Thank you for your kind words! I just love this time of year when the berries are ripe and fresh at the farmer's market... I get a flat of strawberries or blueberries and I feel like I won a trophy 🤣
Thank you for bringing me in on this creative effort, Sue. I'm a bit stymied as to what to do or write, but this one scene popped into my brain while reading this post and won't go away. Must mean something, right?
One morning, I was feverishly clipping away at a bush that was burying other plants As my clipper snapped at the branches and twigs, I saw something flitting about on the bush. Finally I stopped and looked. My God! It was a Praying Mantis. A tiny Praying Mantis about two inches tall trying to stay out of harm's way. I picked it up and marveled at its magnificent form. It rested in my palm as I decided what to do with the poor wee beastie. At last, I put it on the edge of the birdbath so it could get a drink, but it scurried away to shelter elsewhere.
It was the only praying mantis I've ever seen and since then have not seen another in the garden. During my summers "grooming" this little slice of paradise, I've become aware that whole communities live amongst the growth. They've presented dramas to watch as I sit in the swing. I try to use clippers and weed-whackers cautiously so I don't injure or kill someone. My watering and other bumblings about have threatened a few of these little neighbors upon occasion. It's hard to think of myself as a facetious and careless god ruling over natural habitat. The community changes over time, but any changes I make to it are considered with care for the critters who allow me to live in their space.
Thank you for being here and I'm glad my newsletter prompted you to write your wonderful thoughts!!! Yes, to the small critters we must seem as little gods or weather systems. You're working on your web-home and suddenly whisk comes a broom. Or for birds suddenly there's a full bird feeder and you can get through a day easily.
From my time as a zoological biological illustrator I learned that it only appears to our human brains that we're the gods/weather ... in many ways we humans rely on the smallest of critters for our very health and being. Bees pollinate blueberries and without bees we wouldn't have blueberries or many foods. Spiders, house spiders especially, are essential for keeping our homes free from bugs that would bite and irritate our skin... I could go on. We are all interconnected and caring for the critters we share space with is symbiotic self-care!! Loved your comment and I thank you heartily for it!!
Going down a rabbit hole also presents a good opportunity to create a new shaggy dog story about the adventure. (Reading a shaggy dog story is a good way to develop patience and self-discipline when you refrain from yelling, "Will get to the point, already?!?")
Yes!!! Yes!!! Yes!!! I love shaggy dog stories and the story-within-a-story-within-a story aspects of them!!!!! Are you going to write one??? (Pleaseohplease🤞)
Yippee!!! I'll eagerly look forward to it!!! I can imagine you writing a shaggy dog style Borges Library labyrinthine book leads to another book leads to another...🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣📚📚📚📚📚
Gorgeous, delicious, WONDERFUL! I've been away for a few days where I've struggled with getting a decent internet connection, and my Substack inbox is overflowing as a result... I am SO PLEASED to have treated myself to THIS read first of all! 🍓
Okay, I needed to think about it and get over a Shy about sharing it: I fell down a wonderful rabbit-hole recently when I read "Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman." I'd seen him in a few major roles, enough to admire his voice and his presence, but reading the diaries - cryptic as they are! - was like walking at least partway into someone's life. How hard he worked, what a pain-in-the-ass he KNEW he was to almost every director he worked with, how much he loved to dance, how much he loved to drink, how much he loved his friends and delighted in them and complained about them and was absolutely There for them, how funny and how poignant he could be, how he constantly longed to simplify and deepen his life. And the beautiful, detailed drawings on some of his diary pages! (He studied art and design before he went to drama school. I had no idea.) I'm still haunting the internet looking for his films or clips from them. But mostly I'm haunted by the sense that I just made a new friend somehow, and as presumptuous as that sounds it's also welcome. An odd and generous and gifted and completely Himself person; he's gotten tucked into my heart, somehow.
Oh what a wonderful rabbit hole!!! I love Alan Rickman too!!! I share your enjoyment of biographies of other creative people!!! Bravo!!! Thank you for sharing!!! The biography I've read most recently was by John Cleese "Professor At Large". Now I'm going to go looking for the biography you're talking about!! Thank you again for sharing your rabbit hole!!!! 💚
I love your creativity! Now I want some berries
Thank you for your kind words! I just love this time of year when the berries are ripe and fresh at the farmer's market... I get a flat of strawberries or blueberries and I feel like I won a trophy 🤣
Thank you for bringing me in on this creative effort, Sue. I'm a bit stymied as to what to do or write, but this one scene popped into my brain while reading this post and won't go away. Must mean something, right?
One morning, I was feverishly clipping away at a bush that was burying other plants As my clipper snapped at the branches and twigs, I saw something flitting about on the bush. Finally I stopped and looked. My God! It was a Praying Mantis. A tiny Praying Mantis about two inches tall trying to stay out of harm's way. I picked it up and marveled at its magnificent form. It rested in my palm as I decided what to do with the poor wee beastie. At last, I put it on the edge of the birdbath so it could get a drink, but it scurried away to shelter elsewhere.
