Showing posts with label #cindysvoices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #cindysvoices. Show all posts

Monday, March 29, 2021

Spring Is In The Air

 Spring cleaning time

Being born on the first day of Spring, I have found the "spring cleaning bug" lives inside me year-round.  Any time the sun peaks out after a few days of cold and gloom, I feel the urge to make my house sparkle.  Unfortunately, I do not seem to be as efficient as Snow White.  I usually find myself in the situation of Cinderella (pic 2) with more to do the longer I am at it. My grandfather used to call me Cinderella so I feel like I was destined to be like her.
When I first got my own apartment, everything had a place it belonged and I made sure it was where it should be every day.  I cleaned floors on my hands and knees, dusted and wiped down everything except windows...I still can't clean them.  Dishes were washed, wiped, and put away as soon as a meal was finished.  My daughter was raised in this environment, and when she started to rebel by not taking care of toys, I bagged them up and threatened to give them away.  

Somehow, life took over, and dishes drained overnight while I enjoyed family time. Then came moves to different states which resulted in boxes of items with no place to fit.  As I waited to find their perfect location, another move took place and the pile of unemptied boxes multiplied. Becoming an over-the-road truck driver just amplified the storage issues.  My daughter's passing added more boxes of treasures to deal with. 

But, for the last year and a half, I have been stuck at home and no longer had the legitimate excuse of no time. So, I decided to start unpacking. I finished emptying one room and everything in it had a home...Unfortunately, another death resulted in more "boxes of treasures" that needed to be emptied, and the one room was now refilled with them.

Another day the sun came out and I began again.  This time my completion was delayed by the decision to remodel two rooms.  Everything got piled wherever it fit so the work could be done.  Slowly I got order back to those two rooms and the one I had originally emptied.  New china cabinets for Christmas gave my knickknacks a home and replacement shelves organized the rest.  




The next room on the list got started...but...(I am sure you know there is a reason I could not finish) I found my bookcases had collapsed and I would need new shelves to put everything on. And what will I do with the stuff I don't want anymore but is still in good condition? It has to go someplace.

So, now I have the shelves
...just waiting on the liners and I can get started again.  Will I ever finish?  Unless all the woodland animals come to help me, I doubt it.  To be honest, when you have too much time on your hands, it is hard to accomplish anything.

How do you all fare with the spring cleaning bug?  Do you finish?

Written by Cindy J. Smith
Author of poetry and children's books

Friday, August 9, 2019

Hometown Memories Part 3.

 Falls and Creeks 

Terry F Conrow
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  From my viewpoint nothing is more majestic than the creations of Nature.  Whether a small cascade found along a hidden creek, or a well known falls like Chitenango Falls and Montour Falls, my connection is the same. 
Montour Falls by Terry F. Conrow

Chitenango Falls by Terry F. Conrow





















New York is home to many beautiful falls, most of which I actually had no idea existed.  Even these ones in my own hometown I had no knowledge of until I began this blog series.
Peggy Fly

Amanda Castilla
Jan Dainard
But, seeing them in these photos, I am still refreshed.

My attraction to water has been with me my entire life.  What is odd is that when I lived along the gulf coast in both Florida and Louisiana, my reaction was not the same.  I found going to the shore relaxing but not refreshing.  The music of the waves, watching the tide playing tag with the shore, was pleasant.  However I my soul did not seem to revitalize, my worries did not fade.  I am not certain if it was the water itself smelling like fish and leaving my skin feeling sticky and dirty or just the fact that the water was the temperature of a bath.  It just was not the same.

As a final show of beauty, I am sharing other falls from my home state.  I hope they refresh you as they do me.

