i got crazy beams
& criss-cross seams
& tire tracks on my soul.

i got rattled gears
& rattlesnake ears
& thunderstorms in the snow.

i got panthers with their claws unfurled
& hear the lilies speak through tears
& even after all these years
a still noon tells me no.

(only because i didn’t have my camera.)

a layer cake of a morning sky.

grey
aqua
grey
ivory
grey
ivory
grey

it was so beautiful & serene that it made me want to outfit myself in those very same colors.

“Do not say, ‘It is morning,’ and dismiss it with a name of yesterday. See it for the first time as a newborn child that has no name.”

~ Rabindranath Tagore

ham.
turkey.
venison.
mashed potatoes.
peanut butter cookies.
more turkey.
stuffing.
gravy.

YUM.

i love december.

this time of year, i often think about the people who are lonely or alone or going through a rough patch. i think about how hard this season must be for them. not only are their lives hard, but they are surrounded by the assumption that they should feel merry & bright, that they should be spending time with a loving family, that their lives should be easy & joyous.

i also think about the people who don’t celebrate anything at all, or who celebrate a less conventional holiday, and can be left feeling uncomfortable & unwelcome.

if this is you, i am holding you in my heart. i wish i could wave a magic wand and make december a little easier on you.

whether you celebrate this season or not, may your december hold moments of peace & comfort.

thing one: my dogwood stems are blooming!

i cut them on thanksgiving morning to decorate the table and then kept them for myself. i noticed the fresh green shoots this morning. every time i look at them, i smile ear-to-ear. they are so tiny + sweet + delightful.

thing two: i made a letter from santa claus!

you can download the letter here.

print the letter, write a child’s name in the appropriate spaces, and leave it for them to find.

surprise + delight + magic. (may it be so.)

it’s for you, with love.

p.s. if you have an elf, maybe the elf can deliver the letter. pretty sure that means he doesn’t have to move that night.

the snow is falling in my little corner of the world.

in truth, this is the fourth first snow, because the snow has come & gone and come & gone and come & gone three times now.

i suspect this snow will leave us too. i can’t say i mind. the first snow – whether it’s the first time or the fourth time – feels fresh & new & magical.

“God, or the gods, are invisible, quite
understandable. But holiness is visible,
entirely.”

~ Mary Oliver, in “Leaves and Blossoms Along the Way”

{an irregular series of postcards from our wild friends. this one is from a squirrel named christopher. previous postcards: viola, fred, constance, sam.}

it’s so fun to be me!

one of my favorite games to play is to run around & around & around & around & around a tree until i can hardly stand up straight and then i scamper up the tree trunk to see how quickly i can reach the top while i’m still dizzy.

i haven’t fallen yet, but i’ve come close a few times.

(you want to play this game too now, right? you can! or you can play the human version of this game which involves rolling down a very grassy hill and then walking in a straight line.)

your friend, christopher

i have some time to myself today, but the sky gods must be washing their laundry in very chilly water so i am hibernating in my bedroom with sleepy pup & books & journal.

my mind is reflecting on vulnerability & loss & perceived safety nets & the ways we put other people first in the hope that they will then love & approve of us.

my heart just wants to see sweet sweet sunshine.