{"id":7927,"date":"2021-05-03T10:13:23","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T14:13:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/?p=7927"},"modified":"2021-05-03T12:12:43","modified_gmt":"2021-05-03T16:12:43","slug":"oh-monday-me-_-poem-and-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/oh-monday-me-_-poem-and-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Oh, Monday Me! – Thoughts About Little Things"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dogwood<\/a>

Dogwood tree in bloom – in Pennsylvania.<\/p><\/div>\n

May 3, 2021<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Oh, Monday Me!<\/span><\/h1>\n

Walking by Inner Vision Blog<\/span><\/h1>\n

<\/h1>\n

\u00a0“It’s About the Little Things”<\/span><\/h3>\n

by<\/span> <\/span><\/h4>\n

Lynda McKinney Lambert\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

pink Dogwood petals<\/em><\/span>
\nwistful memories trickle<\/em><\/span>
\ntimely \u00a0morning rain<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

It must be the soft rainfall this morning that brings nostalgic thoughts of the little things I miss since I retired in the late summer of 2008. It is nearly thirteen years since a shiny<\/span> golden sign on my office door announced:<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Prof. Lynda Lambert<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Fine Arts and Humanities<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Retirement is something most people plan for well in advance. Most settle into it slowly and anticipate all the things you want to do during retirement years. They are usually little things we never have time to do because of our intense working schedule. I looked forward to retirement because I envisioned a life with a lot more time to work on various new projects. At the age of sixty-four, I believed I would be in the classroom for at least one more decade.<\/span><\/p>\n

I did not plan to retire early because I had so much that I still wanted to do in my career at a private \u00a0Christian college. I taught courses in Humanities, English Literature, and Fine Art at Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA. <\/span><\/p>\n

Besides, this was the first time in eleven years of working as a full-time tenured professor that I would take a Sabbatical. I looked forward to an entire semester when I could do research and study the life and work of an eleventh-century nun, Hildegard of Bingen.<\/span><\/p>\n

My plans changed quickly when I was struck by Ischemic Optic Neuropathy.<\/span><\/p>\n

On New Year’s Day, 2007 – the sight in my right eye disappeared. Ten months later, the vision in my left eye vanished, too. There is no warning about this destructive event, and once it happens, nothing can fix it. The following year in my life is a blur of rehabilitation and personal adjustment to blindness training. It would be two hard years of work to even begin to use a computer again or learn to read by using machines and adjusting to knowing just about everything using adaptive technologies for the blind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I retired from teaching in the late summer of 2008. My retirement was nothing I had planned to do because I was on Sabbatical for the first time in my career at the college.<\/span><\/p>\n

My Sabbatical project was an investigation of the life and work of Hildegard of Bingen. I gathered copies of her writings and began to read her books. I was particularly interested in her visions and dream imagery in her artwork. I was curious about how a woman at this time in history could have flourished as she did in areas of religion, music, language, writing, art, and the creation of a monastic order in Germany.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hildegard was a Benedictine nun who lived from 1098 \u2013 17 September 1179.<\/span><\/p>\n

This caused me to think about what I miss in the years since I retired from teaching.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaving academia caused an enormous void in my life. The absence caused me to realize that it is the tiny things that make life most satisfying.<\/span><\/p>\n

I miss the rich and deep conversations I enjoyed with dedicated students and colleagues dedicated to life-long learning.<\/span><\/p>\n

I miss the short and warm conversations on the stairways as we went up and down and stopped to chat about something fascinating.<\/span><\/p>\n

I miss the inside jokes that only an English professor would think is funny.<\/span><\/p>\n

I miss staying up most nights to prepare for rigorous discussions the next day.<\/span><\/p>\n

I miss spending most weekends in my recliner, reading student papers, and sipping from a pot of tea.<\/span><\/p>\n

I often long for short conversations like those we sometimes had in the copy room while waiting our turn to make copies of our handouts for the next class. Colleagues discussed subtle nuances of literature, favorite philosophers, art history, music performances,<\/span><\/p>\n

theater engagements, history, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

I miss all the little conversations that took place throughout the day with students and others on campus.<\/span><\/p>\n

I miss collegiality \u2013 a common bond that we had together across disciplines.<\/span><\/p>\n

