Friday, October 5, 2018

Wait! What's That Sound? Oh Yeah- Silence


There was so much of this sort of thing going on here for three days. At that particular moment, August was helping me make supper. He was smushing up the tofu and then smushing the garlic into it. He also helped me chop green onions with a butter knife and I have to tell you, the kid has skills.
And Levon? Well, he was trying to climb which is what he does and he was trying to do what his big brother was doing which is also what he does and he probably wanted to see what was going on.
Oh, those boys, those boys, those boys.
What a gift it was to have them here for a few days with their mama. It reminded me of some years ago after a hurricane and Lily and Jason had no power but we did and so they came and stayed with us and Owen and Gibson still remember it as a big ol' fun party.
So much laughter.


August getting suited up to help me clean the hen house. He asked for small gloves but I had none.


Levon eating bread and humus. When he wants some food, he smacks his lips and he and his mother and I played pretend eating yesterday for the longest time. He had a spoon and would make the lip-smacking noise and then offer the spoon to us in the general direction of our mouths and we would make the lip-smacking sound and pretend to eat and thank him and he would laugh and laugh.


His favorite thing to do- playing with my old telephones that I keep around to plug in when our power goes out because yes, we do have a landline. Guess what? The fucking president can't send text messages on it. Which is cool.


August and Boppy being amused after August had told Boppy that he could not sit in that chair because he was too big and too old.
At least I'm not the only one who's old around here.
He told me I was too old to do something the other day. I can't remember what but I told him that the only thing I was too old to do was to have a baby.
Of course, this is a flat-out lie but he doesn't know that.
The kid continues to astound me.
He wanted to help me cook again this morning and dragged a stool over to climb on.
"Hold this," he told me, pointing to the stool, "To make it stable."
Why yes, his father IS an engineer. Why do you ask?

So after three days of a house filled with noise and with activity and with laughing and with a little crying (not much!) and with cooking and eating and cleaning up and reading books and pleading with a three-year old to go to sleep and applauding him when he successfully used the potty and applauding his brother when he successfully clapped his hands and dance/music parties in the hallway


there is suddenly quiet in my house.
Mr. Moon packed up and went to Georgia this morning and Jessie and her boys packed up and left for home around noon. Vergil will be flying in tonight.
When Jessie pulled out of the driveway I didn't know whether to be thrilled at the prospect of all of the peace and quiet I was about to experience or to shout, "HOW WILL YOU LIVE WITHOUT ME?" Meaning, of course, how will I live without you?

Well, I have managed and I'm sure that they have too.

I've spent the afternoon doing a little cleaning, a little tidying, a little laundry, a little napping.

I'm happy to report that Dearie showed up yesterday morning from who-knows-where and had some bird-seed snacks and then disappeared again. I suppose she's living next door with the big flock over there. I think she was fed up with the amorous attentions of Liberace and Ringo and she's her own woman and figured out how to avoid them which was simply to avoid them.
Sigh.
But I sure was glad to see her. I sort of love that little brown jungle fowl hen.
Darla is still sitting on eggs and I checked yesterday and there were even more under her. I would love to know what the impetus is for other hens to lay eggs that the broody hen can tuck underneath herself. And how do you gauge how long she's been sitting when more eggs are added to the nursery nest every day?
You'd think I'd know this by now.

You'd think I'd know a lot of things by now.

Well, I don't.


Here's a little anole that was on the other side of the porch screen today. I've been living and observing these lizards for all of my life and yet, they still enchant me. 

I'm about to go close the chickens up in their relatively clean hen house and then I'm going to cook supper for one. 

One! Me! 

How strange. And yet, okay. 
Quite okay. 

It has been a tiny bit cooler and a tiny bit less humid and that has made a huge difference. I am grateful for that. I am more grateful, however, for having children who still want to come and stay with their mama. Jessie told Vergil on the phone last night that she felt as if she were cheating by coming over here when he was gone and not doing all of the child care and cooking and tending and everything else by herself.  
"NO!" he said. "That's why we live in Florida!" 
He's such a wise and dear man. 

And for the political portion of the blog tonight I give you a Facebook post from Hank. 


We said, "Supreme Court justices." You said, "but Killary!"
Good job, assholes.

Couldn't have possibly said it better myself. 

Happy Friday, y'all. 

Love...Ms. Moon









25 comments:

  1. if I was that little I love to be at your house. hell, I'd love to be at your house now. I remember and loved those days when mine were little. I also remember how nice it was when they went home. there's a reason the young have kids.

    and Hank said it best.

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    1. There are many reasons that the young have kids and I'm pretty sure I know all of them by now. But being a grandmother is a reason to be okay with getting older. That's not very well-put but I bet you know what I mean, Ellen.

