OCTOBER BEGINS AS A BLANK CANVAS

 

A series of essays....

THE VIBRANT COLORS OF OCTOBER

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

September’s intense layers of green set the dramatic backdrop for the month of October.

October begins as a blank canvas. Finally, the tenth month of the year allows us to play with some of the richest, deepest, and most robust colors on a grand scale; earth tones, my Mother’s favorite palette. 

Early on, multiple shades of summertime greens are seemingly airbrushed overnight as the tops of the highest branches are tipped in mellow yellow against a sky of pale blue. Cotton ball clouds float along the blue skyscape like majestic swans on a sun-rippled pond.

APPLES READY FOR MARKET

Bright apple reds and greens cling to the orchard trees in great abundance waiting to fill the farmer’s baskets and bins to be hauled to local market places. Children and adults alike dream of their tasty sweetness as in taffy apples with sprinkles on top, rustic pies filled with rich fruit and cinnamon goodness, and a crisp, salubrious treat savored between meals.

Overnight, clumps of cherry-red leaves dot the mighty maple trees like giant Christmas ornaments hung by the gods. In the following days, each crimson bauble begins to seep through the lofty trees giving us a feeling of spilled red wine penetrating the green, summertime branches.

Late blooming flowers and rows of swaying grasses bow to one another as they dance under the influence of Vivaldi’s ‘The Autumn’ and their once sparkling attire now fades into nut-brown and sepia tones like photos tucked away in Mother’s dresser drawer. “Memories, my love,” she would whisper in my ear.

SHERBET TONES OF
THE CHRYSANTHEMUM

If we are passionate about chrysanthemums, cultivated for their brightly colored, showy flower heads, we must be enchanted by these vivacious mounds of sherbet tones dotting the urban landscape. Mums are reminders of man’s ability to prolong a season while planting seeds of hope for a ravishing display of future springtime bounties of color!

Some bushes literally ‘burn’ in crimson splendor as October ushers in her cooler temps and seasonal rains. And, as if overnight, trees have morphed into their final act of seasonal glory when the reds, golds, and yellows that have been dancing above us suddenly ruffle their united copper-colored leaves in the quickening breeze like the subdued plumage of a robin’s breast.

ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME?

Squirrels and chipmunks scurry about in a last minute rush of hoarding their food in anticipation of winter’s inevitable arrival. Blue Jays and Cardinals seemingly sashay in flight from one golden branch to another and the big, black-necked Canadien Goose, with its signature white chinstrap mark, checks his itinerary as he and thousands of ‘honkers’ migrate south for the winter.

OCTOBER DELIGHTS

October’s blank canvas is particularly notable this year with the coronavirus looming large among us. While summer activities begin to linger into precious memories, and jackets, long pants and boots are donned in lieu of bathing suits, shorts, and flip-flops, we still revel in being outdoors. Even when the daily wearing of facial masks become important substitutes for Halloween disguises at the end of the month, most of us have decided to cherish being around for a very long time to be able to delight in October’s colorful canvas for many years to come.

Blustery winds usher in October’s ‘snowy season.’ Crisp leaves tumble from the sky en masse simulating snow showers as they accumulate in thick layers on the ground, covering the weary grasses in a patchwork quilt of autumnal color. 

THE REDS OF THE MAPLE TREE
GENTLY SEEPING...

My Mother’s auburn hair resembled the fiery red maple tree that lived in the backyard of our little, white rental home many years ago. My October memories consist of numerous hours of raking the fallen leaves into enormous piles only to scatter them around again by running like a tiny, howling banshee into the pile at full speed. Mom helped rake them up again for round two and three of this pleasant game.

The orange, greens, and yellows of the local pumpkin patch fill adults and children with equal delight as the ‘perfect’ size and shape of pumpkin is searched for with grave intensity. After all, its flawlessness will serve to usher in the jack-o-lantern of our own imagination for the Halloween celebration.

