Author: kimhaynesjohnson

rustic cabin window shelf

Mason jar blush bouquet

faintly perfuming the air with

springtime memories

of carefree days

walking barefoot

through grassy meadows

to a snow-quilted picnic knoll

blanket of sunshine

draping shoulders

drifting off to youthful adventures

on distant hills

sledding in a red coat

waking to yellow butterflies

Japanese cherry blossoms

and bluebirds

Today’s post is written by my father, Reverend Dr. Felix Haynes, Jr., whose birthday is February 13th – the day before Valentine’s Day. As Ken and I celebrate our Dad today, he celebrates his schnoodle, Kona, who nuzzled her way into his life one year ago. And oh, the difference she has made!                                

 IN GRATITUDE FOR KONA – AND APPRECIATION TO MY CHILDREN
Kona came into my life one year ago on Valentine’s Day, the best Valentine ever, a love expression from my children. This schnoodle was 9 months old at the time. She was “rescued” from a home where she was loved by her owner, who was in the midst of an unfortunate situation and was unable to keep her. She got to St. Simon’s Island by relay from Tallahassee, Florida to Albany, Georgia (where Kim received her), then to Tifton, Georgia (where Ken took the baton) and on to St. Simon’s Island late Sunday on Valentine’s Day 2021. Ken and Ginger walked into my home toting this canine bundle. I was undogged and not in the market for another because of the responsibility and emotional dynamics of dogdom.

I had warned my children not to do such a thing. Ken said, “Dad, Kim rescued this puppy, and you have 48 hours to make a decision.”

Kim fell in love with her from Albany to Tifton. I quickly fell in love with this cute little bundle of fur also. No pressure! We walked Kona and played a bit.  Less than an hour later, I had a dog – or, perhaps more truthfully, a dog had me! I knew immediately I would not change her name because I love coffee (Kona is the leeward side of Hawaii where they grow coffee). She sits in the chair with me every morning when I have coffee.

The Florida State University former owner from whom Kona comes, who was wearing his Seminoles t-shirt when he stepped from his truck with her, suggests a bit of Miriam (once a FSU student herself) steering Kona to me. I don’t know.  Maybe. Probably. But I am sure I was meant to have this cherished friend, no doubt.  I would rather have Kona than a brand new Mercedes. She is the best gift.

Kona is appealingly persuasive. She can win the heart of anybody she meets. She does not discriminate and brings a bright spot all over St. Simon’s Island and beyond. She gets 3 or 4 walks a day: pre-dawn (usually 5:30 a.m., to the Pier and back) — 11:00 a.m., around the ballpark (getting a treat at the Recreation Office). She pulls like a dog sled to get through that door—then, at 2:30 p.m. to the dog park. She knows how to tell time.  She has dozens of friends there and has brought so many new friends into my life. We have occasional gatherings at restaurants – a great fraternity. And we meet many people and breeds of dogs from all over the country. This is an enriching dimension to my life – and Kona is responsible for it!

Kona transmits love and joy because she has a divine spark. She has distinctive barks: (1) A shrill woof-woof—let’s play!  (2) a yelp- “Let’s go” (3) a SWEET WOOING WHINE- “pick me up.” (4) A louder repetitive bark –she isn’t happy about something.

She can jump amazingly high and impresses everybody who sees this. It is her eager enthusiasm! She could win the high jump in the Canine Olympics. You must see this to believe it. She can walk on her hind legs in such a way that she could be on Dancing With the Stars. Her tails wags like the flutter of a hummingbird’s wings.

She is an amazing dog, and people who see her give her treats beyond the Recreation Office at the ball park. She gets treats at Parker’s convenience store. She gets a puppy cup (of ice-cream) at Frosty’s. We share it.

She is devious and delightful. When she gets in trouble, she has the most appealing scamper and turns her trouble into a game. She is smart. When she sees I am upset with her, she turns on the charm, looks me in the eyes and pleads, “I didn’t mean to.” There should be more people like Kona.

Kona is total energy with skin pulled over it. She is JOY personified. She is LOVE in the best sense of the word. She is PEACE on my pillow. She warms my bed, brightens my day, challenges my patience. She is an unfailing friend.  I am convinced this sweet little gal is an angel.

