My Work of Art

In the last year Angela has started doing flowers for weddings and such and I have beheld arrangements that stop my breath, or stop my steps as I study each bud and petal and marvel at her genius in flower design. This year I've luxuriated in blooms.

Angela is on vacation now and the house is bereft of flowers. I took to my yard in need of a flower fix. I picked a few "Double Delight" roses and placed them in the glass bottles I've saved for fifteen years, as their shape and hue delighted me. These glasses are a permanent fixture in my kitchen window, mostly empty, but often filled with a few flowers or leaves of the seasons.

So, today I placed the roses in their places above my sink, looking out through my window. Joy crept through my veins as a truth rang out. These humble arrangements throughout the years have given me greater joy than even the most marvelous of compositions. They have brightened my spirit, enlivened my senses, and soothed my sometimes heavy soul. Countless times I have come to my window, either purposely or by chore, and I am caught by a joy though simple, is pure and lasting.

Angela is the "Monet" of flower art, and I am a child with her tempura paint, and though I delight in the artist, I am content with my painting.

My Favorite Quote

I ran across this quotation one day years ago and my heart recognized the truth. This is my favorite quote of all time and because I keep losing it and then having to search for months, I am putting down on a blog so I'll always have it when I need it. I hope it will find another heart for it's home by my pasteing it here on these pages.

I love you all.

Catherine

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and

try to love the questions themselves . . .Do not . . . seek the

answers, which cannot be given you because you would not

be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live

the questions now. Perhaps; you will . . .gradually, without

noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.

RAINER MARIA RILKE

Letters to a young poet

Norton 1934, 1935.

We Are Not Birds Of Prey!

It happened! The best parental lecture I've ever heard or witnessed, happened in my home Sunday morning. I hear all you nay sayers out there thinking, "couldn't match the lecture of '04.......ya da ya da.....," whatever, I know what I heard and I can't deny it.

I'll lay out the setting for you:

James and Chase bored
James and Chase invent new game - "Battlefield"
James winning battle every time, duh, he's 3 years older
Chase no longer happy and attacks with full strength, (note: although he uses teeth, kicking, slugging, etc., for some reason doesn't pull out the scratching this time.)
James unfortunately doesn't use any of the above, but scratching - hence - he's the one that is in trouble. (note: burdens of a first child, to be addressed in different blog.)

Now to THE moment - Angela sees scratches and calls the boys in for the umpteenth lecture on how fighting isn't okay! But this time she pulls a real zinger out of her repertoire,

"BOYS - WE ARE NOT BIRDS OF PREY!!!!!!! WE DO NOT USE TALONS!!!!!

Unfortunately I can not give you the rest of the story. My twisted mind immediately took off for the computer, although I haven't written a blog in over a year, I knew in that moment inspiration had come at last.