Last night it was Morel bonanza at our house! Dan has gotten a few, here and there, but last night he found them in places there never were mushrooms before. He came back with a 2-pound bag, totally, wildly excited.

Last week while mushrooming in the woods he got a really icky bite on his leg that our son James is sure came from a Brown Recluse Spider. James suggests Dan is days from amputation, J. keeps looking it up on the Internet, taking a morbid interest in the wound- "this one looks kinda like yours, Dad!" M, in a typical 14 year-old girl move, appeared distraught at the thought of her Father's amputation, then admitted it was mainly because she doesn't want any changes in our income base, that could cause us to move up north(my dream) . She wants to be smack dab in the middle of her satisfying social scene, and if her father's leg festered, it might impact her plans. Sigh.

My kids are getting older, my eyesight is getting worse... I think since I lost my Dad last year, I feel orphaned, and more vulnerable. I was lucky to have my parents into my adulthood, and I think there was a part of me that didn't feel my mortality when they were around. Now that the pain from Dad is less "raw" (thank you Nancy, my wonderful supportive sister, that's exactly the word ...) I am feeling other things. Like time slipping past.

The other day my husband was mowing and he ran over a Care Bear... you know, the happy, colorful ones that say things like "Sunshine Bear" on their bums? Petey the puppy had gotten one of my kid's old ones, and it was hidden in the tall grass. The riding mower hit it, and he was gone in a puff of stuffing and grass clippings. My kids barely missed a beat. It was a Care Bear, and no one cared!

I remembered years ago, when they were probably 3 and 4, M and J got identical bears in their Easter Baskets; they were pretty funky looking guys, with jointed arms and legs, skinny bodies with big tummies, about 12 inches tall. Margaret named hers "Brown Bear" and James named his "Shoes". Margaret, with her four-year old superiority, picture a hands on hips head-tilt here, accused James of just looking at his shoes and naming the bear, which is most certainly what happened. However, this was vigorously denied, in a stubborn little-brother way. But Shoes he was, and Shoes he stayed. They toted those bears all over, were tucked in with them at night.

Then one day the unthinkable happened- Shoes was mowed over by big brother Danny. M and J cradled the mass of cotton batting and furry fabric, as James sobbed uncontrollably, and we had a burial ceremony under the Clematis vine. James took solace in the thought that Shoes was going to help the vine grow and prosper.

So the other day on the porch I looked at the mass of mowed-over Care Bear in the yard, which barely made a dent in our day. I thought about poor old Shoes, and about my failing eyesight, and about how I miss my little babies, and how I miss my mother, and about how weird it is that time passes and the changes it brings.

So, look how deep I am (and maybe a little tearful) when I turn over the card for the day…
And here it is, a blessing on me- the 10 of Cups… it’s a day to count my blessings- my supportive family, the love I’ve been given, my gingerbread cookies and tea party childhood, the wonderful things my parents gave to me, that I have been able to give to my children. I hope you all have blessings to counts, too!

Yesterday the pot of gold must have been located behind our neighbor's barn, because that's certainly where the rainbow ends. That's also where our white cat, Captain Bligh the one-eyed guy, spends a lot of time, mousing and napping. One day we heard the neighbor calling, "Here Bastard... Here bastard...." and we watched Bligh saunter up to their dinner offering. Since then we have stepped up to the plate- Supper Super is a regular entree, and he seems to have chosen us VS. them. Well, maybe yesterday when he saw the rainbow ending there, he may have had some second thoughts. I know I looked over pretty longingly... "What have THEY got that we don't???" Speaking of neighbor envy and fascination, The K's always have the most amazing stuff out on Garbage day. Every Tuesday they have long pieces of wood, interesting boxes- their cans fairly burst with fabulously shaped trash. I kinda look forward to driving the kids to school on that day now, thinking "Surely they will have hit the wall with it... they can't spring clean EVERY weekend... there must be an end... " yet still, they never disappoint...

Okay, let's do a card for the day...
Ace of Pentacles , reversed. Ahhhh, what good intentions, what excellent plans I have for financial growth and viability. Ahhhhh, look at me screw it up because of poor planning, poor priorities, stumbling over my best intentions, and stymied by first steps. Less pie in the sky, more $ in the hand, my dear....

