The Woods, the Fort

 

The Woods, the Fort

Any patch of trees will do,

A vacant lot is tried and true,

For building forts as little boys,

Sticks and rocks are their toys,

A group of boys in the neighborhood,

Camaraderie-forming, as it should,

Shovels and rakes borrowed from dad,

And hours of strategic planning were had,

Raking away the piles of debris,

Making a path on hand and knee,

Digging holes to thwart the invaders,

Battling thorns and wearing waders,

To cross the creek, just north of the fort,

And muddy footprints, but mom’s a good sport,

Hours of fun, creating their own space,

It puts more than just a smile on their face,

Walkie-talkie communication,

More than just recreation,

It is teambuilding skills put into action,

It’s a rite of passage with much satisfaction,

Playing in the woods, getting dirty, feeling free,

Gaining independence, that is the key.

Tammy Harvey  1/12/2026

This poem was inspired by my two grandsons who have recently built a "fort" in the wooded lot next to their house along with the neighborhood boys.  Having raised three sons, I am particularly aware that this is an important part of growing up!

Fences

 

Fences

While taking a walk outside today,

I noticed a variety of fences along the way,

Some were wooden.  Others were metal or split rail,

Some looked strong and others looked terribly frail,

Some were for privacy, others for safety, as I walked by the school,

A backyard, a playground, a community swimming pool,

Fences were keeping others out; they were keeping others in,

And I remembered a familiar poem from way back when,

Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall” about a stone wall, in need of repair,

One neighbor diligently building while his neighbor questioned why the fence was even there,

“Good fences make good neighbors” is the idiom from this rhyme,

This saying has been stated time after time,

Boundaries are sometimes necessary to honor a person’s land,

It’s not about drawing a proverbial bold line in the sand,

It’s a matter of respect, I was taught as a girl,

You just don’t go wandering around like a feral squirrel,

Though fences should not be about isolation,

Hospitality defies any consternation,

Good neighbors treat others like they want to be treated,

It’s the golden rule and is worth being repeated.

Tammy Harvey  1/8/2025

Core Memories

 

Riding his Horse in the Snow

A terminally ill man, with not much time to spare,

A self-proclaimed “blessed man”, who was in our care,

A nasty brain tumor had taken away some of his mind,

But he remained positive, hopeful and undeniably kind,

He was sleeping a lot and had not much energy now,

Though an inspiration to us, an encourager somehow,

I asked him one day if he could do anything, what would it be?

He answered with something so simple for me,

He would ride horses in the snow and that was his answer,

It was a core memory he had, not taken by cancer,

In his youth he rode his appaloosa in the snow,

Somewhere in heaven he is riding I know,

The point to this story is oh so clear,

Make core memories while you can, my dear.

Tammy Harvey

12/23/2025

Beautiful You

 

Beautiful Hair

My two-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter is a joy to behold,

I may be prejudiced, but she’s more precious than gold,

A beautiful little girl with naturally curly hair,

Flowing gently down her back with cascading flair,

Perfectly formed ringlets, unbelievably so,

Bouncy and fun like a playful yo-yo,

A style envious of those with flat, straight locks,

Who try desperately to achieve the style she rocks,

With ponytails, pigtails and barrettes or bows,

Her hair is more beautiful the more that it grows,

Like an art gallery painting, it frames her face,

Capturing her sparkling blue eyes with a warm embrace,

Her hair is indicative of her free spirit and charm,

She is independent and opinionated, but does no harm,

“I am smart, I am kind, I am important, I am brave, I am beautiful and I love you”,

Are her nightly affirmations she has learned to recite,

Her heart is just as beautiful as her hair.  She is a delight.

Tammy Harvey (Gigi)

12/23/2025

PS- Happy 9th Birthday to Charles (firstborn grandson)!

What Does the Cow Say?

 

What Does the Cow Say?

