Zen Cat Art

Sad and Glad...

My son and the daughter of my heart and my truly exceptional grandchildren moved to North Carolina.  They left on Friday and they took a piece of my heart with them.  But it will be a good move for them and for that I am happy.

 

Cows...

At the end of my block, just of the other side a stream that crosses under the road is a farm.  I go up and down the road to go to the post office, the bank, the super-market, doctor’s appointments, business meetings, down to the nature preserve for my morning walk – almost always at least once a day.  I never go by that I don’t slow down and look at the cows.

If you were raised in suburbia, like I was, you don’t see many cows.  As close as I got was “Elsie” on my milk carton.  Those of you that remember Elsie, don’t mention it, you’ll date yourself.  Yesterday I got a real treat when I slowed down to check out what was happening in Bovine Home for Gifted Cows.

There she was—a Maggie cow—which is our family’s technical term for a baby animal of any species since Maggie is our smallest and youngest cat.  The calf’s legs were barely holding her up.  She would stagger for a few steps and plop down with the effort, and then back up again for a few more wobbly steps and whoops; she was splay-footed on the ground.  Finally, when she was in the shade and next to Mom, she folded up in a tangle of legs and put her head down.

I watched the whole traverse of maybe a dozen yards with a grin on my face from ear to ear.  It was the perfect ten minutes. It’s the little things like wobbly calfs that sneak up on you and throw unexpected splashes of joy on your serious mood and improve your day.

Weddings and graduations might be happy events but they don’t come around that often.  And who wants to wait for them?  Especially when you have cows at the end of your street.

~~for you youngsters who don't know who Elsie was click here.

Day Lillies...

We did a day trip to Great Barrington for my birthday.  It's one of my favorite day trips and I have written about it before.  These lillies were outside the Yellow House of Books, one of my favorite used bookstores.  I just love the colors!  I have to do something with them - paint, fabric, embroider, sculpt... it will be something.  I'm just loving the yellow orange against the sharp lime greens.  Here's a close up...

Stunning!  Flower fireworks!!

Animal Vegetable Miracle...

I've been reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle: a Year of Food Life.  It's eyeopening to say the least.  Kingsolver (Poisionwood Bible - NYTimes bestseller and short listed for a Pultizer) and her family vow to buy only food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves or do without it.  They plant, tend, weed, harvest, can, freeze, dry the food they raise on their Virginia farm. 

Then they celebrate the first asparagus and spend August weekends harvesting tomatoes - counting them first by numbers and then by pounds.  The youngest daughter raises chickens and the oldest daughter includes recipes and comments at the end of each chapter.  Presenting an alternative to processed food might sound like a lot of work but the price of a loaf a 7 grain bread (4.49 for 10 slices) and the memory of how good food tasted when it's home grown and simply prepared inspired me to make a few changed in our shopping list and on our porch. 

We were surprised to see that there was a dairy with fresh eggs and raw milk right around the corner from us.

You go inside the building and there is a sliding door fridge with half-gallons and gallons of fresh milk from one of these... Moooo!  Her friends were out in a green pasture and looked pretty happy about it.

There are also the most beautiful eggs.  The are a rainbow of subtle colors - a delight for the eyes and amazingly flavorful. 

Next to the fridge is a card table with some maple syrup, a map that shows all the local farm stands and a rock with dollar bills under it and a sign to tell you how much things cost. 

That's it.  No cashier, no candy by the register and no lines.  Just food, not fifty feet from where is grows. 

Amazing!

Napping...

A rainy Sunday...

What else would you do but nap?

This is a picture of our kitty Shayna sleeping off her lunch of babyfood lamb--a special treat for an old lady. 

Father's Day

I sure do miss you!  I hope if you are watching me, you're happy with how I am turning out. I hope I'm brave enough, adventurous enough, and joyful enough to be a chip off the old block.  You taught me lots of things, but probably one of the best things was how to be friendly with life.  You knew how to enjoy it to the fullest and took everyone you knew along for the ride.  Rarely complaining, always ready to lend a hand, problems were challenges and tough times only built character.   It showed.

