Tiffany Painter

Reflection Then Resolution
It’s that time of year again. Everyone is busy making their New Year’s resolutions. Promising to eat better, work out more, find a work-life balance, spend less time on social media. Ever notice how resolutions tend to be about changing yourself? A new calendar means there needs to be a better, brand new you. The idea of new beginnings is a a chance for a do-over. That sounds like the makings of a Hallmark movie, or maybe I watched too many of them this last month. But before we start reinventing ourselves, let’s stop and notice who we are at the end of this year. We will never be perfect. It’s time to put away the notion that a new year equates to a new person. Maybe, just maybe, the person we are today is worth keeping. Why do we always want to throw out all the hard work we’ve already put in and start over? Instead of looking forward, take time to look back. Pat yourself on the back for all the times you did reach for your goals. Enjoy where you are right now. Life is messy and the picture is not going to be without smudges. After you realize you aren’t half bad after all, go into the new year with some revisions in mind for that first draft. You don’t have to throw it in the trash and start over.
12/24

not a star in sight
just the lovely moon up high
pulling us along
12/26

after holiday
will share the couch for a nap
even with the cat
12/27

when the sun is up
but the bed is calling out
must follow your heart
12/28

stronger than nature
protected from windy days
staying put till spring
12/29

looking for treasure
difficult task when lacking
opposable thumbs
12/30

end is approaching
time to reflect on changes
relish all the growth
December 30, 2023

change, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, poetry, resolutions, scbwi, Walks with Zephyr, wondering
Christmas Eve Eve
All of the work put in over the past few weeks is about to come together. If you celebrate Christmas, the big day is just about here. Really, for many, the celebrations start Christmas Eve, tomorrow. That makes today the last day. The last day to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of the season. I hate to say the calm before the storm because I don’t want to compare Christmas to a storm, but when the wrapping paper starts being thrown and the kitchen is in full use, it can feel like a storm blowing through the house. There is a lot of bustling and hustling and not much time for just sitting and enjoying the season. Christmas Eve Eve is the perfect day for that. If you are still running around trying to finalize everything, I challenge you to aim for completion by December 22nd next year so you can enjoy the splendor of Christmas Eve Eve. It is a peace well earned. This year, I hope a few lighthearted words can give you some peace before you jump back in to your to-do list. To my Jewish friends who enjoyed their celebrations already, thank you for putting up with the long lines at the stores and post office. I hope you enjoy your quiet Monday.
12/17

challenge of winter
flowing around the frozen
white water landscape
12/18

picnic by the trail
you can have the shady side
I’ll sit in the sun
12/19

when moon and porch light
are more than enough to play
just waiting for you
12/21

before the paper
before the internet news
the world is calm
12/22

late to the party
warm weather confuses the geese
they are flying west
12/23

pieces of puzzle
sky picture breaking up or
joining together
December 23, 2023

haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, scbwi, Walks with Zephyr, Winter Park, wondering
Baking All Around
What a week. I think I might be over baked at this point. I started the week completing my holiday cookie baking for the gift tins for family and friends. The following day my daughter came over to start her cookie baking. She spent a couple of days using my kitchen to create her cookie tins for her friends. The house smelled of freshly baked sweets all week. It was nice having her around and watching her carry on our family traditions. She has made it her own with different recipes, but still likes to bake in the kitchen at home. All the tins for both of us were made and moved on from my kitchen last night, except for one. My son needs to pick his up now that he is done with school for the semester. That’s the great thing about holiday cookies, they bring everyone home again. Maybe I’ll start making tins for all the seasons to call my family back home more often.
12/10

it’s that time of year
gather the ingredients
preheat the oven
12/11

oh, all the baking
flour sprinkled across the floor
sun will clean it up
12/13

so much stuff to do
leaves one dog tired each day
stretched out on the couch
12/14

empty plate of treats
only powdered sugar left
no birds will visit
12/15

separating egg
only the yolk is needed
to light up the day
12/16

snow is glistening
frosty sugar crystals found
winter wonderland
December 16, 2023

