Mother's Day

Pearl's card for me! My children, their families, are my presents - I am blessed.

So here, a poem for my mother:

To My Mother as I Feel the First Snow


all questions lie like the sages' red hairs
on the white hills
                        slight flames
unconquerable tickling
                                 I want to ask you
when my father's birthday was
when he died
                  when you first tried suicide
but my throat plugs with the skull and bones
excavated under the room where we slept
                                                              voodoo
I do not ask
                  the silence
the fire sizzles
                  sleet down the chimney
the snow draws a blanket mind.

I think of my mother all day

My mother's cotton ball canapés, delightful served with cocktails on April Fool's day, haunted me. I wanted to think of a good joke to play on my kids.  I first contemplated bringing a hen inside and taking pictures which I would post with the caption: "my new pet." But although I spent time in the coop changing the water, I had no chance to capture a bird. I chuckled at morning edition's rock soup, dirty rock dishes, for healthy dining - it was almost believable until they interviewed a Parisian about saving their precious dog's poop for ingredient.  I failed to come up with a plan or photo or story to post and the day was colder than anticipated. 
I did take mr.lee on a run to the recycling center in Mr.T (the truck). I accidentally dropped the entire plastic bag into the container with the recyclables - fortunately the man using the bin had a hook in his truck and managed to hoist my bag out. Then mr. lee and I drove to Childress Garden Center for seed potatoes and cabbage seedlings (and some flowers for my homecoming family). Mr. Puckett has a female dog like mr.lee - from the pound, who has had to have all of her teeth pulled. I teased mr.lee that he had a girl friend. 

One year is ending, a new one begins

I have refrained from political talk for the most part here in this blog which has developed as a photo resting place with small asides and few reviews. Shallow I think. It seems futile to ruminate and whine. I have signed up for the Women's March in DC on the day after the inauguration of The Trump. I am looking forward to the trip, to the commitment to active hyper alertness in this time of Trump. I am especially anxious about threats to women's choice, to environmental protections and to social justice. 
I am thankful that I have the recent memories of Christmas with my family to bolster me. And hand warmers for my pockets. Friends to march with. And, I reminded myself today; the days are slowly becoming longer.

good times with cousins and all

True must be just off to the left by Baldwin. What fun, movie than dinner at the new movie theaters in Blacksburg.

The river slake in heat wave

Water snake surprised on the island below the shelf falls yesterday with a fish in its  mouth, half swallowed. I didn't want to disturb it, but the dogs and I caused it to flee with fish. 
Several days of almost 90 degrees here; but yesterday and today, thunderstorms mitigate the heat. I have yet to turn on the A/C for the nights are still cool, and daily I can hang at the river. 
I ate the first ripe tomato from the garden, first of the larger ones. I have had several ripe small cocktail tomatoes. A large yellow "Kellogg breakfast" heirloom variety which I cut and, except for the  pieces I had to immediately taste, added to a bowl with balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. oh, delight. 

One week from today,  Ezra and Jen and Fia arrive for a visit, and maybe Kingsley too (Mr. Lee's pal). I so look forward to seeing them, to see the cousins playing, to feel my heart fill with happiness watching my two sons together with their families. (a photo from last year!)

Beautiful Hair

The braids held until recently. Her mom worked the braids into rows of a pattern traditional. The care, the touching, erasing the separation. It may have taken 2 hours to work the hair into the thin braids. Hannah bound the baby sister onto her back with a shawl, when the baby woke we all took turns amusing her. The braiding was the center of us all; we moved away and returned. I see the love permeating to Pearl's toes. 
Many of us grow up with two to four grandparents or some configuration of adoring aunties and uncles. We bask in multi faceted love. But it is not always so easy to accept two pairs of loving parents. It takes us time to sort experience and expectation - to let our selves relax and just absorb the grace. 

the assembled family!

Ma and Paw came down from Charlottesville to see the one year olds cavort with DD. My heart got so full up, I fret it's enlarged itself. Amazingly the little white doggies got along like old buddies; Mr. Lee getting to show his city cousin how to get down and dirty. Good food, I am still eating the cedar plank salmon. Good weather, which is a miracle after Wednesday's flash flood. Lots of love, babies on chest! And laughs.
 

June, continent rolled

Busy, anxious, excited. Wet June benefiting garden; blooms profuse in pea row, potatoes magnificent, beans just sprouting under teepees I assembled by myself! Caught a ground hog today in trap; poor one must have been in the trap quite awhile, as he/she died before the executioner arrived. We began practicing for our LOOSE THREADS performance in July with two dramaturge: Ann and Suzanna. The theatre 101 stage is in the round, black walls and floor, a black hole! perfect for "its all about death." Much to work on, but tightening up the transitions, intention, movement. Blocking new enough to catch me; swimming to ottoman at west end of stage. (Use compass directions to denote space in theatre in the round.) I've killed a copperhead  with Alma's help by the chimney, and liberated 3 black snakes from chicken house. We all anticipate news of date to return to Ethiopia to bring home baby brother. But most anxious development in June was Ezra's stay in the hospital with what was diagnosed as mono caused by CMV virus. He is mercifully home, gradually recovering from horrid night sweats, fever, painful cough and great fatigue. I feel I am slowly collecting myself, two weeks before we begin rehearsals in earnest at end of June. 
loosethreads.wordpress.com 

Snow on Monday

Coming out of Qigong to snow flurries, wet and less threatening for being April 23. With such a warm winter, I harbored the notion that we would have spring frosts of various levels of destruction. My irises have suffered as did the wisteria; and if it drops precipitously into freezing zone tonight or tomorrow night, the new leaves just budding on the trees may suffer. I think my garden will be ok, though I will put some pine needles on the just rising from the soil potatoes - they definitely don't take well to frost. I've still a bag of beautiful blue and red potatoes to plant. Happily, the green house is snug and I have plants pulled into the dinning room. They sit by the glass doors adjusting to the lower light and I imagine glad to avoid the blustery day outside. Listening to Levon Helm on Pandora, Mr. Lee at my feet. Going to bundle up for a walk soon; Alma's coming over for soup tonight.
I drove so carefully today into town to the grocery. Yesterday, I luckily was going slow enough to allow a car to pull out almost directly in front of me on route 8. But later, it was me who made a wide turn in front of a small VW I didn't see. Then in Lowe's parking lot waiting for Baldwin and chatting with DD about flying pigs, I didn't see Baldwin come out of the store and drove off, albeit, slowly to look at flowers, with Baldwin hanging onto the car door. Oopse, dangerous Old lady at the wheel.

WOW

I'm so impressed with my blog's new look, gift from Mindy and Baldwin, that I am slightly intimidated and thinking about a new camera and generally dumbfounded. So I am beginning with a picture of my tree of lights which does much to raise my spirits in this darkest period of the year.
Rain began last night, light rain meeting us as we exited Chris house after a wonderful evening celebrating birthdays. When I lay in bed last night I had images of babies loose in the back of cars - we who raised our kids without car seats or husbands who might make an effort to share the overwhelming job. I can only vaguely imagine Pat's or Elizabeth's lives with four babies under the age of five! As Pat said, her oldest learned how to count by counting diapers for the twins!