The joy of a good cuppa

for Six Word Saturday

It’s Saturday.

It’s Saturday.  No, you haven’t lost your mind. I’m writing this on Saturday even though you’re reading it on Monday.

It’s Saturday and it’s cold, more than cold—frigid.  This morning it was -7 F and felt like -14.  If we can make it until Sunday, it might be 30, a heat wave in these days of sub-zero temperatures, both real and with wind chill.  We have snow, but it’s too cold to go out to properly enjoy it.  I even drove the few blocks to the salon for my every-six-months-or-so haircut.

It’s Saturday and I’m faced with a delightful dilemma:  which book should I read next?*  In the spirit of supporting our local library to the best of my ability and to feed my need to read (oooo, I love the sound of that phrase), I usually have 15 or more books checked out and 40-50 on hold, many of which haven’t come out yet.  Don’t you just love the ability to do that?  Our library has a “Best Seller” list that offers a plethora of categories, including “Adult Fiction” and “Adult Non-fiction” under the headings of “Just Arrived” and “Coming Soon.”  Just click “Hold.”  That’s like crack to an addict.

Spring Sunshine

Spring Sunshine

I position my chair in the sunlight streaming through the front window,
the rest of the house behind me
chill in its winter-to-spring transition.

The heat soaks into my grey fleece top
gradually seeping its welcome way through my skin,
into my bones and the center of my body.

Bushes bow slightly before the wind,
waiting to shed their winter bareness for the new growth of spring,
each bare, brown sword-branch tipped with green.

On the porch, a chipmunk overlooks the buttery daffodils and fragile narcissus
ever so slowly raising their rain-battered heads
from soaked obeisance into erect beauty.

Two goldfinches swoop down, perching in the largest bush,
tiny bird-lanterns heralding the start of another Saturday
as a cloud ship moves regally through the sky ocean.

 

Saturday in the park

Although all Saturdays should be sunny, beautiful, and empty of things that must be done, the forecast last week was for rain, so I made Friday my Saturday and headed out in the morning with my Nikon ensconced in my camera shoulder bag, my iPhone in my easily-accessible pocket, my soul ready for fulfillment.

The air was still cool when I reached the park.  In the first open area, I gazed over a crop of dew-bejeweled spider webs.  They were everywhere, hundreds of them, each a different, appealing shape.  My two cameras were working overtime and I soon realized my index finger was going to get a workout.  Just one more shot and then I’ll stop.  Just one more. Just…  Add to that all those raindrops  on the plants.  I have no resistance when it comes to drop shots, either.  Ahh, well, there are worse addictions.

Daisies, wild iris, and a plethora of other flowers provided colors in contrast to the verdant green.  The sun grew warmer, birds sang.  Should have put on mosquito repellent, but I think the only bites were from a persistent, now dead, fly. I crept slowly to the edge of the river in search of frogs.  None in the usual spots, but of course as I moved to take other photos, I startled one into an enormous jump that took it into the river.  Drat!  No heron today, but driving through the parking lot prior to leaving, I spotted a egret on the hunt for sushi.  Not sure how many shots I took while sitting on a sun-warmed rock.  He walked slowly, stopped, stretched his neck, froze, went into slow-motion again,  once or twice ate.  As I got up to leave, a shriek and another plop indicated I’d once again failed in frog hunting.  Ah, well, it was a good morning.  And it was only a bit after 9 am! My plan for the rest of the morning was to push all my indoor work to Saturday, have some breakfast, do a few errands, and spend time downtown with my camera, searching for flowers, animals, people, and doors for the Thursday Doors challenge.  I’m happy to report all went according to plan.

My wish for your Saturday.

Tomorrow’s Easter!  For those of us who are Christian, this is an important day, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, thus ensuring our own resurrection one day.  For others, it’s merely a day to celebrate spring.  If you’re in the southern hemisphere, I’m not sure what you’re celebrating.  But whatever you’re doing today, this is my wish for you, warm from the sun-baked wall of a home in Arizona.

 

Just close your eyes.

Some days you just need to close your eyes, feel the sun on your face, and relax.
Saturday is an excellent day for all of these.
Enjoy the day.

Tea on a French patio

As I posted a photo from France for yesterday’s photo challenge, “Treat,” I thought I’d post another, perfect for a relaxing Saturday morning.  Whether you’re in France or not, I hope today is that start of a wonderful weekend and some time for relaxing and refreshing.

Nuts to you!

Have a wonderful, nutty Saturday!

Saturday

Cool morning air
 	streams through the open windows.
Somewhere nearby, a bird chatters endlessly
	scolding?
In the background, other birds
	carry on more decorous conversations
	discussing where the soil’s been dug up
	facilitating fast foods stops.
A baker’s dozen ears of corn from the farmer’s market
	sit waiting for me to cook them
	before packing the kernels into freezer bags.
Baby squash and eggplant are tonight’s sauté.
The apple cider doughnuts
	(NOT “donuts”, please)
	are our dessert.
For a treat, pile berries on them
	and top with cream whipped by hand
	only a dab of sugar added.
	Heavenly.

Saturday.

Some Saturday thoughts

I’m by nature a morning person who enjoys being up early.  But there are days, such as this morning, when I wish I could lie in bed for a time, that I could wake up, stretch, roll over and go back to sleep.  Just until 7am.  Is that asking too much?

 Evidently so.  Once my eyes open, my brain seem to think that license enough to begin racing around—the latest praise song for church, what I need/want to do today, how many people visited my blog last night and so forth.  I’m doomed and get up not much later.