traveling up and down the blind highway

Last evening Lynda Lambert and I talked about our colloration of a poetry and art exchange. We have written a poem and made an art pice to send in the mail. We are in our seventh month of a year long project.

The art is discribed and poems are below.

January 7

The first art is a light green background with several black lines near the bottom of the card. The poem for January is in braille on the front of the card.

walking, I pause to watch

a sparrow wrestle a seed from the feeder

Success!

a black sunflower seed

in his beak

February 7

The picture is light pink and orange with a mat finish brush strokes visible. The colors are light to dark.

Settled

floor boards creak

aging, settling

like old bones

March art 7

the art is the cover from a bar of Lindt’s dark chocolate 85 percent coco Both Lynda and I share a love of this chocolate.

Poem 7

Last snow

In my little woods,

I see the outline of the dawn.

Hills and furrows, made by men.

Not the same as nature’s curves.

cozy homes for the birds.

Man looks, seeing empty space.

animals hide without a trace.

Mother Nature steals the show.

blanketed by fresh snow.

April’s 7

Cookie moon

The card has gold coin cover in shades of blues. It appears to be floating. The circle has green brown paint on one edge like a bite.

Cookie Moon

moon’s glow darkens

eerie quiet

bites,

disappearing

May 7

The art is a painting of a flag of green, white and red. stripes like an Italian . flag of Vertical sections of red, White and green. This is for my foster sister Adelia. She was an exchanged student and a part of our family for over 50 years.

May , poem 7

Brazil

accordion, guitar

sweet tenor croon

words of love

in Portuguese tongue

strong elixir

amor

June 7th

colors of pink and orange

drift into green with bits of periwinkle.

Brush strokes create the image of motion.

June Poem 7

Windy

tree tops dance

petals blown off stems

birds stay put

one young turkey

leans into the wind

to climb steps

quiet descends with dusk

mouse scampers across rocks

July 7

The art was inspired by a raccoon caught in a security camera

Painting is black, purples and grays.

July 7

Night visitor

Out of the shadows,

He walks the wall

To the dark watery pool

It calls

inviting him

stepping in enjoys a long drink

The recording of this exchange will be availible in the near future on the Behind Our Eyes website.

My writer’s group was given the word cone to write a six line story or poem using the word at least once. It started me thinking of some of the treats, snacks we enjoyed in the summer.
My Mon had a tupperware set of six popcycle shapes with holders and a tray to keep the popcycles upright in the freezer. They were either lemonade or orange juice. I would suck the juice or flavor out of the treat and enjoy crunching on the ice that was left. The forms and holders were returned to the dishes to be washed and reused over and over.
After my Dad had cooked hamburgers or hot dogs on our round grill, we would cut green sticks from the apple tree to toast large marshmallows over the coals. No grams or Hersheys chocolate just the hot melting marshmallow toasted to a golden brown. That was the goal. Mine were either burned to a black as the sugar caught fire or the marshmallow became so soft that the whole piece melted falling into the coals. After one or two attempts, I gave up popping the marshmallow uncooked into my mouth. During Girl Scout Camp, I finally perfected the toasting with the adding of a chocolate piece smashed between two graham crackers.
The freezer also held a box of frozen petit fours. They had been hidden in the far corner of the freezer from the holidays. Upon finding them, I would take one from the package and move the rest around so my taking the treat would not be noticed right away. I could hide a half dozen stolen candies before discovery.
The raspberry patch was a favorite place to hide and munch on the lowest berries. I would lay between the bush and the picket fence eating my way down the row. As we became experts in leaving some berries after the first picking of the day..
Green apples grew on the two old trees in the back yard. They were small and could be wormy. I would examine one or two before biting into one. They were tart . One had to check the bitten apple to see if there were worm holes or worse a half of worm.
Our neighbor on the corner had a large mulberry tree. We knew when the fruit was ripe when the sidewalk was spotted with purple from fallen berries. I would reach for the darkest berries to munch on on my way home. My lips and fingers betrayed what I had been up to.
Finally, Mom would allow me to go into the fridge to take a couple of cabbage leaves to munch in my tree. I would pretend that the tree was my personal island. The grass was water. I could live in the tree and eat my cabbage. If I had to leave the safety of the tree, I would pretend to swim to the back door of the house.
I hope that you have special memories of your own summer treats.

