Living in a Material World

2011-07-06T00:45:00.000-04:00

lightning-charged
bursts, the smell of gunpowder,
the rockets' wiggly
red glare

2011-07-05T00:43:00.001-04:00

sometimes, when life
doesn't go quite the way
you had planned,
the unexpected can yield
exciting results

2011-07-04T00:41:00.000-04:00

Fantastic fourth,
full of sizzling
fireballs,
the air crackling
with electricity

2011-07-01T00:49:00.000-04:00

Well don't look at me
like I got you in this predicament,
you managed to get your
head through that fence

And it's up to you
to get it out

because I'm laughing
too hard

2011-06-28T00:53:00.000-04:00

if I had a green thumb
this is what I might do
with it

but none of my thumbs,
and I have a lot of them,
are green

but I'll never stop
trying

2011-06-25T00:55:00.000-04:00

still seeking that pocket
between ordinary
and bizarre

2011-06-22T12:41:00.000-04:00

ordinary day
but hot and humid
ordinary neighborhood
but so still and quiet

then from among
the rows of toyotas
and neatly trimmed
sidewalks I catch

sight of
extraordinary

and my jaw drops
in wonder

2011-06-20T22:49:00.000-04:00

Under a mango sunset
I counted shooting stars
and you howled at the moon

Hydration provided by Cruzan

Such a long, long
time ago.

2011-06-13T21:00:00.000-04:00

sometimes when the tears
get old
you've just got to laugh

2011-06-10T22:00:00.000-04:00

did you ever have
one of those days
when just about every
single thing felt wrong/
off/out of sorts?

trying to put my
finger on it
but even my finger
doesn't seem right

2011-06-09T16:57:00.000-04:00

It's not summer yet
but already I'm wishing
for chattering teeth
hot chocolate
and frost on the leaves

Dear Lord,
thank you for shade
air conditioning
and smoothies

2011-06-08T22:11:00.000-04:00

neon moss roses,
against a backdrop of backyard trees
attract me and the butterflies

2011-06-06T16:58:00.001-04:00

What a difference 5 days makes! And then *poof* our baby was gone.

2011-06-01T15:49:00.001-04:00

The miracle of life!
May it continue
without interruption
by the next door
neighbor cat.

2011-05-17T06:16:00.001-04:00

under a denim sky,
blossoms,
heavy with fragrance,
soak up the mist
like fluffy
sponges

2011-05-04T22:09:00.000-04:00

stars plummetted from heaven,
coming to rest at the foot
of an unsuspecting mailbox

2011-05-03T22:07:00.000-04:00

hiding in the shadows,
brick can't conceal
the beautiful scent of these iris

2011-05-02T22:05:00.000-04:00

peony powderpuff
hides ant family
amid bountiful petals

2011-04-30T12:32:00.000-04:00

The Dresses for Haiti
project I worked on,
somehow my focus shifted
and the dozen ended
up being dresses for
Alabama.

Not much, really,
in the face of such devastation,
but it's what I do
and maybe there are
little girls in Alabama
who will know
that someone cares?

2011-04-27T12:36:00.000-04:00

I still play dress up,
but now I use fresh
camellias from Mom's
garden. Doesn't this make
my tennies snazzy?!!

2011-04-24T07:02:00.000-04:00

"Dogwood"?

Really? Who came up
with this name and how
can we get it changed?

2011-04-22T06:59:00.000-04:00

strings of pearls
pale by comparison
to strings of bleeding hearts
loaded onto bowing branches
sprinkled with morning's dew

2011-04-09T06:48:00.000-04:00

inspired by what I see out windows,
what I put together mimics
mere colors and general appearances

but what the Creator
has done
humbles me
to the core

2011-04-06T06:45:00.000-04:00

the gift of being alive:
isn't it grand?

2011-04-03T06:22:00.000-04:00

Whenever I close my eyes
all I see is red and white,
glowing embers that
warm my soul,
coaxing me to move
from human being to human doing
But for right now,
I just want to bask in the memory
and I'm pretty sure that's o.k.

