Walking on Sunshine

 

Walking on Sunshine

“Walking on Sunshine” is a classic song by Katrina and the Waves that debuted in 1983.

In 1983, when Jerry and I met, it became our song.  To us, it is a song about how happy you feel when you are in love.  Upbeat and full of energy, just like Jerry was.  The lyrics, “And don’t it feel good?!”, I can almost hear him sing right now.  When Thomas and Danielle were married in 2012, Jerry and I were asked to pick a song to walk into the reception to, as we were introduced.  It was without question that it had to be this song.  In 2018, at Jerry’s celebration of life ceremony, we played this song as our family exited the sanctuary after the service.  It is the epitome of a feel-good song, positive and optimistic.  (Oh, I have read about how the song is about drugs and sadness, but I’ll have no part of that.)  It has always been a happy love song for us.  Now, even 41 years later, I walk into a hardware store, a thrift store or a restaurant and hear it, the one-hit wonder (our song), being played over the speakers.  Of course, when I hear it, I smile and think of Jerry who loved to sing it, and it encourages me. To “walk on sunshine” means to be extremely happy which I know Jerry must be in heaven.  He may even be literally walking on sunshine right now!

I would encourage you and your significant other to have “a song”.  You never know when it might come in handy to brighten your day.

Tammy Harvey  on 7/15/2024

Thrifting

 

Thrifting

Why do I like old things almost better than new?

Nostalgic shopping is exciting, from my point of view,

I like to go thrifting to see what is there,

At the donation centers, such a variety of wares,

I see items reminiscent of my childhood,

Old relics, long forgotten, the memories are good,

Trash to some, treasures to me,

Lost in a world of fantasy,

As I stroll down the aisles, it’s like the five and dime,

It takes me to another place in time,

I might as well be walking on another planet,

The anxiety melts, it’s like a weighted blanket,

Of course, I love the bargains, the thrill of a deal,

But the memories that flood me, really do heal,

I love the 1960’s and 70’s vibe, it’s true,

But I also love the 30’s and 40’s, don’t you?

Lifestyles have changed in just a few decades,

Not as many items are exclusively handmade,

Unique and unusually nostalgic items bring me joy,

It could be a figurine, an old book or even a toy,

Thrifted artwork is a must, for me, at least,

I’m always on the hunt for a beautifully framed piece,

Old books, old jewelry, old knick-knacks and such,

Are the things I really love so much!

Tammy Harvey on  7/15/2024

Baby Sister

 

Baby Sister

“I think my water just broke” I heard her say,

Frantically, my daughter-in-law was calling today,

She was 36 weeks pregnant and not due at all,

So, we all were surprised by this urgent phone call,

It was her third, so I anticipated it would go fast,

I hopped in my car and arrived there at last,

The 10-minute drive felt unusually long,

I was praying on my way that nothing was wrong,

The hospital said the baby was definitely arriving,

But without complications, the baby was thriving,

Their baby girl was born, in four hours’ flat,

Prayerfully, we like it like that,

Precious and tiny, not quite six pounds,

Healthy and hungry, making squeaky mouse sounds,

She disguised herself as a preemie, quite clever is she,

With no preemie complications, a warrior she’d be,

Born on a Friday night; home on Sunday,

Fearfully and wonderfully made, I’d say,

Her parents named her Hannah, the youngest of three,

With two big brothers to protect her, she’s problem-free,

A princess, a little lady, she’ll be a tough one, I’ll bet,

She is a joy to us all, and God’s not finished with her yet!

Tammy Harvey

7/1/2024

Nest Disaster

 

Bird’s Nest Disaster

I have worked really hard on providing a welcoming sanctuary to bees, butterflies and birds in my small courtyard.  I have planted numerous pollinators in my perennial garden.  Bird bath, bee bath, bee barn, birdhouse, butterfly house and birdfeeders are all provided in my garden.  With the exception of rabbits, which were eating everything, I welcome all the wildlife, mostly bluebirds who have nested in my box.  However, there was one place I had in the eave of my screened porch that was going to be off-limits to the birds.  They had found it was a nice place to perch and deposit their poop all around the column below. I ordered a spiked piece of mailable metal designed to deter birds from landing.  After much struggle, on a ladder, at an odd angle, I proceeded to install this device, satisfied I had taken care of the issue.

I went out of town for a week and when I returned there was some weeding to be done so I was out there grooming my flowerbeds when I saw house finches go into the area I had “restricted”.  To my dismay, I looked up and saw they had built a nest on top of the deterrent.  Immediately, I thought “oh, no you didn’t just build there”!  Impulsively, I grabbed a broom and proceeded to poke the nest out of its safe place.  It came tumbling to the ground and 3 tiny blue eggs fell to the concrete and yellow yolks burst out.  I was mortified.  I guess I did not anticipate that the eggs could already be in there.  I was devastated.  I was in shock.  How could I destroy something that I was advocating for?  So what if that wasn’t the ideal spot for a nest, in my opinion.  I was so quick to act that I didn’t think.  I couldn’t take it back.  I couldn’t fix it.  The parents returned over and over again and seemed to be confused about the missing nest.  I was totally devastated and ashamed.  Tears trickled down my face.  These beautiful birds are so special to me, yet I had determined their misfortune.  What an anomaly.

To complete the story, these parent birds are resilient, and I am so grateful that they did not give up.  They proceeded to rebuild their nest in a large metal sphere that hangs on my porch.  It is the ideal place!  Immediately they began gathering twigs and sprigs and formed a beautiful nest.  I can watch the birds sit on the nest and enjoy them as they grow their family.  It is a lesson in the danger of impulsivity and anger on my part.  In addition, it is a lesson for me to observe their adaptability and determination.  You can bet, I will think twice before raising a broom over my head again!

Tammy Harvey

6/13/2024

The Lost Tooth

 

The Lost Tooth

It would be the seventh baby tooth for the seven-year-old,

His Dad pulled it out like it was a morsel of gold,

No complaining, no resistance, the boy had been to this rodeo,

He was tired of the wiggly bit dangling there, hindering him so,

He walked right up and opened up wide,

His Dad’s big hand went gently inside,

Wham, bam, the tooth was out,

There was a slight pause then a gleeful shout,

“I’ll put it here, in the middle of the table, for safe keeping”, his dad said,

Amongst the lunch debris of the meal, we had just had,

Later on, I was cleaning up, I wiped the table really well,

Was the tooth really “lost”?... time would tell,

Later on, we looked at the table, but to our dismay,

The cleaning had really and truly wiped it away!

The lost tooth was “lost”, once again,

Sometimes in situations, you just can’t win,

We looked high and we looked low,

Searching on our hands and knees, you know,

Combing through the rug and seat cushions too,

Feeling helpless, not knowing what to do,

After checking the sink and down in the drain,

We had only to resolve and to carefully explain:

The lost tooth was lost, not figuratively, but literally,

The result of it did not change the boy’s sensibility,

The boy knew it was an accident and readily forgave,

The Tooth Fairy rewarded him, for he had been brave.

Tammy Harvey

6/13/2024