Alphabet Bean Soup

ALPHABET BEAN SOUP

green beans

in a snap

shimmy

out

of their white blossom

umbrellas

and

dangle

like earrings

from their stems.

Some beans -

long,

slender

shapely

like a woman's

leg

in

silk stockings

with a seam

running

up the back.

Others -

inpatient for pickers

drop

silently

from their strap-hangers

spelling

S O S

in the sandy soil.

grammar police gather

errant

commas

question marks

lower-case e’s

half-fast c’s

and toss them into

boiling chicken stock

with potatoes -

homegrown alphabet soup.

Feline's Fool Moon

full moon
fools felines' eyes -
why is the black velvet
midnight sky serving a saucer
of milk?

Thank You, Earth

beneath earth day eve
roses bleed atop green stems
bending sunset's way

Cardinal Red

sunset's red roses
reflect cardinals' flight
blooming feather light

Arm Chair Psychology

FELIX: Bebe, stare at the black line. You are feeling very sleepy. Ticktock gray squirrels, ticktock tennis balls, ticktock red birds, ticktock kitty-cat.

BEBE: Does he really think I'm going to fall for the black line trick again?
:: zzzzzzzz:: squirrels, balls, birds, warm furry cat ::zzzzzzzzz::

FELIX: You are very sleepy. Ticktock kitty-cat, ticktock purring cat, ticktock snuggle cat.

BEBE: ::zzzzzzz:: purr purr.

FELIX: ::zzzzzzz:: Gotcha, dog breath!

Sun Catcher

origami rose
unfolding white buttercups
holding springtime sun

Another Couch, Another Conversation

Bebe: Hey, blanket hog! Do you have to take up so much room? I'm squished into this corner as tight as I can get!

Felix: Not my problem.

Bebe: You know this is my couch. You don't even come close to matching it. Look how well I blend in! You can hardly see me.

Felix: In your dreams.

Bebe: Fine. Be that way. Just keep your hairy butt away from mine.

Conversation on a Couch

Felix: Bebe! You're in my spot.
Bebe: Tough! I'm comfy and I'm not moving. Go find a sunny spot some place else.
Felix: Fine, then don't blame me when you have to shake a ton of cat hair off your coat.
Bebe: Yuck.
Felix: Look at the dent you're putting in the cushion.
Bebe: What is it you're really trying to say?
Felix: You're fat, not fluffy.
Bebe: Scat, cat!
Felix: ::purr::
Bebe: ::grrr::

Spring Weekend

Finally, Florida's winter has broken. Saturday and Sunday were stellar spring days and we took advantage of Mother Nature's grace.

Saturday took us to the northern tip of Clearwater to an estate sale where we purchased a sweet little credenza and a stool needle pointed by some one's grandmother. We ate grouper sandwiches at Frenchy's Original Cafe and shopped around. The day was cool, breezy and Florida's sun, set in a pool of blue, gave us some much needed vitamin D.

Sunday we walked up the road to Sweetwater Organic Community Farm (Sweetwater Organic Community Farm | An urban, organic farm providing healthy food, educational programs and community-building opportunities since 1995) for some hot-out-of-the-brick-oven pizza, but the pizza guy wasn't there, so we picked up some sweet potatoes for me to plant next weekend when it will be time to plant our Spring veggie garden.

Bebe enjoyed herself too. She had a great little walk and was able to sniff and play with some vegan doggies.

Later, we went to the Buddha Center where the Jade Buddha of Universal Peace was on display at a huge festival.

"The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace is the largest Buddha carved from gemstone quality jade in the world. The Jade Buddha is 2.7 metres high and sits on an alabaster throne of 1.4 high. The Jade Buddha itself weighs around 4 tons and has been valued at $5 million. Its size and beauty make it a wonder of the world. The Buddha inside the Mahabodhi Stupa in Bodh Gaya (India) is the model for the Great Jade Buddha. This Buddha was chosen because it is universally recognized by all Buddhists.

The purpose of exhibiting the Jade Buddha around the world is for everyone, irrespective of their religion, to take a moment to reflect upon peace; peace for the world; peace in their relationships; peace for their families and friends; peace at work; peace in their mind."

We were two of but a handful of non-Asian attendees and mostly everything was written in characters we didn't understand. When Jayne asked one of the Asian-looking vendors what something meant, the gal said.."I don't know, I'm not Chinese."

Welcome Spring! Welcome peace!

Winter Roses Rise

march winter persists

winds bend the thorny thin stems

roses' heads held high

February Remembers

Not one
February,
but two Februaries.
First one, then another passes;

parents.

Some months
go unnoticed

until February's
heavy heart sinks soft behind mine;

pounding.

Valentine Robin

robins polka-dot

wintery ice cold blue skies

one breast rests alone

Frozen Lemonade

Not one

bitter, bitting

Florida frost - but three deep

freezing nights took lemon after

lemon

Produce Shopping Before the Frost (in my own backyard)

Lemons,

'maters green-red,

dill, parsley, sage, peppers

plucked before plunging temperatures

bite hard.

Little Monkey Business

Jillian with the sock monkey my sister Lynn made for her.

Yellow -

not banana,

butter, or Crayola.

Sunflower yellow, bursting bright

with seeds.

Sunflower Rising

Sunshine starburst peeks

between green broccoli leaves;

rising and shining.

Fall Fruits of Labor

Finally, the first lemons fell from the tree today! The green beans are so bountiful, I've spent the past two days picking them by the fist-fulls. Yesterday, I flash-froze three 1- gallon bags and there are still more to pick.

This year, I'm drying most of the herbs and so far have jars and jars of rosemary, basil, lemon basil, parsley and sage.
Next up is broccoli, peppers, red-leaf lettuce and tomatoes. I just love this time of year!