Hard-boiled Fun

I have a lot of fond memories of coloring real eggs then having Easter egg hunts soon after.

Coloring Easter Eggs

Hard boiled eggs, a vinegar smell is in the air,
Hot water, coloring tablets, teacups lined up with care,
Drop a color tablet into every cup: Plop, plop, plop,
Watch them fizzle, but try not to spill a drop,
The eggs have cooled, and the time has come,
Balance a white egg on the wire holder, one by one,
Lower them into the bright colored waters,
Purple, pink, orange and so many others,
Carefully turn them over with a teaspoon,
They will start to change color very soon,
Which is your favorite? Everyone wants to tell,
Do you want it darker? I don’t like the smell!
Wait patiently for the Easter eggs to color completely,
Again, with the wire holder, fish them out gently,
Now is the time to let them get dry,
They are so beautiful, everyone thinks with a sigh,
Tomorrow, we will place them in our basket of grass,
And take them outside to hide them, like we’ve done in the past,
Hiding Easter Eggs is fun, I’ll admit that it’s true,
But coloring them, is the part I like best, wouldn’t you?

Tammy Harvey
Written: 3/24/2017
My Aunt Dorothy with me and my sister on Easter 1966.

Song of the porch swing

True story of the fun we had as children, on a porch swing, making up a guessing game.  My Pap-paw made the swing in his woodshop and it hung on Mam-maw L's front porch until she left her home to live at an assisted living facility.  It now hangs at my second cousin's house.

Porch Swing Guessing Game

With strict instructions: not too high and do not stand,

The old porch swing was built by hand,

It hung for years on my Mam-maw’s front porch,

In the winter’s cold and the summer’s scorch,

We would always go swing when we were there,

In our younger days, without a care,

The two-lane highway was not so far,

And we’d play guess the color of the car,

The guessing game was a porch swing hit,

Swinging and guessing until someone quit,

Before the next car could top the hill,

We each would guess and what a thrill,

To get it right, and laugh, then guess again,

To see who ultimately would win,

If I said red and my sister said white,

And it was a red & white car, we would fight,

The swing was painted gray and hung from silver chain,

Loaded down with 2 or 3 children, the chains creaked in pain,

“Squeak” on the upswing and” squawk” on the down,

It was a unique, but welcomed metal-to metal sound,

The song of the porch swing, played a familiar tune,

As we outgrew our guessing game way too soon.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  3/7/2017

Yellow Dust is a Must

Pollination Frustration

Itch, itch, itch,

This pollen is like a wicked witch,

It swoops down from the trees above,

And yellows everything I love,

Itch, itch, itch,

My throat and eyes,

Keeps me sneezing, I despise,

I really, really hate to say it,

But I must thankfully tolerate it,

If it weren’t for pollination,

There’d be no flower propagation,

Still, I can’t wait to hose it down,

Let the rain fall on this town!

Itch, itch, itch,

Allergies abound,

But oh, what happens on the ground,

Spring has sprung with all its beauty,

Worker bees have extra duty,

So, itch, itch, itch, sneeze; if I must,

It is only temporary; I won’t make a fuss!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  4/24/2016

Songbirds are Chirping

We know spring is finally here, when the songbirds are chirping, and the bluebirds are looking in our birdhouses for a place to nest.

Spring has Sprung

When the yellow pollen arrives anew,

Pink cherry blossoms are all covered in dew,

And the last leaves of fall slowly blow down,

Winds of change are seen all around town,

Fresh flowers are budded, and grass starts to grow,

Spring is around the corner, everyone must know,

February has turned to March, with a quick tick-tock,

Daily savings time has forced us to change every clock,

It is officially official on the twentieth day,

Spring has sprung, taking winter away,

Wake up in darkness and give a big yawn,

As songbirds start chirping at the crack of dawn,

Evenings are longer as the sun slowly fades,

Watch the sky change to brilliant swirls of orange shades,

Sit down in the grass and pull a few weeds,

Plant a garden or just sprinkle some wildflower seeds,

It is not too hot yet, nor is it too cold,

The house on the corner has quickly been sold,

School has taken a much- needed spring break,

The students are all excited, for goodness sake,

Outdoor activity is now on the rise,

And a sudden spring shower is no big surprise,

So, enjoy the spring, for it won’t last long,

Summer is next and the heat might be strong!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  3/21/2017

An incredible sign

There is a premature warm spell almost every year, and our jonquils bloom early.  Then a cold snap arrives again, and they are short-lived, but what a nice surprise.

Jonquils

Jonquils, daffodils, paperwhites,

All bring about the same delights,

Yellow centers, cheerful and bright,

Not long-lived, but what a sight!

Bulbs reliable, year to year,

Forget about them, then they appear,

An incredible sign that spring has sprung,

And warmer weather has begun,

Sometimes they pop up through the snow,

That is incredible, don’t you know?

The trumpet shape is like a sounding horn,

Winter is over, a new season is born,

Don’t forget to recognize,

That God is revealing a nice surprise,

A yellow flower just for you,

To cheer you up when you are blue,

Jonquils, daffodils, paperwhites,

Not long-lived, but what a sight!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  8/09/2016

Favorite Color

Tickled Pink

I really, truly do like pink,

Why is that so, do you think?

A perfect mix of red and white,

Hot pink, light pink, dull or bright,

The color pink just pleases me,

It’s unexplainable, don’t you see?

Given a selection of colors to buy,

I choose pink, but I don’t know why,

Pink is associated with girly stuff,

I’m not a girly girl; I’m pretty tough,

Pink is research for a cure to breast cancer,

Could that be the ultimate answer?

Fun, yet serious, this favorite color of mine,

So simple, yet extravagant; so endearingly divine,

Be it a strawberry milkshake or a flamingo at the zoo,

I’m tickled pink to share this with you!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  3/01/2017

Elegant in Flight

This poem is dedicated to our daughter-in-law, Danielle, whose grandmother always called her "my little hummingbird".

Hummingbirds

Delicate delight,

Elegant in flight,

Try with all my might,

To see this glorious sight,

Tiny wings, majestic beat,

Sipping nectar, red and sweet,

Colorful and oh so swift,

Petite wonders, spirits lift,

Hummingbirds

Dance just for me,

Make me happy,

Filled with glee,

Hummingbirds

They flit, they flitter,

Fill the air

Like glistening glitter,

Flying past,

They dash, they dart,

And make their way

Into my heart

Tammy Harvey   8/27/2015