stars and cells--big and small

this is what we are
the stuff that dreams are made of
stardust
forever

milky mist

the air is a milky mist today
rain falls steady, hard

in Japan the ground shook today
tears fall steady, hard

coffee in a white mug with a blue line around the rim

coffee in a white mug, blue line around the rim
steam swirling in the air

stretched out on the couch, sun streams playing on the floor
NPR on in the background

last night I heard the coyotes howling, 45 minutes of calling in the night
now, the pileated woodpecker taps out a tune

I smile

child mind, beginner mind...

Sitting in a circle of learners and teachers for two days straight and my smile muscles hurt. We listened to poetry, we wrote, we laughed, we celebrated babies who are coming into the world very soon, we celebrated an engagement and we said our goodbyes until next month. We are studying poetry and education for this class and it is so exciting. I can't wait to put the learning into place with my classes this spring.
Our teacher spoke about Emily Dickenson and read some of her work to us. I sat with child mind drinking in every word. It is so easy to be in class with beginner mind ready to learn what ever I can.

time for sleep time for sleep time for sleep sleep sleep sleep

Olliepops

Olliepops
Delicious treats for your horse--inspired by Oliver!

preheat oven to 250

4 cups oatmeal
corn oil about 1 cup sometimes more
molasses about 1 cup sometimes more
touch of water if needed
handful of fennel seeds

put the oatmeal in the food processor and blend till it becomes a fine oat flour
add in the fennel seeds and brown sugar blend
slowly add in the oil and molasses
add water if the dough becomes too thick

the dough should be nice and thick and somewhat sticky

oil your hands and roll the dough into rounds of about 1 and 1/2 inches
place on slightly greased cookie sheet and bake for about 2 hours
turn the oven off after about 2 hours, leave the pops in the oven for another few hours to harden the cookie

go to the barn and give a pop to your favorite pal!

She said that...

She said that...

She said that the thing to do was to get off your butt and just start. The girl was sipping her coke and not really listening. I think the girl was only hearing blah blah blah blah blah. The older woman, I guess she was the mom looked so sad and upset and clearly blocked in the conversation. They were both sad. Food needs to come to this table now.
Within minutes, long silent minutes, a waitress came to deliver the meal. This was not the same girl who took the order, thought the mother person. The girl looked up in recognition at the waitress who was all smiles with bright blue eyes, sandy brown hair pulled back off of her face, a delicate sparkling nose ornament, many earings and tattoos of stars on her wrists. They knew each other from grade school, middle school, high school and beyond. They were not friends, were not enemies, but remained respectfully aware of each other for all these years in little Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Today at the mall in the Italian restaurant filled with smells of garlic and olive oil, the cheerful chatter of patrons, the tinkling of ice in glasses, and the warm smell from the wood fired hearth, was River serving Jessy and her mom their lunch, two chicken ceasar salads. From my little table I could feel the change that was about to enter the lives of these three women in a little place in New Jersey. Perhaps it was all that the three had been waiting for now suddenly becoming a possibility.