Reconnect, Reset, Renew

By Patty L. Fletcher

Saturn’s Day January 4, 2025

Wordcount excluding sponsoring member information: 1590.

*Note*

Yes, readers, I went 90 words over.

Sometimes, rules are made to be bent.

We’ll discuss this in our upcoming “Content Promoting Classes coming soon to Patty’s Worlds.

For now, here’s our tale.

Good morning, everyone.

I hope you’re doing well.

Here, the coffee is hot. The weather is not, but I understand the sun will shine today.

Earlier this morning, I was chatting via email with someone with whom I’ve been friends and at times business partners.

In doing so, I discovered how very stuck in my head I’ve been.

She asked me about my apartment and when I begin describing it to her, I realized what an ingrate I’ve been.

Here I have all these lovely blessings, and I’m here buried in my bed puling and moaning about things I can if I put my mind to it set right.

I used to watch this TV show called Our House. The grandpa said one day, “Sometimes, you must hit the mule in the head to get its attention.”

That’s exactly what happened here.

I’ve edited a bit because much of our conversation was private but it’s great to be thinking this way.

My friend and I are reconnecting. We’ve realized it’s time to bury the hatchet and not into each other.

So, here’s what I sent out to her which made me realize just where I am and what I need to be doing.

Thanks for putting up with me.

I love all y’all.

Hi, Friend.

My apartment is lovely.

I have good friends here, and the living room of my new apartment is as big as my entire apartment was in Kingsport.

I’ve a gally kitchen which I love, and my bedroom is amazing.

The bathroom is smaller than my other was but the tub rocks and they’ve good grab bars and a pull cord in case I get hurt or something.

We play bingo twice a month and when I went to the first game someone played my cards.

The next time I went they surprised me with braille ones.

The staff is so helpful.

I can get help any time I need it, but they do not interfere.

They allowed me to hold a presentation about me and Blue when I came into the community here and I handed out magazines and brochures from The Seeing Eye®

I’ve joined a book club at the library and all 15 or 16 of us, depending on who is there, go out to lunch each week.

I’ve a neighbor who goes there so we go together but this summer it will make a nice walk.

I was gifted a pair of Metta Smart glasses for Christmas, and I am taking pictures of everything.

I did some with my phone before I got the glasses and here is something I wrote.

I Love the City

By Patty L. Fletcher

Saturn’s Day October 12, 2024

Moon Phase Waxing Gibbous

Long ago, and far away,

I lived on the corner of a busy street, in an active neighborhood.

With King Campbell Lee A.K.A. Bubba by my side.

Then, we moved.

Campbell and I lived in a house in the middle of a block. Still in a busy neighborhood and just a few minutes’ walk,

from lots of things.

Shortly after,

King Campbell died.

After a while,

Chief Seeing Eye® Dog Blue,

came to be my guide.

Then, we moved, to that Terrible Terrace, and my spirit nearly died.

We lived in a little shoebox shaped apartment.

One, large, room,

a bathroom, and a tiny corner for a bedroom.

For three years we lived this way.

As we were living there, so too were gone our sounds of the city,

the activity of the neighborhood,

walkers,

drivers,

workers,

everyone knowing everyone,

community.

But

Blue insisted,

we maintain.

walking,

laps,

every,

bloody,

day!

Now, here Blue and I are in a lovely apartment.

On the seventh floor, in a corner unit just as I manifested.

There are sounds of music,

there are sounds of joy!

There are sounds of progress,

there’s a lot of noise.

In the morning,

geese take flight,

honking,

while around the corner,

alley cat’s fight.

Hiss’s’s’s’s’s’s MEOW!

Blue raises his head as he walks to the corner for that morning necessary,

in his throat forms a growl

pfui! I say,

not, one, word.

Guide dogs of your stature should be seen in harness,

not heard.

I love the city.

Around every corner,

nature lurks.

I love the city,

all it’s quirks.

I love the city.

I cannot wait to learn this one,

see how it works.

Look! Out! Bristol.

Here, we come!

Slowly, but surely, we’re gonna learn,

gonna getter done.

For now,

we’re tired,

today, was a lot of fun.

Yes, finally,

my stupid badly written poem is done.

The image shows a view through a window with a mesh screen. Outside the window, there is a landscape featuring a mix of trees and buildings. The trees are in the foreground, with some of them partially obscuring the buildings. The buildings are spread out across the middle ground, with various rooftops visible. In the background, there is a line of trees and possibly hills or mountains in the distance. The sky is clear and blue. The window frame is visible on the left and right edges of the image.

This description is provided by the Seeing AI App.

https://apps.apple.com › app › seeing-ai.

I got the following poem and photos published in The Avocet Weekly Nature Poetry Magazine, and Charles is hard to please, so I was quite happy.

