5.06.2006

Life is Good





There are only so many Saturdays, we'uns oght not waste 'em.

Some folks use Saturdays for the wrong thang; they use the day to do chores.
Now if youse happy washin' the car, that' a good thing. Or weedin' the pansies, if ya' likes that (some do!).

We need ter enjoy the day, a time for celebrbatin the ordinary. Read a story of young girl who thought her life b o r i n g. Her dad reading, mama sewing, brother playing the piano while she sketched in her book....so ordinary! But within a few months the Nazi's had hauled the family off to the stench of the camps. How she longed for the "ordinary" days she took for granted.

A friend is dyin'. A few days left at most. Grateful for the cruise taken that stretched the budget, but made the memories recalled in the morphine twilight..."live yore life, don't let it jes' dribble out."

Black swallowtail butterflies with deep blue markings live in the parsely, but ya' need ter git up early to see 'em. So I done that and don't count the lost sleep, cause the seein' is gain.

Books today: Quiltmaker's Gift (For Children of all ages)
Further Afield (Essays on flower growing)
Manliness

Music today: birdsong; cardinals, mockingbirds, a red-winged blackbird, dove

Food today: Best java in town, oatmeal cookie (homemade by a friend)
Chicken confit on red romaine, she crab soup
Papaya, blueberries and cream.
One ( honest!) chocolate square, bittersweet with orange

Drinks today: lemonade (Shur!), water with lemon, watermelon water.
Brandy Alexander.

Movie today: {Proof} Gwyneth Paltrow

Web today: Game theory (mentioned in the movie)but I cain't git it--only a
furrowed brow fer mah trouble.

I'se proud of this Saturday, cause' it was celebrated with ordianry thangs, but extraordinary people...family. Ordinary life, looked at with new awareness because a a friend is dyin'.

Ordinary life is a good life. We jes' gotta live it wif care.

12 comments:

sparringK9 said...

nice day aunty belle! i can just see it! i myself discovered a stand of ladysippers on the property beside me (yes, i wuz tresspassin') but i made no mark....the bear tore down all the feeders so bird season's over for me. i have a pair of eastern peewees nesting on the porch and i saw the first snake of the season, a young black racer. wish i would find one of those red efts! my heart is with you for the passing of a friend. have a lovely sunday as well.

Aunty Belle said...

Well, shur Ardlair, we's agreein' more'n yer thinks....

Native Beauty, shur wonder who's under that hat...'course it ain't a proper bonnet, but I'se thinkin' youse a pretty thang.

An eft? Doan you know they's real hard ter spot wifout an emmy?

Bird said...

Saturday - marathon grading - now that's a chore, but must be done.

Sunday: watched the morning sun cast a glow on the homes across the street while sipping rich coffee with cream (an extravagant treat).

laughed and cried again looking at K9's sketches.

spent the afternoon with my daughter - at the ballet, then out to eat, laughing and smiling and telling each other jokes, and planning my graduation party.she and her grandmother are in charge - both are excellent cooks.

day's end. a quick gander at blogs while the giants lose to the phillies.

ah....a perfect day...(well, almost - if the giants turn this game around and win!)

my thoughts with you and your friend AB.

Aunty Belle said...

Thank you Sweet BIRD of paradise...he is lucid now only a few minutes at a time with long watchful hours in between. His wife is distraught of course not knowing if THIS few minutes will be the last in which they speak to each other and are heard...

Fine day yer had and it doan really matter if phillies won this time---ya was alive and healthy enough and free to watch 'em play!

velvet acid tongue said...

AB ... every day we wake up is a lovely day ... sorry to hear about your friend ...

thanx for reminding us that the ordinary is really extraordinary ...

Aunty Belle said...

My friend died last night, peacefully at 10-ish.

His wife reports that the hospice nurse warned her that he had "about four hours" at 7 pm when his blood pressure and pulse dropped very low, but was steady--so they had several short conversations...she said it was bittersweet, but more sweet than she would have dreamed.

She has no family in this country, she is from South American. This is tough.

Aunty Belle said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Bird said...

ah, aunty belle,
my thoughts with you, your friend,and his wife. and the bittersweet - that's a blessing and a joy of sorts.

one of the greatest joys of my life was being able to spend my father's last few hours with him, holding his hand. he left the world while i held his hand. such a gift that was. bittersweet - yet joyous.

joy and joyous are odd words for this- perhaps contentment is better. nope . it's true at least to me, joy and blessing are the right words indeed.

i have lit a candle for your friend, and one for you and his wife. i truly think it's the living that need prayers when their loved ones pass.

peace.

sparringK9 said...

/bark bark bark

aunty belle. divine mercies to him and to your friend here with no family.

/grrrrrrrrrr

Aunty Belle said...

Ah, Bird and Sweet Dawg...thanky so much fer ya' comfort and care. A kiss fer ya both!

Infinitesimal said...

Oh Belle,

Your friend,
Death is so hard to cope with, and even when it is someone else's friend, it still brings up memories for me.
So I have tears in my eyes, but I think they are from the romanticism of the last bittersweet conversations with a true love ....they way you described it.
The last words of your love are a treasure.
I am so tearey eyed right now.

Thanks for sharing the Saturday, you are a great thinker. I enjoy your thoughts.

Do you take the widow to church with you?

Aunty Belle said...

Contessa, no tears pumpkin, it was a peaceful death.

Yes, the widow will be a' comin' for a funeral mass. We done planned the music on Friday, this Monday is the service. Then she will take his remains to Brazil, since she herself is needin'her family for awhile.

The happpy news chile, is that she has many friends who will hep her, and he knew that, trusted that they would--gave him a sense of permission to go--knowin' we would hep her.