Pillow Love

Newton loves this pillow. He snuggles with it. Up until now, he has ignored pillows. Entirely. But the pillow with the snowmen on it has captured his little feline heart. How can I possibly pack it away next week?

Happy Solstice to All

 

Six Years Ago

This is what every girl needs. A handsome, smiling man who knew her before this time. Before she was a wife, before she was a mother, before the merciless and relentless indications of aging began to set in. A man who hugs her and calls her by her maiden name. Miss Broome. Because that's how he remembers her. Pulling her back to a time of hope and promise and all things possible. For just a moment, she is that girl. And despite the years, she is reminded that this girl still dwells within her and can be called forth with two magical, manifesting words. Miss Broome. It is, indeed, the season of miracles.

Woodland Winter Rabbits

 

The Rabbits of November

 

Hello Kitty

Not quite a black kitty visiting a corner of my backyard, but a torty with a white bib and bright yellow eyes. I see her most days, emerging from a hiding place under my deck or investigating plants by sniffing or chewing on them. A few weeks ago, I encountered her in my garage. She was nestled in a box with a rug on the top and seemed very content. At first I wasn't the least bit surprised since I am accustomed to living with a cat. Then when I realized this definitely was not Newton, I was a bit startled! I greeted her and turned away for a moment, and she was gone. Since she is fat and well-groomed, I suspect she lives with humans nearby. She is welcome here.

Tis a Sabbat Day

Celebrate. Make soup, bake bread. Invite the spirits of those you have loved to cross the thin veil between worlds. Meditate on peace, togetherness, and all that is good. 

Give It a Try

 

Halloween Rabbits

 

What's This?

 Another corner of the backyard made civilized.

Happy Mabon!

 Celebrate the crone

Find the balance

Rejoice in the wheel of the year

And the changes it brings

Beer's To You!

But seriously, this is brilliant.

 

You Tell 'Em, Dan

 

September Rabbits

 

Well, Duh!

 

August Rabbits

 

Facets

The Warrior has laid down her sword next to her shedded armor. She has not given up, she has simply retreated from the heat of battle to the cool comfort of the forest. It is time to meditate and take stock of things. To find the calm and center herself before emerging once more. She must learn to choose her battles wisely. Only then will she don her armor and take up her sword to find justice. The Goddess has gone inward, down deep into the shadows. She is familiar with this place. In another life this was her home, a haven she created when there was no reason anymore to linger near the surface, hoping to be inspired. To her great surprise, a magical man appeared and lured her out of hiding. He made her feel whole again. A potent, sensual being who blossomed under the influence of his healing touch. Now it has been so long since she has felt anything real and compelling she has chosen to return to her inner sanctuary. The Goddess has not given up, indeed, she may very well be coaxed from her santum sanctorum. When the wind is right and carries the scent of sweet awakening she will find it impossible to resist and surface once more. And so this leaves The Mother in charge. She, too, is weary, tired to the point of exhaustion. But she will persevere as Mothers do. Her hair is pulled back but tendrils escape. She pushes them into place as she brushes away her tears. She will continue to clean up the messes, to prepare the food, to be mindful that the body as well as the soul requires tending to be fully cured. When she looks back at this dark time from a place of light and peace, she will be astonished that she survived the storm. That it didn't swallow her whole and destroy her entirely. 

FYC 64

It's a power of two year. As well as a square year. Also the year my little brother Cullen was born. So. Happy natal day, here's to me. The Beatles gave me a theme song for the year! Nothing gets better than that.

July Rabbits

 

Bloomsday

Hello. It has been an unprecedented break that I have taken from blogging. I have also been absent from social media for well over a month. There has been some upheaval in my life in the past few weeks that left me reeling and feeling as if the very Earth had been pulled out from under me. Now that things have settled into a routine I think I can begin to come back, a little at a time, and write again. Some of you are still showing up despite my absence and for that I am grateful. I'll try to show up a little more often myself. Never let the bastards get you down. 

June Rabbits

 

Still My Magical Plant

The hoya in my dining room is blooming like crazy! Seven of the eight blooming spurs have buds in various stages of bloom. Two of them have fully opened flower clusters and a third will pop open in a few days. The four that look like tiny fireworks bursting will follow after the rest have faded and dropped. It smells like honeysuckle in here! So lovely! Now, please excuse me while I put on my plumber hat. Both of the toilets in the house are having issues. File this under one of the greatest joys of home ownership.

