Sunday’s Gem — Hematite

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Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ~Albert Einstein

Derived from the Greek word for blood, Hematite is one of the most abundant minerals on the Earth’s surface.

Hematite (and Magnetite) are mined to produce nearly every bit of iron and steel in use today, from paper clips to locomotives, bicycles to skyscrapers.

The state mineral of Alabama, Hematite is found throughout the globe … and has even been found on Mars!

Polished Hematite chunk — maybe the perfect “worry stone”!

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Throwback Thursday

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Today marks the one-year anniversary of the demise of Domer’s beautiful maple tree:

autumn_maple

We lost it in a wicked June storm. Thankfully, it didn’t land on the house when it blew over.

It was my favorite tree to photograph as Fall arrived because its color was spectacular. Our yard still looks naked without it.

Don’t Leave Me

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To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go. ~Mary Oliver, American poet

Don’t leave me in the Spring —

When tiny robins and bunnies leap from their nests
When lilac blossoms waft fragrant on gentle breezes
When sun-splashed skies exude fathoms of blue.

Don’t leave me in the Summer —

When vacation trails beckon adventures to warm beaches
When the ice cream truck bell shimmers refreshment
When fireworks adorn the skies and Sol glows until bedtime.

Don’t leave me in the Fall —

When tree fashion turns to reds, golds, and bronzes
When sweaters, flannel, and blue jeans emerge from hiding
When togetherness means pumpkins, apple cider, and football.

Don’t leave me in Winter —

When lacy snowflakes multiply into mountains of white
When absolute stillness opens its arms to a huge maize moon
When holidays and holy days fade disagreements and strife.

Just don’t leave me at all, okay?

Publishing Update

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Every writer I know has trouble writing. ~Joseph Heller, American author

Not so long ago, I thought writing a novel would be the hard part.

Struggling to make sense of varied plot lines, fleshing out believable characters, choosing a point of view to tell the story from, and tying up loose ends felt like a mountain to climb.

And there were all those rules.

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Sunday’s Gem — Sodalite

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Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ~Albert Einstein

Not discovered until 1806, Sodalite really isn’t a gemstone at all. It’s typically a rich blue mineral stone named from the Greek for “salt stone” because of its sodium content.

Sodalite also appears in gray, purple, orange, or yellow — often with white veining from traces of calcite.

Thanks to crystaldictionary.com for this photo of tumbled Sodalite

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Echolocation

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Dallas here.

GUESSWHAT!!!

We had a visitor over the weekend and since Mama’s working on her next novel, I get to tell you about it.

(Mama said something about striking while the Muse is hot. Don’t ask me why she’s hitting a hot Muse. It didn’t make much sense when she said it either!)

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Nature’s Splendor

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Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world. ~Virgil A. Kraft, U.S. Methodist minister

Perhaps Nature springs forth her best effort
In what to man might seem an unseemly place
Next to shabby surroundings such glory is
Kissed by resplendence from above.

Delicate masses of cotton candy blossoms
Overlook a small yard in a country town
Greeting residents and visitors alike
With jaw-dropping beauty and grace
Only a pickup truck mars this scene
Only a rather dilapidated working truck
Drive it off and let Nature’s splendor unfold!

Note: Another Acrostic poem. Seemed like time for the challenge.