sorry I’ve been away for so long

I know it’s been awhile since I blogged. Seven months to be exact.

I received the news around July 2023 that I would need to start some type of chemotherapy again for my Waldenstrom’s macroglobulenemia lymphoma. Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled, since I had 2 rounds of chemo since fall of 2018. The second round in fall of 2022, didn’t produce the results that my oncologist thought.

So here I was, speaking to my oncology team, once again, about figuring out a way to get my IgM protein levels down, since they were way too high. A normal person’s was under 250. Mine was over 2,900.

We made a plan to revisit our talk at the end of January. My doc wanted me to try Imbruvica, a cancer kinase inhibitor, which would help bring my protein levels down and hopefully help me have more energy.

The BJC grant coordinator phoned me the following week. She mentioned there was a grant available and she was going to jump on it, I just needed to answer a few questions, one of which was total combined salary for hubby and I. She call me less than 10 minutes later and mentioned we obtained the grant which brought the monthly amount from 3,800 a month to 600 a month. She also applied for another grant, two days later, and it brought the copay down to zero.

I picked up the pills at the pharmacy on a Friday. The following Wednesday I had an appointment with my oncologist and a blood draw. One day later, my IgM protein results came in at 168! I haven’t been in the normal range for 12 years! Doc called me ecstatic. I thought it was a mistake, but my next thought was it must be a miracle. The pills were working and it had only been 5 days! I was so excited.

So in light of my good news I’d like to share a poem that I found laying around, that was never published.

I call it Senses. I hope you enjoy it.

Senses

In the solitude of the gazebo,

I listen to the creek

rushing,

A cool spring rain…

The bottle tree glistens

dancing with reflections of

Indigo blues, shamrock and pear greens,

and root beer caramels.

Recycled boards from the

100-year-old barn,

and strands of seashells from countless

shorelines,

suspended from fishing line

create windchimes

jingling from

a decayed branch of the

ash tree.

While savoring a vanilla latte,

I spy on the fur babies peaking

out the glass storm door

searching for me.

The melody of the tufted titmouse,

a house finch,

and the mourning dove

ask the question,

“Who am I?”

I seek the answer in the quiet

of the trees

while Maypop apples form tiny

communities as

ground cover

protected by their

natural umbrella.

You can find my latest poetry and photography collection, Sunset Beach Dances, at bookstores, through Shanti Arts Publishing, and online.

https://bit.ly/3DRRexg

Thursday Thoughts

As I rest lounge in my oversize La-Z-Boy chair, my cat, Pippin, gazes at me from the comfort of his kitty hammock, cleaning the fur on his beautiful toe beans.

Momma Adeline lays sprawled out on the local city maps on the kitchen table, deciding which destination she’ll visit next. Ireland (aka Tater) laps water from the ceramic bowl, while Elvis (my big boy cat) sniffs the carpet near soft yarn toys. Midnight, the matriarch of the cats at 21.5 years old, saunters into the living room.

The cardinals perched on the Rose of Sharon branches chatter, keeping time with the Caterpillar earth mover beeping in the distance.

Silence can be both confusing and peaceful.

Lately, I’ve found it difficult to create – unsure if it’s the unpredictable weather or general burnout.

Problems of the world weigh heavy on my mind, just as the earth mover weighs heavy on the soil it’s turning and churning.

Lavender, magnolias and dogwood are in bloom, spreading the scent of spring, and hope in the air.

Eyelids heavy, three of the fur babies now rest near the open bay window, listening to the chirping of song birds. I can only imagine their thoughts…of escaping.

Warmer days are ahead. I decide my plan for the day.

What will it be?

Peace, Love, Coffee!

Sheree

Here’s a list of my books to get lost in!

