Fourth of July, Celebrating with Introspection

July 4, 2015 / Penny L Howe / 12 Comments

Today the citizens of U.S.A. celebrate their country’s independence day.

I am proud to be an American. I’m proud of my fellow Americans, even if I disagree with some of them on various issues and actions.

One of the things that I hold dear is that we can agree to disagree (for the most part) in a democratic government, even with all the problems currently being faced, when adversity strikes, we band together, unified, to make the positive difference.

Today in Richland, Washington, my home, there may not be many fireworks. With unusually ongoing hot weather (100°-110°F) and the outbreak of fires nearby, it is not safe.

So today is a quieter day of celebration and introspection. It has become a good day to reflect on the direction
our country is headed and how …We The People … can help make a positive difference for the good of ALL Americans.

Freedom is a two sided coin, the other side of freedom is accepting responsibility, by making tough choices that insures our right to remain independent. This includes voting, so our free voices get heard and count.

I have faith in us … we Americans. I believe in the awesome diversity of our great country and our people and in our ability to make a positive difference going forward.

“…one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all!”

Happy 4th of July! 🎉🎆☺

~Penny

Thank YOU – 100,000 visitors, I thank you all!

November 11, 2014 / Penny L Howe / 27 Comments

By the time you read this. I will have reached a milestone of sorts. I’ve had one hundred thousand visits from people from around our wonderful planet. Actually stopping by to visit from 155 different countries. I’m most happy and honored to have achieved this much, and am so very grateful for your friendships. I don’t have words to properly convey this as well as I would like so I’ll just repeat, with great sincerity from my heart:

Thank You!

Penny

A Halloween Mystery – The Pumpkin Family’s missing Engine!

October 30, 2013October 30, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 13 Comments

“Dag blasted, Jack! What’ve you done with the engine?” Mr. Pumpkin was really angry. It was just about time for everyone to pile in to go to the Halloween party and with no engine in the pickup they wouldn’t be going anywhere.

“Honest, Amos,” Jack replied. A seedy look in his eye, “I just can’t understand what could have happened.”

“Well, it’s not as if you have to be a rocket scientist to figer this ‘un out Jack. Firstly, there’s an engine and now there ain’t!” Amos pulled his orange hankie out of his rear pocket and wiped his sweaty orange brow off with the realization he’d have to tell ‘Maude’, Mrs. Pumpkin.” He knew this would not set well with her.

In the mean time Jack had turned away from the pickup and was searching the ground.

“Jack, what are you doing now?” Amos asked, getting more agitated by the minute. “Looking at the ground isn’t going to solve our missing engine problem.”

“Well, that’s not the way I see it Amos,” Jack responded, scratching his triangular concave nose, while he continued to search the ground. It was starting to get dusk, and hard to see well. Thank goodness for the candle inside his head that illuminated his eyesight!

“Joe and Jeff must have run off to get some food? That would explain things! ” I’m trying to see if they left a trail behind for us to follow.”

“What in the gosh durn heck of it all, do Joe and Jeff goin’ for food have ta’ do with anything?” Amos exploded.

“Well I figer it this way,” Jack went on. “If Joe and Jeff took off goin’ nut huntin’, and they be the lead squirrels in dem cages in the truck engine, then they probably let the other squirrels out at the same time.

I’m guessin’ we’ll have ta’ wait for them to fill up and then they’ll be back at work in the engine, gettin’ it up and runnin’, at least that’s what I reckon’ll happen!”

Amos spat on the ground and went along with Jack to get a lantern, and some moonshine out of the shed. They decided they might as well fill up with fuel too, while they waited for their “engine” to do the same thing!

Halloween Mystery solved – The whole thing was nuts!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

~ Penny

Music – the great equalizer!

October 12, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 19 Comments

East or west, high or low – MUSIC, the stuff that helps shape our dreams. It matters not the language, the location, the instrument being played, or the song. Music brings us all together to embrace the loving of life!

Enjoy!

We are meant to love one another – never forget that! Celebrate life – all life!

~ Penny

Today is my Blogiversary – thank you!

June 23, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 107 Comments

One year of residing in the greatest,

creative and supportive artist’s colony of all

Blogland!

