1995. gimmi shelter

 
for twelve ninety-nine
get in, zip up and tune out
a cure for world news 🦊❤️

I saw these zip up, fabric clothes closets at Ikea. I immediately thought that they would make a nice cozy cocoon to hide away in every once in a while, especially during world news broadcasts. 🦊❤️

1994. ikea

 

hard day of shopping
and lunch of swedish meatballs
time to sit an scroll 🦊❤️

Today we had a very entertaining stroll through Ikea after lunch. There were lots of interesting people and sights. My particular favorite was a woman camped out in the easy chair section scrolling through her phone!! The smoked salmon platter was delicious and Yulan enjoyed her Swedish meatball platter. It was a fun day. 🦊❤️
  

1993. cedar waxwing

 

on this bitter day
a cedar waxwing has died
its yellow tail lives 🦊❤️

Today I saw my first Cedar Waxwing but sadly it was no longer alive. Yet… its yellow tipped tail was glowing and so very alive. 🦊❤️

1992. disposability

 

put out to the curb
a cozy table and chairs
disposable world 🦊❤️

I am constantly amazed at the perfectly good things that folks dispose of in our neighborhood. 🦊❤️









1991. victorious

 

the marks of struggle
visible for all to see
you conquered the ice 🦊❤️

The last piles of frozen plowed snow have finally melted around the edges of the parking lot. The weeds have won the battle of out lasting the plowed icebergs and are showing the battle scars of their will to win. Soon their bleached out stems will be gloriously green. 🦊❤️

1990. mikey’s mind

 

what goes through her mind
as she sits still, just staring?
anything? nothing? 🦊❤️

I frequently sit just staring at Mikey as she just sits and stares ahead. I find it quite comforting to imagine that she isn’t thinking a single thought as she looks at whatever it is that she is staring at. How wonderful it must be to just take in the scenery with a quiet mind that is not cluttered with thoughts….🦊❤️

1989. “me and mrs. jones”

 



“me and mrs. jones…
we gotta thing goin’ on”
tommy meets willow !! 🦊❤️

I just finished “Willow”. She belonged to my friends Rob and Andrea. Willow only had one eye and that one eye was totally without sight. She lived to a ripe old age and died last year. When I showed Yulan a picture of them together she immediately said, “They have a thing going on! Just like  in the song “Me and Mrs. Jones”  Thanks for the idea for my post sweetie! Can’t wait to give it to Rob and Andrea. 🦊❤️

1988. “duck and cover”

 

a sign from the past
days when we ducked under desks
and held our young heads 🦊❤️

I felt a quiet eeriness as I stood and stared at an ancient fallout shelter sign on the wall of small local post office. I could almost smell the aroma of Thursday spaghetti lunch wafting from my grade school cafeteria.  🦊❤️ 

1987. a spring kick start

 

out of the blue sky
a bolt of magical light
kick starts the tree’s buds 🦊❤️

Today we made our way back into the woods. The aftermath of a spell of harsh winter weather was all around us. Yet the magic of impending springtime more than made up for the fallen trees and eroded trails. 🦊❤️

1986. last vestiges

 

weeks of layered snow
reduced to a dirty heap
by the mighty sun 🦊❤️

This morning we systematically peeled off our layers of  unnecessary winter clothing as we walked in the suddenly warm temperatures. All of the layers of accumulated snow were also suddenly gone. All that remained were the dirty piles of  plowed snow that most certainly will shrink in the coming days. The morning sun was smiling and it felt good as it shined on us. 🦊❤️

1985. red at dawn

 

all of a sudden
a flash of red caught my eye
a card’nal at dawn 🦊❤️

I was sitting in the living room easing into the start of another day. Suddenly a flash of red caught my eye. A plump cardinal perched right outside my window to brighten the gloomy dawn sky. 🦊❤️

1984. bff

 



after all these years
tommy and willey meet up
now they’re “bff” 🦊❤️

Yulan asked that I make her a paper mache edition of her beloved cat Willey like the one I made of Tommy as a remembrance for her. Of course I was more than eager to bring Willey back to life for her. And the best part is that Tommy and Willey are now “Best Friends Forever”. (BFF). 🦊❤️




1983. added value

 

sometimes the shadows
succeed in stealing the show
(…or adding to it) 🦊❤️

We recently visited the Woodmere Museum to see an exhibit of very large ceramic sculptures.  The sculptures were beautiful and their shadows provided tons of added value to the show.  🦊❤️

1982. could it be?

