It's been a long week for. I'm back in the routine of doing my morning pages after the general chaos from a city with no power.
I've found myself to be very irritable lately. I have been under a great deal of stress and a little homesick for my family back in Australia. My grandmother (who is 94) fell off her motorized 4 wheel scooter again. This is the fourth time in less than a year. The last time she fell onto a busy road while it was raining and at dusk. She was lucky to not be run over and got away with about 40 stitches in her head and a lot of bruising. This time she has fractured her pelvis, broke her the ball off her artificial hip and broken her femur. We didn't expect her to make ti threw the 8 hours of surgery but she has and is doing well. The scooter is long gone - for good this time.
Adding to this, my beloved kitty has been unwell. This morning I woke up to find she had vomited up a large elastic band. she seems to be much better now and was loudly portraying her need for breakfast. She is a little neurotic which I mostly contribute to her being weaned ver early. I got her from a foster home at an animal shelter when she was only 7 weeks old. Someone had found her crossing a road and terrified. She caused and accident and was named "Trouble" by the kind people who saved her life. At the animal shelter, they changed her name to Carli since she was "too cute and loving to be called Trouble" Oddly enough, Kali is a Hindu Goddess associated with death and destruction. Her name is spelt differently, but pronounced the same.
Here is a photo of her. I love her so much.
I had the day off work today and I decided it was a perfect day for my Artist Date. I usually do this on a Thursday, so it's a little delayed this week. I woke up this morning with the realization that our full week of perfect weather is going to be short lived. Here in the Midwest, there are only a few weeks where it's not bitterly cold or uncomfortably humid.
I realized that not going outside was completing wasting the sunshine.
Since I've been inspired by those of you who have been taking your camera out, I decided to go to Inniswood Metro Gardens. It's been a while since I've been there. It's one of my special places. My best friend was proposed to there at the frog pond - in her pajamas.
I packed a picnic (not realizing that food was not allowed inside the Gardens)
i wandered around for several hours, taking photographs, reveling in the smell of the gorgeous roses. I sat and watched the squirrels gathering acorns and dancing amongst the tree limbs. I watched the bees dive in and ot of the flowers gathering nectar. I watched a lady bird struggle to reach the top of a tall petal without losing his balance. I learned that there are lots of variations of mint. I followed the stepping stones of the Onondaga Creation Story. I thought about the giant oak tree that stood in front of my grandmothers house and how I loved to collect the acorns when I visited her.
I took my ipod with me and sat in the sunshine listening to Loreena McKennitt. I only recently discovered her and I can't get enough of her music. I've been a big fan of Dead Can Dance and Lisa Gerrard and Loreena has a similar type of sound. A particular song has been with me all day. It's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. It's called Dante's Prayer.
It spoke to me. Here are the lyrics.
When the dark wood fell before me
And all the paths were overgrown
When the priests of pride say there is no other way
I tilled the sorrows of stone
I did not believe because I could not see
Though you came to me in the night
When the dawn seemed forever lost
You showed me your love in the light of the stars
Cast your eyes on the ocean
Cast your soul to the sea
When the dark night seems endless
Please remember me
Then the mountain rose before me
By the deep well of desire
From the fountain of forgiveness
Beyond the ice and the fire
Cast your eyes on the ocean
Cast your soul to the sea
When the dark night seems endless
Please remember me
Though we share this humble path, alone
How fragile is the heart
Oh give these clay feet wings to fly
To touch the face of the stars
Breathe life into this feeble heart
Lift this mortal veil of fear
Take these crumbled hopes, etched with tears
We'll rise above these earthly cares
Cast your eyes on the ocean
Cast your soul to the sea
When the dark night seems endless
Please remember me
My moments of wonders have continued through the day. I came home and ate my picnic. I set up a photo blog of some of my 160 photographs from the Gardens. This is something I've wanted to do for many months but never gotten around to. Now, friends and family across the oceans can be more in my life without me filling their Emails with large hindering file transfers.
Yay me!
For anyone interested in looking at the site, you can find it here.