I wrote 2 blogs in 2011, one blog in February, 2012 and began “officially blogging on June 23rd, 2012. This is what I wrote to all of you on that day, one year ago. It stands as true today as it did one year ago.

WHY DO I CARE?

Well now that’s an interesting heading, “Why do I care?” I guess the next question should be “What do I care about?”

The answer to both is a simple one. I care because I just do. In some innate way I feel myself as one human being on a planet filled with human beings that it is my right and responsibility to care about all things that impact me, mine, and ours. That includes everyone out there, everywhere. All the rest is about what and how I care to make things happen that improves our lot in life.

At least I give it my best shot. Some days I do really well in the caring department. Other days not so well. But each day is a new day to do a better job in the caring arena, and so it goes. I guess the next best questions are “Do you care?” and depending on your answers “why?”

“Caring is akin to being human, at least I’d like to think so” – *pennyquote

Posted on June 23rd, 2012

Thank you, every single one of you bloggers out there (and you very special ones – you know who you are) for all your support and love.

Thank you for caring, thank you for sharing your amazing and wonderful diversity of creativity, thank you for becoming my friend and most of all – Thank you for BEING YOU!

It’s because of you, I feel like I belong to a special group (bloggers)! please take my I BeLOnG poster with you when you leave,

I’d be honored if you would place it on your blog site – My own colored sketch that I drew, and then designed for all bloggers, everywhere – it’s yours (no linking – this is a gift)!

All my love,

~ Penny

Ligo Haibun Challenge – Nature’s child am I

June 21, 2013June 29, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 54 Comments

There, upon thy woodland meadow, there stand I. Breathing fragrant essence of thine summer’s day. Silken blades caress my skin, the sky above, the earth below, I am one.

Glorious radiant sunshine, glowing down on me, my naked body suckles from thine nourishment. Though standing clothed in garments, I’m enveloped in array, of cloaked and warming amber ’tis thy gift you do convey. For nature’s child am I.

Forsworn as nature’s child, I was christened years ago. As nature’s child I abide, among the grassy carpet meadow, ’tis glory ’tis my own. A wreath, a crown of wildflowers bestowed upon my head. ’tis wonderment that I behold, nature’s bounty is my own.

Singing, dancing bare of feet, absorbing earthen brownness from your hallowed ground. Oh glory be your beauty, thine vision I behold. As nature’s child I welcome thee, blessing on your land. I will abide, need have no fear, I am here, e’er each long year, for I am yours, t’will always be, and as such will guard, preserving all I see, for I am nature’s child, ’tis my gift I give to thee.

child of nature

sentinel and guardian

eternal love of life

Thank you! You can be a part of the Ligo Haibun Challenge too, Just click on the link for information on this weeks challenge, we welcome you to join us in celebrating nature with your writing skills.

~ Penny

A Very Special Līgo Haibun Challenge

June 21, 2013June 21, 2013 / Penny L Howe / 25 Comments

A Festival of Nature!

This week the Līgo Special (The world’s largest festival of nature), takes place in Latvia, outside the capital, Riga.

Līgo, pronounced [Ligwa], is also the name of the weekly “Līgo Haibun Challenge”, and because this week coincides with the Līgo festival, This weeks challenge will be a Līgo Haibun Special Challenge.

This week you must choose TWO of the many wonderful photographs shown on Ye Pirate’s site, click here to view , Write a haibun that uses both of your chosen photographs/illustrations in your haibun. The two visuals can, and should ‘interact’ in your haibun.
Your haibun should have ‘nature’ or an aspect of nature as a general theme.
You are not expected to write anything about Līgo – which would be too difficult in context and stylistically.

I strongly encourage you to visit Ye Pirate and read his descriptive wording on what the judges look for when they read each of the weekly Challenge’s entries. Click here Ligo Haibun!

There were some excellent entries this past week. The honorable mentions are:

Anja – Oh Pithy Me for the mystical beauty of her haibun
Celestine – read in pleasure for consistently writing good haibun every week
kz – the eclectic eccentric shopaholic for her unique originality and description
jules – in flashy fiction for the unique historical approach
Sarah Ann Hall for the clarity of thought
Kir – the kir corner for a nice moment in childhood

Enjoy the festival and …

… Good Luck, have as much fun writing your creative haibun as these people are having –

enjoying the festival of nature!

