Words in the Wild

These words are a bit weird and unsettling, and the photo may be even more so, but I'm sharing it in case someone can maybe give me a clue.

Yesterday was cold, rainy, and raw, the perfect day for some chicken soup. I was looking for some actual chicken to put in the soup and came across these first. My mother-in-law used to add chicken feet to her stock, but that was because they raised chickens and used everything. Has anyone ever seen these called chicken paws or actually used them? Is this a southern thing? We're in MD, which I don't think of as "the south", but they sure don't sell chicken paws (or even chicken feet) in NJ! I'm just curious; there's really not much chance of me putting these anywhere near my chicken soup. :-)

Words in the Wild ...

... and in my purse and on my mind.

When I was in Colorado visiting Ryan, I ran some errands for him. I was waiting at the Walgreens counter with my purchases when I saw this notebook. I almost always try to resist impulse purchases of things I don't really need, but it turns out I needed this.

Over the past few months I've had a series of experiences that have felt a lot like failures. Some have been my fault, others I think I could have prevented, and some were just fate, but no matter the cause there have still been a lot of them. I did need a new notebook for my to-do lists, but even more, I felt that I needed this notebook. It now has a place in my purse where it reminds me every day that behind these failures, there are lessons for me to learn. I haven't discovered all of them yet, but this notebook is serving as a colorful, necessary reminder.

Bright Spots

Words in the Wild

Neither one of my sons will be home for Thanksgiving, which is what happens when they grow up, have jobs, begin to live their own lives, and move far, far away. That is okay and as it should be, but that doesn't mean I don't miss them (very much).

On Saturday morning I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and packed care packages for both Ryan and Justin with the cookies, some candy corn, new flannel shirts, and a few other goodies I thought they would like. I taped them up, printed postage, and headed to the post office before they closed.

On my walk through the park I was brought up short by some words in the wild.

This is a small park in the middle of  a tiny town, but it has lots of pathways. I wish I could show you a big picture of how many times (probably hundreds) peace and love had been written on the bricks of the walkways. It was a lovely and uplifting sight.

Maybe, just maybe, after footsteps and rain begin to wear away some of these words, someone might possibly see how the words
peace, equality, fairness, and kindness fit on the bricks ...