rain

March 11, 2013

dog walk thoughts

I walked Blue through the park this morning early, our favorite route, while a cold rain fell. As my peacock adorned rain boots hit the wet sidewalk, after we made it through and were headed on toward home, these words rang in my head in a steady rhythm:
“Grit, Steel, Grace and Love
that’s what Janean Baird is made of.”

Of course it should read, “Janean Marie Thompson Baird” but that’s too long and ruins the word flow.

I’m going to wake up the boys next and plan on unplugging as best I can to make art today, for that is the soothing balm my aching and weary soul needs most.

March 11, 2013

March 10, 2013

bird song

nighttime rain
stops
morning light
dawns
snow melts
bird song
floats along
trilling:
odes of love
warning:
dog coming
birds a plenty
perched
in tree tops
on wires narrow
flying o’er head
in v-formation
honking
the birds are back
the earth is soft
and muddy
puddles form
in the grass
on sidewalks
as snow piles
disappear
and daytime rain
begins to fall
oh, spring
you are coming
we can feel you
in the warmer air
we hear you
approaching
in the lilting
beauty
that is
bird song

March 10, 2013

January 29, 2013

awake

NOTE TO SELF: Don’t uncrate the happy to see you big dog, while just wrapped in a towel with another towel wrapped turban style upon your head. ‘Cause if you do, the one on your head will fall off, the other one will slip, and that dog’s pointy nose doesn’t need to go THERE…

The bright side is: I had an oh so lovely, steamin’ hot shower, on a rainy, thunder-stormin’ Tuesday morn. Rain helps. It just does. Soothes me on the inside. Pourin’ down by the bucketful.

Once I throw some clothes on, and feed my dear sweet boys, Blue dog and I are walkin’ in the rain. He’ll be wearin’ his usual tan paws and I’ll be wearin’ BOOTS…my peacock adorned rubber rain kind.
~ Me

January 29, 2013
6:45am

January 25, 2013 Image

I love the rain
Spring rains will come soon
thunderstorms and gentle mists
I welcome both

I love walking in the woods
and on a gravel road
lined with trees on either side

I love resting
whether on a proper bench
or plopping on the ground

I love the river
especially Grandpa’s river
the mighty Mississippi
standing atop his bluff
looking o’er her curving path
there I can breathe

I love to smile
and often do
a gentle curve of lips
or crooked at the corner
a flash of teeth and quick laugh
full wattage mega kind too
the best ones reach my eyes

I love the rain
I walk my dog without an umbrella
wearing rain boots with peacocks
splashing through puddles
with a grin
laughing at my prancing pup

I am not dead. I am here. Thank you, God, for these simple things and the ability to find joy in quiet moments such as these. Thank you for family and friends, and the powerful prayers of Your people who are lifting up my cancer fighting husband and me and our boys asking for the strength and courage we need to weather this vicious storm. We are thankful, humbled and oh, so very blessed. Hope bubbles fresh anew each day. Your love will see us through. ~Janean

January 25, 2013

Photograph taken on January 16, 2013, standing atop my Grandpa’s bluff, overlooking his river, my Heart Home, that place where I can breathe.

January 25, 2013 Link

Here Lies the Remains of a Girl Who–Did What Now?: Put yourself back together.

autumndragonfly:

  • Sit quietly in a storm without an umbrella, without a word of complaint. Let the rain wash away every ounce of bitterness that has been used to write a eulogy on your skin.
  • You’re not dead.
  • Remember.
  • Drive down to the river. Drive down to where the industrial waste has not re-colored the…

I love the rain
Spring rains will come soon
Thunderstorms and gentle mists
I welcome both

I love walking in the woods
and on a gravel road
lined with trees on either side

I love resting
whether on a proper bench
or plopping on the ground

I love the river
especially Grandpa’s river
the mighty Mississippi
standing atop his bluff
looking o’er her curving path
there I can breathe

I love to smile
and often do
a gentle curve of lips
or crooked at the corner
a flash of teeth and quick laugh
full wattage mega kind too
the best ones reach my eyes

I love the rain
I walk my dog without an umbrella
wearing rain boots with peacocks
splashing through puddles
with a grin
laughing at my prancing pup

I am not dead. I am here. Thank you, God, for these simple things and the ability to find joy in quiet moments such as these. Thank you for family and friends, and the powerful prayers of Your people who are lifting up my cancer fighting husband and me and our boys asking for the strength and courage we need to weather this vicious storm. We are thankful, humbled and oh, so very blessed. Hope bubbles fresh anew each day. Your love will see us through. ~Janean

January 25, 2013

Here Lies the Remains of a Girl Who–Did What Now?: Put yourself back together.

October 29, 2012 Image

I began writing this post on our last day of vacation in Orlando, Florida. The day we headed home. In the midst of packing suitcases, carry ons and getting everyone and everything ready to GO, I tried to post this photo and story about my youngest son, but of course when you’re time crunched is when you’re most likely to have technical difficulties. So, I quickly saved as “draft” and decided to wait and post when I could finish a thought again. It’s now Monday morning. My husband is working, my children are at school, the happy-to-be-home-again-dog is sound asleep at my feet and the glad-we’re-home-but-mad-the-dog-is-back-too-cat is plotting from the floor above. Ah, q-u-i-e-t. Just what I needed most. 

On October 26, 2012, my youngest son (age 9) woke up happy and said, “Yeah! It’s Friday! We’re not going to the parks today!” Sweet boy who is happy to be going HOME. It’s his safe spot. I packed a patterned blanket, in shades of golden brown, on his request. It’s a comfort to him. He likes the cozy, softness it offers at night – it feels like something in between fleece and velour. It was worth the luggage space I gave up to bring it along for him. He needed that extra bit of home with him this wonderful week away. A week spent under palm fronds blowing in gentle breezes and a clear blue sky above. The gray clouds and rainy moments never lasted long or dampened the fun of the trip.

We made our own fun, he and I. He was my apple this week. The crowds were a bit too much. Rides not really his thing. Especially fast, dark and loud ones. Up and at ‘em rushing to eat breakfast and catch buses didn’t feel like vacation to him. Extra desserts agreed with him just fine though! So we swam in the hotel pool nearly every day, played video games at the hotel arcade, split brownie desserts down the middle, tucked in early and watched TV or read books in the quiet of the room while his big brother and dad rode the wild rides and stayed up late, adding to the crowds. Most of my vacation pictures are of him (palm trees come in second), caught my oldest son, husband and in laws a few times too. The memories will last. The smiles too. It was a lovely vacation. ~ Janean

October 29, 2012