Glendora Falls by Terry F. Conrow



Ithaca Taughannock Park by Heather Ratigan

Corbetts Glenn by Rogina Davis

Falls in Dansville taken by Austin Passamonte

Buttermilk Falls, Ithaca  by Heather Ratigan

Honeoye Falls by Jan Dainard


Austin Passamonte

Wolcott Falls by Terry F. Conrow



Aunt Sarah's Falls by Terry F. Conrow
Akron Falls by Terry F. Conrow

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Making them special





JASMINE'S WISH

When something is a gift, you make it special.  Just a little something that sets it apart from the others.  Such is the case with this box set.  It is my gift to my daughtr, my angel in heaven.  So, these four books needed to be different from any others I publish.  With that in mind, I decided the layout of these books would be what made them unique.

The first feature I used in the books is categories.  As I mentioned before, Jasmine had sorted my poems so I decided to use her idea. I felt that by doing so it made her a part of the process which she always wanted me to do. So, the five categories became the first step in making my gift to her disinct.

In the layout of these four books, there is actually a poem before the table of contents.  An introduction to what you will find within the pages.  Readers of the e-versions may miss these poems as the books usually open at the first poem.  I don't remember why I did this, it seemed important at the time. 

The final criteria which separates these four books from my others is they are all dedicated to Jasmine.  The dedications themselves are also unique.  Each contains a poem as part of it. These I would like to share with you now.


 For Voices In My Head, the poem is Jasmine's epitaph, the hardest poem I ever had to write.

Our beautiful flower
Just beginning to bloom,
Loved and cherished,
Picked by God too soon





They Won't Shut Up was my second book and was published on her birthday. I made this a little more special by including a section of poems at the end written by her.

I miss you so much
Every day of the year
Feel your sweet hugs
Though you are not here

I give you this book
As my gift to you
The love in my heart
Will bring it to you




QUIET! Please? took many years to come out.  It should have been the third book, but actually came out after 3 others.  Somehow I just could not find the right cover to make it real.

Your belief in me
Made this dream real
A gift of love
For others to feel
Such is the magic
You poured on me
Opening my soul
For all to see





Silence was an unexpected surprise.  QUIET! Please? was supposed to be my final book but I guess Jasmine had other ideas.  Her spirit is always leading me where she thinks I should go.

Feed someone's dream
Help make it real
Encourage them
To think and feel
Use your words softly
Build confidences
Create playgrounds
Instead of fences
Dreams and visions
Need helping hands
To get us past
Our ruined plans

Poetry is in my blood, it is such a big part of me. Jasmine's Wish is my only book not found on Amazon.  It is available on Smashwords for kindle and on D2D  for all other formats.

Find Cindy on her:
Blog:
https://cindysvoices.blogspot.com/

Website:
http://indiebooksource.com/books-by-cindy-j-smith/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/cindysvoices
FB:  https://www.facebook.com/CindysVoices/
GOODREADS:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6505989.Cindy_J_Smith
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/cindyjsmith1/

Portfilio Links
https://view.joomag.com/golden-box-book-publishing-cindys-voices/0568888001561494976
http://pubhtml5.com/ahsh/nmba

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Hometown Memories Part 2

The Seasons at Letchworth

Marti Hurlburt
Carol Groat
Jonathan Lee
Letchworth is a gorgeous park no matter what time of year it is.  In the spring, the water rushing from the thaw has the  tributaries displaying their seasonal waterfalls while the major ones are in their full glory. 

Jonathan Lee
Lori Naqpier
Sandy Sucher
Eli De'Enn
In the fall, nature outdoes herself.  The colors add so much to the experience of visiting the park.  It was my favorite time to go.  The colors seemed to make the entire area glow.  It felt more magical.  Each stop a new palette of color to stimulate your brain while the sounds from the rushing water cleansed your soul.


Joe Pecoraro
Carol Groat

Jeanne Mcnamara
Sandy Sucher








Fall in all its glory just sings of cosy fires and hot spicy apple cider.  It makes me think of friends.





Carol Groat











 
Claire Harrington



 Winter offers its own special touch to the scenery here.  Even in its icy grip, the power of the falls is evident.

