You left me standing in the rain.
No longer your Rose.
Alone.
Forgotten.
Nothing gained.
 
You left me waiting for the answers.
But year after year…
Patiently I waited;
they never came.
 
You left me for a life.
That was your prison for too long.
The light in your eyes.
For just a while…. ignited.
Now cold.
Removed.
Gone.
                       
You left me broken.
Like a bird on the ground.
Laughter and song.
Now echos drifting from the mountains.
As tears fall to the ground.
 
You left me standing in the rain.
To heal.
Rebuild.
Trying to restrain:
The Anger, the Hurt…
… and so much Pain.
 
You
left
me
standing
in
the
rain.
*
                                                                                 
 “Standing in the rain” © 2008 Geraldine H. Hartman
 Photo courtesy of: Flickr
                             
 Written for the July 26th prompt from: Search Engine Stories.
A wonderful new prompt opportunity each Saturday.
Hope to see you there!

                                                                           

” Reach for the stars! Don’t just collect the star-dust.” GHH

                                                                        

Photo courtesy of: Flickr

                                     

Rest awhile…
Far from the struggles and strains of life.
Find that place and seal it in your heart.
To pause; retreat to.
Where grace always dwells.
 
Rest awhile…
Put back the smile.
Somewhere lost.
Now: softly, silently returned.
 
Rest awhile…
Peace:
A beacon in the dark.
Sheltered, nurturing.
Safe and sublime.
 
Rest awhile…
Treasured moments.
Tranquil dawns.
May your tomorrows.
Outlive life’s storms.
                                                                           
“Rest Awhile…” © 2008 Geraldine H. Hartman
Photo courtesy of: Flickr
*
Written for the OSI prompt for July 20, 2008: Rest

How we got to where we are…I love those stories.

Always helps me to form a better “picture” of the person writing the story….Here’s a small window into mine.

 

 

Always helps me to form a better “picture” of the person writing the story….Here’s a small window into mine.

On writing:

 Definition of a journalist:

1 a : a person engaged in journalism especially : a writer or editor for a news medium b : a writer who aims at a mass audience.
2 : a person who keeps a journal.

 

I started out, many moons ago, to be a  journalist ( 1). Way back in the ‘dark ages’ …I headed to the big city of Toronto, 17 years young and green as the Prairie’s early spring wheat.     

What an experience it all was! To walk along Yonge Street (wow, skyscrapers!!) apparently the longest street in North America and probably the most famous in Canada. Being so far from home, being on my own for the first time, especially coming from a very small city by comparison, was heady stuff indeed. Happily it is all still there in my memory to savor, and it all comes back to me now. A good time in my life.

Life has taken many twists and turns since my days at Ryerson. Writing has always been a part of my life, sometimes more, sometimes too little, since my first trek to Toronto. Many places, loves and losses have come and gone. But what always remains, and what this blog again brings to mind, is my love for writing and for reading. And for the sheer joy of playing with a phrase or finding the perfect word (and that certainly doesn’t always happen) .

Just recently re-read: On Writing, by Stephen King and it continues to be one of my favorite books. Crammed full of insights into the man and his craft and gems of wisdom for his readers to utilize in writing and life in general.

Stephen has certainly taken a long and winding road to get to his place in the world today. But rich or poor, famous or not, the craft of writing is in the blood of all writers. It is there always, whether we are inspired or not and whether we are writing or not. But when it all comes together, it truly is magic.

To create more than we thought we had to give or to express. I am grateful to be a journalist ( 2) and a  paid writer (albeit part-time) and glad to be writing this story.

On this cold and windy Prairie night, it feels like the right place to be. 

PS: I wrote this story a couple of years ago and happened upon it recently, going through some of my archive posts over at Veggies…

Thought it might be of interest to some of my MPP readers.

Perhaps it will in turn inspire you to share some of your own writing experiences and memories. I look forward to reading them. 