Till next time, here's hoping the rainbow ends in YOUR yard...

This past weekend we opened up our cabin up north, taking Monday for a 3 day weekend. In typical Michigan Spring fashion, it rained off and on all weekend, but it did that back at home, too. And I would MUCH rather be in our cozy log cabin building a roaring fire, with a little rain spattering on the roof.
My pic today is my way cool terrarium I created out of mosses and plants I found while tromping through the drippy woods. This is the little aquarium we use in the summer for the occasional frog, or catfish minnow . I turned it into a planter- we'll see how long I can keep this stuff alive!!!

Okay, a story for y'all. I am not the most girly-girl. (Richelle is) HOWEVER, I like a little undereye cover-up, light blusher, and a little eyeliner at LEAST. Well, we took off blithefully for up north, and I left my make-up case in the bathroom. LEFT IT. For 3 days. No conditioning face cleanser, no soaps and lotions, no toothbrush- let alone a light blusher and a hint of eyeliner. I've been like brushing my teeth with little forest twiigs like a "Survivior" castmember. Which was basically okay, I was living in the woods, on the way home I got out of the car once, skirting thr edge of the store and making my way to the bathroom in as unobtrusive way as possible...

So I get home, and I am checking my eBay stuff, and some things sold well, and others didn't, and I am analzying this hard, because all weekend when I was away from computers I was wondering how my listings were doing. Also, it's not my shower turn yet- we have one bathroom, I wanted a bath, so I was waiting for the shower people to finish.

When I got home I pulled out this t-shirt and thought- "This is the ugliest t-shirt I have. I'll wear it until AFTER MY SHOWER, then I will transform into something cuter/more worthy..." Then, as I'm computing away, I look down at the ugliest skirt I own(see above reason) I see the tag. I kinda chuckle to myself.. "ho ho.. not only is this the ugliest skirt I own, I'm wearing it INSIDE out..." I feel carefree though, see above hopeful feelings about shower/'transformation.

Okay, you got a picture of me in your head? Wearing the ugliest clothes I own, half of them inside out. I am down to my natural skin tone, plus a light glazing of wood smoke, devoid of make-up, I think you could safely call me gray. I am staring at my computer screen with the kind of hanging lip tranfixation guys get during golf. (Not football, that's too active. Golf is where you're watching so hard you almost semi-demi drool...)

I see a shadow on the porch, I look at my door window, and there is this guy I used to work with I have not seen for a long time. Let me 'splain. It was an office awash in women, and he moved through our choppy waters, tempests and tidal waves like a fine wooden sloop. Just sliced thorugh the bull. Plus, he was good at what he did, in a quiet capable way. And he was cute, too. And he always smelled good. (Kinda a deadly office combo) Anyway, all this description is just so you get to feel what I felt... The horrrrrrrrooorrrrrr! There he is, all smelling good. And me, not even just your average rumpled, oh no, the worst I have ever looked in my life.

He was being sweet, dropping off a book on dog training I had pestered him about via email... I could not even show my face... I kept muttering about how I "felt like I was in a twilight zone episode..."
you know, the one about the pig face people??? Why does no one ever see me when I look good and smell okay. Because I DO, okay, dammit! Sometimes.

Okay, well, I'm home, wearing full make-up, and a charming daytime ensemble. I'll do a card for the day, tomorrow darlings.

There have been lots of photos of my views- I think it's about time for another shot of Peter Jennings, the wonder pup! He was just groomed this week, and he looks HANDSOME and SMELLS GREAT after living through a frightening job I did on him with my scrapbooking scissors... Let me 'splain...
Once upon a time I was a hairdresser, liscensed by the state boards and everything. I married at 20, my parents felt I needed a career to fall back on- they were absolutely right, I was too young, but that's another story. I did practice my craft for awhile- my hairdressing days came in the abysmal hair fashion blackhole known as the '80's- the big hit syle was known then as "the bi-level", these days, we call a mullet a mullet.
Anyway, certain hair skills remain, cutting in a straight line, basic layering- I can conjure up those old skills from time to time. Well Petey, being a Shih Tzu has hair that grows just like a person. We were all reluctant to cut him, just like a toddler they are so cute before their first haircut. Except for that Kate Hudson kid- that Ryder NEEDS a haircut. And that Romeo Beckham, too. Well, Petey was hitting the Ryder Hudson stage, and I got out my scissors and trimmed him up...

