Days 2-4*, or Of Strawberries and Lake Water* or Simple Pleasures* etc.

*L.B. and I are on better Title-ing Terms...He agreed to stop being so persnickety if I agreed to work on my Title Composing Skills. Deal. 


L.B. and I have been having a marvelous time on our holiday here in Minnesota. I wish you all could share in the lovely delights I have experienced during my stay. Lovely quiet delights. I couldn't have imagined a better way to spend a vacation.

My friend took me Strawberry Picking in her backyard garden, and we picked enough berries to make a Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble for dessert that evening.

L.B. came along, too. 

Strawberry Trousers!

We spent our afternoons swimming in Lake Minnetonka...

And in the evenings, we ate cobbler and sat on the porch overlooking the beautiful stretch of backyard. (How nice! They have a true "stretch" of yard. I think our California house has a small plot of yard, though it is better than no yard.)

...
Splendid, no?

Party Time! (L.B. Style)

This is how it's done.

(Or, this is what happens when I leave my computer on at night.)

The Oatmeal Bear goes solo!

Joined by Mr. Totoro, who lives in an eternal state of shock, or so I think.

Dainty Down Feather Stuck Atop Toe Region of Bismuth Pink Christmas Sock, Found on a Quiet Evening

For some reason, the image of a tiny feather stuck to my giant pink sock reminded me of a certain poem by Billy Collins:

Reading An Anthology Of Chinese Poems Of The Sung Dynasty, I Pause To Admire The Length And Clarity Of Their Titles

It seems these poets have nothing
up their ample sleeves
they turn over so many cards so early,
telling us before the first line
whether it is wet or dry,
night or day, the season the man is standing in,
even how much he has had to drink.

Maybe it is autumn and he is looking at a sparrow.
Maybe it is snowing on a town with a beautiful name.

"Viewing Peonies at the Temple of Good Fortune
on a Cloudy Afternoon" is one of Sun Tung Po's.
"Dipping Water from the River and Simmering Tea"
is another one, or just
"On a Boat, Awake at Night."

And Lu Yu takes the simple rice cake with
"In a Boat on a Summer Evening
I Heard the Cry of a Waterbird.
It Was Very Sad and Seemed To Be Saying
My Woman Is Cruel--Moved, I Wrote This Poem."

There is no iron turnstile to push against here
as with headings like "Vortex on a String,"
"The Horn of Neurosis," or whatever.
No confusingly inscribed welcome mat to puzzle over.

Instead, "I Walk Out on a Summer Morning
to the Sound of Birds and a Waterfall"
is a beaded curtain brushing over my shoulders.

And "Ten Days of Spring Rain Have Kept Me Indoors"
is a servant who shows me into the room
where a poet with a thin beard
is sitting on a mat with a jug of wine
whispering something about clouds and cold wind,
about sickness and the loss of friends.

How easy he has made it for me to enter here,
to sit down in a corner,
cross my legs like his, and listen.

                                    --Billy Collins

Merry Christmas! (From L.B. and Me!)

L.B. visiting with Mouse and Oatmeal Owl #1.

All of us in House are a bit sick with sniffles and upset stomachs,

but L.B. is keeping us entertained with his shenanigans. 

He has am immune system of...of...fluff?...

It works! 

I shall wash and mend his trousers when I am feeling better. 

Until then, I will listen to Handel's Messiah and eat Jello!

Merry Christmas!

Oh Annie Dillard and Her Cats...

As I read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, I remember just how much I miss Virginia. 

I walked to this dock every day. It was not my dock, but I liked to pretend it was.

 

I am not a true Virginian since I was not born in Virginia. 

My neighbor Cornelia always reminded us non-Virginians of this fact. 

 

She is a true Virginian, but her husband is not.

He's from Mississippi, I think,

except he calls it "Missuhs-sippeh".

(Or was it Louisiana?) 

"But no hard feelings, honey."

That's what Cornelia would always say,

in addition to other not so repeatable phrases.

I love that lady.

She'll tell you whether or not your Whiskey Cream has enough whiskey in it.

(It usually won't have enough.)

...

I am glad Annie Dillard always had a cat no matter where she lived,

whether in Puget Sound or Virginia...

