Road
Wide open
Vast
Dirt
Clinging to the edges
Touching the horizon
Road
Beyond
Leading
Inviting
Move forward
Past what you see
Road
Explore
Travel
Trust
Instincts take over
Directions within
When I grow up
I know what I’ll be
The world's very best
Alientologist.
It came to me one day
Looking up at the sky
Life just has to be
Bigger than me.
Discover the weird
Experience the wild
Chart the unknown
Hey, we're not alone!
I like big dinosaurs
Don't get me wrong
They're totally cool
Just not my rule.
Zoo animals aren't bad
Safaris can be fun
But they can't compare
To the aliens out there.
Their freaky and fun
Wacky and weird
Far out creatures
With oddball features.
Like three hairy eyeballs
Four purple tentacles
And two computer megs
Moving six freaky legs.
Or maybe I'll see
Gross green goop
Oozing from its snout
Or dripping from its mouth.
Charting my course
For super sonic speed
Beyond this galaxy's gate
Awesome adventures await!
I’ll build a spaceship
With super sonic speed
Add extra booster power
To avoid any meteor shower.
I'll add bionic arms
Invisible shields
And plenty of ammo blasters
For those unexpected disasters.
I'll soar past Mars
Spin around Saturn
Blast by Neptune
Reach Pluto by June.
I'll bring home cool stuff
Moon rocks and star dust
And before it all ends
Maybe even a new friend.
e-Tech is my name Spying is my game Belts, buckles, ropes and slings Decoder pens and laser beams Laced up with gadgets galore Hey, I've got room for plenty more If there's a mystery to be solved A riddle to unravel Look no further, have no fear I'm on the job with all my gear. Look out above Look out below I can see you Everywhere you go You can run You can hide But you are no match For the master of attack You think you got away Think again You'll be my next catch It's me, Agent Eye Tech
I hate tags!
They bother my back
Nag my neck
Scratch my side.
Why do I care?
What size I wear!
I'm just a kid
Who could care less
How to wash
Or where it’s made.
And one's not enough?
This is triple tough!
All these extra flaps
Are such a bother
I feel the irritation
At every turn and tumble.
What do they say?
Small words in my way!
I pull and tug
Grab and grip
But it's no use
I'll just pitch a fit.
Where's the sanity?
In cotton humanity!
I'll kick and scream
Stomp and sob
Until mom returns
With scissors in tow.
Do I need to shout?
Please cut them out!
Hello, it’s me
Inside your head
I can hear those thoughts
Know just what’s been said.
Makes perfect sense
A gift you can’t see
Believe it or not
You’ve got ESP.
Oh that’s right
It’s one of those perks
That comes with trust
Here’s how it works.
A thought pops up
I whisper in your ear
You just haven’t stop
Long enough to hear.
I know what you’re thinking
How can this be?
I’ve been around too
You just as long as me.
With mutual respect
Please hear me out
I simply appeal
I’m too tired to shout.
It’s me you know
Reading your thought
Really quite smart
Listen you ought.
It’s not that sudden
Why act with surprise?
You’ve just been stubborn
To know that you’re wise.
We’ve been together
All this time
Just increased the volume
And waited in line.
We can think ahead
Think behind
Think of the present
Then just unwind.
So it’s dawned on you now
This is really big news
Remember to count on me
As much as you choose.
Ancient aspen wisdom for a vibrant, resilient, and grounded life.
I’m not your typical tree hugger. I’m just obsessed with hugging ONE giant Aspen tree called Pandō.
During my hiking and fly fishing treks in Utah over the years, I became fascinated with these tall trees that reached high into the sky. They seemed so fragile and skinny, scarred by black notches and knots, yet were unquestionable determined and strong. I noticed they always standing together in groups, as a loyal proud family. They seemed to quietly recognize my wonder with a timbered rustle
And when the season turned to Fall, their dazzled displays of beautiful bright yellow transformation turned my reverence into awe.
