Thursday, July 17, 2008

Flying the Coop...

Our baby robins flew the coop yesterday.

We watched the mother make her nest, pulling twigs and string and dried grasses to the Asian pear tree by our deck. Two cerulean eggs soon appeared. We watched them anxiously, scaring the mother every time we opened the screen door to peer into her household. Peeking tommies, we.

One hatched, a fluff ball; the second hatched two days later. We had worried it was a 'bad egg'. Mom fed them bugs and worms, regurgitating them into their mouths. Mornings, when I crept downstairs I could hear the family chirping "feed me! feed me!"

And today, gone.

Our own two kiddos will be gone this Saturday, a birthday party and sleepover. My husband and I have never been in the house without BOTH our children. Not in 9 years. We have so craved a few hours alone, but I suspect we will wander about aimlessly Saturday night, worrying and feeling bereft without their giggles and whining and arguments and cuddling.

On mental health... read HERE to find out what it is like for Ben, my protagonist in BRIGHTER THAN BRIGHT, to live with bipolar disorder. A wonderful piece by the NYT. Scroll down and click on the link to hear the actual stories, then return to read the comments. These stories will amaze and move.

On creativity... this dude's got it right...
"You practice an art to make your soul grow, not to make money or to become famous. And this would include singing in the shower or dancing to the radio or also drawing a caricature of your best friend, or whatever—all this makes your soul grow. And you meet a person who's done that, whether successfully or not, and you sense a larger soul." Vonnegut

Peace, Linda

3 comments:

  1. Yes, yes, yes, I LOVE IT!

    See, THAT's the thing to remember when going over BTB (or Pure, or Love Song on the Inner Loop, or anything) - that's kind of what I was saying to you about artistic integrity, about how it's GOT to be first, even if it means other things are harder. But I also think it's what makes things great, too. I'm going to blog about this, like right now.

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  2. awwwww! love the robin foto!

    and i'm SO ENVIOUS of your gorgeous flower garden. amazing!

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  3. Chrys, you said everything so eloquently in your blog posts. Glad to inspire. Vonnegut encapsulates the WHY we write so well, though.

    Cindy, my husband paints with flowers. I just weed and deadhead. The garden is his vision. Glad you liked my robins - I've been returning to photography, another thing I once loved and had forgotten...

    Peace, Linda

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