                                                                                      

” Perseverance DOES pay off. When you feel like giving up; hold fast to that one important truth. ” GHH

 

 

Photo courtesy of: Flickr

Thought this was a good choice for this week’s: Ruby Tuesday  given the fact that borscht is absolutely delish, hot or cold.

The above is a pic of the borscht recipe from my cookbook, Not Just for Vegetarians and if I do say so myself, it’s the best borscht I’ve ever tasted (and believe me, growing up on the Canadian Prairies where the winter weather can plummet to -70C with windchill; you eat a lot of soup to keep warm LOL). Yes, the borscht is definitely served hot, at that time of year!  

And yes, you did read that temperature above correctly. Hard to believe but we kept on going, even when it was that bitterly cold: To work, to drive….

They call Prairie folks “hearty” is it any wonder why???           ;)

I combined 3 very old family borscht recipes, took out the ham-hocks (yuck), tweaked the spices and herbs and voila: Russian Beet Borscht, my way. Do hope you will give it a try. Truly a meal in a bowl. Don’t forget the rye bread and a dollop of sour cream (regular or vegan) to complete. Yummm….. 

Happy Cooking and Happy Ruby Tuesday !  :)

                             
Grandma sits at the treadle machine.
While sunshine pours through veranda screens.
Up and down; the dainty feet.
Moving the needle; deftly and neat.
                   
Palette of calico.
All shades of yellow.
Cottons so soft and threads everywhere!
Soon will be a Sunday frock to proudly wear.
                              
Ruby red jam; bubbling and bright.
The old black pot; one sorry sight.
Kitchen clutter and helping hands.
Jars in line on dark, cellar shelves.
Treasured jewels; come mid-Jan.
 
Kneading the dough.
Arms strong and sure.
Loaves fresh from the oven.
Fragrant and pure.
 
Cookies and conversation.
News of the day.
Tea steaming and strong in lily black cups.
Skies clear and sunny; chasing the grey.
                                      
Supper dishes will wait until morn.
As darkness draws near.
“Goodnight, sleep tight”
And hugs ’til tomorrow.
 
The old ways…
Special times that never fade.
Bring a smile to mind.
On the most difficult of days.
**
 “The Old Ways” © 2008 Geraldine H. Hartman
Photo: courtesy of: Flickr
 
 
 

“It is possible for everything and nothing to change; all in a single moment.” GHH

Photo courtesy of: Flickr

Here’s my red pic and post  for this week’s Ruby Tuesday.

We got this pizza stone as a gift last Christmas and have yet to even get it out of the box, much less use it.

 As many of you already know, as a cookbook author, instructor and passionate vegetarian cook; I like to cook and bake most foods/dishes/edibles from scratch

Lately though, pizza has been an exception (especially with the killer heat, here in Interior BC right now).

Take-out pizza rules, at least for a little while longer;)

I did offer up some pizza suggestions (including a homemade pizza dough recipe that is never fail)  over at Veggies,Crafts and Tails, many moons ago from my cookbook: Not Just for Vegetarians that you might want to try as well.

Here’s some pics of the yummy homemade results and a link to recipes and the post too.

 

I’ll be looking forward to ”scratch” pizza again, this time using the stone, hopefully sooner rather than later. From what I’ve been told, these pizza stones make a wonderful crispy crust (in a non-commercial oven) possible and easy to achieve.

I’ll keep you posted on the results! And do let me know if you’ve used one of these pizza stones yourself and how it worked.

Almost the same time of the summer, two years ago, I posted this lovely  photo over at Veggies…. to happy reviews! 

Seems that other “wilted bloggers” LOL at that time apparently also found blessed cool relief gazing at this snowy winter wonderland scene. 

Seems to still work for me!  ;)

I’m looking at this photo right now, feeling cooler by the minute, in spite of the continuing sweltering heat and humidity, here in Interior BC.

If you are also suffering through a heatwave where you are, I truly hope this helps a bit.

Happy Fourth of July (it still is here ) and have a safe, wonderful weekend!  G   :)

Photo courtesy of: Flickr

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