I became fascinated by this beautiful, massive, resilient tree! It’s a single quaking aspen tree estimated to be 80,000 years old and 13 million pounds … one of the oldest and heaviest single living organism in the world.
It’s a massive, resilient creature! How had it survived and thrived for so long?
I had to find out!
What I discovered were five simple yet powerful secrets that have grounded my life, guided my journey, and cultivated my purpose.
Perhaps it could do the same for you.
Inspired by nature, Pandō’s ancient wisdom can inspiration us to embrace change, foster flexibility, face adversity, seek greater clarity, and cultivate purpose.
Kids can teach you lots of things. Important things like patience, the art of distraction and how not to cuss in front of others. But mostly they are grand teachers in the art of simplicity – pure joy, innocence and freedom.
I was reminded of this the other day when my son and three neighbor kids made a tree-house in our back yard.
On a sunny but cool breezy Sunday afternoon, the building crew was suddenly inspired to transform a small but resilient oak tree into their secret hideout. In preparation for the grand backyard adventure, my son had trekked in and out of the house no less than six times.
The sliding screen door scraped open and closed repetitively with each single task. One board. Another board (telling me he had an idea). The hammer. Another hammer (noting he had recruited some friends to help). Nails. More nails (explaining that the first box of nails had been dumped in a prickly bush).
“Please be safe!” I screamed.
OK, I admit my supervision was scant at best. By then, I only had enough energy to pop my head up off the couch momentarily to shout out that command, convincing myself that my son would at least have the better judgment not to hammer a thumb or nail a toe … especially not one of the neighbor’s kids.
I also mistakenly assumed that it would only take him five minutes to figure out that the tree was not fit for their grandiose vision let alone one single board. But where I saw the limitations, the kids saw only the possibilities.
I was rendered to the horizontal position after a week full of to-do’s, tasks, errands, expectations, obligations, a school field trip, work deadlines and a case of the shingles thrown in for good measure. Lying there hoping I didn’t hear a scream (though the silence was nearly as bad); I knew I needed a better plan. Little did I know that I’d get one handed to me the next day on a tattered piece of lined paper.
I dozed off and sixty glorious minutes later I was stunned awake by the mom radar that internally signals too long had passed before a screech, squeal, complaint – or request for a snack.
I jumped off the couch and in one giant leap was peering out at the most wondrous contraction shoved into the junior sized oak tree. Boards, colored with magic markers, shoved in mismatched places, and tattered ropes tied to small, errant branches.
They were still entranced in their imaginations, assembled into a highly organized team of pint-sized builders concentrating on their tasks. My son saw me and shouted, “Mom, doesn’t this look awesome!?”
Their creativity gave me a moment of pure joy. Their satisfaction blew a gust of fresh air across my heart that sang of innocence, childhood, laughter and adventure.
The next morning over breakfast, as my son and I gazed out at the backyard contraption they proudly called a “tree house”, he showed me the instructions they agreed to follow. The tattered, lined piece of paper, scrawled in pencil, listed these fourteen steps:
How To Build A Tree House
- Step one: Nail board one into place
- Step two: Clip branches
- Step three: Put board two in place
- Step four: Nail in board two
- Step five: Make sure board 2 is safe
- Step six: Put board 3 in place
- Step seven: Nail in board 3
- Step eight: Make sure board 3 will stay
- Step nine: Put board 4 in place
- Step ten: Make sure we like how it looks
- Step eleven: Nail in board 4
- Step twelve: Make sure it will stay
- Step thirteen: Make sure we like our new tree house
- Step four-teen: Enjoy our tree house
Hmm, their plan sure seemed better than mine. It was simple and meaningful. I couldn’t ignore the wisdom. Did I stop long enough to make sure things stay in place (like my sanity, my balance)? When was the last time I paused to make sure I liked what I was building?
And last but certainly not least, step “four-teen”- enjoy our tree house. Wow, this hit close to home. Did I take the time to enjoy something once it was done, before quickly moving on to the next task or project?
