Meanwhile, here is a photo (circa about 1963)
of Clint Eastwood skateboarding in Italy.
Jax Is Back!
Telephone, Tell ya Mama'nEm, Tell Ya Friends.
Friday, January 15, 2016
Monday, May 11, 2015
Walking After You
("Stop talking and start doing!" I tell myself as I contemplate beginning yet another blog entry with 'First off, I am truly trying to write more and get back into my creative endeavors.') I have said those things too many times and fallen off, something that greatly 'pisses me off' about myself. I let so many life changes and occurrences side track me or throw me off from what I want to accomplish. I honestly believe that is one of my biggest hurdles, or lessons (if you will) in this lifetime is to actually learn and put into use the lesson that, no matter what happens, one must continue forward with our paths, which can shift and change in a New York second, but we have to keep shifting with them and going in the direction designed for us. Heartbreak, grief, loss, anger, disappointments, struggles, fears or doubts are merely illusions designed to test our resolves, keep us from the end zone and would gladly intercept us by whatever means necessary to prevent the winning touch down. We are bound by our birthright of joy and happiness to defeat these weaklings and emerge victorious. Yes, a little over-dramatic, but if you know me at all, you accept and perhaps grow to love this annoying feature that I come equipped with.
So, yesterday was Mother's Day… the very first Mother's day that I haven't spent with my Mom since the time I opted to fly off to Florida to visit friends instead of stay home and spend the weekend with her, which of course I was reminded of often and without fail. You see, my beautiful mother (may she rest in joy and peace), was the grand master of guilt trips. As we often, under our breaths chimed when we knew we were about to be targeted, 'Pack your bags, you're going on a guilt trip.'
Honestly, I don't believe she did this to make our lives harder, or to damage us knowingly in any way. She was just one of those women, although stronger than the average lady and having survived too many struggles and heartaches to name, was simply not comfortable being by herself. In fact, I would venture to say that the worst days or nights of her entire life not truly when my father's health was at his worst and the end was on the horizon, but after he had passed on the occasions when the rest of us dare have anything we must do or life events that would give us any excuse not to be there, comforting her and helping her make it through the darkness of those lonely nights.
Mama was always the one to take care of someone else (kind of like I do but more so since she actually had someone stay in her life long enough for her to make a career out of being a doting wife and mother). Therefore, I believe that once she no longer had my father to care for, then of course it became painfully obvious that we 'chicks' had all flown the coop quite some time ago, she was left with an even worse case than ever of 'empty nest syndrome'.
Before my own divorce, my (ex)husband and I spend a lot of weekend nights visiting my parents, spending the night and camping out in the living room floor watching movies and acting like teenagers at a slumber party. Once Dad passed away, we still put forth much effort, along with my youngest niece who was still in school and not yet married at the time. Once my marriage began deteriorating and things began to fall apart, our visits changed, and lessened then I was basically coming down by myself, without my husband and nothing was really ever the same.
Once Mom's health began deteriorating, my sisters and I ended up staying in shifts, and we eventually had to ensure that someone was there with her every night without fail. It was a hard road, and a painful time of life. Still, the fact remains that every holiday since her passing this past November has been surreal and felt quite foreign to me. Our quiet moments, which seemed rather insignificant at the time, suddenly carry a heavy weight… early mornings drinking coffee and just visiting, or her favorite fish dinners, to times when we would cook together or at least collaborate on the dishes being prepared, or simply sitting in the humid summer air out on the front porch recalling our favorite memories that included Dad. Now everything our family is or was has become a fuzzy, yet warm memory like a movie I might have seen a few months ago. Is anything real? It all goes so fast, except for childhood. Those times, I guess, when you are so full to the lid with anticipation of growing up and getting the heck out of your parents' house, trying to find a life of your own and live it to the fullest with dreams still crackling loudly with the electric current of youthful hopes. Time seems to drag on, so slowly like the pouring of thick molasses over your hotcakes when you're starving to death and salivating over that first warm bite.
