Blue Mood Valentine

A littler snow graced the mountains this week. Down here we’d welcome more precipitation in any form. Alas, it might be a drought year.
It will soon be five years since my personal valentine departed this life, but not my heart. Nevertheless life is stirring on Cathy Lane, that is except in the loins of this author who is still dragging in energy from last month's pneumonia. Patience, Bonnie, patience. Something for which I am not noted. The good news is that many Guamanians hereabouts have responded to our neighbor’s plea to register to be a bone marrow donor. A gynecologist in Guam has taken up his cause as well and has so far registered 200 residents there. Next door activity in the form of insurance inspectors and septic tank servicers have begun to be noted at the abandoned repossessed house, and the real estate agent hints they may close soon. Birds are seen in profusion at feeders around the neighborhood and one neighbor had a hawk pose in her back yard (eyeing the smaller birds at the feeder of course).

Lucky I love to read, puny or not, but I could use some suggestions for happy books. No kidding. I keep picking morose ones. Is this unconscious punishment for putting off the gym and my taxes? I got half way through the Orphan Master’s Son last week (about N. Korea) before I decided I could take no more. Then I downloaded two equally depressing novels which I promptly rejected for a more cheerful month, like August. Now I’m half way through Killing the Messenger, a non fiction murder story taking place in Oakland. For nine years I taught school two blocks from the site where the action takes place, Our Black Muslim Bakery. I did not know all the facts then but I would shudder inwardly as I putted by in my old ’64 VW bug. There was something eerie about it. How little I knew!

Lacking any ornamental branches I purchased a flowering quince on Tuesday. I painted a flowering almond at my art class last week but could not find any in the nursery. My camellias are almost done, but still fun to paint. I’ve included one above. I hope the spirit of wellness and get up and go strikes me soon.