Happy Birthday, Pearl!

Today is the fourteenth anniversary of buying my Subaru Outback and bringing her home. We have driven nearly 122,000 miles together and in those miles have enjoyed many adventures. Pearl* needs new tires and recently had some maintenance to bring her up to standards. She once again purrs like she just left the showroom for the first time. This will be the third set of tires to go along with her second battery and second windshield. We're good to go for the next 100,000 miles!

*Named for her paint color, Newport Blue Pearl.

Poetry Month Offering #5

 Competition

Musical chairs

Is a cruel little game

So deliberate and concise

How each round

Eliminates one player

There just isn't room enough

Go directly to jail

Do not pass Go

Do not collect two hundred dollars

Like the new favorite dress

Which is chosen for the evening

While last year's go-to frock

Is pushed toward the back of the closet

Designation: Consignment shop status

Similarly

I'm carried forward

On the crest of this wave

Of chilly determination

Make no mistake

I don't think for a moment

That I'm better than you

I'm simply next

We're wired in series, not parallel

So unfair

The strongest don't survive

Not even the most worthy

The most wily do

Who are quickest to adapt

There's only so much

To go around

Seriously Weird Cat Food Choice

Here we see Newton breakfasting on some bits of a powered sugar coated donut. I cannot explain his odd food preferences. He also enjoys mashed potatoes, guacamole, and mushrooms. I think he secretly watches food shows on YouTube and Netflix. I can't wait until he gets all snooty about the olive oil I use.  

Wish Me Luck

Old dead light fixture.

 

New fancy LED fixture.

Poetry Month Offering #4

 Full Moon Fantasy

Look for me

In the moment, in that pause

In the space between the seconds

Bordering effect and cause

Attend to what you see revealed

Shining ever as it was

I see you

In the persistence of the moonlight

In the shadows of the trees

Dependent on my inner sight

There is no room for doubt

Visions lit by lightening in the night

We belong

Illuminated by the stars

Phosphorescent glowing in the water

Reflecting Venus, Luna, Mars

Our very souls will join together

Bound by forces from afar

Hello, Hulu

 I know where I'll be April 28. Do you?

Thanks, Newt

My cat Newton assisting me with changing the sheets on my bed. Just kidding! This is my cat Newton earlier today. Doing a little thing called doing whatever he can to impede the process of me putting clean sheets on my bed. So I took a lunch break and watched two episodes of Designing Women. He got bored staking his claim. I finished the job. Score, Human - 1, Feline - 0. I win!

Poetry Month Offering #3

Night School

There was this boy

Who got me stoned

And tried

To turn me on to Nietzche

This lesson you’ll enjoy

He said, nihilism you’ll employ

He said

In his sincere attempt to reach me

As I explored

Convoluted words

Upon the page

Teacher won’t you teach me

In confusion I implored

My feeble brain less than restored

If this

Was whale philosophy it would beach me

A Salute to Audrey Hepburn

I adore Audrey Hepburn. A couple of weeks ago I watched the documentary about her life on Netflix. She was a remarkably talented actress as well as a wonderful human. My favorite movies that she starred in are Breakfast at Tiffany's* and Two for the Road. She was luminous and the camera loved her. I was somewhat aware of her difficult youth but had no idea how much heartbreak she endured in her personal life and marriages. She did eventually find a good match as a life partner in Robert Wolders that lasted until her death in 1993. She was a devoted mother and sidelined her acting career to care for her new babies. What astonished me was that she was only 63 when she died. My current age! Sometimes I think we know on some level how long we will be here, and when that time is unnecessarily short we pack as much into that time as possible. Miss Audrey certainly did. There will never be another quite like her. Watch the documentary.   

*If only we could edit out the repulsive Mickey Rooney Asian slur character. He adds nothing to the story.

