When sunlight paints our houses and trees
Saturdays are usually the day I make sure I have read your blog and your blog and your blog and your blog.
Not to miss any blog-reading which may have escaped attention during the busy week.
I used to read every blog on my blog roll.
Now there only seems time or inclination to read the blogs of those who have commented on Lake Superior Spirit.
“How many blogs do you read?” my friend, Amy, from Illinois, recently asked.
“About twenty to thirty bloggers,” I replied. (Or that’s what I should have replied–who knows what response actually happened?)
Sometimes sunlight paints condomiums, too
Quitting Facebook about a month ago was the best thing that’s happened in this life, let me tell you. Do you know that relieved and peaceful feeling you get when you simplify your life, when you throw out or recycle unwanted or no-longer-needed items?
Yes. That’s what I feel. Pure relief. (OK, OK, I won’t keep talking about this every sixth blog for the rest of the year, but just wanted to express it yet again.) There is nothing I miss about the Book of Faces.
Am now re-establishing who is really truly available and accompanying and being present in this life–and to whom I can be truly available and accompany and be present with. (Sorry, Mom, didn’t mean to end that sentence with a preposition, but sometimes you need to dangle an idea, don’t you?)
It’s funny, too, after I quit the Face Place, my blog visitors increased. If people want to know whaz happenin’ in the Little House in the Big Woods, they know where to find it.
Beaver skull
OK, what else do you want to know in a Mish-Mash blog? The weather?
It is 11 degrees outside. That is -11.66666666, dear Canadians and other Celsius readers. In other words, it’s frigid. OK, it’s not -20 below frigid, but it’s still darn cold.
My hands and feet always seem to be icy. Anyone else have extremity challenges when the temps drop?
Have done the Sunrise Salutation in Yoga this morning, although it’s unclear whether the sun will rise today. OK, it will rise, but will we see it?
Coast guard ship at dusk in Houghton last week
I am thinking–besides reading blogs and writing this rambling top-of-the-mind spur-of-the-moment blog–and, oh yes, receipting taxes for my job, and, oh yes, writing Christmas cards to friends and family (bloggers, your last cards went out yesterday)–that a brisk walk might be in order. When it warms up a little.
You want to know something funny? My son is in Texas visiting friends for the weekend. His first visit to the Lone Star State since you-know-when. (See yesterday’s blog and read to the end if you don’t know what I’m talking about.) Isn’t it strange that I published that blog about Texas on the same day that he flew to Texas? I don’t think I consciously planned this.
Yes, Kathy, it’s a strange synchronicity indeed.
Barry’s not going to believe I wrote a blog when he returns to the house. He’s out in the garage tinkering on his boat motor.
“You wrote another blog?” he’ll ask, incredulous.
OK, he won’t be incredulous. He’ll probably be amused. He likes this blog as much as I do, I swear it. He read the Texas blog six times, I swear it. He was impressed that I remembered at least two things that he had forgotten. (He remembered 16 things that I had forgotten.)
My daughter called last night.
“I do NOT need to know about your sex life in your memoirs,” she teased. (I think she teased.)
Sex life? Who wrote about her sex life?
This is an old photo of our house, pre-2008. Probably taken by said daughter. I love the ambiance of it...
Excuse me, I forgot I was telling you the weather report here in Lake Superior land. No snow expected until next Tuesday. We have–gosh, how much do we have on the ground?–maybe a few inches of the white stuff?
I was calmly eating a breakfast bowl of quinoa with tasteless blackberries and a hard green pear, when the urge to blog grew so fierce within that I rushed to the computer and allowed the typing fingers to have their way.
May your weekend be filled with pre-holiday cheer. May your temperature warm to more than 11 degrees. May you address your Christmas cards. May you see the sun. May you blog your heart out, or read the blogs of fellow hearts.
May you experience the ordinary movements of your day as precious and sacred beyond imagination… May your day contain everything, simply everything.
Lake Superior Spirit 
I have YET to experience a tasteless blackberry. (i frowned and thought , well maybe it’s dried?–never tried one dried) I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE BLACKBERRIES! Mix them with a few blueberries in a pie. I call that black and blue pie.
The sun is painting everything in the west and I’m itching to go~~~
The body is going no no let’s just sit and write and fly on the inside, where it is warm. What an excellent day to LIVE.
I swear they are tasteless, Elisa. I swear it. Even Barry said so. They are still in the frig and I hesitate to eat another one of them…but probably will anyway. In granola, this morning.
Well Kathy, you had me at sex. Of course I don’t want to know about your sex life any more than Kiah does, but I sure do want to know that everyone is having a happy sex life, in little houses in the woods, or in sunset painted condos in cities… or tiny apartments in really big cities, or big old farmhouses in Maine. and it’s warm in Maine. Not even below freezing!
tee hee, Carla, I should have known you would read the word “sex” and come scurrying!! It’s warm in the U.P. right now, too. Hit 50 degrees yesterday, would you believe it??
Ah, Kathy, you are making me think about going back to my blog and reviving it! It is warmer here in Texas, but your photos make me miss the North. If I could have the sunshine of Texas with the beauty of the North that would be my ideal. But, it is a wonderful day to sip coffee with my hubby and finally put up holiday decorations, and so so thankful for that!
