One Rich Life
Happy Hanukkah, Boxing Day, and Hogmanay! Kwanzai Greetings! and come May and June – a blessed Ramadan and a joyous Eid-al-Fitr. But first and most of all, a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to each and every one of you!
May you and yours be well …
May you and yours be safe …
May you and yours be happy …
May you and yours have a future filled with joy …
May we all get along …
May we all be surrounded by Love and Laughter …
Joan and Bill Rough
No matter what you do or where you are, you’re going to be missing out on something.
Alan Arkin
I got a sweet email a few days ago from a follower who said she missed my weekly blog posts. So even though I will be moving in to my new house in just 15 days and I’m stressed out to the max, I decided to sit down at my desk and send off a note to tell you all that I will be back once we get all of our leftovers placed in our new nest and I have my new studio set up. There is still so much to do to get rid of our extra STUFF, but I have missed my weekly writing sessions and your responses.
Besides, I’m over the burnout from publishing my book over a year ago and I really, really want to get back to writing again. Every day I spend stuffing boxes that go to Goodwill, the library, or other places I’m donating to, I think about all of the things I want to write and tell you about. About losing Sam, that sweet being that still sits in my lap in the photo to the right but is no longer here for me to hug or talk to. And how his brother Max seems rather relieved that he is now an only dog-child. He still loves his cat, Lilli, because she is not a lap cat and doesn’t need the amount of attention Sam did. Max seems to think he should now go everywhere with us, even to restaurants and the movies, deserves the very best treats on the market, and being let out the back door every time his squirrel appears so he can chase it. That event can happen several times an hour. We all do miss Sam very much, but in the end he was very sick and as with all living beings it was his time to leave us and is now at peace.
That is our end unit! Can’t wait!
So far everything is going smoothly with the move. I have a lot of helpers and though it all still does overwhelm me, I’m beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The work at the new place is on time. We’ve rearranged the kitchen a bit, repainted the whole place, finished up an office for Bill, have redone the master bath, and the screening in of the back porch is now being done. We can’t wait to spend our first night there and all of the following nights to follow.
I’ve enjoyed putting these few words down on paper and look forward to being able to sit down and write whenever I want.
I hope you’re all having a wonderful fall.
I’m taking a break at the beach. The sound of the ocean rushing the shore … pelicans flying by … just being. Till then enjoy where you are, doing what you’re doing.
I’m taking a week or two off from my blog.
See you on the other side! Enjoy this beautiful spring weather!
The first day of spring arrived yesterday and here in C’ville the temperatures are pleasant. The gardens are way ahead of schedule and many of the more tender blooms were killed by last week’s cold spell with night time temperatures below freezing and a wind chill on top of that. All of my plants seemed to survived but most of the fruit trees in the area lost their gorgeous blooms and there will be less than an average crop of fruit this coming year. I got to wear the down coat I bought on sale in early December. I’ve only had a few chances to use it and love the cozy warmth it provides on frigid days when the wind is whipping about.
The big concern now is a lack of moisture. We’ve had next to no snow this winter. Maybe two inches in early January and a dusting of sleet last week. And rain has been minimal as well. We’re in the early stages of drought and unless the weather patterns change in the near future, I’m afraid the farmers in this area will suffer. I’m really tired of winter vegetables at this point and have been looking forward to the opening of our local farmer’s market next month. But will there be the usual bounty of fresh produce that this farm to table community relies on?
Many of the restaurants in the area serve food that is raised locally, including grass fed meats, fresh eggs, mushrooms, and beautiful vegetables and fruit by the bushel. I feel very lucky to be living in a community that takes it’s locally grown food so seriously. And I love cooking best when I can use produce that has been tenderly cared for by people I know.
I wrote the following poem back in 2002 when we were living on the banks of the South Fork Rivanna River and were beset with a horrendous drought. I’m praying and crossing my fingers that will not be the case this coming summer.
Waiting for Rain
Mid August
the river shrinks
exposing rocks stumps
relics from another world
grass burned brown
crunches under foot
yellowed leaves spiral
to the ground
as if it’s October
I sprinkle wilted hydrangeas
a treasured viburnum
with water saved
from washing dishes
delight in a feather-worn cardinal
a brazen titmouse
preening in the birdbath
I keep refilling
just for them
I mourn as lime
moss and bottle green leaves
recede into memory
like the clatter of rain
on windows
the way thunder showers
puddle on the street
splashing as I drive
through a favorite place
to sail a tiny ship
jzr
8/27/02
HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!!!
