The 60's

In this poem, I hope my cousin Mary Lou will recognize the memory I have of our summer spent playing Chinese Checkers on the floor between the twin beds.  It was in her bedroom in the same house on the hill where we ran down the gravel driveway.

Chinese Checkers
Sitting cross-legged, my cousin's bedroom floor,
With a colorful star and bright marbles galore,
It's summer and way too hot to go out,
It's board game time, without a doubt,
We could play Twister or Monopoly or we could play Fish,
But Chinese Checkers is what we wish,
We carefully pick out our favorite color,
And place marbles on the star points across from each other,
My move, her move, we battle it out,
Jumping over the pattern, zigzagging about,
Get all of my marbles into her star point and I win,
But if I don't, we will play it again,
The tv is off, but soon, very soon,
We will watch the astronauts land on the moon,
We've got all day; it's lazy and long,
We turn on the radio to hear a 60's song,
Later tonight, when the sun is low,
We will play outside, bare-footed you know,
But for now we are content between the twin beds,
Playing Chinese Checkers with blacks, yellows and reds.

Tammy Harvey  written:  4/23/2016

Becoming Rich

I’d Strive to be Wealthy; I’d Want to be Rich

 

If I had a dime only when I’m kind,

If I could get paid for all good words I say,

If my fortune rested on kindness I invested,

I’d strive to be wealthy; I’d want to be rich,

If my treasure is secure only when thoughts are pure,

If I earned much gold helping those who are old,

If my bounty increased when my pride fullness ceased,

I’d strive to be wealthy; I’d want to be rich,

If I earned money based only on virtue,

I’d want it to grow abundantly, wouldn’t you?

I’d leave smiles and laughter wherever I go.

Where my heart is, there my treasure is also,

For all my wealth would be in vain,

If I did not share in others’ pain,

I’d strive to be wealthy; I’d want to be rich.

Rich in loving kindness, compassion, and care,

Knowing a life well-lived is beyond compare,

Tammy Harvey   written:  6/14/14

Some of the poorest people are wealthy in spirit.  It's not about accumulation; it's about appreciation.  It means not dwelling on what you don't have, but doing the best with what you have.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:21

Sew amazing

Singer Sewing Machine

Back and forth, back and forth her ankles worked the treadle,
Up and down, up and down, the needle was so steady,
The old Singer sewing machine in use was quite a sight to see,
There was excitement and anticipation building up in me,
Mam-maw was sewing doll clothes to fit my favorite doll,
(Back then there was no option to buy them at the mall,)
She made her own small patterns and used scrap fabric too,
She even added buttons so they would look brand new,
I couldn't wait to dress my doll when the sewing stopped,
My Mam-maw was the best seamstress; she could not be topped!

Tammy Harvey  written:  1/31/2016

Another memorable throwback about my Mam-maw L:  She used a manual Singer sewing machine; the kind that had to be "pumped" with foot power.  My Mam-maw would make up her own patterns cut from newspaper to make us numerous doll clothes.  She made tiny Barbie clothes, and clothes for my Drowsy and Thumbelina dolls.

Give them your time

Have you time?

Have you time to play with me?

Let me sit upon your knee?

Have you time to be with me?

Will you watch me climb a tree?

Have you time to read to me?

I would like that, don’t you see?

Have you time to give a bath?

Can you help me with my math?

I would love some time alone,

Just to talk without a phone.

Hear my dreams and learn my fears,

Can you wipe away my tears?

Have you time to spend with me?

Share your wisdom, can it be?

I am yearning for your attention,

Have you time or good intention?

What time you have, is it well spent?

If not, your time just came and went.

Don’t waste the time you have to spare,

It means a lot to know you care.

Time is precious, this I know, 

Take the time to watch me grow.

Have you time?  You may say “no”.

Then make the time, I need you so.

- Tammy Harvey  written:  6/11/2014

After teaching preschool for 13 years, I can see life a little more clearly from a child's perspective.  In today's world, it seems that children are bombarded with materialism.  In my experience, it is time and attention that children crave.  Nothing replaces it.  I wrote this poem from a child's point of view to convey that message.

Are you my mother?