When all of your dreams come true, and you get everything that you had hoped for and worked for all throughout your fairy tale childhood, however, time begins smoking major crack and doing speedballs of unmeasurable proportions.
Everything happens so fast and is gone in such a flash that you truly are left with only the memories and all we really have are the experiences, just like the old man says above… So thinking on these things, and all of the things I have been through so far, and continue to put myself through, I am forced to finally deal with the fact that I am the only one who can load up my big fat brush with paint and make myself touch it to the canvas. I am the only one who can pick up a pen, or open up a text editor and start journaling or putting my experiences down in ink (be it digital or old fashioned) and leave my mark on this world, no matter how that is received. It is not important who thinks it's any good, or who loves it or hates it. It is important to make the effort to squeeze out those creations and talents that we were supplied with when we were so violently tossed into this realm of existence. We were not put here to sleep through it and exist, survive and "barely make it through by the skin of our teeth", we were put here to bleed, cry, scream, hurt, laugh, love and live… create to the best of our abilities something to make our mark upon this world, something that future generations or civilizations will discover or at least be somewhat affected by, if not inspired from? Every small remnant that we may leave makes some difference, to someone or something.
Mom left all of us (her children) and her love and experience for us to share, remember and pass on in whatever way possible. "What will I leave behind Mama?" I wonder as I begin another day full of possibilities and chances to do something noteworthy. "Yes Mom, what visible footprints will I stamp along this twisted and curvy trail that I travel as I continue learning, and trying to survive walking after you?"
If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been. ~Robert Brault
So, yesterday was Mother's Day… the very first Mother's day that I haven't spent with my Mom since the time I opted to fly off to Florida to visit friends instead of stay home and spend the weekend with her, which of course I was reminded of often and without fail. You see, my beautiful mother (may she rest in joy and peace), was the grand master of guilt trips. As we often, under our breaths chimed when we knew we were about to be targeted, 'Pack your bags, you're going on a guilt trip.'
Honestly, I don't believe she did this to make our lives harder, or to damage us knowingly in any way. She was just one of those women, although stronger than the average lady and having survived too many struggles and heartaches to name, was simply not comfortable being by herself. In fact, I would venture to say that the worst days or nights of her entire life not truly when my father's health was at his worst and the end was on the horizon, but after he had passed on the occasions when the rest of us dare have anything we must do or life events that would give us any excuse not to be there, comforting her and helping her make it through the darkness of those lonely nights.
Mama was always the one to take care of someone else (kind of like I do but more so since she actually had someone stay in her life long enough for her to make a career out of being a doting wife and mother). Therefore, I believe that once she no longer had my father to care for, then of course it became painfully obvious that we 'chicks' had all flown the coop quite some time ago, she was left with an even worse case than ever of 'empty nest syndrome'.
Before my own divorce, my (ex)husband and I spend a lot of weekend nights visiting my parents, spending the night and camping out in the living room floor watching movies and acting like teenagers at a slumber party. Once Dad passed away, we still put forth much effort, along with my youngest niece who was still in school and not yet married at the time. Once my marriage began deteriorating and things began to fall apart, our visits changed, and lessened then I was basically coming down by myself, without my husband and nothing was really ever the same.
Once Mom's health began deteriorating, my sisters and I ended up staying in shifts, and we eventually had to ensure that someone was there with her every night without fail. It was a hard road, and a painful time of life. Still, the fact remains that every holiday since her passing this past November has been surreal and felt quite foreign to me. Our quiet moments, which seemed rather insignificant at the time, suddenly carry a heavy weight… early mornings drinking coffee and just visiting, or her favorite fish dinners, to times when we would cook together or at least collaborate on the dishes being prepared, or simply sitting in the humid summer air out on the front porch recalling our favorite memories that included Dad. Now everything our family is or was has become a fuzzy, yet warm memory like a movie I might have seen a few months ago. Is anything real? It all goes so fast, except for childhood. Those times, I guess, when you are so full to the lid with anticipation of growing up and getting the heck out of your parents' house, trying to find a life of your own and live it to the fullest with dreams still crackling loudly with the electric current of youthful hopes. Time seems to drag on, so slowly like the pouring of thick molasses over your hotcakes when you're starving to death and salivating over that first warm bite.
