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Autumn Brooke Posts

Rainy Days

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I woke up to the sound of rain and snuggled further under my covers, reminiscing about the simple pleasure of lazy, rainy, days.  Enjoying the cooler weather, the sound of rain hitting the window panes, curled up with a warm drink, cozy blanket, and a great book or movie.  However that was not to be on my agenda for the day because the boys did not have school and were already beginning to make sounds of boredom and hunger.  Breakfast solved the hunger pains and created a false sense of quiet, that I quickly took advantage of as I made my way to the patio with a cup of coffee to enjoy the much needed rain in the Central Valley.  The tracking device installed in every mother alerting her offspring that she is currently enjoying alone time brought the children outdoors, but I did not mind the interruption of peace as I saw the awe in their face as I granted permission for them to play in the rain.  The youngest ran to tell his older brothers to come jump in the puddles, which they did with such abandonment and delight, I was envious.  Reminded me of days past and the joy in the simple life.  They did not need TV or video games to be occupied, they played for an hour with one another, using their imagination to make up games.  The six year old even mentioned how the rain was good for California because we were in a drought, and how he had missed the rain, serving to restore my faith that he is being well educated.  A few minutes later, however, he came to tell me how the homeless were all able to get free showers today if they had some soap.  All are inside now but still playing well with each other, as I contemplate what soup or stew I should make on this rare rainy day, and thanking God for reminding me that some days we all just need to Dance in the Rain with the innocence of a child.  And just to keep it ‘Real,’ I currently  hear the discussion of what video game should be played happening in the playroom, which means an argument will soon ensue as one or two don’t get their way, and the tattle tales begin with that old faithful call of “Mom….. they won’t let me Play……”

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Autumn Leaves

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Autumn; a season that defines the term Beauty in Chaos.  The world becomes awash with warm colors of yellow gold, burnt orange, warm reds that entrance its inhabitants.  The air is crisp with a scent that can only can be described as that of Autumn.  A breeze blows the leaves gently as they fall covering the ground in a myriad of colors, softening the footsteps that tread down the path drawn toward the light that gleams through the trees.

I am unable to see an Autumn picture without imagining that path through the trees leading to a brook, a creek of running water, leaves floating in the current, ripples heard as the water falls over the smooth stones.  Why must there be a brook in my scene?  Because it is my name, Autumn Brooke, the true personification of chaotic beauty.  I have spent my life in wonder if I mirror the season for which I was named, or does the season of Autumn itself; define me?

When I was first born my mother wrote a poem called Autumn Leaves.  It begins with a description of the season, similar to that above.  The second paragraph is a description of the word Autumn, hair of yellow gold, a smile bright like the sun, bubbling laughter carried in the wind this is now what Autumn means to her.  I was worthy of being named after a season, my mother’s beautiful description gave me a measure that I spent years believing that I needed to live up to until I began to create opinions of my own and Autumn didn’t hold the same beauty to me.

What I saw was death, destruction, and bitter cold, sadness amongst the trees as the once beautiful leaves lost their color and dropped as they died.  The grass became brown and brittle, the flowers withered and died.  Eventually I grew brave enough to share my opinion with my mother and how I didn’t see the beauty that she saw in my name.  It was then that she changed my view not just on my name, or the season, but my entire way of life.

Autumn wasn’t a season of death but of that leading to a rebirth.  Every year the trees grew new leaves and flowers would bloom, the earth alive with the new and as the months passed and Autumn approached the world was once again a washed with bold, bright, colors before the leaves fell to make way for new.  A chance to live each season to its fullest knowing that the slate would be wiped clean and we could start anew.

What a glorious way to view life, knowing that nothing was permanent and there was always room for change.  I had to reevaluate what that meant for me, as I had always tried to be the beauty that my mother envisioned, but I saw Autumn as death but also rebirth, such confusion, disarray, and chaos in that thought.  That was until I combined her viewpoint with mine and became beautiful chaos.  It is a perfect description of the season of Autumn, and in such the personification of myself, Autumn Brooke.  Constantly changing, allowing the seasons of life to be lived to the fullest but embracing the imperfections, because there is beauty in all that we encompass through ourselves and that around us.

