Good book to read while lounging under a tree in the springtime air:

I was returning books at the library and this book jacket caught my eye. I have been plowing through it as fast as I can (it is a 7 day book and as the weather gets nicer there seems to be less and less available time to read ) . It is indeed along the lines or "Eat, Pray, Love" but has a nice mix of recent politics and long term history mixed into it. I have just a few hours to tear through the last 150 pages and there is so much calling out to me that needs to be done!

I have not put any focus on my love of reading -so much that I read is on some level not worth the effort. But this one might just be one to check into . (And check out of your local library-an environmentally friendly way to indulge in a love of reading . I also love that I am not investing $ if it turns out I do not find the book to be worth reading...)

More instant happiness

I got around to downloading photos today and found these last few from our very last snow fall. I had NO IDEA there were orange salamanders in our neck of the woods!(It has turned cold here the past fews days and I have to admit I wish we'd get one last snow storm. I know, it costs MILLIONS each time it snows but I can not help wanting to see more snowmen and women. And salamanders.

Memories of trees...

...I have the most vivid memories of my childhood Christmas trees . I can't give you the year or my age:my memory does not work like that. But I can recall the searching through the woods of New Hope PA. & the "Motel In The Woods" where we would stay when we went to pick a tree . I remember the decorations - some made by my parents who are both artists. My dad treated Christmas trees like they were works of art-one year he did a tree entirely covered in silver tinsel. That was the one and only year a tree of ours had a strand of tinsel on it. The tree looked like a sea monster covered in silver seaweed.

In my memory it seemed like my dad always waited until Christmas eve to put up the tree. And we always left it up -sometimes for months. I can recall it being up (and decorated for) one Valentines Day. It also somehow managed to last until Easter one year.

Since "we" are products of our parents it only stands to reason that I do something very similar - our tree was "procured" on Christmas Day (in the pouring rain) and it never really got decorated this year because of it's late arrival. But I did cover it in homemade hearts come February and it technically made it into March this year:

Last weekend I cut off all of it's branches. The needles had gotten to the point where they would fall off, en masse , if -by mistake of course-a small cat toy happened to be throw at it. Imagine a raining down of needles, cats standing there covered and stunned. It was fun but it was also time for it to go. So I cut everything off late one evening and -being my parents child and an artist in my own right-I saved some of the needles in the tallest vase I could find and arranged some of the branches in another vase. I love nature and since I live in an apartment these little touches are my way of bringing the out door in.

The de-branched trunk stayed in the tree stand for the week-atop the dining room table. The artist in me pondered what to do with it each breakfast. That is what artists do-we ponder what to make of the things that come our way. At its worst-it can be a disease of sorts , leading to a unhealthy collecting of things and plans that never see fruition. At its most functional it is one's take on Robert Rauschenberg's & Joseph Cornell's fantastic assemblage/collage/boxes.

Back to memories of trees: my other strong memory is of the weekend day when my dad would finally take the tree down. He would spread out the big canvas paint clothe and haul the garbage can into the living room and turn on the radio and cut the tree apart-a lot like I did last weekend-minus the drop clothe and garbage can.

I knew I would be making more of last year's candle sticks out of this years trunk. I envisioned a forest of candle sticks grouped together on the dining room table.Late this morning I got out a plastic dry cleaning bag I had been saving and covered the kitchen floor. I sawed the trunk into sections and dug up my Uncle Peter's drill and the largest bit I could find(3/8") and got to work making holes for thin candles. The smell of the tree resin was momentarily wonderful. Sap covered my hands. It was fun and once done I assembled the sections on the table and fell in love with the look-the forest on the table top.

I realize I am the only one in the whole world who still had their tree up so this next part is pure silliness but: next year-try this with your tree. You will love it. There are no other candle sticks on the face of the earth that I would rather have and I love that they are made from Christmas trees and required so very little , resources wise. Photos to come...

interesting reading

There is lots of stuff going on in this world of ours. None of it new. Little of it good. On the subway ride home today I pulled out the latest copy of AUDUBON magazine (March/April edition) . I used to always read on subways rides - in fact this used to be how I got the bulk of my reading done as when else is there time!?! But I have gotten out of the habit lately, preferring both to carry a slightly lighter back pack & to rest , eyes closed , on rides to and fro.

