Dad's Grandma and Mom's Dad

My sissies when they were little

Passport shots

My Arms Are Full

Every day I get to hug and kiss
Precious little kids whom I do miss
On my days off when apart are we
But when I come back they run to me
And say "Naduly where were you!"
They're my favorites and I'm theirs too

Our Herb Garden

On February 3 of this year - a warm and sunny day - Elona and I planted a garden with berries and herbs, and it's growing splendidly. We now cook with our own dill, parsley, and rosemary. And we eat our very own strawberries.

Poems from a Single Girl

Photo: 1992

Guarding My Heart

I'll guard my heart, won't give it away
To the charmer I won't yield or give way
Even the man of integrity
Will have no piece of me
If he is not my husband
I won't give my heart to lend
I can't be held, I can't talk longer
I must say bye and to the next thing wander

I'm Like a Sticky Burr

I'm like a sticky burr, made to attach
Onto the sweet guy I easily latch
But when we find that we are no match
I must pull away and detach

Why Do Men Think Marriage Is Creepy?

Why do men get cold feet on their wedding day?
Do they think they have more to lose than she?
They are not the only ones closing their options
A woman has much to lose too - maybe even more than he

Yesterday, I scrubbed every nook and cranny
Of my shower and my bathroom floor
I took my time and felt relaxed
And thought of my life and what's in store

If I get married and have children
Life won't be this clean and clutter-free
There won't be time for nooks and crannies
With my kids crying and tugging at me

But I do not care, it is not my dream
To live in perfection and serenity
No I live for relationship, I live for love
My life is to give, not to save for me

Yesterday's haircut

My old boy haircut

Clothes

Elona and Jessica
A guy told me that he likes his girl to dress up and that he equates chemistry with a girl's looks. To him chemistry is as simple as looks!

Mother's Day

At our Table

Melancholy Poems about Dancing and Dating

At The Dance Place

At the dance place, there are so many men
So many men, disposable as gen
Lose one, get another one in lieu
There is so much out there, so much new

But when I went to the bathroom, in the privacy of my stall
I felt like crying, I didn't feel good about it at all
All these men, there are just too many
And in the end, there really aren't any.

When a Man Stops Calling

When a man lets me go, he does it quietly
He doesn't think a speech is necessary
(We were never a couple, after all
We just had a few dates, then hit a wall)

And because only time will let me know
That he'll never call, he has let me go,
I must wait for a few days
Letting my hope rise and wane like waves.

There Will Be Others

Sometimes a dance is so great
You want to dance with him again and again!
But when the song is over, he thanks you
And leaves you standing there. And then
Other guys come and they dance well too
Teaching you there will always be other men.

It's Not Even a Breakup

He wasn't your boyfriend, why should he be missed?
Silly girl, how you are emotionally bonding
To a man you haven't even kissed.
Now turn around, and when the next guy comes, start responding.

Good Riddance, He Was A Rake

When dancers ask me for my number
I ask them if they are Christian
And that usually ends it then and there

But this time the man's face lit up
He gave me high five and said, "Yes I am!"
We spoke of Jesus and he seemed to care

He called me later and we talked for hours
And then his speech dissolved into lust
He was a dissolute man, to my disbelief

"I thought you were a Christian" I said
And he answered, "But I'm a man too"
When that man left, all I felt was relief

Moving On

When a man stops pursuing, I stand alone in dismay.
Then I do a strong thing: I turn around. And walk away.

Walking away is so hard! If you only knew!
And I won't get acknowledged for this strong thing that I do.
Not from the guy; I'm crossed off his list.
Not from my friends; they don't know he exists.

Not a soul on this earth knows why I feel lonely today.
But tomorrow I will awake, under a bright sun ray.
I'll cook breakfast, fill my thermos with tea
And take it to work, a new day ahead of me.

Mama & Etj

Saturday

I spent the morning squeezing lemons.

Alfons gave us a huge box full of them, and Mom wants me to make jars of lemonade and freeze them.

Taking a break from the physical labor (I'm using a good old-fashioned hand-squeezer), I went outside and found Jessica and Elona sunbathing. I took a seat on the warm ground next to them, and started in on a deep conversation.

Me: "The King James Bible says God made a help meet for Adam. What do you think that is?"

Jessica: "A slave."

Me: "You think it's a subordinate? It says help MEET. What do you think that is?"

Jessica: "Like a piece of meat that helps you."

Me: "Hahahaha!"

Jessica: "Should I be a comedian?"

I went back to the mountain today,

by myself this time. I was up there for several hours, so at some point I had to pee. I could not do it on the trail, so I figured I would climb up the side
of the mountain, far enough where I wouldn't be visible from the path.

The only problem: The climb. At one point, I was holding on to a rock, with no footing. I didn't have enough grasp on the rock to pull myself up. And climbing back down was even more impossible. I was stuck.

As I hung there helplessly, a hiker walked by, only 5 feet above me! I had essentially just made a very difficult shortcut to the next part of the trail, which wrapped around the mountain. So much for the privacy!

The hiker stopped and looked down at me, as I clung to the rock for dear life. He didn't actually come to my assistance, but he did stand there, making sure I made it to safety.

Other than that, the day was uneventful. As I walked, I prayed and even sang a little bit. Yesterday's concerns suddenly seemed small.

In the mountain there is a canyon with a stream running through it. The water is fast flowing and clear, so I drank some. That water was like my day: Cleansing and refreshing.

Morning!

I awoke early this morning and washed my floors,
And to let them dry, I opened wide the doors.
With the morning sunlight streaming in,
I whisked up a quiche and stuck it in the oven.

I am ready to face big challenges today!
But everything is easy and going my way.
My abs feel firmer, flatter, stronger
From my workouts which have been longer.
I'm hungry, my eyes are sharp, my skin is radiant.
And the quiche is done baking - I know by the scent.