One of my favorite books to read to children is called Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman about a baby bird searching for his mother.
The following poem is a true story about a nest that a mama wren built in our garage this spring.
The book reminds me of this poem, and this poem reminds me of the book.  Check them both out. (You'll have to get a copy of the book yourself).


Mama Wren
Through a partially opened window in our garage she flew,
Mama Wren had a lot of construction to do,
Carefully she chose a spot tucked safely away,
In the corner of a shelf among-st automotive spray,
In & out, in & out, bringing one stick then two,
The mound of debris steadily grew,
Working diligently she perfected a bowl-shaped nest,
Then quietly retired there for some much-needed rest,
Within days her eggs were nestled inside,
Four small eggs, she watched over with pride,
We too watched her eggs and were astonished by,
How quickly they hatched, grew and could fly,
Tweeting loudly they instinctively begged to be fed,
Mouths wide open with tongues of bright red,
Mama Wren dutifully took care of them well,
And now they are gone; leaving me my story to tell.

Tammy Harvey  written:  6/4/2016

A reflection of light

Sparkles
The sun shines onto a quiet pond, sparkles,
The tip of a fairy’s magic wand, sparkles,
The diamond in an engagement ring, sparkles,
The golden beam of angels’ wings, sparkles,
The twinkle in a baby’s eye,
The stars out in a clear dark sky,
The shoes that Dorothy wore in Oz,
The wonder of it gives us pause,
What sparkles is not always gold,
Sparkles can’t be bought or sold,
Sparkles light up empty spaces,
They put smiles upon our faces,
A snow globe with sparkling snow,
Warms the heart and makes us glow,
Like Tinkerbell spreading pixie dust,
Finding sparkles is a must!

Tammy Harvey written: 2/20/2016

What's more fun than a sparkle?: A reflection of the light that shimmers, glistens, shines, beams, twinkles. Be a sparkler for someone who needs a reflection of light today.

Two hydrogen, one oxygen

A throwback Thursday posting concerning H2O, a commodity not used recklessly by my Mam-maw Langston.  Water was a valuable resource to her and she conserved it wholeheartedly!

 Rain Barrel

My Mam-maw practiced water conservation before the term was coined,

“City water” she never wasted, and her efforts you ultimately joined,

Indoor plumbing was not the norm for her; buying water was a new concept,

Her bathtub was used sparingly and only to a very shallow depth,

Water from the well was plentiful for animals and washing clothes,

She used a wringer washer; she dutifully filled with a garden hose,

We helped her water her flower beds, one gallon paint bucket at a time,

Rain barrels she used long before they shipped on Amazon Prime,

As a teen I washed my hair there many days when the sun was hot,

Washing hair every day with city water; oh, definitely not!

A fifty-five gallon metal drum placed under the gutter downspout,

If you’ve never dunked your head into one, you’ve certainly missed out,

I’m not writing this to protest or prove my Mam-maw wrong,

I’m writing to proclaim that her personal convictions were strong,

If she were here today I’m sure she would abhor,

People buying water in bottles from the local grocery store.

Written:  6/11/2016   Tammy Harvey

Celebrate!

I am a firm believer in the saying: "you don't know what you've got till it's gone".  I feel like we all take our citizenship in the USA for granted sometimes.
May this poem stir up a little patriotism in you.

Fireworks

Dusk has fallen on the fourth of July,

People are gathered with eyes to the sky,

The lawn chairs are positioned in just the right spot,

The sun has gone down, so it’s not quite as hot,

Waiting there annually for the fireworks display,

It’s a glorious ending to our Independence Day,

When the light finally fades and the night sky is black,

The fireworks begin and there’s no turning back,

Flashes of light, exploding in colorful bursts,

Paying tribute to all of America’s firsts,

Boom! Boom! Souring high! Spectacular and loud,

The sound is quite deafening, but the crowd is quite proud,

To be living in the land of the red, white and blue,

It’s a grand celebration, long overdue,

Once a year we commemorate our freedom this way,

It’s a nice reminder of the great U-S-A.

Tammy Harvey  written:  6/24/2016

PS-  Happy 58th Birthday to my sister, Pam!

        Happy 1st Wedding Anniversary to Ted & Cassie!