Wookie, as you well know, is quite elderly and, I keep fearing, drawing close to the end of his life. Now, he has good days and bad days. On the good ones, he runs through the house like the hounds of hades are on his heels and on the bad ones, well, he does nothing but sleep. So, I have been trying to come to terms that we will not pass over to the other side together and that I will be without him one of these days.
Last night he snuggled down between me and the Mister in bed and fell asleep with his head on my hand. About two hours later, I needed to roll over, so I did and he just walked Right Over Me as if it were business as usual, curled up against my tummy and off to sleep we went again.
A few hours later, I was in that weird stage of sleeping-and-not-sleeping and reached down to pet him. Usually he trills, but he didn't. This woke me a bit more; I petted again. Nothing. I touched his side and he was cold.
"Holey cow, this cat has died in my bed," I thought as I jumped up and turned on the light. "Mister! Wookie is dead. Oh my gosh. He's dead!" I began to weep.
Then, Wookie looked up with a very sleepy face as if to say, "No, silly. I was sleeping quite well until Someone woke me..."
I kissed his face and he snuggled back down. I didn't. How can you sleep after that?
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Making Plans
The Farmer's Market group met tonight to start planning our 2011 market. I love these folks! They are all so supportive and helpful. There isn't any of that petty stuff you see in some groups. Rather, everyone is eager to do well and see others do well. What a blessing!
Isn't it interesting how organizations take on personalities? Have you noticed that?
I see it in classes all the time. One person can poison an entire group with their negativity. Why is it that one can poison, but six can't make a group positive? It is an interesting phenomenon... and one that I struggle to understand. Think of groups that you work with. Are there some that are a joy and others that make you want to stick sharp pencils in your ears??
Today in my literature class we discussed the Imagist poets. This group issued a "manifesto" of what they believed good poetry required: common language, exact words, compressed thoughts, and freedom from standard poetic conventions such as meter and rhyme. The poets we read today used a lot of colour and so we did an in-class activity where we took white paper and then selected colours we believed best represented our personality and created a self-portrait without figures -- everything had to be images. And then, we wrote a poem about ourselves using either haiku or acrostic poetry. The one thing I noticed was NO ONE used black or grey. The colours were bright, vivid, and bold. The images were as well. It got me to thinking that this class is a positive class -- engaged, learning, fun loving! Yet, another class might have the same lesson, but their work would be dark and gloomy. Odd that. How does it happen?
Have you noticed this in your world? Are there 'groups' that seem to attract each other? Do we attract what we put out into the world?
Isn't it interesting how organizations take on personalities? Have you noticed that?
I see it in classes all the time. One person can poison an entire group with their negativity. Why is it that one can poison, but six can't make a group positive? It is an interesting phenomenon... and one that I struggle to understand. Think of groups that you work with. Are there some that are a joy and others that make you want to stick sharp pencils in your ears??
Today in my literature class we discussed the Imagist poets. This group issued a "manifesto" of what they believed good poetry required: common language, exact words, compressed thoughts, and freedom from standard poetic conventions such as meter and rhyme. The poets we read today used a lot of colour and so we did an in-class activity where we took white paper and then selected colours we believed best represented our personality and created a self-portrait without figures -- everything had to be images. And then, we wrote a poem about ourselves using either haiku or acrostic poetry. The one thing I noticed was NO ONE used black or grey. The colours were bright, vivid, and bold. The images were as well. It got me to thinking that this class is a positive class -- engaged, learning, fun loving! Yet, another class might have the same lesson, but their work would be dark and gloomy. Odd that. How does it happen?
Have you noticed this in your world? Are there 'groups' that seem to attract each other? Do we attract what we put out into the world?
Sunday, February 27, 2011
First Day Musings -- Another One Gone!
The night I turned 18, I sat down and created a list of 100 things I wanted to experience in my lifetime. While some will never happen, such as jumping from a perfectly fine airplane, others have been scratched from the list with great joy. Some of the ones that are accomplished include: going to San Fransisco, seeing England, meeting Elvis (truly!), and making a quilt. Others seem impossible to acheive: walking the Appalachian Trail or writing a novel (however, dear Clarice has shown me so well how to dream big!).