Looks like I’ll need to grab a hammer and nails, perhaps a few magic markers … even if it takes me a few trips in and out of the house to get it right.
Once upon a Time
Once upon a Time I climbed In and out From toddler to teenager Once upon a Time I leaped Up and over From graduation to independence Once upon a Time I learned Down and under From paycheck to purpose Once upon a Time I loved Within and around From wife to mom Once upon a Time I grew By and bye From expectations to gratitude Once upon a Time I listened Through and above From me to thee
A take on Cinderella that’s inspired by talent and tenacity, not beauty or a prince.
Coming soon! Here’s a sneak peek …
A take on Cinderella that’s inspired by talent and tenacity not beauty and a prince.
Once upon a time in the small town of Riverview, there lived a high school junior named Ella. She attended Overland High School, where her life was a balancing act between school, work, and a difficult home situation. Since her father passed away, Ella lived with her stepmother, Mrs. Grimsley, and her two spoiled stepsisters, Ashley and Brianna. They never missed an opportunity to remind her that she didn’t belong, insisting she needed to earn her keep.
Despite her hardships, Ella was smart and kind-hearted. She excelled in her classes and always dreamed of getting into a good college to start her own life by her own rules. But that wasn’t easy when her stepmother made her life so difficult.
In addition to the mountain of chores Mrs. Grimsley gave her, Ella worked part-time helping clean the school after hours to make ends meet. The extra money helped her family, even if Mrs. Grimsley barely acknowledged it.
Every night after finishing her schoolwork and her shift cleaning classrooms, Ella would sneak into the smaller gym to shoot hoops with an old scuffed basketball she found under the bleachers, practicing alone in her worn-out tennis shoe with frayed laces.
Ella loved basketball. She dreamed of playing point guard, being crowned a champion, and earning a college scholarship, and being crowned a champion! But despite a talent and passion for the game, she wasn’t on Overland’s basketball team – not because she lacked skill but because her stepmother wouldn’t even allow her to try out.
But despite a talent and passion for the game, she wasn’t on Overland’s basketball team – not because she lacked skill but because her stepmother wouldn’t even allow her to try out.
What hurt Ella most was that Ashley and Brianna were both starting players on Overland girls’ basketball team. “Basketball is only for athletes with potential” Mrs. Grimsley would say, “not someone like you.”
The only person who ever saw her play was Mr. Jenkins, the kind-hearted school janitor who was often finishing up his rounds at the same time. Mr. Jenkins, a kind, older man who had worked at the school for years, was a long-forgotten high school basketball star himself and saw Ella’s potential.
“You’ve got something special, kid,” Mr. Jenkins would say, leaning on his mop as he watched her sink another shot from the three-point line. “You should be on that team,” he told her one night as she practiced alone.
Ella sighed, wiping sweat from her brow, and carefully tucked the tattered basketball back into its hiding place. “My stepmother would never allow it. She only cares about Ashley and Brianna. They’re the stars. I’m just the girl who cleans up after them. Besides, we can’t afford new shoes. I need this job to help out at home.”
Mr. Jenkins shook his head. “Talent like yours doesn’t stay hidden forever.”
Two Left-Handed Party Poopers
Super met Duper
On the world's biggest gobbernuper.
During that ride
They sat side by side.
When most screamed at the sight
Some even squealed in delight.
But not Super and Duper
They just sat in a stupor.
Right then they knew
They'd be friends among few
While others sought fun
They wanted none.
They were the serious sort
The kind that retorts
Smiling is boring
Laughing is abhorring.
Super never burps out loud
Duper never farts in a crowd
Together a pair
For the most boring affair.
They shared the same philosophy
A party was an overrated monstrosity
There was too much noise
Useless nonsense and poise.
Jumping up and down
Is only for clowns
Singing a silly song
Is just flat-out wrong.
They absolutely agreed
They'd rather wear tweed
Enjoy the library's quiet trance
Than go to a party and dance.
