Monday, April 13, 2020

Amazing Grace


I took this picture on my walk this morning. It's from a neighbor's yard, right outside his fence. Beautiful blooming cactus. You can't see but there are also luscious looking purple fruits and I know you can eat these but I never have.
Walking was about the best thing I could have done. It made me feel so much better. And indeed, I have been almost lighthearted today, letting things flow as they will. While I was on my walk, Vergil called and asked if it would be all right if he brought the boys over to pick mulberries. He was on Dad duty as Jessie had some work-related issue to attend to and they'd been to the park but he wanted to keep them out of the house a little longer. Of course I said they could come pick mulberries and I was so happy to see them although seeing Levon, especially, is incredibly hard for me. He just has NO idea what's going on and I can see it in his eyes as some of you also saw in some other pictures I posted awhile back.
But they were happy to scavenge the last of the sweet, black berries off the tree and then climb up onto the tractor.



And THAT made them happy. Vergil and Mr. Moon discussed (across a distance) things like other tractors and front-end loaders and bucket trucks and what all they could do with such machines. It's no wonder that Levon is obsessed. He comes by it naturally. 
I asked the boys what the Easter bunny had brought them. 
"SO MANY TREATS!" said August. 
Levon agreed that this was true. 

Just as they were getting ready to leave, Lily pulled up with her crew. She was picking up a few masks and some eggs and books. She had asked me if I'd lend them some as the kids have tired of all of theirs and I joyfully packed some up for them to take home, wishing with all of my heart that I could be the one to read them to the kids. Well, Gibson and Owen can read just fine but I still love to read to them. Hell, Mr. Moon can read just fine but I love to read to him too. 

Last night Lily sent us a picture. 


"WHAT????!!!!" we all texted back. "Owen's cut his hair?"

But it was a trick! This is what it looks like. 



He loves it. Lauren did a great job, I think. He told me that when this is all over he wants to bleach the short part and then dye red and black stripes in it. 
You have no idea how much this charms his old hippie Mer-Mer. 


Playing on the boat. Being at Mer and Bop's is sort of like having one jungle gym after another. Isn't Maggie getting big? Little Ms. Sassafras. It makes her very sad not to be able to hug us. She runs up and then stops, remembers, and gets the most crestfallen look on her face. 
Damn, I hate this!
I didn't get one picture of Gibson. I'll do better next time. 

After they all left Mr. Moon went and picked up some lumber that someone had dumped on the side of the road. This was another thing that he and Vergil had discussed because Vergil had noticed it on his way over. My husband was so happy to get these nice boards for free. "I can make a lot of shit with this wood!" he said. 
And he will. 
Right now he's working on some sort-of-like bench platforms to set the pots of eggplants and peppers on in the garden. I think this is going to be amazing. So he's out there sawing and hammering and probably about as happy as a man can be. 

I repotted a large-ish avocado tree today because it was in an entirely too small container. I realize now though that I should have put it in an even bigger pot. Maybe tomorrow. I set it on the back porch steps where I can look at it many times a day. 

And I have pinto beans simmering with some ham for our supper. That is exciting. 

We have some very sad chicken news. Last night one of the babies drowned in their waterer. I had switched over to a bigger one when I moved them outside, figuring that they were too big now for that to happen. But they all seem to want to pile up together at the end of the little coop where I had set a flat stone for their food and water and I guess one just got caught under the press of the others. Still, out of eighteen, we have seventeen and that's not bad. But I wish it hadn't happened and I've given them back the small water bottle and placed it in a different part of the enclosure. 
These things do happen. 

Here's Dottie and Darla, making a sister-visit. 


Liberace was right there on the steps outside the doors. 

When I gave the teen chickens some greens yesterday, I noticed that they were all tearing into them like hyenas on a fresh springbok kill except for one who was standing away from the fray, just looking outside of the coop. For all the world he or she appeared to be observing and thinking about what he/she was looking at. It was an interesting moment for me. I never tire of my own observance of, and thinking about my chickens. 

A few roses I picked. 


They are almost too delicate to bring into the house but they are so aromatic that I couldn't not do it. 