2011-03-28T06:35:00.000-04:00

God must smile
when He makes
pussy willows

2011-03-19T06:53:00.000-04:00

Since she was born
in the spring
I've always told my girl
that daffodils are hers,
that they all celebrate
the day she came
on loan to me

she believes this,
still

and I still
cherish
the wonder
that is her

2011-03-15T06:32:00.000-04:00

a wing
and a prayer
and time to spare

three wishes

2011-03-13T06:29:00.000-04:00

sometimes you can find
<3
where you least
expect it,

which is why
I'm always
checking

2011-03-09T14:51:00.000-05:00

Our Lady of the Salad Bar,
pray for us.
Let not anyone sneeze
on our food,
nor touch our food
with bare hands
full of germs
and who knows what.

2011-03-09T12:29:00.000-05:00

Despite the beautiful renewal
of life that spring brings,
amid timid crocus blooms
and new grass sprouting green
where only grey had been
for months, spring also arrives
with sadness.

Twenty-six years ago I lost
my first baby in the springtime.
Four years later, I lost
another baby
who was due to be born
in the spring.

This quilt began with a square
of batik from my friend Beth
that reminded me of a baby's footprint.
It is strewn with embroidered forget-me-nots.

Others have long forgotten
the children I miscarried;
I remember with a whisper.

2011-03-08T06:25:00.000-05:00

gone are the pinks and blues
I used to love the most
in their place,
springtime colors,
gifts of rain and rich soil

I can hardly wait
to see violas and forsythia,
to cross another winter
off the list

2011-03-07T14:49:00.000-05:00

on a little hill,
I spied this spring's first crocus
timid blooms,
trying to look brave

2011-03-05T14:14:00.000-05:00

unique gifts, special
talents, but how can we know
when we find them all?

2011-03-02T09:59:00.000-05:00

what I love about
communities of artists
is the way my senses
are renewed,
I see things with new eyes
hear things with open ears
touch with outreached hands
am touched with giving
hearts and hands of others

and then, to passionately
drink up the gifts
we have been blessed with
by the master artist
who created us.

2011-02-28T05:32:00.000-05:00

what is it about
an orchid that makes it so
blessedly profound?

2011-02-27T05:28:00.000-05:00

as shoots, buds and green
in my own yard continue
to wait for warmer numbers,
I visit exotic plants
in a cement cave
called "Smithsonian"

2011-02-21T08:21:00.000-05:00

grocery list:

milk
zucchini
almonds
time
fat-free raspberry dressing
chicken
laughs
yogurt
peace

2011-02-20T14:18:00.001-05:00

outside I smell spring
squirrels nest in the patio
a new day answers

2011-02-19T14:40:00.000-05:00

I can almost imagine
the bluebells returning;
I can almost remember
wanting to talk,
thinking you were listening
I can almost dream
I'm barefoot

2011-02-18T14:22:00.000-05:00

what is it about
the full moon, coaxing me from
sleep, budding me to toss
and turn on what feels
like the longest night ever

2011-02-17T23:33:00.000-05:00

I have a wonderful relationship
with my sewing machine

we actually have quite a history,
you know

we (mostly I) share secrets
many hours
some tears
and a whole lot of progress

This is where I retreat,
which is what I do more
often than I ought,
when other stuff
is falling apart.

2011-02-15T23:22:00.000-05:00

unlike broken bones,
broken hearts mend
without a cast

2011-02-12T17:33:00.000-05:00

yet another spectacular sunrise
this morning,
I am torn between feeling unworthy
and thinking I need to be fully awake
every morning at dawn,
so as to not miss out

knees were made for days
that begin like this

2011-02-11T17:17:00.000-05:00

simple lines
printed on fabric,
how could something
so gentle and exquisite
be mass produced?
if it were my hand
that made these marks
I don't know if I'd
be able to share

2011-02-10T17:59:00.000-05:00

the car wash makes me
happy; I used to worry what if
the windows break or the brushes
scratch the paint or how about if
a window leaks or if I lose a mirror
or the antenna
but now it makes me happy,
and when you find a place
that for $7.95 (deluxe) makes
you happy,
go
for
it!

