My husband told me the city of Col. wants to work with him to do poetry in the parks.
poets in the park
create sparks, watch them fly up
into the night sky
haiku
April 20, 2011poem for a student
April 16, 2011A young 2009 graduate who I only knew from working with him at a housing project with children, died in a hit & run accident this week. He was riding his bike on a Florida small highway, was hit by a car whose driver didn’t take the time to stop and assist, parts of his bicycle strewn all across the road. This is written in his memory.
Memories of Bryan Wrigley at Grant Homes
Every day, you came,
to serve the children,
got them settled
to begin their work,
You wouldn’t take
no for an answer,
sat them down,
Put pencil to paper,
Quietly calling them all by name,
Firmly, but gently,
You made their learning a game,
Elijah, Devonte, Craig, Kalim,
Jordan, Diamond, Dynasty, Akim,
You quieted voices
of children in need,
of 10-year-old children
who couldn’t read,
You gave them a father figure,
and a friend,
Some they knew cared deeply
just for them,
Inasmuch as ye have done to the least of My brethren,
So ye have done it unto Me, *
Of all the ways you are remembered by others,
This one is special to me.
How we affect the hearts of children
may be how our life is measured,
To none is known the time we have,
how many years we are given,
What more could any parent ask,
than our child burn so brightly
as to light another’s path,
For we know, beyond a doubt,
we will meet again,
in His “World without end,
Amen, amen.”
*Matthew 25:40
poetry music & friends
April 14, 2011Last night my husband’s poetry night had nearly 30 people and 18 of them did some poetry and/or music. The diversity was STUNNING. We had everything from Country music singing about Jesus, to a poem about who goes to jail for 25 to life (by me, thank u very much), to excellent musicians that could bring down any house, to a couple who sing together and harmonize on the spot….. it was a stunning night, that’s all I can say. Many good friends and expression of who they are. This morning all I can do is give thanx.
Agnew connections
April 9, 2011Recently a relative from my dad’s side contacted me out of the blue. It is a new link to another side of the Agnew family I am extremely happy about. Brother to my grandpa Agnew was her great grandpa. When God closes a door, He always opens a window. Count on it.
Other than that, life threw me a curveball last week I am still getting over. Learn to always do your best, Know that it’s not good enough for some people and that is their problem. I know my best is good enough for God, and that’s good enough for me. The rest is piddle.
can’t say what I’m thinkin’
April 1, 2011I have recently realized, the really important things that I am learning and thinking in life, I can’t really post on a blog because someone might see it who won’t understand it. I picture people in the future reading my blog or somehow gaining access to old e-mails and thinking, “Wow, she really didn’t think deeply at all!” when in reality, it is just that the truly important lessons in life are not for the world to see on a blog!
Tonight I am thankful for my husband’s listening ear and support,
I am thankful for the blessings of God in my life,
I am thankful that I’ve been around the block enough times, that the roadblocks people sometimes put in my way are something I’ve learned to walk around and avoid.
I am thankful that life has thrown me yet another curve ball that I had to get over, to know that I am a good person, I try my absolute best, I work my absolute hardest, and I am damn awesome!!
and I am so thankful that I live in the south, where the sun was warm on my face today. Thank you Sun.
and thankful for the awesome evening with friends at an art show, music and poetry night. It was fun and relaxing.
Bahai jokes during the fast
March 19, 2011Next-to-last day of the Baha’i fast. I was just thinking how we like to sometimes joke about it. You can’t do that w/people not fasting. For one thing, they think we’re dying. We’re not. It’s actually healthy to fast. If you do not have some pre-existing medical condition (in which case u are obliged not to fast), it is perfectly healthy. Just darn uncomfortable. We get tired. You can’t go your usual rate of 100 mph. You really must slow down. We take naps when possible. But we get through it.
sometimes we send each other e-mails, “Boy I sure would like a frosted donut right about now!” — “Hey, I was just thinking how good such&so tastes for lunch!”
