Tag Archives: Florida

Through a Child’s Eyes

Through A Child’s Eyes

This season is most beautiful:
Crackling fireplace, logs for the Yule,
Shining stars glow in black silk skies,
Seeing Christmas through a child’s eyes.

Sugar cookies to bake and eat,
Leaving Santa milk and a treat.
Sparkling lights, angels on high,
Seeing Christmas through a child’s eyes.

Joy’s an arrow straight to the heart
When the day has come to depart.
Hugs and kisses, try not to cry
Seeing Christmas through a child’s eyes.

This season is most beautiful,
Seeing Christmas through a child’s eyes.

Colleen Keller Breuning @ 2023
December 26, 2023

Season’s Greetings, and Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. The spirit certainly moved me this holiday season! This poem was inspired by the magic of seeing Christmas through a small child’s eyes. It has been so long since we have experienced the wonder and joy of it, and we were able to relive the magic this Christmas through our grandchildren Posie and Hatcher. The excitement on Christmas Eve, leaving the cookies and milk for Santa, and a few crispy cookies and carrots for the reindeer was so touching! Poor Posie got hit Christmas morning with a stomach bug, and she was mostly lying on the couch, poor little thing. At times she would rally to open some presents, but you could tell she was not feeling well. She loved the American Girl Bitty Baby that we got her, and Hatcher sure loved his fire truck, cars and monster trucks!

We got to celebrate so many things and make special memories on this leg of the trip: Posie’s first mani/pedicure (which she loved), walking through two amazing Christmas light displays, lunch at Alice’s on the Bay, decorating/banking Christmas cookies, Christmas Eve services, and playing with their new toys. I will never forget how magical it was, and I will cherish each memory.

After five days, it was time to say a tearful goodbye to Katie and both kids (the hardest part for this Nanny Bee). We left Panama City the day after Christmas and drove over 8 hours to Vince and Natalie’s house in Palm City, which is the complete opposite direction to the southeast. Unfortunately, our arrival was further delayed as we got caught in the middle of a Florida turnpike shutdown and sat in traffic for over one hour due to a vehicle that caught fire. But once we got there, we had a few very relaxing days with them, mostly just catching up on life, getting take-out for dinner, working out and watching Sopranos reruns. It was fun in a very different way!

Tonight we are finally back home after a grueling two-day drive from Florida (compared to our very smooth drive down). Friday it seemed that EVERYONE was on the road to somewhere! When I took the wheel for my 3-hour shift on I-95 North, it was basically stop and go the whole way through Georgia and into South Carolina. We had toyed with the idea of driving straight through, but watched the GPS ETA go from 10:45 pm to 2:00 am with very bleary eyes and tired bodies. So we stayed the night in Wilson, North Carolina, got up early and had very smooth travel today. All in all, it was a wonderful trip, but we are glad to be home after 12 days on the road. We both missed the cats, Rudy and Bobby were both so ecstatic that we returned. There’s something to be said about the comforts of home, and right now, my heart is full and content. I am looking forward to a peaceful New Year’s Eve and a joyful, calm 2024. Happy New Year – I wish you all the same!

Xoxo,
Colleen

Mood: Joyful
Inspiration: “Christmas Through Your Eyes” by Gloria Estefan

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 26.15 – Let the Spirit Move You
Hard Bonus: Include a favorite holiday memory
Easy Bonus: Incorporate shining stars

Love At First Sight

Love At First Sight

I believe in love at first sight
Warmed up by the golden sun rays
Chocolate eyes and a smile so bright
I will never forget those days.

Warmed up by the golden sunrays
We flew high in cornflower skies
I will never forget those days
Watching white fluffy clouds drift by.

We flew high in cornflower skies
Listening to the blue jay’s call
Watching white fluffy clouds drift by
As the raindrops begin to fall.

Listening to the blue jay’s call
Sweet bedtime stories, counting sheep
As the raindrops begin to fall
Tuck you in ‘til you’re fast asleep.