OCTOBER’S COLORFUL
PUMPKIN PATCH

As if all of the sounds, visual changes, and weather extremes that take place during October were not enough, my heart delights in the autumnal celebration of a life gone way too early; a gentle lady who loved deeply and gave more than she would ever receive in this lifetime. Mom, sixty-two years was not nearly enough time to have the world appreciate all that you had to contribute to making this a sweeter, more loving place to live in. I miss you with all of my being...

MY BEAUTIFUL MOTHER, OLGA,
AT THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN

Today, you would have had 97 years filled with the gentleness of life behind you. Happy Birthday, Mom, with all of the trimmings and all of my love! My October canvas is filled with the colorful and joyous memories of your love, kindness and appreciation of all living things.

Everyone, please stay safe. Vote!

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

Photos Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

AMERICAN RECKONING

“THE JUDGEMENT DAY” 
ARTIST: GIORGI KUKHALASHVILI

A series of essays....

Courtesy of Saatchi Art

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes  

According to the Bible and written within the New Testament, Judgement Day will be the day at the end of time, as we know it, following Armageddon when God will decree the fates of all individual humans according to the good and evil of their earthly lives. The Day of Reckoning: A time when the effects of one's past mistakes or misdeeds catch up with them.

A lawyer may refer to reckoning as a verbal summation before the jury. Wrapping-up is the directional approach to completing a day of filming in the entertainment industry. The sports announcer might be expressing his recap of a particular play on the field and later, after the game is over, his rundown of the completed event by highlighting the best of the action...in case we missed it. And, the news journalist is noted for her succinct style of writing which captures ‘Breaking News’ in a brief but highly comprehensive form. 

If and when the Day of Reckoning arrives, I would like to believe that my ultimate résumé is in order, neatly typed and displaying my background, skills, and accomplishments in order to secure the final and most important form of employment paid out in eternal joy and extreme happiness. 

In my estimation, America, and all that she stands for and for those whom she represents, is facing her most important day of reckoning on November 3rd. The results of this country’s Presidential Election 2020, provided on this date or shortly afterwards, will be the day the hands on the clock will either come to a complete stop, or continue to run in a precise and deliberate manner. We are facing the final days before our ‘American Reckoning’ and the prospects of its final result is scaring the living hell out of us (me)! 

The parish priest, dressed in his finest, most colorful and ornate chasuble for Sunday Mass, stands at the raised podium on the altar and sends shivers down a small child’s spine. He is preaching what will transpire on Judgement Day if we do not practice love, decency, and sound judgement during our life here on earth. We, naively (?), fail to recognize how many people do not own love for their fellow man, are not decent human beings, and do not practice sound judgement in their lives. This conclusion is what has taken us by surprise and catapulted sound reasoning and the state of normalcy into an entirely new dimension. 

Given the go-ahead and support needed to crawl out of the woodwork by the current administration, white nationalist groups espouse white supremacist or white separatist ideologies focusing on the alleged inferiority of nonwhites. Has ‘white privilege’ blinded us from seeing the truth we have lived with for hundreds of years? Simple truth has been given a blind eye for so long that we failed to recognize its nastiness creeping up out of the gutters like devious shadow beings obeying the written orders of condemned, old, white men. 

                                                                  LIFE IS FILLED WITH BEAUTY!

 

                                                                   

What were we thinking all of these years?

The Ku Klux Klan, neo-Confederate, neo-Nazi, racist skinhead, and Christian identity are described as white nationalists. Sadly, it takes another knee of a privileged white man pressed down on the neck of a black man until his life is extinguished for us to attempt to understand why Black Lives Matter. It takes a racist president hell-bent on power and superiority to open the cracks in the earth and release the hatred that has been bubbling below us all this time. 

Why was it so difficult to feel and label the pervasive unrest beneath our feet all along; rumbling like a massive earthquake too deep to break the crusty surface but disconcerting nonetheless? Now that our world is shaken and we’ve come to recognize the source of our fear (those set apart by their unmistakable facial characteristics and hateful expressions), we must not allow them to drive the rest of us into hell along with them on Judgement Day! 

