Surface

Misty morning silhouettes of trees
And hills and heavier clouds
And a painted highlight perfectly drawn down across the water.
The grey smooth stone
The grey sparkling fever that I can't detach my gaze from.
Adorn.
My ocean is calm today,
My ocean is worn away.
Just right
Just right.

Float me on waters perfection.
I will see it, everlastingly

A sample...

I listened to a song
with my whole body tuning in

I let the notes soak into my achey joints;
my bones felt lighter and my muscles
finally rested still.

Closing my eyes, the pull of
a vacuum wind moved me silently forward...
through the changes of seasons.
The icey chill of a February frost
forming on the buds of new grass in sunrise.

I saw the ocean in my mind, heard
nothing but seagulls, and crashing
effortless waves of countless fallen tears
that a dry bed had captured thousands of years ago.

The sunshine was the loudest - it
touched everything, the invisible
warmth it gave for free, was it's
own symphony.

There was a pulse too infinite to describe.
And for a minute, slowly I hear each raindrop,
each bird land, each lioness paw at the Earth in a dead run...
And I am back again driving in
the night. Safe in the confines
of my routine.

I smile because although I feel
loss, I feel love. In my
weakness, I have a strength.

I will gain all that I love,
that determined quality
is truly, me.

_________________________________________________________

Friday, you should come back after you've read this thru a few times. Why? Get the feel of it, and then hear the music that inspired this, and which fits the motion.
Then tell me what ya think. Oh and my parent's Surprise Anniversary Party went swimmingly. That was the announcement from last week, you guys! Thanks to those of you, my dearest friends who helped coordinate and for all your delicious COOKING. x} It was more than enough food.

See you Friday :)
Be safe, birdies.
<3, bex.

An hour by the sea...

December was quite chillin'. And by "chillin'" I mean I froze my arsenal off most days... it keeps coming back tho, so... your guess is as good as mine on that. ANYWAY. Being the dummy explorer that I am, I conned a couple of my besties into coming to the Northern Land of Port Angeles with me, to run a couple errands.

While we were up there in Antarctica, we went to the ocean. YEAH. We went to the ocean. Let me tell you something... It. Was. Cold. And guess what I wore? A wool sweater. YEAH. I'm not sounding too intelligent here, so I'll just shush myself, and show you the shots. It was crisply beautiful. The pics don't relay that tho, just pretend it's magnificent. mmkay? mmkay.

Highlights: Kid, taught my cousin Adam(also one of my besties) how to skip a stone. In the ocean spray, which was about 25 degrees Fahr(-eezing!!)enheit, we stood like brave Seagulls, enduring the howling Canadian winds. I though, being a woman... gathered my few smarts that hadn't frozen over, walked across the jetty to the non-windy side, and took a couple snapshots which I cannot find anywhere right now(sorry, dolls. That's how rough it is in these streets). I apologize for the crappy picture quality... I honestly can't explain what happened... Just read on...

"Now, LISTEN Son. This is how you skip a rock."

"Use this arm. Pull back, throw, and don't lose your balance!"

"Eeeaasssy now..."

- "Like, THIS dad?!"
- "Yes. Whoa now, watch your step."

"Here GOES!"

- "Where'd it go, dad?"
*silence*

"Let me show you how it's done, son."
*iBAM!*

"I'm walking away now, you've embarrassed me enough." 

- This was the part of the trip when I got bright green moss stains all over my
light-wash jeans. Yeah, that was my favorite. -

Then, Kid pronounced this land "COLD."

But I could barely hear him 'cause I was heading back to the car...

Goodbye car! Adam sold you a few weeks ago. I'm glad I got to reminisce over our good times.

*le sigh*

Have a safe week!! :)

Adventures, even the bleakest(see above), can be fun when you've got the right attitude. 

So as Benny Goodman says: 

"You've got to laugh a little, cry a little,

until the clouds roll by a little."

xox, bex

Tuesday's not so terrible

Oh green current, please dip and divide
beneath an invisible, treacherous line..

the foam jade sea eyes my drive, it tells me
calm is near while it's mouth speaks left & right;
signals that I'm too tired, or just too out of sight...
staying low, creeping slow, firm tides are kept so tight,
holding the moon, the sky, the shadow it provides.

Controls beseeches me to gather pieces of its fallen light
and when I watch its ease, the troubles relax inside my mind.