Today one of the seemingly impossible ones is poised for striking -- seeing the band "Yes." Now, you have to be a person of a certain age and perhaps experience to understand why this is so special! They are one of those bands that, well, just makes my heart sing. The lilting harmonies, the spine-tingling keyboards (I had such a crush on Rick Wakeman! Save me!), and just the musicality of their work makes it joyful. It is haunting, teasing, playful, and positive. Nothing negative; nothing gloomy. Just -- joyful.
So much of our life is spent doing things that we need-have-got-to-do that we need to stop and give ourselves permission to play a little now and then. And, we need to dream -- big, little, silly, serious -- to make life meaningful. My greatest fear is that I will wake one day and say to myself, "Well, here's another one to struggle through." Sure, I get the blues, just ask the Mister, but it only lasts a day or so and then I am bubbling again. These days have been a little tougher, but, just knowing that I have a play date with the Mister and Yes makes the ones between seem a lot more effortless.
My point? Give yourself time to dream, play, and celebrate life and the tiniest moments that make up the bigger moments that make the minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years of your life. Each one is precious and should be savored.
Now, get out of here and go play!
Today one of the seemingly impossible ones is poised for striking -- seeing the band "Yes." Now, you have to be a person of a certain age and perhaps experience to understand why this is so special! They are one of those bands that, well, just makes my heart sing. The lilting harmonies, the spine-tingling keyboards (I had such a crush on Rick Wakeman! Save me!), and just the musicality of their work makes it joyful. It is haunting, teasing, playful, and positive. Nothing negative; nothing gloomy. Just -- joyful.
So much of our life is spent doing things that we need-have-got-to-do that we need to stop and give ourselves permission to play a little now and then. And, we need to dream -- big, little, silly, serious -- to make life meaningful. My greatest fear is that I will wake one day and say to myself, "Well, here's another one to struggle through." Sure, I get the blues, just ask the Mister, but it only lasts a day or so and then I am bubbling again. These days have been a little tougher, but, just knowing that I have a play date with the Mister and Yes makes the ones between seem a lot more effortless.
My point? Give yourself time to dream, play, and celebrate life and the tiniest moments that make up the bigger moments that make the minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years of your life. Each one is precious and should be savored.
Now, get out of here and go play!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday and Sunshine!
What a perfect combination!
While Friday is my usual "grade and prepare" day, today it is going to be a "clear out and dump" day. I can't bear the feeling the house has from the winter and I believe it is time to clear the decks for spring!
No, I don't look nearly this charming, but I am trying to dress a little better at home. Thanks, Mom...
My favorite way to work is to set my timer and go at it full speed for an hour. Then, I get to read, check blogs, enjoy a cuppa or all three! Of course, I have to set the timer for that as well because I get lost in all the interesting things other folks have going on. A ten minute break and then I have to get back to it! Just like Right Now!
To check out what others farm gals are doing today, drop by and see Amy, won't you?
While Friday is my usual "grade and prepare" day, today it is going to be a "clear out and dump" day. I can't bear the feeling the house has from the winter and I believe it is time to clear the decks for spring!
My favorite way to work is to set my timer and go at it full speed for an hour. Then, I get to read, check blogs, enjoy a cuppa or all three! Of course, I have to set the timer for that as well because I get lost in all the interesting things other folks have going on. A ten minute break and then I have to get back to it! Just like Right Now!
To check out what others farm gals are doing today, drop by and see Amy, won't you?
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Maybe I Need to Dress...
Last night I met my parents at the funeral home for my Uncle's brother's viewing. I came right from work, so I showed up looking like I do when I work and not like I do at home. My hair was up, lipstick, earrings and other jewelry on, corduroy jacket, khakis, dress blouse, but still in in boots! As I walked in, my parents were standing right at the door in the line. Mother smiled and said, "Hello" as she does to strangers. My father did the same. I walked up to them and said, "Hey! Let me go to the end of the line." At this point, they realized who I was and asked the folks behind them if I could "cut."
Later, at home, Mother confided, "I didn't know you when you came in. I never see you dressed like a grown-up."
Hmmm...
Later, at home, Mother confided, "I didn't know you when you came in. I never see you dressed like a grown-up."
Hmmm...
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Aliens!
