Can you see me? I’m not very tall. I’ve been that way since day one. Although when you’re born, no one thinks about that. They’re enthralled by the pudgy cheeks, the dimple, and that you were born with eyebrows and curls. No one ever notices height.
Can you hear me? (If this was a live performance, I’d ask you to move the microphone up or down—remember I’m not tall) I never heeded the saying, kids are to be seen, but not heard. If you are small all bets are off on this one.
I learned early on to speak my mind with authority. I’ve a commanding voice when out in public. Here is an example of how three hunters once described me to my partner as they came down from hunting on our private road. “Watch out for the crazy lady who patrols the road. “She’s a mother bear -her voice echoes- and she took up the entire roadway. Shooed us away with her bellows” Yes, that was little old me.
There’s no denying that size matters, as does the cold, the rain, and anything that impedes one’s way.
My desire to walk in the late afternoon has been hampered by the rain and wind, the rotation of the sun in the sky, and the onset of daylight-saving time.
I don’t like being wet or cold or a walking duck as cars whip by. Here is my solution. I bought a Land’s End quilted down coat, hooded, and treated to be water repellent. Genius. I also bought On-Cloud running shoes—also waterproof. Here is the result. I promise you; I have not been compensated by anyone for these recommendations.
I bought these online—I shop this way because no store carries clothes or shoes that are my size. I bought with wisdom and purpose—also to be truthful, they looked great on the models.
I tried out the ensemble on Halloween, a 25- minute walk to my daughter’s home, where 1000’s of children and families paraded through the decorated neighborhood. With a spring in my step, I allowed the wind and rain to pour down. The hood blocked the wind, and I felt like Snow White, striking in elegance, a proud woman of substance. One to turn heads.
In fact, many cars stopped to let me through, people waved, pedestrians paused to greet me, chit-chat, or moved aside. Yes, Yes, I proclaimed inside my new coat, this is the ticket—white elegance. That is until I returned home and looked in the mirror. I suspect the vision onlooker’s saw wasn’t Snow White, but the Pillsbury Dough Boy, or the Marshmallow Woman. I recalled the time I had donned a hazmat outfit at a police citizens training—and awkward ball lumbering along.
No matter. I took off my winter costume, to find myself. I stood tall, powerful, and perfectly aligned. I was seen, I was protected, and felt comfortable. Isn’t that the definition of home; a person feeling comfortable in one’s own skin, being seen by others for what they are, not a projection of perfection.
I have no memory of when I was an adorable baby. Throughout life as I moved from one setting, one milestone to next, the constants within me have blossomed changed but ultimately melded into an ageless being. I brought myself home, nurtured my older self. I proclaim–elders are to be seen and heard.
Thanks to www.Wordsmith.org and A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg, I have received for the last twelve years in my in-box a “word” with pronunciation, meaning, etymology, and usage. I must confess that the words eek into my brain and sometimes into my stories. Here are two words that struck me as noteworthy:
Reeve
PRONUNCIATION: (reef)
MEANING: verb tr.: To pass (a rope or the like) through. noun: A local official.
ETYMOLOGY: For verb: Of uncertain origin. Earliest documented use: 1600.
For noun: From Old English gerefa (high official). Earliest documented use: before the 12th century.
Smilet
PRONUNCIATION: (SMY-luht)
MEANING: noun: A little smile.
ETYMOLOGY: From smile + -et (a diminutive suffix). Earliest documented use: 1591.
My Usage:
John nodded with approval a smilet formed, the smallest of smiles and he realized that his partner has passed the scrutiny of the council, she was now a reeve. He prayed she’d be a great influencer for the future.
Fight for the things that you care about but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, US Supreme Court justice (15 Mar 1933-2020)
To be able to say how much you love is to love but little.
Petrarch, scholar and poet (20 Jul 1304-1374)
The plot thickens in Sealy. Double secrets, mature emotions, re-visiting perceptions, and desperate needs push a town to its limits. Time might have marched on, but some characters get stuck along the way.
This month I’ve read a variety of genres to find I like more kinds of reading than in the past. I’m taking my time to allow the stories to unfold, giving characters and the author more opportunities to enthrall me. Here is my list, Velvet was the Night, by Moreno-Garcia, One Last Stop, by Casey McQuiston, The House in the Cerulean Sea by Klune, and two guidebooks about Albania and Croatia.
Velvet in the Night—is considered noir— dark thriller. The story uncovers the dark of history buried in our past featuring a daydreaming secretary and a confused guard hunting for a neighbor who has disappeared. On Last Stop is a mystery romance of a woman caught in time on a subway. I loved the title of The Cerulean Sea as cerulean is the blue I use often in my paintings. This a fantasy of children taken away from the rest of the world because of their differences and learning how nurturing their inner selves draws out the best in others.
I’ll be traveling to Albania and Croatia in the Spring, thus the guidebooks.
My performance on the 28th of October for 7-minue storytelling was more than fun. I acted the spooky story I told last month in the newsletter. I felt like an actress, getting myself so into character, that I was shaking, and my voice quivered. I watched the audience’s eyes grow larger— WOW—I transformed the room. I have no illusions of a career change or if it will ever happen again—but the applause and fear in their eyes spurred me on to developing tighter stories. When I get the video link, I will share it with everyone.
As the holiday season approaches, I’m offering all my followers a chance to buy directly from me, signed copies of all my books. I’ve created special bundling so that I can offer you a discount. I’m not Amazon but this way you’ll receive a message from the author, made special if you give me a hint of what makes you smile.
The special offer is: For those looking to buy a children’s illustrated book, you can gift to various people 3 hardback copies of Bubbie’s Magical Hair, for $44.99 plus freight a savings of about $3.00 per book. The hard copy books will no longer be available to purchase on Amazon.
Purchasing my three novels; River of Angels, Color of Lies, and Founding Stones allows you to read the entire series and follow Rosie in all her changing roles. The bundle would be $40.99 plus freight which is just shy of $11.00 in savings.
I’d love to speak via Zoom or in person at your next Book Group or at a special event. Request this on my website.
A Leaf Drifts
On the winds current
As Autumn flowers
Decorations of
Vibrant oranges, yellow, browns.
A twist curled
In crisp air.
Silence cushions their fall
To blanket the earth
With Beauty’s call.
