As a youth this road played a large part in our games.  Up until we reached a certain age our range was limited. We could ride from our parent's driveway to our grandparent's driveway. Trying to sneak past drew some serious repercushions. With there being so few families living on the raod at that time there was little to no threat of vehicular traffic interupting our games.
   On our bikes we were part of a parade. Streamers in the form of strings and cloth strips blew in the breeze from our handlebars. Playing cards had the wheels kicking up the sound that became so familiar we could hear it in our sleep. We lined up and rode in circles showing off to each other being that there was no audience as we pretened. We were racers, one would draw a line in the sand and we would take our places. With the drop of an arm we were racing.  While we never had the wild stunt boards of today, we had fun in our own right. Fun that I wouldn't take anything for the memories. Riding in the winds, arms spread wide, laughing as we made our way down the road.
  We searched for unusual stones every time a load of rocks was brought in. We could spend hours searching for the rock with the most sparkle. Fools gold made for some interesting games.
  Along this road we traveled to many different times and places.  Not far from the river it was a well traveled route for trading. It was a route soldiers had taken. Along this road we made great discoveries. Along this road we began to grow into who we would become.
  Not too long back I did some bike riding along the road. I smiled and laughed as the memories came flooding back. Arms spread wide, laughing as the wind blew past. Remembering the freedoms of youth. Remembering how a simple narrow dead end dirt road can become the gateway to imagination.

Relay for Life

This will be short as I have a meeting to attend.

I am a cancer survivor. I participate in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. It is my desire to help make it possible for every person who battles cancer to be a survivor.

I will be posting info on Relay, on the American Cancer Society and the events that will be going on between now- Kick off night-- and relay which happens in May..

Relay- join us- its fun, its exciting, its worthwhile.. it is one way we can make a difference--


While this blog I will leave short- even as I started to change it- but I will add that this is just the beginning. I plan on making posts on what happens as we travel through toward and right up to our Relay event--please join me in this venture-

a right and a responsibility---vote--

         This may or may not be short. I tend to shy away from political things. I avoid political conversations like the plague. I've watched seemingly normal people become out of control and crazy because of a political discussion. But--I will discuss voting.

 I remember when I turned old enough to vote. I was so excited, I would finally be one of the many voices that were having their say. Unfortunately on the way to register- the last day to register, I tend to procrastinate, a really rough looking person pulled up beside of where I was walking and asked how old I was..big mouth said 'old enough' when he started to open his car door the friend I was with grabbed me by the arm and we hit the high road out of there. I didn't vote the first time I was eligible. Later though, I did get registered and I did get to have my say.

Do my votes count? Does anyone hear what I am trying to say? Yes.. my vote counts and while my one voice may not be loud enough to hear, when you add in many other voices, we get louder. We get heard.

If you do not like the way things are going in this country it is important to vote. It is imperative that you let those in office know you are unhappy. While we can write letters, send emails and call our Representatives, what really gets their attention is when time to vote comes around and the polls are showing just how unhappy we the voters are..

This country is one of the best places on this earth to live. We are blessed in many ways. The land is beautiful with plenty of it left uninhabited. Many are out there doing all they can to protect this land and its resources. Many people go into battle and die trying to protect this land.

We can go to the polls without fear. We can walk up and make our mark, state our opinions and make ourselves heard. If and when we vote.

I do hope that everyone that legally can- will- vote. It is a right, it is a responsibility. It is the only way we can make our leaders in Washington know we are really and truly unhappy. It is the only way we can bring about change and get this country back on track to greatness.

