In a book
A bookmark was found
A father's day gift
To your daddy
A picture of you
On a paper tie
Upon it when you
Were very little
Somehow to me
You still look the same
Although the book's
Pages have yellowed
For a moment
It was yesterday
Bookmarked in time
Forever between
Pages
By Lorraine Stark
Designs
Mosaic patterns by leaves that fall
Brighten the parched earth from summer’s heat
A silent signal noticed by all
Crisp autumn air and apples picked sweet
Beneath moonlight the owls do call
As lovers engage their own beat
Piles of leaves and giggles can be heard
Above the mating songs of birds
By Lorraine Stark
Bonds
The wood bench
Had weathered
In its stationary
State
Upon it scratches, nicks
Engraved names and
Initials
Old peanut shells
Signatures left
Idle now
As the carousel
Horses that once
Went round and round
It beckoned an
Old man some refuge
To rest and sit down
For a while
Like broken branches
That cling before
They fall
The old park bench
Gave comfort again
And as the sun
Began to set
Two silhouettes
Blended so well
By Lorraine Stark
Some are as real
And as natural
To the eye
As breathing
Air
Some are chemically
Combined
To fill our
Artistic flair
Doesn’t matter
They touch your
Heart
Each and everyone
Only you understand
Why
Don’t try to figure
It out
They line up as
Equal brothers
Waiting in the
Grandstand
All the colors
Get along
Each one as
Individual
As you and I
Perhaps someday
Man will see
No differences
And share and
Feel the same
Camaraderie
Like the colors
That stand side
By side
Inside a box of
Crayons
By Lorraine Stark
While they ate their banana I
just happened to be eating one too,
it seems we share the same taste
for some food.
But thank heavens, I feel no urge
to swing from the trees, although it
looks like fun, I’d rather not have
two broken knees.
Monkey see, monkey do, makes one
wonder who’s watching who and
best of all their smiles are
contagious, what a sweet disease
to spread upon faces just thinking
about theirs made me smile right
away a going away gift from the
monkeys at the zoo.
By Lorraine Stark
Her shadow crossed his storefront everyday.
She never paused once, or glanced to notice,
The man inside who had fallen in love;
With this beautiful women he hoped to-
Share his life with, if he could just get her
Attention he would introduce himself.
His heart began to ache realizing
This is just a fools infatuation
Then one day as he was closing the store,
There she was just as he hoped for, real.
By Lorraine Stark
Miles had no distance
Upon the seat of my bike
Peddling faster there
Without an itinerary
We arrived at real and
Imaginary places our
Only escort the wind
And I the captain of
The handlebars chose
Each route for our journey
On Saturday mornings
Riding my Schwinn
Now a fond childhood
Memory rests with the
Brake stand on
By Lorraine Stark
LEGO Interactive Exhibit - Play-Well TEKnologies, an organization that offers LEGO-inspired.engineering classes for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade, presented an interactive LEGO exhibit in the Matthews Community Center. On that Saturday, festival visitors were able to partake in the building of the exhibition which was then on display for the rest of the festival.
Parade Length - the Matthews Alive Parade is one of the longest Labor Day Parades in the Southeast. The Parade included over 100 participants and lasted about an hour and a half.
Parade Start Time - the Matthews Alive Parade will be started at 9:30 this year, an hour earlier than past years. Festival organizers hoped that this change allowed parade participants and attendees to be cooler in the heat and limit train interruptions. Since the weather this year was already beautiful, the earlier start time only made the experience that much better.
Mission - Matthews Alive is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is "provide an opportunity for local non-profit groups to raise funds for their organization to benefit the community." Matthew's Alive has donated over 1.6 million dollars to local nonprofits and lists 34 organizations who benefitted this year.
Volunteers - The festival is almost entirely volunteer operated. Over 2000 volunteers assisted during the festival, as well as the months leading up to it. Organizations who receive funds from Matthews Alive provided many of the volunteers for the festival who helped with everything from ticketing, to trash pickup, to managing the games.
Side by side they stood
A mirror of the other
A passing equal to,
One’s mother, one’s father.
Now both are gone
We face the void
Silence accompanies the wind.
There is no hand left to join the other
Their beauty remains in our hearts
A couple has died side by side,
Our meeting was as brief as a hummingbird’s pause.