Poetry Month Offering #2

 At the Cafe Bitter

All the tables seat just one
Your bile and anger don't require a chair
Feel free to wallow
As long as you care
The wait staff so inattentive
Inclined to treat you
With sarcastic contempt
Tip them passive aggressively
At three or four percent
There are no appetizers
No foreplay for this repast
Go directly to your entree
Served with buttered
Shards of glass
Wash it down with primo vino
Pressed just for you
From sour grapes
If you long for something slightly sweet
End your meal with just desserts

A Bit of Silly for Today

 

Poetry Month Offering #1

Aurora Borealis

Collisions

That's all it is

The pragmatist would say

Between gaseous particles

In the upper atmosphere

With charged particles

From the sun

So spare and logical

This description

Preferring to watch

This hypnotic nebulous light show

A more mercurial elucidation

Seems fitting

I gather my shawl

Closer about my shoulders

Against the cool lake breeze

Gazing northward

The goddess Aurora

Paints the night sky canvas

With icy swans

A heavenly dance

To a silent song

Of the spirits of loved ones

Long since gone

Is That the Monty Python Foot of Doom and Destruction?

The latest in a series I like to call unfortunate graphic design.

She's Not Dead Yet

I have been sucked into a maelstrom on Hulu that is called Killing Eve. This is what happens when you spend all of a Saturday on the couch. Despite the graphic violence I am drawn into the whole psychology of the thing. Absolutely terrific performances by the cast. And the dark, dark, deep, dark humor. I would not make a good assassin. Or spy for that matter. I'll stick to blogging and baking pies. 

Dear Pfizer

You were correct about people who have had a full-blown case of Covid-19. That we would likely experience more and more severe side effects from the vaccine. And while the first dose totally annihilated me for nearly three days, this second dose hasn't been nearly so bad. Flattened for one day and I seem to be recovering nicely. Un petit covid, if you will. Yes, my left arm is sore and I do have some swelling in that armpit, but it's not nearly as ginormous or tender to the touch as the first time around. Little bit of a headache and some lingering joint pain, but that's about it. I feel as though I have performed a civic duty and that my pain will contribute to herd immunity and bring us a bit closer to pre-pandemic social contact. One other thing has come to mind. What if, what if all healthcare could be this easy. Make an appointment, show your card, be treated by skilled practitioners, and have the peace of mind that comes from knowing no scary bill will arrive in the mail.

Robert Redford's Unmentionables

I have just watched, for I think the third time, the installment of Inside the Actors Studio that features Robert Redford. And as much as I enjoy his recounting of his life in the world of film, I remain mildly annoyed the he did not mention three of my favorite films that he appears in. The Hot Rock, Sneakers, and Three Days of the Condor. I remember reading at one time that Mr. Redford didn't really care for his performance in The Hot Rock, that he felt it was not his best work and preferred to be known for his more serious dramatic roles. Here's the deal, Bob. I happen to love this movie! It has an amazing helicopter flight scene where we can see the World Trade Center under construction! Regular visitors here know that seeing the World Trade Center in a film is a thing for me. Plus the movie gives us the phrase "Afghanistan Bananastan". What's not to like here?!? Sneakers boasts a remarkable ensemble cast that includes Mary McDonnell, Sidney Poitier, River Phoenix, David Strathairn, and Dan Aykroyd! No mention! And despite the fact that he spoke of numerous collaborations with director Sydney Pollack, he failed to mention Three Days of the Condor. Pollack directed this terrific thriller that must be seen. Must. Be. Seen. Actress Carlin Glynn is sitting in the front row during the interview and somehow I want her to shout out, "Bob! Remember what a great time we had working together on Three Days of the Condor!" But she doesn't. I understand Mr. Redford avoiding any mention of Legal Eagles. I'm already sorry I brought it up. All I know is, the man is brilliant both in front of and behind the camera. He is a legend. And I shall adore him from afar as long as I draw breath.  

Awwwwwww, Spring

So I've been doing a little spring decorating. Since the decommissioning of the guest room because I got rid of my old bed, that left the bedding I had been using down there available. Just yesterday I finished sewing the three pop-of-color square pillows and I am pleased with how they break up the sea of whiteness. The woven throw had been in my office and coordinates beautifully with the pillows! Now onto figuring out how to make a full size bedskirt work with a queen size bed. Which might be something like trying to squeeze yourself into a pair of jeans that are one size too small. I have experience with this so let's hope that translates into another medium. Wish me luck!  

