My beloved 16-year-old dog, Caboose, died in my arms yesterday morning. Those of you who have ever had furry quadruped children will understand my sorrow. She was a stray dog, always afraid of people. Throughout her entire life, there were only four humans she really trusted. We understood each other well, and I will miss her terribly.

     The night before she passed, I had pizza for dinner, and so she got to eat her favorite treat, the crust, which I call "pizza bones". All of my dogs have always loved pizza bones.

     The saddest thing is to see my 9-year-old dog, Zoey, grieving. She has never known life without "Boosie", and she is lost, walking from room to room, whining and searching for her.

     I always forget when I am charmed by cold noses and fuzzy faces and wagging tails, or purring balls of fluff, how short is the time we have with them.

     Boosie's body lies cradled by Mother Earth, but I must believe that her soul is frolicking in the Summerland beneath blue skies.

This is a sonnet written by Sara Henderson Hay. Most of the sonnets I have read, although I like them, I think of them as somber or solemn, somtimes lovelorn. This one is totally different than any I have read, and even though I don't think the syllables in each line are always traditional, it made me laugh out loud! It is based on the nursery rhyme about the old lady who lived in the shoe, so I just wanted to share:

I Remember Mama

The trouble is, I never felt secure.

There we were, crammed into that wretched shoe,

Ragged and cold and miserably poor,

And Mama never knowing what to do.

Most of the time we lived on watery stew,

She coudn't even bake a loaf of bread,

And every night she'd thrash us black and blue

And send the sniveling lot of us to bed.

I used to lie awake for hours, and plan

The things I'd do, when I became a man...

And this is why I lurk in darkened hallways,

And prowl dim streets and lonely parks, and always

Carry a knife, in case i meet another

Old woman who reminds me of my mother.

I think it's fabulous! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I met a grumbynunkle while walking through the park yesterday.  He stepped out from a hole in the trunk of a tree.  He looked like the tree, only he was small, about a foot high.  His skin appeared to be bark, and his arms and legs were like gnarled tree roots.  He creaked when he walked, the sound of  old trees in a wind storm.  He stepped out right in front of me saying, "Miss" in a loud grumbly voice.

I was so startled I almost tripped over him.  "Miss", he continued, "did you see a sqirrel run up this tree?"

"No", I replied.

He said the squirrel had been stealing nuts from "his" tree.  I asked him why that was his tree, and he said because he lived there in the hole at the bottom.  When I asked him if he was a gnome or elf, he became quite offended.  He said he was a  "grumbynunkle", or that's what it sounded like.  I don't know if I have spelled it correctly.

Now I ask, has anyone encountered a grumbynunkle before?  Or are they specific to my geographical area or park?  Any help would be appreciated!

A sure sign that Spring is here in my area are gnome sightings in the gardens around town. My mom has many gnome friends. so this poem was written for her.

The Secret Life of Garden Gnomes

In my garden are happy faces

Peeking out from around the flowers

My gnomes are frozen in their places

It's here I while away the hours

They're still as statues when I'm around

Their red hats standing proud and tall

When I go in, and the sun  sinks down

Such noise behind the garden wall!

They play wild games, and they leap about

Their hats must be in disarray

They will giggle, snicker, joke and shout!

Cavorting until light of day

Such chaos in my garden at night

You would never believe it so

As dawn is breaking its first pink light

My gnomes stand silent in the glow

But this morning when I tiptoed out

To sit in my garden and think

As I cast my eyes quickly about

I thought I saw one sly gnome wink!

My Vernal Equinox celebration on Thursday was solitary, peaceful and sublime.  The river was flooded halfway up my driveway, swollen and careening along, obviously mission-bound.  I love that gurgling and swishing sound and the smell of churning mud. The nearly full moon rising behind the silhouetted trees revealed one small section of shimmering river. The background was indigo sky fading to darkness.  Occasionally I glimpsed a flash of silver in the illuminated area where a fish would leap exuberantly and land with a splash in the darkness beyond.

I sat on my porch with my djembe and drummed for hours.  I drummed to the rising moon and the rising river.  The cool breeze circled 'round and joined in, carrying my rhythms farther along, ethereal ripples, offerings to my gods and to the fae.  Chirping birds gathered in the surrounding trees.  A sparrow even landed on my porch railing and stayed for awhile, cocking his head at me. (Maybe it wasn't so solitary after all?)

It was a wondrous and magical experience.  And all too soon I was forced to go inside because I was barefoot as usual, and my toes were turning blue!

Today I will be celebrating Easter with my parents and cousins.  Easter dinner, lots of laughter, joking, children running around, the works!

I am thankful for all, for friends, family, solitude, joy, sorrow, whatever comes my way, knowing that the world will take care of me.  And I wish for all of you the same blessings and peace. And thank you all for your friendship :o)