Thursday, December 9, 2010

Soft And Warm



Ah, what a nice day!
I didn't end up doing anything constructive at all. Nope. Not one bit of it.

Well, okay, there was some laundry and, uh, OH! I am making supper. A lovely free-range chicken is in the oven, covered in garlic salt and pepper, a bit of olive oil to make the seasonings stick.

We have decided that maybe we should call chicken "poultry" around Owen. It is going to be so confusing, don't you think, when we say, "Owen, eat your chicken!" and then we say, "Owen, let's go feed the chickens!"

Oh screw it. He'll learn the truth and that is that. Living chickens are our beloved pets and dead ones are our dinner.

Same with deer. At the petting zoo, or the Jr. Museum, deer are beautiful and enchanting creatures. At home, they are roast and backstrap. Yum!

Let's face it- we're all hypocrites when it comes to meat-eating, except of course for those of you who eschew meat and leather. I give you my heartiest support and respect.
You are awesome and cleaner and leaner humans than I.
And I say that without one trace of sarcasm.

So yes, the chicken's in the oven and the man is in the woods and the laundry's in the dryer. I also have three new cashmere sweaters from the Goodwill hanging in the laundry room. I scored today. They are not all pretty but it's not pretty I was seeking. It was the warmth and softness of the cashmere.


This old house is drafty and we need layers to keep warm. Nothing does it for me like cashmere which has the added bonus of feeling delicious on my skin. Wool is warm but it is itchy. It has its place and I get wool sweaters from Goodwill too. And cotton ones. I got a great bulky J. Crew cotton sweater there today and it will be wonderful over jeans.
The one pair I have which almost fit.
Sigh.
But cashmere is one of the things that makes me halfway grateful to be alive in the morning and if I get it at Goodwill, it is not a luxury, it is merely something to wear under my overalls.
Wait. That IS a luxury.
And it wouldn't feel one bit better if I paid eighty dollars for a sweater than the $4.99 I pay at Goodwill.

So I went to Goodwill today and I also went to lunch with Lily and Owen and Jessie. We went to the restaurant where May works and so we got to see her too. I took a picture of all three girls with Owen but it's blurry.
But here- how's this?

That is Owen, grinning at his Auntie May. He sort of likes her, don't you think? And I like to think that you can see her beauty and light reflected in his face.

He was so happy to be with his women folk. We all fought for his attention and told him he was so fine and we gave him our food and we laughed at everything he did and who wouldn't enjoy a lunch like that? He rewarded us with kisses and hugs. Every time his mama asked for a kiss, he would give her one and then I'd ask for one and he'd give me one and then he'd dive across the table to kiss Mean Aunt Jessie, too. He is not going to suffer from low self-esteem when it comes to the women. Believe me.

He's such a happy boy, that Owen. There is almost nothing which he does not enjoy. His favorite food at lunch were the sweet potato fries which he dipped into the barbecue sauce.

We all enjoyed them, to tell you the truth. I think he was looking at Aunt May again when this picture was taken. I'm surprised he didn't have his arm raised.

So that was a joyful event and then there was the Goodwill and now I am home and the moon looks like this, rising over the pecan trees:


Sweet sickle moon, sharp on the ends and full in the bottom, all the better to rest firmly on the sky, ready to hang a dream on, a hope on, a memory.

Which I have just done.

Thank-you for coming along. I mean it.

12 comments:

  1. What a nice day you had, Ms. Moon! That Owen is too darn cute for his own good ~ I'll just bet he charms the womyn wherever he goes. How wonderful for him and all of you to be surrounded by so much love.

    I've never had cashmere. Whenever I see one at our thrift stores here in town, they're way too tiny for me. But I found a great sweatshirt from Banana Republic for two bucks and I have it on right now. It's deliciously warm!

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  2. A good, blessed day.

    No need to thank me for coming along -I barely remember life without you in it, all these years. And that's the truth.

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  3. lulumarie- Checkn the men's sweaters too. Sometimes you can find things there.

    SJ- I know. You have been a part of my life for a long time. I am so grateful for that.

    Lisa- Yes. Indeed.

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  4. A lovely day I would say. That Owen looks more grown-up with each picture.

    Congrats on your cashmere sweater score...sounds delightful to me.

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  5. Sounds like a nice way to spend the day. I enjoy the moon. It speaks to me of the tides and that is important.

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  6. May May is an Auntie after my own heart!

    And Lord, does she look like you!

    And yes, Owen has her smile.

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  7. That was SO MUCH FUN getting all that Owen attention and hanging out with my favorite women in the world! And the food was good too.

    I love you so much, Mama. Thank you for everything. (And now I'm off to Boulder- I'll give you a call probably when I am on my layover.) <3

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  8. Thank you for letting us tag along.

    Safe travels to Jessie!

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  9. Owen is SO damn cute, but of course, you know that.

    I love Aunt May and sweet potato fries, too!

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  10. When my youngest son was about 6 he had a pet hen named Chee Chee. Oh did he love her, carrying her around in his arms, bringing her on rides in the car, in the house, you get the picture.

    One day he and I were going in to town, and he (usually hungry) in a solumn voice asked me, "Mom, is the chicken in chicken burritos chicken?"

    He did become the youngest vegetarian I'd ever known.

    Again: thank you for an awe-inspiring post.

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  11. What a lovely day for the O-boy and the Moon Wimmin! Thanks for taking us along. Blessings on dear Jessie as she flies across the country to be with her Love.

    Wonderful picture of the moon and this line!
    "Sweet sickle moon, sharp on the ends and full in the bottom, all the better to rest firmly on the sky, ready to hang a dream on, a hope on, a memory."

    It just shimmers! x0 N2

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.