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Tag Archives: poppo


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time together. [k.s. friday]

time together song box

the air coming through the windows this morning felt cool.  almost chilly.  it has been a long while since the last time i could say that of a morning here.  we have had a very hot, very humid summer…not my favorite combination.  but today.  it was different.  and it made me feel immediately homesick.  that happens every fall for me.  maybe it’s a melancholy recognition of the passing of time, years zooming by.  maybe it’s the season-change-thing…we know grey days are lurking right around the corner.  either way, i feel homesick.

it’s a time when i miss long island the most, recall my growing-up years, pine for the autumn at millneck manor and long deserted-beach walks at crab meadow.  a time when my sweet momma and poppo are really present for me in their absence, if that makes sense.  i yearn to talk to them.  a time when The Girl and The Boy seem oh-so-grown-up now, steeped in their own adult-lives, having adventures and being a dynamic part of this world, far away, without the benefit of hearing ‘good night moon’ every night.  i know that every evening they roll their eyes at my goodnight texts to them, but i figure that someday they will understand.  homesick.

yesterday was my father-in-law’s 85th birthday.  we called columbus and sang ‘happy birthday’ to him.  my momma and daddy did that every year for me and i try to carry on the tradition with the people i love.  he laughed and told us he had gotten back from dinner at texas roadhouse and was listening to an old record.  he listens to old records a lot.  i suspect, because he is the man he is, that he gets homesick.  i can tell by his eyes that he would totally understand me if i told him how i felt.

so today, if you are spending time together with someone, memorize it.  if you are lucky enough to spend time with your momma or your daddy, please hug them.  if you are one of the fortunate parents who have their children nearby, hold on just a little tighter and look into their faces when you say goodnight.  relish it.

there is nothing like it.

time together.

 

download TIME TOGETHER track 3 from THIS PART OF THE JOURNEY on iTUNES or CDBaby or PURCHASE the ALBUM

read DAVID’S thoughts on this K.S. FRIDAY

K.S. FRIDAY – ON OUR WEBSITE

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TIME TOGETHER from THIS PART OF THE JOURNEY ©️ 1997, 2000 kerri sherwood


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ponder life. [chicken marsala monday]

ponderinglife WITH EYES jpeg copymy poppo would sit in the chair and gaze out at the lake behind their house.  in the house before that, he would sit out on the lanai and gaze at the pool.  in previous houses, he had chairs or his workbench, where he would sit or stand and gaze, clearly thinking, thinking, thinking.

now, when you’ve gotten to 91, there’s plenty to think about, many memories, many stages of life, many ways the world has changed.  my poppo was a POW in world war II, escaping and coming back at a time that PTSD had little to no attention given to it.  the atrocities he had experienced were his alone to process, with the help of my sweet momma, if he felt that he could burden her with it.  my parents lost a child, a little girl named barbara lynn, who would be my oldest sister – even older than my sister sharyn! – while my dad was still missing in action, a little person, a part of him, he never met.  i know that as they established themselves as a family, there were challenges that befell them, joys that they cherished, times of much sorrow, small moments and large moments of laughter and goodness.  plenty to think about.

i always wondered what my poppo was thinking about, quietly sitting or puttering.  sometimes i would ask, but other times i would respect his quiet-ness. now that i am getting older, i find myself spending time quietly thinking.  memories, moments, decisions, good things, sad things, questions, things that make me cringe, things that make me laugh aloud.  i think about what’s coming up…what is planned, what will remain a mystery. i wonder.  i give thanks.  i pray.  pondering is a good thing.  it’s necessary.

each time now when i sit outside or inside curled in a chair and find myself just staring off into space, i can’t help but think about my daddy.  and i kind of feel him right there, quietly staring with me. pondering.

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CHICKEN MARSALA MONDAY – ON OUR SITE

pondering life is a very useful thing to do. ©️ 2016 david robinson & kerri sherwood

 


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“beak-y” [flawed cartoon wednesday]

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my sweet momma had a sweet nose.  but somewhere along the line my poppo, using a derivative of her first name ‘beatrice’ nicknamed her “beak” and, for a time, all hell broke loose.  she railed against his perceived slamming of her nose (which was actually a perky little nose) and was questioning of his continued use of his (now) beloved nickname when it irritated (“irked”) her.  “beak” morphed into “beaky” – the name by which everyone under the sun knows and loves her.  eventually, she even grew to love her nickname and proudly wore a gold necklace my dad had specially made for her (no, surprisingly, “beak” necklaces are not mass-produced!)  our sweet beaky-beaky.  ohmygosh, how i miss her.