An attitude that took the right left turn

          My son hated high school. He hated everything about it. As intelligent as he is, he refused to deal with anything related to school. No matter how many lectures I gave. No matter how many times I literally took him to school and watched him walk in the doors. It didn't matter the treats, the punishments or tears. He was not going to attend school. Eventually he was called into the office and the best of my understanding is that he was invited to leave. While the school did not contact me so I only have one side of the story, he was told that his transcript was bad and only getting worse so it was best that he left then. (To this day I haven't figured out how leaving helped that transcript). At that times James was already 18 and past the age of legally being able to leave school.
            When I got in from work James told me what had happened. We had already checked out a local college's high school program but we had not signed up for it. I told James to call and find out when their testing was. He was a step ahead of me. He had been disinvited from the local, public high school on Tuesday, on Thursday he was taking the test. He needed to score a ninth grade reading level. He scored a tenth of a point below college. While he still struggled with some subjects for the most part he made it through in good time. He was determined to get that high school diploma and he did,
            Less than a year after he graduated he was talking to people at a technical college a few miles up the road. I watched him get all excited over this while all the while I'm thinking of his hatred of high school and how he fought to finish getting his diploma. Still he swore this was what he wanted. He promised to do this to the best of his ability. Finally seeing the "I want this" burning in his eyes, I gave in and we got him signed up. It wasn't long before he was signed up for Universal Technical Institute/ Nascar Technical Institute. His dream? To work in a NASCAR garage. I told him to do that-- he had to be the best of the best of the best and nothing less.
        In the months that he has been attending UTI he has only missed one day. That day he came home sick. He goes in early and stays over at times. He is quick to volunteer for almost anything NASCAR. He's attended the last two races as a volunteer. He had a job most people would love to have...he got to tell people where to go....and get away with it. He's volunteered at fundraisers and events for the American Cancer Society. All the while he has grown and matured right before my very eyes.
            Before he started attending UTI we purchased an old car for him to drive. He took that car which even though it had been setting up for a while was a good car and made it better. He has that vehicle humming along.
           And his grades? He understood perfectly when I told him he had to be the best. His grades are almost always in the upper 90's. For a young man who hated school. Who flat out refused to attend high school he has really turned his opinions and attitudes around. Watching him now, I can believe that he is going to make that dream of his come true. Because he sure has the desire and the heart for it.

Walks of adventure and healing- let the fun begin

Over the course of the summer I have walked every chance I could get. My walks are where I find a peace and relaxation that I cannot find sitting here either on the computer or watching television. Out there, away from distractions is a special place. Out there, is where I have found healing and blessings.

As a youth I played in the woods around this house. I knew then and I know now every path, man made or animal made. Many adventures imaginary and real took place in these woods. People were saved, discoveries were made, fantasy creatures wandered about freely. As a teen the woods were the place I sought refuge from all those teen woes. Whether it was a battle with my parents or feeling ostracized by peers. When a bad marriage finally fell apart, the woods were again where I came to heal. At one point the time spent in the woods grew to be less and less. There was always something more important to be done.

I am a four year cancer survivor. While I was going through the battle I began walking again. It helped with the healing, it helped with distracting me from the fears and worries of the fight I was in. Every time I walked, I carried my camera. I have photographed as many of the blessings I found along the way as I could. At one point I began to notice something. The butterfly and bees that I loved to photograph were accepting my presence. Instead of flying off to a different flower, they went about their business as if I were not there. That in itself was an amazing feeling. I had challenged myself to try and get "the" bee shot. So far I've gotten close but haven't gotten the one shot that would have me cheering with an "oh yeah! Got it!!" Still, the fact that they allow me to get right in the middle of them and I haven't even been threatened by them is a thrill.

There have been some interesting birds that have paid visits to my dad's big fishing puddle. I have some photographs, but again, not THE photograph. I'll keep trying. The maddest I have gotten is when the hawk was on a swing frame behind the house and I didn't know it in time to try and get a picture.

Recently a young squirrel has become quite the ham. It plays and does squirrel acrobatics showing off for the camera. It has no fear of me. I don't think that is a good thing for the squirrel. If it begins to trust people too much its very life is threatened. I think though that right now its being young helps, but I have been known to be wrong before. So I may photograph the squirrel but I don't try to tame it. That would be a cruel thing to do.

A lot has been going on since last I blogged. I hope to get here more often. Other places I've blogged has left me unhappy and dissatisfied. Hopefully that will change with my posts here. If you enjoy dirt road stories, simple things, peaceful things. That is what will be here. I'll discuss the dirt road, my books of which there are now 3, my son and my family's adventures as simple as they may be..because some times, those are the best kind. I'll discuss the critters real and....not.. here on the Dirt Road. I hope you'll join me.

