Who can go to a beach and not get internally naked! The water's symphony releases inhibitions and sets us free of mundane daily drudgery. Anna Maria Island, Florida, is pure melodic magic. The ocean plays the melody that heals what is broken in all of us.
Ann Maria Island is where I come alive. I exhale. My body relaxes and rejuvenates as I plop in a beach chair and meditate to the crushing waves. Ideas bubble and overflow while I listen, gaze, and pursue daily adventure on this "old Florida island" so rich in savory experiences. Grab a pina colada and imagine yourself in palm tree paradise.
Searching for that special place that calmed me, aided my focus, and brought me a sense of contentment was essential. I found that slice of key lime pie on a Florida barrier island committed to fostering the arts and replenishing my soul. Let me take you on an island journey... Other titles by Vicki Mickelson: Under the Crumbling Stars and Dearest Liberty
The lip of the beach is the edge of a blue satin sheet of ocean that lingers under pregnant clouds. It is home to an afternoon of daily visitors. They relax and play. Just like our minds on low frequency, we need the whispers of nature to heal. I go to Anna Maria Island, Florida, to be soothed and have my senses put in order. Each grain of sand makes an individual impression on my nerves in the soft sounds of the waves. Other titles by Vicki Mickelson: Under the Crumbling Stars, Dearest Liberty, Island Attitudes, Blades to Ballet Shoes, Island Interludes, Frozen Symmetry, Shamrock Savvy, Island Melodies, Liquid Rainbows, and Lingering Love. Cover art by Craig Gardner
We all long for something in our past. The nostalgia eats away at us, carving a visceral memory. Rosemount, Minnesota, does that for me. I moved there over 40 years ago. A vast expanse of land was prevalent and the population was 5,000. It was very special. Where have all the meadows gone?
Cabins, pine trees and lakes are food for the soul. They paint the sky with colorful stillness. It is the silence of nature where we find bliss, reminding us there is magic in Up North Minnesota. This collection of poetry explores the people and places (then and now) in Crosslake, Minnesota. The small, Up North vacation town is on the Whitefish Chain of fourteen lakes. It is quaint and friendly and thrives on summer tourism. I take the reader back to my childhood vacations with my cousins 50-60 years ago and then to the current years since we have owned a cabin in the same town. Vicki Mickelson spent thirty-eight years as an educator in middle and high school English classrooms. This experience gave her the opportunity to cultivate a love of writing in her students. Since retiring, she now pursues that love herself. Vicki resides in Minnesota and spends her winters in Anna Maria, Florida. Her titles include Under The Crumbling Stars and Dearest Liberty.
WB Yeats said, "The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper." Magic happens when you fill up your own heart. By choosing to be your most authentic self, you leave a trail of magic. Pull the rabbit out of the hat as you take a reflective journey with me. Magical Musings is an eclectic look at life, friends, family, and experiences that helped shape and spur me to transition and transform.
One's first love is special, all consuming, vibrant, and sometimes lingering. It envelopes with longing, questioning one's trajectory in life and the choices one has made. It heightens one's senses, sending tingles over one's body. A first love is always alive and lives in one's heart forever. Vicki Mickelson spent thirty-eight years as an educator in middle of high school English classrooms. This experience gave her the opportunity to cultivate a love of writing in her students. Since retiring, she now pursues that love herself. Vicki resides in Minnesota and spends her winters in Anna Maria, Florida. Her titles include Under the Crumbling Stars and Dearest Liberty.