Click on the Līgo Haibun tab located at the top of this post for any additional questions you may have for entering this weekly Challenge.

Thanks for taking part! For those who haven’t entered yet, this is a great week to get started!

~ Penny

Being Female- A woman of the Earth

July 24, 2012July 24, 2012 / Penny L Howe / 16 Comments

I was born a female of the species that scientist’s refer to as Homo sapiens – that’s us (people). It is estimated that roughly half of the population of people who reside on our planet are female.

Today I’m celebrating all that we are – we the women of the earth. As mothers, it is one of the very earliest things that all humans understand about women. Within a female womb the nourishing and growth of both males and females begins.

However, I strongly believe that being a mother is not what shapes women into who they are, but rather it is the very nature of how women think and feel that shapes the mothers they will become.

Most women are gentle, caring and nurturing but we are so much more than that. When people typecast us (females) into only the “mother” role they forget all the other attributes we so richly possess.

Like men we too are thinkers and doers and as responsible as they for the shaping of civilization. Today more than ever we are taking an ever increasingly active role in this, life’s great adventure.

So to every female on the planet – I applaud you all. For being brave, for being strong, for taking risks, for overcoming, repeatedly adversity, for continuing to fight for our right to be seen as equal to, for believing in ourselves and having the ability to be who we want to be, and for making, repeatedly an amazing difference on this planet we reside on. A woman in the very true sense and meaning of the word.

Today is Amelia Earhart’s birthday, I join in celebrating the spirit, vivacity and determination she displayed during the course of her amazing life. She is only one of many who have helped women realize what each of us are capable.

A few words in closing from a song by Helen Redding …”I am woman watch me grow, see me standing toe to toe as I spread my lovin’ hands across the land, but I’m still an embyro with a long, long way to go until I make my brother understand”…So way to go Amelia! Way to go – all the rest of us females, we can do this. We are doing this! Isn’t it wonderful. Celebrate today, being a woman.

Be sure and click on the BELONG tab at the top of this page and see the new award I was nominated for and those who nominated me – you’ll find out more about who I am. (if you’re interested.) Have an exceptionally great day today!

hidden portals

July 4, 2012July 4, 2012 / Penny L Howe / 1 Comment

First Interstellar Post (or perhaps just the future as I’d like it to be. :D)

Journal Entry -July 4^{TH Celebration} 2062

Author: GeePi Gregory – adopted Interstellar daughter of P.L. Gregory-Howe

Today (In earth dating timelines) marks the 50^th anniversary of the discovery of the formerly hidden “X-Point Portals” (XP Portals or electron diffusion regions (Portals formed through the process of magnetic reconnection, mingling lines of magnetic force from other stars and earth crisscross to create the openings. X-points are where the crisscross takes place.)

(photo credit NASA – 2012)

What a day for a celebration. I began interviewing earth citizens (via the ICP- Interstellar Communication Pod ) even before we entered the Magnetosphere located some few tens of thousands of kilometers from Earth.

The discovery of the hidden XP Portals led to Earth scientist’s further discovery that the XP’s create an uninterrupted path leading from Earth’s planet to not only the sun but other stars within the Galaxy and beyond.

x-point (credit:NASA, 2012)

Finally we the people of the Universe were allowed to introduce ourselves and begin dialogue with Earth’s Citizens.

Today on this 50^th Anniversary of the discovery of the XP Portals I am enjoying the most uplifting dialogue and exchange of ideas with many of Earth’s citizens.(Hard to get used to calling this planet that name, but it is their name so…go with the flow.) I do however love all their idioms, without their ability to interact telepathically these ‘idioms’ go a long way towards improving interpretation and communication on this planet.

I ingested a wide variety of energy sources (food), most interesting this BBQ method of changing the composition of the food source prior to consuming. Also the pyrotechnics were of visual value and interpretation. I discovered that on this planet the inhabitants frequently celebrate all manner of events most are indigenous to locale and ethnicity with reference to historical perspective. So fascinating for me and mine.

In conclusion I am happy for all of Universe kindred that Earth chose to embrace us and their future in the stars 50 years (Earth-time actually the universal date is <000>III.X.I – but who’s counting) ago today.

********

(note: Yes I am also curious about the why of the universe and our future with reference there of, I hope you enjoyed this bit of whimsy – Happy 4th!)