giggle, layers, nose bag

*I don't look forward to a trip to the dentist (even for a mere cleaning) but the lounge/exam chair is so comfy and the view through the austere (no fancy drapery) window of the mountains is lovely. Then the dentist and his assistant begin singing along to the radio tunes and I can hardly keep from giggling. Try to suppress a giggle with your mouth yawning wide and ten fingers (someone else's) inside.

*Marveling again how the mountains and foothills present themselves in layers:scrub bushes dusted with snow,then purple-grey and on to the tallest blanketed in thick white.

*Finally having oatmeal breakfast to a chorus of the dog crunching a mid-morning snack. "Oh, if you're going to eat I'll have a little something, too."

biscuits, soup, back

*Warm biscuits made from scratch with...

*Leek-potato-broccoli soup and...

*a returned hero.

sketching, flakes, fraps

*Kate sketches me without me noticing.

*We cut out snowflakes together--the method returning after years of neglect.

*I make fraps but am so involved in the conversation that I forget to put in the sugar.

packet, literate, watch

*I receive a thick packet from the National Archives.I had been cautioned that the process of finding the file I wanted, copying it and sending it might take 6 months but it has only been 6 weeks. When I open the envelope I am transported back to 1871 when ancestors filed legal papers to enable them to receive a pension of their son mortally wounded in the War of the Rebellion. I learn they could not read or write, they are destitute. Their son was their sole support. And I learn that Joseph was wounded in both knees at the Battle of Missionary Ridge in late November, 1863, and died in a field hospital in Chatanooga on December 13. To know what happened to him is a mother's relief.

*To be able to read and write, to have been taught as a young girl.

*I leave Zed's watch to be cleaned and repaired. "I will always take care of you" I whisper.

deplane, smoke, chartreuse

gems and impressions from a week in the woods:

*When I deplane vegetal air rushes to envelope me.

*Smoke of autumn follows me as I drive. A mother and children are gathered around red licking flames. Their clothes when they prepare for bed tonight will exude a reminder of their leaf fire and the potatoes Mom popped into the embers as a surprise.

*Chartreuse waxy brainscaped sphere, clean tangy aroma--maclura pomifera.

packing, no, time change

*Packing fly to a big city, drive to a cabin in a big woods.

*laptop, yes

laptop, no

laptop, no

therefore no gems for a while.

*Liking very much the results of the time change.

PS-- I so like the way brussel sprouts grown on their tough

looking, thick stalk. They are sold on stalk at the market so

shoppers angle them in the push basket (bec they are so

long) and I just found a good receipe for them that I'm

going to try when I come back from the cabin in the woods. It

-the receipe-involves forbidden thick bacon.

family, the whole day long, canvas

*In this month of my father's birth and death I have been missing him. To counteract this longing for both of my parents I decided to get super busy with classes, exercise--pulling out my bag of tricks to keep depression at bay. I am taking a genealogy class. Yesterday I called a cousin who I have not seen since 1967. Today a second cousin returned my call. What fun and joy to hear family stories, impressions. I learned that my aunt's real first name was Wilma. And family history will come to me in the mail.

*An entire day of sunshine and warmth.

*Kate brought over my painting of sunflowers. For now I put it in my office and its oils permeate the room.