— Coffee Coma – poems and photographs about our love affair, and life with coffee

– 2019 Royal Dragonfly First Place for Poetry, First Place for Fine Art/Photography, Honorable Mention for Coffee Table Books Mondays in October

– Chanticleer semifinalist Ocean Rhythms Kindred Spirits

– 2019 Chanticleer Little Peeps First Place Winner for Early Readers, Montaigne Medal Finalist, and Foreword Indies Finalist Midnight the One-Eyed Cat

– 2015 Da Vinci Eye Award Winner Folly Beach Dances

Any of these can be purchased from Sheree directly so she can autograph for you!!! Visit her facebook page at Sheree K Nielsen, Author

https://amzn.to/2VKidbP

Chasing Autumn

Wind rustles through the trees,

as leaves fall

like snowflakes to the ground,

blanketed with colors of autumn harvest.

Two Capiz shell wind chimes tinkle

creating delicate murmurs…

almost whispering,

“We welcome you, Autumn.”

The sky melts away gray abstract clouds,

so heavy,

you can visualize the earth

spinning around the sun.

Wind tickles my forearms, knees,

and shoulders.

Blustery weather impending.

Cleomes and morning glories

shrink,

laden with dried seed pods,

ready for rebirth.

The birdhouse is abandoned…

baby wrens birthed and fed by mama,

have flown the nest.

In my life, two dog children

have passed on…

The wide-eyed striped gray and tan cats,

rest on the knobby rug

peering through windows,

breezes ruffling silky fur.

Summer has come and gone.

Leaves turn golden amber,

crimson, burnt sienna.

Soon, winter will be chasing autumn.

Nature at Its Finest – The Little Things

As I reflect on the past month, I’m happy to say that I loved seeing glimpses of nature at their finest.

Seated under the Emerson lights by the fire pit and gazebo with friends, Nancy and Kim, and hubster, Russell, we watched, mesmerized, as a lime green inchworm slunk along a trail of thread overhead nearly four feet straight up leading to a weathered tree branch.

One morning, a bee, head deep in the center of a Morning Glory vine, showed his fuzzy butt to me just long enough to snap a photo.

Standing on the deck, a hummingbird sipped nectar from the lavender and red-violet Cleomes, unaware I was in his presence.

Tree frogs alighted on windows and doors waiting for the next bug that could be their dinner.

A huge spider spun its web at night using the Bradford pear tree and the Rose of Sharon bush as his boundaries to entice insects into his silky lair.

Baby bunnies munched on blades of grass in the yard.

A tiny house wren became disoriented, landing on our porch. I love animals and birds so much, I quickly drove her to a bird rescue.

All these images come flooding back over the last few days.

How powerful these tiny creatures are in their own way. Their detail and beauty, the luminescence of nature surrounds us right in front of our eyes…if we just open them to see.

Just wanted to share this with you on this 21^st day of September, eve of the autumnal equinox.

I wish you nature!

Peace, Love and Coffee!

(Tree frog photo by Russell Nielsen) All other photos by me.

__________

— Coffee Coma – poems and photographs about our love affair, and life with coffee

– 2019 Royal Dragonfly First Place for Poetry, First Place for Fine Art/Photography, Honorable Mention for Coffee Table Books Mondays in October

– Chanticleer semifinalist Ocean Rhythms Kindred Spirits

– 2019 Chanticleer Little Peeps First Place Winner for Early Readers, Montaigne Medal Finalist, and Foreword Indies Finalist Midnight the One-Eyed Cat

– 2015 Da Vinci Eye Award Winner Folly Beach Dances

Any of these can be purchased from Sheree directly so she can autograph for you!!! Visit her facebook page at Sheree K Nielsen, Author.

When life gives you too much flour, make more cookies

One evening as I sit observing the rain coming down, bored by the lack of intelligent programs on TV, I posed a question to hubby.

“What should I do?”

“Make some oatmeal cookies.”

“Okay,” I said as I shrugged my shoulders.

As I gathered the necessary ingredients to create the cookies, I soon realized after mixing in the wet ingredients with the dry, I added too much flour to the batter. The recipe called for 3 cups of oatmeal. Instead, I sifted out 3 cups of flour when the recipe called for 1 ½ cups of flour.