Audubon is great reading and has delicious photos :this month's cover shot is a black and white classic of an elephant that looks more old time fashion shot than nature photo...actually it also looks like it could have been taken at the Museum Of Natural History from one of their dioramas I LOVED as a kid!

Inside was an article on endocrine - disrupting chemicals . They are everywhere, are largely unregulated and are thought to be having a terrible impact on the health of both humans and animals -an impact that might be long lasting if not irreversible. My heart sank. I got sick to my stomach. It is not that the information is new to me. I have heard it all before. It is just that the cumulative effect of what "we" are doing to ourselves and the earth is really weighing on me.

I know we can do better and need to do better. What stymies me is that "we" know what needs to be done-for our own good-and yet we are not doing it. I know it is tied to profits and convenience -the great loves of the modern world. But when the consequences are spelled out I am left wondering why "we" decide to take the self destructive path almost every time. "We" are brilliant and can solve these problems-if we decide to tackle them. And the resulting solutions will, no doubt, end up creating profit and giving us a different kind of convenience so why are we resisting this beneficial path that's win-win?

During my (brutal & disillusioning ) yoga teacher training course we were taught about "resistance". It is a complicated concept that vaguely explains why we resist what is good for us. But as I get older the idea of resistance seems such a poor excuse for not taking responsibility and doing what is right for all.

This is a long way of saying there is no excuse for our lax "Toxic Substances Control Act" and there is absolutely no reason why these substances-known to be harmful with well documented side effects-are still being included in an array of products (from cleaning products to food containers to lotions) . The Audubon article states that other countries are leading the way in this area and it actually hurts me to know my own country (and the big businesses that make the products we use daily) do not care enough to do more.

You can go HERE to check out Audubon's magazine and this article in particular and read back into their archives for more on issues like these. If this topic is new to you this might serve as a wake up call but if you are like me this will be old news that will make your stomach turn...

snow=happiness

Happiness comes in many forms. For me a fail proof source of happiness has always been snow. It is gloriously beautiful and I adore how it visually transforms EVERYTHING. I also happen to love how it slows the pace of life down and gently softens things. Sounds are muffled & smiles magically appear on faces everywhere. Snowmen epitomize the magic of snow for me and they would be a part of my definition for happiness. If you have never done so or have not done so in a very long time, I encourage you to go out and make yourself a snowman. I am willing to wager it will bring you a type of instant happiness and joy that you might not have felt in a very long time!

Why we love...

I recently stumbled upon a New York Times piece called "Life Lessons From the Family Dog" written by Dana Jennings.

The article deals with the simple yet profound lessons Dana has learned from his 12 year old dog Bijou & is written in the context of Dana's life with prostate cancer and Bijou advancing age and failing health.

The story itself is touching but it was the 28 pages of reader comments that have fascinated me. I have read a few pages most nights before going to bed and the end result is usually tears followed by a hug and kiss to each cat as I hope it is a very long time before I have to travel that road with them.

Much of what is written deals with illness and end of life and it takes any pet owner back in time:the search for hope, the identification of the sign that it is finally time to put one's pet to sleep. The strange phenomenon of the last "rally" : that hard moment after you have made your decision and called the vet and suddenly your pet springs to life and acts as if nothing is wrong-causing all kinds of doubt. The sometimes vivid impressions of those last moments-the heartbreak of it all-the smell of the vet's office -a compassionate vet-a peaceful end.

Most of all , reading the diverse comments felt like an exploration into the soul of man's relationship with the domestic animal kingdom. An examination of the unique love we feel , the bond we share and the void that is so wonderfully filled by any furry friend.

I recommend this for reading :

If you love animals it will be familiar territory.

If you have been hurt , reading this might heal the wound enough to make you rethink your decision to go without a pet.

And if you have never shared your home & life with a pet this might just make the interestingly strong case for the incalculable value of pet ownership.

As we enter February and move towards Valentines Day - this article sets the stage with it's expression of Love, Love, Love.

Curious? Go here.

A lost cat & 2 dogs in need of assistance...

Today I spotted this:

Lets get this cat home where it belongs!

& on the blog "One Bark At A Time" I read about 2 dogs in Toronto that have been taken from their owners and are scheduled for euthanasia on Feb. 5th. If you would like to help get these dogs back to their homes join their facebook page here to find out more on their story & go to the petition site here to sign up in support and make your voice heard.

I'll have a more uplifting post on Tuesday. Promise!