One of the first things a baby will do after they start to form words, is to learn the sounds that farm animals make.  It is a milestone right along with peek-a-boo, crawling or learning to walk.  By 18 months old, a toddler is usually able to answer the familiar questions like: “What does the horse say?” or “What does the dog say?”.  Not only do they learn animal sounds, but they learn parts of their bodies.  “Where are your ears?” or “Point to your nose” are often asked of a child at this age.   My littlest grandchild has reached that stage.  She performs all of her tricks when she is in front of an audience of family members.  She knows where her eyes, ears, nose, tongue, hair, belly, knees, and toes are and some others too.  When asked about her eyes, she blinks really fast.  When asked about her nose, she sniffs her little button nose.  She sticks her tongue out and shows off her teeth.  I also love her response to “How big are you?” when she reaches her arms high above her head to show how big she is.  She loves animals and makes a very cute elephant sound.  She also imitates a dog, a sheep, a horse, a lion, a cat, a duck and a cow when prompted.  Each one of these sounds she correctly produces except one.  It is the one that most children learn first and that is “what does the cow say?”  Every child learns “moo-moo” probably encouraged by Old MacDonald’s farm song.  From this song a child learns the cow, pig, horse, duck, sheep and chicken sounds.  My little granddaughter can crow like a rooster, but when asked what the cow says…she says “pizza”, every time!  Her parents are not sure where she got that, but after much failed correction, they are resigned to the fact that a cow says “pizza”.  Maybe it’s because it produces hard-to-hold laughter from her audience?

Tammy Harvey

12/16/2025

Journey to Bethlehem

 

Tonight, I attended a “Journey to Bethlehem” at Salem Baptist Church in Cary, NC.  This has become a tradition for me to join my son Ted and his family on this adventure.  This church has been conducting this wonderful program for the community for many years.  I want to lead my readers through the footsteps of tonight’s journey.

The Marketplace

 We started in the gymnasium where they have many tables set up with board games and coloring sheets to entertain the families who are waiting for their turn.  A time is designated for each group and can be reserved in advance.  Cassie, my daughter-in-law is always prompt in reserving us a time to attend.  At the appointed time, our number is called and we gather along the wall with a total of about 20 people, children and adults, at the entrance to the journey.  We have our own guide who is appropriately dressed in his tunic, sash, sandals and cloth draped over his head.  He is carrying a walking staff and informs us of our journey to Jerusalem but says there has been talk of a special star and a baby.  He wants us to ask around the marketplace to see what we can find out about this rumor.  We were each given 2 “shekels” (jar lids) to spend in the marketplace, our first stop.  We were warned to choose wisely and told that beggars might be encountered along the road, in case we wanted to save a shekel for the poor.  The marketplace is dimly lit with candles and tables of goods with vendors calling out to us from both sides to buy their wares.  There was bread, fish (goldfish crackers), small boxes of raisins and honey (candy) to snack on or trinkets such as seashells, marbles, rings and bracelets. These vendors were all dressed in the clothing of their day and the noise level was quite loud.  With one of my shekels, I bought 2 pieces of honey candy in the marketplace.  A bell rang that indicated we must move forward, and we followed our guide into the hallway.

King Herod

 We immediately approached two Roman guards (appropriately dressed) who demanded to know our intentions.  Our guide explained we were looking to see King Herod because he might have information about the rumor of the baby.  The guard received permission from Herod to let us enter.  Our guide had warned us before entering that Herod had a bad reputation for being angry and impatient.  I heard my six-year-old grandson say to the guide, “I hope this doesn’t go bad”.   As we entered his majesty’s room, a group of harem girls were dancing in a circle to some music, and the King was sitting on his throne. The room was more spacious than any other room we entered that night and was filled with treasures.  King Herod jumped out of his chair and yelled in a thunderous voice for the dancing to “stop”.  He then proceeded to inquire with his servant and then to his prophet about the baby that was to be born a king! He was ranting and pacing and suddenly he shouted “dance” to the harem girls and “leave” to us!  We left his presence immediately.

