tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8415328898261892712011-07-31T04:34:39.528-05:00Welcome to The Ord Thesaurians Blogspot---writers living in the Sandhills of Nebraska. Our roots grow deep into the soil from pioneer ancestors who developed this country generations ago. We hope you enjoy our written snapshots---the adventures, sorrows, and triumphs from The Sandhills. At bottom of page, click on "older posts". --The Thesaurians (All are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without permission from author.)photos by Julie Williams (c) 2008The View From My Saddlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037283975607669965noreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-841532889826189271.post-89632145259067311952011-06-01T09:51:00.001-05:002011-06-01T09:51:38.412-05:00

A Special Morgan Horse There's a funny thing about endings--they set the stage for something new. Just when I thought I had nothing, I discovered the powerful magic of beginnings from a Morgan colt named Blackwatch Jubilee. The not-so-funny thing was that my marriage had died. The death of a marriage can be sudden, like when there’s a car accident and your spouse is killed. Sometimes it

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          Told by a mutual friend that Brian has been readmitted to our local hospital, I feel called by God to visit immediately.  As I walk in, I am thinking it is most likely just another bout of pneumonia.  I discover this day is the day of reckoning, the dawn of realization, the day he knows the disease is going to win.  Watching his hope die, grieving with him, acknowledging what his

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AGINGSTOP THE TRAIN! I want to ask the conductor to renew my ticket! I want to start the trip over.I need to revisit decades thirty and forty, now that I have the new and improved ME. I’m not ready for the trip to wind down! A round trip ticket, if you please! There’s a place I want to go where I’d bypass my old foe and start anew. There’s a choice or two, or maybe three, that should have gone

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I AMIn transition, I am;Caught between youth andage like an autumn leafthat clings to its branch while a changing windtwists it roundand ‘roundand around.I spent my springtimeunfurling,The summer expanding,and now that summer’s nearly spent,alas, I thirst for more.I’m not ready for the fall at all.I’d rather postpone it,oppose it---the drying, curling,glorious coloring into autumnthat precedes

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Watch Me!I stand by the child who screams in the night, when no one comes to comfort her.I watch the man as he beats his wife, smiling as he does so.I'm with the man as he loses his job and the woman who loses her home.I go to war with the solider and visit his family daily.I live in dark, dirty places: the slums, alley ways, and back streets.I love ugliness. I thrive on violence. Depression

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Love’s KindlingFor the man I cherish and loveTake my hand and dance with me,Time flies by, with little time for “we”.Quietly sit beside me and enjoyMaking memories as ‘he’ and ‘she.’The night is still, filled with our thoughtsAnd our dreams as we climb this hill.Start the fire with twigs of caring,Forget the troubles we may be sharing.Feel the warmth of our newfound love,See the stars as they

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The Last DanceAs the winter slowly slides into spring, Jack Frost comes slipping into town for one last fling. He tiptoes almost shyly through the crocus dusting their tiny heads with just a little powdery snow as the wind starts softly to blow. He dips his head and offers his hand to Mother Nature for one last dance before he departs to wait for another winter to come. They start slowly with a

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Ranch HandsIt’s an overwhelming air of lonelinessThat encompasses those of us whoStop to look toward the horizonAt dusk, thinking “This isn’t me…”Hurrying to finish the fencingIn the harried half-lightOf evening. That must beSomeone else with a pail of staplesGripped tightly in her handTrudging along the line fenceOf the pasture, thinking,“This can’t be me…” solely responsibleFor revamping this

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WHO IS THERE TO HEARNo one reads my thoughts,No one hears this music in my heart.No one sees my tears,No one looks into my eyes to meet my soul.No one says hello with a smile…No one, no one cares to lend a hand.The wind rushes in, the storm rages on,But no one hears, no one listens.Time wraps its arms around my heart,And whispers to be still…listen.Love floats down on a featherSwirling round my

The View From My Saddlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037283975607669965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-841532889826189271.post-44400811225732946102008-12-08T18:48:00.000-06:002008-12-08T18:49:21.730-06:00

Three StagesTwelve years ago, a baby whistled at the tree,A kindergarten girl looked for Santa,A double-digit son squirmed in his disbelief.Today the baby bounces a basketball,The girl whirls through classes and parties,The son again endures a transition stage.But Christmas continues to shine,Little angels sing as lovely as ever,Christ still comes.Laura M. Spatz

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Every year a sleigh ride I take...This time, this year, a solemn bumpy ride.I had no one to warm me, no hand to feel secure.The snow began to fall, as did my tears coincide.The agonizing silence, the loneliness all numbing...Yet startled by the winterish forest,I strained to hear ... hope.The church bells distant call,stronger with each hoof step.I heard the carole joyous,sparking

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Winter's TwilightIn that silken hour of twilightBetwixt silent night and yawning dayThe prairie hills and midnight skyMet upon horizon's bower.The moon bent lowWith streaming hairTo lay her lipsUpon the hills below;Then reaching outwardThrough the heavensShe flung her diamonds'cross the fields of snow.Julie Williams 2006