Ah, Spring

The hoya in the dining room is fixin' to bloom! It looks like there are upwards of fifty buds that will pop starting later this week and probably continue for a month. The much larger main plant just around the corner in the sunroom has but a single blooming spur producing buds, making it tied with the tiny plant on the windowsill in the kitchen whose lone spur is also going to bloom. The main plant has at least a dozen spurs so I hope more buds appear. I really don't want to have to talk to it. All the significant conversations I have had with houseplants consist of pointing outside to the compost bin and informing the plant that this is where they will be residing if they don't shape up. I expect this makes me a terrible person. At least I don't point at the garden beds and tell the houseplants that I eat the ones that grow out there. 

Arrrrggggg, Matey!

In answer to yesterday's post depicting witch hats, my son has sketched up an assortment of pirate hats. Like the witch hats, these indicate the sort of pirate person you are based on your hat preference. Enjoy. 

I'm a Curly/Wavy

It goes with my naturally curly hair. I have the worst time trying to explain to people that yes, I am an introvert. But I'm not the least bit shy.

Next

It was a gray-scale, weary feeling day. Despite the fact that the sun was shining and she could feel the warmth from it on her shoulders through the window. For a year she had been constructing a plan for leaving this place and a countdown of the months remaining ticked down in her head. This had been a carefully crafted experiment in change where she was now. But it had failed to produce enough joy to entice her to stay. Yes, there was this quirky, charming house that she loved. And the view of the mountains when she drove just a mile or so west. She wondered if this would be the pattern of her life from now on. To move on until she found the balance of joy against pain just right enough to stay. Knowing full well that the balance of these two opposing forces had been achieved within herself, the need to find an external match grew stronger every day. 

The Magicians

How is it that I have already binged my way through Season 5? I love this series so much. They swear, they drink, they cast magical spells. Sadly, it seems there shall be no Season 6. At least I can always return to Fillory and Brakebills via the sixty-five existing episodes. Sigh. Whoever said that all good things must come to an end should be roundly slapped. I shall commiserate with myself by indulging in little cakes and experimental cocktails.

Carrots and Bunnies and Eggs, Oh My

Easter waits patiently on the dining room table to be put away. It's only Tuesday. Don't judge me.

Good Morning, Monday

I must put away the bunnies and the eggs today. And get out in the yard to turn the compost and repair the container. But for now I am on hold with Waste Management. Because they continue to insist that I owe them money and have engaged a collections agency to annoy me. I had nineteen months of garbage and recycling service with them, I paid for nineteen months. But they are using nasty tactics and continue to bill me with late charges that are adding up. In other news, I was finally able to get into my King Features account, even though technically I have no account with them, and cancel the recurring charge. Two years ago I signed up for a one week free trial and they immediately charged me for a year-long subscription. Then they did it again a year ago. Bastards. Both times I was successful in removing the charge from my credit card, but it was still aggravating to have to do it. A big shout out of appreciation to Capital One Visa for being so prompt to remove these bogus charges when I contacted them with a complaint. I also need to call my dentist about the unfortunate incident involving trail mix and the likelihood that I will be needing another crown. Now to wait for the horrible Waste Management people to return my call. Not holding my breath. Though considering that this call involves the stench of garbage and shitty collections tactics, perhaps I should.

Easter Satyr

 Edgar masquerading as the Easter Bunny.

This Will Do

 

Countdown

 

Chocolate Bunnies

 

RDJ Doing the Cully Face

 

Best Cookies Ever

My sis Martine sent me a tin of these cookies for Christmas. I swear they are the most delish cookies I have ever eaten. Not terribly sweet with occasional pops of sea salt. Best enjoyed with a cup of tea in the afternoon. Waesucks, the tin has been empty for some time. I swear I will love my sister forever if she will keep me supplied with more cookies. Okay, fine, I'll love her anyway. But cookies certainly wouldn't hurt. And a plain box will do. One fancy tin is quite enough.

Happy Birthday

To my beautiful sister Pam. She goes barefoot. And enjoys beer. And hangs out with questionable statuary. I love her to pieces.

The Wall

 

Doctors of the past. Gone but not forgotten.

Except for a couple I don't remember. At all.

Causation?

A couple of hours after my vaccination on Friday, I experienced a powerful craving for McDonald's. Must have been the nanobots. One thing is clear. The novel corona virus wants us to be fat. Or dead. Perhaps both.

