44. So, this thundery, drenching, pouring afternoon

With its frightening strength and its bright yellow sky.

Must be the sea coming to visit me, but I don't know why.

She is bringing all the purity of her water

And the fearful strength of waves bared out in lightening.

You might have to pull your car to the side and pay attention

Because she will challenge your life, this turn of the sky.

You should never begin a brawl with the sky or the sea, 

That is, unless you are me. 

For the sea and the wind and the storm love me deeply

Since I am clearly and dearly their own. 

They know that we will spend together all the life I will know 

Rejoicing with each other, and they will also know

That I will love them better than all else and feel most completely myself 

When wrapped up in their company. 

You powerful sea, you thunderous sky, 

You make more of me and all that is I. 

Listening to the beautiful rain, I remembered the water cycle. Rain came from the ocean and is on it's way back, just pouring down with a greeting to let me know I am never too far away from the sea, my home. 

Progress! Here's a mock-up of the chapter page for 

The Scrapbook of Miss Gail Standish Ward. 

Sitting in Merridee's Breadbasket in Historic Downtown Franklin, office-of-the-day. While driving in and parking, I paid more attention to the tourists than usual.

Parked in the lot on 4th and jay-walked across the street like you do here since folks will stop for you if need be. As I was crossing it hit me again - I am amazed and nearly honored that I get to live here. And it occurred to me, too that Franklin wasn't like this when I first moved into Williamson County. It was cute, sure, but was nothing like the international tourist destination it has become.

Still feels very small town, but with excellent restaurants and a very strong sense of history. Independent bookseller? Yep. Walk into Emmaline Boutique or Red Pony Restaurant and poof! you could be in New York. (except for the Southern kindness and y'alls) A whole shopping district with only 5 non-local businesses. Anthropologie is moving in, but I guess we'll take them.

So, here I sit at Merridee's sipping iced tea and doing some new edits on my book of poetry. Yeah, I would never have guessed this career path either, but I love it. 

33. The meadow out front was extra meadowy today.
It's all wavy and filled with wild-flowers
And it is suiting my mood just right.
I feel a little extra wavy and filled with wild-flowers myself tonight.
Spring is settling in to the portion I most like
Past the showy forsythia, on to the iris and azaleas, and roses,
The more substantial and much pinker flowers.
The peach tree and the apples have made it through the frost, I hope
So there should be a good harvest come Fall, but one never knows.
I have made it through the frost, too, I think,
But one never knows.

Just to say it again. All of my own writings here are © Gail Standish Ward. Please don't steal my work. Share it? Absolutely, with that little © Gail Standish Ward, 2012. attached. Thank you lovely people.

I've been watching the old musicals I grew up on - The Music Man, Oklahoma... tonight South Pacific - and I think it is starting to show.

11. If it is really true
That like finds like
Then how can opposites attract.
And if out of sight means out of mind
Then how can absence make the heart grow fonder?
Except if we just don't know the way our hearts really work
Which makes me feel somehow tender
Like the modern world will never have the final say.
We will never know why our hearts behave this way
So the world can ever buy our affections, try as it may.
~gsw.