Trees, trees, everywhere trees.
We've got these gorgeous oak trees on our property.  They touch the sky in ways I could only dream of as a kid when I was determined to throw that baseball of mine high enough to bring back down a piece of cloud with it. 
A few blocks away from my house is a street with houses on it surrounding the Garrison Fort.  It has been granted 'historic' status by the state of Maryland.  The fort was built in the 1600s and the colonists [or were they called settlers?  or thieves of land that did not rightfully belong to them?] used it to fight off the Native Americans.  There was not another settlement or fort for miles around, and remember, back in the day a mile was something that you got through either on horseback or on your own two feet.  This fort is surrounded on either side by houses, just like mine, in the middle of a neighborhood, just like mine. 
If only that fort could talk, the stories it would tell. 
If only the old oak trees on my property could talk ... they would probably tell some of the same stories as the old Garrison Fort, but my trees go back a lot further than the Fort even, and those stories would really be something. 
But those trees of mine, they never do talk.  Not even a good autumn wind can get them to say anything.

Sharon Goldner ... leaving a photo trail

 

Since I opened with a picture of me as someone else (I'm an actor), I thought I'd share with you the role I'm doing right now.  This is Mattie from Mark Scharf's new play, "Scorpions," which is appearing at Fells Point Corner Theatre in Baltimore through August.  This lady is not nearly as clean and polished as the Wicked Queen but she is definitely as feisty!

I walk my dog around a tree-lined circle as the warm-up and cool-down for our neighborhood walk.  I love trees.  I love the way they make these cool lines against the sky in the daytime and the silhouettes they make against the sky in the evening.  I also listen to them.  You know, blowing trees make a very soothing swish sound.  In addition, there are bushes growing on the community property between the circle and the homeowners' yards and there are always interesting landscaped projects with different flowers popping up all the time, planted by the business located there.  I love walking the circle because of all that greenery and flora, because of all the birds, squirrels and the occasional fox and the very rare deer (too much traffic).  Yesterday, actually, a butterfly followed us a little ways and landed right near us on the curb.  Of course it stayed there, flapping its wings just right until ... my camera was ready; then of course it took off.  And I can't forget to mention the spiders and ants that are always crossing the sidewalk, the stray cats always hiding in the bushes from my dog, and the occasional snake.  Lots and lots and LOTS of life - which is why I've been walking that circle for well over a decade.

But I also do a lot of looking down.  We're walking on concrete, of course, but it has always amazed me that no matter how much concrete we lay and no matter how many times landscapers (or frustrated homeowners) pull weeds from between those concrete blocks, always - ALWAYS - greenery manages to push through.  That fascinates me.  Even with diligent care, nature keeps on popping through.  Imagine if man did nothing.  How long would it take for such a beautifully carved, well-thought-out, man-made place to totally disappear under the trees and bushes and weeds and flowers?  How long would it take for that one area to become a forest and a nature habitat?

I've thought about this countless times over many, many years.  I even wrote an essay about it once, sparked by a flower that I had seen growing up through the cracks in some other place.  I find it encouraging.  I am not one who cares for man-made things, in general.  I have no desire to go to Vegas and see all the bright lights.  I am never impressed by city lights at night or stunning architecture.  I am only ever truly impressed by nature; by what God has caused to happen to the earth despite what me might do to it.  It makes me feel good to have evidence of creation; evidence of love and thoughtfulness; and a beautiful, always-changing landscape for the pleasure of my eyes and my ears and my soul.

Peace

Robin

Yeah, I know this is a terrible shot.  It's more about what the picture represents.

This is the letter I received reminding me that I have to take an exit interview after leaving school, so that I can start to pay that school loan when it's time.  I jotted a reminder on the envelope so that I wouldn't forget to do it within the allotted time, thereby avoiding threatening letters.

Well, turned out grad school was a GRAND misstep.  I got in.  I did a bang-up job my first semester (3.85).  I received two merit scholarships.  I realized OH MY GOD I SOOOO DON'T WANT TO BE IN SCHOOL.  I dropped out.  I feel occasional twinges of shame and failure.  And then I don't.  Where I am in life, nothing is drawing me to sit in a classroom after doing hours and hours and hours of work for a second set of letters; especially ones that it turns out I don't really want. 

