Norman Rockwell - "Girl at the Mirror"

And since you know you cannot see yourself,
so well as by reflection, I, your glass,
will modestly discover to yourself,
that of yourself which you yet know not of.
William Shakespeare

HAPPY 24TH BIRTHDAY MARY!!!

We are stardust - Billion year old carbon

By the time we got to Woodstock
We were half a million strong
And everywhere there was song and celebration
And I dreamed I saw the bombers
Riding shotgun in the sky
And they were turning into butterflies
Above our nation
We are stardust
We are golden
Billion year old carbon
Caught in the devil’s bargain
And we’ve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden.
“Woodstock,” Joni Mitchell

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.
Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.
The winds will blow their own freshness into you,
and the storms their energy,
while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."
John Muir

A Painting in my Livingroom

"Midsummer Eve"

LINK: 1909 Edward Robert Hughes

My daughter, Mary bought me this painting
a few years ago.
I love it's magical imagery
and the artist's ability
to capture the illusion of light.

Wedding vows

I said "I do" and so did he
So long ago when we were young.
Drenched in sweat from humidity
Of a steamy hot August day.
The minister droned on and on.
A big fly landed on his nose,
Making us laugh uncontrollably,
And we could think of nothing else.
We heard not our "holy" promises
As we recited rehearsed words
Memorized for the occasion.
They were not words written by us,
But expected by tradition;
Expected by church and family.
Voiced vows were unnecessary,
For we were already one.
Our hearts were bound together
Without the need for public display.
If we could live the day again,
We would go to a private place
In a quiet, cool, green forest
And confirm our promise of love
By looking in each other's eyes
Our arms holding each other close,
With sounds of Nature all around.
D. Bowden

My Squirrel Friend is Back!

I am so relieved! Mr. Squirrel was back on my deck this morning, sitting there looking through the glass patio door with his little paws folded like squirrels do, begging for walnuts! I have decided to put the treats I give him down on the lower deck under the tree so that he is camouflaged from the hungry hawk!

One reason not to interfere with nature . . .

In an earlier post I wrote about my little squirrel friend coming by our place for some free handhouts of food and nuts. Twice a day I put out bread with peanut butter, walnuts and other goodies for my little buddy. One day he was there with a friend of his. For several days these little fellas came to get their treats. Then suddenly they stopped coming. I haven't seen them for awhile now. The bread and peanut butter I put out for them days ago is still here. But yesterday I had quite a startle. I went into the diningroom to feed my fish and saw a huge hawk sitting on my deck railing and it saw me too and after looking at me out of one golden eye, it flew off. It hit me then what had maybe happened to my squirrel friends. I may have been fattening them up for the hawk's meal! And secondly, I was encouraging the squirrels to a regular and open place where they were easy prey to Mr. Hawk. My good intentions might have made the squirrels forget their instincts. I feel so bad now. :-(

My Favorite Song

Stardust

(Carmichael-Parish)

And now the purple dust of twilight time
Steals across the meadows of my heart
Now the little stars, the little stars pine
Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a love that cannot die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by.

Sometimes I wonder why I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
That melody haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
Ah, but that was long ago
Now my consolation
Is in the stardust of a song

Beside a garden wall
Where stars are bright
You are in my arms
That nightingale tells its fairy tale
of paradise where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
my stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain.

Happy New Year from Chicago

View from Wacker Drive looking toward The Lake
(Chicago River in center)

Chicago, Chicago
That toddlin' town
Chicago, Chicago
I'll show you around, I love it
Bet your bottom dollar
You'll lose the blues
In Chicago, Chicago
The town that Billy Sunday
Could not shut down
On State Street, that great street
I just wanna say
They do thing's
They don't do on Broadway, say
They have the time
The time or their life
I saw a man
He danced with his wife
In Chicago, my home town

My Kind Of Town

(Writers: Cahn/van Heusen)
(Performer: Frank Sinatra)

This is my kind of town, Chicago is
My kind of town, Chicago is
My kind of people too
People who, smile at you

And each time I roam, Chicago is
Calling me home, Chicago is
One town that won't let you down
It's my kind of town

My kind of town, Chicago is
My kind of town, Chicago is
My kind of razzmatazz
And it has, all that jazz

And each time I leave, Chicago is
Tuggin' my sleeve, Chicago is
The Wrigley Building, Chicago is
The Chicago Cubbies, Chicago is
One town that won't let you down
It's my kind of town

A Winter Walk
By D. Bowden

We walked through the park
My love and I
With the snow floating down,
And a hush all around.
The only noise heard,
Was the coo of a bird
As it fluttered down,
Down to the ground,
Into the white,
Then taking flight!
Children gave it a fright
With their laughter and noise,
Expressing their joys
And meaning no harm,
Nor to alarm,
Only wanting to play
On this cold winter's day.
My love and I
Walked through the park
With the snow floating down
And happiness around.

Winter

D. Bowden 2004

In the wee hours
Of a frosty morn
I lie coldly awake
and listen to the wind
howling in the darkness.
I hear the agonies
of lost restless souls.
Icy fingernails claw
and scratch at my window pane.

Dust if You Must

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there is not much time
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb.
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there,
with the sun in your eyes and the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain
This day will not come again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind
Old age will come and it is not kind.
And when you go, and go you must
You, yourself will make more dust