Semi-Daily Scribbles

Spring Rains

What to do when everything is true? Make sure the water never runs out. Prophecy, she said to me. Don't be afraid of the afterthought:

The longer I stay
The less this plane
Feels like home
Spring rains
Cleanse the blood

All that is necessary fits in a basket.

Happiness

Perfect moments always include a dog, a book, and a comfortable chair. This is the elusive silver bubble, encapsulated. Slip in, zip up, and never come out again. Happiness is hard to define. It represents too many things. But a perfect moment? Strive for one of those and leave the Happiness Debate for others to tackle.

Dab

Mastering the art of concealment. Track the quarry and give chase. Stealth brings out the eyes. Add a dab of blood behind each ear. Pull the lips back to drive the point home. We've never lost our taste for the easy kill. I am who I am despite the disguise.

BYOB

Madness ensues when you bring your own bear to a New Year's Eve soirée. It's not a party anyway until you've wrestled the large hairy mammal standing watch over the bar. The white goes flying and red ruins everything. Kick the year off with twisted limbs and a heart on one's sleeve. If the beast doesn't get the best of you, it's all uphill from here.

No No

 

Tempting:
treats on tray

Tough to pass up:
human food

Cream puffs:
big no no

 

 

Congregate

We share everything but our thoughts.
Body heat is enough.
We congregate under the arch, on thin ice.
Unforgiving winds slash at our skin.
We are the circle that lets nothing in.

Kibble

Waverly learned "the K word" early on in her career as a mischievous miniature schnauzer. Food was a huge deal, and Waverly's girth, for most of her 15 years, was a testament to her love (o.k...obsession) of kibble. She was surprisingly quick on her feet, though. Let her loose on a good sandy shoreline and she was gone like a flash, upsetting seagulls in the surf and challenging the biggest dog she could find. Waverly was a hellion. She was a "big fella," too. People who knew schnauzers often mistook her for a standard male. She was a bruiser. Waverly was also a very special cupcake. There was always drama going on with her toes, she growled at things I couldn't see, and hated having her picture taken. She loved to squeeze in next to me as I read in my favorite chair. I was a bad dog mother and got Waverly hooked on french fries thanks to a cold winter's day lunch break at a McDonald's in Napavine, Washington. Then Lily came along...Waverly was not amused. She'd actually turn around so her backside faced the little fur ball my husband and I brought home when Waverly was well into middle age. She eventually came around, and became a teacher and friend to our #2 schnauzer. The two spent many hours choreographing their wrestling moves.

Waverly got to eat one last bowl of her beloved kibble before we had to say goodbye to her today.

Acceptance

Antibiotics
Acceptance of having lived
Pain gained prominence

Survival

Sometimes it takes looking at something in a different light, or from a new angle, to appreciate its value. We walk by the same shop windows, drive the usual routes, glance at a stream of faces parading by, hear phrases that barely register. We are bombarded by stimuli as we slowly fade into the scenery. Scary prospect, that. Looking at things like it is the first time, every time, is difficult, but it's a valuable skill to have in one's Survival Toolkit. Preventing ruts from getting the best of us needs to be moved higher up on everybody's To-Do List.

Take a lesson in taking nothing for granted. The mundane is what fuels our creativity, paving the way for peace of mind. Never again to use the phrase "nothing but the same old same old” is an added bonus, and an admirable goal.

Favorite Animal

A favorite animal, a beloved four-legged companion, is completing his journey come morning. Tonight he is cuddled with his mistress, just enough energy to remember who he is, and that he is cherished. A simple toast of kibble and water will send him on his way to meet up with a pal who'd gone ahead. It is a good day. The time is right for change. Leaving this world to explore the next is the best way to sum up time well spent in the sun.