Words from the Heart

The poet, Joyce Kilmer wrote the following poem:  TREES I think that I shall never see  A poem lovely as a tree.    A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed  Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;    A tree that looks at God all day,  And lifts her leafy arms to pray;    A tree that may in Summer wear  A nest of robins in her hair;    Upon whose bosom snow has lain;  Who intimately lives with rain.    Poems are made by fools like me,  But only God can make a tree.    I love trees...the following is a photo essay of the old Ironwood tree outside our local library. She is such a lovely creature! The pictures speak louder than any words I could write.   Enjoy! For more information on Ironwood trees (also known as American Hornbeam) check out this link: http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_caca18.pdf

The words are few for this post...pictures say it all. These are some of my favorite moments: My brother Barry and me at the beach in South Boston - 1957 My girls and our exchange student, Pablo from Argentina 1993 Rainbow over South Deerfield, MA 2008 Cardinal in the snow 2008 Farm in New York 2007 Tree Hugging 2007 Resting with a friend 2008 Roger and I - top of Mt. Holyoke 2008 Sunflower 2006 Luna moth caterpillar on gladiola Barry and me at Duxbury Beach, MA 1959

Many of you who know me well know that I am not one to follow blindly the trends of others. In fact, tenacity r' us, especially when I feel strongly about something. So it is, also, with some of our traditions. Whoever came up with the idea that in order to make a resolution you have to give something up? Why do we take the negative view on things? It only defeats the purpose. "Giving up" food we love, things we like to do, etc., sets us into a negative frame of mind. Is it no wonder that we fail to keep our resolutions? Being positive, I believe, helps make things happen. If I resolve to allow myself more time to walk each day, I will eventually begin to see a change in my body. Exercise is good for the metabolism. This idea is so much more positive than, "I am not going to eat." The "not" is what gets us subconsciously. Therefore, the resolutions I want to make this New Year's Eve are: I will allow myself more time for walks, dancin...

Many years ago, when I was raising my four daughters, we lived in a neighborhood that still had woods and ponds and brooks unscathed by the desire to turn every inch of land into mega-mansions and ultra-malls. Most of our neighbors had sons, much to the girls delight and/or dismay depending on what area of maturity they were at in their development. During a time when the boys were yucky, they (the boys) got together to build a tree fort directly across the street from our home at the top of a rise that elevated their view directly into the second story rooms. When the girls spied the boys in the tree fort, they would pull down the shades, squealing with delighted disgust that their privacy was being invaded. The boys would whoop and holler, make gun sounds, jump from the limbs of the tree and run commando style through the woods. During the time that the boys had become cool to be with, the tree house served as a place to meet. From the vantage point of my bedroom window, I could s...

A view of Mount Sugarloaf as we walk to end hunger It was the most perfect autumn weekend. The sun lighting up the maples in glorious sunrise/sunset splendor. The sky was that crystal blue that only appears in New England on crisp autumnal days. It was the weekend of the socially conscious, the activist, the tree-huggers, the dog-lovers and me! 350 Bell Ring at South Deerfield Congregational Church We started the weekend with our 350 Bell Ring for Climate Awareness. The evidence that the climate has gone to the dogs was apparent when a four-legged friend stopped by to ring the bell! Four-legged friend comes by to ring the bell At the finish of Crop Walk...tired but happy On Sunday, another gorgeous day, we held the Franklin County Crop Walk to End Hunger. I did the 2+ mile loop, others took the 5+ mile loop up and down the rolling hills of South Deerfield. The walk raised over $20,000. Resting in the arms of a friend, Miss Maple If you are interested and want to help end world hu...