Again stormy motion calms my shivering worry
sending a relapse of my senses away in a hurry.
I have seconds to breathe, to re-live and forget;
to rid this teasing consciousness, pretending a duet.

I DID take this :)

breathe some nostalgia with me, people...

Countless

seconds and days till I see you next.

what is this feeling?

and will I regret it?

endless

hours I could spend right now

just to watch your mouth.

I'm beginning to learn...

nervous?

not anymore, you just opened a whole new world to me.

it's my duty to repay you now.

pure as the water

I overlook at this moment,

your arms around my waist are secure.

I long for nothing else.

no food can sustain a starving heart.
no water can quench how I miss  you.

too simple to sequence,

I even saw it coming,

but denied that truth to my heart's tremble.

and so now you hold me...

really nothing I've ever desired.

except I can't get it off my weary mind, now-

punishment, I guess

for not holding you tighter.

Dudes, I created this! YAY ME!

IT'S FRIDAY, ZOM-GOODNESS!!!
Help, HGTV is addicting! I can't help but want to write a letter to "Dear Genevieve" and tell her about my terrible non-existent living room that needs remodeled.


Have a good weekend folks, from me to you... sincerely,
THE bex :) xoxo!!

Guest Post!

Guess what "Guest Posts" mean for ME, readers???!

It means I get to slack off for one day :) YAY PROCRASTINATION(I don't recommend this)!!

Every now and then I get a precious(an immensity I can't describe to you!) little something from my bloggy friends, to show their appreciation for my time spent to write to you all, twice weekly... So here is a treat I kindly share with you, that I received from an anonymous ardent reader. 

Oh the joy of having friends. Truly something I cherish, ya'lls.

(By the way, if I ever use "Ya'lls" in the real-life interaction between you and I, feel free to derail my self-confidence, but for blog's sake... let's roll with it.)

"So close, but yet so far

In my thoughts you find a place.

Happy and delighted the enchantment is

Slow and steady wins the race.

A jump, a leap; embrace a reach for warmth

In the dead of space. 

And energenic sprint for ye of little faith.

On one road less traveled, one less mistake to have been made.

Everlasting is the impression of good intentions- 


If good will is intended for the greater good, 


the greater love having the best affection.

Ahhhh...in my love of all things lyrical and poetic...

this sounds like the ocean's soft roar, to my ears.

GUESS WHAT EVERYONE?!!! My gift for Cold Hands, Warm Hearts was well-received in North Carolina!! :) Amanda, my blog-swap partner, posted about our gift swap and the things I sent her. Now I'm going to lead you thru pathways of fragrant lilies and sparkle-glittery unicorn herds, as you read her blog.

BAM! HERE IT IS!

This weekend shall be fun. 

I will be fixing(errr my handy dad will be...don't hate!) my jeep's radiator. 

Yeah... Joy... Much of it. 

I'm sure.

Stay safe out there, and give your cars lots of love and attention 

so they don't break down and die. Apparently Tawny(Jeeper!) didn't feel 

enough love with all that regular maintenance and money-well-spent to make sure her 

insides were vacuumed and sparkling. Yeah, whatever Tawny. Two can play this game.

xOxO bex :)

I Am... The Out Of Towner

The weekend before last I went to Port Angeles, to visit a friend who is gettin' hitched in January. Of whose wedding, I just so happened to be included! Can you say P-A-R-T-Y? 

Anywho... I drove out(on the windiest day of the year, I'm sure) to Ediz Hook, which is a large jette of non-connecting beach rock(& a 2-lane stretch of pavement) between this U. S. of A. and Good Ol' Canad-ia. The Coast Guard actually uses the end portion of the jette, which means you can only drive out til that point- it's STILL a ton of drive distance- maybe 2 miles!

So, it's FREEZING. And it's WINDY. And I'm only prepared with a sweatshirt/hood, and 

a single pair of thin knitted gloves that you buy in a 3-pack at the dollar store. OH and trying to operate a slim-lined Nikon, with TINY buttons; therefore not wearing the gloves during blasts of this glacial tempest. 

I found this beauty just waiting for it's close-up...

[sidenote: Can I please RANT about how much I LOVE the colors in this shot?! AND NO FILTER.]

Before I headed out tho, I thoroughly prepared for this(ha! Obviously.) and bought the BEST ginger bread cookie I've ever had in my life. 

