Winter Solstice

December 21, 2009 / still a dreamer

Today is the Winter Solstice — the longest night in the year and the official beginning of Winter. Tomorrow there will be a gradual return to more daylight as each day passes.

But today is Solstice. A day of reflection, of peace, of quiet gratitude for the beauty of this Earth. Celebration of the Solstice had its origins in ancient times when people feared that their light source, the sun, who they worshipped as a god, was dying, leaving them without warmth and abundance. They developed rituals to bring back the light which culminated on the Solstice, gathering greenery, lighting bonfires, and reveling with music and dance.

Although the world is dark and especially cold, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, it is a wonderful time to look at the moon and sky and be thankful for all we have. It is a wonderful time to reflect, to forgive, and look to the year to come. Peace.

Indian Summer

November 16, 2009 / still a dreamer / 2 Comments

November 15 … 66 degrees with an amazing sunset.

Fall – Just 2 Days Later

October 24, 2009 / still a dreamer / 2 Comments

Autumn is on her own schedule. She seems to pay no mind to temperatures, to incoming storms; she just pulls out her paints and brushes, and in her own time gently strokes the trees with gold, oranges, crimson and amber. Here, just 2 days later, is the same tree that appears in my last post.

Home-Across2

Fall Within 100 Feet

October 21, 2009 / still a dreamer / 2 Comments

I have had a 100 things to blog about, all swimming, swirling in my head. But at the moment am coping with something else, and the thoughts are just not solidifying. (One thing I want to write about, having just seen Where the Wild Things Are and finished reading Coraline, is about what happens when children’s books become movies. Stay tuned …) So when inspired writing fails and I still have a ton of work on my desk, what to do? Take a few pictures …

Home-Across

These photos are taken without me walking more than 100′ from my front door. The first, my neighbors across the street, taken from my front porch. Not much wind today, but Old Glory always looks so nice in all the seasons.

Home-CaddyCorner

My caddy-corner neighbors …. their fence is always lined with some kind of blooming flowers, daffodils, lilies, and in the fall, white shasta daisies

Home-Porch

My front porch … have to have something of fall there! Each year the local deer inevitably take down whatever live flowers I put on the steps, but I will prevail! Or at least I’m trying – my neighbors had success in protecting their Hostas with Deer-Out, (nothing horrible in the way of ingredients), which is no small accomplishment, so I’m giving it a try. Doesn’t bother next door’s cats, so it must be deer-specific. Time will tell.

Home-2Delaware

Looking down my short block from in front of my house … I’m on the corner. At the very end, if you look carefully, you will see a spot of blue/grey. That’s the Delaware River. I’m happy to live near a river, near any water, really. I’m very happy for the little town I live in and how un-modernized it is. Real people with real small stores and local friendliness. I’m lucky. Grateful, too.

The Orangutan and Hound – A Short Love Story

October 2, 2009October 7, 2009 / still a dreamer / 2 Comments

SuryiaRoscoe I see a lot – I mean a lot – of cute, (and not-so-cute), animal stuff because it is a large part of my professional and personal life. And yes, I have seen my fair share of cute inter-species animal stories, videos, etc. This one, new to me, was particularly heartwarming.