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… 🦊❤️