Excitment in the Air-

Just a little over an hour ago my son and I got home from several errands. One was taking care of his financial aid forms for college. The other- was for me-sorta. It was actually for my books.
I self-published both of my books: Blessed- a collection of inspirational poetry and The Legend of Dragon's Doom: a young warrior's vow- a young adult fantasy novel. I chose to do this for several reasons. Blessed because it is poetry and poetry is very difficult to find a traditional publisher interested in poetry. The Legend of Dragon's Doom because in all honesty I got a bit paranoid over it. I had published a little over half of it in an open blog. I never thought this book was turn out as it did. It was originally meant to be a short poem for a writing prompt. It simply took on a life of its own and became the novel that it is.
I did not simply write the books, create the file and upload these books without forethought. They were proofed for me by many people of various backgrounds. This was and is my dream and I was not about to mess it up by being lazy and careless.
Still, self-published books have a bad reputation and I had to fight that.
I was told time and again that it is nearly impossible to get a self-published book into a brick and mortar store. But, that was my dream, to see my books on the shelves of a store.
I send articles to a local weekly magazine. A couple of weeks ago I was reading this magazine and saw an article about a new book boutique and coffee bar opening up and I decided to take a chance. I fired off an email asking if they would be interested in carrying my books and a possible book signing. I honestly did not expect a response any time soon. I had one waiting the next morning. My husband who works out of town a lot was in that weekend so I replied telling them I would be up there the following weekend.
When I arrived she was incredibly friendly and just plain nice. She liked the books and kept a copy of each. She talked about her grand opening and the possibility of a book signing maybe around Easter. She asked if I had anything I would like to contribute for her giveaway goodie bags- I told her I did and would get them to her as quickly as I could. That was today.
I had handmade bookmarks and fridge magnets and some bags I had decorated for my books that were leftover from the craft shows. She kept a couple more of the books and told me she would get in touch with me when they sold. I still plan on going by there for the Grand Opening- there's going to be live music- who can pass that up? And the chance to see my books on the shelves of an honest to goodness brick and mortar store-

where is the laughter?

Its sad at how we tend to look at things differently as adults. We lose an innocence, a sense of fun. Its obvious of course, that this happens. That does not change my opinion. There should be a way, that even as adults, understanding the responsibility of being an adult, that we should still have the feeling of wonder, that we held as children.
Maybe the scientists among us still hold a portion of that. It could be that those who go out looking for new or old species in lands that are not so well traveled, still hold a portion. Astronauts, going out into space. Among us, there may be the few that remember. Most of us I fear, have forgotten.
The day to day to day lives that we must live, pull it from us. It drains the adventure, the hope, the fun....the innocence and wonder that we once knew. The feeling that drew us from the every day and boring to the imaginative and fun. It drew us to watch a bird or a butterfly in flight. It drew us to watch an earth worm or snake move across the ground. We chased shadows and we chased lightening bugs.
Our days were filled with laughter, as children.

Where is that now? As adults, carrying the responsibility of jobs and family..where is the laughter we once knew?

Living here we do not often get snow. This for us--as for most of the nation- has been a winter that has brought more snow than we have seen in years. While the adult in me, hates with a passion to attempt to drive in it, and if at all possible--won't. It brings out the kid in me in a hurry. As soon as I can I have camera in hand and am out in the woods. I am following creeks and hills and critters. I forget that I am supposed to be cold, I forget just how badly I hate the cold and I run. I fall and I climb and I photograph. This last snow I took one hundred and fifty photographs. Most of all, as I walked counting animal tracks, I smiled and I laughed and I forgot all about being a responsible adult.
My son and I had snow cream. I don't usually try and make it as it has never been a favorite of mine. I made it this time because the kid in me, that had escaped from capitivity for a time, wanted it.
The snow melted quickly. It is still here and there in patches. My photos are already uploaded into the computer, they will last long after the last of the snow is gone. But the memories of the walk, the memories of playing happily where no one could see and tsk tsk my actions, that I will carry in my heart forever.
I am blessed, and I know it.