Monday, January 31, 2011

miniature joys


Those who say that happiness cannot be bought do not know the joy that comes from purchasing something in that bakery-pink box.    A penny found and a surprise gift card in the mail make for a good ending of this month.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

pennies from heaven

is one of the songs my retirees are learning for our spring concerts and I find the tune in my head as I wander the streets of the city picking up pennies.  Random shots from this day:


diamond-filled cobweb on my balcony


happy little sprigs of green have no idea that snow is headed their way tomorrow...


amusing little piggies which I found as I explored a new route to the library



divine croissants, stuffed with raspberry jam and dark chocolate--healthy eating will resume tomorrow


and the pennies found today and a peaceful cd to enjoy.  (Am culling my movies and music that survived the cross-country move because I just discovered an used movie/music store where I can sell things!)

Friday, January 28, 2011

aging conspirators


 Somewhere in the world
something is happening
which will make its slow way here.

A cold front will come to destroy
the camellias, or perhaps it will be
a heat wave to scorch them.


A virus will move without passport
or papers to find me as I shake
a hand or kiss a cheek.

Somewhere a small quarrel
has begun, a few overheated words
ignite a conflagration,

and the smell of smoke
is on its way;
the smell of war.


Wherever I go I knock on wood—
on tabletops or tree trunks.
I rinse my hands over and over again;

I scan the newspapers
and invent alarm codes which are not
my husband's birthdate or my own.

But somewhere something is happening
against which there is no planning, only
those two aging conspirators, Hope and Luck.

"Somewhere in the World" by Linda Pastan, from Traveling Light




May you find the bits of hope and luck which you need this day.  Happy Friday!!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

what dreams may come

  
Did not realise that I had skipped a day o' blogging.  Just did a vision board--got the idea from a friend's colleague's colleague's daughter's blog.  (Don't tell me that you never fallen into the endless linkage in the blogosphere!)  It may be a bit woo-woo, but figure it can't hurt and I'm all for anything that involves painting.

Monday, January 24, 2011

thyme of day


 swirls of fog



Happy new herbs.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

with a nod


to Tennessee Williams's famed line, I was most impressed by the kindness of a stranger this past week.  I was at a city market and my debit card wouldn't work.  The clerk tried it as a credit card.  Still no luck.  At this point, I was bouncing between humiliation and a bit of panic as there ought to have been plenty of funds for at least groceries.


As I was rummaging in my pockets (I rarely carry cash) to see what I had, the ultra-patient man behind me stepped forward and offered to buy my groceries.  He said, "I'll give you my address and you can mail me a check."

I was stunned by the generosity of a stranger.  I thanked him, but only bought that for which I could afford out of pocket.   But that gesture has been sitting in my mind.  It was so teeny--perhaps $3 worth to make up the difference, but it calmed me.  And impressed me.  What a nice city this can be.


*The post script to this saga is that my CSA supplier had changed their banking choice and my bank had seen their billing as a fraudulent activity and therefore had frozen my account.  While I appreciate their vigilance, I pointed out that notifying me would have been a lovely step for their customer service department to provide.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Friday, January 21, 2011

in the bleeeeeak mid-winter

It's not snowing, but there is a penetratingly grey chill occurring, so thought this poem was appropriate:


After sledding in the park's deep snow,
the two sons refuse to walk home.
The weary father trudges along
pulling them home
in the sparsely trafficked streets
snow still falling.

At times the kids fall off, laughing,
not wanting the day to end.

~


Hushed streets except for the
rumble of the subway.

Out of the corner of his eye
the father spies Orpheus

with guitar case, descending
the dark steps, off to reclaim lost love.

"City Scene in Snow" by Jonathan Greene, from Distillations and Siphonings.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

success with 'shrooms

no, not that kind--but after a week of experimenting, I finally achieved a gorgeous (vegan) soup of the consistency I wanted.  Also tried capturing the full moon rise with limited success.


Tuesday, January 18, 2011

twenty questions

which I'm pondering--from an excellent article by Martha Beck.

Monday, January 17, 2011

the not so big life

is a book I am currently reading--excellent stuff.  This quote resonated with me tonight as I enjoyed the moonrise on the homeward ferry ride:


"Our seeking obscures and impedes the flow."

Sunday, January 16, 2011

a belated new year's wish...

Or perhaps I shall use this for the Chinese New Year:


Dear Lord ~
All I ask for in 2011 is a big, fat bank account and a slim body.
Please don't mix these up like you did last year.
Amen.
 