 

up atop the cross
a bird sits watch o’er the land
maybe… holy ghost? 🦊❤️

Birds perching on crosses way up in the air always catch my attention.  I immediately think it is the Holy Ghost keeping an eye on things. One never knows… 🦊❤️ 

1981. rearin’ to rise

 

bright bobbin’ balloon
tethered tightly to a tree
rearin’ to rise up 🦊❤️

We stopped and watched the bright red ballon straining to break free of its tether. Just like all of us… 🦊❤️

1980. batter up

 

the snow had melted
a sea of plastic remains
time for balls and strikes 🦊❤️

During our evening walk at Chestnut Hill College we the noticed that all of the snow on the women’s softball field had melted snd the enormous plastic tarp was fully exposed. The setting sun made appear like it was a wave filled surf.  Was a very cool sight. 🦊❤️

1979. where goest thou?

 

footprints in the snow
going here and going there
weaving who knows where 🦊❤️

The circuitous paths of people’s travels revealed in the snow…🦊❤️

1978. another day’s work done

chairs rest on tables
another day came and went
all’s left is cleanup 🦊❤️

 As we left the movie theater, the once bustling restaurants were closed and cleaning up from a long day’s work. It was a lonely sort of sight to see.   🦊❤️

1977. my olympic gold

just like younger days
the first to dig out my car
a big small victory 🦊❤️

In my younger days I prided myself on being the first one in the neighborhood to shovel out my driveway, and the driveways of older neighbors. Not much has changed in my old age… 🦊❤️
 

1976. a tree’s burden

 

a burden of white
shouldered by your strong branches
bouncing in the wind 🦊❤️

Upon waking up I looked out of my window and was awestruck by the  branches of a tree billowing with snow. Such strength by the tree. Such balance and grace by the snow. What excitement by the wind bouncing the snow covered branches.  What a show.  🦊❤️

1975. something new #6 (all done)

 


from paper and paste
tommy the cat’s been reborn
swear i heard him purr 🦊❤️

Well Tommy ala paper mache is done.  I swear he was purring as he sat near my faux wood stove as we watched weather reports on tomorrow’s impending snow.  He certainly had many years of contending with bitter snowy weather… no longer. 🦊❤️


1974. something new #5

 

tommy is liking
being three dimensions
rather than just two 🦊❤️

Tommy in his new paper mache form continues to unfold. Quite a different experience than Tommy in his two dimensional canvas form.  🦊❤️

1973. sun on a gloomy day

 





on this gloomy day
the sun was shining brightly
in eric carle’s world 🦊❤️

We spent our First Anniversary enjoying the whimsical work of Eric Carle at the Michener Museum in Doylestown   The perfect antidote for a day of low hanging clouds and dampness. Then to keep it real, we went out and bought anti-fatigue carpets for the kitchen so that cooking would be comfy on the feet. 🦊❤️

1972. basketball jones

 

jonesing for a game
half court game will have to do
till the big melt comes 🦊❤️

Today on our walk I loved seeing the local basketball court that had been shoveled out by some impatient hoopsters. As I looked, I immediately thought of my high school friend Ed Tabish and his stellar basketball days way back when. This ones for you Ed. 🦊❤️

1971. continental drift

 

continent of ice
drifting down my car window
last night’s icy mix 🦊❤️

I sat in the car waiting for the heater’s warmth to permeate my car’s interior and my bones. Slowly the icy globs encrusted on my windows started to ever so slowly melt and drift down the window.  My mind started to also drift as I pondered the never ending drifting of the earth’s continents across the globe. Never ending plate tectonics…🦊❤️ 

1970. something new #4

while still ghostly white
tommy got his face today
he’s coming to life 🦊❤️

I hope you are enjoying following Tommy’s return to life in the form of paper mache.  🦊❤️



1969. something new #3

 

all the pretty print
covered with a gooey coat
such a messy step… 🦊❤️

All of the beautiful newsprint from the Korean Newspaper has been slathered over by a coating of  messy paper machet clay. A couple more coats will be applied after this coat is hardened. Someday I will have to make one with the newsprint remaining visible. 🦊❤️

1968. a rearview mirror reflection

 

while in the drive through
a faceless mouth uttering
“a big mac meal please…” 🦊❤️

