Thursday, January 26, 2023

A Day Of True Goodness And Much Light


This is what our sky looked like today. There has not been one shred of a cloud, not one tiny wisp or whisker. It's as if all of the clouds were emptied of their rain yesterday and simply disappeared in a vaporous dream. Those camellias are the peppermint kind, red and white striped, and they are starting to bloom. 

I have felt so much better today. It's been one of those re-birth days where you remember what it's like to feel fairly normal. My hips still hurt and my skin is still very sensitive so I am assuming that there's still some inflammatory process going on but I can live with that. 


This little family, however, is still suffering although as you can see, not too badly. I think mostly they are suffering from not being able to get out of the house. Levon finally tested positive today which means he was not Patient Zero at all. I do believe that Jessie is tired of this but she is grateful that everyone has such a mild case. 

I walked down to the post office today, just to move about some. It was lovely. And the post-mistress woman brought me two packages and I was thrilled because one of them was from Linda Sue
Every package from Linda Sue is better than Christmas and I am not talking about MY Christmas which we all know is not my favorite thing but the kind of magical Christmas that we, as children, are led to believe in. This one even held an angel, 


hand made by Linda Sue for Magnolia June. 

There was so much loveliness in the box including fancy French cookies and a dark chocolate Toblerone bar and...halvah! My god. My favorite. 
But when I unwrapped these, I wept. 


And you know why I cried? It's because Linda Sue absolutely knows who I am. It's like she can look inside my heart. She knew that I would welcome these sweet dolls with such love. I immediately kissed the bonneted baby and then the Seminole Lady and her child. I whispered into their ears to ask their names but they did not give them to me right away. They wanted, I think, to have a little time to orient themselves to where they had found themselves. 
I took them out to the porch so that they could see the sunshine, the blue sky. "Welcome home," I told them. 


And then I determined that the the Seminole mother should be Betty May Tiger Jumper. Go to the link if you would like to know more about her namesake. And her daughter there, is Scarlet, named for Betty Mae's adopted daughter. 



The sweet, handmade Black baby who was obviously played with and loved on by at least one child, is now named Rosa Violet. "Rosa" for Rosa Parks and Violet because that is the first name that came to me and I love it. 
They are now tucked in with Dorothy Anne and Emily and I think that all of them are happy about that. 


I am so happy that Dorothy Anne is no longer living in a dark room upstairs in an antique store, with no one to recognize her loveliness, no one to know that someone wrote "I love you" over her heart. She has a family now. 

Happy. I have been happy today. Here are some more of the things that have pleased me so. 


Nicely folded clean, line-dried laundry. 


New buds on the mulberry tree with many shades of green behind it. 


A new baby giant begonia leaf growing from a rooted adult leaf. 


The sound my knife makes cutting through clean garden greens to cook with a perfect turnip and an onion. 


This anole who wanted to know what in hell I was doing with his little plant nursery by the window in the laundry room. 


This picture which was on the card that was in the box. It makes me think of Gibson and Maggie. 

All of these things and more have made me grateful today. 

I know that I live such a small life but sometimes it just feels so rich. 

Love...Ms. Moon


33 comments:

  1. Mary, your life is a large as you make it, and you have expanded yours to encompass all of Florida. I especially like what you tell us or send us to learn about Florida's native people. I doubt any state was without native peoples. We even had groups of the Fort Ancient people here in NE Ohio.

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    1. I just googled and according to one site, at least, there were approximately 54 million people living in the Americas when Columbus made his voyage. No doubt there were Native people living in every state and of course, every country on the continent.
      And then...well. We all know what happened.

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  2. Dorothy Anne has a beautiful family. And you sound like you're on the mend. I'm glad. I hope Jessie and family also shake this off soon. I just caught up here reading the posts I missed and you probably did/do have covid. The deep joint aches were my main symptom when I had it it, plus general tiredness, and sniffles like a cold, and feeling chilly all the time. You described all that. Combined with the fact of exposure you may be a novid no more. Its kind of a milestone. Lovelovelove

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    1. Well, my feeling better did not extend to today. I'll write about it ad nauseam, I'm sure, in tonight's post.

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    2. P.S. I love my little doll family so much. Inappropriately too much, probably.

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  4. You are developing quite a doll family there. I am not entirely clear about this but have you,Jessie and the boys been suffering from a COVID infection?

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    1. All of Jessie's family has and I have something. I took a definitive test today.

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  5. What a cool name "Betty Mae Tiger Jumper." Remarkable woman, the first in her tribe to make a huge difference.The little dolls are so proud! Rosa Violet looks surprised by everything there, in the glorious sunlight ! Nice little family sharing the covers. So glad it arrived in tact and early! Never know about the PO these days.

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    1. I think that Rosa Violet and Betty Mae have absolutely made the family of dolls complete and happy. I do love my darlings! Thank you. Always and always.

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  6. Mary, your life encompasses multitudes! Nothing small about it. I love the dolls and the knowing way you folded them into your life of dolls. Reading in here is like walking in a Zen garden.

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    1. Oh my. I have been thinking about your last sentence all day. My heart is very grateful for that comment.

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  7. Your life is a big one that overflows with love and delight in the wonderous details of this world.

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  8. Your dolly family just grows and grows. I love that so many now call your house home. I see one of Joanne's towels in the laundry basket. I love those towels, I have some in several colours.

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    1. Those towels are the BEST. I have used mine a million times apiece and they are still perfect.

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  9. Your life is indeed rich and deservedly so. Linda Sue is such a lovely person.
    Thank you for the link. Betty Mae Tiger Jumper's namesake was an amazing woman.

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    1. You are right about Linda Sue. And Betty Mae!

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  10. I'm glad everyone is starting to feel better and Linda Sue really does spoil you, doesn't she! That being said, my favourite has got to be that little anole! How lucky are you to have those little guys as neighbours!

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    1. She spoils me to death. I swear.
      That little anole is sort of a house pet. He lives right there in that window where there's not only light and plants but also a heat register. He is very happy there.

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  11. What cherished little dolls!
    And your photos makes me wish for an early Spring!
    hugs
    Donna

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    1. Well, it's still chilly here. But yes- isn't it gorgeous?

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  12. I just love all the happiness in this post!

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  13. I'm glad you had a good day with a box full of wonders from Linda Sue! As I've said often here, I miss line-dried laundry.

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    1. I found out at Ross's memorial service that he, too, hung his laundry on the line. Another reason for me to enjoy it so much.

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  14. Linda Sue is a generous and loving friend to you. Such a lovely package of dolls for you. Thank you for naming the one doll after Betty May Tiger Jumper and sharing the news about this amazing woman with me.

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  15. Drying laundry on the line, nothing better.

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  16. Your attitude and your zest for life reminds me of what people said about my father....."He could find god in a rose petal."

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    1. It would be far easier for me to find god in a rose petal than in a cathedral.

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  17. That is such a lovely selection of pleasant images. I enjoyed all of them.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.