Wow, he was so good! My husband's friend said he had a shih tzu and had to use a catchers mitt to COMB him! Peter just sat there and let me trim away. Problem was, I had no idea how he was supposed to look! I cut off his whiskers and his eyebrows- he had this sort of look of eternal surprise.. I trimmed up his front legs and chest, but he was sick of it by the time I hit his mid-section and back, so he just kind of poofed out from there- he was, of course sweet. But he looked like an animal we had taken in from the pound.

This week he went to the Canine Magician groomer, which used to be located, disconcertingly AND ironically, in the SAME parking lot as a Taxidermy place... They truly worked magic on him, he smells good and looks like an actual breed. I promise never to take the scissors to the boy again.

Now, on a more serious note, I have a buddy who is facing a lot of problems. I think they feel especially overwhelming becuse he'd faced down some demons, gotten some closure on tiresome old issues, and was feeling almost groovy.

Today I turn over a card for my friend... Well, it doesn't look like this is going to be a single card, it's a sequence. The last card is the World card, the card that had my friend feeling so groovy and full of epiphanies in April The first 4 cards are the trials and tribulations to be worked through to get back to that feeling of light-footed balance.

We start with The Lovers, reversed. There is a break-down in a partnership, a misunderstanding about how to proceed. The third card here is the 2 of Cups, reversed, which echoes the Lovers. When it comes down to it, two people have a hard time pulling together as a team; personal interests, differing goals or hoped for outcomes, jealousies- all this stuff keeps popping up and coloring the view of the problems facing you?

The Emperor card- a strong, successful male/mentor steps in? The kind of "helping" he will be called upon to do here is right up his alley; it's actions, not emotions?

The nine of Pentacles makes me see an unsatisfied female, she's not comfortable in her home, in her "nest" and she's going to get an idea of what will make her "feel" better, and she will be pretty single-minded about getting this. Almost like there will be blinders to issues around her while she thinks about her own discomfort and the solution to it.

Again, the 2 of Cups. A tough time for a love relationship, a tough time for a partnership, or maybe the focus winds up being about how hard it is to make this partnership work, when the focus should be elsewhere?

Anyway, that's the baggage to work though before the balance of thr World card returns...

Well there it is- my view!!! The trees have some leaves, the grass is covering all the burned spots, and a view like this is the big bonus for living through the long Michigan winter.

It's been awhile since an update- Dan has been getting some Morels, but not the motherlode of his dreams. James had Band-o-Rama last night- all bands from 5th grade to all three High bands gathered in an overheated gymnasium for 3 1/2 hours- and they got sneaky- they mixed up the grades in the program so you couldn't just grab your kid and run after their section. When you get to Hell, the welcoming ceremony is a lot like Band-o-Rama.

Last weekend I went to a local estate auction with my sister, and have been listing "treasures" since... See my eBay stuff here. Today, I am back to my card world, and will take care of my Tarot Orders...

First, how about a card of the day! I mix my cards up like I'm going to play "Go Fish" and I pull out the Major Arcana card, the Emperor. The Emperor is about getting priorities straight, about acting in a responsible way, about keeping a balance and a peace. Doing things that are for the good of everyone, and not just because it feels good to you. It can also be about finding that "Emperor" within yourself, not using the excuses or distractions of the world to control your actions; instead, setting a standard and living by that, molding your world to the standards you have set. Women often need to become their own Emperor- to remember the strentgh within and call upon it, instead of falling into a less powerful role. I will look to the wisdom of the Emperor today as i go about my life!

It's a typical spring day, rain rain rain. Tina the chicken, rather than being "madder than a wet hen", just seems sad and disgruntled. But things are bloonming, see our crab apple, and the lilac is loaded this year. Dan's friend got 2 pounds of Morels, so he's out in the woods, in the rain, hunting mushrooms. I hope he scores big, Morels are beyond unbelievable. They make a portobello taste bland. Yummmmm.