I added more butter, another egg, ¼ cup sour cream and 1/3 cup peanut butter. I should have added more sugar, but I didn’t think the recipe needed more.

I attempted to move and mix the batter with a spatula, now nearly at the top of the white ceramic bowl, with little success. My husband came up with a solution. He slipped on blue surgical gloves in order to mix and knead the batter.

“Don’t knead it too much, it will turn out like bread,” I laughed.

I was in tears from the sight of him mixing the oatmeal cookie batter with surgical gloves. He chuckled, too. What started as a boring evening, became a funny one watching Russell twisting and pushing on the thick matter.

The cookies actually turned out really good…one of the best batches I’ve made.

When you think you mucked something up, it’s best to improvise, and usually you can fix it.

That’s kind of how life is, don’t you think?

Thoughts…

Peace, Love, Coffee

And Oatmeal Cookies

Sheree

I’m looking over a five-leaf clover!!

Yesterday, when I was pulling weeds in the garden, I came across a patch of three-leaf clovers. Among those was a lone five-leaf clover.

I carefully plucked the rare beauty and hurried inside, I snapped a few photos on a paper towel, then placed it in the smallest glass I could find to to hydrate the treasure — a colorful undersea hued shot glass from the Cayman Islands.

I began to research a five-leaf clover and finding one is rare – about one in 20,000. There was a young girl in Savannah who even had a bit written about the five-leaf clover she found.

According to Wikipedia, five–leaf clovers are less commonly found naturally than four-leaf clovers; however, they, too, have been successfully cultivated. Some four-leaf clover collectors, particularly in Ireland, regard the five–leaf clover, known as a rose clover, as a prize.

According to an Irish legend, if you find a five–leaf clover, luck and financial success will come to you even more than those who find a four-leaf clover. If you’re relying on a clover to bring you luck and success, though, good luck with that!! (chuckle)

In any event, I’m just lucky I found it. I’m looking for ways to preserve it, and I’ve found a few good ideas from friends on social media.

Here are some tips I’ve been given from some friends:

• Dry it pressed between pages of a book, then laminate it.

OR

• Dry it, then cold laminate it.

OR

• Use silicone to keep the green in the clover to preserve.

OR

• Dry it in between white paper, then laminate it.

I’m thankful for these tips, and I suppose I need to get some laminating sheets. I feel like I want to frame it…..maybe the luck will start pouring in our house.

I have a boomerang from my Dad he purchased In Australia in WWII over our doorway to catch all the luck coming through the door.

I know luck is usually best paired with trust in God. (smile)

But just for fun, do you have a lucky charm in your possession?

Peace, Love, and Five Leaf Clovers

Sheree K. Nielsen

____________________

Sheree is the author of four books –

– 2019 Royal Dragonfly First Place for Poetry, First Place for Fine Art/Photography, Honorable Mention for Coffee Table Books Mondays in October

– Chanticleer semifinalist Ocean Rhythms Kindred Spirits

– 2019 Chanticleer Little Peeps First Place Winner for Early Readers, Montaigne Medal Finalist, and Foreword Indies Finalist Midnight the One-Eyed Cat

– 2015 Da Vinci Eye Award Winner Folly Beach Dances

Her newest book, Coffee Coma – poems and photographs about our love affair, and life with coffee is due out by Shanti Arts Publishing!

Any of these can be purchased from Sheree directly so she can autograph for you!!! Visit her facebook page at Sheree K Nielsen, Author.

Feeling grateful even when things seem difficult…

I read something given to me by an outpatient therapist after I was hospitalized for depression this winter that developed after eye surgery. (Needless to say, I felt down and sorry for myself, and wondered if I’d ever get out of this dark hole…wondered if my eye would heal properly.)

It was a document published by The Tapping Solution written by Nick Ortner. The document told a story about a blind boy sitting on the steps of a building with a hat on the ground near his feet.  A sign read, “I am blind, please help.”

