Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Song for the Solstice

Medicine Wheel
Kate Wolf



When the morning breaks and the sunlight warms my soul
In the East the Eagle flies, and the Red Tail proudly soars
I'm on my way~ to the place of the spirit one
Grandfather hear me now, I am on fire
Let the sundance guide my feet to your desire
Give me visions for my eyes
And words like gold that shimmer in the sun
Hyi-ah, hyi-ah, hyi-ah

When the sun goes down and it grows too dark to see
I look within to the Shaman's mystery
I'm on my way~ to die and live, again
Grandmother Earth I cry, give me rest
I take my place with the woman in the West
Show me the Raven and the Bear
The way of herbs and the black obsidian
Hyi-ah, hyi-ah, hyi-ah

Turn toward the South, like water I will run
In innocence and trust the Moonchild's song is sung
I'm on my way~ to the place of the sacred plants
My emotions and my will at their command
Where the Turtle's voice is heard upon the land
Where the wise Coyote prowls
The Rattlesnake will call me to the dance
Hyi-ah, hyi-ah, hyi-ah

In the deepest night when the stars watch over me
Old Woman of the North my mind seeks clarity
I'm on my way~ to the place of the Northern winds
Let the Thunder and the Lightning carry me
Lay my thoughts to rest and send me into sleep
With the Hawk and the Buffalo
My dreams white crystal magic medicine
Hyi-ah, hyi-ah, hyi-ah




On the longest night, the stars watch over me
Great Spririt hear me now, my mind seeks clarity
I'm on my way...


Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The Ladies Who Lunch

Last Friday, I had planned a civilized, elegant day, far from the norm for this country mouse. I was going to do some Christmas shopping, meet the ladies for lunch, spend the afternoon at a spa and take Sequoia to dinner and a movie.  Humming "The Ladies Who Lunch", I dressed in something other than jeans, put on the cute shoes and headed out to the car.

It was sitting in the drive way with a flat tire.

Sigh…

Back into the house I went, changed into grubby clothes and began the process of changing the tire. Yes, I could have called AAA, but they would have taken 3 hours to make it out to the Colestine and I wasn’t willing to entirely abandon my plans.  It was a case of DIY or do without, and you know me; I'm all about DIY.

I’ve changed more than a few tires in my life, especially since moving to the woods (our road is brutal on tires.) But, I had never changed one on the Tracker before. I had to figure out where the jack was (a hidden compartment in a side panel); how to take the spare off of the back door (which involved locking lug, something I've never encountered before), and where to position the jack under the frame (which entailed rolling under the car in the dirt.) It took me an hour, but I managed to remove the flat and install the spare. Coated head to toe in dirt and tire black, I quickly cleaned up and changed back into my town clothes, drove to Les Schwab, got the flat fixed and still made the spa appointment. Of course, I wasn’t feeling elegant or urbane at that point; more like burly and invincible. But I’ll take it.
I'm not bitter. It was past time for me to learn how to change a tire on this car, and I'm grateful that I got to do in my own driveway under a sunny sky rather than on the side of the interstate in the pouring rain. Ain't no way around it: country women gotta know how to change a tire. Them Manhattan girls with their Manolos and manicures would be completely fucked in that situation. Of course, I’d be completely fucked if I had to figure out which fork to use at some high society formal dinner.  I guess we learn what we need to know; the rest is window dressing.
Besides, can you really imagine me lounging in a caftan and planning a brunch on my own behalf? 
Well, a girl can dream, can't she?
I'll drink to that.




Wednesday, December 14, 2011

More Cats I Have Loved

The Cheshire Cat

 
Hobbes - technically a tiger, but still the best feline every

The Cat in the Hat

Pickles the Fire Cat

The Cat That Walked By Himself

Monday, December 12, 2011

Cats I Have Loved

Krazy Kat

Sylvester

Felix


Snagglepuss

Thomasina




 

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Pretty and High




She came on the stage
in a dress like the sky
she had painted a sunset
around her eyes
and all of the people
were charmed and surprised
at how pretty and high and shy she was
pretty and high and shy

She at the window
and the prince upon the bed
they were for an hour
before he said
if she had no place else
she was welcome to stay
but she'd better get back
and she thanked him the same
leavin' him pretty and high and dry
pretty and high and dry

The prince was confused
so he asked the magician
the magician arrived
at the answer profound
if she takes off her dress
the sky will fall down
cause she's pretty and high and a lie
pretty and high and a lie

I work at the circus
and I sleep with the clown
when I took off my dress
the sky fell down
if the sky falls down
then we play on the ground
cause I'm pretty and high and only partly a lie
pretty and high and only partly a lie
pretty and high and only partly a lie

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Alligators



My daddy used to say, when you're up to your ass in alligators, it's time to drain the swamp.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Justice


Pain my old comrade, you sly dog, pull up a chair, make yourself at home. Unfurl yourself down the length of my bones and stay awhile. Staring down the barrel of another sleepless night, your familiar face leering behind the hammer; I've seen this movie before.

Justice holds the scales and proclaims that everything can be balanced, every wrong righted. She holds the sword to back up her position, the stick to reason's carrot.

Pain has no sense of balance and no fear of reprisal. Pain takes what it wants and laughs at my pitiful pleas for justice.







Sunday, December 4, 2011

Carolling

Hamfist played two shows on Friday, one right after another; I had blisters on my fingers by the end of the night. I wore all Christmas finery and rocked some carols. I loves me some Christmas carols. It was a late night, but I had to be back in town on Saturday by 2 pm to vacuum and decorate the Studio for Lynn Ramey's retirement party. At 6, I helped lead a parade in her honor from the Bricks to the Studio. I managed to hang on until about 10 pm, when I drove home on an icy road and fell into bed. Jumped up this morning and headed back to town; I found myself onstage at the Medford Armory at 11 a.m. playing and singing Christmas carols with Ila Selene. She can't play an instrument, so it was just my sad little mandolin and our two voices. We had not rehearsed any of these songs and I couldn't find my Christmas music after the Friday gigs. It was a recipe for disaster. However, she managed to coax a half dozen kids onstage to sing and dance, so no-one gave a shit about me, they were totally entranced by the kids. I was the back up band for the pre-school set; it was beyond cute.