Small Joys

  Friendship.... it is the glue that binds.  When things look dismal and you need to chat to that one person  that knows you inside and out.  I can't imagine not having that one person whose voice can be just what you need and I feel blessed to use a southern phrase to have those friends to turn to.  

  The temps are down in the 20's, putting Hotlanta into the deep freeze.  Ice was all over the back deck after a torrential rainstorm hit the area last night.  It was heavenly... Ford and I miss the cold and we found it such a pleasure as the wind whipped at our heels.  I was reminded of a snow day during which my daughter and I made a snowwoman with a lovely green skirt from pine boughs.  Love it.

 Squirrels are the most industrious little beings. He and I ate breakfast together this morning as it rained cats and dogs.  I love hw their little paws grip tight to the little black walnut as he tries to uncover the contents.  Me I just spread avocado on my toast and called it a day.

Happy Valentines Day to Me!!   I hope everyone had a spectacular day today.  My lovely brother-in-law gave me this scrumptious box of chocolates.  There is nothing like chocolate and a cup of tea to lift your spirits.    

 

  Sometimes something as simple as an inviting lunch is all you need to make you smile.  I have really gotten interested in cooking since the pandemic set in.  I previously hated cooking dinners because unfortunately my children had limited palates.  I was probably to blame as I could barely stay awake most nights after working all day and then tending to a flock of sheep and finally getting around to cooking dinners for two starving children.  I think now, if I had it to do all over again it was really that I lacked the imagination necessary for cooking when I was working.  I barely could think of something healthy and nourishing to make let alone plan a dinner.  I feel bad for my children as they really did like to try new things when we went out to dinner but they lacked an imaginative mother in the kitchen.  I wonder how they would like my meals now?  This is a lunch of red quinoa cakes and salad, delish. 

 Today is really a BIG JOY for me as I have completed the second of the Covid 19 vaccinations.  I am so glad to be able to put that behind me and hope that I have at least some immunity to the virus as it streaks across the country at a rapid rate.  You wonder if images like these will be in history books... you need to register with the CDC and carry your vaccination card. A little like Big Brother is watching.  

They are back!  It has turned out to be a beautiful day in the neighborhood.  The sun is shining and that can only mean one thing! Turtles sunning themselves on the log.  I look everyday and was rewarded to see these two friends relaxing on the broken tree submerged in the lake.  There has been a lot of rain of late so less and less of the log is exposed for turtle sunbathing. 

  One is the loneliest number... you will ever meet.  On my walk this morning as I was strolling along Hendrix Road this guy appeared all on his own out grazing without a pal in sight.  The walk is so peaceful and I often see the herd of cattle out to the left in this field but at a distance.  Not today for some reason, he was on his own.  When I got close to snap the picture he started to mosey on. 

  A day of noticings, if you walk too fast you might miss this little red robin poking his body out of a hedge.  It took both of us a while to recognize we were in each others presence and when we did one of us flew away.

  He is a standout, never to be missed. Against the blue sky he demands your attention and on a cold winter day is a reminder of the beauty that is all around us.  A simple joy.

  Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn. ” — Ralph Waldo Emerson The new dawn from my bedroom window, was even more spectacular 15 minutes ago.  What will I do with my new dawn, will I be productive, focused, introspective, dawdling... flighty.. It is hard to say . But let's just say i have good intentions. I can start afresh tomorrow.

  I am missing the snow that is currently blanketing the northeast.  So in my inbox today there was an article about a man Nathan  Myhrvol devised a new way to take pictures of snowflakes.  They are beautiful and as detailed as I could ever imagine.  Take a look the article that shows how he does it.  For now I will have to be content with snow in pictures.  

  Kira Kira... is a Japanese word  for glittering. I was first introduced to the word by the author Cynthia Kadohota . She wrote a stellar book entitled Kira Kira, for  children about a Japanese girl growing up in the 1950's  rural south. In fact it takes place in my new state of Georgia.  It is a powerful book and one I often recommended to kids as its message and Kadohata's storytelling are mesmerizing. Published in 2004 the story still resonates today as cultures clash all around us. This morning I experienced a Kira Kira moment, as the lake looked like glittering diamonds from my window. I tried to record the Sun Glitter as it is called, by Wikipedia, but did not do the image justice.  

  I have never read the book, H is for Hawk and I really should as I have always had a love affair with them.  Red-tailed Hawks are the ones that I am most familiar with. There is no mistaking the cry of the males shrill in flight.  I have only ever been able to watch them from a distance in CT, as they flew from treetop to treetop, never close enough to actually stand and observe them close up.   When I am walking I am in a groove or a place in my head that I sometimes do not even notice that I am about to turn a corner or that I am moving onto a new street.  As looked up this morning, I stopped in my tracks as there in plain sight sitting in a freshly murdered Crepe Myrtle was a pair of red tailed hawks.  Of course, my camera does not do them justice but at least you can see how close I was to them. Here is the burbs of Atlanta, these hawks are everywhere and they are not disturbed in the least by human activity.  I did try to get a closer look ...