Only a few coins were in the hat – spare change from folks who hurried past the man. A man walking by dropped some coins in the hat, then took the boy’s sign, turned it around, and penned some words. He placed the sign back in the boy’s hand so all those strolling by could see what was written.

The hat began to fill up. The man left and stopped by later that afternoon to see how the boy was doing. His hat was full of coins.

“Were you the one that changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”

“I only wrote the truth.”  “Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it. “

Both signs spoke the truth, but the second sign conveyed to everyone walking buy how grateful they should be.

What is gratitude:

Gratitude is a habit. It’s a way of looking at the world and all the good things in it with a feeling of appreciation, regardless whether your current situation is great or bleak.  It’s a heart-centered approach to being at peace with yourself and all you have. I think Nick Ortner’s words really got through to me.

I decided instead of being depressed, I was going to start looking at things in a different light. The right medicines helped as well. I got my joy back. I’m happy about that.

Last week I breathed in, and breathed out, fresh salty sea air at my favorite beach – Sunset Beach, North Carolina. I shared this experience with the doggos and my hubby. It was a magnificent week of relaxation.

I have ‘tons’ to be grateful for – nature, the birds, the trees, a roof over my head, financial security, great friends and family, a church family that cares beyond belief, remission from lymphoma, and my partner in life – my husband, Russell.

Like Nick Ortner says, “When you practice gratitude, you attract more things in life for which to be grateful.”

What do you have in your life to be thankful for?

Peace, love, and sand dollars,

Sheree K. Nielsen

Sheree is the author of four books –

– 2019 Royal Dragonfly First Place for Poetry, First Place for Fine Art/Photography, Honorable Mention for Coffee Table Books Mondays in October

– Chanticleer semifinalist Ocean Rhythms Kindred Spirits

– 2019 Chanticleer Little Peeps First Place Winner for Early Readers, Montaigne Medal Finalist, and Foreword Indies Finalist Midnight the One-Eyed Cat

– 2015 Da Vinci Eye Award Winner Folly Beach Dances

Her newest book, Coffee Coma – poems and photographs about our love affair, and life with coffee is due out by Shanti Arts Publishing!

Any of these can be purchased from Sheree directly so she can autograph for you!!! Visit her facebook page at Sheree K Nielsen, Author.

Why are people nicer to you when you have dogs?

Sabrina and Bordeaux loving their car ride

Have you ever noticed when you’re motoring around with dogs in your car, other drivers seem to be more respectful – allowing you to go first at 4 way way stop signs, or not getting too close to the rear end of your automobile, or even pulling alongside you in traffic giving you and the dogs a big smile?

I think it’s because you’re carrying precious cargo.

I know my dog babies love to feel the fresh air on their fur as they poke their heads out the car window. My blue-eyed mini-Aussie loves to look back at other drivers…the corners of her flew upturned in a grin. She even studies the traffic lanes inquisitively.

Red Dog’s caramel-lemon eyes soak in and memorize the route from home, to the park, to the nearest coffeehouse drive-through, and back again.

The fur kids even know which drive-throughs supply treats – whip cream at the local Starbucks, and dog biscuits at the bank.

Back to being respectful when dogs are in the car…

A few months ago, lovely people in separate SUV’s, going in the opposite direction in the parking lot by the local Starbucks, waited for me to back out of a parking spot when they saw the pups in the car.

I gave the kind spirits a hand wave, showing them I appreciated their gesture.

Such simple random acts of kindness from strangers are a gift and a positive start to your day.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.”

