TO THINK
To think that I shall move in company,
With stars and wind and cloud,
The hills that clap their hands in joy,
The brooks that sing aloud.
To think that I may know the earth,
Where pale white lilies bloom,
Blue shadowed hills where tiny tracks
Are painted in the snow.
And here beside me walking now
Are hosts unseen I swear,
I feel their presence like a cloud
About me everywhere.
Oh world, untouched by mortal hands
Bend close still that I
May hear the rustle of the wings,
Sweeping across the sky.
~Edna Jaques, Beside Still Waters
I love the thought of the presence of our loved ones gone on before us, gathered around us. It makes me feel warm and comforted, cared for. Loved still . . . what beautiful words.
I took that photograph a few minutes ago. Its not yet fully light out, but light enough. I forgot that there was a lunar eclipse last night. It was supposed to be the longest one in 500 years. I had thought about it earlier in the day yesterday, but then it went completely out of my mind.
Its pretty cool out there this morning. There is a cold wind blowing. I think it was about this time last year that I was getting out of quarantine. It was cold then too!
I got a Christmas Garland to replace the autumn one. I want things to look a bit festive here in the house when Doug comes next weekend. It looks a lot prettier than the photograph shows. I am just not very good at taking pictures.
Point in case, Mr Cheeky. Mind you this was taken with my iPad, so not a great photo. I have not mastered the art of taking photos with an iPad. You would think I would know better by now. When I am talking to Eileen on messenger she is always saying to me, take a photograph of the cats now so I can see them, and so I do. She loves these two little munchkins and so do I!
This is supposed to be my solution to not having a Christmas tree this year. It doesn't look near as large in life as it did in the photograph. There was a great deal of interest invested in it at first, but then the interest tapered off. I have only had to pick it up off the floor once. This morning they are not paying any attention to it at all.
My youngest grandchild lives five minutes from me. His name is Liam. He will be two the end of March. I have never seen him in person. I bought him a Tickle Me Elmo for Christmas this year. He may already have one, I don't know. Anyways, I bought him this one. I was testing it to make sure it worked and the kittens of course were quite interested. As soon as I touched his belly, he kicked off. Tickle my feet he giggles. My cats shot about 50 feet up into the air and disappeared like a puff of wind. Oh but I didn't half laugh. I had no idea they would be so spooked.
I don't think they like Elmo. I hope that Liam does. I am going to see if I will be allowed to just leave it on their doorstep. Last year it cost me over $30 to mail a small package to them a few minutes away. I really don't want to have to do that this year if I don't need to. I have my fingers crossed. I promise not to ring their doorbell or intrude into their lives. I just want to leave him a gift. Hopefully I will be allowed to do just that.
I got some yarn to crochet a granny square shawl for myself. I like the colors. They are bright but not overly so. They are not the colors of this yarn that I actually wanted, but what I could get. They will have to do.
Of course everything that comes into the house is the subject of careful scrutiny. It does make me smile. I have not actually been able to sit and crochet much or do anything with my hands yet. They want to be involved with everything. I start but soon have to put whatever I am trying to work on away. It won't be like this forever I know. I don't mind, really.
I loved this. It from Mary Oliver. She was an American poet who won the Pulitzer prize and National Book award. She passed away in 2019. I love her work. She drew her work mostly from nature, rather than the human world. I think her writing is beautiful.
Aren't we lucky to be living in a world filled with such clever people. How wonderful it is to be able to string words together to paint the most evocative pictures in the minds of others. I do so love poetry and words.
(source)
I just heard some crows in the back yard. I have been known to throw them a crust or two in the morning. (Now you know why it takes so long for me to do anything. I am interrupted often by jots of whimsicality.) I did so again and when I did I was startled by the warbling of some morning doves clumsily bumbling amongst the branches of the maple tree and then two errant Canadian geese flew over head. Isn't nature wonderful?
I am glad that I am not a person wont to spend half the day in bed or I would miss out on these early morning gifts and blessings.
And how I have been abundantly blessed this week, thrice with early morning crystal frosts and twice with facetimes with my two oldest boys. It is odd how you can bring five children up, you think in exactly the same manner, and they can all come out so diametrically opposite to each other. Unique individuals in looks and in behavior and in heart. My three older children are very much like me. They are warm and engaging, caring individuals. Oh my that sounded like I was bragging about myself. I promise you I was not. I meant simply that I am a very open, caring and forgiving person. And they are very much the same way. My friend Jacquie keeps saying to me, You don't love yourself. You need to love yourself. I thought that I did.
Funny story. Back in the day about 40 odd years ago now, we used to live in Suffield Alberta. That was where the British Army station is in Canada. Soldiers were always coming over from the UK to train in the training area. They would bring rations and when the training exercise was done the unused ration packs would be dumped. My then husband used to grab the and bring them home. I would wash off and scald the cans and we had them on a shelf down in the cellar. You never knew what was in them. Sometimes you opened an apple pie, or other times it would be stewed beef. I didn't mind any of them. If you really got lucky it would be a tin of sweets and chocolate. I credit that experience as having taught me the skill of being able to make a delicious meal up out of just about anything. My husband did this for quite a while until one day my oldest son told a neighbor that we bought our groceries at the dump. That put an end to that practice.
Out of the mouths of babes. You can't make this stuff up.
Anyways, I am going to polish off my talk today for tomorrow. I think I have it pretty much written. I think I have said in it all that I need to say. And with that I best get off here as my day is about to begin in earnest.
A thought to carry with you . . .
•。★★ 。* 。
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˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
*.˛.A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer.
A bird sings because it has a song.
~Maya Angelou •。★★ 。* •。★★ 。*
I love my tea cosy.
It makes my heart cosy.
Have a lovely Saturday. Whatever you get up to, don't forget!
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