baking, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, poetry, scbwi, Walks with Zephyr, wondering
So Many Lists
We all know how Santa has a list of kids who are naughty and nice and he checks it twice. I don’t want to one-up the jolly fella, but I have so many lists right now, and some I check twice an hour. In addition to the ever growing to-do list, now I have the gift lists, the card list, the food list, the event list, and the things I’m thankful for list. Okay, confession time, the thankful list is only in my head because I ran out of paper to make a new list. It’s more of an ongoing list that I add to as I rush around all day. There are big items like health, family, friends, and my beloved pets. But I add the little things that make me happy for even just a moment in time. These things may not have a big impact on the course of my life, but in that moment bring me great joy. I think it’s not only okay to be thankful for insignificant things, but essential to be happy on busy, cold winter days. Things that I added to my list this past week: Starbucks was out of blueberry scones so I had to try their holiday cranberry bliss bar (yum), the grocery store still had the ingredients I needed for cookie baking and I didn’t have to make a second stop, my cousin had all the addresses I needed to complete my cards and I didn’t have to wait to track them down elsewhere, my friend’s baby gave me the up signal so I could pick him up and snuggle with him, and a little bit of snow fell last night to change the color of my surroundings (but not so much I needed to shovel). I know these are trivial things, but I am thankful when little things go my way to help me when I am juggling so many lists.
12/3

another day gone
sinking into the past, but
not before the show
12/4

sign directs the way
could make life easier, but
would you follow it?
12/5

lap got up and went
blanket and pillow still here
can make it work
12/7

sun sets for the day
season lights illuninate
shine through the darkness
12/8

too early for white
too late for long days of green
stuck in brown middle
12/9

unexpected gift
moisture hanging in the air
December rainbow
December 9, 2023

haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, joyful, poetry, scbwi, thankful, Walks with Zephyr, wondering
Migration Mindset
There is a week or so every fall when the geese stop over at the lake where I walk. It seems to be their Motel 6 as they make their air trip to the south. The cacophony of bird calls disrupts my normally quiet time of waking up. Just when I am starting to get used to the sound, a morning of complete silence will be just as jarring. The birds will continue their migration to warmer parts, and I won’t see them in large groups again until spring when they make their return trip. This past week I witnessed this traveling of hundreds of geese, sometimes it felt like thousands, as they sought a warm winter home. It made me wonder about migrations in general. By definition, migration is movement from one part to another. Animals such as birds, butterflies, spiders, and, in a way, snakes all make grand moves yearly. Throughout history we have seen large groups of people migrate to new areas. But I think we can look at migration in a different way as well. Sometimes it feels like I am staying in one place, but my environment completely changes. It was just a few months ago that my morning walks were done in shorts and t-shirts under the blazing summer sun. Now the same walk is undertaken with heavy coats and warm gloves and hats with a sun still trying to climb up in the sky. When my world changes I am forced to change how I can best fit in it, how I think about it. My mind has to migrate and seek joy in other ways. This month I get to enjoy all the holiday lights around, next month it might be playing in the snow with my dog, who loves it, and when the cold and darkness are really pushing down on me, I will migrate to the warmer climate of relatives for a quick reprieve. But it is clear to me, the simple act of living is just one migration mindset after another.
11/26

whether saying hi
or goodbye, sun knows how to
leave us wanting more
11/28

sound of geese flying
coming to disturb to peace
unwanted houseguests
11/29

only asked a few
but word spread from flock to flock
need to get more food
11/30

bloom frozen in place
petrified by winter’s wind
token of summer
12/1

waited patiently
for the perfect lap to stretch
cozy contentment
12/2

sitting on this bench
watching my thoughts travel far
migration mindset
December 2, 2023

birds, change, fall, haiku, haiku Saturday, migration, poetry, Walks with Zephyr, wondering
And so it Begins
The week of Thanksgiving always signals the start of the holiday season for me. It starts at the beginning of the week because a lot of prepping goes into making the actual day happen for everyone. This year I started with some joy by going to see the lights at the Botanical Garden with a friend. We timed it perfectly. We got there early to enjoy a light dinner as we watched it get dark and the magic begin. It wasn’t crowded while we were there, but we noticed more and more people started showing up as we ended our walk through the garden. The weather was perfect for us, but the cold front expected for the next day made its appearance as we walked back to the car. The best part: the holiday lights were beautiful! It was my first, but hopefully not last, time to see the lights there. Another first this year is pushing back the big family dinner to Sunday. When multiple family members are in healthcare now and work on Thanksgiving, you have to be flexible. We are enjoying the family dinner on Sunday. That meant I got to lounge on the couch with a cup of tea and watch the parade. That was something to be thankful for. When all the football games started, I was relaxing with a magazine. (I tend to watch the replays after my husband and son get excited about something.) We feasted on turkey nachos. Finally, the first real snow of the season signals its time to get the tree set up and let the fun begin.
11/19

branches bare of leaves
waiting for cover of snow
under cloudless sky
11/20

new buds for the trees
rainbow of colors delight
brighten evening walk
11/21

in the cold darkness
follow the shimmering light
to hot chocolate
11/22
when night comes early
fireworks can’t climb up high
must shine from below
11/23

give thanks for all things
from what meets your daily needs
to what fills your heart
11/24

