Monday, September 26, 2011

solitude and celebration

 There aren't many hours of solitude as a homeschooling parent or as the parent of a young child. You learn not to expect them, but it doesn't mean you don't sometimes long for them. After my post the other day, about the melancholy of this season, I was able to carve some long moments for myself that were so restorative.   The melancholy serves a creative, juicy purpose, if you have time to lend to it, and it doesn't take much.  While Dan was putting the girls to bed, I washed the dishes, staring at a cluttered and musty windowsill altar space that hadn't been consciously tended to for a couple of seasons at least. In the time it took me to clear the sill, wash it, dust its inhabitants, and carefully select a few things to put back up, my mind cleared, my heart lifted. I followed that with a long look at some old photo albums that actually made me laugh out loud (me as a girl scout, making doll-head tissue box holders with fake fur for hair for the lucky residents of the local nursing home.  me dressed for Halloween as frog eggs. a terrified me riding a pony, accompanied by my little peanut of a sister, who is doubled over laughing at my terror, as my feet almost reach the ground, yet I am hanging on for dear life. for starters.)  Restorative. I was ready for another day of Life!

Good thing, as the next day was my birthday! And since it was my birthday, this is how I got to spend it...
Ha ha!! Can you BELIEVE it?! I was giddy.
We spent most of the day with our friends-in-the-woods, who joked that they had "spored" the woods for me, in celebration of my birthday. The "golf course" was blanketed...HOLY WAH!!!!
 More of my beloved earth stars! Dozens of them! So tiny, and perfect...
 I was in good company. Maybe it was 'cause it was my birthday, but my love of the fungus was much indulged...Imagine me, chortling, eyes gleaming, prancing about s-l-o-w-l-y, trying not to step on anything but not wanting to miss a one! Hee hee!! Ha ha!!
dear E
Can you think of a more auspicious start of a new year for me? The reminder that with the rain comes great bounty? That just when you've imagined yourself into a corner, there are explosions of color and variety just waiting for you to shift your perspective and really look.
We celebrated mushrooms. We celebrated friendship with good food and wine and belly laughs.  My family loved me from morning till night - starting with a good cup of coffee in bed, through the gift of Mushrooms Demystified, through a walk and snuggles and my husband cooking up a storm, which he isn't always around to do with us...it was a lovely, lovely birthday. Forty-two.
Pretty awesome.

11 comments:

Stephanie said...

How fantastically beautiful, SlimD.
I am so happy for you. What a wondrous day.

And happy 42! :)

alissa said...

forty two is our favorite number. did you know that? i'm not even kidding.

alissa said...

and you really should post the frog costume it was inspired and beautiful.

Kerry said...

WOW!! Just look at what you found. Ah-mazing. Happy birthday to you!

I'm pretty sure you already know this, but if you type this into Google:

the answer to life the universe and everything=

...well, I bet you know what will come up.

Tokarz said...

I think it's funny, 42 is also my favorite number, and 6x7 was always my favorite multiplication fact! Can't wait till I'm 42!!!

sarah in the woods said...

Happy birthday! It does sound like a wonderful day. I didn't even know mushrooms came in purple and blue.

slim pickins said...

i sheepishly had to admit to dan that i'd never read any D. Adams. apparently now i don't have to...!!
thanks for the wishes! it was a beeeyoooootiful day!

merry said...

What amazing pictures! I had no idea there were so many different kinds of mushrooms - and all in one place! I'd like to see the frog costume too - I don't remember it!!! I do remember the ladybug and the trash bag full of leaves, but not frogs eggs!! Tokarz, I can't wait til I'm 42 either!! Ha! Thanks for celebrating with Deb in such a very special way. Love you, Deb.

Unknown said...

Those shroomies were amazing. And the indigo of your last walk. I too have that experience of the effort required to get OUT is always worth it once you're there. Walker even said to me one time, as we hiked with rainboots and dripping coats along Wildcat Creek, "Mom, this is so much better..." You live in such a beautiful place dearie. I want to come visit. Really. Can we try to imagine something? What is spring like?

xo
Keira

Helena said...

Happy Happy Birthday! This is coming late, but I do hope you read it and get these faraway-from-over-the-sea wishes. We are practically twins—I'll be forty-two any minute now :) Your birthday looked wonderful, filled with things and people who matter to you and love you back (including those mushrooms—I'm sure they were giving off sweet love vibes).

And how dear your quiet time sounded the day before. Those moments of solitude and restoration are so beautiful aren't they, almost because they are moments and not the norm. I know I need them, and it doesn't take much to bring lift, does it? Just some time spent 'consciously tending.' Lovely :)

6512 and growing said...

Holy moly! Are those amanitas in the first 2 pictures (orange with white spots). They'e out of a fairytale!