My Symphony, by William Ellery Channing

I posted this poem a couple of years ago, but it's one I return to often and I thought I'd post it here again. It seems like life is one long series of forgettings and rememberings, and these words remind me of how I want to be.

Some thoughts on tragedy

Sometimes it seems like the fabric of the universe gets thin. Things are just rolling along, and then suddenly a rash of unsettling events blindsides us. Yesterday, there were two bombs at the Boston Marathon, a truly tragic event that killed at least 2 people. This news, along with my eye exam that day (yes, not at all serious, but doctor visits of any kind always make me feel so mortal) and stories from my brother about scary fan riots at a Timbers soccer match he was at, combined to create a feeling of human vulnerability.

We may mourn or complain or curl up under blankets. And yet, the next day, we get up and get to work again. No one knows how long things will last, and yet so many of us continue to build good things– like the strong people of the city of Boston going about their lives today, as well as those of us who are simply planting gardens and apple trees.

The end of January

January is a month to regroup, to take stock and recharge. I spent the time rather frantically rebuilding my inventory after the holidays.

But as February rolls around, my thoughts are turning to newness, expansion, and goals. I'm the sort of person who works best when the house is clean and the to-do list is checked off, so it makes sense that as I get on top of things again, my inspiration accelerates. This seems well-timed in the dark damp part of the year; keeping busy, with hope in my eyes, is a great way to shake off winter blues!

I set some high goals for House of Moss at the beginning of the year ("goals" instead of "resolutions" for my business), and I can already see their forms emerging in a cloud of strategies and steps. Keep your eyes open around here– it's going to be great! ...and a lot of hard work. :)

How does the onset of February feel for you this year?

Obscurity and a competence

Recently I've been spending a lot of time working... and not much else. It's the season of storing up: buying envelopes and wool roving; scheduling, applying for, and paying for shows that won't happen for months; and spending hundreds of hours making things like Christmas ornaments and multiples of my bestsellers. And it feels great! I know that I need to spend more time with the people I care about, and doing the things that I like to do besides work, but right now it just feels wonderful to get my mind around the upcoming busy season and enjoy the rather fulfilling season of quiet, competent, hard work.

Happy 100th birthday, Julia Child!

What a wonderful person she was. One of the good people of our time.

Good words: Spring, by Mary Oliver

Somewhere

a black bear

has just risen from sleep

and is staring

down the mountain

All night

in the brisk and shallow restlessness

of early spring

I think of her,

her four black fists flicking the gravel,

her tongue

like a red fire

touching the grass,

the cold water

There is only one question:

how to love this world.

I think of her

rising

like a black and leafy ledge

to sharpen her claws against

the silence

of the trees.

Whatever else

my life is

with its poems

and its music

and its glass cities,

it is also this dazzling darkness

coming

down the mountain,

breathing and tasting;

all day I think of her–

her white teeth,

her wordlessness,

her perfect love.

Good words: Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.