Water Thoughts

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas Fuller, 1732

Do you ever think about how wonderful this is? How someone, a long time ago, dug a well and pumped water into the house so they didn't have to walk to the creek with a bucket anymore.

Isn't it beautiful? Aren't we lucky? Does anyone think that we need to be a bit more thankful for what we have instead of what we think we need? Sometimes I need to remind myself to think about making life better instead of complaining about what's wrong.
Just a thought.....

An Early Morning Offering

I've fixed you breakfast. Tea or Coffee? Cheese or jam? Sit anywhere you like: The table, where you can eat without Carl in your lap..., or (it's all on a tray) you can carry it into the living room and sit on the couch with some big pillows tucked behind you. Here, there are no guarantees that the pupster won't be in your lap giving you a dose of puppy eyes. He loves toast.
Relax and put your feet up. There is nothing to do today that can't wait for a little while.

It was a busy day yesterday. I had to go down to the valley. I had a medical appointment , got my flu shot and went to Costco for some things. On my way back I stopped at Davis Farms for some Sloughhouse corn and saw pumpkins I couldn't resist. Such charming little things, looking like flowers, just asking to be taken home.It was a long day but I accomplished a lot.
Today I go nowhere. Today I make breakfast and sit with Carl and whoever would like to join me. The sun is shining, the fog has filled the river valley below us and there is the fragrance of burning in the air. It's what they call a "burn day" and the distant smell of fireplaces and burn barrels mixed with wet Manzanita and Oak trees is sweet perfume in the Fall air.

I will open a window.....,
Breath in deeply.

I'll clean up the dishes if you come. All you will have to do is sit and enjoy the morning. It's kind of a special place here, where I live..., I think that you'll enjoy your visit, and if you stay for lunch I have a dessert for you that will rival anything you have ever tasted. Maybe we could have dessert for breakfast. "Dessert for breakfast, you say?" Of course, my friends. Life is short and you don't know when you will have another moment like this one. So...., join me.

The Grateful Heart

I woke up early this morning. Got my cup of coffee and went out to water the front garden. Then I came in and fixed myself one of my favorite breakfasts..., toast with blue cheese and apple juice. ( My Dad use to call it "stinky cheese" but he loved it too. ).

Sitting in the rocking chair, I think about the last few weeks and how I could be getting ready to leave for the Bay Area this morning instead of sitting here with my dogs and blue cheese on toast. It's funny how things change. Life takes on a different pace. Nothing seems eminent, pending..., on the edge.

We are planning a Memorial for Mom on the 14th of September and there are things to do for this final goodbye..., but the fear is gone. The pain and waiting is over for her..,she is safe and life is still here. We are still here. The animals need feeding, the garden needs water; family still requires love and attention, but there is a peace; a stillness in my heart.

The season is changing. I can smell it. There's a different fragrance is in the air; a different slant to the light. It is change that is palpable and I know that my favorite season is coming.
I go inside..., into my bedroom to change into some clothes and walking shoes. Carl is running in circles because he knows that I'm preparing to take him for a walk and he is crazy with excitement. The sun is coming in through the window over our bed.
I remember a time, long ago, when I thought I would never see this moment; when I thought I wouldn't live another day or week or year. It was a time of sickness and fear. And yet, here I am.
I wrote this poem, then, and it seems like I wrote it this morning. Standing here in the sunlight of my bedroom, in my little home on this foothill mountain top, I realize that life just is..., and acceptance of it, with all of it's uncertainty, is what success is all about.

Success

Look how it shines
through
the window;
shimmering through
leaves on trees.
making patterns
on my window,
making shine
on my face.

Look, as it slowly comes
through
lace curtains.
Making patterned light
on my painted walls.

Look, beyond the forest
where the world opens
and light shines through;
making happiness
in my heart;
knowing
it will come again....,
tomorrow.

C.C. 1985