One year later, THANKS!

ten feet from our driveway – a bloodbath!

scraps of fur, one tiny claw left

suspect: our resident hawk

victim: baby squirrel?

bittersweet feelings:

we cheer for one,

mourn the wee

furry

catch

***
ask

ourselves:

did it fall

to its death from

the towering pines?

fly talon-pierced away?

little one taken too young

plucked from the warmth of its mother

nourishment for our majestic hawk

I had a Covid picnic in the sun

(whose warmth was bright; it wasn’t all that cold)

at least a quarter mile from everyone

authentic Vitamin D was my goal

one fighting orange for Vitamin C 

a mason jar of water: fluids forced

Ritz Crackers – all one really ever needs

DayQuil, store brand the company outsourced 

picnic blanket, family Christmas gift 

computer writing – for that healing lift!

Iambic pentameter is five heartbeats with the emphasis on the second syllable – paPUM, paPUM, paPUM, paPUM, paPUM. The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean Sonnet is Ababcdcdefefgg, comprised of three quatrains and a rhyming couplet.

Alice, you charmer!

You sweep, mop floors to a shine!

You’ve got my back, friend!

Carol Brady said

you’d be the best at this task

you’re worth more than gold!

Several years ago, my son and daughter in law told me that they loved their vacbot so much that if it died that day, they’d go get a new one that evening. With 3 dogs, they said, ”it saves us from the dog hair!”

We have 3 non-shedders, but the dirt from going inside and out on a wood floor is no small task. Floors have always been my husband’s task, so as his Christmas present last year, I hinted that I’d like a vacbot that sweeps and mops. He brought Alice home, and we’ve been hearing The Brady Bunch theme ever since she started working her magic.

What a blessing to come home to a clean floor every day! I think if Alice dies today, Alice II will be here by evening.

I’m on the lookout for a cookbot…..

This week’s topic at http://www.sharingourstoriesmagic.com is snow. Having grown up on an island in South Georgia and remained in the deep south all my life, I have never been around much snow that I can remember. That’s why my best memories of snow are from a church youth trip that we took to go snow skiing in Sky Valley.

The Pie in the Sky Valley 

The First Baptist Church  of St. Simons Island, Georgia youth group took a trip to go snow skiing in Sky Valley in the 1970s. The Edwards family of Edwards Pie Company just happened to be among the members of the church, and they generously loaned us their lodge for the trip. Funny how a simple word like “snow” can prompt such memories – – I remember so much – and so little – from the winter wonderland scenes of our time high up on that mountainside in the cabin. I was absolutely mesmerized by the icicles and the sparkling trees heavy-laden with snow, and feeling it crunch underfoot when we walked in it, feeling the cold air shock our lungs in ways that we were not used to inhaling cold, dry air. I imagine this is how it would have felt stepping out of the back of the wardrobe into Narnia. So unexpected. So surreal. Island kids, we were all used to sand between our toes – not snow under our feet.

We had Bible studies in the main room of the lodge , sitting in a circle next to the fireplace on the door wall as we shared in fellowship. Julian Ward was our youth minister back in those days. He talked about scripture and brought the Bible’s words to life for us through illuminating the passages. Jesus was not just a concept – He became real to us, and we grew to know Him. The Word became not only relevant, but a guiding force in our lives, and retreats like these were part of what anchored us and solidified our bond as Christian youth.

The boys bunked in one big room, girls in the other. To the immediate left of the front door, there was a small kitchen for preparing food and our favorite drink – hot chocolate. One chaperone made according to directions: one teaspoon of cocoa in six ounces of water – which was waaaaay too watery, but she would not be corrected. Everyone, especially the Hallmark Channel, knows that hot chocolate is only good when it’s heavy on the cocoa and marshmallows. Nevertheless, we drank it just to get warm. There was a long table for dining – and we savored that time together around the table back when people still did that sort of thing. When I look back on these times, I feel blessed to have been among the last generation to understand the importance of the dinner table, and sorrowful that so many of today’s children do not. The disappearance of the dinner table is probably much the same way my grandparents and great grandparents felt about the disappearance of the front porch. Oh no, the world is going to Hell in a handbasket!

Those were what we now call the good old days – before screens took the places of faces, when we still knew how to get along in big groups or to suck it up and deal with it if we had a disagreement about something, and when we appreciated the togetherness of simpler times. As hard as it was, we knew back in those days how to actually apologize and mend fences – to overcome rifts, forgive, and move on. And the next time we found a rift, we did the same thing again. No social media to keep pouring toxic salt in our wounds made things easier.