When all of your dreams come true, and you get everything that you had hoped for and worked for all throughout your fairy tale childhood, however, time begins smoking major crack and doing speedballs of unmeasurable proportions.
Pop?
What?
You think I should call her?
What?
The woman.
Well, let me tell you something, John.
The first 90 years, or so...
...go by pretty fast.
What?
The first 90 years go by fast.
How would you know?
You're just a damn kid.
I didn't say it, you did.
Well, they do. They do go fast.
Then one day you wake up.
And you realize...
...that you're not 81 anymore.
You begin to count the minutes rather than the days...
...and you realize that pretty soon you'll be gone.
And that all you have, see, is the experiences.
That's all there is.
Everything! The experiences!
You mount the woman, son.
Or else...
...send her out to me.
Everything happens so fast and is gone in such a flash that you truly are left with only the memories and all we really have are the experiences, just like the old man says above… So thinking on these things, and all of the things I have been through so far, and continue to put myself through, I am forced to finally deal with the fact that I am the only one who can load up my big fat brush with paint and make myself touch it to the canvas. I am the only one who can pick up a pen, or open up a text editor and start journaling or putting my experiences down in ink (be it digital or old fashioned) and leave my mark on this world, no matter how that is received. It is not important who thinks it's any good, or who loves it or hates it. It is important to make the effort to squeeze out those creations and talents that we were supplied with when we were so violently tossed into this realm of existence. We were not put here to sleep through it and exist, survive and "barely make it through by the skin of our teeth", we were put here to bleed, cry, scream, hurt, laugh, love and live… create to the best of our abilities something to make our mark upon this world, something that future generations or civilizations will discover or at least be somewhat affected by, if not inspired from? Every small remnant that we may leave makes some difference, to someone or something.
Mom left all of us (her children) and her love and experience for us to share, remember and pass on in whatever way possible. "What will I leave behind Mama?" I wonder as I begin another day full of possibilities and chances to do something noteworthy. "Yes Mom, what visible footprints will I stamp along this twisted and curvy trail that I travel as I continue learning, and trying to survive walking after you?"
If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been. ~Robert Brault
Friday, April 3, 2015
Dolly Dagger
Here comes Dolly Dagger
Her love's so heavy,
gonna make you stagger
Dolly Dagger
She ain't satisfied
'til she get what she's after
She drinks the blood
from the jagged edge
Look out baby here
comes your master...
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Ass Whoopin'
I really resent myself for not writing like I used to. I see most posts where I say "Getting back to this writing thing" or "going to start writing more" blah blah blah, and yet I have yet to be consistent.
It's not for a lack of want. I guess when I went through so much dealing with my Mother's illness and then recent passing (November 2014) I just lost those creative juices or spark.
I torment myself for that, I have punished myself for it mentally and emotionally, but I have also determined that we all go through various ups and downs with different phases of our lives and everything always works best for us when we cling to our spirit, follow our guts and "Let it Flow".
I'm trying a more positive thinking and speaking slant on my life, and getting back some of my spark, I believe I am finally on the up or on my way to bigger and greater things. It's my time.
Therefore, I have given some thought to my old "Deep In The Forrest" blog, and loved it so much I might want to go back and get it going again, but I like this one too--maybe I'll do both. We'll see.
I guess a few people are still reading.
Thanks.
Stick around.
Just Me Jax
It's not for a lack of want. I guess when I went through so much dealing with my Mother's illness and then recent passing (November 2014) I just lost those creative juices or spark.
I torment myself for that, I have punished myself for it mentally and emotionally, but I have also determined that we all go through various ups and downs with different phases of our lives and everything always works best for us when we cling to our spirit, follow our guts and "Let it Flow".
I'm trying a more positive thinking and speaking slant on my life, and getting back some of my spark, I believe I am finally on the up or on my way to bigger and greater things. It's my time.