I don't think I've ever done as much soul-searching in my whole life as I have in the past year-and-a-half or so.  Just trying to settle down somehow; which, for me, is difficult because in my heart and in my head, I am never, ever settled.

                     What's your snap-of-the-day?
Want to join us?  Simply post your snap-of-the-day on your website and leave a comment here to let us know to drop by and see it!  Why not head on over and check out this one at Quebecois Language!

Thanks to Terry Elisabeth Wynd, we're off and running on a new 30-day challenge which will run Saturday, August 21 through Sunday, August 19. 

                                                    Here's how to participate:

All you have to do is take a snapshot a day of whatever catches your eye!  Absolutely anything!  Post it on your blog, along with a caption or an explanation if you like and all by itself if the photo speaks for itself.  There will be a Snap-of-the-Day blog posted here everyday of the challenge.  Simply comment on the blog to let us know you've posted and give us a link so we can come and see.  We'd love to see what catches your eye!

To start the ball rolling, check out Sharon's first pic, posted yesterday.  Thanks to her for getting the ball rolling and thanks to any and all of you who choose to join us!

                                          And we're off ....!!!

That wicked lady up top there is my first entry.  (I cheated ... this wasn't taken today!)  But I actually did snap this picture of myself in the dressing room during the run of "Snow White" at Baltimore's Pumpkin Theatre some time ago.  This was actually one of my very favorite roles and this is my absolute favorite picture.  As the challenge goes, I may drop in an old picture here and there if I feel like it's worth sharing.  But I can't wait to get started snapping away on new ones to share!

 

 So every morning the deer are outside my kitchen window eating away at the pine needles. If only they would go down the road to the neighbor's where he is cultivating these beautiful exotic flowers.  But they don't.  The deer have grown accustomed to seeing me seeing them and they just stare at me and continue eating.  I know that they are deer; I wonder what they think I am.  And to think, I grew up with squirrels and would get crazy with excitement when the rare rabbit would pounce onto the lawn.  Now I regularly see deer, raccoon, possum, chipmunk, fox, woodpeckers, cardinals, bluejays, wild turkey, and some animals that I don't even know what they are!  Nature with my bagel ... now that's living!

Sharon Goldner --- leaving a ... photo [!] trail

 ... TAKE A PICTURE EVERY DAY!!!  This idea came to us from Terry Elisabeth Wynd.

Yep, that's it.  The 30-Day SNAP-OF-THE-DAY Challenge will begin on Saturday, August 21 and the last day will be Sunday, September 19.

All you have to do to JOIN US/PARTICIPATE in the challenge is take one picture every day of something that catches your eye!  Doesn't matter what or where it is.  If it catches your eye, post it on your own blog with a caption or a blog to clue us in (or if the picture speaks for itself then that's great).

Every day I will post a blog with my own SNAP-OF-THE-DAY.  Come on over and leave a comment on it with a link to your shot and we'll come over and check it out also. 

Please, let me know if you're interested in participating and I'll publish a list when the challenge gets started.  We certainly hope you'll join in!  Can't wait to see what you see!

Peace

Robin

Here are a few articles and sites I thought to share. As a village of sisters, we believe in the empowering of women to be catalysts of change. We're here to be a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, to lend a helping hand, to give a pat on the back or a leg to stand up on. We're here to share in the joy of little and big things and to support you through the tough times.

HollaBack - A forum for women to fight back on street harrassment

An article on BlogHer relating to bullying and teaching our children - http://www.blogher.com/my-daughter-bully?from=promo

I've just joined Women on the Verge - I figured it would be good to find out what others are doing to inform and uplift the women in their community so I can share other great material with you.

 Leaving you with a song I hope will bless you: More Beautiful You by Jonny Diaz

Jocelyn

This is my first time doing this but I sure am glad I came across this site -  http://weebleswobblog.com/2010/07/perfect-moment-monday-greeter.html - because I actually did have a perfect moment and what a lovely way to share it (and enjoy it all over again).

Recently, for some reason I haven't been able to figure out, I've been doing a lot of soul-searching and looking back over my life as an individual and as a family.  We've been married 20 years and our children are grown-ish; meaning not quite out of the house but going to school, working, and all those other grown-up things we hope our children will start doing when they become adults).  I've been wondering lately how we've done, my husband and I; how I've done as a mother. 

