Success-homemade BIRD BATH

Looked all over for a bird bath but they were too expensive. Then while shopping at TJ Max's found two planters that I thought could be glued together to make a unique bird bath for under $100. Hubby provided the glue and here it is. But then it took a week or so before our local doves discovered this special treat planned just for them.

Carefully measuring so it's centered

Applying glue to the bottom of a planter

Add dove and it's functional!

OUT WALKING BEFORE SUNRISE

Out walking before sunrise since it's 106 degrees during the day. To beat the heat you have to start early at 6 am when it was only 76 degrees. That's doable so I made my daily jaunt around the block and to the mailbox to get yesterday's mail. Was so pleased to see one of my poems I submitted to the Southern Quill made it to publication. It's been several years since I've had a poem published there. Here it is:

ABANDONED

 

Trash carelessly thrown from speeding cars

decorates desolate roadsides across America.

Garbage graffiti sends a strong statement

of disregard for order––or our country.

 

Twisted paper cups with bent straws,

crumbled cans next to smashed bottles,

dirty diapers, empty plastic bags wave

in the wind witnessing abandonment.

 

Men in orange prison jumpsuits arrive

to gather the remains of our laziness.

Freed for the day from daily confinement

in guarded enclosures, they collect litter.

 

Convicted felons charged with cleanup,

bring order back to the society that bans

their presence, uses their labors while

imprisoned, separated from loved ones.

 

Abandoned by society, banished to barren

localities, locked up and judged useless

like our garbage––forgotten––tossed aside,

inmates work unnoticed by passing motorists.

        

Emilee and Daniel are married again

My grand daughter Emilee had planned on being married on April 3, 2020 before the corona virus changed everyone's plans. She and her beloved Daniel were to marry in the Mt. Timpanogos temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until all our temples worldwide 167 of them were closed. So they were married at home by their bishop with only 12 attending but the rest of us got to watch through Zoom. Now some of our temples are open for marriages forever or sealings as we call them not till death do you part. Only 10 were allowed to attend, so it was a small group of family that attended yesterday at the Manti temple.

Almost FATHER'S DAY...

Seventy-five years ago today June 18, 1945, my father was killed while piloting his small piper cub airplane. I have missed his influence in my life but have felt his spirit close at times. His death brought devastation to my mom's life as she at age 28 with no training took over the responsibility of raising their only child alone. Thirteen years later, she would marry my stepfather Earl who brought financial stability to our lives but couldn't replace my dad ever. Now as I look back on my life, I can better appreciate all that Earl tried to do to help me. Here's a poem I wrote about my father's death.

OLD AIRPORT
            Milford, Utah June 18, 1945
 Outside of town in a forgotten place,
            an empty hanger
                        stands alone.
Breezes blow through a tattered wind sock.
            Stacks of tumbleweeds
                        nestle beside sagebrush,
longing to be released from barriers,
            to fly away to freedom,
                        to unknown adventures.
 No airplanes use this empty landing strip.
            Now weeds take control
                        of runways once busy,
filled with private flying machines: 
            small Piper Cubs popular
                        during World War II
for training military pilots
            for conflict, sold publicly
                        as surplus after the war.
 Just a simple metal frame
            covered by thin canvas
                        with tandem seating.
Fuel tank in back to balance
            the engine in front
                        with a single propeller,
thought to be an efficient
            inexpensive way to promote
                        the hobby of flying.
 As a young girl not yet five,
            I remember soaring
                        with my pilot father
over this sacred sanctuary
            before he left on his last
                        final flight...without me.

Worth a READ

I haven't been able to blog here for weeks as our society has dissolved into riots and chaos. Then today I found an article that clarified my feelings about what is happening in our world.

Even if you don't know what the Book of Mormon according to wikipedia-read this, it's amazing the parallels between their society and now. https://latterdaysaintmag.com/the-riots-and-the-danger-of-false-narratives/  Love to have your comments and observations.

JUNE is HERE!

Another new month is upon us, but it seems surreal as day after day comes and goes as our world suffers and fears the spread of the CORONA VIRUS, then RIOTS take over the news as another black person is dead because of police brutality and the whole world is up in arms trying to have PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS for more equal treatment in our society that turn into LOOTING and wide spread destruction that is FRIGHTENING. Leaving everyone in distress and FEAR wondering what is next.

Yet there are MOMENTS of kindness and sensitivity here and there as individuals reach out in love and try to UNDERSTAND others viewpoints. In every experience there are opportunities for GROWTH and PROGRESS or DESTRUCTION and FAILURE. Time will tell where all this leads us but it's certainly a TEST OF FAITH in the future and one's understanding of WHY we are here on earth. Without that security, it would be devastating to go on. I'm sure even God must be shaking his head at all the evil and destruction going on as we try to get each other to listen to our society's needs and wants. PRAYER is needed that's for sure.