if you'd like to see FLAWED CARTOON

FLAWED CARTOON WEDNESDAY – ON OUR SITE

read DAVID’S thoughts on this FLAWED CARTOON

i do not have a big nose! i have an unusually small head!  ©️ 2016 david robinson & kerri sherwood


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the wind never stops [chicken marsala monday]

thewindCHICKENprimaryimageBOX

superheroes product BAR

there are days i know my poppo is in the wind.  i can feel him there.  somehow he lets me know.  it was six years ago today that he left this earth and, before he said goodbye, i made him promise to hang around.  i told him i had no idea how i was going to adjust the timing on the ’71 bug without him, i wouldn’t be able to call him on the phone to ask him how to rube-goldberg a fix on something, i would be missing his “hi brat!”

with him in the wind and my sweet momma and my big brother and all the others who i miss, i have help from guardians.  with everyone who is by my side on this beautiful planet, close or far away, i have help from champions.  we each do.

we face into the wind, challenged by change and our ever-fluid lives.  we put on our invisible capes, take a deep breath, hold onto each other.  together we are superheroes.

click here (or on the product box above) for SUPERHEROES products

CHICKEN MARSALA MONDAY – ON OUR SITE

read DAVID’S thoughts on this CHICKEN NUGGET

the wind never stops blowing you & together we are superheroes ©️ 2016 & 2018 david robinson & kerri sherwood


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slow motion rain [dr thursday]

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my sweet momma used to love to walk in the rain.  matter of fact, she adored it.  my poppo?  not so much.  but my momma would revel in it; she said it made her hair curly, which, for her, was a good thing.

we have gotten caught in the rain numerous times while out hiking.  soft, gentle rain or even downpours. on the trail it just adds to the fun. the rain also makes MY hair curly, much to my chagrin.  but d loves it that way….he must also love rag mops.  (now, as an aside, i googled “rag mop” to make sure you would understand which kind of mop i was talking about and found this great old song.  listen if you have time.)

there must be a time you were standing in the rain and everything slowed down, even the raindrops.  it all became slow motion and life was about that very second, breathing in sweet-rain-dewy-air.

this morsel of a painting SLOW MOTION RAIN, soft and somewhat abstract, reminds me of those moments.  slow motion rain is a little piece of EARTH INTERRUPTED IV.

come stand in the rain with me.

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click here (or on the product bar above) for SLOW MOTION RAIN products

click here for the original painting EARTH INTERRUPTED IV

DR THURSDAY (DAVID ROBINSON THURSDAY) – ON OUR SITE

read DAVID’S thoughts on this DR THURSDAY

slow motion rain & earth interrupted IV ©️ 2018 david robinson & kerri sherwood


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mountain in yellow sky [dr thursday]

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when i see images of mountains these days, i naturally think about kirsten and becky.  The Girl is living the out-in-the-high-mountains life and the photographs she sends me are nothing short of stunning.  i love every moment i spend out there, so i can appreciate wholeheartedly her finding her “place”.

when i was little, we used to go to the mountains in upstate new york.  my sweet momma and poppo would rent a cabin in a state park and we would travel up there; they would always allow me to take a friend – most of the years this was susan.  i was the youngest by FAR (haha! are you reading this, seester?) so i was the only one left in the house.  i was always thrilled to have my siblings’ families with us as well.  my nieces and nephew were adorable.  plus heather was the perfect foil on the mountainside beaches (and long island beaches as well); as a toddler she flirted with every cute boy around every time i took her there.  she was with me a lot as a little girl; i took her everywhere in my little vw bug, especially in the summer.  nothing like a little girl who would seemingly deliberately throw the frisbee onto the next blanket where a cute boy was sitting and listening to his transistor radio.  what a fun way to meet ‘people’.  wink!

later in life, my parents rented  condos in the mountains of tennessee and the whole family joined them there.  sunsets behind the big deck of the clubhouse, shrimp boils in the field, frisbee and hiking.  those are treasured memories.

this image MOUNTAIN IN YELLOW SKY reminds me of every good mountain memory. its warmth, its simplicity.  both appeal to me.  the really funny thing is that this is just a mere morsel of one of david’s paintings.  together on the beach CANVAS copythe painting TOGETHER ON THE BEACH is where i found this and extracted it to create a whole new image. when i asked david where i could find this canvas in the studio the other day, he told me he had painted over it.  what?!  what was he thinking?! fortunately, i still have the image i took of it and have created a canvas art print of that painting and a close-up of it as well.

