Autumn, and America

Sunday and it is cold.

There is frost on the grass, my breath appears before me and the end-of-the-year constellations sit in the velvet of the night sky, glimmering.

Colder weather is coming, of course. But I like the in-between cocoon that shelters between autumn and winter.
Fallen leaves smell sweet and cinnamony. Birds chatter. The sun arcs a low slanting path over the horizon.

I especially love Sunday mornings in this cocoon season. Coffee, newspapers, toasty slippers, a dog to keep you company and some good newspapers to feed your brain.
Two articles today caught my eye. Both in the New York Times. One: Why can't the U.S. make China do what it wants it to do? Two: Several opinions, all downward looking, about the U.S. economy.

Having read both, my reaction is: Time for this country to stop being in debt to China. Americans are innovators: We have forgotten how many inventions we have under our national belt. We need to be creative and innovative again, especially when it comes to energy and basic products, like textiles.

Anyway.


The picture is a mural in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood. One of many examples of Rust Belt communities reinventing themselves.

Fuzzy moon

Twist & I ended our evening walk tonight with a gorgeous view of a full moon behind a naked tree. The orb was bathed by a fuzzy halo, with a jet contrail slashing underneath, all against an inky and velvety blue-black sky.

Thanksgiving is four days away, but I say thank you now anyway. For blue skies, for warm air and only a bit of a breeze to scatter the leaves from the oaks, the locusts, the chestnuts, the maples and magnolias and all the other trees that shade our neighborhood. For warm days at year's end. For everything good that we enjoy.

For family, friends, health and happiness.

Thank you!

If it's Thursday, it must be Wednesday

In West End Village today to catch up with kitchen cabinet contractor.
Details settled with cabinet guy. Headed back 'aht' in the general direction of the South Hills but absolutely had to stop first at artifactsweb.com, on Steuben Street. Not linking because there are server errors, but the photo is the best thing about the place.
It's huge, chilly and full of weird, cool, old and strange stuff (statues of dogs tearing up prey, tapestries, chairs made of animal horns, strange modern paintings, etc., etc. If you want a stuffed elk or a polar bear pelt or ancient (royal) furniture or African totems, this is the place. If you are a film producer, this is the place for shooting or borrowing.
It's also the place to have dinner with the Seven Dwarfs. :)

Sunday, November 14, 2010

This weekend was fall in a nutshell. Saturday full of sun and blue skies, Sunday full of gray skies and rain.

So, you take advantage of the weather however you can.

Saturday, garage door up for a little light for the napping plants, a stroll around the backyard to tend to dried greenery and frozen mums. And a few minutes to let the dog snooze in the slanting November sun. Happy dog!

Sunday, garage door up even thought its dismal, a dusky walk between the raindrops with the dog and a cozy hour spent with the NY Times.

The book review had a couple articles about Native Americans, including a description of the Sioux tribe's fruitless efforts to defeat the white men. An article about Crazy Horse mentioned Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. I'd love to know more about FLIN; seems relevant in this age of dying (or refusing to re-invent themselves is how I look at it) print products.

Back to the present. The cat, Otto, is mellowing in his dotage. He spends much more time inside and sitting on our laps on the weekends (weekdays he disappears upstairs). Much different from his younger days of indifference

Katy was a Girl with Tools this weekend, installing blinds using her brand new Ryobi drill, which already has fallen short of expectations. Not enough juice. Next time, I'll spend more cash for a drill with watts. I love putting things together and putting things up.
That's my new career. Tool Girl. :)

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Social media is what the information world is all about these days, but I watched something very basic, and very comforting today, that reminded me of the power of real human connection.

My living room has a picture window and late in the afternoon I sat down for a brief break from chores to enjoy the view of the fading day. Across the street, a red truck pulled in to my neighbors' driveway. Everyone got out and the younger folks dropping off my older neighbors stayed to chat briefly. Conversation, hugs all around and the kids drove off.

What struck me was the connection and the communication: The wrapping up of the day in the driveway at the end of an obviously nice afternoon, the warm body language.

No Facebook or any kind of online connection will ever replace the social bonds of spending time with people you love and like. There is nothing nicer than spending a dinner hour or a long weekend, cooking, eating, talking, walking with the people who occupy your heart.

So, I had coffee with a good friend this morning and wandered about the little mall we met at after. There is an Anthropologie store there, which I love to wander in just for the design. How cool is it to use embroidery circles as a design feature? Pretty darn. The picture is of a dress with a scarf. That I would have loved to have bought. Perhaps after Christmas!

Election

At 6 a.m. today, the sky was inky blue and jeweled with constellations. Twist and I took a frosty walk; I had a flashlight but didn't really need it. There was no traffic, no noise; just a horned owl hooting in the distance.

Made it to the elementary school to vote by 8 a.m., with only one candidate (Democrat) in sight and a big make-do sign composed of smaller campaign signs for the Republicans. Ran in to our next-door neighbor on the way in, then greeted our across-the-street neighbor, who's a volunteer at the polls. The lady who took my ticket told me she didn't recognize me without my dogs (she lives on a neighboring street where we usually walk). She was sorry to hear Holli is no longer with us.

Touched the screen for my candidates, hoped it took, then slipped back out into the hall for the PTA bake sale, my favorite part of the general election. Bought two bags of scones (chocolate cherry and blueberry, and small!, not those mega-calorie bricks they sell you at Au Bon Pain), headed to the car and work.

Scratch that favorite part. Not true. I love that I can participate in a process and know that my neighbors and friends are doing the same thing. I hope that where I vote is reflective of the rest of the country. That is, we set aside our differences and participate in a peaceful process. And buy really delicious baked goods.

I thought about taking a picture inside, but the school has such a nice little learning garden for the kids. I snapped what looks like a milkweed pod instead.

I ignore all the coverage of running tallies. I don't care about exit polls. Count the votes and tell me who won. And keep the Supreme Court out of it.