April 22, 2006

Hi Everyone,

As we write this, I am celebrating my birthday. I tell you this not because I want your well wishes or condolences, but merely to bookmark some exciting events that have me smiling.

First off, it is truly a beautiful summer morning in this part of the world. Breakfast was al fresco on the patio. While I sipped my coffee and contemplated the Book Review section in our local paper, my partner handed me a book, “MY LIFE IN FRANCE” by JuliaChild. (Please see my link to Amazon. Com in the my favourites section.)

Any one who knows me understands I am a sucker, hook, line and sinker for this kind of book. This promises inspired and joyful reading. The introductions just about have me in tears (happy ones).

For my birthday, I also received a wonderful new gadget, a Sony digital recorder to keep a record of my thoughts as I work through the day. My daily commute of 1 hour and a half, is often the source (source, isn’t that a wonderful word?) of ideas, lines of poetry, or fragments for articles. Unfortunately keeping track of those thoughts has been impossible until now.

Lots of other good things are happening here in these pages. Our Website statistics continue to climb as more and more people learn about the site. We have more and more ideas about what we can do to make the sight more interesting.

One of our ideas is to share with readers their own experience of a beautiful summer morning, from all over the globe. Every place is different, every experience hued with a different insight, the type of light, an exotic scent. The global reach of the Internet allows us to share, like we have never shared before. In sharing, comes learning, with learning comes understanding, and with understanding comes peace, tolerance, and goodwill; a summer dream come true. More about this in later posts.

I also get to inflict a poem upon you. A birthday has its good points.

The poem is dedicated to all my good friends who are part of this journey we call life, and to the readers who stop by here on occasion and too my team of Success Builders. It is a joy to share with all of you.

Hey Pretty One

Hey, pretty flower,

Catch the sunshine in your yellow cup,

Sway in the warming breeze of May,

Intoxicate me with your scent

So, I might lie on the sweet green grass

In dreamy solitude,

Until the sunny day is spent.

Hey little Robin,

Catch the sunshine on your wide spread wings,

Drift on a rising column of spring air,

Make me drunk with your sight,

So, I might gaze upon the clear blue sky,

In dreamy wonder,

Until I meet on rushing night.

Hey little tree,

Catch the sunshine in your canopy of gold-green leaves,

Whisper with the wind’s warm breath,

Till I am inebriated with your song,

So, I might dance in your sun-speckled shade,

In dreamy ecstasy,

Until your shadows grow dark and long.

Hey, pretty one,

Catch the sunshine on the iris off your lavender-coloured eyes,

Talk to me of summer dreams,

And ply me with the wine of friendship

So, I might reel across the starry summer sky

In dreamy awe,

Until dawn breaks again over horizon’s lip,

Once again.

Nicholas Grimshawe