Not As Dumb As It Might Seem

The opossum returns. Chooses Aztec Chocolate Fudge cake over kitty crunchies.

Late Night Visitor

Last night a baby opossum showed up on the patio. Checking the doors before bedtime, I wasn't particularly surprised to see him. Opossums are frequently seen at night. But such a little one! It looked so vulnerable, so precious, as most young animals do. It sat on  my chair, washing his face. When it looked up and saw me there was no alarm on his face, pure trust. I was able to see his claws, his still young soft fur, his whiskers.

Mind you, I've never considered opossums to be cute, cuddly creatures. This one was different. I wanted to share it with someone. Tommy, my big tabby, finally looked to see what I was looking at. Then Bitty, watching us both, came to see what Tommy was looking at. The cutie had by now crawled off the chair and made his way to investigate the plastic that D had left on the floor, after unwrapping some firewood. He crawled inside the plastic and I was actually concerned he might be suffocated by it! It made a rustling as he moved in it and he slowly turned around to hiss at the invisible perpetrator. Kitties watching in amazement, Bitty's tail twitching. He didn't seem the least little bit concerned by any of us. Is it possible he understood the window between us kept him safe from us? He made eye contact, so I'm certain he knew we were there.

Now, do I try to see him grow?

Farmers Market

One of my favorite things about living in this small town turned suburban sprawl community is the Farmers Market. Every Saturday morning from May through September there are white tents put up on the square and vendors bring in their wares.

Whenever I'm in town I walk over to the market to pick up what looks best to me. That's how I start my menu planning and grocery shopping for the upcoming week. This week I found a beautiful eggplant, rich and full. Haven’t decided how to use it yet. A basket of tomatoes, waiting to be sliced into some of the last lettuce-bacon-tomato sandwiches of the season. Peaches to be sliced onto ice cream, put into my lunch yogurt, or onto a bowl of cereal in the morning. Perhaps all three in the same day! I won't have that chance again until next summer, after all. Absolutely luscious Asian pears. When we sliced one for lunch today as soon as it touched my lips I literally squealed in delight! If I’m early enough I always buy a dozen eggs. So much better fresh from the farm! Thankfully, I was early enough this week.

Farmers Market makes me feel at home here. I’m close enough to be able to walk over. Doing so makes me feel so connected to the market and so to the people there. I become familiar with the vendors. They greet me as a regular customer. Even if we don’t really know each other, it makes me feel as though I belong here, transplant that I am. I enjoy talking with the young Amish gentleman who expounds on growing food organically. I laugh along with the man I buy eggplants and peppers from. Perhaps a form of flirting. He seems to view his vegetables as such voluptuous entities.

There is a friendly feeling to the market. People walk their dogs, bring their children, visit with neighbors. It’s always easy to start a conversation with someone looking at the same produce. Except, of course, when the berries are almost sold out.

It’s sad to think that there is only one market day left this season. Especially sad because this time of year has some wonderful produce. Of course, some is on the wane. But those coming in now are so colorful; pumpkins, gourds, squash. Foods that provide comfort to simply be home at this time of year. All week I’ll think about what I might purchase in an effort to tide me over until the market opens up again in the spring.

The Grand Canyon

My sister will turn 50 next June. That is amazing in so many ways!  She decided some time ago that to celebrate her birthday she wanted to hike the Grand Canyon with some friends. Six of us are fortunate enough to be able to go in May - Mother's Day no less - to celebrate with her. 

The trip should be good in so many ways. The Canyon is one of my favorite places on Earth. I've been fortunate enough to visit it several times now. Thinking about it, many of those times seem to be passages for me. As a wife in a still maintainable marriage. (Fact is, trips is what we did best together!) As a friend within an adventurous couples group. As a mother to a young boy. That trip was by far the most frightening, albeit the least physically difficult!