Sweet bedtime stories, counting sheep
Chocolate eyes and a smile so bright
Tuck you in ‘til you’re fast asleep
I believe in love at first sight.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2023
July 1, 2023

I have been a little MIA lately! My apologies for not responding to all my wonderful birthday messages and being off the grid for a much-needed vacation. We were in Florida last week visiting Katie, Brenton, Posie and Hatcher. It was Hatcher’s 2nd birthday, and we decided to fly down for the celebration. It was a wonderful time, but the trip got off to a rocky start. Dan’s luggage didn’t make the final flight to ECP, it was stuck in Atlanta and scheduled to arrive that night. He and Brenton headed back to the airport after dinner, but there were storms and lightning strikes, so they had to wait nearly 2 hours before the luggage was unloaded. They didn’t get home until around 11 pm!

The next day was Hatcher’s birthday. Unfortunately, Brenton had been up sick all night, doubled over with severe pain on his right side. Thankfully, he asked Katie to take him to the ER first thing, knowing that something was wrong. After a CAT scan, the hospital staff confirmed it was acute appendicitis, and he needed it removed immediately! So he headed into surgery, which was a success, and he was back home recovering within 12 hours. While they were at the hospital, Dan and I played with the kids in the pool and took them out for ice cream, but Posie kept asking where Mommy and Daddy were. We kept it vague, that Daddy wasn’t feeling well and was at the doctor. She’s so smart, though, she said why is it taking so long? We didn’t want to scare her by telling her about surgery. But of course, she was all curious and attentive later that night when Brenton was showing her his scars and telling her about his experience. She was quite interested – I got Posie a play doctor kit and she loves to doctor Mommy all the time. So cute, except when she gives Mommy a massage by hammering on her knees LOL!!!

It was a great trip, always a wonderful time with the kids. We had a belated birthday dinner at a new restaurant by St. Andrews Bay, where they surprised me with a strawberry cheesecake slice with flowers! We enjoyed watching a beautiful sunset and taking pictures by the water. The last night, Katie had arranged for beach photo session with the kids as a birthday gift at St. Andrews State Park. What was such an amazing and thoughtful gift! The pictures here are a few of the many beautiful photos, thanks and copyright to Hunter Morris of Creation Photography in Panama City Beach.

It’s always so difficult leaving, lots of tears, and my heart was heavy. I tried to distract myself on the plane ride back by doing sudoku and scribbling a few lines but couldn’t put anything together until today (Saturday July 1). It’s getting late so I’ll have to post this on Sunday. I need to get back on track with my writing, but work has been a little crazy at times and to be honest, I’ve just been enjoying the summer and relaxing.  Have a great weekend and Happy July 4th, all!

XOXO Colleen

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 52.14 – Counting Sheep
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a movie line or quote from Kenau Reeves (“I believe in love at first sight”)
Easy Bonus: Mention sudoku

Washed Away

Washed Away

There is no calm
after the storm.
Waters recede,
the sun shines warm.

Foreboding clouds
have left the sky.
There are no tears
left here to cry.

All that we knew
was washed away.
Our rainbow hues
muddled to gray.

A sense of doom
at damage done.
Picking up pieces
we carry on…

Yes, we are alive
and we shall survive…

We shall survive.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2022
October 1, 2022

It has truly been a week of introspection and tears. First and foremost, we watched the horrors of Hurricane Ian’s devastation, saddened for all of those affected by this monstrous hurricane. Seeing the images of the flood waters and winds destroying the beautiful southwest coastal towns of Florida was like a dagger to the heart. I cried at seeing the destruction of some of our favorite vacation places: Naples, Ft. Myers, Sanibel, Captiva Island… so many amazing memories made there! My heart is broken, as some lost everything, including their lives.

