Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Goodnesses, Goddesses, And Gratefulness

 


I did a little weeding this afternoon and when I came out of the garden, Jack was in the garden cart having a sip of the muddy rainwater that I haven't dumped out of it yet. I've been piling my weeds in it and when it rained the other night I just let it all sit as if I was making some sort of dollar weed/betony/mud tea and I guess I was because he seemed to like it. 
No wonder that cat vomits all the time. 
Well, not all the time. 
Or I suppose, it could be ingesting things like that which give my cats such life-prolonging powers. My pets never die within the expected timeframes for pet lifespans. 

I did get to see Lis today! And Lon, too. Mr. Moon and I met up with them in Monticello where they are staying with Lon's sister's family and it was a joy to see them. They are simply the most precious people. We had a nice lunch, sitting outside by the courthouse. A roundabout circles the beautiful old building and there is a lot of interesting traffic that goes by there. Lis and I were eating at the same restaurant once when an accident occurred and a van ended up on the steps up to the courthouse which was loud and alarming! No one appeared to be hurt and the cops were there within seconds as the police department is a block away. Monticello is not a big town although it is the only town in Jefferson County where I live. Lloyd is just a community, really, or a village at the most. We do have a traffic light here, a block away from my house. It is a flashing caution light and people get so confused about it. I've heard many wrecks at that intersection. I hate that horrifying sound of a skid, and then an impact. There is no mistaking it for anything else.

But everyone drove carefully on the roundabout in Monticello today and we sat and ate and enjoyed the weather and the company and we got to catch up a little bit. Lon is putting a new roof on their house by himself and the lake they live on is almost full. Their fifteen year old grandson has just gone on his first date. We discussed grandchildren, of course, and projects, health-related stuff and just a whole lot of telling each other how we miss the four of us being together. 
It wasn't nearly long enough but it was far better than nothing and at least I got to set eyes on those beautiful people, to give and receive hugs. 

They had to run and so they did but Glen and I hung out in Monticello for awhile. We went to Wag the Dog and I bought some lovely place mats, a spool of wired velvet ribbon, and an old children's book called, "The Managing Hen and the Floppy Hound." 

The illustrations are gorgeous. 





I just leafed through it a bit and oh my goodness! This is not a silly, happy book about a chicken and a dog! It's got some serious stuff going on about critters who steal and kill chickens and a strong, brave woman who scares off those critters with her great-grandfather's old gun. She also grows the food and cuts down trees on her property in the Smokey Mountains. 



Well, if it would be appropriate for any kids today, it would be appropriate for my August and Levon who have a grandma who lives in the mountains in North Carolina who keeps chickens and gardens and is as strong as any woman I've ever known and has been known to scare off full-grown bears from her apple trees! 
Ooh! I can't wait to read it to them! 

Good find! 

I also bought a little something-something at another store, a "real" store that is going to be someone's Christmas present. I think I know whose. So pretty. 

And then I came home and did a little weeding and now I'm going to make egg rolls for our supper. I better get started. They are fussy. 

But before I go, here's a picture from a few Bradford pear leaves that I found today beside the kitchen porch. 


Not all of the dropped leaves have this border effect but as all of you know, they remind me of the images of the Virgin of Guadalupe whom I love. 



Mother Goddess of Mexico. 

Bless her La Reina corazon. 

Love...Ms. Moon

 

30 comments:

  1. well, all cats seem to love drinking puddles of anything water related....... always. glad you got to spend time with Lon and Lis! And that book you bought is gorgeous! The illustrations.....and the story, seem absolutely perfect for your well seasoned grandboys! (and girl)
    Susan M

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    1. I suppose the cats get that from their long-ago ancestors who would probably drink the dregs of a muddy pond if that's all there was.
      I am truly impressed with the book. I hope the boys are too.

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  2. Those leaves are lovely. And your picture of them is an artwork. Thank you.

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  3. I am surprised we aren't all traumatised from the books we read as children. Kids these days are snowflakes - or rather their parents are. Kids love a bit of murder and mayhem!
    Of course yours and mine aren't snowflakes - just to clarify!!

