Two woman, Anita Holzberg and Ann Wainwright met over the internet with Bill Costley,
their common friend, whose wife Carolin had been Ann's good friend. Starting in
June '09, Anita sent a Cupcake poem to Ann's website cakecakecake, after seeing
the photo of cupcakes. The poem was about her grandson's first birthday party. Ann
liked that and it was the start of a wonderful exchange of poems from Anita to Ann and
Ann with color, photos, and lay-out savvy, presented them to the blog. Now, in 2010,
the two women so alike in spirit and interests, have started BetweenFriends, a new blog
site where they can combine ideas about their worlds. Ann lives in Northern UK
(Teesside). Anita lives in Northern California, Sunnyvale, (Silicon Valley where all the
computers are.) We share our lives on this blog and hope you will comment and share
yours too, dear readers and enjoy the "ride".

Sunday 2 December 2012

Crystals Exploding in the Sky - Anita Holzberg


Saturday night
     comes
 the rain coming down
   my eyes burn
my heart affixes itself to the truth
 

         Writers have that trump card

This morning's student
        Misaki
   doing her word search
       together
     like life depended on it
7 years old in the moment of words
       concepts and ideas
    pushing hard for the answers
          I loved that devotion
      That excitement.....
            to finish and get it right.

     Now, after the dishes are done
          a dinner eaten

        I remember that moment
   crystals exploding in sky!

(Writers have the trump card.)


Anita Schiffman Holzberg .

Sunday 25 November 2012

some thoughts from Anita

In truth, we hug what we love
    plant marigolds in the sun
         establish new ties
        with the unsung sky.



Thursday 22 November 2012


A Thanksgiving Message from Anita


Today is Thanksgiving. I am grateful for my wonderful family and friends. Today we are going to my sister's and sitting down,,,,all 21 of us. We will have turkey, rice stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, green beans and a big salad. I am bringing the salad........6 heads of romaine lettuce, avocado, cranberries, walnuts, mandarin oranges, cumcumber, red onion and red pepper with a white balsamic dressing. We will have homemade cranberry and pumpkin pie. Its a great day here. The sun is shining and in the mid 60's. Thankful for all who read our blogs and especially to Ann who is a cherished friend.

XAnita 

Sunday 18 November 2012


Friday 16 November 2012

Tomorrow's Wing - Anita Holzberg

Tomorrow's wing establishes mercy on
      the playground of time
The peanut butter sandwich tastes good
The hug you gave me 
Lunch with my niece
Water fresh water after a long workout
I hold the dream for tomorrow
In my pocket
I do not let go.

Anita Schiffman Holzberg 

In Truth - Anita

In Truth
In truth the battle we forge is internal
The hip hop skipping of stones
The internal piano playing notes before dusk
The music of memory seemingly to waltz with time
I take these moments
Sweet and pungent
As I walk into the dream of today.


Anita Schiffman Holzberg 

I Will Remember - Anita Holzberg

I will remember 
  all that there is to remember
     lost keys
        ruffled sheets
      interrupted dreams
           Waiting at the gate
no one there

I will remember You holding me
  against the tide

And that memory will stay
   like crystals meeting the dawn.



Wednesday 14 November 2012

Some thoughts - Anita Holzberg

In truth the battle we face internal
the hop hop skipping of stones
the retrospect and the yearnings
Moment by moment we swim into ideas
These ideas push us forward
the day begins with a patch of blue
and marigolds hold the sun.

Anita Schiffman Holzberg 

Tuesday 13 November 2012

So Thankful - Anita Holzberg

In the sweet flow of light
  the day begins
I sit in my arm chair
  peering at the morning glories
taking in my orchid
in full sun

Days move forward
  Mid November approaching
I am thankful for everything
   family and friends
I am thankful for my students
  who are growing by leaps and bounds
I am thankful for my returning health

In these moments, the sky resounds
  and the trees reveal their beauty.  