2011-02-08T14:24:00.000-05:00

to hurt for someone
else, it's a gift and a curse
feeling blue with you

2011-02-07T17:57:00.000-05:00

wishes and prayers
it seems like it's not enough
to just hope and pray

2011-02-06T14:27:00.000-05:00

is it possible
to keep your feet on the ground
while everything spins?

2011-02-02T22:44:00.000-05:00

it's complicated
in life, the way things either
fit just right or not

2011-01-30T09:46:00.000-05:00

imploding zinnias,
memories of fireworks
dreams of summertime

2011-01-29T21:12:00.000-05:00

seriously, can
there be any doubt? Our God
is an awesome God!

2011-01-28T21:11:00.000-05:00

"cauliflower snow",
that's what my daughter calls it,
painting word pictures

2011-01-27T18:26:00.000-05:00

"thunder snow" last night
ice pellets drumming on the
windows, then lightening

2011-01-26T18:28:00.000-05:00

the squirrels were frantic
yesterday, kamakazes
in search of morsels

2011-01-25T18:34:00.000-05:00

it doesn't take much,
really--thread, material,
ideas and time

2011-01-24T18:31:00.000-05:00

the wedding gown is
all done; vows will come and then
forever after

2011-01-22T18:40:00.000-05:00

in search of solace
I manufacture a place,
a quiet shelter

2011-01-21T18:45:00.000-05:00

Me, subtle?

2011-01-20T18:44:00.000-05:00

clicking sparkly red
shoes, I immerse myself in
the comfort of here

2011-01-10T01:32:00.000-05:00

just a cake, just a
dress, just a wedding, no! please
just get excited!!!

2011-01-05T01:30:00.000-05:00

More complicated
than it seemed at first glance, "crab
claws" can be tricky

2010-12-24T01:35:00.000-05:00

magic, wonderful
lights and fru-fru all over
let it last this year?

2010-12-21T18:20:00.000-05:00

Today my car battery
accidentally drained
in a quiet parking lot
and I wondered what
in the world I would do
to get home.
From out of nowhere,
a man appeared with jumper
cables and spare time to help
in the frigid air.

Several attempts later, after driving his
car over a curb to reach mine, and
then pushing my car to a better, more
reachable place, success.
The stranger asked my name.
Merry Christmas, he said.
And he really meant it.

He not only restored my
battery, he restored my faith
and I thanked him and God
for yet another blessing
of the season.

2010-12-13T16:17:00.001-05:00

I love this season,
even the squirrels get
an elaborate feeding station!

2010-12-12T04:33:00.000-05:00

the assignment
was to re-create the work
of a master

undaunted, my 19-year-old
put color to a plain white canvas
and took my breath away

such confidence in color,
in brush strokes

"just" an art major?
hardly, I believe
she is majoring in magic

2010-12-05T16:27:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving cactus
right on time, again this year
one more miracle

2010-12-03T18:43:00.002-05:00

origami cranes
symbols of healing and hope
in challenging times

they hang suspended
at the cancer center: how
we want to believe

2010-12-02T10:57:00.000-05:00

I cut things up just
to put them back together;
and this pleases me!

2010-12-01T17:40:00.000-05:00

from one holiday
to the next; where's the remote
so I can press "pause"?

2010-11-30T10:45:00.000-05:00

alone again
in my kitchen
it's hard to believe
Thanksgiving
is over;
but in truth,
thanksgiving
goes on
because every day
brings reason
to praise
and give thanks

how is it possible,
to be worthy
of this abundance
of blessings

how is it possible,
to be worthy
of each
lovely
breath?