We talk about how we feel, what our bodies are doing. “I am so tired, I feel like I’m getting sick. My hands are cold.” We feel sorry for ourselves. We’re really not the most FUN people to be around during our fast.
Many of us never cheat. We do not eat or drink a drop from sun-up to sundown. Others of us cheat. Sometimes we feel like we just can’t make it. Sometimes we are super-stressed. The rest of the world doesn’t give a hoot if this is the month of Baha’i Faith fast, so life at our jobs continues at its same pace. This makes it difficult, if not impossible sometimes, not to cheat. You can’t let your students suffer, or your clients, and you can’t mess up at work because you’re fasting. My daughter drives a fork lift. You can’t be foggy-minded while driving a forklift. So she continues w/ caffeine. If I teach a night class, I eat BEFORE sundown. Things like that. Sometimes I have one cup of coffee, mid-morning, before teaching. My class will be better. We don’t get struck by lightning or think we will “go to hell” when this happens.
We also joke about not being able to think straight. Fasting does take its effect. We know this and we accomodate to it. You are not at your absolute best! It is supposed to be difficult, an exercise in sacrifice, an exercise in self discipline. It is never easy.
Some people get a cold (sneeze or cough) and say, “Oh wow, I’m sick, I’d better not fast today!” Then they take a couple days off.
If you travel at least 9 hours, you are not obligated to fast from the time you leave on the trip, to the time you return home. There is a wisdom to the Baha’i fast, we do not put ourselves in danger while driving or traveling! Baha’u’llah was very wise. So, many times Bahai’s take a day trip. When we lived in Indiana we’d take the 2-hour drive to Chicago, mess around in the city for the day, go see the Baha’i temple (which is the only one in North America), and then return home, making sure we take at least 9 hours, in which case, we would go out to lunch, or have snacks and coffee on the road! We are a funny lot.
This time of year makes me feel close to all my Baha’i companions all the way around the globe. In every continent, same time of year, all the Baha’is, if they are between ages 15-70, not pregnant, sick or have some other physical condition that would mean they should never fast, ARE ALL FASTING. For MOST of us, this time of year puts us all on MORE equal footing, for sunrise to sundown times, than if it were in the summer or winter months. For most of the world, the day runs about 12 hours, more or less a few minutes. We know the days are getting longer this time of year, because every single day of the fast, it extends 1-2 minutes. the Muslim fast, for example, changes what time of year it occurs, every year. For us, it’s always March 2nd — 20th.
and we all celebrate the Baha’i new year on March 21st, the first day of Spring, and the Spring equinox.
I’ve been cleaning my house all day today, in preparation for my daughter & her family coming tonight for a couple days. It is a special time of year, when I enjoy the company of others who are also fasting, also Bahai’s.
16th day of the fast
March 17, 20113 days left of the Baha’i fast, which will complete 19 days or 1 Baha’i month. 19 months of 19 days each, with 4-5 days leftover which are the days we give gifts and do service in our communities, and visit friends (that is already past, the end of Feb.). Mar. 21st will be our “New Year” also the 1st day of Spring.
The Baha’i Faith is a worldwide, global religion that believes in the oneness of mankind, and the unity of all the beliefs in the world into one common faith. There is one God, one Creator. It is a lovely faith that respects the spiritual basis and validity of all the world’s major religions.
I am tired tonight and going to bed soon. There are 3 more days to be hungry during the day, to sacrifice something for my Lord. It is not that much to give, really. It unites all the Bahai’s around the world also. It is a special time of year. We are always glad to see it end, but also a little sad.
Of the days of the fast, Baha’u’llah says, “Thou hast endowed every hour of these days with a special virtue, inscrutable to all except Thee, Whose knowledge embraceth all created things.
Thou hast, also, assigned unto every soul a portion of this virtue in accordance with the Tablet of Thy decree and the Scriptures of Thine irrevocable judgment.
Every leaf of these Books and Scriptures Thou hast, moreover, allotted to each one of the peoples and kindreds of the earth.
(Baha’u’llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah, p. 143)
Doctor Grandma 