Pedals in Rotation

On April 14, 2025 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Poetry103 Comments

My bicycle had met its fate a while ago, so we bought a new cruiser for me. Cycling is better for my back, and in addition to using the stationary bike in the house, we now have an outdoor option. We went riding Saturday and Sunday morning in cool, perfect temps beneath cheerful sunshine. Wind in our face felt so freeing! The same feeling my husband gets when riding his motorcycles. Heading to the kids’ old elementary and high school stomping grounds was our plan. Oh, the memories! I hope you enjoy the ride, and of course, the poem I had fun writing.
Cheers to riding and writing!

Two wheels carry us
Wind in our face
Pedals in rotation
A comfortable pace

Freedom in our bones
Rolling through veins
Blue sky umbrella
Easy on the reins

Two campuses we sought
Nostalgia in our minds
Posters for council
Blooms of all kinds

Well, hi, Mr. Bear,
Looking massive as ever
Don’t mind us as we
coast by for pleasure

Cruising through corridors
Memories flow
Our children’s years learning
With smiles aglow

2010, 2015
Fun graduation days
Diplomas and celebrations
Beneath sun’s rays

Painting of murals
With colors so bright
Language of art
Beauty and delight

Quads work vigorously
Uphill we pedal
A fun ride behind us
The greatest medal!

© Lauren Scott, BaydreamerWrites.com – All rights reserved.
This blog content cannot be used to train AI.

Happy Monday! ❤️

“Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance you must keep moving!”
~ Albert Einstein

Simply click on the image to purchase
your copy! Enjoy an uplifting story
and message for all ages.

The Middle

On April 10, 2025 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Poetry136 Comments

It doesn’t matter if we’re celebrating
the best thing that ever happened,
or staring at our heart lying on the floor
in millions of tiny pieces.
Time moves ahead (seemingly)
as if we pushed the fast forward button.
Those hands on the analog clock
have a mind of their own,
turning and turning, making our heads spin,
wondering where the hours have gone.
Where have the hours gone?
How does a decade ago feel like yesterday?
Why does my mind tell me I’m forty
when my driver’s license tells me I’m wrong?
Just yesterday, my daughter and son
played with Lego and Barbies.
Today they’re adulting, living with
bills that show up in the mailbox
on a monthly basis. Always prompt.
Just yesterday, I took my last photo
of our senior pup, not knowing
it would be the last photo
I would take of him.
Right now, a man in his seventies
is undergoing bypass surgery.
Just yesterday, he and his wife
were walking on one of their
routine five-mile daily walks.
Time is precious. Do we need reminding?
We’ve heard it before,
but have we ruminated on the concept,
held it in the palm of our hand,
massaged it, comprehending?
This is the question
as the conveyor belt of life
carries us from here to there, wind in our face.
But do we notice what’s in the middle?
Because in the middle is what we shouldn’t miss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

© Lauren Scott, BaydreamerWrites.com – All rights reserved.
This blog content cannot be used to train AI.

Click on the image to purchase your copy.
Thank you! 🙏

Cruising country roads…

On April 6, 2025April 6, 2025 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Photos, Poetry106 Comments

We needed the getaway a couple of weeks ago, so I’m sharing some highlights. Luckily, our destination wasn’t too far, and driving the back country roads at this time of year was truly magical with the rolling green hills dotted with black and white dairy cows, not to mention, the umbrella of blue sky and downy clouds.

The town was small but charming with just the right amount
of excellent restaurants and quaint, quirky shops.

Saturday morning, we walked through the old growth redwood grove,
and as you can imagine,
it was another enchanting experience.

***“Preserve the trees, for they are the finest art.”***

Then we were ready for some wine tasting, and the winery we chose gave us the best experience so far – Char Vale Vineyards and Winery. We lucked out with the weather on Friday and Saturday because Ms. Rain held the raindrops until Sunday. Her thoughtfulness allowed us some outdoor exploring on the main two days without messy conditions. Our palates enjoyed the elegant, fruity, and velvety notes, and the delicious adventure lasted about 2 1/2 hours, gracing us with a bright blue sky and cool but comfortable temps. We also had a good chat with the owners, a husband and wife team, who have been in the business for decades.
Our knowledge about making wine expanded on this day, but don’t quiz me!

Lastly, we reflected a lot about our beloved Copper.

