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PROUD ✔

~ P r i d e ~ a lovely word; I think this quote is the perfect description, and here’s a little proud MUSICA to go with it.

I have to say, we take inordinate pride in our compost heap, it’s homemade, with love . . . but no matter how high it gets and how varied it is, with the sweet-potato peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, a little wood ash,

and maybe a pumpkin with stars on top, making me feel like mother nature herself with the earth-feeding I’m doing . . . this crazy wild pride I have in compost . . . still . . .

. . . yes, and even after an afternoon of digging in the dirt, planting sixty new bulbs, tulips, daffodils and crocus, under the roses, around the bird bath, thinking of the bowers of spring flowers we’re going to have in April and May, brightening our neighborhood and thrilling, what I know will then be, my winter-worn heart — even that; even coming in all tired and dirty, so proud to cross “Plant Bulbs” off my list . . . still . . .

. . . and in the morning, before the sun comes up, when the house is quiet, just the hum of the furnace, the water is on for tea, I can’t help but count my blessings as I hang a clean dish towel and stand there, letting the warm air travel over my slippers, admiring my kitchen, thinking how much I love its surfaces, how it speaks to me of home and our life here . . . how very proud I am . . .

Even when I’m patting myself on the back and polishing my fingernails on my shirt for getting the ironing done, or the laundry on the line, crossing those things off my list, Saying, Done! Feeling proud.

Maybe I shouldn’t be, but I can’t help but feel proud that my neighbor’s dog Iris, likes me enough to come over on her own and hang out with me. She’s here now! ♥ I love her.

I feel pride when I surprise Joe with a German Pancake for dinner,

. . . after he’s been such a good boy and put the storm windows on this old house . . . battening down the hatches for winter . . .

There’s the deep and abiding pride I feel in watching my two men work,

They are my dream team.

And I can’t begin to tell you the pride I feel when I get a page for our new book done, and think maybe you are going to like it . . . not to mention the TEN new pages I’ve done since I did my last post! I’m about to start page one hundred! So proud. So grateful. ♥ You’re my inspiration. Thank you xoxo

I have many blessings, and reasons to be proud, but the number one, most prideful moment of all comes only every so often . . . and makes me feel just like the little kid looks in this photo at our Memorial Day parade!

Proud. For some reason, nothing, makes me feel quite the same as sticking that little oval sticker on my jacket that says, “I voted.” Putting a ✔ next to “show you care,” on my to-do list. I usually leave that sticker on my jacket for at least a week! All proud of myself! ☆✫✰✩✪☆✰✫✪☆

Proud to make my little contribution. Feel so lucky.

Looking at the history of the world, it’s a miracle that we get to do this. I would like to do my part today by encouraging all of you: Go vote! You’ll love it. Even if you have to stand in line! It’s such a blessing that we can. It’s important for the rest of the world to see that we care enough to do it. It’s their world too. ♥ I know I’m probably preaching to the choir, but I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut … woke up this morning, thought, “OH! Voting Day!” Was excited! Had to tell you! And if you can, take someone with you! Let them feel this good pride too! I promise, at the end of the day, you will be standing taller if you do it. No matter which side you’re on in this election, we’re all on the same side when it comes to our country! ♥

Love you girlfriends; we are the world! ♥ xoxo Have a wonderful day!

FINDING BEAUTY IN THE WAY THINGS ARE . . .

There is beauty in everything . . . MUSICA

What a week!

(Jack says hello too . . .)

Hurricane Sandy has sort of taken over Halloween for me. Knowing lives were lost, hearts are broken, homes were swept away, dreams of a lifetime burned, there are millions of people with no electricity, much less all the other problems this storm has caused, makes it sad. I know we will celebrate tonight, because life goes on, and it’s the right thing to do, I sent my disaster money to the Red Cross, and now, we do have children coming! Something must be done!

No matter what, to me, every bit of Mother Nature is beautiful; something as small as these dewy webs on the wire fence of our place in California for example, maybe not be beautiful or special to everyone, but to me, with the fog coming through the trees across the fields, I think it’s beautiful, and perfect for the season . . .

Another image I love is this spider, with the green swirls on his back; he’s only a decoration on the door of a shop . . . I couldn’t help but take this picture… the rough paint and the old door knob and key hole are pretty too.

Look at these wonderful little white squashes we saw in a farm stand on our trip around New England. Like little ghosts. They said Nature’s Halloween to me too . . .

And this little guy . . . on our door step …. pretty little thing, almost like a drawing, his fingers all splayed.

Which is exactly what we will be doing tonight. We have lots of children coming to the door, expecting candy, candles, and pumpkins, and good adults that make things nice for them, that’s our job.

Our ghost is in the window and ready . . .

Our pumpkins are all carved . . . this little mouse will have to wait until after Halloween for his pumpkin pie.

They say the cream rises to the top, and of course it is true, and the cream is rising from this disaster; brave, everyday heroes are coming forward, neighbors comfort neighbors, faraway neighbors in California and Montana are helping neighbors in New Jersey, we are all in this together, money is flowing in, because this is a wonderful country full of wonderful people. And as horrible as this was, when you think of other Nature disasters around the world the last few years, it could have actually been even worse. Especially here on the island.

I almost feel guilty, we are so lucky; for some reason, this hurricane hooked around Cape Cod and let this tiny speck of an island in the Atlantic go by. This photo was taken out on the walk Joe and I have gone on almost every day since 1990 . . . so very beautiful and special out there, it would break my heart if it disappeared, but of course it could . . . I call this view “Ireland,” and always say that our walks there are the best part of my day; to me, it’s Mother Nature in perfection.

But so, in a way, is this . . . the same view about five hours before the first high tide came rolling in, over the water, to the trees in all their autumn colors.

Just in case we ever begin to think we are in charge, something like “Sandy” reminds us that we are no match for Mother Nature. I still have no idea how they could ever evacuate Martha’s Vineyard if it somehow became necessary. Would we have to leave our pets and farm animals behind? No one would go. The ferry would have to be like Noah’s Ark.

This is the sandy road we walk every day; it’s on a very narrow strip of land . . . I’ve never seen it under water before . . . on the left is the pond, and about 100 feet to the right, is the sound. We went out to take pictures early on, but we were safe inside when the brunt of the storm came through.

Here’s the sound, and the beach we usually walk on…. before the surge . . .

I was surprised to see so many little boats left to ride out the storm, usually when a hurricane is on the way, all the boats are taken off the water. This is a view from the Steamship dock in Vineyard Haven. The strongest image I have of the whole thing is the noise the wind made, howling over the water, and through the trees.

We went to bed that night, feeling small, tattered leaves flying off the trees, flicking at the windows like a ticker tape parade, kitties close, candles near by just in case. We woke in the morning, going to every window at first light, peeking out to see what happened; relieved to see the trees still standing, that everything was still here. But, we worried, how was the rest of the coast . . .

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world. ♥ John Muir

Yesterday afternoon, I was making Chili for the neighborhood Halloween Party we’re having tonight, and went out to take a picture of this view from our porch; blue skies were smiling on me; the whole island had been washed clean. And this morning, now that the water has receded, as soon as it gets light, we are going out on our walk, to see how it looks out there.

During the storm, our wreath blew off the front door and went tumbling down the street; Jack and I happened to see it go from my studio window . . . Jack’s ears perked up like little soldiers and I ran outside, got blown down the street myself, but I grabbed it and brought it in to dry. Tonight we’ll put the wreath back on the door, light the pumpkins, and be grateful that we can, and think of our dear neighbors in New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York; how tired they must be. We’ll hand out the candy for them; and send prayers from over the water for the rebuilding of their dreams, and in case anyone is reading this, just so you know, our hearts are with you. ♥

Despite everything, this is a beautiful world; a gift from God, this little speck floating out alone in space, our world to protect as best we can and love. xoxo Take care Girlfriends, Have a happy, healthy, and safe Halloween!