laughing

“Our laughter kept the feathers in the air. I thought about birds. Could they fly if there wasn’t someone, somewhere, laughing?”
-Jonathan Safran Foer, 

I finally clean the feeders and fill them with fresh seed and suddenly the yard is full of birds. I recognize, what I think, is the birdsong of a bird that usually arrives come spring. I speak up, telling him/her that it is too early for them to land in the PNW. I sit outside with my camera, the chill of the morning air surrounding me. I relish in it a bit as I watch the birds fly in and out of the trees, their feathers ruffled out to keep them warm. They play nice as they land here and there. They are noisy, but waiting patiently for their turn at the feeders.

***

someone to walk with

“The world that used to nurse us
now keeps shouting inane instructions.
That's why I ran to the woods.”
― Jim Harrison, Songs of Unreason

she reached out a few years ago at Christmas,
a card in the mail that made my heart sing.
friends since 2nd grade, we had lost touch,
became mothers, had jobs, homes, and husbands.
but that didn’t mean I didn’t think of her … often
my heart soared again as I opened the mail a few days back.
a friend like this never should be taken for granted,
especially when the world is loud and full of darkness and pain.
how blessed am I to have a friend like this to walk with?

***

winter flowers

***

“But what I hope is this: that you find a few [recipes] that will add to the wonder, love, and sacredness of your life. Those are the ones to follow. Those are the ones to keep.”

― Rivvy Neshama, Recipes for a Sacred Life: True Stories and a Few Miracles

I think about a few of the things that I hold sacred.
family, friendships, nature, honesty, kindness, fresh flowers,

and my morning latte . . .

bits and pieces

“You cannot possibly hit the shutter without leaving a piece of you in the image.”

– Joe Buissink

I brought 2,536 photos into Lightroom in 2024 to edit.
These are nine of them.

***

the last day of the year

“In Nanaville there is always in the back of my mind the understanding that I am building a memory out of spare parts
and that, someday, that memory will be all that’s left of me.”

― Anna Quindlen, Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting

I spend most of the last day of 2024 with Percy. We play with legos, take a long walk, and make each other laugh. There are tender moments, when he crawls into my lap, wraps his arms around me and snuggles a bit. He plays with purpose and seems to always have a plan. I do my best to follow his lead for this is his time and who am I to question how we pass it. When it is time for me to go home he gives hugs and then steps out onto the porch, in his stocking feet, to blow me tons of kisses. I turn towards him, and catch every single one of them. I drive home with a lump in my throat as the love I have for him overwhelms me. I remind myself once again how lucky I am to spend the day just playing on the floor with this boy.

***