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    1. Exactly! And yes, kids love to scared...a little tiny bit.

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  4. It's so nice that you got to meet up with friends. When I was a kid, my parents had a book of fairy tales, no idea where it came from, but it was dark and brutal. I read all of it.

    Those leaves are beautiful. I miss being outside. I finished Katie's quilt today but I'd rather be outside working in the garden.

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    1. I think even when we were very young we knew those brutal fairy tales were not real. But just stories. So perhaps they weren't that frightening although I do remember reading a book called "Tales to be Told in the Dark" when I was probably about eleven and that book scared the bejesus out of me.
      I know you'd rather be outside. It's been rainy all day here.

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  5. What amazing drawings in that book! When was it printed?

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    1. The copyright was 1972 which seems like only yesterday but was, in fact, long, long ago.

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  6. Those pear leaves are so very pretty. The book sounds amazing. Your lunch meet-up sounds wonderful too.

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  7. I often look up a place when someone mentions it so I looked up Monticello courthouse. Isn't that architecture just stunning!!!! And good for you for the traffic lights - that's one more traffic light than we've got (one more anything than we've got, to be honest, although we now have a bus stop)!

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    1. Monticello's courthouse is pretty typical for old courthouses in small southern towns. There are some truly lovely ones.
      Yes, Lloyd has a light but no bus stop!

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  8. What a great book! And it really IS perfect for Levon and August. I remember when you wrote about that accident outside the courthouse -- glad your visit this time was more peaceful. :)

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    1. Me too, Steve! That was quite a bit of excitement the day that car leapt up in the air and ended on the steps!

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  9. I know this is so wrong of me but I laughed about that flashing caution light that causes accidents rather than preventing them! Perhaps next time you are passying by the light you can snap a picture of it for this illustrious blog. I imagine that on Trip Advisor it is the number one tourist attraction in Lloyd.

    How lovely that you got to hang out with Lis and Lon - people who mean the world to you and in whose company you can just be yourself.

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    1. Well, the deal with the light is that it flashes red one way which means you have to stop and yellow the other which means you can proceed with caution. The problem arises when either people don't see it at all because they're texting or gawking at the joys of Lloyd or else they treat it like a four-way stop where everyone has to stop and take turns proceeding.
      I will take a picture soon.
      And yes, it was wonderful to see Lon and Lis. My darlings!

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  10. Time with lovely old friends is precious!
    That book has terrific illustrations! Levon and August will love it.

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  11. The big tallow dropped all its leaves seemingly overnight here. Very windy today so I imagine all my deciduous trees will be leafless by the end of the day. So glad you got a quick visit with dear friends. If I ever get out that way I definitely want to go to Wag The Dog.

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    1. We had tornado watches and warnings here today but many, many of the Bradford pear leaves are still hanging on. The pecans stripped bare awhile ago.
      You would love Wag. You just never know what you'll find.

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  12. Great find on that book! I love the virgin of Guadalupe border on the pear leaves. Best of luck to Lon on his roof, our is getting done right now and there’s a crew of six up there now. Bet Levon would be fascinated by the big dump looking truck that’s actually a dumpster on a cherry picker apparatus so the dumpster reaches the roof. I was impressed at any rate. Much love.
    Xoxo
    Barbara

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    1. I can't believe Lon is doing this job by himself. He's like Mr. Moon in that if he CAN do something by himself, he wants to do it by himself. This is why wives have gray hair.
      Levon would love that truck. He'd know the name of it too.

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  13. I'd never noticed how much Bradford pear leaves look like images of the Virgin de Guadalupe! She's one of my favorite goddess/saints, too.

    That book was a great find!

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    1. Not all of the leaves have that border so the ones that do are special to me.
      I can't wait to show the book to the boys.

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  14. I love your capacity for appreciating things and people and places!

    I was just reading about how it can be helpful to recall trauma AT A DISTANCE or retold third-hand --I expect children's books do something like that for children---the fairy tales aren't "real" but the fears of childhood are intense, right?
    I remember being terrified every time I went past one particular room in the basement. When I went back many years later, I didn't think I was picking up something bad in the room, it was just spooky.
    Anyway--nice illustrations.

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