By Lorraine Stark
Down the block
He’s almost here
The glistening Frosty
Ice-cream truck
That you waited all
Day to come
Remember running so fast
When you finally heard
It’s pre-recorded song
You swore you could hear
It blocks away
You’d run inside
Quick, quick money please
Before he goes away
And dash outside again
And you’d have to run
An extra block
To catch the glistening truck
And all the time breathlessly
Thinking, Oh please wait for me
But you didn’t care
You were just a kid in
Love with the ice-cream truck
And nothing else
Could ever compare
On a hot summers day
I swear I hear
Mr.Frosty
I’ve gotta run
I guess I’m still
A kid at heart
Please wait for me again
By Lorraine Stark
You can't see him
but he's everywhere
mixing his potion of
heat and humidity and
if that wasn't enough
like a wizard he can
whip up thunderstorms
on a moments notice just
so you know it’s Leo's turn,
after all it’s August as he roars
in time with each strike of
lightning and as if we haven't
had enough he finds delight
knowing thermometers are
breaking new records while
beads of sweat become our
armor against his rage I'll be
thinking about the cooler days
and nights of autumn and crickets
serenades
By Lorraine Stark
Did you know that the first week of August is National Simplify your Life week? Here are a few ways you can simplify things in your home, at work, and in your mind.
All images via Unsplash
Declutter - Did you know that there are more reasons to declutter your home than the obvious (less clutter)? According to Psychology Today, it has several psychological benefits as well. It forces you to use decision making and problem solving skills as you prioritize the stuff you have and come up with solutions on how to store it. It can also reduce anxiety, because we lack of order sometimes causes stress. Humans may have evolved to respond this way, because a lack of order in was most likely disadvantageous for early humans. Finally, decluttering might give your mind an opportunity to wander and take a break from your usual thinking.
Prep for Tomorrow - How many times a day do we feel rushed because we are doing something at the last minute? This week, make yourself a list of things you can do to get yourself ready for the next day, even if it’s just one or two activities. Pack your lunch the night before. Before you leave the office, jot down a quick list of what you want to get done tomorrow, Pick out your clothes, pack your work and gym bag, and prep your breakfast. You’ll be surprised how much more smoothly your morning goes the next day.
Embrace "No" - Sometimes, its okay to say no. Many of us are people pleasers (myself included) and we often find ourselves taking on projects or activities that are not beneficial to ours or others lives. If you’re constantly overextending yourself and it’s affecting your mental well-being, use this week as an excuse to practice saying “no” and see if it doesn’t help your outlook.
Prioritize your time - Embracing “no” leads me to the next tip, prioritize time. Now that you’ve gotten some time back by politely declining activities, be mindful of how you spend that time. How much time do you spend mindlessly checking your phone, your email, your twitter feed? Check out from your screens during set hours each day, or only allow yourself to check your phone at the top of every hour.
Give Yourself a Break - Treat yourself to a destressing activity that you enjoy. Go for a hike. Read a book. Get a massage. Do nothing.
On a budget for the summer? Here are 5 FREE dates you can and your plus one can do right here in Matthews. Bonus points if you take a selfie and tag @matthewsbeacon with the #MatthewsDateNight!
PDA in front of PDA - Did you know that the giant heart sculpture outside of Stumptown Park is called “Public Display of Affection”? (If you read this Beacon article from 2018 you do!) What better excuse to demonstrate your affection than to do so in front of iconic Matthews public art piece. (This writer strongly encourages you to keep your PDA rated G).
Checkers at Country Place Park- You and your better half can enjoy the sunshine and decide once and for all who is the board champion. Country Place Park, near Matthews United Methodist church has 3 tables with checkerboard tops for public use, as well as a pollinator garden and bee themed art. Feel like it’s not a free date because you have to go buy your own checkers pieces? Save yourselves some bottle caps from your not-free-dates and make yourself some bottle cap checkers.
Walking Tour - Did you know the Matthews has its own FREE self-guided walking tour you can follow? Print out the tour, put on your walking shoes, and take turns narrating the history and culture as you travel around town.
Lecture at the Library - The library has more to offer than just free books (though that’s still pretty awesome). They also offer opportunities to hear talks on subjects like earth friendly way to greenifying your lawn, how to relax through mindfulness and meditation, or a chance to read, write, and discuss poetry.
