Life, Death, Resurrection

Life Bitterroot. Surprise Lilies. Two plants in nature that know resurrection. Both deliver leaves in early spring, then die back.  Dead as a doornail…or so it seems. Two or three months later, a stem of the bitterroot and surprise lily sprouts from the ground and pretty white, pink or purple flowers come to life. Resurrection of a sort. I suppose you can say that the plant never really died, it simply found new life after a long nap. Scientifically, bothRead more

#SoCS: Christmas Sprucing

For today’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday, Linda Hill asks us to use the word “spruce” in our post. The word doesn’t go along with a poem/prayer I’ve already written for today, so I’ll add a few lines here in order to avoid point deductions. I am “spruced up” for Christmas. The decorations and tree (the non-spruce kind) have been up since Thanksgiving. I spruced myself up with pinky/purple hair. I spruced the apartment up a couple days ago so thatRead more

#CFFC: Blue, White and Catching Up

It’s Monday, December 18th, and six days from Christmas Eve. Are you ready? I believe I am. In the last two weeks, presents were shipped to the brother and significant other, cookies were made/shared/eaten with friends, a Christmas concert provided holiday entertainment, a Christmas Round Robin was hosted, a mix of pink and purple was added to gray hair, there was a massage, a few drinks, too much food, etc. Tons of fun! Today, I have a little time toRead more

#SoCS: Misplaced Confidence

Sometimes… Things don’t go as planned. Or expected. And the confidence we start with takes a dirty tumble. As in expecting the first snowfall to wait until December and it shows up on Halloween instead. As in when you expect a naughty cat to stop being naughty or a whiny cat to stop being whiny when company comes over. Nope, not gonna happen. When the confidence of biking 20 miles on a gorgeous autumn day, after not having been onRead more

#SoCS is Out of the Box

After three weeks of non-blogging due to holiday madness, I’m back to explore Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness prompt: The first thing that comes to mind when I think of “out of the box.” I’m looking like Hoshi at the moment. A little bit clueless, a little bit waiting for someone to present my next meal. Hoshi is wondering why Linda G. Hill didn’t make this prompt about “in the box,” because she and Gibbs would have a lotRead more

#SoCS: Anyway Times Two

Gibbs and Hoshi fill in for the human…discussing chicken, Christmas and being a cat, among other things. Anyway… What did you say, little peanut? Nothing…maybe something…I said “anyway. Anyway.” And what is that supposed to mean? I dunno. I heard the big, tall one say that. You mean “mom,” the human? Is that what we call it? I didn’t know. I only know it gives me food and cuddles and lets me sleep under the covers. SHE is not anRead more

Food, Family, Friends and Fellowship

My brother called last Thursday morning to wish me a happy Thanksgiving and inquire if I had plans. More on the plans in a few paragraphs, but we somehow got on the subject of foods eaten during our childhood. The not-good-for-us foods. My brother didn’t remember the Velveeta macaroni and cheese mom and dad made from scratch during lent and his better half bellowed a big “Ewww” when I recounted how dad made fried-in-butter bologna sandwiches on Wonder cardboard whiteRead more

Beholden

Sitting here, wondering, what do I praise? In a week filled with stuffing and turkey Surrounding self, I fix a knowing gaze Faithful gratitude is never murky A bike, a home, gray and white purring cats Family, friends, community feels right I step on the earthen beholden mats And wipe away thanklessness with delight Upright and breathing is who I am now Fed with food and love and blue butterflies Embracing what matters like sacred cow Receiving life’s blessings isRead more

What Day is it?

Today is Labor Day in the United States, so I’ll start off by saying “thank you” to those who are enjoying a day off from their jobs. As of September 1st, I haven’t had to acknowledge this holiday for two years, unless an invitation to a picnic is involved. It’s just another day off to anyone who is retired. Every so often, I wake up in a need-for-caffeine fog and wonder, “What day is it?” Because one can lose senseRead more

They Died for Life

They did not die so that we could protest A self-centered right to damage others They did not die so that we could protect A lump of metal rather than mothers They did not die to devalue our life The lives of youth, adults, humanity They did not die to cause hatred and strife The divide of nation, insanity They did not die for monetary gain To line their uniform’s pockets with blood They did not die for ego, toRead more

Christmas and the Gift

“And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans–and all that lives and move upon them. He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused–and to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins,Read more

We Ask that Life be Kind

“Guide us with your graceTo a place where we’ll be safe.” From “The Prayer,” written by David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, Alberto Testa and Tony Renis. You may know the original by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, but I’ve been obsessing over the latest recording of “The Prayer” by Pentatonix. It’s on their latest Christmas CD, Evergreen. In this holiday season, whether you find yourself religious or not, celebrate Christmas or not, my wish (and prayer) for you is oneRead more