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pennies and feathers

April 2, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

Pennies
from Heaven speak
to my heart.  A feather
floats from the sky just when I need
a sign.

talya

Pennies from Heaven, Billie Holiday

This post was written especially for The Writers’ Post Blog Hop #74 – Feathers…

A is for Adventure

April 1, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

I fancy myself like Alice in a world jam-packed with comical creatures and inspired imagery. When I feel plucky enough to follow the zany white rabbit, he steers me to places of adventure.

Seeing through my heart and soul, the ordinary becomes curiouser and curiouser.

Some days the door I face is invisible or difficult or impossible to open without first solving riddles and changing my perspective. Other days are filled with uncommon nonsense, a path illogically pointing in both directions leading to chaos and madness. Some days are simple and uncomplicated magical tea party days.
Rabbit holes surround me. Each day is a wonderland.
talya
“it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” 
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
All in the Golden Afternoon, Alice in Wonderland
I am participating in A to Z April Blog Challenge. Stop by and check out my fellow bloggers’ posts…

Letter to my Younger Self

March 23, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

Dear younger self,

Hey there. I know you never imagined being half a century old, but it happened. And it happened rather quickly.  Looking back, I offer this bit of advise to you, my younger self…

Why do you worry? You are a kid. Stop taking things so seriously. Stop being afraid of life.

Write in a daily journal. Record everything, record nothing. Random thoughts, crazy feelings, far away dreams, pie-in-the-sky goals, embarrassing failures, family traditions… You’ll thank me later when you decide to write a book.

Keep reading. The answer to life’s questions can always be found between the pages of a good book.

You have wit and insight. Trust yourself and don’t worry about what other people think or say or do. You are in charge of you.

Listen to yourself and hear what you have to say. It’s okay to put yourself first on occasion. Making your own needs and aspirations a priority will allow you to better care for others.

Challenge yourself. The road less traveled is scenic and quiet and provides more time to think.

Take more accounting classes. Debits and credits will be useful.

You.Are.Not.Fat. Not by a long shot. Why do you count calories?

That luscious, good-enough-to-slurp coconut oil may smell heavenly, but it is ruining your skin. You will never be tan like your best friends Becky and Norma, so stop wasting your time. The things that make you different and unique make you special.

Get to know your Daddy. He isn’t what he seems, and you won’t have him very long.

Learn to make Aunt Virgie’s pie crust. If you don’t, by age fifty your pie crusts will still be hit and miss…

You will meet many people throughout your life, but take a look at these childhood classmates, the smelly boys, the giggly girls. These friends you have now will be life-long friends. This is rare.

Someday you will regret that groovy spiral perm. But go ahead and get it. Looking back and laughing at yourself is a good thing. Looking back and laughing at that horrible perm will make age fifty more tolerable.

And one final thing…buy Wal-Mart stock. Trust me on this.

Your older self,
talya
Grace Grits and Gardening


p.s. I will check back with you in a few years to make sure you finished that book…

Musical Pairing:

Time of Your Life, Green Day

written at Hemingway-Pfeiffer Educational Center, Piggott, Arkansas

Hemingway-Pfeiffer

 

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Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (2022)

THE THIRD ACT OF THEO GRUENE (coming 2025)

Recent Ramblings:

  • Sunday Letter: February 22, 2026
  • Our Garden Mission Statement
  • Goodbye, 2025. Hello, 2026.
  • Sunday Letter: 11.23.25
  • Maggie and Miss Ladybug: My New Children’s Nature Book

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