I reached out to some friends who were also on that trip to see what has stuck with them after all these years. Don Wheeler and I lost our mothers at about the same time of the year (different years), but we both understand the heartache of holiday loss of our mothers. I remember our mothers bringing casseroles for Wednesday night covered dish suppers, and our families being at church together every Sunday. Dad told me about a time he saw Don recently in a restaurant when Don came over to the table to chat. When Dad went to pay his bill, Don had beat him to it – tip and all! Don sent me some photos. I believe we actually went to the Edwards’ cabin more than once for retreats, because in his photos, the lake is not frozen and there is no snow. Don writes:

Kim, I think you took these photos. Do you remember finding that old cabin?
Riding in that bus through the mountains was thrilling. Also tubing down towards the lake.

Lisa Strickland Warren is a friend who lived right around the corner from me. We rode bikes all over St. Simons Island together and spent time climbing the giant oak tree in front of Candy Pruitt’s house, swinging on the rope swing from the tall branches. She lost a son, Michael, New Years Eve (2009, I believe), a student at the University of Georgia who did regular missions work and was going into the missions field. His legacy lives on in powerful ways – many have come to know Christ through Michael, and he has never stopped orchestrating his good works here – now, he does it from Heaven. He sends cardinals to his mother, sister, and father regularly to let them know he is still at work here, but he’s loving life in Heaven. The seeds of our assurances of this life being a temporary place were sown in that youth group in the 1970s. Because of our steadfast faith that was built in those days together as youth, Don, Lisa and I rest assured every single day that we will be reunited with all those we love in time. Each moment here is but a blip on the dash.

Lisa remembers us all wearing blue jeans when we went to Sky Valley to go skiing.

That was so much fun! I had no idea how to ski and surely didn’t have a cute ski outfit! We wore jeans that were sprayed with Scotchgard! I remember the bus couldn’t get to the lodge so we had to walk down the road that was covered with snow with our luggage! I think my favorite part was tubing in the back yard! If you went too fast you ended up on the frozen lake!

I have lost all memory of the bus and the cabin we found in the woods , but I do remember those blue jeans – only mine were not Scotchgarded, and on one fall, I left a blue skidstreak in the snow from the as-of-yet-unwashed denim. I was positioned in such a way that getting back up required help. Some guy on the ski lift yelled out from overhead, ”Will somebody please help that girl? This is my third time going up the lift and she still hasn’t moved!” I was both embarrassed and relieved at the same time when help arrived.

That’s why I was relieved when Lisa added, “….and now I’m retired from skiing! Been there, done that!” I think we were all fortunate that no one broke anything. I replied, “Me, too. And rollercoasters. I’m retired from rollercoasters, too.”

But the one thing I am pretty sure we would all do again well into our fifties is tube down that snow-covered hill. There was nothing more magical, more exhilarating than speeding downhill through the freezing air, lips and cheeks chapped, eyes stinging, toes and fingers practically frostbitten, ears suffering cold-weather earaches, praying we didn’t end up too far out on the frozen lake where the ice was too thin. Some things we just never outgrow – like the magic of snow, and our faith!

Never, ever on

Sunday afternoon should you

take a nap halfway.

Sleep deeply, fully

chasing rabbits in the woods

in a dreamland world….

….wake up not knowing

who you are or where you live,

looking for rabbits ….

Nothing excites me like a new writing tool. It doesn’t matter whether the tools are for 3 year olds or 103 year olds – – I feel a thrilling invitation to discover a new writing adventure whenever I uncover something new to inspire my mind and pen to dance a tango across the page. Normally, I would have sent this new discovery to my grandchildren, but I wanted to see this one first to check it out. To play. To write. To envision. I’m so inspired that I have decided to keep this set of story cards and order them a set of their own. They’re like Rory’s Story Cubes on steroids.

When a gold seal on a box says the thing inside won the Oppenheim Best Toy Award, I’m like that kid at Christmas who rips right in without pause. The instructions for Create-a-Story offer several options. I’m choosing to sort through the cards and choose 7 or 8 as “ingredient pictures” to create a story – to whip up an original recipe in the same way a pastry chef creams some butter and sugar and then beats an egg and folds in some flour. So here are my card ingredients……and here is my story:

Visions of Cinnamon Sugarplum Donuts

When Nana and Poppy visit their grandchildren whose names are Beckham, River, Saylor, and Sawyer for Christmas, they cross the state line from Georgia to South Carolina with mind-growing gifts for their little platypus, hedgehog, squirrel, and skunk. After a meal of Chick Fil-A chicken nuggets and lemonade tea, the gift-opening festivities begin.