Friday 9 November 2012

A poem by Anita


dusk comes early
bam........the darkness floods
before 5:00
Picchu stays at the door
Waiting to be fed again
So I do just that and welcome
her in
My weekend with Owen and Evie
Outstanding
I want to bottle up that energy
I biked 6 miles at the gym
raising arms to weights
I chose some mixed veggies for dinner
along with chicken baked in agave and balsamic vinegar
I spoke to a dear friend
Life is good!

Thursday 1 November 2012

Dreams are made - Anita Holzberg


Dreams are made of satin
  and silver  
         and sequins and felt
      Dreams are what makes one
sing
      and shout 
Dreams can come in an instant
  or  at the end of of a long journey
I believe in dreams
How about You?

Wednesday 31 October 2012

I will my will - Anita Holzberg


Day hangs over
  Halloween rain
I will greet my trick or treaters
with a smile and witches hat
Its almost November
Clocks push back
5 o'clock dark
I will not shadow my life
I will stand strong
I will sing in the shower
I will my will
How about yours?

Friday 26 October 2012

In Sweetness - Anita Holzberg


In sweetness and light
  I come
The amber jewel gleaming
The Hershey bar fun size offering
The Picchu comes loving
The books I buy for Owen excelling
Next week is Halloween
My pumpkin and glittery cat set out
In gladness I write these lines.

Anita S. Holzberg 

Monday 22 October 2012

Sun-Day - Anita Holzberg

Sun-Day
  the 711 my corner store welcomed me
I bought a reg. size Hershey bar to be there
  a piece at a time when I need sweetness
I biked 45 minutes  while a couple purchased a house
  in Houston, Texas (HGTV)
I read the New York Times via Nook Color
  and learned a lot more about Obama
I showed Ann's "book to me" to Misaki
I received a Thank you for the great lesson from
  Misaki. She said also, I am kind."
I walked my house with a cane 8 times, my back straight
I wore my fleece new coat inside my house, as it was getting
  chilly
I fed Picchu at night and let her in.
I spoke to Emily for over 30 minutes about everything.
It was a great day!

Sunday 21 October 2012

Ah, Life is good!!!


Chocked full of rainbows
      and Hershey kisses
I eat one
     and the day begins
with sweetness

I ride the amazing sun
   on my way to swimming
After,
I taste the warmth of pumpkin soup

Oh, how life is good!!

Oh, how dreaming can make it so.

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Tuesday 16 October 2012

In The Quiet - Anita Holzberg


In the quiet of a new day
Picchu walks in
The fog does not bother her
She lies by the piano and cleans herself
We talk 
I tell her how beautiful she is
She returns the compliment
She stays for a long time
We commune
That is the wonderful thing about a cat
She is there for me in this early morning quiet!

Monday 8 October 2012

Fresh strawberries & cranberry muffins - Anita Holzberg

Fresh strawberries
  and cranberry muffins
A great entrance for a tea party
I baked the muffins and gave them away
  to my neighbor who always 
       does me so many favors
Instead, I ate the strawberries
       so sweet
I could pretend it was strawberry
         licorice
    or strawberry ice cream
the mind can pull tricks
    as I wind down my Sunday
after a day with the family
     this one pretty tame.

Sunday 7 October 2012

My granddaughter hugs the phone - Anita Holzberg

My granddaughter hugs the phone and smiles
It is her first Birthday 
I sing her her Birthday song
I received a few photos of her today
Evie, a delightful child who is so loved.

Lovi

Grateful for YOU - Anita Holzberg

Sending
  a bunch of mail
      a bunch of flowers
a bushel of kisses
      to all that
I am grateful
      grateful every day
every breathing moment
        that you grace
     my life.


Anita S. Holzberg

Monday 24 September 2012

Sunday Morning - Anita Holzberg

SUN-day morning
   the sun streaming in my face
Picchu under my feet
    a letter written to my friend, Isabelle
with poems hand written 

         I rediscover who I am
in those poems

        I want to hug you today
and yesterday and tomorrow

          as the classical music plays
                   my brunch awaits
             eggs and toast with marmalade
                    of course

                    the music of life plays
                 on
                     each day another opening

              Listen
Can you hear it?