A Cloud of Covid

I always get a bit of a chill when I watch a movie from the pre-2001 era and the New York City skyline appears. The twin towers of The World Trade Center are so prominent and recognizable it takes me a moment to process that they have been gone for nearly twenty years. This is from The Prince of Tides, a favorite movie helmed by Barbra Streisand back in 1991. I must be a fan of Southern Gothic since I also watched Crimes of the Heart. Of course I'm a fan, I'm half Southern. Through the vaccine fog I watched a few other movies, most of them a little dark. The teen angst in Some Kind of Wonderful was probably the bright spot of film viewing. And, damn, Eric Stolz was pretty. Still is, in fact. Rounding out my movie binge were Bombshell and I, Tonya. I gave Nomadland a try, same with Judy, but just wasn't in the mood, I guess. I swear I'm missing a couple* but I was in a vaccine fog.

*Rocketman. I forgot Rocketman.

Dose #1

I am approximately 72 hours past the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, Pfizer version. I have been feeling pretty okay since last evening, all that remains is a sore upper left arm and a largish, tender swelling in my left armpit. I had zero symptoms the first six or so hours after the shot, but then felt generally very tired the rest of Friday and my arm was sore. By the time Saturday rolled around I felt like crap. Total crap. It was as if my bout with covid in December had descended on me once more. Fatigue, headache, body aches and chills, food tasting like sawdust. I spent most of the weekend binging movies through a fog while taking up residence on the couch in the living room. Having mostly recovered at this point, I have to say I'm not really looking forward to dose #2. But I'm scheduled and I'll show up. Make your appointment for the vaccine now. Because we're all in this together.  

For Those Who Strive, But Not Too much

 

Time To Stop Being Gentle

 

Titles

A very long time ago, we subscribed to a series of collected scifi stories. In the previous century sense of a long time ago. They arrived monthly in the form of a paperback that contained seven or eight short stories. For some reason the titles of three of those stories hangs with me. The common thread they share is that they lapse over the line into horror, which is a genre I do not enjoy. The first two portray details of a dystopian future while the last one could occur around any corner in any city right now. Or last week. Or next week.

The Verts Get a Nuke The Verts decide they wish to acquire a nuclear bomb to defend themselves. A salesman arrives with the nuke and tells them how the thing works. But things aren't as straightforward as you might think. The catch is that the code used to activate the device will be tattooed on the inside of the aorta of one of their children. In order to bomb an enemy, they must first choose to sacrifice one of their own, an innocent child. 

Permanent Hook-up A regular fella walks into a futuristic arcade. After paying he goes into a small room where he sits and leans forward into a viewer. He grips the handles and places his feet on a platform. What he is watching through the viewer he can participate in by moving his hands and feet. Sort of a virtual experience. To his shock and horror, maintenance workers enter the room and mistakenly give him a permanent hook-up, cutting into his nerves and muscles to provide better contact, so he remains in that virtual experience for the rest of his natural life.

Family Dentistry A guy walking down the street who has a tooth that is bothering him sees a sign above a door reading "Family Dentistry". He goes inside and is taken back to an operatory where he meets the dentist. He is numbed up for the procedure and everything goes well. While he is still woozy from the gas he becomes aware that he has been strapped down to the chair and cannot get up. Then the rest of the family comes in, the wife and kids, and continue to poke and prod him with sharp instruments even while the anesthetic is fading. 

Yes, It Would Be Nice

 

Three-ish Years Ago

Over the course of the last few months I've come to the conclusion that you're a terrific fuck but kind of a shitty friend. You withhold, you disappear, you alternately confess, then stonewall. All I wanted from you was the opportunity to walk through the possibilities of you and I becoming a we. No grand gestures, no promises, no agenda. Whether I like it or not, you remain in my head. On this beautiful Colorado morning I was walking my mile and a half loop through the neighborhood and Bonnie Raitt was in my head. This is what she sang, and it echoed so much what I feel about you.

Welcome Spring!

 

I'm Ready!

 

Aluado 2019

 

Working my way through this box of most excellent red wines. Thus far, all very good. But when I opened the bottle of Aluado 2019 a few days ago, it bowled me over with its deliciousness. The best part is, there were two bottles of this in the box! NPR wine club, you have won my heart.