MOUNTAIN IN YELLOW SKY…just a little piece of TOGETHER ON THE BEACH.  both simple.  both dreamy.  both beautiful.

mountain in yellow sky product box BAR jpeg copy

click here (or on product box above) to browse: wall art, wall murals, mugs, tote bags, throw pillows, cards, beach towels, bath accessories, cards, cellphone cases, laptop sleeves, blankets, bedding, leggings…

DR THURSDAY (DAVID ROBINSON THURSDAY) – ON OUR SITE

read DAVID’S thoughts on this DR THURSDAY

mountain in yellow sky/together on the beach ©️ 2018 david robinson, kerri sherwood

 


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obstacles make life interesting [two artists tuesday]

obstacles metal wall art“don’t let that stop you,” she’d say.  “remember the little engine,” he’d say.  i grew up with parents who encouraged me to not doubt myself or what i could do.  i hope that i made them (and are still making them  – even on a different plane of existence) proud.

i watch my own children, The Girl and The Boy, and think they have figured this obstacles-thing out.

The Girl texted me photographs.  she was in silverton, a vast expanse of ridiculously rugged mountains.

she had (i’m glad i knew about this AFTERwards) snowboarded down these giants.  she, literally, dropped off cliffs and boarded down the fresh powder, exhilarated and stoked.  her girlfriend said, “we can do it” and they did.  omg.  amazing stuff!  i am filled with awe.  and more than a little jealous, in an i-wish-i-could-do-that kind of way.  just the sheer chutzpah of it all is at the very heart of don’t-let-that-stop-you-little-engine-ness.

obstacles TRAVEL MUG

mountain mugs!

life is interesting.  always.  and obstacles are always there.  they make life more interesting.  yup.  get stoked.  rise to the challenges.

OBSTACLES MAKE LIFE INTERESTING – MERCHANDISE FOR ALONG THE WAY

 

obstacles SQ PILLOW

 

obstacles MUG

obstacles BEACH TOWEL

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LEGGINGS

 

obstacles FRAMED ART

read DAVID’S THOUGHTS on OBSTACLES

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OBSTACLES MAKE LIFE INTERESTING ©️ 2016 david robinson & kerri sherwood


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ks friday

jacketrfthjpeg copywith the advent of ancestry kits and accessible dna testing, we are a society of people with more desire to learn about our individual heritage.  for christmas, The Girl and The Boy each got a dna testing kit from their father.  i’m excited to hear the results of these.  it’s fascinating to me to find out what our roots are; despite some specificity flaws and rounding up (or down) of genetic heredity in the testing and reporting kits i have read about, it is still interesting to know just a little bit more about where we come from.

my sweet momma and poppo traveled to salt lake city to work on the genealogy of our family.  they spent hours in the library there, researching.  they would have loved the idea of simply submitting dna to find out a broad spectrum of heredity, of lineage, but i suspect they still would have traveled to work on this the old-fashioned way, looking for names of family and how the branches of the tree spread out.

without doubt you have seen the commercials for these tests.  my favorites are the ones where people find that they were either mistaken about their ethnic heritage or they found that there were some surprises.  the best part is that – and i know it’s a commercial, but hey, i’m gullible – they embrace learning about this new part of their identity they had no idea existed.  they embrace something different.   they want to celebrate ethnicities they knew nothing about.  why not celebrate these whether or not it is a part of our heritage?  maybe we can make the legacy we pass down one of inclusion and acceptance and a curiosity to learn and welcome others, whether or not their dna matches ours.

 

to download LEGACY from RELEASED FROM THE HEART track 12 – on iTunes

to download LEGACY from RELEASED FROM THE HEART track 12 – on CDBaby.com

to purchase the physical CD RELEASED FROM THE HEART

and if you’d like to browse KS DESIGNS on SOCIETY6.com:

LEGGINGS

THROW PILLOWS

WALL ART

TOTE BAGS, CARDS, HOME DECOR

 

KS FRIDAY (KERRI SHERWOOD FRIDAY) – ON OUR SITE

to read DAVID’S thoughts on this KS FRIDAY

LEGACY from RELEASED FROM THE HEART ©️ 1995 kerri sherwood

 

 


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two artists tuesday

brave-poster-jpegthis one’s hard.  i’ve written about bravery before.  i’ve written about women with backbone.  i’ve written about holding to truths and actively working for peace and respect.  about waking up each day on mother earth and the people around us working to keep this a good place.

faced with the word “brave” as our two artists tuesday image, i flounder with where to start.