Congress and the Department of Homeland Security, among others, have determined that domestic terrorism consists of acts or attempted acts of terrorism in which the perpetrators are citizens or permanent residents of the country in which the act takes place. White supremacists and other far-right-wing extremists are the most significant domestic terrorism threat facing the United States. 

We are living inside an American Tragedy but are slowly finding our way among the pervasive and widespread unrest and dissatisfaction brought about by the domestic terrorists attempting to tear us apart. We are learning what we can do to fight evil with good and are stepping-up to the plate when necessary. We are understanding that when we’re told that each one of our votes counts, it is the absolute truth. Our voices must be heard loud and clear because we will not take the bullying, hatefulness, and degradation any longer!

If we truly believe we’re strong enough to love rather than hate, demand decency and a good life for all of mankind, and rely on our own courage and perspicacity instead of seeing the world within the vision of a handful of others...we can take on this fight to retain democracy and our freedom. We just have to want it all badly enough. 

Let’s take advantage of these precious few days before our American Reckoning is upon us. Drive others to the polls or to the City Clerk’s office to drop-off their absentee ballot, offer to baby-sit for their children allowing them some spare time, and always offer encouragement so that voting feels like the right it is meant to be instead of a privilege for only a few. 

Stay safe and please be kind to others. Vote like your life depends on it because...it truly does.

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes 

All rights reserved

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE: CELEBRATING SEVEN AMBITIOUS YEARS!

A series of essays....

VISITING MOLLY GALLIVAN’S COTTAGE AND
TRADITIONAL FARM IN KENMARE, IRELAND

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

Two years ago we were driving through, hiking deep into forests, absorbing every possibility within unforgettable cities, and enjoying the company of the locals from Edinburgh, Scotland and across the Irish Sea to Dublin City and over the mainland of Ireland to the Wild Atlantic Way! 

I’ve written about this particular trip quite often but, there are always many stories left to share and subtle nuances left open to personal interpretation by the four of us, lucky friends and travelers, who decided that sharing three weeks together, discovering more about each other, ourselves, incorporating new and familiar places into our itinerary, and creating lasting memories...were very good things to do.

Little did we know, back in those busy and amazing days of travel, that in a little over fourteen months time, the prospect of and privilege to be able to travel to other countries would be unavailable to us. The USA, along with the entire world, would become embedded in a new, harsh reality of epic proportions: The SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic. Today, the world has had to cope with over one million deaths due to this virtually unknown and deadly disease.

CONNEMARA NATIONAL PARK

NEAR BALLYCASTLE, IRELAND

Like many of us who enjoy a ‘flight into a fresh adventure,’ right now we must cling to our memories and photos. We must stay healthy and keep others healthy, as well, yet remain diligent when it comes to dreaming about a future filled with more exciting and bold experiences. Now is an opportune time to sketch or paint one of your favorite moments from a previous escapade. Write a poem or a short story about your trips. Or, pursue the possibility of creating a novel based upon your time spent in a different place, within a new culture while living among the people who inhabit these special spaces. Pick-up that musical instrument you’ve been longing to learn how to play...if you only had the time. Well, now you do. Remember, anything is possible if we choose to make it happen.

Seven years ago, in September of 2013, Dan and I had just returned from another special visit to the Wild Atlantic Way along the West Coast of Ireland when I decided that all of our amazing experiences required a greater audience to share them with. We climbed a mountain that trip, for goodness sakes! Climbing to the peak of Diamond Hill was highly noteworthy in my opinion. This idea helped create the birth of my Moving On...(insert year) Blog site. I entwined my words with the photography I’d taken along my adventures and created a colorful marriage between them, meant to be read and enjoyed by anyone and all who wished to tune-in to the segments of life that gave me so much excitement and lasting pleasure.

ADRIAN O’CONNOR AND ME...
HE IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS FOR
BEGINNING  MY BLOG SEVEN YEARS AGO

CRAGGY ISLAND B&B IN DOOLIN, IRELAND
WHERE WE FIRST MET ADRIAN

So, this month I am very proud to mark today’s post as the 330th published story in my little series of “essays as seen through my eyes.” Cue the balloons, confetti, and cake, please!

