Swiftly swept – no say have we; For time’s torrent waits not for thee. Youth flows post-haste – Looks will flee. The soul remains for eternity.
Love is all – the rest’s fool’s gold. Guard thy tongue and don’t let it scold. Warm thy heart’s core – Don’t grow cold. For Heaven awaits with joys untold.
So, we’re into another week of COVID craziness here and the kiddos are looking at extended time off. It’s a fortunate thing that our wonderful school had the foresight to create some online learning videos, paired with the opportunity for messaging their teachers with questions, during certain times of the day. That being said, by the end of last week, cabin fever had set in and the isolation of social distancing was beginning to wear on this family.
The recent thaw of winter revealed humanity’s “best” behavior in the form of trash in the ditches. If you’d read my previous post, you’re aware that we don’t live in town and that we get some strange items dumped close to our doorsteps.
Wheelchairs aren’t the only thing that turn up on our beautiful countryside. In my nearly sixteen years here, I’ve seen countless beer bottles, coffee cups, flooring, an air conditioner, tires, televisions, a FULL- sized refrigerator, and once, a large, black plastic garbage bag that every crime show said I should NOT touch. Of course, I opened it. The contents, hold your breath, was potting soil. No, buddy just couldn’t dump out that “toxic” stuff and keep the bag. It’s a sad statement that people feel the need to use our neighborhood as a garbage dump.
This is not a rant, well, not all of it anyways, this is a post about teaching my kids social and environmental responsibility. Yes, this past weekend I took my offspring on a mission to clean up those ditches, I bought them each a ‘grabby-thing’ and they cheerfully went to town bagging recycling and garbage alike. When we were through, and after getting several compliments and thumbs up from neighbors and strangers driving by, there was a sense of pride and accomplishment among our trio.
My youngest, surprised and concerned, commented on just how much some people litter. I’m hoping that this experience has left an indelible impression on the value of good stewardship on their young minds. Here’s hoping for a more environmentally responsible generation. Below are just a few pics from our day.
Saving the world, one coffee cup at a time!
Braving the “fast flowing” depths of ‘Ditch Canyon’ to get that piece of plastic and check out the baby minnows.
Man Verses Nature, a discarded tire next to a beaver dam.
Hey folks, shingles belong on the roof, not in a marshland.
I’m sure that all of my readers are environmentally conscious, but if you know of anyone who considers the countryside as their personal landfill, please remind them that this world is ‘Borrowed from our children.’
The Blurb:
If you ever find yourself on the Strange Hwy–don’t turn around. Don’t panic. Just. Keep. Going. You never know what you’ll find.
You’ll see magic at the fingertips of an autistic young man,
You can exit the Strange Hwy and come back any time you want.
See, now you know the way in, don’t be a stranger.
My thoughts:
I won this wonderful collection of short stories some time ago, but only recently had the time to crack it open.
Strange Hwy is comprised of nineteen stories that range from the supernatural, to the earthly. Some ended in tragedy, while others made me smile, happy for the outcome.
There were copious servings of poignancy, situations that seemed all too real, but that’s a sign of great writing. One in particular, had me scratching my head as to what really happened to a young girl.
Each tale is unique and there’s no distinguishable pattern that I could detect, for me, that’s a good thing.
I’d highly recommend taking a journey down this highway.
Five Stars for Strange Hwy!
About Beem:
Two of the young guests at my daughter’s 13th birthday party said things I’d never expected.
Kid # 1: “Please pass me the broccoli.” (yes, we bought a veggie tray, along with the junkfood, we are ‘those’ parents)
Kid # 2: “I hate chocolate cake!”
Eh? Say Whaaattt??!! What’s with kids these days?
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein
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...what Lady A Lewis thinks about it...
Outlet of an Overactive Mind
مدونة خواطر بقلمي تهتم بالأدب.التنمية البشرية.الكتابة. مشاعل عبدالرحمن
Mark Bierman 