DO revive your blog, Celeste, and then let us know, so we can go read it. I am glad you will stop in for northern memories while enjoy your southern sun. There’s something about that that sounds appealing, doesn’t it?
Hula Burgers! — you had me at “sex” too 🙂 Great post! This morning the the sense of calm and order in the second photograph is resonating with my heart. Have a great weekend (and thank you for the lovely Christmas card).
Tee hee, Laurie, I don’t think I’ve ever used the word “sex” in a headline before! (And may never again…but then…it was titillating, wasn’t it? LOL!)
Sometimes keeping up with writing and reading the blogs gets hard because time disappears. Although I don’t know where it goes – I guess that’s what disappears means, huh? My Christmas cards are created, now it’s a matter of getting them emailed and printing a couple for mailing. Maybe the tree will get put up this coming week. Maybe. I love your sun-painted pictures.
It does get hard at times, Carol. Good luck getting everything all set for the holidays! (And I guess we need those sun-painted pics at the darkest time of the year, don’t we?)
Good Morning Kathy 🙂
Boy you covered just about everything today! lol And yup..it’s a chilly morning here too…12 degrees. Better than the 2 below it was when I turned off the computer last night. But…tomorrow looks to be about 40!! Up and down we go on the weather rollercoaster! Oh and yes, I also have icy hands and feet in the winter. In fact, I need to find a new pair of warm, fuzzy slippers for my tootsies 🙂
I love the warmth of the sun washed condos, but the one that tugs at my heartstrings is the last one, the one you think is Kiah’s. It’s all soft and quiet and cozy…my kind of place! ♥
Have a beautiful weekend, Kathy ♥
Mornin’ Brenda, gosh, it was fun to cover Everything in Life in one blog! Gosh, can you believe how warm the temp got? It reached 50 here!! Yep, the weather rollercoaster….well, wouldn’t we be bored if it stayed stagnant? Most probably…
Oh, I so love the end of this post. Your wishes for us warm my heart–especially the wish that we would find the sacred in the ordnary–that’s the posture I try to take toward each day. You are a kindred spirit, dear Kathy.
Stay warm. I’m shivering just thinking about 11 degrees. Yikes!
Kathy
That is my true wish, Kathy. My biggest greatest true wish. That we don’t keep the ordinary–well, ordinary. And we are kindred spirits in many ways, it seems…
Kathy I LOVE those last two photos. I can almost taste and scoop the air about them! Also got a kick out of your “hard pear” as that is one of my least favorite things! However, your mention of “taxes” sent me into a tizzy as I am needing to get busy on mine before the upcoming surgery. Sigh….so many receipts to organize and so little desire to do so! I would love to send you some “warm” from Florida but right now we are in a chilly spell. Prop those feet in front of your fire and be grateful you aren’t that beaver!
Ick. Hard pear. Ick. Tasteless blackberries. Yum, granola! Which is what I am going to sample this morning in two seconds. I am sorry to have alarmed you about the Taxes Scene. Sigh. Yes, no fun. But you’re right, probably better to be organized pre-surgery. (And it’s warm up here now, can you believe it?)
Ok. I’m behind. Obviously I need to go and read the previous blog entry! LOL…
It was 12 degrees here this morning…and we have a couple of inches of snow on the ground too. I feel like I’m up there!
Love the condo shot…where are they?
Wait! We just had 10 little cartons of blackberries for $10 or something like that at Krogers last week. I bought two..and they were WONDERFUL….please try them again!
HAPPY HAPPY Holiday to you and the family. Hope Barry’s knee is doing GREAT!
It was a very exciting sex scandal, Dawn. NOT! I just had to mention the conception of our #1 child. I’ll bet it’s warm downstate now….50 degrees yesterday in Aura. The condos are in Marquette, down by the water front. Glad you enjoyed your blackberries. Sigh. No, Barry’s knees are not doing great…probably looking at artificial knees in the near future…
No snow until Tuesday? Well, that gives me a couple of days to get up there! (I wish!)
And maybe not even snow on Tuesday! Hope not…we have to go to a knee appointment tomorrow. Hurry on up!
Those painted condominiums (condominia?) are in Marquette, aren’t they? Facing the park down by the marina? I like that freighter in Houghton, too. Weather? Let me guess–COLD! It’s cold here, but no snow yet. We need snow! There are only three weeks left in the year, and it feels not-right not having snow. The old picture of your house, now, looks the way things should look at this time of year.
Yes, indeed, Pamela. They are in Marquette–down by the marina. I wasn’t going to post the Coast Guard boat, but Barry truly loved it. I am hoping you get snow soon. Only when you don’t have to drive…
May you experience the ordinary movements of your day as precious and sacred beyond imagination… May your day contain everything, simply everything.
Indeed. That is emblazoned on the back of my eyeballs, LOL!!!
Precious and sacred indeed is the physical card from you! I feel moved to reciprocate, and it might not be until Valentine’s Day, LOL!!