---

Today’s poem
Treats
Egged on by friends, we searched for frozen petit fours.
It was easier to pick berries from the patch.
Lemonade popcycles and toasted marshmallows were a rarity.
I was allowed to grab cabbage leaves any time.
carolaspot@aol.com July 15, 2024

July is set aside as National Disabilities Pride Month. Many events and activities will celebrate the diversity and accomplishments of people with disabilities. Many communities will be hosting crafts and food fairs shows. Music, theater and lectures are scheduled throughout the month. People have overcome despite their disabilities.

At the end of the month, there will be a street fair in Grand Rapids Michigan.

As part of the celebration of diversity in the arts, blind poets, artists Lynda Lambert and myself are half way through a year long project to exchange a postcard with original art and a poem for each day of postal delivery. Below is an example of such an exchange using the postal service.

&&***

July 1st Poem 1

The card is an example of a butterfly from the show. It is red and black on a flower stem. On the reverse side, the date July 1st and Poem 1is attached

Butterflies

jeweled visitors

dive, hover, soar

Gather nectar

from flower’s core

I can’t see

what they do

imagination

changes my

point of view

Lynda’s card for that day is an abstract with a piece of a flag embedded in the painting. Swirls of light blue and black with touches of red with white edge. On the reverse is side Lynda’s poem.

I write a poem on Monday

I write a list of 20 words

I write one name and one color

I pick up those words ,one here two there

Keep writing line, more lines

Until the poem is born.

When one is blind, you rely on your hearing to give you cues to your surroundings. What you hear may not be accurate.
My fellow writer, told a story about visiting a new doctor for a physical. Marleen was brought to an examination room to change for a mammogram. As she sat waiting, a wailing noise was heard. It ebbed, then grew louder. There was brief moment of silence before the pattern repeated, When the nurse returned, Marleen complained about the sound coming from one of the machines.
“O that is our new wave sound effect to relax our patients.”
“That doesn’t sound like waves to me,” remarked Marleen.
“I agree but the doctor’s spent a lot of money on it so we are to test it.”
Another friend with vision loss has difficulty discerning faces. She would identify a person by their haircut and color. With aging, both the color and style may change often.
On a ferry boat in the Scottish Highlands, I awoke in my lounger to hear bagpipe music playing.
I tapped my husband to ask if he could turn down the recording.
“Honey, you are hearing the creaking of a loose hatch.” My apologies to bagpipe lovers. Busy street crossings have auditory and visual signals. Voice countdowns, verbal commands to walk or beeping are common. One crossings had the sound of a bird call to signal when to cross. It was a nice idea but when the birds in the tree answered, I had no clue if it was safe to cross.
A local garden placed fountains to masks traffic noise when strolling the pathways. Recently, I was walking is circles as I tried to listen for cars in the parking lot entrance. Usually, I am with my husband or friends and the embarrassment is short lived.
My friend Allen wasn’t so lucky. He was in a men’s bathroom alone. He thought he could listen to the toilets flushing and running water to find the toilets and sinks. To his chagrin, after leaving a stall, he found himself washing his hands in the urinal.
When I am in doubt about my surroundings, I ask.

---

Today’s poem
Reality Hearing

Music or creaking
a bird or signal locating exits and entrances
A person can get his hand
in a urinal
carolaspot July 1, 2024 copyrighted

