The Storyteller | Mary Vee

Two young men came to the house yesterday. No, they weren't selling anything. They wanted to know if they could fish from the dock. Rewind to the last three summers.  The dock that came with the house had missing boards. Some of the boards didn't hold weight. Until we could afford to repair it, we chose not to use it. One day we found a neighbor sitting halfway down the dock with his feet in the water. He played his music and invited friends.  Um ... no. First, and most importantly, the dock was dangerous.  Second, it was private property and had a sign indicating such. Third...well, it just wasn't nice since he didn't ask. Apparently the previous owners of our home let mostly anyone who pulled in the driveway have access to the yard and lake.  At least fifty cars pulled in those summers, assuming they could park in the drive as before then head across the yard to the lake. We set a policy. We would say no to all, not to be cruel, but to keep

There comes a time when each of us have been able to stand up on a box and shine. You may think you are not one, but, if you give me a moment to help you, I think you will agree that you too have had such a time. Maybe more than once, I hope so. A time to shine, to beam from the depths of your heart. It doesn't have to be epic to encourage us. To warm our heart. I think of a small child who comes to an adult with an object or picture. Their eyes are wide and waiting to see the response. A smile fills their face. Their skin may add color. They are so proud of what they've done and are hopeful...so very hopeful to receive recognition. Encouragement. Support. Pleasure. This is an epic moment. I think of a teen who has received the recognition they have longed for. Perhaps the unexpected good grade, being elected for school office, their name remembered by someone they didn't expect would notice them. Something from their family. A neighbor. Affirmation. Encouragement.

Photo by Mary Vee The wintery Springtime photos are popping up in news and social medial like popcorn. They don't look anything like my photo from last year to the left!  From all over the United States, Winter has its hold creating an irritant. Yes we're kinda tired of the white lawns. But, did you know snow has unique chemicals not found in rain? These chemicals seep into the soil and produce vibrant crops. Without the snow, farmers must enhance the soil with specialized fertilizers containing these same chemicals.  I prefer the natural found in snow. Don't you? Let's check back at the end of this growing season and see what the earth has produced. Often times irritants sneak into our day.  Here's a crazy one. This morning, I opened the fridge to get out cream for my coffee. My daughter came into the room and had an important story to share. I listened while grabbing the "creamer", poured said creamer into coffee while keeping eye co

Photo by Mary Vee I heard a great interview with a nature expert on the radio this morning. The topic, of course, piqued my interest, especially since he was showing the interviewer signs of coming Spring. With the snow still floating through the air in my neck of the woods, in April no less, I wanted to hear about these signs as an encouragement that yes, Spring really and truly would come. When you live in a northern state, constant gray skies from November through April can get pretty dull. It's difficult to believe new blossoms are on their way. Animals are waking from hibernation. And the circle of life is not broken. This radio interview, conducted in a northeast state, let listeners hear the crunch of boots while guide and interviewer traversed through nature. The guide stopped. "See here," he said. "This is a bear paw print. Almond shaped for the toes. A small indentation for the heal. This bear is on all fours. It is a cub. Probably woke before M

Finishing a book takes a whole heap of work. I love using the word heap in settings like this. I heard it used by a Jamaican once and thought it sounded perfect. Any way, I am bound to get today's post out to you before midnight, since it is still Tuesday.  There's a great sense of fulfillment to meeting a huge goal when time is restricted. Mine was to format my manuscript for publication. No it's not finished, but the piece I assigned for today is. Even if it took the entire day minus making dinner and the other daily required duties, I know this, though, I can go to bed happy today's to-do list is finished.  This was not a tedious chore. Well, maybe it was a bit when the computer didn't do what I wanted. There is a lot of give and take, downright compromising when dealing with computers. In the end I won. After more than a year invested, the book is due to be released May 1 in paperback. It will be available in Kindle format as part of a boxed Patriotic no