Merry Christmas!

Here’s to getting here and finding the light and appreciating it where we find it.

Northern Exposure End Scene: More Light from Markus Avrelius on Vimeo.

Survived a night with roaring winds and rain so I might be a little droopy later but there is good everywhere. Soak it in, revel in it! Strength friends, for what’s ahead!

Merry Christmas!

NaPoWriMo – Day 9

So very rainy and later windy today. Did some “productive things” like changed the sheets and did some wash, did the dishes I left over yesterday, fed the happy if chilly sourdough starter. Figured out a way to keep it a little warmer at least in the daytime.

The cats seemed concerned that we might run out of cat litter and FOOD. I found that PetSmart would let me order it online and would bring it right out to the car so that’s what I did. In fairness, they always offer to help me out to the car with it. In truth the cats NEVER offer to help me bring it in from the car.

Anyway, that’s pretty close to Mom, so I swung by with the milk she asked for and a few extra things from my delivered shipment of veggies.

Milk for My Mother

Drove in today to see my mother
— brought her milk,
a jug of two per cent,
no loaf of bread,
none to be had even if wanted.
A calculated risk these days,
claiming an errand for myself,
part of my responsibilities
to three cats concerned,
if prematurely for their own
still amply-filled food bin.
I brought her myself, and
some unexpected groceries
along with the asked-for milk.
It’s about all I can provide
along with many texts and calls.
We both consent, silently,
to hugs and kisses.
How illicit! Are you shocked
at our breach of social distance?
You shouldn’t be. Mom would
forgo milk a day or so longer.
The single cure I can offer is
for the only ailment
we have that matters.
We sit side by side on the couch
chatting about things: some
worldly, some news, but most
surrounding us daily, flowing,
the tide we float with or
swim against and have for years,
so many years.

NaPoWriMo – Day 9

Words to Ponder

Thanks to James Gurney for these words from a fine poet.

…May your inner eye
See through the surfaces
And glean the real presence
Of everything that meets you

May your soul beautify
The desire of your eyes
That you might glimpse
The infinity that hides
In the simple sights
That seem worn
To your usual eyes.

John O’Donohue, from “For The Senses”

You might ask, where the heck have you been? Well I’ve been writing and editing. So many words. Found an ending, found a prologue and an epilogue. On re-reading found a semi-baddy was still lying. LYING – she’s still lying about what happened, I shouted at the rest until they figured it out and brought her to a deserved justice.

It’s grey and cold and winter’s not kind to painters that like to be outside, but I find writing makes it hard to do visual things and so I’ve been quiet and writing. I did get out one day mid-January to try out a new tripod and throw some paint around on a pale evening.

Also grateful to have celebrated Mom’s 90th birthday with family. A good time was had by all!

Now, bring it on February!

Words to Ponder

World Watercolor Month Day #28 and Yesterday

Last night, Mom and I saw this, reflecting the late evening sky at Naumkeag, Stockbridge Mass..

And when night came it danced with fireflies.

Tonight the late sky looked like this:

And I painted this:

My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.
— Albert Einstein

World Watercolor Month Day #28 and Yesterday

World Watercolor Month Days #25 and #26

Not sure how I forgot to post my bit of watercolor yesterday but here it is. I have a new palette and I’m debating how to set it up, so I’m still messing around to see what colors some new possibilities become when mixed with other more known players. Seems to me that if you’re going to have another palette it should be substantially different in some ways from the other ones you’ve already got going. I don’t know. On the other hand if it was wildly different from what I commonly use, chances are I wouldn’t use it? Ack.

Yesterday I received my first postcard for the August Poetry Postcard Festival. Today I received postcards #2 and #3. They blew me away, humbled me and filled me with gratitude.

World Watercolor Month Days #25 and #26

World Watercolor Month Day #17

I stopped, on the way home, to see if there was something to paint. There was, and before dark there was a small crowd gathered to see what the last shout of the sun was all about, rainbow included.

My mom came too and we had a blast taking a whole lot of photos!

And here are all the glorious photos, unedited, several duplicates perhaps, unsorted but enjoy!

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Came home to find a toasted DSL cable modem and WiFi router so here I am, offering you photos via ethernet… that’s how much I love my faithful fans.

Nobody can be exactly like me. Sometimes even I have trouble doing it.
— Tallulah Bankhead

World Watercolor Month Day #17

NaPoWriMo 2019 – Day Nine

I’m late today. I’ve spent a couple days with Mom and doing things a little off the path of normal. All is well, and I’m glad for everything. Rained hard just as I arrived home and I set the re-potted plants outside to imbibe. When it let up I went out to look at clouds and found the blue heron was building a nest, there was a pair of common mergansers and a bunch of noisy geese at a nearby pond. So I sat and painted a bit. Now here I am with today’s poem.

One cup in the sink
a spoon on the table
books in a jumble
alongside the bed
an assemblage of
sheets and blankets
pulled up over
irregular pillows
a shoe by the door
half-full cat’s bowl
trash at the curb
lights on auto
shrine silence
remembrance echoing
door opens
door closes again.

Risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
— Leo Buscaglia

NaPoWriMo 2019 – Day Nine was originally published on

NaPoWriMo 2019 – Day Eight

Spent a day with Mom today, waiting, among other things. Worth waiting but still a long day amd we’re both glad to be home! We met some lovely people and chatted a lot (as we do) and I was prepared for whatever waiting necessary!

Waiting.
Waiting to wait.
Waiting some more.
Up at the crack of dark
to wait all day.
Coffee and book
digital distraction
chargers
a corner chair
some mints
a cold drink now warm
a pen and paper
a brochure
magazines of unknown
date and purpose
an outlet
all the accoutrements
of waiting.

NaPoWriMo 2019 – Day Eight was originally published on

Here and There Tuesday

Yes it was sloppy slushy snow this morning but nothing in the grand scheme of things. When I went out to push snow off the car, it was wet but obviously not going to stick around.

When i ducked back into the house for something the mailman came. In the mailbox was a very carefully taped up box with Air Mail and Customs info from Australia. Australia? The label indicated “Art Materials:… OH!!!!

It is a thing of beauty!

Then Mom and I went for a shot of holiday spirit at Faddegon’s in Latham.

I took the long way home because it looked like it might be an interesting sunset but also to do an errand or two on the way. When I got home I pulled out my new brush and paint and tried it out.

And then I did this small painting of what I saw on the way home.

Thanksgiving 2018

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