After a week of temperatures in the nineties and high humidity, I am looking forward to a cool wet start to the week. The west side of Michigan averages 30 to 40 inches yearly. A close by city of Grandville has recorded 38 inches of precipitation so far this year.
I noticed our front lawn had a large crop of toadstools popping up in the grass. Another local nearby town, Rockford, had one rainfall this past Wednesday and received 2 inches of rain in one hour. Farmers are late getting into their fields to plant, how and weed with the heavy equipment.
The west side of the lake is no better. A friend in Milwaukee reported she hasn’t watered her container garden more that once this season. My brother, who lives in Manitowoc Wisconsin on the lake shore has experienced more cool and rainy weather this year.
Fires in Canada have triggered air quality alerts in Minnesota and across to the Great Lakes.
The national weather service predicts 17 to 27 hurricanes in 2024 season, a larger than normal number.
We have seen flooding on the Texas coast and in Florida. high fluctuations in weather is seen in many states. On the west coast, though no wild fires are currently active, the potential for fires due is high wind until Tuesday.
Changes in climate and weather patterns will affect our lives now and in the future.
What can we do to help? The biggest, change our attitude. This is not a right wing or a left wing statement. It is a pro earth belief. What we choose to do today will affect the quality of our lives.
I have felt the difficulty of breathing on days with poor air quality. I want to work to decrease my footprints on this land. Walk softly and carry a large inhaler!!
Inhale
Inside, air is cooled, conditioning.
News reporters extremes in conditions.
How many times have we changed the channel?
Always it is someone else’s problem.
“Let’s take a walk in the sunshine.”
Each breath hurts our lungs, we slow the pace.
Climate change has caught up with us.

We celebrate the Summer Solstice this week. The longest day of the year will be on June 21. Here in Michigan, the day will have sixteen hours of sunlight from sunrise to sunset. In some cultures the mid-mummer’s day is filled with dancing, singing, building bonfires and wearing of costumes. Some people will choose to wear nothing at all. With our prediction of a high of 90 degrees, that may tempt some.
This year, my daughter Ruth will wed Aaron Gould in a ceremony at a waterfall in Sequoia National Park near the Summer Solstice. They will be celebrating this whole week.
The waterfalls in the park are expected to be flowing with more water due to the amount of rain and snow in the Sierra Nevada range. Weather will be sunny with a high of 69 degrees in the day and 49 degrees in the evening. My daughter will walk to be married at Bridal Veil Falls. She will be strolling in her gown and white hiking boots to the falls. John and I wish the newly wed couple well and look forward to hearing about their adventures.
They are following in the steps of our wedding plans 33 years ago. We flew to Los Vegas, were married at midnight at a small chapel named, “Graceland.” We honeymooned in Death Valley visiting many natural wonders such as the Salt Flats, Devils golf course and a colorful cliff named Artist Palette.
The longer daylight and the natural scenery will make this a memorable ceremony.
Whether you choose to celebrate with friends, quietly or not at all, Mid-summer’s eve is a time to enjoy the longer daylight hours.

Solstice

summer’s midpoint, inspires parties.
Others mark the day getting married.
Love and Magic abounds.
Several ways to enjoy the day.
Time to have bonfires and dance as the sun sets.
In some cultures, people wear costumes.
Carried away, a few wear nothing.
Each to his or her preference.
Carolaspot@aol.com June 17, 2024

Flag Day was first celebrated in 1877. The design created by Betsy Ross, was adapted by congress as The country's flag. Over the years the number of stars have been modified to show the current number of states. The red and white stripes remain constant for the original 13 colonies. It was approved by the Continatal Congress in 1777 as the flag of the new country. In 1885, to celebrate the one hundred anniversary of the flag adaption ,it became an official holiday

