Completion

I knit and pull out stitches
and knit and pull out again,
then patiently untangle
charcoal gray yarn
and replace it
with a better color.
Plunging my hands
in the soft, warm balls of yarn,
I weave my fingers
and thick plastic needles
in the tan, soft brown, and latte colored strands
of bulky alpaca yarn,
while watching my children play,
while chatting with Grandma Janice,
while sitting in a circle of friends,
while eating at Shakespeare's pizza,
while sitting in my rocking chair...

The scarf is now complete.

And so is the visit with
Grandma Janice.

The tears flow freely
as we say goodbye today,
goodbye to three weeks
with her,
goodbye to bedtime stories
and breakfast, lunch, and dinner with her
and goodbye to stories about her childhood,
her deceased husband, her loving father;
and goodbye to her laughter
and goofy antics
and all of the
dishes she so kindly
did each day.
And while she can't
stay
we give her some
warmth to comfort
her on
her way
home...

Ah, mechanical pencils...

I am so thankful for Kai's obsession with drawing. We found a mechanical pencil in the drawer yesterday and he made an amazing octopus. Then we discovered a stash of mechanical pencils this afternoon and the two of us drew these dragons. Kai told me how to get started but decided to watch me draw mine first and then do his. I was on the phone while he was finished and was blown away by the results!

I had forgotten how much I loved mechanical pencils when I was an artist. They add so much precision to a drawing--the perfect thing for a detail-oriented guy like Kai.

brush strokes

Warmth

Warmth
has been on my mind
lately.
My feet and hands
are cold.
The air outside
is bitter.
My hands have
been furiously
knitting
an alpaca scarf
for Grandma Janice
who is always
cold
too.
As I reach
for my camera
to take a picture
of my developing project,
the front page
of the newspaper
catches my eye:
Thrift store
sees record
need.
Now
my hands
will search
for extra
scarves, mittens, blankets, hats, and jackets
for those
who are
much colder
than me.

Dreamy...

I've been watching Jack Johnson videos on YouTube today. I thought Jack Johnson and Ben Harper were a dreamy singing combo but then I heard Jack and Zach Gill, and then Jack and Dave Matthews. I'm a bit out of the loop in terms of the music scene, so I don't know who Zach Gill is but uh, yeah, he's cute and has a great voice... (Maybe I should stopped drooling over Jack Johnson long enough to read the album info from Jack Johnson's Sleep Through the Static. Zach Gill played keyboards and sang!! Here's a link to his music.)

I was in the kitchen thinking, "Oh, Jack Johnson and Eddie Vedder--that's my dream combination." Lo and behold, a few minutes later I accidentally stumble across this:
Eddie Vedder & Jack Johnson - Constellations (live at Kokua)
The Kokua Concert must have been amazing. I think I will put seeing Jack Johnson live on my "to do" list!!

Rainbow, Interrupted

Prism.
Sunshine.
Rainbows
on yellow walls.
Capturing them
with little hands.
Take a picture.
Edit.
Savor the results.
Like an artist painted it,
says Kai.

Beautiful Soul

Tea flopped down on her bed yesterday and told me to take her picture. I captured more than the moment. Her wise old soul seems to be peering out from that little body.