In all her Glory

Thank you Susie for putting on the celebration of a century. 

Your scrumptious homemade food was savored by all. 

Your house was a glow.

 A magical home for a lovely family. 

C.D.Wright & Chopin

"Green hill of crystals",

the physical splendor of the great outdoors. 

If I had an I-pod I would climb the hills listening to the love poems of Ms Wright uphill. 

The piano preludes of Chopin downhill- skipping the whole way.

Meanwhile I meander in solitude and silence.

Where do you surrender when times are critical?

A TEDDY NAMED TEDDY

Have you ever known an over scheduled, pressured child who when her birthday comes wants to turn a year younger than she actually will. 

A child that plays with her Teddy yet would never admit it to any of her friends. 

A Teddy who is alive (even though right now he is ill with the measles).

 A Teddy who goes for walks in a BabyBjorn and a baby carriage. A Teddy that wears home knitted outfits.

 A Teddy who wears a bib while he eats. A Teddy who gets burped and can swing in the baby swings at the playground. A Teddy who at night gets bedded in the childs' bed under a mosquito netting.

 A Teddy who gets a book read, a song sung and the harp played and before the child  leaves his bedside, the ladybug night- light will be turned on. 

Mother of child just sits and cries tears of joy and exhaustion.

OH, DISGRACE

Dear Person who places trash where it does not belong:

Does trash really fall into the forest if know one sees you?

Does it really come free to the dumper? 

Does it still bother the dumper upon dumping?

Do you know that raindrops fall on a soda can, seep the color chemicals into the groundwater table?

 My dear dumper eventually you too will drink that water!

Daughter & Mom in the Woods

Have you gone to the woods with your child lately?

Has your child expressed the wish to stay under the trees forever?

  There to  commune with wilderness day and night? 

Has she shown you how to find her way back through thick growth?

Can she call a "Fort" her own?

Prestine Wilderness

The downpour for days now has been filling the trickling creeks and added tributaries and waterfalls to the already oh, so gorgeous deep California woods. 

Do you see the salmon spawn?

Dear San Francisco Chronicle,

I have had these two gnomes ( German "Gartenzwerge") for a few years now. They sat on my Aunt's balcony for the past 30 years in Duesseldorf, Germany. They stood protected from snow, rain, hail and wind; hence their beautiful color. Originally I had charmed my Aunt into letting them go into my possession so she too could have something of her's in this great country of ours.  My Dad then wrapped them up very carefully and I was able to take them with me on one of my many Lufthansa Transatlantic flights. I was worried about them  and still are.

From a "gnome aficionado" point of view I have never seen more beautiful crafted gnomes. Please judge for yourselves.

Very Warmly, 

Martina Konietzny