Topic #1: It’s a crisp, cold, bluebird sky day here in the Pacific Northwest. Everything glistens, including the air around me. I’m reminded of a quote I read last week in Kate Braestrup’s wonderful new book, “Beginner’s Grace: Bringing Prayer to Life”, about one of my heroes:
St. Francis of Assisi, who really did walk around in flabbergasted gratitude all the time, wrote: Such love does the sky now pour, that whenever I stand in a field, I have to wring the light out when I get home.
Exactly.
Topic #2: Last night when I got home from work, as I approached the front sidewalk I thought I heard a snuffling sound down near my feet. I looked down and there, almost touching the toes of my shoes, were the latest batch of raccoon babies, evidently under the mistaken impression that I was bringing them treats from work. I was reduced to taking baby steps (lest I step on one of them) and waving my arms around, hissing “back up, back up,” loudly enough that they would, indeed, back up, but not so loudly that they would get scared. Mission accomplished. I made it to the front door, into the house, and back out with the raccoon chow, all without mishap. As I’ve said before, their mama has a more relaxed parenting style than prior raccoon mamas, so these babies are much less fearful and more willing to engage with large primates than their predecessors.
Topic #3: Is anybody else out there a perfectionist? How’s that working out for you? As for me, being a perfectionist is sure a mixed bag. Until recently I’ve recognized the inherent negatives (intellectually at least) but my heart was convinced that the negatives were outweighed by the positives. This is probably another one of those areas where black and white thinking is the real problem. I probably don’t have to shoot for 100% perfection. (What hubris to think that’s even possible – I have to chortle at myself for even saying that.) Maybe I could shoot for 91%? That’s an A-, right? Probably good enough most of the time?
Case in point? The photo above. I didn’t have a tripod with me (a failing that should be the subject of another blog entry) so the photo isn’t crystal clear. But I love it anyway. So there it is anyway, posted for all the world to see.
Today’s front yard critter count:
Deer: 0
Raccoons: 1
Stellar Jays: 2 (eating raccoon chow on the front porch)
My critter count yesterday? Two Jack Russels and some growling wild animal under the deck that I could not see, but that Daphy was tangling with. It sounded pretty fierce and finally took my big bro (housemate) to slam a snow shovel on the deck to get Daphy out from under there. She looked like she'd just come down a chimney and was bleeding (we later discovered) from her scraped scalp and a tug on her ear.
ReplyDeleteWe immediately gave her a bath in the kitchen sink, but her brand new pink collar is still nasty. She survived, not much worse for wear. I still don't know what sort of wild creature she tangeled with.
Oh, I'm so glad Daphy is okay! That must have been frightening for her and for you and your brother. I wouldn't be surprised if you had a raccoon under the deck - they can be tough when they're cornered. Good thinking with the snow shovel though!
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