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Coco wisdom


One of my Christmas gifts is a witty women sayings page-a-day calendar.  Today's bon mot is from Madame Chanel--A girl should be two things:  classy and fabulous.

Found some classy curtains at Goodwill for.....$2.99.  Oh yes.  The delight of the day.

Friday, January 14, 2011

demanding a better world


Experience was nothing that day. That day was Sunday.

It was impossible to transcend the Western Tradition of Sunday.
But he did not demand a better world.

This he left to the moon, the moon's day, Monday.

Saturday he was maudlin, and may have been in love.
Friday he got phone calls, but wasn't there to answer.

Wherever he was he was not falling in love.

Thursday was bunk. The sack of his heart emptied.
Wednesday was symmetry, a thimbleful of nothing.

What seemed most decisive, redemptive, was Tuesday.
Suffering really meant something to him then.

Monday, last Monday, he felt sure he'd found
the catch in the course of circular motion.

Sunday he did not demand a better world.

"The Story of the Week" by Joshua Mehigan, from The Optimist.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

inspi/red/green


Inspired by the reading of a friend's post on colour amidst grey days, I took fun mossy photos on my morning ramble.







Despite the freshest of air and good exercise, this is my attitude towards today.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

2 for 1



Gorgeous snow fall; love how quiet the city can become.


Evidently my wiper blade didn't share my snow enchantment and registered this by falling to bits just as I pulled onto I-90.  As it was on the driver's side and it was pouring slush, made for an exhilarating commute to work.


A co-worker was kind enough to drive me to the nearest auto shop and I amused the lads at the counter with my story of madly catching my wiper blade while driving on the freeway.  And best of all?  They were having a 2-1 sale and I needed to replace the other wiper blade.

Now to figure out how to install them...

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

what is your work?


"There is one thing in this world you must never forget to do.  Human beings come into this world to do particular work.  That work is their purpose, and each is specific to the person.  If you forget everything else and not this, there's nothing to worry about.  If you remember everything else and forget your true work, then you will have done nothing with your life."  Rilke


While I know that he is speaking philosophically and not specifically, these are still good words to read as I enter my 12th month of job-hunting.  Yes.  That is an entire year of trying to find work.  My first job was at fourteen, running the laundry in a retirement home, and I've worked steadily ever since.  Until now.  I realize this is a national phenomenon, but I don't care to be trendy.    I was even unable to find holiday temp work.


When I follow up on jobs, the people I speak to say that they receive up to 200 applications.  These are for PART-TIME jobs with no benefits.  A little surreal.


So today's delight is that I live in a temperate region, so should I end up living under the freeway, at least I won't freeze to death.

Monday, January 10, 2011

acts of connection

Tried to stage today's penny to show the beautiful snow on the hills and the random flakes drifting about.


Found these good words from this morning's reading from a Julie Cameron book--underscores the focus of this particular blogsite: 

"Flora and fauna reports, I used to call the long winding letters from my grandmother.  'The forsythia is starting and this morning I saw my first robin....the roses are holding even in this heat....the sumac has turned and that little maple down by the mailbox'....
My grandmother was gone before I learned the lesson her letters were teaching:  survival lies in sanity, and sanity lies in paying attention.
 The reward for attention is always healing.  It may begin as the healing of a particular pain--the lost lover, the sickly child, the shattered dream.  But what is healed, finally, is the pain that underlies all pain:  the pain that we are all, as Rilke phrases it, 'unutterably alone':  More than anything else, attention is an act of connection.



Sunday, January 9, 2011

joie de vivre

is currently in limited supply.  On the petulant level, this was to be a rare Sunday off for me, so I had lovely visions of a long and lazy slumber.  Visions which were abruptly ruined at 4 a.m. by the endless shrieking of our fire alarms.  No fire, so I s'pose I oughtn't complain.  And I had fallen asleep reading this marvelous book:


This violent waking was followed by emails and news of violence--both on the personal and national level.  Another funeral to plan this week.


So it seemed an appropriate time to test out a new recipe from my fabulous dessert book.  The sheen of melting chocolate always delights.


As does the scent of chocolate baking....


Success!  My teeny way of bringing back an iota of joy to this chaotic and scary world.  Grab and fork and come on over.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

more playing in the kitchen


Finally redeemed a birthday gift card for an immersion blender which I am happy to say transformed a butternut squash into the lovely soup below.  Now all I need is the promised snowflakes of today.