We are just so incredibly sad to see this happening. It will take many, many years (if ever) to rebuild. But I know how strong and determined Floridians are, having lived there for 24 years. Neighbors help neighbors during tough times! Still, it pains us to see these wonderful people suffering through these hurricanes. It was one of the main reasons we left, as it is a very stressful and exhausting experience to prepare for, weather and recover from a very destructive hurricane. I send prayers to all affected by this horrendous natural disaster, may you find strength to endure and may you recover power, your homes and be safe!

On a personal note, it was a very difficult week for me. Our well pump decided to break last weekend, at the most inopportune time…. right before my gall bladder surgery! That meant… no running water!! Our kind neighbors offered their shower to us for several days, which was a godsend. (Thank you for your kindness, Nikki and Jason!) The morning of the surgery, Dan dropped me off at the hospital and returned to the house to meet the well company. Our well is 1,000 feet deep, and they had to bring a huge crane into our septic fields without harming it. It took all day to pull up the destroyed pump and replace it. Then the next day the company came back to fix our filtration system, which also wasn’t functioning properly.

I am grateful the surgery went smoothly, and I am so thrilled to have running water again (with good pressure)! I am still recovering and trying to figure out what I can and cannot eat, which has not been fun…because I love to eat!  Also I don’t like being physically restricted, and can’t wait to get back to my running and exercise regimen. I’ve been a little out of sorts this weekend as a result of everything. But feeling sorry for myself doesn’t cut it when there are other people suffering greatly in the world. So I’m writing to SNAP myself out of it. Sending good thoughts and prayers to everyone who needs it!

xoxo
Colleen

Inspiration: Enya
Mood: Sad

Beyond the Spanish Moss

Beyond the Spanish Moss

Scrub pines and banyans beckon
bedecked with Spanish moss
lazy cumulus clouds drift free
across the periwinkle horizon.

Fiery sun rises opposite the moon
its early morning heat blazing
as the dragonfly silently hovers
alighting on dew drenched lily pad.

The blue heron turns, unblinking
lifts long delicate wings in flight
gliding gracefully across the bay
and the seagulls are calling, calling.

The wind is shifting as waves crash
and there’s a white mist blinding me
tears trickle, my world shifts and tilts
I feel my heart being pulled homeward.

Shall I cling to you like Spanish moss,
move in tandem with balmy breeze?
Might my lips burn like the August sun,
and make the heat rise within you?

Soon our arms entwine and lift in flight
as we soar across the azure sea
sailing far beyond Spanish moss
ascending past the stars into eternity.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2021
July 11, 2021

Tangerine

Tangerine

Sitting at a stoplight
as I look the other way
mosquito on the dashboard
measuring a summer’s day.

Familiar song on the radio
takes me back to the fray
a memory churns slowly
I find it slips away to grey.

One split second hesitation
speeding car, runaway train
thinking of what might have been
the hours they bring me pain.

Blaring horns, obscenities
mouth opens in silent scream
trembling limbs, aftershocks
living reflection from a dream.

Tears fall in gratitude
a near miss, my heart careens
blood pumps furiously in veins
now a thousand years in between.

We pick ourselves up and carry on
breathing deep, minds serene
counting blessings of each day
as the sun sets in blazing tangerine.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2021
July 5, 2021

We had a very close call one day last week while driving to Publix in Panama City, Florida.  As we sat first in line at a stoplight, a speeding SUV blatantly hit the gas and ran through a red light. If it were not for my son-in-law’s intuitive split-second hesitation as the light turned green, that SUV would have certainly slammed us broadside and caused a horrendous accident. The thought of that completely shook me afterward, especially since Posie was in the backseat with my husband.

Certain things stick in your mind as you count and re-count happenings and blessings of the day. Now I will probably always think of this moment when Tangerine plays.  But I am grateful that God was watching over us and for some reason, caused Brenton to hesitate at the light. Thank you…. this was one of those reminders that life is truly precious. Please people, be careful and diligent when driving out there. Slow down, and for God’s sake, do not run red lights!!!!!!!!!

One of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs….