Pennies From Heaven

Normally I am not one who would believe in our departed leaving coins around for us to find, but since losing my sister in June perhaps my thoughts have changed. I once knew some one whose husband had passed away, and she found pennies everywhere.  Below is a photo of the pennies I have found in various places in the past two months.  It seems to be more than one would normally find and so it leads me to wonder if there really is such a thing as pennies from heaven.

Most of them have been found on the street or sidewalk, but the last one I found was sitting right in the middle of the floor in one of my closets.  This is not a coat closet but a storage type closet, and I have been in there many times.  This one caused me to really take notice and pause. 
Maybe there is nothing to it at all, but right now it makes me feel better to think that Lynda might be telling me that all is okay.  Of course, I have joked that if she really wants to say hello, leave a couple of $50's. 

Thought for the day: 

“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.”

Henry David Thoreau

Too Much Loss

As I have ventured outside in this colder winter-like weather, I have found it chilling me to the bone.  Normally I don't have an issue with cold weather and in fact, at times I can embrace it.  So this got me thinking (not again!) about why the cold bothers me this fall.  Then I realized that it was a reflection of my own soul.  Since losing my sister in June, I have not really been able to fully deal with her loss.  Perhaps the warm sunny days of summer helped me put it on hold, but now the change of seasons has truly revealed the state of my soul.  It is dark, cold and full of loss. 
It is difficult for me to grasp how quickly one can be gone and yet life goes on.  It makes me think of my own demise...will the lives of those around me continue as always?  Do we put so much effort into living life only to be forgotten so quickly?  It makes one wonder why we toil so hard and worry so much about life when we know it will end, and the world will continue to turn without us.  Perhaps that is why we all hope for some thing beyond our earthly constraints.  We couldn't possibly end after putting so much into our own existence and that of others. 

Well, I must deal with this loss.  I am just not sure how to do it quite yet.  Maybe I need to spend some time at her house in order to truly comprehend that she will no longer be there.  I have been looking through old photos and understanding our history together.  I am grasping that losing Lynda has set me adrift because she was one of my caretakers; some one that knew me and cared for me my entire life.  She along with my parents and so now they are all gone.  It makes you feel a bit orphaned.
All this has also made me realize just how much loss there has been in the past two decades.  I have lost many special aunts, uncles and my parents.  The host of characters that made up my formative years such as neighbors, family friends and church people....all gone.  There has been the loss of a family dog and three cats.  You begin to realize why the elderly feel like there is no one left.
And so I must take a look at the condition of my soul and do whatever is necessary to get it to a place of warmth again.

Thought for the day: 

“Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see”  William Newton Clarke

More Henry

I have been off the radar for awhile and since last posting, Henry has moved into our home.  Just about a week ago early one morning I opened the patio door, and he came in.  After a few minutes, I quietly closed the door.  He attempted to run towards it once, but after that he has not even looked outside. 
He has taken up residence in the basement for the most part; he does, however, venture up now and then.  In fact, one night he showed up in our bedroom and spent the whole night with us.  He started out sandwiched inside a mattress pad that was on the shelf.  This way he felt protected but could look out and see what was happening.  Then he started laying on a sleeping bag on the floor, and this is where you will normally find him.

I also placed a blanket at the top of the basement steps, and he will sleep there at times.  Of course, Maxine (our dog) is jealous and has to hone in on my time with Henry.  She also likes to eat his food so I have to keep watch. Henry loves Maxine and looks up with adoration at her.  He went too far one day when he started batting at the ID tags on her leash. It gets complicated.
Yesterday I managed to get Henry into a cat carrier in order to get him to the vet.  He needed vaccinations and also antibiotics for an upper respiratory infection.  It went better than expected, but he did hide from me for a couple hours afterwards.
So looks like Henry will be warm and dry for the winter; perhaps he will want to venture out again in the spring.

Thought for the day:  “If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow; but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much.”
― Mark Twain

The Saga of Henry

In a previous post I told the story of Henry, the stray cat.  Since that time he disappeared for 16 days and returned again.  While he was gone, I was heartbroken.  I didn't realize just how much he had stolen my heart and how much I loved him.  He appeared in my dreams, and I found myself looking out the patio door often feeling lonely.  Little by little I took away his stuff and ultimately decided to throw away his moist food.
The very day I threw away that food he came back!  My daughter and granddaughter were visiting, and I happened to look out the patio door.  I yelled Henry, Henry!  He was in the yard eating old pieces of bread I had thrown out for the birds.
He was starving and covered with cockle burs, not to mention a few ticks.  Over the course of a couple days, I got him well fed, cleaned up and applied the rest of his meds.

 

 

Twice this week I have gotten him to come in the house for a brief time.  He sat on my lap for quite awhile, and I felt like we were both thinking the same thing.  Would his moving in be a game changer?  Is our relationship better the way it is?  Last night he came in and most likely would have stayed, but I opened the patio door to give him a choice.  I don't want to frighten him too much or make him feel trapped.  He went out again, but I will try again tonight.  Henry gives me purpose and a link to childhood memories.

Above is a photo of Henry having a good rest on the deck due to a full stomach and lots of hugs from the woman that loves him.

Thought for the day:   Nature teaches beasts to know their friends.   Wm Shakespeare

Tiny Miracles

This summer is the first time I have had hummingbirds in my backyard, and I have just been mesmerized by them.  They came in June, and I have seen them everyday since.  They actually showed up right after my sister, Lynda, died on June 6th.  So in that respect, the little creatures are even more of a miracle for me.  I so want to believe that it is her way of telling me that she is okay.  Even if that isn't the case, it makes me feel better.  Not only do they feed, but they often sit on the clothesline or power lines.

You have to look very closely

 

Another interesting activity I was able to watch was a hummingbird being banded while we were in Nashville.  It was at a nature center. They often have the same birds return to the center and often around  the same date each year.

 

Hummingbird Facts

 

They are the tiniest bird in the world

 

They can hear better than humans and see farther

 

Their hearts beat up to 1,260 times per minute and the heart is 2.5 % of their body weight

 

They weigh  between 2 and 20 grams (a penny is 2.5 grams)

 

They can fly forward, backwards, sideways and upside down and can also hover in mid-air

 

Their wings can beat up to 200 times per second, and they can fly 25-30 miles per hour

 

They do not mate for life, and the females do all the nest building and care of the young

 

They fly across the Gulf of Mexico which takes them about 20 hours

 

 

So indeed, the hummingbird is a miracle.  I am going to miss seeing them when they soon leave for the winter.  Really hope they decide  to come back and visit me again next summer.  I will be waiting!

 

 

Thought for the day:  In wilderness, I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia.    Charles Lindbergh

 

 

 

Snapshots of a Free Summer

This is the first summer in well over thirty years that I have not held a job.  It has been wonderful having the freedom to truly enjoy it.

Here are few things that made it special

taming a cat (see previous post)

watching hummingbirds all over my backyard

watching a sunflower open

 

Hanging all my clothes on the line ( haven't used my dryer for a month)

 Spending time on gardens

Trip to Nashville

Time with family

 

 

Yep, I am one very blessed individual!

Thought for the day:  Summer afternoon, summer afternoon...to me, those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.   Henry James

Henry

I grew up on a farm, and one of the things I did was attempt to tame wild cats.  We had plenty of them, and I would sit for long periods of time in the hay shed and meow or simply be quiet.  Most of the time I was successful in being able to tame those cats. 
Cats have always been a part of my life...from farm cats to house cats.  Our last house cat died about three years ago so my life has been catless since that time.  I had made a decision not to get another cat for many reasons....they live a LONG time, not a fan of litter boxes, cat hair gets tiresome, etc.
Well, awhile ago this scrawny gray cat started hanging around the area.  He was very skittish and fearful so you would only see him on rare occasions.  About three weeks ago, I noticed he was around more often so I decided to start setting out food and water.  I also noticed that he seemed to have some sort of respiratory infection so maybe a little food would help so his energy would not have to be used for hunting.  Because I am not working and have extra time, I used my old skills of meowing as well as being quiet and patient.

We went on vacation for a week so plenty of food and water was set out, and with his condition, I assumed maybe he wouldn't be around when we returned.
Well, guess what!  He was around, and just a few days after we returned I was able to pet him.  The next day he was rubbing all over me and purring.  Today I spent some time brushing his coat.  So it appears that a new cat has entered my life and time will tell whether it becomes a house cat or simply a backyard pet.  By the way, I also got close enough to confirm it is a Henry and not a Henrietta.  Also, it is not a surprise that he is named after Henry David Thoreau.

Thought for the day:  a cat improves the garden wall in sunshine, and the hearth in foul weather.  Judith Merkle Riley