T is for Terror or...

T is for Tucker who looks fierce during one of his nightly wild runs before he settles down and gets sleepy and his mood turns sweet as pie. (Don't be afraid of those teeth, he is all poser trying to get us to chase him down the hall when we are all boring and checking email or sipping tea instead of understanding that tug of war or chase the sock is so much more fun!).

Sunday Quote

I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life." I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

― Maya Angelou

Poets, Poetry Review, and then some

This strange November for Northeasterners - this is one of my favorite months when the sky is this strange intense blue and the leaves are all off the trees so they are stark black outlines against that blue; the wind whips your scarf around and you pull your coat closer and your animals senses tell you to hibernate while your modern day sensibilities tell you to put the tea kettle on.
Except it is sweater weather and some leaves still cling and people are out shopping for Christmas gifts when it feels like late summer. Hmmm. I don't know if I would fare well in Florida or some other warm climate year round.
Have to share this link where a younger Anthony Hopkins reads Dylan Thomas' poem
Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night. I like the comment directly below that she would listen to him read a cereal box...yup. And the links beside it - Christopher Walken reading Poe's The Raven? I'm there.
Another poet I encourage you to discover, Heather Hartley, was nice enough to let me know the review I wrote for The Chattahoochee Review of her wonderful book, Knock Knock, is now up on her website. You can access it here.
I recently discovered the work of this poet, Linda Pastan, at the library and just a few poems in to one of her collections, ordered several of her books. Not thrifty I am sure, but my poetry bookshelves are happy as am I.
A sadder way to discover a poet unknown to me is to hear of her death and then - searching for her work - find it is also kindred and moving and wonderful, and now edged with something like tarnished silver knowing she just left the room of the earth. An NPR spotlight on Ruth Stone. There are so many poets to get to know (and don't you hate it when people say (with a gasp) "you mean you don't know his/her work?" as if there was even enough brain cells working here to know a third of anything much less a world and lifetimes of poets. But I wish I could.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Glory be to God for dappled things –
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough;
And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.


All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.

- Gerard Manley Hopkins, Pied Beauty

A favorite poem and even so, I find myself yearning to make pie puns - bad enough I have searched my photo files for dappled deer. I will blame the hunger (now I sound like something out of Twilight) as dinner is not until five-ish and the smell of turkey and my husband's to-swoon-for-stuffing is making me a little woozy with want. Yes, I contribute - my mother's amazing cranberry relish recipe and my lumberjack appetite that thrills all cooks who like to watch people tuck in. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving all - and hopes for peace and warmth and joy for the start of my favorite holiday season.

Interview with my lovely daughter

An interview with my daughter who is a natural with animals, they really love her. She is also a dog groomer and had some interesting stuff to say with Pet Edge. You can read her interview, part one and two, and see a photo of our funny little dog, Tucker, right here.

Image mystery

not this - these are swans a number of years ago by red bridge, a local spot. Mystery is why blogger won't allow me to load the previous umpteen photos I attempted to load. Anyone else having trouble with blogger?

Sunday Quote

When there is pain, there are no words. All pain is the same.

- Toni Morrison

Autumn colors

We kept asking where autumn was - the trees were holding onto leaves that were still mostly green, a few plants bloomed in their confusion over the warm weather, then a smack of heavy wet snow breaking branches and downing wires, and still no fall feeling - and suddenly - BOOM - autumn. The trees have been magnificently vivid as I drive to work, from the first tell tale change of one tree out my window to a splendid red gold blaze of trees I pass each morning en route to my job. Welcome autumn at last - even though you are still too warm for November and all these weathery shenanigans have left me with a whompingly awful cold.

Sunday Quote

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.

- Albert Einstein

We're Ready for our Close-up

11/11/11. At 11:30 (would have posted at 11:11 to be really clever but we were watching a taped Castle. Priorities).

Autumn Farm trek

We love our traditions - one of them is to trek up to Easton to Silverman's Farm and get really good apples and wander around their animal farm area and so on...brought the oldest who first went there 20 years ago, it has changed a bit (and so have we).
Still great apples, pie, cider, and who can resist sweet sheep faces? My oldest and I took many photos (she loved the emus) and I was charmed to note she still remembers the secret words of the sheep. Can't tell you or the sheep will get mad.

Holiday Gift Cornucopia of Ideas!

Where I unselfishly share great links for gift ideas (and because I have filled up my favorites section which is making saving research for my second mystery a wee bit difficult so I need to clear out some of these great links). Start with a unique idea - at Spoonflower you can print out your own fabric - how about making a child a pillow or a naptime quilt featuring their own artwork? Mermaid on your list? She'll appreciate a print from Kolene Spicher (I own two of her prints, love them). Anything from Garnet Hill. Anything. I first encountered their products in an airport - from amazing notespads to clothes and everything inbetween. I am crazy about their office stuff.
So far no mail order that I know of so - please, please, Cush's Homegrown - I need you to ship your amazing salsa around! And if anyone is up Noank way, get some for me at the general store. Lunar Phase calendars? Meshuga mints? Book plates?
Love the hot and cold donkey to comfort the little ones at Jake & Ella (I want the triangle crayons), gorgeous fabrics for the quilter at Anna Maria. You need deep pockets for some of these tiles but wouldn't it be worth it?
Tea lovers? Get them a tea strainer from here and add to a package of cupcakes from Smith Island Bakery. No need to hunt for those reading glasses if they're around your neck. The datebook I got the most compliments on ever was one from Susan Wallace Barnes (love the stickers that come with the datebook and calendars, too). I really love the idea of a life sized cut-out - what a hoot to give someone for the holidays!
Might be old news but the power of affirming things surely puts a positive spin in your mind - and these little cards from Hay House that I first saw at the BEA convention in NYC are really fun. I already suggested the wild blueberry jam from here to a coworker and she loved it! We picked up a jar in North Carolina in the spring and were so happy we could order more from Blue Ridge jams once we were up north and realized how delish they are. I'll end with round one of gift suggestions as the youngest needs homework help...and last one - these amazing toys from Natural Kids - who would not love these felt dolls? Good shopping...

Sunday Quote

Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you I created the universe. I love you. There's only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too.

- Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking.

Dia de los Muertos

Para el habitante de Nueva York, Paris o Londres, la muerte es la palabra
que jamás se pronuncia porque quema los labios. El mexicano, en cambio,
la frecuenta, la burla, la acaricia, duerme con ella, la festeja; es uno de
sus juguetes favoritos y su amor más permanente.

To the resident of New York, Paris or London, the word Death is never
pronounced because it burns the lips. Mexicans on the other hand,
frequent it, caress it, they sleep with it, they celebrate it; it is one of their
favorite games and their most permanent love.

- Octavio Paz

Once again neighbors and patrons of our library have put on a most amazing Dia de los Muertos display. I look forward to seeing their creations each year and they never fail to come up with magic. I especially like the skeleton dog looking at the photo of his former self and, of course, the skeleton butterfly.

Cuiridh mi clach air do chàrn.

For you, Anne and Grace, as ever.