April 3rd marked one month since his passing,
and one of my photos just happened to prompt a poem.
It’s still in draft mode, but I’m sharing anyway…

March to March

Reminiscent of Elton’s circle of life,
from March to March
he arrived with youthful spirit
and left with angel wings –
our family for thirteen years,
now glowing memories
in the spaces
and around each corner.
We celebrate his life –
those soul-searching eyes
that connected to us –
we were links in a golden chain,
now one link is missing,
our golden boy –
tears still follow
like a shadow –
the shadow he was,
but smiles gently find their place
because he is in our hearts,
because joy needs room to simmer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for popping in, and I hope you enjoyed the photos and poem.
Have a wonderful week ahead. ❤️

© Lauren Scott, BaydreamerWrites.com – All rights reserved.
This blog content cannot be used to train AI.

“In Darkness there is Light” published on Gobblers at Masticadores!

On April 1, 2025April 4, 2025 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Gobblers by Masticadores, Poetry58 Comments

Hello Everyone, we had a wonderful weekend away and I’ll share some photos later. But today, I want to thank Manuela Timofte, Editor of Gobblers at Masticadores, for publishing my poem “In Darkness there is Light.” A wonderful surprise on this first day of April. ❤️

Nighttime falls inside the doors of the beautiful hotel
an experience to tuck away in my memory box
Many sprint here and there following their agendas
in the midst of mild chaos –
some scrambling from point A to point B
wondering what happens next
or maybe they’ll discover a cozy spot like mine
with a small, round table and chair
in my private slice of darkness

An unexpected power outage doesn’t stop me
Who doesn’t wish for a little light,
but functioning without it…
bring on the adventure!

As I look around in blackness and listen,
words flutter nearby…

You can read the full poem by clicking on the link below:

In Darkness there is Light

I hope you’ll consider following Gobblers at Masticadores to immerse yourself into evocative worlds of poetry. And if you missed my original post of this poem, you can read it here.

Thanks for stopping by, and I wish you a great day and joyful new month! 💖

© Lauren Scott, BaydreamerWrites.com – All rights reserved.
This blog content cannot be used to train AI.
This poem was written during a power outage
at the writers conference in February.

Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku by Literary Revelations Publishing House

On March 22, 2025 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Anthologies, Book Promotions, Poetry86 Comments

I am honored and grateful to be included in Gabriela Marie Milton’s upcoming anthology of haiku! This is the second anthology I’ve been part of following the beautiful Petals of Haiku released in May 2024.
Thank you again, Gabriela and Literary Revelations for believing in my work. 🙏

From Gabriela’s blog post:

@LR_Publisher, just sent out letters of acceptance (or rejection) for our upcoming book Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku. Congratulations to everyone who was accepted. Please help me spread the news. Soon, we will send you the whole design of the cover – as you know, the art on the cover belongs to Japanese artist Hikari and the fine art photography included in the book to Japanese artist Naoki Kimura. Over 240 authors were included.

All photos courtesy of Literary Revelations Publishing House.

For more information and gorgeous photography by Naoki Kimura, and to read beautiful and evocative poetry by Gabriela and other poets she features, please visit her site by clicking the link below.

My outstanding contributors, Literary Revelations sent out letters of acceptance (or rejection) for our upcoming book Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku.

And Congratulations to the amazing authors whose work will be showcased in this gorgeous anthology!

Thank you for visiting, and have a wonderful weekend! 💞

© Lauren Scott, BaydreamerWrites.com – All rights reserved.
This blog content cannot be used to train AI.

If you enjoyed Cora’s Quest, please consider sharing
a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads.
Book reviews are like hugs for Indie Authors. 🤗

In Darkness there is Light

On March 18, 2025April 2, 2025 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Poetry128 Comments

Nighttime falls inside the doors of the beautiful hotel
an experience to tuck away in my memory box
Many sprint here and there following their agendas
in the midst of mild chaos –
some scrambling from point A to point B,
wondering what happens next
or maybe they’ll discover a cozy spot like mine
with a small, round table and chair
in my private slice of darkness

An unexpected power outage doesn’t stop me
Who doesn’t wish for a little light,
but functioning without it…
bring on the adventure!

