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© Mary Strong-Spaid and Before I Forget/Stories with No Books, 2012-2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Mary Strong-Spaid and Before I Forget/ Stories with No Books with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. NO REBLOGGING WITHOUT PERMISSION.
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Author Archives: Mary Strong-Spaid
Virginia to Texas through Hail and High Water
Illuminated by lightning striking darkness followed by thunder, Gulf Coast toad shivers drips falling on the threshold of an unknown door. When wild winds blow and rain falls sideways, normal vanishes and new directions appear. ~ms Considering everything that I … Continue reading
Posted in Nature, Photo Essay, Poetry, Storms
Tagged Alabama, Floods, Georgia, Hail, Misssissippi, Monroe Louisiana, Samaritan's Purse, Texas, Toads
25 Comments
Disco Disaster
Back in 1989, a friend took me to a night club called Studebaker’s, where there was loud music, swirling disco lights, and wandering eyes searching for the perfect date. I didn’t like it there. Two years later, in an English … Continue reading
Posted in Creative Writing, Hawaii, Honolulu, Humor, Relationships
Tagged Dancing, Disco, Night Club, Studebakers
54 Comments
Valentine’s Day Wrapped in Memories
Oh please, don’t be sad! I was thinking about you and I was going to call, but I accidentally spent the entire day wrapped in memories. You see—I was going through boxes of ‘paper clutter’ and throwing things out, because … Continue reading
Winter’s Shroud Descending
Birds quickly flew away through barren earthbound trees, in hopes of escaping the coming winter storm. One crow remained behind like a cold grim reaper staring down from above at foolish souls below. And then the snow appeared carried on … Continue reading
Posted in Nature, Photo Essay, photography, Poetry, Snow, Storms, Winter
Tagged Crows, Death, east coast
22 Comments
WordPress Worldwide Family
At midnight, 2015 faded away as a freshly pressed new year chimed in and took its place. Hard to believe it’s 2016! Unfortunately, during 2015, we all saw a sharp rise in terrorism, violence, and fear in our world. Although … Continue reading
Posted in Music, New Year, Singing
Tagged cancer, faith, family, fear, God Bless America, peace
51 Comments
Car Creativity Unleashed
Rather difficult to explain parked on the edge of extreme… car creativity unleashed! In the summer of 2013, I saw this unique vehicle parked in a rest area on I-95 (south of Fredericksburg and north of Richmond, Virginia). I don’t … Continue reading
My Furry Writer’s Block
Oh no! My ability to type and string words together is currently squished beneath a furry writer’s block. Look! I don’t see any letters and numbers are hidden too, but my little writer’s block is purring warm and happy, I … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, cats, Computers, photography, Poetry
Tagged computers, Siamese, Writer's Block
36 Comments
Autumn Leaves Shapeshifting
While I was looking down into water filled with leaves, an old tree with hallowed eyes opened wide its wooden mouth and whispered gently— Why are you so sad? In cyclic transformations nothing ever dies! See the autumn leaves shapeshifting … Continue reading
Posted in Fall Colors, photography, Poetry
Tagged buddhism, leaves, mushrooms, Nature, Water
20 Comments
Seasons at Celebrate Virginia – Beautiful Apartments
Years ago, it was hard to find an apartment with a washer and dryer, much less a dishwasher. Constantly collecting quarters and wasting hours at the laundromat was no fun. Thank goodness thing have changed! Now the newer apartments include … Continue reading
Posted in Nature, Photo Essay, photography
Tagged apartments, butterfly, flowers, Fredericksburg, landscaping, pools
38 Comments
Early Morning Virginia Beach
Sunrise awakens early morning on Virginia Beach. A beautiful sight! Diamonds of early sunlight drip onto blue water dancing a summer delight. Anticipating a busy summer day— trucks begin raking sand. After the raking, a solitary man walks along the … Continue reading
Posted in ocean, photography, Summer
Tagged King Neptune, morning, sand, sun, Virginia Beach
40 Comments
Thought Dreams Nature
Thought dreams nature into beautiful images of its reflection. With mindful meditation on nature through art my spirit recalls the mystical beginning and ending of all. ~ms