It was the only praying mantis I've ever seen and since then have not seen another in the garden. During my summers "grooming" this little slice of paradise, I've become aware that whole communities live amongst the growth. They've presented dramas to watch as I sit in the swing. I try to use clippers and weed-whackers cautiously so I don't injure or kill someone. My watering and other bumblings about have threatened a few of these little neighbors upon occasion. It's hard to think of myself as a facetious and careless god ruling over natural habitat. The community changes over time, but any changes I make to it are considered with care for the critters who allow me to live in their space.
Thank you for being here and I'm glad my newsletter prompted you to write your wonderful thoughts!!! Yes, to the small critters we must seem as little gods or weather systems. You're working on your web-home and suddenly whisk comes a broom. Or for birds suddenly there's a full bird feeder and you can get through a day easily.
From my time as a zoological biological illustrator I learned that it only appears to our human brains that we're the gods/weather ... in many ways we humans rely on the smallest of critters for our very health and being. Bees pollinate blueberries and without bees we wouldn't have blueberries or many foods. Spiders, house spiders especially, are essential for keeping our homes free from bugs that would bite and irritate our skin... I could go on. We are all interconnected and caring for the critters we share space with is symbiotic self-care!! Loved your comment and I thank you heartily for it!!
Going down a rabbit hole also presents a good opportunity to create a new shaggy dog story about the adventure. (Reading a shaggy dog story is a good way to develop patience and self-discipline when you refrain from yelling, "Will get to the point, already?!?")
Yes!!! Yes!!! Yes!!! I love shaggy dog stories and the story-within-a-story-within-a story aspects of them!!!!! Are you going to write one??? (Pleaseohplease🤞)
I have a shaggy dog book recommendation post that I'm planning. (I'm not sure when.)
Yippee!!! I'll eagerly look forward to it!!! I can imagine you writing a shaggy dog style Borges Library labyrinthine book leads to another book leads to another...🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣📚📚📚📚📚
:D :D :D
What a wonderful invitation and writing prompt from @SueClancy !
Thanks!! I look forward to your work!!
Hello to all the creatives. Thank you Sue, for taking up my invitation and inviting everyone to the party! 🍓🐇🐰 Love all the rabbit and berry stories.
Oh, I have a berry story from years ago! I feel inspired to share it with everyone.
Yippee!!!! A berry story!!!!! I'm ready - please tell your story!!!!
Gorgeous, delicious, WONDERFUL! I've been away for a few days where I've struggled with getting a decent internet connection, and my Substack inbox is overflowing as a result... I am SO PLEASED to have treated myself to THIS read first of all! 🍓
Awwww!!! You got your virtual hug!!!! Yippee!!!! 💚💚
😁🙌😘
Thanks for the tag, Sue!
Of course!! Thanks for being yourself!!!!
You and your sketches are the sweetest! Thanks for the mention and that nifty recipe for a sloppy milkshake!
You're so welcome!!! I'm glad you liked it!! Enjoy the sloppy milkshake when you have it!!!
Okay, I needed to think about it and get over a Shy about sharing it: I fell down a wonderful rabbit-hole recently when I read "Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman." I'd seen him in a few major roles, enough to admire his voice and his presence, but reading the diaries - cryptic as they are! - was like walking at least partway into someone's life. How hard he worked, what a pain-in-the-ass he KNEW he was to almost every director he worked with, how much he loved to dance, how much he loved to drink, how much he loved his friends and delighted in them and complained about them and was absolutely There for them, how funny and how poignant he could be, how he constantly longed to simplify and deepen his life. And the beautiful, detailed drawings on some of his diary pages! (He studied art and design before he went to drama school. I had no idea.) I'm still haunting the internet looking for his films or clips from them. But mostly I'm haunted by the sense that I just made a new friend somehow, and as presumptuous as that sounds it's also welcome. An odd and generous and gifted and completely Himself person; he's gotten tucked into my heart, somehow.
I found a copy of "Madly, Deeply..." at my local library and have started reading it!! Thanks again for telling me about it!!!!
OMG have fun!
I am!!! Thank you again!!!
Oh what a wonderful rabbit hole!!! I love Alan Rickman too!!! I share your enjoyment of biographies of other creative people!!! Bravo!!! Thank you for sharing!!! The biography I've read most recently was by John Cleese "Professor At Large". Now I'm going to go looking for the biography you're talking about!! Thank you again for sharing your rabbit hole!!!! 💚
I loved your rabbit bedtime storybook. Some of the rabbits cracked me up, they're too cute, Sue! 😂
Lol!!!! 🤣 I'm delighted that you liked it!!!!!