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Winds of Change

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It is that time of year again, and I am definitely feeling it this season.  The weather is changing, the wind is blowing, it leaves a series of leaves and debris in its wake or it blows it all away.  I am struggling with where I am in life and my approaching birthday; with the age of my children and their demanding needs.  I remember when I made all the decisions, even if it was for them, such as, soccer, dance, drama; they were still designated around family time.  I had complete control over the when and how of what went on in our family, but now I am an open book, my schedule, my calendar are completely at the mercy of what opportunities open up for my boys.  Please don’t get me wrong, this is not a complaint, only an observation of how life is never what we plan.  Actually if we try to plan everything out, I think that it is destined to switch up and change on us.  It is the unexpected that approaches, must be embraced, never anticipated.  For if we do, we are disappointed because life, like the wind, can change direction at any given moment.  So expect the unexpected and learn to live life serendipitous.  I remember when I first learned the meaning of that word and even at the tender age of 16, I recognized that it was not human nature.  We plan each and every moment of our lives, forgetting to live in the moment.  That is one thing I hope to instill within my children, even as I struggle with my own OCD, and nature of an Only child, with my need to control everyone and everything,  It is a learning lesson for all of us, and in the end we will be better for it.  So, I leave you with this thought……  at the wind blows, take it in, accept what may come, and then breathe it out.  Life is Not what we make of it, but what we make of the hand that is dealt us, with the understanding that all of it can change at any moment.

#letlifestripyoubare #timingiseverything #serendipitiouslife

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My Crazy Life

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As I woke up before the sun once again today, I took a moment to look around my shadowed room.  The mountains of clean clothes piled in various locations has grown to monstrous proportions, reminding me that I am behind in many areas of my life.  This blog being one of many.  I have not had time to post, although I think about it daily, much less catch on bills, or the daily household chores of dusting, vacuuming, or the aforementioned laundry.  I could go on but the guilt ridden mom heart set in and I took immediate stalk of my life and where it was going.  Was I doing too much, my relationships are suffering, but how about my relationship with my children, were they nearly as neglected as the house?  I breathed a sigh of relief as I could immediately recognize that my stress and constant chaos was because of the kids.  We are together more then ever now with weekly three hour trips down south so that they can pursue their dream of becoming child actors.  It is a demanding industry that does not allow for downtime, and I made the commitment to give them a real shot before deciding if it is a lifestyle we continue or not.  This may not be one of my most interesting or educational blogs, but I decided to share, maybe more for my own piece of mind, but I know that there are many families that can relate with kids in sports, or any extracurricular activity that causes parents to give up whole portions of their life to focus on the pursuit of their child’s dream.  It is a sacrifice that we gladly make, so those awaiting chores can continue to haunt me in my sleep, because they matter very little compared to the happiness and future success of my children.

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The Interview

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Although it is slow going and writing is often a lonely process, I have to say that this experience of book writing has been a dream.  I have been given some incredible opportunities and being interviewed by Greg Mack was extremely cool.  I tend to talk a lot, so much so, that people often wonder when I will quit, or encourage me to “get to the point.”  Lol!  I don’t get offended, I am a storyteller, I know that I give too much detail, but this interview had me incredibly nervous.  I was flustered, couldn’t put two words together even though Greg Mack is funny, professional, and works with you to make the process as painless as possible.  At least I know now what I need to work on to improve my public speaking skills.  I am including the link below to the YouTube site where you can hear the interview and see more pictures.  Please feel free to comment, but remember to be kind….  I am learning.

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Worst Blogger Ever

Yup, that’s me!  I spend so much of my day writing and even promoting my blog, but forget to actually write on the actual page.   And to think that when I started the blog I was afraid that I would write too often and bombard the internet world with all of my thoughts and feelings.  Honestly I believe that has been such a fear for me that it is why I avoid the site.  I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve and I don’t assume that many want to hear about the in’s and out’s of my day.  Like at this moment my oldest child, who will be turning 13 in a month, is currently standing in my kitchen making toast with his little brother’s Mickey Mouse mask over his face, simply because he found it on the floor.  Or why the next in line, the 10 year old used hair gel as shower gel in the shower because he didn’t bother to read the bottle and I simply said there was new body wash on the counter.  Yes, that really happened!  The two youngest age 8 and 6 are this minute arguing over butter for their toast.  How do you argue over butter, you wonder, well let me tell you.  The 8 year old, can’t find butter, the 6 year old pulls the Brummel & Brown butter container out of the fridge.  The 8 year old says, “No, that’s yogurt.” The 12 year old chimes in, “It is made with  yogurt.” The 8 year old, “Really, they do that?  Gross!”  Leave it the 6 year old, “If it looks like butter, tastes like butter, It’s Butter!”  All of this within the first 15 minutes of them being awake this morning, and this is how my day will continue.  If I just wrote about the conversations I overhear between these four boys, I probably could feel an entire blog, my mother used to encourage me to do that from the time they were small.  Maybe one day, I will do it, I imagine that it will be a lot more interesting as they get into their teenage years.  For now I will just designate an actual writing day and time to keep up with my blog, unless I am suddenly hit with creative inspiration.  Otherwise I will entertain you with another antidote from my life of living with 4 boys, but I promise, I will try not to do that to you!