very early this morning our dear friend linda left her home to go to chicago to have a cochlear implant.  we spent time with her a few evenings ago, as she sorted through hope and fear, what she’s known and the future unknown.  one of her greatest passions in life is dancing.  she dances to music designed for dance, to music she hears in passing, to music in her head.  terrified of losing the ability to hear music post-surgery, she pondered the what-if of not having this done.  but her desire to actually be able to hear MORE (more beloved voices, more broadcasted music, more cds out on the deck or in the dance hall) won out and she is on a new journey.  she is brave. brave. brave.  brave word jpeg copy

my sister just had surgery on her hand to remove a skin cancer.  i am grateful and relieved she is healing from this and will likely not have to have any additional treatment.   d and i talked about this on a walk the other day.  i was weeping openly on the sidewalks in our neighborhood as i spoke about my big brother, who died after a valiant fight with lung cancer, my daddy who was a twelve-year-or-so survivor of lung cancer, my sweet momma who had a double mastectomy for stage four breast cancer at the age of 93.  i cannot help but have some fear.  who among us is exempt from that?  but my big sister was brave and positive and i am determined, as i move forward in life, to be brave as well.  in all arenas.  on all fronts.  d says i am much braver than he is.  i’m not sure why he says this, but his words make me feel stronger.

we meet our challenges singlehandedly, we meet our challenges with a world of support, which is sometimes just one living person, one other being. our bravery is fortified by the love of others, by their words of wisdom, by their ability to shift our perspective, even just a little, by our re-defining.  for we are not in this alone.  we have on our wall in the bedroom a sign that reads, “wherever you are, that’s where i will be.”  our ‘brave’ is fed by our faith, the sisu (perseverance and fortitude) we’ve honed in life, the courageous alter-reaction to the terror of taking a step, our community of people.   susan and i have used the word “scrappy” to describe our lives; in looking at the definition of “brave” i would add intrepid and plucky.  great word – plucky.   Screen Shot 2018-03-05 at 10.41.48 AM

i mean, let’s face it – just being in the world and being who we really are each day is damn brave.

 

BRAVE MERCHANDISE

 

brave leggings copy

brave pillow copy

brave travel mug

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TWO ARTISTS TUESDAY

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check out DAVID’S thoughts on BRAVE

brave. ©️ 2017 kerri sherwood & david robinson


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ks friday #2

jackettpotjjpeg copyone of the first things i told david when we spoke was that “i don’t do nutshells.”  he had asked me a question and framed it with, “in a nutshell….?”  i laughed.  it is not in my dna to do nutshells.  none of my family is good at nutshells.  my big brother always told a long long story, filled with minute details.  he was brilliant and it was always truly fascinating to listen to him.  my poppo was the same way, when you got him started.  my sweet momma, well, she was a practiced tangent-story-queen.  and my sister?  suffice it to say she is much like me in story-telling.  😉

i love a good story.  i WANT to hear the details.  i WANT to see ALL the pictures, not just a few.  i WANT to know what-happened-next.  it’s the same way i will tell a story, winding all the peripheral stuff right into the very crux of the point, as if it all mattered and carried the same weight, which, of course, isn’t always true.  there have been people in my life who have said, “get to the point!”  (which i have to say is not a fun thing to be told; it deflates the storyballoon inside one’s heart and makes you lose track of what it was you were trying to say in the first place.)

i blame growing up on long island as well as dna.  people tawwwwwk there.  they will go on and on.  and interrupt each other.  and go on and on.  it’s great fun following a conversation that way – you are never bored. perhaps a little blurry on the story-point-edges, but never bored.

it’s a long story is the first piece on the album this part of the journey.  it starts off with a lift and has a cello line i wish i had the ability to perform.  the amazingly “fine” ken produced an album for me that has withstood time.  originally recorded in 1998 on a CFIIIS, this is still my best-selling original instrumental album.  we were in the studio for long hours, sometimes as long as 23 hours at a time.  but we were moved by our studio musicians and their performances on each track and it was easy to summon the energy for this emotional album.

i felt that it’s a long story could be an apt first instrumental piece on ks friday in the melange.  with my first album released in 1995 it’s already been a long story.  as i continue to define and re-define, i’m hoping that same long story continues.  thank you for listening and listening and listening…no nutshells here.

IT’S A LONG STORY from the album THIS PART OF THE JOURNEY (track 1) iTunes

KS FRIDAY

www.kerrisherwood.com – buy the album

www.kerrianddavid.com/the-melange

check out DAVID’S thoughts on IT’S A LONG STORY

IT’S A LONG STORY from THIS PART OF THE JOURNEY ©️ 2000 kerri sherwood