It takes a little while to grow-up, mature, and find your way into whatever you do in this life. It has been no different while watching my blog weave its way into a combustible world made-up of cyber populous and opinion. However, even the ‘growing pains’ have been enlightening and most encouraging. If I thought that simply setting-up my site on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest was a hefty challenge, it was soon to be discovered that keeping it there was the greater confrontation, especially within the past four or more years of intense cyber control (hacking) by foreign entities. 

Due to the fact that the original format for the Blog itself, travel writing, has morphed into so much more, like sharing my thoughts about life’s challenges, the need for more love expressed in our lives, experimentation with different writing styles and mediums, stories about lives past and present, and the inevitable and consuming passion I have for today’s political scene, I am very pleased. I often say that the enjoyable part of each week is sitting quietly, eyes generally closed, and contemplating what to write about for a Thursday morning publication. And, yes, I have been known to get out of bed at three in the morning to go write down ideas I had either been dreaming about, or ones that kept me from falling asleep in the first place. 

“WE MADE IT!” TO THE SUMMIT
OF DIAMOND HILL IN CONNEMARA 
NATIONAL PARK...

I love and thoroughly enjoy the freedom of having a weekly Blog! What better way to get things off of my chest (without harming anyone else), and express the pure joy that living life to its fullest has to offer us. For this freedom of expression alone, I am eternally grateful. However, the fallout from this freedom has been having my Facebook Author and Writer’s Pages taken off by the powers that be with nary an explanation as to precisely why! If you happen to be checking the contents of this post my Facebook editors, please make the time to answer my inquiries and tell me whom I have offended. I guess we will always be just one click away from or own obscurity...if we choose to give anything that much power over us. There will always be ‘other fish in the sea,’ as the old saying goes.

In a pandemic world we must plan our days accordingly: Which day to visit the grocery store, when it’s the best time to catch-up on the news or shows we’ve previously recorded, or how many hours we must set aside to work on the total amount of words we must write for that day. Anyway, this happens to be my world right now. For writers everywhere who are taking advantage of this solitary time to complete the next chapter in your life’s story, be grateful for this mandatory isolation. We have been afforded the ideal scenario to do what we do best while caring about the safety of others at the same time. 

May this post serve to wish our friends, Marsha and Michael, a very happy two-year anniversary of time well spent together in the monumental settings of Scotland and Ireland. Unforgettable, indeed! My persistence and love for the written word is celebrated, as well as I note the last seven years of weekly essays written on my trusty i-Pad(s) just for you, my faithful readers. It has been a pleasure sharing my personal thoughts with you and, with any luck, I will continue to be around doing this for many years to come. Thank you for ‘The Read,’ ‘The Insightful Comments,’ and ‘The Many Shares’ along the way.

Stay healthy and safe. I am hoping that Tuesday night’s Presidential Debate has not left an indelible black mark on your soul. If anything, it’s explained how important it is for everyone to go out and make your vote count!

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

Photo Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

WE ARE FRAGILE SHELLS

A series of essays....

A BUBBLE FILLED WITH AIR AND INSECURITIES 

 

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

We are

     FRAGILE

          shells, bubbles filled with air and insecurities, waiting for someone or something to prick our outer layer and release our souls into a world occupied by haters, users, and fools. Like a loaf of rustic bread comprised of air pockets formed by gas produced, we puff out, create loft and desirable texture during the bake; even our hard, crusty shells can be pulled apart by the hands of those who wish to devour us in order to sustain their own beliefs. We are delicate and vulnerable, fragile beings, easily broken or destroyed by bullies and thugs, masters and presidents, a lifetime politician whose entire agenda is composed of gaining power, retaining power, and always seeking more power.

Humble inside our fragile shells, in compliance with every rule and regulation bestowed upon us by greater men and women than ourselves, we begin to stir. Taunted by the vibrations of bullies and self-proclaimed gods that rise above us in terms of reality show ringmasters protected by their numerous henchmen, we begin to stir. Understanding more and more about what white privilege means and becoming empathetic about how Black Lives Matter, we begin to stir. We have remained curled in the fetal position for far too long; frightened to death of overriding all other considerations represented by bullies in lofty positions. It is time to enliven our spirits and vacate the fragile shells surrounding us, once and for all!

