Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Marie Monroe
One of my greatest pleasures has always been to sit high in the trees and watch the world. Even in my adulthood I’ve managed this. I’ve long since left the climbs and shimmies behind, but now I have a porch that serves the same purpose. Even in the coldest times of the year I’m out on the 3rd floor porch as much as possible.
My porch and I live deep in a high density, very urban neighborhood that has activity at every hour: pedestrians, neighbors, music floating from here and there and there … even wildlife. I’ve had close encounters and long-term relationships with the likes of possums, raccoons, birds and squirrels on my porch.
Although I’ve lived in the city for many years, a good portion of my childhood was spent in the woods and creeks of Kentucky. I took a pretty rough and tumble approach to getting to know the land and its creatures …
I could run across wet stones without losing my footing …
I could climb up the side of a cliff instead of hiking the path …
I could dangle upside down from a tree branch like a trapeze artist … Read More »
Article and Photograph by Make The Days Count Contributor Marie Monroe
I’m a photographer. So I spend a lot of time looking at my hometown with an eye for photos. I like to drive, or have my friend drive, while I look around with a ‘fresh eye’ at my usual surroundings.
Sometimes I venture into a neighborhood that’s off my beaten path just to see what I might see and capture. I’ve learned a great deal about my town this way as well as any other place I visit when traveling. While I look mostly for the scenery and its objects, I also learn about the people in these places from seeing their surroundings and what they’ve placed there.
On a very windy and cold day this winter I was driving in an older, more rundown section of town looking for photos. I’ve always been attracted to the patina of older buildings and objects and found myself in an urban area where industrial and residential properties sit side by side. Read More »
Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Marie Monroe
I read somewhere about the 50 or so names an arctic indigenous people have for various types of snow. Being a fan of weather (that’s a long story … I can watch the weather channel for hours. I think it all started in Ms. Pitcock’s 3rd grade science class in, say, 1964? Anyway …)
Back to precipitation. So, I’ve carried that fascination for decades now. 50 names for snow? 50 types of snow?
I took this in as fact. I decided instantly that, of course, there are that many types of snow and if I only knew them … it’s still on the “Things-To-Do-Before-I-Die” List – or Bucket List - to learn them.
However, way down here in the lower 48 (apparently Hawaii doesn’t count; it’s too far West and not contiguous), I’ve translated the concept in my own way into my own favorite form of precipitation - Rain.
Rain and I have been friends for a long time. I like songs about rain. I like movies that have rainy scenes. Oh, and I like to talk about it. And yes, write about rain. I’ve even done art about rain. Read More »
Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Stefanie Johnson
Sometimes it’s the little things that humble you, that make you realize what life is really all about. Things may seem hopeless and impossible sometimes, desperate and terrible - but if you look around with an open mind and an open heart, you will see the truth that lies beneath.
My dog, Sophie, is a 7-year-old beagle basset hound mix. She’s sweet, stubborn, and silly. She loves to eat tangerines and sweet potatoes and jellybeans. But none of these things are what makes her so unique. What makes her unique is the fact that she is completely blind. Her eyes were removed around 2 years ago, and yet she has a normal life and seems completely happy. Read More »
Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Chris Bennett
Somewhere between Indianapolis and St. Louis on a chilly autumn day a few years back, I received a gift for my family that would unknowingly change all of our lives for the better. This gift came in the form of a little fur ball that could barely see past the top of the grass. She was shivering so bad she could barely bark. It was more like chirp, almost like a chipmunk. Her eyes made it clear though, she wanted to live. Who was I to say no? Read More »