clouds deliver change
racing to cover the sun
weather about face
11/25

all alone today
too cold on this snowy day
perfect for my thoughts
November 25, 2023

garden, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, joyful, poetry, thankful, Walks with Zephyr, wondering
Waiting
It’s that time of year where we spend a lot of time just waiting. We wait for the leaves to fall. We wait for the snow to come. We wait for the holidays. We wait for the fresh new year to start. For me, I spent the week doing some extra waiting. I waited for loved ones to feel better. I waited for my pets to come home from the vet. I waited with a shelter dog while he waits for a new home. All this waiting is a perfect time to reflect. It feels like it was just summer and now we are already getting ready for the end of the year. It was a hard year for the world, but personally, I have some good memories. I will continue to always look for the wonder around me that can bring a moment of happiness to me and others. I hope you can reflect on what brought you a smile while you waited for something.
11/12

cool mountain morning
snow covered terrain below
azure sky above
11/13

changing water flow
no problem for the beavers
happy to assist
11/14

moment of silence
only the sound of his tags
clinking as we walk
11/16

clinging to the end
showing perseverance
challenging karma
11/18

muggy air blows in
rolls across the lake and cools
morning fog greets me
November 18, 2023

fall, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, poetry, scbwi, waiting, Walks with Zephyr, Winter Park, wondering
Spreading Joy
I started this blog to share some joy in a world that seems to be lacking good news. Most of the things I write about are things I see when walking my dog in the morning. That is a time when I am most at peace. My dog is living a pretty good life, especially now that I am home more to spoil him. Seeing how happy he is when we are walking or playing made me think of all the dogs who are not living their best lives right now. Dogs in shelters don’t get the attention they need, so I decided to volunteer at a shelter near me. So far I have fed the dogs dinner twice and next week I get trained to walk them. (Everyone laughs that I need training for walking a dog.) Don’t be surprised when some of my new friends show up in my writing to bring joy to you.
11/5

mountain in the sky
lovely autumn day outside
walking in foothills
11/6

redecorated
new flooring for the front yard
white carpet up next
11/7

lazy days of fall
resting in a bed of leaves
keeping ball from Mom
11/8

sunrise and sunset
always enjoy seeing proof
world still spinning
11/9

toes dipped in white paint
saying hi as I walk by
looking for a new home
11/10

dark clouds racing by
pushing away the sunshine
just a quick fly by
11/11

leafless tree stands tall
no shade provided today
only long shadows
November 11, 2023

animal shelters, fall, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, joyful, poetry, scbwi, Walks with Zephyr, wondering
Falling Temperatures
Did anyone notice the temperature this past week? I don’t know if it was just from coming back from beach weather, but last weekend was cold. We had our first snow of the season, right in time for Halloween. Fortunately for all the little people out late looking for candy, it was a short-lived cold front. By the end of the week I was pulling off all those extra layers for walking the dog. I didn’t trust my weather app and would walk around the back yard to make sure it really was warm enough to leave the hat at home. But I know enough to keep it ready for the next drop in temperature, because it is coming.
10/29

two seasons collide
fall leaves clinging to branches
covered with first snow
10/30

table snow waffles
perfectly light and fluffy
waiting for syrup
10/31

so many costumes
Colorado Halloween
includes snow angels
11/1

hiding from the sun
protected by the shadow
lingering snowfield
11/2

cold bath or ice plunge
bit more like ice skating rink
no birds visiting
11/3

frosty metal seats
thankful for summer baseball
and heated seating
11/4

sunrise greets the day
leaving mark across the sky
pulling us along
November 4, 2023

fall, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, joyful, poetry, scbwi, Walks with Zephyr, wondering
Change of Scenery
Change is definitely in the air as fall makes way for winter. This past week I was able to have one last summer fling with the sun and warmth by taking a trip to Florida to visit my dad and stepmom. Anybody who knows me will know I am a warm weather friend and not fond of the bitter cold. The change of scenery was a nice way to say goodby to summer and, literally, fly into winter. I’m not saying I will enjoy the coldness of the next few months, but hopefully my memories of walking on the beach in October will help keep me warm.
10/22

good morning world
unwrapping self to welcome
promise of the day
10/23

today’s currency
buried treasure in the sand
pockets full of shells
10/24

never a straight line
lunar pull changes the walk
rush of cold brought in
10/25

patchwork quilt covers
warms the tree on cool evenings
would protect from pests
10/26

rose periwinkle
name brimming with vivid hues
petals prefer white
10/27

interesting list
Britney and Elon surround
classic no brained
10/28

sand, ocean, and sky
a few favorite colors
to lighten my mood
October 28, 2023

beach, haiga, haiku, poetry, scbwi, Walks with Zephyr