I walked outside this morning with my grey umbrella and my two dogs. This is our morning ritual. I turned back to have another look at the flowering Dogwood tree. This tree is magnificent today. My husband and I planted this tree about fifty years ago. It has grown to be a handsome tree, and it is covered with soft pink blossoms in early May.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Photos taken in the rain this morning .\u00a0 May 3, 2021. by Lynda McKinney Lambert.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~ \u273d\u2726\u273d\u273f\u273d\u2726\u273d ~<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Learn more about Hildegard:\u00a0\u00a0Here<\/a><\/p>\n

Lynda McKinney Lambert is a retired college professor of fine arts and humanities. Retirement from teaching in 2008 opened the door for her to write full-time. Lynda explores the themes of landscape, mythology,\u00a0 time, pilgrimage, fine arts and literature .<\/p>\n

Lynda has five published books.\u00a0 Her work appears in international anthologies and literary magazines .\u00a0 She was nominated for the Skirt Best-of-the-Net Award.\u00a0 Her most recent award\u00a0 is “Special Mention for a body of work (six poems)”\u00a0 by Proverse (Hong Kong) in Mingled Voices5, Anthology, published in April 2021.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

New –\u00a0 Songs for the Pilgrimage<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Book<\/a>

Published April 13, 2021.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0DLD Books<\/a><\/p>\n

~ \u273d\u2726\u273d\u273f\u273d\u2726\u273d ~<\/span><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Read more about the Asian lily named, Forever Susan Lily<\/em> Here<\/a><\/p>\n

Published:<\/p>\n

This article is Courtesy of Lynda McKinney Lambert. Copyright 2021. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

~ \u273d\u2726\u273d\u273f\u273d\u2726\u273d ~<\/span><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

BREAKING NEWS:<\/h3>\n

Listen to Lynda read her poem at the Spring Reception in \u00a0Hong Kong. Listen now!<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

Published:<\/h2>\n

Mingled Voices 5: International Proverse Poetry Prize<\/em> <\/strong>Anthology 2020\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \"Mingled<\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n

\u00a0Lynda received <\/em><\/h2>\n

Special Mention for a Body of Work <\/em><\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Listen to Lynda read her poem at the Spring Reception in \u00a0Hong Kong. Listen now!<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n

Spring Reception \u00a0– Here<\/a><\/p>\n

My Books – Buy Here<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

~ \u273d\u2726\u273d\u273f\u273d\u2726\u273d ~<\/span><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pennsylvania author shares a haiku poem – and her thoughts on a rainy morning id early May.
\nCome on over to the blog and enjoy her short personal story. Inspiring the beautiful. <\/p>\n Continue reading →<\/span><\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8939,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trusting-god"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Dogwood10_April2012-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1920&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4gbwn-23R","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4991,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/easter-sunday-morning\/","url_meta":{"origin":7927,"position":0},"title":"Easter Sunday Morning","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"April 19, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Easter Sunday Morning,\" is a poem by Pennsylvania author and artist, Lynda McKinney Lambert. Read it today on her blog, \"Walking by Inner Vision.\"","rel":"","context":"In "#Trusting God"","block_context":{"text":"#Trusting God","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/trusting-god\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Sedum_Rocks3.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Sedum_Rocks3.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Sedum_Rocks3.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Sedum_Rocks3.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Sedum_Rocks3.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6416,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/now-we-are-three-recording-1_2\/","url_meta":{"origin":7927,"position":1},"title":"Now, we are three…Four Pennsylvania Poets","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"February 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Pennsylvania author and atist shares her early beginnings as a member of a small group of women who met regularly for over 15 years, to write and read poetry together. 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The sun was warm and the day was brighter than I expected it to be as it moved westward across the sky above us. 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You can enter your nature-themed writing for consideration and you might find your own poetry there one morning when you open your E-mail.","rel":"","context":"In "#Trusting God"","block_context":{"text":"#Trusting God","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/trusting-god\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/18_WoodsPath_3.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/18_WoodsPath_3.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/18_WoodsPath_3.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/18_WoodsPath_3.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/18_WoodsPath_3.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7927"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8948,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7927\/revisions\/8948"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}