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  2. You just reminded me of a dream I had last night. I was pregnant and didn’t show until a few minutes before my water broke. Weird. One of my great, great, great grandmothers had her last baby at 47. That’s how old I am now. I don’t know how she did it. I wonder if she was disappointed or happy? This was baby # 18.

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    1. I'm not going to vote for happy. No one needs 18 babies. She probably had more pregnancies or births than that too?

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    2. I still have pregnancy dreams. And in them I'm like, "Really? A baby at sixty-four? That does not seem right but oh well."
      I'm not thrilled about it though.
      Eighteen kids? Really? Dear god in heaven. I think Jo's right.

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    3. Her husband was blind. I am not kidding. He obviously had way too much time on his hands and didn’t give a shit about her. Okay. Now I am mad.

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  3. I love how your family is just pure love all around, and your house a warm and wonderful haven for them all (yourself included). So good to focus on all of this joy rather than all else ......really. Hope you enjoy your quiet time too :-) . and glad hens show up periodically to check in, though I know you would prefer them to stay home!
    Susan M

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    1. We aren't afraid to show our love in this family. I'm not sure that August is always so happy about that. He's much more reserved when it comes to the physical expression of it. My quiet time is being wonderful. Thank you, Susan.

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  4. The fact that any given moment someon in your home can pick up an instrument and play it is truly miraculous! That's just one more reason the Moon home equals love to me. Old floors smelling of Fabulouso and vinegar, broody hens, and a daughter and grandson who play the fiddle. PRICELESS!!!

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    1. Well, that's only Jessie and Vergil. They're the only musicians in the family. So far. But the rest of us can and sometimes do operate the record player, radio and CD player. We're versitle like that.

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  5. Singing and dancing in the hallway??? ~ be still, my heart!
    So happy Dearie is home-safe and all is well in Moonland...

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    1. One of the main reasons I wanted this house so badly is because I knew how amazing music was going to sound in that hallway. And I was right! Love you, Lulu!

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  6. I love that little people can sing and dance in your hallway...happy for your dear chicken too and I wish you a wonderful weekend!

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    1. Thank you, e! So far it's been a very, very nice weekend.

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  7. you must have a pretty good idea that your family is exceptional, all of them , as are you and Mr. Boppy...Delightful always, even if there is a little crying.

    Fancy Deary coming home! Just to check up on you I'm sure, Make sure that you are alright in this world.

    I have had to unplug from everything Rump, EVERYTHING if I want to live a joyful existence, head not in sand, mind you, just taking better care to not buy it anymore, too destructive- and it is sort of like the old "put your mask on first , then help others" thing- I am putting on my mask, it may take a while...Love your post, happy!

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    1. You're right. Everyone I've heard from lately who's doing a news fast is happier for it.
      Keep that mask firmly in place and breathe deep, dear Linda Sue!

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  8. So I read this...

    but I told him that the only thing I was too old to do was to have a baby.
    Of course, this is a flat-out lie but he doesn't know that.

    ... and my slow-processing brain said 'What? Mary can have another baby?' before I worked out what you meant. Slooooow.

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    1. Oh my god, Jo. It absolutely COULD be read that way. It's not your brain. It's my writing. And I guess I could have a baby if they did that implantation thing and gave me a lot of hormones. Didn't some British woman older than me do that? I do have a uterus. Good Lord, NO!

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  9. I love the photo of your husband and August, they both look like they've been caught doing something.

    I especially love the video of your daughter and August playing music together. There was no music in my home when I was growing up, don't know why. My middle daughter plays piano and is learning the ukelele, I hope she shares that with her children.

    A good time was had by all, especially Mer Mer:)

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    1. Oh gosh. We've always had a lot of music in our family. My first husband was a musician and a good many of my friends are too. Even in my growing-up family there was some music being played. My mother played piano and she loved to listen to certain records. But then when I was a teenager, music became a huge part of my life. Even then, a lot of my friends were musicians. I'm drawn to it. Next lifetime maybe I'll be one. In the meantime, I've fed hundreds of them!
      August and Glen DO look like that, don't they? August got away with saying his grandfather was old and was pleased that it made his Boppy laugh. They're a team, those two.

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  10. Oh, I so Dearie came back, albeit briefly?! That's good news. We need not fear the worst, at least not in the land of chickens. I like Hank's comment -- right on target.

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  11. i love these beautiful babies of yours. and i love you.

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  12. And oh my, Jessie's playing is divine! (just listened to it). I think August may be a little violinist, too. His form is good!

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  13. I mostly ignored the Internet and most national news the past two days after I got tired of screaming into the wind, but when you reminded me of the HUGE benefits (teehee) of a landline, I could actually breathe again for a bit. Thanks for the reminder that life goes on, and why.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.