Solstice family

June, 1989 Bill and Lavena Smith

Diane, Don, Paul, Ron and Roxanne Smith in 1989

 

Today is the winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night in the Northern Hemisphere.
Poets over the ages have proffered plenty of advice for the coming months.

 

Poet Pietro Aretino, born in the 15th century, said, “Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.”

William Blake wrote, “In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.”

There’s a Japanese proverb that says, “One kind word can warm three winter months.”

Emily Dickinson wrote, “There’s a certain Slant of light, Winter Afternoons — That oppresses, like the Heft Of Cathedral Tunes.”

My Veteran

You can take Don out of the marines, but you can’t take the marine out of Don!

Thinkers and their eggs

eggs by Jeanne in inDesign (with her tech: Don, patiently lining up three eggs)

When I taught in Catholic elementary school,

I had to remind the children every day that they were a circle

and there was no way to be first on line.

They were fiercely competitive

when the essence of the Good News was to be a happy circumference,

a yellow yolk in the white.

Most of the children were black,

but all shades use the same colors to paint their portraits.

It’s a question of values, isn’t it?

 

Highlight’s Haiku

painting “Sunlit ” by Neil Goldman

.

highlights over low lights
lowly versus noble
yin and yang of chi
Jeanne

pick up game at gloaming
evening entertainment
under highlights
Don

hidden pictures
magical words
Hi Five for Highlights
Bill

high spirits
high hearts
Highlight’s haiku morning
Eileen

Yo! stunning delivery
fun with a purpose
haiku for Highlights
Joy

Editing my photo of my oil pastel on my iPhone 6+

My nephew wanted his caricature: this shows instant, transfer, chrome,and none (with the color punched up)

.

Grandpa Bill and Don

and Paul and Dustin Smith the

 charming car fixer

By the Seat of my Pants

art  by RoZo

chaos today! flew

through it with Navigator

Don, my own Welsh god

Definition #333 Apple With a Fish Eye

                   my scooter, Don, and the Apple Store seen through the iPhone6+’s new Ollo lens

in the orb eye curve

stands my man-my circuit cam-

circled camera jam

Definition #285 Blowing Bubbles

In the evening,

on the deck in Austerlitz,

we discovered

flowing gigantic bubbles.

The iPhone video

 in slow motion,

was edited

in iMovie and the music of Enya

added to the background.

Thank you Don, Annika and Owen

for the bubble formula.

Definition #200 Grapes on the Vine

Michael, Aneli, Diane,Quenby, Don, Jeanne, Owen, Emily
2007

stronger than water

is blood: grapes on the vine: flow

to be fine red wine!

Definition #145 (Jeanne from Queens #17) Pace

Watercolor of Jeanne 1988
The year I met Don

Pace is the space
betweenthebeats
e c h o i n g     e e r i n e s s
blossoming breaths.
Pheeew!
Jeanne Poland