My family had a large 4 ft. by six ft. flag that was first displayed in front ot the Northville Electric Shop, that my Grandfather Clifford and my Father owned together. When the flag was changed to reflect the addition of the new states of Hawaii and Alaska, my mother, kept and used the old flag. She reasoned that no one would notice or count the number of stars. The flag was used for years until the dark blue had faded to a purple.
The flag, like people is to be disposed of with honor. The best way for disposal is cremation. Many Veterans of Foreign War Posts will take old flags, and preform a short ceremony before cremation.
First the flag is folded into a triangle for the last time. The flag is placed in the center of a roaring fire. until the flag is reduced to ashes. As the flag burns, the Pledge of Allegiance is spoken. A brief of silence is observed as the fire dies to ashes. After the ceremony, the ashes are collected and buried.
On Flag Day, Citizens may display flags in their yards. Flag raising ceremonies may include reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, singing or silence as the flag is raised and lowered. Larger flags are folded by two people, held at waist level as the flag is folded lengthwise ,towards the center. Starting at the striped edge the flag it is folded in triangles from the stars towards the stripe edge. Another lengthwise fold and the smaller triangle is folded from the stripes to the stars. Larger flags maybe folded twice this way. When the flag reaches the end of the folding, the edges are tucked in the back of the last fold. The folded flag will be carried to it’s storage place.
In our home, the flag was rolled around the pole. The flag was placed in a cardboard tube until the next use. It was attached to the pole and couldn’t be folded. Each fold in the flag represents a sacrifice by fellow countrymen.
Other activities for this day may include parades and community gatherings. In our family, my Aunt Kathy Brune’s birthday is on June 14th. We wish her and the Flag a Happy Birthday.

The Pledge
I walk, slowly, holding the flag high.
People watch , hands over hearts.
Men remove their hats.
My arms ache, but I must not drop the Stars and stripes.
carolaspot June 10, 2024 copyrighted

June is a month of new beginnings. The month is named after Juno, the Queen of the Roman gods. She is married to the god Jupiter. Juno is the god of marriage, love and fertility. This may be one of the reasons that June is a traditional months to marry.
June graduations celebrate a new life phase. Summer officially starts with June.
After spring, the month features growth in flora and fauna. Increased sun and warmth encourages nature growth spurts.
June’s flower is the red rose, a symbol of love and the honeysuckle is chosen for a sweet fragrance bringing nostalgic memories of the past.
the moonstone or pearl are the birthstones for persons born in this month.
The colors to represent June are light blue, cream and white. There are many flowers in these hues. Lily of the valley, violets and forget me nots. The rose and the honeysuckle can be found in cream and white, lending a bit of elegance to floral arrangements.
Graduation parties celebrating rights of passage to the next life phase occur in June.
Nature’s flora and fauna celebrate in the warn and longer days. New life is seen in the form of babies exploring their world under the watchful eyes of their parents. Birds leave the nests ,while learning to fly. Squirrels, chipmunks, and bunnies are seen below the feeder searching for food. Honey bees, hummingbirds and butterflies are visiting new blossoms to gather nectar for their brood.
Turkeys, deer and ground hogs may cross back yards to satisfy their curiosity.
The milder winter and heavier rains have added to the increase in the insect population. Cicadas, Japanese beetle and ticks are prevalent in the wooded areas and near bodied of water. A natural solution to deter bugs from biting are essential oils. Lavender, peppermint and cedar oil will protect people and pets.
With a little forethought, we can enjoy this season with all it’s beauty.

Spring Is Busting Out All Over
Arising from a mild spring, flora bursts into blooms
bird nests overflow with cheeping.
baby bunnies and squirrels explore, while watchful mothers observe.
Fawns hide in patches of tall grass as a doe browse.
The air is filled with buzzing, humming insects at work.
Nature swells with a chorus of life.
carolaspot@aol.com, June 3, 2024

