I learned today once more how privileged I was. I heard of the death of a young woman whom I taught - actually she was 59...but she was a young woman...and I find myself realizing that I have to breathe vitally...for myself and in memory of all those who have not had the chance I have had.

And it makes me understand but feel awkward.

There's nothing quite like an almost dead amaryllis...that's what I say...I have too much else to say and I can't remember it...

Mind you my mind is elsewhere...I'm washing my cat three times a week. I'm glad he doesn't blog!

Oooof! And I call myself a blogger...
But I did see a broad-tailed hawk, one hundred crows, and a pileated woodpecker...all in one afternoon whilst playing bridge...
And I didn't have my camera with me!

I was watching the Canadian Figure Skating championships last night...wondering what had happened to the artistry.The focus is on jumping. Male or female, if one doesn't execute a quadruple reverse backwards see saw, one is doomed never to gain fame. Even the couples are throwing each other far enough to make four twists - a sure gold. In order to accomplish this one whizzes around the rink looking backwards at some predetermined spot and prays. All I can say is thank goodness for the ice dancers who aren't allowed to jump...yet.

And then they announced that Toller Cranston had died and I tumbled back into another era when Mrs. Lane, the Strawberry lady of his paintings, was selling his work in Pointe Claire village so that Cranston could even get the ice time to practice. And I bought into the whimsy, literally. Age is a strange condition. He must have been twenty or close to that and I would have been thirty or close to that. I'm glad enough of us bought into the whimsy that he could go on to encourage the artistry. I hope someone looks back and says: Oh...that's what it is all about.

Another Season
Another Place
A Stolen Dialogue

T: There has just been SO much to celebrate this week.

Me: Oh? Like what?

T: Well, I got my cast off, my wiggly tooth finally came out, Evan did really well in Creating a Scene and the show was very good, I get to go to a sleepover, Jonathan and Renee Stevens are coming by on Saturday AND I get to buy some cards! (comic book cards)

Me: Smile....

And then, we were talking about how amazing it is that permanent teeth come in the way that they do and that for kids with Down Syndrome, they come in in a different order.

Theo: Oh? Why is it so?
Me: They don't know.

Theo: Fascinating, though. I didn't know! 
Then, with his hand on the door, he says, "So many 'o''s"

Me: OK, Theo!
We both laugh.

The problem with a blog is that one has to check back to see if one is repeating oneself...one might be...but whatever!!!

Years ago, my friend had an orange cat...a bit of a malevolent orange cat but then...one mustn't generalize. She loved him. She was also taking care of a fan-tailed dove...a beautiful creature. She went off on a holiday and when she returned much to her horror, the dove had escaped from its cage and was running around on the floor. The cat was...just...sitting...watching.

She screamed in horror and the startled dove ran to the cat for protection.

I can't tell the story that reminded me of this but...sometimes one is not as fragile as one would seem!

On another note...magic comes and goes. A friend phoned today to say that she had sold her cottage up north. I sit here smiling at some excellent weekends I spent there. But I have learned that there will be magic to replace it...

There's such a wind today and I realize that I am not willing to lose all the leaves on my tree. That will mean I will have to crawl through the living room room in the morning to make my coffee! I will have no "blind" for another 5 months!

The story crosses the threshold from my world into yours. We meet each other at the steps of the story. Jeanette Winterson