just November

Not very much has happened in this interim except quotidian things, so I'm taking the time these days to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary.

From light rain falling on old leaves, and dried grasses like flowers, popping up through cracks in brick walkways...to major snow falling on mountain peaks and us....

A week away from this blog has seen a whirlwind of change, yet nothing has changed. November deals out its warm sunny days and its snowstorms, it's full moon, it's thunder and lightning and shorter days. It snows at night and we wake to hot coffee and a white world. I'm reading Paul Auster's compelling "Winter Journal" and it fits my sideways-slipping mood on this white day of absolutely no sun. I love his style of writing. Not surreal, but not quite real either.

Great grandson Dante turned three this week...I hear he had a fine party and more pictures will be forthcoming. I would have liked to be there with him.

A raven screams from a November tree limb, waiting for the storm to hit...the tree had been full of ravens, but when they saw me approaching they flew off -- all except this one who eventually just screamed three loud notes (ne-ver-more) and held his ground (or limb)....

I spent a three day weekend in a meditation and writing session and felt the calming effects for a couple of days -- then lost it in another type of whirlwind called emotion.  Someone close to me was in a serious motorcycle accident, will be fine, but it unleashed a whole series of tilt-a-whirls in my life. I continue to work on the book and to feel gratitude for all good things, including not having to obsessively knit for the craft fair next week as I've done in so many past years. Freely chosen. Freely refused. There will be hand knitted socks, felted bags, a few mittz, and one special cashmere lace shawl, for anyone who wants them, but they're limited editions, you'll have to contact me, and I won't be standing around "selling" for three days at the Convention Center. Nice change. Now, if I can just get into that Zen place and chop wood and carry water --- or at least clean up my workroom and turn it into a guest room for my BB friend who is coming to visit soon.