Again With the Goodly Goodliness

"Willing to accept that she creates her own reality except for some of the parts where she can't help but wonder what the hell she was thinking" - Brian Andreas (Story People)

So we returned from our trip to nirvana...um I mean Squam Art Workshops, and there was an email stating that my missing letterbox had been mysteriously returned. The local news is doing a follow-up to this story with the new happy ending.

AND...Think Tank (An international show of work exploring contemporary political issues including the environment, the death penalty, the war in Iraq, immigration, homeland security, and the election process itself) which includes two of my pieces opens tomorrow at the Clara M. Eagle Gallery at Murray State University in Kentucky.

I know I've said this before, but I really AM the luckiest person on earth. Do you believe me now? (If not, here's further proof)

Most Alive Monday: Bright Wings

"In the muddled mess of this world, in the confusion and boredom and amazement, we ought to be able to spot something...an event, a person, a memory, an act, a turning of the soul, the flash of bright wings, the surprise of sweet compassion...somewhere we ought to pick out a glory to celebrate" - Samuel H. Miller

At exactly 7:23 pm (Wednesday night) a tiny little hummingbird came to our feeder. I had attached the feeder to our living room window where it gets afternoon and evening light and planted flowers that hummers are attracted to nearby. Then in the eve while snuggling on the sofa with Satch, I saw something flutter to the side of us and there at the feeder was the tiniest little hummingbird. I could not believe my eyes and I gasped. Satch looked up quickly and I whispered, "shhhh it's a hummingbird". He did not know what to make of this tiny little creature. SO VERY TINY! We both sat there and watched silently and then in a flash it was gone. It came back the following morning and joined me as I sipped my coffee, but I haven't seen it since.

My brother-in-law flew in to visit for the long weekend. We went to the falls where we saw a mother and baby deer eating beside the trail. I found another set of Swallowtail wings, this one yellow, (photo above) in the grass and I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again....."I'm the luckiest person in the world"!

We ate some Boca Brats and corn on the cob and the boys watched Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest because what could be more American than honoring gluttony, right?!?! I was relieved when Satch fell asleep during the pre-game shenanigans because I really didn't want him to witness all the gorging. It was altogether repulsive. However, it was indeed amusing to hear the commentators use the terms, "sport" and "professional eater". The onlookers cheered as the winner ingested 55 fistfuls of meat byproducts and nitrates in 10 minutes!

*About Most Alive Monday: I've decided to make at least one "most alive choice" each day and post my favorite each Monday. This, of course, is to motivate me to consciously "live juicy"! I hope you'll join me and share your "most alive moment" in the comments section so we may inspire each other.

To Be Dazzled... (a rather long post)

or more examples of why I'm the luckiest person on earth....

So we spent the brisk, yet beautiful day indoors yesterday because I was feeling so crummy. I got out the bubbles and a bubble gun and let Satch blow bubbles in the bathroom so I could take a hot and longer-than-five-minute-shower. When I asked him if there was something he'd like to do, wouldn't you know he said, "oooh sum rafts" (crafts). So I got out the paintbox and he painted and then asked for tape and stuck his creations up all over the studio window. We then read some books, had a pretend picnic where he served a mysterious imaginary brew he calls "pupatino"! While he took his nap, I finished reading a book that I found at B's yard sale on Saturday.

Would you sit with me for a spell because it's a good story?

You see, I met B via freecycle...she offered some Waldorf-ish lanterns that she and her beautiful son, J made some years ago with jars and tissue paper. I thought that I could use them for Satchel's birthday party in May or have a summer evening lantern walk and then enjoy them all year long when we want a bit of candle light. I also felt that a mother and son project such as this one should not end up in the trash. So I responded to her post, plopped Satch into the pram and walked to the other side of the lake.

Am I ever glad I did!

The lanterns were beautiful and B was quite a lovely soul AND her son J charmed Satch right out of his shy sideways glance into full fits of laughter. Satch was completely smitten with this delightful 7 yr old chap. We sat and chatted over fresh mango and discovered we had a lot in common. It turned out that this family was moving and having a yard sale the following week. Naturally, I planned to stop by.

