Simply Moments

I really don't know where to begin.  More tears than smiles this week... First, and foremost in my heart, is the murder of George Floyd .  If you live in America, this is another incident--in a long, long line--of police brutality and the unwarranted killing of a black man.  If you don't live in America, the photo in the above link shows exactly how George Floyd was murdered by an officer of the law kneeling on his neck for over 8 minutes while George continuously gasped that he couldn't breathe. Is this what they teach these days in police academies: subdue an unarmed man, who is not struggling or resisting, by kneeling your total body weight on his neck?  They tried to make the excuse that George had a medical condition that contributed to his death.  Well, yeah, I guess he did: Kneeling Neck Syndrome, usually found only in black males.  Thankfully there were plenty of witnesses and video to totally refute their attempted cover-up. I despair for my country. Since Dona

Today Benny is 3 years old.  It seems like just the other day we brought home a tiny little 8-week-old Dachshund, rescued from a bad situation, and from that day on, he's ruled the house and our lives.  He's a joy, a love puppy, the best guard dog in the world, a maniac barker, more stubborn than any dog I've ever had...and has totally stolen our hearts forever. Happy 3rd Birthday, sweet boy!!  Treats and toys coming up...

I had a really unsettling time last week.  It seemed like every bit of news I read, heard, watched was either horrible, heartbreaking or anger-inducing.  Until finally, on Thursday, when I couldn't take anymore, when I realized everything was seriously denting my head, I turned it all off.  No internet, no social media, no outside influences allowed until today. It helped.  It really did.  Maybe, for me, it's easier to imagine that things are good in the world rather than hear--in endless media loops--that things are terrible.  It might seem like the Ostrich Syndrome, but really, I prefer a little sand in my ears as opposed to mind meltdown. So, to totally change gears, I started an embroidery project I've been wanting to do for ages. For several years I've been following an amazing embroiderer, Mary Corbet, at Needle 'n Thread .  Her website has tons of tips and videos, many examples of her work, plus current works-in-progress which she updates in her newslette

We went from almost 90* a few days ago, to 60* this morning.  From blazing sunshine to pouring down rain.  It feels more like crazy April than gentle, flowering May. This is how Benny is dealing with it.  Some days a guy just doesn't even want to get out of bed.  Frankly, I'm starting to feel that way myself.  Just want to pull the covers over my head and forget what's going on in the world...

Even in the midst of uncertainty, confusion and borderline chaos, Nature carries on.  No matter what calamities we humans face, the seasons continue with or without us. Here in southern Oregon, the weather has warmed considerably--today being 87* and a bit too warm for early May--however, the veggie seeds I planted just a few weeks ago are already sprouting and the flowers are blooming in profusion all over the front and back gardens.  What might be too hot for me seems to be just right for my plants.  It's magic really how quickly things can spring into life. Watermelon, beans, and zucchini... Two rows of lettuce have been thinned, carrots are just getting their second leaves, my sunflowers are about an inch above ground and the tomato plant is already over 7" tall. The flowers are also loving the weather. The orange-glow color of the poppies are almost LED bright in the blazing sun. I always let them go wild on the back slope, reseeding themselves willy nil