I live across from a park, there is a bakery less than a mile from my house and a brewery bar owned by the Waltrip boys from Nass Car. Of course, the speedway is only a couple of miles from my house.

So, yeah things are much better. It’s why I did not end up in the hospital.

Now my poems.

Poor Little Duckies

Poor little duckies,

frightened by the train.

Train cars banging,

clang,

bang,

clang.

Poor little duckies,

quack furiously away.

will they come back another day?

This is a question,

the answer to which, remains to be seen.

But one thing’s certain as can be,

they’ll never return,

if we don’t keep mother earth clean.

Patty L. Fletcher, Bristol Virginia, Patty.volunteer1@gmail.com

Festival in the Park

Geese fly away ahead of the crowd.

They know,

it’s about to get loud.

Happy people gather,

preparing for a show,

when a little girl aske, “Momma where did all the duckies and geeses go?”

“The geese and duckies, don’t like all the noise, so they go somewhere else for the day.”

Little girl smiles,

“Then we must keep things picked up off the ground, and not throw nasty stuff all around.”

“Yes dear,

now run along and play,

your right child, we must be careful,

your warning, people must heed. For we’re losing more of Mother Earth and all she’s to offer, with frightening speed.”

Patty L. Fletcher, Bristol Virginia, patty.volunteer1@gmail.com

Hello, Avocet readers.

I hope you’ll allow me the liberty to give a backstory.

I first began to desire photos in my poetry after seeing so many beautiful ones in issues of The Avocet.

Nature and the city are coming together at an alarming rate.

I took this photo standing in the window of my new seventh-floor apartment with the assistance of the Seeing AI app on my iPhone.

Today, November 9, my birthday, I was sipping a cup of coffee, and playing with my Seeing Eye® Guide Dog Blue when I heard a train rumbling loudly hell bent in their direction then suddenly, there was a flurry of wings, a splashing of water, loud quacking then they were gone.

This is the first time I’ve shared photos I took in this way. They’re not great, but I wanted to share.

I’m a totally blind author and poet who is learning to take photos.”

Description for those who are visually impaired or blind.

A view of a city from a window, Bristol, VA, October 12

The image shows a view through a window screen. In the foreground, there is a river running horizontally across the image, with trees lining its banks. Below the river, there is a parking lot with several tents set up, some of which are white, blue, and purple. In the background, there are more trees and a bridge crossing over the river. The horizon is visible in the distance, with a clear sky.

The following was taken shortly after I moved in.

The image shows a view through a window with a mesh screen. Outside the window, there is a landscape featuring a mix of trees and buildings. The trees are in the foreground, with some of them partially obscuring the buildings. The buildings are spread out across the middle ground, with various rooftops visible. In the background, there is a line of trees and possibly hills or mountains in the distance. The sky is clear and blue. The window frame is visible on the left and right edges of the image.

This description is provided by the Seeing AI App.

https://apps.apple.com › app › seeing-ai

Thank you for reading my work.

Patty L. Fletcher, Bristol Virginia, patty.volunteer1@gmail.com

*Note*

I took the photo myself.

I’m a totally blind iPhone user, who is pleased and privileged to have the assistance of AI to make it possible.

Someday I want some Ray Ban Meta Smart Glasses.

For now, this is the end of my tale.

Writing this letter to you has made me realize how stuck in my head I’ve been again. I’ve been working with a wonderful lady who is an amazing mindfulness coach.

Here’s my testimony on her.

SPONSORING MEMBER:

Creative Journey – Creative Guidance – Musings on Working with Kaila and What It Means to Me and What It Could Mean to You

Over the past months I’ve attended the call shown here.

I’ve found it and the book we’re reading to be most helpful during what are and will continue to be some dark times.

I cannot control certain things, and I must learn to deal with that.

I also must learn to control the symptoms of what being triggered by all the negativity surrounding me and others on a daily basis causes.

Sometimes when I’m feeling stressed or uncertain I become teary.

Worse, I develop this hideous way of talking about anything and everything irrelevant to the conversation.

I sometimes miss social cues.

At night my mind becomes a trap for loop thinking. I’m determined to learn to deal with these things in an efficient and immediate manner.

I recommend Kaila and all she has to offer.

📢 Join Our Creative Journey Zoom Call!

When: Wednesdays at 2 PM Eastern Topic: 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do

📖 We’re diving into Amy Morin’s powerful book and exploring all it has to offer.

💡 Ready to take back your power and train your brain for happiness and success?

📧 Send an email to community@acb.org to get the Zoom link!

Make certain to include,

• Your name,
• The email you wish it sent to,
• And your request for Call-In Information.

#MentalStrength #CreativeJourney #Empowerment #BookClub