When we returned from our Thomas the train adventure, however, the yard sale was over so I phoned to ask B if we could still pop by. Her sweet son, J, answered and asked, "Is this Wendy of the lanterns"? "Why yes it is", I relied. When we arrived at their home, I announced myself, "It is I...Wendy of the lanterns", and explained to J that I very much like the name he gave me.

B had some items set aside for us and I just couldn't believe our good fortune: TWO butterfly nets which I'm sure will catch many a bug, a blue Ukulele, this magic kit, a puppy costume, paint, a big bag of wool roving AND...this book, which I've just finished reading and absolutely love! Satch spent a good part of the afternoon pulling silks out of a bag and yelling "abba ba dabba hokey pokey" and slept with the puppy costume, and one of the butterfly nets.

If that isn't amazing enough...I found this book and this book at the Library book sale! The latter I've already started reading and it made me teary and gave me all sorts of ideas to adapt in our home. And I'm sure there are some who wonder how I manage to read so many books and the truth is, I don't watch tv so I read a lot. Except for yesterday because I was feeling so yucky so when Robert came home and took Satch outside to set his worms free, I flipped the tv on for just a second and was smacked in the face with one disaster or another...a shooting, tornadoes, wild fires and Rachael Ray. Ah! I'm not missing much - back to my books!

Oh, yes...last week 'tween the upcoming birthday crafting and Mother's Day gifts, I made a worm house for Satch and we cared for earthworms all week. (Pics of those as the events draw near)

I awoke several times last night freezing and covered in sweat. I'm guessing it means I kicked that bug from yesterday because I do feel that I'm on the mend this morn.


"Still, what I want in my life
is to be willing
to be dazzled-
to cast aside the weight of facts


and maybe even
to float a little
above this difficult world" - Mary Oliver

Reflection

"Every tree and plant in the meadow seemed to be dancing, those which average eyes would see as fixed and still" - Rumi



The karmic boomerang is flying once again! This book arrived from Shana (Thank you from the bottom of my poetry loving heart!) so to keep the energy flowing, I sent this book out to Margaret.

Please note that all this... the above photo, the previous post, and the abundant generosity that seems to flow in every direction, is another example of why I am the luckiest person alive!

Mission

...and then, as if by magic, the heat and humidity lifted. We opened all the windows and the song of the world rushed in.

Inspired by Jen's mission, Satch and I went out on a little mission of our own. We posted a sticky note in a local bus stop that read, "Be in love with your life"...


















then we created "Mercury Man" because Satch is interested in robots.

I have no idea what this thing is, but I do know that it needed eyes.



















The amazing Shelley must have been on a mission to rock our world, because this gorgeous book of play rhymes arrived in the mail yesterday. (karmic boomerang!)

Thank you, Shelley!

In the darkness of bedtime:

" mama da moon"
"you saw the moon?"
"yesss an da tars"
"and the stars too?"
"yesss"
(he paused and then with his little index finger pointed up as if to punctuate an important idea)

"bir day eat cake....candles"

The imagery of his thoughts wrapped themselves around my heart, and he fell asleep clutching his giraffe in one hand and his digger in the other. The breeze carried with it, the melody of night, chirping of crickets and the rhythm of our breathing.

Karmic Boomerang

"Love, Love, Love, that is the soul of genius" - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

A whimsically wrapped parcel arrived from the West coast....a gift from Pixie....all beautiful, magical. Satch liked the envelope so much he wore it as a hat. He looked like a gnome!

Inside was a copy of Keri Smith's, "Wreck this Journal"and Dagoba chocolate for me...


and Dan Zanes' cd Rocket Ship Beach & sticky stones for Satch. (Satch went WILD over the sticky stones and of course is a Zanes fan)

If that isn't magical enough...enclosed in my card was a feather from a Cooper's Hawk (Particularly touching because it's Satchel's middle name).

Satchel's card is a lovely illustration by the talented Linda Wingerter...you can find more of her work here and her notecards here. The card is so beautiful that I plan to frame it for Satchel's room.

And all this arrived on the heels of a care package of S'mores fixin's that we shipped out to these happy campers.

When I showed Robert the goodies that arrived I said, "HA...you see, it's like some sort of karmic boomerang". "Yep", he replied, "it always comes back".