When Hannabee and I lived in Virginia, we asked God to send us a cat. 

..

And He did.

Courtesy of A.O.

He was a very handsome cat. 

 

I am sure he did the things any other cat might do,

like kill birds or eat bugs,

or pretend you don't exist until you feed him.

Maybe he was a mercenary cat,

or maybe he was just hungry.

Either way, he was another living creature who could soothe our lonely hearts in a way that trees and bodies of water could not.

...

 

I still miss Virginia, 

and I miss the rivers and trees,

and especially the Cat. 

But I am glad to live near friends and family again,

even if there are no rivers,

or quite as many trees in Southern California.

My family is here,

and my cats are here.

Someday I will learn to call this city my home.

All Shall Be Most Well...

And there shall also be Nutella.

L.B. approves.

Hmmm.

Today I found this photo of L.B.:

 

How did he manage to make ride up and down in my desk lamp?

(I wondered.)

...

Then I found this photo:

Sneaky Little Bear.

(Revenge for not getting to ride Vacuum last week.)

Adventuring

L.B. is out adventuring this week.
...
L.B. ist im Ausland. 
Proof that I am studying.
 ...

He chose a First-Class Pocket for his travels.

L.B. mit A.S. 

They make a jolly pair. 

 

 

L.B. sent word to me this morning:

 

"Skadsflasjaweidfzkkldfzklmdfs."

Translated:

"I am well."

 

(I am learning the language of The Paw.)

 

 

L.B.

...

He is a jolly fellow.

 

...

He reads The Biography of His Trousers to his friends,

...

 

 ...

And they listen.

...

The Good, the Other Good, and the Somewhat Bad and Ugly

I'll start with the Somewhat Bad and Ugly:

See this mean, lean, dirt-eating machine? 

We were allies this weekend in the Pesky Pest War of 2011. 

I don't want to write about the bugs.

The very thought of them makes me itch.

 

What do college students do on a Friday Night?

They fumigate their house, 

of course.

After vacuuming, prepping, spraying, fumigating, laundering, and vacuuming again,

I came to four realizations:

 

1) You fight the bad with more bad. 

So many chemicals...I know there are more "natural" ways of dealing with bugs, but when your legs

are scarred from months of bites, you'll do anything to have some relief. 

 

2) Americans have (insanely?) high standards of cleanliness. 

This is both a blessing and a curse. 

3) Dealing with pest infestation is much harder than studying for a German quiz 

or writing a term paper. Also, studying for that quiz or writing that paper

become harder when you feel displaced from home. 

4) CALM DOWN AND EAT SOME FRUIT.

...

Oh wait,

I mean

Calm down and eat some fruit. 

Honeycrisp Apples from Trader Joe's cover a multitude of...bug...sins,

er,

they just make life that much better.

("That much" being A Whole Lot.) 

 

There was The Good (and The Other Good) this weekend,

but I must first study for That Quiz and write That Paper. 

 

...And maybe eat That Apple. 

Not The Apple.

Just That Apple.

To Autumn, With Love

I miss Virginia.

Autumn, you think you are so sneaky. You trick me with your Summer-like weather, but I know you are here,
              and darling, I think you are wonderful.

Your coming is always heralded by the arrival of pumpkins and squash at my local market. Why do squash come in such funny shapes? They make me laugh!

Oh yes, I bought my first pumpkin this week. I thought it might make you happy to know.

Also, all I want to do is eat root vegetables and listen to James Taylor. You probably knew that already, because, well, it happens most every time you arrive.

Remember when I made my first sweet potato pie?

 Do you remember how awful it tasted?  It was a romantic idea, though. Oh well.

Autumn, thank you for bringing woolen sock and sweater weather.
Thank you for making me feel like Laura Ingalls whenever I wake up in the morning and hurry to dress by the heater.
I promise to cook something with bacon. Y'know, the bacon I squirreled away in my deep-freeze, back when, I, uh, butchered my pig...Kind of...

I'm going to go roast some squash, Autumn. Please send some Autumnal culinary inspiration to me, mostly because my last attempt at squash was a disaster.

We'll be seeing each other soon.

(As soon as I walk outside.)

