Pumping Iron

I wish to pass on some information to anyone with ALS, something I learned from Tammy, the Warrior Woman responsible for getting me started on blogspot. As she has stated, she has won many battles against this disease and one of her means of fighting back has been excersise. I mention this because of all the doctors, specialists and physical therapists I have seen, not one has mentioned the continuation of an excersise program.

My stepson, Shawn, is a Physical Therapist with an incredible talent. He agrees with Tammy and suggested what all the others did not, that an excersise regime could, quite possibly, help and certainly wouldn't hurt. He has been working with me and I now have a series of excersises, fit to my abilities, that I can do alone and with my husband.

It's tiring, but that's the nature of ALS, and the end result is that I feel a little stronger,the circulation in my legs is improving and I feel more in control of my life.
Huzzah!

You only loose when you refuse to fight!

On Capitlo Hill

As elections draw near and it's all rhetoric
My thoughts often dwell on the world politic

I think of the folks up on capitol hill
And know what they're passing is seldom a Bill

Fast words and loud speeches, all promise and sass
Ring false for it seems that they're just passing gas

And when they foul up or run out of blind luck
How swift they've become at passing the buck

When caught in dark closets their affairs bear no shame
The issue is sidestepped by a quick pass of blame

When dressed in their finest they shmooze at a bash
While with deft slight of hand they're maneuvering cash

Come the day designated I'm right there to vote
But my faith in the outcome is becoming remote

Pam

Season's Change

Shadows lengthen

Nights grow long

Early warnings

Winter's song

~

Dusk comes early

Days grow cold

The changing winds

Harsh and bold

~

Yet beauty reigns

With morning light

A brilliant shimmer

Mantle white

Lost in space

When my grandchildren were just sprouts I owned a 1986 maroon Nissan Stanza. I kept it for almost 14 years and towards the end of its run, when rust began to appear hear and there, I printed "USS Tin Can" on the door in white paint.

The afore mentioned sprouts traveled with me often and the "Tin Can" evolved into our own personal space ship. I, being the driver, was captain. "Big Al" rode shotgun and, with junk from the car, fashioned an "intercom" which he used to deliver orders to the three girls in the back. Their job was to zap aliens. Aliens were anyone who didn't have a Vermont license plate and as we cruised through the town and countryside at warp 8, all out of staters became, without exception, toast!

The kids are growing up fast and the "Tin Can" is long gone, but the memory of sound effects and young laughter ramains.

Grandchildren

After our children, grandchildren are our most incredible journey. I was present at the birth of 3 of our grandchildren and helped bring both of my daughter's babies into the world. Tiny little lives so full of energy, loudly protesting their transition into a new environment. They steal your heart and keep it forever, and it is given over gladly.

I have been fortunate to have always been physically and emotionally close to "our gang", now ranging from 15 to 2 years in age. What delightful individuals they are...smart, funny, unique and still possesed with that amazing energy. They are love and laughter, imagination and discovery and they are one of the reasons I want to win my war.

Love and thanks to: Paige and Sarah (Doodlebug and Shortcake), Emily and Ryan (The Emster and The Rye guy) and Alex (Big Al).

Always, Mimi (Spike)

Sunday Thoughts

Sunday Thoughts

As I sit in my chair

Lap blanket tucked in tight against the fall chill

I gaze out into the woods

At oaks and beaches still dressed in ochers and deep reds

Their branches sharing the sky with with trees now bare

The desire to walk among the trees is sharp and strong

I will let my mind take me where my legs cannot

My eyes take in the wonder of color and form

And as my imagination wanders through the forest

I will inhale the fragrance of a changing season

Eagleshead Mountain Camp

EAGLESHEAD MT CAMP

Our camp is a story in its own right. Most of the boards and beams were cut by my husband from the timbers on the family land. He taught me how to strip the bark off the logs with a peavy (you never know what you are going to learn each day) and I helped to remove the old stone wall which amounted to, I was told, about 40 ton of rocks.

Will designed and built our eight sided camp by hand, including the door and cupilo with its copper roof. Inside it is spacious but cozy, the exposed roof beams a work of art. We installed an antique wood stove to toast us in the winter and there is a small, open kitchen. He created our kitchen counter and table out of an old beachnut tree from the front lawn. There are new ones there now to replace it.

We go to camp often for its peace and quiet; sitting on the deck in the afternoons, soaking up the sun and all that energizing mountain air while we gaze over the Black River Valley, heading in later to listen to the radio and play cards. I always come home feeling renewed and ready for the weeks challenges.

My Beautiful Family

As my family is everything to me, it's important that they are a part of my blog. Here we all are, my daughters and me, my husband Will and his son and daughter, spouces, our 5 grandkids and Will's Aunt Skip in front of the camp my husband built .

We gather here often, up on Eagleshead Mountain, for cookouts, games, revelry and passionate conversation...the best of which seems to come as day is done and we are all sitting around the open fire. These are the people I rely on in my daily fight to stay strong, they are amazing.

Shooting Stars

Before my tears could all run dry

I flung them far across the sky

So if a shooting star you see

Remember, it belongs to me

Autumn in Vermont

Autumn in VT is like no other place on earth. The Green Mountains explode with color, leaves crunch at your feet and the sky is so blue it looks painted.The air is crisp and clean and smells pungent with decaying leaves.
As the days grow colder and the birds begin to head south, huge flocks of geese and ducks fly overhead, honking and quacking their departure as they head to warmer climates in their familiar V's.
The Bald Eagles, now repopulating our beautiful state, will remain with us throughout the winter months if enough waterways remain open to them. I have seen them teaching their young to fish on the Connecticut River, and they are a sight to behold.


"Autumn Flight"

Forgotten Childhood

Forgotten Childhood

When I look back I remember the day
When children preferred to go out to play

We ran through fields and climed up trees
Tumbling, rolling and scraping knees

Home for dinner, our family as one
Back out until dark, deep shadows were fun

No computer games, we explored outside
And bikes, not cars, were the way to ride

No fear of strangers, it was safe out there
We hollered and laughed without a care

No locked down schools, no people to dread
A wild night meant sneaking out after bed

Free expression back then was creative and fun
Not a kid full of rage at the end of a gun

Pam

Environmental Art

The condition of our environment is a big issue with me, always has been. I started relating some of my art to the environment as a way to reach out. I've gotten my granddaughters involved and we are currently working on a poster.

"Do You Hear?"

Always Fly in the Face of Adversity

"Always Fly in the Face of Adversity"

I did this painting in honor of everyone out there
fighting ALS or any life threatening illness.

Attitude isn't everything, but it's the main thing!

A Trip to Boston

My younger daughter and her family took me to Boston in the early spring to visit the Museum of Art and the Boston Aquarium, while traveling was still not so complicated. I hadn't been to the Museum in over 30 years and it was a wonderful treat. They happily pushed me anywhere I wanted to go, including a stroll through Quincy Market and Chinatown.

Following that trip my two daughters and their daughters took me to the coast of Maine for walks on the beach, down paths overlooking craggy cliffs and pounding surf, to quaint Maine villages. It is a time I will never forget.