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Autumn’s MessageThe patio bench invites me to linger and bask in the autumn sunlight as it filters through the leafy branches above me. Bold colors emblazon flower beds with brilliant yellow chrysanthemums and giant scarlet blossoms topping the sedum. Creeping from the rock garden’s shadows, a spotted salamander seeks warmth on the cement steps.I want to embrace this glorious day, clutching it

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Fools Test the WaterPenny for your thoughts—not much to have to pay.But if your mind should go blank,don’t forget to turn off the sound.Only a fool tests the waterwhen no one is around.Never let yesterday use up today.Keep your lantern brightly litbefore it all fades away.B. J. Axthelm Favorite SayingsSuccess is not a destination, it is a road.Even if you’re on the right track,you’ll get run over

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Hugs VS SpaceWhen I was a child, hugs were not frequent, if ever, given in our family, but we had no doubt of parental love and affection. I remember family from Missouri visiting, and as they left, the adults exchanged hugs along with advice to drive carefully. From my youthful point of view, hugs were too personal to exchange in public Just don’t hug me—you will invade my space. This

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Just One MomentFor just one moment…I will hold my children for an extra hug,I will say, “I love you” with great meaning.For just one moment…I will march unafraid,Not take for grantedThe beauty that God alone made.For just one moment…I will rejoice in my life,And humble myself to Him, amidst strife.For just one moment…I will remember a kindness bestowed,I will stop and watch a river flow.For just

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Snow-boundIt was 1970 and the wind wrapped three feet of wet snow around our home, barn and kennel. Snowbound! Hooray, no school! Sledding and building snowmen occupied part of our day and Grandma D., queen of our kitchen, started a triple batch of chocolate chip cookies. She had all of the ingredients except vanilla--oh dear.Our house stood near the woods on a hill above Stubbs Bay, and around

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Mother’s PromiseWhen I was a child, my mother told me about a personal experience that happened when she was fourteen years old.She related that she’d been hospitalized for six weeks with a recurrence of rheumatic fever. One day she overheard the doctor inform her father that there was no hope for her recovery.Later, in the quiet of that hospital room, mother began praying earnestly. She promised

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Change!Winds of change are a blowin'.Gentle breezes caress and refresh,Ushering inA new family member,Retirement adventures,A stronger marriage bond.Change!Winds of change are a blowin'Howling gales,Propelling one into life's storms,Inflicting hurt and griefIn the midst ofA broken relationship,A life-threatening illness,A loved one's death,Change!Winds of change are a blowin'Through the years,

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Master Mechanic The Bible refers to Jesus as "The Good Shepherd" and "The Light of the World".Sometimes when I'm feeling broken and full of sin, I think of Him as a "Master Mechanic". O Lord, Master Mechanic, help! I need a tune-up and repairs. Examine my heart and see what's wrong. You say that the fuel line is clogged? Pride, anxiety, and doubt have been lurking there? No

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WISCONSIN PIONEERSIt was 1934, and the warm blush of red maples was just beginning to reflect on the quiet waters of Boulder Lake when my grandparents put a down payment on a small resort in Wisconsin’s North Woods. SYD DOOLITTLE'S RESORT OF THE WOODS was born and cabins were added to accommodate fifty guests. Through Rosabel’s superb cooking, and Syd’s professional fishing guide services for

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The Friendship EggIt began with a chicken egg and a six-year-old girl’s curiosity. I was that young Kansas farm girl.One March day in 1947 after gathering the eggs, my mother and I took them to the cool storm cellar. There we cleaned them and placed them in the large cardboard egg carton. As I held a fresh egg in my hand, I began wondering, “Where will this egg go?” “Who will eat it?”In an effort

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The HomecomingHe entered.She noticed.He waited.She wondered.He looked.She smiled.He asked.She answered.He led.She followed.He kissed.She quivered.He rose.She reached.He poised.She placed.He pressed.She parted.He sank.She surrounded.They shuddered.They dissolved.They were home.Home was the essence of love, One heart residing within another.Linda S Cone7-10-2008Excerpt from “I Hope You Dance”

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November I strolled up the hill. The rasping call of crowsCut through November’s crying wind,An owl swept into the old cottonwood,Talons reaching for a gnarled branch.My heart yearned for spring again,Not the cold of winter Slipping into late autumn.Julie Williams(c) 2008_____________________________Some people are pure extract, and others are imitation flavoring.Julie Williams © 2005____________

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Death came softly. It’s not like we weren’t expecting it, but sitting on the edge of his bed, I’d watched Stan’s life slip away, one slow breath at a time. I looked at his wonderful face, full of faint lines etched from years of laughter and love, and thought of the last joke we’d shared, the last time he smiled and said, “I love you, Starshine”. Now he looked asleep---not gone. He might open his

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D & D First LadyOh sweet mare, with coat of black silkThat shines like night and gives back the light;You’ve left me---gone as swiftly as you came.Our ride across the prairie’s green,O’er hills and meadow trailsWas all we had before you said good-bye.Run free and wild through heaven’s stars andJoin the herds that run in verdant valleys‘Neath Heaven’s craggy snow topped peaks.Plunge your nostrils

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Loving is the glowing keyUnlocking every doorBringing us true laughterAnd lightening every chore.Coursing through our lifetimesAre golden points of Light,Memories that gild our livingTo show us life’s all right!Julie Williams (c) 1993

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