In 2021, Saylor had a baking Christmas. She got a donut maker, an apron and chef’s hat, her own set of bowls and utensils (not the play kind, either, y’all – – hers are the real grownup kind), and a box of brown sugar cinnamon donut mix. Even though she had never made donuts before, she knew her mommy would help her gather all of the ingredients to make the world’s most perfect donuts – even better than ice cream with cherries and sprinkles on top, and that her daddy would be so proud! While her brothers River and Sawyer zipped around the living room on their new hover boards from Santa (occasionally coming to help stir and sample) and her daddy helped get her baby brother Beckham upstairs to take his nap, Saylor went straight to work making donuts with her mom.

Saylor also sensed that her Nana, the one with the sweet tooth who loves candy and sugary desserts, secretly hoped that her granddaughter would open her own bakery someday and invent a whole new line of her own magical desserts that would bring smiles and laughter to everyone who stepped through her bakery doors. And that she would also have free little doggie treats set out on the counter for all the customers to give to their dogs (and maybe even their cats, too, if their cats were as nice as her own cat, Titten, who as a young kitten had been flung from a car by a drunk man in a fit of rage in the rain while screaming at his crying wife right in the middle of the road and then rescued into the loving home of Saylor and her family, taking on the name Titten from her baby brother’s attempts to say “kitten”).

Her very first donuts amazed and dazzled the entire family tree, including those dearly departed who returned from Heaven in spirit at the mere smell of these donuts just to check things out and plant invisible kisses on the foreheads of their delightful little squirrel and hedgehog and skunk and platypus, and for the rest of the day they all sang and danced and celebrated the donut queen’s sweetly seasoned culinary skills at the tender age of four. Nana and Poppy wore themselves out with all the energy and excitement of the day, and they returned home to a night of deep sleep, visions of magical brown sugar cinnamon donuts dancing in their heads just like all those storied sugarplums they never understood….until now.

Thank you to Reverend Dr. Felix Haynes, Jr., for being today’s guest blogger. Today, he honors the power of a teacher to make a difference! Our family tree and wider kinship of friends has deep roots in teaching, preaching, and all things education. His writing today is inspired by his desire to learn more about the artist who painted a picture that hangs in his coastal Georgia home.

The Power of a Teacher

An original watercolor painting of a Lowcountry coastal scene, its quality evident, adorns the front wall of my St. Simons Island, Georgia home. As I often view it, I feel the inward pull of a kayak journey through some of the winding contours of marshes and creeks on the island. The area at the East Beach causeway winds through a marsh expanse all the way to Gould’s Inlet, and the dock scenes along the way suggest the aura of the painting.

I bought this piece at an auction in Blackshear, Georgia 18 years ago in a grouped lot of pictures. How such a gem made its way to South Georgia, I can only imagine -it was likely passed down to some family member who didn’t hold the same awareness and appreciation for the piece before it found a welcome home with me. I always love the research and exploration of any such collectible item. I learn a lot in these pursuits. This one led me on an inspiring culmination of memorable blessing. 

My quest started with the signature of the artist—Martha K Schauer – and led me to encounters with the Dayton, Ohio Institute of Art, through some internet information, and to a prominent New York Times columnist. Martha K Schauer was born in Troy, Ohio and graduated from Steele High school in Dayton in 1908. Her college and graduate education occurred at Pratt Institute in New York, and at Wittenberg University in Ohio. She is listed in Who’s Who in American Art and Who’s Who in American Women. Her art collection appears in many prominent American museums, private collections, and art books. She was a high school teacher in Springfield, Illinois and at Stivers High School in Dayton, Ohio between 1910 and 1957. Additionally, she taught night classes at the Dayton Art Institute and was Director of the Saturday Institute of Art in Dayton from 1926 through 1956. The weekend art schools drew numerous aspiring artists through those years. (This and other information retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/111236439/martha-k-schauer).

Her resume is impressive, as was the impact of her life on the world of art. Formidable is the word that comes into the heart of students and teachers alike when they consider Martha K Schauer. When I called the Dayton Art Institute and spoke with their historian, the conversation was lively and glowing with gratitude for her legacy. The Dayton Institute has a small collection of the works of Schauer. This historian informed me that her art is still popular and sought after when something comes available. A mosaic began to emerge as I continued reading and researching. 