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Keeping History Alive….

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Commodore Everette Hoard, Queen Mary LEGO Model

Photo Credit: Stephen Russo

It is apparent that I have a passion for History and strongly believe in educating our younger generations on the importance of recognizing that where we come from has an influence on where we are going, and the historic landmarks of our great nation have so many stories to tell.  I love British Literature from the Victorian and Romantic era so it is no wonder that I was fascinated by the Queen Mary, ultimately falling in love with her on my first visit.  Her history is vitally important to the rebuilding of America after WWII and amazingly many do not know her story, many do not even know she exists.  I have written a Children’s Picture Book on the Queen Mary, that led to a series, History Comes Alive,  where I plan to continue to write on iconic California landmarks, using a child’s perspective in giving a brief history behind these treasured places or venues.  My goal is to not only educate but inspire an interest to continue learning, and delving further into the history.  This is why I am so happy with the opening of the Shipyard on the Queen Mary.  A space dedicated to Historic and Archival photos and antique tools.  It is impossible to walk the ship without learning of her history, but the Shipyard has the history right at your fingertips, you can’t help but not learn a little bit by just spending time in this space.  What really draws the crowd is the LEGO model of the Queen Mary built by four certified master LEGO builders, of Britain’s Bright Bricks, that spent four months, 600 man hours, to recreate the Queen Mary with 250,00 LEGO bricks, weighing in at 604 lbs, and 26 feet.  An incredible feat that draws the attention of all, but especially children.  In the last two years, there have been a lot of changes aboard the Queen Mary and my favorite is their focus in drawing the attention of children.  They are in the process of building an interactive children’s museum that will be open in the near future and I cannot wait to see how much fun it will be, because Learning is Fun when given to our younger generations with their thought process in mind.  Our future needs to learn from our past, and it is our responsibility to teach them!

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Our emotions are but a storm

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Life has been a serious of up and down complications the past two weeks that have had me on an emotional roller coaster.  I haven’t posted  because I didn’t want to write about my feelings, but yesterday I remembered that my tag line is “Words of Heart, Mind, & Soul” so if I wrote I would not only be honest with my readers, but honest with myself.  That one thought gave me an epiphany that has given me a new perspective and I wanted to share it with you, because the one thing I know for a fact is that we all have good and bad days.  The weather has been just as tumultuous with this heat wave sending lightening storms throughout the valley, which is what led me to the recognition that I was having the same type of storms in my life.  Calm, blue, and peaceful one moment but dark, grey, clouds, the next, and during bursts of extreme chaos there can be thunder and lightening.  These chaotic storms that are so beautiful outside, are not so beautiful within a person.   I understand now that both are releases of energy and pressure, but can leave a trail of destruction in its wake if aimed at an object.  I ultimately never felt better after an outburst, and was falling in to a deeper level of sadness until the wind blew and changed my emotional state once again to feeling joy. I am only now coming to realize that I cannot always control my feelings, just as not every situation is controllable, but I can control my reaction to said situation.  The new kid’s movie out right now, Inside Out, sums up my blog exactly.  Not to give anything away, if you have yet to see it, but the premise is that our feelings cannot go exist, but throughout the movie, in order to be fully whole, that is exactly what has to happen…..  we must accept our sadness in order to feel true joy.  So, the next time that you feel mad, or sad, take a moment and work through your thoughts instead of trying to deny them or push them to the side, and maybe, just maybe, you will avoid that tumultuous storm!

(Picture Credit: http://www.preparemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/lightning_last_year_by_oompa123.jpg )

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Save Storyland

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We were fortunate to attend the ‘Make Believe’ Event at Toca Madera Winery, a benefit to Save Rotary Storyland & Playland this weekend, where we donated the book, History Comes Alive in Storyland; Fresno’s Storybook Wonderland for the Silent Auction. It was a beautiful location with amazing wine and music and did help to save Storyland, but more is still needed so please donate at www.savestoryland.com.

 

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Book Event @Englelmann Cellars

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Today is the day, ‪#‎sundayfunday‬, for our second book event. We will have books available for sale. A contest for a Queen Mary Day Pass if you Follow the Blog, And the 2nd Book of the series to show! The band has been moved indoors, leaving even more shade to enjoy as the kids run free. Grab your sunscreen and a picnic but All Beverages purchased on site, please! No Entry Fee! Come spend the afternoon with us, anytime 1-4pm, Engelmann Cellars

 

 

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