Back To The Garden And So Forth

 Okay. Here's a picture for you.

For some crazy reason Facebook assumes that I enjoy posts about the Rolling Stones and since today is Ronnie Wood's seventy-seventh birthday (he's the baby of the group), and the eighth birthday of his twin daughters, AND the forty-ninth anniversary of his first official gig with the Stones, I've gotten a lot of posts about him. This picture came from Ronnie's official FB site and I do not know how I could love the picture more. Do I even need to say another word? 

Mr. Moon and I were watching some YouTube footage from a concert the Stones did at MetLife stadium last night and I truly realized what Ronnie offers to the band. He is easy to lose in the presence of Mick and Keith and even Darryl Jones, their bass player who is a strikingly handsome man with a big presence

while Ronnie is...more of a tiny gnome of a man whose face bears the absolute truth of every year of his life. But he is a giant on guitar. Never really flashy, but he when he takes the lead, you know it's going to be good and when he and Keith do what they call the "ancient art of guitar weaving" it is hard to tell who is playing what which I find to be an incredibly rare trait for a guitar player and I have known a few of them. 
Let me just say that in Spinal Tap when the guitarist wanted to turn his amp to 11, it made all the sense in the world to me. 

So Happy Birthday, Ronnie and Happy Birthday to those beautiful little girls. The Stones are a tough old bunch although Charlie has gone ahead of them, all born during WW II. They probably didn't get enough to eat, or least not the "right" things to eat in our nutritionally aware culture, and grew up among the burned out ruins left from The Blitz. And yet here they are, and yes, Ronnie is the father of eight-year olds and Mick is the father of a seven-year old and there are other grown children and grandchildren and in Mick's case, great-grandchildren. From what I understand, many of the Stones' family members travel with them when they are on tour from children to partners. I find that rather heartwarming. They are a band of traveling troubadours. 

I spent most of the day on my knees in the garden, trying to pull up all of the weeds. I did not accomplish that and yes, that means another day of doing something that no one in this world will notice except possibly Mr. Moon. Well, he will, especially after I tell him. I would have weeded longer if my knees hadn't started yelling at me and I hadn't been sweating so much. It wasn't even that hot but as I've aged, heat affects me more than it ever has. But I did what I could and possibly tomorrow I can finish. I need to can another batch of beans. 

Glen himself has spent the day at Tom's, building him steps to get up onto the porch of the Tiny Home. I keep thinking that with each further thing he accomplishes, that will be that and he can drive off knowing that he did his job and then some. Soon. That will come soon. 

When I came back into the house awhile ago, I opened up the jigsaw puzzle that I had ordered which came yesterday. I have been craving to have another one going. It is such a meditative activity for me. I am really excited about this one. It is called, "Women Reading."

I just love these eeboo puzzles with their colors and designs, inclusivity and imaginative scenarios that tell many little stories. I am sure there are better methods of doing them than the ones I've fallen into but finishing the puzzles is not really the goal. The enjoyment comes in each endorphin hit when I find two pieces that fit, figure out where in the puzzle they belong. And of course, there's the need for focus and that does not come naturally to me. Neither does the visual aspect. I am not a visual person. I think this is because I was so late being diagnosed with nearsightedness and had learned to get around in the world with only the broadest of visual hints. Every one in the world who got their first pair of glasses due to nearsightedness speaks of that moment when they put them on and realized that you could see individual leaves in trees. It is a universal experience. And with a jigsaw puzzle, every piece is a leaf in the tree. 

Thank you all for your kindness yesterday. So often I am loathe to write about the days that I feel so inadequate, so shameful, so unhappy with myself because it might feel as if I am seeking validation that I am not so bad and that feels like a very narcissistic way to act. But the truth is- some days I just do feel that way. Actually most days I feel that way to a degree but it can be overwhelming at times. So. Yes. Thank you. 

And now, even though the man is not home yet, I think I better get in that kitchen and start making a supper. I know he is going to be tired and hungry when he comes in. 

Love...Ms. Moon