The Wisemen & Amos

From there we found the three wisemen who were camped outside the city and who were also searching for the baby by way of the star.  They said they were going to see King Herod the next day, to which I wanted to advise them “Don’t go there!”.  These kings were huddled around a fake fire and wearing ornate costumes, headdresses and jewels.  I especially noticed the large, jeweled rings on their fingers. They, frankly, did not have much to tell us, but stated they would have to choose their words wisely around King Herod. We journeyed on.  We went down another hallway and up a ramp that led to the door of our guide’s friend Amos.  He thought Amos would know something to tell us about the star and at this point suggested we go to Bethlehem instead of continuing on to Jerusalem.  He knocked and when the doorkeeper answered, once again our guide explained that we were in search of information.  The doorkeeper yelled out to Amos that our guide, Azariah, was here to see him.  He answered that because we were “children and old people” who had been traveling for so long, he would see us. We proceeded down the winding hallways, all of which were draped with burlap or canvas and with string lights along the edges.  At the home of Amos and Ruth, we were told that no great people had ever been born in Bethlehem.  Amos suggested we seek out information from the bakery at the edge of town. 

The Beggar & the Bakery

As we left there, a beggar was perched on the ground crying that she needed money to feed her children.  I gave her a shekel that I had kept in reserve.  We were just about to go to the outskirts of Bethlehem when we encountered the bread shop.  We entered and inquired about the star and the baby’s birth, but the bread sellers just scoffed and laughed maniacally at us.  They insulted us, to which my nine-year-old grandson said, “how dare you, I’m getting out of here”! Azariah agreed.

The Angels & the Shepherds & the Star

 It was then that we made our way outside to seek the shepherds in the fields.  On our way we encountered a host of heavenly angels who declared Jesus’ birth.  The angel spoke and said, “Fear not, for I bring you good tidings of great joy for unto us is born in the city of David, a savior, who is Christ the Lord”.  As we turned the corner, we could see a group of shepherds holding their hooks and standing around a real campfire.  We approached and our guide asked about the star.  The shepherds acknowledged that they had been following that star and pointed it out to us.  They had their sheep and goats in a fenced area nearby and we were allowed to visit their animals.  My 18-month-old granddaughter was very fond of the “BA-BA’s” and did not want to continue.  We did, however, make our way in the direction of the star hanging in the distance and entered a building. 

The Innkeeper

Our guide knocked at the door of the inn and the innkeeper answered right away.  He knew of the mother with child and told of how he had directed them to sleep in the stable since he had no more room in the inn. All the while, Hannah is calling out “BA-BA, BA-BA” for the sheep!   As he slammed the door he proclaimed, “I won’t open it again, I am closed at this inn!”  Before he closed, he told us the directions to the stables.  We proceeded to make our way out the door and into a dark sanctuary where the only light was shining on a cavernous structure.  There in the light were Joseph and Mary holding the baby Jesus.  A live nativity.  It was actually played by a husband and wife and their newly born baby boy.  A narrator told of the baby’s birth and how he lived a perfect life as the son of God in flesh, then how he died for our sins and rose again.  It was brief, but powerful.  The children were all gathered around the steps leading up to the nativity scene.  We exited the sanctuary and entered the parking lot where our guide Azariah bid us farewell and thanked us for going on the journey with him.  If you ever get a chance to take this journey to Bethlehem, I highly recommend it.  These folks have put their heart and soul into making this experience both realistic and meaningful. The entire walk-through program was 40 minutes.
Tammy Harvey

12/13/2025

December

Don't call me lazy!  I didn't do anything! (pun intended)

Here's a bit of wisdom that did not originate with me, but I wanted to share it with you:

De-cember,

de-clutter,

de-tach, 

and de-lete

anything that

de-values your life.

Don't bring it into 2026.

@THEFEMALEHUSTLERS

12/8/2025