my newest poem

When the Wild Wind Whistles

Sudden and furious as a temper,

rattling the window,

stopping thought,

demanding attention,

like a frustrated child to a distracted mother,

the wild wind whistles.

Violently it rages,

no care for tree limbs breaking,

flinging dirt through the air.

The wolf is trying to blow your house down.

Will your structure hold?

When the wild wind whistles there's nothing you can do,

Just hold on.

There, the storm is passing.

The clouds have flown.

Silent stars still crown us.

You see? You've come out whole.

7 Values of a Family-of-man Thinker

1. Kindness - joyfully treating others as persons of magnificence.


2. Patience - accepting the imperfections of others and self as works in progress.


3. Forgiveness - seeing the divine in others, and self, above their, or our, actions and decisions.


4. Courtesy - treating others as honored friends who have, are, or will be wounded.


5. Humility - determination to lift others up.


6. Generosity - offering time, abilities and money to help others.


7. Honesty - speaking the truth in love.

inspired by adapted from and elaborated on: Love Letters from God an article by Gary D. Chapman, PH.D.

Busy, busy, but what have I been doing?

Lately, it seems I either can't find time to turn the computer on, or I spend all day on it. One of the time consuming things I've been doing is typing up and shortening an already short story by Dick Francis for reading, get this, next Christmas. I know that I'll forget all about the story that I want for our church's participatory service next Christmas season unless I get it down now. So it's mostly done. Could still be shortened but I'll leave something to do next December. I didn't look for something new this past Christmas so ended up reading the same story by Walter Swan. Good though it is, I'd rather have something new than repeat myself.

Another time consuming chore is getting to doctor's appointments. I went to the orthopedic doc in Tucson last week and that pretty much takes your whole day. I did call my friend Dioney and arranged to meet her for lunch and I squeezed in a quick shop in Trader Joe's. Then yesterday I went to the heart doc in Sierra Vista. And now he wants another test done in Tucson before my scheduled knee surgery - February 9th.