I’m going to be offline until near the end of the month. At that time, I’ll share a few over-due book reviews. Until then, I hope the photo above brings a smile, and the photo below brings calming vibes.
Stinson Beach
Have an amazing August, and Stay cool, Stay safe, Stay well! ❤️
Lauren Scott is a Pushcart Prize nominee who enjoys small-town living in California’s Bay Area with her husband, Matt, of thirty-seven years. Although their daughter and son live out of state, frequent visits and modern technology keep their family of four close. Lauren is the author of four poetry collections, a memoir, and a children’s picture book. She has been a guest on several podcasts and her work has appeared in seven anthologies. Her poetry and prose has also been featured by Spillwords Press and Literary Revelations where she has received several honors. Lauren is a member of the Redwood Writers chapter and Marin chapter of the California Writers Club, and she is currently working on a new poetry collection and an early chapter book for children.
I recently spent a few hours at one of our county parks located in a cove off of San Pablo Bay. A beautiful day, but a little windy. Regardless, I enjoyed a deli lunch, a walk on the pier, the tranquil scenery, reading beautiful poetry by D.L. Finn, and of course, writing some haiku. Hope you enjoy the pics and poems:
a gaggle playing sunbathing and conversing year-long residents
sun comes out to play wind joins in summer respite hooded walk on pier
Observations
(a)
pickle ball on court tennis in shorter version healthy exercise
(b)
lost in the repose boats floating on bay look like dots in the distance
(c)
water entices let’s take a refreshing dip cold down to the bones
(d)
children dig in sand for shells, stones, and crustaceans treasures for their hearts
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An older photo courtesy of my son.
By the way, today is the last day to vote if you haven’t already. My poem “I Am From” is a nominee for Publication of the Month at Spillwords Press. Please click here to read the full poem from my last post.
So, if you have time, you may vote here. A Huge thanks to you who have already cast your vote. I’m honoredby your support. ❤️
Image courtesy of Spillwords
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Thank you for stopping by, and I wish you a fabulous week ahead! Can’t believe July is just around the corner! 💖
I’ve done a lot of reflecting on the days building up to my recent 59th birthday (repeated a few times). 🙂 The quiet moments of contemplation were due to my health being challenged in the last year, but I’m not going to put you to sleep with pain-talk. You see, every new day is a precious gift, and birthdays are a chance to celebrate another year of life, so what better reason do we need?
There is no better reason, but I admit to feeling less than celebratory because of these changes my poor body has endured. These two health conditions are here to stay. I can’t bid them farewell, so I’m coming to terms with them, albeit a slow process. And even though things could be worse, it doesn’t negate what I’m experiencing – essentially, a new chapter in my book. Thus, my excitement to blow out the candles this go around felt contained instead of free. Are my feelings justified? Living with pain can be a downer. And I know that I’m at an age when health can change.
And yet, without a support circle to help keep my chin up, it would be much harder to focus on the good. And ‘the good’ is what keeps me moving forward! And moving forward is the best direction! I know there will be hiccups and hurdles but taking life ‘one day at a time’ never sounded so wise.
I chose to get an epidural which gave me the heebie-jeebies, but it finally kicked in, so I’m feeling better. Not 100%, but better enough to do some walking and smiling on my special day. The celebration spanned over four days of sipping Chardonnay, indulging in delicious food, and receiving wonderful gifts. I reveled in the joy of blowing out the candles on the carrot cake (my favorite)! Part of the fun was when my hubby, son, and I strolled around a local, charming beach town. My daughter and son-in-law celebrated from Tennessee! She and I recently had one of our iconic phone chats where even we broke our own record – we talked for 5 hours! It was awesome! Anyway, back to the beach, I was grateful for this pain-free day. It felt good to ‘feel good.’ 🙏
It was lovely to see a touch of spring. Flowers from hubby. YUM!!!
We enjoyed a sinfully delicious dinner that night, and afterwards, we took a drive that lead us to a beautiful spot for taking in the lights and the stunning moon. My hubby gets credit for the last shot.
And now a slight detour, if you missed my previous post about my interview on Spillwords Press, and you’d like to check it out, the link is: https://spillwords.com/spotlight-on-writers-lauren-scott/. It was an honor to be chosen to participate in their series: Spotlight on Writers. Feel free to give it a ❤️ or to leave a comment. I’d be grateful if you would! 🤗🙏
So, Cheers to celebrating life, one day at a time, and to relishing in the blessings and beautiful beginnings that birthdays offer! 🎉🙏
Thanks SO much for stopping by, and I truly wish you all good health. ~Lauren 💝
(This beautiful painting by Lamarr Kramer was found on Google and there’s nothing like the innocence of children and the simplest things in life that brings delight to them. This was written from a memory with my son.)
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author & Poet 