While discussing some such things with my oldest son, while expressing some dismay over something that recently occurred with the younger, my oldest looked at me quite seriously and told me that I need to understand that he and his brother are happy.  He expressed that of course they've gone through their individual things but that they are really happy and that they do not feel alone (a big one for me; one of those things I felt I needed to change from my own childhood).  He went on to tell me, as my eyes welled up, that I have this perfect picture of other families and other households in my imagination but that I am so far off; that when he goes to his friends' homes he sees families that don't talk to each other, never eat together, don't even know where there children are much of the time - older and younger.  He said that when he walks back into our home, it's like a breath of fresh air.

As I mentioned, I don't know what has sent me into this reflective period I'm in - maybe it's simply that they are grown now - but that was the best gift I could ever imagine any parent receiving:  a thank you for creating a comfortable and loving household.  My eyes are welling up right now, as a matter of fact, just thinking about it.

So that's my first Perfect Monday Moment.  Again, I'm so glad I found this site and I highly recommend everyone taking the time to recognize and reflect on those rare perfect moments in life. 

Peace

Robin

     One of the nicest first dates I ever went on was with a guy during my senior year in college.  He took me to his Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. 
     No, really. True story.
     For our second date, he took me to his Narcotics Anonymous meeting.
     Another true story.  What can I say?
     This all came back to me because recently I decided that maybe it was time for me to start my own anonymous type group.  The thing is this, well, I don't know how to say it, so I'm just going to say it, okay, and I hope that you will still like me and come read my blog here at Sister Village after I make this admission, but ...  I yell at inanimate objects.
     There.  I said it.  I got it off my chest.  It's out in the open now, which may or may not be a good thing, because I am only an A cup, and getting anything off an A cup chest, well, you're not left with a whole lot else. 
     My name is Sharon, and I yell at inanimate objects.  
     It started like this: I banged my toe the other day, and I yelled at the coffee table.  It was the coffee table's fault, after all, it should have seen me coming around the corner.  What right did it have to be there where the movers put it because we told them to put it there?
     Stupid coffee table.
     Then I bumped my head on the cupboard door that I opened to look for something only I dropped that something on the floor and I bent down to pick it up and banged my head because in that split second I forgot that I left the cupboard door open.
     Stupid cupboard door.
     The computer was going slowly the other day.
     Stupid computer.
     The cable wasn't working right.
     Stupid cable.
     There was a long line at the bank machine.
     Stupid long line.
     My hair looks ridiculously crazy with all the 100-plus degree days Baltimore has seen recently.
     Stupid hair.
     The stupid hair gets an I hate my hair too.
     I was shaving my legs and the razor cut me.
     Stupid razor.
     You get the idea here.
     So how many of you out there are with me or what?  I'm not the only one, right?  We all yell, from time to time, at the inanimate objects that we just can't live without.  And the inanimate objects are just so good about it.  They never yell back.  They never say, 'hey watch it with that tone of voice missy, and those cuss words ... it's not us ... it's you!'
     I should know where the coffee table is by now.  It doesn't move; I am the one moving around it.
     I should know that dangerous things can happen when I leave that cupboard door open.
     I should know that my hair will do what it wants when it wants, no matter the amount of product I purchase, and slather on.
     I should know that the cable TV, the automative bank machine,
and the computer are all wonderful devices, and without them, there would only be 5 TV channels on, and typewriters with carbon paper, and I would have to physically get out of my car and walk into the long line in the bank. 
     I should know that because I am no professional with sharp edges, the razor will on occasion cut me, though I have been shaving my legs now for some 27 years now *** yikes *** and I still suck at it.
     I should know that I need to slow down, breathe, and not be in such a hurry.  Because, one day those damn inanimate objects are going to come and get me, because when everyone has left the house, and they are sure that we are gone, I just know that they get up from their spots on the carpet, the shelf, the drawer, the counter, the closet, and they get together for their anonymous meeting, where they gripe, bitch, and complain ... about me.  And one day they are going to circle themselves around me while I am in bed, and they are going to let me have it.
     And I am not sure that you will believe me when I tell you what those inanimate objects do to me.

Sharon Goldner ... leaving a paper trail.