2010-11-28T10:49:00.000-05:00

no more left-overs
another successful feast:
family intact

2010-11-27T21:32:00.000-05:00

giving thanks for an
abundance of everything
blessed beyond my worth

2010-11-23T08:25:00.000-05:00

as long as roses
are blooming, rich with color,
winter is at bay

2010-11-22T16:47:00.000-05:00

I am about to
become an organ donor
a gift of life/a gift of music

2010-11-21T08:49:00.000-05:00

my preparations
have less to do with turkey,
more to do with fixing

2010-11-17T15:37:00.000-05:00

Then, after the rain,
we blink and stretch and come out,
no longer thirsty

2010-11-16T11:48:00.000-05:00

scarlet, golden, moss and brown
all the leaves are falling down

2010-11-15T16:12:00.000-05:00

"ornamental kale"
seems like an oxymoron.
edible? really?

2010-11-14T17:12:00.000-05:00

clouds today floated
through the sky, clumps of puffballs,
headed towards home

2010-11-12T11:09:00.000-05:00

birches are rare here
but they remind me of where
it all started

2010-11-11T09:31:00.000-05:00

Awash in a sea
of bluebells, time stopped and peace
became tangible.

2010-11-10T09:20:00.000-05:00

complicated makes
my head hurt. I seek clean lines,
unobstructed views

2010-11-09T15:37:00.000-05:00

In spite of the odds
I can keep dreaming
of hearing the waves
from my open windows
and seeing the Pacific Ocean
from the carport,
but it's just traffic I hear
on a long length of cement
that is the street I live on.

But I can keep dreaming.

2010-11-07T22:11:00.000-05:00

nice and pat, with no
unravelling, but life just
isn't so flawless

2010-11-06T14:52:00.000-04:00

temps drop below freezing outside,
sparkly frost on the leaves
and on the tips of grass

I lie in bed beneath
a heavy pile of warmth,
dreaming of the next quilt
I'll start when morning comes

2010-11-05T16:14:00.000-04:00

when my mother was
my age, she had already
lost her mom and dad

I don't ever want
to be an orphan

2010-11-04T18:08:00.000-04:00

but is that all there
really is to it? Maybe
it's still in progress?

2010-11-03T14:11:00.000-04:00

no stitching, no paints,
and no photo could do this
November justice

2010-11-02T19:04:00.000-04:00

simple components,
fairly straightforward design
great composition

2010-11-01T14:40:00.000-04:00

gallery-hopping
in Chelsea with my daughter
we came across something
and I had no idea what to make
of it, whether to be amused
or to look deeper,
whether to laugh or cry.

I just shrugged,
taking a closer look,
and remained confused,
no, baffled

THIS is what I want to do,
said my girl,
eyes twinkling,
arms opening to the array
in a huge dramatic "voila"

and that's when I wanted to cry
not because of all of the paper
towel rolls, plastic containers,
cardboard, paper, carpet scraps
and other stuff I must continue
to save and find places to store
until she is called to make use
of these treasures,
but I wanted to cry
because of the unlikely places
she finds beauty and genius:
tears of wonder
for my gentle artist
who sees wonder in everyday

2010-10-31T17:56:00.000-04:00

on Halloween, some
of the scariest faces
are under the masks

2010-10-30T23:08:00.000-04:00

is it a melting
pot or bizarre eyeballs?
art keeps us guessing

2010-10-29T22:45:00.000-04:00

If only this old
doorway in New York could talk,
what stories we'd hear

2010-10-28T01:14:00.000-04:00

sometimes I'm crabby
but it's hard to be this far
away from the sea

2010-10-27T01:05:00.000-04:00

every so often
learning a new mad skill puts
my feet on the ground

2010-10-26T11:34:00.000-04:00

it's complicated
but you really don't need to
understand it all

2010-10-25T18:01:00.000-04:00

lately, lost in my
head is where I've been, trying
to know where to turn

2010-10-22T00:43:00.000-04:00

with a heavy head
we bid our final good-byes
and welcome autumn

2010-10-21T23:35:00.000-04:00

all I could think of
was to try leap frog but my
daughter shook her head,
looked at me with disgust
or disbelief
and said don't you dare,
Mom,
I'm going to count to three
and you will come
to the car with me
and try to behave

sometimes it's no fun
being the grown up