Tag Archives: Beloved

by

Knit one pearl two

“Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver but the other gold.” My parents taught me that round. We sang lots of rounds growing up.

What does the picture have to do with knitting? I knit the hat! I got to hike with old friends from the 1980s last week. They are old friends, not old! Well, we might be getting a little grey.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: knit.

by

Growth

I am with eklastic: the Ragtag Daily Prompt has been an island of peace and friendship and joy over the last year.

The trunk is from the US Botanic Gardens: wisteria, I think. This is an example of complicated growth. Are we closer to peace and helping each other and is ChatGPT aiding world peace and harmony? Hmmm.

A creative use for a fence:

My parents had Lovin’ Spoonful albums. I had glasses by fourth grade and loved this song. I thought it was funny.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: looking back.

by

Decorated stick

Elwha watched me decorate my stick with soft ornaments and paper ornaments.

Both cats helped, removing ornaments when they were not pleased with the placement. Including ones near the top.

I think the decoration will continue to change and evolve right through Christmas.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: stick.

by

Winter flowers

On the Solstice, friends took me to the Glenstone Museum. They combine art, architecture and nature. They have planted over 7000 native trees and have planted over 10,000 native grasses. We can photographs inside but not outside. There are winding paths and sculptures and buildings, both big and small. ‘

In one of the museums, there is a walled outdoor installation called Collapse. It is rusting beams in a 16 foot deep hole surrounded by a 16 foot wall. Moss is starting to grow a little as it weathers. Only three people can go out at a time, with a guide. I asked if anyone had sung into the space, since the metal would bounce the sound around. The guide said he did not think so. I sang part of Faure’s Pie Jesu in to it. The guide said that the installation makes him think of the twin towers and he thanked me.

https://www.glenstone.org/art/exhibition/michael-heizer/

For Cee’s Flower of the Day.

by

Stockings

The stockings are ready!

This is from last year. I forgot to bring my stocking this year. I will have to use a sock! Well, Santa will surely understand.

My ex says happy chanakwanschristmasfeliznavidad. All one word. And love, joy and peace to you and yours too.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: holiday.

by

Caught in the act

This is the first time I have managed to photograph one of the cats doing “Cat Art”. Sol Duc. I have two bowls for the cats, with a smaller bowl inside a water barrier bowl. I shut the door between the two when I feed them, because Elwha will eat all his and then bully Sol Duc. He outweighs her by five pounds. When I started limiting their food, they started decorating Elwha’s bowl. With toys. There are often toy mice, that pair of in ear headphones that I’ve given up on, a sponge, tissue paper when they can get it, as many as four different things in the bowls. I have to wash the outer bowl and toys often.

Is this play? It started when Elwha was overweight and I started measuring their food. All of my other cats have been self-regulating about food, but Elwha and Sol Duc were very starved tiny kittens when I got them and Elwha is the first male cat I’ve ever had. Art? Trying to trade toys for more food? I tried reading about it and found that cats will bury their food. Sometimes the art shows up when the bowl is not empty.

This is the first one with tissue paper:

This was the first use of a sponge:

I think this is a particularly fine installation and sophisticated use of tissue paper as well as the toy creature, headphones, and the combination flashlight/whistle.

I hope it is play. It certainly entertains me. I wondered which cat was doing it but I think it is both. It is almost always Elwha’s bowl, though, not Sol Ducs. The mysterious plays of cats.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: play.

by

Unexpected

I have had some unexpected things the last two weeks. A friend whose cancer has escalated and I’ve been taking her to appointments and to the store. Home health is now helping and I am very glad. Two others need some help as well.

But I am still going to some live music and enjoying it very much. I took photographs of the Wild Rose Chorale downtown and gave them copies. They are using them on Facebook and have a concert tonight. If nothing else comes up, I will go.

I am within 7 questions of finishing my three years of CME for the American Board of Family Medicine. I did most of the three years this year, because I was too sick from Covid the first year and had trouble caring the second. Now I am catching up and hope to finish today.

The job hunt is ongoing. Part time is unpopular with clinics. I understand that, but after four pneumonias resulting in not too horrible chronic fatigue, I can’t do full time. Something will turn up.

Life is complicated and beautiful, isn’t it? The photograph is the city tree downtown, ready for lighting a week ago.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: zest.

My parents had a different final verse:

The cherry tree bowed its branches down low to the ground
And Mary gathered cherries while Joseph stood around

I have read and heard other versions as well.