A Winner in My Book

Today I am grateful for good music coming through good headphones and for smooth coffee.

I am also grateful that I could watch our niece Ellie run at the Iowa girls' state track meet yesterday. She ran the 100 meter dash in her state debut as a freshman and did a great job! I would have preferred to be there in person, but watching it streamed live online was more than I thought I would see. Good luck to you and your teammates today in your relay Ellie!

You are all winners in my book. 

So is my sister Aileen. She entered the same poetry contest I did. I thought she had a good shot. She's such a good poet! But alas, she wasn't a winner either. Her poem deserves to be published though and it is my pleasure to publish it here:

In Praise of Summer Fruit

Each raspberry

is its own

little world

of flavor,

red continents

clinging to

a core,

edible geography.

Every strawberry

has its own

landscape

of ridges

and valleys,

fruit geology.

Tiny rubies

sparkle

on the currant bushes

as I mine

their depths,

scarlet lapidary.

This independent judge gives you a top prize Aileen. (Don't hold your breath for prize money though.)

Thank you Aileen and thank you nature! Suit up and show up for life today. Pay attention. You will
win some gratitude and peace.