~Aesop

Peace, love, and sand dollars,

Sheree

****************************

Sheree is the author of four books –

– 2019 Royal Dragonfly First Place for Poetry, First Place for Fine Art/Photography, Honorable Mention for Coffee Table Books Mondays in October

– Chanticleer semifinalist Ocean Rhythms Kindred Spirits

– 2019 Chanticleer Little Peeps First Place Winner for Early Readers, Montaigne Medal Finalist, and Foreword Indies Finalist Midnight the One-Eyed Cat

– 2015 Da Vinci Eye Award Winner Folly Beach Dances

Her newest book, Coffee Coma – poems and photographs about our love affair, and life with coffee is due out by Shanti Arts Publishing – tba

Today I See With My Ears

I wrote a poem about a week after my eye surgery to repair a macular hole in my left eye at the beginning of October. This surgery comes with very strict recovery instructions. Although, I don’t want to get into that at this time, because it is too painful to write about, I did pen a poem about the process. Hope you enjoy it. Thoughts….

“Today I See with my Ears”

By Sheree K. Nielsen

A wind chime of metal

behind my left shoulder

whistles down the wind.

Two songbirds

meep and chirp a morning song

keeping time

with the distant

highway noises.

A single crisp sienna pin oak leaf

lays beneath my feet

casting shadows on the

porch pavement during golden

hour, moving ever so slightly

The wind chime tings, tings.

Pauses.

I hear cardinals and chickadee banter.

My neighbor’s rubber tires creep up the

aggregate driveway.

The comforting rays of the sun

nestle the nape

of my neck

like sunbathing at my favorite

beach on the Carolina coast.

I only see what’s at ground level,

daring not to cast eyes up….

concerned about the eye’s healing

process

that has consumed my life for the last

eight days…

A gust of ethereal air pushes the crisp pin oak leaf

out of my line of vision and into the shade.

The bright ray of the sun caresses my cheek bones

on the left side…near the eye

that needs healing.

A crow squawks to another in search of sustenance.

The wind chime tings as a strand of strawberry blonde hair brushes

my skin.

Today I see with my ears.

Planting Seeds – Part Two – Hope in Bloom

 

In mid May, I found some flower seed heads in a clay pot that had been sitting in my garage for several years. I planted the seeds in two cute ceramic containers – one the color of butter, the other a biscuit hue. A couple weeks later, I checked on them, and they were flourishing…packed together in one space. (See my first post titled Planting Seeds)

At the end of May, I set them free in the garden.

On June 23, I snapped these photos.

Their daisy-like neon blooms of blood red orange, magenta, and tangerine brought a smile to my face. The intricate star-like pollen florets (technical name) and long spider-like stigmas were no doubt, crafted by God’s hands. I spotted my first monarch butterfly sipping their dulcet delight last week.

As I take respite in my wicker recliner on the front porch, my sweet little zinnias are always within eye shot. That makes me happy!

What are you doing to bloom this summer?

How have you found hope in nature?

Peace, love, and zinnias,

Sheree

 

 

 

 

Sheree is the author of four books –

– 2019 Royal Dragonfly First Place for Poetry, First Place for Fine Art/Photography, Honorable Mention for Coffee Table Books Mondays in October

– Chanticleer semifinalist Ocean Rhythms Kindred Spirits

– 2019 Chanticleer Little Peeps First Place Winner for Early Readers, Montaigne Medal Finalist, and Foreword Indies Finalist Midnight the One-Eyed Cat

– 2015 Da Vinci Eye Award Winner Folly Beach Dances

Planting Seeds

From my front porch, the mellifluous sound of a steady summer rain rustles through the Bradford pear and maple trees, tip-tips on the leaves of a Rose of Sharon bush, and gurgles through the gutters. Rain’s constant melody reminds me of standing on a Caribbean beach, getting caught in an unexpected shower, water embracing my skin, soaking my hair, and trickling into my eyes.

The morning sparrows and warblers sing their song in harmony, as if to ask, “More rain?”

A cool, yet warm breeze stirs the rose bushes, lavender and tiger lilies. If he could talk, I’m certain even the garden frog statue would say he’s refreshed.

I love rain, as long as I’m not driving in it. It reminds me of growth, and promise of new hope…a cleansing.

A few weeks ago, I found some old cone flower seed heads in a clay pot in my garage. Heaven knows how long they’d been sitting there – maybe three years. I planted the seeds in two cute ceramic containers – one the color of butter, the other a biscuit hue. I just wanted to see if they’d grow.

