wind

is skipping rope

in your salty hair.

Away, always away.

Sail a poem

and a child

out to sea.

Sail them

well and

true.

Let them dip

and dive on the

farthest swells,

to sail home

smiling and safe,

with armfulls of

bluebonnets

and heartfulls of

adventures to tell.

I wrote that poem in honor of Jingle’s THIRTEENTH Thursday Poetry Rally!!!

Lately I have been gifted with the following poetry awards from Jingle and Shakira… Thanks, Ladies!

And I would like to pass the awards on to the list of THIRTEEN random awesome poets below, who can choose either or both awards. Some of these multi-talented bloggers also publish other creative fare —  so get all their goodness at their one-stop shopping locales!

The following recipients may fling these awards with joy to the moon, or wherever!

1.  Joaquin

2. Joy Leftow

3. Paige

4. Talon

5. Snaggletooth

6. Davina

7. Ana Goncalves

8. Glenn

9. Fireblossom

10. Sara Healy

11. Mama Zen

12. Thomma Lyn

13. Mad Cat Lady

I look forward to meeting more poets and reading great poems over this weekend!!  And maybe even to linking up new poets in future posts, if I do the Thursday Poetry Rally again.   Thank you.

About the three bluebonnet photos above… I got lucky with the iPhone again.  Actually, just point your iPhone at something nice, make sure strong light is coming over your shoulder onto the subject, stay as still as possible — and you’re pretty much there with the photo.  Oh – be sure to tap the little button too!   🙂

Kelly dyed those eggs all by herself!

Your Ever-Loving Jannie

xoxo

Spring Camping On The Texas Pedernales

Here are a few photos I took this past weekend on Kelly’s semi-annual school camping trip.  (I took over 100. Only subjecting you to 14.) (Today.)   🙂  (edit: I took over 100 photos — not 100 kids, as per funny/smart Hilary‘s amused observation.) At least that’s what I think she meant by “100 little wonders.”)  ?   🙂

The next one I call Sunday Morning Bleary.  Kelly had about 3 hours sleep Saturday night.  And maybe 6 hours Friday. ‘Twas a wild and wonderful time for all.

Camp sweet home. My tent!

Kelly has her own little tent she shares with a friend or two.

She does show up for food and drink occasionally at my site.  🙂

Notice the half-gallon of hand sanitizer on my table. I told you I’m OCD with that stuff, right?

Jim never stays for the night (boo-hoo) but he does come for the Saturday potluck dinner followed by the sing-along — so that’s better than nothing!

My favorite part of camping — the coffee bacon mornings!  Pancakes too!  ‘Cept I didn’t photograph the pancakes.  🙂

But I did photograph Kelly up a tree Friday night!

(Don’t worry, don’t worry — all the kids climb that.  She just happened to be the only one up there at the moment.)

Okay so, just when you thought you’d seen it all — I tell you a river is about a 3-minute walk down the path from the tenting area.

And I show you yet more pics — of river stuff.

A second edit: because I can, and because there were no words between these two pictures…  🙂

The nights were cold, maybe around 45-50?F (9C) and the days were about 78F (24C.)

There, all better with this post now.    🙂

On you go!

But wait!  There were no words between these pix either!

Ahh, much better now.

And more words here.  The water was about 55F (12C)  Brrrrr!!

Yes — someone took a picture of ME too! I did!! A little shadow dancing with myself.

Anyhoo, Jim has bought a tiramisu cake from Whole Foods! And I think I shall post this and go see if I can offer him any assistance with the window he’s putting in.  Then get Miss Sweetie Camper off the computer and into the bath. And to an early bed. Oh yeah.  School again tomorrow!

Toodles, sweeties!

(Look, my shoe!)

Off I go.
xoxo
🙂

(Yes, all these are iPhone pix, in case any of your enquiring minds were wondering.)

Another little edit:  What’s nice about this school trip is the parents bring their kids, so it’s not like I was in a chaperone situation over a bunch of kids.  A real family outing!

And I did drink 3 beers.  Well, 2.75 total. I petered out on my Friday night one.  But made up for it Saturday with those two whole Sierra Nevada Pale Ales!  And had a couple ounces of wine that night too.  DECADENT JANNIE!! 🙂

The Park Bench Plot Thickens

I took this picture a few hours ago. Can you believe this picture shows the same bench, last early October?

Pretty radical, eh??

I plan to go back to my trail bench today around 5:00, relax on it with a decaf and a donut, and take a pic from it, to show you the other side of the tale.   The sun has to be just perfect, of course!!   Lighting is all, don’t you think?  How much attention do you pay to lighting in photos?

Tomorrow I’ll post the one I’ll be taking later today!  God willing, of course. 🙂

You gonna like it. A lot! (I think.)  (I hope!)  ?   🙂  (and why the heck has my second smiley face gone awry?)

Whoo-hoo!!

xo

Texas Gold

Wednesday after school Kelly and a friend splished and splashed in Barton Springs in the dog area — which come to think of it — was surprisingly devoid of dogs that day.  Weird.  I guess the fowl had run off all the hounds.

The water was its year ’round 68 degrees, the air temp about 60.

(The whole picture.)

Both girls got soaked, of course, which tends to happen when kids say “I just wanna dip my big toe in.”

On the way back to the car both children expressed apparent dissatisfaction with some form of coldness they seemed to be experiencing.  Poor things. The other mom and I, from our dry and cozy state, offered them our sincerest deep condolences.

Later, we all feasted at the Kerby Lane Cafe. For me it was ceasar salad with chicken.  And peppermint tea.  Yummy!!

Dang, I’m hungry now as I prepare to post this, but I’m at the library and won’t get to a feeding station for at least another 50 minutes.  Boo hoo.

Is anybody else hungry??

Y’all have a glorious rest of your weekend!!  And life!!

xoxo

Harbinger Of Great Things To Come

The above I took with my iPhone Monday on our Hike ‘N Bike trail.  Something’s putting out blossoms, not sure what, but its puffy white sweetlings sure are nice to behold.

(Notice the city across the way? That’s the Lamar Street bridge too. )

And sweet friends,  thanks so so much for “baring wit me” as I start to occasionally close comments.  This is really freeing me up to create wild new posts for you — ones you CAN comment on.  Like the one I’ll post tomorrow!  (And the one 2 days ago. Wait.  Was the one 2 days ago wild? I can’t remember back that far.)  🙂 Plus, I’ve got more time now to get around and read your wonderful blogs!

THANK YOU for sticking with me!  I love you all SO SO MUCH!!!!!

Jannie-Muffin
xoxoxo

P.S.  To see more photos of the beautiful Austin Ladybird Lake Trail, I posted some of my pix on it several months ago — ‘way back in the ancient days when my blog photos were a mere 500px wide.   🙂