Anita Schiffman Holzberg 

Tuesday 18 September 2012

end of Sunday - Anita Holzberg

Riding home
the September sun cool breeze upon my shoulders
Riding home
from the park
the sun still glistens in my eye
If you were here
I could take you in my arms
rest there, just rest there
at the end of a slow moving Sunday
its not 10 just yet
my bathing suits dry, ready to be picked up
If you were here
  I could whisper sweet nothings
and drink you in

much like fine wine
much like the perfect ending for a perfect day
but you are not here
I can only imagine it
imagine it
like the sea lapping upon the shore
like the wind taking off on my scarf
just imagining it
and that image makes me happy.

Noticing - by Anita

Noticing sky
  she brings the light
        the vision
of dancing moons
  before the sun rises
     and pillows are plumped
and purple clouds recede
and the vision of a new day
    takes us to another place
always the morning is good
really good!

Another Day - Anita Holzberg

walking debonair
   the clock ticks
the cell phone needs charging
   the day starts
coffee and marmalade on
     wheat toast
the infinite sound of your voice
       championing
             my latest challenge
I make the call
              I walk gingerly
my coffee mug
               straight in my hand
not such a good idea
I put it down
and continue on.

A poem from Anita

Hugging the moon
  I did alkalize the sun

     balanced the dream

2 feet on the ground

    I followed

          what was a long corridor

                   and

found in a closet

          a skirt of many colors

       and danced.

Tomorrow's Branches - an affirmation by Anita Hozberg

Tomorrow's branches
    will be today's dream
semblance becomes reality
     I never wanted
          much
  the rain took away my words
  the sparrow took away my sorrow
  the wind took away my shadow

       Nature was my fortress

I never left the house

   I viewed it all from my window

I really did.

Anita Schiffman Holzberg

Dawn Song - by Anita (and photo of East Yorkshire dawn by Ann)

Dawn is far a w a y

   the song that I always play

         the water is seeped with lime

                   I eat the pulp of the lime
                          it is sour

              dawn song will be coming in

                       an hour

           how beautiful is that! How beautiful is that!




In Purple - Anita Holzberg


In purple clouds
      I lay
In purple mountains
      I sleep
In purple dreams
      I continue to continue
The lapping of the river
      always in my ear
The shadow of the morning song
The wayward wind in the trees that
         right now are still before me
For the company I keep
For the passion I engender

For all things big and small I champion
I set my mind out to sea
like Pablo Neruda
Always searching
Always finding
The irony of it all
Things come when we least expect them

I ride the purple mountains
  and the steel blue sea

everyday

I do. 

Tuesday 4 September 2012

creating rainbows - Anita


For Mama Rachel:

Melancholy moon
  I have stood in your light
        memorizing the rays
  I have drunk your wine
        in the finest of days
  I have sat in throne of mothers
         toddlers as my charge
  I have brought you all to the swimming pool
           I have combed your hair
               and put on your socks
I have held the most amazing dreams for you
               Now,
             you are doing all that for your family
                   holding the dream
             for Owen and Evie

         creating rainbows.

Anita Schiffman Holzberg 

Strength - Anita Holzberg

Once
            on the tree top
                     in a tree house

                 on top of the sky

                           I remembered

                    how infamous we were

                          how indestructible

                                   how strong

                         I have never forgotten that

                        strength is   p o w e r

                             strength is doing something well
                         even if you do not want to

                               strength is that spirit hovering
                                     like an eagle

                                the wingspread can make it happen.

Friday 31 August 2012

leftovers - by Anita


for my part
  I left the rim on the shadow
    the crust on the bread
        the lid on the pot
      the visor on the face

I left the leftovers at the restaurant

     what I have left
           leaves room for something else
                   someone else

              there are no calculations  about this

                       only  great patches

                                 of 
                         b r e a t h i n g
                                                   space.