Today we remember those of our family and friends that have gone and left this world for another. While we may fondly recall incidents and interactions with the beloved, How many of us remember where their final resting place is? I started to find out.
My parents, Rita and Bruce Turnbull are both buried in Rural Hill Cemetery in Northville, Michigan. Mom’s sister, Marian and her husband Don Sonderman are buried nearby.
John’s Dad Albert Eugene Farnsworth, is buried at Downington cemetery outside Deckerville MI at the base of the thumb. John’s Mom didn’t want a funeral and was cremated. Her ashes were split, some were placed in Deckerville and the rest were distributed on the back hill. Mom would comment, I can’t walk up the steps to see the woods. Well, she has a ring side seat for the season changes. Several months later, John was cleaning the area of leaves. Clouds of Moms ashes were blown, distributed. Now she is all over the neighborhood.
My Mother’s parents, Alfred and Anna Heatley have two separate grave plots. Grandma Anna died in 1928from breast cancer. She is buried in the Kaiser family plot in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in N.W. Detroit. Alfred is buried in Chelsie MI next to his second wife, Cathrine.
My paternal grandparents are buried in Plymouth Mi. Along with several other relatives including Aunt Pearl and her first husband Gus.
On John’s side of the family, there is a discrepancy of the exact parentage of Grand father Farnsworth. The name on the birth certificate is smeared and the father’s name is unreadable or it is not mentioned. Grandma Peters had 4 different men fathering a total of nine children. She married the fourth man. He was Delbert J. Peters. From the information that John’s brother Gene reported. Most of the Farnsworth’s family are buried in Deckerville. Along side of Farnsworth’s there are a large group of Turnbull’s. Perhaps distance cousins.
Grandma Farnsworth’s parents Teophil and Helen Smolinski as well as other members of the family are buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Detroit on Six Mile and VanDike. The same cemetery where the Kaisers and the Smolinski, John’s mother’s families are buried.
My Great Grandfather Walter and his wife Elizabeth, are buried near Delhi Ontario, Canada .There is a Turnbull family plot there.
Clifford and Jenny Turnbull are buried in Plymouth, MI. Dad’s sister Marion and her husband George Russel, were cremated and ashes were buried in Tampa Bay.
My Brother Mike was cremated an his ashes are in an urn
Finding out information leads me to more questions. Strolling in my hometown of Northville, one notices the banners picturing the 250 veterans who have died. It reminds me to remember all those in our families who’s shoulders we are standing on . It is good to learn personal histories to better understand our thoughts, feelings and attitudes.
carolaspot@aol.com March 27 2024

My last year of college, I lived off campus in the student slum area of older homes remodeled for student rentals. I happened to find a large bedroom with a walk-in closet late in the summer. Two other students had the other two bedrooms. We shared a large bathroom with a clawfoot tub. There was a small room over the stairway. Too small for a bed, it was perfect for a T.V. room. We furnished it with several bean bag chairs.
A young man in his thirties was the owner, living in the downstairs. He was on call for maintenance when needed. He had separated the down stairs for his living quarters. The kitchen was used by all four of us. There was a basement with a washer but no dryer.
On weekends, I had the house to myself. The other women worked or visited their boyfriends.
One weekend we were all at the house. The weather was below freezing with snow flurries. I awoke on Saturday to discover the heat was out. Dialing our landlord at work, he suggested we go into his side of the house to use the fireplace until he came home. Having grown up with a fireplace, watching my father build fires, I was confident I could make a fire and keep it stoked.
Bringing in small kindling, I packed old newspapers around and between the small branches. Adding a log, it was ready to light.
“Wait! Did you check the flue to see if was opened?” I hadn’t.
Fiddling with the flue, I tested the draw of the firebox.
We took comfortable chairs and sat waiting for the heat. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing cold and strong right across the top of the chimney. One hard gust slammed the flue shut. Smoke billowed into the living room, causing us to cough and run outside. The students in the house next door called the fire department to put out the flames.
They took a fire extinguisher to douse the fire. Then one fireman wearing asbestos gloves removed the smoldering log. Now the house smelled of smoke. The little heat was gone with the departure of the firemen.
My two housemates packed their bags and went to stay with their boyfriends. My boyfriend lived over 500 miles away in the Upper Peninsula.
I filled the bathtub with hot water and took a long soak. When done, I made a pot of tea and waited for our landlord to finish work.
He didn’t say a word. Just lit the furnace and cleaned the soot from his rooms. He had told us to make a fire rather than come home from work early.
After that experience, I didn’t boast I knew how to build a fire.

Building a fire

Gather kindling in a pile.
Pack twists of newspaper in the cracks.
Remember to open the flue.
Wait for the fire to burn.
Flue slammed shut.
Smoke billows into the room.
Fire truck, fire men alight.
One carries a smoldering log outside.
I thought I knew how to build a fire.
carolaspot @aol.com May 20th 2024