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Friday
Apr242009
Thirteen follows a long time after twelve
April 24, 2009
Some Grace in Small Things
1. I walked home with Leafy and Solo from down the hill the other night, Solo snuggled into my chest, Leafy's little hand in mine. Looking up, he said, "Mama! The stars are coming with us!"
2. Today I stopped thinking about whether my writing is any good and just listened to the characters. It was nice, like creative eavesdropping. They were having a husband and wife spat.
3. In this town there is peanut butter made by the women from the Gaddi people, the Himalayan tribe of the region. They make it and sell it in jars that are reused- old jam jars and honey jars. I love to buy it. I love to buy things that are purposeful. I was making peanut butter in Goa, to save plastic, but this is even better (and easier!)
4. Having a water crisis (it has been a week of little to no water, in the morning we have enough to flush toilets and maybe do some dishes, and I filter what I can before it is gone) makes me so thankful for the water privileges that I've had over my life. It also makes me much more conscious of how precious water is. They rely on run off in this village, and there was no snow this winter. However, the village across the gorge has plenty of water because they pipe it from a different source. I've been musing about the possiblities of us setting something up. We had something not unlike it at the Land. Any thoughts? (Tj and Mark?)
5. Bread does not come to my door here, but milk does, and a small boy delivers it in reused water bottles, before school. I hand him back the previous bottles solemnly, he accepts them just as solemnly. Today I will make yogurt.
And a bonus:
Yesterday I was a little concerned about the old man apparently throwing small rocks down the hill, dancing and shouting inanities while I was passing by. Was he about to attack me? But then I noticed his goats, slugglishly moving down the hillside, pausing to gracefully extract leaves from the wicked thornbushes. His antics were not aimed at me. Grace indeed.
And a PS: Is Chinua coming back from a long silence? Let's keep our fingers crossed.
1. I walked home with Leafy and Solo from down the hill the other night, Solo snuggled into my chest, Leafy's little hand in mine. Looking up, he said, "Mama! The stars are coming with us!"
2. Today I stopped thinking about whether my writing is any good and just listened to the characters. It was nice, like creative eavesdropping. They were having a husband and wife spat.
3. In this town there is peanut butter made by the women from the Gaddi people, the Himalayan tribe of the region. They make it and sell it in jars that are reused- old jam jars and honey jars. I love to buy it. I love to buy things that are purposeful. I was making peanut butter in Goa, to save plastic, but this is even better (and easier!)
4. Having a water crisis (it has been a week of little to no water, in the morning we have enough to flush toilets and maybe do some dishes, and I filter what I can before it is gone) makes me so thankful for the water privileges that I've had over my life. It also makes me much more conscious of how precious water is. They rely on run off in this village, and there was no snow this winter. However, the village across the gorge has plenty of water because they pipe it from a different source. I've been musing about the possiblities of us setting something up. We had something not unlike it at the Land. Any thoughts? (Tj and Mark?)
5. Bread does not come to my door here, but milk does, and a small boy delivers it in reused water bottles, before school. I hand him back the previous bottles solemnly, he accepts them just as solemnly. Today I will make yogurt.
And a bonus:
Yesterday I was a little concerned about the old man apparently throwing small rocks down the hill, dancing and shouting inanities while I was passing by. Was he about to attack me? But then I noticed his goats, slugglishly moving down the hillside, pausing to gracefully extract leaves from the wicked thornbushes. His antics were not aimed at me. Grace indeed.
And a PS: Is Chinua coming back from a long silence? Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Reader Comments (6)
Wow, things are so different there! Loved what you wrote about water. We're having an election and BC and that is one of the issues right now - the current government leasing out water rights and how serious that could become.
Glad to hear that your husband is going to write again - I think the last was still Ode to Sister-in-law. We'll keep hoping for sure.
The stars are following us, out of the mouth of a child - all of creation surrounds us, he's an observer for sure.
Lots of love,
love the post...they say "count your blessings"...and yes, you really should! it's worth it!
I remember that peanut butter... and the tofu made by some lovely woman. Some part of me is there with you. (And the miracle oven? Is that there still?) Love.
I think #2 is how all the great writers do it. But I wouldn't know for sure...
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