As I look around in blackness and listen,
words flutter nearby
I feel their gentle presence like a hummingbird’s
I exercise patience, pen in hand, journal lying open
like a flower in bloom ready to soak up sunshine
A page lies in wait until it feels satisfied with
vowels and consonants tumbling upon its lined surface

The flameless candles glow, yellows dance a jig,
comfort in my bones
chaos maybe, but laughter echoes in the distance
I accept a complimentary champagne
validating my existence
And so, it is in darkness when I become inspired

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a wonderful day. ❤️

The benefit of children’s books

On March 14, 2025 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Book Reviews68 Comments

On March 7th, Brian from https://writingfromtheheartwithbrian.com/ wrote a post that will bring a smile. He talks about the wonder of children’s books and how they show us what is “right and good in the world, and what is real.” Brian was kind enough to include my book, Cora’s Quest, but because of Copper’s passing, I wasn’t in the mindset to share. My heart still aches, but today is a better day to reblog.

Thanks again, Brian, for including Cora and your amazing review in your inspiring post. I’m so grateful, and I hope the students in your wife’s class love reading about Cora too! 🙏

I’m sharing Brian’s review below, but please click on the blog link to read his full post. Other children’s literature is mentioned that will evoke great memories.

Looking for a little courage

For example, when police investigations into the New Orleans truck attack that killed 15 people and the Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas dominated the news in January, I found myself reading fellow blogger Lauren Scott’s children’s book Cora’s Quest. (Lauren can be found on her blog, Baydreamer Writes.)

In Scott’s wonderful little book, fawn Cora gets separated on a wooded trail from her ma and pa. When she looks up from investigating a fuzzy caterpillar, her parents are gone. She starts to worry about being in the big forest all alone. Of course it gets scary. The tree branches look like they’re reaching out to grab her. Have you been in the woods in the dark? It can be a scary place. She can feel her tummy rumble and fear “trickle from her nose to her hooves.” I was right there with her.

Despite everything, she stands firm and reminds herself that “My body may be small, but my courage is big.”

When she thinks she can’t bear it anymore, her parents come from behind a bush. Of course, the three kiss and celebrate. They hurry home to feast on apples and acorns. If we ever needed a reminder to be courageous in the world, now is the time. Everyday some new problem comes out of the woodwork and the world seems minutes from calamity. Despite it all, little Cora shows us the way. “My body may be small, but my courage is big.”

What a great reminder. I can’t think of better advice. Yes, you go Cora! Lauren’s writing is touching and the colorful images by her illustrator Chris Mendez jump off the page. It’s perfect for young kids and the young-at-heart like myself. Be sure to check it out.

Don’t judge a book by its cover

And if you don’t know Brian, check out his blog! He’s a wonderful writer who shares his thoughts and experiences in a way that entertains and engages, and usually prompts a giggle!

Thanks for stopping by, and I wish you a wonderful Friday and weekend! ❤️🙏

One week ago from today…

On March 10, 2025March 11, 2025 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Poetry168 Comments

Copper crossed over the rainbow bridge, and I don’t know how we made it through from last Monday, a very sad and emotional day, to today. It’s been tough. Loss is Loss. He wasn’t just a dog, he was family, and for thirteen years he was in our lives. So, it takes more than a day or two, or even a week to move forward without a broken heart. Truth is, I don’t know how long it will take. But in between the tearful moments from missing him beyond words – from not being able to pet him, kiss him on the top of his soft head, feel his silky ears, or bury our faces in his fur, we find joy in the life we had with him, how he enriched our lives with his unconditional love. It’s serendipitous to know that he came into our lives in March 2012 and left our earthly world in March 2025. All we can do is give ourselves grace (my daughter’s advice), and continue to take one day at a time.

I’ve been writing a lot, as my good friend, Resa from https://graffitiluxandmurals.com/, advised me to do. Her words, “Fall on your pen!” So I share this poem with you today; it’s still new with possible editing in the future, but it fits for today from my heart to yours:

Loss is Loss

Death comes in many forms
Death can be tragic
Death can be anticipated
Regardless, when a loved one passes
whether human or pet
loss is loss
hearts still break open
tears fall until
there are no more
stages of grief
call us and we answer
submitting to erratic emotions
to heaviness in heart and limbs
to wondering if the sun will rise again
and no matter what triggers the pain
we must offer ourselves grace…
to grieve as we should
to mourn as days unfold
Loss is loss shattering us
into tiny pieces of uncertainty
until the healing of time
brings those pieces back together.

Copper loved getting outdoors, whether
for a walk in the neighborhood, or on
the trail.

***Young Copper soon after adopting him.***

Thank you for ‘being there’ for me and my family, and I look forward to reading your wonderful posts again. And if you have a dog or cat, give them a hug for me. ❤️