Therefore, I have given some thought to my old "Deep In The Forrest" blog, and loved it so much I might want to go back and get it going again, but I like this one too--maybe I'll do both. We'll see.
I guess a few people are still reading.
Thanks.
Stick around.
Just Me Jax
Friday, August 1, 2014
Life of Others
You know what I like to do, just every once in a while? Just hit the "next blog" button at the top and see who I run across. Sometimes it is a lot of junk, or a blog that has long been inactive, or never even got off the ground. Every once in a while, though, I will click upon a blog that catches my attention, and I peruse the site for a few minutes, looking at photos and reading a little about them, and their experiences, and it makes me wonder if only for a few stolen moments, how it feels to wake up every day in their life. It's always an interesting thought.
Hope you all have a good weekend… that is, if anyone is reading. =)
Love,
Jaxxx
Hope you all have a good weekend… that is, if anyone is reading. =)
Love,
Jaxxx
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Letter to You, Love
Dear You,
So many little things stayed with me after you left. You, a single, solid man, must be missing pieces of yourself because I have them in my pockets, in my heart, on my walls. Do you not realize they are gone? Perhaps you don't know.
You showed me the lights around the windows of shops and told me what they were for, and now anytime I drive by one, your story plays out in my mind all over again, like a movie reel… I remember your words, and just being there in the car with you as you told me. I had never noticed them before.
The little fragments float around in everything that I do, landing on me at the most inopportune moments just like dust particles land, and cling to an object, sometimes undetectable until enough of them collect together and force you to clean them off. However, I can't clean these away… they're part of me now.
A scent, sensation, the ringing of that little laugh of yours--not the one you used as your 'public laugh', no… the one that nobody was supposed to know about, but it escaped in pure moments when something was truly funny to you, your organic and involuntary giggle. I like to think that I was responsible for at least a few of those.
It makes me smile to remember.
I think of things I did with you, and for you, and I kind of fantasize that you were merely afraid because it scared you that someone could be so good to you, and that you just feared falling too hard, so you left trying to save yourself, or feared that I would hurt YOU somehow, not that I never meant anything to you at all. That thought is much too painful.
Yes, at the heart of this love letter, I just want to say I don't care which is true, I will still always love you. No matter where you go, who you are with or what you're doing, you'll still be onstage in my heart. You are, after all, a star.
Love,
Jaxxx
So many little things stayed with me after you left. You, a single, solid man, must be missing pieces of yourself because I have them in my pockets, in my heart, on my walls. Do you not realize they are gone? Perhaps you don't know.
You showed me the lights around the windows of shops and told me what they were for, and now anytime I drive by one, your story plays out in my mind all over again, like a movie reel… I remember your words, and just being there in the car with you as you told me. I had never noticed them before.
The little fragments float around in everything that I do, landing on me at the most inopportune moments just like dust particles land, and cling to an object, sometimes undetectable until enough of them collect together and force you to clean them off. However, I can't clean these away… they're part of me now.
A scent, sensation, the ringing of that little laugh of yours--not the one you used as your 'public laugh', no… the one that nobody was supposed to know about, but it escaped in pure moments when something was truly funny to you, your organic and involuntary giggle. I like to think that I was responsible for at least a few of those.
It makes me smile to remember.
I think of things I did with you, and for you, and I kind of fantasize that you were merely afraid because it scared you that someone could be so good to you, and that you just feared falling too hard, so you left trying to save yourself, or feared that I would hurt YOU somehow, not that I never meant anything to you at all. That thought is much too painful.
Yes, at the heart of this love letter, I just want to say I don't care which is true, I will still always love you. No matter where you go, who you are with or what you're doing, you'll still be onstage in my heart. You are, after all, a star.
Love,
Jaxxx
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Another Thirsty Thursday
The week has passed off rather quickly, and I'm kind of proud of myself for writing two days in a row. That's not too bad for me as of late... I'm actually trying to get it in gear.