A mighty oak tree standing five feet tall stood among us and has fallen and we understand that we can be better ‘for she existed.’ Her shadow-spirit hovers high above us, boosted by the strength of her convictions, upheld by her striking ability to change archaic attitudes and beliefs, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an intellect who had the power to speak from her heart and have people listen. A feminist pioneer, RBG was a champion of communication, women’s rights, and gender equality...which included equality for all of the people!

SPEAK YOUR MIND
EVEN IF YOUR VOICE SHAKES

In homage to the superior beliefs and strengths of the Notorious RBG, may this poem by Maya Angelou serve to explain our feelings today:

WHEN GREAT TREES FALL

By Maya Angelou

When great trees fall,

rocks on distant hills shudder,

lions hunker down

in tall grasses,

and even elephants

lumber after safety.

When great trees fall

in forests,

small things recoil into silence,

their senses

eroded beyond fear.

When great souls die,

the air around us becomes

light, rare, sterile.

We breathe, briefly.

Our eyes, briefly,

see with

a hurtful clarity.

Our memory, suddenly sharpened,

examines,

gnaws on kind words

unsaid,

promised walks

never taken.

Great souls die and

our reality, bound to

them, takes leave of us.

Our souls,

dependent upon their

nurture,

now shrink, wizened.

Our minds, formed

and informed by their

radiance,

fall away.

We are not so much maddened

as reduced to the unutterable ignorance

of dark, cold

caves.

And when great souls die,

after a period peace blooms,

slowly and always

irregularly. Spaces fill

with a kind of

soothing electric vibration.

Our senses, restored, never

to be the same, whisper to us.

They existed. They existed.

We can be. Be and be

better. For they existed.

The best way to honor a change maker is by continuing to make changes; burst forth from our protective shells and make a difference in this world. Our hearts may be heavy but our spirits are strong. It is time to rejoice in and support a system that brought us RBG in the first place. Like all people bound together with powerful goals in mind, it is our fervent duty to ourselves and those we love to create a better world for everyone. Her work remains unfinished. It is time to join together, mobilize, and make a difference!

It was once stated that well-behaved women don’t make history. RBG was proud of making waves, especially under the appearance of a petite female, well-mannered judge, and notorious lawmaker. Our grave mistake was believing that she was immortal. A human goddess representing love, beauty, and wisdom, she proclaimed from the mountaintops that we, women united, have the power to determine our future when we decide that the most important thing is getting out to vote. Yes, women hold the power this election year.

VOTE AND TELL
THEM RUTH SENT YOU!

In order to honor the legacy of Chief Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, now that the shock and fear from her loss slowly abates, we all must be strong and brave and assured that our rights are honored. Everything that is held dear to us is on the ballot this November. Indeed, in order to honor the legacy of Chief Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we must go to the polls and/or vote by mail. Make our votes count! 

As dictated to her granddaughter, this was a final wish: “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.” —Notorious RBG

Be safe. Be healthy. Stay strong.

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

TWO SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO: LOVE CONQUERS ALL

A series of essays....

SEPTEMBER 15, 1973

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

I fell asleep quite late the night before with high expectations and a song from ‘My Fair Lady’ resounding in my head. Like the judge’s gavel smacking-down in the courtroom, the reverberations from wood-on-wood rang out to the tune of, ‘I’m getting married in the morning! Ding dong, the bells are gonna chime.’ This was the one and only shot I was giving myself at truly making these lyrics work; I believed in love, one partner for life, and the effort it would take to make a marriage as successful as possible.

Judging by my parent’s union, the physical and mental effort directed toward the production or accomplishment of a marriage was extensive. Like many of the ideas I claimed while growing-up, if I just leaned in the opposite direction a bit from them, I would be okay...better off. 

I loved them both for all of the right reasons, but could not understand, for the life of me, why living together could be so difficult at times. Theirs was a different generation steeped in ideas from another time, another place; unfortunately, a place where I did not want to be. 