You could captivate an audience telling one of your stories - young and old would hang on every word.  "Tell the one about when you..." we would cry.  If there were someone new in the room we would ask you to repeat the favorites "...about the time you..."  A raconteur of the highest quality. 

And you would listen with the intensity that most people reserve for speaking.  Always there, sorting out the latest tangle I had gotten myself into, patient until I could see the solution for my self. 

And whether I was heading off to grade school, or heading home from visiting you in Florida, your last words were never be careful or take care, but have fun. You enjoyed every minute and were grateful for each new day.  As I have been grateful to have you as a dad. 

Happy Father's Day!  And although I'm sure you are... have fun! 

Turkey Trot...

 These three lovely ladies were in our yard early one morning.  We like seeing them in the yard - they eat ticks.  Ticks left by the deer that come into our yard that we also like seeing.  It works out pretty good for everyone. 

One morning there was lots of loud gobbling sounds.  Scanning the landscape we saw this proud fellow strutting around making quite a show.

It wasn't long before the competition showed up...

Super models don't do this much strutting coming down the runway showing off the spring collection. 

But the boys were into it. 

As a matter of fact, they forgot to pay attention to the girls who got bored and wandered off. 

I am sure there is a deep moral to this story.  You can probably come up with a few on your own.

As for me, I just like the idea of these guys strutting around in my backyard.  There is something to being reminded that the wildlife was here before us and they will still be strutting around when we have moved on.  I'm grateful these guys are willing to share.

For more information about wild turkeys in CT click here. And here.

Starting...

 

I read art blogs on the internet almost everyday.  They are wonderful and inspiring and intimidating.  So many people pumping out great amounts of creative endeavors with apparent ease while I sit here and procrastinate for yet another hour. 

Jude Hill from Spirit Cloth posts new work almost every day and quilts on the train commuting to work.  Her work is personal, delightful and fearless. 

Elizabeth from Be...Dream...Play is also prolific - it's a treat to see her art journal pages sing out  - her photography is grand!

Thousands of artist pumping out art everyday and posting it for all the world to see.  How do they do it??

I spend time thinking I don't have enough time to do art, then I walk around thinking that I don't have the right supplies, that my idea isn't good enough or has been done before, I make tea, read some blogs and put in some laundry and before you know it, hours have passed and I am still shying away from doing the "work."  It's the useless inner chatter that stops me dead in my tracks.  The mini-quilt above has an Eckhart Tolle quote on it that says "All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness."

No-mind.  Don't think.  Step up to the canvas.  Let go of the end result and begin.  Play, enjoy the process.  Just do it! 

**Some good news!  If you have read the post before this one about Smudge and have been picturing him running - keep up the good work!  We have had some leg stretching and tale wagging - good signs!  Run, Smudge, Run!

See Smudge Run...

The web is a wonderful place.  I have made some grand friends sitting here in front of my computer.  This is one of my friends - his name is Smudge.  He lives in VT and needs a little healing energy. 

Now, I know that you have never met Smudge, until now.  And some of you might not be "animal people" or "dog people" but that really doesn't matter.  To tell the truth I only know Smudge a short time myself but Smudge is special to someone who is special to me.  And isn't that how the world works best? 

When we can expand our circle to include others, our world becomes larger, richer, more joyful.  When we can extend our hands and say "how can I help?" we improve our own humanity and our own lives as well as that of the world.  A warmth comes from that is a good kind of global warming. 

So here is what you can do.  Smudge was in an accident and they are saying he might not walk again - and I'm going to ask you to do a very simple thing - imagine Smudge running.  Yup, just that.  No sending this to seventy people in the next two minutes and you'll get a million dollars (however if you try it and it works, please, let me know) but in your mind - see Smudge run! 

Of course, If you feel sending this around - with no obligation beyond friendship and kindness - feel free! It will widen your circle and warm your heart - just maybe in no time at all - Smudge will be running all around the world. 

If you would like to find out more about Smudge and his friends - please click here to see the website of an incredible artist friend of mine Elizabeth Bunsen at Be...Dream...Play.

Hugs to all of you!  >^..^<   

Dog, Cat & Rat... Just to cheer you up!

I just thought this guy had the right idea.  If they can get along - why can't we?

I just love it!