We got some wild weather this morning early, early with great crackings of thunder and lightening and then rain for awhile. Today was cooler and if the weather widget is to be believed, we will be getting rain for a week. 
Sometimes I think about hurricane season coming up and that is definitely one of those thoughts I just have to push away. But for now, we need the rain and it will bring coolness. 

For this moment, I am at peace and content. I am grateful and I am aware of the inordinate amount of sweetness and grace in my life. 

Thank you for being part of that. 

Love...Ms. Moon








19 comments:

  1. Your posts take me to another place. Your life is so different from mine. Mine's full, but with different people and things and events. I love the refreshment of reading yours.

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  2. even in the midst of chaos we can find moments of peace and contentment. if we can just not think about the god awful mess this country is in and take some deep breaths and enjoy the simple beauty of a simple life.

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    1. Exactly, Ellen. Some days it's easier to do that than others.

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  3. I've really enjoyed looking through all your pictures. Yes, I think when Levon can cross question all the adults in his life, he will have some penetrating questions.
    Owen's haircut is wonderful. Is Lauren going to do all that coloring? Laura has her hair colored wild and wonderful ways I cannot begin to describe. I quite like what these children are doing with hair.

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    1. Levon, like his brother, is a thinker. I can tell.
      I like what people are doing with hair, too! I think that Lily will probably color Owen's hair for him but I'm not sure.

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  4. That's a gorgeous cactus. The Florida cactus look juicier than ours, must be all of that rain. I am sorry to read about the baby chicken drowning.

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    1. I rarely see cactus like this growing here but obviously it will.
      Yes. It was sad that the little baby drowned. Poor little critter.

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  5. Sorry about your chicken. These photos warm the heart, and I love the one of Levon in his diaper and football helmet. Owen will be quite the man someday too.

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    1. I already see so much of the man that Owen will be inside him already. He's going to be a good man.

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  6. Do you think people will be different after this? Or will we go forward and just forget?

    I read this morning that there are people that think this is a conspiracy, who think the virus was made in a lab. I wonder if these are the same people who think that there is a cure for cancer but that big pharma won't release it because they make too much money. I just shake my head.

    I talked to an infectious diseases doc yesterday, he was my patient, he said the virus is much more contagious than originally thought which is why we now have to wear masks all day long at work. Here's an interesting post on it.

    https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/the-virus-that-causes-covid-19-could-be-even-more-contagious-than-previously-thought-a-new-study-finds

    Stay well my friend.

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    1. Yes. I think it is way more contagious than we originally thought. It has all happened so quickly that I'm sure the data has been extremely difficult to collect accurately and then to be studied.
      Do I think that people will be different after this?
      No. Not really. Not after awhile. I wish we could take lessons from the experience but humans are not so good at that.
      And people who think this is a conspiracy are asshole idiots.

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  7. Maggie is really growing up fast all of a sudden. I've been struck by how tall she looks in the last few pictures I've seen of her. I love the cactus flowers! So pretty! And those roses are to die for.

    I hope today is as good for you as yesterday was!

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    1. Yes. I think that Maggie is going to be a very tall girl.
      Today has been...different.

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  8. I'm so glad you got visits from the grandkids. I'm sure that went a long way toward making you feel more peaceful at the end of the day, even if we are still in this cursed period of social distancing. So sad about the little chick, but as you said, these things happen. As my mother used to say, whenever we got sad about seeing some little creature die, "Well, they can't ALL live. Otherwise we'd be overrun!" Ever the practical thinker.

    I love Owen's new 'do! I can't wait to see what it looks like with its bleach and stripes, or whatever he eventually does with it. He's so courageous when it comes to personal style.

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    1. Your mother- pragmatic to say the least, huh? But pragmatism can be good.
      Owen IS courageous when it comes to personal style. I admire that in him.

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  9. I love Owen's long hair. My son Jordan had really long hair which he wore in a man-bun for work. Cut it short the day before the wedding and while I still think he's gorgeous I actually liked the long hair. It made him "different". And those roses are beautiful. So delicate!

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    1. I hear you about the long hair on a man. But then again, ever since hippie days I have just loved it. Not on all men, but on some. Especially when they're young.

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  10. But for the distancing necessity, there is so much sweetness and love and community in this post. Thank you for sharing your life with us. Owen is just the coolest kid.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.