The ablest navigators

 poetry, philosophy, found photos, vintage images, my own snaps, music, the human condition and grace. Yep - that about covers it.
Little Girl By Tami Haaland She’s with Grandma in front of Grandma’s house, backed by a willow tree, gladiola and roses. Who did she ever want to please? But Grandma seems half-pleased and annoyed. No doubt Mother frowns behind the lens, wants to straighten this sassy face. Maybe laughs, too. Little girl with her mouth wide, tongue out, yelling at the camera. See her little white purse full of treasure, her white sandals? She has things to do, you can tell. Places to explore beyond the frame, and these women picking flowers and taking pictures. Why won’t they let her go?

Little Girl
By Tami Haaland
She’s with Grandma in front
of Grandma’s house, backed
by a willow tree, gladiola and roses.

Who did she ever want
to please? But Grandma
seems half-pleased and annoyed.

No doubt Mother frowns
behind the lens, wants
to straighten this sassy face.

Maybe laughs, too.
Little girl with her mouth wide,
tongue out, yelling

at the camera. See her little
white purse full of treasure,
her white sandals?

She has things to do,
you can tell. Places to explore
beyond the frame,

and these women picking flowers
and taking pictures.
Why won’t they let her go?

“When I am with you, we stay up all night. When you’re not here, I can’t go to sleep. Praise God for those two insomnias! And the difference between them.”― Rumi

“When I am with you, we stay up all night.
When you’re not here, I can’t go to sleep.
Praise God for those two insomnias!
And the difference between them.”
― Rumi

Trying to Call a State Gov’t Office

*I have the phone on speaker, as I keep using the redial function, prepared to answer in case a real person comes online. 15 minutes after the office opens, I’m still getting the “I’m sorry, our offices are closed” message. Finally … this is what happens:

(ring ring ring)

(recorded voice)
“You have reached the State of Illinois *** *** Office. If you know your party’s extension, please enter that now.”

(Me)
Press the button to take phone off speaker function

(recorded voice)
”I will connect you to that extension”

(Me)
*looks at at phone in confusion*

(ringing through)
(recorded voice)
”Thank you, and goodbye.”

WTH

“Summer bachelors, like summer breezes, are never as cool as they pretend to be.” ― Nora Ephron (three young cowboys)

“Summer bachelors, like summer breezes, are never as cool as they pretend to be.”
― Nora Ephron

(three young cowboys)

“Summer night— even the stars are whispering to each other.” ― Kobayashi Issa (sunset; photo mine; iphone 4s)

“Summer night—
even the stars
are whispering to each other.”
― Kobayashi Issa

(sunset; photo mine; iphone 4s)

wild mustard afire with late afternoon sunlight my heart is with you (rural field-altered; photo mine; iphone 4s)

wild mustard afire
with late afternoon sunlight
my heart is with you

(rural field-altered; photo mine; iphone 4s)

Lutisha and the boys. Lutisha was my great-grandmother. She died after a fairly short, hard life of birthing babies (the girls aren’t pictured - maybe they are the shadows), poverty, and making do with powdered milk, biscuits, fried rabbit, and anything they could grow or shoot. By all accounts, she was opinionated, God-fearing, and taken to having “vapor fits” when she didn’t get her way. I think the one in the center is my grandfather, Cecil. He was in his 20s when he married my grandmother, who was only 14 at the time. I’m not sure any of the boys ever grew into those ears …

Lutisha and the boys.
Lutisha was my great-grandmother. She died after a fairly short, hard life of birthing babies (the girls aren’t pictured - maybe they are the shadows), poverty, and making do with powdered milk, biscuits, fried rabbit, and anything they could grow or shoot. By all accounts, she was opinionated, God-fearing, and taken to having “vapor fits” when she didn’t get her way.

I think the one in the center is my grandfather, Cecil. He was in his 20s when he married my grandmother, who was only 14 at the time. I’m not sure any of the boys ever grew into those ears …

Eight O’Clock (By Sara Teasdale) Supper comes at five o’clock, At six, the evening star, My lover comes at eight o’clock— But eight o’clock is far. How could I bear my pain all day Unless I watched to see The clock-hands laboring to bring Eight o’clock to me.

Eight O’Clock
(By Sara Teasdale)

Supper comes at five o’clock,
At six, the evening star,
My lover comes at eight o’clock—
But eight o’clock is far.

How could I bear my pain all day
Unless I watched to see
The clock-hands laboring to bring
Eight o’clock to me.

“Flora, Marie, and Hazel, cleaning clams on the farm — Onalaska” I think this photo is awesome.

“Flora, Marie, and Hazel, cleaning clams on the farm — Onalaska”

I think this photo is awesome.

I like to think the woman in the hat, looking straight at the camera, was a woman who knew her own mind, chose her own path, and felt things deeply. I want her to hold me in her ample arms against her cushioned body, let me cry it out, and then take me by the shoulders and tell me get my act together and carry on. She would have liked a good cold beer, off-color jokes, a tomato still warm from the vine eaten out of hand like an apple, passionate and earthy lovemaking, and Eckhart Tolle. “Give up defining yourself - to yourself or to others. You won’t die. You will come to life. And don’t be concerned with how others define you. When they define you, they are limiting themselves, so it’s their problem. Whenever you interact with people, don’t be there primarily as a function or a role, but as the field of conscious presence. You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are. 
” — Eckhart Tolle __

I like to think the woman in the hat, looking straight at the camera, was a woman who knew her own mind, chose her own path, and felt things deeply. I want her to hold me in her ample arms against her cushioned body, let me cry it out, and then take me by the shoulders and tell me get my act together and carry on. She would have liked a good cold beer, off-color jokes, a tomato still warm from the vine eaten out of hand like an apple, passionate and earthy lovemaking, and Eckhart Tolle.

“Give up defining yourself - to yourself or to others. You won’t die. You will come to life. And don’t be concerned with how others define you. When they define you, they are limiting themselves, so it’s their problem. Whenever you interact with people, don’t be there primarily as a function or a role, but as the field of conscious presence. You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are. 
”
—
Eckhart Tolle
__