HUGE: bigger than my entire hand- which granted is small- but that's big for a cookie ;) 

The cookie purchase was done at "The Buzz" my F.A.V.O.R.I.T.E. coffee place in the known-world-that-I've-explored-so-far! I hope to post more pictures soon of my Jette-Adventure, but this is all you get for now ;)

I braved the cold.

For about 10 minutes at a time.

IN THE BILLOWING GUSTS OF ARCTIC BREEZE THAT'S ABOUT ALL 

MY LITTLE FRIGID FINGERS COULD HANDLE!!!

And it made my eyes cry! 

I literally bent over to flip my hood back on, and I SWEAR 3 big teardrops fell STRAIGHT outta my eyes, without blinking at all. It was a bit....like Alaska...if I had ever been to Alaska-OK-MOVING-ONWARD!

Oh! Right. WHY I went to P. A. in the first place!

To buy a customized dress; to be dyed the color of my friends wedding.

Said color is... Burnt Orange. Terracotta to be exact!

Here's the dress ON:

[Yeah, I totally have that body, so it fits exactly like this... uhhh.. what? I heard something, over there...]

Here's the dress on the hanger:

Good thing you saw it ON, first right? 

Ha! I know it looks pathetic just hanging there. 

And so now it's being dyed "Terracotta." We shall see. I'm SUPER excited to see how it turns out!

Dancing. 

Now that's something I'm actually scared of. 

Friends say I will master the dance floor, and I'm fully preparing to 

humiliate myself rock out to the following songs:

The Underdog- Spoon

Poison- Bell Biv Divoe 

(YESSSSSSSSSSS! Watch out now!)

Anything else you suggest, that I request??

ANSWERS NOW... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnd GO!

Have a great weekend kitties!

You better be safe, and stay alive to be in Reading Attendance next 

Tuesday Treat Day, for a SPECIAL GUEST POST!!!

;] <3 Bex.

ZOMG-ITS-FRIDAY...Be thankful or else!

<3 <3 <3 <3

     And this.... is where I'd prefer to be this weekend, even in the COLD....but that won't happen cause it's raining. Bummer!

    Today, as with everyday, I will find something or someone to be thankful for. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, be the balanced opinion in my group of friends, & act as peace ambassador between certain....people... And I never regret those decisions. Hopefully most don't see me as overbearing or bossy, but I can be somewhat abrasive when I am being the "peacemaker" or "balanced opinion"... 

Don't you often find tho, that people don't WANT to hear the reasonable viewpoint?

(heh heh, maybe that's why I'm a bit more tender than I used to be, about this subject)

That's what I come across a lot. But then out of no where someone will surprise me (I'm not a huge fan of surprises, but these kinds are mighty PLEASANT!), by calming down and listening to reason, and then saying "Ok I can see that side of it. I'll give it another shot, and try this situation again." I love love love those moments; and it makes it an even happier occasion because I see a quality in that person, that will remind me what I love about them. Perhaps a side of them I forgot was there.

Depending on the circumstance/argument/situation, you'll see a different but positivity growing. 

And that's what we're doing, right? Growing :)

So here's to my best friends, you know who you are. 

The ones who make me smile, who make me madder than a hatter! 

The ones who I look up to & admire because of their strength through trials, their independence, their true grit & stamina! And especially those who bounce back, when life knocks them down. These are the inspiring stories I love to write about. Thanks for being stubborn sometimes, thanks for being transparent, thanks for loving me despite my crazy. But most of all, for being the right friend for me.

<3 <3 <3 <3

...an oldie but a goodie...

Such a honeyed steady rhythm 

that day I watched you laugh there

I heard the way you sang that song for me,

curse my bashful, adoring stare...

I meant to hum along and tell you, everything

I heard in your voice was enchanting in the least, and

I couldn't stand to pause the song

for my ears had never been so pleased.

In your life, you need me?

There's no limit you would wait?

disbelief that you spoke it first,

every word exactly, I meant to relate.

Like the ocean tumbles over; the echoing, the roar...

you fill up something in me, as if

you are endless, I would need no more.

The salt, the crashing, the distance

that my eyes could never fathom

are entities of what I lack, the

air of my adoration for you.

I see the gray I need, the clouds

 bright, beaming, dazzled purpose.

It is touched once, forever...

blue and continuously filling the seabed

I walk, rhythmic, safe & wanting.

You are my ocean.

and here is a picture to top it all off!

Check out this Gray. MAN, I love the intentional ALMOST lack of color in that pic!

photo credit :)