John Wilber
 
Jonathan Lee



 
Katie Houseknecht


 
 Colleen Przybysz



I hope you have enjoyed these pictures which bring my memories of this beautiful place to mind.   










Find Cindy on her:
Blog:
https://cindysvoices.blogspot.com/
Website:
http://carternovels.com/author-cindy-j-smith.html
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/cindysvoices
FB:  https://www.facebook.com/CindysVoices/
GOODREADS:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6505989.Cindy_J_Smith
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/cindyjsmith1/

Portfilio Links
https://view.joomag.com/golden-box-book-publishing-cindys-voices/0568888001561494976


http://pubhtml5.com/ahsh/nmba

365 narration by Karina Kantas https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d0UNM-QtpvOBS84qlAr9fiEK6by7QkwG/view

Friday, July 12, 2019

Hometown Memories


LETCHWORTH STATE PARK 

THE GRAND CANYON OF THE EAST

Jonathan Lee
Jesse Crowden

Peter Anuszkiewicz
Everyone has a favorite place they went to as a child.  For me, Letchworth State Park was paradise! My family only went there for day trips. I do not recall any sojourn that felt like a repeat, for nature always provided new beauty to behold. The light on the water, the colors of the foliage, or even wildlife making an appearance; something made each trip special.

 

Dan Rittenhouse
Eli De'Enn

So, what exactly is Letchworth that makes it stand out? It is a 14,427-acre park (about 17 miles long) located in Eastern Upstate New York. It follows the path of the Genesee River as it travels north to its outlet Lake Ontario near Rochester.  With canyon cliffs as high as 600 feet, it is often referred to as "The Grand Canyon Of The East".  The northern end is marked by Mount Morris Dam which helps thwart the chance of flooding. There are nearly 50 waterfalls located within the park with three major ones (Upper, Middle and Lower Falls) located in the southern end.

Marian Carloni
Phil Conroy
Many tributaries flow into the river and can be found along the various hiking trails. The numerous smaller falls can be found along these tributaries or by following the hiking trails or by kayak or rafting. One of the more well-known ones is Inspiration Falls, which is a ribbon falls with a drop of 350 ft. Unfortunately, its appearance is seasonal, like many of the other smaller ones.

Jeanne Mcnarmara
It has been a very long time, 26 years to be exact,  since I have been able to enjoy an outing there. My sister and I took my husband to NY so he could see where I grew up.  We also felt the need to prove to him that there was country in NY, since he was not convinced by my descriptions.  While there, we went to Letchworth.  Unfortunately, there was a drought at the time and he did not get to experience the full beauty of the falls. 

 
Jack Geising

I feel a connection to the river.  My troubles seem to fade away with the flow.  I can almost feel the gloom being purged from my heart as the water cascades over the falls, the spray on my skin refreshing my soul. 

From the thundering power of the three main falls, to the tinkling of those along the tributaries, the music of nature frees me.

Ryan Yo-nv Schmidt

Ryan Yo-nv Schmidt kindly shared this gorgeous shot and several other pictures of the falls.  I gathered them into a short slide show,  click on the link to enjoy some beautiful views.
https://docs.google.com/presentation









I am thrilled to be able to share these many pictures with you.  They were all provided by members of the Facebook group Letchworth State Park Lovers (https://www.facebook.com/groups/2218333570/) If you like what you see here, be sure to visit them on Facebook, they have many more beautiful scenes to share.  I find the pictures take me back in time and I am able to relive, re-experience this wonderful paradise.

Remember to check out my next piece where I visit Lower and Middle Falls. 

Find Cindy on her:
Blog:
https://cindysvoices.blogspot.com/
Website:
http://carternovels.com/author-cindy-j-smith.html
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/cindysvoices
FB:  https://www.facebook.com/CindysVoices/
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6505989.Cindy_J_Smith
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/cindyjsmith1/
Portfilio Links
https://view.joomag.com/golden-box-book-publishing-cindys-voices/0568888001561494976


http://pubhtml5.com/ahsh/nmba

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