Martha was tall, striking, and never wore make-up. She spoke with confident authority. One writer described her as having mesmerizing hazel eyes with arrow-like gaze as she spoke with a glistening sparkle behind the spectacles. Another said, “she had a marshmallow heart” – a balanced bit of steel and velvet. 

She was recognized widely as an artist with great talent and skill. Most of her work was done in watercolor, and she was regarded as a master in the field. The museum canvases which I viewed online depict watercolors of red geraniums, pink peonies, morning glories, and golden marigolds. Similar paintings surely brighten the walls of many homes.  One observer said, “she could paint water in a vase so wet and clear that it makes you thirsty to look at it.”

Many of her pupils entered the field of art as teachers, advertising artists, cartoonists, illustrators, decorators and fine artists. Among the many stories that could be told about Martha K Schauer, I want to share a slice of one of her most famous artists, Milton Caniff. Schauer taught art to hundreds of young people. The artist-teacher personality sometimes requires careful attention and management. Such was the case with Caniff. 

Martha recognized the unusual talent of Milton. She knew he had potential greatness and the prospect of becoming a top-flight artist.  However, he was a challenge – a gregarious kid who tried out for literally everything:  school plays, cheer-leading, and who joined all the clubs. 

In time, he fell in love with a girl who became a positive and persuasive influence. She badgered him into going to college to seek another direction than acting. Somehow, she was able to keep him focused, and he finished college in five bumpy years. 

In 1932, Milton Caniff moved to New York with an artist’s job with the Associated Press. He took over some of the tasks of the great artist Al Capp and developed many well-known comic strips which were nationally syndicated, such as TERRY AND THE PIRATES, featuring the blonde bombshell Burma. Caniff spoke well through cartoons to many relevant issues. Finally, the cartoon STEVE CANYON was born and thrived throughout a captivating longevity. Caniff’s cartoon career continued, and he depicted countless American events in a gripping manner. The cartoons reflected the highest level of skill and content. 

As the years passed in his art career, Milton Caniff became the most honored man in his profession because of the formidable force of Martha K Schauer.  The lucrative career and the relationship behind it reveals the incredible power of a teacher. Milton never forgot her. 

Roz Young of the NEW YORK TIMES dug out a news article she had done (after an interview with Caniff) for the Chicago Tribune and sent it to me, an article which speaks not only of the power of a teacher but also of the love for one. Young shared, “Every time he came back to his hometown, he went to visit her.  They had a great time laughing about the old days and reminiscing.”

As the years passed, Schauer lost her hearing and sight and had to enter a nursing home. This passionate artist was cut off from the world of art, books and music – and perhaps, many relationships. But Milton never stopped coming to visit her.  Roz Young reports that Martha always knew the kiss and touch of Milton’s hands – and they always brought smiles to her aged face. 

In March 1985, Martha died at age 96. Caniff dropped his work and flew to New York and shared words at her memorial service. He spoke from his heart and said, “Most of us have a person outside our families who have a profound influence on our lives…mine was Martha K Schauer! This stately lady taught high school art to a knucklehead crowd! She graded us against ourselves. If she thought I was goofing off, she cut my grade from an A to a B minus. I got the message.”

Milton Caniff spoke of Schauer’s views of art to inspire others and make a difference. He also commented that “just before graduation, she called me into her office to tell me that I was not developing to my potential and that I should be punished.”

The following October, Caniff used the Steve Canyon comic strip to tell the world, who knew little of Schauer, how he felt about her.  He spoke of her caring influence. The tribute speaks of the debt we all owe at least one teacher – a teacher who sets our feet on the right path and pulls back the curtain of the future, showing us a glimpse of what we might become. 

Teachers! I am grateful for teachers who prompt, prod, and persuade us to more lofty horizons. Our teachers and mentors shape our lives and help us play a part in making a better world.  

Incidentally, I also learned through the Dayton Art Institute that the painting on my wall is not a Lowcountry scene, but a scene in Kennebunkport, Maine.

What is this fresh fun?

Beating my head on the wall…..

using all letters

Mastermind with words

the game of letter logic

six tries, then you’re done!

I’m a Wordle fan –

a glutton for punishment

strategic guesses…..

If you haven’t played Wordle, take note: it’s like having one potato chip a day.