I snapped a photo of a woman’s mouth displayed in her rearview mirror in a MacDonald’s drive through line. It sometimes amazes me what scenes catch my attention in pursuit of having a photo for this daily blog post. I hope she didn’t see me taking her photo…🦊❤️

1967. something new #2



cardboard tommy
clothed in korean newsprint
step two completed 🦊❤️

 The other day while shopping at our local Asian supermarket with Yulan, I picked up a free Korean newspaper. It was fortuitous because the newsprint added a beautiful flair to the second phase of my new adventure into paper mache. Sadly it will be covered up soon when phase three begins. 🦊❤️

1966. something new

 

my painting’s on hold
it’s time to try something new
hmm… paper mache 🦊❤️

I’ve been looking for something new to do artistically for a while. I finally decided on trying paper mache. Today I built my first armature to apply the paper mache onto. Of course it will be a statue of Tommy. 🦊❤️

1965. trespasser

 

the canvas of white
punctuated by a goose  
soaking up the sun 🦊❤️

I loved gazing at a big plump goose that had planted itself on a snowy field to soak up the sun. 🦊❤️


1964. animals in the cold

as she reads in warmth
a bird perches right outside
at one with the cold 🦊❤️

Yulan and I talk alot about all of the animals that are outside in this bitter cold. She says that when we think kind and protective thoughts about them we send them a blessing and energy to persevere on. I will definitely think a lot more about them in that case. You should too!!!🦊❤️ 
 

1963. blowin’ in the wind

 

captured by the wind
shards of. glis’ning trash
decorates a tree 🦊❤️

The wind is howling. The trash is flyin’. Temperatures keep droppin’ 🦊❤️

1962. every little bit helps

 

racing to the scene
a little green wagon flies
to the snowy scene 🦊❤️

I had to pull over and take a photo of a cute little green wagon with wings. He looked so eager to lend a helping hand! 🦊❤️


1961. constantly changing

 

the endless patterns
shadows of trees on the snow
never standing still 🦊❤️ 

I have become fascinated by the shadows of trees on the smooth, brilliant snow. While their shadows seem to be standing still, they are in constant motion, ever so slightly, because of the earths movement around the sun. Every shadow is a sundial… 🦊❤️

1960. meeting in the middle

 

as the sun goes down
a tree’s shadow fades to meet
the darkening snow 🦊❤️

I stood watching white snow darkening and a black shadow fading to gray as the sun descended in the sky. Soon they will be the same.  A real meditation… 🦊❤️

1959. “that’s a great picture…”

 

such a sunny day
perfect for sitting outside
well… maybe not yet… 🦊❤️

We stood and stared at two bright red Adirondack chairs that were stranded in the snow. We both said simultaneously, “That’s a great picture!” Then we went on our way to get out of the freezing wind. 🦊❤️ 

1958. dirty little snowman

 

in need of a bath
a dirty little snowman
waits for a dusting 🦊❤️

In the glowing white snow, a frail little snowman all sooty and gray stood bravely, wishing for a coating of new fallen snow. 🦊❤️

1957. birds in snow

 

in the craggy snow
feathered friends scramble for food
before night’s cold falls 🦊❤️

Below my balcony is a mountainous tundra of crumpled snowbergs.  I’ve been throwing handfuls of birdseed down for the hungry birds to munch on. Watching them scramble for the food makes me all the more grateful for my warm apartment and full cabinets. 🦊❤️

1956. blending in

 

i can disappear
when i’m right before your eyes
camouflaged kitty 🦊❤️

Yulan’s cat Mikey, like most cats can become invisible when she is right in front of us. I got a kick out of her more obvious attempt at blending in as she sat placidly on a black and white striped pillow. 🦊❤️

1955. both inside and out

 

from the snowy earth
we are reaching up to grab
the sun’s warming rays 🦊❤️

We visited the newly opened Woodmere McGuire Art Museum near our home. It was a wonderful way to escape the frigid temperatures. The art work was great and so were the views from the windows of the amazing building. 🦊❤️


1954. tracks in the snow

 

in the frigid air
through deep snow and tree’s shadows
luminous deer trails 🦊❤️

Whenever there is harsh weather, Yulan and I inevitably talk about all of the animals that are left to their own devices and instincts to persevere and survive. As I looked down into the valley behind my apartment, I saw orderly deer trails traversing the landscape. The trails seemed luminous. They spoke of the masterful way that deer live their lives - not by accident but by design. 🦊❤️