Getting ready for the trip is a focus for me. Although it is about 8 months away, I figure I'll need those months to be physically ready for the challenge the Canyon has in store for me. After all, when I was there before I was considerably younger. Not to mention the fact that I weighed less than I do now. Sigh. My training will include yoga for strength and flexibility. And of course for the spiritual strength and endurance yoga provides. Weight training. Hiking and walking - but the central Indiana area isn't exactly known for canyon-like traits! The thing I look forward to the least in the training is the treadmill or stair master type training. But a person must think with the goal in mind!

The goal this trip provides for me is one of the most exciting things about it. This is a year of transition for me. D will graduate from high school in a few short weeks after the trip. I'll be a single empty-nester then. I certainly have to have something else to think about in these months than that!

Crossing the World Without Leaving the Middle of Indiana

Sitting in a Starbucks on a Sunday afternoon. Catching up on e-mail, browsing the blogs, thinking about how quickly summer freetime is slipping away. 

So, sitting here in the middle of Indiana on a hot day, simply reading away. Two phone calls come in. B is in Germany and misses me. Needs to let me know the latest, greatest on how her life is going these days. Chatting and laughing from so many miles away. Of course, one phone call will never do with her. Two is always better! Too many thoughts to contain in just one phone call. Then I start chatting on FaceBook with R in England. Still trying to convince her she should return to Indiana as she tries to convince me to move there. Then my sister calls from her holiday in Italy. Gives me an update about where she's been this trip, what her college-age daughters think about it. Then I respond to an e-mail from my principal, letting him know I'd be interested in hosting a student from Taiwan for a month this year.

How wonderful to have so many connections across the globe. That is one of the good things about living in the world of technology.

Too bad I don't have any photos on my laptop to include in the post! Will have to edit some in later. Guess that's a bad thing about the technology . . . still have to rely on yourself to be organized enough to take advantage of it!

Concert on the Green

Last night was a concert in our town. I walk there from home, feeling very European. Always take a picnic to listen to the music from the lawn. I lay down a rug and place my bandana quilt on top. Puts me right in the mood for a picnic! Took a pizza with spinach, calamata olives and feta cheese. Perfect for a summer evening.

The music isn't always my preference, but it doesn't matter. An Elvis sang to us, the children danced amongst themselves or with a parent, dogs walked, bubbles blew in the breeze. Even though I go alone, I am happy to be in the midst of it all. I met a dear family last night, talking with the mother and her children was wonderful. Those are the moments I feel connected to this world and perhaps that my purpose is to bring the promise of a light to others.

Summertime and the Kitties are Good!

I’m watching the kitties for my aunt and uncle, out of town for the weekend. The house cats are used to my visits and greet me as per normal. The outside kitties are such a treat! Blackjack has been a regular feral visitor in their yard for several years, coming and going on a rather regular basis. One day last fall he showed up with four kittens in tow. So they thought they ought to rename “him” to provide a more feminine name.

The kittens grew, as kittens do. They could be lost litter mates to my Bitty, though she is just a bit smaller. Near as we can tell, they must be about the same age. Aunt N shares the stories of their playing and growing in the back yard. She was determined to catch them this spring for neutering. After several attempts, she was able to get all of them captured for their operations. What a surprise to learn that Blackjack is male after all! Tomcats always have such a poor reputation for being mean, but he was determined to save his kittens (they are all almost exact replicas of him) after their mother apparently couldn’t. He knew just the right spot, the place he’d visited in Aunt N’s yard! Now he never leaves and the kittens are deeply rooted there. They play in the yard, eat rather well on the deck, and scoot under the gazebo at the slightest sign of danger.

While feeding them the past few days I’ve been surprised they let me get as close to them as I do. I talk, they listen, seem to appreciate my visits, but then, I am putting new food in clean dishes for them! Even Blackjack will allow me to talk to him. He hissed a bit at first, but I just opened my heart to him and he seems to accept me now. He lets the kittens eat first.