Posted in Art, Nature, photography, Poetry, spirituality
Tagged Adobe Photoshop, Dreams, imagination
27 Comments
Dishpan and Buckets
Underneath a tree little Buddha me sitting in a dishpan filled with water. Joy floats easily into an open mind. I laughed when the words “joy floats easily” fell out of my fingers and splashed onto the computer keyboard. Strangely … Continue reading
Posted in Family, Memories, Photo Essay
Tagged buddhism, camping, children, Joy dishwashing, poetry
47 Comments
Real and Ethereal
The real and ethereal merge into one thought when winter acquiesces to the warmth of spring and sunlight slowly melts into dark shadows. ~ms I have not written anything since December (I sincerely hope that I was missed). The winter … Continue reading
Posted in Photo Essay, photography, Poetry, Writing
Tagged cats, Pets, Spring, surgery, Winter
53 Comments
Voice—The Sound of a Soul
Things have gone horribly wrong. I suppose this happens to everyone at some point in life (and sometimes more than once or twice), but knowing that doesn’t make these bad times any easier. Blindsided by a layoff with no advance … Continue reading
Posted in Cancer, Christmas, Music
Tagged daughter, layoff, lung cancer, Memory, singing, voice
74 Comments
Leaf Litter Lament
A decaying leaf, image of mortality faded and riddled with holes, hanging in a tree with mouth wide open singing a bitter chant– The Leaf Litter Lament: Ungrateful humans! Why do you complain as you rake, blow, and mow, mulch, … Continue reading
Sunset Stories in Silhouettes
When day meets night on the edge of time, sunset stories speak in dark silhouettes. Standing in shadows cast by the fading sun, the man with his hand suspended in air appeared to be telling the age-old story of the … Continue reading
Posted in Nature, Photo Essay, photography, Poetry
Tagged Chincoteaque Island, silhouettes, summer, sunset
52 Comments
Singing Darkness into Light
Between watching the depressing nightly news and worrying about the “suspicious nodule” that I apparently have on my right lung, I could not sleep at all last night. To pass the time, I decided to search for a piano recording … Continue reading
Posted in Hawaii, Music, photography, Singing, Technology
Tagged depression, Insomnia, songs
72 Comments
Dueling Storm Clouds
Loud thunder rumbles within dark storm clouds dueling over the last piece of summer blue sky. ~ms When I looked out of my kitchen window and saw two dark clouds arguing with each other, I immediately grabbed my camera and … Continue reading
Posted in clouds, Nature, photography, Poetry, Summer, Thunderstorms
Tagged Lightning, Thunder
41 Comments
The Dragonfly Rests
Two pairs of transparent wings sparkling in the sun like stained glass windows reflecting the morning light— the dragonfly rests. ~ms Standing on water’s edge, I thought I could easily take photos of a few dragonflies. Wrong answer! An … Continue reading
Where Earth and Shadows Play
A cool respite beneath tall trees where earth and shadows play, leaves refreshed by raindrops light on soft breezes sway. ~ms *** In the last photo–do you see the wooden tree creature that appears to be carrying something into the … Continue reading
Railroad Switchman Struck by Lightning (1937)
An old 1937 newspaper clipping and some faded photographs are definitive proof that Carl E. Spaid, a 45-year-old railroad switchman, was struck by lightning while working on the Burlington Route. As far as I know, a direct hit from a … Continue reading
Posted in History, Nature, Photo Essay, photography, Science, Trains
Tagged Burlington Route, Electricity, Storms
63 Comments
Virginia – Civil War Reenactment
Admittedly, even though I have lived in Virginia for the past 20 years, this weekend was the first time that I ever attended a Civil War reenactment. It was sponsored by Spotsylvania County and the Mason-Dixon Alliance (MDA), in commemoration … Continue reading
Rappahannock River Rising
Because of 3 days of torrential spring rain in Fredericksburg, Virginia and surrounding areas, the Rappahannock River began to rise and spill over its banks. Undoubtedly, those who own houses and businesses nearest to the river were watching anxiously as … Continue reading
Posted in Nature, Photo Essay, photography, River
Tagged Flood, Fredericksburg Virginia, Rappahannock River, Water
15 Comments
Before I Forget 