Just need to rev up your metabolism/thyroid a bit, for the hands and feet. And yes, like me, thick socks and hand-warmers like hot teacups!!
I especially loved the photo of your house with that giant tree! Now I know what to look for when I finally get there someday, :))
Love we are,
OM
Emblazoned on the back of my eyeballs, too, dear OM! I am delighted you love the card…don’t worry about responding… Oh how I love hot hand-warmers like teacups and coffee cups. Yes, indeed. Need one soon. P.S. That giant tree is the biggest plant in our garden. We keep wanting to cut it down because it eats all the nourishment, stealing it from the innocent carrots. Love we are!
Unfortunately, Christmas activities, cleaning, blogging, visiting friends and family … everything has taken a back seat to my school work. Not sure why I am slowing down … I used to be able to do it all. These days I am so tired and it is dark and my inclination is to hibernate like a bear 😉 … I hope when the days begin to get longer (Dec 22nd but probably won’t notice any change until Jan.22) I might be able to enjoy some sunshine and it will fill me up with energy.
By the way, it is okay to celebrate kicking your Facebook life … the real thing is much better.
I’ll bet your body is still needing time to recover, Bearyweather. I can understand that your school work would be your first priority–darn, those jobs! Thanks for supporting my FB decision. I know some people love it, but my deepest self said “you get outa there” a long time ago and I didn’t listen.
I’m glad you’ve still been pulled to the screen to blog; I just have not had words lately. I prepped some pictures, and have just left them in my “blog” folder, ready to go when I find something I feel like posting. Quinoa for breakfast? I’ve only made savory quinoa (have some in a veggie chili right now, actually), but how do you make yours for breakfast? Stay warm! We’re cold, but not that cold down here below the bridge.
Dear Heather, I just received your wonderful Christmas card! It is lovely, thank yo uso much. Isn’t it strange about when we’re called to blog and when we aren’t? I’m always wondering whether the Blogging Muse will one day point its finger at someone else and I will grow quiet. We make quinoa for breakfast and add everything in it: any fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, coconut, sweetener, cinnamon. Whatever feels like it “belongs” on that particular morning.
I’m afraid I’m hooked on Facebook… didn’t mean for it to happen, but I can’t turn back! It’s actually a wonderful resource for me, I’m connected to about 100 other mothers of children on the Autistic spectrum. We’re there to help each other out, listen to rants, give advice, answer questions, be a shoulder to lean on, give support, cheer when something good happens – it’s the best support I’ve found!
We didn’t even get up to the freezing mark here today – but crazy me, I went out, anyway!! Couldn’t help myself, the sunshine was calling!!
Holly, that’s wonderful that Facebook has been such a resource and gift for you. I know other people have experienced it like that, too. You guys do need a good shoulder to lean on and support. Wonderful! (Glad you went out even though it was cold. We get to benefits from the photos you take.)
heh heh
i can relate to the urgent need to blog with a cereal bowl in hand
morning first thing seems to be when the ideas flow better
end of a work day and i’m all done…
loving your snow shots
i want another white xmas – our hot humid one here in oz seems even more wrong now
Kel, I am thrilled that you can relate to that urgent need to blog!! **grin** What a better way to start our day? Wishing you a white Christmas one of these days. Maybe you need to plan a trip?
I love the mish-mash blogs (may have written a few of those myself!). And what a titillating title, LOL! The busy-ness of the season is certainly upon us: along with a variety of blog posts, to-do and to-buy lists clog my brain. I’m happy to take a few moments with my coffee this morning to pop in and read.
Hey Ms. Karma, wasn’t that title titillating? I was so shocked when it came out the typing fingers! I’m in the heighth of busy-ness today. Trying to get packages out and cards written. But then things should calm down for a short while… Good luck!
What a beautiful example of writing and recording the moment. All of it. An inspiring post!
It was loads of fun, Marcie! Even better than writing in a journal that no one ever sees. 🙂
What better place to wander than Kathy’s stream of consciousness.
Kathy’s stream of consciousness thanks you mightily.
A wonderful post! And wonderful way to spend a few minutes wandering through your mind. Thank you for the lovely stroll 🙂
Dear Belle, I am glad you enjoyed the stroll and that we didn’t see any wild animals or get wood ticks on us! **grin** Thank you for accompanying me.
I so enjoy your ramblings from way across the pond, for a few moments I am transported to your part of the USA.. Keep on blogging! X
Claire, can you imagine NOT blogging? (I can imagine not rambling, but not blogging is a stretch…) Thank you, Dear Poet.
Loved your rambling, Kathy. 🙂
Robin, you just never know where these rambling thoughts are going to take us, do we? I am glad you enjoyed them.
Kathy, it has been so much fun reading the comments that I’ve completely forgotten if I had something to say 🙂 Mind you, that might have something to do with the glass of wine I’ve been enjoying as I’m catching up, reading your wonderful blogs (and successfully ignoring a floor full of Xmas packing and packaging that is waiting to be finished up).
tee hee! You’ve been befuddled by the comments, Colleen. I’m sure it wasn’t your glass of wine. Wishing it were possible to enjoy a glass of wine with you someday. Good luck with that Christmas stuff!