Daddy sat down next to me on Sunday and said: "Have I ever told you about Tyrone and the FBI?"
"Nopers! Bootlegging?"
"No, aliens."
Tyrone owned the local TV repair shop and was well known as a prankster. He got the best of his high school shop teacher when he got Daddy and his peeps to disassemble the shop teacher's Volkswagon and reassemble it in his classroom. Classic.
Well, it seems that during the 1940s there was a lot of concern about aliens in this part of the world. Folks would see blinking lights all hours of the night and were scared to death.
"Aliens," they would whisper in the grocery store. "The government knows all about it, but won't tell because they don't want panic in the streets." And then they would go home, draw their shades, and lock their doors.
Tyrone had enough of this silliness and decided to get the best of the folks in town. Late one night, after spending three weeks working on a super secret project in his basement, he called his buddies and confided his plan. It was cunning. He was going to have a space ship crash near Bannertown. They were going to help.
Quickly they loaded the mock space ship on the back of his truck. Constructed of old TV parts and wires, the contraption resembled something that surely would come from outer space. The plan was simple, Tyrone would drive down Bannertown road and, at some point, the other guys would push the ship off the truck bed. Never did they consider the outcome.
Early the next morning the milkman was making his morning rounds and came upon the "crash site." In mere minutes, the town police and sheriff's department were on the scene. Within hours, the State Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were there. They measured, tracked, disassembled, sampled, and photographed the "crash." The area was cordioned off and no one was allowed within two miles of the site for fear of radiation. After two days, the wreck was "cleaned up" and taken to another site for further study. Nothing was published after the initial report. "It didn't happen," the officials declared.
And what about Tyrone and his buddies? He and the fellas agreed that the tale couldn't be told until only one was left. And now, you know, too.
"Nopers! Bootlegging?"
"No, aliens."
Tyrone owned the local TV repair shop and was well known as a prankster. He got the best of his high school shop teacher when he got Daddy and his peeps to disassemble the shop teacher's Volkswagon and reassemble it in his classroom. Classic.
Well, it seems that during the 1940s there was a lot of concern about aliens in this part of the world. Folks would see blinking lights all hours of the night and were scared to death.
"Aliens," they would whisper in the grocery store. "The government knows all about it, but won't tell because they don't want panic in the streets." And then they would go home, draw their shades, and lock their doors.
Tyrone had enough of this silliness and decided to get the best of the folks in town. Late one night, after spending three weeks working on a super secret project in his basement, he called his buddies and confided his plan. It was cunning. He was going to have a space ship crash near Bannertown. They were going to help.
Quickly they loaded the mock space ship on the back of his truck. Constructed of old TV parts and wires, the contraption resembled something that surely would come from outer space. The plan was simple, Tyrone would drive down Bannertown road and, at some point, the other guys would push the ship off the truck bed. Never did they consider the outcome.
Early the next morning the milkman was making his morning rounds and came upon the "crash site." In mere minutes, the town police and sheriff's department were on the scene. Within hours, the State Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were there. They measured, tracked, disassembled, sampled, and photographed the "crash." The area was cordioned off and no one was allowed within two miles of the site for fear of radiation. After two days, the wreck was "cleaned up" and taken to another site for further study. Nothing was published after the initial report. "It didn't happen," the officials declared.
And what about Tyrone and his buddies? He and the fellas agreed that the tale couldn't be told until only one was left. And now, you know, too.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
What Do You Say??
The sun is shining.
The goats are sunning.
The ground is dry.
Even the jonquils, which I plant in puddles around the yard so that I might enjoy them from any window in the house, are poking through the grass, stretching to the sun.
Birds are singing.
A long-sleeve t-shirt is all one needs outside.
Shall we go outside and see what kind of trouble we might find? I'll meet you in the front yard in ten minutes. Just let me get my shoes! I'll be the one dancing.
The goats are sunning.
The ground is dry.
Even the jonquils, which I plant in puddles around the yard so that I might enjoy them from any window in the house, are poking through the grass, stretching to the sun.
Birds are singing.
A long-sleeve t-shirt is all one needs outside.
Shall we go outside and see what kind of trouble we might find? I'll meet you in the front yard in ten minutes. Just let me get my shoes! I'll be the one dancing.
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