Volunteer - One of the best ways to strengthen the bonds of an existing relationship is to commit to a shared activity-like volunteering. Matthews has over 55 nonprofits just registered with the Chamber of Commerce, many of which would eagerly appreciate four extra hands. Help HAWK maintain their garden at Squirrel Lake Park, sort donations at the Matthews Help Center food pantry or help build a home with Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity.
Hats off to summer
To the creaking slap
Of screen doors
To fly-swatters
Once in reserve
Now on active duty
To the 1812 overture
On the Fourth of July
Accompanied by thunder
To fireworks
That make a
Black summer’s night
A kaleidscope of colors
To rainbows
That surprise you
After a thunderstorm
To white sheets
On clothes-lines
That flap
Like birds wings
To seagulls standing
By the shore
Watching waves like surfers
To making sandcastles
And finding hermit-crabs
To the sand in your shoes
When you arrive home
To finding a homemade
Lemonade stand
On a hot day
To the smile
Upon the faces
Of the children
That serve you
To front porches
With rocking chairs
Occupied
To strangers
Who nod hello
To earlier sunrises
And later sunsets
For lazy times ahead
To summer
To all
It unfolds.
By Lorraine Stark
Via Unsplash
Summer is the perfect time for vacations. Time for your sister to load up the car with all her kids for a gathering of the cousins, time for your old college roommates to finally make that road trip to come and see you, or time for in-laws to watch the kids for a week or two while they’re out of school. While everyone loves a good reunion, we all need our space sometimes. Perhaps your home is too small for all your guests, or you can only survive a week with your mother-in-law if you have your own space. Either way, these 5 Matthews options will allow your guests to feel right at home while they’re here, even if it’s not in yours.
The Lemmond House Bed & Breakfast: Offer your guests a little sliver of historical Matthews during their stay in the 28105! The Lemmond House Bed & Breakfast is located right on Trade Street, in the heart of downtown Matthews. You may have driven or walked by it many times without ever even knowing it was there (I did!). The Lemmond Family first built the home in the early 1900s and their family remained there through the 1980s. Today it is owned, operated, and continuously renovated by Bill and Connie Clayton. The Bed & Breakfast offers two second-floor guest rooms, each with a private bath equipped with jacuzzi tub and walk-in showers. Breakfast options include french toast, bacon, eggs with cheese, fruit salad, coffee, and juice. Each of the two rooms can be rented for $149 a night and allows for children over the age of 12 (with adult supervision), but no pets. (Images via Owner’s website)
Matthews Manor Charlotte Bed and Breakfast: Beautiful Matthews Manor is located less than half a mile from Squirrel Lake Park and has four lovely rooms available to rent, with prices ranging from $150-$220 a night. The 7,000 square foot home was originally built in 1973 and used to be part of a 52-acre farm. Your out-of-town guests will be able to rent mountain bikes from the Manor for use on the greenway, have access to a kitchen exclusively for guests, a game room with purple-felted pool table, and swimming pool.(Images via Owner’s website)
The BOHOPad Airbnbnb: If your guests are looking for a unique place at a reasonable price, then the BOHOPad is the place for them. Complete with vaulted ceilings, intricate tile work, and brightly colored walls and decor, the BOHOPad is a hidden bohemian gem in Matthews. The home can accommodate up to 6 guests, with one queen bed, two single beds, a sleeper sofa, and two baths for only $84 a night. Guests will have access to the entire home, and if they need something, the Airbnb hosts are only 15 minutes away. Since you are renting the whole hoouse, children are welcome, but your furry friends will have to stay at home. (Images via Owner’s AirBnB)
Gorgeous Guest Home Airbnb: If you only have one or two guests needing a place to stay, this Gorgeous Guest Home may just what is needed. This new Scandinavian-style apartment has one queen bed and is only $85 a night. Kids are more than welcome, and the hosts even offer to provide a pack and play or toys if needed. The apartment is located next to their home, where they reside with their black lab puppy, so they do have a no pet policy. (Images via Owner’s AirBnB)
Three Bedroom House Airbnb: If you have a large group of guests coming to visit (no wonder you don’t want them staying at your place), or they have a pet, this last Airbnb is the choice for them. With three queen-sized bed and 2.5 baths, this place is a steal for only $65 a night. Plus, the backyard is screened in, so your traveling animal companions will have a place to stretch their legs. (Images via Owner’s AirBnB)
