two aussie grandies
heads topped with bouncing blonde hair
all settled into their new home in america
go out and rescue
rwo smooth black velvet-covered cats
who were waiting and hoping
to settle into their own new home
and soon
they all share a space
and
it is
very comfortable and warm
for all of them
just in time
for christmas.
—
people who love cats have some of the biggest hearts around. ~susan easterly
looked out my window
yesterday morning
far away and warm outside.
looked out my window
this morning
home again and warm inside.
and thanks for being in a the shape of a mitten
so i can always show where i’m from
or where i’m going
or where i got lost
and thanks for both peninsulas
i love both of you
and thanks for being surrounded by the 5 great lakes so i never go thirsty
and for being so close to canada so i can travel internationally
i know you’ve had some rough years
but you look pretty good for your age
at least to me.
not me or anyone i know,
but we do share the same room painting technique.
—
paint project
in
my loft bedroom
up high in the cottage
paint clothes on
sweat pants with lost drawstring
falling down
somehow rear end
gets painted
and
lying back
on my tarp covered bed
moved to the center of the room
painting
the low arched ceiling above
paint on my face
in my ears
in my hair
nacho the cat not the food
crying downstairs
the whole time
finally coming up
getting wet paint on him
tracking downstairs
must have been
raised by
depressed
coyotes
he does not meow
like a cat
it is more of a
soulful mourning
bug flies
into the whirlwind
and creates
a textured wall
head hit
on angled walls
time and time again
arms covered
in splatter
i stand
on tippy-toes
balanced precariously
on the edge of the stairs
to reach tiny corners
paint dripping and drying
on wood floor in kitchen below
chip it off
curtain downstairs
taken off
to avoid paint
but
rod broken in process
painting quickly
before the dark of night
when it’s impossible to see up there
in the mood lighting
wow
that’s a lot of color
i can’t wait
to see it
in the daylight
out of paint
put empty can in car
paint gets on seats
goo be gone
leaves a mark
i’ve decided
not to become
a professional
house painter
—
‘one must act in painting as in life, directly.’ -pablo picasso
this summer
i’ve so enjoyed
spending time
at home
in my cozy little cottage
with
family and friends and animals
and
thinking back
to
last summer
when
i set off
on
a long journey
to see my family
in their home
so far away
and when
i returned
and walked in
i was
left
speechless
when i found
what was waiting for me
on my table
was a basket
of fresh peaches
and muffins
and notes
welcoming me home
and
they were
filled with
so much
love and caring
a surprise gift
had been
given to me
by my dear friends
who
in my absence
had
completed many projects
i had been talking about
for a very long time
they had planned it all
and worked together
for weeks
husbands, wives, children
to make
my cottage
even more of
a home for me
they had
clipboards
and shifts
and materials
and money
and sweat
and tools
and time
and hard labor
and they
asked
my daughters
for my
colors
and ideas
and wishes
and dreams
and most of all
what i saw
when i walked in
was
an incredible act
of
human kindness
and
i
couldn’t believe
what they had done for me
and
i cried
and
my daughter
said
‘mom, all of your stories end with you laughing or crying or sometimes both’
and
isn’t that the way
all things should end?
you can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.
~john wooden
—
image credits: leslielane.com, mainzercats
and we have added to our family once again.
this handsome fellow,
a flyweight
weighing in at just 8 pounds
and 8 years old
has lived a hard life
first on his own
surviving
on the mean streets
with scars, and cuts, and ruffled fur
then with a family
who may not have fully appreciated his charms
and he was sent away
to spend his days in a small cage
with nothing but an uncertain future
and a short timeline ahead
but he has persevered
against all odds.
–
and when we walked into the shelter
and he reached
with
a tiny ginger paw
out of his cell
to wave to us
and called out
with a little voice
we knew
he had been waiting a long time
to meet us
just as
we had been waiting a long time
to meet him.
and when
we carried him into the cottage
he
was instantly transformed
into
the most affectionate and gentle cat
we have ever met
and knew that he was home at last.
(he has been lovingly named nacho, and he is the furry one with the orange hair.)
very recently – warm and easy near the equator, nice way to wake up,
with a call from the sea, bringing news of a day,
where the biggest question is which size coconut to choose.
—–
and even more recently – warm and tucked in, home again in the great white north, nice way to wake up,
with a call from the weather robot, bringing news of a snow day off of school
where the biggest question is which size down comforter to choose.
——
Traveling is seeing; it is the implicit that we travel by. Cynthia Ozick
with the first blizzard of 2014 still ongoing, and crazy outdoor games behind me, 12-18 inches of snow on the ground, and temps with a high of 2f, it is a day to sink down into the cottage, away from the outside world, the cold, the snow, the people, the noise, the light.
today is all about books and music and movies and cup of my chernoblyl blend coffee and time spent creating art and writing and napping and a warm bath, and soft pajamas and softer blankets – calm, warm, peaceful, quiet, cozy, comfort. and i will embrace every slow minute of it.
Be he a king or a peasant, he is happiest who finds peace at home. –Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
when you hear the explosion, you will know that the food or drink you are reheating is ready. perhaps, beyond ready, though no need for a traditional kitchen timer. you just settle in with a good book, and when you hear that sudden burst, that familiar sound of something cracking, it startles you back into reality and you know it’s time. here are just a couple of recent examples:
a nice cup of coffee with cream
and then, a steaming bowl of tomato basil soup. (that now resembles a crime scene).
the applications are endless. you can use this with most any food item.
and while some may feel it may not be the best shortcut to take, it’s pretty much a failsafe system.
—
Life is about timing. – Carl Lewis
I didn't have my glasses on.... 