I'm sitting in my living room next to the fire place in my mother's old petticoat chair.  What's a petticoat chair?

 

It's a chair with a full back but only one arm and side so as to accommodate a lady's petticoats without crushing them. My mother's old petticoat chair is pink velvet and, coincidentally, though I don't wear petticoats, the open right side perfectly accommodates the computer on my lap as I sit by the fire, drink tea, read e-mail, write and….confession time….diddle around on Facebook.  

 

I have been materially blessed all my life.  I've never wanted for food, clothing or shelter.  I know that everyone isn't so lucky and I'm grateful.

Sometimes as I sit by the fire and consider my snug, warm and beautiful surroundings,  I have a sense of wonder.  I love everything here.  Perhaps too much.  

There are times, however, when I feel overwhelmed with sadness, realizing that my life, with all of its wondrous pleasures and gifts, is quickly galloping by.  Just as this chair was not my mother's forever, it shall not be mine forever either. 

It's been said so often as to become cliche, but when everything else passes away, only love remains. 

 

Forever

This fireplace and pink velvet chair

Where I drink tea and idly stare

Will not be mine forever

This little house deep in the woods

Where life has been both full and good

Cannot be mine forever

Nor can this yard behind the fence

Where ivy creeps and lank weeds bend

Belong to me forever

These two deft hands with fine blue veins

How sad to say not even they

Will be my hands forever

But the smile you give me when I wake

And all the love we two have made

I know are mine forever

And I thank you, Love, my treasure

 

My love and I 

 

 

I do want to tell you that I am releasing an all piano album shortly.  It is a set of 13 nocturnes I've been composing over the last year.  It is in Nashville now being mastered by the great Randall Merryman (who has been the recording and mastering engineer for many years to some of the biggest stars in music and yet, for some reason, is always so good to me. Thank you, Randall!)  I'll let you know when the album is finished and available.  

 

Also, I'm going to try turning on the comments again.  That function has been off for months now as I keep getting spammed by what I suspect are Asian counterfeiters of high end, designer merchandise.  How, oh how did my little website earn their unwanted notice?????

 

And last, I ask you, as always, to please share Dogwood Daughter with someone else.  I have no marketing or advertising budget, only word of mouth from good people like you.  Thank you!

 

Be Well and Good Luck

Martha Maria