#FridayFlowers…

June 26, 2020 / jenanita01 / 2 Comments

Not exactly #Friday Flower images, but they are flowers, so thought they did qualify! I have never seen flowers quite like these though, so tiny and yet so complex… But will they develop into olives?

#Keepitalive #Whatdoyousee #Poetry

May 12, 2020May 12, 2020 / jenanita01 / 11 Comments

What do you see # 29 – 11 May 2020

Image credit: Pixabay- Alexas Photos

( For visually challenged reader, the image shows for tiny snow men like figures in different poses. All looking very cute!)

No Snow

I do not know where these

four snow gnomes came from

They appeared overnight in my garden

Snow has been forecast,

yet not one flake has fallen

Did they drop fully formed from a cloud?

A cosmic April joke.

Cheeky, merry looking,

I half expect them to dance around my garden

Venturing out to touch them,

to confirm what my eyes see.

I could swear the first one laughed

As if my touch tickled

As I touched each in turn, I had a feeling

They were made of something alive

More than frozen water

Where could they have come from?

Will they melt, leaving a puddle on my lawn?

Somehow, I think not

There is magic in the air…

©anitadawes 2020

#Sharp Shock… #Poetry

May 11, 2020May 11, 2020 / jenanita01 / 2 Comments

#Keepitalive #Whatdoyousee #Fiction

April 29, 2020April 29, 2020 / jenanita01 / 8 Comments

What do you see # 27 – 27 April 2020

Image credit- Pixabay- Willgard

( For visually challenged reader, the picture shows a tree with human face, eyes open wide and an open mouth, either in smile or scream)

Due to the shortage of hugs around here these days, it suddenly dawned on me that I didn’t even have a tree that I could hug.

There is an old crabapple tree at the bottom of the garden, but it has long been dead, although it is covered by a thick growth of ivy it doesn’t really encourage any hugging, as it has to be swarming with insect life.

Several gardens near me have large trees but I can hardly invite myself into their gardens, not with a lockdown in operation.

That was when I found myself looking at the rather large gum tree in the next-door garden and knew that the new people hadn’t moved in yet!

Desperate for a hug, I sneaked through the gap in the overgrown hedge and approached the tree. It sounds strange but I swear it was waiting for me!

My arms didn’t reach all the way around the dappled bark of the trunk and it felt strangely warm to the touch. I laid my face on the smooth surface of the tree and gave it the best hug.

I was smiling as I made my way back to my own garden, and I knew the smile had come from the tree…

©JayeMarie 2020

More Important than Silence!

April 26, 2020April 26, 2020 / jenanita01 / 15 Comments

Image by Pixabay.com

There will be no #Silent Sunday post this week, as I was reading Jill Dennison’s lovely post about Hugging and decided we needed these more…

Here is an excerpt…

“Today is for hugging friends! Hugging has been around for millennia and is practiced by almost all cultures as a way to connect with others without using language. Hugs have traditionally been given in may scenarios: as a greeting or goodbye, for sympathy or congratulations, and for gratitude, support, and affection. The word “hug” seems to have come from “hugga,” an Old Norse word meaning “to comfort.” “Hug” was first used around 1610, to describe a wrestling hold. It began being used for its current meaning in the 1650s.

Hugs may release a hormone called oxytocin into the bloodstream. This hormone, produced in the pituitary gland, helps lower blood pressure, heart rate, and the stress hormone cortisol. It also reduces anxiety, improves mood and memory, and increase bonding and closeness. Those who hug often tend to have increased empathy for others. In order for hugs to be beneficial, those participating must trust each other and both want to hug. Otherwise, the opposite effect happens and cortisol levels rise, causing stress.”

Image by Pixabay.com

I love a good hug and feeling sorely deprived of late. So this post is for everybody who feels the same. Consider yourselves well and truly hugged today!