So I don't really know who's reading and who's not reading these days, I know blogging has kind of faded out for a lot of my original blog family at least, even though it appears that many other people around the world are still active and hard at the writing and blogging. I wish we all were still doing more writing on the blogs. When I first discovered blogging, I had such a ball sharing stories, writing, putting my thoughts out there. Writing really relaxes and helps us too, in my opinion. I guess a lot has happened to us all.
So, if anyone is reading this, whether you know me or not, take the time to give me a shout out in the comments below and say HELLO. I love making new connections, as well as hearing from the old. If you do choose to speak up, tell me a little about yourself, your life and if you have a blog, feel free to share the link to it with me.
The weekend is near, and I'm not sure what that holds for me but hopefully it will be something noteworthy, and maybe I can share it. More stories, thoughts and fun to come.
Always,
Just Me, Jax
So I don't really know who's reading and who's not reading these days, I know blogging has kind of faded out for a lot of my original blog family at least, even though it appears that many other people around the world are still active and hard at the writing and blogging. I wish we all were still doing more writing on the blogs. When I first discovered blogging, I had such a ball sharing stories, writing, putting my thoughts out there. Writing really relaxes and helps us too, in my opinion. I guess a lot has happened to us all.
So, if anyone is reading this, whether you know me or not, take the time to give me a shout out in the comments below and say HELLO. I love making new connections, as well as hearing from the old. If you do choose to speak up, tell me a little about yourself, your life and if you have a blog, feel free to share the link to it with me.
The weekend is near, and I'm not sure what that holds for me but hopefully it will be something noteworthy, and maybe I can share it. More stories, thoughts and fun to come.
Always,
Just Me, Jax
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Getting Busy
Oh yeah, on a quick side note, I'm giving it a real effort to get back into my writing and painting. Wish me luck, and come read me often... if you feel like it. Check out my burnt popcorn story below. Later dudes.
From the Bowels of Hell
It's Wednesday morning, a little bit past 8:00 a.m. Ok, so it's closer to 8:30 a.m., since I hit snooze one too many times, and I had to stop off at a nearby drive-thru Subway for my 3" Flatbread with Ham/Egg/Cheese and my large Unsweetened Iced Tea. I can't function without something to start my day.
Nevertheless, as I swipe my security badge in the card-thingy-swiper, and open the door, the evil, dark-overlord, putrid and demonic stench of burned popcorn fills my olfactory system like a stray, desperate, homeless demon looking for a host body.
Instantly, I grimace... "For the love of all things Holy and Clean, who would even eat popcorn at 8 in the morning?!" I exclaim.
Nobody will admit to the dirty deed.
We continue to complain, and make up jokes and songs about bad popcorn and burning things in the microwave until well near lunchtime, as we realize that the stench still lives on, proudly irritating my sinuses, and making us all feel a bit nauseous. It's as if someone's been cremated. How can it last this long? Madness.
Oh yeah, and it's also Hump Day... as if that's going to make any difference in my day.
Hope all is well with you lot... and why am I acting British? =)
Nevertheless, as I swipe my security badge in the card-thingy-swiper, and open the door, the evil, dark-overlord, putrid and demonic stench of burned popcorn fills my olfactory system like a stray, desperate, homeless demon looking for a host body.
Instantly, I grimace... "For the love of all things Holy and Clean, who would even eat popcorn at 8 in the morning?!" I exclaim. Nobody will admit to the dirty deed.
We continue to complain, and make up jokes and songs about bad popcorn and burning things in the microwave until well near lunchtime, as we realize that the stench still lives on, proudly irritating my sinuses, and making us all feel a bit nauseous. It's as if someone's been cremated. How can it last this long? Madness.
Oh yeah, and it's also Hump Day... as if that's going to make any difference in my day.
Hope all is well with you lot... and why am I acting British? =)
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
Oftentimes I think about how much I want a changed life, and how little I actually try to make any effort to really change anything that makes me unhappy. So either I feel shackled to everything that binds me and weighs me down, or I actually enjoy Hell...
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