ELAINE, MYSELF, ROBYN, JANIS AND SANDY
JUST BEFORE OUR WALK DOWN THE AISLE.

DAN WITH HIS FATHER, LEO HUGHES.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS TAKING
PART IN OUR SPECIAL DAY.

So, with church bells ringing inside my acute imagination, I drifted off, eventually, with love and hope swirling within the deep recesses of my heart. Never would I emulate the particular path my parents had taken, but knowing that their story helped to make them who they were, right or wrong, will always be an interesting read about the two people who loved, laughed, cried, and gave me life and the ability to make my own choices in this world.

With the anticipation of our honeymoon in Aruba one week after the ceremony (the timing being delayed by our work schedules), we spent our first night of married life at a Holiday Inn in Kalamazoo before heading to a romantic evening at a beautiful Bed & Breakfast in Saugatuck. 

Discovering that he had left his wallet at his parent’s house where he’d changed into his tuxedo, we spent our first night ripping open wedding envelopes in the hopes that we’d have enough cash to pay for the room in the morning. Chalk it up to releasing pent-up emotions after one of the busiest, most exciting days of our lives or to the deep exhaustion we were feeling at the moment, but we began laughing so hard that our silly little selves nearly cried us to sleep! Sitting side-by-side on one of the two queen-sized beds and watching the traffic on I-94 outside the window, I can recall that small room being strewn with opened envelopes and fives and tens recently released from glittery wedding cards that wished us the ‘very best’ in our life together as husband and wife.

BLUE DELFT TILES WE PURCHASED IN ARUBA

Walking around Saugatuck is always an interesting experience. By this time, Dan had driven back to his parent’s house to retrieve his wallet. On this second evening of married life, we tucked ourselves away into the bar at Coral Gables for a drink to continue our celebration. I had worked at the Gables in East Lansing while a student at Michigan State University and thought it appropriate to incorporate its vibe into our mini-honeymoon.

In mid-September the tables were mostly empty of social imbibers with the exception of several lingering vacationers a few tables over who talked about packing-up soon and heading home...wherever. The older gentleman was seated alone one table away. We were deep in our conversation about the wedding, in our own small universe, when he began speaking to us. “Did you two just get married? Wow, that’s real special. Good to see youth making a commitment these days.”

Thanking him generously for acknowledging us after our big day, the three of us chatted for a while longer. As he got up to leave, he mentioned something to the waiter after paying his tab and then walked over to us for one, final word. “Stay happy. Keep love alive. And, always remind yourselves of how you feel right at this very moment. I think you’ll do just fine!”

Sipping our drinks judiciously, Dan asked for our tab and was told that the older gentleman gifted us our drinks for the evening. “By the way, the gentleman said you are newlyweds. May I offer my congratulations?” 

WELCOME TO ARUBA!

A few short working days later, we were soaking-up the sun on the island of Aruba. Today, it is an autonomous country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. To us, Aruba will alway be a Dutch island alive with the flair of Blue Delft ceramics, Divi Divi trees spreading out like broken umbrellas along the beach, and wild donkeys sashaying down the narrow streets and trails of this stunning but quaint Caribbean island that’s located several miles off the coast of Argentina. 

We drank Bon Bini cocktails while lounging around the hotel pool and rode horses along the white, sandy beaches. We ate Lobster Thermidor for the first time and when given milk at breakfast, were told they only served fresh goat’s milk at room temperature. I can remember every nuance of this fabulous week in paradise, together!

We fell in love all over again in Aruba, as if that were even possible. And now, forty-seven years later, love lives on and the memories are meant to be shared, forever, with family and friends alike. 

Happy Anniversary, Dan! Who knew what life had in store for us forty-seven years ago! I’d like to say that I wouldn’t change a thing, but there might be a few really rough patches we’d both like to tweak, if only for sanity’s sake. I couldn’t have asked for a better co-conspirator. I’m so grateful for finding my best friend along this journey through life!


Everyone...please stay healthy through these uncertain times. Wear a mask.

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved