Monday morning-grey and foggy again. But yesterday, Easter Sunday was absolutely perfect in every way. Warm sun(it got hot!), everything in bloom(saw my first dandelions pushing through a crack in a sidewalk), the sound of what seemed like EVERYONE in the neighborhood outside all day long. I took a drive down to Westerly again, to deliver the paintings I am entering in an art show(will find out Thursday if they are accepted or not--fingers crossed!). The image above is a favorite of the bunch of photos I took in Westerly's Wilcox Park--my daughter(looking like a Von Trapp girl in that dress) in among the blossoms.
I felt myself feeling light-hearted and just plain happy today(and of course, the dog always makes any day happier). All day long. No cranky feelings of any kind. Although, its a good thing I am not a football fan, because there are a lot of unhappy New England Patriots fans right now(they tanked, apparently, against the NY Jets in the game that just a ended a short while ago).
The sun was shining and I felt happy and alive kicking through the deep snow up at the town soccer fields when I took Jewel up there for a romp this morning. It finally warmed up a little--it was actually in the low 30's F today, after days in the single digits(that was TOO cold for me). I could even feel the warmth of the sun on my face as I walked outside--pretty good for January, I think!
The daughter was away overnight at a friend's house, and I was missing her, since I barely saw her from Friday through Saturday (I was out Friday night, and then had to work on Sat.). And when she did get home this afternoon, she kind of surprised me by not immediately holing herself up in her bedroom like Mr. F and I were expecting she would. She actually hung around and talked to us(and of course, asked if there was anything to eat!). I think she might have missed us a little, too.
I drove up to the nearest Trader Joe's (which is always a fun place to go-it makes food shopping an event for me) after lunch time and was really loving the scenery from inside my moving car. The deep snow really is beautiful and looked spectacular under the bright blue winter sky. There were long icicles hanging and glittering from house eaves. There were snowmen in front yards(even one with a pointed birthday hat on). The inside of my car was warm and toasty, the heater on full blast. I loved that the highway was pretty empty and I could just fly, the tunes on my car radio blasting. Oh yeah, sometimes, I love driving under the right conditions!
Speaking of tunes on the radio, I am so thankful for WMVY on the FM dial. It is one of the few real radio stations left I think, with a creative playlist and real disc jockeys with real, distinct personalities(who occasionally make mistakes like playing the wrong song and then burst back on air with a goofy apology and then play the right one)like I remember every radio station had in years past. I know I am dating myself, because I think many people even my own age don't really listen to the radio anymore? But this station, broadcasting out of Martha's Vineyard still can make me feel happy listening to old and new songs and artists. You can even listen online. This song, by Buddy Guy and B.B. King(ages 74 and 85, respectively--and do they LOOK that old?! Not to me.) was the last song I heard as I headed back home , groceries piled in the back of the car, mission completed. It ended just as I drove into my drive at the house. How perfect is that? A bluesy, heartfelt song about gratitude and loving life. Turn it up, and listen to the whole thing, because the banter at the end is priceless.
"Stay Around A Little Longer" ~ Buddy Guy with B.B. King
A few more images from my outing with Jewel yesterday morning. I stopped along the road on the way back home to take these pictures of this sad, abandoned farm house and barns. It has sat empty and falling into disrepair for years, unfortunately.
As usual, a Saturday morning outing --just the dog and I. Mr. F said he had a hair appointment in town, and the daughter would have come along with us if I made her, but she was happy to stay home in her pajamas until noon, so I just left it at that.
The night's light snowfall, already melting away by mid-morning as we whizzed north along the road....
Jewel riding shotgun.
"Where are we going...? Wherever it is, I am sure I'll love it!"
I drove Jewel to one of our favorite places--the trails through the woods(full of mostly Atlantic white cedar, oak and birch trees) down to the bay at the Chafee nature preserve, or Rome Point(which, if you have read this blog for some time, you may rememberother entriesabout andphoto toursof this place), as most locals call it.
View of the bridge and bay when we got to the end of the trail.
Some images captured from a family--my brother's visiting family, my parents, and my daughter's boyfriend included--picnic at my favorite place to catch the sun going down--at Beavertail on the island of Conanicut.
The Beavertail Lighthouse (more about the lighthouse here) sits on a "beaver tail" shaped spit of land that juts out into Narragansett Bay, across from Newport on one side of the bay and directly across from where I live on the other(western) side of the bay. The lighthouse is one of the oldest in the country, having been built first in 1749, and was rebuilt numerous times. The earlier wooden ones were destroyed(by fire from British troops in the Revolutionary War, and by hurricanes and storms) before the present lighthouse was built in 1856 out of granite. Guess someone finally figured out that a lighthouse made out of stone rather than wood might be best. There is a state park there(153 acres) with grassy areas(perfect for Frisbee) and miles of rocky shoreline to explore.
" You mind is your best camera. Go out and take some beautiful pictures "
quote by Darryl Something-or-other.
Sorry, Darryl, I don't remember your last name, but do remember this from the back of a blank photo greeting card we used to sell in the shop.
It's true--I store so many photographic moments in my head(some do get stuffed way back when the newest ones crowd them). I also am not the best of photographers, anyway, and seem never to have a camera on me when I want one.
Yesterday evening, for example. I should have had a camera, but didn't. I was driving along the road to town to pick the daughter up after her singing practice. Not quite dusk--after an unseasonably hot(nearly 90*F)day, the bright yellow full moon(the Strawberry Moon, if you go by the Native American names for the full moons) just risen in the sky. The sky the merest hint of daytime blue, still. I could clearly see the face on the moon and I swear it had a deeply worried expression. I had never seen that before! It was as if the moon were looking down at us humans and looking at all the damage done--oceans poisoned by gushing petroleum, piles of plastic and Styrofoam in landfills, melting glaciers and on and on. I don't blame the moon for worrying. Heck, I worry--every morning I wake up and that damn oil "leak" in the Gulf of Mexico pops into my mind.
Anyway, at least the beauty of the evening was a nice thought for a little bit yesterday. I still have this beautiful natural world around me, on a small scale, to enjoy. As I drove past the cove and marsh, I saw the familiar osprey silhouetted against the sky, perched on the outer edge of it's high nest on a pole--another bird head(I think) sticking out of the nest. It was either the female sitting on eggs or a chick.
The ocean was glittering and softly blue, which of course, made me think again, of that other body of water miles away(and afterall, connected to "my" ocean--we are affected by the "Gulf Stream" here), being suffocated by the oil leak.
I wish I had a camera to take some photos last night, but I still would not have been able to capture the cool breeze and misty sea air, so welcome after a hot day. I would not have been able to capture the sound of the waves hitting the rocks against the seawall. Or the crickets and last robin's song of the day.
But, I am going to tuck my camera into my bag and take it along with me today.I really have to try to remember to do that.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
This is Just to Say
by William Carlos Williams
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
**
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
**
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
**
***
*
A favorite poem of mine.
Since it's World Poetry Day.
(World Poetry Day is on 21 March, and was declared by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1999. The purpose of the day is to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world)
Sorry I have not caught up with any of my favorite blogs in days, or even replied to the many comments here. Offline life has been busy lately(but a good busy--lots to write about when I get a chance), not only for me, but also for my kid and husband. So..one more busy day to get through, and I'll do my catching up in Bloggerland starting tomorrow.
In the meantime, I would love it if any readers left some names of favorite poems or poets here. I can't really say I know much about poetry, and wish I read it more. I like Dickens, Williams, Poe, Silverstein, Whitman, Rumi...but know there is so much more out there.
....photo. When I was searching for her image for Friday's blog entry, I came across this one of Lauren Bacall. From the 40's? 50's? But what I liked about it was the timelessness of it. Her hair, clothing--her style--is so current. I wish I were wearing that green blouse and that ring. The natural, girlish expression on her face is so different from the more smoldering studio images I have usually seen of her, too.
A nifty video shot from the air over portions of Rhode Island. This makes me long even more for summer when this little place really shines. Ocean breezes throughout the summer months keep it cool and comfortable and it is a great place to live(or visit). Small is beautiful.
In order of *appearance*
Rose Island Lighthouse
Newport Mansions
Newport Harbor
Newport Bridge
Narragansett Bay
Beavertail Lighthouse ( one of my favorite places in the entire state)
My town--shown from 1:20 to 1:37 !!
Block Island Ferry
Block Island views, including the old hotels and North Light at the northern tip of the island
Back on the mainland to the north part of the state
Pawtucket(make sure you pronounce it P'tuckit like a true Rhode Islander)
The capital city-Providence(not much of a skyline, aye?)
These blooms are what's left of my ranunculus bouquet that I bought over two weeks ago. I moved them over to my "yellow" corner of the living room, where I have hung some artwork I did a few years ago -- in black and yellow ink.
* ranunculus * THE MEANING & SYMBOLISM OF ranunculus
In Latin, ranunculus means “little frog” Native to Asia and celebrated for its medicinal properties as well as its bright beauty, the small camellia-like ranunculus ranges from white to pink, red to yellow to orange. Also known as Buttercup and Coyote’s Eyes, legend has it that the mythological Coyote was tossing his eyes up in the air and catching them when Eagle snatched them. Unable to see, Coyote created eyes from the buttercup. In the language of flowers, a bouquet of ranunculus says, “I am dazzled by your charms.”
This bunch of yellow ranunculus flowers at Trader Joe's was calling out to me when I went in there on Sunday.Actually, I think I might have embarrassed my daughter(who was with me) a little, with my too loud, in public(!)display of excitement when I saw them. "Ranunculus! Yellow ranunuculus!"
Ranunculus are a favorite flower of mine--I love their tightly closed flower heads that eventually open up like buttercups(wild buttercups being, after all, from the ranunculus family). I also love the wavy stems that go every which way. You don't have to arrange them (something I am not good at, anyway), but just plop them in a vase and let them do their random, wavy-stemmed thing.
They are truly one of the coolest flowers around(heck, I should try painting a still life of these!), with one of the most "fun-to-pronounce" names.
This bunch of yellow happiness makes me smile every time I see it in my house these days. The perfect antidote to winter dreariness. I don't like those garish bouquets of dyed flowers and the ordinary red and pink roses they have in the supermarket florist corner, and had been getting by this winter with buying all white flowers (carnations and mums and alstroemeria) and eucalyptus greens until I found these.
And, I have no idea why the Latin name for "little frog" was given to this charming flower.
Monday morning-grey and foggy again.