Well, they’re flourishing. So many of them now packed tightly together in one little space. It’s almost time for me to set them free in the garden…give them more room for those beauties to grow. This week, I’ll be replanting them. I can’t wait to observe their beautiful bird-like leaves and soon-to-be buds sky bound. I’m sure I’ll be surprised by their color.

What ‘seeds’ are you planting now that will change your life…someone else’s life?

Seeds to provide sustenance to your family in the form of flowers, fruits or vegetables?

Seeds of hope in someone’s else mind? Seeds of kindness in their hearts?

How have your seeds grown lately?

Feel free to share you story below –

 

Peace, love, and sand dollars

Sheree

Sheree is the author of four books –

– 2019 Royal Dragonfly First Place for Poetry, First Place for Fine Art/Photography, Honorable Mention for Coffee Table Books Mondays in October

– Chanticleer semifinalist Ocean Rhythms Kindred Spirits

– 2019 Chanticleer Little Peeps First Place Winner for Early Readers, Montaigne Medal Finalist, and Foreword Indies Finalist Midnight the One-Eyed Cat

– 2015 Da Vinci Eye Award Winner Folly Beach Dances

I Had This Dream – Rainbows at Night, and Shooting Stars

A shower of shooting stars burst forth from the night sky, like sparklers on the Fourth of July, and rained down from the heavens, and the full moon was so happy it winked.

A rainbow so big and thick, like the kind of orange slice candy with sugar from the corner confectionery you bought when you were just a child, reflected on the clouds, turning them Crayola colors of blue, pink, yellow, green and lavender. The clouds were rainbow hues!

People gathered in their back yards, standing in awe, snapping photos of this wonderful phenomenon.

This was a dream of mine from about two weeks ago.  So moved by it, I felt the need to illustrate the images.  This is a rough draft. (chuckle)

Normally, my dreams are about conflict or mystery. But this time, the dream was positive and uplifting. I awoke smiling.

I’ve been seeing rainbows everywhere lately – on social media, on sidewalks, on my doors, and in windows of homes. Since there is a Full Pink Moon tonight, I felt this post was appropriate.

According to dream-meaning.net,

Dream Rainbows represents hope, success and good fortune in the form of money, prestige, or fame. Your dreams and wishes may come true.

Rainbow at Night

“A rainbow typically cannot be seen at night because it is a reflection of the light. Thus, seeing a rainbow at night can be interpreted as divine interventions that offer you a glimmer of hope at the time of trouble. When you are not experiencing waking life difficulties, a rainbow at night can represent a perfect ending that you have wished for your own life.”

And according to spiritualunite.com

Due to the fleeting nature of shooting stars, their rarity and their associations with love and romance, a dream about a shooting star could also be a simple reminder to cherish the time you have on Earth with the ones you love.

But of course, these are just symbolism, and we should not put our faith in symbolism. We can choose to look at the bright side of the dream, and think that good things are to come.

In light of the world right now, and uncertainty of when the Corona virus will end, maybe it’s best that we just put our faith in God.

I opened my Bible last night, and a piece of paper fell out. On it was written Deuteronomy 31:6. I forgot that my previous life group gave me this paper when we met a couple years ago.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Stay strong, stay healthy, social distance, and be kind.

Peace, love, sand dollars and full pink moons,

Sheree

_________________________________________

Sheree is the author of four books –

– 2019 Royal Dragonfly First Place for Poetry, First Place for Fine Art/Photography, Honorable Mention for Coffee Table Books Mondays in October

– Chanticleer nominated Ocean Rhythms Kindred Spirits

– 2019 Chanticleer Little Peeps First Place Winner for Early Readers, Montaigne Medal Finalist, and Foreword Indies Finalist Midnight the One-Eyed Cat

– 2015 Da Vinci Eye Award Winner Folly Beach Dances

 

https://amzn.to/2wMXzeo