Cheers!

Love,
-Me

Once Upon An Afternoon...

HannaBee 

and E.

sailed to Governors Island...

 

 

 

The Ferry was crowded, as you can see.

...to attempt the Peabody,

and

to visit some cars.

 

They still cannot dance the Peabody.

...

But maybe you will learn,

if you attend

this event:

 

 

in 2012?

(HannaBee, why don't we host our own party? Champagne sorbet and the works!)

Pow!

The View

When I Wake Up

(sans glasses)

 

Hello, Little Cat!

I love you!

Sun Gold Glory in San Francisco

"We ate fistfuls of tomatoes by the sea."

-A. 

I promise that I was not grumpy when this photo was taken. How can you be grumpy after eating Sun Gold tomatoes? 

 

Photo Credit: A.O.*

Today I introduced my sister to Sun Gold tomatoes. 

She loves them just as much as I do.

:)

And I love my sister much more than I love Sun Gold tomatoes!

(A different kind of love. Yes, yes, I know.) 

My sister and I picnicked on the dock overlooking the ocean. 

Our luncheon consisted of chicken pot pie and Sun Gold tomatoes.

It was a perfect meal. 

Later, we walked through the Ferry Building and picked out presents, jam jars, and little sweeties.

When an angry madman accosted us, 

(Something about not giving him blueberries. What blueberries?)

we hid near the Cheese Shop. 

He never found us.

Whew!

I wish I were a better photographer. Then I could finally take decent pictures of my sister.

Until then, check out her blog*.

Hurrah for Thrift Stores!

Ellie and I visited the local thrift store,

and I found these treasures for my personal Children's Literature Library:

 

I am especially excited about The Grouchy Ladybug, since 1) I'm a fan of Eric Carle books, and 2) Sam and my sister have decided that I get infected with "grumpy bugs" after 11 P.M.  

...

Grumpy Bugs,

Pokey,

Cranky,

Grouchy.

Poor, poor Ladybug. 

I empathize with you! 

But wait! It's after 11 P.M. and I am not grouchy, or cranky, or pokey, or filled with grumpy bugs!

Well, what do you know about that?

I should go to bed before this wears off!

:)

Old Friends...

My dear friend Ellie is visiting me this week.

We spent our wee little-one days together in the New Mexican desert

learning violin, singing in choirs, and generally being very, very silly. 

 Ellie also suffers from the same kind of gastrointestinal problems that I have.

Partners in pain?

 (Circa 2008?)

~*~*~*~

We both tried being music majors (at different schools),

quit our attempt,

and are now re-attempting the arts again. 

(She's in theater and I'm in music.)

We used to improvise opera during long car rides.

Actually, we still do! 

Ellie is one of those sorts of people who can catch on and join in when I hum the first few measures of the Overture to Candide or Borodin's Polovtsian Dances.

We had a jolly time making cymbal clashing noises.

(Go listen: Here and Here)

 

~*~*~*~

When I am with Ellie, I remember why I love music so much. 

We can enjoy music without the pressure of being perfect performers.

We can joke about violinists being divas,

because we have both played violin,

and I'm sure we have both been divas.

(We would love to eat bon bons from a silver tray. At least I would...)

Yesterday we sat on the drive way and talked about babies,

because girls sometimes need to talk about babies. 

Then we came inside and ate a late night snack.

 

~*~*~*~

Thank you, New Mexico and the M. Family, for sharing your daughter with me!

I promise that we will have fun. :)

 

Summer Reading and Not So Very Long Ago...

Shakespeare 2009

The best of times...

 The French Royal Family Portrait.

My mother was my brother, 

and my father was my friend. 

See the resemblance? 

...

But where is Choo?

"We would picnic by the James River...

...shielding ourselves with a yellow umbrella in a manner befitting those from the Orient."

~September 20th, 2010

Simple Saturdays

I'm beginning to savor my Saturdays again. 

Rather than filling my weekend with half-hearted homeworking,

I leave the house and search out a grassy lawn.

You know,

the kind of lawn on which you can sit and color pictures.

..

...

..

 

 ..

...

..

...And sometimes I find little treasures.

..

...

..

..

...

..

What sort of treasure do you find?